21 Again

So I recently had a birthday (this blog's for you Kristen!), but as a lady never reveals her true age, I have decided to stay twenty-one indefinitely--much like Lorelai who continues to be sixteen. Of course, Lauren Graham looks improbably youthful and maintains her kick-ass figure. Anyway, my birthday was on Tuesday and I received many wonderful birthday wishes, so thank you for those. It was a pretty low-key day, but then I've learned to expect less from birthdays and holidays, otherwise they're just anti-climatic. I did go to the Cheesecake Factory with my family which was wonderfully delicious. And then it was present-time. I got a Rubik's Cube and this notebook computer from which I am typing this very blog. Now the laptop wasn't nearly as exciting since the delivery was late. So instead of actually unwrapping the computer, I got a printout of the order. However, it's still a very nice gift, and will be very useful come graduate school. I've also rapidly developed the very bad habit of watching television while also connecting to the Internet. But more on that later. Now the best present was seeing Tori Amos in concert a couple of weeks ago. And then I did buy three books for myself off my amazon wish list which are also on my summer reading list, so happy freaking birthday to me!

The next day I had dinner with Kristyn at Firehouse Pizzeria--I've had pizza every day this week--where I discovered the wonder that is the Cutthroat Pale Ale, a handcrafted beer made right here in Utah. Being more of a lager guy myself, I've avoided this and other ales, but this one is magical and delicious and I hope to consume many more before leaving for Washington. And with any luck, they just might sell this in Seattle too. On the down side, Washington State just hiked up liquor prices by 6%. Ouch. And I thought I was leaving Utah. Anyway, another nice "birthday present" was finally finding an apartment to live in. I had put it off and off because it was far too stressful, and I like to avoid real situations/problems in my life--I'm only twenty-one after all. But it only took like fifteen minutes and the gentle guidance of Ellen to find a really great place--all I have to do now is fax the lease in later this week. Boo-yah baby! But this whole moving-to-Seattle thing has felt a lot more real lately, which is kinda freaking me out.

Speaking of Ellen, we almost share the same birthday and so decided to share a birthday party--which perhaps wasn't the best decision for two Leos. Staying twenty-one means throwing a children's birthday party which meant going to Tracy Aviary--I love birds!--and Liberty Park. While we didn't ride any of the carnival rides at the park, alas and alack, we did have a pinata! I bought it out of a nostalgic wistfulness for my childhood and because Ellen's never had a pinata--say what?! But you know what the thing about pinatas are? They're fucking AWESOME! I fully plan on having a pinata at all my birthday parties. And I made a teddy bear character cake, frosted beautifully for looks, and a beets-and-olive-oil Devil's Food cake for deliciousness, decorated appropriately with a 21 candle. And Melissa got me season two of How I Met Your Mother which is awesome and is also what I'm watching right now. Miss Liss, I love you!

And so today was Ellen's actual birthday, and so we made use of our Lagoon Season Passports and also discovered that Ellen needs Xanax. But we had a wonderful time at Lagoon, just riding the rides, except I am now exhausted and ravenous. And then we sang lots of Broadway show tunes in my car. "Seasons of Love" and "Memory" made me a little sad that I'll soon be leaving, and then I've also had "Forever Young" stuck in my head lately, but that is neither here nor there. But all in all, what a wonderful day! I also picked up some books at the library today--Betty Friedan's Feminine Mystique and Camille Paglia's Sexual Personae, you know just some "light" reading to make up for my feminist literature gap. Meanwhile, I've been trudging through Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night which really is not nearly as good as The Great Gatsby, and Mr. F. Scott kind of sucks at characters. I'm planning on finishing it anyway, but I would really rather read Hemingway's The Garden of Eden instead. Oh well. But now it's bedtime for bonzo, so I will bid you all a fond bon nuit.