Birthday FUN!

I am not closer to 30 than to 20.  It feels weird.  Though I was still the youngest (adult) at my birthday party.  There was a 4 year old, but of the people who have learned to read in that room I was the youngest by 6 years.  So. Still a baby.  Which is good, because I don’t always feel like a grown up.  I think that is normal though.  In a chat with my Nana, who is 97, she says she still feels like  young woman.  She is only tethered to age by her body.   As are we all.

 

My party was a blast.  It was not a “birthday party” but a party for my birthday.  That is what I wanted, fun with my friends.  And we had a great time.  There was wine, and food, and wine and beer and cake and wine. 

The spread was quiche, Mac-n-cheese, kisir, Polish apple and leek salad, tuna veggie salad, white cheese borek, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, kadayif and carmel cake. 

Yes, I am still waddling.

The Beloved Chick Magnet

See the faces of those people behind me in line? They are disapproving because they think we are flirting in front of Dolmabache Palace, Ataturk’s residence. In reality, what the are seeing is me being manhandled by my younger brother. He loves that he is bigger, and likes to prove that to me. He has no mercy.

He also does not lie, cheat or steal. He is kind to children and animals. He is witty and erudite. My friends also tell me he is handsome. Or in NH, “Wicked hot.”

He is my baby brother, a great guy, and a good friend. He is also turning 22. Happy Birthday Elly. I love you.

Even though you have no mercy.

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Birthday Food

Oh YUM!! Bülent wanted to go to a Kebab house for his birthday, he had heard about a local one that was tasty. The word of mouth was right!!

We had cop sis, and all the accouterment. In a Turkish restaurant, mezes usually come with the meal. In this case, bulgur pilaf, small lahmacuns, roasted onions, peppers and tomatoes, fresh lavash bread, a onion/sumac salad along with arugula and parsley.

Here is the main deal, cop sis, grilled lamb. It is super delicious, usually pulled off the skewer and eaten wrapped in the lavash with any of the aforementioned accouterments.

We also ordered eggplant salad, which was amazingly tasty. It was pretty simple, mashed eggplant, garlic, salt and pepper, and just delicious.

Here is my plate before the meat pops got to the table. As you can see, there is already a bite out of the lahmacun.

And for dessert, kunefe. Kunefe is a pie of shredded pastry, soaked in a sweet syrup with cheese in the middle. It is amazing, sweet and savory, served warm.

The food was great, the company wonderful, and it was a good birthday for him, if I do say so myself.

He Rocks My Socks

We have been together for five years, and every night is still like a slumber party. He still opens doors for me and carries my bags. It is just how he is. In the beginning, I was not old enough to go to bars with him. He bought me my first legal drink. When he learned I was a feminist he took me on a date to see Benazir Bhutto speak. In the grungy student apartment in Cambridge, he braved the kitchen to make me breakfast in bed every Saturday.

When I went back to school at night, and was working full time during the day, he made me breakfast and packed me a lunch and dinner. Every. Day. When I need to cry he hands me a tissue, holds me until I am done and pours me a glass of wine. If we don’t have wine, he will go out and buy it.

Today is his day, and it will be a good one.

Happy Birthday Aşkım, the 5th together so far, with many more to come.

With lots of love, from me, and Butterfinger.

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