A Winter's Day In Monterey

 

The Lone Cypress

17 Mile Drive

Monterey, California

January 8th 2024

“Monterey is a place, a grating noise, a quality of light,

 a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream.”

 

~John Steinbeck,

  Cannery Row

 

 

Yesterday, in Monterey, it was as about as beautiful a day as it gets. It was clear, and the water blue and beautiful, as opposed to times when the it is almost gray and full of kelp and frankly... stinky. Don't get me wrong, I love Monterey any time of the year, and any time of day, and no matter how the water looks, but yesterday it was particularly beautiful, and dreamlike. It was hours not moments of Zen. It was cool outside, but not really cold, at least not until much later in the day. We spent the day bopping from spot to spot through Pacific Grove, and then along the 17 Mile Drive, which paid off, because we came home with 13 birds for the 2024 file. It was a very good day by the numbers, but we only saw one new species, the Black Turnstone. We smiled a lot too, especially while watching the Sanderling running toward the water to catch their lunch in the surf, and then darting back to the dry sand as the waves came in. It was a silly little dance, and I wouldn't have miss it for the world. This was dear hubby's birthday trip, and I am so glad he got to spend his day, in the sunshine, in one of the most amazing places in California!

 

Photographed By Hubby

With A Twinkle In His Eyes And The Autumn Leaf Of The Day #14

 "Ah, lovely October, as you usher in the season that awakens my soul, your awesome beauty compels my spirit to soar like a lead caught in an autumn breeze and my heart to sing like a heavenly choir."

 

~Peggy Toney Horton

 

Today would be my father's 104th birthday. He is buried just down the road, in Lodi, but it's not really him there, he lives all around me, every day. He is just as amazed as I am, that I live in Stockton. I think mostly about the good days we had, not the sad or abusive ones. I still laugh at some of his jokes, or how most excellently he would lay down a righteous burn or goof on someone. He could make my day, or kill me with the pain only he knew how to inflict. I don't want to think about the bad times anymore, I have made my peace with them. I just want to think about my dad, and be glad that he was my dad. I just wish he and I would have had more time to discuss the beauty of the San Joaquin Delta. But I, in my youthful arrogance, would never entertain the nightmare of living here.

Be careful of the things, and people, you take for granted.

 

~Me

 

 

 

 

The Little Blue Sunflower Vase

"I don't mind getting older; it's a privilage denied to so many."

~Greg Geiger

Cancer Survivor's Club

Yesterday, the 29th, was my birthday. It was a good day. Quiet. Uneventful. It was the day I wanted, except for a sore back. I had picked up something the day before that I shouldn't have, and the result was, well, pain. But that was okay. I spent my birthday in my own home, surrounded by those I love, with a ton of pain pills in me, and all was right with the world! 

I have finally reached the age where I don't need, or particularly want, anything, just because it's my birthday. I did however indulge a bit and bought myself that cute little blue sunflower vase you see in the picture above, and season two of Charlie's Angels. Yes... Charlie's Angels. I have been in a nostalgic mood for well over a year. Everything seems so... harsh... so... restless... so... cruel right now, and oddly enough, watching old TV shows makes me feel better.

I wouldn't want to go back to the 1970's for anything, no, blech. UGLY decade! And I wasn't particularly happy at any point during that decade, except for a few perfect moments here and there, but I can look back at those perfect moments and long for them sometimes. If only I could go back, and tell my 1970's self what was coming. But then I wonder... would I do that? Every day of your life is like a cliffhanger, you never know what will happen next. 

Would I have wanted to ruin those few perfect days, by visiting myself and sharing about what the future held? Sorrows. Joys. Long hot days where there wasn't any real point to being alive. Twists and turns that you never saw coming. And the birthdays yet to come. Would I have told myself about my birthday in 2015? Which turned out to be the worst birthday I ever had? Would I share all that?

