A bacon birthday

Wouldn't you know it, I had a few extra shrimp and some pitted dates around the apartment last night, which my gentleman friend wrapped in some needing-to-be-eaten bacon and handily tossed into the cast iron skillet to roast while I packed for our jaunt up to New York and points north. Not a bad happy birthday midnight snack, is it, washed down with a nice Belgian ale? My apartment still smells of (ahem, free-range, local) bacon this morning. Yes, 35 is going to be a good year....

(Don't give me that look. I needed something to balance out all of that healthy seafood over the Christmas holiday. I'm not a big dessert eater, and I'm trying to bulk up for the winter! It's going to be a long, cold one!)