Wow. What a Dining Experience

Mike/Opi took Arni and I out to dinner last night as a treat to celebrate my birthday. Oh my. The food was excellent and the prices intimidating. The entrees cost what I usually expect to pay for the total ticket for Arn and I. But Mike told me to stop worrying about it and just order what I want. And at first, I was going to be really, really, careful (salad & steak), but then I followed his lead and added potatoes, too... (at $7.95 for each side, well...) My God, was my petite filet good. Oh my. And the asparagus/palm heart salad was worth going there again for just it. Yum! It was a lovely meal.

The restaurant? http://www.ruthschris.com/

Solved the owie

So, I gave myself permission to give myself prezzies in order to celebrate turning 50 (this before the sumptuous Dining Experience last night). I decided to buy myself something for each decade and now you're going to be forced to read the list or scroll down quickly.

First decade: "The Cat Who Went To Heaven", hardbound, because it was my favorite book in second grade and I checked it out so often that the school librarian remanded it and gave it to me at the end of the year. Once my mom caught on about how important it was to me, she took it as a souvenier "of her baby girl's childhood" and I never found it again. It's been in my memory all these years. Shawn tried to give me a copy but the B&N only had the pulp-paper cheapo edition, which didn't satisfy either of us.

Second: "They Loved to Laugh", trade sized. Another favorite, this one from junior high level. Yeah, I know I should have gone with something High School-ish, but I really did miss that book and have always meant to have it on the shelf for a visiting child.

Third: I found my teapot! A nice 16-oz 'tea for one' pot at Target, of all places. We lived in Japan for 4 years and I learned to enjoy tea, then learned to drink it 'in the English manner' as a result of too many Regency books and finally started enjoying it in 'the Hindu manner'. So I guess tea marks my 20-30s. (Because I am SO NOT marking it with all the years of Scouts or Wiccan Community activity.)

Fourth: Viking Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series), Celtic and Old Norse Designs (Dover Pictorial Archive Series) and "Ancient Scandinavian Designs (International Design Library)". I guess anyone who knows me understands these choices.

Fifth: "We've got your back" Great Dark Horde Pel/Laurel shirt. Because I became all of those during my 40s.

It was fun. I'm hoping I'll remember this and do it again when I turn 60.