Happy Birthday to ME:

Don't you just love it when birthdays stretch out for months? Back when I hit the big 3-0 my parents gave me a set of concert tix, and the date finally rolled around last night.



When an evening starts with two peach daiquiris and prime rib, you know it's going to be gooooooooood.

When you sail easily through unfamiliar streets, find your parking ramp, and nail a very decent space, you know it's going to be excelllllllllent.

And when you climb into these seats at the Xcel Energy center, and take a look at your sweet view:



You are ready for the AWWWWWWWWWWESOME!!!!!!!



(it's called the circle tour, get it?)



The pics don't really do it justice, my "real" camera lens was over 2" and I didn't want to risk it being confiscated, so these are all from the tiny point & shoot which doesn't like zoom + low light. I think they actually make us look farther away than we were - we had GREAT sight lines, even though everyone stood the entire time. Click the pics to enlarge.



It was a FULL HOUSE, and the crowd was really diverse:



On the way in we passed a lot of teeny boppers who clearly weren't even alive during the hair band days, a lot of girls in skanky tank tops and stiletto heels, and also a lot of 40-something soccer moms flashing back to their youth. Four of the latter were seated in the middle of our row, and hadn't come to terms with their incontinence yet, so there was a lot of shuffling back and forth for them to get in and out every other song.



Of course we sat behind some middle aged douche bags who were wasted before the show even started, and they were not hot enough to be grinding on each other the way they were in public, but everyone's pal KARMA stepped in when the wifey basically passed out halfway through the show and they left. SCORE! Back to the awesomeness:



I had a little laugh about the T-shirts - the stands were MOBBED, and people were buying them hand over fist, but take a look at the prices:



Ha! I get irritable paying $12 for a t-shirt, $50 just wasn't happening, sorry Jon Bon. You'll have to be happy with the $300 we paid for tickets (shh, don't tell mom!).



The lighting and video boards were the real stars of the show - they had elaborate backgrounds and moving parts for every song.



Ever wonder how Jon stays so fit at 48 years old? It's easy to understand when you see him run around on raised platforms, jump, and dance like a madman for two hours a night:



Loved "I'll Be There For You," "Bad Name," "(You Want to Make) A Memory,"Who Says You Can't Go Home," and my favorite is "It's My Life."



We ditched before the encore, which I'm assuming was "Livin' on a Prayer" and would have been awesome, but getting out ahead of 18,000 people was pretty awesome too. :) I also would have loved to hear "Bed of Roses" and "Wanted," maybe next time. Overall, it was a really great show - I haven't been to a big arena concert in a long time, and I was scared the sound quality would be crap, but it was wonderful, and not even too loud! My ears rang for most of the way home, but I'm fine today.



Thanks again for the excellent 30th b-day gift, Mom & Dad, it was FANTASTIC!

Possibly the cutest birthday present ever...

Here's one more of the adorable b-day gifts I received at the epic 3-0 surprise. It's from my uber-creative cousin Holly, who we should all convince to create a blog of her own, since she actually gets projects done (unlike me lately). Her gift was so creative, both inside and OUT!



With the re-usable printed box, thick pink bow, and adorable ceramic gift tag, it was almost too pretty to open. Inside was a a fabulous Glitterville (Dept. 56) gift card holder, filled with a Visa gift card! Yay fun! Also, a beautiful blown glass cupcake ornament - how great will that look on my sweets tree next year?

