Weekend recap

On Sat I worked (as usual) but didn't have any showings scheduled so I volunteered to drive the company bus for a couple hours, providing shuttle transportation to/from a local arts festival.  People were very nice and appreciative of the free shuttle service and it gave me a little something different to do since I had no appointments.

That evening we had a simple/easy dinner out with Steven & Thad, then came home and relaxed a little before heading into town to perform in the Legends show as Boy George.  I love doing that Legend because the songs are so good and his presence is unmistakable. The place was really full and the crowd was really 'into' the show!  Immediately afterward we go out into the audience for 'meet and greet' time, and I got several requests for photos and had several conversations with folks who complimented me on my performance.  My buddies Jason & Kevin were there too so I spent a little time chatting with them as well. It was a really fun night!

When I got home about 11:45 Spouse was watching 'Justice League' so I grabbed a big glass of water and watched it with him.  I can never come home from a show and go right to bed; I need some time to settle down.  

Since we went to bed so late we didn't get up until 9:30 Sun morning.  We picked up wraps and chips and headed to the beach, arriving just before noon.  Believe it or not this was our 1st beach day this season!  May was very rainy and cool, and then in June it seemed like every Sun it was overcast, so this was our 1st opportunity to go.  It was glorious!!  The oppressive humidity we've had for the last 2 weeks broke and there was a lovely breeze blowing.  

The.  Perfect.  Beach.  Day.

I didn't get the laundry done or the dogs bathed as I'd planned, but it was worth it to take advantage of such a pretty day.  That evening we had dinner with Steven & Thad and then stopped at the grocery store on the way home.

A pretty decent weekend.

4th of July highlights

My office was closed yesterday for July 4th but I still "worked" most of the day anyway, just not on real estate.  I cleaned off all the screened porch furniture and cushions, swept the porch, put all the furniture back in place, and gave the wrought iron patio set a fresh coat of white paint.  While I was still hot and sweaty I went ahead and pulled some weeds from the flower beds and watered Spouse's fancy red hydrangeas (which haven't bloomed yet).  Once inside the cool air conditioned house I put away lots of odds and ends, vacuumed the main level and cleaned the kitchen.  All this in preparation for hosting a July 4th cook-out.

Around 4pm Steven & Thad, Joe P, one of the Bobs, Robin & Bill came over.  I decided not to drive Big Ella in the Doo Dah parade because it was just too hot.  I was afraid the extreme heat might cause her to overheat, so we all walked over to the parade route and watched parade instead.  Then everyone can back to the house for the cook-out but we ate indoors.  All that work to clean the porch and repaint the dining set and we ate inside!  But the food was tasty and we had a good time.  Later we rode down to the beach to watch the "volunteer" fireworks.  These fireworks are not paid for or sponsored by the City; they are paid for and set off by private citizens or "volunteers" and they're great!  For more than 90 minutes we were delighted and entertained by fireworks directly in front of us, to our left, to our right, and even across the bay.  It was a fun display.

 

Today I'm off because its my regular day off and we're going to the beach with Steven & Thad and Jason & Kevin.  Its supposed to be another scorcher but at least we'll be at the beach and can cool off in the ocean.

Weekend highlights

As usual I worked on Sat and then Spouse & I had dinner with Steven & Thad.

Sun morning we had breakfast at the Crystal with Steven & Thad and Jason & Kevin who were in town this weekend.  I needed to go into the office for about 2 hours, then Spouse & I went for a drive in Big Ella.  

That evening Spouse made roast beef with potatoes, carrots and onions and Steven & Thad came over for dinner.

It was a nice weekend.

Weekend highlights

Sat I worked til 5.  Then Spouse & I had dinner at Steven & Thad's house with them and Jason & Kevin.  Spouse was in charge of the Weight Watchers-friendly dessert and did a great job with it.  Unfortunately he couldn't quite remember how many points the dessert contained!  We all laughed as his guestimate went from 5 points to 'no more than 10 points'.  We had a very nice time visiting with each other, until we turned on the TV and learned of Whitney Houston's death.

Sun I was scheduled to work til 4 but I took a new couple out and didn't get done with them until 5.  Then Spouse & I went back over to Steven & Thad's for dinner and to watch the Grammy awards.  

