"She's Got A Way" - Billy Joel
I didn't know what to expect this year. I've grown accustomed to having a certain someone by my side for so long that I felt a bit unprepared to reach a new age on my own. I almost chose to work and to let the days of June pass me by. This would've been so unlike me. I just felt guilty for wanting to "celebrate" when it's been such a tough road to take these last several months. I'm not a planner nor do I care much for being older with nothing more to show for it then a few more wrinkles. It wasn't until my beautiful baby sis watched Bobby Flay's brunch special on the Food Network that I finally changed my mind. Chef Flay specializes in American Southwestern cuisine and is known for making culinary works of art out of the simplest ingredients. She was watching him make colorful salads, delicious Hors d'œuvres and Sangria when it hit her!
"I'm going to throw you a birthday brunch!" she said with excitement.
"Really, where?" I asked.
"Um...here, at the house. Ya know, outside on the yard." she said with a hint of sarcasm.
I scratched my head and asked, "How?"
Our place isn't exactly huge. We don't actually have a backyard since our yard wraps around the side of the house. The porch is fairly small so we've never used that area to host a party. Ever.
"Sigh, you have no imagination. Leave it up to me. It'll be perfect," she said with more enthusiasm.
"Oh, and I'll cook," she added.
I trust my sis with everything, but this whole plan was definitely reaching for the stars. Not only has it never been done before, but she's not exactly known for being a whiz in the kitchen. However, she always finds a way to amaze me so I gave her the green light and away she went! I invited a small group of friends; some old and a few new. This wasn't going to be a BIG bash, just an intimate gathering of people that I've grown to love. This would be the first time no best friends and no boyfriends (exes included) would be on the guest list. It was a little hard to accept, but it is what it is. Weeks were winding down. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what else I should do since all I was told to do was to bring the people and my sis would do the rest. It's the only time I can ever be completely worry-free. So, I put in a day's vacation and worked on a weekend to get an extra day off. This would give me 4 whole days for just me.
I woke up the morning of my actual birthday pretty early. The weather was cool so I opened the window to welcome it in. I had a whole day of nothingness to enjoy and surprisingly, I didn't mind it one bit. I guess you could say it was perfect timing. There were no distractions when I received a call around 11:30A and for a little over 2-hours, I talked more with you than we probably ever did the last 2 years, didn't we? It was what I've missed from you and what I've always wanted to get back every year after 2005... I can't remember all that was said, only that most of it had to be said. It was worth hearing it from you. I wish you could've said this to others who deserve to hear it too. It's never too late to "fix" a mistake... Although it resets the counter of how many days passed since we last spoke, I'm glad I answered this "restricted" number. Something inside me told me to and it was definitely about time. I'm not exactly sure where this leaves us, but I guess with all that's happened you can't really predict what the future holds...just that there is one ahead somewhere.
Later in the evening, my sisters took me to Crustaceans. I'm not a seafood kinda gal, but I've always wanted to try this place since it's owned by 5-generations of Asian women. It was featured on TV a while ago with its Koi pond walkway and magnificent crab dishes. It can cost a pretty penny, but fortunately for me my amazing sisters felt I was worth every cent. The next day, I spent another glorious time with them over Nordstrom's coffee while strolling around the shopping center. It was there that I found the best last-minute dress ever for my brunch (and I wasn't even looking). After building up an appetite, our family-bonding continued at good ol' reliable Spring Garden (the Mandarin restaurant of champions). I needed a full stomach to handle the rest of what was in store for me.
A few hours later, I found myself up on the hilltops of Montebello, dancing the night away with a couple of drunk friends. Lesson #1: When a friend passes out inside the club and the other, outside in the parking lot next to your car...you know, the night is definitely winding down. The ol' me would've screamed bloody murder especially since it was my birthday and my car we rode in. Lesson #2: Putting 2 hot messes in a small confined space without any baggies is definitely a risk. But...it was a risk I had to take. Luckily, it was just an interesting ride full of slurs from people with too much alcohol in their system! Lesson #3: Taking friends home safely even if they needed to "release" a bit in the street or walk on all fours up the stairway to get there, proved to me that friendships are valuable and being a great friend can make great friends along the way.
Finally, the day that I've been waiting for came around: Brunch day and all I have to say is it was the perfection my sis promised and more. A total of 12 close friends sat around a beautifully decorated tent filled with flowers, wine (yes, wine!), and individualized plate settings. We went around in a circle as each of them shared a special story of how we became friends and in their own special way, they made me feel just as perfect as this day; just as genuine as this song...So with this, I thank you, all of you. Thank you to my family for taking the time, care, and effort to celebrate with me as you do every year. Thank you to my friends for loving me as a true friend and for teaching me how to be a better friend in return. Thank you for the support, the laughs, the reassurance, and the tolerance of dealing with me, especially this last year. It's my wish to gain this love back enough to give it back, tenfold.
Lyrics:
She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her
She's got a way of pleasin'
I don't know what it is
But there doesn't have to be a reason anyway
She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way of talkin'
I don't know why it is
But it lifts me up when we are walkin' anywhere
She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around
She's got a way of showin'
How I make her feel
And I find the strength to keep on goin'
She's got a light around her
And ev'rywhere she goes
A million dreams of love surround her
ev'rywhere
She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around
She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her anyway
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/shesgotaway.html
http://hotcelebrity.name/2009/01/21/black-and-white-photo-actor-billy-joel/
I didn't know what to expect this year. I've grown accustomed to having a certain someone by my side for so long that I felt a bit unprepared to reach a new age on my own. I almost chose to work and to let the days of June pass me by. This would've been so unlike me. I just felt guilty for wanting to "celebrate" when it's been such a tough road to take these last several months. I'm not a planner nor do I care much for being older with nothing more to show for it then a few more wrinkles. It wasn't until my beautiful baby sis watched Bobby Flay's brunch special on the Food Network that I finally changed my mind. Chef Flay specializes in American Southwestern cuisine and is known for making culinary works of art out of the simplest ingredients. She was watching him make colorful salads, delicious Hors d'œuvres and Sangria when it hit her!
