Ramblings of a 25 Year Old

I went to a wedding this past weekend on Block Island. I ordered a drink at the bar. I was carded. In response, I say "I'm 25. I don't have my ID, I didn't realize I had to bring it to a wedding, and I try to put as little as possible into my adorable clutch." I get a cold, not amused look from the bartender. I turn to my Dad, who happens to be standing next to me. I say "Dad, tell her I'm 25, tell her my date of birth." I see the wheels actually turning in his head as he thinks of anything to say other than my age. My Dad then says "Sue, where's your stuffed animal?" I love being 25, people finally take me seriously.

I think I might have grown up to be a foodie. Here's my evidence: (1) I spend A LOT of time on www.menupages.com, thinking of where to go, and where to recommend to others to go (2) I think about lunch during breakfast and dinner during lunch (3) I managed to have 6, count them 6, free meals for my birthday - 2 with the fam, 2 with work peops, and 2 friends took me out. I'm a foodie and I love to eat out in NYC - the cat's out of the bag. Except not an actual cat, I hate cats, I put any actual cats back in the their bags.

I believe I might be getting too old to watch shows on MTV. It makes me feel weird that I'm considerably older than the cast members. But I'd like to point out that I think it's perfectly acceptable - and mature - for me to still love Justin Timberlake, for he is my age. He is my peer. And after all, he is bringing sexy back.

I wonder if it's a coincidence - or a subconscious moral imperative - that I've only ever dated boys who are Mets fans. Growing up, I was a huge Mets fan. Currently I'm not really an active fan of any baseball team, but I still think there is something special about guys who root for the Mets. Here's my (arguably unsound) theory: To be a Yankees fan is obvious, it's easy, in the sense that they don't really know defeat or what it's like to be an underdog. So maybe being a Mets fan makes boys kinder, more patient even, perhaps they have a more realistic view of reality and competition. I could definitely be overstating this, but I think it's a heck of a pattern that out of all the NY-based boys I've dated, every single one was a Mets fan. Then again, this is coming from the girl who, according to a short story written in 3rd grade, was slated by age 25 to be married to Doc Gooden and have 10 kids. So I've got some catching up to do. And some trips to visiting hours at rehab to make.

To usher in the arrival of the quarter-century mark, I am renting a car in Los Angeles on my next business trip. This will be my first time renting a car and my first time driving in LA. I am hoping, praying, that I get a car equipped with "Never Lost" because I think that will be a tremendous help AND because whenever I say "Never Lost" I think of "Never Nude" from Arrested Development and I laugh. My goals for driving in LA are: to make the Streetwise Los Angeles map my bitch, to not be late for meetings, to not call my Mom for directions more than once a day, to get In-N-Out Burger drive-thru, and to not cry. But you know, I'm 25 now, so I should be more positive, and have faith, both in myself, and other Los Angeles commuters. I mean, it's not like LA is filled with drunk people behind the wheel who could swerve at me at any moment (double shout out Mel "Crazy" Gibson and Haley Joel Osment).