For my 15th birthday, I made a very specific request of my mother. I asked her to make schnitzel for my birthday dinner. I had lived in Germany as a child, and absolutely fell in love with the food. This was my favorite thing to eat when I was a seven or eight year old kid, and I never really grew out of that. I invited my close friend over to dinner, and it was probably a good thing that her diet was more aligned with the Catholic side of her parentage, and not the Jewish. I wasn't terribly aware of dietary restrictions in those days, or didn't give it sufficient weight or respect. I was so happy for that dinner, and then I barely made it through the meal. I came down with a horrible case of bronchitis that night, and it was the last real meal I ate for a week. It was good though.
Today was my birthday. Two weeks ago, we threw a surprise shindig for our neighbor, and spent tons of money on decorations and presents. I didn't want to assume that our circle was up for doing that again, so soon after the last event. I also didn't want to be disappointed if they decided the same thing I had. I took matters into my own hands, and requested that our normal D&D night be held here instead of at the condo clubhouse of the guy who plays our druid. I decided I would cook a big German meal from scratch, one that I could verify would be safe for my ridiculously strict dietary needs. I dredged the pork cutlets in garbanzo flour, egg wash, and corn meal, and fried them in corn oil. I made cassava and garbanzo spaetzle (egg noodles). I made rotkohl, the sweet red cabbage that often has a tablespoon of wheat thrown in for No Damn Reason At All. And I had been craving spice cake for weeks, and last week I bought a mix on a whim, and saved it for today. (Maybe someday I'll actually seek endorsements to name-drop specific products, but I never have yet. This cake mix was from Natural Grocers, a chain once called Vitamin Cottage. I don't know whether the mix is a commonly available brand, but I wasn't familiar with it. The brand was Namaste, and it was fantastic. I added shredded carrots and golden raisins, and made my own cream cheese butter cream frosting. Heaven.) I don't know whether they were humoring me for the day, but everyone around the table sure sounded sincere when they said the food was amazing. I know my plate was good.
I need to make the post that most people make on Facebook, and thank everyone who wrote me. I heard from a ton of people, from those I've known only this calendar year, all the way to those who have known me since I was a very little kid. Some names that came out of the woodwork really made me smile. I am awkward with presents, giving and receiving, but what I always ask for every year is attention. Positive attention. Kindness. I got it.
This isn't to say I got nothing tangible tonight. My foster daughter gave me Harry Potter candies as a place holder for something she has in the works that wasn't ready. My neighbor thought my birthday was in late summer (because last year for my party it was so ridiculously warm), and had some Doctor Who goodies waiting months for me. My mother got me housewares that we put to use with dinner. And my daughter knew that I was quite taken with some artwork on the internet that we had trouble locating for sale. She did her own version of it, but instead of famous fictional heroines (like General Leia or Mulan), she did a portrait of me. It's very special, and I will put it on the wall tomorrow.
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