You Say It’s Your Birthday, it’s my birthday too!

Yes, it’s my birthday!  I’m 47 years old.  For some reason, when I was younger I was convinced that I would die before I was 25, so I’m glad to be here!
Phil got me this lovely cake and took me to Red Lobster for dinner. The crablegs were terrific -- they are always my favorite -- but Phil was stuck with an overpriced little sirloin.  We won’t be going back to Red Lobster again.  Clearly they don’t care about any of their customers that might not like fish.
We spent this week getting settled into the mobile home.  The animals got adjusted pretty quickly, as you can see.

It isn’t fancy -- more along the lines of some college kid’s dorm room -- but it will do us just fine for the next few months.

I have the kitchen all decked out with my new kitchen gadgets, and the first order of business was making Phil one of his favorite desserts … cornstarch pudding.

We’ve also had our first dinner guest in our new home.  We met an Environmental Inspector at the motel that we hit it off with, so we invited him to dinner this week.
I made swiss steak, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, and brownies.
He seemed to enjoy it all.  I know Phil and I did.
Nothing makes a place feel more like home to me than eating a good meal!
I love small towns.  Cavalier is a pretty town, and this area of North Dakota is filled with sunflower fields.


A wheat field

A neighbors yard.

The Courthouse

I got a job working at the local liquor store.  They are called Bottle Shops here.  I can make a little spending money and get out of the house some.
I love people watching, and seeing the different characters that come into the Bottle Shop should be interesting!

Not having any internet or TV this week meant that I got a lot of reading done.
Kill For Me by Karen Rose
Firestorm by Nevada Barr
Stone Kiss by Faye Kellerman
London Bridges by James Patterson
Swimsuit by James Patterson
Santa Olivia by Jacqueline
Almost Night Ann Prospero
Shiver by Lisa Jackson
Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
My favorite was the last one, the book by David Sedaris.
I’ve never read any of his books before, but I’m so glad I discovered him.  He is witty, clever, funny and honest.
The only one I didn’t enjoy was Swimsuit.  This book actually made me angry.  I felt like the author was dumbing down his writing in order to reach his not so bright readers.
I did get to watch some movies this week.  I love my Netflix!
God On Trial: A group of Auschwitz prisoners grappling with how God has allowed His chosen people to be imprisoned and killed put God on trial.  This was a thought-provoking movie that I really enjoyed watching.
The Unborn: Terrible movie about a young girl being haunted by the spirit of her unborn twin brother.  This movie was so bad.  The acting, the story, everything about it was awful!
Watchmen:  From IMDB:  In an alternate 1985 where former superheroes exist, the murder of a colleague sends active vigilante Rorschach into his own sprawling investigation, uncovering something that could completely change the course of history as we know it.  I LOVED this movie.  It caught me by surprise because I knew very little about it.  The story grabs you right away, the acting is great, the plot is dark, and the action is riveting.
The Uninvited: Anna Rydell returns home to her sister (and best friend) Alex after a stint in a mental hospital, though her recovery is jeopardized thanks to her cruel stepmother, aloof father, and the presence of a ghost in their home
Another good movie with a twist.