St Patrick's Day...a little late

I took my man on a man date for St. Patrick's day.

Guys like to be taken out too.

We went to the Saint Arnold's Brewery for some food and beer and your everyday beard competition.

Saint Arnold's is BYOF (bring your own food).  Devin chose Kenny and Ziggy's.

Not a bad choice.  Not bad at all.

And then I met the guy from the box of Lucky Charms.

I'll let the pictures tell the story

Men Without Hats

March 2011

Shout out to Micah for amazing pictures.

I still bake.

Double Chocolate Loaf of Amazecakes

With a peanut butter cream cheese spread

So easy to make.

Terrible picture.

This is supposed to be a breakfast bread.  Fine by me!

So delicious even though I forgot the salt and randomly threw it in at the end.

What I've Been Up To...

Here's the skinny:
I got a new job
they pay for me to go work out
it's pretty awesome
I am in charge of planning the entire opening party.
would love your ideas
would LOVE for you to come
you can friend us on facebook here
for all the deets.

Other than that!!!
I got to see my brudder this weekend.  We went to a Men Without Hats concert.  You can dance if you want to.
We are planning out some gardening.  I know, we're late as usual.
We are getting out of town next month which is awesome.
And I will get back in the groove of my baking awesomeness soon.
Word.

HAPPY SPRING!!!!

I'll just go ahead and get out my salsa canning supplies

Because we have a tomato, people!!!

 Happy Fat Tuesday

Apparently my life of funemployment has led to a less structured blogging life/schedule/whatever.

Here's the latest.

I have a new love / obsession / craving for hot yoga.  I go here.  Gayle is awesome and I am going to Nicole today.  If you are in Houston, you can drop in for any class for a fee or get 7 consecutive days of trying every class for $25 bones.  A steal.

P.S. A 90 minute class burns about 1000 calories.  Yes please.

I got to reunite with some college friends and their sig others this weekend and somehow this was the only picture I got.

That was some jazz place you took us to, Casey.

My biggest stress today is deciding what food to make for Bible study tonight and what to wear to yoga.

Funemployment is rough.

But I start work again tomorrow.  Sorta.

I got a job at a place whose mission statement includes this:

"to help people live a longer, healthier, more fun life"

seriously?  awesome.

I'm running a 10k in about a month and I guess that means I should probably figure out how to rehab my IT band back into running condition.  Help.

Monday. Nada.

Spring is here.  Devin picked this for me (sorry if this is from your tree) on his run the other day.  I am ready to see some flowers around here.

Alas I have nothing today.

It's been a crazy ride the last week or so around here.

We had an awesome time in Austin despite the nasty weather
and the National Lampoon's sequence of events in our trip :)

And Sunday morning we woke up to news we didn't want
Another sweet friend has passed at the bright age of 24.

He is so missed.

In our Bible study this week we talked about being thankful.
Be thankful in all circumstances...even the death of a friend.

I am thankful that he is not captive anymore.
I am thankful that our God is bigger than life and death and grief and sin
I am thankful that because of his passing, I will get to see, hug, love on, hold the hands of his family and my friends who I have not been able to see in way, way too long.
I am thankful for the friendships that we can leave and pick back up in times like this.
I am thankful for the life I have. 
For being alive today. 
For the changes in my desperately-in-need-of-changing life that led me out of a life of darkness
I am thankful that He hears me crying
that he cares when I hurt
that He loves me.

And in the same days of sadness, God has surprisingly blessed us more than we ever thought He would.
We underestimated Him.
And he gave us answers to prayers we have been praying for months
feelings of security
answers to our questions about our life right now
a recharge
a new direction in our lives
and we are thankful.

He gives and He takes away.

Baking Redemption

New York Style Crumb Cake

I have been forgiven for the whoopie pie failure.

NAHBS which stands for Holy Cow That's A Lot of Bikes or Wow my wife is awesome for going to this with me but not awesome enough to edit all of my pictures

That steel blue color made me crazy.  I love it so much.

36er

I thought they were selling coffee.  Jokes on me.

The North America Handmade Bicycle Show was in Austin this year.  Let's be real, it was awesome.

 Umm, yes I will take one Starry Night Bicycle please.  Kthanks.

Vanilla Cycles.  My favorite booth!  D, why didn't I buy some of their rain boots?!?!

 

and to top it off, D got to meet Gary Fisher.

If you ask me who Gary Fisher is, it might be a lot like this.

The Sultan of Swat!

The Colosus of Clout!

THE GREAT BAMBINO!

And in return, D has agreed to go to the national quilters of America 4 day convention with me.

Jokes.  I just tried to think of something really miserable.

No offense to all my quilting peeps.

I have had too much coffee.

High five for bikes.