The birthday binge
My birthdays tend to be fairly low-key, but I always find a way to make them special.
This year, I planned to celebrate my birthday and Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I requested days off back in August with every intention of going. The date snuck up on me and by the time I shopped for plane tickets, they were through the roof.
At the same time, my friend Cat decided to visit. So I kept two of the days and made plans to show off Casper and Wyoming and celebrate my birthday. On the actual day (March 3), we hung around Casper and did some of my favorite things: drove up the mountain, walked around my neighborhood, bought good cheeses and sipped my favorite Malbec of the moment.
On Friday, I finished a quick story (it wouldn’t be a day off if I didn’t work some) and we drove through a light snow to Lander. We planned to go snowshoeing in Sinks Canyon, but the warm, sunny day turned the snow to mush. We went anyway.
Slightly frozen Popo Agie River [March 4, 2011]
Snowshoeing in Sinks Canyon [March 4, 2011]
Melting snow = muddy unpaved roads and parking lots. New rule for Lola: No wet gravel.
Trying to get up the hill. [March 4, 2011]
We’re both resourceful, strong women, so we eventually made it out through breaking up the slush, laying grass in front of the tires and pushing hard.
Our cozy accommodations for the night made the trouble worth it: log furniture, wood-burning stove and llamas. We stayed at the Bunk House at the Lander Llama Company.
Good morning, llamas! [March 5, 2011]
We celebrated Friday night with dinner (birthday dessert!) at Cowfish and a drink at the Lander Bar. The real celebration was planned for Saturday. My sister drove north to Fort Collins and another grad school friend, Steve, drove south from Gillette, his new home of six weeks.
Casper friends met us out for drinks and karaoke. I sang my one song (“I will survive”) and was convinced to sing a duet with Jeremy. He chose a Casper karaoke favorite, “Bring me to life” by Evanescence. I was the dude. Fun times. And fun pictures, thanks to talented photographer friends.
“WAKE ME UP!” (photo courtesy of Steve Remich)
As far as birthdays go, it was one of the best. I felt so loved and lucky to have crossed paths with such great people. It’s such a happy coincidence when worlds collide harmoniously. Casper often feels so far from, well, everything, but this weekend it felt like the center of the universe.