Ok so not anymore, but it was my birthday on Saturday and let me tell you how much I LOVE birthdays…I like to celebrate the whole month of October reminding people it's my birthday soon and then I like to spen usually 3 or so total days with my actual birthday in the middle really celebrating. (Conceited much? Nah, I'm fabulous, why wouldn't people be happy that I'm around??)
But this year it was a little different. One of the 2nd year GA's was getting married on that day, it was SIU's Homecoming AND I'm in a new town, and my friends and family are 2,000 miles away.
I know, oh woe is me. But really though, I kinda figured that it was probably for the best that my birthday fell on such a hectic day so that I wouldn't notice the fact that I wasn't surrounded by loved ones on my special day. And 22 is kinda anticlimactic minus the fact that everyone sings T-Swift's song in your face all day. (If i hear that song one more time I may hurt somebody)
Who am I kidding though.. I was SUPER bummed and not really looking forward to it. I couldn't plan anything super fun and the glory of it all was fading.
It was a short week too, coming off of Fall Break and so it was kinda crazy in the office and at school. We had the championship games for Street Hockey IM's and meetings, prepping for new sports and just all around playing catch up from the long weekend. Thursday the 17th rolled around we had early morning meeting that day and I thought my boss had forgotten about my bday as he usually brings breakfast donuts for whoever has had or is having a birthday on staff. But he hadn't mentioned anything but I wasn't too upset. Promise, I wasn't, I'm not a morning person so the less smily and cheery i had to be the better. But he surprised me and brought the donuts and fruit for everyone and I got a bunch of happy early birthdays and I felt better about it all. At least I got some lovin.
On Friday I had morning class and as I'm walking back to the office, I see my boss and we walk back together, talking about weekend events, class, etc. He's got the weekend off from officiating football and he plans on just relaxing and I am looking forward to having a less hectic work weekend as we only have 1 event.
We walk into the office and I'm surprised because my desk is covered in balloons and cupcakes! I'm very shocked and beaming as I love surprises! The two girls I have come to know pretty well in the office got them for me and they were like we wanted to do it today since we don't work tomorrow!
And about 5 minutes later I get flowers and MORE cupcakes that my mom and dad sent to me! I am feeling so incredibly loved and it isn't even my real birthday!!
So now EVERYONE in the office knows it's my birthday and I'm handing out cupcakes to everyone (bad idea and hard to get rid of so many when you work in a rec center…everyone is so health conscientious or on some gluten-free, paleo, organic, something diet, but most gave in when I came by with my charming smile)
We still have a busy day though and so me and some office girls go out to eat a quick lunch and make it kinda like a bday luncheon at my new favorite spot, Moe's which is like a midwest version of Chipotle. A birthday lunch at a fast-food place. *facepalm* Not your typical birthday lunch date but it was delicious and I was so happy to be celebrating the coolest person I know, ME.
Head back into the office and we had a basketball game for the Army and AirForce ROTC groups and a 3 point shoot out and the schedule to get out. whew! It was about 8:30pm when we walked out of there and I was so ready to go home and lie in my bed.
And then i get a text from another friend and she's like come on birthday girl let's party hardy! I kinda laugh and agree to go out but that I hadn't planned on going hard til tomorrow, when Kaylee had agreed to come out with me and we would try to find some trouble to get into.
If you know me at all, you have probably heard me say this before and you probably know that this is NEVER how it ends up going down. But I still try anyways.
So I meet up with them and they have birthday dessert and cards for me and of course, birthday shots.
Oh boy…this is looking like it's going to be a longer night than originally planned. We proceed to just talk and gossip and laugh at my corny bday cards that I loved so much (one had a pic of a cow and it said "It's your birthday? Time to bust a Moo!" I died.) and then we hear about a house party so we head over to just check it out. It was a smaller affair with the guys playing madden and some people playing jenga and just chilling. So we play jenga and laugh and it reminded me so much of my friends and what we would do on a typical Friday at Davis. Just playing video games and not doing much of anything but loving every minute of it. Gosh how I miss it so much but it was so nice to have it here too.
Next stop, the bars. We go to the other side of town, to switch it up a bit. It's the place that I climbed onto the roof before and the little dive bar is now PACKED with people here for homecoming and it's insane. But we get in and right around midnight, my official birthday, I magically become that girl…
You know exactly what I'm talking about. That girl who goes out on her birthday and tells everyone and gets free drinks and she doesn't really need anymore to drink but you just can't stop her.
