So, this one time I turned 24

On Friday.
I slept in until 9 am.
Cuddled with the cats and got phone calls from my familiglia, including my brother who never remembers anything but remembered my birthday. I was impressed.
Went to lunch with Ree Ree at Incredibly Delicious, where we dined on salad and sammiches (she had chicken salad, I had goat cheese and sundried tomato...yummmmm) and iced tea. We topped it off with the most delicious red velvet cake I've ever had.
No, really.
And then we decided that we needed to bring treats home for our favorite boys. Plus a loaf of bread. And maybe a roll for the road....and another treat for later.
I recieved a lovely package in the mail from my equally lovely sister. She made a sweet card with pictures of the two of us as little girls and sent a beautiful children's book called "Sisters." It might have made me cry just a little.
Lara, Amber, and Vanessa and I had dinner at Ginger. We ate too much sushi and noodles. But that's okay.
We trapsed around Springfield for the obligatory free birthday drinks that seem to be tradition 'round these parts (except Two Brothers now makes you pay for them...what is that?) and laughed way too much at all the trashy people. That's what we do for fun, mostly.
On Saturday, I ate a cream puff for breakfast.
And did some laundry.
And took a nap on the couch.
With the cats.
When Blake got home from work, he gave me my birthday gifts: Scene It! for the X-Box (!!!!) and two beautiful framed prints which he did not create, but after I hang them up and people start asking, I will tell them that he did. He's pretty talented, my boyfriend.
Then Chris suprised us all and came for a visit.
He and Blake and Amber and Vanessa and I went to dinner at Xochi for margaritas and burritos.
I did a shot of tequila, as instructed by our favorite waiter, Aurelio.
Halfway through the dinner, Gabe appeared out of thin air. Direct from Macomb.
After dinner we retired to an evening of Rock Band, Apples-to-Apples, and You Tube videos.
Amber and I ate a whole pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
She and the boys spent the night.
The next morning while the boys slept, the two of us drove to her house in Auburn, and then back again to have brunch with out three groggy male companions.
Then it was showers and off to Raymond (for me, at least) to have dinner with Lara's wonderful family and their vast assortment of exotic cheeses.
On our way back, we picked up Amber and arrived back in town to find the boys, plus Bryan, laying on the living room floor. Clearley exhausted from an arduous day of playing video games.
We rounded out the weekend with Ricky Gervais.

I ate way too much.
I drank a whole lot more than I usually do.
I slept in.
I didn't accomplish much of anything at all.

But that's okay.

Because I had a lovely birthday.
And I got to spend it with my wonderful friends.
Together in the same location.
For once.
And I got to talk to my awesome family.

And besides.
Birthdays only happen once a year.