Well, it's at least the best birthday I've had this year. It started off on a bit of a bummer since I had to work a 15 hour day and it was a rough one. The camera guy treated me like I was his personal assistant (I'm not) and complained about everything endlessly all day. By the time I got home I was just exhausted and wanted to relax.

I got home to the best thing EVER. Mike was covered in cocoa and flour making me red velvet cupcakes in the kitchen while also doing laundry. It was amazing. I could come home to that every week and never get tired of it.

I got awesome presents and then we had a late, lazy dinner. I also ate a cupcake warm from the oven. (the space on the front right side is where the one I ate once sat)

The next day we went to a tasty breakfast at the backdoor bakery (click on one of the above photos to see more on my flickr) and then washed my car. It was a hot hot hot day. Saturday night was my party and it RULED. It was at this dive bar in Glendale called Big Fish that my friend Mark had recommended to us. We picked it sight unseen and just went with it since he said it had a pool table, cheap drinks, a dart board and karaoke on Saturdays. Perfect! But when we arrived the place was all decorated and done up and it was because it was also a regular's birthday party. Mike talked to the DJ and he gave us a big table for our party and he was very very nice.

There were scraggly old men singing old country songs, and drunk moms having their night out on the town, and who knows who else. One guy sang "Let's Get it On" and brought the house down. DOWN. He was so close to getting panties tossed onto the stage. Also, Phil and Julie brought their friend Marty. He is cute (as Megan put it "in an MIT way") and very nice but seemingly quiet (I had never met him before). But then he hit the stage and was so good! He had old ladies clapping and dancing. It was positively awesome. Of course everyone I already know was great and adorable and fun as well. Except for Megan and Reno who are assholes. Of course.

When almost everyone had left and 1:25am was upon us, we witnessed something super awesome. If you left before it happened, you lose. Big time. A guy was called to the stage who was called "long and dark" and who turned out to be like six foot six. On his way to the stage he grabbed one of the drunk ladies having mom night out and a chair. He then set her in the chair and serendaded her for like 6 solid minutes. He sang into her lap (which was the most awkward and hilarious part) and then slipped her sandal off and cradled it by his own face (that was the grossest part) and then they danced together and swayed. It was like nothing I've ever seen before.

Michael and Julie both picked songs that were bar favorites, "On the Road Again" and "Harper Valley PTA." During the later, the drunk bartender danced out from behind the bar and snapped some camera phone pictures of Julie and then danced back. I will be going back to this bar again, whether or not it's a party night. I should just get a group together and go back. I was a bit sad because all my friends in NYC couldn't be there (I've been very homesick for New York lately and am thinking about looking for some freelance work there for a while) but it was nice seeing that I do know at least a few people out here now. And I really appreciate Mike putting it together for me, because I rarely do much of anything for my birthday. The last picture sums up the night for me.