Happy Birthday to Me!

Last week I celebrated my birthday.  Hooray.  Meh.  When I was younger, this was my favorite day of the year - a day where it could OFFICIALLY be all about me, which was perfect in my quest to be the center of attention.  Now that I'm...not as young...I'm not always as keen on the day.  I think it would be different if I were happier with where I'm at in my life.  But there are currently a lot of things that I'm pretty frustrated with.  That's not to say that I'm not insanely grateful for the amazing parts of my life - like my husband, my family, my friends, my cat.  But otherwise, I'm not where I'd hoped to be by this age.  And that makes me less than thrilled to commemorate a day that really hammers home that I'm yet another year older.  Blah blah blah. 

I wanted to do something fun for my birthday to just take my mind off of things and get back into the "it's all about me and my birthday" spirit that I used to have.  So I took the day off, as did my husband, and we ended up going bowling.  I can't recommend going bowling on a Wednesday afternoon highly enough.  Particularly if you suck at the sport as much as I do (I do believe my high score for the afternoon was a 92 on one game.  Awesome! :)).  There were only 3 or 4 other lanes in use, which was great.  And at this alley, they served us food and drinks right at our lane, which was even cooler.  And since it was my birthday and why-the-hell-not, we had pizza (what wheat and dairy sensitivity?).  It was a really good time.  Here are some photos to prove it:

Of course he had to take the obligatory "Uninterested Tourist" photo

But here's how good of a time he was actually having.

And even though I'm really not a fan of having my picture taken until my stupid hair grows out long enough so I can donate it and cut it off, I obliged for a birthday bowling shot:

Later that evening we went to one of my favorite restaurants, which just so happens to be a Vegetarian restaurant (Carmelita, for any of you Seattle folk out there), for an outstanding meal and stopped by Cupcake Royale on the way home for cupcakes.  By the end of the day, aside from being blissfully bloated,  I was wishing it didn't have to end (and not just cuz I had to go back to work the next day).

HOWEVER, it should be noted that the celebration really started for me the night before my actual birthday.  Our awesome friends Michelle and Andrew hooked us up with tickets to see "Burn The Floor."  If you don't know what this is, check out the website here.  As a huge fan of the show "So You Think You Can Dance," I couldn't wait to see this, particularly since a few of my fave contestants from past seasons of the show are in the current cast.

On our way into the theater, Z says to me "Isn't that the judge from the show?  What's her name?"  Once I see who he's pointing at, I notice that it is no other than Ms. Hot Tamale Train herself, Mary Murphy!  Disregarding the strange-to-me fact that he's forgotten her name, I freak out a little at the exciting star sighting!  Turns out she's there because she's joining the cast.  I love her dearly, but can't quite imagine her in this show - I would really love to see it, though.  Oh well.  I'll take seeing her in the audience.

The show is absolutely wonderful and with the exception of the guy sitting in front of me shifting back and forth in his seat every 10 seconds (no exaggeration), it is all amazing.  Then, on the way out I notice that, for some reason, Vonzell Solomon is there.  For those less versed in the Reality Singing Competition Trivia than I, she was the 3rd place finisher in Season 4 of American Idol (the Carrie Underwood season).  So again, exciting stuff for starstruck Devin.

At this point I'm pretty amped about the evening and excited that I don't have to wake up and go to work the next day.  Michelle and Andrew have graciously invited us to the Opening Night After Party for the show, and given my excitement about all the circumstances thus far, I can't pass up the opportunity.  Particularly when we learn that the cast will be there. :)

Without making this long story much longer, I can tell you that not only did I shake hands with Ashleigh, Ryan AND Pasha, but I CHATTED with each of them!  For as much as my husband's schmoozing ability can be exhausting for me at times, man did it come in handy that night!  I was so freakin' starstruck that I knew I couldn't possibly approach any of these people.  But of course Z could.  And that allowed me to then be introduced as his wife.  Works for me!  And holy crap were they nice!  We chatted with the DiLellos about the places they've lived and where we've lived, and we gave Pasha some restaurant recommendations for his time in Seattle.  So.  Stinkin'.  Cool!  We didn't get the opportunity to chat with the other "SYTYCD" folks (not even Mary Murphy :( ) or with Vonzell, but still, being at the same party with them was pretty sweet.

I really, REALLY wanted to be "that guy" who asks everyone for a picture with them.  But I also wanted to play it cool.  So I did not get photos with anyone.  However, I played amateur paparazzo and grabbed a zoomed-in (thus the fuzzy quality) shot that includes a bunch of the folks that I (admittedly a total dork) love:

You can see Mary Murphy there on the right (not sure who the blonde is across from her).  Next to Mary, though incredibly tough to see, is Vonzell.  Behind her, standing up, are Ryan and Ashleigh.  And that's Pasha sitting there across from Vonzell with his face in his hand.  Squee!

So that was the beginning to my birthday.  It could've either been the event that made the rest of my birthday pale in comparison, or simply the start to a great following day.  Thanks largely to my husband, it was the latter.  It also reminded me in a big, giant, unavoidable way that I am INCREDIBLY lucky to live the life that I live.  And even if it's not where I'd hoped to be or want to be sometimes, it's still a life that's got some really great aspects to it. :)

DOWNSTAIRS CRAP UPDATE:

A few weeks ago, my trusty friends and neighbors, Eric and Lacey, let me know that there was another treasure downstairs.  They both discovered it at separate times and both let me know right away.  I can't tell you how much I love that I'm known as the one who documents this stuff. :)  So of course I rushed downstairs right away to find what may be my new favorite item:

If you can't tell what you're looking at, that would be an opened bag of Fred Meyer generic marshmallows.  Clipped to what I can only assume were the marshmallows taken either from said open bag or perhaps another bag of the same that would not fit back into the open bag.  Now I love me some marshmallow goodness.  But the idea of eating these just grosses me out - who knows how many people have had their hands on them and/or breathed all over them already?  Ewww.  But it makes for a perfect latest addition to my photo collection, you have to admit.