Happy 14th Birthday, Little Kate!

Today we gathered at Mom and Dad's to celebrate Little Kate's fourteenth birthday! We had quesadillas and tortilla soup!

 

Happy birthday!

Make a wish!

 
 

Red velvet!

Unicorn Pegasus Electric Box!!!

This morning, my phone started blowing up with emails, texts and calls! Apparently they were installing my unicorn pegasus on the electric box by Applebee's on East State Street! Everyone was reaching out with excitement. Here's a photo of it being installed!!

I knew that this would probably end up on an electric box some day, because my coworker Kyle submitted this artwork to the City of Athens, and his submission was chosen. The chosen submissions would be installed as electric box wraps throughout the city of Athens. We didn't know when or where this would happen, and this was like over a year ago!! I had forgotten all about it! The art is from a potluck lunch at work, where my coworkers all attempted to draw my unicorn pegasus from memory on the dry erase board. And then obviously that's MY unicorn pegasus (the perfect one) there in the middle!

It's so exciting that it was finally installed, and it looks absolutely glorious!!! I'm so excited and proud!! 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! We had a fire pit and handed out candy for Trick or Treat. I didn't take very many pictures!!

Vana and Jasper! Jasper is in a big Ghostbusters phase.

Scott and Michele! Look at that cute little policeman!

Trick or Treat!

Porch Breakfast

I scored another of Dad's delightful porch breakfasts this morning!

The Magnificent Bryozoan

Today we gathered for what will probably be the last paddle of the year. Sigh! It's been a great season!

We were especially excited for today's paddle, because Valerie had told us that she'd discovered some mysterious blob things that look like egg sac! We couldn't wait to explore.

After some research, she discovered these are called Pectinatella magnifica, a species of freshwater bryozoan. Bryozoans are a phylum of simple, aquatic invertebrate animals, nearly all living in sedentary colonies. They're a little bit creepy!! But they are good news because they indicate a healthy ecosystem. Keep up the good work, little bryozoans!

Rainbow sparkle cake!

This has been an amazing birthday week, and the icing on the cake (sorry, had to) was Emily surprising me with this rainbowlicious birthday cake today at Summer's pool party! The cake itself was SPARKLY.

Emily taking the first cut into her masterpiece.

Nailed it!

A five-layer rainbow cake, covered in sparkly bourbon buttercream, with rainbows and sprinkles. I love my life!

What a special birthday treat. I love you, Emily!

I just happened to be wearing a necklace that exactly matched my surprise birthday cake. What are the chances!?

Incredible!

I also had a nice celebration earlier in the week with my family. Mom and dad cooked up a taco bar dinner, and a delicious Texas sheet cake for dessert!

Spooky!

What a great week. Thank you to everyone who helped make it so magical!

Porch breakfasts

We've been keeping up the pandemic tradition of occasional breakfasts on Mom and Dad's porch! Here's one from last weekend.

And this one is from today! Dad's breakfasts are always delicious.

Happy Birthday, Pete!

Happy 51st birthday to Pete!

Kate made this beautiful cake. Make a wish!

Happy 70th, Cheryl!

It's Cheryl's 70th birthday this week! We got together at Kayla and Derrick's tiny house to celebrate. I made a lemon cake and decorated it with butterflies.

Happy 70th birthday!

I love the color of this punch.

Their tiny house is adorable! And their outdoor space is beautiful.

Attempt at a serious group photo.

Alright, smile!!

Ohio Brew Week 2021

Happy Ohio Brew Week! I met up with Abby and Sarah for a Brew Week happy hour at Jackie O's. Yay!

It was hard to pick four beers to taste, but I made excellent choices. Lagercello, Flamestitch, Cross Stitch Rich, and Kind of Blue. Cheers!

After the happy hour, I headed over to the parking garage for the Top Deck Dinner. The weather was perfect!!

Such a lovely evening for a dinner on top of the parking garage!

We ran into Lauren Dikis! What a fun surprise!

The dinner was five delicious courses prepared by chef Andrew Wenmoth of Cutler's Restaurant. Each course paired with a delicious brew from Jackie O's Brewery. 

Course 1: Grilled shrimp + house andouille over 3hr shagbark grits. These grits were so amazing that during a moment of silence, dad hollered "THESE ARE THE BEST GRITS I'VE EVER HAD!" Paired with Chomolungma.

Course 2: Wedge salad with bacon, local chive, local tomato, Shagbark popcorn croutons + Snowville white cheddar dressing. Paired with Livelihood.

Yum!

Course 3: Tuna poke bowl, avocado, fresh local sweet corn, local cucumbers, baja sauce. Paired with Tepache Perpetum.

Course 4: RL Valley hanger steak, chili corn sauce, chili crisp, squash. Paired with Mystic Mama.

Course 5: Smore's Napoleon with toasted almond and Jackie O's Stout caramel. Paired with Bourbon Barrel Dark Apparition.

Happy Ohio Brew Week! Cheers!

LOLOL. At the 2019 Top Deck Dinner, it was quite stormy so we ate one level below the top. Dad was being hilarious and pretended to be stranded on the curb as the rainwater gushed by...

...and tonight, he reenacted that moment. "Help! Help!"