a GOLDEN day...

How is it possible that I: a) don't have a job b) am not actively trying to save the world and c) can't think of anything of huge significance that I've done in the last 1.5 weeks and I still have not found time to update this blog??

I have all sorts of ideas I want to write about but before any further ado...I want to recap my big 28th birthday...

So I'm pretty sure at this point that if you have ever met me, you know that I am pretty big into birthdays (pretty big into them meaning completely and utterly obsessed) so when my GOLDEN 28th birthday was coming around, I was more than excited.

But...I have to say that as of about a week ago, I was pretty sure that while I'm sure the day was going to be nice, I wasn't convinced that it would be anything special. No big plans. No big parties. Just a random Tuesday and as it turns out, most people work on that day :)

But let me tell all of my readers that my family and friends did NOT disappoint. The day (and celebration leading up to the day) was simply just perfect.

The celebration "officially" began last Friday night...

So when I had just arrived in Peru, I got an email from my friend Kara informing me that I would be home soon and we needed to get restaurant reservations immediately on the calendar. By the way, at this point, I still had about 2.5 months left of my 6 month program....but trust me I didn't argue with her!

Especially when she told me that we were not just going to any restuarant but my favorite restaurant in the entire world (and I've been around the block a couple times people...) We were going to the new MANNY'S!!

There are just no words...this restaurant is the best. Where else can you go to get a steak the size of a small infant, double crispy hash browns loaded with onions, a stinky and amazing oversized clump of blue cheese and of course...TWO huge desserts with candles...Ok...so onto the big day. I woke up on Tuesday morning and discovered one of the best parts of having a lot of newly found international friends is that I got emails all through the night!

Then, just like clockwork the same as the last 28 years, I hear my door opening and lots of rustling going on in my condo. Now you'd think I'd want to check it out to make sure it wasn't a robber but nope...I stayed in bed like a good birthday girl.

My mom and great friend David walked into my room with bagels, yogurt, bananas, MY coffee and of course, lots of Happy Birthday decorations. Breakfast in bed...is there really a better way to start the day?
Then I walked out into my condo and on my table were a pile of ALL of my very favorite board games! Yep...we were having a morning of games complete with prizes...Pictionary, Balderdash and my mom and David were even kind enough to indulge me in Connect Four (although I remain the undisputed champion...)After kicking both of their asses in pretty much every competition, it was off to lunch (I mean come on, what's the point of a birthday if you can't be in a continuous state of eating??) We went to the Minneapolis "institution" Monte Carlo for the incredible wings and spicy beans...mmmm. My dad and brother met us and of course, another candle awaited (seriously, like 75% of my brithday pictures are either of me eating or me in front of a dessert...)After lunch, it was off to meet my friends to do some Halloween costume shopping. Normal shopping...not my thing. Halloween costume shopping? Fabulous.

Oops...it's been an entire paragraph...time to eat again.

All my friends came to dinner at another Minneapolis classic: Ike's. Simply cannot beat their burger (I think I'm hungry...) It was the first time I had ALL of my friends together since I've been back and it was great. I honestly looked around the table a few times and could hardly believe that we were actually all sitting together...
And after dinner? What tops off a fabulous birthday better than a chance to be on stage?? Yep. It was time for some karaoke.
Rachel and I headed off, rocked it out and even met an amazing a capella group who dedicate a song to me (oh...and bought me very unneeded drinks...)
Like I said...no big plans. No huge parties. Just my a day doing my favorite things, eating my favorite foods, singing my favorite songs and being with favorite people. And really, what more could a birthday girl wish for.
xoxo,
Debra