Thanks everyone. This was a low-key birthday, which is how I like it. No cooking. That was the day before, my daughter made us a mahi mahi stir fry that was very good. She learned how to juggle two woks at once. Last night we went out to sushi, as that is daughter's new food passion. Then we browsed our favorite vintage/hipster clothing store. I've almost stopped buying clothes at regular retail stores; this store provides in retail-speak, an edited eclectic selection at remarkably cheap prices. I bought a like-new cotton-cashmere sweater from Club Monaco (a Ralph Lauren sub-brand) for $8 - hard to beat that, even if the horizontal stripes are not exactly slimming. Call it a challenge. We also poked around Powell's bookstore, where I checked out some books on 1980s BMW sedans. I am getting a slight hankering for a "new" car project, and I've always liked the late 1980s BMW 5-series sedans, the last of the boxy no-nonsense Teutonic Beemers. They are quick, solid, and great bargains as future classics. Plus I'm told a fellow who knows how to work on cars (that's me) and who likes to work on cars (that might or might not still be me) can transplant a V8 motor from a later BMW in place of the stock 220 hp six-cylinder M30 motor. We bought a magazine on 3D printing for my son. Home 3D printers are now as cheap as $500, and that would be a pretty interesting thing for us to play with. My favorite present was a cutting board that has gridlines and measurements for various cuts. Now I can judge exactly how thick to slice for medium dice (1/2"), batonnet (1/4"), julienne (1/8") and fine julienne (1/16") sticks and brunoise. Very useful for the OCD cook. My least favorite present for this b-day will be making an appointment for my first colonoscopy. Oh joy! The pleasures of entering my fifties. Actually I should have done this last year on my 50th b-day, but have been putting it off. The pastime currently occupying us is planning for daughter's impending start of college. She is now receiving her college admission and rejection letters, and we are going through the various dormitory choices and studying credit requirements for different degree programs. At this point she is most seriously considering either Fordham University in Manhattan, McGill University in Montreal, UC San Diego, or the Clark Honors College at University of Oregon. I'm quietly rooting for U of O, it seems perfect to me. The Honors College is a small liberal arts program with just 700 students and their own professors, counselors, building and housing, set in the big campus of a 30,000 student research university. 2 hours from home, far enough for her, not too far for me. It is eminently affordable if you pay in-state tuition. If she wants to get a single room with private bath, to spend five years in school doing multiple majors, to study abroad and take trips, we can do all that and she can still graduate with zero student debt. She likes the campus and the town, and already has some friends who started there last year. So, I hope she picks it. Fingers crossed! We went to the beach last weekend. The Oregon coast is gorgeous. I haven't been for a couple of years. My friend led us in making a huge sandsculpture (a dragon consuming a hilltop city) that, I'm told, made the local TV news. It was very relaxing, and made me think that perhaps I work too much. This post was edited by johnliu on Thu, Mar 27, 14 at 10:32

I just got a email from southern plate showing a Elvis Presley cake. I am going to try it soon. I was thinking his BD was in Aug. I guess thats when he died. Elvis Presley Cake 1 box yellow cake mix 1 (3-ounce) box vanilla pudding (not sugar free!) 4 eggs 1/2 cup oil 1 cup milk 1 (16-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained 1 cup sugar Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, oil, and milk. Beat until smooth.Bake in greased 9Ã13-inch pan in 350F preheated oven for 45-60 minutes (or until center springs back).While cake is baking, boil pineapple and sugar on top of stove until sugar has melted. While cake is still hot, punch holes in cake and pour hot pineapple over cake. Let cool. FROSTING: 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 stick butter or margarine, softened 3 cups confectioners sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional) Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners sugar gradually and beat until creamy. Add pecans, if desired, and mix well. Drop by dollops onto cake until top is mostly covered, then smooth and spread to frost cake.

Hope that you had a really lovely birthday, Monica ... ... one of the several KT folks that I've had the privilege of meeting. ole joyful

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. I had a really great day. They raised $10,000 for the shelter and I'm sure they'll wind up with lots of donations of goods because it was made known what the shelter needs in every day necessities. The weather was kind enough to co-operate so that was a great plus. My team didn't win....we were unfortunately in the first flight and competing against some pretty low handicaps. However, we all played well enough to enjoy ourselves. I always say, I just want to play good enough to enjoy myself, winning is just frosting on the cake. In this case, the prizes were minimal. The idea was to give as much to the shelter as possible which is as it should be. I did, however, win a door prize. A one month free membership to a local gym. It is the one prize I was hoping for so that made me happy. I gave it to DH. Sure hope he uses it. This has been a really great birthday. Yesterday some friends took me out to lunch and we went to the movies afterwards to see The Help. Great acting. The movie was 2 1/2 hours long and when it was over, you were shocked to see how late it was, so I can safely say it didn't drag. Tomorrow I was suppose to go to my favorite restaurant with DH for dinner but I think Irene will be putting a squash to that. Oh well, like Glenda, I'll just keep on celebrating. There's still a few days left in the month!