Friday I went for massages and lunch with my mom on Newbury St., then dinner with my family at Top of the Hub. Not as good as last year, but still delicious. It's a shame that my stomach has been bothering me since last Wednesday, which I think is a combination of bad sushi and nerves. I hope the nerves part will be over after today and I can move on with my life.

Yesterday was my birthday, but mostly it was James and Ali's wedding, which was fine. And beautiful. Sully and I took pictures on her camera, so I'll share a few when she uploads them. It was nice to have Sully along for the ride and to catch up with her. It was also great to see some old law school friends that I don't get to see a lot anymore, like Tom and Jamie. Everyone was great about my birthday, which was nice. It wasn't about me, but my friends were still excited to be with me on my birthday. The wedding was lovely; 15 minute ceremony and long long party. Everyone was very happy and very appy for Ali and James, and they were both beaming. Also, seeing James dance the Horah was one of the best things ever. He looked incredibly freaked out while in the chair. That's what you get for marrying a Jew, dude.

Today is Colleen's wedding. I just have to survive it. No big deal. Just my ex-girlfriend getting married at a full Catholic mass, in which I have to end my Bible reading with "the word of the Lord." And then get introduced around as her friend from college. Yay! I've done enough complaining about it. Colleen's been looking forward to this her entire life, and I am her friend. So I'm going to remain as positive as possible.

Then I'm staying at my mom's until tomorrow to just chill out and relax. And that's Columbus Day Weekend, '07.

The very tail end of "School Reunion" (that's an episode of Doctor Who for anyone that doesn't know) got recorded at the beginning of Battlestar, and it made me sniffle. And all it was was Sarah Jane talking to K-9. Glad I missed the gooybye dialogue. I'd have wept like an ickle baby.

Last night I had an excellent birthday extravangana. Me and a bunch of friends, and my sister (who I guess is my friend, but that's weird) went to the Milky Way and ate and drank and bowled and danced. I actually danced, which is I think a sign of the apocalypse. But it was salsa, and I feel more comfortable with salsa because you ought to have a partner and I know what to do with my arms (put them on someone). So.

I wish James, Tom, Sully, and Kate S. could've been there, but that's life. Moving on. Lydia made me a home made birthday card (I haven't gotten one of those since I was a kid). Kate V. is taking me to a Bruins game. Jes is knitting me a scarf (we're officially friends now, not just room mates). Kelly made cake from scratch and brought me roses. Bill actually came to JP from Waltham, and Jen came from Medford. My friends are really awesome people. I'm glad I have them all.

The rest of my birthday weekend was nice. Saturday Colleen came up. We hung around a little, she made me a milkshake, then we went out for a nice dinner. It was very pleasant and mature of us (two things we sometimes have a hard time being with one another). Afterwards I convinced her to try Doctor Who, so we watched the first three episodes of Nine's season. I don't think she appreciates the joy yet. But she will. All will appreciated the joy of Who. Um. Ahem, pardon.

Then I went home to my mom's. Had a sneezing fit at 4 am. We went to the Big Apple, a big apple farm in Waltham, and I got a caramel apple and cider donuts and cider. And a pie. I didn't want the pie, but my mom made me. I don't know if she's feeling bad for me, or what, but I'm pretty sure that's the first time since puberty that my mom has actually forced fattening food on me.

Today I was going to go to the grocery store, buy some things, make a nice soup (BLT!), be useful. But my ovaries are rebelling against my body and my fallopian tubes have currently wrapped themselves around my spine. I think my internal reproductive system doesn't like me. But I don't like it, so we're even. So I've spent most of the day curled up on the couch, waiting for the painkillers to kick in.

Thank Jebus, they did, 'cause I'm not missing trivia tonight.

Wow, Top of the Hub. The view (we were overlooking the Charles River and Cambridge) was spectacular. And the food was amaaaaaazing. I'd read middle-of-the-road reviews, but was pleasantly surprised. We had the tasting menu, which I think is the secret. Seriously, anytime there's a tasting menu get that. There's a reason the chef picks stuff.

