Ridiculous
Largely though not entirely x-posted from FB:
Between VDay and my birthday, I didn't really do much besides go to the gym almost every day and watch the Oscars at Amanda and Darren's very fun, small and festive watching party. I was in the gym so much because I was super excited about my pool party 3/1, and hugely motivated to get as fit as possible. (Of course, I've been on a bit of a sweets binge for the past few days, but f it, i'm allowed!)
The five-day birthday festival was absolutely the best ever. I went to Frim Fram on Thursday and had a fun jam, which a friend recorded (and put on FB). Friday, I went to work because, well, I'm new and not full-time and I pretty much felt obligated. Friday night, the festivities began in earnest.
Ryan decided, in his generous and clever head, to give me 35 presents for my 35th birthday. This project took weeks (or months, depending on how you look at it). I am OVERWHELMED and AWED by his awesomeness, creativity, resourcefulness and all-around gift-giving genius. Not all the gifts were jaw-droppers, though some truly were, but there was not a single dud among them. In appreciation of this feat, I felt a little public recognition was warranted.
There were 35 items/events/concepts divided into 7 categories. He made 35 business-card-sized clues representing each gift. Except for the scheduled events (such as the Colbert taping (33)), I chose randomly from the deck throughout the birthday festival of Thursday-Monday. *ALL* of them were surprises.
Here's the rundown, grouped in their categories, with numbers indicating *very roughly* the order presented:
Arts and Sciences:
22) Regal Cinemas gift card, 1) lovely blank journal (so I don't forget I'm a writer), 35) book of 3-D 1950s pinups, 11) original acrostic sonnet (which is sweet yet also aesthetically beautiful -- I think it's publishing-worthy, and I say that as a professional word critic), 33) VIP tickets to the 3/2 taping of The Colbert Report.
Body and Mind:
16) memory foam bed pillow, 17) facial cleanser, 26) promise for 1 hour of whatever I want, 21) novelty book of IOU private time activities, 30) waterproof book for bathtime.
Food and Drink:
27) Flying Biscuits (He downloaded the actual exact recipe for perhaps the most amazing sweet dense biscuit in the world from a restaurant in Atlanta. He managed to recreate them *perfectly* the very first time he ever tried. It was a brunch miracle!!), 23) dinner at Chance bistro in my 'hood, 6) Max Brenner (Bald Man) bonbons, 5) peach white tea, 7) Sopranos Riserve red wine.
Odds and Ends:
12) novelty "Jewish Mother" chewing gum, 3) NY Lotto ticket, 4) trip to Dave & Busters in Times Square (expressly so we could play House of the Dead and air hockey - long discussed, now finally realized), 28) commemorative Barack Obama book, 29) "Romance for Dummies" mini-book (I apparently need help with being romantic. It's true.)
Style and Fashion:
34) Lucky Magazine shopping manual, 31) lavender Pisces candle, 8) amethyst and peridot earrings (my birthstone and his),
9) clutch handbag with antiqued silvertone detailing, 10) vintage style hair clips.
Home and Away:
20) red dress apple-scented car air freshener, 25) Italian phrasebook (we've talked about making a trip to Europe sometime in the next year), 32) purple fluffy bath linens, 18) detail map of Brooklyn, 19) NYC adventure ideas deck of cards.
People and Places:
13) novelty "Office Voodoo kit" for my new job, 14) People magazine Oscars wrap-up issue (the first People was published the day I was born and this year we both saw most of the Oscar nom slate, so it was doubly meaningful), 15) gay softcore porn mag (*THAT* is a guy who is secure with his sexuality and willing to put his GF's interests first. He actually did some comparison shopping for a boys mag I'd actually like... and he did make a good choice!!), 2) birthday felicitations phone call from Taylor Mac, a brilliant alt-queer cabaret songwriter/singer/actor/playwright we both really love, 24) arranging a 3-day visit from my BFF Keren, who lives in Rochester, and who I only get to see a few times a year. I thought she was going to Lesotho for two weeks on Saturday, but instead she walked into dinner with a huge bow on her head. I was *floored*.
He has no plans to try to top this extravaganza next year. I think that's a relief to both of us. ;) ... But I guess I have a *lot* of brainstorming to do before August.