We made Weight Watcher-friendly pizzas using flatbreads, turkey pepperoni, low-fat cheese, mushrooms and other diced veggies.  They didn't come out crispy but I didn't care; they tasted good!  We watched the red carpet coverage and then watched the Grammy awards.  Adele sure cleaned up!  Again Spouse was in charge of the dessert.  This time he made a Hungry Girl recipe called Mississippi Mug Cake.  Its a lower calorie version of the original, but made as individual servings in mugs.  They were pretty good but Spouse forgot an important ingredient, chocolate chips.  We had a fun time.

Weekend highlights

Fri evening we met Steven & Thad for dinner at Ruby Tuesday. Its a great place to eat out since all of us are dieting or otherwise trying to lose weight. I always get the salad bar. Its always fresh and has a quite extensive selection of veggies. My salads have more veggies than lettuce. Spouse & Thad like the spaghetti squash entree which is low in fat and calories. In our area Ruby Tuesday is the only restaurant with a salad bar.

Sat I worked, as usual. I met with a couple at a new construction home community I showed them previously, and they wrote a contract on a new home. Score! That evening Steven & Thad and Jason & Kevin came over for dinner. Spouse made a tasty and low fat/low calorie dish: Dijon chicken with mushrooms, steamed veggies, and salad. For dessert we had parfaits made with blueberries, corn flakes, and fat-free cool whip. It was really good! We had a very nice time visiting with our buddies.

I was off on Sun so we met Steven & Thad and Jason & Kevin for breakfast. After returning home I washed some laundry, ironed a few shirts, and vacuumed the house. That afternoon I decided to finally make my way back to the gym. I don't want to reveal how long it had been since the last time I'd gone. But I discarded that thought and decided to move forward. I did about 40 minutes on the treadmill doing cardio and felt proud of myself for returning to the gym. That evening Spouse & I had dinner at home.

Weekend highlights

Sat I worked until 3:30. I left early so I could go home and run through my Legends show routine a few times before heading over to Steven & Thad's cookout. Spouse made potato salad and helped Steven & Thad get ready. Here's a photo of my back and ass in the background and some of the food in the foreground.
From left to right: Steven's macaroni salad, Steven's black bean and corn salad, and Spouse's potato salad.
They had a great turn out! Jason & Kevin, Chris & Jason, Jack, Allen, Joe P, Robin, the Bobs, Rusty and other friends and neighbors came. The food was great and we had fun talking and laughing. The weather was perfect for a cookout. I left at 8:30 to go to the Blue Moon for the Legends show. Our friends Marty & John and our neighbors Jim & Barb came to the show!

On Sun I went to work again and Spouse met up with Steven & Thad, Joe P, and Allen for the annual Drag Volleyball game. For years now 2 teams of volleyball players dress up in themed drag and play. There's always a dramatic introduction and a 1/2 time show too! Here's a photo from this year's game:That evening Spouse & I met up with another bunch of friends for a birthday/cocktail party. It was fun to hang out with this group of friends again as well as meet some new friends. Afterward many of the guys went to a big dance in town but Spouse & I picked up an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery (an early birthday treat for Thad's upcoming birthday) and took it over to Steven & Thad's and visited with them and Allen and Joe P.

This morning Spouse & I had a quick breakfast, packed our stuff and arrived at the beach at 10:15. The weather was mostly sunny, breezy and about 80 degrees. Steven & Thad and Allen were already there, and shortly after we arrived Joe P showed up too. We had a great day hanging out at the beach. We saw lots and lots of friends, including the guys from the previous night's birthday/cocktail party. The sun disappeared behind the clouds for an hour or so, but came back out again later. We'd brought lunch so we were able to stay until 4:15. What a great beach day! Once back at home we showered, dressed, and headed over to Steven & Thad's for dinner. Steven used the leftover chicken to make chicken enchiladas which we ate with the leftover salads. We ate outside in their yard and enjoyed the great breeze until it got dark and the bugs started biting. We went inside and had cherry pie and watched "True Blood".

It was a terrific holiday weekend filled with friends, food, celebrations, beach, and work.

Weekend highlights

My blogger friend Anne Marie arrived about 5:30, bearing gifts of wine and chocolate creams. She and Spouse & I visited for a while, then went to dinner at Saketumi with Steven and Joe P. (Thad was in PA visiting his mom.) After dinner we rushed into town because I was afraid I was going to be late for my guest performance as the 2011 Rehoboth Idol in the Blue Moon Divas show. Spouse dropped off me and Anne Marie and then found a parking space. I and sang "Sweet Caroline" in the 1960s themed show. Steven & Joe P joined Spouse and Anne Marie for the show. It was Anne Marie's 1st time in a gay bar and her 1st time seeing drag queens in person. I didn't know this until we were driving home. We definitely widened her horizons that night!

