To be fair, it started in Brooklyn. And Friday WAS a holiday. But I knew I had no business being wrecked with CC in the first place. I couldn't even stand properly to leave at a decent hour. So we watched Cool Hand Luke and made sandwiches in the snackster. When I finally got home, it was way past my bedtime, so I turned on Psych and fell into bed laughing.

When I awoke next morning, I stumbled through the bathroom motions of splashing water in various places and rubbing goo on my teeth to get the gunk off. I looked at my toes and realized the nail polish was chipping off. And as I fiddled with bra straps that wouldn't untwist, it became clear that I did not get up early enough to pull off wearing a dress to work. So instead of completing the look, I shoved my huge feet into skull/crossbone themed slip-ons, then tied a piece of old t-shirt to my head, pretending it was a bandana. At least it matched the dress.

At work, everyone was super cool. While I'm studying for this massive test I have to take,  Paolo comes  to tell me a manager needs to see me downstairs, stat! I'm all nervous until I realize there is not, in fact, a problem. Only a cupcake. Which I couldn't finish, so I shoved it into my locker. I even took it with me after work when CC and Duchess took me to American Apparel after work. Not that I found anything I wanted, but fun times were had trying on hoodies and staring at the mini-vid of the girl making fifteen outfits out of one slinky dress.

The problem was this: everyone asked where I was going to hang out. I didn't have an answer. I got numbers and made vague promised to launch a massive text campaign after dinner. Josh and his dad meet us at Benihana. Tati and Jesus join us for festivities  cause there is nothing more fun than chatting away while a chef tosses shrimp tails into his hat with a knife. It's sweet of Josh's dad to take us out to dinner and we're having such a good time, we invite him to come along for drinks. This is only awkward after I realize that I have nine-hundred text messages to send and I don't even know the name of the place we're going. 

It doesn't help that Tati decides now would be a good time to tell me she's gay. I'm all thinking she's messing with me again, talking about some breakthrough with her therapist. Nope. She was late to dinner because the girl she was making out with is so awesome, they lost track of time. I'm looking just ahead of us to see if Josh's dad is hearing any of this as she explains the liberating feeling of having sex with a girl.

When we get to the bard, I spend the first half hour clambering to keep up with the text conversations I've started, while keeping the vibe with the people sitting in front of me. Emily shows up with someone who's heard an awkwardly disproportionate number of stories about me. We hug and I try desperately to remember what she'd said his name was. Luckily Jonathan shows up when dude goes to the bathroom so I don't have to look like a fool introducing them. Emily cuddles with Josh, we tell stories of practical jokes gone awry, Shauna shows up and all seems well with the world.

Tati's been working thirteen days straight so she's gotta go home. Then CC says she's not comin' out. Which I respect, seeing as how she bought me lunch. But I was looking forward to hanging out. The waiter goes home so we have to settle the tab and start ordering from the bar. I end up putting in $30 to cover my own drinks. Now, it's not like I ordered a round of $10 shots, so I just shell out. Jesus feebly offers to give me twenty bucks, but by then what am I gonna say? On your birthday, friends will usually take the check away from you. If that doesn't happen, it feels a little cheap to be like, "Gimme a twenty to cover part of what I just paid..."  While everyone else avoids eye contact because they don't wanna pay any more than they have already. Cause Josh took us to a mid-town bar that charges 3.75 for a flipping Sprite. 

Then Chad shows up, ready to party. So we keep drinking even though I can tell everyone could prolly call it a night. But Birthday means obligation, so  Shauna buys me a car bomb and Josh puts his dad in a cab. Then, of course, Emily informs me of her plans with Josh. Which start with an F and end with brains out. As she's leaving to move back to London in a couple of weeks, I say "More power to ya!" and promptly order another whiskey.

Once Emily took Joshua home, we decided to blow that popsicle stand and head uptown. Funny how we end up at Sip!, Tati's bar. She finally gets a break from bartending, and we go to her place anyway. This was fun times. Chad and Shauna both live uptown so we're not far from home. Shauna and I got shrimp and Chad shared the Tzaziki that came in a bowl the size of his head. We laughed until they closed at 4 and Chad covered the drinks cause he makes more money than either of us. When we finally rolled out it was pushing 5 and the sun was threatening to show itself. I left the two at my corner and assumed they were going home. 

Josh buzzed in sometime later but I didn't see him. My head was still a little spinny and it was all I could do to press the buzzer. What got me up at 11am was the sudden and irreversible urge to pee! I heard the shower come alive behind the closed bathroom door and I knew I couldn't wait it out. I trotted up to campus and went to the student center. I got juice to nurse my hangover, and only then do I check my phone. It's been on silent since the last bar and there's one new text message. It's from Chad: "I have to wake up at ten. It's almost like what's the point..."  Sent at 5:20am. Too bad I didn't get it till noon. FAIL.

So now I'm on my way to work for a meeting. Maybe some insight before all hell breaks loose Friday. Just had to share the events of the evening.  I don't even quite understand it yet. You'll prolly understand how I feel about the night. I do feel like to dropped the ball there at the end. Sigh. All I've got to show for my weekend is Cool Hand Luke  on my phone. CC put it in my iDisk. Thank heaven for the public folder. Paul Newman makes me feel better about my own failure...to communicate...