Birthday Season

Hello friends. As most of you have expressed mild to extreme displeasure at my lack of tangible existence I am starting this blog for you. As you know I spend the major part of my waking hours somewhere else. These hours I am in Limerick, Ireland. This has been my fifth consecutive birthday season spent away from home and was it a doozy. I would, of course, rather have spent it in all the amazing and varied cities that you live in but duty calls. To date I have celebrated with strangers (a lovely United Airlines IAD based crew I met checking in to a hotel took me out for Brazilian food) in London a stones throw away from Hyde Park on the actual day. Surprising, but somehow all the more lovely for the sheer randomness. After consuming copious amounts of wonderful Chilean red wine with members of my crew and United's I hit my room and took about a dozen silly drunken self portraits. Everybody wants a picture of themselves on their birthday, right? Next day I was on to Ireland. The flight attendants on my flight (I was commercialing not working thank god as the hangover was substantial) were completely mad! There are hardly words. Highlights of the flight (only one weird hour) include two of the dears running at full tilt through the cabin waving their hands madly and yelling at each other for no discernible reason . It gives new meaning to the term 'inflight entertainment'. On my flight I managed to sit next to four New Yorkers visiting Ireland on holiday and a girl who grew up about thirty minutes from where I live now. Americans are taking over the world! On arrival at my hotel in Ennis, Ireland I am enjoying breakfast only to be surprise attacked by my favorite blond almost cousin Julie. A perfect birthday surprise as I hadn't seen her in months. She, of course has plans for yet another birthday celebration to be had in Ireland. And so begins birthday party number two. We, being the little snots that we are, sneak our own bottles of Champagne and Wine into the bar to save money and have a wild old time. The bartender didn't seem to mind as she chilled the champagne for us and wished me a happy birthday. And soon we have more lovely company and a true party is born. Only hours, wine bottles and a after a veritable mountain of french fries and pizza later (courtesy of the golfers from Michigan living it up on the last evening of their holiday) the night ended quietly with alkaseltzer and water cocktails to stave off morning after hell. All in all, a wonderful second birthday party. But duty calls so off to work I went. After a fifteen hour workday I landed in Bishkek (one of those unspellable 'Stans' over by China) and immediately fell asleep. I slept the entire day before heading to yet another of the 'Stans' . And, this is not at all my fault, another celebration commenced. It seems that we have multiple crew members with June Birthdays. This party, ultimately, commanded the best view. There really is little that compares to standing on a ninth story balcony with cocktail in hand watching the sun rise over the foot hills of the Himalayas surrounded by both great friends and future friends. Life is good. Now I am back in Ireland (Limerick this time) and beginning a five day layover. We'll see what I make of it.

Yours, in lexicon,
e