Sat I went to work, as usual. My couple from CT returned and brought me a shopping bag full of food! They own a Polish deli in Brooklyn and brought me wonderful candy, pierogies, blintz, chocolate, and 4 huge kielbasi. That was so nice of them! Then I showed them a boatload of homes they'd selected off the internet. That evening Spouse & I went to Jason's birthday BBQ at 5:00 and then went to Diane's birthday dinner at a Japanese hibachi place at 7:30. Anne Marie decided to pass on the birthday festivities (eventhough she was welcomed at both) in favor of exploring downtown Rehoboth Beach and the boardwalk.

Sun I had hoped to be off work to spend a little time with Anne Marie (and because I haven't had a day off in over a week) but my clients from CT wanted to see a house we'd missed the day before, as well as a 2nd look at their top 2 favorites. So I bid Anne Marie goodbye and headed into the office. As it turned out, my folks wrote an offer on 1 of the houses! That evening Steven & Thad, Joe P, and Bryan came over for dinner. Spouse made meatloaf, cheesy scalloped potatoes, a mixed bean dish, and Coca Cola cake, all of which were delicious. After dinner we sat around and visited. It was a great way to conclude the weekend.

Weekend highlights

Fri evening Spouse & I were invited to dinner at Jason & Kevin's. We were surprised to find Steven & Thad right behind us. Jason & Kevin grilled steaks which were delicious, even to me who usually couldn't care less about steak. We also had corn on the cob, also grilled in foil, which was so sweet you'd have thought they dusted it in powdered sugar. We brought my Gram's recipe for butter basil peas. Its so simple: boil peas, drain, add butter, salt, pepper, and dried basil. Its so delicious and reminds me of my Gram who lived out in the country and had a huge vegetable and herb garden. When I was a kid I used to spend a couple weeks at my grandparents' house in the country, swimming in the creek, helping in the garden, and enjoying a very different landscape from my suburban home. My grandparents passed away when I was 26.

Sat I worked from 9-5. Spouse's family (sister, brother-in-law, niece, 2 nephews, and mother) arrived in the late afternoon. Shortly after I got home from work we left them behind to go to 1 of the Bob's birthday barbecue. Many of our friends were there (both Bobs, Steven & Thad, Joe P, Jack & Alisha, Robin & Bill) plus several other friends of Bob that I didn't know well. We had great food and a very nice time. Then we swung back home so I could brush my teeth and pick up my black shoes, and then I was out the door to perform in the Legends show. Spouse's 81 year old mother really wanted to come, so he brought her and his sister and brother-in-law to the show, which is held in a gay bar. Performing that night were Gladys Knight, Etta James, and Neil Diamond. Spouse's mother was dancing in front of the stage with some anonymous gay man who took a liking to her. In reality she's never met a stranger. Immediately after the show the Legends and I came out in our costumes to be with the audience and have our photos taken and Spouse's family shared with me how much they liked the show. It was fun to have them in the audience. They left shortly thereafter so I changed back into my street clothes, got a drink, and hung out with Jason & Kevin for a while. It was a fun night!

Sun I worked from 9-4 and Spouse & 'the family' went to the beach all day. When I got home we hung out for a while, then 'the family' and Spouse & I went to dinner together at Jake's Seafood. It turned into a beautiful night weather-wise, so we all sat out on the screened porch for a long time talking and laughing. The kids decided to watch a movie but it was after 11pm so Spouse & I went to bed. After all, they're on vacation - I'm not.

Since I worked Sun I took today as my day off. I thought everyone would have breakfast and we'd go to the beach together, but it didn't quite work out that way. Since the kids stayed up late, they slept late. None of the adults was willing to wake the kids so I basically sat around all day. Had I known they were going to wait for the kids I would have gone to the beach myself. As it turned out we didn't go until 2pm. I was kind of disappointed when they were ready to come back home at 3:45. It felt like my 1 day off this week was spent waiting around on others who have the entire week to do whatever they want. Oh well... there will be other days to go to the beach.

Now that we're home, everyone has showered and we're thinking about what to have for dinner. Burgers and dogs on the grill? Pizza?

Weekend highlights

I worked on Sat but took an hour to go to the Annual Summer Bash to benefit the Foodbank of DE. This year's entertainer was country music star Aaron Tippin. Spouse & I try to go every year.

