Add Eight Years, Subtract the Drama (Updated)

Another Memorial Day weekend has passed and I am once again a year older. Huh. Funny how that always happens this time of year, no?

In all seriousness, it was a relaxing and low-key weekend—precisely what I wanted as I entered the last year of my 20s. My friend, who recently re-established contact with me, has a daughter who shares my birthday, born in 1999. The fact that the kid is now eight got me thinking—what was I up to in May 1999?

• I was, alas, not drinking at Dominick’s.
• I was well on my way to falling for a guy who was all wrong for me (and who I didn’t kick to the curb until a year and a half later—stupid 21 year old me, should’ve accidentally wandered by White Street).
• I was an anchor at my dorm’s front desk for the summer, having a grand old time with my friends L, D, R, and Lo. That ended too soon, though, thanks to L and D having a fling and then L being a bit unkind during the breakup.
• I began to devote myself wholeheartedly towards running that summer, losing another 10 pounds in the final leg of my weight loss quest (down from 200 lbs at the beginning of 1998).
• I was taking a class through the Residential College that would lead to a visit to Stratford, Ontario for the Stratford Festival—it was also see me make a very good friend who is still around.

This year, I was up to other, much less college-centric things. For example:

• IP and I headed to Gordon Biersch’s on Friday night, had a couple of beers and indulged in their pizza.
• I had my second birthday away from the comfort of my parents’ home, which my mother still greatly laments. You should’ve seen her in 2002, when IP and I first started dating and he took me to JoeVision (Red Wing Stanley Cup year, by the way)—she nearly went nuts at the idea of me spending my birthday with someone other than my family.
• IP and I hit the gym all three days this long weekend, racking up cardio and strength training minutes, scoffing at the suggestion that we were never at the gym (insinuated by a nice but obviously non-afternoon gym-going acquaintance of his).
• UPDATE!!!  Speaking of the gym, IP’s gift to me this year was a renewal on my gym membership, which he gave me last year; I failed to mention this earlier, but it’s really one of the secrets to my recent weight loss—the gym and eating a bit better.  IP and I are not only a highly sarcastic and curmudgeon-y couple, but we’re workout buddies who motivate one another.  Honey, what would I do with you, your encouragement, and your credit card? ;)  Kidding—thanks for the access to continued cardiovascular health, hon.
• I bid on and won a Tocca dress on eBay, paying a cool $71 for a $320 dress I’d seen days earlier on Bluefly.
• IP indulged me and drove me to Starbucks, where I had a tall vanilla bean creme frappuccino made with their new light base, while he had a grande caramel frappuccino. We enjoyed our drinks in the quiet of his courtyard, where we plotted to have a happy hour (with sangria, of course—the courtyard reminded us of Dominick’s). We will not share our sangria with IP’s bitchy neighbor, Crack Kills (another story for another time, folks).
• I used some of the Target gift cards that were given to me to buy a suit, which was on the clearance racks at Wheaton. I was pleasantly surprised by this.
• I learned that my college roommate had been married in March of this year. After checking my email yesterday morning and seeing this news, I climbed into bed, pouty and a little miserable—after all, M was married (she who never expressed the desire to be married) and I wasn’t? I quickly told myself to breathe and was over it almost instantaneously. Still, I wasn’t feeling old until I saw that email. But I only felt old for a moment. :)
• Time was spent outside and inside (after a storm chased away the sun and our prime outdoor location) reading—IP doing research for a personal project he’s working on, me just reading away in order to add to the book list.
• For birthday treats, IP and I hit the deli and purchased a slice of strawberry shortcake, a slice of tall New York style cheesecake, and a slice of turtle cheesecake; we then took the slices to his place and dug in. All were absolutely delicious, with the turtle cheesecake being the most decadent of the trio.
• We slept. And slept some more. Then we slept some more. ‘Twas all good!

A very low-key weekend, and a quiet welcome to the last of the 20s. However, I believe I’ll bring in Year 30 with a bang; it’ll take some plotting, given that May 25 falls once again on Memorial Day weekend and some friends might be away. Perhaps a birthday the week prior or the week after? We shall see! For now, it’s time to enjoy Year 29.