Unlike most kids, I always looked forward to the end of July. Not because it meant school was fast approaching but because it was my birthday.

Having a birthday in the summer was great. I could have sleepovers on the day of my birthday, even if it was in the middle of the week, because no one had to go to school the next day.

My friends and I would spend the afternoon on the playground in the backyard, making our way across the monkey bars or seeing who could fly the highest on the swings.

But the party really began when my dad came home from work with Pizza Hut pizza. Then came cake and the part I hated -- blowing out the candles. I could never blow them all out at once, so everyone always jeered, "Oh, look how many boyfriends she has!"

My face would turn beet red for a few minutes until everyone's attention was off of me and onto the cake on their plates.

Then we would move to the family to open presents. My friends and I would play with the new My Little Ponies or Barbies until we were bored enough to watch the movies my parents rented for us.

We spent the night in front of the TV, not really paying attention to the screen. We would play games and gossip and ask each other which boys we thought were cute until we finally nodded off.

This weekend I turned 22. And although my birthday get-togethers have changed quite a bit, the basics are still the same.

I met up with my friends at Lake Calhoun Sunday to grill out. Unfortunately, the place was absolutely packed -- a result of the beautiful sunny weather and the Minneapolis Aquatennial activities near the lake.

We managed to claim a grill in front of an Aquatennial volleyball tournament. We had brought our own volleyball, but were relegated to the space between the grill and the five portable toilets that had been set up for the tourney.

Not the best place to toss a ball around. One of my friends hit a man making his way to one of the toilets square on the head with the ball.

Luckily, he didn't seem too upset by it. He probably had more pressing things on his mind.

One bad part about having a summer birthday is that many people are on vacation. Oftentimes, my "parties" would consist of only a few friends.

This was true on Sunday. Many friends were in other parts of the country or camping somewhere. Others had to work.

So the group of us trekking up to a friend's cabin that evening was small.

But it didn't matter. We had a good time anyway.

We turned on the radio and sat out by the lake, swatting mosquitoes.

We giggled, uncontrollably sometimes, at the silliest things, just like we would have if we were 9 years old.

When we got bored enough, we popped in an obscure movie and most of us fell asleep before the end.

At my childhood sleepovers, the next day would always be bittersweet. We looked forward to the huge breakfast my parents made, but we knew after the table was cleared parents would soon be coming to pick my friends up.

After my friends left I would always feel a little off, partly because my stomach hurt from not getting enough sleep and party because I wouldn't see most of my friends until the county fair, which was three weeks away. For a 9-year-old, three weeks is an eternity.

I had the same sick/lonely feeling we packed up and left the cabin Monday. I'm not sure when my friends and I will be together as a group again. But it will probably be a lot longer than three weeks.

It's funny how birthday parties can seem so similar after so many years.

The great thing about birthdays isn't the presents or the cake, but the time friends can spend together and not take anything too seriously.

Even at 22, that end of July get-together is still important.

Cari Quam can be reached at 4343-2235 or by e-mail at :mailto:cari.quam@austindailyherald.com.