Drinking

Blogger visit

I've had the honor of meeting several bloggers over the years, and I must say that I am never disappointed. They have all been just as 'real' as their blog posts, and usually even more charming.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of welcoming Tornwordo from Sticky Crows and his husband Serge who live in Montreal.  They are on a week-long Mid-Atlantic/Northeastern roadtrip and included my little seaside hamlet.

They arrived around noon, so after hugs and a short visit with Marvin, I took them to Rehoboth Beach for lunch.  We ate at the Green Turtle, a 2nd floor restaurant overlooking the ocean, which on a clear day would afford spectacular views.  Unfortunately it was overcast and gray so the view was not so spectacular.  But we talked over lunch and snapped a selfie before leaving.

Me, Serge, Tornwordo

Next we went for a walk on the boardwalk.  We actually ducked into a souvenir shop for a possible sweatshirt purchase for Serge since the chilly breeze was coming off the ocean and it was only in the 50s. But a brisk walk helped warm us up.  Back in the car, I showed them around town a bit, and then we headed back home, with a couple detours around my little hamlet.  More conversation, stories, and the next thing I knew, Spouse was coming home from work.  How the time flew by!  The 4 of us went to dinner at Fins Ale House & Raw Bar.

Tornwordo behind my dirty martini

I had the fried oyster dinner with seasonal veggies and tater tots.  Spouse had the balsamic glazed salmon, and Tornwordo had the lobster roll and Serge had Mediterranean pasta.  Everything was delicious and our dinner was made even better by the great conversations.

Smiles all around!

Once back at home Tornwordo introduced us to a game called Heads Up, which is kind of like charades, except just 1 person is trying to guess the word from clues given by the rest of the folks.  Serge was trying to guess the word "Yoda" so Tornwordo was imitating Yoda's voice and common phrases.  Then I said that it rhymes with the word soda.  Serge said "Sparacus!" and we all burst into laughter.  Later, Tornwordo was trying to guess the word "Pegasus" so my clue was a horse with a horn on its head.  He correctly said what I described which is a unicorn, so then Spouse corrected me by saying "a horse with wings".  Again, laughter nearly crippled us for several minutes.  All that brainwork and laughing made us thirsty so we had a couple glasses of Proseco with St Germaine before going to bed at midnight.

The next morning Spouse said his goodbyes before heading off to work and the 3 of us enjoyed coffee and more conversations.  After quick showers we walked to JD's Cafe for breakfast, and then my friends from the great white north were on their way to their next fantastic destination.  Although we'd never met in person before, it certainly didn't feel like I'd spent 24 hours with strangers.  Rather, it seemed like time spent with friends I hadn't seen in a long time.

Beardy boy

Just because

Thanks to Daily Hunks blog for this delicious-looking lad.

Holiday weekend

Here in the US this past weekend was a holiday weekend where we celebrate Memorial Day.  It is a time to remember or memorialize fallen soldiers.  Some visit graves, some put out flags, and others observe a moment of silence in respect for the sacrifice made for our freedom.

Flags for Heroes, on the lawn of our local high school

Memorial Day weekend is also the unofficial start of the summer season, especially in beach towns like ours.  (Summer technically starts June 21.)  Most people end up hosting or attending at least 1 BBQ over the 3-day weekend.  Our buddies Steven & Thad hosted a BBQ on Sun afternoon.  Spouse made his delicious and famous potato salad and some cookies.  There was lots of delicious grilled chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs along with many tasty summer salads and desserts.  I grossly over-ate and regretted it the rest of the night, but we enjoyed being with many friends and had a lot of fun.

Steven was manning the grill

Memorial Day weekend is also mine & Spouse's anniversary of when we met.  (We count that date as our official anniversary rather than the date of our civil union or the date our civil union was converted to an actual legal marriage.)  Unfortunately I had to work 1/2 day on Mon but afterward Spouse & I met up with Steven & Thad, Joe P, and Betsy & Bob at the beach.  It suddenly got very warm here so the temperature was about 87 degrees; perfect for relaxing on the beach.  It was a lovely afternoon!

Perfect beach day

Yesterday was our 18th anniversary, but we didn't do anything 'special' this year.  We used to give each other gifts and plan special dinners, but after this many years and since our anniversary is always close to a holiday weekend, our celebrations have become much more low-key, which is fine with both of us.

Here's hoping all of you had a fun holiday weekend!

Marriage equality

Well, it was a big week for marriage equality and I am really excited about it!

On Mon Oregon judge McShane ruled that the ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, making OR the 18th state to advance marriage equality.

The next day Pennsylvania advanced marriage equality, and although there was a concern the Governor would try to block it, he wisely decided not to appeal the decision.  PA is now the 19th state to embrace marriage equality.

Positive movement is also happening in Idaho and Utah, as seen in the graphic below.

If you want to keep up-to-date on the states' status', I suggest following Freedom to Marry on facebook or periodically checking their website.

Beardy boy

Happy birthday, Marvin!!

Its hard to believe it, but 2 years ago today Spouse brought Marvin Parker home to live with us.  Time flies when you're having fun!

Since Marvin came from a shelter, we don't know his actual birth date or age, but the volunteer believed he was just a few months old.  He wasn't "fixed" yet when he arrived at the shelter which also lead them to believe he was young.  So we refer to his adoption date as his birthday.

He is a bundle of love mixed with fun and smarts.  He made me a dog person.  So happy birthday, Marvin!!!

