AKA Birthday Girl

Yes...today is my birthday and this year it all seems to revolve around food. Yesterday I took my mom out for lunch as a thank you for creating my birthday; last night Rick and I went out for Japanese food. After church tonight, the two of us will probably go to our favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant to celebrate. Then tomorrow evening it's a birthday dinner with Lynn, her family, Mom and, of course, Rick at an Italian restaurant near Lynn's house. Sigh...by the time this birthday weekend is over, I'll definitely be another year older AND will probably weigh a whole lot more. How's that for a double whammy!

Happy Birthday George

In case any of you have forgotten, today is George Washington's birthday. Poor George. Until 1971, our country celebrated his birthday with much fanfare...many businesses and government offices closing for the day, newspapers and television networks reporting on the special celebratory events, annual recitations of his many accomplishments and importance to our country in schools across our nation. And now poor George's birthday has been relegated to just a normal week day while a general celebration for all our nation's leaders is celebrated one week earlier on President's Day. How sad.

For me, George's birthday has and will always remain special. On February 22, 19??, my parents were at a birthday party for one of their friends when suddenly the first pangs of labor made their presence known to Mom. Borrowing a friend's car (my folks had yet to buy one), my dad drove Mom to the hospital where I was born in the wee hours of the next morning. Because George's birthday fell on a Sunday that year and it was still considered a national holiday (now don't you go looking at a perpetual calendar to figure out what year I was born), my dad and most of the country had that Monday off with plenty of time to celebrate my birth.

So on this important day of celebration, all I want to do is wish everyone a "very happy George Washington's birthday."

That Was the Week That Was

I haven't been online most of this week and, when I looked, I realized that it's been 7 days since I last posted. Shame on me. Chalk it up to a fairly busy week plus a little bit of blogging blues. Here is my week in a nutshell:

Monday: Work 7 hours
Tuesday: Work 7 hours
Wednesday: Take Mom to the YMCA for aquatics arthritis class and then lunch
Thursday: Attend the Northern Trust Open golf tournament
Friday: Shop for a hat for a bridal shower tea
Today: Blog!

The highlight of this week was most definitely Thursday. Rick and I started attending the Los Angeles Open golf tournament (it's had many names in the past several years) in 1987 when, for my birthday, I decided I wanted to be able to check off "attend a golf tournament" on my very own personal "Bucket List." Except for a few inclement weeks during the past 21 years, we've been pretty consistent attendees. This year, however, we attended in high style thanks to the generosity of our friend JAM's son-in-law.

When we decided to attend this year's tournament, we invited JAM to accompany us. JAM was kind enough to ask her SIL, who is the President of an international media company, to see if he could arrange to find tickets for us through any one of the tournament sponsors. SIL came through with flying colors as he was able to get us tickets through the major sponsor of this year's tournament. These tickets not only granted us entrance to the Riviera Country Club but also gave us clubhouse access PLUS access to the Panorama Suite where the sponsor provided stadium seating above the 18th green as well as an incredible buffet of wonderful food and drinks in the ballroom of the clubhouse.

First we had breakfast in the Club's dining room. Then we wandered the course watching all the different golfers driving, hitting, chipping, putting. For lunch, we walked back to the clubhouse and sat in the ballroom and munched on a wonderful buffet lunch assortment. Then it was back out to the course for a while followed by a return visit to the ballroom where we enjoyed superb afternoon appetizers. Exhausted (I'm not sure if it was from all the walking or all the eating), we finally left the tournament in the late afternoon.

And the great thing about this year's golf experience? We get to do it all again tomorrow since JAM's SIL secured us tickets for Sunday's final round. Rick and I are not used to living this high income type of life but we're thinking we certainly could get used to it.

We Have Liftoff

Will wonders never cease?!?!? As I am sitting here composing this post, Rick is sitting in the kitchen busily searching the Internet for golf club information. "How?" you might ask. He is actually using my one-year old Silver Wonder laptop computer for the very first time. Amazing!

Cupid Comes Early

Firstly, I've been in another one of my blogging funks lately which explains why I haven't been posting very often or commenting on any of your wonderful blogs. My brain seems to have come to a grinding halt and I just haven't felt very creative lately. I've tried to sit down and compose something worth reading but when I compare my output with all of your wonderfully creative posts and comments, I feel inadequate. Anyway, I apologize for the lack of participation and will try to be better...truly!

