just my 21st birthday

Taking two days off work to celebrate your birthday really gets you back on Monday. Work was outrageous yesterday: In around 7, out around 6, working lunch, and still plenty waiting for me this morning. At least I'm busy- right? Something like that.....

I contemplated not blogging about my birthday- I don't think I can do it justice. I'm pretty sure the giggling and jokes will not come across as funny as they were during the times. But, you know how i love to type type type and chat chat chat away- so I'll give it my best go....

First thing is first- let's go over all the driving to the airport that I did last week. As you know. Leigh came to visit so I picked her up last weekend on Saturday at lunch time and dropped her off on Sunday just before dinner. I had a day or two to recover and then I picked Natalie up on Tuesday night late. Jarrod was a Wednesday morning early arrival. On Friday we had to get McCowan at the airport because he was returning his rental car from his work trip. On Saturday Natalie went home because her parents were going to NYC to celebrate her birthday. On Sunday morning (early again) Jarrod had to go to the airport. And then around dinner time on Sunday it was McCowan's turn. That's a lot of visits to the airport in one week. But- well worth all the fun that was imported for the birthday celebration.

Jarrod and Natalie were so ready for the infinity pool situation that was Cancun. However, after their first day there they changed the name to Playa del Plano - which, for some reason, was a tongue twister for me and abbreved to PDP. I can't really speak entirely to what those two did all Wednesday while I worked- but I'm sure there was lots of giggling, people watching and lafa blocking or something that requires them to twist their toes together and giggle more. Again- I'm not sure of the details, but most of you know them and I'm sure whatever you are imagining is right on.

After work I joined them for an hour before we picked up Girlfriend Sarah and met McCowan in town for dinner (remember- business trip). We had a great Mexican meal and sat outside on the patio. Service was TERRIBLE. But that's a different story. We took lots of pictures with Girlfriend Sarah with us and sent them to Gio because she really hates that. Giggle fest started and Sarah suggested taking us on the Plano tour to see Gio's schools and homes that she lived in. Gio told Sarah she better come out this weekend and have fun and at 8:30 on Wednesday night Sarah let Gio know she was going to "call it a weekend". TBS? Very funny. Gio? Not laughing as much as we were.

Thursday was a trip to the Super Target for all necessities for the celebration. We came home and had a great lunch spread, made beeritas and headed over to the pool. We got an hour in the gloomy weather before thunder and lightning came and we had to bounce to the club house. We played whatever games were up there and then watched some Bethenny Getting Married and then made it back outside once the sun came out. Girlfriend Sarah came over and took her boot off and rested her foot in the pool too. We made a super romantic pesto chicken dinner with a not so romantic rice that turned into frizoto and had some wine and beers with dinner. We went to get a mambo taxi (or two) and then Sarah called it a night and me, Nat and Jarrod moved onto another bar.

The times were almost not being had but at 11:15 we somehow decided that I was celebrating my 21st birthday at midnight. $15 in the juke box later, times were being had and a countdown to midnight was also existing. I think pretty much everyone (all 12 people in the bar) knew it was my birthday. Midnight hits and madness strikes. Obviously on your 21st birthday you have shots- so that is what we did. Final tally is still undecided but we can confirm tequila, redheaded slut and lemon drops. The rest of the evening... well, things got messy. But I did make two new friends (one really weird and one not so weird) - thanks to Jarrod. I was telling him how you can talk to anyone you want in Texas and they will pretty much talk back to you. And he didn't believe me so I said "pick someone". And I went and talked to them and ended up talking to them (at them?) for almost an hour on my 21st birthday celebration. Jarrod was in the bathroom when they were later and over heard them saying "I don't know which one of us she is talking to because she is talking so fast" - but one of them asked for my number at the end of the night so I couldn't have been talking THAT fast, right? He even texted the next morning to tell me I was "lovely" (I imagine this means I was talking about wanting to be a southern belle- why else would the word "lovely" come up?) and that we'll have to hang out again... who knows- maybe I met my husband on my 21st birthday celebration? Probably not.

