My extra special day

Let us respect gray hairs, especially our own.

- J. P. Sears

I always look forward to birthdays. I am not one of those people who believe that a birthday is just another day. If anything, I am one of those who believe that everyday should be like a birthday - everyday should be a celebration of the fact that you are alive! Of course, no one has the time or the patience to make everyday a celebration, so when my birthday comes around, I tend to look forward to putting in the effort on this one day of the year.

The days leading up to this year's birthday were a little different. I wasn't getting excited. I wasn't looking forward to anything. It was as though I was trying to keep my expectations low so as not to be disappointed when things didn't work out. Because you know, of course, that nothing ever works out like you had imagined it. I also could picture my birthday turning out like last year's - with me lying in bed, sick and alone with a cake to eat and no one to eat it with. Needless to say, it completely sucked, and I didn't want to get all excited only to have it suck again. And so, the night before my birthday, despite Grant's attempts at cheering me up, I happened to be a little depressed and not the best company at all. I had an early night.

I woke up ridiculously early in the morning for no apparent reason, and my waking was shortly followed by Grant waking up beside me to sing me a happy birthday.
"Do you want to see your present?"
"Ooh," I said, perking up a little. "Yes, please!"
I was pretty sure that I knew what I was getting. Months before, I had pointed out a boardgame (Mind Trap) that I thought would be cool but that I could only find online. When, weeks before, Grant had told me that my birthday present had arrived, I knew that it had to be something that he had ordered online and prepared myself for the inevitability of getting this game as my present. As Grant passed me the present, I couldn't help thinking that it was rather smaller than I had imagined. And rather lighter too. As I carefully peeled off the sticky tape and revealed the cardboard box underneath, I was utterly confused. This wasn't what I had expected. I stared at the plain cardboard for a good minute or two before I noticed the black label on the top that read: "Amazon kindle". I doubt that you have ever seen anyone get as excited as I did in that moment. It was honestly the last thing that I had expected to get, and the prospect of bringing it with me to Johannesburg and showing it off to everyone that I passed was just too much to bear. Needless to say, my birthday was off to a good start.

After seeing Grant off to work, I took my time getting ready for the day, choosing a dress to wear that I wasn't able to fit into when I left South Africa in order to celebrate the day in a bit of a special way. Then it was off to the bank. Not the ideal place to spend a birthday, but the world doesn't stop when you want it to and there were people to be paid and arrangements to be made. Thankfully there wasn't too much of a queue and the teller, though a little rude, I thought, was mostly helpful. After finishing up there, it was back home with me, and I had barely gotten there when I got a message from Grant saying that a package had arrived for me. A very special package. A package that I knew was supposed to have arrived in Grahamstown before I did, and had chosen this very day, my extra special day, to pitch up. This package was my birthday present from Korea, sent from my awesome KBFF Amy. The contents included, but were not limited to a most awesome t-shirt that read: "And when you smile the whole world stops and stares for awhile because you are amazing". As I said, this was not the only awesome thing in my package, but I still think that it is my absolute favourite part of it!!

After picking up my package, it was back to lounging around for awhile. I couldn't really make any plans for the day itself, as Ashlea was coming through to Grahamstown and I wasn't sure what time she would be arriving. And so, a few hours were spent doing nothing much around the house until Grant arrived home and I simultaneously received a call telling me that Ashlea had arrived in town. After attempting to give Ashlea some terrible, TERRIBLE directions (and reminding myself that I should no longer count myself as a local after not being in the town for a year and a half), Grant and I went to find her and bring her back to our place where she was to spend the night.

A couple of beers for Grant, Jono and Ash and a couple of glasses of wine for me later, we were off to the Rat and Parrot for a celebratory drink with Mike. We arrived at the Rat to find it absolutely packed with no tables available for us. Thankfully, we do have some pull with the manager, and Doodoo secured us two small tables placed together with the promise of attempting to find us one upstairs (in the smoking section) should one open up. Ash, not used to such crowds or to waiting so long for a drink pounced on the poor waitresses bearing our beverages before she even had a chance to put the drinks on the table, and this led to one of the beers crashing to the floor leaving us with a very angry waitress, a very apologetic Ashlea and a very thirsty Grant. As Ash said, however, this was probably the best way to start the night, as she was unlikely to have an accident like that again and at least it was now over and done with. She was all too right, and the rest of the night was spent eating delicious food, getting involved in brilliant conversations (even between Ash and Mike who I had pictured butting heads on more than one occasion despite Mike's remark that he was sure they would get on splendidly) and drinking. Though a headache threatened to ruin the night for me, Doodoo saved the day once again by securing me some Aspirin, and before long I was back to drinking happily.

Once dinner was done, Ash insisted that we move upstairs where she could smoke to her hearts content, and we found ourselves some seats at the bar. This was possibly not the best idea, as it meant that Ash could quickly order shooters without my even noticing what was going on, and by the end of the night there had been Susans (Tequila, Cape Velvet, Blue Cuarico and something else), Ponchos (coffee tequila), Pina Coladas, Malibu, Purple Turtles (Apple Sours and Potency) and an assortment of other shots that I do not know the names of and do not care to remember. I was also taught a number of new ways to say cheers and a new way to drink shots that I am really rather fond of. By midnight I was utterly out of it and we all decided that it was about time to go home.

We arrived at home and Ash and I made ourselves comfortable on the couches while Grant passed around another round of beers. Music played in the background and we all chilled around with none of us really being ready for bed. Suddenly, Ashlea pulled from her bag a nightmarish device known as a lip-tint stick and the worst part of the night commenced. When I woke up the next morning, with a headache and a full memory of the night's events, it was to legs and arms covered in lip-tint (which was rather harder to get off than either of us had imagined) and Ash was far worse off with her stomach and back also having taken a beating at the hand of the red stuff. Each of us spent a good half hour (at least) in the shower trying to get the stuff off of us, and even after scrubbing at it with exfoliant, a red tint still remained on my skin to show where the marks had been. Ash had it far worse off - even four days later, her stomach still read "ET phone home" and her belly button looked like it was a giant bruise.

In anycase, the day ended up being a rather perfect birthday celebration, made extra special by Grant, Amy and Ashlea and their mutual awesomeness. Thanks so much guys! I thought I would end this post off with my favourite of the new cheers that I was taught.

Te verderer, te naderer, te hoorderer, te laaderer. Ek kyk hom, hy blink nie. Ek ryk hom, hy stink nie. So wie die fok se ek mag nie hom drink nie?

In English -

The furthest, the nearest, the highest the lowest. I watch it, it doesn't blink. I smell it, it doesn't stink. So who the fuck says I may not drink it?