csberry

While my birthday on Friday wasn't a free-for-all leisurefest that lined up my day with a series of win-win events, it was really damned good. I did work, but nothing challenging or frustrating. In fact, I had enough time to create this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbU0dZCc9Vc

I left the office early and went to Vertical House records. There, I bought some vinyl - Talking Heads '77, Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms, and a two picture disc version of Barry Manilow's greatest hits. I left there and headed over to the taco truck at Drake and Triana to eat a couple of pastor tacos. When I got home, the kids had just left for the grandparents and I had a few minutes to change clothes before heading to the Melting Pot for my b-day dinner.

The Melting Pot's Big Night Out meal was Latin themed, so there was a spicy cheese course. A shrimp ceviche salad (the ceviche was a first for me and I loved it) followed. The entree course had some great options like the mole chicken. The dessert course was a dark chocolate and dulce swirl with bananas, strawberries, rice cereal blocks, brownies, and such for dipping/coating. Thanks to my being skimpy with b'fast and lunch, I didn't get to feeling full until we were nearly done with dessert.

The night was completed by some truly fantastic marital relations with JD. ;)

My birthday party was after church on Sunday. My grandmom came up from B'ham and my brother came down from Nashville. We had a Mexican themed party with carne asada, a chicken and poblano enchilada recipe I'd seen on a Rick Bayless PBS show, and a HUGE pinata purchased from a local mercado and stuffed by my dad with some of my favorite candy and some party favors for the kids (silly string, glow-in-the-dark sticks). Some of my presents included an IOU for a new set of windows for our living room from my parents, Shortlegs (my bro) gave me a pair of blue suede low-top Chuck Taylors, new sidewalk lights and a 2CD/1DVD re-issue of Band on the Run from the in-laws, and JD and the kids got me an expansion pack for Settlers of Catan and a year subscription to Reason magazine.