Category Archives: Birthdays

Daisylicious

Here are a few daisies from the Iowa Arboretum.


I was surprised how spry their daisies still are considering that my daisies went the way of the dodo bird almost a month ago.

PARTICULARS

CAMERA: SONY SLT-A65V
ISO: 100
FOCAL LENGTH: 60mm
APERTURE: f/5
EXPOSURE: 1/100
DATE: 07/03/2016 – 20:01
LATITUDE: 41.93805°
LONGITUDE: -93.86141°
PHOTO ASSISTANT: A gentle summer breeze
EDITING SOUNDTRACK: “Clean My Wounds” by Corrosion of Conformity

Before you head out, I decided that starting on July 1, I wanted to wish “happy birthday!” to any subscribers that I know the birthday of AND have a photo of.

The first person to meet those criteria is Jay.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAY!


Jay - Joy

For he’s a jolly good fellow! Which nobody can deny!

The Final Manos

I realize I never posted the MANOS pictures that were used in the Birthday Party FAQ or in the actual invitation.

I also forgot to thank Derrick earlier for being the fire starter during the party.

The MANOS images:


I’ll be retiring the THE MASTER costume to a wall in my house very soon. I will not mention MANOS again, but interested parties may still book a viewing in The Union Street Theater.

But what about the answer to the Christopher D. Bennett Trivia Quiz? Look below:

QUESTION 3

My dog is named after a song by what transcendent musician?

ANSWER: John Coltrane

BONUS

What friend came up with the idea for that name?

ANSWER: Dawn Krause

Christopher D. Bennett Quiz Results!

I have tabulated the results for the Christopher D. Bennett Quiz and we have a winner!


The WINNER with a score of 61 out of 120 points was Teresa Kahler. Some day soon a semi-fabulous prize will arrive in her mailbox.

I’ve been told the quiz was too tough. I didn’t thinks so. I could’ve got every question right. But I’ve heard your complaints. Next year’s quiz will be easier. Perhaps shorter. We’ll see. We all know that sometimes I like to bloviate.

But what were the answers?

For the next 20 entries, I will reveal the answer to 1 question and its bonus question.

QUESTION 1

At what annual Boone event were my parents at when my Mom started the birthing process of me?

ANSWER: The Hillbilly Auction

BONUS

What did my Dad initially want to name me?

ANSWER: Richard Milhous

The Birthday Party of Fate (Roundup)

I’ve thanked all these people in person, but I’d like to publicly thank everybody that helped out in some either small or big way with my birthday party on Saturday.

Big shout out to Scott for making tons of delicious mouth watering chicken and jalapeno cream corn. I only wish I would have had time to help do more than just brine the chicken. If I am so inclined to do this again next year and you are so inclined to help with the food next year, I will have to schedule this so I can be more hands on with the process. I may have been The Master, but Scott was undeniably the Smoker Master. I just can’t overstate how amazing the chicken was people.

Much love to Scott’s (better-other-less high maintenance) half for making the Pick and Pluck. If I would’ve thought of it, I would’ve bought several gallons of ice cold chocolate milk to knock down while setting up shop on that thing.

Thanks to Logan and Corinna for holding down the grill and making an assortment of hot dogs and sausages to compliment the mouth watering chicken. I don’t really have any photos of the event, perhaps next year I can talk him/them into doing some candid photography for the party.

I’m always able to count on Dae Hee when I need some assistance. He came over and helped put up the canopies for the outdoor dining area, the tent for an additional child area, moved all the chairs from the basement to the outdoors, and watched 2 hours of GAME OF THRONES. A pretty solid effort!

Thanks to Jason for loaning me his Cornhole set.

Thanks to Shannon for loaning me her canopies, although I’m still unclear where one gets tailgating tents that don’t have Iowa State colors. Or why a person would even want such a thing.

Thanks to Jesse for laminating the beverage identification signs.

Thanks to Teresa for helping out in various tasks before the party started.

Thanks to my Mom for making a copious amount of side dishes and desserts. Nobody went home hungry. That is for sure.

