Go to a Birthday Party

Everybody has one every year. I know some people only have one every four years, but we typically celebrate our birth date each year and ponder the number of years we have been alive. As that number gets larger, we start to wonder where the years have gone. Celebrating a birthday is not a bad way to spend some time, even in retirement.

My niece Lori had her Birthday on July 23, and had invited some friends via Facebook to a small party on Sunday evening, July 24. The event was going to be at Joe's Crab Shack, the one located in Sanford on Florida route 46.  I had never been to that establishment, or any other Joe's Crab Shack. Therefore, I was getting my new restaurant for the week. Double Whammy!

My cousin Patti and niece Lori (Birthday Girl)

My cousin Patti, who lives in Palm Bay, rode over with me to Sanford. The party was at 7 PM and we arrived at 6:45.  Lori said we would be outside on the patio next to the playground. Having never been to one of these places I said "Yeah! Okay!"

Stan & Jackie and others on the patio at the Sanford Joe's Crab Shack

As I mentioned, there is a playground, and Lori's two children were enjoying the fun. Here are a few pictures of them on the equipment just outside the patio and our tables...

Morgan looking cute for Uncle BJ

Rowan stuck on a slide

Morgan scaring her uncle by walking down  the slide

The Facebook invitation to an event is a common way to organize a party. I was telling Lori I was going through my old mail including Party and Wedding invitations. I told her that now it is hard to save those kinds of things since most of the time there are electronic.  Most wedding invitations are still sent through snailmail, but even that is changing. My nephew and his wife had a web page with all the details on the wedding this past June. It is where I had to RSVP. Pretty soon they won't have ticket stubs....nope, wait, we are there already. How do you prove you went to an event anymore?

Crab Buckets ready for the carnage

Kelly and Chance with loud Hawaiian Shirts

 There was a lady making balloon creatures....

Balloon Lady making a dragon

Now I am going to take a break from the Birthday Party and put on my restaurant reviewer hat. Actually, I do not have a hat but that has given me the idea of getting one. As I get older, I need to remember why I walk into a room. If I have hats for different things, I could just look at the hat I am wearing and know what I am suppose to be doing...It's just an idea! Needs some work....

Jackie and Stan ordered the appetizer Crazy Good Crab Dip. The menu describes it as "Loaded with crab meat, cream cheese and Parmesan." It was served with corn tortilla chips...

Crazy Good Crab Dip at Joe's Crab House

I think the taste of the Parmesan threw me at first. Jackie thought it needed hot sauce. She probably was right, but the few chips I ate were good. For my drink, I ordered a Mason Jar Margarita which is "1800 Silver Tequila, Gran Gala, sweet & sour and squeezed limes all mixed together in a classic mason jar." James said we could take the jar when we leave so I did. They even had salt on the rim. Why do you give out a straw with a drink that has seasoning on the rim? I did not use my straw....

Mason Jar Margarita

Having seen the commercials for Joe's Crab Shack on TV all the time, I knew I wanted to order a steampot. I ordered the Arctic Bay Steampot:

Queen crab, shrimp, a whole Maine lobster and smoked sausage tossed in a garlic butter bath and topped with Old Bay Seasoning.

Sounds real healthy....here is a photo when it arrived...

Arctic Bay Steampot

Other people were ordering the Pacific Dungeness Crab. It looked delicious too! Of course, when I dumped my food out of the bag it looked like it was a male lobster...a very happy male lobster....then I realized it was the smoked sausage....

Arctic Bay steampot with happy lobster

My cousin Patti, did not go for the crab or steampot and ordered the Southern Stuffed Shrimp:

Jumbo grilled bacon-wrapped shrimp filled with seafood stuffing. Served with crab dirty rice, hushpuppies, vegetables and buttery spiced TABASCO® Brand Pepper Sauce.

It looked real good and she could not finish the shrimp....

Southern Stuffed Shrimp ordered by cousin Patti

Although extremely messy, they did give me a bib and all the tools needed for eating crab. I was very happy with my meal.  Jackie had mentioned that the prices had doubled since they started to go there, but as a treat, I did not mind the expense. And then my cousin Patti picked up the tab, when she did not need to do, and I really did not mind the price....

I give the place a 4 (Excellent) and would go again with anyone willing to pick up my tab...No, I would pay for myself....(I just took off my restaurant review hat)

It was a Birthday party so the wait staff came out and did a Birthday song. My niece Lori had to dance....

Lori waving to the crowd as the wait staff sings

I think everyone was full after the meal and did not need dessert. They did bring a large piece of key lime pie out for Lori and she shared it mostly with her kids...

Applause for the Birthday Girl

Jackie took a picture using my camera of me with Lori and Patti....thank you Jackie!

Cousin Patti, Niece Lori, Uncle BJ

I caught a picture of Lori with her MIL Jackie and her friend Stan....Lori had a halo at this time.

Jackie, Lori, Stan

My grand nephew and grand niece were getting silly for the camera. They get that from both their parents who are extremely talented people...

Rowan and Morgan with Balloons

Rowan with his Dragon

A proud Mom watching her kids with the wine (Birthday presents)

I had a really great time at Lori's Birthday Party. The food was excellent and the margarita went down smoothly. Can't say much about my diet but it was a time of celebration and so I did. It has been over two years since I retired and I still have not figured what to do with my time....I will keep searching and keep posting about my adventures. I hope you enjoy reading them....