So the courses: foie gras and some fruitish thing on a piece of buttery toast dodad; lobster, avocado, and citrus salad (I had a green salad); some kind of grilled swordfish with coconut rice and mango slivers (my favorite course... it was the best swordfish I'd ever had, cooked perfectly); seared tuna with wasabi potatoes (or something) in a miso sauce with black truffles; beef tenderloin and potato gratin (melt in your mouth beef, for real); beet salad (seriously, Kate V., you missed out); some sort of dessert sampler with creme brulee, lemon gingerbread, a white chocolate "lolipop" with grand marnier and a chocolate "stick," and a white chocolate mousse thing with strawberries.

And these were pretty large portions for a tasting menu.

The gift rundown was thusly: my sister's boyfriend got me a sushi magnet and X-Men 3 (collector's edition). My sister got me a dirt devil Kone (it looks like art! but cleans like a dirt devil!) and a one year subscription to Rachel Ray's magazine. My mom got me some slippers, a briefcase (to be picked out later), and she pre-ordered me Guitar Hero 2 and the wireless guitar controller. Eee! I don't think my mom's bought me any video game anything since the N64. Damn. I miss the N64.

Anyway. I had a really nice day, spent entirely with my family. Next week's a party with my friends. Tomorrow Colleen's coming. I love my birthday.

Dear hot rocks: I heart you. This morning I woke up with the sun (again... I seriously need new shades or a sleep mask thing). My mom and I went to get massages and pedicures (stop laughing). My massage guy grew up one town over from me. Ha. The pedicure was an interesting experience... my feet are now smooth and polished.

We had lunch as an expensive place on Newbury St., which doesn't narrow it down because every place on Newbury is expensive. But I had an awesome salad and shall have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Kate S. is buying me a ticket to Austin as my present. That's really awesome, since I wasn't going to be able to visit until I got a job.

And now it's off to dinner with my family, at the Bay Tower Room. And Battlestar premieres tonight. Woo.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday well-wishes. You all rock.

When I was a kid picturing myself at twenty six, I wanted two things in life: to be wealthy and to be a lawyer. I'm 90% there on one and not even close on the other, despite youth's misguided idea that those two things are always intertwined. I didn't covet wealth out of anything other than my materialism, of course. I wanted to be able to have a Nintendo and a Game Boy and a laser tag set all my own, and I knew my mom wouldn't be there to give me that stuff anymore.

Now I'm a day away from twenty six, a month away from bar results, a lifetime away from wealth, and my mom still gives me that stuff.

When I was a teenager picturing myself at twenty six, there was marriage and a job. At that point it was either as a doctor or a lawyer. It never occurred to me to set my sights on anything involving only one degree. Glory had crept into the equation and I wanted to save lives or win big cases in front of the Supreme Court. The marriage was to a woman. A particular woman, of course, because by my teenage years I had particular crushes. I had begun to come into my political awareness by that point, and knew that any marriage wasn't "real." I hadn't yet developed that political awareness enough to care.

Now I'm a day away from twenty six with no interest in marriage anytime soon, if ever, and no job on the immediate horizon. I've earned unemployment benefits for people that had been denies and kept proven criminals in prison. Those are things I've done myself. There's no glory, but there's pride. Rhyming unintentional.

In the last few years, picturing myself at twenty six has been a blur. The greyish birthday after I finish law school but before I know what I'm doing with myself. Of course there were times when I'd hoped I'd already have a job, but I've always known that I'd never be quite ready right away. I have the advantage of being able to take time to prepare myself, which is an advantage I'm grateful for and don't take for granted. 'Cause the real world still scares me, a day away from twenty six.

Well, I'm back.

I may have mentioned that my mom was coming last week to visit for my birthday (which was Thursday). Well, after a wonderful sushi dinner with Deb and Kate (in which I recieved excellent presents: 2 tickets to the Bruins from Kate, and a funny law book & naked woman wallet from Deb [hilarious]), we wandered over to the Financial District to meet my mom at her hotel. As we were crossing the street, I saw a cab and thought maybe we timed it so perfectly that we'd meet her right as she got out. And then I saw someone that looked familiar. And realized that it was my sister! So my sister surprise-visited me for my birthday! Very cool.

