Getting Older

I'm on my way to twenty-eight. I'm not sure how I got this old. I guess it just sort of happens when you're busy riding bike and pushing buttons in a cubicle.

I'm finding that at this time, everybody's starting to settle down. They're getting married, starting careers, etc. And that means my close friends are scattering all across the country or making plans to do so. And that's why this birthday was so special.

My friend, Dawn, decided to invite my buddy Jesse to a birthday supper here in Bismarck. I'm glad she got the ball rolling, because it kind of snowballed from there.

My friend Sommer, from here in Bismarck, showed up for the party. My brother came from Fargo, 200 miles to the east. My good friend Jesse came from Minot, 110 miles to the north. And Mark and Melanie from Halliday, 110 miles to the northwest, also came.

Altogether, seven of us gathered at Space Aliens for dinner. After being forced to eat immense amounts of food and to wear glow-in-the-dark "antennas," I invited everyone over to my place for board games.

Hilarity ensued as we played "Imaginiff" and "Cranium" until early in the morning. I also got some great gifts, including the 4th season of "MacGyver." Obviously, we had to watch at least one episode before the night was over.

And so, I'm older than I was yesterday (as if that weren't always true). But I don't mind, because the party was great. It will be tougher as time goes on for us all to get together.