Then there was also a "cup-a-cake" cupcake holder that I am so excited to try! They are single serving containers supposed to keep a decorated cupcake somewhat undestroyed in transit, i.e. for you to take to lunch:



You know I'll have to run a test and tell you how it performs. Speaking of cupcake disasters, this is hardly related, but worth passing along - at the memorial last weekend it was so warm, all of the cream cheese frosting slid off my otherwise adorable mini cupcakes:



I had little dessert platters on each table, hoping that would encourage people to munch as they were sitting. The chocolate frosting actually held up just fine, so I'll have to remember in the future that cream cheese frosting is not suited for warm temps or sitting out very long. Especially at a slight angle :)

Flashback Birthday

I've shown you a few of my fab birthday gifts, but I have a few more I thought I'd feature - including one I don't really "get" for a few more months, from my parents. Let me give you a hint:



I'm going to the Bon Jovi concert this spring! With my dad :) Adorable you say? Well then just look at the gift card he put with the tickets:



"Happy Birthday!!!
Like the movie 13 going on 30.
You were 13 for your first Bon Jovi concert.
Now at 30-you return.
Love You,
Mom & Dad"

Bon Jovi was my first "real" concert, which I attended with BOTH of my parents and my cousin Mindy in 7th grade. It was the night before my Odyssey of the Mind competition, and I distinctly remember not being able to hear the next day. We thought we were SO COOL. I think I might have even held on to the concert T-shirt, though it's somewhere in the pile waiting to be assembled into my T-shirt quilt (MOM: The one you promised me 11 years ago. Just a small reminder.)

I can't wait to figure out my iPod so I can get the most recent album and start practicing my air guitar and lighter waving. Thanks so much, mom & pop!

All in the Cards - Episode II

I got such BEAUTIFUL and FUN cards for my 30th birthday that I just couldn't toss them out. So much thought clearly went in to choosing each one, I wanted to save the memories. Since I scrapbook digitally, I decided to scan them in. Here's a sample of the lovliness - they were ALL different, and all so unique!

Some cards sang ("Everybody wants to rule the world")

Some were complimentary

Some were funny (Can't dodge this one!)

Others were sweet and nostalgic

And one was a glittery mermaid - does it get any better?!?!

Thanks for these and many other beautiful cards everyone, I'm so impressed by your thoughtfulness!

Surprises Abound

My husband has never been good at giving gifts. He lacks imagination. Or maybe just confidence. It's not so much that he gets me BAD gifts, he just doesn't usually want to take a leap as far as coming up with something, and would rather just buy something I'm already admiring and call it a gift. "You like that dress you're trying on? I'll buy it for your birthday." I'm complaining I need a haircut? He'll pay for it for my birthday...Nice enough, but I need a little surprise in my life :) So I've dogged him for years about his gift giving style.

Guess I can't do that anymore.

Who taught my hubby how to impress me all of a sudden?!?!?

It started with Christmas. I got a "stocking" full of little goodies that showed impressive attention to detail - the exact brand of pens I like (Uniball), the kind of shampoo I use (Pink Herbal Essence), caffeine-free fancy root beer (since I was on the caffeine wagon at that time), all of my favorite candies (Gummy Bears in the GOLD package, Swedish Fish, Sour Patch Kids), the GLEE soundtrack - it was really sweet.

And it continued.

On the Eve of my B-day, he insisted I open my first present. He wrapped them himself, I wish I would have taken pictures. It was something I've wanted for a LONG time:



Yay! He wasn't good at hiding what this one was (he asked me for the garage door manual for "no reason" the week before), but I wanted it so much I didn't bust him until I opened it :) We only got one remote with our garage door opener - in fact, we've only gotten one remote the past 3 places we lived, so when we bought our house I let hubby have the remote this time, assuming I'd go out and get another one right away. Two years later, I still hadn't gotten around to finding the right kind - but the hubby did! We programmed it right away, and the next morning I got to just push a button and hop in my car, without having to go through my normal cycle of: pull out, stop, get out again, dial in the code, shut the garage door, and get back into my car. Such luxury!

But he wasn't done yet...gift #2 was a COMPLETE surprise:



A metallic green ipod nano! Can you believe I've never had an MP3 player of any kind? I'm so excited! I haven't really figured out how to use it yet, but I know the high school kids I coach can teach me. I love the color, which he remembered from a long ago conversation, and even though he thought I should get a Touch, he paid attention during the Amazon shopping spree conversations and went with the Nano that I wanted. Yay hubs!

