Bling and a Gourd

We didn't do presents and cake for my birthday on my actual birthday because FedEx lost my present. But Jason got that resolved and we celebrated tonight. It was a really nice birthday because not only did he get us delicious lemony cupcakes, but he also got me the pair of earrings I have really wanted for my second ear piercings. They are the same as the ones for my third ear piercings, just slightly bigger, and I love them. He also got me caramel apple pops and a squash. Yes, a squash. I always love the three-legged dogs, ugly babies, and misshapen fruits of the world and this squash is really unattractive and has many warts, so he knew I'd be happy to get it. I love it.

The Sweet Smell of Freedom

We had our cat trained to sit on the table in the backyard, but then one time I accidentally let him out when I was grilling and, by the time I realized, he was down in the grass in the backyard. Since then, he has not been happy outside unless he is in the grass, but he isn't allowed to go down there since he is an indoor cat. Today he escaped and was briefly very happy. Being that he is a cat, his happy face is the same as his "I will kill you in your sleep" face.

Birthday Girl

For Meghan's birthday, she chose to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Los Cabos. We sat out on the patio, as the weather was still nice enough. There was a slight chill in the air, so it was nice to have the fire so close to us.

Subluxation

Today I learned a new word: subluxation. It means: a partial dislocation, as of a joint; a sprain.  I somehow hurt my back recently, possibly originating from when a crowdsurfer fell on me at Rockfest, and I've been going to a chiropractor for a few sessions to fix what apparently are subluxations. I think I'm almost back to normal now though

We're Back, Baby!

Today we drove back home from Minneapolis. We picked up the dogs from the vet on our way and here I am holding them as we make our way home. Vacuuming my car is definitely in my plans for the near future.

Family Time

Today since we were all in Minneapolis, we spent the day with Jim and Deb. We went to the Guthrie Theater, Mill City Museum, and then ate dinner at this nice Minneapolis restaurant Jim picked out called the Chianti Grill. Here we are after dinner.

Matt's Wedding

Today we went to Matt and Abby's wedding. Here we are at the church before the ceremony. It was a really fun wedding.

Rehearsal

Tonight we went to Matt and Abby's rehearsal dinner. It was a really nice dinner and we were glad to see everyone. The place we ate at was really interesting and unique and the food was excellent and we had a good time.

Bolero

Today we are getting ready for the wedding this weekend. One of my last tasks was to finish up my shrug I was working on for my dress. I had it almost done, but I needed Jason to help me with the hem in the back and he didn't get back until tonight. I sewed the hem and am now done. It came out fairly well, though the seam in the armpit is a little weird. But luckily I don't walk around with my arms raised too often so I think it will be okay. I am making another one for the dress I am wearing to Michelle's wedding so I feel like I can make that one without seam issues.

It's Like a Van with Wings



Today I flew from Indianapolis to Toledo via Detroit.  The flight from Detroit to Toledo was very short.  I timed it, and from the second we left the pavement until we touched back down, we were in the air a total of 16 minutes.  Most people would just drive this distance, so the number of people wanting to fly between those two cities is small.  As a result, the plane is small too, with two seats on one side of the aisle and one seat on the other side.  I had seat 11A, which sounds like it might be a nice exit row seat, but on this plane it's the back row.  Also, the plane was so small that there was no galley or bathroom in the back of the plane.  It was just a row of seats up against the back wall of the plane, making it feel more like a shuttle than an airplane.

A bird in the hand is worth a bowl in the other hand

My dad was in town tonight, so Meghan and I met him for dinner. We ate at Abeuelo's, which was delicious as always. We posed for a picture by a statue of St. Francis (we think). We aren't sure how he is related to Mexican food.

Happy {Belated} Birthday

Today we celebrated Jason's birthday at home since this is the first time we had a free day. He chose to watch football and order in for dinner and I made him his favorite cake, Torte de Tres Leches.

Birthday Star

Today we went to our friends' house to hang out and they were nice enough to celebrate Jason's birthday with us. Their son Vincent had recently had a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese and donated his birthday crown and medal for Jason's use during our visit. Here is Jason decked out in his birthday gear.

Birthday Tough

I have a birthday that's very close to a friend's birthday.  Some of our other friends decided to organize a get-together in celebration of the dual birthdays.  I wasn't able to stay there all night, but I was there for awhile.  During that time, I got to hang out with Nick.  Here was are trying to look tough, with Nick pulling it off a little better than I did.  His look says, "I can and probably will kill you."  Mine says, "I'm fairly harmless, but I might know a guy who can and probably will kill you."

Going to the Vet

Today I had to take the dogs to the vet as they both needed a shot. Here they are in the car on our way there. It was in the morning, which I guess is why Natalie is in mid-yawn.

An Identical Replacement

Tonight we drove downtown so Jason could buy a new cell phone off craigslist. He had dropped his old one and couldn't buy a new one from Sprint because he wants an Evo and those aren't available to him yet. So he needed a phone to work until he can get the better one. He was really glad to get one exactly like his old one in mint condition for a good price. Here he is with the new one.

