The Transition to 28: One girl's birthday story

Back when I was 27, Jesse & I celebrated the end of 2009 on our roof. It was cold -- which also means clear in the Bay Area. We had bootleg champagne and were genuinely happy to see 2009 go. Jesse's right, it wasn't a terrible year. There were a lot of highs. But there were a lot of lows as well. He says we're stronger because of it. I think that's accurate. I know I'll live the rest of my life working to not have to go through a year as rough as 2009. Watching 2010 arrive, I felt motivated. I felt in control. I was ready to get to it, whatever it is. As I had to go to work, that served me well.

I worked until 7AM New Year's Day. Afterward, we set out for a nice breakfast at La Boulange and were denied. I'd say we tried two other restaurants before we happened upon Mama's in North Beach. I'd never noticed it. I'd never heard of it. I was apparently the only one. Mama's is a big deal. On a typical day, the line is wrapped around the building. Early on the first day of 2010, the line was small enough to be contained indoors and we hardly had to wait at all.

I've been asked to describe the food and I can't. It's intricate. It's fresh. It's diverse. It's unique. I had french toast made with a raisin - almond bread, chicken - turkey sausage, and home fries. Jesse had beans with a poached egg and some other stuff. I'm not a big fan of eggs or beans. So when I saw them on a plate together, my mind shifted to the delicious business happening on my own plate(s).

It was really good. I want to go back. Naturally that means (from now on) this line will always be there. Harrumph.

After breakfast, I cleaned. I don't like to start a new year with old dirt. That's just silly. So I did real cleaning - the kind where you move things, get underneath them, even decide if you really need them. We had accumulated a lot in the last year. And we have no room for anything extra. I put on some music and honestly had fun getting rid of the old, wiping the dusty, and washing the dirty. Jesse helped in the best way he could - he left. He was happy to not have to help and I was happy to not have him mess up any of my progress. It was a grand morning & afternoon. Having worked that morning, I was in bed by 8PM. Happy New Year. And Happy Birthday Weekend to me.