Personal Day, #32

The annual event known as my birthday week has drawn to a close. I could go into the family folklore of how and why I celebrate half-birthdays and at times, quarterly and monthly birthdays but that takes up too much page space here. Please just accept the fact that I've had 32 attempts at great birthdays, most of them successful.

Thank you to everyone that contributed to my own version of VH1’s Best Week Ever. Thanks for the lunches, dinners, parties, and well wishes. And most of all, thanks to President Obama for agreeing to combine his inauguration as a way to kick off my week.

Birthdays have to be one of the most selfish things ever invented. I think that is why I like to share them with as many people as possible. My circle(s) of friends are strung across many walks of life and I think that the universe might implode if everyone was under the same roof. It’s been that way for most of my life so I have opted to spend quality time with smaller groups than one big night of stress, streamers, and screamers.

A true highlight this year was hitting six great Sundance films at the festival with my friends Jesse and Brian. I put my trust in others and abstained from picking any of the movies we would go see. Seems I don’t have the best luck in movie selection. You see, the festival and I have had a love-hate relationship over the past few years. My issues date back to sitting in the Park City library theater with my head between my legs doing controlled breathing so I didn’t puke all over the seats in front of me. Turns out I have been blessed with not only a small bladder but also a squeamish stomach. While watching Stephanie Daley give birth in her ski pants I just about lost it. Never fear, whatever vomit made it up my esophagus went back down.

This year my luck swung in the other direction. All six movies were great in their respective ways. Screenings were scattered over three days in Salt Lake City and Park City. I had the chance to see (in order of viewing):

Burma VJ: documentary about the video reporters in Burma

The Reckoning: documentary about the International Criminal Court’s in the Hague and their work prosecuting crimes against humanity

Push: Based on the novel by Sapphire: amazing. Even Penelope from SNL can't top this story

Moon: a sci-fi flick that has moral twists and turns rather than alien implausibility

Dead Snow: med students at a remote winter cabin are attacked by WWII German Nazi Zombies (yes, it was freakishly scary, funny at times, & subtitled)

Dare: Cruel Intentions on crack + threeways - censorship = Dare

Granted, I sat through a large portion of Dead Snow with my eyes covered or punching Jesse in the arm but there was no vomit or gag reflexes that kicked in this year.

All in all, it was a week that has me free from complaints. I am lucky to have so many wonderful friends that put up with a week of my birthday (and the month leading up to the blasted day). It was such a success this year we are planning an encore for Tuesday night. In case you need a reason to get everyone around a TV to watch American Idol on Tuesday just tell everyone you are hosting a birthday party in my honor. Order up some Este Pizza, crank up the volume, add some friends, and let the laughs roll.

Happy birthday indeed!