The Quarter-Century Birthday Celebration with Friends

The deets (details- sometimes I like saying "deets") on the birthday weekend have been delayed, because this girl is one busy lady! I wish you knew how much I hate it that I can only blog a couple of times per week now, but being an aspiring nutritionist is hard work. I am counting down the days until I finish summer school (16 days). I wish I could decrease the number of chemistry days even more. 

Saturday

Saturday, I started my morning with a 5-mile run that did not go very well. I ran 2.5 miles on the treadmill and then got so bored that I almost surrendered all together. I finally dragged myself outside to complete the 5 miles. Honestly, I'm not convinced that I'll be able to run 13 miles by the middle of August. My cardiovascular endurance is poor at the moment, and my leg prickles when I run. I never feel outright pain, and I actually haven't been sore at all for the past few days. For an injury, that is fantastic! I still want to run the half marathon so badly, so I'm going to keep training for now. I only need one long run a week, so it's not going to interfere with my stressful workload. 

After the annoying run, I packed an overnight bag and headed to the city. I left at 2:00, and I didn't arrive to my brother's apartment until 4! A highway sign fell down on the Dan Ryan Expressway, and it stopped traffic all over the place. I really really love Chicago, but the traffic drives me crazy at times. Really, it should not take me 2 hours to get downtown on a Saturday afternoon!

I told my friends to meet me at the bar at 4, so I was already running late. I dropped off my stuff at Jon's apartment and hung out with Libby while he took a quick shower. Then, we grabbed a cab to Cedar Hotel in the Gold Coast area. 

Libby with her pet frog

If you enjoy drinking cocktails outside on a nice day, then you must go to Cedar Hotel in Chicago during the summer. They have a gigantic patio, and it is always packed. It's a lively atmosphere. If you come with a few friends, you have to make sure that you get there early so that you can get a table. 

Luckily, some of my friends arrived at 4 and got a table. Over the course of the evening, we were able to drag a few of them together. 

A bunch of us got giant margaritas for $15. What a great summer drink!

Cedar Hotel also offers great views of the Gold Coast. I can see the Hancock Building!

Below is Meredith and my brother Jon. He was kind enough to enjoy a few drinks with us before meeting his friends for dinner.

Remember my friend Jessie? She made me cupcakes from scratch! She bought some of the ingredients from her honeymoon in Tahiti. We devoured them. 

For dinner, I ordered myself some chicken quesadillas with sour cream, salsa and pico de gallo. They weren't the best ones I've ever had in my life, but they satisfied me all the same. Plus, quesadillas pair beautifully with margaritas or beer!

After the margarita, I moved on to beer. Blue Moon is one of my favorite beers in the world, so I got one of those. I love beers with fruity flavors!

We hung out for a few hours and enjoyed the beautiful weather. 

Jessie was being silly!

We also shared a plate of nachos, but I guess I forgot to take a picture of them. They were good, but they had a mix of the liquid and shredded cheese. I despise liquid cheese. It's fake cheese!

By the time we left, it was getting dark outside. That would have to mean that it was almost 9 pm. I love how my birthday falls on one of the longest days of the year. Then again, I did celebrate my birthday in Australia one year. It got dark around 5. It's so strange to think that it's winter over there right now (HI WINTER FRIENDS!!!). 

Somewhere in transit from Cedar Hotel to the next destination, I stopped off at my friend Nicole's apartment so that I could keep my presents there. I grabbed a Magic Hat Wacko from Nicole's refrigerator. I just navigated the website and learned that Wacko is Magic Hat's summer beer. It's "a delicious summer beer with malty aroma, a subdued hop bite and a clean, slightly sweet finish." It's a very fun and creative website! I also liked the beer. Thanks for the Wacko, Nicole! 

After the stop at Nicole's, we met up with everybody at Houndstooth Saloon in Wrigleyville. We stayed there for the rest of the night.  

Goda, Irene, me, Nicole

Dan, Kate, me

Meredith, me, Andi, Nicole

Kate, Irene, me

Nicole and Meredith

Never dis the straw-beer combination until you try it!

Dan and Irene

Andi

Andi, me, Dan

Nicole and Meredith

Andi being silly!

When the night came to a close, a few of us headed down the street to Ian's Pizza. I find it almost impossible to go out in Wrigleyville without going to this place. I first discovered this joint when I visited friends at University of Wisconsin in Madison, and then it came to Chicago! They mostly serve pizza-by-the-slice, and their most popular pizza is the Mac N Cheese Pizza. It's mac and cheese on top of a pizza. Literally. It's also delicioso after a night on the town! Sorry about the shadow on the pizza. I can't edit it out without making the whole photo too bright. I'm sure that there is a way to do it, but I just don't know it.

Time to hit the books! I'll recap the rest of my birthday in the next few days!