"It's my birthday"

03/01/2010

this is wicked long. I will understand if you dont read it all.


Chapter 1. mmm I love burgers

Friday night was Purim, a Jewish holiday where you get dressed up in costumes. I put on a RedSox jersey and a red sox hat. We’re going to meet up with my aunty Sarah, my cousin Heidi and my little cousin Jalen who’s 11, for burgers at fudrockers, my favorite burger place. It was extra good because I got a birthday coupon that gave me a free meal. Heidi, who strained both of her ankles somehow, by stepping off a bus, was telling me some other funny story she made up. Something about being at spring training and she was staring at Jacoby Ellsbury’s ass that she fell and sprained both of her ankles. . I got a burger with their amazing onion rings. I sat with my sister Amanda and Jalen. There wasn’t much talking going on. I didn’t like that but didn’t know what to say and plus I was enjoying my food too much.

Chapter 2 nudge nudge wink wink

As I was getting out of the car to head into the restaurant, my best friend John called me. He asked me what I was doing. I told him I was going to eat dinner and go to temple. He said that he didn’t have his wife or kid for a few hours so he wanted to go do something. I told him that I couldn’t. I am going to temple. He told me that I can’t go and that not too often does he get to go out without an attachment and he wanted to do something, nudge nudge wink wink.

He picked me up at the house about 7;30. We’re going to a strip club for my birthday.
I have mix feelings about strip clubs. On one hand, I get to touch the softness and curves of a female body. On the other hand, I am paying money for it where if I had a girlfriend, I wouldn’t have to pay for just touching silky smooth skin. I’d be able to get a lot more too and she would too.

We go and he pays for the cover and drinks. We go to the small stage and at some point, John says to me that there is this small girl who I would love. She had a great personality too. We learned she was 29 and from the next town over from me. I get a dance with her. She was this tiny thing. She was 5 ft tall, with long hair and “small all around” frame. At one point, she was positioned that she was cradled in my arms. At that moment, I wanted to pick her up and take her home with me. … but this wasn’t a movie or a dream so after the double song that I was giving a t-shirt that John said he wish I could bring it home, but I couldn’t because he didn’t want any evident of being there. It said the name of the club and under it had a picture of a baseball and said “spring training”

I got to dance with a small girl, now I wanted a girl with a big chest. So we went to the stage after hanging back for a while. There was a girl who John said had a big chest. I go and have a dance with her. She had an even greater personality and was fun and definitely had better moves. It was nice.

We had left there and headed home. John said he needed to be home by 10;30 to pick up his kid from his mother’s. Like I told John on the way home, it was nice, but it makes me sad and lonely and makes me want a girlfriend that much more. We made up a story that we went to Kowloon’s, a Chinese restaurant in my town. Some wives don’t mind if their husbands go to strip clubs. His wife, Kat, didn’t want me to take him to a strip club for his bachelor party. (and I kept my promise) so we have to make up a plausible excuse and Kowloon’s did it.

Chapter 3. KNOCK KNOCK
I went to my room as soon as I got home and changed. My dad was home but he was half asleep. No one smelled the cheep perfume that was probably all over me. I was heading up stairs to get a drink after that and as I approach the stairs, I hear a knock at the door. I am totally perplex. Who would be knocking on the door at 10;30 pm on a Friday night. I opened the door and …
SURPRISE!!! My cousin Hayley from NJ was giving me this huge hug. I was so happy and confused, I didn’t say anything. She told me how by mid-afternoon the sun was out and the roads were clear. Her fiancée was in her office (they work together) and she says that she wants to go to Boston. He says “well, I can’t tell you not to go.” (because of the weather) so she called me first and I was on the phone with my friend Jeff so I let it go to voice mail but she didn’t leave a voice mail. This sets off a chain of events She called my sister, asked her what the weather was like up here Amanda said it was nice out. So she said to Amanda that she was coming up but not to tell Jonathan. (She wanted to surprise me.) I said after five minutes of her talking and the initial shocked wearing off, “you’re here” she gave a gentle laugh and said “yes, I am.”