Sat evening we went to Kevin & Jason's for a little barbeque. Our friend Thatcher came too. We ate out on their screened porch and talked until it was time to go into town for the Legends show. We had a really nice time!

Once at the Blue Moon with Kevin & Jason and Thatcher, we also met up with Steven, Joe P, and 1 of the Bobs. Then a little later our friends Doug & Jim came in. I guess the word about how good the Legends show is must be spreading. I was not in it this week but the celebrities being impersonated were Etta James, Alan Jackson, and Michael Jackson. It was very entertaining, and I cheered and clapped enthusiastically for my cast mates.

I worked on Sun and it was really quiet. No calls and no internet leads to work on. The day really dragged on. Then Spouse & I went to Steven & Thad's (Joe P came too) and we ate pizza and watched the Tony's. Thad had been in York PA earlier that day and brought home a dozen Maple doughnuts for dessert. Not maple flavored doughnuts; the company is called Maple. They were absolutely amazing!
The weekends pass quickly when you work both Sat & Sun. But I'm off today so I'm going to get some things done. First I have to show a house at 9:30 but its just a few blocks from home so it won't be a big deal. Then I need to pay some bills, do laundry, go to the bank, and do some housecleaning. Since the weather finally cooled off today maybe Spouse & I will go for a walk on the boardwalk tonight after dinner. We'll see how my day unfolds!

Weekend highlights

Sat morning Spouse went to the gym while I enjoyed my favorite Sat morning routine: coffee and back-to-back episodes of "Sell This House" in my robe. When he came home we both showered and had lunch, then went out to do a little shopping and run a few errands. That afternoon Spouse took a little nap and I watched a DVR'd episode of "Million Dollar Listings".

We met Steven & Thad for dinner at Serendipity, a restaurant with a fabulous view of the Indian River. We all enjoyed the Italian Buffet.

Sun morning we had Jason & Kevin over for breakfast. Spouse made blueberry-oatmeal pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, sausage, and fruit salad. It was fun to hang out with them and hear about them settling into their new place. Afterward the 4 of us met up with Steven & Thad at Rita's Italian Ice. Since it was the 1st day of Spring, Rita's was giving out FREE Italian ice to everyone who came in. Afterward Spouse & I went to the grocery store, then roasted some veggies and chicken and set the table for an early dinner. Steven & Thad came over for dinner and we had the roasted chicken and veggies, basmati rice with almonds and cranberries, and salad. They brought strawberry shortcake for dessert. It was a really nice way to wind up the weekend.

Home from the hospital

My friend Jason told me yesterday that he would be released from the hospital today.

He will be staying with our friend Thatcher for the rest of the week since he'll have a follow-up appointment with the doctor on Fri. Jason and Thatcher are good friends and Thatcher is a nurse so its logical that Jason would stay with him through Fri. However, Thatcher had an appointment around the time Jason was due to be released so we planned for me to pick him up from the hospital and take him to Thatcher's house.

Jason was still rather weak and sore from the surgery so he was moving slowly and carefully. Once I got him into the car I said "You're free!!!" He laughed and said he wanted to go somewhere and get something to eat. He had only been given solid food since yesterday (9 days with only IV nutrition) so we dropped off his perscriptions at the pharmacy and met Thatcher and another friend Charles for lunch. He didn't eat much, but said it was great to put something in his stomach.

After lunch I went over to Thatcher's house with them to be sure Jason got settled in, then I came home. Jason seemed really glad to be out of the hospital. Now he's looking forward to his follow-up doctor's appointment on Fri, after which he expects he'll be allowed to take a shower!

Weekend highlights

Sat morning I went to real estate school. Our instructor let us out early which was nice. That night Spouse & I had dinner at Jason & Kevin's. They said they were making teriyaki stir-fry and asked us to bring an Asian appetizer. We brought Spouse's Thai chicken lettuce wraps. They're really delicious and can be an appetizer or a main course. Jason & Kevin loved them. It was really nice to have dinner and hang out with our buddies.

