a whirl of a week!

i get to celebrate my birthday four times this year - probably one of the most drawn out birthdays i've ever had. it's so weird too because i feel like as we grow older, we move apart and get wrapped up more in our own lives and yet so many people i thought wouldn't necessarily remember, sent me birthday wishes this year. it really impressed me and made me feel like i really need to be better about that for other people. on top of that, the friends i've made at school over the last year and a half have been nothing but wonderful in making me feel like i've found a place here. i heart my friends and fam.

Friday night: let's whirl some balls! we started the night with dinner at a great little italian place in chicago where we got shushed because we were too loud. dodger got a cake that said "happy birthday tatertot" on it and wore a shirt with my face on it - long story. then about 40 of us spent the night playing whirlyball, which is a total midwestern thing. it's basically a blend of bumper cars, basketball and lacrosse. You have two teams in bumper cars with lacrosse-like sticks passing around a whiffle ball trying to score baskets. if that sounds fun, it's actually twice as much fun as that...those crazy midwesterners...what am i turning into?

Sunday night: dodger and i had reservations at one of the newest restaurants in Chicago, Carnivale, for our own quiet time dinner. but lame us as students suddenly got bogged down with so much work that we had to cancel those plans and ended up staying in Evanston - but went to a really great place here instead and had a nice time. ah well - no chicago. i keep thinking i can't wait til i graduate, have a normal weekend schedule again (and a paycheck would really help!).

Tonight: my thoughtful friend Red sent out an email today to see if anyone wanted to grab drinks after our night class for my actual bday day (even tho most of them celebrated it on Friday already). so a bunch of us ended up at an irish pub for a low-key drinks and catching up night. just long enough for me to come home and change into my jammies and go to bed at a decent hour. how old am i again?!

Wednesday: two of my closest girlfriends here want to take me out for a massage and then a yum dinner at another fancy restaurant in Chicago, called Green Zebra - so much fun this week, i can't take it! Bad news is i can no longer do the massages. Good news is that it's because i have a job interview with a company that only called back 2 people from our school for their office positions. nervous, but hopeful. keep your fingers crossed. and i still get to try Green Zebra. woohoo!

all in all, i can't get over that people actually want to celebrate my bday with me like this(though one day of celebration would have made me really happy already). it's been a stressful couple of weeks, so this is just what i needed. and it just reminds me that i should be a good friend in return. what goes around comes around and thankfully, this time it's all good things...