I couldn't sleep the night before

My friend Brandi never has to wonder whether I trust her completely. I proved my utter faith when I let her put a blindfold over my eyes and lead me through the streets of Manhattan. In heels. And a skirt that only let me take small steps.

After a couple of blocks of clutching her arm (how do newly blind people get used to that? i was nervous everytime i heard someone coming near me), we stopped at a door buzzer. Now, Brandi had let it slip that part of my surprse birthday party included dinner at a Korean BBQ place, but she still wanted me to wear the blindfold so that I wouldn't see who had come to the party until she removed it and everyone yelled Happy Birthday.

So it didn't make sense that we were going into a house with a door buzzer. We walked up two flights of stairs (well, she walked and I wobbled blindly) and I finally heard the strains of Holiday by Madonna. SURPRISE! It was a karaoke party at my favorite ghetto singing bar!! A bunch of my very awesome friends were there, including a few from work who did a helluva job pretending like there was nothing going on. Moving from person to smiling person, hugging each one while my heart pumps madly from having people suddenly scream in my face... it's one of those freeze-frame moments that will surely replay at the end of my life. I just kept saying, "Oh, yay!"

There was a HUGE, beautiful cake from John (along with those damn candles that refuse to BLOW OUT ALREADY!) Megann made crawfish turnovers and crab-stuffed peppers, and there was enough liquor to wreck 100 livers. Oh, yay!

We boozed it up and sang until our voices gave out, and I went home beaming.

Thanks for throwing me such a fun party, you guys. It beats the heck out of OD'ing on drugs to wrap up my 27th year. On to year 28, starting in about 12 hours. I hope it's as fun and adventurous as this year has been.