This Year is Mine

By all calculations, 2013 is set to be a big year for my household. Its months will be jam-packed with milestone birthdays, anniversaries, graduation dates, and far-flung adventures. The first big event, my thirtieth birthday, is less than 90 days away. I'll admit there is a cloud of dread circling the date. I certainly don't feel 30. I don't get the sense that my youth is coming to an end, though I realize I'm careening toward functional irrelevance in the eyes of the culturemakers. It helps to live in a city that'll nurture your Peter Pan complex until you're good and ready to give it up. Recently, though, I've looked in the mirror and seen a solidly 30-year-old woman staring back. It's a little unsettling. I can't tell if my face or posture has changed, or whether I'm dressing more like a responsible adult and letting my concert t-shirts slowly drift into the pajama bin, but damned if I don't look more mature lately. Glitter nail polish, bright eyeliner, and unnatural hair colors have little effect on this phenomenon, so I've decided to own it. Even if my heart sinks every time someone fails to ask for my I.D. Thirty, you've arrived too quickly, but you might as well get comfortable.

We ended up throwing together a last minute disco-dance-attack for New Year's Eve, with invite texts going out around 10:30 in the morning. This was one of those years without a lot going on, so there were plenty of stragglers who were happy to come shake their moneymakers in our living room. Silly hats and party snacks, paired with plenty of champagne, make for a fine evening. We rang in the new year with excellent company indeed.

Permanently installing a mirrorball in the living room ceiling was the best idea ever.

Brey and Adam came to dance with me!

Bobby and I posed for photos.

We fed our guests, like responsible adults.

Tara was cheerful.

Folks were tolerant of the roving camera.

The prop bucket made an appearance.

Silly hats and dancing for all!

I would like to state, for the record, that this nearly-30-year-old woman kept dancing until 3:30 in the morning after being awake since 6:45, and succeeded in hitting Genie's for breakfast with the overnight party crew by 9:00 the next morning. Yep, still got it. This year is mine.