weekend review: birthday x 2 x 3

The Tour Guide and I have an annual tradition - the joint birthday bash. 'Cause why not? Her birthday is the 9th and mine is the 14th. So close. We have friends in common. We're social. And who doesn't like an excuse to get all your friends together for a fun night out? Done deal. The tradition started my first year here, when I'd only been in DC for a few months. It's just kept on trucking ever since.

The past couple of years, the venue of choice has been Ozio. But we were Ozio'd out. We wanted to pick something fun and girlie. From their website touting their selection of fruity, girlie martinis, Topaz Bar was a clear winner for this year's option for our third annual bash. Beforehand, a group of us grabbed dinner at Mezza Luna to celebate with the Tour Guide. She was happy to have her boyfriend there (long-distance turned walking distance, as she's put it as of late).

Getting to the bar, we sized up the room we'd reserved. Not bad, but a bit tight size-wise. Nothing to despair though over, as we soon spilled out and pretty much took over the rest of the bar -- as we basically figured would be the case. The bartender told us they couldn't remember the last time they had a crowd like that -- always nice to know your presence is recognized and appreciated! At a venue like that where it's stuffed to the brim with smiling faces, all of which are your friends. What more does one need on their birthday? Presents? Yeah, they're just icing on the cake.

I jokingly told the Tour Guide that most of my friends were apparently going to be wave 2, arriving fashionably late as is the norm. The Fashionista arrived with many of my friends in tow who had been at her place around the corner beforehand. I finally got to meet MsH's friend who is a fellow MSU grad (go bulldogs!). The pictures were great - one fave being MsH icing her head with a drink to try to alleviate her champagne-induced headache.

For the most part, the evening was drama free and ended as the bar closed, they nicely shooed us out the door, and the very nice JS gave me a ride back to my apartment complex. Having stood up and socialized for the better part of the evening, my foot was super-sore and really appreciated the painless journey home.

It's been a fabulous birthday, and the festivities are just beginning... I'm looking forward to dinner with my girlfriends on Friday, the Wine Festival on Saturday, and who knows what else lies in store!