You know, it’s easy to dig yourself into a hole if you keep making the same promise for six years.

To my mind, the most important holiday each year is a person’s birthday. The most important holiday for me is my birthday. The most important holiday for you is your birthday.

Six years ago — when I turned thirty-one — I threw myself a birthday party. “I’m going to throw a party for all my prime number birthdays,” I told everyone who would listen. “Next up: thirty-seven.” I invited a whole bunch of people over for a day of “guilty pleasures”, which mostly meant lots of brownies and cookies and frozen pizzas and pop. I set up a computer network in the family room and let people play Unreal Tournament, blasting each other to bits. It was fun.

(Two years ago, Kris and I held Chicken Noodle Fest near my birthday, though it wasn’t meant as a birthday party.)

Now time is short for me to decide what to for birthday celebration #37. I’ve had six years to plan, but wouldn’t you know it? I’m drawing a blank. I guess that’s not entirely true; I have plenty of ideas, but none of them really scream “pick me! pick me!” Among the options I’m considering

• Guilty Pleasures II — Essentially a repeat of the shindig I held six years ago, but without the networked computer games. I’ve actually had a few people request this. They think it sounds fun.
• Chicken Noodle Fest III — This is a distinct possibility: it’s family-oriented, so kids can be involved. It’s easy to prepare large vats of soup, and we have plenty of space for kids to play if it’s dry outside.
• Game Night 2.01 — I intend to bring back regular game nights, and this would be a great time to do so.
• Gourmet Potluck — I want to hold a gourmet potluck, but the drawback is I have a very specific guest list in mind for such an event: foodies only. This is too limiting.

Other possibilities include some sort of wine-tasting thing, or a poetry night, or a trip to a miniature golf course, or or or OR

I DON’T KNOW!

What I do know is that I want to do something for my 37th birthday, and I want that something to involve as many friends as possible. I’d like to include kids, but it’s not a requirement. (If I don’t include kids, that’s going to knock out a bunch of the parents, too.) I also know that I need to decide this weekend. Time is getting short.