An old friend

Yesterday I went to happy hour at Saketumi with my old friend Dave Holler.

Dave's family lived near my family when we were young boys, but moved away before we became teenagers.  Coincidentally his family moved close to where my grandparents lived in the mountains of Western MD.  My parents would sometimes leave me at my grandparents' house for a week or 2 in the summer so I could experience a different way of life.  My grandparents lived on several acres in the country, with a huge garden covering much of the land, and a creek that ran behind their property, and lots of woods to roam and explore.  I would stay in the tiny bunk room where my father had grown up and help my grandparents with their huge garden, and go swimming and play in the woods.  It was a welcome diversion from my suburban childhood.

A couple times my parents coordinated with Dave's parents for him to join me at my grandparents' house for a few days.  Since we were teenagers by this time and the bunk room was so tiny, we slept in my grandparents' camper in the back yard.  It was fun to have a friend there during some of my stay.

But eventually I stopped spending summer weeks at my grandparents' and lost touch with Dave.  We ran into each other a couple times at the Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) conventions years later, but due to redistricting those encounters ended as well.

Fast forward 25 years or so to 2010.  Spouse & I were having dinner with our friend Bryan and his friend Dan when somehow the conversation caused me to mention that I had been raised as a JW.  Dan said that he had a friend who had also been raised in the JW religion but was no longer part of it.  Quite literally as a joke I asked the name of Dan's friend, kind of like the way when you're on a cruise ship and meet someone from Canada you can't help but ask if they know your friend who lives in Canada.  But quite to my surprise, Dan said his friend's name was Dave Holler.  My jaw dropped and I said "Oh my god - I know him!".  Dan called Dave right there in the restaurant and I got to talk to him.  We exchanged emails and became friends on facebook.

So a few days ago I got a message from Dave saying he was going to be in my area for a few days and wanted to get together.  I meant to take a photo of us but forgot to do so.  We had cocktails and sushi rolls and talked for over 2 hours.  It was really fun to reconnect with my old friend, catch up on his siblings, and hear about his parents.  They are still JWs (like mine) but have found a way to maintain a relationship with him, which is nice for him.  Dave is doing great and has 'adjusted' well to life outside the JWs.  We plan to get together again the next time he's in town.

Visitors, part 2

On Thurs Tornwordo & Serge and I went to Crystal for breakfast, and they got to meet our favorite breakfast server Pau Pau.  Serge agreed to try scrapple for the 1st time and said he liked it.  Scrapple seems to be 1 of those food items you either love or hate.

After breakfast we went for a nice long walk on the boardwalk.  The weather was really nice, as opposed to last year's visit when we had to abort our walk due to the wind and chilly temperature.  Then we ducked into a few beach shops in search of souvenir T-shirts, and Tornwordo got an ice cream cone.  Check out these crazy flavors:

Afterward we did a little 'exploring' near the beach and talked about real estate prices and vacation rental prices, then headed back home.  Again we sat out on the porch with the dogs for a while and talked and looked at facebook.

I organized a small happy hour so Tornwordo & Serge could meet some of our friends.  We met up with Steven, Joe P, Joey, and Spouse (a little later) at Saketumi where we ordered cocktails and various sushi rolls to share.  We had a great time and were there for 3 hours!

Afterward we returned to the screened porch for a final cocktail and lots of good conversations.

The next day my friends from the North packed up their stuff and left after a bit of coffee.  They headed to NJ and I went to work.

We had a great visit and I feel honored to have been included again on their road trip.  Now Spouse & I must come up with a plan to visit Montreal!

Whirlwind weekend

OMG, what a weekend!

Kerry & Hugh and Ana, Javier, Alison, Gabe, and Antonio arrived Fri night at 11:45.  We snacked and talked and finally went to bed at 1am.

Sat morning I went to work and our 7 friends had breakfast and headed to the beach.  In the late afternoon, Lois & Christy, Harriet & Bob, Emily, Brandon, and Dan arrived.  (Yes, that makes 14 visitors!)  Once the beachgoers returned and showered, we discussed dinner.  There is no place in the area that could seat all 16 of us at 7pm, so we decided to order pizzas, subs, and salads.  They were delivered amazingly quickly, and since the weather was gorgeous, we all ate together on the screened porch.

