Sunday, February 06, 2022
Department of Vital Statistics
I had a birthday on Friday, as one does. It ended up being somewhat of a busy work day, so we didn't do too terrifically much to observe the occasion. We did go out to dinner, though, which still feels kind of transgressive as the pandemic marches on. Indeed, the restaurant was packed and we were seated so close to the party next to us that I was reminded of all the other things besides COVID that you can catch by going out amongst people, incredibly banal conversation not being the least of them. But I was in bed and snugly tucked into my CPAP by 11 -- hooray for being middle aged!
Last night was a whole different story. My friend had a party at his farm in Wisconsin, and a group of us decided to rent a sprinter van to get there, Real Housewives style. (Pickup was at 6:15, Homeland Security was scheduled for 6:20.) We also decided to make it a theme party and wear our finest overalls, boots, and flannels; it is quite telling in my view that no one else at the party even batted an eye at this unilateral decision. It was a lot of fun, although we may have overpacked, as six people probably don't need two dozen hard seltzers, three bottles of wine, and a gallon of Chi Chi's long islands for a one-hour trip. (No one may ever need that, in truth.) I do think the driver probably got tired of hearing people scream along to the pop hits of the '90s, but probably not for the first time.
Anyway, I am older, as opposed to dead, and that is a good thing.
