Unless you're going to be in New York on Saturday for my birthday party.

Y'all, I've never thrown a party for myself, and I haven't had a bowling birthday party since I was ten. I'm a little nervous about my ability to be the kickass hostess.

-- Anonymous, August 10, 2001

Answers

Is that Saturday as in today? Because you'd get a lot better attendence if you let us know in advance.

I'm just sayin'!

Happy Birthday! Bowling rules.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Saturday today? Or Saturday as in the day that is also my birthday?

You can totally throw yourself a birthday party - why not? Can you bring drinks to the bowling alley? If so, you could get a cooler with ice and some two-liter soft drinks, and have some beer, too. Or, you could work out a deal with the concession guy where he'll give your friends a break on their adult beverages.

Happy birthday!

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Don't forget your tiara. Or at least a Burger King Crown decorated with rhinestones.

Happy Birthday, WG!

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Happiest Birthday, WG! May this be the best.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Bowling is kickin fun! You'll have a great time! just relax and enjoy yourself. Hope its the best!

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

It's this coming Saturday, the 18th. (My birthday is the 22nd.)

T, you would love BowlMor. Not only do they have drinks, but pretty good food as well -- tomato- basil personal pizzas, veggie wraps, etc. in addition to burgers and wings. And they have cute little bowling animations.

So now all I have to work on is convincing people to come to the Korean film festival with me after we've bowled ourselves over, so to speak . . .

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Happy Birthday! A tiara is a must.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

My uncle is coming!

Most of you might say, "Yeah, duh," but this is the uncle who's so busy with work that I've seen him once in the nine months I've lived here, and that was for his father's funeral.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Okay, so this could be a great party, or it could be awful. And it's all up to me.

I knew my uncle's birthday was soon, but didn't realize it was today. As in, the day before. So now half the attendants are my relatives, with the other half a motley assortment of college friends and co-workers. A lot of people going to each other, "So, how do you know [WriterGirl]?"

I don't have a cake. My thought this moring was to buy a bunch of candles and lead everyone down to Uncle Louie G's, maker of the most awesome ice cream in New York, for waffles and ice cream and just stuck a bunch of candles into the waffles. But nobody, including the Uncle Louie G's website, wants to tell me if there's an Uncle Louie G's closer to BowlMor than 1st and 1st (which is to say, not close). And is that tacky? I don't know. I thought it might be better because (a) everyone can choose whether or not to have ice cream and how much ice cream to have, (b) everyone gets candles so my uncle doesn't feel self-conscious about having 54 candles on his cake, (c) I'm not stuck with the cost of the cake. Is that tacky? Should I go find a cake? I need some birthday etiquette.

And how do I figure out who bowls with whom?

And what if my arm isn't healed in time for bowling (looking unlikely)?

Ack, the pre-party jitters.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001

I should add, though, that I will make an early stop tomorrow at Ricky's for my tiara and party favors.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2001