It's almost complete. My 20's are over.

So what have I learned?

I can't even go into it now.

But I am so stoked to be crossing a threshold. Grateful for my life. Grateful for my friends. Grateful that my little sister showed up on my doorstep today as a surprise. Grateful to be starting a new job!!! Grateful for opportunity. For breath. For happiness. Grateful for my experiences and the people I have met along the way.

Grateful to be where I am now.

Happy Birthday Angel, a few minutes early.

"In the morning I wake up
And in the night I sleep
Since the day that I was born
Repeat, repeat, repeat
Brought to this life
Born to this life
Where was I before?
Non-existent? Not at all?
Will I ever know?

Today is my birthday
And I get one every year
And some day...
Hard to believe
But I'll be buried six feet underground"

- No Doubt

This is my birthday mantra song, every day for the last six years.

What about it?

Thus tomorrow begins the last week of my twenties.

O Brother, where art the time?

The last couple of weeks have been consumed with work, changes around work, the wrapping up of draft one on my script, and just basically getting my shit together for the big 3-0 celebration.

And feeding the homeless.

And saving babies.

OK - so I haven't saved any babies. But, last night a DJ saved my life. OK, not a DJ. But Kele Okereke did. He is the amazing, recently-out lead singer of one of my favorite bands, Bloc Party. And last night, after being chased around for a couple of songs by angry, unhappy security men, my peeps and I settled by the bar (OF COURSE) and enjoyed one of the best shows I have been to in a while.

Well, in a day.

The night before, I saw the POWERHOUSE beauty Amy Winehouse, who KILLED it at The Roxy. She played her stunning album, Back To Black in full, which will most likely top my "best-of" list this year. Then again, there are new ones to come from Bjork and Tori this year. Is this really going to be a year THAT GREAT in music? I think, yes. Amy is crazy, with a rat's nest of hair and silly, sad anecdotes about her very current ex-boyfriend. The album is cleanly produced and raw in its truth. If you need to introduce yourself to Amy, please see below for the BRAZILLIANT clip to her new single, which is also the title track.



I am still mulling over Coachella. Thoughts? I am veering towards yes, as these past nights of concerts have made me realize just HOW IMPORTANT music is to me. (I mean, I HAVE to produce a musical someday.) Now, in preparation for my b'day, I have been compiling a CD of songs that influenced my life. I know, a completely ridiculous project, but why the hell not. You only turn 30 once. Anyhow, putting together a soundtrack to your past is rather epic and probing. Birthday or no birthday, I totally recommend it. What began as a playlist of over 100 songs has culled down now to 18. And yes, 3 are Madonna songs, but it's me so what about it. And everyone should have a personal soundtrack. I almost want to just hand it out to new friends and potential suitors and say, "Here you go. This is me. If you get it, lovely. If you don't get it, figure it out or don't listen period." Too up front?

What do you think?

So I was all set to go to San Francisco this weekend. I would get a chance to visit some of my old stomping grounds, see friends, and take in some scenery as fodder for the current screenplay I am working on. It's what I 've been looking forward to most.



And then it got cancelled.



This morning.


And I can now only go back to SF in my head. Which is fine. I am still recovering from last week's debilitating flu. I can go see Zodiac!!! I can finally watch my Netflix (400 Blows and Inconvenient Truth). I can hit up my long-lost boxing class. I can ring in my friend's birthday with him on Saturday night. I can sleep in late on Sunday in what has become the world's most comfortable bed (let this be a warning to you boys - you won't want to leave...)

Anyway, all this means that I'm looking at the bright side of things, which makes me very happy. Angel 2.0 would have been miserable from this turn of events. However, Angel 4.0 is gonna be okay.

Which reminds me - today marks the four-week point from when Angel 4.0 (am I referencing myself in third-person robot now?) turns 30. Yes, four weeks from today, I will no longer be a man of my 20's.

What a trip. I'm stoked really. It's going to be the greatest birthday celebration ever! Now if I could only figure out where it's going to be. Details, details. Anyway, I have been somewhat of a control freak up until this point about my upcoming birthday. But I have put out so much energy as to what I want it to be, that I can't focus intention anymore. Now I just have to let it lie and see what happens. I know it will be fantastic. As James Baldwin once said, "Be careful what you set your heart upon, for it will surely be yours."

He also once said, "No one can possibly know what is about to happen: it is happening each time, for the first time, for the only time."

What do you think?