UGH! Another Birthday!

I do not like my birthday!

I never have.

When I was a kid there was always a snowstorm, blizzard, or 20 feet of snow to stop my birthday guests from making it to my party.

Winter birthdays stink anyways because there is nothing to do except go out to eat, eat and then finish with cake, hence more eating!

All the new ailments time themselves perfectly to come out around my birthday. All my medications have to be adjusted to compensate for the aging body. My gray hair becomes more resistant to hair color.

I make the most of it though. My poor husband and son have to put up with my misery leading up to it and my indecision as to what to do on the big day. I want to make the right choice because I only have one chance in 365 to do it right! It's kinda like when I go to a restaurant and take the longest to choose my meal....I want to choose right the first time!

So why am I blogging about something I really don't like and should just put behind me till next year?

Because this year, and I admit the last few, have been pretty okay. The ironic part is my birthday celebrations usually start a little before the big day and go on for a week after. Talk about prolonging the agony of something I DO NOT LIKE!

This year it was actually sunny out! I had to go and take a picture of the canal to commemorate this rare day in January.

My celebrations started with a couples dinner out to Carrabas Italian Grill. If you haven't tried this restaurant it is a MUST visit. It is a national chain so there may be one near you! For the restaurant, I chose the right one the first time!



I made my own cake because I was craving white cake with white buttercream frosting and some dark chocolate shavings on top. There it is in front of me. It too was the right choice!



On my actual birthday I went to church (it was Sunday) and then I really wanted ice cream so we went to Yolickity Frozen Yogurt. It is the best place because you get to serve yourself any or all of the flavors of frozen yogurt plus toppings, sauces and hot fudge or caramel. We did a little thrift shopping because it is my favorite thing to do and then my daughter brought over a whole dinner plus another cake for me. She slaved all day making sausage/veggie roll, chicken wing dip, and broccoli raisin salad.

  

I encouraged my granddaughter Chloe to help me blow out the candle but like any child she just wanted to touch the flame! She did get a finger full of the frosting though.

The next day was lunch out with my girlfriends to Moe's Southwest Grill. This is another MUST visit restaurant where the workers all yell "WELCOME TO MOOOOOOOE'S" each time someone walks in. It too is a franchise chain so there may be one near you. I always get the Close Talker salad with tofu and tons of toppings, chips and queso on the side.

This is turning out to be a restaurant review! See what I mean about there being nothing else to do but eat?!

The end of this week my oldest daughter is taking me to lunch to The Village Bakery and Cafe in Pittsford, NY. It is a new place in an upscale town about 20 minutes from where I live.

And finally, to top off a week of birthday celebrations, my 14 year old son Michael is taking me out to Moe's again (I can eat it multiple times in a week and it is one of his favorite places too) and then to the Mona Lisa Cafe for Italian desserts and gelato.

Starting Saturday I am not eating solid food for a week. Anyone have a good liquid diet I can start?!

AnnMarie :)