Napoleon Says

Napoleon Says by Phoenix



Editor's Note: I recently had a birthday, and for reasons I can't tell you, I like to feel sorry for myself on my birthday. It's the one day of the year were I really just let my guard down, don't try to inspire myself with cliche quotes, and allow myself to feel like shit. This requires much reflection at the same time... so in the process of evaluating the last year of my life and figuring out what I was doing five, four, three, two, and one year ago to the day... I thought, I should honor those who have played an important role in my life/birthday in the last five years.

2006--25th Birthday
A ton to cover on what turned out to be a weird birthday... I'll just bullet point it:
* I was leaving for Chicago to start grad school in about a week.

* Turning 25 felt officially old. I mean, 25, I was now officially in my mid-20s. This should have brought about a crisis of faith but...

* The night before D, his brother, JFC—who was getting married in a few days, and The Devil went to Bricks Tavern (it had been renamed by this point, but I can never remember it's new name), as a sort of 'last night with the guys doing guy things' were were drank way way way way too much. We drank so much that on the walk home we stopped at 7-11 and got hot dogs. There may have been drunk dialing taking place also.

* Needless to say, I was very very very very hungover the next day, which happened to be my second to last day of work. I was so hung over that I had to leave the office and I walked over to the White House, and took about a ten minute nap/rest on a park bench. I'm pretty sure I threw up at some point also. Luckily, productivity isn't a necessity on your last days of work.

* The office took me out for lunch as a good-bye/birthday celebration. From about 10am up until walking over to the restaurant for lunch, I was worried that I would have to throw up at some point during lunch. Thankfully, that didn't happen, and in fact I actually felt pretty good at lunch all things considered.

* The Super, who I was dating at the time, took me out for dinner. I told her all I wanted was a pizza and a pitcher of beer, in memory to the previous birthday where things were nearly perfect. But seeing that we were in D.C. and there isn't an single good pizza joint in the District [FACT], The Super took me to a burger place near GW. The hangover had made a comeback at this point and the last thing I was in the mood for was a crowded, loud burger joint and beer. Needless to say, The Super wasn't thrilled that I was still hungover. However, there was no fight (come to think of it, the Super and I never fought) and she gave me a Badger hat as a gift which was an awesome gift, only my hangover probably prevented me from fully expressing this to her (sorry Super).

* I have no clue what happened the rest of the day. But it was a good birthday... well the memory makes it a good birthday. Being hungover on your birthday isn't all that awesome, but thinking back on that hangover two years later makes it a funny story, if only for the White House park bench hang over nap.