It's My Birthday

I'm a take-charge kind of a gal and so this morning I had some definite ideas about how I wanted to spend my birthday. First I wanted to be outside if possible, and I wanted to do something I'd never done before. When at first the weather threatened to drizzle all day, the Theodore Roosevelt Inauguration Site was at the top of my list.

"Isn't it funny," I said to Heidi,"that really? Teddy Roosevelt is not even close to my favorite president, and yet it seems that we have been to a lot of his places." I was referring to Roosevelt Island and Roosevelt National Park, and now this.

But as luck would have it, the weather cleared, and soon Heidi, Louise, and I were off to Old Fort Niagara, an almost 400 year old bastion located  on Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Niagara River. We spent the afternoon wandering the amazingly well-preserved site learning the history of its Indian, French, British, and American occupants. Then we drove home along the wide river, the Canadian side of the river to our left. We stopped in Lewiston and strolled through a riverside park that happened to mark the final stop in the Underground Railroad. Here, residents of the town rowed escaped slaves across the Niagara to Canada. I bought a bottle of water, and paying with a 20, my change was 18.65, the year the Civil War ended.

Home at last, I prepared a dinner of steamed shrimp, grilled steak, baked potato, and salad, and at the table I sat back and sighed. "Well, I had a really great day!"

Heidi's mom laughed. "Really? You drove and you made dinner!"

"I know," I said, "but I like to drive, and I like to cook, especially because I get to go where I want and eat what I like!"

There was no argument there.

Sticking Around

After a fun and eventful week in Buffalo, we were supposed to head home to Virginia today, but knowing that smilie Kyle would be in town tomorrow made it seem silly to leave without spending some time with him. So, we put off packing and spent the day hanging out with Heidi's folks instead. The weather was beautiful, and Isabel seems content to enjoy it. As anxious as we are to get home, here is pretty swell, too.

A Nice Place to Visit

"I looooove Buffalo!" a colleague exclaimed when I told her we would be shuffling off to here soon after school ended.

I nodded. I knew she had family in Western New York. "Are you close to your cousins?" I asked.

She nodded vigorously. "My cousins are my heart," she said, but then she smiled mischievously. "I know it's shallow," she confided, "but I also like Buffalo because everyone there is so fat! Whenever I go to a party or something they're always like Who's that hottie?" she laughed.

I laughed, too, and shook my head. She's a little nuts, and she had been drinking, but I kind of knew what she meant. In the last fifteen years, I've come to know Buffalo as a town where people work hard and play hard and reward themselves for both with some of the best comfort food I've ever eaten-- fish fry on Friday, wings before dinner, Ted's hot dogs for a mid-afternoon snack, beef on weck for lunch, and Tim Horton's donuts for breakfast, and Anderson's frozen custard for dessert.

As outstanding and delicious as they are, 'healthy' is not an adjective that fits even a single one of them. It's not surprising that so many people in these parts are pretty well padded.

So, whenever we visit Heidi's folks, moderation is a must, and there's always a big bottle of Tums on the bedside table.

Kind of a Drag

"Can I see your dress or your shirt or whatever you're wearing to the party?" Annabelle asked me this morning.

"Sure," I said and produced the beaded dress I bought.

"Whoa!" Her eyes widened a bit. "Sparkly!" Then she cocked her head. "I've never seen you in a dress before."

"Well you will tonight," I told her. "You will tonight."

Portraits

We recently got a new camera for our trip to Alaska, and after the shock of the initial investment, it was kind of hard to stop. There were at least 2 lenses that I thought we should have as well. "Money pit!" Heidi sighed when I ran the new purchases by her. "Maybe you can put them on your birthday list."

This week in Buffalo, though, we will have the occasion to take several photos of people in Heidi's family. When her mom asked specifically that we bring the camera along, one of those lenses became a little more must-have, and so I ordered it to be delivered today.

When it arrived late this afternoon, I went out to the backyard and took lots of test shots of one of my favorite subjects, our dog Isabel. They didn't turn out half-bad, and when I showed my handiwork to Heidi, miraculously she thought the new lens was a fabulous purchase!

Note to self...

Sea Dog

I was talking to Heidi's brother about our upcoming cruise in Alaska. "Of course they have all sorts of shore excursions in every port, " I told him, "but to be honest I haven't had a chance to take a close look at what is offered yet. I plan to spend some time with that when I get home."

Then I shrugged. " I'm quite certain they'll have several sled dog programs, and you can imagine we'll probably attend one of those." I paused, and he shook his head, smiling.

"Or more? Knowing your sister? She'll have a sled dog in every port!"

Solstice

Nothing like spending time in the north at this time of year to take advantage of those loooooong days. Sunset tonight? 8:57 PM. Dinner's over, dishes are done, and here we are on the patio basking in that still golden light. Fade to violet, cue the fireflies and...

Summer!