My Birthday

My birthday was Monday, July 2.  It was a low key kind of day.  I don't mean for this to sound negative, but because my birthday is so close to July 4, it has been hard for me to plan parties in the past.  Most people are out of town or have holiday plans that seem to begin on or before July 2.

My mother's birthday is on June 30, so in an effort to keep from having two birthday cakes, we usually got my mother a cake.  I've whined about not having a birthday cake for years.  To end this vicious cycle, Justin got a birthday cake for me.  I ran an errand and when I returned home, this cake was waiting for me.  He's really sweet like that!

Later that night, Justin took me to TWO Urban Licks.  TWO Urban Licks is one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta.  We began with cocktails.  They have these liquor infusions.  I'm not sure how they're made, but they're potent.  My favorite is the key lime infusion.  It has rum infused with something, coconut milk, lime, and brown sugar.  Justin had a sangria infusion.  They were both quite tasty!

We also began our meal with the watermelon and yellow tomato salad.  It has watermelon, yellow tomato, feta cheese, mint, and a chili sauce.  It doesn't sound all that appealing, but it is fabulous.  We had it the last time we were there and it is wonderful.  So refreshing!

For my entree, I had the scallops.  Justin and I have eaten at TWO Urban Licks five or six times and I've gotten the scallops each visit.  They're that good.  The three perfectly cooked scallops are served atop Gouda grits surrounded by a tomato sauce and topped with a tomato salsa.  The blend of flavors is perfect.  You wouldn't think three scallops would be satisfying, but it is the perfect amount of food.

Because it was my birthday and the waitress noticed this while checking my ID (Woohoo for looking like a teenager!), she offered a free dessert.  Justin and I planned to have a drink after dinner, so I got the carrot cake without the ice cream so we wouldn't have to rush home.  I love carrot cake, so it was a win win situation.


We visited Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium (It's a bar.).  It is a local bar that has tasty drinks.  I had my usual cosmo and we headed home.

As I said, it was a low key day, but a great day.  Justin got me a recumbent exercise bike, which we put together on July 4.  I haven't used it, yet, but I'm planning to get on it later today.  It's gonna make me skinny!  While we met my family in Macon on June 30, I got my birthday presents from my family.  My mother and Larry gave me a pair of gold hoop earrings.  They're really pretty and I know I'll wear them often.  My sister and niece gave me a pretty blue ring.  I'm not sure if it's topaz or aquamarine, but it's very pretty.  Justin's parents sent a check which was used to purchase some clothes at my favorite store, The Limited.  Shhh...don't tell Justin I went there!  I also treated myself to a much needed pedicure.

My mother is getting married!

My mother has been dating Larry for a about two years.  He is the first person she dated since my father died in 1986.  I've been expecting this for a while, so I wasn't totally surprised on Saturday when she showed me her ring.  It is very pretty!

Her sixtieth birthday was on Saturday, so we decided to meet in Macon for lunch.  After we sat down, she presented her left hand and I quickly spotted the diamonds.  She was so excited, so my sister and I were excited for her, too.

My sister and me. 

My JB and me. 

The happy couple!

Congratulations Mama and Larry!  Love you two!

2009 Audi Q5

I've had my 2007 Honda Accord for five years and enjoyed it the entire time.  For several months, I've talked with Justin about getting an SUV.  Prior to the 2007 Honda Accord, I had a 2004 Ford Explorer and really liked sitting higher off the ground.  I also liked the power the six cylinder engine provided.  The Honda was paid for and I said I wouldn't get a new vehicle until I had to.

I changed my mind last weekend.

In the last few months, I jumped around from wanting an SUV, to wanting a car, to wanting an SUV, to wanting a car.  Saturday, I asked Justin if he wanted to test drive a BMW 5 Series since that's one of the vehicles I have been eyeing.  We visited a used car dealership in Gwinnett County and drive a BMW.  I liked it, but wasn't sure if I wanted to pull the trigger.  Justin asked me to drive an Infiniti G37s.  I drove it and like it a lot.  I was looking for something a little sporty, but still kind of luxurious.

Before we left, Justin asked me to drive a Porsche Cayenne.  I drove it and really liked it.  It had a lot of power and was really fun to drive.  The only thing that made me question that vehicle was the cost of maintenance.

As we were about to leave, I asked the salesman if I could drive one more.  I had spotted an Audi Q5 and was curious how it handled.  I had looked at them before, but really thought I wanted the Porsche Cayenne or another SUV.

I had also strongly considered an Acura MDX or an Acura RDX.  My mother has an MDX and really likes it.  I've driven it several times and like it, too.  I was considering the the RDX for the gas mileage.

I ultimately decided I really liked the Audi Q5, so I went home and began the search.  I knew there weren't a plethora of Q5s around, but I really did not realize how few there are.  I would search for them at Audi dealerships and each one might have one or two.  I was looking for a 2009 or 2010 with relatively low mileage.  The 2009 and 2010 models were in my price range, but I kind of wanted the bells and whistles.

I found what I wanted at Gwinnett Audi, so we headed to the dealership on Sunday afternoon to drive it.  We drove it and I let Justin know how much I really liked the vehicle.  The salesman went inside so we could discuss specifics.  We came up with a number we were both happy with, so we went inside to haggle.  To make a long story short, we decided on a price and signed the papers.

