23

Thank you, MySpace, for getting the word out. It's true: I did allow myself to age a bit more than when most of you last saw me. Now when I fill out forms and MySpace surveys I can't just hit that "2" key twice, real fast-like. No-now I have to stop and think for a moment. Lucky for me "3" is right after 2. Check that shit out! Next year it might start getting difficult.

By all rights I should be worrying about grad school next year. Instead I'm worrying about getting back in and finishing these first few years off. Whoops. Someone fucked up. Someone fucked up real bad.

Mike and Maya were given the day off at random on my birthday (Can you say Birthday Miracle? I bet you can.), so they acted as proxy for the missing parents. I had already told my parents if they were coming to town to make it quick and painless--I had drinking to do. My mom was going to break my sister out of Summer School and come hit the IMAX or Zoo but they both fell "ill" and couldn't follow through. As such: Mike and Maya action.

We kicked off the drinking at Rock Bottom at 4, hitting up the beer sampler and then each grabbing a glass after that. I had crab cakes, which thoroughly reminded me that I have a problem with eating developed animals, but I said Fuck you to myself succesfully and enjoyed that shit. The Portobello Mushroom sandwich proved to be too much nourishment and I had to stop halfway through so as to not take up room that could store alcohol. After that we walked to Grand Ave and all bought badass Matrix shades (About $9 each) and then continued on to Wolski's.

Some douchebag guy was running Wolski's, never seen him before, and it was the first time in a long time that I've not only had me ID checked at Wolski's but he actually asked me a couple questions about it. I didn't feel like taking a birthday shot from that guy so we grabbed a pitcher of spotted cow, shot pool and darts and waited around, I was hoping Tony/Bernie/Casey/John might show up before we took off but no-go.

We then went and kicked off the Leine's Lodge Pitcher n' Pizza action. Steve Holland was the first on the scene, followed by Aaron, followed by Adam, followed by Jake and Megan. Mark grabbed a seat for a while, and some other girl was there too, didn't really pay attention to who she was. Polish Julie was there at a separate table, I inadvertantly ignored her for a solid hour before I realized she was there and had said hey as we walked in. Pitchers n' Pizza are consumed, I start getting shots. Mike bought me a car bomb, Aaron got me a shot of Jameson and Level-44. I think there may have been one more shot involved, I'm none to sure. At this point we rolled over to McGuilicudy's. I don't remember what I drank there but I'm sure it was delicious. I took a birthday shot that I believe was essentially a Three Wiseman shot, but again--not completely clear.

After this it was time for friends round 2, so everyone departed and Adam drove me over to the East Side where I met up with Chris, Mike and Candy down at BBC's. Jay, Emily and SS showed up here too, although I was pretty thoroughly drunk by this point. More drinks, apparently I didn't make it through my beer before we took off. To recuperate I made everyone run across the street with me to Rascal's and I took another free birthday shot. We then spun around and went to Live, grabbing a spot upstairs.

Then I woke up on Jay's couch, where I was filled in on a couple of things:

* I was pretty drunk.
* I may have dumped a bucket of ice onto innocent bystanders off the balcony at Live.
* I was very pissed that SS is moving to Illinois and I kept giving him shit. At one point I said So what, you're going to hang out with Joe, or go to Wyoming on the weekend with Jeff K? and instead of Illinois proceded to belittle the fine state of Wyoming for the rest of the night.
* I turned the light off in the bathroom on Mike and came up as if it was going to produce a hilarious, over-the-top sitcom response. It didn't.
* I really wanted Qdoba.
* I was pretty drunk. Jay and Emily said it was the drunkest they've ever seen me, and I can only imagine that means I topped last years birthday. That's right, screw you twenty-two. You've got nothin' on my current irresponsibility.

Thanks to everyone who made it out, thanks to Karen, Jay, Emily, Alaina and Aaron for making it out the night before for Corner Birthday-Day-of-the-Week/Red Room, and thanks to my Mom and Dad for fucking up their lives real bad 23 years and 9 months ago. Way to go, suckers!