A LadyLee Birthday 2019

Well, my 49th birthday has come and gone...

And as always, it was a good one.

Let's just say I was glad to be OFF. My birthday is a personal national holiday. It hasn't always been that way - I think the last time I worked on my birthday was when I turned 33 - but from now on, that is my personal gift to myself. No work on my birthday.

And for the last 15 years or thereabouts, my best friend and I spend our birthdays together. We have made it a tradition. We go to the movies and we go out to eat. Sometimes we go shopping.

This year, Ladytee was on my hard about what I wanted to do. I was a little slow in figuring it out. I was just glad to be off. But I decided I wanted to see Green Book since it is winning so many awards. And I love some Mahershala Ali. I think he is a great actor, and I try to see whatever he's in.

The movie was very good. And best of all, Octavia Spencer is one of the executive producers. I thought it was a good "feel-good" movie. Definitely worth seeing in the theaters. It has been winning a lot of awards, and I would imagine it's going to be a big winner at the Oscars. I plan to purchase it when it becomes available on digital.

Now I was up in the air when it came to deciding what to eat. I decided on some Ethiopian food. We went to one of the most popular Ethiopian spots in the city, Desta Ethiopian Kitchen.

I'd already scoped out the menu online. I had the gomen tibs, which is short ribs sautéed with some onions and peppers.

I also had some potato stew. I could've used a whole bowl of that. It was good and spicy. I need to look up how to make that!

I was worried about this place, as the last time I had Ethiopian food (some 25 years ago), it was SUPER spicy. And one thing about LadyTee, she don't do spicy food. But she found a shrimp dish that she liked. She had shrimp and a salad.

That looks good. I will get that the next time I go.

What is most interesting to me about Ethiopia food is the injera bread.

It looks a bit scary, like something from the very bottom of the ocean or off some coral reef, but it is their bread of choice. Ethiopian food, from what I understand, is eaten with your fingers. So the bread is used as your utensil. It is cold, and it reminds me of sourdough bread. I don't care for sour dough bread, but this bread matched up VERY well with the food. I tried to stay within the culture and use my fingers, but thank goodness we had spoons, forks, and knives!

It was a great birthday. I got some really nice gifts. I got a one week mail-by-delivery food box subscription (you know, like Hello Fresh or Blue Apron). I also got a firestick, some pill bottles for separating out my medication, and an aromatherapy humidifier.

Umm... Sister Callie Jo is completely CAPTIVATED by that thing. I have to watch her and make sure she doesn't attack it and knock it over.

I don't think she will. She just loves watching the steam rise from the center. And I will let her enjoy that.

I also cashed in my money. If you don't know, I save all my change from birthday to birthday.

It came out to $101.00, but they take 10% at the coin machine, so it came out to around $89.

I am tripping on the fact that I had 293 quarters. Wow!

I haven't spent my birthday money. I desperately need some cookware (a saucepan and a quart pan), so I think that is what I will be purchasing this weekend, or whenever I get around to getting to it.

But it was a GREAT birthday. I have NO idea what I will do for my 50th birthday. I have these BIG dreams of what I want to do, but for now...

I will just enjoy turning 49 years old!