SundayFunday

Skyline View from Our Seats

Scenes from Within the Park

Drinking Games with Friends

Birks, Couches, and CrossFire

We finally had the perfect opportunity for a SundayFunday yesterday with a home Tigers game, beautiful weather, and Monday off for the holiday, so Scott&Linds and Joe&I met downtown at Rub Pub before heading over to the game. Since the Tigers were playing horribly, though, we left in the 5th and headed home for backyard bbq&drinking. After a couple rounds of Power Hour and the assembly of a small charcoal grill, we made the afternoon into a complete success.

BirthdayBust

My birthday had it's good points ...days after the actual day.
On my birthday, Mr.U's mom had a seizure.
He found her on the floor in the dining room disoriented&groggy.
Scared, he called 9-1-1 and I pulled up as the ambulance pulled off.
So, we spent my birthday evening in the emergency room
(mostly I stood outside and people watched)
then had a quick bite around 10pm.
The next weekend, though, we finally celebrated with cake&presents.
Thankfully, his mom is ok,
but the lesions on her brain have increased in both number&size,
so she's unable to drive and doing 10 rounds of radiation.
Hopefully it will help - her health obviously trumps my birthday.

raspberry lemon cake

Presents from my mr. - so thoughtful

Landscaping Lately

rock wall i created and fruit tree i planted

One flower bloomed so far...

Monk&Birdbath BFF picked up for me & pots from my sister-in-law

Losses&Blessings

My heart both breaks&sings today.

My dear friend, Katie, lost her mother this morning

...far too soon&suddenly...

and her pain tugs at my core as I remember the closeness of her precious family

and the warmth&love her quiet&peaceful mother always showed anyone she encountered.

Katie&Jeff even chose their wedding date based on it's relevance to her parents' wedding date.

I can't even imagine the inconsolable aches that will follow this passing

and I can only hope she'll embrace the best of memories and wrap herself inside them during this terrible time.

And while Susan's soul left its earthly body, my beautiful&amazing friend, Christine, gave birth to her first child.

Baby Ryan was born in the early afternoon at a healthy 8lbs&1oz with 5fingers&5toes and the most handsome face.

It's days like these that remind me that we are never given more than we can handle.

Losses&blessings surround us in life and our reactions are what define us.

I'd like to bottle this emotional energy for the next time I let the littlest thing get to me

and remember that events of much greater significance are happening all around the world

so I should appreciate what&who I have and cherish the memories I'm still able to make.

Thursday, you've knocked me down and built me up.

And so it goes.

Katie's adorable family christmas photo

christine & joe's perfect baby ryan

PeachPants&Blisters

I have blisters from half marathon training and hand-me-down peach pants.

Ellie In Windsor

At the beginning of March Elise told me I needed a passport for a birthday surprise on May 8th.

For almost the entire build-up time, I avoided figuring out the surprise

then I was driving down I-75 one day and saw a billboard...

the date "May 8" flashed and I quickly averted my eyes.

The next day, though, I wasn't so lucky and saw the whole billboard:

Ellie Goulding - Caesars Windsor - May 8

Damn, I ruined the surprise! I thought.

Damn, that's going to be awesome!

And it definitely was.
Taylor&Elise&I got into the standing-room only show early enough to get right up front
harnessing the ability to take in Ellie in all her glory.

She was as beautiful in person as one could imagine.

Her mannerisms quirky&freespirited as she glided across the stage

swaying&swinging her hips&pelvis.

Her voice was certainly tired - it was the 2nd to last show of her tour

but she muscled through and seemed to sincerely enjoy herself, which made me smile.

Almost magically, I had said just before she went on:

"I'd like to hear 'The Writer" but she probably won't play that."

and low&behold, she did.

Figure8&MyBlood were both powerful&emotional

as she threw her head back, letting her hair flip&fall about her shoulders.

She banged on the drums, her body almost flopping into them in sheer happiness.

She mumbled&drank between songs, which was endearing&adorable.

And besides the bitchy girl next to us who tried to fight Elise

and the monster of a man who blocked my view for the first few songs

our spots in the 3rd row right in front of her microphone were magnificent.

Definitely worth the 5 hours on my sore&blistered feet.

"I chase your love around a figure 8 - I need you more than I can take.

You promise forever and a day then you take it all away."

Figure 8 - Ellie Goulding

Dinner&Drinks at Caesars

Once we crossed the bridge into Canada

we parked at Caesars Windsor

then found Legends Sports Bar for dinner&drinks.

The 3 girls got 3 different delicious drinks to try.

PreConcert Fashion

PreConcert Photo Shoot -All Dolled Up

Fiona Lately

Nappin' under my desk

loungin' on her toy from chuck

snugglin' her skunk

showin' off her haircut

sittin' so perfectly

sleepin' on the sofa

CincoDeMayo Weekend

Mexican fiesta at the office

peanut butter froyo w/ cookie dough for dessert

blue margaritas in mexican town

Sam chasing down dori while fiona watches

pre-drink power-hour before a night out

drink before cancer fundraiser at a local bar