I asked her if she had anything in the car or did she bring it all in. She said she had a few things in the car. Like the gentleman I am, I took her stuff from the front door to the spare bedroom. I went back up, grabbed more stuff. Went back and said “anything else” and she handed me her sleeping bag. (even though she has a made up futon, she has to sleep in her sleeping bag.) I told her that I was going up to get a drink before she came and offered her to follow me into the kitchen. She said she was hungry. I got myself a drink and she helped herself to a yogurt. We sat there chatting for about an hour when my mom comes in and asks if I wanted to go for a drink for my birthday. I went down stairs, got dressed (in clean clothe) and we went for a drink. I ended up having eggrolls and wontons too. I got a strawberry dacury.

We got home, I was tired, so wasn’t Hayley. We said our good nights and went to our separate rooms.

Chapter 4. What to do all day Saturday? AN IDEA!
I woke up at 5AM wide awake. So I read some sports news and came on here and went to another site I frequently visit that has games in text format. So I played blackjack.
I had this great thought. (my birthday dinner time-location, what to eat, changed so much in the previous Thurs-Fri-sat, I had everyone confused.) One of the things was, Justin wanted Hayley to see his house. So we were going to have dinner by his house and back to his house for cake and presents. When Hayley said she wasn’t coming, we moved it to a Chinese restaurant by me. When I went up for breakfast, I asked Hayley what she thought of it.
Since I didn’t know what we were going to do all day, how about if we take a drive to Justin’s house and surprise him. I will call Lindsay after breakfast. Hayley thought it was a great idea. My dad said “well, what if they have plans?” I said I am sure it wont be anything they cant work around. So after breakfast, I called Lindsay, Justin was out side, and I told Lindsay about my idea of surprising Justin with Hayley. She thought it a great idea. So the plan was to be down their a little before 1pm. So we head out a little before twelve. Hayley brought a bottle of wine and I brought my own surprise for Lindsay…

Hayley had a GPS so that was good but it didn’t recognize one way streets and so it was trying to tell us to go up it. We ended up getting a nice tour of the down town and other residential areas. We finally get to their house shortly before 1pm.

Chapter 5. Knock Knock II

I have my bag for Lindsay and Hayley has her bottle of wine. So we ring the doorbell and we wait a long minute… or two, and Justin opens the door
SURPRISE! Justin was very happy to see Hayley. Justin says “so were you coming all along?” Hayley tells Justin and Lindsay the story of how it was nice out and it being crazy if she didn’t come to Boston. Hayley gave Lindsay the bottle of wine. I told Lindsay I had a surprise of my own for her. I handed her the bag and it was a 6 pack of glass bottle beer. She read the brand name and Justin said to her “OH, honey, look at the type of beer” (after Justin saw what it was from a far) “oh my god, it’s blue berry beer. Where did you get it from?” “From the restaurant. Last week before Disney on Ice, we went to Boston Beer works for lunch and my mom told me about an ad on the table for packages of bottled beer and I had to get it for you.” She says to Hayley “It’s my favorite beer.” And to Justin “we’ll have to get some blue berries to put in with the beer.
(someday, my thoughtfulness will be appreciated by a lady of my own…I hope)

Justin and Lindsay take Hayley on a tour of the house and I watch the Celtics game. Boston are up by 10 when I shut it off.

We went out for lunch. I split a double order of buffalo fingers with Lindsay and we all share a basket of onion rings. Justin has a chicken cabob salad and Hayley had a junior stake. Justin kept updating me on the game. The Celtics who have like 35 wins were playing the nets who had 5 wins and the joke of the NBA this year, was winning every time he updated me. We had a nice lunch. After lunch Lindsay asked if we could stop at a card store first. Hayley needed to get cards too, she has a list of cards to get, so she was happy to go in too. Justin and I were in the car, listening to the Boston Celtics get crushed by the horrible New jersey nets.

In the same plaza as the card store was a bakery. So we go in. As soon as you close the door behind you, you are just enveloped by this captivating aroma of a bakery. Justin was reading things I’d like. Hayley said she wanted to buy me something. She ended up buying me something, my mom something and my dad. She is very thoughtful. I got a strawberry minny cheese cake and an apple cot minny pastry thing. We went back to Their house. Hayley wanted to see their wedding album. (Justin is great at telling stories) Lindsay was doing the narration for the first part and she had to run down the street to pick up a gift card. Justin took over and when he was done with that, He showed Hayley other pictures in his computer from his friend’s weddings and from his college years and from our childhood, including one from when we were babies and Justin was twice my size. Justin showed her pics with a story of a project he did with his old architect firm. He got to work with kids, teaching them the extreme basic of structure of buildings and how to design them. Hayley saw a picture of Justin with the kids and said “that was the first picture your mother sent to me of you”. Justin definitely had a glee in his voice when talking about the program Hayley said later to me, she could see it in his eyes and face how happy he was of this program.
A few hours later, Justin and Lindsay had to meet her parents and God parents for dinner, so they had to get going. Normally 3 hours for me of looking at pictures is like staring at the sun waiting for it to go down when it is still in the AM. But with Justin telling stories behind every picture, it was great and what seemed like maybe an hour? Was 3 hours. So Hayley and I said our goodbyes and they thanked us for coming down.

