Step one: Find a good woman.
Step two: Have a birthday.
OK, it's a little more complicated than that, but not much.
Back in February, Red, Velvet, and I went to a Valentine's Day event in Lindsborg, KS. We won the grand prize in a raffle drawing, which included a night at a local bed and breakfast, and gift certificates from businesses all over Lindsborg. We got gift certificates from a liquor store, restaurants, coffee houses, a coffee roaster, clothing stores, gift shops, a hippy shop with lots of cool stuff, and a shop that sells etched glassware.
We decided to celebrate my birthday by staying at the B&B, and spending the gift certificates. Red picked up some things at the women's shops ('nuff said) and got a pedicure; I got a big bottle of Bulleit's Bourbon and a big bottle of Bailey's at the liquor store. We got some gourmet chocolate from a shop- and some lingonberry jam from Sweden that I still don't know what to do with. From the glass shop, we ordered a set of balloon wine glasses, a set of whisky glasses, and a set of pint beer glasses with etched wheat stalks on the sides.
The B&B, "Seasons of the Fox", was great. After a nice dinner downtown, we sat out in their garden with cigars and drinks and I opened my birthday gifts. Red gave me an autographed copy of Tibor Machan's Classical Individualism, and a new billfold made from ostrich leather; I guess she was tired of my Desert Tan ballistic nylon wallet.
We had a formal breakfast today, and spent the morning in downtown Lindsborg. I dragged Red to Smoky Valley Shooting Sports and I checked her fit for a shotgun. Red is tiny; she will need a "youth" model shotgun for trapshooting, and the Remington 870 in 20ga is the best fit for her.
By early afternoon, Velvet was ready to go home. She slept most of the afternoon when we got back to the house. This evening, I had a Bulleit's and water and a good cigar, and started to read the Machan book. Cigars, bourbon, and philosophy- mighty nice.
It's good to be the Big Dog!
