58. Birthday plans in place!

I rarely make a big deal about my birthday.*

Every major birthday celebration I've ever had has been due to someone else putting something together on my behalf; otherwise, I have been loath to do anything to commemorate the passing of another year in my life. I've always felt a little odd about the notion of me throwing a party to celebrate...me.

But something snapped in me this past year, and I realized, well, to quote Stuart Smalley: I'm good enough, smart enough, and goshdarnit, people like me!

So I decided: I'm throwing myself a freakin' birthday party this year.

It took a while to figure out what I would do to celebrate. I knew I wanted a big party to which I could invite (and fully interact with) lots and lots of people, so going to a restaurant was out (too small/constraining). And since I'll be working pretty much non-stop that week and the two weeks that follow, I couldn't plan any major outings or trips (the thought had crossed my mind to take a group of friends back to Nevada for a camping trip).

And then it dawned on me--I'd combine a couple of party ideas I've been toying with for a few months now.

Idea #1: About nine months ago, I read this fascinating NY Times article on a gustatory phenomenon known as "Miracle Fruit." Essentially, these small berries from West Africa alter your taste buds for a couple hours at a time, rendering foods that normally taste sour or bitter as sweet. So people in NYC buy a bunch of these berries and throw "flavor-tripping" parties where guests get to try all varieties of food and drink while under the influence (of sorts) of this weird little berry.

So I found a supplier (I know; there's really no way to not make this sound like I'm buying drugs), and decided that my 28th birthday will be a "flavor-tripping" party. But that's not all...

Idea #2: As I've mentioned before, I am slightly obsessed with both the Guitar Hero and Rock Band video game franchises. As a former (and possibly future) member of a rock band, these games speak my language. Not to mention, I'm actually pretty good at both (as opposed to, say, any iteration of Halo, Grand Theft Auto, or NCAA Football).

So a friend will bring over his XBOX and various accoutrements, and we'll make it a Rock Band party as well.

I've even thought to make it a NCAA Basketball Tournament-style "bracket" party, where we'll determine the best-tasting food eaten under the influence of Miracle Fruit as well as the best Rock Band band. That might a bit too structured, though.

Either way, I'm genuinely excited. It's nice to feel good enough about myself to want to throw a little shin-dig for my birthday this year (last year was another story). And I have a feeling that it could be a pretty memorable experience for all in attendance.




*Which, in case you need to know for some unknown reason or another, is the last day of February, save for leap years.

(And no, I get asked about it all the time, but I was born in 1981, so I was exactly 365 days too late to possibly be a Leap Year Baby. A fact that has haunted me my entire life.)