Not My Unbirthday Weekend

Alice and the Mad Hatter can celebrate all the unbirthdays they want. I prefer when it's not my unbirthday.

Like this weekend.

Friday
I took the day off work, and that was a great idea. Might have to make it a yearly choice.

After sleeping in a little, I made an egg-whites and spinach quesadilla, went for a short run around Crystal City, and got a haircut so I'd look sharp for all the weekend fun. I felt like a new man.

For lunch, I met up with Emily and she treated me to American Tap Room in Bethesda. We sat in big, comfy chairs right by the fireplace. Our sandwiches were delicious. Even better, she was super nice and got me some gifts, including Swedish Fish (one of my kryptonites), manly body-spray deodorant, and personalized golf balls (which I'll do my best not to lose in two or three rounds on the golf course). So great!

Later that evening, I picked Emily up from DuPont Circle and we headed to the Kennedy Center for the Nutcracker.True confession time: I've struggled with staying awake in previous attempts at the Nutcracker, but this time I was able to get into the show and keep the eyelids open the whole time. Also, I think Emily's enthusiasm was contagious, so I couldn't help but be excited for whatever dance was next.

Saturday
My roommate Seth had a Groupon/LivingSocial for Skyline Paintball in Strasburg, VA, and he generously offered it for my birthday. We rounded up 16 of us, woke up early, and hit the road.

Due to the cold and our fear of massive welts, everyone was bundled up at the beginning.

The green team (aka Venom aka C.O.B.R.A.)

The pink team (aka Rainbow Brite aka My Little Pony aka they-didn't-tell-me-a-name)

There's just something about holding a gun of any type, caliber, shape, or size that makes you feel tough.

While we all may have started out a little timidly, after a few games our skills had vastly improved. Some excelled at being snipers, while others (I'm looking at you, Mike Merrell) could go on a mad-rush rampage and decimate an entire flank of defenses. Communication and team-work often proved to be the key, and results seemed to vary depending on the battlefield terrains. Not sure why, but maybe woods/towns just suited each team's personnel differently.

Such a great group, and I believe everyone had enough fun that we'll be returning to Skyline Paintball again soon. And this time, we'll actually know what we're doing. Watch out, because we're coming for ya!

You think that's enough fun for a Saturday on a birthday weekend? Perish the thought!

Since Marriott doesn't do a big corporate holiday party, I was very excited to be invited by Emily to join her for her work party. We got all dolled up (clearly, Emily looks way cuter than I do, which is expected), and headed up to Bethesda for an evening of dining, dancing, and raffling.

She is rocking that LBD

The only semi-sad part was that karaoke didn't happen. I think the organizers realized that the space wasn't the best for it, or that they might have too many people interested and it would detract from the popularity of the dance floor (which admittedly is more classy and inclusive for all). There will be other nights for karaoke. This one was plenty fun with all the socializing and dancing we did.

Remember how I mentioned raffling? All of the company employees that had RSVP'ed for the party were entered to win prizes throughout the night. Lo and behold, as we were chatting with Emily's coworker and coworker's parents, we heard Emily's name get called out by the emcee. She was so excited and ran up to claim her award with her arms high in the air. $200 for Lululemon. Not too shabby, eh?

What a wonderful birthday weekend it was. I'm so glad it wasn't my unbirthday!