So, the night before my birthday...which would, of course, spill over into midnight, I spent with my friend Annie and her friend Taylor. Which, of course, Taylor ended up being my friend by the end of the night. We had tons of fun. We had some drinks, talked for a while in her kitchen, then headed down to our neighborhood lake which, at the moment, is frozen and can support half an army. So we went down to the lake and played on the ice, and then went back to my house and hot-tubbed for a while, then crashed at about two. What fun! I must say...I love playing on the ice. NOT in ice skates. Cuz I am infamous for my pathetic balance system, and skates decrease the amount of friction I need to stay standing just enough that I spend more time recumbant than upright.

Well, my actual birthday, December 22nd, started out on a very yucky note. 'Twas unfortunate, but the way it is, I suppose. It's not like this hasn't happened before. I just have rotten luck with timing. Because in the last decade, I have gotten the stomach flu three times...and two of those times have landed on my birthday! My tenth, and my twentieth. So I guess I'd better watch out for my thirtieth! I see the beginning of a pattern here!

And I know some will think I actually had a hangover when reading this. I can assure you that is not the case. I wondered the same thing at first, but no...I don't get hangovers! And I ended up getting sick as a dog. There were a few symptoms present with which hangovers fail to bless their victims, so I discovered I didn't get to wait a couple hours for the hangover to subside but actually I was, in fact, plagued with the stomach flu.

So my mom had to call my dad to tell him I couldn't go out to lunch with him (that was how I was going to celebrate my birthday with him, because he didn't want to come to the musical with us). I felt bad, but there was no way I could even go and just sit there and watch them eat. I was SO sick. And feeling sorry for myself, I must admit, because...how fair is it that this happened to me AGAIN!? Man. I wanted to have FUN on my birthday! And...well...the stomach flu is far from fun.

Well, as the evening approached, I was hoping to get better because my mom had bought tickets for my sister, my friend Annie, my sister's friend and my friend Nikki, Mom, and me to go to a musical called Aida. And I was so excited to go! It would have really, really been awful if I couldn't go. Which...there is a God! I got better. I started to be able to drink water, and then even eat a little, which was an amazing miracle for which I am very thankful. And we were able to go to the musical.

And...wow. What can I say? There's so much, I don't know where to begin! Let's just say that the writers for the music in this musical were Tim Rice and Elton John. For those who don't know who Tim Rice is, he writes for Disney, and he worked with Elton John to do The Lion King, and he worked with Alan Menken to do The Little Mermaid. So these are guys that can write amazing music. And they didn't fail their reputation at all; the music was the type that vibrates to the very marrow of our bones. It was incredible. And the cast! Two of the main players have done shows on Broadway; the rest of them were still that good. I have never heard people sing with voices like that live; their voices were so gorgeous and powerful at the same time! And the storyline! So beautiful...so tragic, but moving. I cried...at a play! I don't usually do that, because I can't see the characters' faces up close as I can when watching movies, but...wow. The acting, the music, the dancing--all kept me attached the story so much, and the story was so moving and aesthetic and amazing! I just couldn't help it. The tears flowed.

And...wow. I think I've used all the words I have to describe something amazing and beautiful that I have within my word bank. Needless to say, I really, really, really loved it!

So, all in all, I had a great birthday! I spent half of it feeling like I'd just ingested cyanide, but the other half with people I love more than words can say and seeing a musical that will leave in imprint in my mind forever. What am I going to remember more? The latter of the two halves, of course.

I am so thankful to add another treasured memory to my memory bank. I am so lucky to have had these twenty years of life, and no matter what happens, what I have gained by all the wonderful people I know and what I have learned will never leave me. I will always have it, even if I die tomorrow! So I extend my thanks to everyone I know; everyone who has enriched my life in one way or another. My friends, acquaintances, and even my enemies. (Hmm...do I have any enemies?) Thank you! I love you all!