If I could go back right this moment. Back to the 1970's and tell myself all those things to come, I wouldn't. Why? Well, because, maybe even stupid, useless, God awful days aren't really all that awful if you end the day alive. Things should remain a big surprise. Good days. Bad days. Birthdays. Especially birthdays. Birthdays remind us that New Years doesn't really begin on January 1st, no, they begin, in my case, on June 30th. That's the day I wake up and remember that I saw another year of my life, and thank God I have another day to wonder what comes next, and if it turns out to be another God awful birthday, I will have the gift of being able to complain about it, not everyone will have that privilege.

Mood: Gratful

~Me :)

 

52 Already?

Happy Owls
Flowerland
Albany, California
June 25th, 2014

"With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come."

~William Shakespeare

Me at 50.

It's that time again... June 29th... my birthday! Personally, I like birthdays, a lot, but it sure is strange how fast my life seems to have gone since turning 21! It is really just a blink, but when I look back over the years, I was a pretty lucky person in that blink, because I know I was loved! Alan, I love you back! And my online friends, and IN REAL LIFE friends, I love all of you as well! So it's all good! And one really great thing about being this age, I finally feel smart, and perhaps even a little wise about a few things! I wouldn't change my age for anything!

So, what does someone who is happy, and content with her life want for her birthday? Well, see, it's the little things that can make me the happiest! About a week ago, or so, one of my favorite Twitter peeps, Paul Myers (@pulmyears) posted a great photo (pretty much exactly like the one above) to his Instagram account of a set of colorful owl candles he spotted at a nursery called Flowerland. 

He filled me in on the location of the nursery, and last week I decided to pay it a little visit. Low and behold, there were the adorable candles! I decided to purchase the green one. It's got a nice autumn vibe to it, and I thought it would look really nice with my other candles on my desk. And it does. And it makes me smile. It reminds me that I am a bit older, but a bit wiser too. I am so glad he posted that photo, because if he hadn't, I would have missed out on the little green owl, and that wouldn't have been good because it was the perfect something to give myself for making it to 52!

:) 

I just hope I didn't throw off the owl's Feng shui too much!

Hello *52*... good to meet ya! :)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Despicable Me 2 + Looking Back At June 2013

"All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman, and a pretty girl."

~Charles Chaplin

Okay, so how cool is that photo? LOL. Alan were on the freeway, on our way to my birthday dinner at Red Robin, when I spotted this funny little blimp! From several miles back it kinda looked like a big Tweety bird, but then it sort of looked like a Pepperidge Farm goldfish, but the color wasn't quite right for either of those, at last we got close enough to see it was a minion from the about to be released movie Despicable Me 2!

I checked out the website last night when we got home, and it seems the #DESPICABLIMP is making it's way around the country from east to west! The website is asking folks to snap a photo and upload them using the hash tag above, so I am glad I was able to get a few photos as we drove by. It was a great photo for posting on the last day of June!

Anyway, here is look back at what caught my eye in June, 2013!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was busy a lot in June, and didn't get to go out with the camera as much as I would have liked, but it gave me a chance to look into the archives and highlight some previously unpublished photos. I like doing that once in a while, it allows me some time to take a closer look at my photos in a different way.

Okay... on to July! :)

Despicable Me 2 Official Website

#DESPICABLIMP  website

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

26

"Sometimes I get depressed about my age. In March I'll be 26. If man weren't measured in numbers, but rather letters, I'd be turning Z. And then I'd be dead."

~Jarod Kintz, I should Have Renamed This



Several months ago I saw these numbers on the side of building. I don't know why, but it absolutely fascinated me. Has that ever happened to you with your photography? So notice something completely ordinary, and for whatever reason you just had to photograph it? I am that way with numbers sometimes. Like the time I found the key fob that was just laying in the hedge near the crooked side of Lombard Street in San Francisco. For the most part I don't really like numbers... they lead to math after all... but okay, I admit they are a necessary evil. LOL. How else would I know if I am putting the correct amount of cinnamon in my homemade scones, or that I will be turning not 26 on Saturday, but rather Z-2.0-ish.