Chapter 6. Mexican food?

Hayley and I drive back and my dad was hungry and my mom was a little hungry. I wasn’t at all but Hayley. Hayley suggested Mexican. So I call the new place that just opened the night before. It was a 45 minute wait and you could not put your name in. So I suggested another Mexican restaurant that I like. (they have stakes) It was a 45 minute wait but you can put your name in. So I do.
Mom said to me that she was thinking about my birthday dinner and she asked if it would be ok if she made dinner and have everyone come over and she would make a Italian dinner with chicken Palm, salad and pasta. I had no problem with it.

We got to the restaurant and they said it will be another 15 minutes. So we go into the bar and this either very nice guy or very drunk guy kept talking to me and my mom. Eventually the vibrator went off and we headed to the front. Were we were then lead to our table. I got a stake with peppers and onions. It was so good. Hayley was telling us a story that seriously, I had to turn my head away and wipe away a tear. She was telling us how when she was a little girl she had this friend who even as babies, their mother’s were friends so they grew up together. Hayley’s mother passed away and so her father and her moved and Hayley and this girl lost track.
Hayley went to summer camp and she and this girl were talking. They were 12 years old at the time. (I know it was a lot better the way She told it, but here’s the clip notes) She said when she was growing up she had a friend with her name and the friend said the same. The friend said that the girl she was friends with growing up had lost her leg and was in a wheelchair. Hayley said that her mom had her leg amputated. They were like… this can’t be. The other girl wrote home to her mother, telling her all about this girl and how she wonders if she thought it was the same Hayley. The girl gets a letter and shows Hayley a picture of the two girls with the mothers. It was Hayley and her mom with this girl and her mom when they were about 5 years old. Now when Hayley’s mom passed away, her father left everything behind, including pictures. So here was the first picture she saw of her mom and that the girl let her keep. Hayley says to my mom “we decided that it was meant to happen and that we were like soul mates. We swore we’re never lose track of either again.” And they haven’t.

After dinner we went home and I was just so tired. I had woke up at 5 and here it was now almost 11pm at night. I just wanted to wait till my birthday before I went to sleep. I was chatting with someone and playing blackjacks. At midnight, my mom and cousin come in and sing happy birthday to me. I thanked them and went to sleep soon after.

Chapter 7. “it’s my birthday”
I woke up at 6AM wide awake. I got on the net and looked at sports scores and checked my notes. I was chatting with someone and then listened to my favorite birthday song “just older”, by Bon Jovi… would you expect anyone else? So I was singing out loud with my headphones on. My mom came in and wished me a good morning and happy birthday. I went on my treadmill and made sure my mp3 would be playing Bon Jovi. I closed the door and sang while I was running. I pushed myself and pushed myself. I broke a Jonathan record of 50 minutes on the treadmill. Woo. I took a shower and got ready for my day. Hayley wanted to take a ride to gas up her car and to go to barns and nobles and Target. I thought it a bit strange but said ok. I am thinking hmm I wonder if my mom wanted me out of the house for some reason. I get a phone call while heading to the store I pick up the phone and say “it’s my birthday” my sister says “no kidding” (like she wasn’t amused) I am at sonic, do you want me to get you a strawberry drink? YES. She said it would be my birthday gift. I said ok. She no I’m kidding this year I actually got you something. We stop at the gas station and then we find Barns and Nobles. She wants to help me get my poems published. So she was, at first, looking at the magazines but there was no magazines she saw on poetry. So we walked around and she saw a second on “how to publish” and found one on poems. So she picked it up and started reading to me. She read me the 6 “does and don’ts” publishing poetry. Then there was a list of magazines with the types of poems they plush. There was another section on poetry contests. It was just amazing how little I knew about (not that I cared, but now do) publishing poetry or just publishing in general. She read more than 60 pages. My back was hurting standing for a long time. I thought, there must be a surprise for sure. Especially when she says “oh, it’s ten of one.” I was like. Hmm my birthday party is called for 1pm. She did a great job of keeping me away from the house. My phone rings again on the way home to which I answered “it’s my birthday” It was my twin’s best friend calling me from Texas to wish me a happy birthday. We chatted for a little bit. That was nice of him to call me.

