I'm much too sensitive about cliches to want to put any down here. As Billy Joel says, "The simple lines have all been taken, and the radio repeats them every day." With that in mind...I spent an amazing evening with great people. From 9 till about midnight, I had coffee with Alicia. I can't remember half the stuff we talked about--I think we covered music, video games, scary movies, and childhood memories of dollhouses and trains. I knew I had to get back to Tali to celebrate my birthday (at 11:45, almost the exact time of my arrival into this "blighted sphere"), so I figured I could spend about ten minutes more sitting outside with her, after we realized it was almost 11.
Well, ten minutes later it was midnight so I wandered back to Tali. Everyone gave me a hard time and it was great. They all sang to me and I blew out the one candle shaped like a '?' because Matt had bought it without knowing how old I was. Lauren helped me cut the cake and I felt so loved, so utterly accepted and wrapped in a warm blanket of Taliaferroan goodness.
I realize how disjointed and wacky this sounds...and yes, I am posting extremely late. But it is--was--my birthday, and I'm guess I've become rather manic over how great life has been lately. So, "forgive the egg salad stains," to make a metaphorical reference to Billy Collins.
I think I feel good about it.