Birthdays...

It's interesting what makes a celebration. The date itself does not always signify it. Christmas is generally celebrated on December 25th, but in my years there have been several days where it simply did not "feel" like Christmas. I can't honestly say I've experience the same feeling of Christmas being here for many years now, not nearly so strong as when I was a child.

The same goes with birthdays. And perhaps this is my fault. I live with a wonderful man who sees no good reason to wait to do things that are remarkably fun and/or unusual. This does perpetuate the thought of "Oh wow this is fun! I look forward to this! We do such neat things all the time!"
The key phrase there being "all the time".
So when we set aside 4 days of immense fun to celebrate and take a break. The time away from work, I now realize, was the only real difference in our usual schedules.
So when I sat down last night across from my beloved over a meal of immense celebration at my favorite restaurant Nectar, it was interesting that my mind decided at that moment, the day AFTER my actual natal day, that this particular aspect of the festivities "felt" like birthday.
What I find even more amusing is that my mind held off on truly letting it feel festive until I had a small glass of sake in my grasp. Upon grasping it firmly and raising it with Bob in toast to Buddha, enlightenment, and the continuation of existence, we both drank and at THAT point it felt as if we were truly celebrating. Perhaps there's a small hitch in my brain that thinks I need to intentionally state that something is being done for a reason, and that intentional statement must precede quaffing something alcoholic. An unusual thought, and one I must admit to having picked up from watching the culture around me.
Either way, it was tremendous sake. Junmai ginjo just tastes like happiness and celebration when you drink it. A tremendous meal followed, and they wrote Happy Anniversary! in dark chocolate (Close enough!) on the dessert we ordered. I got to have my foie gras, which is a very guilty pleasure of mine that they sear and serve with black truffle oil. We enjoyed an amusee bouche of Kobe beef carpaccio with crab salad and some sort of spicy young greens over top (This came after the hostess stopped by and said "Is there anything you're allergic to?" What a lovely surprise)
As usual the place did not disappoint, and being a Sunday evening it was far more quiet. I folded up an origami paper crane and left it for the Buddha across the aisle to keep him company. He always sits alone thanks to how they have it set up.
Perhaps it was the atmosphere. Perhaps it was knowing that the end of the festivities were at the end of that meal. Perhaps it was because it is always a very special meal when one dines at Nectar. I'm amused how my mind works, though, that it decided "birthday" when the sake showed up and we proceeded to dine together.