Wow, has a year really gone by since I celebrated your birthday in Moscow with a group of Russian waiters? Ah yes, time does fly by so quickly, especially when one's enjoying those golden "50s"! Well, just remember that you're not getting older, you're getting better. Heck, you've been getting leaner, fitter and more active too! What an inspiration you are to everyone here!
So, to a lovely lady who's young at heart (and now has a healthier one) best wishes for a wonderful birthday, a great year and continued success in EVERYTHING you do. You go, grandma!
Thanks, everyone! Sheila53 is now, gulp, 53. That deserves a few glasses of wine tonight, don't you think?
So when I thought about my birthday this year, the first thing I thought about was Jilly. I saved her post from last year so here's how Jilly celebrated my birthday last year. Enjoy!
"Before I go, I'll tell you about "our" Sheila's Russian birthday. We'd been in Moscow for a few weeks experiencing all manner of Russian food when one of our group exclaimed that she was dying for some BBQ back ribs, coleslaw and a Bud Light. We canvassed the Moscow phone book looking for an "American style" restaurant and actually found a TGIFridays! We planned the best night for our excursion and it turned out to be April 6. I explained that I had an American friend celebrating a birthday that day, so henceforth we referred to our TGIF night as Sheila's "birthday bash".
Upon arriving at the restaurant we found it much like restaurants common to that chain, with American license plates, advertising posters, etc. on the walls, "western" pop music blaring and waitresses encased in "barbershop quartet" outfits. The biggest difference was the haze of blue smoke wafting out of the restaurant to the waiting area. There was no "Non Smoking" areas whatsoever and everyone around us was puffing away as if lung cancer didn't exist! After being seated and handed our menus, we pointed to the pictures of the food we wanted (naturally they were in Russian). Feeling the need to feed my salad craving, I ordered a grilled chicken Caesar salad with a side of garlic bread (which cost the same as a steak due to lettuce and almost all vegetables being in such short supply), a diet coke and a shot of vodka for afterwards (total cost $720 roubles or almost $40!). A table with Russian university students was next to us and upon hearing our voices, one asked in broken English "You come here all the way from America only to go to American restaurant??" I said, "Oh no, we're Canadians and have always wondered what Americans eat!" He nodded enthusiastically, held up his drink and said "Good life to you, my Canadian friends".
Near the end of our meal (and in the presence of our waitress) we all raised our glasses and shouted out "Happy Birthday, Sheila"! A few moments later, we were surprised to be surrounded by 6 or 7 servers who began clapping loudly and chanting in Russian what we presumed to be the equivalent of "Happy Birthday to you"! One of them was holding a plate upon which sat an object with a candle sticking out of it - he was gesturing as to whom he should present this offering. Well, we were too embarrassed to say the birthday girl was several thousand miles away, so everyone pointed at ME! I accepted the gift graciously (and decided to cover the cost of the dessert in my tip), but had no idea what it was composed of…it was rather round, brown and spiky and sort of looked like a small curled up porcupine. To end the suspense, I poked a fork into it and chocolate began oozing out. Turns out it was rich chocolate ice cream dipped in cocoa batter, deep fried and rolled in toasted coconut. Dayum, it was gooooood (yeah, yeah, calories, sugar, carbs and fat galore, but I did let everyone else have a taste and it sure beat stripping wallpaper on your birthday!)"
Happy Birthday Sheila53!
Ah yes, time does fly by so quickly, especially when one's enjoying those golden "50s"! Well, just remember that you're not getting older, you're getting better. Heck, you've been getting leaner, fitter and more active too! What an inspiration you are to everyone here! 
You go, grandma! 