I left ahead of the others since I needed to be at the Blue Moon early, but the rest of the group followed a little later to see me perform as Elton John in the LEGENDS show.

Singing the 1st number:  Your Song

With back-up dancers during Crocodile Rock

The show went really great and my friends had a great time.  When we returned to the house, we had drinks and talked on the screened porch until nearly 1am.

Sun morning we had bagels and coffee and visited on the screened porch until the crew had to pack up their things.  They all left by 10:30am.  It was a whirlwind visit!

Spouse & I packed a lunch and headed to the beach.  The weather was hot, but it was beautiful at the beach.  We sat with our friends Tim, Kevin, and David and talked and relaxed well into the afternoon.  After returning home and showering, we had dinner at Saketumi and then watched "True Blood" and "The Leftovers".

Lovely weekend recap

Sat was a work day for me, but I did something a bit unusual:  I hosted a public open house.  My team doesn't do a lot of open houses because in this area they are not effective in selling homes.  They are often attended only by nosey neighbors rather than home buyers.  Serious buyers almost always work with an agent.  But I agreed to do this open house for my client.  He bought this house which was in very bad condition, completely remodeled it, and is now selling it.  Unfortunately the open house was very poorly attended.

My client's house for sale

That evening I met up with Vic & Mike and our mutual friend Kevin and his new boyfriend Scott for dinner at Saketumi.  I hadn't seen Kevin since sometime before we moved from VA in Jan 2007 so it was great to reconnect.  Everyone enjoyed their dinners and the conversation.

Vic's lobster dinner

Although I was not on the schedule to perform in that night's Legends show, I received a call on Fri asking if I could fill in for someone who had a family emergency.  Of course I said yes.  So after dinner with the guys, I went to the Blue Moon to become Neil Sedaka.

My version of Neil Sedaka

Sun I met Steven for breakfast at the Crystal.  Thad went to yoga, Joe P had brunch plans with a visiting friend, and Spouse stayed home to make potato salad.  After breakfast Spouse & I went to a small car show where we ran into Rick & Nick.  

A rare AMC Ambassador

Later we went to Steven & Thad's for a BBQ celebrating the birthdays of 1 of the Bobs, Joe P, and Jack, and the retirement of Robin.  As usual, we brought Spouse's legendary potato salad.  The weather was absolutely stunning, about 80 degrees, low humidity, and a nice breeze.  

Making a wish!

 It was the perfect way to end the weekend!

Weekend highlights

Our friends Liz & Rob and their children Jonathan and Rachel arrived on Fri.  Rob was a roommate of mine nearly 30 years ago, and Liz was a family friend.

They wanted to go to the boardwalk and have pizza at Grottos so we did.  Rob & I are usually the 'minorities' because we like all kinds of 'garbage' on our pizza, so since we were together and ordered multiple pizzas, we actually got what we like on our pizza for a change.  Spouse, Liz & the kids wanted just pepperoni.  After we ate, we walked along the boardwalk for a little while, but it began to

sprinkle.  Rather than just taking temporary cover, we decided to head back to the car before the rain really got started.  On our way back to the house we talked about the new Sweet Frog frozen yogurt bar that opened here.  I'd never heard of it but Liz raved about it, so we stopped in.  OMG, there are about a dozen flavors of frozen yogart, and you can select as much or as little of as many or as few flavors as you want.  But that's not all... next you add as much or as little as you want of the 50 or so toppings onto your frozen yogart.  Its like a giant sundae bar!!

Sat morning after coffee we walked over to the farmers market, and then to the canalside park.  On our way to the park we ran into former clients of mine and had a short but lovely conversation with them.  Liz was in the mood for Mexican for lunch so we went to La Tonalteca.  Yum!  From there Spouse & I went back home and relaxed while Rob & Liz and the kids went to the beach. Once they returned and showered, we headed over to Saketumi for Joe P's birthday dinner.  Since Joe P had never met our guests before, we decided to play a little prank on Joe P.  We sent Rachel (age 12) over to Joe P with a birthday balloon.  She handed it to him and said "Hey Mister... happy birthday" and then walked

away.  A minute later Jonathan did the exact same thing.  Then it was Liz's turn, andfinally Rob's turn.  Meanwhile, Spouse & I could hear Joe P and the other birthday dinner guests laughing as this parade of strangers brought him birthday balloons.  Then all 6 of us joined the dinner and Joe realized the strangers with the balloons were our friends.  It was a fun prank!  We had a terrific dinner at Saketumi (as usual) and Joe P really had a nice time.  Again, on the way home we had to stop at Sweet Frog!

