So I am now 25 and feel no different, surely because I am still under the fog of the last throes of this cold, and the cold medicine I am taking to fully bury this illness. But even now, typing this, I am beginning to feel the difference, or, at the least, to see the difference in typeface, and the attachments I had associated with certain numerals. 24 represented something different than 25. It seemed more young, obviously, but not in the same way that 23 does to 24, or 22 does to 23. This, because 25 is one of those nice round numbers like 50 or 75. So there should be introspection or a summing of the past quarter of a century, examining how I have lived my life, and how I would like to do so from now on. However, there is that cold medicine previously mentioned, which, while lovely, does not allow me to really carry thoughts beyond a sentence or two, that something new pops into my head, some song played over the loudspeaker in a store I am in, and whatever trails I was walking down become lost, shuffled up by leaves and wind and pop music - the giddy effects of Dayquil. And so I seek out new paths, new woods.

I woke up yesterday, had coffee, really strong, dark coffee. And that was the best birthday present, a thing I can (and usually do) give myself every morning. Then I went to work, came home, ate some soup, took a nap, ate some more Dayquil, and then headed into Manhattan. I was near the end of the line, and so, didn't get to see their whole set, but the staff at Other Music was really nice and let us end of line people switch off and all go in for a couple of songs, and so, with Solomon and Ben, saw Beirut, or didn't see them, saw the tops of heads and a tambourine being clapped up high, and heard Beirut play two songs. And that was nice, very nice, and very short, just what I needed and wanted. It allowed me to feel like I didn't lie in bed for my whole birthday with a box of tissues at my side. And from there, I headed home, picked up some greasy Chinese food, and watched episodes of Twin Peaks with Adele until I fell asleep.

And today, more coffee (yes!), more Dayquil (double yes!), and New Jersey (uh?).