Sun morning I went back to real estate school, and again our instructor let us out early. Spouse & I were invited to dinner at Steven & Thad's and were asked to bring a salad. Fortunately Spouse got the salad stuff and made the salad while I was at school. Joe P and one of The Bobs were also there, and the 6 of us had a delicious dinner of roasted pork, baked apples, butternut squash, corn, salad, and brussel sprouts. Then we watched the red carpet show leading up to the Golden Globe awards, which I think of as the fake Oscars. The Golden Globes are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, as if we know what that means. But for us its just an excuse to get together for a meal and talk about what the celebrities are wearing. It was nice that "Glee" won Best TV Series/Comedy or Musical, Jane Lynch won Best Supporting Actress and Chris Colfer won Best Supporting Actor, both from "Glee". We had a fun time!

Then this morning we met up with our friends Mike & Clark and Maurice & David who were in town for the long weekend. We had a nice breakfast and caught up with the goings on in their lives. Then we picked up our friend Thatcher from the eye doctor. Since his pupils had been dilated he was advised not to drive. He agreed to join us for lunch and we met up with Steven & Thad and Joe P. After lunch we went to the theatre to see "The King's Speech", which everyone liked. Colin Firth did a great job for which he rightfully won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama. The rest of the afternoon/evening were rather uneventful. Spouse took a nap, we had dinner and watched TV.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

My friend Steven sent me this with the caption "Yea, I'd say he's a winner."

Today is my last day at my job. My boss called this morning to thank me for my "significant contributions" over the last 8 years, and to thank me personally for my professionalism during this "difficult time". I'm guessing some of the others who got laid off must not have been as 'professional' as I was. I sent an email to a small number of colleagues I consider friends and gave them my personal contact information so we could stay in touch. They all responded with heartwarming replies.

On my (extended) lunch break today I stopped at the dry cleaners to drop off some pants I'm taking on the cruise. An Asian man and woman were the only 2 employees. I noticed there was Christian religious music playing in the dry cleaners. I looked around and saw a CD player on the window sill, playing track 8. Maybe I'm being stereotypical but I found it comical and odd that an Asian couple would play Christian music.

My buddy Jason is moving today. He's only moving about 2 hours away, and promises to come back about every other weekend. But he's the person (aside from Spouse) that I spend the most time with during the week. He worked just up the street from our house so we'd meet for lunch. He'd go with me on Thurs nights for karaoke. He'd also go with me to Mandance since Spouse didn't like to go, and we played volleyball at the beach over the summer. I'm really going to miss him, but I'm happy that he is starting a new chapter in his life.

We're going to VA this weekend to spend some time with Spouse's family and so I can attend a luncheon and mini-reunion with some of my Dominants and Choir friends and our former Director Debbie. Many of us haven't seen each other since graduation, 28 years ago! It should be fun.

I'm not really interested in vampires, but so many people I know have raved about the HBO series "True Blood". A friend loaned Spouse the "True Blood" books on tape which he found interesting, so he asked me to get the HBO series from Netflix. We've only watched the 1st disc so far (2 episodes) but already I am liking it. Despite my non-interest in vampires, the show is so well crafted that I find it entertaining to watch. Little wonder, since "True Blood" is created by Alan Ball, who created the brilliant HBO series "Six Feet Under".

Crush du Jour: Eric Decker

Weekend highlights

We had a low-key but enjoyable weekend.

Sat morning Spouse & I helped our friend Jason move a truck load of stuff to a storage unit. Jason will be moving out of the area at the end of the month and we're gonna miss him. It was quite chilly (52 degrees) and windy. When we were done Jason treated us to lunch. Later that evening we met up with Jason & Kevin at Kevin's house for dinner (steak, green beans and parmesan couscous), conversation, and a movie. It was a nice, relaxing evening.

We had a leisurely Sun morning of coffee, news programs, and cooking shows. (We love Nigella Lawson and Ina Garten.)













Then we met Steven & Thad at the Long Neck Diner for lunch, although I actually had breakfast. Having been through the rigors of a job search within the last few years, they shared some helpful info with me, and we talked about our upcoming cruise. It was significantly warmer and less windy so Spouse & I went for a nice long walk on the boardwalk, where we enjoyed the scent of the salt air and feel of the warm sun on our faces as we talked about our options when I am unemployed. On the way home we ran a few errands, then Spouse washed Jordan (the dog) and I took her for a walk. I washed the convertible, emptied the litter box and picked up around the house a little. We had buffalo hot dogs for dinner and then watched a movie.

