Birthday Celebrations

Fifty-three is such a “meh” birthday, and yet it was actually quite as good one, with a few highlights.

Yesterday, I woke early and went out in search of an early morning “adventure”. I left the house before 6.00am, and wandered in the direction of Kings Cross. I figured an early morning breakfast in The Cross might be a great way to start the day. I caught the train the The Cross, only to discover virtually none of the cafes were open before 7.00.

On spec, I caught the 311 bus, and got off in Darlinghurst where I had breakfast at The Rusty Rabbit.

I chose the muesli (with kiwi fruit, passionfruit and other delights) which was awesome. You know how sometimes you have a meal and go “wow”? Well, that’s what happened. The muesli was a tasty combination, and was well presented. What surprised me most at the cafe was the number of parents having breakfast with their private school daughters. Heaps of them. For all of the reasons canvassed previously in popular culture, I laughed out loud when I heard a twelve year old order smashed avocado.

I was also surprised at the number of people at work who acknowledged my birthday, since I’m not “friends” with that many people at work on Facebook. We have Twitter connections, but I’ve largely kept my Facebook connections to friends and family. Quite a few people at work acknowledged my birthday, and I was presented with a personal chocolate cake, which was awesome.

With my birthday prominent in mind, I took an “early mark” from work, and came home. The “swot” in me saw me continue to deal with some work matters into the early evening, ahead of going to my local pub, and winning a meat tray. Awesome birthday!!!

After a good sleep in, I ventured to a book signing by Rachel Khoo. The celebrity chef has moved to Sweden (she married a Swede) and has written a book about well-known (and not-so) Swedish recipes. It’s a really good book, venturing well beyond (though acknowledging) meatballs and cinnamon buns.

I’m catching up with a friend for lunch and a movie tomorrow.

And so there you have it: how I celebrated my birthday.

My other big early morning adventure this week was a trip to Circular Quay.