Soggy

At the Chiefs game last night, the rain started in the first quarter and didn't let up until the end of the game.  As a result, every single piece of clothing on me was completely soaked.  They gave away mini towels to every one, and here I am with the shirt from last night and the towel which I had set out to dry and which are only just now nearly dried out.

KC Sports Day

Arrowhead Stadium was renovated this past year, and the NFL rewarded the effort by giving one of the opening Monday Night Football games to the Chiefs.  There was also a Royals home game on the same day, so many people took advantage of it and made a KC sports doubleheader out of it, including Jeff, Jason, Tony, and me. 

At the Royals game during the day, I achieved one of my minor life goals of catching a ball at a Major League game.  Wilson Betemit fouled one down the left-field line, and I snagged it.  I was very excited. 

The Chiefs game was awesome, as the atmosphere was electric.  The Chiefs even upset the visiting Chargers.  There was a driving rainstorm during the game which caused Tony to have to wipe off his red facepaint, leaving him looking like he had a massive sunburn.  It was a really fun and very memorable day.

Step One: Check the Propane

Today we had Peg and Ron over for dinner. It was so nice to see them and we had a good time, though we ran out of propane mid-grilling and Jason had to run out and get a refill. The tenderloin still came out well though so it ended up okay.

Some, Including Us, Like It Hot

It was Meghan's turn to plan our monthly date night activity, and she chose for us to attend a cooking class at the Culinary Center of Kansas City. It's hosted by a professional chef who instructs the attendees through making a course of the meal, and then we go to our cooking tables (two couples per table) and make that course, and then we go back to our eating tables (each couple has their own table), and we eat what we made. We then repeat the process for each course.  This class was called "Some Like It Hot", so we had a southwest cobb salad, chicken satay skewers with peanut sauce, chile rellenos, and chipotle brownies.  We also made our own hot sauce to take home for later.  Here I'm grilling the peppers for our team's hot sauce.

Stupid Lightning

We only play eight weekly games, all on Friday nights, in my fall soccer league.  I really really love playing soccer, so I look forward to playing every single game.  I'm already going to miss three of the games because we'll be out of town.  That leaves five.  The first game of the year was canceled due to lightning, and it was rescheduled for one of the weekends I'm out of town.  So that leaves four.  We were able to play a game last week.  But tonight, of course, we had another Friday night storm, and again the game was canceled.  No makeup date has been set, but if they put it on one of the other weekends I'm out of town, that will leave me only playing three games this year.  That makes me sad.    

How Now Bejeweled Cow

In 2001 Kansas City was a city that took part in CowParade, an art project in which dozens of cows are decorated by local artists and placed around town.  At the end of the year, the cows are auctioned off to anyone who wants to own one.  Meghan and I, being the nerds that we are, actually really wanted Cowculus, but alas we are not rich, and owning a giant fake cow probably isn't terribly practical.  Anyway, Madison, Wisconsin participated in 2006, and the customer I went to today bought four of them.  One is shown here with me in the picture.   Another one, apparently much less fancy, is in the stairwell behind me.

Costco Hates Night Owls

Tonight I was going to go to Costco to pick up some things we needed.  I arrived there at 8:40, only to find they had closed at 8:30!  What self-respecting large retail business closes at 8:30?!  Apparently they don't want the business of those who like to get things done in the evening hours.  This picture was going to be me at Costco, but instead it's me with my sad face at home and not at Costco.

Seven

Today is our seventh anniversary.  To celebrate, we went to our favorite new restaurant in Kansas City: Los Cabos in Mission Farms.  They have a really nice outdoor patio area which makes for a great place to eat in the warmer months.

Bye to Michelle

Today was Michelle's last day here. She wanted to get back to Birmingham at a reasonable time so her flight was earlier in the day. We had brunch at our house before Christine took her to the airport. Here are the three of us before brunch.

Machete

Today Christine and I went to go see Machete at the AMC. We both enjoyed it. The main lobby had been renovated slightly since last time I was there. Here I am in front of some snazzy lighting.

Gameday

Today I went to Manhattan for the first K-State football game of the season.  Jason Keeler and I drove down and back together, and we had a great time.  I also got to see Joanna, Jeff, and a bunch of old friends from college.  The weather was great, and more importantly, K-State beat UCLA to get the season started off right.

Appetizer Night

Today Michelle came into town for her visit and we had appetizer night. It was fun. Michelle made us so good middle eastern appetizers she learned from Sam.

Inception

Tonight Nathan and I went over to Jeremy's house to help him move into his new house.  Afterward, Nathan and I went to see Inception.  I really wanted to get a chance to see it in the theater, and Nathan wanted to see it again, so we agreed we'd go see it together after we were done at Jeremy's.  We did, and it was as good as advertised.  Christopher Nolan is a genius.

The Cool Kids Call It Minimalist

Today Christine moved into her apartment. Unfortunately her furniture isn't going to arrive until next week. We stopped by this evening to bring by a mattress so she at least can sleep somewhere other than the floor. However, her apartment is still pretty sparse. Here we are in the living room.