Crush du Jour: Gale Harold

Weekend highlights

Sat morning started out as most of our's do, and if you don't know what that means then just click on any recent post entitled "Weekend highlights". Then Spouse & I went to a community yard sale where I bought 8 purple dinner plates for $3. I think they will match (or at least coordinate with) Steven & Thad's dishes. After a light lunch on the screened porch we headed over to the DE Pride Festival. The weather was perfect: 78 degrees, clear blue skies, and undetectable humidity. We had a good time but finished seeing all the booths and talking with the many friends we saw there within 2 hours, so we left before Kimberley Locke performed. I would have stayed but Spouse was 'ret to go'. Later that evening we met up with Doug & Jim and their neighbors Charlie & John for dinner to celebrate Doug's birthday. We ate at the Rusty Rudder all-you-can-eat buffet since Doug loves their crab legs. It had a very nice time! Afterward I met up with my buddies at Mandance.

We slept in Sun morning, then had coffee and chatted on the screened porch. Jason & Kevin texted to see if we would join them for a late breakfast. Spouse declined due to the previous night's buffet but I met up with the guys at 11:00. Afterward Spouse & I met up with Jason & Kevin, Steven & Thad, The Bobs, Chris, Edwin and Matthew at the beach. It was another postcard perfect day: 82 degrees, clear skies and a lovely breeze off the water. The waves were rather wild, due to Hurricane Igor's affect on the ocean. It was beautiful to watch them churn and crash onto shore. Spouse & I visited with our friends and went for a nice walk on the beach. It was such a beautiful day we didn't want to go home, but eventually we did. I enjoyed a cocktail on the screened porch while Spouse showered, and then we had dinner on the screened porch too. Truly delightful!

Although it is inevitably coming to an end soon, we have really had a terrific summer for spending time on the beach, and I have tried to take maximum advantage of it. I'm definitely NOT ready for long pants, socks and shoes, or shorter days. Not yet.

Crush du Jour: Jonathan Bardzik

Holiday weekend highlights

We enjoyed a typical Sat morning (Spouse went to his personal trainer appointment; I drank coffee and watched 3 back-to-back episodes of "Sell This House"). Then I called my Aunt Mary because she'd left me a voice message letting me know my Uncle John (her brother) passed away. He lived in Los Angeles so we didn't see each other a lot but I really liked him. Fortunately he came to the east coast last Oct for my cousin's wedding so I got to visit with him then. When Spouse got home we had a light lunch on the screened porch then got ourselves together and went to the beach. We had absolutely stunning weather: temperature around 80, nice breeze and very low humidity. The old adage that the weather is always gorgeous after a storm is true, even if Hurricane Earl never actually showed up here. Later that evening we had dinner with Doug & Jim on the front porch at Hobo's. I had local rockfish stuffed with lump crab meat which was to die for! We had wanted to eat at Cafe Sole but they only had 2 outdoor tables for 4 and both had just been seated, meaning at least an hour wait. But Hobo's menu is so extensive it wasn't hard to find a dozen irresistible entrees to choose from, even though we'd eaten there last weekend. After dinner I dropped off Spouse at home and went to Dos Locos for karaoke, but found there was none, so I headed over to Mandance a little early. They music was really good and it seemed everyone I knew was there. Fun!

Sun morning Spouse & I met Jason & Kevin for breakfast. Although normally crowded, the service is usually fast there, but not this time. It took us an hour and a 1/2 to order, eat and pay! Once back at home we sat and talked on the screened porch for a while. But since it was yet another stunning day we went to the beach again. Sheer ambrosia! Later that night we met up with Steven & Thad, their friend Alan, and 1 of the Bobs for dinner at Saketumi which was fabulous as always. I had the Volcano roll and the crunchy spicy tuna roll. Afterward we wandered upstairs to the lounge where a women's dance party was going on and ran into a few female friends.

Mon morning Spouse went to the gym to do some cardio and then went grocery shopping while I stayed home and cleaned the kitchen. He made a Weight Watchers-friendly birthday cake for Thad and started the chicken parmesan while I tidied up the screened porch and set the tables for Thad's birthday dinner. It was another beautiful day so I took advantage of it by going for a 45-minute walk through the neighborhood. Then I made a salad and helped Spouse get everything ready for Steven & Thad, their friend Alan, 1 of the Bobs and Rusty's arrival for dinner. We spent the entire evening/night on the screened porch and had a great time. Once everyone left we cleaned up and I watched last Thursday's "Project Runway" saved on the DVR. (Watch the videos of the Michael Costello haters!)

It was a fabulous holiday weekend, even without having out-of-town friends stay with us!

Crush du Jour: Marcus Hamlyn