Birthday Bliss

If you don't recognize the picture above, you haven't celebrated a birthday in downtown Madison, WI. You are looking at a picture of the Nitty Gritty, aka "The Birthday Bar", which, in my personal opinion, is famous for two things: 1) the fact that they give you free soda or beer on your birthday and 2) the fact that they are open to and encourage LARGE parties. It's important to note that two freshman dorms are within two blocks of this eating establishment, one of which (the one I lived in), is right across the street. The scene above captures two celebratory parties at the Nitty Gritty, each consisting of 25 to 30 people, roughly one wing of their floors in the dorm. 12 years ago, I had a Nitty Gritty birthday party with 25 to 30 people from my dorm floor. 12 years ago my friends and I waited at the front door until every last person showed up, because they won't seat you until your party is complete. 12 years ago, they announced the 15 or so fellow birthday go-ers' names over the loud speaker and when they got to mine, my table erupted in cheers (as is Gritty tradition). 12 years ago there was a name that only had one or two cheerers and I felt sorry for them. This year I went to celebrate my birthday at the Gritty with my husband and my son. This year when my name was announced over the loud speaker, I had only one cheerer, myself, with an accompanying whistler, my husband, and a wide-eyed son who was so in shock at the noise erupting throughout the restaurant that he couldn't make a peep. I have such fond memories of my college days and I truly did appreciate the big Gritty party, but there is no doubt in my mind that this was by far my BEST GRITTY BIRTHDAY EVER. Married to the loudest whistler I know, and accompanied by the most appreciative free-birthday-ice-cream-eater I know (picture below), I learned tonight that I will NEVER feel sorry for a table with single digit cheerers again; being with the people you love shouts frequencies and decibels only heard in the heart.