Oh, dudes. My birthday weekend was awesome.
Friday, we went to Fuji-Ya for Orsi’s birthday. We had sake and veggie tempura (me) and sushi (Matt), and I ate all the pickled ginger from his plate. I think I could probably live on that stuff. Also, it was kind of a fantastically mixed group, with Orsi’s soccer teammates and Kris’ beer-brewing friends. They’re awesome.
Afterward, we all went to the Muddy Pig, and somehow managed to find a table for 400 people. Kris and Orsi want us to come to Jamaica with them in February. Coincidentally, we’d like to go to Jamaica with them in February. That could work out well.
Saturday, we went to Canterbury Park with Wendy, Amelia, and Willis. The thing I love about the racetrack is that you can place $1-2 bets all day, have some food and some drinks, and just hang out in the sun. It rules. What also rules is that I won on a few races; I pick horses based on a combination of the odds, their names, their parents’ names, and the position of the moon. If I can make enough to cover my slice of pizza and beverages, it’s an exciting day for me.
They were also running the Belmont Stakes, so of course we had to place bets on that race. We figured we’d just keep the coupon as a souvenir if Big Brown won the Triple Crown. I put in my bet on horses 1 and 4 in the Exacta at the Belmont, only I picked the wrong race the first time around. After comparing with Matt, I went back and placed the same bet on race #11. Which was a bust, of course.
I knew I was up about $20 when I went to put my tickets in the machine. Then I checked the incorrect Belmont ticket to see if I got lucky, and my balance went up to almost $90. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.
In the evening, many people came over for a barbecue on Matt’s patio. We malingered outside until we figured the dude upstairs was about to call the cops, then headed in to sample the tequila we’d brought back from Mexico, in some volume. After that, there was Guitar Hero. A lot of it. Willis seems to think I’m pretty good at it when I’m drunk; I disagree. After everyone left, Matt and I stayed up late watching a Euro 2008 match while I drank 16 gallons of water. All I know is I was very perturbed at 1) the green Coca-Cola logo (that makes no sense!) and 2) the tightness of Portugal’s jerseys, because apparently they really love their own nipples.
Sunday ‘morning’, five of us went to brunch at the Independent. It was really good, and there was enough to make a vegetarian happy. I laid on Matt on the couch for an hour, and then we headed out to Eagan for the obligatory birthday-visit with the parents. We ended up having a really good time, and they got us WiiFit!! Apparently, my mom got up at 7am that morning and waited in line outside Best Buy to get it. So awesome.
Last night, we were full of spectacular accomplishements, viz:
- I got abstinence pants at K-Mart
- I found a dress to wear to the wedding in a couple weeks
- Matt got a pimp jacket to wear to the same wedding (he refuses to get a cummerbund that matches my dress, sadly)
- We set up and played WiiFit. I kind of love the yoga and strength training and the silly step-aerobics thing.
- We were in bed before midnight!
And now, for your reading (and viewing, since it’s picture-heavy) pleasure, my Mexico travel journal.
Hold-em tomorrow! Wish me luck!
Jenni