Friday morning me and Natalie got massages. I drove to the closed down location that put us 20 minutes in the wrong direction. By the time we got there I was stressed about being late, but they said no worries and we were able to enjoy our 60 minute massages. Natalie's really hurt her, but mine was super enjoyable. I talked to the lady the entire time (she is also a Cancer) and she told me so awful stories about some of her clients. People are WIERD. The massage was great- but did not cure my hangover. While we were gone Jarrod made the funfetti cupcakes and brownies, and cut the watermelon and did the dishes and signed for my packages (which included new and working droid- wahoo!) and wrapped my fedex package in Team Jacob wrapping paper and was pretty much as domestic as it comes.

Friday was more pool once we picked up McCowan. TBS Funny happened in the car when Taytay called Jarrod and Jarrod said "We're going to have to call you back because we are very busy right now" - but really we were just sitting in the car with our hazard lights on. That evening we had a "make whatever you can find" dinner. Girlfriend Sarah came over and raging started after dinner with cheers and mazels and champagne toasts and paparazzi photos while waiting for the worst cab driver in the entire world.

Worst cab driver is named Peter Clasp and lied to us the entire ride- he said his son was on the English soccer team at the World Cup and that his other son was murdered a week ago when he was poisoned with 12 other people in a conference room at a company named Fusion that works with oil out of jealousy and that his grandson was kidnapped and moved to Germany and they can't get him back but know where he is. So weird. McCowan and Sarah google searched all of this real-time and nothing came up true.

We went to the dueling piano bar and straight up raged and had THE TIMES the entire time. Best song of the evening was "Proud to be an American" and then we moved on to Gio's "favorite" bar but really did not have the times. Although- lots of lip kissing occurred there and I got on stage to rock out and then had a total jam session with Natalie and Sarah to "You Oughtta Know". We left to get a cab and before we got a cab I got a passionate lip kiss from McCowan that was seen by many.

Sleep sleep sleep Friday night and Saturday we woke up and did some pool time and lunch time. We then went to this great new restaurant I had never been to and watched the soccer game (Sorry America). Then to Sarah's house for margaritas and then to Gio's for dinner. McCowan and Gio slaved over dinner which was SO TASTY! We were making plans for the night and discussing the cost of a cab and it turns out that the best option was to get a hotel so we did that at the La Quinta.

It was exactly as you would expect- motel style with outside hallways. Lots of laughing and getting to the right spot (getting there included a cab ride, a run through sprinklers and a 3 block walk). We changed bars every 30 minutes and played credit card roulette for shots at each location-- McCowan was not very lucky. Things definitely got a little wild and when the night ended we took a cab back to the hotel. Me and Gio leave the cab just find but we hear lots of commotion with the boys back at the cab. Curiousity gets the best of me and I find Jarrod picking Gio's vom out of the cab and McCowan yelling about extortion and the La Quinta security guard is involved and Gio is hiding behind another car somewhere else... and... well, lots of commotion. The La Quinta security guard says that since we paid the cab fare already we don't have to pay to clean up Gio's vomit although the man is insisting that we give him $50. I give him $11 and make McCowan and Jarrod walk away and cab man is very angry and security guard is amused and I just want to go to sleep... Next thing you know it's 9AM and Jarrod needs to get to the airport.

Sunday was very relaxing. We delivered Jarrod to the airport (apprently he vommed in the airplane during takeoff) and then McCowan and I went back to my house for sleep part 2. We woke quite refreshed and decided on brunch- so great brunch and we were only charged for one drink when really we got two (so sneaky!). More walking around, a few more hours in the pool and then McCowan was such a babe and helped with a little apartment clean up and before you know it... it was time for him to go!

Unlike visitors and trips that I took from Chattanooga- I was very relaxed after all my friends were gone. In Chattanooga I would go through minor (sometimes major) anxiety about being becoming miserable again... but not so here- so that's great. I've just been relaxing and slowly pulling things together to prepare for my next big adventure!

I don't think I captured the true intensity of the weekend in this recap..... You can at least view the facebook photos for a visual... LOTS of money shots. Lots of TIMES!