The boy did good

Today is my actual birthday. It's been a really nice weekend, although verrrrry cold. Yesterday I planned on running with the Lake Effect group, but I woke up and it was -4 degrees. I'll run in the cold, but not that kind of cold, I don't have the gear for it. I dug out an Under Armour sweatshirt that was a cast off from my 12 year old nephew, but that wasn't going to cut it, even though it fit. So I got on the treadmill and banged out seven miles while flipping between Groundhog Day and How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

Out sitter was here by six o'clock, so Mike and I headed out for dinner and drinks. We started at bc, where they make a great dirty martini, with bleu cheese stuffed olives. Then we walked down the street in the sub zero temps to Bistro Elephant. I had never been, but it's a bright space, and there were two musicians playing funky tunes. The tables were close together, and I'm the type of person who wants to join in other people's conversations if I hear something interesting, but I don't actually do it. At the table to our right there was a huge guy and his girlfriend, he looked like he could play football for SU, which he very well may have, the way the staff was fawning all over him.

To start we had a Thai Beef Salad, with onions, tomato, cilantro, and mint, and shared a spicy tuna and asparagus roll. It had crispy panko on the outside, it was a large roll, but sliced thin, which was a nice change from the usual thick sushi pieces. Mike had the crispy duck for dinner, and I had a lovely bacon wrapped cod, over a tomato saffron broth. No room for dessert! Mike did make me my favorite cake, yellow Duncan Hines with chocolate frosting, and it has to be cold, from the fridge. For good measure he also bought a Pepperidge Farm chocolate, chocolate cake, because I said the other day how much I loved them when I was a kid.

This morning I slept in, and the kids pounced on me as soon as I came downstairs, begging me to open my presents. Mike did a great job this year, I opened up a gift card to Fleet Feet for new running shoes, a medicine ball and resistance band. I guess he was listening when I said I'm working on my core and toning. I also received the new pj's I requested, as well as new running shorts.

The sun is shining, and we're going to head out and take the kids ice skating. This will be a first, so we might be home after 5 minutes. In any case, there's a fire in the fireplace, I have a good book, my telephone, my family, and the Grammy's are on tonight. All in all, it's already a great day.