Happy Birthday To Me

Happy birthday to me.
Happy birthday to me.
Happy birthday … to …. meeeee….
Happy birthday to me.

Because only I would sing Happy Birthday to myself on a blog.  Hahahah.

Overall, it’s been a pretty excellent birthday celebration.  As you know, I’m one for celebrating my birthday for the entire month of May, often associating things that have absolutely nothing to do with my birthday as part of my extended celebrations.  Just because I feel like I can.

I started things off right on Thursday by going out to an impromptu happy hour with some friends.  We went to TGIFriday’s in Laurel for  a few hours of Jack Daniel’s wings and watered down drinks.  It’s a good thing that I’m not one for drinking.  I had a good time, but that’s because I didn’t spend any money.

Friday, I had a totally random blind date.  Well, it wasn’t really a blind date, actually.  So, a group of us from my social club were supposed to meet up for a birthday event in Silver Spring, but then the hailstorm from Kansas randomly appeared.  Because I show up ridiculously early to everything, I didn’t have to attempt to drive through all that nonsense.  Some people called to say they were going to be late or not coming at all because of accidents, treacherous road conditions and all kinds of mess.  So one guy was already there and I didn’t know it and he was like, “Do you just want to hang out anyway?”  Uhm, okay.  We ended up going to Austin Grill and sitting in there for a couple of hours eating half priced appetisers.  He was an interesting guy, but not for me.  I don’t do obesity well.  Not that I’m the thinnest person in the world but I do draw the line at someone who could be a Biggest Loser contestant.  Was that mean?  Yeah, I’m sure it was.  Honest, but mean.

Saturday, ugh, drill.  The best thing is that it finally stopped raining and the sun actually came out.  I like to think that the sun shone especially for me because I asked God the day before if we might be able to have some sun.  (Yeah, I really am that over the top).  The true highlight of the day was my birthday gift from Compton.  She is such a surpriser.  On Thursday, she emailed me to ask about the drill dates.  She didn’t know whether we were still doing three days or if we were back to two days.  I told her we were back to Saturday and Sunday, and then I added a PS.  I said, “Oh yeah, Saturday is my birthday so bring gold.  Diamonds are acceptable too.”

Okay, when you say shit like that you don’t really expect anybody to bring you diamonds and gold.  First of all, who has money like that, and second, even if somebody had money like that, what makes me think that anybody would be ready to plunk down some gold ingots just for me?  So Saturday morning, Compton walks in with this little box, like a Chinese take out box.  What’s inside?

Diamonds and gold!!!

Okay, not real diamonds and gold, but this cheesy plastic diamond ring and chocolate gold coins.  Oh, my God, it cracked me up!!! I was dying laughing.  I thought that was the most awesome thing I’ve received in a long time because it was exactly what I wanted but not exactly.  See, that is why you need to be specific.  And she said, “I just doing as requested.”  That was the best.

It is too bad that I had to sit through drill in the first place, but since I already bitched about that I’ll move right along to after drill in which we all went to Fogo de Chao.  I had a great time.  I’ve been to Fogo de Chao before but it always cracks me up how the gauchos literally run around the restaurant with platters of meat.  If you forget to turn that damn card over they will magically appear at your elbow with a side of cow.  “Filet, ma’am?  You want some sausages?  Would you like sirloin?”  Oh, my God, I was stuffed and I told myself not to go in there and be a big fat pig.  Then I had to have a glass of wine and drinking, even the smallest amount makes me incredibly silly.  It is like I cannot control myself.  Thanks to Ceciley, I have now begun to expand my wine palette and I actually like wine, but I just don’t like being stupid and laughy about everything.  I guess I need to build up a tolerance…. by drinking more and thus exposing myself to even more foolishness.

We definitely need to invite Dorsey and m-Wade out with us again.  They are freakin’ hilarious.  Poor Dorsey.  He really did look like he belonged to the Oki-Town Boys (this lame ass gang from Arizona).  All he needed was a net over his hair and some bedroom slippers and he would have fit right in.

The best part of the whole night?  No pouting.

Sunday, I thought I’d be tired for drill but I wasn’t.  It didn’t really hit me until after drill.  I was exhausted but I was supposed to go out with Mitko.  I had already stuffed myself with Chinese food at lunch so I saw no point in trying to go out to dinner again on top of being sleepy.  He seemed tired too so we took a rain check for Monday.

Monday, after cramming 12 hours at work trying to get the hours for my Hawaiian extravaganza, Mitko and I went to dinner at our favourite low-budget diner, where you can order all three meals for $15.00, plus a dessert and two snacks.  When he found out I went to Fogo on Saturday, he was peeved.  I didn’t want him to come because I knew he would feel all awkward with military people, plus Dorsey and m-Wade would probably have thought he was gay.  He’s European so he has that flair about him.  It’s weird.  Added to the fact that he only knows three words in English, it’s just better that he stays at home.  To appease him, I decided that we will go to Fogo, just he and I, when I get home.  Especially since he’s going to help me move.

Tuesday, I am going out to dinner once again with the ladies from my social club.  It’s a makeup for the hailstorm disaster that occurred on Friday, since we did not get to meet up with each other.  Instead of Silver Spring, we’re going to Melting Pot in Columbia.  I have never been there before, but Stewart Jefferson Airplane had suggested it for the Monthly Mafia Meet and Eat (I just randomly made that up right now).  She said it was a great place to go, so we’re headed there after drill in June.  It was kind of coincidental that the social club decided to go there.  I hope the food is good.  Judging by the fact that they don’t even list their restaurant prices, I’m like… hmmmm.

Wednesday through next Wednesday I will be in HAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIII.

So this will be five days of eating out, plus a week long vacation of eating every meal out.  My bank account and my waist line is definitely showing the fruits of my labour.  Yikes.  It’s all good though.  After I get back from my Hawaiian Extravaganza I’ll buckle down again–even though Memorial Day weekend and my usual round of barbecues might get in the way.  That’s cool though.

Like I always say, there is nothing better in the world to me than being in excellent company with intellectual conversation and good ass food.  What else could you really want in the world?

Thank you to all my friends and family who called, wrote, texted, emailed and Facebook’ed a Happy Birthday message to me.  I appreciate all your kind thoughts and well wishes.  Everybody that contributed to my “I need a new iPod” fund, I thank you endlessly.  My shiny new pots and pans are going to look great in my brand-spanking-new kitchen, Dad.  Shayla, I am still waiting on my MJ Forever tattoo knock-up.

I am grateful to God that I have been able to enjoy another year of my life in the best of health.  I still have all my fingers and toes.  I’m not going blind or deaf.  I’m not dying of cancer or some other disease.  All of my friends and family are still healthy, happy, and whole.  I am not homeless.  I do not have any serious stresses in my life.  Everything that I truly need is right here.  Now, after that, I really don’t need anything else in the whole wide world.

Happy birthday to me.