And so it begins...

I'm in Walnut Creek, CA at a local Starbucks near downtown. I'm eating "The Perfect Oatmeal" (and maybe had an apple fritter, just cause) along with drinking a Zen Green Tea. I love their Zen Green Tea because it's full leaf. Just as long as they don't put too hot of water that can scold the taste of the Green Tea, I'm cool with S'Bucks.

It's the first day of my 2 week vacation. A vacation that has yet to be planned really. It also so happens to be my 27th Birthday. It's supposed to be a day of joy and celebration. The day where people take a moment to really let you know they were happy that you were born on this planet. It's also a day where you're supposed to recognize this yourself. It's a good time to reflect what makes you, you. Why you really rock.

Last night was the beginning of a celebration. Josef wanted to hang out with me and grab some dinner. We walked around the Castro. Looked around a few cute stores and eventually ended up at the Wednesday Farmer's Market in the Castro. We tasted some fruit. The pears we had were quite tasty, so we went ahead and bought some for Greg. I think we tried 5 different pears, and 2 were stellar for different reasons. One really had an interesting texture and tartness. The other was like butter in your mouth with the perfect amount of sweetness. Seemingly the same object, two completely different experiences. We also dropped by a dessert place to pick up what looked to be a delicious Blueberry Flan.

We then walked over to my car to drop some stuff. I ended up giving him a small gift from my trip to NYC. I got him a tee from Parke and Ronen in Chelsea as well as a handkerchief of the map of London from Muji. I also gave him a CD of my latest music mix. It was just my way of letting him know I was thinking about him while I was away for 2 weeks in NYC.

Turns out he had a surprise in store for me. He gave me a birthday gift with an adorable card. He got me some Jack Black Beard Lube (don't get me started with the name) as well as a small box of chocolates from CocoaBella. Totally adorable. He then went ahead and surprised me with dinner at 7:15 at Farina on the border of the Mission/Castro. The interior decor was stellar. The vibe was laid back and relaxing. It's a place I've always passed by by and never thought to stop in. That is until I saw an episode of Check Please Bay Area in which it was featured. It's a very specific Italian cuisine that focuses on Focaccia breads. Delicious. We got the following to share:

• Capesante rosticciate con colino di san marzano ed olio al basilico (pan seared scallops served with san marzano coulis and basil extra virgin olive oil)
• Focaccia di Recco con prosciutto (focaccia di Recco topped with Rovagnati ham)
• Anatra alle olive con patate e cipollini arrosto (braised duck with pancetta and seasonal herbs served with roasted potato and onions)

The standout for sure were the scallops. The carmelization from the pan sear was spectacular. I could have had 20 of 'em. Everything else was also great. Of course their breads were stellar too. Chewy, soft, crispy, yum. The dinner concluded with a nice birthday dessert:

I did make a wish when I blew out the candle. Let's just say that it has to do with something that's been on my mind for a while. We went back and watched some TV and we cuddled a bit. We fell asleep and woke up in the this morning. Breakfast? The Blueberry Flan we bought last night. It was okay, I think it needed to be at room temp and not refrigerated temperatures. Nonetheless, it was wonderful to spend time with Josef. He's such a good guy and sweetheart.

I then drove Josef to Walnut Creek where he left his car at the BART yesterday. He prepared by getting "Long Term BART Parking" for the evening. He cracked me up. Today's his first day teaching an undergrad class at UC Davis. He's surely well dressed. :)

And so here I am. Alone on my birthday in Walnut Creek typing away. It's hard to not get emotional today with everything that's going on in my personal life. I can't help but smile at all of the text messages, phone calls, emails and Facebook Posts from family, friends and loved ones. I can't help but think of how lucky I am. I'm not much of a celebrator of myself, but I love to celebrate others.

And yet, I still can't help but think about what's lingering on my mind about everything in my personal life. The next two weeks, there sure will be a lot of thinking going on.