Yesterday was my 24th birthday. I feel like I'm getting old; you all probably laugh and tell me I'm still in the cradle. I had a week-long celebration, my favorite kind. Last Tuesday some girlfriends took me out to dinner at PF Chang's, which is my favorite restaurant. I was deliriously happy when they opened one up in Asheville last year, and two miles from my house at that! All I need is a Cheesecake Factory and life would be complete. I even wrote to them and suggested they open a restaurant here, but I don't think we're on the list. So sad. I digress...
So after dinner the ladies told me they had a surprise gift for me. We drove me downtown and then they blindfolded me and proceeded to walk me to an undisclosed location. When they ripped off the blindfold, the first thing my eyes focused on was a neon sign that said "BODY PIERCING" and then after two seconds of feeling befuddled someone shouted, "You're getting your nose pierced!" I didn't even have time to be nervous-- in we went, all nine of us... papers were signed, money was exchanged (they each chipped in $5.00 and covered the expense) and before I knew it a very chipper middle-aged piercer was shooing me into a back room and making me sit down in a chair that resembled something you see at the dentist's office. "Is this going to hurt worse than a tattoo?" I asked him. "It's much quicker," he replied. Then he whipped out a pen, made a dot on my nose and told me to close my eyes. "Wait," I said, "aren't you going to let me see where you put it?" He looked at me like I had just offended him and replied, "There's only one right place for it." I politely insisted on taking a look but then decided he was right. Back in the chair I went, eyes squeezed shut as he opened up the sterile package housing a hollow needle and then stuffed something up my left nostril. Stab of pain, tear trickling involuntarily out of my left eye, stud in, and viola! my nose was pierced. What a fun present. Chacos, unshaven legs, a nose piercing... I am truly becoming more and more Ashevillian by the day.
My birthday celebration continued with a long weekend trip to Florida to visit my parents. We went kayaking along with my folks and three great college friends on the Rainbow River... tuckered ourselves out but had fun doing it. Highlights of the day include treading water for ten minutes (or at least it felt like ten minutes) in the springs after paddling an hour upstream, Josh steering him and my mom straight toward a water moccasin racing across the river (and scaring her to death) while they were sharing a kayak, and a refreshing and gentle rainshower that bathed us for all of fifteen minutes toward the end of our journey. The last time I went kayaking was eight years ago, actually on that same river with my parents and a group of high school friends... and I was a lot more spry. My parents said, "Imagine how we feel."
Finally, yesterday arrived, THE day! Josh and I slept in (at least until the power went out and some utility guys started working in the next door neighbor's back yard rather noisily) and then went and got breakfast at Chick-fil-A... yay for chicken biscuits. We picked up Josh's sister, Michelle, and tootled off to Pack Memorial Library, the big library downtown (heaven!). I could've spent hours in there, but thankfully we were on a time schedule or else Joshua and Michelle might have died. That evening (after a nice afternoon nap) Josh presented me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers that he hand-picked at a local florist and a bouquet of balloons! One of them sings. Emma Worthy (second oldest of the Worthy girls) made me pancakes for dinner, Josa (the eldest) made me Funfetti cupcakes with chocolate icing (my favorite, if anyone recalls from our wedding reception), and then Bryan set up a projector and speakers and we watched the new Hannah Montana movie on the living room wall, just like we were at the movies. I thought Josh gagged a couple of times, but it was my birthday present, so he toughed it out.
All in all, it was a wonderful week (how could it not be? it was absolutely lavish) and today I woke up cheery and centered. Life is good. (I love that brand. Do you?)
Love the blog. I feel like I was with you throughout the whole experience. Say hello to the Worthy's. They are a splendid family!!
Happy Birthday to you and good luck to Josh with school!