Sun morning Spouse made a full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, blueberry pancakes, and English muffins.  Shortly afterward, Rob & Liz and the kids headed home and Spouse & I hung out at home.  Later that evening we had dinner with Joe P and Steven & Thad at Big Sissies.

It was a full and enjoyable weekend.

Weekend highlights

Sat evening Spouse & I met up with our friends Vic & Mike for dinner.  We ate at Saketumi.

Vic & Mike live in the same city in VA where Spouse & I used to live, and ironically, they live in the same neighborhood too, although they moved there after we'd moved away.  We met Vic when he was with Dawson and lived elsewhere in that town.  Vic & Mike moved into a house just 3 streets over from mine & Spouse's 1st house.

Vic & Mike bought a condo here at the beach about 2 years ago and we've gotten together with them a few times.  They are very nice guys, and they have 2 miniature dachshunds so our conversations over dinner included lots of dog stories.  They had never eaten at Saketumi before so we were happy to introduce them to 1 of our favorite places to eat.

Sun afternoon Kerry & Hugh stopped in for a visit.  They had been to Ocean City to open up their condo for the upcoming rental season, and stopped here before heading home.  The weather was nice so we wound up visiting on the back porch for a while, and then went for a late lunch/early dinner at Pickled Pig Pub.  It was really nice to visit with them, as always.

That evening we went to Steven & Thad's for a small cook-out.  Spouse made potato salad and Steven grilled burgers, Italian sausage, hotdogs, and pork chops on the grill.  Joe P & 1 of the Bobs came too.  We had a tasty dinner and lively conversations.

Blogger Meet-up

I had a late client on Fri, so after finally getting home I called the Breens and arranged to pick them

up at their hotel.  It was like greeting an old friend I hadn't seen in years, when in reality we'd never met in person.

We went to Saketumi and Sean & I ordered Cosmos, of course, while Spouse & Jeffrey ordered less glamorous cocktails.  We talked and talked, finally forcing ourselves to stop and review the menu so we could eat!  We had an absolutely fabulous time together and I can see us spending more time together in the future.

Sat morning I had to show homes to a client, but then Spouse & I joined a good sized group of bloggers for a late lunch at Dos Locos.  I was able to meet everyone who'd arrived before we ate lunch and get to know those sitting near me as we ate.

After lunch many of us went back to the host hotel (Inn at Canal Square) and visited with each other in the hospitality suite.  Before we knew it it was time for the main event to start, so I ran home to change clothes, pick up Spouse and return for the cocktail hour.  We had drinks and light hors d'ouevres as we talked and laughed with our fellow bloggers, followed by a tasty buffet dinner catered by Nage.  As we finished dinner there were a few door prizes awarded and our host Ron presented some gifts to Michael. 

What a joy it was to meet everyone!  I've been reading Java's blog and The Cajun's blog (off and on) for years.  I will be reading several others going forward, such as Jay in VA, Our Simple Lives, David & Barry, Michael and David.  At one point Anne Marie voiced what I believe everyone was thinking and feeling when she said "There sure is a lot of LOVE in this room."  I couldn't have agreed more.  Check out some fab photos here. 

The event seemed to end all to quickly, so I was happy to find out that the party was basically moving from the banquet room of the Inn to the hospitality suite.  Many of us continued to enjoy cocktails, talk and laugh well into the night.  It was truly a wonderful time!

Sun I was scheduled to work 10am-4pm.  Most of the bloggers had breakfast together and then eventually left, one by one, except the Breens and Anne Marie and her husband.  We tentatively planned for the 4 of them to have dinner with Spouse & me Sun evening, but it began to snow.  The forecast was worse up north where Anne Marie and her husband were going, so they opted to leave Sun evening rather than drive into it Mon morning. 