Note:  I got these photos from the dealership's website.

The interior is very clean and there are no odors, which is incredibly important to me.  I keep my car very clean and get annoyed by people who don't.  I understand car cleanliness isn't as important to everyone as it is me, but I absolutely will not buy a vehicle that isn't clean and has odors like smoke, pet odors, or fragrances.  I really do not want my car to smell like a strawberry or cherry.

Before I bought the Honda, I looked at used Volkswagen Passats.  I questioned the cleanliness of some vehicles I looked at in Valdosta.  The salesman told me it was basically impossible to keep vehicles with a tan interior clean.  I begged to differ with him and showed him my Explorer.  It was spotless inside.  He told me no one keeps their vehicle that clean and I was the exception to the rule.

I really don't know what most of these buttons and knobs do.

I have nothing against children, but I asked the salesman if the previous owner had children and he confirmed she didn't.  He actually sold her the vehicle and also assisted her when she traded it in on her next Audi Q5.  I think my lack of children has a lot to do with me keeping my vehicles so clean.

I love driving this vehicle!  It's such a smooth ride and so easy to drive.  I still have my trusty Honda and plan to drive it on occasion.

Happy Anniversary, My Love!

Nine years ago today, Justin and I got married. It seems like forever ago and sometimes it seems like yesterday. We've had some really good times together. We've also had some not so good times, too.

When we were dating, I would play Ella Fitzgerald's version of "Everytime We Say Goodbye" and get Justin to dance with me. I think I probably enjoyed it more than he, but it was such a happy time we spent together.



Everytime we say goodbye
I die a little.
Everytime we say goodbye
I wonder why a little.
Why the gods above me
who must be in the know
think so little of me
they allow you to go.

When you're near
there's such an air of spring about it.
I can hear a lark somewhere
begin to sing about it.
There's no love song finer
but how strange the change
from major to minor
everytime we say goodbye.

When you're near
there's such an air
of spring about it.
I can hear a lark somewhere
begin to sing about it.
There's no love song finer
but how strange the change
from major to minor
everytime we say goodbye.

When you're near
there's such an air
of spring about it.
I can hear a lark somewhere
begin to sing about it.There's no love song finer
but how strange the change
from major to minor
everytime we say goodbye.

Happy Anniversary, Justin!  I love you.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life! Justin, I love you.

We exchanged gifts on Saturday. Justin gave me a digital photo frame and a handmade necklace. He is so thoughtful and caring. He puts a lot of thought into all gifts. I wish I could be as thoughtful when it comes to gifts. I got him a gift certificate to Tower Wines. He loves wine and I wanted to get him a nice bottle, but he's so particular when it comes to wines.

My sweet hubby also surprised me with a bouquet of pink tulips. He came inside the house without flowers. I kind of jokingly said, "What, no flowers?" He asked if I expected flowers and I said, "No, but they would be nice." He ran to his car and came back with the flowers. He likes to surprise me.

How did I get so lucky?

Best Picture Movies 2

The third film we watched is Midnight in Paris. I think we all enjoyed this movie. It was only an hour and a half long, which about the length of my attention span. It was fun and light and made me want to sign up for French lessons and book a trip to Paris. This is a movie that I could see someone wanting to watch multiple times. Fun!

We watched Hugo (in 3D) yesterday. This film was cute, but not something I would want to watch again. It lasted just over two hours, which really pushed my attention span. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I fell asleep for a short time near the beginning of the film. It wasn't boring; I was tired. The 3D effects did add some enjoyment to the film. At one point, I felt like I could reach my hand toward the screen and touch Sacha Baron Cohen's face. Because the film was in 3D, several of the previews were also in 3D. I liked Titanic when I saw it fifteen years ago (geez, I can't believe it has been that long!), but the 3D preview almost made me sick. Everything was moving too fast or something because I thought I was going to be sick. I finally had to close my eyes.

We've seen the following Best Picture nominees:

• The Artist
• The Decendants
• The Help
• Hugo
• Midnight in Paris
• Moneyball

We still need to see the following nominees:

• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
• The Tree of Life
• War Horse

Honestly, I'm not all that excited about seeing the last three movies. I've heard War Horse is very slow. The previews of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close didn't interest me. I know nothing about The Tree of Life.

Best Picture Movies 1

Each year, Justin and I watch the Academy Award Best Picture nominees with another couple. We started this year's movies with The Decendants. I enjoyed the movie and everyone else seemed to, too. It was a drama, but had a few comedic moments. I recommend The Decendents. One downfall was that I left the theater in tears. Sad things make me cry.

The next movie we watched was Moneyball. Moneyball is a movie that I enjoyed, but would most likely not watch again. I can certainly see why this movie was nominated, but I think I enjoyed The Decendants more. Of course, watching Brad Pitt for a couple of hours isn't all that bad.

The third movie we watched is The Artist. I did not realize this movie is a silent film. There were no spoken words throughout the entire movie! It was also in black and white. Criticize me all you want, but I am not a fan of black and white films. Honestly, the movie lost my attention after about thirty minutes. We went with a group of five other people and there were slightly mixed reviews. Some liked the concept of the the film but not the storyline. Others thought the film was pretty creative and enjoyed it. And then there is me. I wanted the two hours I spent in the theater back.