So I was having a pretty happy birthday, more than content with my gifts, and excited for dinner. That went well, and we headed over to Mr & Mrs. A's house for a "casual gathering of friends to ring in the New Year." We arrived exactly on time, I was feeling cute in my new outfit, if a little full, and all of a sudden what happens next? Everyone shouts "surprise!" and I see my Mom. And Dad. Brother. Friends.



What just happened?!?!?!

Last minute 2009 check off the bucketlist: item #31: Get a surprise party - HOLY COW YOU GUYS!



I was presented with the special pink "Birthday Princess" hat. It was customized for the occasion:



"ages 3+" became "30+". I think I wore it well :)



That's Mother & Father Craftastic, Me, and Little Brother. We had more food, drinks, my first exposure to "Rock Band" (I won't show anyone those photos, but rest assured, I have some! And we all look as silly as you'd imagine :) I'm a little sorry I didn't get any video), in-depth conversations about vampires and resolutions, and a countdown with a champagne toast. Tah dah. Welcome to 2010, Welcome to 30.



I'm only mildly concerned at how good all of my friends and family apparently are at lying to me (they all had back stories...some fairly elaborate even!), but I'm majorly and completely impressed that THE WHOLE THING WAS HUBBY'S IDEA!?!?! Mrs. A said he had emailed her MONTHS ago floating the idea, and actually originally wanted to do it at OUR HOUSE. Mrs. A knew that I would certainly skin him alive if he had a party in my messy house without me knowing about it first (and he couldn't clean without arousing suspicion, since that would have been TOTALLY out of the ordinary), so she graciously stepped up to save the day and host :) I am so appreciative for my wonderful family and friends, you all went so far above and beyond to make this a great B-day, I can't thank you all enough!

All in the cards

30 is a good birthday for greeting cards, and boy did I get some GREAT ones :) And no duplicates! What can I say, I'm surrounded by creative people. This first one cracked me up pretty hardcore, especially since it's from my husband's best friend & his new wife:



Inside there's a list of things to do on your 30th b-day. Of course there are some that nobody should ever have to see me do - skinny dip, streak, moon somebody; some things that I would love to be able to do - take a hot air balloon ride, shop till you drop, quit your job; but check out the suggestions I've indicated with arrows (click to enlarge):



Is it a bad sign when your husband's friends want you to date? Online, speed dating, and party lines? :) ha ha. Oops :)

But I'll definitely consider quitting my job while hopped up on cookie dough, crying over lost youth, and doing the birthday dance. Do you think "My lawyer friend told me to" will hold up in court when they question my sanity?

Thanks J & B - Lots of laughs :)

NYE Part I: Fogo de Chao-ing Down

WARNING: MAJOR FOOD PORN AHEAD. You have been warned. If you are a carnivore, you may drool. HeatherEve is not responsible for any damage to your keyboard or reputation.

NYE/my 30th birthday was a pretty great night, from top to bottom. I got off work early (Thanks, boss!), found a great outfit on sale (shirt $15 @ dress barn, shrug, hair flower, and ring from DOTS)



used my new Garmin to find the restaurant quickly and easily



We had early (6pm) reservations and it was great, we walked right in. Within the hour everything filled up, but service was still really great. We ordered drinks and got the explanation on how everything worked. First stop, the salad & sides bar:



I found this a little confusing, since I'm not really a fine diner I had a hard time identifying what everything was. And since I'm a picky eater, that made me hesitant to take anything. So did my loathing of vegetables, but I didn't want to come back completely empty handed, so I decided to be brave and try a few things - fresh mozzarella, a few green beans, a tiny Cesar salad, prosciutto (I think), and I figured bread & butter is always safe. Hubby was slightly more outgoing in his choices, but we both made a conscious effort to take it easy, knowing what was to come...



Once you're done with round I, you flip your coaster from red to green, and it's GO TIME! They start by bringing you MORE sides - mashed potatoes, polenta, caramelized bananas, and cheddar rolls. I could already sense a little bit of overload...



