So my birthday happened to fall on the first day of Chinese New Year - some coincidence!

It was a beautiful day so after a late breakfast and chatting with my mom online, we headed outside for a bike ride. I saw a road on the map I wanted to check out and from the topo, it didn't look too steep to climb. Maggie was at her friend's house, so Paul took her bike since we didn't know what to expect. There were four rest "shelters" on the way up and we stopped at one to have a picnic lunch. We made it to the top where there was a nice gazebo and view of Tai Shui Hang with Kau To Shan behind (the hill we used to live on). We checked out the water department flood control dam and ditch before the ride down. It was a fun cruise!

Went out to eat at the Hyatt Shatin for a scrumptious buffet dinner. My birthday cake was meant to be the tiramisu I made, but we had it the day before when friends were over for new year's eve hotpot. I enjoyed a variety of cakes and ice cream from the dessert table instead!

Today, two days later, we decided to go up the hill again, this time with Alex's friends. Paul raced ahead on his road bike for a workout and to record stats on an iPhone app he downloaded. The rest of us moseyed along, but decided to turn around after the 2nd "shelter" since a couple people weren't up for the hill. We zoomed back to a nearby McD for treats and to play at the playground instead.  We'll try to get those friends to the top next time!

School starts again Monday...