;) It's not this birthday I am worried about. It's the one that will be the last one I think about in the middle of the night. Sigh. Someday I just won't be here anymore, and that's an odd thing to ponder. I try not to make a habit of it. LOL. We all know age has very little to do with anything. Mortality comes as a big surprise. I like that. Can you imagine if there were bomb shelters or storm cellars for impending birthdays? (Shudder) No, I will keep the current system, I don't need any test that can almost perfectly pinpoint my demise, or some psychic's best guess. I will wait and be surprised. Although, wouldn't it be crappy to have death drop by on one's 100th birthday, just as whats left of ones friends jump out from behind nursing home furniture and from behind tasteful drapes to yell SURPRISE!

Thank you, and goodbye!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Strawberries+June=Happiness

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.”
― L.M. Montgomery

Alan found these lovelies at Costco yesterday, along with some Honeydew and Watermelon. YUM. It's nearly summer, just a couple more days to go, and my mind is already filled with culinary ideas. Homemade strawberry ice cream. Chilled melon soup. Heirloom tomato pizza. Fresh salad with edible roses, and lavender honey vinaigrette dressing. The possibilities are endless! Of the three months of summer, I like June the best, not only is it my birthday month, but it's not unbearably hot yet, so my creativity is at it's height, which gives me plenty of ideas for the rest of the summer.

I love strawberries, and boy do I have plans for them this year! :)

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 117~ Happy Birthday Hendrix And Dylan

"I would like to see anyone, prophet, king, or GOD, convince a thousand cats to do the same thing at the same time."

~Neil Gaiman

Has it really been 4 years? My little boys are now my big little boys. According to the Cat Years Conversion Chart they are both 35 years old. If that's true, they are the most youthful 35 year old I know. I love my boys, they make me smile every single day. I just wish I could get them to sit still for pictures... maybe the 12 catnip mice was too much? LOL. They are good boys, and I couldn't be happier that we found each other. They make me happy. And make me crazy. And make me proud. And make me tired. And make me homesick... Alan says I can't get to the end of the driveway without missing the heck out of them. But to be honest, I felt that way about Elvis to. What can I say? They are my kids! And I got to be their mama! :)

:)




~Me

Happy 2nd Birthday, Dylan And Hendrix

"It takes a long time to grow young."

-Pablo Picasso

Alan and I were going to celebrate the boys birthday on Thursday. Everything was planned, but good old Murphy's Law intervened and Alan had to work overtime. Sigh. The party would have to be delayed a day. No worries. So, we celebrated the boys special day a day later then we had planned, as it turns out, their birthday fell on Friday anyway! I had written the day down wrong in my datebook. LOL. Sometimes things happen for a reason I suppose. We had a great time. Chicken Alfredo Pizza, and Black Forest cake for dessert! Next it was time for the birthday pinata! 2 dozen new mice and some yummy cat treats! Not too bad for a 2nd birthday... right? It's hard to believe that my little guys are now 24 in cat years! They're still my little babies!

They grow up quick!

:)


And then it was time for bed...



Happy Birthday Boys!

-Carly

Sharing A Smile, And Some Trivia, On My Birthday

:)

It's my birthday, so I am sharing a smile with all of you! So smile already!If you want to see what I am up to today, stay tuned to my Twitter page to see where I am and what I am doing! If you haven't already joined me, you are more then welcome to come along for the fun!

Carly on Twitter


I don't officially turn 48 until 10:35 PM tonight! So, I am hanging onto 47 with both hands! LOL. Do you know what time you were born? If so, feel free to share!

Just a bit of fun trivia, I am 1094 days older then Rosemary's Baby!

I share my birthday with...

Ray Harryhausen
Sharon Lawrence
Little Eva
Richard Lewis
Kimberlin Brown

I am in good company methinks!