So the five of us had a drink and dinner (for those that had yet to eat). Then mom and Dana went to sleep, and Kate, Deb, and I went out to a dyke bar. Seriously. Very gay. I then realized that I have something mentally wrong with me, as I got so nervous that I was physically ill. This is a problem that I'll analyze more in a future entry. Kate and I took a cab back towards our neighborhood, it dropped her off on the way, and I went upstairs to get into my apartment... only to find that the top lock was locked. I don't have a key for the top lock. I knocked. I tried all my keys, just in case. I knocked again. I texted Kate. I went downstairs and rang the bell, then ran back up to knock (slamming my finger in the gate in the process). I knocked some more. I eventually gave up and spent the night on Kate's couch. Wahoo.

The next day, my family and I went to Alcatraz (pictures are forthcoming: since my camera was locked inside of my apartment, they're on my mom's memory card). Well, actually, first we wandered around the city looking for breakfast, only to end up at another hotel about 1/4 mile away, where we rushed through breakfast, ran to find a cab, and made it to Pier 41 just in time for the boat to leave without us. Luckily, they let us get on the next departure. While we waited, Dana and I tried to figure out how to turn on mom's camera, took some pictures of some harbor seals, and I whined about not having my sunglasses.

Alcatraz was cool. I mean, insomuch as it's a former federal penitentiary. I'd have liked to spend more time there, but I'm more into history than my fellow tourists were. And by fellow tourists, I mean my family.

After Alcatraz, we wandered around Fisherman's Wharf. The Blue Angels were in town for fleet week, so we saw their practice (we actually saw some from Alcatraz, too). Anyway. We had lunch at an Italian seafood restaurant. I had a fantastic sea bass, and only feared death-by-crab when my sister was cracking open the legs in her seafood stew. After lunch we continued our wandering, stopped in a few shops (and at a tent for Blue Angels merchandise since, by now, my mom was completely enthralled with them... which is understandable, since flying fasts jets in death defying manners is pretty cool), and over to Ghiardelli Square. Mmm, choclatey. I quoted Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 400 times, Dana threatened homicide, and that was that.

We waited 30 minutes for the 19, eventually gave up and took a taxi over to Haight (right when the 19 showed up). I stopped in my apartment to gather things for the weekend (my mom got me a room in the hotel also), and for Dana and mom to get warm (a recurring theme). Then we wandered up to look at some of the shops. Dana found some ugly Nike sneakers she liked, but they weren't in her size. The shop closed, we went and grabbed my stuff from my place, and took the bus back to the hotel. Well, the vicinity. Up Market and then we walked. Dana took a shower to get warm. We argued about dinner (another recurring theme), and eventually ended up at The Globe. It was really good. I had homemade gnocci with oxtail something or other. Who knew oxtail was tasty? I'm sure Sully did.

The hotel we were staying at is in the Financial District (because this is San Francisco, it's apparently referred to as FiDi). It's amazing how similar all financial districts are. Modern and grey, with tall buildings that have pre-planned greenery. And dead on weekends.

The next morning we argued about breakfast, eventually ending up eating at the buffet in the hotel. That's fine with me: as long as there's bacon, I tend not to be picky about breakfast. There was bacon. Then mom's friend from medical school (and his wife) picked us up. We drove around the city a bit... mostly so we could drive down Lombard Street. Wicked fun. The world needs more ridiculously curvy, steep streets.

Then we went to Muir Woods, where the redwoods live. Fantastic. I could spend a whole day in there, just wandering around and reading and all of that. As much as I hate nature (we just antagonize each other), it's such a lovely and wonderful, calm place to be. I have many pictures up at flickr of the experience. I think that this one best captures the size of them, because the people put it into perspective:



Needless to say, I managed to reference Ents at least 50 or 60 times. My mom dropped the Lorax. All in all, pop culture tree references = fun for all.

Afterwards we went to Tiburon for lunch at a seafood restaurant. It was very warm. And by warm, I mean hot. I had a burger, and only worried about crab-induced death when my sister and mom were passing a crab salad sandwhich back and forth. Honestly, God mocks me with my allergy. "Live in a land locked state," He says, "way less seafood restaurants there. Muahahaha."

After Tiburon, mom's friend dropped us in Sausalito. We wandered around some of the shops. I got ice cream (there are NO ice cream shops in San Francisco!). We took the ferry back. That was a nice ferry ride, though the sun was going down so it was getting a bit cold.

[ End Part One. I'm off to a coffee shop to enjoy the day. Back later to finish it up. ]