Birthday Roundup

I am another year older. So what does this mean? I smoked my last cigarette about an hour ago and I could sure go for another right about now. I should probably toss out my lighters and ashtrays but part of me is still holding on. If only this were going to be easier. I know, I know. I'll have to keep telling myself that quitting won't kill me but continuing will, that I am now officially a full fledged adult and I should know better. Stupid conscience.

The hubby and I headed out to the Falls for my birthday festivities. It's really not that far from here and seeing as it is one of the 7 wonders we thought we'd stop taking it for granted and pay a visit. For starters we had dinner at the local franchise of the steak house I work for. Huge disappointment that was. My steak was the worst I've had in 7 years. The Caesar salad was limp and lacking, the garlic mashed potatoes were gluey and my asparagus was unsnapped and overcooked. Blech. Not to mention the server who was so fresh my 3 year old could have done better. But seeing as I should have been getting a 40% staff discount, who's complaining. Well I should have because getting the damn bill discounted turned into a battle of wills between the general manager and myself. Apparently this franchise doesn't staff bills on Fridays and Saturdays. Not standard and unheard of in my 7 years experience. Besides, he didn't know who I was (which is nobody these days since I'm just a lowly server and no longer a manager but that is besides the fucking point...in fact it is the point) and he approached the table like a lineman. No, "hey, how are ya? What brings you to town? What store are you from? Really? That's awesome, let's see what I can do for you." No. None of that. That would have been the nice thing to do. Hell. I might even call it standard practice. In the end of it all I got what was rightfully mine to begin with. So what the fuck?

We spent the rest of the evening at the casinos. Invested about $200 and after many drinks, bells and whistles we left with $120. Ya. High rollers. But we had fun. I think we passed out about 4 am in a box of pizza. And the hubby still isn't sure whether or not he answered the door naked.

Finally, I'll leave you with this. We thought it was funny.

cabbie- "So where are you guys from?"

us- " Just in for the night from Hamilton."

cabbie- "Ya. There seems to be a lot of Canadians in town this weekend."

Astounding really.

Tragically Hip

Some of you may recall THE BEST POST EVAH! Well, I forgot to mention that the hubby to be really did it right. The ring was not my engagement/birthday gift. Oh no. I also got 2 floor seat tickets to see one of my favourite bands and last night we cashed in! First we went to my pre-baby place of employment and feasted on succulent steaks and fabulous wine. After having both our tummies and our pocket books pampered we headed out to the show where I had a few more beverages of the beer kind. Buck 65, an east coast hip hop duo I had never heard of before, opened the show with something that equated to a cross between Beck, Stompin' Tom, Leonard Cohen and The Beastie Boys. But it was the Hip that melted my heart. Many failed opportunities to see this band over the years culminated into an experience of a life time: From a ten year old girl in jazz class dancing to Boots or Hearts, a teenager whose camping trips were defined by Fully Completely, a singer in a band covering Wheat Kings and Fiddler's Green, to a mom looking for a well deserved chance to remember she is a person who experienced it all. It was worth the wait. So, thank god for sleepy babies. We got home at 11pm and the munchkin didn't get up till 5am, ate and we all went back to sleep till 8am. 4 coffees later and you'd never know we took a cab home last night. Now. How to get the car back from down town...