It's a good day.

-Carly

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #96: Your World And Welcome To It!

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge."

-Albert Einstein







EMPS #96: YOUR WORLD AND WELCOME TO IT! NOW CLOSED!
It's my birthday this week, so I thought it would be fun if we got a bit interactive. I would love to have the chance to visit each of you, and let you show me around your favorite places to go with the camera. Alas... it is not meant to be this year, but hey, we can do the next best thing... right? Folks, this week I want you to grab your cameras, and your creativity, and show me the places you would take me if we could go on a photo jaunt together! IT'S YOUR WORLD, WELCOME ME TO IT!

Extra Credit: Include with your photograph, the time of day, the day of the week, and where it is located on Google Maps!

**PLEASE READ**
This Monday Photo Shoot assignment closes next Sunday evening at 9:00 PM ET. Please submit your entries by that time by uploading your photo to your blog, journal or website, and then comeback here with the link that goes back to your entry. The link you leave must be to an entry which is specific to this week's assignment. A general link to your site will not work, and HYPERLINKS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. Also, please include a link in your entry to this photos shoot assignment so that other folks can find us and participate with us. The more the merrier... right? ;)

Linking List for EMPS #95: Organic Food 06/21/10

1. Suzanne

2. Jama

3. Karen



NOTE: Karen will get mad at me if I fail to mention I kinda borrowed the title for this assignment from James Thurber! LOL. Well, she's right... gotta give credit where it's due!!! ;)

I will be looking forward to seeing what you come up with this week! :) If I don't see you until after the 4th of July holiday... HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

-Carly

Feline, Feathers and Furball Friday: Happy Birthday Dylan And Hendrix

From For Ellipsis

"If you hold a cat by the tail, you learn things you could not learn any other way."

-Mark Twain

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

My boys turned 1 year old yesterday! We don't know the actual day they were born, but Dr. B. guessed they were about 8 weeks old when they found their way to us, by way of their wonderful Foster Mother, Ms. K. . Well, we brought Hendrix home on October 27th, and Dylan on November 6th, so we chose September 3rd as their official birthday!

:)

These two boys are our pride and joy! Dylan is shy and wily, Hendrix is goofy and playful. They couldn't be more different, and yet they get along as if they came from the same litter. They are brothers till the end! Completely devoted to each other, and loyal to Alan and I. Hendrix is my little dreamboat. He loves hugs, and quite often comes and asks to be held. Dylan isn't much for hugs, but every night at around 9 o'clock he lays down beside us, on his back, and asks us to rub his tummy. :) He is so soft. Can you tell that I am completely in love. Oh, don't get me wrong, I am still missing my Elvis, even after almost a full year, but I love my little boys... oh boy... my big cat boys more and more everyday. I will always be grateful to the universe for sending me my fellas... Alan included!

And now... scenes from the 1st birthday party of Dylan and Hendrix...

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

From For Ellipsis

I love my boys! If you have a little FELINE, Furball or Feathered friend, be sure to play along with FELINE, FURBALL & FEATHERS FRIDAY over at it's new home on Theresa's blog! Thanks again Theresa, for taking on this awesome meme!

-Carly

Things I Think About While Wrapping Alan's Birthday Present

"A hug is the perfect gift; one size fits all, and nobody minds if it is exchanged"

-Unknown

It's a busy day around my house today. Alan is at a class, and I am not sure what time he will be home, so I have a million things to do before he gets here. Like make the pie for dessert tonight, and get the balloons from the party store. Should I get 47? Should I just get 4, one for each of us? Decisions, decisions. There's stuff going on everywhere, and it is all so interesting, not to mention the things happening in my little world, like the fact that I don't actually have kittens... I have flying monkeys! They look like kittens, but they fly. Kittens don't fly. LOL. Whatever they are... they are too cute, even when they are being bad. :)

Here's what else I am thinking about today...

