I'm not one of those types who spends the entire month celebrating their day of birth. If my birthday lands on a week day, I'll celebrate the whole week. Since it landed on a Sunday, I shortened the celebration to just 5 days.
Thursday, September 19
My students surprised me with birthday balloons and pie; marionberry pie. They knew about my strong aversion to cake, though I have a strong liking for tart tastes especially berries. The pie was lit with only 10 candles; 37 candles would've just burned through the crust.
Friday, September 20
Pampered myself with a hair appointment to touch up my roots and a pedicure followed. Later, I picked up my dad from the airport.
Saturday, September 21
I dragged my dad to the vintage expo and surprisingly, he enjoyed himself. He's more into antiques and not much into the fashion aspect of vintage shopping, but he certainly could appreciate the vintage attire as they reminded him of his dearly departed mother (sigh...I miss my grandma). I didn't find anything at the expo. Most of the attire was mid-century. I already have plenty of 1940s-1950s dresses. I'm on the hunt for more 1920s-1930s. (Here's hoping the Black Coutour Ball or Alameda Vintage Fashion Faire will provide good finds.)
Sunday, September 22 - Birthday is here!!!!!
After 11 long years, my birthday FINALLY landed on a Sunday. I had always made a promise to myself that one day, I would attend a 49er home game ON my birthday. The last time I went to a Niner game on my birthday was way back in 1985...and it was in Los Angeles...when they beat the Raiders (lots of changes to the NFL since then). I've been to plenty of Niner home games, but to go on your birthday would make the tailgating that much better. I spent the whole day at Candlestick tailgating, talking with fellow Faithfuls including one who shared my birthdate and enjoying the game. Unfortunately, the day did not end well. My Niners got their butts kicked. What's worse, seeing the "fans" leave early in the 4th quarter. Real fans stay til the end. I didn't leave my seat until the Niners had retreated to the locker room at game's end. Win or lose, I always support my team.
Later in the evening, my dad and I sat in my living room watching ESPN highlights of other NFL games. He kept staring at one of my posters until he finally asked, "Does that dome exist?" He was referring to the picture of the Cocoanut Grove at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I was surprised that he had never been to Santa Cruz. Since I took Monday off from work, I told him that we could take a cruise along Cabrillo Highway and spend the day in Santa Cruz.
Monday, September 23
My dad and I woke just before dawn; we're early risers. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so I knew it would be a perfect day for a drive along the coast. My dad was in awe of coastal views, the abundance of greenery, gentle rolling hills and deep valleys. We made a few brief stops along the way. We stopped at Pescadero, Pigeon Point and Davenport.
Davenport was an interesting place. A tiny city with a population of about 100. We stopped for breakfast at one the restaurants where we made small talk with a few of the locals. After eating, we walked about the town admiring the ocean views and picturesque setting of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.
We reached Santa Cruz around 10am and walked about the wharf, the boardwalk, and downtown. We drove around stopping at antique shops and vintage boutiques. We didn't buy anything, but the browsing is always enjoyable.
It seemed as though my dad was scouting the area more so than visiting it. My parents plan to move to the Bay Area in a few years and have now added Santa Cruz to their short list of possible cities to buy property. It would be nice to have my parents closer to home. Although that would leave my brother alone in Los Angeles. He's perfectly okay with that, though. He says he can always hop on a plane for the short flight to the bay.
Overall, it was great birthday. Despite the 49er loss, the weekend was still enjoyable and I got to spend some time with my dad; I missed having my mom with me, but she felt that my dad needed some father/daughter time which was long overdue.