And so it is, just like you said it would be....

I sometimes forget how very lucky I am. While listing my accomplishments was an amusing bit of birthday self-indulgence, I was also reminded of how kind life has been to me. While it's not always easy, I can't always make sense of it and I sometimes wonder if things are simpler for people who aren't me, overall the winds of fortune blow over in my favor.
What has brought on this Pollyanna revelation? Well, I'll tell you.
The aforementioned birthday was spent in Baltimore where I enjoyed an evening long celebration with some of the most fabulous people I know.
I adore baseball games. I love the crowds, the interludes, the scoreboard (birthdays, anniversaries, engagements--all shared with a crowd of thousands-- and who doesn't love the Old Bay "Crab Suffle?"). I love the ballpark food-- it's certainly not gourmet, but it is perfect (especially during fan appreciation weekend--$1 hot dogs and sodas-- can't beat it!). I love people watching: Fans dressed in Orange hair and Black top hats. Young teen/tweens who've devoted a great deal of time to their first baseball player crush wave giant hand painted flags, hoping to catch camera's attention. Truth is, I don't really love baseball itself, the game is never really why I'm there--but it's a great excuse for a fun evening.
For that particular reason, the celebration moved after the seventh inning stretch. We all headed over to the harbor for dinner where we sat together, conversed and laughed (alot). I had my first Long Island Iced Tea, the wait staff sang to me, James (our waiter) invited us all out dancing with him. It really couldn't have been more perfect, nor could I have felt more lucky.
My friends make me laugh, challenge me to exercise my brain muscle, remind me that I am never alone, encourage me to make choices that change my life and are always available when I'm feeling unlucky. I hope to do the same for them. I can't ask for more than that.

Sometimes if you're lucky, someone comes into your life who'll take up a place in your heart that no one else can fill, someone who's tighter than a twin, more with you than your own shadow, who gets deeper under your skin than your own blood and bones. ~Snoop Dogg