Yep. That was me. I'm meeting and talking to complete strangers, I'm getting free drinks and high fives and I'm finally VERY excited it's my birthday and the glory is back! It's my birthday and I want everyone in the bar to know it!
I didn't give many people a choice in the matter.
I see some friends from staff and business school and then well you know. We walked back to the apartment and I end up on the couch and I wake up the next morning in a pretty bad state. Who knew having too much fun could be so detrimental to your health? Ugh…
But I had planned on going to the Homecoming parade to help Kaylee with the Rec float. But after getting up and trying to start functioning, I realize I can't. So I lie back down to just try and get it together. The next thing I know I wake up and I had slept for 3 hours. OH NO! Kaylee!! I apologize and she says it's fine that she had enough help and to not worry. But I felt so so bad because I don't like it when people flake on me and I am NOT a flaker I like to think I'm pretty reliable. Damn birthday...Terrible terrible life choices.
That day, the actual day of my birthday was pretty good after that mishap though. I went tailgating although my drink of choice was a gatorade but the tail gate food did have enough grease in it to make me feel better. It was a beautiful fall day and I got to see some real life Salukis, there are some alumni that own the dogs and they were pretty cool. And I love dogs so I just really wanted to sit there and pet them all day. One more thing to check off my Salukiville bucket list!
Kaylee and I then meet up and we go to the mall for some retail therapy. She promises she's not too upset and it's my birthday so it's fine. I say that I owe her big time but she can't be too mad at me because I tell her about my night and she just kinda shakes her head at me and giggles "You're too much, Marissa, you're driving that struggle bus." I know. I'm getting too good at driving it.
I had gotten some gift cards for my birthday so at the mall. She and I love fall just so we can wear our boots with thick socks and scarves and sweaters. And it's officially sweater weather and I need a new pair of boots real bad. I notice some boots that I really want. I try a pair on and then Kaylee goes those are cute but what about these? and she points out an even cuter pair. Oh man…decisions decisions. It's a sale though and with the card we do some math and I'm like if I get 2 it's kinda like only buying 1 pair. I ask for a price check and with the original sale price it's not too bad but out of my price range. But then with the card it drops a lot and I walk out of there not with one pair of boots but 2! Happy birthday to me!! I am my mother's daughter…money doesn't last long with me. not when really cute boots are involved.
So we then go and grab an early bday dinner at Chili's (again, super classy I know. but I just dropped some serious cash, gotta take it easy on that wallet). Kaylee and I joke and gossip and enjoy the day. It was a perfect birthday. I was so worried about not having fun and some staff had mentioned how there was an event where they go from house to house drinking all the booze after the football game and it always gets crazy but I had my 4 years of undergrad. I lived that life, and I had fun and I'm still having fun but I don't need to go crazy anymore. (I still do from time to time, obvi) But at that moment all I wanted to do was sit with my friend Kaylee from Kentucky eating sliders from Chili's talking about everything and nothing at the same time. It was perfect. And I'm so glad I asked her to be my tent mate on that GA camping trip 2 when we were just starting out in Carbondale. I'd be a whole lot worse off if I didn't get to have my Sunday dinners with her trying new places to eat and to hear her southern accent constantly sassing me and judging me for my clumsiness and to share our obsession over cute boots and cute but dumb boys. I didn't need a lot of attention or a big party or anything like that I thought I needed. It really is the little things.
But I don't get off that easy as we had planned to go out that night. And we do go out and it was fun. It was a new bar, one that only opens during the winter/colder months, and sure enough there was a band but they were playing 90's alternative songs, including my favorite song in the entire world so of course it was a good night of singing and grooving and laughing. I got really tired though and somebody gave me this nasty concoction of too many liquors all in one glass and I was fading pretty fast. But it was my birthday and I can do whatever I want. Well..only kinda because we had to find a ride so then we had to wait and that meant more partying and when the guy showed up he didn't have enough room for all of us so a few had to sit on each others laps and 2 had to lay down in the back of his truck as he drove down a few or like 10 blocks or so that we could get back. I don't suggest that as the best way and they all win major kudo points for making my birthday fun and feeling loved. xoxo.
And then Sunday…let's just say that C-dale has shown me a good time. And for the most part this Cali girl can hang but I lost hard. 2 nights like that and I'm gonna end up like this…
To be continued!
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