My Birthday Shabbas

Yay, it was nice. No. 24, for those keeping score at home. Next year is silver.
After davening מנחה (or מנחתא for those Arameaphiles out there) during שקיעת החמה, I made it to shul for לכה דודי and stayed for מעריב, after which there was a big socializing-fest in the social hall, which was great there were so many people there, but I was unable to get to talk to as many people as I would have liked. But that's what happens.
I spent dinner at Sarah Jacobson's and Dikla's, which was a pleasant time, not only for the good food, but also the good company of twenty people. After dinner, there was an oneg around the corner, which was great as there were more people with whom it was pleasing with which to speak. At some point, it became evident that we were being on the loud side and had to depart. So we went to the front of the building and chatted for longer. גם זו לטובה, though, it was nicer outside than inside, matter of *fact*, it was nice outside.
As we were leaving from having been out in front of that building, we stopped at the corner of 186th and Bennett (picture of said intersection at right), Yitz from Montreal made an amazing insight - that the Heights was becoming a little like the UWS (at which I thought "Heaven forfend!! thinking of tefillin dates and other permissive sexual practices - but then he explained how he meant) in that people get used to seeing each other around and when one goes on a date or, more awkwardly, goes on a few dates or, worse, many dates, one still has to deal with seeing this other person around, which is potentially and often awkward. Amazing חידוש!! This idea is still on my mind - not because there is any way of refuting it, but rather to explore its understandings and nuances it can bring to understanding gender/sex relations here in the Heights.
After chatting for another while outside, Max Davis, a fellow YCTer, invited me to his apartment for a beer, so I took up his offer. It was a nice time, having a Beck's, which isn't too bad of a beer, some kugel, and some desserty stuff and a quiet chat (quiet, because Dani Stieglitz, his roomie, was asleep) about life, YCT, girls, etc. On my way back, I bumped into Meir, my חברותא for gemarra at YCT, and we talked about the meal - okay, we spoke about the girls at the meal - for a little bit and I made it back to the apartment at 2.
After sleeping for 10.5 hours (don't worry about קריאת שמע, I woke up at some point, saying ברכות התורה and said קריאת שמע before סזק"ש), when I realized I was staying awake, I saw that I had three minutes before חצות and davened עמידה לשחרית, something I don't think I've ever done just like that, usually doing after a super-abbreviated פסוקי דזמרא. I then davened מוסף, read some, had lunch, read a little more, napped, and went to מנחה, then gathered some 20-25 people to come along with me as we had a סעודת שלישית at Mike and Laura Schultz's apartment, down the hall from where I'll be moving in about a week. It went well and we davened מעריב, and that was that.