The Best Birthday Ever!!!!!

...and it wasn't even mine!

Yesterday was my dear friend Stephanie's birthday. ("This is your birthday song, it isn't very long.") As God would have it, Steph's birthday fell on the exact night that the US Olympic Gymnastics team was in town performing a gymnastics show. So to celebrate her birthday (and to spare her husband having to claw his own eyes out with a spoon), LaDona and I went along.

First was dinner at the Spaghetti Factory. I have never been to a Spaghetti Factory before, but rest assured, I will be going back. Rotten apples would taste good once they dump their alfredo and marinara sauce on them. After two Pibb XXtras, we were feeling all sorts of wild and crazy (that's what middle aged Southern Baptists drink for a good time...) and we headed uptown for the gymnastics show.

We were a little late, and the people manning the "Will Call" booth on our side of the venue cut out early (or on time...whatever) so we hiked around the whole building, got our tickets, and rushed to our seats. We missed a little bit of the beginning performance, but the best was yet to come!!!!!

Not five minutes after we got there, they began to announce that Nastia Liukin was next to perform. This sent Steph and I into a tizzy because, well, Nastia IS the reigning Olympic all around champion! (When you stay up late at night to watch the Olympics, you start to feel personally invested in these poor people.) And then...all of the sudden...the most AMAZING thing happened!!!! A spot light shined right at the end of our row (we were a few seats in) and THERE WAS NASTIA LIUKIN!!!! Stephanie and I screamed hysterically (people my age - picture preteens at a New Kids on the Block concert) while LaDona rolled her eyes and Nastia looked like she might call security. But she was right THERE! Just feet from us! She headed down the stairs and performed a routine on the uneven bars, which of course ROCKED!

We also got to see Shawn Johnson (who is as darling in person as she was on TV) perform on the floor, beam, and uneven bars, and the men's team also performed. There was a live band and a young pop singer (who apparently is someone young people know - so we were completely lost on who she was...). We were thrilled to see this young pop star sporting one sequined glove - Michael Jackson is coming back in style! It was nothing short of totally awesome!

As we were leaving, we did notice that we were the only adults there without children, but we didn't care. Even though it wasn't my special day, it sure was the best birthday ever!

(Did I mention I was like three feet from the Olympic champion?????)