Yesterday was a wonderful 36th birthday. Lance had jury duty at noon, so he stayed home in the morning and helped with the drip system. I sat outside nursing Evan and watching Benjamin water the plants (and himself) with the hose! We all had lunch, which included a homemade salsa and a fresh jalapeno from my garden. Yum!
In the afternoon, Benjamin and I headed to his first swimming lesson at the local YMCA. After first feeling like fish out of water, not knowing where to go and even if we had the right day for the class, we had a great time. Benjamin loved getting in the pool and did not want to leave. We practiced a drill over and over again. Benjamin would swim (with my help) to the side of the pool, climb out, throw his rubber froggie, jump off the edge (again with my help) and swim to get his froggie. I was so proud of him taking on something knew with such enthusiasm. I have a feeling he will be a great swimmer and I can't wait for the next lesson.
My birthday evening was nothing short of AWESOME! I met our friend Sankalp for a drink at his favorite bar, The Good Knight. It had such a neat atmosphere which seemed totally out of place in a seedy looking area of East Austin. It was dark with candles and old-fashioned photographs. The menu included upscale bar food and inventive takes on classic drinks. I tried the Strawberry Caiparinha with rosemary sage syrup. I enjoyed savoring this lovely beverage while Sankalp and I talked about the new trend toward using sustainable and local ingredients in cooking. We did miss Lance, who had to cancel at the last minute due to jury duty :(
After the Good Knight we headed to Jezebel's for dinner, where we met my parents and Lance. There was only one other couple at the restaurant early on a Monday evening and we just happened to know them: Mike and Jen! It was their 7th anniversary. Sankalp knows the chef at Jezebel and he came out to greet us. After a short interview about our culinary preferences, the chef prepared a 4 course menu full of wonderful surprises and incredible wine pairings. I can't remember all of the components of the dishes but I do recall that the main course featured seared wild boar (resembling a cross between ahi tuna and beef) served over osso bucco beef cheeks, avocado, a classic sauce with lobster and lamb stock and white truffle oil! Seriously, I have never had anything that wild in my life. I told the chef that he is the Salvador Dali of the culinary world. The man is truly talented! It was a great night with wonderful food, fabulous wine, and the enjoyment of loved ones. I don't really have to go into how I felt at 2:30 in the morning, do I?
Here's to a fabulous year at 36!
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