What? Liver spots already?

The Birthday Photos

I took these photos on Friday the 15th of October at Pescadero State Beach. I turned 30 that day.

I was 7 and a half years old when my mom turned thirty. I can't imagine having a 7 and a half year old at any age. For my 35th, I think I'll have my tubes tied.

Besides taking pictures at the beach, I drove up and down La Honda Road with the roof off Li'l Blue Car and Daniel Lanois playing at great volume; I baked myself a cake; played some of my favourite pop songs over and over; and went out for chinese food with a beautiful boy I know.

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Favourite Pop Songs Molly Will Listen To (And Sing Along With, so watch out) Over And Over And Over Again

[not exhaustive, or in order of preference]

Wonderwall by Oasis

UltraViolet Love by U2

This Could be the Night by Brian Wilson

Straight to You by Nick Cave

A New Day by Mary Margaret O'Hara

California Stars by Wilco

Let Down by Radiohead

E = mc2 by Big Audio Dynamite

Goddess on a Highway by Mercury Rev

I'm the Ocean by Neil Young

Death of a Train by Daniel Lanois

Watermelon in Easter Hay by Frank Zappa

Susie and Jeffrey by Blondie

You Speak My Language by Morphine

Open All Night by Bruce Springsteen

Bled White by Elliot Smith

I Miss You by Jacobites

Pusher for Jesus by Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra

Goodnight Song by Tears for Fears

Claire by Rheostatics

Romeo's Tune by Stevie Forbert

Wrecking Ball by Emmylou Harris

China White by Chris Spedding

Extramundane by Bedhead

Until You Came Along by Golden Smog

Good for Me by Waco Brothers

Dallas by Jimmie Dale Gilmore

Gone by Dwight Yoakam

Fade Into You by Mazzy Star

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Favourite Ben and Jerry Ice Cream Flavours

Coffee Heath Bar Crunch

the vanilla one with the caramel chocolate things in it

New York Fudge Chunk

Wavy Gravy (even though the name is repulsive and I don't like tie dye)

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Recipe for a Birthday Cake

4 ounces unsweetend chocolate, chopped coarsely

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup boiling water

1 cup butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (soy) milk

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup cocoa

3/4 cup (soy) milk

1/2 cup butter

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 ounces cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 inch cake pans. Combine chopped chocolate and cocoa. Pour boiling water over mixture. Stir to melt. Cool slightly. Cream butter. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolale. Sift flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix ingredients only until blended. Divide batter between pans. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until centre springs back when lightly pressed. Allow to cool 10 minutes. Invert onto cooling racks.

To prepare icing, place chocolate, cocoa, milk, and butter in top of double boiler. Heat gently over simmering water just until chocolate melts. Mixture should be smooth. Cool slightly. Beat in icing sugar and vanilla. Chill until spreadable. Combine 1/2 cup of the icing with the cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Reserve for the decoration. Using the dark icing, sandwich the two layers of cake together. Frost the top and the sides. Decorate as desired with the cream cheese chocolate frosting.

(adapted from an Ontario Milk Marketing Board recipe)

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Molly's Favourite Beaches

[definitely not exhaustive]

California:

Bean Hollow State Beach.

The beach before Bean Hollow (Playa des Frijoles) with the neat tidepools.

Grey Whale Beach.

The secret beach marked by that funny piece of driftwood, where you have to walk for about a mile over the dunes before you actually get to the water.

Pescadero State Beach.

Point Reyes.

Surf.

That beach south of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Right underneath the Golden Gate Bridge.

Encinitas.

A little beach just north of Malibu.

Not California:

Varadero, Cuba.

Tulum, Mexico.

Wherever it was I camped in Baja.

Dyer's Bay, Ontario.

Southampton, Ontario.

Lion's Head, Ontario.

Parry Sound, Ontario.

Port Dover, Ontario.

Long Point, Ontario.

Lake Rosseau, Ontario.

This place north of Port Huron, Michigan.

St. Joseph, Michigan.

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