Finally, thanks to everybody that took time out of their lives to come visit me:


Teresa
Brandon
Logan & Corinna
Aunt Linda
Kio
Steph, Katie, Jeff, & Yin
Carla, Jason, Alexis, and Johnathan
Mom
Scott, Melissa, Austin, and Porter
Steve
Dawn, Kevin, Scott, and Kayelee
Jen, Derrick, Evie, and Layla
Sara, Shawn, and Gretchen
Jesse, Kelly, Kalista, Saydie, and Taylan
Willy
Dan and Angie
Suzie
Monica and Jeff
Bethany, Dae Hee, and Nora
Jason, Will, Ben, and Nader
Andree
Anders & Nicholas
Shannon and Jason
Geri
Michelle, Craig, and Lily
Kim and Kevin

A special thanks to Dae Hee, Bethany, and Nora who came from Minnesota. Aunt Linda who came from Kansas. Stephanie who came all the way from Brooklyn. I guess I’m morally obligated to visit her in October now. Right?

Since I think that this party was a success on some level, I am tentatively planning on doing it again next year. Tentatively thinking about some time on Memorial Day Weekend next year. We’ll see how the cookie crumbles.

Now to the less than stellar news…

The Photo Booth was a success, but far from perfect. It turns out that the photo booth program I used has a painful little quirk. If the “Finish” button wasn’t pushed at the conclusion of the photo session, the program timed out and didn’t save the photo strip! The good news is that it did save the original images. The bad news is that there will be a night in my future where I’ll be piecing together photo strips from saved images. Yeah me!

For that reason, I did load up all the images into the party gallery. Not just the “finished” photo strips.

To see those images, click on the link below… (You can also download them by clicking on the down arrow icon.)

MANOS & PHOTOBOOTH IMAGES

However, thought I would share a few of them here as well:


But the good news is that I now have a thousand different ways to improve the photo booth for next year. Tentatively.

I Further Celebrate Myself More



This is even more rehashier of the post 2 weeks ago and last week the new information is in bold.

Only a handful of you understand the photo I posted to start this post. But that is okay. You might understand in a few weeks, or you might just be even more confused.

Almost all the pieces are now in place and the Birthday Invitation Photo Shoot has been scheduled for this week. Now we’re playing with fire! I hope Torgo doesn’t lose his hand!

The birthday invite photo shoot has finished and the invites have been ordered. Many may get handed off to the United State Postal Service this week Socialism at work!

Here is the information that you need to know. My personal Edith Head, my personal staff man, my personal Torgo, my personal technology team, and my personal photographer are hard at work currently devising invitations for my birthday gala.

Edith Head is done. Experiments ran by the makeup team based on Edith Head’s suggestion have been deemed a success. The Staff Man has made tremendous progress. The staff (as far as I’ve seen it) is beautiful.

The costume did survive the photo shoot. One of the costumes at least. Another costume had to be cut off, but between you, me, and a boy named blue; that added something to the night. I had to pour out a 40 for the hand staff though.

That is right! After a several year hiatus… it is back!

After consulting, friends, family, a gopher, a toreador, my personal astrologist, a numerologist, a phrenologist, Hoodie Club, Nature Squad, Friday Night Supper Club, and The Dawg Pound I have settled on a date for this event.

MAY 14

So this is sort of a “save the date” only, believe me, I would never be so presumptuous as to ask somebody to save a date. This would be more like a consider this date. Or don’t. I understand that you have to live your life and walk. I would expect nothing more and nothing less, from you my friend.

I stick with this belief. You have to live your life and walk. When you aren’t doing that, I say may grilled cheese sandwiches in an air fryer while posting videos about it on Snapchat.

What can you expect at this event (besides my arrogance)?

My arrogance has only grown in the last week. Some would say that it has grown unchecked.

At this point, it is possible that my arrogance is out of my control. It is may apply for its own zip code after I successfully ran new speaker wire for my rear speakers in the living room, restored the interwebs to the financial computer at church, AND cleaned my office!

Well, details are being hammered out.

However, there could be such fun activities as:

Food from an award winning barbecue team.

