Guilty Pleasures -- Turning 30

Remember when you were like, 18, and you and your best friend of the opposite sex made a pact that if neither of you were married by 30, you'd marry each other?

Because, you know, 30 was sooooo far away.

Well, that time has come. And although it sounds trivial, and it is, Guilty Pleasures has been freaking out about turning 30 -- which happened last week.

Actually, the freaking out has been more about being single and living in Yakima and being 30. It's enough to cause more than one sleepless night.

There's been some soul-searching, some life-list making, some drunken conversations with strangers who seem to be split on whether life begins, or ends, during the third decade.

One woman said it was the age she first started being taken seriously. On the other hand, one dude said it's all downhill from here and you should just go out and buy yourself some sensible shoes and a case of Joint Juice from Costco.

So is 30 the age Guilty Pleasures grows up?

Yeah, right -- besides, it's hard to feel too adult when your folks buy you a Wii for your birthday. (More on that in another column.)

But there is a strange sense that this is some sort of turning point: Hangovers seem to happen more frequently, there are major aches and pains after each softball game, and you catch yourself saying things like, "Kids these days. ..."

However, Guilty Pleasures hardly believes 30 is the age to turn into a fuddy-duddy, especially if you're single.

Sure, at this point you should be investing in a 401(k) plan and paying your bills on time so you don't ruin your credit score. And there are certain societal pressures -- like you really shouldn't still be living with your parents. But it doesn't mean you have to give up drinking whiskey straight out of the bottle, impromptu road trips to obscure music festivals or buying novelty platform shoes.

It just means that -- gasp! -- those things have to be done in moderation.

Because, if you're like Guilty Pleasures, and spend the last days of your 20s trying to drink away the fact you're turning 30, well, you'll wake up with strep throat.

And nobody likes to spend their birthday cash from grandma on antibiotics.

* Guilty Pleasures is a weekly look at whatever Guilty Pleasures wants to look at.