So the Breens came over to our house to meet and play with Marvin Parker for a while, and then we went to dinner at Pickled Pig Pub as it snowed like crazy.  It was too warm for the snow to stick but it provided a beautiful 'Normal Rockwell' backdrop as it fell.  The 4 of us eat, drank, talked, laughed, and enjoyed a second lovely night together.

To those who do not blog, it often sounds strange that us bloggers would reserve a weekend of our lives and pay money to travel to another state and stay in a hotel in order to meet and visit with "strangers".  But that's the point of blogging: to share our lives in words and photos online so that we connect with others and don't feel like strangers.

Double dipping

This evening Spouse & I double dipped.

Double dipping is when we accept 2 invitations for the same evening/night so we don't have to pick just 1.  Most of the time when we do this its because the 2 events overlap a bit, rather than starting at the same time.

So we started out at 5:30 at Greer's birthday happy hour at On The Rocks.  They have an outdoor bar and snack bar area overlooking the harbor.  

We both ordered diet sodas and chit-chatted with Deb & Greer and some of our mutual friends.  It was nice but the weather wasn't very cooperative.  For some reason there just didn't seem to be any breeze, despite being right on the water.  So it was kind of nice that we couldn't stay too long because it was rather warm and humid.

At 6:30 we had dinner w/Steven & Thad and their friends Pam & Scott and Matt & Stacy at Saketumi.  Thad went to school with Pam and Stacy and the 3 of them have remained friends over the years.  When both couples have visited Steven & Thad they arranged for us to meet them and now we all get along great.  As usual, we had a great dinner and it was lots of fun.

Birthday highlights

Spouse's birthday happy hour at Saketumi went great.  Lots of friend showed up including Steve & Thad, the Bobs, Doug & Jim, and Christy & Todd.  We had cocktails and some sushi rolls and visited with everyone for about 2 hours.  Then Spouse & I headed over to Ivy for dinner.

Ivy is a new restaurant that backs to the bay, offering fabulous views while dining.  After dinner hours the restaurant transforms into a nightclub with live DJs and fantastic lighting.  The decor is mostly white and quite chic.  Slowly changing colors of light spray across the white wall decorations.  Spouse & I sat at a table very close to the wall of glass overlooking the bay.  

We ordered several tapas-style items with an Asian twist and talked and looked out at the setting sun over the water as we waited for our food.  It was absolutely delicious and we really enjoyed our dinner.  For more details about their very unusual menu, check out my friend the Rehoboth Foodie's review of Ivy here.

Happy birthday Spouse!!

Today is Spouse's birthday.  Since I am 8 months older than him, today he joins me in being 48 and we'll be "the same age" for the next 4 months.

I planned several ways to celebrate his birthday today.  The 1st one he actually received yesterday when he got home from work.  You see, Spouse hates to fold and put away clean laundry.  He will wash and dry clothes and then pick what he wants to wear out of baskets for weeks.  So as a 'gift' to him, yesterday I spent 2 1/2 hours folding and putting away 6 baskets of his laundry, including matching up socks.  At 1st he didn't see this as much of a 'gift' but then I explained how long it took and that I did it on my day off of work; then he thanked me.

His next 'gift' was a gift card to the Calvin Klein factory store.  He likes that store now that he's lost weight and can actually wear clothes from it.  I put the card next to his cell phone before I went to bed last night so he would find it this morning.

A florist will deliver an arrangement of flowers to him at work today.  He loves flowers and I think its 'special' to have them delivered to his office where his colleagues will share in celebrating his birthday.

This evening we are meeting several of our friends for happy hour at Saketumi, then Spouse & I are going to dinner at a new, chic restaurant and lounge called Ivy.  It backs to a fabulous view of the bay which should provide a lovely backdrop to our celebratory dinner.

Here is a photo of Spouse that I've always liked, taken in 2003 in Alaska.

Double duty

Tonight Spouse & I had what we call "double duty".  That's when we agree to 2 social events back-to-back on the same night.

