Dragged the family out for dinner last night and seeing how it was my birthday and I was the instigator for this particular dining expedition – we went for Turkish at Ahmets in Balmoral.  The place has obviously built quite a reputation of late. Last time we were there the place was half empty and it was a quiet laid back sort of ambiance which didn’t resemble last night’s dining experience at all, as the place was packed and had people milling around out front waiting for a table, the wait staff were hustling and a belly dancing chickie rocked up at some point wearing more pink than I would have though humanly possible for someone so scantily clad, (Angel was entranced by her… pretty girl, voluptuous figure, plenty of bling and man did she have the moves!) 

The restaurant has all the trappings of a genuine Turkish restaurant except for the chairs and cushions in the place.  They’ve gone for the backless stools and benches for a lot of the tables and they’re all covered in garish Turkish patterned fabrics rather than old woven Turkish rugs as you would find in Turkey,  Probably  little easier to wash and wear no doubt and a helluva lot cheaper than importing those massive rug covered cushions we saw everywhere in Turkey. 

The food was excellent and resembled many of our dining experiences in Turkey but for one small difference…. the prices of course.  I had the Iskender kebap and when I was in Turkey that dish usually cost between 6-9 YTL (which was about 1:1 YTLs for AUS$) and last nights Iskender was AUS$22.50.  

All up it was a great night out, loads of fun.
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You know how on your birthday your family and friend ring you up to wish you a happy birthday – it’s just one of those thing you do?  Well today I got calls from my family, but it seemed like they kinda forgot??!?!  Even my Mum which is tres bizarre.

Mum called and rather than wishing me Happy Birthday, she informed me that a kinda distant relative, someone I met maybe once about 10 years ago, had passed away.  And then BigSal called asking me for some Photoshop advice and she too failed on the socially expected Birthday felicitations?

Sniff, sniff?  Don’t think I forgot my deodorant this morning…..

Anyway I got to have a pretty cool Birthday even without the expected greetings from the fam.  Got some cool emails from friends – Danke – and some sweet little nothings from people on Facebook etc which is always nice.

Also scored some cool new toys – a flashy yet teeny tiny new iPod nano, pretty red one with fancy engraving on the back 🙂  A new wireless router cos our adsl/wifi in one sucks ass and fails miserably on a regular basis and a couple of movies on DVD – the Bourne Ultimatum and A Midsummer’s Nights Dream (actually when written together like so they seem like odd choices – but I’m nothing if not eclectic)…. and from my Mum, dear old Mum who knows me so well … a bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon 🙂

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Some women I know seemed to hit 30 and decide that they’re getting old and start being evasive about their age and mourning their every birthday as though someone had run over their cat or eaten their last chocolate or something.  But I never really had a problem with the whole getting older thing…. until last year for some reason.  I think it’s because last year, I started to to recognize that my fertility (which has been the bane of my adult existence) was now well and truly on it’s way out.  Ten little embryos in the freezer and well honestly, not a hope in hell that I’ll be able to use them or even if I did that any of then would take.  Ho-hum, woe is me.  😐

So this year, while I’m determined to try and occupy myself with cheerier thoughts leading up to my birthday, certain aspects of my current situation – like hideous back pain – keep getting in the way.  But one must ever live in hope, yes?  And as such I can always fantasize that God (if indeed he/she/it really does exist) will take pity on my pitiable infertile and pain wracked state and oh, I don’t know… maybe knock off some unknown distant relative who, in their benevolence, will leave me a fortune so that I may spend my days indulging in frivolous festivities, feasts of fine food, filanthropy ;), Fruit Tingles, fabulous furniture, fancy fittings and fripperies of one type or another.  Or perhaps I’ll win lotto – something the chance of which would no doubt be considerably increased if I should deign to start purchasing tickets.  🙂

But in the absence of a kindly dead rellie, or a freak lotto win by a non-entrant… I shall just have to hope for some cool loot for my birthday.  In order to assist potential purveyors of presents, I have compiled a list of things that make me go hmmmm.  And it starts off with something like this –  ‘Yeeeessss… that’s right Ian!!!! A Nooo Carrrrr!!!’  Cos Lord knows I need one after my old one got smooshed 🙁

Failing that, the gregariously generous gift giver this year might want to consider something smaller and perhaps less showy, so how about some fancy pink diamonds (prefer cushion cut approx, 2ct would be nice), or a lovely Tag Heuer watch????  🙂  Ooooh how excitement … fingers crossed!

Okay, okay…. sigh … I understand. I should probably dial it down a bit to something a bit more… realistic…. So here’s ’tis  🙂
    
    
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*Okay, I don’t really want a Baby Jesus Buttplug for my birthday, but he was pink and kinda rounded out the list 😛
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