Mom's birthday

My mother was able to celebrate her birthday in San Diego this year.  For fun, she got to run errands and take care of her post-op daughter (me).  But we did manage to get in some fun things, which I thought were on the list, but as it turns out, were not.  But I'll add them anyway.

After running a few errands, we headed over to Extraordinary Desserts for lunch. We each ordered a pot of tea, Mom had a salad, but unfortunately I can't remember which one.  I had the aged cheddar grilled cheese sandwich and I added avocado.  It was fabulous.  For dessert, Mom had a lemon bar and I had a strawberry shortcake.  The "cake" part of both of these desserts was not what we expected, but I guess that's what makes them extraordinary, and we both LOVED our desserts.

Next stop, the Wangenheim Room at San Diego's Central Library.  The Wangenheim Room houses the San Diego Library's rare book collection.  The collection includes media dating back 4000 years and even includes Babylonian clay tablets from 2300BCE.  There is also a substantial collection of miniature books.  The room is named after Julius Wangenheim who donated much of the collection.  As a bibliophile, many of the books relate to the history of writing and bookmaking. 

One interesting thing I learned was the origins of the term pulp fiction.  Early written documents were made of animal products or linen, but when a technique for incorporating wood pulp into the paper making (or perhaps page making) process, it created a cheaper, easier to mass produce, surface on which to write.  This surface was especially popular with a particular niche of fiction writers, thus the term.

And I learned a new vocabulary word: incunabula, or items printed before 1500AD.

Then we moved on to Balboa Park, where I took a nap and Mom enjoyed the artist's village.  We even signed her up for a glass class when she's back next week.  Balboa Park has a lot to offer, including gardens, museums, a carousel, the Zoo, and theaters, in addition to the artist's village. 

Finally, we picked up Sister and took Mom to The Merk for dinner.

Also while Mom was here helping me convalesce, Captain America took us to La Jolla Cove, where I sat on the beach and read while Mom and Captain America went kayaking.  They had a blast, and although Mom got soaking wet, she did not fall into the ocean.

All in all, I think she had a pretty good visit, and as bizarre as it is to say, it's definitely better when the visit begins with general anesthesia, than when it ends with it.