Skip to main content

30 Day Writing Challenge #29 My21st B day

I am going to take some liberty with this one. Cause I don't remember my 21st birthday. My first thought is this challenge was written by an American and 21 is the big birthday like 18 is here in Alberta. I do however remember my 21st birthday quite well. For overall party it may be the most memorable birthday I have ever had! SO I am going to write about that day and hell that whole weekend.

I moved to Edmonton when I was 20. I moved in with two friends. (A couple. Never do that....) Anyways shortly before I turned 21 we went our own ways. I got an apartment just off 107 ave in Edmonton. If your from E town you know how lovely that place is! It was a shitty little one bedroom with paint peeling, a faulty lock and stove knobs that didn't work. I wont lie, I was a bit bummed out. The two of my oldest friends called. (Here is a side bar. They have been together for 17 years now. Married for 9. I introduced them when she was 17 and in high school with me and he was my boss and was 25.) They were going to come down for a few days over my birthday, so I booked a few days off and waited. They showed up way earlier than I expected. Like noonish to take me out for lunch! Let the party begin!  After a bite we went to the Continental treat looking for a friend who worked there but had no phone. He was off so we couldn't find him. So we went back to my apartment to chill and have afternoon drinks. Shortly people started to show, lets call the first couple black and white. Both goth types decent friends of mine but he was dressed in all black and her in all white. This was pointed out to me. Next came my old roommate. It was messed up they were still a couple BUT they wanted to live apart. So he came. Then she came and brought her two friends who had just flown in from the centre of the universe Toronto.  (Just kidding as much as I dislike most of the East I really liked these two) 9 people and my little apartment was feeling very small. Then another couple showed up from Grande Prairie. And one of the bartender I worked with came in. 12 people and it was time to go. Whyte Ave party capital of Edmonton.

I am lucky, my Birthday is June 29. Then next day is a work day and then the next day is Canada Day so it is a holiday. In 2001 June 29th was a Friday and Whyte was packed. I don't even remember how we found my missing friend from the Continental treat but he was drinking with us soon enough. Then randomly we ran into another Friend from GP and his girlfriend. By this time it was the biggest birthday I had ever had. We were hopping the pubs, I ain't one who was ever big on the loud dance bars. I want to say Sherlocks but maybe I am wrong anyways we went to place with picnic tables outside. There was another group there roughly the same size and I dunno if it was Grande Prairie does Edmonton night but it was more guys from our old school. So we became one big party! People I didn't even really like or know were buying my shots. Then my old roommate was an asshat. Don't ask me why he felt the need to walk down a picnic table and kick empties but he did. So of course he got thrown out. This was my oldest friend, so I pleaded let him back in. The bar said no. I made a promise if they didn't that every person would leave. They tried to call my bluff and they failed. We took every single person from that bar with us. They followed us down the street asking us to come back but we laughed and carried on. I don't even remember how we got home.... However when i woke the next day there was soooo much spilled booze on the counter we had to actually break a bottle to get it off.

The next day the celebrations carried on. First off everyone had a wake and bake. There was me my two old friends and the cook we couldn't find earlier that slept in my apartment. So after that we are sitting on my tiny patio when my "cute" neighbour cute herself. The cook heard her say that so he jumps from the patio with a band aid just so he could introduce himself. They were all going to hang out and I had tickets to a concert that day so my friend the bartender came and picked me up. I cant remember exactly what the concert was called, maybe bear fest? It was a bunch of smaller bands. I mean Matt Good was the headliner. But we spent the day in the sun drinking beer. Here is were things get fucky. Security comes and grabs my friend, for once she wasn't even doing anything stupid. You are wanted back stage he says. We get all excited BUT he says only her. After a quick talk I agreed hell she has the chance she might as well go. I heard the next day she slept with Matt Goods guitarist.

The final day of the party we cracked a 60 of crown royal shortly after breakfast. (Now a days a 60 for a day between 2 of us would be okay but back then it was like a for sure hammered day) It was just me and the old friends at this point and she clearly wasn't happy with our plan for the day. But we started it anyways. Slowly of course as the day progressed people came over. Our plan was for the river valley fire works at midnight. At one point we went to the 7/11 to get more pop. One of us was dumb and had a mickey in the pocket. So drama breaks out the store clerk thinks we are shop lifting until we showed him it was a mickey. Then he kicked us out but at least didn't call the cops. We did walk to the river valley. The fight between the old friends was getting worse. He might have showed his "twig and berries" to some people on a balcony he yelled at him to do it was he was a WEE bit tipsy. After the fireworks we went back to the apartment and she was mad. Like storm off to bed mad. So we walked over to a girl I was interested ins apartment. Honestly I was hoping for a hook up so bringing a side kick was a bad idea. After an hour or so he gets a call that she is going back to GP at like 3 in the mornings. So we run back to my place and yes she has left! So now being drunk he is devastated. Being drunk don't help at all. but of course she drives back they get all mushy and we go to bed.

Thats it my favorite birthday. My 20th, the three day party... I think I rested for a week after that!

Comments

Most Viewed Posts

Edmonton / Highway of Tears

This was going to be a small paragraph in a bigger random blog but it grew really fast and the fact is I thought it was rather interesting so it will be post of its own. I decided to add some of these womens names. I once heard a pod about Jack the Rippers victims, that humanized them. I think thats what should be done, why glorify freak shows and forget about the people who suffered because of them. Also I added a bit more as I was just going to, just quickly mention Edmonton but I think it is bigger than that. Also still cannot find a legit decent looking charity to donate to for MMIWG.... Msg me if you know one! IS there a serial killer in Edmonton? Or was there one active? On another long drive home I came across podcasts on EPS, which led to pods on what they called the Edmonton - Leduc murders. Which if you have been around Edmonton for awhile I know you have heard of. I just was unaware of the amount and length of time this had been going on. First thing though not all these mur...

Alberta Politics Pre 2019 election

Ahh that lovely time every few years when we see the worst in all people is upon us! That's right elections are coming! The brutal truth is both federally and provincially we are going to see shit get nasty. From both sides, let's not pretend anyone is innocent. This is all I am going to say on politics for awhile, at least until elections OR if something crazy happens. I really need to concentrate on actual writing. Not twitter bickering with people. So here is it my thoughts on the current federal and provincial politics. (Breaking this into 2 parts. This one is going to be just media and Alberta) First let's start with the sideliners. The media and the peanut gallery. Rebel Media OR Chicken little media. Whichever you want to call them is fine by me. It has been years now I was blocked for using common sense or not drinking the Kool-aid by Ezzie and the Rebel account. I can say I never dropped into name calling or anything like that with either, but I guess not believi...

Part 3 Addiction

So, I have stated first, we need the correct systems in place, and second, we need healthy citizens for a better society. One of the root problems in society, though, is addiction. A mental health problem that can lead to so much more. Family violence, crime, homelessness, job loss, and on and on. There is no cure for addiction. There is management, and there are many things we can do much better to help addicts and society. So, let's tackle this one next.  I like drinking! I like the taste of a good whiskey or red wine. Or the supposed "no taste" of good vodka. I like that little boost of confidence that tells me, hell ya, you can dance! Or the fact that, yes, after a long day, it does take an edge off. I have a ton of great memories of times when booze was around... The flip side of that is I'm not too fond of hangovers. I hate not knowing what happened the night before; I guess there is a term for this now: hangxiety. Some of my worst memories and things I hate abo...