Today for my birthday, there needed to be one more birthday lunch. So Julie and I went to El Azteca. She had her usual chicken hard shell taco from which she likes to create her own taco salad. Only they gave her beef instead, so she had a beef taco salad. I ordered the tropical shrimp burrito which was really quite tasty. It had shrimp, rice, and tropical things in it so it seemed quite healthy as well as tasty. It's pretty large, so if two people wanted to share it sometime, that would work. It was fun to go with Julie. She thought for something funny she would give me her Santa favor from the club party the other night, because she thought I hadn't gotten one. But then I told her about Julia and the nativity set and that I did get a Santa afterall. So she kept her Santa favor. She also gave me a jar of "Sweet Memories" pickles and a cute stitiched "Friends" plaque to hang on the wall. Thanks, Julie for being such a great friend all these years (since 1st grade).
For a really great birthday present, Tiffany arrived home from Illinois! She made all her train and plane connections and got home safely. First Greg took her to breakfast and to the train station in Mattoon (about 12 miles from Charleston). She then took the train from Mattoon to Chicago (and slept all the way). In Chicago she walked a couple of blocks in the icy wind from Union Station to the CTA station to catch another train to Midway airport. She took a Southwest flight from there to Salt Lake, arriving at about 7:25. We were glad to see her and glad that she made it home safely. We had a slow, tricky time getting up to the airport on the icy roads, but we made it in time to meet her. What a great birthday present!
When we got home, she wanted me to open the present she had brought for my birthday. It was a calendar she had made of pictures of our Route 66 adventures on our way to Mississippi last April. And to think Sarah and Joel thought there wasn't anything to see in Moriarty, New Mexico, when they broke down in July! Tiffany and I were there for two days so we had plenty of time to see all the Route 66 sights (along the small stretch of highway that ran through town). Some of the pictures were from Tucumcari, New Mexico, as well. Such a great adventure! Steven gave me a lovely rose for my birthday; and then we plan to have more festivities on Sunday when we get the family together for Sunday dinner.