We did a lot of special little things. We had lunch at a famous lunch spot in downtown Ann Arbor that specializes in dogs and soups. They are only open for lunch during the week, so having the day off allowed us to go there for lunch. This was our first time at ‘Le Dog.’ Boy was it good! We both had two types of chili – white chicken chili and beef chili. They were delicious! The lunch spot is basically a stand, so everything is take out. We took our soups to a bench and had a wonderful lunch savoring the delicious soups. After lunch we just walked slowly from one end of town to another. We stopped at various stores – mostly window shopping, but also used the opportunity to do a bit of Christmas shopping. I admit that I also did a bit of shopping for myself. After all, it was my birthday! I found some good deals and felt great about getting a couple of things at great prices. We also stopped at our favorite bookstore and spent a lot of time looking at books. We can’t never go to the bookstore and get out quickly. We both loved books and it is so tempting to explore all the new books. We ended up buying a lot of books, some for gifts, but most for ourselves. My reading list keeps growing….

After shopping, we found our way back to where we started to have dinner at my favorite birthday restaurant. I have been going to the same restaurant for many years, even before I met my husband. I’m a traditionalist and always want to go back to the same restaurant and have the same dish – Paella. Yummy!