"I'm going to throw you a birthday brunch!" she said with excitement.
"Really, where?" I asked.
"Um...here, at the house. Ya know, outside on the yard." she said with a hint of sarcasm.
I scratched my head and asked, "How?"
Our place isn't exactly huge. We don't actually have a backyard since our yard wraps around the side of the house. The porch is fairly small so we've never used that area to host a party. Ever.
"Sigh, you have no imagination. Leave it up to me. It'll be perfect," she said with more enthusiasm.
"Oh, and I'll cook," she added.
I trust my sis with everything, but this whole plan was definitely reaching for the stars. Not only has it never been done before, but she's not exactly known for being a whiz in the kitchen. However, she always finds a way to amaze me so I gave her the green light and away she went! I invited a small group of friends; some old and a few new. This wasn't going to be a BIG bash, just an intimate gathering of people that I've grown to love. This would be the first time no best friends and no boyfriends (exes included) would be on the guest list. It was a little hard to accept, but it is what it is. Weeks were winding down. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what else I should do since all I was told to do was to bring the people and my sis would do the rest. It's the only time I can ever be completely worry-free. So, I put in a day's vacation and worked on a weekend to get an extra day off. This would give me 4 whole days for just me.
I woke up the morning of my actual birthday pretty early. The weather was cool so I opened the window to welcome it in. I had a whole day of nothingness to enjoy and surprisingly, I didn't mind it one bit. I guess you could say it was perfect timing. There were no distractions when I received a call around 11:30A and for a little over 2-hours, I talked more with you than we probably ever did the last 2 years, didn't we? It was what I've missed from you and what I've always wanted to get back every year after 2005... I can't remember all that was said, only that most of it had to be said. It was worth hearing it from you. I wish you could've said this to others who deserve to hear it too. It's never too late to "fix" a mistake... Although it resets the counter of how many days passed since we last spoke, I'm glad I answered this "restricted" number. Something inside me told me to and it was definitely about time. I'm not exactly sure where this leaves us, but I guess with all that's happened you can't really predict what the future holds...just that there is one ahead somewhere.
Later in the evening, my sisters took me to Crustaceans. I'm not a seafood kinda gal, but I've always wanted to try this place since it's owned by 5-generations of Asian women. It was featured on TV a while ago with its Koi pond walkway and magnificent crab dishes. It can cost a pretty penny, but fortunately for me my amazing sisters felt I was worth every cent. The next day, I spent another glorious time with them over Nordstrom's coffee while strolling around the shopping center. It was there that I found the best last-minute dress ever for my brunch (and I wasn't even looking). After building up an appetite, our family-bonding continued at good ol' reliable Spring Garden (the Mandarin restaurant of champions). I needed a full stomach to handle the rest of what was in store for me.
A few hours later, I found myself up on the hilltops of Montebello, dancing the night away with a couple of drunk friends. Lesson #1: When a friend passes out inside the club and the other, outside in the parking lot next to your car...you know, the night is definitely winding down. The ol' me would've screamed bloody murder especially since it was my birthday and my car we rode in. Lesson #2: Putting 2 hot messes in a small confined space without any baggies is definitely a risk. But...it was a risk I had to take. Luckily, it was just an interesting ride full of slurs from people with too much alcohol in their system! Lesson #3: Taking friends home safely even if they needed to "release" a bit in the street or walk on all fours up the stairway to get there, proved to me that friendships are valuable and being a great friend can make great friends along the way.
Finally, the day that I've been waiting for came around: Brunch day and all I have to say is it was the perfection my sis promised and more. A total of 12 close friends sat around a beautifully decorated tent filled with flowers, wine (yes, wine!), and individualized plate settings. We went around in a circle as each of them shared a special story of how we became friends and in their own special way, they made me feel just as perfect as this day; just as genuine as this song...So with this, I thank you, all of you. Thank you to my family for taking the time, care, and effort to celebrate with me as you do every year. Thank you to my friends for loving me as a true friend and for teaching me how to be a better friend in return. Thank you for the support, the laughs, the reassurance, and the tolerance of dealing with me, especially this last year. It's my wish to gain this love back enough to give it back, tenfold.
Lyrics:She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her
She's got a way of pleasin'
I don't know what it is
But there doesn't have to be a reason anyway
She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way of talkin'
I don't know why it is
But it lifts me up when we are walkin' anywhere
She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around
She's got a way of showin'
How I make her feel
And I find the strength to keep on goin'
She's got a light around her
And ev'rywhere she goes
A million dreams of love surround her
ev'rywhere
She comes to me when I'm feelin' down
Inspires me without a sound
She touches me and I get turned around
She's got a smile that heals me
I don't know why it is
But I have to laugh when she reveals me
She's got a way about her
I don't know what it is
But I know that I can't live without her anyway
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/shesgotaway.html
http://hotcelebrity.name/2009/01/21/black-and-white-photo-actor-billy-joel/
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