Oh! Oh! This story is so good, it must be fattening! - Stewie Griffin

Here’s the thing – I generally am pretty bored with my birthday. But as years go by and expectations sag lower, ever lower, and as I realize more and more every day that nothing in this life really is all about me as I once thought it was, I find I enjoy the day more and more. Little gestures – my blogger buddies chiming in to wish me a happy day, phone calls from faraway friends, a co-worker giving me a card or a little token prettily wrapped and presented – make the day brighter and happier, and make me feel loved and appreciated and special. So thank you all, my sweet little Internet ones, for helping make my 36th birthday fun and happy.

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Birthday dinner recap:
H and I went to a little café (charmingly, modestly named) on the city’s South Side. We were shown to a window table with such smoothness and flair that I settled in for a relaxing and impeccably presented meal, secure in the knowledge that my waiter’s service was more European than American. (Past vacations in Europe have completely spoiled me for American wait service. I am a snob.) I was also pleased that I did not wipe out on the tile floor in my chic new sling-back heels.

We started with a smoked mozzarella appetizer, with some sort of tomatoe-y, oniony bruschetta-topping-like garnish, on toasted crusty bread.

We each had house salad – I love Belgian endive, I adore olives, and there was enough of each. The balsamic dressing was divine and I could have cheerfully licked my dressing-on-the-side plate. But I did not. European-style waiters frown on that sort of behavior.

I opted for the filet, stuffed with gorgonzola (did someone say blue cheese? Gimme a spoon!) and served in a dark beer reduction. There was some sort of weird-ish matzoh-ey thing underneath, that wasn’t unpleasant, but seemed superfluous.
H had gnocchi – so light “they could float off the plate” as he so poetically observed – in a pepper and tomato sauce. I thought they were a bit oily but he liked them very much.

After I dutifully cleaned my entire plate – ha! – I tried some of their breads – the basket had three different kinds, and they looked like Breadworks bread. Breadworks is a local bakery that produces these huge crusty heartily-flavored loaves; I have been known to live on their walnut-raisin bread. Again impressively, the waiter waited until I had finished my bread before approaching, removing plates, and asking about coffee/dessert. We took a breather to finish the bottle of wine – a very nice, spicy/fruity, if young, red, recommended by the sommelier.

Then onto the real deal for dessert – lemon tart. Now I make a kick-ass lemon tart – lemon curd on top of a crushed-amaretti crust – and this one was almost as good as mine. Mine is creamier. But it was good, and washed down with several cups of strong but smooth coffee. Which is why I was emailing some of you at 5 the next morning. A lovely and relaxing experience; H gets serious points.

And our dear babysitter did not charge us for the evening! It was her present to me!
And I wore the new polka-dotted black dress, and was complimented.
Ah, life is good.
Sorry, I did forget the camera. Which is probably just as well.

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Alas, Cinderella turned back into a pumpkin the next day.
My new black wrap jersey dress from Mizrahi for Target came, and I tried it on last night after work. I look like a prison matron. It goes back. As do the cute ankle-wrap wedge-heeled espadrilles – I love them but I just can’t seem to make myself wear them, they are so NOT ME. Also, after much consideration, the black-and-white patterned top from my Dress Barn extravaganza. I haven’t even taken the tags off. If I haven’t worn it in three weeks, I doubt I ever will, because I’ve worn everything else. Since I bought this cute skirt yesterday, however, all the returns and purchases finally balance out a bit. I feel as if I have some nice pieces on which to base my spring and summer wardrobe, and was not too, too extravagant or spendthrift.


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I finished EL Kongisburg’s Silent to the Bone last night. One word: anti-climactic. Not sure what I expecting, but the intricacy and delicate touch I have come to expect from Konigsburg were not present in this book. There were some nice bits – the protagonist’s relationship with his older half-sister; the methods by which Connor allows his silent friend to communicate – but overall, disappointing. Which will not stop me from reading its companion volume, The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place, especially since Margaret, the older half-sister, who was far and away the most compelling character in Silent, is the main character in this one.

I returned Sharon Creech’s Walk Two Moons. Unless someone can give me good reason to read it, I just think I’ll skip it. The first chapter left me cold, and I see no point in continuing (the book, that is). Life is too short to read non-compelling books. I think I need to make that into a bumper sticker.

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List Friday, courtesy of Pomegranates and Paper

This weeks' theme: Ten Reasons Why You Love Your Neighborhood. Sooooo easy this week.

Go HERE, read THIS.


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Yesterday marked the 7th anniversary – if a word so reminiscent of joy and happiness can be used in this context properly – of the Columbine high school shootings. My thoughts were with those parents especially yesterday, and often throughout the years. Now that I have children of my own… there’s nothing more that can be said.

In much, MUCH happier news, today, Friday April 21, is Katya’s birthday. Happy birthday, Katya!