The potatoes were good, the rest didn't do a lot for me. I was more interested in the main event: MEAT! As soon as our cards were flipped to green, the gauchos started strolling over with their giant spears of meat an sharp knives. There were 13 different cuts, and I tried everything that came by - first was lamb chops, which aren't usually in my repertoire, but I boldly accepted. Then I think came the most luscious filet in history:



Mmmmmm!Sometimes it got a little overwhelming, and you had to flip your card back to red just to catch up. This was hubby's plate when his eyes started roll back in his head and the meat coma set in. You could of course refuse any of the cuts, but it was so exciting to try them all! We also liked the various cuts of sirloin, garlic steak, and picanha. Hubby gave the sausage and beef ribs high marks. A surprise winner was the parmesan pork - I never usually like pork, but this was FANTASTIC! Moist and flavorful, YUM! Surprisingly, I didn't like either of the bacon-wrapped offerings (steak & chicken), despite counting bacon amongst my most favorite foods (I am a heart attack waiting to happen, I know). The bacon texture was too rubbery for me, and the other cuts were just much better.





That's about the time I caught the meat coma too. It's definitely hard to say "UNCLE" with all that glorious meat floating around, but somehow we did it. But the night wasn't over! Jay, our amazing waiter, saw my giant camera and offered to snap a photo.



Hubby hates photos, but I told him he had to cooperate since it was my birthday, and that was apparently the magic words - Jay brought over the dessert menu and told us to pick something on the house! I LOVE THAT! I really wish more places let you actually pick what you wanted, rather than bringing something random for your birthday treat. We didn't exactly know what to go with, but Jay suggested the papaya cream. It is their signature dessert, and papaya has an enzyme that helps you break down protein, so in addition to being light, it actually helps you feel better after over indulgence. He had us pegged.



So pretty! I had never tried a cream before, it was sort of a non-frozen ice cream, or a thin pudding, and it was FABULOUS. Halfway through Jay added some sort of berry liqueur that made it even MORE luscious! Be still my beating heart, it was almost too much to bear!



All in all, Fogo de Chao (actually pronounced Fogo de SHUN, but that doesn't lend itself to fun puns as well), gets a HUGE thumbs UP from both me & the hubs. I sense a new birthday tradition coming on. It was a little spendy at $46.50 per person, and my normally cheap Peach7's (peach schnapps and 7 up - mmm, like grown up kool-aid)were $6, but for the meal we got it was well worth the price, especially on New Year's Eve. Next time we'll try to pace ourselves even better, despite our careful planning we still rolled out feeling a little like that blueberry kid in Willy Wonka.

Coming soon: NYE Part II, where I drag my meat-logged self into what I think is a casual gathering...

Ringing in the New Year...

I have a lot to write up right now - so much, in fact, that I don't even know where to start. I promise in the next few days I'll find the words (and photos) to share the fantastic birthday dinner at Fogo de Chao, and the amazing surprise 30th birthday my hubby and best friends threw for me last night - yup, squeezing in bucket list item #31 in the very last hours of 2009 was pretty darn exciting! I'm so lucky to have such great people in my life. Thanks to everyone who was involved.

But today, today I'm taking it easy, possibly a bit too easy for someone with as much laundry, dishes, and cleaning as I have to do, but I'm hoping after tonight I can just hire someone to take care of all that for me:


I managed to get 1 Minnesota Millionaire raffle ticket early in the season, before they sold out. I was hoping to snare another but never got around to it, so I have one bright shining hope - luck, be a lady tonight! I'm aiming to win one of the million dollar prizes, but I'd be cool with the $100,000 or $25,000 consolation prizes as well. Heck, even the $500 would be quite a nice way to kick off my 30th year of life :)

Birthday Dinner

So far the big 3-0 has been a mixed bag. My phone died, which means my alarm clock died, contributing to me being a couple hours late for work. That doesn't really bother me nearly as much as T-Mobile refusing to sell me another pre-paid cell online (apparently I'm a terrorist? or a drug dealer?) because of a "discrepancy" that they will neither elaborate on nor allow me to correct. WTF T-Mobile? They keep insisting that I go into a store, where they are always more expensive. ARGGH!

