Older, sure...but not yet wiser

So MN turned another year older yesterday and had a grand day of celebration, ending with a near-midnight drive through northern New Jersey during a blackout. Awesome! It was a day filled with high-caloric intake and the forced drinking of MN's co-workers and bosses at birthday lunch (MN does not like to drink alone) with more eating and drinking at dinner with brave birthday friend, TR.

TR and I experienced a journey worthy of Sisyphus in trying to get to our favorite Cuban restaurant in Hoboken. First: no PATH trains from 33rd street. Ok, fine. We took the A to World Trade Center (creepy) and picked up the PATH from there to Hoboken. While walking to aforementioned restaurant, we realized it was still Africa hot and as we went further west (i.e. away from the cooling Hudson) it got worse, until TR turned to me and said "I will most likely die before we get there. The wine is in my bag." No one died, luckily (a bad birthday omen fer sure) but Fabulous Cuban Restaurant With Yummy Cilantro Dipping Sauce was closed due to...something. We never got an explanation but rather were directed to its sister restaurant a block away. It was tasty, but not what we'd been dreaming about. Alas. But the real daiquiris (no Bachelorette party-esque strawberry concoctions here) made us forget out troubles. That is, until we left and began walking back to the train station and were hit with hurricane-level winds on Washington Street. When a nearby patio umbrella went through the windshield of the SUV across the street from us, we took cover in the nearest...sports bar. Ack! The rest of the evening entailed being drenched in the rain, all trains being cancelled, other friend JH being stranded, TR being stranded, then driving them home through the deep-space blackness of NJ.

All was well and MN made it home and in the house by 11:55 PM to hastily open all birthday cards in the last 5 minutes of the birthday proper. Good times! And most lovely of all the Migraine Fairy waited until the day was concluded before visiting and very nicely went away with only 50 mg of Imitrex. Normally I would be hella angry about said headache, but after the craziness of the day I was happy to be in one piece and back in my own bed. I will return to the good fight soon.