Well, I'm officially 22! I feel very Old, and on my actual birthday (Sept. 2nd), all of my younger friends (of which I have quite a few, I've realized) texted me asking if I could feel my bones getting brittler by the moment and telling me to "fly high" as unc. All very encouraging stuff, to be sure! Still, I enjoyed my actual birthday. M woke me up by playing Taylor Swift's "22," and while I am a vehement anti-Swiftie, I nevertheless enjoyed it because I did used to love Taylor, once upon a time. Then, we went out for bagels and I got my favorite, and the lady at Starbucks even wrote the nicest birthday message on my drink. We also went grocery shopping because J came down for my birthday and we did a Lord of the Rings marathon the next day, so we needed all the ingredients for the food we prepared. All seven Hobbit meals -- quite the task! We did it once before when I was in high school with the extended editions, but I had a meeting with my supervisor the following morning, so we just did the regular editions (still as long as all get out, though) the next day. After groceries, the four of us went to my absolute FAVORITE restaurant and I got to eat my absolute FAVORITE dish: mapo tofu!!!! Even better, we had great conversation and good company, so the food was all the more tasty.

And lucky me -- we stopped at a comic book shop on the way home and J paid for me to get Absolute Batman Vol. 1, the Arkham Asylum compact, and the Hush compact. Huzzah! However, as with everything else, being a woman and walking into a comic shop is always an Experience; how come nerdy guys are so rarely normal?? The mystery may never be solved because it's been the same since I was in high school. I used to go all the time back then, and it was even worse because I was -- duh -- a high school girl!! J and I cooked all the yummy food when we finally got home, and then I whiled away the rest of the evening reading comics and watching Clueless with M. That's been the pattern of these last few, blissful days, while I fight to keep my anxiety at bay about moving and all that -- comics and movies. It's a nice existence; I must remember to look back on these times fondly and wistfully recall how beautiful it was to be a good-for-nothing layabout.

Bouncy, Caboodle, and I went out for my birthday last night. We started the night off drinking a bit at Bouncy's place (pina colada premix, which I hate but I swallowed down the terrible coconut flavor), and then took a Waymo to the restaurant. Waymos still freak me out like crazy, so I only take them when I'm intoxicated -- otherwise I much prefer an Uber or Lyft. The restaurant was Casablanca themed; yes, like the movie! There were pictures and quotes and murals and SO MUCH going on that it was the perfect amount of crazy maximalist that I love. They even had a life-sized wax statue of Humphrey Bogart LOL. Immediately after we sat down the margarita cart arrived at our table (YES GOD!). I took one sip of my spicy margarita -- and I'm a heavyweight so I don't say this lightly -- and nearly spit it out. It was like pure tequila! Good bang for your buck, but also a little difficult to choke down next to the delish handmade tortillas, green salsa, and enchiladas. We walked to the music venue next, which is always an Experience in LA, but it was nice to just mess around a little (a lot) tipsy and hang out together.

We were seeing a Doors tribute band, since it is my birthday after all and I get to pick, and Bouncy and Caboodle know next to nothing about The Doors, but they still enjoyed it! We were the youngest people there by about 20 years, which, again, is always an Experience, but I think we handled it with grace and we got our revenge at the next place, where we mercilessly bullied this 37 year old grown ass man who tried to "make friends" with us in line. He told us where he was on 9/11 and seemed very put out that we were taking the piss out of him so much, but c'mon, if you're gonna be a grown adult man (and elementary teacher to boot), you need to stop going to clubs by yourself on the weekends and hanging around 22 year olds. Anwyays, back to The Doors. The band was an hour (!) late, but we were drinking and gossiping so it ended up being fine -- not ideal, but fine. I absolutely loved it, since it's not like I can see Jim Morrison up there shaking ass anymore, and Bouncy and Caboodle enjoyed the tunes, too. We left as they were playing "The End," which now that I think about it was probably the last song. Then we headed down the street to the club like 0.7 miles away (in the dark) (in LA) (probably not the greatest idea of ours). Everyone in line at the club looked approximately 12 years old and also Mormon (hello, did you just return from a mission trip to Ecuador?), but we made fun of the 37 year old the whole time and enjoyed ourselves that way. Then, we ditched him when we got inside, but the music was reminiscent of a mid-level fraternity on a weekday mixer, and everyone inside looked like A) a transplant or B) weird. So, we bounced after not even half an hour inside the sauna of a club, and headed back to Bouncy's apartment. All in all, a successful night, and a very fun one to boot.

