No big to do this year. No scary costumes, and no candy. No night on the town. Just one of the best rib eye steaks I’ve ever had, even if it was accompanied by kale and vegan pasta. Happy birthday to me.

But who could have asked for a better birthday, really? We spent our first night boondocking after hitting the road for the Winter in Comb Wash near Blanding, Utah, with nothing but peace, quiet and stars up above. And oh yeah, did I mention the steak?

My meat intake now is all about quality, not quantity. And we haven’t grilled since the BBQ back home nearly burned down the garage. (Long story.)

Since Rene has been testing every recipe in her new vegan cookbook on me, I’ll take it when I can get it, even if that means waiting for a special ocassion. But the garlic and parsley pasta really was as good as it was simple – even without loads of butter. It wasn’t even whole wheat, considering it was my birthday dinner. But we actually realized after dinner that we didn’t even put any fresh Parmesan cheese on it!

Best yet, we now know that the RVQ still works great – though I should have cleaned it before we left – and that we still got it, when it comes to finding prime boondocking spots and enjoying our life on the road. Cheers.