the time I turned 36

Oh, 36 I was not very excited to become you. For all those self depricating reasons and what I thought you meant. 35 I was excited for, I assisted in the planning of a weekend stay in Palm Springs surrounded by music, friends, sun and food.  It was a vacation to remember, filled with inside jokes and introduced me to grilling breakfast.

36 I didn't really want to plan anything, expect anyone to come, nag people for headcounts, which might in turn have a monetary value involved in head counts or reservations. It is very hard to tell a restaurant I might have between 3 and 25 people, so plan for that.

So I planned two events and hoped that people would come.

Event 1 was a street fair in Silver Lake called the Silver Lake Jubilee. We could just wander and listen to music, one of my favorite bands was playing, eat food from food trucks.  My two closest friends came and it was pretty fun. We bounced between the jubilee and a neighboring bbq, having very LA conversations including a musical involving a fruit themed stage comic. I wish I could explain more, but I am sworn to secrecy.

Event 2 was a return to my favorite korean bbq place "smokey meat house" and it was in fact that. Eleven of us descended on Soot Bul Jeep, a place that doesn't take reservations only to be asked "Do you have a reservation?" It was no problem, the wait was only 15 minutes and we proceeded to order various meats and bottles of soju. I took my turn cooking for us, when the waitress got too busy, while I cooked the restaurant joined in in singing happy birthday to me.

On the grill there are nicely cut up squid parts. When it comes to you the squid is whole.

My friend baked a black berry, blue berry, peach cobbler for me and all 11 smokey smelling of us crammed into my studio apartment for cobbler and pie before ending our night at the Bounty.

On my actual birthday, I spent it alone, getting a massage and eating cobbler for breakfast and dinner. It was my birthday so I didn't care.