birthday

My birthday on the 16th was extremely fun. I drove my new scooter
through the mountains to Fulong beach. The scooter is a 125, so it
has the power to get me up the hill. The air in the mountains was
very clean, cooler, and filled with nice smells. There were beautiful
views of mountains, fog, and the ocean. It really made me feel like I
wasn't wasting my time here. It was a long ride, and I was happy when
I made it to the beach. The beach was ok, not great, but I didn't
wear my swimtrunks (I hadn't planned to go that far) so I just rested
and looked at the water. I rode home along the coast - not a bad
ride, and quicker, but not as beautiful as the ride in. When I got
home, Richard fried up an andouille sausage and handed me a margarita.
I went online to find an interesting restaurant, and finally decided
on a Taiwanese place in Taipei. It was an old house, unusual in
Taiwan, but it was dark and I couldn't see it. Beautiful view of
Taipei though. The food was just ok, but it was pleasant eating
outside and looking at the city lights. Dogs and cats approached us
to say hello and a fan kept the bugs away. We took a taxi to a famous
foreigner bar (Brass Monkey) and had a couple of drinks before heading
home. I got a lot of sun and slept like a baby.