glucksschweine

it's been a birthday extravaganza around here the past few days - first m's this weekend, and then mine yesterday. thanks to facebook, i got about a million happy birthday wishes (as well as phone calls from my sweet family members). m and i got a german birthday package from bean (she says there's another one on the way, too!). i tried to make the black licorice last, but it was so good. i am one glucksschweine!



















we celebrated m's birthday with cinnamon swirl toast and lattes at the newly opened arabica:
























arabica's looking good:



















we strongarmed boo into a walk on mackworth island, too. i love governor baxter's pet cemetery. here lies jerry roan, "a kind friend:"
























boo and m couldn't resist making a fairy house:
























minnow came, too -- he gallumphed like an elephant amidst the fairy houses, but strolled delicately along the path:
























that night, paul cooked for us and even presented m with a scrumptious birthday cake.


as for my birthday, i celebrated by taking artemis for her driver's test (which she passed, thanks to my good birthday karma), plus i got taken out to dinner at green elephant. it was yummmmmy. everything's vegetarian (most is vegan, in fact), even this "duck" that boo ordered:
























the soy nugget appetizer was so delicious:
























and m had some kind of spicy stirfried vegetable dish with brown rice, also delicious:
























my entree was just as tasty, but not as photogenic (it involved wide rice noodles and tofu). dessert, however...



















beautiful. vegan chocolate-orange mousse pie. because it's not a real birthday without some chocolate.