Challenge Accepted!

First of all, I'd like to start off by thanking Trason for the wonderfully original gift of our very own blog. It was such a surprise and we were really excited to get started.

All weekend I've been coming up with different topics to write about, ones that are extremely important to me. For instance; where to find the best whoopie

pies

in the Madison area, how to decide what type of coffee/tea to pick at the Steep and Brew stand at the Farmer's Market and why Abita Strawberry Beer is so refreshing in the summer. (yes Jason, it really is.) But, for right now, I'm going to give a brief summary of the "Birthday Extravaganza" as was requested.

The weekend started off at one of our favorite restaurants (and Jane's favorite) in town, Cafe Continental on King Street, which has some of the best outdoor seating in Madison. Unfortunately there was still some April chill in the air so we ended up sitting inside. Martinis were ordered by most, of course I ordered the most ridiculous drink I could find. No umbrellas, oh well. Karl and I ordered mussels, of course, which were not as great as we'd found them before. At Cafe C the m

ussells don't come with frites, unlike a few other places in Madison. We had crab cakes which were good, fried calamari which is a must and a caesar salad that was only a decent. Service was excellent, atmosphere is always pleasant and relaxing.

We met some friends at the Great Dane downtown and stopped at Natt Spil on the way home for some late night takeout. What a wierd place. If you haven't been there, you've gotta check it out some time. But don't plan on making reservations or even calling because there's no phone. There isn't a sign outside either so it's a little tricky to find if you haven't been there before.

Sunday Morning Birthday Sunrise.

Karl paid a couple of geese $50 (in birdseed) to swim out gracefully and set the mood. He claims. But it was beautiful.

By the way, if you're ever writing a blog and Karl is looking over your shoulder, he'll tell you that you need two spaces after every period.oops.

Brunch at Sardine = Best Bloody Marys in town.

Please note: Karl and I have never blogged before so be patient with us as we figure out how the whole thing works and what kind of writing style is best. We're still working on coming up with a rating system and we'll try to keep the posts interesting and entertaining as opposed to bland and boring. . . . like giraffes.