Right after work we met up with Christy, Ted, Bethani, and Amy Saketumi for Happy Hour.  I had a cosmo and 2 small sushi rolls which I shared with Spouse.  I love the great Happy Hour deals at Saketumi and the food is always great.  Our good friend Kim who is the manager was there and stopped over to visit with us.

Then we drove up the street for dinner with Steven & Thad and Joe P. at Ocean Point Grill.  Since we didn't see them over the weekend (due to being away for Easter) we accepted their invite to dinner even though we'd already agreed to Happy Hour.  It was nice to see them and although Spouse & I weren't very hungry we ordered anyway and simply took our left-overs home.  I ate mine the next day for lunch.

Double duty is fun and gives me a cosmopolitan feeling.  I imagine that's how people in Manhattan live.  After work they meet friends for happy hour, then meet up with their bestie for dinner and gossip, then take the train home to their apt in the burrows.

Jeni

I got an email from my cousin Jeni letting me know she'd be in my neck of the woods on Sat with a friend to attend a Bat Mitzvah.  She inquired if Spouse & I had any plans for Sat evening, after the Bat festivities were over. Fortunately we had nothing on our calendar so we planned to meet up. 

Jeni called at about 4pm saying they were about 15 minutes from leaving the event, and were about 20 minutes away, so I checked out of work early and came home to await their arrival.  Fortunately Spouse had tidied up the house a bit (emphasis on "bit") so at least the main level was presentable.

When they arrived we welcomed them in, met Jeni's friend, and began to chat.  Turns out Jeni's friend's niece was the one having the Bat Mitzvah.  I had no idea they lasted all-fricken-day but they said they were there from 9:30 am until about 4pm.  I just hope the food and drinks were worth it!

We talked until mine and Spouse's stomachs growled and then decided to go out for dinner.  But 1st Jeni and her friend wanted to check into a place to stay.  Of course we invited them to stay with us but she said no, it was too short of notice, and that they were kind of looking forward to seeing a Bed & Breakfast they'd seen online.  I knew of it and looked up the phone # for them.  We drove over to the B&B and looked through the rooms, each one decorated in a different theme.  Once they had decided on one, we headed out for food.

We gave them a couple choices: seafood, Mexican, Italian, or Saketumi.  Fortunately they said anything was fine with them so since I had a taste for sushi rolls I suggested Saketumi.  Our buddy Kim was there (of course, it was a Saturday night) so we got his 'special friends' attention.  We started with drinks (a Cosmo for me, naturally) and an appetizer platter, then ordered our meals.

Our conversations ranged from updates on family members, to family drama, to politics, to God and religion, to GLBT rights, to everyone's work.  All of us were equally engaged, even Jeni's friend whom we'd just met, and I felt that family history and connection with Jeni.  I couldn't believe my eyes when the clock showed it was after 10pm!  We'd been at Saketumi for 4 hours!

We had a really great visit and I'm hoping Jeni and her friend will come back again in warmer weather so they can stay at our house and enjoy the beach.

Cocktail hours

Tonight was 1 of those perfect nights... a cocktail party followed by drinks and dinner with a friend!

This evening my real estate team hosted a cocktail party at a restaurant/lounge 5-7pm for the other Realtors who had sold our listings in 2011.  Its a way of saying 'Thank you' to those agents with whom we worked.  

 

There was plenty of cocktail food and an open bar.  I enjoyed 2 tasty Cosmos, my cocktail of choice.  Several friends of mine who are Realtors were there, as were my colleagues, and we had fun talking about clients, properties, and challenges of our industry.  There was also a drawing for a weekend get-away which my good friend Deb won!

Promptly at 7pm I drove home, changed into more casual attire, picked up Spouse and we headed to Saketumi at 7:30.  Our great friend Joe P returned to town after being away for 3 months so we commemorated his return with cocktails and dinner at his favorite place, Saketumi. We enjoyed Cosmos, sushi, and shared a desert.

It was a perfect night!

