The Road to 40 Day 86/365: Early birthday brunchner

On this day, we celebrated Che’s birthday with family and friends.

We were going to have a 5-course brunch, so we all agreed that we were not going to eat a lot to have space for this meal.

There was a dress code of smart casual, and you know you invited the right people when the boys show up with the same idea of what “smart” is. Of course, the girls know how to fix themselves up.

Food was excellent, and just about all the adults went for unlimited cocktails so the fun started early. After the mains have been served, I asked Ten to get the cake ready.

When Ten asked for the type of cake she should make for Che, I had an easy answer – Luisa from Encanto.

The character resonated with Che so much when we watched it, and the song “Surface Pressure” only added to it. Che has done so much for her family – a role she embraced even before she started working.

She has always wanted a good life for everyone, especially her parents, so she works extra hard to support two families at least. But sometimes, this burden bears so much weight on her shoulders. She will never show it, but she is only human.

Nevertheless, she shrugs it off and carries on because of that determination to help make her family live comfortably, including me and Vino.

As for flavor, salted caramel is something that she always gravitates to when she sees it. We also decided to have a vanilla base so that the flavor pops more.

While she saw that Ten brought cake (I thought I was able to hide it), she had no idea what the cake was about. We’re happy that she appreciated it.

We headed over to Pink’s after Uma Nota for some more drinks. This was the second time that Che’s sisters and our friend group came together. The last time this happened, we had a karaoke machine in Privilegio for a lunch that ended at 2am. This was giving that kind of vibe once again.

From the normal dining place at Pink’s, we moved to the speakeasy part of the restaurant, which was a cool surprise.

At this age, I feel like I can still hold my liquor, and while I feel drunk already, I still knew what I’m doing in the moment. I know we had a lot of fun, a lot of singing, and a lot of stories. I had sidebars, hugs, and laughs throughout the day.

When we got back home, I know I took Kali and Arianne’s kids down to the lobby where they drove by to pick them up. I know I slapped Kali for still not knowing how to drive, but said our thanks to each other as they left.

Once I got back up, I tried to finish some of the dimsum that was left before brushing my teeth and crashing on the bed.

However, there are blank pockets of memory when I woke up. I had to check if I brought my bag home, and I kind of stare blankly into nothing as I try to recall the things that happened the day before.

The important thing was despite all that alcohol, I didn’t do much to embarrass myself last night, save for maybe that hard slap on Kali. Some might argue that the dancing and the singing are not something to be proud of, but there weren’t a lot of people where we were, so it was all good fun.

Che had a good time, and while it may have been a bit tiring and full, it was nice to see her laugh and let herself have fun for this day of celebrating her. 

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