one week

it's just 7 days until i turn 32, and in the grand spirit of all things birthday 'eve,' i shall give you the following listiness:

1. went to see two plays this weekend: picasso at the lapin agile (by steve martin) and fat pig (by neil labute). the latter piece dealt with the issue of sizeism, cowardice, and the inability of MOST people to just BE who they are without regard for others' opinions. we stayed after for a 'talk to the actors' kind of thing, and i got a chance to share some thoughts. it was a meaningful piece and very well performed.
2. had a lovely sushi early dinner out yesterday before play #1 and then spent time with our friend vic afterwards at the starbucks and endured some true antics from a clearly trying-too-hard-for-attention/somewhat-out-of-her-gourd barrista. delightful (barrista notwithstanding).
3. today's post-play meal was at the city cafe and involved wonderfully crisp, well-seasoned calamari with a divine lemon-jalapeno dipping sauce (think infused vinegar) and (for me) a chopped cobb salad. avocado just makes a dish, i find.
4. i'm thinking about getting my mba online. been pondering some type of online masters for a couple of years, but i took a few preliminary steps to get the ball rolling.
5. my feet are STILL killing me.
6. i'm still obsessed with iced tea.
7. i'm in a very outspoken mood these days (more than usual). i like it.
8. i have some truly great friends. and a lot of them have disappeared over time. this is okay with me.
9. weekend afternoons in the summer (especially when the breeze is blowing) really ARE the best.
10. i love being the kind of person who can RELAX and just be, or who can be spontaneous and have plans on a whim. i wasn't always that way. the extent to which i have put those anxious ways to bed astonishes me every single day. in short, i'm breezy. really.
11. in addition to #10, i really don't have time for b.s. i sincerely do NOT. and i just have no ability to pretend otherwise. i love that.
12. balega socks are still rocking the HOUSE.
13. i want this year to be one that i remember as being productive and filled with good decisions. let it be so. i'm ending on an 'unlucky' number because i think that's bollocks and i don't mind bucking tradition.

the end.

bawlmer, merlin, hon

last night, i did something decidedly bawlmer-ish: i got crabs with my friends mel and rob. we had some dogs with sauerkraut and a bit of other picnic fare as well, but mostly it was all about those fat, sweet-meat-laden crustaceans. so delish!! after dinner, we just hung out and talked in their living room where i was being loved on by their awesome kitties. at one point, i looked over to my right and recognized a familiar gray box near their entertainment center. 'dude!' i exclaimed. 'do you have, like, NINTENDO?' she nodded. 'do you have, like, SUPER MARIO BROTHERS??' indeed she did!

so giddy was i to find this out that the three of us took turns playing the game for at least an hour. who remembered how fun this is? ME!! i used to play smb in the basement of my friend nikki's or my friend meredith's for hours on end nearly every single day during the summer of '89. people, those were the days.

anyway, i had my nostalgia and my fill of seafood, and i was on my way by about 10:30 - late for me for a friday night. but what a fun time. good friends are the best.

and this morning, i slept in until about 9:45. i don't remember the last time i did that. clearly i've been needing a little catch-up on the sleep front.

i'm off to jump in the shower and then to pick up salimah. she and i are scheduled to grab sushi and then head down to a play with our friends victoria and michael. tomorrow we'll see ANOTHER play and then i hope to chill out with the book i'm reading. weekends, you're my favorite. forever and always.