Our original plan was to go to our Boles Aero trailer in the mountains.  But Rocky’s health has been dwindling recently, and we decided not to go.

This also limited our ability to go to a late dinner, movie, etc as it is getting cold at night, and we did not want to leave him alone that long.  We can’t take him with us easily either.

So I started looking into restaurants.  I found what is supposed to be the best pizza in Stanwood and in Seattle.  And I looked into local restaurants, most of which we have eaten at before.  So we came up with a plan.

First we did the chores and got groceries.  Then we went to the post office to pick up birthday mail and had lunch at the Chuckanut Manor.

I had a Vieux Carré cocktail, and Tom had an Anthem cider.

Tom had Halibut and Chips, and I had Halibut Tacos, both of which were amazing.

We then headed north in Tom’s purple Challenger.  I was imaging my grandmother on this road ~100 years ago.  She was in the backseat of a Model T with a calf in her lap though.  I think my ride as more comfortable.

We then headed through the mean streets (just kidding) of Bellingham with the music blaring.

We saw the burnt remains of Hohl’s Garden and Pet Store.  Per WGMI, the arsonist only got a one month sentence for this.

We were in search of a convEGGtor.  Because I had the bright idea if that we cannot go to get the best pizza, we can make it at home.  We went to 5 stores before we finally found one in Lynden.  We then headed to Whole Foods to get our pizza ingredients and headed home.

I made the pizza dough and prepared the ingredients while Tom fired up the wood fired hot tub and grill.  When the grill was ready this first pizza went on.

This is the first pizza on our candlelit back porch.

Here are two cooked and one ready for the grill.

Here is one on the grill.

And here are all of them.

Then we headed out to the hot tub for a soak.

Rocky stayed in the comfort of his bed in the house the whole time.  We returned to the house for presents.  A vintage small table with a grapes, apple and pear on it,

a 1930’s Indiana crock for pickling,

a craft your own bitters kit,

and a wonderful card.

Then it was Tiramisu cake for dessert (purchased not homemade).

On a side note, have you ever had something that was so amazing you have tried repeatedly to repeat it?   I have a few things like that.  One is Tiramisu.  The first time I remember having it was in an italian restaurant in San Francisco in the 1990s.  It was so amazing, but I have never been able to find it again, in a restaurant or making it at home.  I will keep trying though.  The other is the first time I had a good Italian red wine.  It was in a small Italian restaurant in North Seattle in the late 1980’s.  It was a Chianti Classico.  Again I have looked for as good a Chianti ever since.  I tried both again last night and did not find them.  I may never since my memory of these things may be better than the actually were.  But I can keep trying right?

Anyway, I had an amazing birthday and felt quite loved by family and friends’ birthday wishes and presents.  Birthday number 54 was a success.

P.S. I failed to mention the musical accompaniment to my birthday.  While we were driving around in the Challenger we were listening to Jim Ladd’s Deep Tracks on Sirius.  It is a great variety of different rock songs, including the Metallica.  Then in the evening we switched over to Memphis’ WEVL on Sonos (house) and Tune In (hot tub).  We listened to rockabilly with Lonnie’s Rock House.  Then we heard an archived Captain Pete’s Blue Cruise.  The music was a happy edition to my birthday.