Tiramisu With A Candle

Work wasn't too bad today. It's the last day of the month; we'll be crazy tomorrow. Today, it was mostly steady and dying quick when I left around 4:30. The worst that happened was the continuing lack of help. Once again, we had to call people from the bakery and back store room to help up front. I can't wait until our vacation cycle starts over in May and people are done with their vacations!

About 20 minutes after I got home, my dad Bruce called. Did I want to go out to dinner as a belated birthday present? Sure! We went to an Italian restaurant on the White Horse Pike a few blocks from Bruce and Uncle Ken's house that Bruce and Jodie love. I had a the Chicken special with spinach and tomatoes in wine sauce covered with mozzarella. Delicious, and huge. The leftovers will be tomorrow's dinner.

Shortly after dinner was finished, I got a genuine surprise. Two of the waitresses came out singing, with a slice of tiramisu with a lit candle (apparently the closest Italian approximation to cake). It was so sweet and only slightly embarrassing, since the place was empty (and in fact, the only other patrons were friends of Bruce and Jodie's). Turns out it was Jodie and Jessa's idea; Jessa suggested the special cake, and Jodie alerted the waitresses and chose the cake. I really appreciated it, since I didn't get to have cake on my birthday.

Daddy gave me money. Jodie gave me a WebKinz duck she says she'll exchange for the cute Black Lab she saw at CVS. (Nelson the Yellow Lab could use a roommate!) I actually saw a Black Lab at the Acme in December I was pretty close to buying, but I changed my mind and went with a Charcoal Cat because I couldn't think of a name. Jodie gave me a good idea for a name - name the Lab after her much-loved Black Lab Max. That's cool. Max is a big ol' sweetie.