Caboodle ubered home in the middle of the night, but I stayed over and then Bouncy drove me home this morning. We got breakfast burritos -- they were mouthwateringly delectable.

Boots picked Caboodle and I up on Friday for her birthday party. We drove to Bouncy's place and had a fun pregame at hers, even if everyone managed to get a little weepy (I blame the weed). Then, we headed out to the Victorian and were immediately assaulted by hordes of Westside millenials and film school graduates. It's always an experience at the Vic, and Friday night was no exception. Bouncy got horrifically wasted and had to run to the bushes to yak, so I ended up taking care of her. I was still pretty drunk, too, but that always gets overridden when someone I know needs me. We headed back to her place, with her stumbling everywhere like a baby deer, all long limbs and zero coordination, and she even yakked down the side of the Waymo. At least there's no driver so we weren't charged. I still don't like riding in Waymos, but for the price difference I guess I can put my paranoia aside (it helps that I only do it when my inhibitions have been lowered -- I'll probably never ride one sober). We stayed up until I felt like she was okay enough to go sleep. The others crashed in the living room after we crushed some Taco Bell, but I stayed with Bouncy. I fell asleep in my going out clothes, makeup still on, earrings digging into the side of my head, on the rug next to her bed. I was still out of it, so I literally placed a pillow down next to the puke bag and conked out. Still, it was an enjoyable night because I love spending time with my friends even when the night goes down an unexpected path. It's no sweat off my back to take care of the people I love.

Caboodle has been staying with me since Sunday. My parents are out of town so it's just the two of us, which has been nice! I visited her in Austin earlier in the summer, and I really enjoyed it. I'd never been before, but it exceeded my expectations -- only bad thing was the weather since it's freaking HOT there. We've just been hanging out and chilling, nothing too exciting since her visit was a last-minute thing. It's been nice to have someone my age and so similar to me around. Last night I went to see Ethel Cain with one of my friends from home, and it was entrancingly beautiful. The set design was absolutely PERFECT (I am lowkey a huge nerd about concert set design -- I want to see something inventive and cool, not just some little lights!). Hayden's voice is just unreal; "Nettles" made me cry. And she played "A House in Nebraska," one of the most beautiful songs she's ever put out. The Shrine (the venue) was stunning inside. There are internal windows and different lighting on every floor. It has so much detail, and it's so historic! It definitely added to the atmosphere. For most of the concert I felt as if I was in a trance. We had seats that were pretty high up, so all we could really see was her outline, backlit by all the lights. It felt religious, almost. Just me and the music -- locked in.

M and I picked up our new glasses this morning. Mine are from Warby Parker, and they make me look a lot older -- very grad student-core. Then, I had a dentist appointment, where I found out my new retainer is ridiculously expensive, but tbf it was about time for my old one to break since I've had it for over six years by now. Then, M and D went out and saw a movie, and I lazed around the house reading my new book Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artifice by J.F. Martel. It's so good (review incoming soon once I finish it). It was nice to have some peace and quiet and just listen to my music while reading (from my iPod, of course!). Then, LA Times picked me up with his mom, and we headed to the movies to see Weapons. It was surprisingly good -- very camp! The woman next to me was genuinely scared and kept screaming in my ear, but horror movies don't really affect me, so I had a hard time holding back my laughter while she was legit probably peeing her pants.

Bouncy, Boots, and I went to Top Golf with two of Bouncy's friends. I honestly haven't gotten out of the house much lately, so the distraction was welcome. It felt, for the first time, like a real "adult hangout." After all, we all just graduated, so it makes sense that our first time interacting without the connective bond of school would feel different. We caught each other up on jobs, relationships, roommates, and more, and it felt good. I was expecting to feel more of a sense of loss, or like something was missing, but it felt real and whole and like we were growing -- or, I guess, we have grown up. It feels like it happened overnight; one day I woke up and there was a new weight resting across my shoulders, not too heavy but, in a certain way, it is pleasant to bear. We got ice cream after, and then Bouncy drove me home, and we talked all about Oxford and my research interests. It's completely out of her purview, what with her marketing/sales background and all, but she reassured me that she really did want to know about it, even if she doesn't understand it fully. Then, she kindly helped assuage some of my anxieties about my upcoming move and the subsequent intense schedule that's going to follow. She's a great listener.