I'm thinking the sugar and caffeine combination here contributed to my energy level last night and this (very early!) morning. Maybe? Maybe not! But we'll begin our story with those all-natural drugs, shall we?
I had scheduled my evening to begin at Panera, as they had a free birthday treat waiting for me. Free, you say? Indeed! How can you get in on such largesse? Easy! All you have to do is to register on their website, with your loyalty swipe card, and then wait for your birthday to roll around. They even give you two months to claim your treat; believe me, that last part is quite generous, as most places will only grant you a few days to a couple of weeks to come claim your birthday swag.
So, as I was saying, I began with the celebration of my birthday at that restaurant, in particular, the location downtown. My rationale: park once, early on before the crowds arrive, then easily walk to my other destinations that evening. Done! I had already been told that they would let me choose one of the pastries for my birthday. Sweet! I headed straight to that section, perusing the treats behind the glass. Huge bearclaws, generously strewn with sliced almonds? Maybe... but what about the wild blueberry muffin, nearly bursting with blue? Oh, that cherry danish looks scrumptious!!! Oh, wait, that would have cheese in it, and I didn't bring any lactase. Well, that pumpkin muffin looks mighty rich! On my third passage in front of the display case, the item nearly dead center kept tugging at me.
"What's the cobblestone muffin?"
"That is our cinnamon roll dough, pinched into pieces and cooked as a muffin, then drizzled with glaze."
Whoa... sounds like bread pudding to me!
So, that's what I got. It also turned out to be the most expensive pastry they had. Moreover, that was the last cobblestone muffin they had.
And now it was mine!
I bought an iced coffee to go along with it. You know: breakfast at night, what a delight! I had a little more than thirty minutes before my next destination would require my presence, so I had a nice, leisurely little sit-down. How refreshing!
Then I took my brand-new Italian birthday top down to the Lucas for some more Marilyn Monroe. For this show, it would be the fabulous "Some Like It Hot", featuring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Yeah!!! And the oh-so-huggable Hai would be there to share the film with me!!!!! Woohoo!!!
Wait a sec... Italian birthday top? That trip was a year ago.
Yeah... but I have not yet worn this particular top. As you may recall, I had taken some old clothes on the trip with me, purchasing new items along the way. Right? As it so happens, the tops I bought were all pretty fancy - for me - and so I haven't really had the opportunity to wear them. And so they have been trapped in the closet, waiting to come out. (Sorry, I just couldn't resist that reference! I really enjoyed that video soap opera!)
I do realize the clamdiggers aren't quite the right shade, but I don't care. I wanted to loose that splash of colors from the tangle of other clothes. So, I did! I even had my first niece take a picture to record the occasion. I felt like such a girl again! The top, and the remembrances it conjured up, definitely added to my energy level. it's a wonder I was able to sit through the film!
Next on the aganda was a trip to a new place to hear a new band. Why? The drummer had invited me, as he was also the drummer for Barefoot Booyah, which I know I've mentioned a time or two. This group is called Hellhounds and is all about blues! I came in about the time they launched into "Sweet Home Chicago", which was a nice segue from the film I had just seen. Cool! They did a very nice job with it, too!
I danced a bit, chatted with the drummer a bit, and, on their seccond break, said my adieus for another dance site. After all, there were (Magic) Rocks on The Roof, playing tunes I knew and loved! So, off I went, timing my entrance pretty well. I must have caught them shortly after a break, so the energy level was up and there were actually dancers on the floor! I mean, besides me! I danced to every song, until their next break, then I danced to every song until the end of the gig. Fab-u-LOUS!!! "Purple Rain" and "Last Dance with Mary Jane" and "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"!!!
After the guys started putting their instruments to rest, a woman came up to me. I had seen her and her husband dancing to some of the tunes earlier. She comes right up to me and says, "We really enjoyed watching you dance tonight. You're so graceful!"
Wasn't that a lovely thing to say to someone? Wasn't that a lovely thing to say to me?
I tell you, I walked out of there floating.
What a nice way to end a birthday evening!
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