Between VDay and my birthday, I didn't really do much besides go to the gym almost every day and watch the Oscars at Amanda and Darren's very fun, small and festive watching party. I was in the gym so much because I was super excited about my pool party 3/1, and hugely motivated to get as fit as possible. (Of course, I've been on a bit of a sweets binge for the past few days, but f it, i'm allowed!)
The five-day birthday festival was absolutely the best ever. I went to Frim Fram on Thursday and had a fun jam, which a friend recorded (and put on FB). Friday, I went to work because, well, I'm new and not full-time and I pretty much felt obligated. Friday night, the festivities began in earnest.
Ryan decided, in his generous and clever head, to give me 35 presents for my 35th birthday. This project took weeks (or months, depending on how you look at it). I am OVERWHELMED and AWED by his awesomeness, creativity, resourcefulness and all-around gift-giving genius. Not all the gifts were jaw-droppers, though some truly were, but there was not a single dud among them. In appreciation of this feat, I felt a little public recognition was warranted.
There were 35 items/events/concepts divided into 7 categories. He made 35 business-card-sized clues representing each gift. Except for the scheduled events (such as the Colbert taping (33)), I chose randomly from the deck throughout the birthday festival of Thursday-Monday. *ALL* of them were surprises.
Here's the rundown, grouped in their categories, with numbers indicating *very roughly* the order presented:
Arts and Sciences:
22) Regal Cinemas gift card, 1) lovely blank journal (so I don't forget I'm a writer), 35) book of 3-D 1950s pinups, 11) original acrostic sonnet (which is sweet yet also aesthetically beautiful -- I think it's publishing-worthy, and I say that as a professional word critic), 33) VIP tickets to the 3/2 taping of The Colbert Report.
Body and Mind:
16) memory foam bed pillow, 17) facial cleanser, 26) promise for 1 hour of whatever I want, 21) novelty book of IOU private time activities, 30) waterproof book for bathtime.
Food and Drink:
27) Flying Biscuits (He downloaded the actual exact recipe for perhaps the most amazing sweet dense biscuit in the world from a restaurant in Atlanta. He managed to recreate them *perfectly* the very first time he ever tried. It was a brunch miracle!!), 23) dinner at Chance bistro in my 'hood, 6) Max Brenner (Bald Man) bonbons, 5) peach white tea, 7) Sopranos Riserve red wine.
Odds and Ends:
12) novelty "Jewish Mother" chewing gum, 3) NY Lotto ticket, 4) trip to Dave & Busters in Times Square (expressly so we could play House of the Dead and air hockey - long discussed, now finally realized), 28) commemorative Barack Obama book, 29) "Romance for Dummies" mini-book (I apparently need help with being romantic. It's true.)
Style and Fashion:
34) Lucky Magazine shopping manual, 31) lavender Pisces candle, 8) amethyst and peridot earrings (my birthstone and his),
9) clutch handbag with antiqued silvertone detailing, 10) vintage style hair clips.
Home and Away:
20) red dress apple-scented car air freshener, 25) Italian phrasebook (we've talked about making a trip to Europe sometime in the next year), 32) purple fluffy bath linens, 18) detail map of Brooklyn, 19) NYC adventure ideas deck of cards.
People and Places:
13) novelty "Office Voodoo kit" for my new job, 14) People magazine Oscars wrap-up issue (the first People was published the day I was born and this year we both saw most of the Oscar nom slate, so it was doubly meaningful), 15) gay softcore porn mag (*THAT* is a guy who is secure with his sexuality and willing to put his GF's interests first. He actually did some comparison shopping for a boys mag I'd actually like... and he did make a good choice!!), 2) birthday felicitations phone call from Taylor Mac, a brilliant alt-queer cabaret songwriter/singer/actor/playwright we both really love, 24) arranging a 3-day visit from my BFF Keren, who lives in Rochester, and who I only get to see a few times a year. I thought she was going to Lesotho for two weeks on Saturday, but instead she walked into dinner with a huge bow on her head. I was *floored*.
He has no plans to try to top this extravaganza next year. I think that's a relief to both of us. ;) ... But I guess I have a *lot* of brainstorming to do before August.