So, last night (how's that for a non-existent segue) Rick and I took our friend JAM out for our weekly dinner at one of our favorite small local restaurants. We were brought our usual before-dinner bread basket and plate with a wonderful herb, oil and basalmic vinegar dipping sauce. So we were busy dipping and talking and then suddenly we looked down and here's what we saw:

Yep...right there in the middle of the plate was a perfectly formed heart. We all ooohed and aaahed at the sight and, of course, I had to whip out my camera phone to take this photo. That brought over the waiter who also was amazed. Anyway, with Valentine's Day so close, it just seemed like a perfect way to start the love fest.

Then today I came home from having my car serviced and found a beautiful bouquet of flowers from my one and only Rick. I immediately placed them in my favorite pitcher/vase and, of course, whipped out my camera phone to take this photo.

I'm such a lucky girl. Rick and I usually don't do anything special on Valentine's Day (we leave it for other couples who want to dine out and celebrate) but I sure am enjoying the buildup to that special day. And, as far as I'm concerned, Cupid can visit us any time he wants!!!

A "Super" Start to the Week

OK...so Sunday was the Super Bowl and, of course, Rick and I went to our friends' annual football pig-out. I actually did fairly well and ate less than usual...let's hear it for willpower. I did enjoy a small bowl of Rick's healthy turkey chili and I had a little pasta salad and coleslaw but decided against the beautiful sandwiches and other goodies. Oh wait, I did have a few handfuls of chocolate candy (with peanuts) and some potato chips but I was still pretty good.

Then yesterday I did what Eli Manning was supposed to do...I went to Disneyland. Apparently the winning NY Giant quarterback was scheduled to visit the Magic Kingdom and ride in a parade but he was a no-show...something about not catching a flight out of Arizona in time. No, I wasn't there to seem him. JAM and I had made plans with another friend some time ago to visit Mickey and friends yesterday and it just happened to be on the same day. I've now visited Disneyland several times in the past few months and I can honestly say that I'm burned out with the Magic Kingdom. I think it's time to give it a rest for a while before going again.

Today, of course, was Super Tuesday...the day all the candidates have been waiting for. Rick and I voted early this morning and it's a good thing we looked at our sample ballots before leaving. We've been voting at the nearby Middle School for years and just assumed that's where we needed to go. Wrong! Apparently our precinct voting place was changed and today we voted in the meeting room of one of our local churches. I'm now watching several cable news channels and enjoying all the pundit prognostications. For the first time in many years, there is a real energy and excitement about our political process and I think it's terrific. And, for the first time in many elections, our California primary actually matters so I think I'll go now and wait for the results to come in since our polls close in a few minutes.

My Book Life Exposed

Linda at Are We There Yet? was kind enough to tag me for a meme which should be right up my alley. As a former English major and librarian, I've been surrounded by books most of my life and you'd think I'd have a wealth of choices to use to respond to these questions. The problem? I'm a librarian's worst nightmare. I tend to read the same genre of books...mysteries...and rarely deviate from that area of interest. However, I will do my best with these questions...honest.

The Book Meme

One book that changed your life: This one requires me to travel back to the late 1970's when I was first beginning my career as a librarian. I was having "issues" with confidence and happened upon Dr. Wayne Dyer's book "Your Erroneous Zones." I picked it up, read it and then tried to apply the insights to my life. Surprisingly, it did make me feel better and stronger. It's the one and only self-help book I've ever read.

One book that you have read more than once: I admit it..."Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. I liken it to a "chick flick" that I can watch over and over. The give-and-take relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy gets me every time.

One book that you would want on a desert island: "1001 Things To Do With Sand"

One book that made you laugh: This one is by far the easiest...any and all of the books in the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich! I actually discovered this series when the first book was released and then recommended it to all my friends, co-workers and library patrons. I like to take at least some of the credit for the immense popularity of this great series.

One book that made you cry: No doubt about it...Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights." What could be better than two star-crossed lovers, conflict and death?

One book you wish you'd written: Hmmm...I'd have to say "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone." As a former librarian with 4 years in the Children's Department, I am so thrilled that this book and the rest of the series has brought the joy and wonder of reading to this current generation of technology-obsessed children and their parents. Hopefully the excitement generated by this series will encourage children to continue reading in the years to come.

One book you wish had never been written: I definitely have to agree with Linda on this one..."Mein Kampf."

One book you're reading: Nelson DeMille's "Wild Fire"

One book you're going to read: Leslie Caine's "Killed By Clutter"

A very big thanks to Linda for this meme tag! Now I just have to tag my sister Lynn and Book Challenge wonder Lynne. And...if you're someone who loves to read and would like to try your hand at this meme, please be my guest and go for it!