Yesterday's birthday was fun! Wow. That's a thing I didn't expect. I don't mean to say the people I spent time with aren't a good time... They're great. I don't know what I mean I guess.
There wasn't much expectation to this, and that helps. After childhood, there isn't a lot of hoopla. I cleaned the house, so one of the the allergic guests wouldn't asphyxiate from pet dander. That's a good host sort of thing to do... But steam cleaning carpets sucks. I spent time doing all this stuff to get ready that when someone called or emailed, IM'd to say happy birthday, I was genuinely suprised.
I don't know what to expect from any day into which I awaken, but a birthday casts a sense of expectation. Like there's stuff. I am supposed to do, or others should do. A cake, candles, singing. Whatever. Honestly I can't figure out for the life of me why we do that. Does everyone like cake? Its all right, I guess. I wouldn't pick it. Singing? *Ack!* One of my few allergies includes musicals... I get hives from people spontaneously breaking into song to show affection or make a point. Honestly I thought everyone felt embarrassed when that happened. Been to Applebees or some flair chain restaurant when they sing to you? They don't like it, you don't like it... Everyone does it because its the formula. No thanks.
So this was the best way to spend a day! Lisa spent some time in the kitchen making all Lebanese food. It was the best. Spinach pies in phyllo, grape leaves, hummus and my favorite wine of all time: Chateau Musar! Five people came over and brought at least a bottle of wine with them. About a case total. We drank 7 of the 10 over the course of the night.
The ruse was to discuss a book, which we do every month between digression and digestion, and rub and rub at the most diatomaciously earthy topics. We talked about Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, by Tom Robbins. A damn funny book, but with really big ideas poking out in all directions. And the questions started coming out: "Is the rule more important than the thing it was made to protect? Without it, can you risk the change that will ensue?" It sounds easier in that format, but when its an article of religious faith, foreign policy, sexual preference, suddenly it became a lot more fun to talk about and harder to make consistent. We all got drunk on wonder, wine, and good company.
I love a world full of questions without answers. I used to feel like an idiot as a kid when I didn't know everything. When I finally digested some huge bolus of information, I learned my questions became more general and less specific and living for the insight between my eyes, I tried to fill in gaps in the things observed around me. A curious living.
So to spend time with people drunk on wonder was sublime. I didn't want songs and cake, trinkets and cardstock words written by unknown people. This was a real moment. The conversations, the IM, the wishes and thoughts. The food. And the all those spirited genies we uncorked from Lebanon, Argentena, and Spain. I couldn't have wished for anything more.
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There wasn't much expectation to this, and that helps. After childhood, there isn't a lot of hoopla. I cleaned the house, so one of the the allergic guests wouldn't asphyxiate from pet dander. That's a good host sort of thing to do... But steam cleaning carpets sucks. I spent time doing all this stuff to get ready that when someone called or emailed, IM'd to say happy birthday, I was genuinely suprised.
I don't know what to expect from any day into which I awaken, but a birthday casts a sense of expectation. Like there's stuff. I am supposed to do, or others should do. A cake, candles, singing. Whatever. Honestly I can't figure out for the life of me why we do that. Does everyone like cake? Its all right, I guess. I wouldn't pick it. Singing? *Ack!* One of my few allergies includes musicals... I get hives from people spontaneously breaking into song to show affection or make a point. Honestly I thought everyone felt embarrassed when that happened. Been to Applebees or some flair chain restaurant when they sing to you? They don't like it, you don't like it... Everyone does it because its the formula. No thanks.
So this was the best way to spend a day! Lisa spent some time in the kitchen making all Lebanese food. It was the best. Spinach pies in phyllo, grape leaves, hummus and my favorite wine of all time: Chateau Musar! Five people came over and brought at least a bottle of wine with them. About a case total. We drank 7 of the 10 over the course of the night.
The ruse was to discuss a book, which we do every month between digression and digestion, and rub and rub at the most diatomaciously earthy topics. We talked about Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, by Tom Robbins. A damn funny book, but with really big ideas poking out in all directions. And the questions started coming out: "Is the rule more important than the thing it was made to protect? Without it, can you risk the change that will ensue?" It sounds easier in that format, but when its an article of religious faith, foreign policy, sexual preference, suddenly it became a lot more fun to talk about and harder to make consistent. We all got drunk on wonder, wine, and good company.
I love a world full of questions without answers. I used to feel like an idiot as a kid when I didn't know everything. When I finally digested some huge bolus of information, I learned my questions became more general and less specific and living for the insight between my eyes, I tried to fill in gaps in the things observed around me. A curious living.
So to spend time with people drunk on wonder was sublime. I didn't want songs and cake, trinkets and cardstock words written by unknown people. This was a real moment. The conversations, the IM, the wishes and thoughts. The food. And the all those spirited genies we uncorked from Lebanon, Argentena, and Spain. I couldn't have wished for anything more.
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