4th of July Snapshots

Sometimes you skip your workout because you got your hair done the day before and don’t want to wash out those professionally-styled waves.

Sometimes you brew beer for the first time in a long time and forget to add the damn malt.  Aka a KEY ingredient.

Sometimes you go to marinate your chicken wings and they smell RANK and you get to make an emergency trip to Whole Foods for more.

Sometimes your 4th of July maybe doesn’t go to plan, but it’s still perfect because you got a few extra hours of sleep, made waffles, tried a new kombucha flavoring method, read in the hammock, used your BRAND NEW GRILL (!!!!!!) to make some bomb wings, went for a evening stroll, ate cobbler and felt all around happiness.

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Patriotic breakfasts only

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Alaskan Reindeer > Elk Jalapeno Cheddar, but also: Biker Jim’s dogs > any other dog

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Waiting for post-game fireworks while watching a hot dog-eating contest on Facebook live

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Pretty sure ash was not supposed to be falling on us through the entire firework show, but that’s what happened

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Could hardly watch this… SO EW

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Joey surprised me with a new grill for my birthday!!! It had been in our backyard for a full day and I didn’t even notice…

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Not to be biased but this is the most beautiful beet I’ve ever seen

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UM SO GOOD and all grilled by ME

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Blackberry-Cherry Cobbler ♥

Weekend Things

I started doing this thing at lunch on Fridays where I write down a “weekend wishlist.”  Aka things I want to do, or need to do, or actually have to do.  The want to dos are the best part, obviously 🙂  This weekend’s wishlist included booking a trip to Nashville for our (TEN YEAR!!!!) dating anniversary, kegging our beer and finishing my book.  I did NONE of those things, but then it also included making granola, taking my nephew to Monster Jam, seeing the Oscar-nominated shorts and getting a manicure.  All of which I DID do, so I’m calling the weekend a success.

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Friday night, we hit up the Mayan for both the live action AND the animated shorts!  Meaning we were there for something like four hours, with just enough in time between showings to grab a beer at the second floor bar.  There was a man sitting two rows in front of us during the animated shorts who thought EVERYTHING was hilarious?  I think some people get confused when something is animated and assume it’s a funny cartoon, when it’s actually about Alzheimer’s.  I nearly shed tears of joy when he left and wasn’t also staying through the live action shorts.

Favorites: Piper (ACTUALLY THE CUTEST), Blind VayshaPear Cider CigarettesSing and Silent Nights.  I may have liked the animated films better than the live actions this year!

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On Saturday, we took my brother and nephew to lunch on the 16th Street Mall (Illegal Pete’s, you my #1 for life) and Monster Jam.  If you’re thinking loud monster trucks flying up a dirt ramp and crushing cars doesn’t sound like my kind of thing, you’re right, but when your nephew likes cars and you wanna be his favorite aunt, you get him tickets for his birthday, put in earplugs and cheer like you’ve totally know who Grave Digger was all along.  One of the trucks flipped over during the freestyle competition and the crowd went wild!

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We had some friends in town from Florida so we met up at Westminster Brewing Co. for a beer (gimme that black IPA) then headed over to their gender reveal party.  They’re having a BABY BOY in July (she’s due on my birthday and Joey and I got married on hers!) and getting married in October.  So much excitement for all of those things!  Also, how adorable is it that this group of boys have been good friends since high school??

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Not gonna lie, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed on Sunday and basically spent the entire day in a deep funk.  I wanted to heed the advice on my kombucha cap, but I just couldn’t find my way out.  It happens, it’s okay, this too shall pass.  Thankfully, Joey offered to do the grocery shopping and lunch salad making so I could make a quick trip to Whole Foods then come home and make granola.  Tried this new recipe from Cooking Light and I like it but it’s a bit salty (even for me!).

Post manicure, we cooked dinner and watched the Grammys.  Look, that was a real touching moment between Adele and Beyoncé, but I feel like it’s a bit of a problematically female thing to belittle your own success.  Accept the award for YOURSELF and YOUR TEAM and tell Beyoncé  how much her album meant to you AFTER the show.  End rant 🙂

Anyway, Happy Valentine’s Day!  Wishing you all blue skies and self-love in the form of dessert.