June 1st-10th, 2000 the 10 days of my birthday

Day One 6/01 As stated in my "daily" ramblings: "Tonight I am going to tattoo mom's and I am gonna con at least one boy into buying me a drink." Later that day: ok ok ok, so a boy DID buy me a drink, but none of the conning I had hoped for was involved. I have to do better tomorrow on day two of the TEN DAYS OF MY BIRTHDAY. Hey, I did get to ride in the back of a jeep with the top down. head tossed back staring up at the side line silhouettes of high-rises and at a constellation that reminded me a lot of Orion's belt, but crooked and there was the eating of honeysuckle.... that was nice.

Day Two 6/02 Today I bought myself toys. I mean real toys. including but limited to: Giant Checkers (and I mean big), connect four (travel addition!), Paddle balls, rubber ducklings (for "tubby time"!), "super" putty, a whoopee cushion (which has the word "poo" on it twice!!), Bubbles and bubble blowing implements and Jumbo playing cards. tonight: the happy roster

Day Three 6/03 The planet Earth gifted me with perfect weather. Melissa gifted me with a pedicure @ the Saturn Club. I have always wanted a pedicure, but viewed it as gratuitous luxury not appropriate for my beer swilling, junk food eatin lifestyle. Also I was secretly afraid that I would find it too overwhelmingly hedonistic and over indulgent- that I would become addicted (sort like what I did with my beer swilling, junk eating habits). I am not addicted. It was not that good, but the pampering of a pedicure did take me back to remembrances of the Hammam where I whiled a day away in Paris, particularly the painful yet cleaning gommage. This is the sort of thing people should do for themselves. Its good for the soul... and the soles actually. I now have joyfully soft and fragrant feet AND pretty colored toe nails! As for the rest of that day, Melissa, Guilherme and Goose and I sat around reading comic books and watched an ideal husband.

Day Four 6/04 Kate Presented me with a "Ten Days of My Birthday" advent calendar. She is brilliant. The calendar itself is a marvel to behold. A perfectly pasted collage with surprise surreal images to greet me on each ten days of my birthday. 11am -6 pm: work. hahahahahaha, I cant even talk about this. Goose figures out how to play checkers via google. We commence the longest checkers game in history. Tonight: picnic in the park.

Day Five 6/05 Today: Josh's first day at the office. This is excitement enough. I am really really happy. Tonight: I have asked my darling artist friend, Joe, to sketch me.

Day Six 6/06 The rain foiled my plans for today, so I bought myself flowers and cds. freesia smells goooood. sunny day real estate sounds goooood.

Day Seven 6/07 Today on my lunch hour, I went to Rittenhouse Square and drank a bottel of Riesling and eat cheese and bread and laid in the sun and a boy named John-Paul told me I was beautiful. whacky whacky stuff. Tonight: more joe three more days to go.

Day Eight 6/08 Repeat performance of yesterday, only this time josh and josh and melissa joined me. This time i had to share my wine. this time I did not get as drunk. I suppose this is the price you must pay for good company. heh. Tonight: more illicit fun at the office more play time with friends and ALSO in honor of national best friends day, I will speak on the phone with marychen for a long time about many things. I love her so.

Day Nine 6/09 mike and I get all geeked out and go to the academy of natural sciences. We see butterflies and dinosaurs and cow birds and also paintings done by elephants and more stuffed creatures then you can shake a stick at (my favorites being the tigers and the okapi(s?) cause its all about stripes!) and I got to tell my favorite Edward Drinker Cope story and did I mention we were all geeked out? well, we were. later that evening: tim, max, josh, josh, melissa, holly, goose, guilherme and i have a fucking fabulous dinner at Vietnam (If you are in Philly, check it out: 221 North 11th Street... NOT Vietnam Palace, just Vietnam, you wont regret it)

The Day 6/10 the day. the party. the love.

End Notes:

The Party I have no official count, but I am guessing that at the party's height there were between 50 and 70 people in my house. (estimates vary depending on who you ask. actually, I am saying 60). Friends, strangers (friends of friends), coworkers, people from the neighborhood, and people from my past were all in attendance. The keg was kicked and the food was gone by 1am but the liquor, six packs, and wine lasted till about 3 or 4. Highlights: -40 to 50 odd people cram into my sweltering living room, dining room, kitchen area to sing me happy birthday. I am no where to be found. By the time I am in front of the ice cream cake the candles have burned down to the icing and the "happy birthday mars" has melted away and all my sweating friends want to kill me. -40 to 50 odd people sing me happy birthday. -I learn how gecko's feet work. -I learn that I have a big "R" on my forehead. who knew? -I get so drunk that I forget everybody's names and can no longer properly introduce people to one another. Dozens of uncomfortable/flirty strangers have to fend for themselves. -There was dancing. -I get lots of loot. Suffice to say, it ruled.

The Gifts many marvelous things. A brief review: -books (IBNLT: from hell, the cheese primer, fungus the bogeyman) -cds (IBNLT: modest mouse, a perfect circle, gjallarhorn) -art: five friends gave me art that they themselves produced. this is the fucking best. -tattoo $$: all told after gifts from friends and family and from donations to the "mars tattoo fund bucket", I made $225 dollars. -bugs: both dead and alive!