BIRTHDAY WEEKENDS, CARROT CAKE, PIZZA PLACES, AND ANGELS

Last weekend, I celebrated my birthday weekend (yay!)

A birthday weekend can be a tough notion to navigate once you’re in your mid-late 30s and still single; except A) my birthday fell on a Wednesday, B). Wednesday is one of my workdays, C). the “Pre-Birthday” Weekend in question was Labor Day when locals who had the chance would jump ship from town, and D). my greatest friends in town right now are either my “Brother Knights” (of Columbus) with wives and young families of their own or they work in the bar industry with absolutely zero time for shenanigans on the customer side of a bar over Labor Day Weekend.

I took a gamble and sent out the invites to the boys and their significant others. I stood in town at a good meeting place that was quite visible. I was ready to go, (even) if this just meant me going from one bar to the next, getting my water and soda, maybe partaking of an app as well, and visiting with the bar staff of my own accord. If no one could meet early, I had made it quite clear that messaging over FB/calling/texting could be simple enough to find me later.

Surprise, surprise; radio silence. Not only did everyone have plans, no one really RSVPs their regrets anymore. We’re a different time now.

Stop #1: Black River Tavern and the first (and most abysmal) quarter of the U of M game to visit with my new bar neighbors and chat up an old bar friend whenever she should pass by in taking my order/dropping off food/exchanging pleasantries. No word yet from my “Brother Knights.”

Stop #1.5: Captain Nemo’s and my weekend side-gig job to grab a couple of baby scoops of ice cream en route to…

Stop #2: Captain Lou’s. Drop off ice cream with the girls behind the bar “out of appreciation of them and the work that they do” of course. Exchange warm pleasantries (they now have their ice cream), grab a water and Diet Pepsi, one more appetizer.

Stop #3: Admiral Jacks. Now, it’s the Fourth Quarter and I’m far more confident in the U of M team that I’m seeing right now. One more water and a Coke and I’m on my way…

Stop #3.5: Brewpub. No seats available and, though the staff recognizes me as a local and are ready and willing to flip a chair down from an unused table, I pass. One more stop to make before Mass tonight…

Stop #4: Gino’s East. Just time enough for a quick water and a couple of pleasantries; I volunteer as an usher at Mass and have to hoof it to get there in a timely fashion. The Gino’s East girls KNOW that they’ll see me once we’re all off of work…

Stop #5: Mass. Not much to say here. I help people find their seats as the only real issue arises in the few pews that are set aside as “Social Distancing.”

Stop #6: Captain Nemo’s. Now I’m here for work. No real time to shed any tears that my “Brother Knights” were all MIA or to bemoan that every other friend that I have in town works at a bar. Besides, did I NOT go to all of these places and patron them anyway, in part, to VISIT WITH THEM while I was there? HAPPY Birthday weekend to ME; I still saw my friends and WILL do so AGAIN!; after I’m done cashing out tourists’ ice cream orders and dickering with two out of three of them how our sizing system works (I’m right and my being honest about being right as saving YOU money…)

Stop #7: Gino’s East again. NOW comes the time to visit. I’m out of work now, Gino’s East is, technically, closed, and I’m on fairly good terms with their staff. I can walk in, have my seat, have my water and REALLY have time to visit, trade horror stories about work, be really honest about the turnout for Pre-Birthday Weekend festivities, and receive my invite to their end of Summer party for the next night. THIS comes into play again in a moment…

Sunday night saw Captain Nemo’s SLAMMED with guests from the moment that I walked in for a later shift to the moment when one of the girls had had enough and made a command decision on everyone’s behalf as to WHERE to (literally) draw the line and cut it off. There were (obviously) some unhappy people with that decision but we’re people, not machines (and our scoopers are still YOUNG adults).

Fresh out of another Labor Day weekend night at Nemo’s, I delivered a couple more ice creams to Lou’s (my favorite barhop down there has a great sweet tooth) and made my way back up to Gino’s East for PARTY TIME that I had been so graciously invited to, though it was meant for the staff.

I walked in and the girls were still in their uniforms rather than their celebratory party clothes as they still had customers (one of those customers was the owner at Nemo’s; who had done an unscheduled drive-by and found the open sign turned off a little earlier than she likes). I needed a diversion out of THIS conversation after honestly telling her that I and the Scoopers hadn’t made that call but our manager that night had…

Presto; a piece of carrot cake materializes before me (at a party meant to celebrate others). Then, I am treated to a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” (for a birthday that is nearly 50 hours out yet). I don’t care; I’m feeling loved! “Kent’s Angels” (the Gino’s ladies; inside joke) have gone ABOVE and BEYOND the call of duty for the evening. (Photographic evidence of Kent and his Angels does exist somewhere; it may or may not add to the story here).

Monday night, especially of Labor Day weekend, meant that the gym was closed (no Locker Room attendant needed), so Nemo’s needed a spare cashier again. Boom.

Upon leaving Nemo’s, I had to get to a Labor Day barbeque put on by one of the “Angels” and her actual boyfriend. Thereby, I saw friends AGAIN and it was good…

Tuesday night was the night that I had anticipated. I had a special appointment at “The Shave Cave” for another really nice haircut before going to my Tuesday Night Trivia group as my final hurrah before REAL birthday. CRACK-BOOM! About 4:00, a deluge had fallen over Southwest Michigan that looked like it would never end; let alone end in time for me to really walk over to my hair appointment, let alone to BRT for trivia.

Time of “Party-Canceling-Monsoon-That-Had-Already-Dampened-My-Outlet-Despite-a-Really-Nice-Surprise-Weekend:” about an hour.

By 5:00, any threat was gone, I was dropped off at a 5:15 barber’s appointment, and could walk to the remaining festivities from there.

Oh yeah; we won Trivia for about the sixth straight week and headed up to the Elks for a little bit…

Wednesday.

The big event.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME…”

These were a bigger deal (and honestly merited a full Weekend) back in my twenties. By now, I was at least meant to have met someone (also single and also agreeing with me about how I felt about her) if not have a young family of my own by now.

Anyway, birthdays are to incessantly check Facebook, go to lunch at yet another favorite place, go to work, and have random run-ins at select favorite stops AFTER work. Wednesday night was a success.

You know what they say about the “best” laid plans of mice and men. If MY Pre-Birthday Weekend Plans had panned out, it would have meant hanging out with my buddies all Saturday. I hadn’t yet FATHOMED that “my Angels” would be perfectly cool with me visiting with them after work one night, then not only invite me back but have a CAKE for me the next evening.

When no one could make the official festivities of last weekend, I do have a few ideas for POST-BIRTHDAY WEEKEND SUNDAY. We’ll see how that plays out; but these past several days gave it a lot to live up to…

I appreciate everyone who participated and helped make my Birthday WEEK (so far) be so memorable. I do have to grow up one day and restrict this to a DAY. But I’m still a single guy, making single guy plans to hang with my buddies (and being ready to accept when those turn into spending time with some of my favorite ladies instead). Maybe 38 will be THE year to go “I HAVE the one special person to celebrate my B-Day with; thanks.” Until then, these are making FINE memories…