I had an awesome birthday! I'm sure you want a play-by-play and even if you don't, well I'm going to give you one anyway. Why? Because it's my birthday and I can do whatever I want and you have to like it! It's all part of the package. Read the fine print.
12:00 a.m. I counted down to my birthday and Kitty and I had a short-lived whooping and hollering moment. I was instantly bombarded by text messages and a phone call from Emily, soon followed by my mom! I'm just so much more important when I'm 19. People can't get enough!
At this point in time, I opened Em's present, which arrived on my birthday eve. Perfect timing. Why? Because the mail carriers knew it was my birthday, obviously.
Birthday Present #1: Thumb Doodle Book! It's great! I think I've wanted one of these for about five years! I don't even know how she remembered, but I knew that memory would kick in one day!
Emily also currently holds the title for Best Birthday Card. There's a girl standing in front of a long line of animals, each with a flower for her. The first animal in line is a big pink elephant and the birthday girl's giving him a smooch on the nose. I found it very fitting, which begs the question: Where's my big pink elephant?
12:30 a.m. I am much too pumped at this point to go to sleep so Kitty and I decide to watch the Colbert Report where he challenges Shani Davis to a speed skating race. I got some good laughs and way too many scarring images of Colbert in a skin-tight uniform. At one point, there were sequins, a cape, and a plunging neckline.
1:00 a.m. I decide to mosey off to bed and drifted off into the pleasant world of birthday dreams.
8:00 a.m. Up and at 'em! I'm not going to waste my precious birthday daylight snoozing in my bed! Time to seize the carp!
8:20 a.m. Off to Tim Hortons to get myself a birthday breakfast. It was pretty sweet. I then proceeded to munch away while watching the news.
10:00 a.m. I hit the job fair and was shut down again and again and again. Who would've thunk that there could be so many companies looking for engineers and fourth-year students? I was attacked by a bilingual lady who shoved flyers and pamphlets in my face, each one explaining the many rewarding reasons to be a personal trainer. I told her I hadn't set foot in a gym since Grade 9 physical education. Fitness unit. She was not amused.
10:30 a.m. Escaped from the job fair with little to show for my efforts. I didn't even get free chocolates that a Join the Army! booth was handing out. I would've feigned interest just for the chocolate, were it not for a rather wrinkly old man who barked at people to serve their home and native land. It's kind of hard to smuggle handfuls of chocolates into your purse when a retired general is asking you where your sense of patriotism is.
11:something a.m. I'm sitting around in my room and decide to open a birthday card that came in the mail at the same time as Emily's package. A card from my family in Montreal.
Birthday Present #3: Little did I know, it was more than a card. I got a Chapters gift card! God bless transferable money. I really do think gift cards for books is a beautiful thing.
12:00 p.m. I went to yoga. That's right. Uniting the body and mind. Aligning my chi. Namaste-ing my soul, all that jazz. I figured I'd give it a try and so far, I don't seem to be splitting open and spewing blood like I did in Grade 10 physical drama. It wasn't pretty.
Birthday Present #3: I was taking my time packing up after yoga and shuffling out the door when I get the most epic moment of my life. MY MOM WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME! That's right, ladies and gentlemen. My Marmee flew all the way from Toronto just for my birthday! AND she brought marshmallow cookies! Best day ever!
I spent the next hour and a half giving my mom an exclusive tour of the school, complete with pointers on best exit strategies and detours around smelly stairwells. On the way, I go through the bookstore and I get
Birthday Present #4: Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett. Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for this play? Well, let's just say it's been years. My life is complete. I bought it courtesy of my grandmother.
2:30 p.m. I took my Marmee to class with me. The Mysteries of Language. She really enjoyed it, but then again she doesn't have to write the midterm.
4:00 p.m. My mom and I catch up over Tim Hortons. Hey, there's a lot to talk about! I am her favourite daughter, you know.
5:30 p.m. Time to say goodbye to my mom and send her off to the OTrain station. Meanwhile, my friends and I catch the bus to dinner at The Works. They have epic burgers, and I mean EPIC. You can get everything on these burgers from your traditional cheese, mushrooms and bacon to your exotic avocados, pineapples, and pears. And if you're really feeling whimsical, they have peanut butter and Kraft Dinner. I told you they have everything. I also feel like I should mention they serve onion rings in a tower with awesome dipping sauce.
Birthday Present #5: My friend, Lindsay, got me a notebook and a giant block of note paper (you know, the kind you put on your desk for memos and stuff) in very vibrant colours. It's called a Writer's Block. Oh the puns are just too much. And the cherry on top: gift card to Chapters. Most excellent! I will be putting that to good use.
My Birthday Drink: Are you ready for this? It was the best 19th birthday drink ever: Oreo Milkshake. I'm just a wild, reckless teenager. Look out, world! Don't judge me until you taste those Oreo bits. This was a real milkshake, served in a measuring cup. Mmm. Clogged arteries.
7:45 p.m. My friends and I waddle to the bus stop, teetering on the brink of food comatose. There was just so much food and so limited stomach capacity. I immediately regret the salad I had a couple days ago. I should have saved room for what really counts, like sweet potato fries!
8:00 p.m. I turn 19! There was much rejoicing.
Birthday Present #6: I went on a bit of a scavenger hunt for my present from Kitty and Natalie, my friend from elementary school who also goes to Carleton. It was "wrapped" in a Rice Krispies box, how innovative. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Hoorah. It was possibly the most beautiful book I've ever seen. They got me a book of collected works by Alexandre Dumas. It's gorgeous! They got it from the Rare Books Store that I found on Bank Street. There are illustrations and a bright red hard cover with gold lettering. I can't wait to read it! Alas, I now know true happiness!
8:52 p.m. Sean, a guy who lives on my floor, walked by my room and heard Kitty and Natalie singing Happy Birthday to me in a throaty impersonation of a drag queen, complete with burlesque dance by Kitty So. "Who's birthday is it?" he asks. I enlighten him and...he serenades me. I was surprised he actually finished the whole song. Well done, Sean. Well done.
I spent the remainder of the night making thumb doodles (which I shall post on Facebook when it stops being obstinate) and admiring my presents.
And so concludes my eventful day of turning 19. And now, as I journey on into my last teenage year, I would like to impart some words of wisdom to all you young 18-year-olds: Prioritizing your life is the key to success.
Practical Application: Eat the burger before you drink the milkshake.
4 comments:
OMG YOUR MOMMMY SURPRISED YOU!!!! awwwwwww that's the bestest present you could ask for :)
and i was gonna get you the writer's block pad!! hehe
p.s. can't believe i actually read all that after my 3 hour nap and i still got pretty much nothing done for school
AWW THAT SOUNDED AMAZING!!
So sad that we weren't there... first birthday in a while that we haven't spent it with you : (
Aww, well done guys! I didn't think anyone would actually read the whole thing!
It was a pretty sweet birthday, but I missed you guys! It's not the same without you!
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