38

[sigh]

So I'm no longer 37. I think that yesterday I crossed over the boundary dividing mid-thirties from late-thirties. 40 looms. What have I done with my life?

Well, cooked dinner, for one thing. Yes, on my birthday, I cooked dinner. It's fun, after all. I enjoy it. And isn't MY birthday about ME doing the things that I want to do? Of course! So no moaning from Conrad when I got up at 6 to go for a 4-mile run along False Creek (sooooo peaceful, so mild and calm out). And no one in my kitchen while I whipped up food for five of us.

After the run (and coffee at - YES! We're so happy to be back - Safari Cafe), we met Dad for breakfast in the Fairview neighbourhood, not far from City Hall. He had come into town for the day quite by coincidence, and we were able to have a nice breakfast and chat with him. Don't we all look remarkably alike?

A whole bunch of groceries and other shopping later, I was at work in the kitchen. Sheri and Chris were coming for dinner, and I had it in mind to work with some things that Conrad and I like most of all.

Pre-dinner, we all sat out on the balcony, enjoying the cooler air out there (the oven was on for hours yesterday).

Marie had brought back some lavender syrup from her recent trip to France because she'd enjoyed a cocktail there that she wanted us to try. Essentially a kir royale, but instead of cassis, it was sparkling wine with the lavender. And it was exceptional. We definitely have to find some of that syrup and try making it for our friends in Chicago. We munched on some little toasts, goat cheese, olives, walnuts, and fresh tomato compote with mint.

I didn't take too many photos of the food through dinner. We left the salad course unmolested by the camera. Sheri had brought two bottles of BC Pinot Gris, and we opened one to drink alongside the salad.

Dinner was ribs. Jeph may laugh when he sees this because he teases me that I cook nothing else but ribs. Frankly, I love them. And again, it was MY birthday. I made a thick, chunky, tomatoey sauce for them, and had a ratatouille underneath. That was a nod to Conrad and his love for tomato.

Chris had brought us a Cotes du Rhone, and we enjoyed that before moving into a Quail's Gate Pinot Noir Conrad had picked up. Dinner over, we moved out to the balcony to sip wine until dessert.

By this point, everyone was having a very nice time. Sunset came upon us, and the conversation kept up, mirthfully at times.





We left the dessert course unphotographed as well, but enjoyed walnut gateau breton, three Spanish cheeses, three bars of Vosges chocolate, and a bottle of Venturi-Schulze Brandenburg No. 3.

So, I'm 38, I'll get over it. At least I had a terrific, exhausting (in a good way) day of it. And it does make me think already of what to do when I hit 40 in a couple of years!