birthday celebrations

it's official, i'm 33. as lara put it once 'i'm the same age jesus was when he died.' though i haven't accomplished a fraction of what he did, i'm excited to be an odd age again. there are a few who know about my weird quirk with numbers, but for those of you who don't, i HATE even numbers. there is no rhyme or reason, i just don't like them, so i'm pretty psyched to have made it through 32, and planning on enjoying 33!

since i was going to be in kansas city for work on my birthday, this year's celebrations were a bit different than previous years. when my thoughtful roommate asked me how i wanted to celebrate, i told her i didn't want to think about it until after my trip. she was not content to let it go though, and on the night before my departure, surprised me with a wonderful homemade ice cream cake!


it was both a delicious and much appreciated gesture. especially since i had unintentionally thwarted two previous attempts at the surprise. oops!

the celebrations continued in kansas city when i joined my colleague chris and colleague/friend melissa for a yummy meal. melissa was a late addition and a much appreciated one! i wasn't sure that i'd actually get to spend time with her on this trip, as she had other responsibilities to attend to. she recaps the evening here, but between the delicious stuffed chicken, the chocolate cake (of course), and the quality conversation, it was a great way to usher in 33!

the following night, two of my co-workers (the only two who had arrived in kc) took me to a kansas city institution - the savoy grill. the savoy is on the national register of historic places, and has been left largely in it's original condition. unfortunately, i wasn't super-impressed with the food, but linda and julie made for great dinner companions, and i was very appreciative of their efforts and desire to help me celebrate.