BUT, on the flipside, hubby gave me two FANTASTIC birthday gifts (details to come), we're spending the evening with friends, and I'm already drooling over my birthday dinner at Fogo de Chao:

Loosely translated, Fogo de Chão means “protein-lover’s paradise.” Brazilian gauchos in pantaloons scamper from table to table, sawing hunks of meat from large skewers onto patron’s plates. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb—there are 15 cuts in all, from rack to tenderloin, plus sides of polenta, potatoes, and a salad bar. ~MN Monthly



I had lots of ups and downs when searching for a dinner reservation for my birthday, though I thought we were aiming fairly early I was repeatedly faced with places that don't take reservations (Old Spaghetti Factory - one of my favorites, but a seriously annoying policy), only had mid-afternoon reservations (Melting Pot - still haven't ever tried them!), or didn't survive the year (The Vineyard - RIP, special salad). I was getting pretty down about the whole thing (my yearly "I HATE THIS BIRTHDAY" rant may have come up a few times), but then on a whim I tried Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steak house friends had just visited and RAVED about. When they described it as essentially "all you can eat MEAT" I was sold!

I made an online reservation with no problems, but then thought that seemed too easy so I called too - they confirmed, our reservation was good, and they had their normal set up on NYE (no price jacking or mandatory-alternate-super-limited menues, like some places - Melting Pot). I'm so excited! I have a feeling we're going to end up waddling out the door, and I hope we can stay awake for Al's NYE party (don't worry Al, I'm looking forward to it!)

Happy New Year All, may it bring you everything you need and most of what you want.





Except T-mobile, you can kiss my @$$.

Like it's 1999 again...

My parent's named me "Heather Eve" because I had the poor sense to be born on New Year's Eve. I won't whine too terribly long about how annoying it is to try and get a restaurant reservation or how everyone has a holiday hangover this time of year, but since I'm hitting the big 3-0 tomorrow, what better time to reflect on what the past decade has brought me than the eve of the eve?

This is actually kind of fun, going back through my photos and major events. Ten years ago this week I was in Disneyworld with my family. We spent Y2K at Disney's MGM Studios watching Cheap Trick and O-Town, drinking champagne and swing dancing at the Copa Cabana. Some people thought the world would end that night. You could still bring toothpaste, lighters, and pocket knives on an airplane.



The rest of my 20's brought:

- Meeting & marrying my husband


- Renting my first apartment, second apartment, moving away, moving back, renting a duplex, renting a house, finally purchasing a home of our own.


- Changing majors, changing schools, taking some time off, and eventually going back to the first school. Finishing a BA.


- NORM!


- Travelling to Ft. Lauderdale, Washington DC (twice), New York (3X), and back to Disney


- Waitressing, catering, and retail work, finally getting a "real" job, seeing the aftermath when the 35W Bridge fell down outside my office window


- Making new friends, losing old friends, re-connecting with lost friends...starting the Halloween Party tradition.


- Walking 60 miles to fight breast cancer. Then 60 more. Ending up with skin cancer. D'oh. Getting it chopped out. Getting bangs to cover the scar. Hating them. Growing the bangs out.


- Getting a little color. Getting a little ink.


- Starting a blog. Starting a bucket list. Crossing things off of the bucket list.


Hellos, goodbyes, sickness and health - all this, and so much more, in just 10 years. I'm heading out soon for my free birthday meal at Noodles & Co. (they have the best B-day deal, though I also have coupons from Melting Pot, Timberlodge, Campus Pizza, and Famous Daves. Could be a tasty week!). Tomorrow I'm ringing in the new year (and the 3-0) with an AMAZING dinner (details forthcoming) and a cocktail party with friends. Not a bad way to end 29. Or 2009. What did the past decade bring you? What will the next one hold? If you post a similar list on your blog, leave the link in my comments.