growing, gaming, groaning

well it was my birthday a little while ago. 22. the first birthday after all the milestones have really passed. i guess maybe you could count my golden birthday, but that doesn't really count. and its still a long way off. its weird. no more big things to count down to. don't have to wait to be able to drive, to be able to vote, to be able to buy handgun ammo.
spent my birthday in wisconsin at visiting my friend who is youth pastoring. they had a lock in. it was quite fun. food. confetti. zombies. diaper wars. what more could someone ask for. a girl there found out it was my birthday and asked how old i was. i made her guess.
"28" she answered after thinking about it for a bit.
"really?" i said in a surprised confused kind of voice, not expecting that as a guess.
"oh... um... ok... how about.... 26"
"sure thats close enough"

last friday was the district tournament for call of duty. won again. wasn't really expecting to. but now i make my way to st cloud on friday for the regional tournament. i guess its both the dakotas, mn and part of wi, at least. hopefully i can win that too. get a trip to san diego.
the district match for me was at the same store as the local. nice. when i got there the manager (who saw me at the last tournament back in november and again when i bought a microphone) told me "i got twenty bucks on you. you had better win." that was a bit of a confidence booster, he would bet against all the other store champions he hasn't seen with me.
the was a guy in the tournament who knew some of the people in the store because he buys lots of games. he told me at the end of the night that during my first round he and the manager we behind me watching and the manager was giving him all kinds of tips from what i did. " see what he did there... when you get to the ambush, grenade, grenade, grenade, shoot, stab, stab, stab"

dear everyone, ever-
hang up your stinking phone. all you have to say is "i'll call you back in five minutes" if the phone call is so important that you can't well maybe you shouldn't be getting coffee during such an important phone call. don't get all upset with me when i have to interrupt to ask if that's all you want, then again when i ask if its to-go, then again when i ask if you want whipped cream. its not my fault your on the phone.

dear (specific) guys that have meetings here-
why do you come here to have a meeting? you all work in the same office. at first i thought you worked at different branchs or something but i heard you say "well see you back at the office" as you were leaving the other day. coming in for coffee once in a while and talking work i don't mind, but today is the first day i ahve worked this year that you have not been in. and thats only because i switched to the morning shift and you normally come in wednesday afternoons. and why do you have to talk so loud? my friend who comes and visits knows you as the loud talkers. i really wish i was interested in the work things you talk about because no matter how many other people are in here you can always be heard. please, use your inside voices.

dear people that come in everyday and still don't know what they want-
really... really... you don't know that you are going to get a white chocolate mocha? cause i know that. its what you always get. i'm not sure why you to wait at the counter for 10 minutes holding everyone up. you're not going to get anything different. you never do. you like the mocha so you stick with it. nothing wrong with that just order it already