Birthday Recap

Well, the best laid plans...my birthday was one of the best days I have had in years and it was totally unplanned. That is what made it so very special. After writing in yesterday's blog that we were going to run the ridge south, the phone rang. I ended up speaking with so many people for the next two hours, that it was too late to have lunch after our planned road excursion.

But, the phone calls. Marvelous. And from so many people. I even heard from a dear friend I met when our children were in swimming lessons. William was three-years old. We job shared at the elementary school where Winnie is currently attending, I got the job at the school where I got sick and when they announced they needed an aide in a class focusing on Greek language and history, I recommended my friend Cynthia. Did I mention she was a Greek major and archivist in college? A perfect fit. She morphed into the head of the Middle School when I was the head of the huge Music Program. We used to laugh and say it took longer to get into those positions than we had planned. She is still at the school.  She was head of the Japanese trip that all 8th graders prepared for by studying all things Japanese for three years then staying with families and going to school and touring Japan for three weeks. She was head of placement in private high schools, a difficult process here in the Bay Area. She has taught Humanities throughout her many years at the school. We had not chatted in well over a year. We talked about the health of our mothers - hers is 94 and lost an eye in a fall - and our children. Her children are brilliant. Her husband Robert is a Rocket Scientist. Really. It says so on his business card. One child is still working at the Mothership for Apple and the other is a professor of physics at a top university. Neither of us are grandmothers!

I quickly showered and got into a casual dress with brown tights and we hopped into the car. Leaving the house, a hat I brought along to wear when we put the top down had a piece of Velcro that caught my tights. So, that pretty much determined our day. We headed over the pass to Nordstroms to buy replacements. From there we went to a nice place on the Avenue. Food was fantastic as well as the service. I had a light lunch, Michael had a huge lunch. On the way to the car, we went into Sur la Table to find an apron for Winnie's birthday. Well, Michael had an offered cappuccino and before I knew it, we are now the proud owners of an Nespresso system, with frother. Happy Birthday to me!

From there we walked to the best bakery of Danish goods and bought a Princess Cake. Yes, a Princess Cake. A very small one. With the top down, we drove the pass home and sat in the garden. When we drove up to the house, there was a beautiful vase filled with white roses from William on my doorstep. My first ever flowers from him. I was so deeply touched. He had called earlier, we got caught up with his life, learned he is going to South America for the first time in March and April, having tonsil problems and happy to be home for a couple of weeks.

Dinner was leftovers and we were settling in for the evening when Wayne called. Someone had given him a ton of crab, it was cooked and ready. He asked if we wanted two. Ah, yes please! First crabs of the season. Sport fishermen can catch them now but the real season opens for the rest of us next week. It is a rare treat to have crab this early.

We hopped in the car, drove to their house and watched Wayne clean a ton of crab, chatted with Jill then confirmed plans to have dinner together tonight. Wayne and I share the same birthday. We are going to a great place across from the harbor that primarily features Mediterranean food. Reservations are tough to get. We never go because we never plan far enough ahead. Thankfully, Wayne was able to get us in tonight.

So my birthday week comes to an end after dinner tonight. What a celebration this has been.