Most useless birthday in the USA: 20. 18 is a big one; 19 is useful if you live near Canada and want to drink, 21 is great, 23 is when insurance runs out for military and state employee’s children. 22 looks cool. But all 20 does is make you feel old, at least if you’re me.
I went to bed around 9:30 pm last night, super tired, but woke up around 11:45 pm so I decided to stay up for awhile and eat some soup with couscous in. I think I’m in denial about my age- I’m listening to children’s books (The Neil Gaiman Audio Collection, and then Coraline) and eating couscous, which was my FAVORITE food for a short period around the age of 4- after “geg-mees” and before ramen. (“Geg-mees” was scrambled eggs.)
In the actual day time, I’ll properly celebrate with friends and ice cream, eating Super Novas at the Big Dipper. (A Super Nova is a crumbled brownie, six pretty big scoops of ice cream, and up to six toppings. It RULES.)
I don’t get to celebrate with my parents, as they’re back home, but I’m hoping to talk them into dinner at my favorite Chinese place once I’ve returned for the summer, or failing that, having a lamb roast with the leftovers made into curry. (Lamb curry is one of my first flavor memories, right up there with hot cocoa in a baby bottle, which was my breakfast until I turned 5 and had to give it up.)
I’ll also have an unbirthday party at home: cupcakes and video games with two friends who have much better gaming systems than I. If I’m feeling flush and the timing works out, I might have a similar celebration when I visit friends up in Bellingham, WA. But that depends on organizing people who are at the university, people from the community college, people who work overnight shifts, and it probably won’t work. At least I know there’s a bus that goes to a grocery store that I like the cupcakes from, right up to the dorm I’m visiting. So at least a few of us might get cupcakes!
I’ve already received some of my presents: a very early gift of dice for D&D over spring break (sort of the color of green toothpaste, in the best possible way), a small set of reusable chopsticks, and, from my dear aunt and my “baby” cousin- he’s 10 now but I refuse to believe it- a shirt that says “SILENCE IS GOLDEN BUT DUCT TAPE IS SILVER.” The package it came in was addressed to “(My name) Empress of Duct Tape,” which is a big step up from Queen of the Consumption of Ketchup and Its Natural Mellowing Agents, my high school title.
I really enjoy my relatives.