Friday, June 26, 2009

Slaughterhouse 27

Start time: 7:48 PM
End time: 11:39 PM (got to meet up with friends, so I started early and closed late after a 3.5 hour break)
Word count: 590, not counting the hyperlink and intro

Your birthday is Tuesday, so how would you choose to spend it? - Ken Faikus

The man's right. In four days, God willing, I'll turn 34. (For some details on what I thought about birthdays in general, check out Slaughterhouse 21 at http://jameslyden.blogspot.com/2009/05/slaughterhouse-21.html.)

I would wake up early, around 7 or so, and head to the edge of the couch, because the sun would rise in such a place that the light would shine through the aquarium and create a rainbow on the wall behind it (1979-1992) unless I had a race the day before, which would be a reason to sleep (2008). I would go play tennis (1989) and would make sure to spend as much of the day possible outside. I would not work (1991-2002, 2004-2008) because it's not a day to be spent in those pursuits. I would check out my horoscope (1984-2008) and wonder about the days of the celebrities who had the same birthdays as mine (1986-2008). The main comparison would be to one Michael Gerard Tyson. A clear eyed assessment is done.

Midday would be dependent on the evening's plans. I might be unable to sleep on an airplane, wondering why in the hell I had to bring wire clippers, AAA batteries, and a baseball cap to France (2007), or driving a BMW Z3 convertible at 135 MPH towards Searchlight (2001), or browsing through Marie Laveau's voodoo shop in New Orleans (2000), or even swimming in the Caribbean after an all-day excursion around the pitons of St. Lucia (1999), or at an amusement park on a season pass (1995). The day may be more subdued, like heading to the movies for the first time in forever (2008) or playing basketball at Waiola Park (1993). One year it was a trip to the DMV for one of those coveted blue border driver’s licenses (1996) even though I hadn’t exactly had a problem procuring drinks beforehand, sometimes to excess (1995). If Brian was working, we’d try to meet for lunch (2001-2006, 2008)

But there would be a lot going on in the evening, and since everybody else would usually be working, I would need to be prepared early. Dinner was my choice, wherever I wanted it to be, so we were off to Giordano's (1985-1990) or, as I got older, J. Alexanders (1994) Riva (1997) or Gibsons (1996), where I had the great good fortune to see a horse-drawn carriage dragged down State Street at high speed after the right wheel had broken off. My memory for the look on the face of the couple being dragged before the carriage was spun into the back of a taxicab has kept me from ever setting foot into a hansom cab for 13 years and counting. There were always terrific crowds of friends at El Torito (1993) and Lalo's (1991-1992) and I always had a chance to spend time with my family. If I was in the country, they would either sing to me obnoxiously or call to do so, as would my aunt and uncle (1978-2008).

Nights consisted of miniature golf with wagering (1993), or Lyle Lovett in concert at Ravinia (2004), or walking through the rain on Bourbon Street (2000), or playing tennis on the side of the house and hoping not to be eaten alive by mosquitoes (1989). They’d also involved shots of tequila (1997) and illicitly imported Cuban cigars (1994) but one of the things I remember most clearly is driving home sometime in July after 3 in the morning, listening with a broad smile to Brian’s car playing “Today Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube (1993)

So, the key components are simple. Friends. Food. Laughter. If my years include those, I don’t care if I live to be a thousand; I’ll be just fine.

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