As promised

Here are a few pics from yesterday's birthday festivities :) For some reason my camera doesn't like pics of food because it blurs them - or maybe my settings are wrong - either way, I did what I could and I had a GREAT day :)

Look at that loot!! Cards from friends and family! My Mom had a BLAST with presents this year - got me 7 different birthday cards each with their own little note and treasure inside that I absolutely adored! AND there is more coming! Thank goodness for a somewhat slow postal service because it stretches out the birthday celebration!!!

Yep, that's me, the birthday girl holding my balloon and all dressed up for dinner :)

side bar: notice how the peony is not in the picture - it is to my right but cut out - I think that it has been waterlogged and we may not see any blooms this year - we didn't want to embarass it by including it in the pic (at least that's what J said) lol :)

Look at those gorgeous nails! Yeah I said it! I'm proud of 'em! Fortunately I didn't chop them all off the other day otherwise the manicurist would have even less to work with! I blame it on my piano teacher from when I was younger, making me keep my nails short in order to not hear them clicking on the piano keys. Yeah, it stuck with me!

There is my dinner - this picture doesn't do it justice - it was a soft shell crab with a crab caked stuffed INSIDE! And steamed (no butter or seasoning) broccoli and some chic peas. Now for the soft shell/crabcake combo -- I must admit, NOT the best thing I've eaten, waaay too much seasoning and butter. These people must not know that crab doesn't need that - it speaks for itself, enjoy the taste of a little shake of old bay and you're good to go. Oh my, some restaurants have a lot to learn! But it was good nonetheless :) 

J's rainbow trout with chic peas and au gratin potatoes (with a side of lemon butter sauce for his trout). Was (can you guess Dad...)..."alright" :) He said the trout was a little dry (probably because the sauce was on the side) but other than that, okay. We have some of mine leftover that J will probably eat tonight. Overall a nice dinner, it was a new place, we were lured in by the soft shell special and we gave it a shot - hey, at least we had fun :) Oh and the waiter - a chatty cathy for sure! Nice guy, just realllllly chatty! Oh and our meals came out just a few minutes after our salads, and since we were so "agreeable" (waiter talking), in not pitching a fit that our entrees came out before we were done our salads, chatty cathy waiter surprised us with a brownie (with raspberry drizzle and a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream and real whipped cream) dessert! I tried to take several pics but they all blurred :( It was good! And probably all the the calories that one human should eat over the course of 3 days. But hey, you only get one birthday a year, and we split it so it's okay right :)
Superb morning, afternoon, and evening birthday :)

Waiting for our dinner