An Understated Birthday

I’m getting to be at an age when the time between birthdays seem to fly by, fast as lightening.  This past Sunday was my birthday and it snuck up on me a little bit!  I didn’t want to make a huge deal out of it, so I just spent it with my favorite person in the whole wide world:  Todd.

In the morning when we woke up, Todd gave me a card and some birthday gifts.  He got me a couple of lens hoods for my camera, and an amazing older and used book called “San Diego Past & Present”. 

He found the book used, because it is out of print.  I was completely fascinated by this book.  I love looking at old photos as it were.  But every 2-page spread of this book is a comparison between old and new.  They put an old photo of the place on the left, and they take a current, more modern photo of the exact same place on the right!  Fascinating!  This is Mission Beach.


And this is Prospect Street in La Jolla. 


After Todd left for his bike ride (he’s training for a Half Ironman at the end of March), I made myself a breakfast of scrambled eggs with Mexican cheese & fresh salsa, cherry jam on waffle, and coffee.

And I looked at the pictures in the book for a long while!  I love this gift that Todd gave me.

Later in the morning, while Todd was still riding his bike, I went out for a 3-mile birthday run.  I ended up running 3.3 miles due to some miscalculations on my part.  You know, because I’m OLD now!  :p

Todd came home from his bike ride and he took me to Kappa Sushi for lunch.  I had the special roll of the day.


And I ate a jalapeno tempura from Todd’s plate!


I got some chores done and then we decided to take some birthday photos in the backyard.  These ended up being my favorites.





I either take some self-portraits every year on my birthday, or I ask Todd to take some photos of me.  This one ended up my favorite, because I don’t look fat or old, LOL. 

After the photos, we left for my birthday dinner!  I picked Urban Solace, because I love the modern comfort food there, and also because it’s right down the block from Heaven Sent Desserts, LOL. 

We didn’t have reservations so we got seated on the outside patio.  It was heated so it was fine with me!  I got this drink called “Grapefruit Fleur et Sel”.  It was okay.  I think it was a little bit bitter for my taste.  I wish it was sweeter.


Birthday dinner on the heated patio of Urban Solace! 


I got Pulled Chicken and Buttermilk Dumplings.  It was yummy!


Todd got Farro Saute, which was creamy farro, veggies, smoked tomatoes, and grated parmesan.  It was yummy too!


And I’m such a lucky birthday girl to sit across from such a handsome, kind, and funny man.  So very lucky!




After our awesome dinner, you would think we would be stuffed and have no room for dessert?  You would be wrong!  :p  We walked over to Heaven Sent Desserts.  This, my friends, is called a Heaven Sent Chocolate Trinity Cake.  It's three layers of moist chocolate cake with three different layers of frosting in between.  Somewhere in there was Mexican spiced chocolate, and it was divine.  No, I didn’t eat the whole thing, I saved some for breakfast the next day!  :)


Todd got a chocolate raspberry pineapple cake.  It was good too, but not as good as the Chocolate Trinity in my opinion.


After dessert, we went home and I didn’t do anything.  This is rare for me and I loved it.  Although, I may have just been in a food coma, LOL.  I had an understated birthday and it was just the way I wanted it.  Not a huge celebration or party.  Just me, Todd, Noodle, and some of my favorite foods.  And photos of it all.  :)