Weekend highlights

While I was out showing property Sat morning I got a text from Spouse saying his mom was in the hospital and that he was leaving to go see her.  When I finished with my clients I listened to a voice mail Spouse had left me, and I called him back.  He said his mom had complained of shortness of breath the night before.  Her doctor suggested she turn in for the night and if she still didn't feel well the next morning she should call him.  That call resulted in her going to the hospital Sat morning.  Spouse said they were doing tests and he'd update me later.  I finished the day at work and then checked in with Steven about getting together for dinner.  Steven told me that Thad had gone to PA to see his mom who had been taken to the hospital too!  Steven was having dinner with another friend so I decided to go to Saketumi by myself.  I often run into people I know there, so I decided it wouldn't be so bad to go by myself.  I sat at the bar and enjoyed a delicious Cosmo and some sushi rolls.  Unfortunately I didn't see anyone I knew so I was finished eating and back home within an hour.  I caught up on DVR'd shows and went to bed.

Sun I was scheduled to work, which turned out to be fine since Spouse wasn't home anyway.  I wound up working late because of an unscheduled meeting with a new client.  Afterward I grabbed a sandwich to eat at home and watched TV.  It was Oscars night and it seemed kind of weird to not be watching an awards show with Spouse and Steven & Thad.  I talked to Spouse on the phone and learned that the doctor thinks she has a blockage in an artery.  They're scheduling a procedure to know for sure the next day.  After being out with clients all day I was kind of tired and fell asleep during the Oscars, so I went to bed.

Valentines highlights

Spouse loves cut flowers, so its been a tradition of mine to send flowers to him for his birthday, our anniversary, Valentines Day, and another random day of the year to surprise him.

But Spouse is not a fan of red roses, which you'd expect for Valentines Day, an he says white roses are for funerals.  So sometimes I special order purple roses or the yellow ones with orange on the tips.  But this time I decided to bypass roses altogether and got him a vase of yellow tulips with orange tips.  I love tulips, they're 'different' for Valentines Day, they don't get marked up on Valentines Day like roses, and Spouse thought they were gorgeous.

That night we had dinner with Steven & Thad at Saketumi.  I treated myself to a Cosmo.  I say 'treat' because I haven't had a Cosmo since New Years Eve, since I've been reducing my calories.  That Cosmo was even more delicious than usual!  I had sushi rolls and Spouse had Kung Poa chicken and shrimp.  We all had a very nice Valentines dinner.

No chocolates cuz we're both weight watching.

As a sidenote, it drives me NUTS to hear people say 'ValentiMes Day'.  I heard it on the radio 3 times yesterday.

Thank you, Anne Marie

If you've been reading this blog for a while you know that 1 of our favorite places to eat is Saketumi. I've written about how the fresh, high-quality ingredients result in a consistently wonderful dining experience.

When Anne Marie came to visit it was her request to join us at Saketumi for dinner so she could echo our accolades. You can read about that great evening here.

A few days after Anne Marie returned home Spouse & I received a lovely 'Thank You' card from Anne Marie, expressing her appreciation for our hospitality during her visit. Included with the 'Thank You' card was a Visa gift card and Anne Marie's request that we use it at Saketumi with "the guys" (Steven & Thad and Joe P). She asked that we take pictures so she could see us enjoying ourselves. So after ordering our cocktails we had a toast to Anne Marie, our hostess in absentia! Pictured above are Thad, Steven, me, Spouse, and Joe P. Next came the appetizer platter with coconut shrimp, chicken satay, crab rangoons, pork dumplings, and spring rolls. I could make a meal of these appetizers, but we had to save room for dinner. I had chicken panang curry, Spouse & Thad had the chicken hibachi, Steven had filet mignon, and Joe P had sushi rolls. Everyone was too full to order dessert but I told the guys that we had to order at least 1 to share because "Anne Marie would have wanted that". So we ordered the chocolate pyramid which is so good and chocolatey I hardly wanted to share it. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner thanks to our new, lovely friend Anne Marie.

Weekend highlights

On Fri Ron & James arrived at about 12:30. Spouse took the day off work and I wasn't on phone duty so the 4 of us went to lunch together, then I headed back to work. Mike & Clark arrived at about 4:30, just after I got home from work. We enjoyed cocktails on the screened porch as we began to catch up on the goings-on in each others lives.
Pictured above are Mike & Spouse.
Pictured above are me, Ron, and Clark. (Please note that my flip flops match my shirt.)

