My Birthday

Ever since I was a little Mer, I have always loved my birthday. In my head, it is a national holiday and should be treated as such. When you are small, you pretty much get one day, two if you're lucky to celebrate it. By 2, I mean the actual day and the party day. When you get older, however, everything changes to your advantage. Because you don't see your friends all the time like when you are in elementary school , there is a greater opportunity to stretch the celebration of your birth to a month or more. Last year, for example, I had FIVE birthday cakes. Each time your birthday rolls around, small circles of your frinds want to celebrate it with you, but never at the same time. The circle of birthday begins thusly: Girlfriend gives you presents or does something special for you. Family calls you and sends presents. Then close friends host a dinner or take you out in celebration. Then work gives you a present and there is cake. As the days past your actual birthday roll around, satellite friends come out of the woodwork and tell you what a bad friend they have been, and that they owe you a drink or a meal, or coffee (depending what kind of friend you are [the drinking or eating or coffee kind]), and that can lead to upwards of 3-4 extra celebrations.
This is seriously one of the best parts of my journey to that place we call "adulthood." For all you who are wondering what I am doing this year, I'll tell you. AG and I are hosting 2-4 friends for dinner. We're talking full tilt dinner: Fancy drink (The Flirtini), appetizers, dinner, and dessert. I'm excited and have 2 people definitely coming already. We're trying to keep it really small because it's a nice dinner, so the guest list includes my friends Katherine and her partner Darcy, and I'm going to invite my friend Danica with the invitation to bring a date of her choosing. The party actually serves several purposes. I have never met Darcy, AG has never met Katherine, Darcy, or Danica, and we've never gotten together as a group. Also, none of my extraneous roomies will be in town, so I don't have to worry about CP (Crazy Pants) crashing my party, stealing the alcohol, and embarrassing me in front of my normal friends. This is going to be super fun!