I have signed one member of the award winning barbecue team Baby Got Rack to a contract. While that isn’t the whole team, the guy I signed is clearly the George Michael of the team. Trust me. I didn’t sign Andrew Ridgeley.

I have not talked to the Daryl Hall of Barbecue this week. But the ball is mostly in my court, to decide what meat will get the award winning treatment.  You know who I’m not passing that ball to? Alf. That is who!

Food! From other sources. Like my Mom.

I did talk to my Mom. She is going to make various salads for the event. She wanted to know how many people were coming. Funny. That is the same question that Daryl Hall asked. Probably means I should work on a guest list.

Keg beer! Of the root vintage.

No progress here. But I have my man on it.

Cornhole! No horseshoes.

No progress here either. Need to get on that.

A dog!

(Naima has confirmed that she will make an appearance. Unless she gets a better offer.)

Naima hasn’t moved out. We’re still good here.

Music. Most of it clean! At least 63%.

(That Master Playlist is currently over 1,000 songs. If you wish to suggest a song for the Master Playlist, I suggest that you suggest in the COMMENTS section.)

Master Playlist currently stands at 1232 songs. Song 1232 is “Closing Time” by Semisonic. 

A Christopher D. Bennett trivia game. Winner to get a semi-fabulous prize. You better start trying to figure out my favorite band… now!

I just wrote a new question today. What is Christopher D. Bennett’s second favorite Bible verse?  Doesn’t mean it will be on the quiz, but I wrote it.

A tent!

(I have confirmed it. I own a tent.)

My Edith Head offered the use of 2 canopies so that people can eat award winning barbecue in the shade. If you guys don’t have an Edith Head in your world, you’re doing life wrong.

Stimulating conversation!

(My idea for guaranteeing this is to create a section of the yard where people can talk about vaping. If they leave that section of the yard, they cannot bore people with incessant talk about coils and formulas and amps and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!)

Other people!

(Maybe. After people see the invitation, it just might be you and me. But if its the right you and the right me, that’s cool.) Well, one person has RSVPed sorta. So 2 of us will be there.

Word is that a baby might make an appearance. I know babies aren’t people, but it is a step in the right direction. 

A photo booth! With props?

(Work in progress. At best.)

Boom! That is all I have to say.

A new firepit!

(Probably a temporary new firepit.)

Sidewalk chalk! (I’ve priced it.)

A finely manicured lawn!

(Spring-Green has applied the year’s first treatment. My lawn. It is the thing of daydreams.)

A bounce house.

(I mean stranger things have happened.)

This isn’t happening. The logistics are just too complicated.  No sweat. Jumping up and down on a finely manicured lawn seems like fun to me!

Convenient parking! (Unless more than 3 of you show up.)

The driveway will be shut down for sidewalk chalk art.  So don’t even look at it.

Zero pressure to RSVP!

So keep your mailboxes peeled on your eyes for the invitation of what will surely be one of the biggest events at my house that month!

I wouldn’t start peeling them yet. The photo session hasn’t even commenced yet.

I’m hoping to start throwing stamps on these and then throwing these into a mailbox late this week. So start the peeling around then or more likely early the week after that.

 

I Further Celebrate Myself


This is mostly a rehash of the “Save the Date or Don’t” Post from last Saturday. A few updates. In italics.

Only a handful of you understand the photo I posted to start this post. But that is okay. You might understand in a few weeks, or you might just be even more confused.

Almost all the pieces are now in place and the Birthday Invitation Photo Shoot has been scheduled for this week. Now we’re playing with fire! I hope Torgo doesn’t lose his hand!

Here is the information that you need to know. My personal Edith Head, my personal staff man, my personal Torgo, my personal technology team, and my personal photographer are hard at work currently devising invitations for my birthday gala.

Edith Head is done. Experiments ran by the makeup team based on Edith Head’s suggestion have been deemed a success. The Staff Man has made tremendous progress. The staff (as far as I’ve seen it) is beautiful.

That is right! After a several year hiatus… it is back!

After consulting, friends, family, a gopher, a toreador, my personal astrologist, a numerologist, a phrenologist, Hoodie Club, Nature Squad, Friday Night Supper Club, and The Dawg Pound I have settled on a date for this event.

