Happy birthday to.....ME

I adore birthdays. And not just my birthday. I don't discriminate. It is equal opportunities birthdays around here. I will like yours too. But it just so happened to be mine last week and I like it best.

Overall number 26 was a pretty fantastic one. My dad and becky came up the weekend before. My dad started the trip out wonderfully by leaving his wallet and phone at home. Luckily he just got a new car and it comes with a telephone number (kids and their gadgets these days...). I can call it and be broadcast over the car speakers like voice of God. Pretty powerful stuff. Any way. Becky has never been to St Louis, so we did the tourist thing Saturday, which was fun...because even though I have lived here 3 years, I still consider myself a tourist. We rode the egg of death up to the top of the arch and back. Becky is terrified of heights. And apparently a masochist. But it was fun. For my birthday Becky took me to get new makeup. I had a 40+ year old woman with purple, green and yellow sparkly eye shadow do my eyes. It was a scary process, but I didnt care because I was being pampered. And even if it looked like I had been punched in the eye after I got finished, it was totally worth it because, like I said, I was being pampered. THEN I got to pick out new make-up (squeeeeeeeel!) and my dad and becky took us out for my birthday dinner at Mosaic....a trendy tapas restaurant. Oh. My. Lord. Delish. And super uber trendy. Pretty sure my cool points increased the moment I walked in the door. After a great weekend, I was so sad to see them leave Sunday morning. I swear, the clock moved double time that weekend. Uncool.

My actual birthday day was pretty uneventful. Well actually it was full of events, just not ones I wanted to do (i.e. finishing Rileigh's science fair project....7-year-old +glue gun = bad). But Justin redeemed the day by bringing home Chipotle. Quick word of wisdom. A burrito the size of a newborn baby makes any day the best day. Justin had already given me my present about 3 weeks prior (new video camera....holla!)

The weekend following my birthday, Abby flew in for a girls weekend. I took her to my school, ate a chili dog and made her fold my laundry. She said she is going to come back every weekend. That night we went out for sushi followed by a comedy club. Sitting at dinner, I felt a tap on my shoulder, followed by a "hey." I had a momentary panic attack trying to rack my brains as to who in the world I would actually know in St Louis. Not only know, but someone who could recognize me from behind. That was a total of no one, so I was prepared to turn around and have an awkward "i have no idea who you are" conversation and was shocked to turn around and see Jessi standing there. WTF. How did she even get here? Turns out those two concocted a plan to surprise me....which is impossible because I am Nancy Drew and I find out everything. Serious. They totally got me. So we stuffed ourselves with sushi and all headed to the comedy club. I love those things. People are so much funnier in person. The next day after a delish breakfast prepared by my loving hubs, we shopped til we dropped...and I mean that literally, not figuratively.

That evening we went to....wait for it......wait for it.....ROLLER DERBY. Yep, I am serious. It was....interesting. Jessi said that you could group the crowd into 3 categories: People who belonged in porns, People who look like they could be on Beetlejuice, and normal folks. I am hoping for the latter category, but I think the jury is still out. After roller derby, we rallied and headed to a local bar, where I realized kids these days are skank-tastic and old men are creepy. Sunday I had to drop off both at the airport. I had an amazing weekend and was bummed to see them go. Have I mentioned that I have the best family ever?

So to recap #26 entailed using the voice of God, riding in an egg , letting miss mardi gras have her way with my eyes and eating small plates of goodness--followed by unprecedented surprise, raw fish, no tabasco on cupcakes, a million miles at the mall, women on wheels and creeping people at a bar. YAHOO! it was a success! Thanks to all for making my bday so special!