The other night for Cale’s birthday, we had a great dinner out to Claim Jumper. Was that the surprise I had planned? No! But stupid yelp got me all paranoid at the last minute, as I briefly ranted about in that video. I was printing out directions to this local brewery that has a beer Cale really likes thinking Gosh Stephanie you are such an awesome wife. So thoughtful really, I mean knowing that this place has Cale’s all-time favorite beer, and taking him there as a surprise?! Gold stars for you. Well stupid yelpers made me second guess my great idea, saying that the food had gotten worse since they’d changed their menu, and it was not a good date place. Well… dang. So I thought Pyramid brewery is right in Walnut Creek, that would be perfect. But once again, snobby little yelpers saying that the food was crappy had me all worried. What if this was a bad idea, and Cale was looking forward to steak or something? Eeep!

So by the time I got home, I presented Cale with the directions to the two breweries with the open end that he could choose somewhere else, “You know like sushi or Claim Jumper or whatever you want.” So Claim Jumper it was. And it turned out fabulous. Their veggie burger is good, and I had half left over for lunch yesterday. I got my favorite martini (the Buttered Rum Martini), and we ate until we were stuffed.

While we did end up having a wonderful birthday dinner, I still hate yelp. There are always those snobs who go on there and give bad reviews that make me nervous about every place I go to now! Does any one else notice this? There is always that one person who says “I’ve had waaay better (insert whatever you could think of).” I bet these people never have anyone go out to dinner with them because they are such pains-in-the-you-know-what. Gr.

Then we got home nice and early, and I curled into bed with my book (The Memory Keeper’s Daughter) with two hundred pages left. And before I knew it there was only one hundred pages left. Then at midnight when I was finally going to fall asleep with about seventy pages left.. things got interesting, and I could not put it down. Finally around 1:30am, I finished. And ohh it felt good. This was the first for-pleasure book I’d finished since Pride and Prejudice that both Cale and I read to each other during long train rides on our Honeymoon. I really felt awesome. I finished a book. I used to be such an avid reader. I would curl up in my papasan chair in my childhood bedroom and read for days. But through high school and college I found myself having to read so many other things that by the time I had time to myself, the last thing I wanted to do was read. But that is something I have wanted to change. I love reading. Getting lost in the pages, hearing the characters’ voices, and feeling their emotions. Now I can mark #49 on my list as in progress. Sweet!

An early morning Daily Steph