Birthday #28

I took last Saturday to do what I wanted for my birthday. With no real plans except dinner with my new guy, I started my day at 7am. That part wasn't on purpose, but I've had trouble sleeping lately. Something about alcohol and REM sleep. Anyway, I lounged in bed for a few hours listening to the Stuff You Should Know podcast and closing my eyes every so often, trying to drift back to dreamland. Welp, that didn't work. So I got up for good around 11am and started cleaning my toilet. I've been putting that off for a while. But a sparkly clean toilet looks weird sticking out of a floor that has months worth of dirt and grime on it. So I scrubbed the floor and the shower and the sink. That led to cleaning half of my room (the half under the bed) and half the living room (the half under the couch) and half of my kitchen as well. 

I took a long shower after that and headed to Brattle Theater in Harvard Square. They were showing a French whodunnit from 1958 and I wanted nothing else than to sit there in the dark eating my popcorn and drinking my red wine. Really, it was glorious. When the end of the movie came, I headed to Beat Brasserie for a French 75 (because why not stick with the theme?). While I was there, my grandparents called me to wish me a happy birthday. They were shocked when I answered the phone because I'm supposed to be out having fun on the day that's all for me. Well, I was having fun. And in that moment, after having sat alone through a movie, I wanted to connect with family. 

They sang me the birthday song, which was wonderfully dissonant in the way that it usually is. I asked them to send me one of Alan Watts' books because I've recently heard some of his talks and I'm interested. (I later learned that he shares my birthday, in 1915.) I was glad I had something other than "Thank you, I love you" to say. You don't often get past the surface with family members who live states away. Later that night, I would get home and open the gift from them. They were beautiful, spiral earrings. My grandmother has an affinity for all things spiral, as does my mother, as do I. 

After my French 75, or La Rive Gauche, I headed back to the theater for the next whodunnit, starring the same detective character who goes by the name of Magrais. 

I may finish this recount of my birthday, but I'm at work right now and should not be using my time for this!