It’s my birthday.
Well, according to my birth certificate, it’s not my birthday for 10 more days. But according to me, it’s been my birthday for three days and will be for at least a few more weeks.
You see, I was born on Mother’s Day, as in I made the holiday a holiday for my mom. While she’s about as selfless as baby Jesus, every few years, I still have to share the day with her. Anyone who shares a birthday with a holiday (or has a birthday even near a major holiday) knows that means you only get a half birthday. Everyone else gets a real, full day. But you get a rushed or exhausted nod and a quick spit on the cake (which is actually what blowing out the candles is, let’s be honest).
Then I had my own daughter — nearly on my mom’s birthday. Revenge? Maybe, ask my petty uterus. But being a mom myself now meant I had to fragment my birthday into thirds. Add in the mother-in-law, and that basically left me a two-hour slot on a Sunday morning to eat an entire angel food cake by myself (that’s my annual tradition, no shame).
Instead, I decided to claim the month. May, my Birth Month. Yes, a proper noun. That leaves me plenty of time to over-celebrate, demand favors and a whole month to conquer an angel food cake. Luckily, they’re injected with so many preservatives, their shelf life is longer than I’ve been alive.
My husband calls it Hell Month. Also a proper noun.
I invite (demand?) you all to celebrate with me. Here are the best ways to kick off Hell Month this week.
Friday is Cinco de Mayo. Needless to say, the Mexican restaurants will be packed. While Boulder has a long list of great margs, I’ll be at Tahona on Pearl Street sipping a spicy marg. Tahona is the real deal. First, all but one of its kitchen staff is directly from Mexico. Second, the bartenders hand-squeeze all of the lime juice (about 180 limes per day, and way more on Cinco). To me, this means no sugar hangover from nasty margarita mix.
Tahona also has about 134 different kinds of tequila, including some that you can’t find anywhere else in Colorado. Other tequila is infused in-house with fresh fruits and veggies, or housed in small oak barrels to enhance the flavor.
Tahona can be packed, even on a normal Friday, but its margaritas are worth the crowds. And the reason for the crowds.
Here are some other ways to celebrate this week:
[x_pullquote type=”right”]Local tip: “This is an exciting time for the NoBo Art District, as we were recently recognized by the city council as an official Creative District.” – Lisa Nesmith, president, NoBo Art District[/x_pullquote] First Friday Art Walk: This Friday also kicks off the NoBo Art District’s First Friday art walk, a free, self-guided tour through a variety of art studios and businesses in north Boulder. Listen to live music while you watch demonstrations and meet local sculptors, painters and other artists in town. The ever-popular First Friday runs from 6-9 p.m. the first Friday of the month, except January and July.
Want a little more structure? Show up at the ACE Community Art Gallery, 4635 Broadway, for a free map and a guided walking tour led by a member of the art district. These groups will visit four to five different studios.
Juggling and unicycling: Boulder has a few aerial and circus schools in town. One, the Boulder Circus Center, is holding a class 4-5:30 p.m. Thursday called Up Down Circus: Juggling and Ground Skills Class. This is a fun way to play with some circusy tricks, without having to get high in the sky. We’re talking unicycle, diabolo, rolling globe and more. The Circus Center is located at 4747 N. 26th St. For more info: contact@updowncircus.com.
A free yoga class: The Prana store on the Pearl Street mall offers regular free yoga classes. From noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, Prana invites the community to a Gratitude Flow class, a “movement meditation” designed to free the nervous system, help detox the body and improve your balance and strength. Everything is provided. Even the mat. So you can drop in after shopping the mall. Because if you’re in Boulder, you’re already wearing yoga pants anyway. Leggings, all day, every day.
