Get this party started

This weekend was one of the best weekends I've had in quite a while. Considering that it began on Thursday night and was full of adventure, that isn't surprising. Brian's birthday was Friday, so we started the celebration with a trip to Bar Room for college ID night. That was actually a bad idea from my perspective, because college ID night anywhere is little more than a sex-soaked cesspool of skanks and this was no exception. Fortunately, DJ EV made up for it with some great music and a midnight shout-out to Brian thanks to the wonders of Twitter (@DJEV).

After the bar we headed to Steak 'n' Shake for a 3 am snack. Of course, it was the night that they had a kitchen staffer walk out and the single server was trying to move around to four different large tables while making shakes and helping out. Poor guy. It worked out in our favor, though, because the manager comped our entire meal for being chill about the 30-minute wait. Lesson learned: always be nice to your wait staff.

Friday, we went to see Iron Man 2 (not bad, but I wouldn't pay full price for it except to lust after Robert Downey Jr.), then we met Brian's parents at Quaker Steak for birthday wings and cake. (By the by -- wherever that cake came from, it was delicious.) Of course, no birthday is complete without a party, so after dinner we went back to Brian's to start an epic night of beer pong and outrageousness. Two of Mentor on the Lake's most bored finest showed up sometime between 11 and midnight because the new neighbors suffer from a terrible case of double standards, among other things; fortunately, they were understanding and let the guys off with a warning. Such was not the case with one of the party-goers later, but that's not my story to tell.

The highest point of my weekend was going to OWU for commencement. I started OWU with the class of 2010, so watching them graduate was a moment of pride and also momentary sadness, because it marked the true end of an era for me. Still, it was also a great time to reconnect with my sisters and other friends from campus, and I can't overstate the importance for me of going home to Delta Zeta every once in awhile.

It was really an eye-opening weekend for Brian and me in terms of our relationship and where we are going. I think we each have a better understanding of ourselves and each other now, and we can look ahead to our life together with excitement and, for me, gratitude for being with somebody so perfectly suited to me. My heart fluttered when we talked about little things like giving our children easy to pronounce names so they don't get butchered at commencement, or what kind of house we're going to have one day. The best moment was when we had lunch at Taco Bell; Brian grabbed a packet of hot sauce for me without looking at it on his way to the table, and when he tossed it down it read "Will you marry me?" It was a priceless moment, and now at least I know he can't use that for an actual proposal. :)

I also realized something that I shared with Brian on the drive home. Though we may not see eye to eye on everything, and we may each feel possessive of him in our own way, Brian's friends and I are tied together with the blessing of having him in our lives. I'm so happy to see the strength of his friendships now, and to know that he has others in his life who love him as completely and unconditionally as I do. And I love his friends for that too; after all, if they are deserving of his love, they are more than deserving of mine too.

This weekend was amazing, for so many reasons. Now, I want to keep the energy going -- I can't wait to jump into what happens next.