Celebration Time (Come On)!

Birthday partying by the light of the river and between red rocks. Plus, Lea Michele, floppy discs, and more!

Sep 08, 2023

It wasn’t a big birthday, really. (What even is a “big” birthday?) And yet, I honored it as if it was. It may sound cheesy—and I get made fun of for this year after year—but I tend to “make a big thing” out of my birthday. Or anyone’s for that matter! (But OK, mostly mine.) It’s a celebration of life! And while I do adhere to making the most of life daily, there’s nothing like an excuse to live it up. And this year I did—both with a planned celebration in the States and then, unbeknownst to me, a surprise one back in Paris.

First, the planned one: I managed to convince one of my best friends from High School to go to Colorado to see one of our favorite bands (My Morning Jacket) play at the ultimate concert venue (Red Rocks) on my actual birthday (August 25). To my surprise, it was an easy sell and despite some self-imposed anxiety on my part (because obviously) the weekend truly went off without a hitch. No missed alarms at 4a.m. No airline delays or cancelations. No rental car issues. No Airbnb drama. Not even any bickering between the two of us who have known each other since teendom.

The only hiccup was that we had some unexpected rain for the entire first day, which also happened to be my actual birthday—and the day of the outdoor show. (Honestly, I can’t remember the last time it rained on my birthday. It’s August for heaven’s sake!) Still, we paid it no mind and had such a fun, full day that started with brunch in Denver, followed by a visit to the immersive art installation Meow Wolf, ending with an epic jam session in the misty mountain air with our man Jim James and co. The next two days also included a hike, another concert (this time featuring sun and guest stars), and tubing down a freshwater creek in the charming town of Golden.

Fast forward a week and I’m back in Paris, fighting jetlag and an unexpected heat wave when two friends suggested a somewhat questionable picnic in the Tuileries, a park I rarely venture to without a visitor/tourist. While walking along the Quai, an open bottle of wine in tow, I suddenly see a boat idling at a private dock where some of my other dearest friends are awaiting my arrival for an evening cruise on the Seine!

Usually, I am the one to organize such an outing—and in years past it’s been a DIY electric bumper boat ride on the Bassin de la Villette where one of us plays Captain— but I took a step back this year, and, to my delight, my friends grabbed the wheel and organized something even better. All I had to do was show up! They even brought my favorite dessert (choux from boulangerie Mamiche) and sang to me as we approached the Eiffel Tower. Between the heat, the surprise, and the sights around us all lit up, it was a surreal few hours that I’ll never forget. While I’m usually eager to move on with the year sans fanfare once my actual day of birth passes, this was such a memorable and moving gesture—hence it getting even more recognition now here with you.

So! Birthday or just any ’ole day, I hope you’re living your best lives out there with the people you love, and who love you. Between two giant monoliths. On a storied river. Or at home wherever that may be. And, if it’s over 90 degrees, I also hope you have AC, fans, and ice cream to keep you cool while you’re at it. Bon week-end. xx — Sara

Clickable

Should le street food in Paris be a Thing? | Saveur
There are Swifties in prison, too. | The New Yorker
“All I breathe is Pumpkin Spice!” | TueNight
The Internet gives us fake Karens. Why tho? | Rolling Stone
Optimism will always endure at Margaritaville. | Slate
It’s back to school time. Make a syllabus! | Quartz
Behold: the CVS soundtrack. | The Paris Review

Watchable

In light of Lea Michele’s absence from the Funny Girl matinee my mother and I saw during her last week in the role, I went down a rabbit hole of her performances to see what I missed. (Torturous, I know. Why am I like this???) As much as we both still loved the show, and had an incredible day together in the city, it was a bummer not to see Michele. We’d purposely bought not inexpensive tickets to see her, and I was especially intrigued given all the drama around her connection to the role and this revival of the show. Funnily (!) enough, I’ve actually seen her perform on Broadway before: in Spring Awakening when she was not yet “somebody to see.” But after watching her in Glee, you can see she sings “Don’t Rain on My Parade” with the utmost gusto and gumption. Those pipes! Honestly, until this performance, I’d only known the song vaguely because it was part of my Bat Mitzvah tape’s opening montage/medley. (My theme was Broadway Musicals, naturally). Anyway, all hail the understudy Julie Benko who was excellent. But also, beyond Barbra (Streisand, who originated the role), based on the clip above Michele really IS the Greatest Star to play Fanny Brice.

Currently Overthinking…

…what temperature to leave my AC at…job titles and such…

Souvenir: Floppy Discs

It’s Back to School time, or la rentrée here in Paris, which got me thinkin’ about school supplies, which reminded me of…floppy discs! Remember having to save your work on a cocktail napkin-sized plastic thing you’d insert into the computer or (gasp!) word processor? Now they’re being remade into plant and pencil holders. Clever!