Tonight I met up with some folks at the J Clyde, a local pub, for my friend and realtor’s 25th birthday party. Her friend, A, who was already there, had met some football fans who were meeting up in Birmingham for the football game on Saturday. They were from all over the country: Las Vegas, Little Rock, San Diego, Philadelphia. These guys all work together remotely in banking and like to get together to drink and watch football and wreak havoc, like some kind of touring vikings. I had no idea who these people were (and neither did my friend!) but I think they gave her a great birthday. I know I had a good time, talking about art and music and grad school, and having my ego stroked.

“This is going to be the greatest two years of your life! You get to study anything that tickles your intellectual fancy!” one of the guys from Philadelphia told me. “Grad school is about studying, a little bit, but it is mostly about networking and meeting the right people.”

“You’re so positive! You haven’t said one negative word since you sat down. You’re so pretty, and you’re smart, and you’ve got your whole life ahead of you.”

“I’ve got my Ellen Page here,” another said, indicating A, who does look like a redheaded Ellen Page, “and my Ione Skye.”
“Who is that?”
“She’s the smart girl from Say Anything.”

After they had decided to catch a cab back to their hotel, I decided I would walk out with them, since my car was parked a few blocks away, and because they seemed like good guys. By the time we had gotten a block away from the pub, they had arranged themselves in formation, with me in the middle: one in front, two on either side of me, and one behind. One of them pointed out that he had a daughter- hell, they all had daughters- and that they all thought I was attractive, but they were way more interested in making sure I got to my car safely than in trying to have sex with me.
“Well, and you all have wives who will kill you and also me,” I teased, to a general chorus of agreement.

When we got near my car, I thanked them and hugged each of them and got into my car as they got into a cab.

Thank you, again, Matt, Barry, Mike, and Trevor.

I do have my whole life ahead of me, and so far, it’s pretty great.