My Birthday

I'm such a lucky guy. I had a great birthday yesterday. I have beautiful nieces who are thoughtful and cute as can be. They sang the "Happy Birthday" song to me on the phone in the morning, which was a great way to start the day, and put a smile on my face. But imagine my surprise on Saturday when a basket of fresh baked cookies with a balloon-o-gram were delivered to my home, from my nieces Isabella and Elizabeth.

Above: the cookies are in the red cellophane covered basket below the festive balloons. I immediately transferred the cookies into a nice platter so I could admire them and drool...It turned out to be a great birthday for me.

My Birthday Dinner @ Copleys on Palm Canyon

John and I went to dinner Saturday night at one of my favorite restaurants in Palm Springs: Copley's on Palm Canyon. I've written about their wonderful food before but I can't help share how terrific their food is. We tried a few new dishes that I thought were worth sharing...

Above left: Hawaiian Ahi Tacos:Tuna Tartar, Avocado, Green Onion Tossed in Ginger Soy Dressing, presented In A Sesame Miso Shell & Topped with Tobiko Caviar & above right: Chilled Leek & Potato soup with Avocado and Scallops

Above left: Lemon infused salmon on a bed of wilted spinach with fingerling potatoes & above right: Opakapaka (Hawaiian pink snapper) with Ginger crust served on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes and steamed wax beans.

It was another fabulous dinner at Copley's, I just love the food, service and atmosphere. As the evening drew to a close I settled down back home with the dog and cat and enjoyed a glass of wine before bed. A great way to welcome in another year of life on this planet.

-Rick Rockhill