Last weekend, I celebrated by 42nd birthday (YIKES!). I am thinking that I should be more mature and together at this age that I actually feel. But alas, I am not. My friend M suggested that we spend the weekend in Solvang, a quaint Danish Village in Santa Barbara County aka wine country. M and her sisters got really great rates at a local hotel owned by the Chumash Casino. So M and I drove up on Sunday morning stopping for lunch in Santa Inez at The Vineyard. It was a lovely restaurant and we had a comfortable lunch. I was excited because there was a drop in temperature so I was able to wear shorts, sweatshirt, socks and my Birkenstocks--this is my favorite outfit and I really miss San Francisco which has the perfect weather for such clothes.
After lunch we meandered into Solvang and parked the car to walk around the town. Right away I stopped at a wine shop with a tasting menu. I had never done a tasting menu before, so I was a bit intimidated. The first shop, I didn't get much of a reception so I left without experiencing my first tasting. However, the next shop happily walked me through the process. I bought a couple of bottles of some really sweet wine--J said it was like drinking sweet fizzy soda.
I tried a couple of more shops and their tasting menus before we headed to the hotel to check in and wait for M's sisters to arrive. M and I sat out on the balcony enjoying the view and the fine weather.
Later after dinner we headed for the Chumash Casino. I didn't have much to spend in the slot machines so I played the penny slots. I wasted about $40 and then headed over to the slots at that M and her sister E were playing. E had already won the big jackpot on one of the machines--over $300. Since these were nickle slots, I decided to sit down and play the minimum bet-5 cents for one line. As M pointed out the idea is to try to get the added feature for a chance a the jackpot. I put my final $20 in the machine and am playing for a bit, winning, losing, not straying far from my twenty. The next thing I know, I win on my line. M says "Look you won $30." I say wow that is great. I continue to play for a bit, and then I thought, no this is a nickle machine--my $30 is really $150. I get nervous after that. M cashes my ticket out so I have my money in my pocket and won't get stupid with it. I leave the casino that night at 2:00 am with $120 in my wallet. A first for me--but it was my birthday after all.
The next day, we walked around town, I did a few more tastings, bought a few more bottles of wine--added to my free glass collection from the tastings--and then headed to the casino for the lunch buffet. I ended up winning a few more times and losing some but by the end of the day I left with $80 in my wallet so I didn't do so badly. I had a fantastic time, got several bottles of wine to add to my growing collection, bought some cheese and a few jars of olives. It was a great way to spend my birthday weekend and promises to be a good year.
This weekend P came down for a job interview tomorrow (Monday). He came up yesterday evening. It seems like we haven't lost three years. We are the same and it was great catching up with him. This morning we had breakfast at the Halfway House Cafe and then headed to Vasquez Rocks for a light hike.
In the middle of this week, Thursday, I will head to Hawaii for work and the opportunity to catch up with other friends and old haunts. I am going to stay at the Sand Villa which is the hotel next to P's old apartment. I look forward to starting out for a run around Diamond Head the way P, C, and I went. My friends will be with me on my run and I look forward to running with our ghosts of happy times.
I am optimistic that this year will be a good one, it is getting off to a good start which is a good sign.
After lunch we meandered into Solvang and parked the car to walk around the town. Right away I stopped at a wine shop with a tasting menu. I had never done a tasting menu before, so I was a bit intimidated. The first shop, I didn't get much of a reception so I left without experiencing my first tasting. However, the next shop happily walked me through the process. I bought a couple of bottles of some really sweet wine--J said it was like drinking sweet fizzy soda.
I tried a couple of more shops and their tasting menus before we headed to the hotel to check in and wait for M's sisters to arrive. M and I sat out on the balcony enjoying the view and the fine weather.
Later after dinner we headed for the Chumash Casino. I didn't have much to spend in the slot machines so I played the penny slots. I wasted about $40 and then headed over to the slots at that M and her sister E were playing. E had already won the big jackpot on one of the machines--over $300. Since these were nickle slots, I decided to sit down and play the minimum bet-5 cents for one line. As M pointed out the idea is to try to get the added feature for a chance a the jackpot. I put my final $20 in the machine and am playing for a bit, winning, losing, not straying far from my twenty. The next thing I know, I win on my line. M says "Look you won $30." I say wow that is great. I continue to play for a bit, and then I thought, no this is a nickle machine--my $30 is really $150. I get nervous after that. M cashes my ticket out so I have my money in my pocket and won't get stupid with it. I leave the casino that night at 2:00 am with $120 in my wallet. A first for me--but it was my birthday after all.
The next day, we walked around town, I did a few more tastings, bought a few more bottles of wine--added to my free glass collection from the tastings--and then headed to the casino for the lunch buffet. I ended up winning a few more times and losing some but by the end of the day I left with $80 in my wallet so I didn't do so badly. I had a fantastic time, got several bottles of wine to add to my growing collection, bought some cheese and a few jars of olives. It was a great way to spend my birthday weekend and promises to be a good year.
This weekend P came down for a job interview tomorrow (Monday). He came up yesterday evening. It seems like we haven't lost three years. We are the same and it was great catching up with him. This morning we had breakfast at the Halfway House Cafe and then headed to Vasquez Rocks for a light hike.
In the middle of this week, Thursday, I will head to Hawaii for work and the opportunity to catch up with other friends and old haunts. I am going to stay at the Sand Villa which is the hotel next to P's old apartment. I look forward to starting out for a run around Diamond Head the way P, C, and I went. My friends will be with me on my run and I look forward to running with our ghosts of happy times.
I am optimistic that this year will be a good one, it is getting off to a good start which is a good sign.
1 comment:
I am so glad you had a good day. I would like to have been there to celebrate with you. I think of you often. You don't realize just how many ways you've touched my life, and for that I'm grateful.
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