Happy Birthday Jay!

Yesterday was my wonderful fiancee's birthday! Unfortunately, I couldn't get the day off work to play hookie with him, but we found a way to make the evening an absolute riot.

Jay and I headed out to none other than Red Lobster for dinner. It just so happens that Jay's birthday falls in the middle of Lobsterfest every year, so he can fill his belly with shellfish and rivers of butter. The wait was insane, but luckily the rest of the group wasn't coming for 45 minutes, so they'd never know. Randy & Terri arrived to help us finish out the remaining 15 minutes of our hour wait with drinks and fun conversation. Quite fittingly, once the table was ready, the host escorted us to a C-shaped booth in the far reach of the restaurant. Chucker and Shannon arrived soon after, already amused by the energy in our booth.The neon buzz of excitement hovered around our table as we conversed a decibel or 5 too loud, laughing without reserve or refinement. We were freed from conventional family-restaurant dining as we fed off each other's jokes and stories. My face hurt from smiling, tears hid in the corners of our eyes as we laughed.We were like teenagers, adventurous and alive away from our confines of daily responsibilities. Whether or not we bothered the patrons nearby eluded us because, for those hours, we were the only ones there.

Celebrity guest trivia....Can you name the bands and the bass players hiding behind the napkins?
At nine, we finally glanced at the clock, realizing the need to rush off to the next adventure. We threw a couple pieces of plastic at an extroardinarily large tab, and tore out to our cars. Weaving in and out of traffic and short-cuts, we made our way to the Uptown Theater to catch the last showing of "In Bruges" for the night. It was Jay's and my second time seeing it, but it was still wonderful revisiting the town that means so much to us.

As the credits rolled, we redressed in our light layers and piled back into the car. It was just Jay, Terri, Randy, and I at the movie and maneuvering to yet another event. We made it to Lee's Liquor Lounge swiftly to see the Dolly's, a beautiful trio of women w/ a little taste of country in their voices as they sang oldies and folk songs alike. I don't know how, but I was still smiling and enjoying myself 19 hours into my day, with only 5 hours of sleep that had preceded it.

Reluctantly, as the night wore on, we slowly admitted to our desires of sleep. We drove home along the quiet streets, worn by the energy and life that filled our night. Exhausted, we curled up and drifted to sleep happily. Another night sharing our laughter with our friends had come to a close. The weightlessness of it all still lingers as I look back at pictures and hear the stories whispering between my ears. Spring is here, and life rejuvenated. With no dread of aging, we celebrated the simple joy of living. Cheers to another amazing year, Jay!

Kristy Kreme