The best birthday ever?

STUDIO 48 – There are few nights in one’s life that you just know from the moment that it ended that it will become legendary, even if only in your circle of friends. Last night was surely one of those. It was the night that my roommates and some other old friends had designated as the night that they would take me out for my birthday. It was only four days late, but I was very understanding because we all have such hectic schedules.

The participants: Me, Keith, Rusty, Robert, Tom, Renee, Kevin, Kirsten, and Ally. The location: DePalma’s (downtown). We had a good time at the restaurant. It took along time to get a table and the service was typical of downtown Athens... slow... so you’ll (in theory) have more drinks. Keith and I did order a couple of drinks. It was my first time ordering one as a 21-year-old. We arrived at the establishment at about 8:00 and did not complete our meal and get the bill square until sometime after 11:00. It wasn’t so much that we were dragging our feet as it was that the waiter drug his. Luckily, the company was good and so the lengthy dinner didn’t cramp anyone’s style. After dinner, the gentlemen decided to venture out onto the back porch at our apartment and smoke cigars in honor of my birthday (editor’s note: as most of you know, I am very conservative and my friends are even more so than I, so we made a pact long ago that out cigar smoking wouldn’t become a habit and instead would only occur for ‘celebratory purposes’ [i.e.: Georgia victories, the end of finals...etc]. To be honest, ‘celebratory’ has been defined looser and looser as we have gotten older.). We were enjoying them and each other’s company when the ladies decided to join us out on the balcony and enjoy cigars themselves. It was quite odd and yet completely amazing. We all talked and had fun sharing old (and new) stories. I didn’t get into bed until around 3:00. Too bad I had an early morning class with Eva and the freshmen. Poor planning, I guess.

It was a good night for me and my friends. If any group had earned a night out, it was us. If nothing else the night reassured me that I am doing ok in life, that I should stop fretting about some of the things that I have been letting bother me over the last few weeks, and that I have some really cool friends. In the words of Billy Bob from Varsity Blue’s... I give last night “a ten!” One word... legendary. We will still be talking about it at our wedding receptions some day.

As you probably deducted, I overslept this morning and would have completely missed Eva’s class if it hadn’t been for Kirsten calling me to tell me that she too was running late. No harm done. I made it to class only five minutes late in my traditional over-slept look of tennis shoes, jeans, hooded-sweatshirt, and a cap along with glasses and an un-shaven stubble on my face. I looked good!

Do you ever have one of those moments where you make eye-contact in conversation with someone that you have (or had) feelings for, and she looks at you with the same look (kinda like puppy-eyes, but a little different)? Maybe you made an attempt with her and it just didn’t work out, or maybe there is something big (like a different religion, or belief, or background, or something) that is keeping you from making an attempt. But, nevertheless, you look at her and she looks at you and you wish things would have been or could be different. I had a moment like that this morning. It was weird, because I think we both realized that we were having one of those moments at the exact same time because we smiled at each other simultaneously. Moments such as these used to really make me frustrated. I have since been able to move past these situations and realize that there is a reason that we can’t get together and that that very reason would keep it from working if we ever did. It’s weird, but it is almost comforting to know that someone out there does actually have some sort of feelings for me that I share with them. They may never be spoken of and most likely never acted upon, but it is nice nonetheless. Smiles make everybody’s day better!

More later...