La Fiesta de Jason

Jason is a pretty fantastic man and as such he deserves to have a super fantastic birthday celebration so I always aim to make his special day as memorable as possible.

Jason got to open all his present while breakfast was cooking except his iPad
Jason got to open all his present while breakfast was cooking except his iPad- that silly thing came a few days late.

This year we both took work off on his birthday so we could spend a nice relaxing day together. We slept in and I made him Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans for breakfast, which was pretty good but next time I make it I’m going to alter the recipe a tad.

This was Jason
This was Jason's birthday breakfast. It was pretty tasty but I have a few ideas on how I can make it even better.

After our leisurely morning we caught a matinee of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and then went to a sushi place in Salt Lake City called Takashi for dinner. This restaurant is consistently rated as one of the best in the city and I now see why. Yum. They serve a lot of unique fusion style rolls there that are loaded with spice and flavor. The best roll I tried was a vegetarian one called the Shiva; it was packed with jalapenos, shishito peppers, avocados, and cilantro and then dipped in a yuzu balsamic sauce. Try to contain your drool; I may not be able to contain mine.

Jas was ready for some fiesta style volleyball in his fashionable sombrero.
Jas was ready for some fiesta style volleyball in his fashionable sombrero.
Sombreros
Sabreros

The following day Jason’s birthday may have technically been over but the partying continued. I planned a little birthday outing with our friends in the park. I dubbed this event “La Fiesta de Jason” and ordered Mexican catering from Café Rio to feed the partiers: salad with creamy tomatillo dressing, fresh chips and salsa, pork enchiladas, black beans, lime cilantro rice, key lime pie, and tres leches cake. Muy delicioso! We ate a lot and chatted while we gobbled even more. No fiesta is complete without a piñata so after dinner we hung one from the playground monkey bars and let the kids go at it. After the piñata was successfully torn down and disemboweled, the adults gathered at the net for a couple games of volleyball. We played until it was too dark to see and then sang happy birthday to Jason so he could blow out the candles on his key lime birthday pie. It was a pleasant summer evening spent with great company and more food than you could shake a stick at. I must admit that when it comes to party planning I do alright for myself.

After all the kids had a swing at the pinata, we let the adults give it a try. It was actually my uber powerful (no snickering) hit that
After all the kids had a swing at the pinata, we let the adults give it a try. It was actually my uber powerful hit (no snickering) that brought that baby down.
The boys were living la vida loca at the party...
The boys were living la vida loca at the party. I think they needed to lay off the loca a little.

Although Jason, as always, had a bigger deal made out of his birthday than most people ever do, I’m not sure the festivities adequately paid homage to such a spectacular husband and friend…but I did also buy him an iPad so that should help make up some of the difference.

Jason only managed to blow out a small grouping of his candles on his first attempt. Pathetic.
Jason only managed to blow out a small grouping of his candles on his first attempt. Pathetic.

Sir Paul is Supreme

We went to see Paul McCartney in concert last week with Jason’s parents. This was his first time performing in Utah. I anticipated that this would be a cool show but it blew away all my expectations.

There was a nice open area by the porta potties that was a pretty sweet
There was a nice open area by the porta potties that was a pretty sweet place to hang out and enjoy the concert without having to worry about the giant sized man in front of you blocking your view.

Paul, though nearly 70, was just as energetic as he was in his younger days and definitely just as talented. His band played flawlessly together. They mostly performed Beatles songs but they threw in a few classics from his solo career as well. Paul also relayed some fascinating stories from his extraordinary life and sang heartfelt tributes to both George and John.

The performance of Live and Let Die, a song
The performance of Live and Let Die, a song featured on the Bond flick with the same title, was accompanied with fireworks. Pretty dang cool!

Sir McCartney was a great performer and really connected with his audience but what impressed me most about him was his graciousness. Although this man is a legend and an idol he was the most obliging musician I have ever seen in concert. Someone in the audience had made a sign requesting a song and even though it wasn’t on the band’s playlist Paul said that since they took the time to make that poster the least he could do is take the time to play their request. I’ve never witnessed a performer accommodating a request from their audience in a large stadium like that before. Paul also autographed some items that people threw up on stage for him to sign without complaint. He genuinely seemed to appreciate his fans.

At the conclusion of the concert red, white, and blue confetti rained down on the audience. It
At the conclusion of the concert red, white, and blue confetti rained down on the audience. It was a festive ending to an outstanding evening.
Paul was a cute, funny, quirky, and brilliant performer.
Paul was a cute, funny, quirky, and brilliant performer. His clothes almost looked like something he might have worn back in his Beatles days and he was so lively you could practically imagine yourself there.

Being in the presence of such a music icon was a privilege and it was very rewarding to see that he wasn’t just a superstar, he was actually a nice guy. The concert was fantastic and the man was fantastic. It was definitely one of the most memorable concerts I have ever been to and if he comes back to town I will gladly shell out the money to see him again.

When You Wish Upon a Star

Our friend, Jeremy Rowley, recently fulfilled a lifetime fantasy of his: he bought a motor boat. I think he envisioned achieving this dream a little sooner in life but, as the saying goes, better boat now than never.

Jeremy
Jeremy's got the water sport skills. He made all of us look bad. On the other hand, Jacob made the rest of us look like water geniuses.

He invited me, Jason, and our friend Jacob, to join him and his family on the maiden voyage of his illustrious watercraft.

We took the boat out on Utah Lake and had a lovely time wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and slalom waterskiing. Well, I should qualify that statement by saying that I kneeboarded, Jeremy waterskied and wakeboarded, Jason wakeboarded, and Jacob drank a lot of nasty lake water as he was dragged through the wake while he attempted unsuccessfully to kneeboard and wakeboard.

Don
Don't Jason and Jacob look good together? What a cute couple.

Milo, the Rowley’s little boy, had no problems kneeboarding even though it was his first time trying too. Sorry Jacob, I guess you were out done by a 7 year old. Oh burn! Speaking of burns, Jeremy and Jacob failed to apply adequate amounts of sunscreen and they both got bad sunburns. Oh, double burn! (Yup that’s right; my insult works both metaphorically and literally. I am so dang clever!)

Boating made Silas very sleepy.
Boating made Silas very sleepy. He spent most of the time napping on one of the seats or balled up on the floor under a towel.

We had a lot of fun out on the water and are glad that Jeremy got his dearest wish. Now that he has everything his heart desires what will his next lifelong ambition be? Getting a better boat? Reach for the stars Jeremy, reach for the stars!

How sweet!
How sweet! The boys look very comfy together. Maybe they were cuddling together for warmth?