A Fun Day of Preparation

Sometimes, preparing for something -- an event or even a test (don't worry, no more Bar Exam stories...for now) -- is almost as fun as the thing itself.

Today, I kicked into high gear on party-planning for my 29th birthday: visited two potential venues, worked on my invitation and guest list, and considered my music options. I'm always in my element when planning for a party -- a regular Mrs. Dalloway over here. I love thinking of every last detail, from food to drink to music playlist to lighting to decor, and pride myself on throwing a pretty sweet shindig. Of all of my friends, I think I throw the most parties, actually. Usually, the location of the parties is my humble abode, but this year, I'm doing it a little differently. Cancer has inspired me to go a little bigger than usual.

Like I said, I visited two awesome venues today. The first was the upstairs area of a downtown L.A. boutique hotel called O Hotel. Very cool and chic area spanning three different rooms. Appetizers and cocktails (and I'd bring in a birthday cake, of course), with music piped in to all three rooms. Access to the downstairs area which includes a gorgeous bar and fireplace. And all for a very reasonable price. Naturally, I booked it. It'll be quite the birthday bash.

The next venue I visited is one that I'll save for my book launch party, or one of my many post-cancer parties: the L.A. Zoo. I'm already in love with a particular space, but to do it right, it'd cost me thousands. The space is right between the chimpanzees and the giraffes. Can you imagine it? An after-hours party where you can sip a cocktail and stare at a GIRAFFE or eat a mini-skewer while staring at a CHIMP? So cool I can't stand it. I had a blast checking out the potential party sites and then the rest of the zoo with my good friend Aymee, who skillfully arranged the whole visit.

Meanwhile, while I prepped for my party, my mom prepared for Thanksgiving. She spent the whole day cooking and baking delicious things, and I got to be the taste-testing beneficiary. I'm not sure how fun it was for her to slave away in the kitchen all day, but I think we had fun. It was definitely fun watching her prepare and previewing her culinary delights.

Preparing to take down cancer is also fun. Even though I'm actually in the midst of battling it, I'd like to think I'm in a constant state of preparation; I consider what I'm doing now to be preparation for my future surgery. The chemo which is stopping the growth of the idiotic cancer, the work I do in the gym (which is paying off -- check out that bicep), the healthy food I'm nourishing myself with, and the loads of sleep I'm getting is all in preparation for the surgery that will render me cancer-free. Every day is a day of preparation, and I've got the Eye of the Tiger for sure.

In my view, preparation is a major factor -- if not the determining factor -- in ensuring success no matter what you're trying to accomplish. Luckily, as I've found over and over again in my life, preparation itself can be really fun.

And if you don't believe me, I know some chimps that can be VERY persuasive.