Time Machine Tuesday – Just Watch the Fireworks

Usually I don’t do much to celebrate the 4th of July.  As a kid, we’d go to the lake and hang out with our friends.  Once in college,  I’d go to the apartment pool, drink frozen drinks, and try to get tan.  This year, Robert suggested we go up to Rockaway Beach, where he grew up.  His friend’s family was helping to throw a block party on the 3rd, so we decided to join in.  But this wasn’t any block party – or at least any block party I had known growing up!  Growing up, the neighbors all pulled their grills around front and grilled out while all us youngsters rode bikes around the cul-de-sac.  This block party came complete with tents, a DJ, and a 3 course meal put out by each house.  Did I mention there was a DJ…?

(blog, meet Josh.  Josh, welcome to the blog.)

And besides, where else could I spend 4th of July experiencing the sunset over Manhattan?

The next day was spent in a place where every 4th of July should be observed…

Ahhhh sweet relaxation… and tons of people – just like everywhere else in NYC.  But seriously, you can’t beat 4th of July on the beach.  (Gosh I wish I were on the beach right now!)  Later that afternoon we met up with Robert’s best friend (and best man!) and his girlfriend to play some beach bocce.  We got demolished.  Luckily there’s no photographic evidence haha!

And in case the  weekend hadn’t been perfect enough, we finished up the celebration with fireworks on the beach.  I have always loved  fireworks, and my Dad and I always make a point of going to see them whenever there’s a fireworks show.  I couldn’t let dad down, even from 100 miles away, so when the sun went down we headed towards the water.  Now this whole time, everyone has been talking about the fireworks on the beach, and since I grew up in a town with rules (there are no rules in NYC), I assumed that the city floated a barge loaded with fireworks out into the ocean.  Oh – how I was wrong!

We got a seat close to the beach wall, and waited for the fireworks to start.

Imagine my surprise when the fireworks started being walked in – right in front of us!  (Man, I’m such a goody-goody!)  And there were so many… there must have been 3 or 4 vans of fireworks, which resulted in dueling fireworks shows.  And we were maybe 20 feet away?  Sure there were times when the sparks might have come a little close, but I have never seen such an amazing fireworks show.  If only Daddy had come to Rockaway with us – I know he would have loved it!

It doesn’t get much better than that, folks.  It was such an amazing, relaxing weekend… I’m so grateful that I was able to spend my 4th of July at the beach, surrounded by friends and fireworks!

Do you remember what you did for 4th of July?

Birthday Week!

Last year I met a friend of mine for lunch on my birthday.  We hadn’t known each other very long, and I’ve never much liked being the center of attention, so I hadn’t exactly been walking around announcing “tomorrow is my birthday!” to everyone I met.  When I met my friend for lunch, I whispered to her: “I have a secret… today is my birthday!” 

This year, the same friend wouldn’t let me forget that last year I ambushed her with my little surprise.   She and another one of my best friends from work started out Birthday Week last Monday at Mexican Post.  For those of you not well acquainted with Philadelphia – this restaurant does Mexican food RIGHT.  And when a girl has a craving for chips and salsa, there’s no better place to go.  Add a mango margarita, and some silly gossip,and you’ve got yourself a fantastic girls night.  I am so grateful to have these girls in my life… I honestly don’t know how I’d get through the work day without them!

Tuesday continued the festivities with a firm-sponsored Happy Hour after training.  Can I just mention how wonderful it was to have training during birthday week?  What a nice change of pace!  It was good to know that I’d definitely get out of work before 7:30 on my birthday

Thursday, May 13, was my actual birthday.  I turned the big 2-4, and celebrated with my family and fiancée at my new favorite place – Lourdas in Bryn Mawr.  Lourdas is the smallest little hole in the wall by the Bryn Mawr train station, and their food is to die for. 

(see how tiny and cute?! source.)

My parents were so generous – they brought me flowers, paid for our delicious gyros (and Melitzanosalata, an eggplant and pepper dip.  I could have licked the bowl of this stuff… so good!  And their hummus was incredible – even Robert was eating it.  That’s a huge compliment!)

The ‘rents also contributed to the “Cassie Wants a Garmin” fund, and my brother finished it off.  That night, I went straight home and ordered my new best friend… which arrived today!  So excited to take her for a whirl   hehe

Now Friday…. Friday was amazing.  Whenever we have training, it’s more or less understood that we get a half day on Friday.  But this time was different.  On this Friday, we only stayed until 10:45.  I took the 11:15 home, and read my book the whole way.  And got home and read my book in my pj’s until I finished it.  And grabbed another book and headed to my nearest outdoor dining establishment and did this:

With this charming dining companion:

Ok so maybe I just liked to pretend I was eating with that handsome fellow.  I want a puppy so badly!  But I consoled myself by doing more of this in Suburban Square after my lunch:

Reading in the sunshine by a fountain in my favorite shopping center?  Happy Birthday to me.  I took a break from my reading to do a little bit of shopping and get a mani/pedi at my favorite salon, and then Robert and I headed out to watch the Flyers make history.  (Unfortunately.  Rangers fans, remember?)  Things might have gotten a little silly after a few Yuenglings and a rockin’ DJ…

Clearly I needed sleep after that exhausting day   But not too much sleep – there was fun to be had on Saturday too!  Robert and I had promised each other bikes as an anniversary gift, and Saturday was the first time we’d had a chance to go shopping.  We ended up at Target, and took Robert’s little civic.  We assumed (yes I know what assuming does…) that the bikes would be sold in a box to be assembled at home, and we’d have NO PROBLEMS fitting the bikes in the car.  Epic fail.  Target was oh-so-kind enough to let you wheel their bikes to the register and buy them pre-assembled.  “Sweet,” we thought, “we’ll just pop the front wheel off and fit them in the back seat.”  Epic fail v2.0.  The brakes were on too tight to release the wheel, and we didn’t have the proper tools.  Luckily I saw this in the distance: 

We rode our bikes to Lowe’s, and after buying a $2 piece of 8ft molding, loaded our bikes into the Lowes rent-a-truck, and drove home. I don’t know what we’d have done without that beast of a truck! 

(Or lovely bikes in their new home. They are Schwinn Gateway Hybrid Bikes)

We got home just in time to get dolled up and meet some friends  out for dinner and drinks in the city.  Robert was a doll and organized all of my friends to celebrate my birthday.  I missed a few good friends, but I got to see a lot of my closest friends.  It meant so much to me that they came into the city just for me!

There were many Magic Hat #9’s, a great burger, and a lot of dancing – I couldn’t have asked for more!  I truly have the best friends in the world, and they helped make this the best birthday in a long time!  I hope my 24th year is just as good as my 24th birthday!