I awoke with my head fuzzy this morning due to the night out last night, drinking with pretty much everyone I know in the state of North Carolina, and being forced to take a shot called a "red-headed slut" more than once, which goes against all I believe in (specifically, that shots shouldn't have more than one word in their name and shouldn't contain more than one type of liquor and shouldn't be served in glasses bigger than, well, a shot glass). In addition to the physical strain I felt annoyed that I am now officially 29, and there's no party tonight to celebrate like there was yesterday, and then I realized that I have two full days of local government meetings to cover next week and I've really got to get on this whole doing something great with my life, and that that's going to be tough because really the only things I want to do are become the next David Sedaris or maybe have my own party-planning firm. And, you know, I'm not quite sure how to make those things happen just yet.

Needless to say, the below email made me feel much, much better.

From: Fred Rotondaro To: Cara McDonough Date: Jan 6, 2007 Subject: Becoming 29

Is not just a big thing. You are still a kid. A year away from the line at the beginning og adulthood. 11 years from full entry into the human race. Is it true the church says everybody who dies before 40 stays in limbo on the theory they could not, because of immaturity, be responsible for their sin? Malkes sens to me. But 29 is not totally meaningless. You start worrying about your future, aboutfamily and contributing to mankind to make the world better because you lived But the lure of the next party comes and then , what the hell, next time I will do it. But 29 can be a forhing of relationships. A time when yu hone skills in a job you love. You gotta love it not just like or need for the money. It has to be fun. Important to you. What do you hae the most fun doing, dennis wholley asks. Yeah. 29 is more of the same but blended with deeper ties, more commitment to doing well at a work that,s fin, and realization that human beinness is only 11 ywars awat Dad