Reflections upon a 30th birthday

I can confidently say that my 30th birthday celebration was my best ever. Usually at this time of the year, I'm either studying like crazy in school or living in a foreign country. So without any academic pressure hanging over my head and living somewhere fairly accessible, I could enjoy the company of a number of out-of-town friends. I'll tell your guys about our weekend together, and it will also serve as a virtual tour of Memphis for those of you who've never been here.

The first to arrive was Gloria, from Nicaragua. Since the weather was dreary, I took her to the trendy Cooper-Young district for an afternoon in a cafe called Otherlands. It was filled with bohemian-style art and had a really laid-back feel, much like the cafes in Houston that I like so much. Afterwards, we went to a local, family-owned Italian restaurant named Pete & Sam's. Not long after arriving, two elderly couples seated themselves near us, and one of the husbands remarked to us, "Are you on your honeymoon? You look so happy!" We assured them otherwise by showing them our hands, which bore no wedding bands. So then one of the wives came up with an alternative theory: "You must be having an affair! You're both married, but to other people." We laughed that off, confident that the banter was over. But after the meal, as we stood up to go, the husband asked us, "Are you going back home to your children?" It was a most entertaining experience.

On Friday, we headed downtown to check out Beale Street, renown for its blues music venues. Just a few blocks away is a beautiful neo-retro baseball stadium, home of the Memphis Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals AAA affiliate. They keep the gates open even when there are no games, so fans can check out the field and the marvelous architecture. Just across the street from the stadium is the elegant Peabody Hotel. Besides being lavishly ornate, it also has an unusual tradition. Twice a day, a handful of ducks, who live on the roof, take the elevator down to the lobby, walk across the floor, and hop into a fountain for a brief swim. As luck would have it, the ducks were still bathing when we arrived. I suggested to Gloria that she grab one so I could take a picture of her with it, but she politely refused.

On the way back home, we stopped by the Brooks Art Museum, which had a rare exhibition of Pissarro's paintings. Situated in the lovely Overton Park, the view outside the building was nearly as beautiful as what was inside. I got a tremendous thrill from reading the descriptions that accompanied each painting, for they contained rhetorical flourishes that only a doctoral-educated academic could create. As I joked with Gloria about the language, she responded, "Don't make fun of it. That's what your blogs sound like."

On Friday night, Nick, Alice, Dean, and Justin arrived from California, and Rebecca drove in from Jackson, Mississippi. After eating some of mom's delicious lasagna, we dropped of Nick and Alice at Steven's house, where we would have an awesome afternoon barbeque on Saturday. Craig was the last one to arrive, taking a red-eye from Seattle that arrived at 9am on Saturday morning, but after an afternoon nap, he was ready for a strong showing at our featured event, a performance of the Justin Conn Band at the Blue Monkey. Justin went to high school with Steven and me, and we have been following his aspiring blues career for many years now. This particular evening was great, and it felt like a proper culmination to a weekend of fun.

Photos are forthcoming. They should fill in a number of things I left out, and they heighten the experience of what I do describe. Thanks again to Gloria, Steven, Justin Conn, Justin Hastings, Nick, Alice, Dean, Rebecca, Craig, Mom, and Dad for making such a special birthday weekend.