05 August 2002 - 10:09 a.m.

I never wrote about my birthday ... So, here's the story.

I should explain before I begin. First, my friends this summer are mostly working for orientation, or had other stuff planned on Wednesday night, so I was a little cranky about not being able to spend time with anyone. Aaron did manage to take work off from Fenway ... so I was happy(er). Second, and perhaps more important, I have not been home for my birthday since I was 8, or so. I also haven't been around people I've known for more than a month on my birthday. I was used to my birthday consisiting of some cards from home and a dining hall full of people singing happy birthday to me. I've loved spending my summers at music festivals and spending my birthdays with my friends there ... but that is what I know birthdays to be. Sure, I've seen friends who have had their parents around to take them out to dinner or their friends to have a big gathering for their birthday, but that was never what happened on my birthday. So, I'm not so good at this birthday thing. You should know these things before I begin.

My birthday was on a Wednesday which meant that I had PEN Players training from 9-4. I s'pose I should actually start with Tuesday night. On Tuesday, Ali took me out to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. When we got home she gave me my presents ... which were thoughtful and marvelous. She gave me a Lilo & Stitch bobber candy dispenser (Lilo does a hula .... and it spits out runts!) because we went to see the movie together, the new Dave Matthews Band CD, the Vocal Selections book for RENT with guitar tabs so I could learn how to play RENT on guitar, and, best of all, a Disney Princess T-Shirt that says "I'm the Fairest, Prettiest, Most Lovely Princess Of All" and is sparkly and has Belle, Aurora, Cinderella, and Arielle on it. :) I was so happy. The shirt is 80s pink ... not hot pink but that other 80s pink. It's hysterical. Anyhow. So the next morning I got up early to go to work, and Aaron made me breakfast and brought it downstairs for me. He made pannekoekens (some bizarre Minnesotan treat that is like a pancake ... sort of) with homemade syrup and eggs. :) It was GORGEOUS out ... not hot ... perfect and sunny and beautiful. Anyhow ... I went to work and played all day there, which was nice. Afterward, I did not know so much what to do .... and Aaron was going to 881 Comm. Ave. to run some errands. I went back home and fell asleep. Anyhow, Aaron woke me up about 40 minutes later, holding a bunch of yellow daisies (my Very Favouritest Flower Ever). Basically, he told me that we could do whatever I wanted for the afternoon/evening. Not being used to having such freedom on my birthday (being used to, "you can do whatever you want for the two hours of free time this afternoon between the four hours of morning practice and chamber rehearsal"), I said, "what do YOU want to do?" This is a common theme for the afternoon, and should have been my slogan for the day. To make a long story short(er), here's what we ended up doing. We went to the Public Garden and then to the Common and lounged in the grass for a couple of hours. We went to Vinnie Testa's for dinner. We went to Espresso Royale for coffee. We went to a playground, which was dark and scary ... so we ran away from there. We went for a walk. We sat outside ... we went home. A few quick notes: I cried twice. Aaron just happens to be the best person at knowing exactly what I want to do. After we went to Starbucks and their espresso bar was down, we walked for a while and were nearly home, when he asked "want to go to espresso royale?" At this point, I cried, telling him that he was way too nice to me and I wasn't used to having people be so nice on my birthday. It happened again when he suggested going to a playground. Anyhow, we went home ... and he IMed me, asking me if I wanted to go to Warren with him to give some medicine to his roommate (who works for orientation). So, I said I would ... we got there and all the SAPAs (my friends on orientation staff for non-BU kids) were sitting downstairs, which was weird. Anyhow, I got a few stray "happy birthdays" ... Then Jaron came, put his arm around me, and walked me into the other room where ... all the SAPA's and PEN Players were with a cake ... Aaron through me a surprise party! And I was VERY VERY surprised. Geez. It was the best birthday I can remember ...

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