This last week, I turned 28. It was an eventful week of fun activities and memorable moments. I got to hang out with various family members and friends during the course of the week. Most importantly, I viewed my birthday as another new chapter in my life.
On Friday, August 14th, I attended the Bruce Hornsby concert at Boarding Housing Park in Lowell with my cousin Kaylene and her boyfriend Kent Taylor. Like me, Kent and Kaylene are both avid Bruce Hornsby fans and naturally accepted their invitation to the concert back in April. Kent and I were just a few feet from the legend himself. Bruce played an amazing combination of both his newer songs and classic hits such as “The Way It Is,” “Mandolin Rain,” and “The Valley Road.” He also had a great backing band to create the wonderful combination of musical versatility. Bruce himself is very adept at playing instruments, including the piano (his primary instrument) and the Appalachian folk dulcimer. Hornsby also told amusing anecdotes about his personal life, including the fact that his son Russell doesn’t really like the school aspect of life. This inspired Hornsby to write a song about his son’s encounters in school. We all had a wonderful time at the concert and it was an experience I’ll never forget. On the way home from the concert, I introduced Kaylene and Kent to the music of The Lone Bellow, an alternative country/folk/roots rock band. I hope to seeThe Lone Bellow in concert someday.
The next day, I had a birthday party at my summer home in Marshfield. I got to see many friends and family, including my brother Brian, Brian’s girlfriend Amanda Smith, cousins Matt, Luke, Pat, and Henry, Aunt Noreen and Uncle Chuck, Brian’s friend Rich Kei, and Rich’s girlfriend Meg Mahoney. I also got to meet a new female companion of Matt’s named Danielle, whom Matt met through week. She is a very nice person and got along really well with me and my relatives and friends. The beach weather was nice that day and it is always fun to socialize with company at the beach. The food for my birthday consisted of chicken parm calzones, hamburgers, Chinese and chicken sausages, and a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. My birthday gifts consisted of items such as Ray-Ban sunglasses from Brian, Shipyard Pumpkinhead beer and Nordstorm gift certificates from Matt and Danielle, Vineyard Vines clothes and a picture frame of me and Ollie, Meg’s white golden retriever, and birthday cards from Noreen, Aunt Kathy and Nana, and Uncles Larry and Kevin.
Sunday morning was an interesting birthday week day for me. I got to see my cousins Luke, Chuck, and Henry, the three sons of Noreen and Chuck. That morning, I got to meet Chuck and his girlfriend Alice’s black Pomeranian, Gumshi. Gumshi means “black” in Korean. He is a very friendly dog and pretty easy to handle. Gumshi is not much of a barker and seems to like being held by me. I love meeting new dogs and I do hope to get a dog that is similar in temperament and size to Gumshi.
Finally, my actual birthday arrived on Tuesday, August 18. I reached my 28th year in my life. I received plenty of well wishes on Facebook, in email, and in texts. My favorite birthday post on my Facebook wall came from a photo that Amanda posted of her golden retriever, Summer wishing me a happy birthday with a sign that was placed onto her front body. I went out to eat at Assaggio in the North End with my family. I had a great chicken parm dinner with salad on the side and white wine as my drink of my choice. My parents also got to visit Brian’s new apartment in the North End on Commercial Street and got to visit the rooftop of the apartment as well. The night concluded with my family singing “Happy Birthday” to me and I had a delicious birthday cake dessert of a chocolate mint cake from Lakota Bakery in Arlington. In my 28th year, I do look forward to gaining even more new friends and hope to pursue more career activities and opportunities.