MAY 14

So this is sort of a “save the date” only, believe me, I would never be so presumptuous as to ask somebody to save a date. This would be more like a consider this date. Or don’t. I understand that you have to live your life and walk. I would expect nothing more and nothing less, from you my friend.

What can you expect at this event (besides my arrogance)?

My arrogance has only grown in the last week. Some woould say that it has grown unchecked.

Well, details are being hammered out.

However, there could be such fun activities as:

Food from an award winning barbecue team. I have signed one member of the award winning barbecue team Baby Got Rack to a contract. While that isn’t the whole team, the guy I signed is clearly the George Michael of the team. Trust me. I didn’t sign Andrew Ridgeley.
Food! From other sources. Like my Mom.
Keg beer! Of the root vintage.
Cornhole! No horseshoes.
A dog! (Naima has confirmed that she will make an appearance. Unless she gets a better offer.)
Music. Most of it clean! At least 63%. (That Master Playlist is currently over 1,000 songs. If you wish to suggest a song for the Master Playlist, I suggest that you suggest in the COMMENTS section.)
A Christopher D. Bennett trivia game. Winner to get a semi-fabulous prize. You better start trying to figure out my favorite band… now!
A tent! (I have confirmed it. I own a tent.)
Stimulating conversation! (My idea for guaranteeing this is to create a section of the yard where people can talk about vaping. If they leave that section of the yard, they cannot bore people with incessant talk about coils and formulas and amps and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!)
Other people! (Maybe. After people see the invitation, it just might be you and me. But if its the right you and the right me, that’s cool.) Well, one person has RSVPed sorta. So 2 of us will be there.
A photo booth! With props? (Work in progress. At best.)
A new firepit! (Probably a temporary new firepit.)
Sidewalk chalk! (I’ve priced it.)
A finely manicured lawn! (Spring-Green has applied the year’s first treatment. My lawn. It is the thing of daydreams.)
A bounce house. (I mean stranger things have happened.)
Convenient parking! (Unless more than 3 of you show up.)
Zero pressure to RSVP!

So keep your mailboxes peeled on your eyes for the invitation of what will surely be one of the biggest events at my house that month!

I wouldn’t start peeling them yet. The photo session hasn’t even commenced yet.

I Celebrate Myself


Only a handful of you understand the photo I posted to start this post. But that is okay. You might understand in a few weeks, or you might just be even more confused.

Here is the information that you need to know. My personal Edith Head, my personal staff man, my personal Torgo, my personal technology team, and my personal photographer are hard at work currently devising invitations for my birthday gala.

That is right! After a several year hiatus… it is back!

After consulting, friends, family, a gopher, a toreador, my personal astrologist, a numerologist, a phrenologist, Hoodie Club, Nature Squad, Friday Night Supper Club, and vape nayshe I have settled on a date for this event.

MAY 14

So this is sort of a “save the date” only, believe me, I would never be so presumptuous as to ask somebody to save a date. This would be more like a consider this date. Or don’t. I understand that you have to live your life and walk. I would expect nothing more and nothing less, from you my friend.

What can you expect at this event (besides my arrogance)?

Well, details are being hammered out.

However, there could be such fun activities as:

Food from an award winning barbecue team.
Food! From other sources. Like my Mom.
Keg beer! Of the root vintage.
Cornhole! No horseshoes.
A dog!
Music. Most of it clean! At least 63%.
A Christopher D. Bennett trivia game. Winner to get a semi-fabulous prize. You better start trying to figure out my favorite band… now!
A tent!
Stimulating conversation!
Other people! (Maybe. After people see the invitation, it just might be you and me. But if its the right you and the right me, that’s cool.)
A photo booth! With props?
A new firepit! (Don’t bet on this one.)
Sidewalk chalk!
A finely manicured lawn!
A bounce house. (I mean stranger things have happened.)
Convenient parking! (Unless more than 3 of you show up.)
Zero pressure to RSVP!

So keep your mailboxes peeled on your eyes for the invitation of what will surely be one of the biggest events at my house that month!