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7 august 2000

it's birthday week in my family!

Just a note: This column may be a bit erratic, as I'm on the road having a blast. But isn't that what you want? Excitement? Drama? Tawdry weird stories of my life and snacking habits?

The first week of August is just a whopper of a huge deal in my family . My birthday fell on August 5, my sister's is on August 7 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLI! WHOO HOO!), and Dad's is August 8th. This year is extra-cool, because I turned twenty-nine, and I'm pretty darn happy about it. Everyone I know has a very strong opinion about their twenties --- either they completely sucked rocks and they're glad it's all over, OR, it's the end of the glory days and they're ready to face the end with a bottle of Valium and a six-pack. Eegh.

Me, I celebrated all right, thanks in part to my poetry friends on the SlamAmerica Poetry Bus Tour, which I am on this week. I'm one of about 100 poets who have been travelling around parts of the country, performing poetry at some exceptionally cool gigs, and sponsored by Grand Marnier. They're totally giving us complimentary cocktails! Rawk!

Anyway, I was hardly drowning sorrows. I spent my birthday performing for over 275 people at Nell's, on 8th and 14th in New York City. It was a great show, very tight, with a super audience. After the show, we went out the McKenna's Irish pub and drank Guinness and took out my birthday with a bang. Does it get better than this? Mmmm, nope. Not really.

Famous people born on my birthday: Neil Armstrong (woo-hoo! Moon man!), John Huston, Patrick Ewing, Loni Anderson (eew), and, are you ready for this one? MAUREEN MCCORMICK!!! Happy Birthday, Marcia! Have a very Brady Birthday!

The rest of this week is going to be journal of sorts as I compete in the National Poetry Slam, and wrap up the SlamAmerica tour. So far I've learned way too much about my companions' porn habits, learned to stop the Grand Marnier after three drinks, and have had about four hours of sleep each night. In short, I'm having a delightful time, and you'll be the first to hear about it. Toodles.