Brandy / March 31, 2008 2:07 AM

A whole lot of nothing.

Oh, wait, I was at a pretty great conference, but didn't do anything birthday-like except dinner with my peeps in San Francisco.

I just didn't do my normal birthday celebration which is to plan *nothing* and wake up on my birthday and I follow my whims.

Zach / March 31, 2008 8:40 AM

I graded papers and ate a burrito by myself at Casa Nueva in Athens, Ohio.

printdude / March 31, 2008 8:54 AM

I recall my last birthday was in the year 2055, and I spent the day fishing with my nephew, after we had hotdogs at the Hilton Beach, which is where cloud gate used to be before Lake Michigan rose 20ft.
I couldn't believe my nephew had found a place that still sold hotdogs, since they were outlawed in 2040 with the "Great Nanny" law eliminating the food products deemed unhealthy for human consumption.

kaylee / March 31, 2008 9:00 AM

I finally had paid vacation, so I booked a trip to England. I ended up in London for my birthday, going to the Tower of London [what says "happy birthday" better than torture and death?], Camden Town, playing strip Scrabble with someone I've known online forever but had met face to face the week prior, and finally taking myself out to a nice Georgian restaurant.

Definitely a better birthday than last year, even if I was insanely self-conscious during the game of Scrabble. [I won, though. Thank heaven.]

Carlotta / March 31, 2008 9:21 AM

I was bummed out about a lot of things and couldn't get my act together to do anything. But my ex-boyfriend was kind enough to take me to a local diner where we enjoyed a good bottle of BYO wine with dinner.

Mindy / March 31, 2008 9:30 AM

dinner with friends

greg / March 31, 2008 9:34 AM

Winning the pub quiz!

Pedro / March 31, 2008 9:41 AM

Deeply in love with a 24oz porterhouse

kelly / March 31, 2008 9:52 AM

Live Bank Karaoke. It's sort of become a tradition for the past 3 yrs.

kate / March 31, 2008 9:55 AM

Where I find myself every birthday - at a superfun party thrown by me at a bar with a couple bands, surrounded by my friends.

My birthday's in February... a lot of people have gone into hibernation mode by then, so I try to give them an extra fun reason to get out of the house.

Carrie / March 31, 2008 9:55 AM

the usual-- at a favorite bar, with friends. Wore a blow up snake that my mom sent to my sister to give to me. Ssssssnakey was left at the bar, at little sad about that. Kept to my "need to be done by midnight so I can function at work in the morning" rule. My birthday is on a Friday this year... I think I'll take the day off and go to a Cubs game or get a massage or something fun to start a 3 day weekend.

j / March 31, 2008 10:10 AM

dinner at Crust with friends

drinks and ping pong at Happy Village

late night booty from surprise out of town guest!

steven / March 31, 2008 10:11 AM

Dinner and drinks.

Spook / March 31, 2008 10:13 AM

another kind ex b-day story

My last birthday was special for a number of reasons, so when I said that I wanted to get out of dodge, I was talking about really getting the f*ck out of dodge!

So when my dive watch struck midnight on my B day, I was
40 feet under water in the Mona Passage, northeastern Caribbean Sea. I'm glade my now ex was cool enough to make the trip with me even though we both understood that we as a couple had run aground for good.

She wouldn’t do the dive though, saying that if I wanted to be shark bate for my birthday “have at it”. Sharks feed at night.

It was a great trip and the best time we had together in months.

I think there is something liberating and spiritual about doing a deep night dive on your birth day. Kind of like saying “howd0?” to death on your own terms, as much as said terms exists

Staci / March 31, 2008 10:21 AM

A group of my friends and I went to Indianapolis for the Indy 500 time trials. We got a lot of sun and ended the evening at a semi scary country/hip hop bar. It was great.

Jasmine / March 31, 2008 10:30 AM

My last birthday was yesterday, so not hard to remember.

Went to a co-worker's bridal shower. Came home in the afternoon, and did nothing.

The day before, I got taken out for brunch at Over Easy, and dinner at Erwin's.

gemma / March 31, 2008 11:38 AM

With my lovely boyfriend, dinner at the May Street Cafe and tickets to see the Boss!

Leelah / March 31, 2008 11:53 AM

I love my birthday more than anyone I know!! This year it's 8/8/08, and I'll be 38! I like to think all of those Michael Phelps Olympic commercials are for me (The screen at the end announces 8/8/08.)

I throw myself a party every year at Diversey Rock-n-Bowl, but this year, I contracted something like the plague. I ended up cancelling two days before the big day and just going to dinner with 5 friends.

This year it's going to be huge... but I'm considering something different.

miss ellen / March 31, 2008 12:38 PM

kaze sushi
ice cream at sweet treats (now closed, i believe, RIP)
drinks at waterhouse

ride home on friend's motorcycle (1st time ever)

all in all, a great 30th bday on my golden birthday. probably all downhill from there ;-)

jen / March 31, 2008 12:49 PM

aah yes, the ONE day last september that i didn't have to work (and even then got a call from an attorney at brunch - nice!)

dinner at ignotz with a large-ish group of friends. doesn't matter what i do ever, as long as i'm with friends.

annie / March 31, 2008 1:38 PM

Usually, I opt for nothing, but this past January I got married in Jamaica and we didn't invite anyone, so when we returned we threw a party for friends at Schubas and it happened to be the night before my birthday, so at midnight, it became my birthday party. It was a lot of fun and I got pretty tipsy. Next year, back to usual, dinner and laying low.

spence / March 31, 2008 3:45 PM

I had a backyard bbq-party w/ family and friends. Good times.

Meems / March 31, 2008 7:02 PM

I was in San Diego. Went bowling with some friends and then on my actual birthday we went to this restaurant called Turf Club. They give you a steak and you cook it yourself on this communal grill. It's really fun and cheap and the drinks are stiff.

Raschanda / April 1, 2008 8:38 AM

I'm a sports buff so my boyfriend took me horseback riding, to a batting cage and go cart track. I had a blast an massage the next day which I totally needed.

Blofeld / April 1, 2008 9:36 AM

Twenty-four hours of remorse, regret and reflection on missed opportunities. Oh, and scored a few free drinks.

jennifer / April 1, 2008 11:33 AM

I was in rwanda. being on a budget, I splurged on the most decadent chocolately ice cream that I could find. (happens to be at the cafe/market near the soon-to-be-former U.S. embassy in kigali.) the day before, I went on a drive through akagera park and saw lots of animals. hours in a van with dozens of flies buzzing about was not great, but the animals, flora, and fauna were!

Val / April 1, 2008 11:48 AM

FT. Lauderdale. With four of my closest girl friends... a weekend that will live in infamy.

Brian / April 1, 2008 11:58 AM

Last year's birthday was spent working a 16 hour day. Hopefully that won't be repeated this year.

Loadzone / April 1, 2008 12:02 PM

I was at my HS Class 10 Year reunion...pretending that it wasn't my birthday...and that I was happy to be there.

Is there a better way to commemorate getting older by spending most of the night at a glorified lunch hour?

No. Not my ideal way to spend a birthday. Would have been nice to be around actual friends.

pat / April 1, 2008 7:51 PM

In a nursing home... Visiting. Though I'd been visiting so much, I was beginning to feel like a resident. But my better half and my sister arranged a little surprise party with a handful of friends in my mom's room at "the villa" as we lovingly referred to it. We ended up going out for pizza too. It was understated, but pretty fantastic all the same.