Chapter 8. We can start the party

I walk in the house and said “ok! The party can begin!” My sister handed me my strawberry ice thing from sonic. It is definitely a heaven drink with me. Hmm wonder how good it would taste with some vodka in it? Hmm. I was in the living room, just leaning on the wall listening to my sister, her girlfriend Stacey, Lindsay and Hayley. They were playing with Stacey’s little puppy. Not sure what type of dog it is, but I can hold it in my hand. My cousin Jalen and my aunty Sarah were someone in the house. My brother Justin and Robert and Justin’s friend Jeff was also there but they were down stairs with my father talking about cars. My mom was still cooking, frying up chicken.
My father left the house and went to pick up my grand parents. My grand parents have not been out of their assisted living since early November. I was very happy they were coming. At some point, my best friend John and his wife Kat and they’re baby, Holden showed up. My sister invited one of her other friends who came just before we started to eat so we had to add another table to the end of our dining room table. So instead of sitting next to my twin, I sat next to Amanda’s girlfriend. She was nice and treated me the same as her other friends, with sarcasm
I need to back track to before dinner. We were sitting down stairs in the den playing WII bowling. I first played with Jalen, Amanda, Hayley. I can in 3rd place. Then my best friend challenged me one-on-one. I crushed him, 140-127. woo. Go me. We went up for diner after that where my mom had made a big salad, stuff shells, ziti, chicken Palm and chicken fingers and of course, her home made meatballs. Everything was so good.

After dinner we went down stairs and watched the hockey game. There was a few more minutes left in the game and my mom was ready to serve desserts and to put out the cake. So I sat next to my twin and his wife brought an amazing Reese peanut butter cup ice-cream cake. It was heaven. Oh, and I made a wish before blowing out the candles. I hope it comes true.

I was thinking, how wonderful to have my family and close friends here along with my grand parents. It was beautiful. I don’t know how many more birthdays my grand parents will be around for. Hopefully many more but them being 92 and 91, I don’t know. My mom had dipped strawberries and dipped bananas. I was given a few of each. The bananas were ok but the chocolate covered strawberries were heaven. The are my favorite thing to eat in the entire world.

Chapter 9. I can’t believe it.

Presents time!
My sister gave me a gift card to Chilies. One of my favorite chain restaurants. My older bro got me a gift card to my favorite Chinese restaurant. My best friend got me scratch tickets. My parents got me this little model of Fenway Park. It is so cool. My cousin Hayley, got me a Bon Jovi, The circle tour, T-shirt. I love it.
My twin and his lovely wife bought me the best gift. (just don’t tell anyone else)
It was a san Francisco 49ers RICE #80 t-jersey. I am going to see him get inducted into the hall on August 7th and now I know what I am going to wear. I don’t have to go buy a $100 real jersey. He told me that he had bought it for me back in December when he was out in SF. He bought himself a Lott 42 one.

After gifts, we took pictures with our grand parents. First it was just Justin and I standing behind our grand parents then my older bro and sister joined in. I said out loud so everyone could hear but to Justin, “I want a picture with our wives” (remind me to tell the story some other time of why I call my best friend’s wife my wife and why she signs her cards “to my second husband”) so we got a picture with the wives. It was beautiful.
People started drifting away, saying goodbye. I had a tear when I was saying bye to Hayley. But like she said, I will see her again for Passover.

My phone rings about 8pm. It was my college best friend Jeff and his twin girls, (my nieces). They called me up to sing happy birthday. I really loved that.
Later in the night, I went to Kowloon’s for a birthday drink with my dad but Kowloon’s was closed for an employee Chinese new year’s party. So we went down the street to a pub that had keno. So I had a drink and played keno. Neither of us won but it was still nice to end my birthday like that.

I’m 32 now, yes I feel older but I am ok with it.

Notes are not required but are appreciated