Marvin and his dads

Just chillin' on the chaise

A shoulder to nap on

Relaxing on the porch

Sitting on my lap

My other shoulder works good too

Instant friends: Sean & Marvin

Just because

Sunday funday

We started our Sun by going to breakfast with Steven and Joe P at the Crystal restaurant.  The food is good, the service is fast, and everyone goes there so you always run into people you know.  Its probably my favorite thing about Sundays when I don't work.

On the way home we stopped at both Home Depot and Lowe's to check out their gardening centers.  Neither Spouse nor I really want to spend much time tending to plantings, but we do like an attractive yard, so we try to buy a few new things every year that bloom multiple times in multiple seasons.  Several years ago we bought several rose plants that bloom over and over again from late May to late October.  They only require occasional dead-heading and watering in the heat of the summer.

So yesterday we picked up 4 variegated hostas, the kind with the dark green centers and white rims, along with a few more lavender plants (Spouse loves them for some reason) and went home to plant and water them.  We notice some of the roses had bugs so we dusted the roses to get rid of the bugs.  We also bagged some yard clippings in those heavy paper bags so the City will pick them up next week.  Hopefully next week the guy will come to put down some fresh mulch in the beds for us.

As we were finishing up our yard work I got a text from my cousin Inez, saying she and her husband Steve were in town for a little while with another couple.  They had spent the weekend in Cape May NJ and had just gotten off the ferry, so we washed up and walked into town to meet up with them.  We strolled around window shopping, and eventually stopped for an ice cream cone.  It was a short and unexpected but welcomed surprise!

Later that evening we met up with Vic & Mike for dinner before they headed back to VA.  We used to live in the same neighborhood where they live now, and they also have a place here at the beach.  We tried a new restaurant and really enjoyed our meals.

It was a very nice day with a little bit of productivity and a lot of fun.

Pain in the neck: Cured!

For the last month I've been dealing with a herniated disc in my neck which presses on the nerves that run down my left arm.  Lots of physical therapy visits and 2 pain pills a day have been keeping me out of pain and hopefully helping to rehabilitate my disc, but I really wasn't sure.  I didn't know if the pain was absent because I'm getting better or because the pain pills were working.

So 2 days ago I stopped taking the pills, knowing I had my 1-month follow-up visit with the orthopedic doctor today.  I wanted to be able to tell the doctor how I was really feeling.

I was extremely happy to tell the doctor today that I had no pain, and that I hadn't taken the pain pills in 48 hours!

He did a couple of physical tests on me and we talked a bit.  He said that some people respond well to chiropractics, but I didn't.  Some people respond well to physical therapy like me.  Others have to have nerve injections and/or surgery.  Fortunately my situation improved dramatically from the PT.  

He also warned me that this recovery may not be permanent.  He said its possible the symptoms could return again, but at least we know what worked for me last time so if the symptoms come back, he will send me back to PT.  In the meantime I can do the stretching exercises at home, and even have an inflatable traction collar for at-home use if I need it.

I can't adequately express how happy I am that I do not need any invasive treatment or surgery!!  I feel like celebrating!!

Beardy boy

Bath time

While he doesn't exactly love it, Marvin is actually very good about getting a bath.  Spouse bathes him in the laundry sink and dries him in a laundry basket full of towels.  I take photos.

Just because

Thanks to MAC at Yummy of the Day for this fit fellow.

Party time!

On Sat Spouse & I joined our good friends Kerry & Hugh and Lisa for a combined 50th birthday party since all of us are turning 50 this year.  (I've already turned 50 but the others are catching up quickly.)  The theme was "A Night in Paris", which inspired some people's outfits, the food, and the decor.  We had a terrific time!  Below are some photos from the party. 

LEGENDS returns

Last night I was at karaoke at the Blue Moon and (finally) got confirmation of the characters I will be impersonating in the 2014 season.

I was hoping for some new characters/legends, since I have done all 3 of my legends for 2 seasons.  I even gave suggestions for new legends that I thought I could do a good job interpreting.  But, I will be repeating my interpretations of Elton John and Neil Sedaka again this year.

This may be because we have 2 new performers this year, and they will be doing 2 characters each, so the folks running the show will have 4 new costumes to decide on and source, and 4 song medleys to create and edit, so I guess they had their work cut out for them without creating new legends, costumes, and medleys for me.

But at the end of the day, I have a real blast doing the shows, and they pay me well to do them, so I will sing and dance to whatever legends they ask me to.

Beardy boy

This uber-handsome Beardy boy comes to you courtesy of BosGuy.

Kiss

Just because

Today's Just because guys comes courtesy of BosGuy.

Cinco de Mayo

Today was Cinco de Mayo, and in honor of Marvin Parker's heritage, we met up with Steven & Thad and Joe P at Dos Locos for margaritas and Mexican food!

A fun time was had by all!

Lovely lyrics

Enjoy another installment of Lovely lyrics.  This song was sung during our civil union ceremony and this version was played during our reception.  Truly romantic, lovely lyrics.

Time After Time
performed by Margaret Whiting

Time after time
I tell myself that I'm
So lucky to be loving you
So lucky to be
The one you run to see
In the evening, when the day is through
I only know what I know
The passing years will show
You've kept my love so young, so new
And time after time
You'll hear me say that I'm
So lucky to be loving you 

I only know what I know
The passing years will show
You've kept my love so young, so new

And time after time
You'll hear me say that I'm
So lucky to be loving you