My birthdays have always been rather low-key affairs…cake and ice cream with cousins when I was a kid, dinner out with family as an adult. Sometimes David and I also go away for a night which is always nice. This year was different, though. It started out with the usual dinner at a restaurant with family and a couple of close friends that we think of as family. We had a very nice time eating and visiting for a couple of hours. Ordinarily, that’s where it would have ended but this year, somehow, that turned out to be just the beginning.
After our dinner we headed over to the North Lounge, our local hangout. Chris, Lisa and Justin followed us over. Some friends were already there, including one who brought me her tiara to wear for the night. Others continued to show up. We started out inside because there was another group on the patio but when they left we moved our party outdoors. It was a beautiful night to be outside, something we don’t take for granted here in Oklahoma where even summer nights can be brutally hot and muggy.
I totally forgot to take pictures at dinner but David took some at the party:
My dear friend, Karah, baked this beautiful cake for me.
Not only was it almost too pretty to eat, it was delicious.
I’m one of those who really doesn’t like store-bought cake so this homemade almond cake was perfect. (We should have moved the pepper flakes before snapping this shot. They are great on pizza but do absolutely nothing good for birthday cake.)
The birthday princess in Heather’s tiara.
I’m definitely buying one of my own. You never know when you’ll need one.
As mentioned in a previous post, Facebook temporarily disabled my account on my birthday. The nerve! Josh and Dave, two of the bartenders at the North Lounge, bought this very appropriate birthday gift for me. Good one, guys!
Dave and I happen to share the same birthday. Poor Dave actually had to work on his, though.
Cards and gifts.
It was a great night with wonderful friends but that wasn’t the end of the birthday celebration. My dear husband made reservations for two nights at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. He got off work early Friday afternoon and we left town. We ate dinner in Norman at Charleston’s (I had the blackened tilapia…yum!), made a quick stop at the mall so I could use my birthday coupons at Victoria’s Secret and then went to the Skirvin. David is a gold member with Hilton and he had also mentioned it was my birthday when he made the reservations. They upgraded us to a suite. Sweet!
Super soft sheets, down pillows and comforter…ahhhh…
The big open shower is nice in theory
but it’s a little chilly if you aren’t standing under the water.
Our only complaint about this gorgeous hotel is the lack of a refrigerator.
We picked up some coffeecake for our breakfasts. The ice bucket did manage to keep a small bottle of milk cold for our tea and coffee.
It’s a little hard to tell from the pictures but the outer wall of the living room is curved.
On Saturday we went to the movies. We saw “Taking Woodstock” which was fun, although I wish it had more about the music. The theater is in Bricktown which is a renovated warehouse district. It is really becoming a wonderful place. We walked around and then ate dinner at Nonna’s. It was a gorgeous evening and we ate on the outdoor balcony dining area. I had the absolute best salmon I’ve ever tasted. It was served over a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and had a sweet, red pepper jelly sauce on top. It was even garnished with a tiny fresh flower.
We spent both evenings at the Red Piano Lounge in the hotel. It’s absolutely gorgeous in there and a nice place to chat with people and listen to live piano music. We always end up meeting interesting people there. On Saturday night we sat next to a couple who were there to celebrate their 20th anniversary. She told me about the special meal they had just enjoyed at the chef’s table of the hotel restaurant. It sounds like something we need to do one of these days. After they left, an older man from New York sat on the stool next to me and we had a very nice chat. He works for a company that installs dialysis equipment and that is why he was in town. I love getting to meet new people from different places.
We requested a late check-out Sunday and then ate lunch at a new place called “Sage Gourmet Café”. They serve freshly made food, some of it organic and/or locally grown. They are already becoming famous for their homemade macaroni and cheese so that is what we both ordered. We had the three cheese version which is made with sharp cheddar, fontina and gorgonzola. Wow. Yummo. It was served with Waldorf salad and toasted apple bread. Again, the weather was perfect and we were able to eat at a little table outdoors.
After a couple of quick stops in Norman, we made our way home just in time to get ready and head back to town. The North Lounge is closed on Sundays but we were able to have the draft for our Fantasy Football League there anyway. (The manager and two of the bartenders are in the league.) I have absolutely no idea how it all works but I do have a team. 🙂 And so ends the tale of “My Best Birthday Ever”. Except for a couple more photos:
Thank you, David.
Flaming Lips Alley
The Flaming Lips are one of my favorite groups
and they have an alley in Bricktown named for them.
Glad you had a good birthday mom. 🙂