1-2-3 Sake Bomb

This blog has a nice write up on Sake Bomb (plus some pretty pictures) , which is where I want to go to celebrate my birthday.

It's a hip sushi bar that prides itself on serving the Japanese version of an Irish Car Bomb. Which gets me wondering, is 29 an appropriate birthday to drink like you're 21?

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My long time readers (and those who are close to me) know I took a break from The Drink about two years ago and only picked it up last Christmas. Those 389 days gave me a lot to think about and realize where I checked in on the Scale of Maturity.

My stock in that department continues to rise, and I guess that's the way things should be.

I was talking to a friend of a friend a week ago about turning 29. She told me she spent a better part of the year between 29 and 30 in a drunken stupor, and though I can identify with that kind of lifestyle, I have to admit it doesn't sound all that fun at this age.

There's something about pissing away (literally) your money that doesn't jive with my new We Will Be Fiscally Responsible mantra. And all that alcohol can really take a toll on the bags under your eyes, your brain and your waistline. Believe me, I know.

That said, I am pretty hell bent on having a good time for my birthday. Scheduling conflicts aside (you know... that whole living life as a vampire thing), I am looking for at least a little bit of revelry next weekend. I am heading out of town Saturday, so that means all my partying is going to have to happen on Thursday (the actual day of said birthday) and Friday.

I can already hear the echos of my liver cursing me, reverberating from the future.

So, what does 29 mean, anyway? That question has been dancing in my brain over the past few days as I cruise around listening to some beautifully melancholy music (thank you, Micah). If 21 is getting over drunkenness and 24 is learning how to be financially responsible, I would have to say 29 is being comfortable in your own skin.

I've learned a lot over the past two years about who I really am. I'm a misunderstood, shy person who uses a veil of confidence and humor to confront situations I feel uneasy in. I am an introvert hiding in gregarious clothing. I like reading books but am often times too lazy (or engrossed) to turn off the tv. I rebel against years of hospital corners and neatly folded clothing by living like my bedroom is a walk in closet without shelves or hangers.

I think 29 means you know who your good friends are, and yet you are successful at playing nice with those who won't be on your Christmas Card list 10 years from now. 29 means only really caring about how those good friends percieve you, and not really putting too much stock into what others say about you when your back is turned. I am loyal to my best of friends (sometimes to a fault) and would walk through fire to be with or talk to my family. There's nothing I love more than my family.

29 means being content with the direction your life is traveling, appreciating the bumps and bruises you've weathered through the journey, and yet knowing there's still plenty of time to circle the wagons and head for greener pastures.

So far, I'm heading into 29 thinking life has been pretty damn good to me, and that every day is a gift from God.

I guess 29 also means you're allowed to drink like you're 21 on occasion, only at this age you are aware of the consequences and have no one to blame but yourself the next morning.

Cheers.