Birthday Notes

My birthday fell on a Wednesday. It was a perfectly beautiful day in New York. I had lunch at my usual diner where they piled a small bowl full of bananas and strawberries, placed a lit candle on top and sang for me the birthday song. I played with the dog, worked on the children's book I'm illustrating, and went out to Manhattan with my husband, where we met 8 other friends at a highly recommended BBQ spot.

Unfortunately, the online recommendation came from someone who was probably turned on by frat houses, so my husband and I, and our eight friends, hauled ourselves 2 blocks to a lovely Greek Tapas restaurant. That's just about the best thing about Manhattan. You need not venture far to find quality dining. We dined on flaming cheese, a variety of seafoods and meats with a Mediterranean flair. My friend feared for her life every time they lit a platter of cheese on fire. It was a popular dish that night.

The popular gift to get for someone like me? Sketchbooks, sweets, Starbucks, and the bonus gift, a cool tote. I know I'm loved when I get a gift card for crack. I even got one in the mail from friends that sent their regrets. The sketchbooks ranged from Moleskine, to your fancy stationery store variety, to a recycled children's book turned sketchbook. Now if you could only see my sketches under the influence of java.

The lesson of the day, don't sit too close to flaming cheese.