we're gonna have a good time

always wanting to defy convention when possible and never being one to miss a good party, I decided some years ago that instead of a birthday I would celebrate a birthweek. Saturday began my birthweek this year, and thus far it's been shaping up in grand fashion. Had dinner at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Annam, on Saturday night. I had the vegetarian curry in a clay pot (pictured in the link!), and it was superb. Sunday was the family birthday, which took place at the soon-to-be-famous Slows BarBQ in lovely D-troit. I had the beef short ribs, with their Slows' Spicy sauce; spec-TAC-ular.
I have been almost sugar-free for a month now, and yet my mother decided it was best to hasten my death by preparing the fatal chocolate dessert pictured above. Death By Chocolate? It can happen, folks. I decided to eat one piece, "because it's a special occasion," and was laid up with a headache about an hour later. So it goes. Instead of sleeping it off (as I usually do), I went on a glorious fall bike ride.

now, I'm not one that's big on presents but I received the most AMAZING gift from my grandmother. She's been doing some of the craziest ceramics lately (see her Pits of Hell for an example). I forgot that I commissioned a piece from her, and she came through better than I could have possibly imagined.
it's a giant chigger. I really can't explain the sublime beauty of it. Yes, those are red feathers glued to the back to represent the hairy spines.

I can only wait to see what else this birthweek will hold! Stay tuned for updates.