This post took me 24 hours. I'm not sure why.

I promised my ever faithful reader (hi nwright) that I would document my Friday birthday celebration.   She wanted picture documentation, but that stopped real quick after I took the first picture in fancy-ville restuarant and my little samsung flash lit up the entire place and screamed that I am not accustomed to fancy dinners with just the husband.  And that my camera takes embarrassingly bad pictures:

sorry nwright.

I'll start with first things first.  Drinks.  Let me preface this with I had a rough day.  I showed up at my parents' house crying sans makeup, frizzy hair and insisting that neither I nor the kids deserved to have fun because we were all acting crazy.  My ever understanding mother said four simple words that changed my night.  "Go have a Manhattan."  "okay."

Have you ever had a Manhattan?????  I thought it was going to be something fruity delicious wonderful because my parents are NOT drinkers.  I should've known better when the waiter started asking me how I wanted it and with what type of whisky.  Being the obedient child I am, though, I told him to make it on the "sweeter" side (read: straight up rubbing alcohol with a marachino cherry).  First sip made my eyes water and remind me of the first time I drank.  

Bread: Pretzel rolls with butter (mustard would've gone better, Black and Blue)

Appetizers:  Crab and lobster fondue aka cheese cheese cheese with a side of gourmet

Bottle of wine: (should've known even better than the Manhattan)

Dinner:  Mr Incredible got the Paella; spicy clams, lobster, crab, scallops, shrimp, on top of saffron rice.  But that's not really accurate because I don't really remember.  I got short ribs and hangar with bleu cheese mashed potatoes and the biggest awesomest onion rings you could imagine.  I didn't even eat half of it because at that point I went to the bathroom to check to see if my dress was literally splitting at the seams I was so full.  It was not.  This is not a joke.  

Two hours (?) later we left, went to the local icecream shop to pick up cake so I could celebrate with the kids and my parents.  I was too full to eat it, but I heard it was good.

This might've summed up the night:

he looks underage

and i look like a dog.  a dog who just had a manhattan.