The Big 2-0

Well, I've done it, I've turned the big 2-0! No longer a teenager, yet still not old enough to buy alcohol. The age when your younger friends make fun of you for being old, and then adding on 'we're so hanging out next year when you turn 21!'.

Other than that, it's been a great birthday! I first started celebrating last weekend when my dad and Aunt Jenny came up for the day on Sunday. We explored Ithaca, showed dad the new buildings, looked at all of the things they did when they were little and visiting their Grandma Curtis, and we ended the night by going to Joe's. As Susie can remember (maybe Carrie too), this is the most amazing restaurant on the face of the earth. Literally. We started with salad and bread sticks... I could live on that salad alone. And the bread sticks practically melt in your mouth. Then we had a spinach and artichoke dip for an appetizer (and both A Jenny and dad liked it!). For the main course I got bruschetta chicken, and could only eat a little bit of it because I had stuffed myself on everything else (but that's ok, it's just as good the next day). I thought that we were all ready to leave, and we were just waiting for the check, but then I noticed a group of waitresses coming towards us with a plate that obviously had a candle on it. Turns out that it was a tiramisu and two cannolis! Let's just say that we were all extra full when we left.

For my actual birthday, I had a bit of luck. We had a prelim in marketing the day before, so my first class was canceled. That meant that I didn't have to go to class until 11. So I went to class and afterwards went to my office, where they had gotten a cheesecake. They didn't realize it was my birthday (or another student's birthday the next day), but when we told them they pretended they had gotten it for us. It was amazing though, so thick and delicious. I had a couple more classes after that, and then I went to my friend's apartment where a bunch of us ordered dinner. We had more people come over that I haven't seen in a long time, so we just hung out and talked about what we had all been up to.

Yesterday (Saturday), mom picked me up from my house and we did a little shopping. She brought me back for dinner and cake (which was amazing... intense chocolate with a can of cherry filling in the batter with a really fudge-y frosting). And then I opened some presents... my favorites are hard to choose (I really liked them all!), but I'd say it's the scarf that my mom picked up in Ireland, and the ring that Susie and Mike sent over with her. The scarf is almost as big as a shawl, multi-colored stripes with bits of silver running in between. Very European. The ring is (I think) called the never ending celtic knot, and it's very much like the ring that I picked out for my wedding band. Yeah, my friends and I look at wedding stuff when we procrastinate...

And now I'm waiting for mom to come home... she went to church this morning and let me sleep in (isn't she great?!). I have to be back at my place by 1 so that I can go to Teszia rehearsal this afternoon. After that I'm going to work, to show the new student what we have to do to collect information. And then after that... I guess I should work on some homework... either that, or I'll be looking at jewelry on-line!