A Sedate Birthday

My 70th birthday was a big bash at a local brewpub.  My 71st birthday has been considerably more "sedate," shall we say.  It befits my advancing age.

The dogs were considerate.  They let me sleep until I woke up, which was after 8:30.  There had been the usual couple of hours of insomnia through the middle of the night, but when I finally went to sleep, I slept deeply and was appreciative that the dogs were so considerate.  They didn't even bark at Walt when he came downstairs and insist that he feed them.

Walt plopped a package into my lap and it may sound like a weird gift -- a potato ricer -- but he had checked my Amazon wish list and saw it there.   When we moved my mother out of her house, I was thrilled to take her potato ricer, but somehow it got left behind and I have bemoaned it ever since.  Now I have my very own brand new ricer.

It was a quiet morning, doing the usual stuff, which included birthday greetings on Facebook -- by the end of the day, more than 200 of them (incuding some nice e-mails I received as well).  I was overwhelmed!  If you ever feel unloved, just join Facebook and have a birthday!

At 11:30 when we left for Atria, to meet Ned and Marta at my mother's.  My mother hadn't realized it was my birthday, of course (and at some point during lunch asked me whose birthday it was), but Ned made it a good day.  Originally Tom and family were going to come too.   The girls planned to come and meet their newborn cousin, born to Laurel's cousin, but the baby was born later than expected, so they decided to postpone their trip until probably next month, during spring break.

We had a nice visit and a nice, if lengthy, lunch. (Atria seems to have cut waaay back on the serving staff in the dining room.  Today wasn't as bad as last time, but it now takes forever to get your food and there is no attempt to bring everyone's food even close to at the same time.) But the thing about a retirement home is that nobody is in any hurry, so the chance to just sit and chat is always nice.

My mother started to order her ice cream cone for dessert (since she finished her lunch before Walt had been served his second of three courses!), but Ned stopped her and told her there was cake back at the apartment.

We finally got back to the apartment and Ned lit candles and brought me a lovely cake.

In the afternoon, I tried to take a nap, but it appeared the fates were not going to let me.  I would settle down and the phone would ring -- always a robo call, which I detest! -- there were SEVEN of them today.  I finally got smart and brought the phone to my chair (when, of course, it stopped ringing).  But then the dogs decided to start barking outside.  I let them go for awhile, hoping they would stop, but they did not, so I had to get up again to bring them inside.  Then I was attacked by mosquitos.  My ankles, just above my sock line, kept me scratching.  By then it was too late to take a nap.  I would never get to sleep at night if I did.

I was in my office when the phone rang and it was Tom and the girls calling to wish me a happy birthday.  I didn't get it right away, so they left a voice mail, which I turned into this little video

 

But then I did answer the phone and we had a fun Facetime Chat.  Bri was very happy to see our dogs.

After I talked with the girls and Tom, I got a great video from Jeri and Phil, of Jeri playing "Happy Birthday" on her cello for me.  I had never heard her play the cello before, so this was very special--and I can show it to my mother next time I see her.

For dinner, Walt and I went to Sushi Unlimited, where we had gone on Paul's birthday.  I had a Groupon to use then, but forgot I had it, so we used it tonight.  Fortunately, I really like the restaurant.
 

This was some of the best tempura I've ever had.  But the high point of the evening was my trip to the ladies' room.

I felt like I was in Sochi.

We ended the night back at home with more birthday cake. It's been a lovely day and I have a great family!