twenty-one

I've been waiting for my twenty-first birthday to come since I got my driver's license on april 8, 2003. on all california drivers licenses there is a conspicuous red line with bold print stating the year the licensee becomes 'legal.' "age 21 in 2008" has taunted me for five years.

as of friday, no more.

I must say, coming-of-legal-booze-buying age did not happen as I would have outlined spring of my sophomore year of high school (especially after hearing stories of my male cousins taking twenty-one shots of wild turkey ... I mean, seriously though, why would you ever ever do that??). mostly I imagined not remembering my birthday. however, this year's birthday, though unexpected, shall be filed under "favorite birthdays" ever, and mostly because I can remember every single wonderful detail.

my mother (whom I just discovered reads this -- hi mom) will be happy to know that I did not ring in my twenty-first year with some dangerous flirtation with alcohol poisoning. I had some champagne with brunch ... and a drink with lunch. at rehearsal I was greeted with yummy cupcakes and beautiful flowers and cards and a full cast/chorus/cteam rendition of "happy birthday" (it should also be noted that I fell asleep TWICE at rehearsal...). went to blockheads and had margs with the cteam. lots of chair dancing. fell asleep watching bedknobs and broomsticks. slept 11 hours.

ironically**, no one asked to see the bold red line on my driver's license or cared that 2008 was my year.

**I attribute this to two factors 1) I live in manhattan, where I think most people forget that the drinking age IS 21 and not "yea, you could be 21" 2) it's seems to be the law of the universe that people just don't get carded ON their 21st birthday because it's the first time in 21 years they're not terrified to be asked "can I see some ID"