That evening the 6 of us had dinner at Saketumi, which was fabulous as always.


Once back at the house we decided to go for an after dinner walk and wound up making a stop at Dairy Queen. A Peanut Buster Parfait was calling my name!


Sat morning we all had coffee on the porch and chatted a bit. Then we walked over to JD's Filling Station for breakfast, and I headed off to a property showing appointment and then to sit at an open house. Spouse and the guys went to the farmers market and browsed some of the antique shops and boutiques downtown, then headed back to the house for naps and reading. I got home at 3:45 and we visited on the porch for a while. That evening we had dinner at Hobos and then went to the Legends show at the Blue Moon. Coincidentally I was performing as Neil Diamond that evening so Ron & James and Mike & Clark got to witness my celebrity impersonation. Jack and Joe P were there and Joe P took this video:

After the show I ran into my friends Marty & John and Deb & Greer who stopped in to see the show. The audience was great and very receptive to the show. Afterwards the 6 of us walked to the boardwalk and got ice cream at that crazy ice cream place. I got beer flavored ice cream and rum raisin... YUM!!

Sun morning we returned to the Blue Moon for their legendary Sun brunch where we were joined by Joe P.I had eggs benedict with lump crab, sausage links and fried fingerling potatoes and coffee. It was a wonderful, relaxing brunch. Once back at the house the 4 guys packed up their gear and headed home. Spouse & I met up with Joe P, Steven & Thad, Robin, and 1 of the Bobs at the beach. It was a bit overcast but we had a great time relaxing and talking with our friends. That evening we all met up again for dinner at the Tuscan Grille. There was much discussion of the mystery of the ceramic banana. Anne Marie said it was not her, and I'm very skeptical of it being the nephews, so the mystery deepens.

Friday fragments

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

Its been a busy week at work, and the week isn't over yet. Today I met a couple from NJ that is retiring and moving here soon. Today we found a home they really like and although they didn't write an offer today, I know they're thinking about it. Tomorrow my couple from CT is returning and I have a marathon of homes to tour with them. They picked the homes via the internet and I gave them additional info and my own take on them.

My virtual friend and frequent blog commenter Anne Marie is visiting this weekend. She had a work-related thing not far from here so she decided to visit. We're going to dinner at Saketumi and the Divas show at Blue Moon afterward. Sat I work all day, then we're going to 2 birthday dinners, then the Legends show. Sun morning Anne Marie leaves and I may have to go into work for a while, depending on how my marathon of home showings goes on Sat.

Hoping everyone has a great weekend!

Celebration

We had a lovely time last evening at Spouse's birthday dinner at Saketumi!

Steven & Thad agreed to pick up the Happy Birthday balloons for me, and Bryan picked up the cake from the bakery. That way Spouse & I could arrive together without me having to stop along the way.

In addition to Spouse & me there was Steven & Thad, the Bobs, Joe P, Robin, Bryan, PW, Chris & Jason. As usual, we all had delicious food and impeccable service.

When we returned home we watched another couple episodes of "True Blood" on DVD. It was a terrific evening.

Happy birthday Liz!

About a year and 1/2 ago Spouse & I met a woman named Liz at Thad's birthday party. We liked her and hung out a few times. But a few months later Liz took a job transfer and moved to NY. She came back to visit a couple times and we got together with her then.

Fortunately 2 weeks ago Liz moved back! She took a new job and moved into a new place.

In addition to today being St Patrick's Day, its also Liz's birthday so Steven & Thad organized a birthday happy hour this evening at Saketumi, which turned into dinner.

Thad & Spouse went to Weight Watchers 1st, so initially it was Liz, Steven, Carlos, the Bobs, and me. I stopped and picked up a bunch of helium-filled mylar birthday balloons on my way and Steven brought a birthday hat for Liz to wear. We had drinks and appetizers in the bar area until Thad & Spouse arrived, then we all decided to move to a table and order dinner.

Of course our food and service at Saketumi were exceptional, as usual. They always treat us well there. After our plates had been cleared, the manager Kim (who is also a personal friend) brought out a cake with candles that Steven had brought. We sang the Happy Birthday song and Liz dug into the cake.

We had a great time and, more importantly, Liz had a great time.