Party at Chuck E. Cheese

I've really never been big on birthday celebrations because my birthday is so close to Christmas. It's never really bothered me that the birth of Our Lord and Savior overshadowed my own. Most of the time my friends were out of town for the holidays so if I had a party, it would have to be either early or late. Usually I opted for late and just had a New Year's party where we ordered pizza and watched the ball drop and drank Welch's sparkling grape juice. Good lord, that stuff is fantastic.

Mmmm.

Anyway, this would also give me the opportunity to let OTHER people buy gifts for EACH OTHER, rather than just me! We could have a white elephant exchange! (Or whatever you call it.) So a lot of times we'd have the New Year's party and trade presents and it was fun and far less awkward than going "Hey everyone, watch me open all this stuff, but you don't get anything." I've always hated that about birthdays and showers.

Also most years, we have the family get-together on or around my birthday, so we go down to my grandma's house in the mountains of South Carolina and the whole Duncan clan gets together and eats food and talks and gets the hell out by 9:00. That's how we roll. Except this year, no one wanted to cook, so they had the get-together at Ryan's Steakhouse instead. This year is the first time, I think ever, that I didn't go. Not because it was at Ryan's, but because I live in Massachusetts now.

The point is, tomorrow is my birthday and I don't really want anything. Or to do anything. It's cool when you turn a certain age and can do stuff ("Hey, I'm 16! Let's go get my driver's license AS SOON AS THE DMV REOPENS AFTER CHRISTMAS." "I'm 18! Dad, I'm going to go buy you some cigarettes and a lottery ticket!" "I'm 21! Now I don't have to feel guilty about drinking!") And I mean, next year I can rent a car, or something, but 24 just isn't that special.

Although if someone wants to get me a cake, or tell me to go buy my own damn cake...

(I totally know where I can find one. For cheap.)