1. "Joe The Plumber" is becoming a war correspondent? What? Huh?

2. I hate the skirt I am wearing, it tends to fly up a little too easily in public. So why am I wearing it?

3. There is a couple in New York going through a divorce, the husband donated his kidney to his wife in 2000, and now he wants it back. He claims she cheated on him, and therefore she needs to give the kidney back because of the pain and suffering she inflicted on him. I have felt like I lost a piece of myself over a break-up, but this is a taking it to a whole new level.

4. I really like the color green.

5. My toaster broke this morning. How did fate know I was craving a piece of cinnamon toast with my entire soul this morning?

6. Damn it... now I have to shop for a toaster!

7. We are going to see "Bride Wars" tonight at the movies. I love looking at wedding dresses. If the world ended tomorrow, and I was the last person on earth, I would totally raid wedding shops!

8. Tom Cruise is not all that!

9. David Duchovny is still all that. I hope he and Tea Leoni work things out.

10. I just love Dove Cucumber and Green tea stick deodorant.

11. Yes, I am wrapping the very manly gift I gave Alan for his birthday in Christmas paper because I couldn't find birthday gift wrap that I really liked. LOL. Thank you for asking. :)

12. The Tasmanian Devil has the strongest bite of any living mammal.

13. You say Ketchup, I say Catsup. Let's call the whole thing off.

14. MACY*S is closing 11 stores nationwide, due to the economy. If the government decided to expand the bailout to include retail, I would want them to be at the top of the list. Can you imagine Thanksgiving without the MACY*S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE? :(

15. I think Kevin James is a little bit hot!

16. I wish I could send a condolence card to John Travolta and Kelly Preston.

17. A young man from Hayward, Oscar Grant, was shot in the back and killed by a BART police officer, in the wee hours of January 1st. It is a tragedy that shouldn't have happened, and it seems that the authorities are dragging their feet in the investigation. Amateur video of the shooting has been playing on the news nearly every night since it happened, it was senseless. How could this young man be dead? If you are interested in seeing the videos and learning more about this story, click here.

18. I really need to get my hair cut. It grows so fast. No bangs. I look terrible in bangs.

19. I want to drop 15 pounds... anyone want to join me? If so, speak up. We'll do it together! It's always easier when you have a pal along for the fun.

20. La la la la...Time passages, there's something back there that you left behind, oh oh time passages, buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight. (Time Passages, by Al Stewart)

21. Pop Tarts have way too many calories for me, but goodness I could really go for one right now. Especially if it had some frosting on it.

22. I have exactly $3.56 in my wallet. LOL.

23. I just heard on the news that Long's is now laying people off, as the new jobless figures show that the unemployment rate is the highest in 16 years. It is now 7.2 percent.

24. I am going to do my holiday shopping for next Christmas a little at a time over this next year.

25. My after breakfast blood glucose reading is 96!

26. I wonder if Rod Blagojevich will resign, now that Illinois has moved to impeach him?

27. Sarah Palin seems to think that if she had been running on the democratic ticket, she would have been embraced. No Governor Palin... you wouldn't have! She just doesn't get it.

28. I wonder who Barack Obama will name to the office, George Bush created, Director of Lessons Learned? It pays $100,000 per year.

29. I can't find my blue notebook.

30. January 26th is National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day! I better start planning... time is flying so fast, it will be here before I know it!

That's it. That's what I think about while I wrap Alan's present. How about you? What kind of randomness goes through your mind while doing a task or errand? If you want to... feel free to share! What do you think about while you read my blog?

-Carly
"Manly Christmas/Birthday Wrap"
Berkeley, California
January 9th, 2009
Morning

Facing Life Without George (Rated PG - 13)

"A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday, but never remembers her age."

-Robert Frost

I have decided to tackle more then one subject in this entry. Short little vignettes, or Carly being random.

Better Than A Heating Pad!

