Happy Birthday To Me (And 22 Things)

I love birthdays.  I love having an excuse to eat cake and corral all of my friends into going out on a Tuesday night.  I definitely milk my birthday for all it's worth.  My brother actually jokes that the entire month of June is "The Feast of Liz", because my birthday is celebrated so many different times.  I usually respond with some smart retort and a smack.

I have some fun birthday festivities planned for later today.  My friends and I are going out to dinner and then having cake back at my apartment.  I've had several people tell me that it is blasphemous for me to bake my own birthday cake, but I love doing it.  When else do I get to make a ridiculous cake and force people to eat it?

I've decided to do a little 22 things for the birthday.  I've ALWAYS wanted to do one of these, but sort of pushed it to the back burner as I peddled more cookie recipes with eight sticks of butter in them.  Without further adieu, I bring you my 22 things:

1.  The answer is always coffee.
2.  Call your grandparents, even when you'd rather sit and watch another episode of How I Met Your Mother.
3.  Don't dread jury duty so much.  It will open your eyes to so many things.
4.  Stop buying vegan cheese.  It will never taste like the real stuff.
5.  Be the girl who dances like crazy at the bar.  It's always better than the girl who cries.
6.  Don't mix your alcohol unless you like feeling like an anvil hit your head the next morning.
7.  When in doubt, go to the coffee shop.  You never know who you'll run into.
8.  Stop worrying so much.  It gives you nothing but wrinkles.
9.  There is nothing in life that a little Gilmore Girls and Buffy can't cure.
10.  Stop drinking coffee at least an hour before any plane ride unless you like sitting with your legs tightly crossed.
11.  When in doubt, wear a dress.
12.  Sometimes, a little red lipstick is necessary.
13.  Listen to your parents' stories.  They know more than you.
14.  It is perfectly acceptable to sing along with showtunes at 11:00 p.m.  Particularly if you are doing it alone in your apartment.
15.  Keep in touch with friends.  While sometimes a lost friendship can't be helped, sometimes all you need is a quick text or phone call.
16.  Sometimes the things you dread are the things that end up being the most remarkable.
17.  Read more books.
18.  That doesn't include 50 Shades of Grey.
19.  Take more walks.
20.  Eat more chocolate.
21.  And don't care.
22.  Celebrate your birthday for an entire month.  Why not?