Today was a day of food. I had the very rare treat of lunching with a couple of friends/former coworkers this afternoon on a wind-swept and sunny veranda overlooking a marina/channel in Fort Lauderdale then hit up my favorite restaurant in all of Miami, Michael’s Genuine, to celebrate my DH’s birthday.

Lunch was fabulous–I forgot how much I missed those girls–and we had a really perfect, cathartic afternoon. Complete with good food & booze.

Dinner at Michael’s Genuine is always great. It’s really down to Earth, genuine even, and has a great quality/seasonal and local where possible ethos. This is a place that makes a simple dish like a quarter chicken taste so good, my husband wanted that instead of a big juicy steak for his birthday dinner. And that’s really saying something for a carnivore like him. We also had the ridiculously tasty hand cut potato chips with French onion dip, a mussel dish, cheesy grits, and perhaps one of the 10 best dishes I’ve ever put in my mouth: popcorn ice cream for dessert.

My day has left my belly past full and my psyche satisfied. Thank you, ladies.

Pics: lunch with the ladies, chocolate mousse tulip cup with lunch, birthday “Popcorn and Peanuts” dessert at dinner.

Today’s picture was supposed to be tied to the Penn & Teller show my DH (dearest husband) and I were supposed to attend, but the fates conspired against us, and home we are. Upon leaving for the show we discovered that not one, but both of our vehicles had a flat tire. What are the odds of that?! And, one is 4WD and the other is a big work van, needless to say, spares just weren’t in the cards for us traveling the few towns over to get to the show. Boo.

And we were all dolled up, too. And, since exactly two of the 7 or so dresses I own fit at this particular moment in time, I was even inadvertently dressed to at least the 8s in a silky party dress and sky-high heels. All dressed up & nowhere to go.

At least we haven’t seen all the Penn & Teller “Bullshit” episodes on Netflix.

What is that I see through the window, cooking low & slow?

You know you’re jealous;) Just a portion of the Star Wars Legos we have chillin’ in the dust on our headboard.

What? You mean other 30-somethings don’t have Legos lining their only available horizontal surface? Screw that. Legos are frakin awesome.

Out to dinner in Fort Lauderdale with a dear friend. I’ve known J for going on 15 years. We’ve been through a lot of crap in that time, and I’m happy to count him amongst my closest friends.

Hey, looky there. I do have a real camera. D’ar was looking so peaceful on his (purloined) bed in the nice, warm sun and I couldn’t resist. He waited very patiently while I crawled all around him to get the perfect angle, too. Young padawan is learning.

Those little bites. Taken with the Classic Toy camera app: Shinooks Edition lens, Color Positive film.

Happy Birthday, my love. Day 1 of celebration almost down, 2 more to go!

I couldn’t decide on my POTD, so you get two. The sunset from the parking deck in Midtown and a political collage at Gigi.

Most days, this is what I see when I glance up from working. Of course there are no birds in this shot–figures. They’re surprisingly hard to capture while wheeling and dancing in the air.

The hawks surfing in warm up drafts pushed off the hot asphalt are even harder to catch. The great flocks of white sea birds with their picture-perfect arched wings even harder still.

Generally they all just end up looking like dust. Or blurs. Some day. Some day I will catch one of the flocks of birds that wraps their flight path around my corner of the building. But not today. Today I have blue skies with a light scud of clouds.