I haven't posted in a couple days, because these cold days of January have been getting to me. My mood is good, but my arthritis is working overtime. Sigh. It's a little better right now as I write this, but I know that by this afternoon I will be sitting with the heating pad on my knee and lower back. It's not so bad, I usually get a few laughs watching the kittens at play. When Dylan first came to live with us, he was shy, and reserved, and really didn't play a lot. Hendrix was all play, so I was a bit worried about how well things were going to mesh. Now, as I type this, they are playing with the favorite box! Beautiful, growing like weeds, and brothers until the end. They make some happy noises! When they get tired, one or both come over to me, and sit on my knee. It's better then the heating pad, for both my arthritis and my soul.

And You Thought Life Would Be Boring Without Him!

Have you been following the senate race in Minnesota and the goings on regarding the senate appointment in Illinois? I am just amazed at what I have seen this election season! Although I don't know why... after all... it's politics! It seems to me that Roland Burris has a legitimate right to that senate seat. He hasn't been accused of doing anything illegal, but he is a bit of a thorn in the side of politicians who were embarrassed by the actions of Rod Blagojevich. Simply being a thorn isn't enough. Perhaps if being a thorn were enough, we could have gotten rid of George Bush without waiting for his retirement. Sheesh.

Just after the election was over last November, I kept hearing folks talk about how there was almost a bit of sadness that the whoopee cushion that was George Bush was going to be leaving the spotlight. Where would we turn for comic relief? Sarah Palin wouldn't even be around to carry on the NINCOMPOOP torch? What were we to do? I told those people, "Don't fret, we have only lost George Bush, we still have politics! We will always have politics!" And sure enough... I feel entertained this week anyway. LOL.

He's The Birthday Boy or Life With George!

Tomorrow is Alan's birthday, and I want to make it especially nice for him. This is the first year since the death of his brother, Daryl, and I know he has been missing him a lot lately. It is especially sad because they were born on the same day, 4 years apart. So it's Darryl's Birthday also. {{Weep}}. I loved that guy, and of course, so did Alan. All these feelings will be coming up again, as we approach the one year anniversary of his death. As hard as this all is, I really want to make Alan's birthday a nice one. I got him a George Foreman Next Generation Grill for his present, and I am making him a fresh cherry pie, his favorite, for dessert. After dinner we will go to the movies, with the second set of our Old Navy movie tickets. I think we are just going to take the day as it comes. It will be ok I think.

Reasons To Grill...

I have wanted to get him this grill for a long time. We like grilled foods, and it does drain a good bit of the fat and grease from the meat. I like BBQ foods, but there is so much in the news about the carcinogens from burned meat, so this little gadget seems like a good way to have that yummy flavor of grilled meat, only in a little healthier version. Also, I am afraid of fire, so I never do the BBQing, so this will be a nice way to surprise him with a big steak once in a while, especilly when there is something to celebrate. :)

Like Inauguration Day!

Alan and I are so relieved to have George Bush leaving office, we have decided to have a fancy special dinner that night... complete with champagne! I have been reading about people throwing big inauguration parties this year, in fact there seems to be more parties celebrating Obama's inauguration then there were on New Year's Eve. I suppose 2008 didn't leave folks with much to look back fondly on. A year of sorrow and loss. I am hoping that with the Inauguration will come a fresh, happy, new start. We know things will be getting worse, before it gets better, but at least we all see it coming.

Facing Life Without George

Will life be dull without George W. Bush? Perhaps. Just look at some of his quotes from times past...

"I don't know where Bin Laden is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."

-March 13, 2002

"So what?"

-George W. Bush, responding to an ABC News correspondent who pointed out that Al Qaeda wasn't a threat in Iraq until after the U.S. invaded, Dec 14th, 2008

"I'll be long gone before some smart person ever figures out what happened inside this Oval Office."

