Birthday report
I've had quite a few birthdays, and have lots of good memories of my special days. When I was a kid, my parents always tried to do something I enjoyed, whether it was a party or my favorite cake or another treat. My most memorable birthday as a child was my 10th, because that was the year I got a stereo. I'll never forget walking into my bedroom (in the farmhouse), seeing the turntable and speakers set up nicely on my dresser, and hearing the stereophonic strains of Tony DeFranco singing "Heartbeat, It's a Lovebeat" through speakers the size of microwave ovens (which nobody had yet).
There were other memorable birthdays over the years: the 15th, spent with good friends at Pizza Hut (a really big deal in 1979); the 16th, when I got my drivers' license; the 18th and 21st, which were memorable for obvious reasons. After the 21st, things were kind of a blur for a few years. Fast forward to 1999. That was my first birthday spent outside the USA, in Montreal. We went for a horse and buggy ride, and it was all a big deal because we were poor graduate students at the time.
Since then, I've celebrated my birthday in all sorts of interesting places: dining at Tavern On The Green in New York's Central Park (someone slipped the host a couple of Jacksons to get us into the Crystal Room); whale watching in Washington's San Juan Islands; drinking fresh grapefruit juice at a cacao plantation on Saint Lucia; eating Sacher Torte at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna; enjoying a Hawaiian luau . . . it's been one adventure after another.
This year, we didn't plan a vacation around my birthday. After all, it's not a particularly special year. There's no "0" or even a "5" in my numbers this year. But it was still very special, and one of the best birthdays ever. Why? Because I did all the things I wanted to do!
There were other memorable birthdays over the years: the 15th, spent with good friends at Pizza Hut (a really big deal in 1979); the 16th, when I got my drivers' license; the 18th and 21st, which were memorable for obvious reasons. After the 21st, things were kind of a blur for a few years. Fast forward to 1999. That was my first birthday spent outside the USA, in Montreal. We went for a horse and buggy ride, and it was all a big deal because we were poor graduate students at the time.
Since then, I've celebrated my birthday in all sorts of interesting places: dining at Tavern On The Green in New York's Central Park (someone slipped the host a couple of Jacksons to get us into the Crystal Room); whale watching in Washington's San Juan Islands; drinking fresh grapefruit juice at a cacao plantation on Saint Lucia; eating Sacher Torte at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna; enjoying a Hawaiian luau . . . it's been one adventure after another.
This year, we didn't plan a vacation around my birthday. After all, it's not a particularly special year. There's no "0" or even a "5" in my numbers this year. But it was still very special, and one of the best birthdays ever. Why? Because I did all the things I wanted to do!
- Took the day off from work.
- Slept until almost 10:30AM.
- S gave me my present . . . the ice cream maker attachment for the Kitchen Aid mixer - just what I wanted!
- Had a wonderful lunch at The Crȇpe Cellar, then drove around Plaza-Midwood looking at the awesome Arts & Crafts houses.
- Went to SouthPark Mall and shopped at The Walking Store (shoes!) and Sur La Table (cooking stuff!)
- S picked up some cupcakes from Polka Dot Bakery . . . Raspberry, Tuxedo, and Creme Caramel.
- Got a pedicure . . . and got some sparkly polish on my toes. :-)
- Had Indian food for dinner (my favorite - Navratan Korma and Naan bread).
- Spent the rest of the evening lounging around, doing nothing in particular except loafing.
