Happy Birthday to ME!

Sometime in February I celebrated my birthday with my class.  Celebrating birthdays in a big deal among the parents at my school and teacher birthdays are an even bigger deal.  Because my birthday is in July, I typically celebrate my half birthday with my class...unless there are no students with birthdays in January (it is far more awkward to just celebrate you then share with other students)....In that case I push it back to the next month with student birthdays.  This year that month was February.
I had a fantastic Room Mom this year.  She coordinated all the other mothers and got me a gift certificate for two meals at Le Meridien.  Le Meridien is a new-ish five star hotel in town.  All the five star hotels in town (yes, there are several) have an insanely good and insanely expensive buffet.  So, two tickets to eat at Le Meridien's buffet is like a dream come true and an invitation to eat until you are ready to burst.
For the last five months I have tried multiple times to use these coupons but something always came up and I was unable to go.  However, recently the pressure has been on.  The coupons expire the end of August so I needed to use them.  Tonight I finally got my chance.
Karen (my good friend and fellow second grade teacher) and I finally went to the buffet tonight.  It was amazing.  Out of the three platefuls I ate I only found one thing I didn't like.  Everything was divine and I literally felt sick because I was so full when we left.  Plus, Le Meridien is just so beautiful.  It's decorated modern style rather than traditional and, let me tell you, I would decorate my house modern style if I could....someday I really hope to.... :)
Needless to say after waddling out of the buffet and the beautiful hotel, Karen and I went on a rather long walk.  I don't know if it actually burned off any of my dinner weight, but I felt much better when we got back...
So, dear friends, my favorite teacher gift that I have ever gotten is definitely going to be those coupons.  So much better than that fuzzy pink mirror with wings and halo or those awful grandma style rugs.  Please, please can we skip the bad gifts again next year and just go for the amazing food?  Thanks! :)