MMMM...filet mignon wrapped in prosciutto...

Yea! My birthday just passed!! It's funny how one second I feel old and think fondly of how i'm getting older. then the next second...i'm thinking that i'm young and there's still so much ahead left for me to do and see and experience and learn. i think i'll park myself in the second camp. i'd like to never feel like i'm old...even as i get older in years...

so recent thought was that i think it would be cool to never retire. i mean, don't get me wrong...not having a full time job can be great sometimes. but sometimes...it feels mighty boring and lame. but i was thinking recently that i hope, i am at age whatever...when the retirement age is close at hand..., at a job where i can do and enjoy and like doing until i physically or mentally cannot do it anymore. i know many people look forward to retirement and all...and that there are so many things that one can do when retired...but i'd hope that i can enjoy my life during these years as much as i think i might enjoy them after i might retire. why does this thought come when i'm transitioning ages...who knows. maybe i'll feel different later. but for now...that's where i'm at!

so for my birthday...it was awesome!! many birthday wishes...thanks for all of you who remembered!! really that's the best thing. just that people remember and wish me a happy birthday. the weekend was pretty fun. dinner with family...lunch with friends...then work (ok, that part was kind of sucky). but overall...very relaxing and a really great time with vince! we went to eat at a super extraordinary steakhouse called Forbes Mill Steakhouse in Los Gatos. i have to say...i'm not a wine connoisseur or a food savant...but it was the best food i had in ages...if not ever.
i had the best cabernet ever. not too tanin-y...smooth but not as thick or heavy as a merlot. it was from the winery 75 cellar from amber knolls...couldn't tell you what year or anything else specific...but i could drink that wine all day and night! i had ordered a different wine to start with and they gave me a half glass of the 75 cellar on the house just to try and taste.

though it was monday night and the place was somewhat empty...it was still the best dining experience i had ever had. they knew it was my birthday and so they put a little birthday wish on the daily special menu. now i have to say...that probably took an ounce of effort and a millisecond to print out...but it made a huge impact as it was super thoughtful and quite a nice touch. one of the owners, Dean, stopped by our table about 4-5 times during the night to make sure we were ok. and even when i called back to ask about the wine...he was nice and chatty and very friendly. the server we had, jeffrey, was super friendly and not too imposing or anything. attentive enough that we never wondered where he had gone too. even the busing people...they were super nice and always asked if we were ok...very high quality personnel over there.

i had the tournedos and scallops and it was awesome!!!!!
never tasted better. i can never cook scallops to taste the way they did that night. they were warm...and firm but then melted in my mouth!! and the filet...wow...after i finished the first one...i was amazed that i had yet another one to eat. i have to say...just the right amount of indulgence. and you can't go wrong with meat wrapped in meat. i have to say also...vince's huge porterhouse steak was quite mouthwatering too! my pieces were bit larger than the size of a golf ball slightly flattened (about 1.5 times the size of the large scallops)...vince's steak was huge!!!! look at it!!!


and then we got the dessert sampler!!!! yum!!! it was just the right amount of such great desserts!!! there was a lilikoi cheesecake... kona coffee creme brulee...some apple cobbler thing...and then a chocolate torte...MMMMM!!! again...just the right amount of indulgence.

the only down side of that experience...these two "little wanna-be kids" sitting near us. they may have been early twenties or something. they didn't seem like they were on a date (or at least if they were...someone wasn't into the other person) and we hard the guy complain that the ice tea was "a little to sour" so could they take it back and get him another one. well..be that as it may...i have great doubts that the ice tea would be sour...it's ice tea. ok...i'm getting on a tangent. maybe it was sour. maybe it was so sour he couldn't drink it.

anyhow...go there if you are ever up here. you won't regret it. and you can stroll around town before or after dinner. it's such a nice town. such a nice place to spend the afternoon/evening.

i also got my hair cut. it's way expensive to get my hair cut. i need to find a cheaper place!!! tried a new look. not too into it right now. so i'm just going for the wild uncontrollable hair tied back look for the time being.

here's to next year!! thanks to all of you my friends!!!