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Well, Carlos' birthday festivities have finally wound down. Like any good queen, he doesn't celebrate just once, but often, for several days, each passing year.

Last Wednesday, the day before his actual birthday, Round-The-Way-Gays, Neal and David, took us out to dinner to celebrate. A fabulous meal, some great cocktails, and the usual rip-roaring conversation. I had made Carlos a birthday card that said, on the front: Happy Birthday........Now Back  To Me....and gave him grief, when David and Neal presented him with a gift bag, er, bag'o'gifts, saying he wasn't allowed to open it until his birthday.

The Little Boy Pout that ensued was precious. And annoying.



Peanut Butter Cake
with Chocolate Icing



I told him that I'd had to order his gift online, and that it hadn't arrived in time for his birthday, and his little gay heart almost crumbled. But a little calamari, some Brie, a martini, and a chocolate tort, and all was forgotten. Until the next morning--his actual birthday--when I surprised him with some gifts. He squealed like a girl and tore open the packages, and it set the tone for his birthday.

It was all about him!

Pork Loin and Pesto

I had planned on taking him out to dinner on Saturday night, but since we'd had such a lovely meal with The Gays, I chose to go all Martha Stewart and make him a lovely dinner myself. He had to work on Saturday, so while he was gone I baked him a Peanut-Butter cake, with Chocolate Icing, a Roasted Pork Loin rubbed with Gremolata and served with Homemade Roasted Red Pepper and Basil Pesto, Grilled Asparagus with Prosciutto and shaved Asiago, and a Red Potato Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Vine Ripened Tomatoes, Scallions and Basil in a Pomegranate Vinaigrette.

Potato Salad



Oh, but I did. 

Asparagus with
Proscuitto and Asiago

I also found a lovely bottle of Toasted Head Viognier, and the weather was so nice in Smallville that we ate on the back deck in the cool evening breeze. A lovely relaxing day, and a fine end to the Days Long Festivities celebrating the Birth Of Carlos! 

Afterwards, the weather turned ugly and rainy and there was talk of tornadoes and violent thunderstorms. We got hit by hail a couple of times, and worried that the sunroom skylights might break, but it was all said and done by midnight.

Dinner is served!

Sunday we did housework. There was a plan to mow lawns, but with all the rain Saturday night, that was put on hold. When we bought Case de Smallville, the mailbox was one of those ones that looks like a little barn, only it was gray, and old, and ugly. I've wanted to replace it, but Carlos decided he wanted to paint the body of the barn red--of course--and the roof of the barn brown. I again told him I'd like a new mailbox.

So, we broke out the red paint, and the brown paint, and painted our little barn mailbox. We also got some very cool silver house numbers, and some Black semi-gloss enamel to paint the post--we'll do that once the wood dries out from the rain. I was surprised that it didn't look cheesy. but actually looks very nice.

All in all, Carlos had a lovely birthday festival; three days of good times and gifts, and one day of barn paintintg. And now he's a happy camper.

Until next year.