FRIDAY, Dec. 2 — Megan Barker

Megan Barker's face twisted into an embarrassed smile as the waitress began her oration and restaurant patrons turned to stare.

"Can I have everyone's attention?" asked the T.G.I. Friday's waitress. "We have a 21st birthday here."

The waitress launched into a fast-paced, semi-enthusiastic rendition of "Happy Birthday" as others in the dining area struggled to keep up or catch the awkward inflections.

"Wow, that was loud," Barker said, grimacing.

As Barker requested the toppings for her complimentary sundae, she added in an order for something much more adult than whipped cream and sprinkles.

Moments later, Barker was sipping on an Ultimate Electric Lemonade, a vodka drink with blue curacao, as her mother and father watched on intently.

"My parents were worried at first," said the medical technology junior. "They didn't want me to go out at first."

After dinner, Barker went to her home in Wacousta to open presents and eat cake and ice cream with her family, boyfriend and Yakely hallmates.

An immaculate and elaborate collection of holiday knick-knacks, decorations and Christmas trees (family estimates range from 16 to 17 individual trees) filled the house, the end result of about eight hours of work on the day after Thanksgiving, Barker said.

The family discussed the following day's plan of cutting down the "official" Christmas tree, a tradition in the household. Barker opened a number of presents, which included a plastic canister full of pure frosting, one of the student's guilty pleasures. The cake was further proof, featuring a snowman smothered in heaping globs of frosting.

"We saw that cake at the store and we were like, 'ooh, that's the one,'" Barker said.

Despite their concerns, Barker won her parents over and spent Friday night with her boyfriend, friends and cousins at Maggy's Sports Grill in the Northern Tier.

"I'm with people I trust," she said. "It will just be nice to say to a friend, 'let's go get a drink or something.'"