My (BIRTHDAY) Week In Pictures

Oooh, a nice long Week in Pictures post for you...and it's been a while since I've done one, too.

Monday

On Monday afternoon, I drove up to Lodi to go to a used bookstore where I have some credit. I walked around the little downtown area getting some sign pics (which will all eventually end up on the sign blog, of course).

Tuesday

Tuesday was a cleaning day. I took the garbage out and before I could get a new bag in the bin, Harley had knocked it over and claimed it for his own use. That night, I had a one-woman (and two cats) slumber party on the couch.

No pics from Wednesday...

Thursday

Thursday, of course, was my birthday. I didn't take a ton of pics, but I did get a few good ones. You see, Mom and I went to Safeway to get a birthday cake and some ice cream--and we got a flat tire. Dad had to come help us out (he's got this cool little gadget that reinflates the tire). We followed him to Firestone, and now Mom's van is good as new. It was quite an adventure, but I'm happy to report that both the cake and the ice cream came out unscathed (thanks to Mom's quick thinking--she has those special bags for frozen goods and put the ice cream in one).

I should probably be embarassed to admit this, but it's too funny not to share the conversation Mom and I had when we had cake and ice cream. Mom, you see, thinks that I should have asked Richard, Keane's drummer, to marry me when I met him after the Oakland gig. Last night, after I blew out the candles:

Mom: Did you make a wish?

Meg: Ooops. No, I forgot.

Mom: That's okay, I made one for you."

Meg: Let me guess, that I find a rich man to marry?

Before she could reply (I'm pretty sure it was affirmative)...

Meg: No, wait, that I find a RichARD to marry?

Mom just laughed at me.

Friday

Today, Mom and Dad indulged my need for a day trip. We took Highway 49 from Auburn to Placerville, where we walked around so I could get a bunch of cool pictures (I love old Gold Rush towns!). We had lunch at a place called Tortilla Flats, then headed back towards Lincoln, where tonight we've had leftover birthday cake.

On the way, we drove through Penryn, which has this great old post office building.

Big bridge:

Old, unused bridge over the river:

Finally, we reached Placerville, also known as "Old Hangtown" because it used to be the site of a big tree used for hangings.

We went in a candy store so that Dad could buy some salted licorice (ugh).

Mom and I love browsing in antique shops--I found these Snoopy toys (but didn't buy them--I'm trying to keep the collection under control!). Also loved the Beatles figure.

Placerville Hardware is the second-oldest hardware store west of the Mississippi River, apparently. It is one of those wonderful, eclectic hardware stores with stuff like mermaid aprons, square coffee cups, and Super Genie slippers, which are a perfect example of all that I love about this country--creativity, imagination, and an uncanny ability to create problems that people didn't even know they had. Ahh, capitalism.

Tortilla Flats had the cutest paintings down at sidewalk level:

Mom and Dad waiting for lunch...