-Washington, D.C., May 12, 2008

I don't know about you, but I am looking forward to George Bush leaving Washington on January 20th. I can believe the damage that was done to America while he was president. I breaks my heart to think about the way he changed America, and the wedge he managed to drive between us. I don't know if Obama will be able to fix a lot of what's happened, but I still believe it might just be our best chance. And just think... it will all be getting much, much worse, before it gets better. That's a profound thought. Sigh.

We'll Always Have Rod Blagojevich

Oh well, Sarah Palin is the gift that keeps on giving, and we have Al Franken now as a senator from Minnesota, and in a pinch, we will always have Rod Blagojevich. The republican party seems a bit amused with that whole mess, and you know what? So am I! The appointment of Roland Burris to Barack Obama's senate seat was one last FUCK YOU for the road. It's the stuff of a bad paperback political thriller. LOL. I, for one, am eternally grateful for the amusement. GO ROD, GO ROD! And good luck Mr. Burris.

-Carly
"I Love You Deerly"
Christmas Fantasy In The Woods
Berkeley, California
December, 2008
Afternoon

It's My Birthday Today :)

"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year. The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again."

-Menachem Mendel Schneerson

Yep, it's my birthday. My 46th birthday to be exact. I love birthdays, even ones with scary numbers like 46! Tee Hee. I feel good this year, I am especially good inside which is a nice feeling in itself, but outside I am doing well too, although there are a few too many gray hairs on the top of my head for my liking! I might have to remedy that soon. Maybe I will go blond, maybe I will keep it red, you never know with me. I prefer not to plan such things, it's good to move about on a whim once in a while.

I am having a quiet day today. We actually celebrated my birthday last night. Alan took me out to dinner and a movie. We went to see the movie, Get Smart, then enjoyed a nice dinner at Red Robin. I signed up for their EClub, so every year during the week of my birthday, I get a certificate for a free birthday burger. They have lots of yummy burgers, but I always liked their no frills cheeseburger the best. What can I say, I am simple girl to please. It is delicious, and with the rare indulgence of the bottomless fries... well... yum! But before the burger, came a cup of the French Onion soup. As you might have guessed, I think they make the best ever! It's buttery and delicious. You should try it sometime.

Get Smart was wonderful. While neither Alan nor I are big fans of Steve Carell, we both really liked him in the role of Maxwell Smart. In fact, I couldn't think of anyone who would have done better. The movie was more then predictable, but that wasn't really their fault, the problem was I grew up watching the old series Get Smart, so I kinda new what to expect. Shrug. That was a good thing because they didn't let me down. It was good. One of my big hesitations about seeing movies that are based on TV, or movies from way back when, is that the powers that be tend to change them too much to fit into today's trends. Sometimes I just want to see a remake of the original brilliance, not a cheap updated copy. You know?

I was ready to sleep when I got home last night, and sleep I did, until Elvis woke me around 7 this morning with the usual kisses and patty pats. That is my favorite way to wake up, so my birthday couldn't have gotten off to a better start. On the nightstand was a birthday card my mother-in-law sent me, and inside was a check for $100.00! She loves me! :) We have a pretty solid relationship, and in that she had three boys, she enjoys treating me like the daughter she never had. It's a nice feeling, since my parents are both gone now.

When I came into my office, I saw a nice gold bag sitting on my desk. It says, GODIVA on the side, and it is taped shut. The little card next to it says, "Don't open until I get home later!" Alan gets home around 2:00 PM so I will have to be good until then. I wonder what it could be? I will just have to be strong until then, who knows, maybe I will take myself out for my free birthday scoop from Baskin Robbins while I ponder it. LOL. I love getting those free offers in my email. Don't worry, I will share with you tomorrow what came in the GODIVA bag. I promise.

So tell me, do you sign up for free burgers or other free offers on your birthday? If so, which ones are your favorites? Do you have a favorite place to go and celebrate? Do you like birthday cake or birthday pie? When is your birthday? Are you ok with turning the age you will be on your next birthday? Do you have a favorite birthday?