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Apr. 26th, 2011 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jianantonicIf I were on the east coast, I'd be 28 by now. A bunch of my friends in Virginia have already sent their wishes, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I don't think birthdays are a big deal, really, and I certainly don't want anyone to bend over backwards or spend money on mine, but I do really love them.
Gail and I watched Swedish Auto tonight, an indie drama that was filmed in Charlottesville in 2006. One review called it "heartwarming." I would say that's more than a little misleading. It was pretty dark, but it was cool to recognize all the places in the film. The main character's apartment was right next to the building where I used to work.
I'm really looking forward to turning my apartment into a more grown up living space. We went to Ikea today to pick up a few small things that I wanted to get on the cheap (trash cans, vases for the origami flowers I'm going to decorate with, and a couple more chairs so I can host a proper bridge game here), and I spent a lot of time mentally decorating. Right now, our furniture is a hodgepodge of secondhand items from Z's family or from Goodwill, and while none of it is bad, none of it is great (except our bed, which rocks), and none of it matches, so it still feels kind of like a college apartment. And when I hang out with my friends at their places, they just feel so much more grown up, and I'd really like my house to feel that way, too. In my own quirky way, of course. So little by little, I'd like to replace our furnishings and housewares with nicer things. I'm pretty confident that we'll stay in this apartment for a long time, so it feels safe to start making that kind of investment. But I'm in no hurry...this is just sort of floating around in my head for now.
Gail and I watched Swedish Auto tonight, an indie drama that was filmed in Charlottesville in 2006. One review called it "heartwarming." I would say that's more than a little misleading. It was pretty dark, but it was cool to recognize all the places in the film. The main character's apartment was right next to the building where I used to work.
I'm really looking forward to turning my apartment into a more grown up living space. We went to Ikea today to pick up a few small things that I wanted to get on the cheap (trash cans, vases for the origami flowers I'm going to decorate with, and a couple more chairs so I can host a proper bridge game here), and I spent a lot of time mentally decorating. Right now, our furniture is a hodgepodge of secondhand items from Z's family or from Goodwill, and while none of it is bad, none of it is great (except our bed, which rocks), and none of it matches, so it still feels kind of like a college apartment. And when I hang out with my friends at their places, they just feel so much more grown up, and I'd really like my house to feel that way, too. In my own quirky way, of course. So little by little, I'd like to replace our furnishings and housewares with nicer things. I'm pretty confident that we'll stay in this apartment for a long time, so it feels safe to start making that kind of investment. But I'm in no hurry...this is just sort of floating around in my head for now.
Birthday festivities tomorrow will be low-key but awesome. My friend Linda is hosting a small gathering of friends for dinner and bridge at her house on the river, so even though the forecast looks shitty, I'm hoping the sun will peek through enough for Mt. Hood to make an appearance. They have the BEST view.
So, 28. It doesn't feel remarkable, really. Still a comfortable distance away from my 30's, though I can't say I'm dreading that milestone. Who knows how I'll feel about it in a year or two. I don't feel like there's any great wisdom that separates 28 from 27. It's more or less the same. But 27 was undoubtedly the worst year of my life. A case could be made, though, that it was also the best. I hit my lowest low, but that was what got me to turn my shit around. I'm still working on that, and I still have bad habits to shed and obstacles to maneuver, but I'm doing well. And there was never the possibility for my life to be as good as it is now without the perspective I gained while losing my mind. I'm starting my 29th year in a really good place. I came a long way as a 27-year-old, but I'm happy for the symbolic reboot that comes with a birthday. Bring it.
