Night Ride

Another thing I did while Robb was camping was go on a night ride on the tow path. I like to go as much as I can, so this was a perfect time to go on a nice ride. It's like pulling teeth trying to get Robb to go on a night ride, since he doesn't like how far it is away (about 1hr), but with no teeth to pull, I was on my way. The ride is about 15 miles and takes about an hour. We start out in the daylight and come back at night with our bike lights leading us back. I am kinda paranoid now about the night part, since last year I think I smushed a frog and felt so bad I can't get over it. This time at the turn around, I didn't stay long so I don't have to ride too much in the dark in fear of smushing frogs..It had rained a bit for a few days on and off, so the river that went along side the bike path was raging! There are a lot of bikers that go on the night ride.We start off gathering for the ride by the train tracks, and then head into the woods on the tow path.

**Warning- then next bunch of photos were taken while I was riding, so excuse the slight blurriness, I'm that fast. :o) Cool tunnel we ride through My beautiful biking face!This is a new freeway bridge that just got finished with construction. We've been watching them slowly build this for years on our rides. Oh and see the puddles? Those were small ones. By the time I got back to my car, my feet were soaked, and my back and bike were covered in mud! It keeps you cool and keep the bugs away. I don't mind that much. Frog alert area. Frog pond.

Luckily I made it without smushing any frogs, although there was a very close call! I need one of those deer sirens that they put on cars for frogs on my bike. Mmmm, invention?

Ferrante's!

I am so lucky to have a wonderful soon-to-be-sister-in-law that I have so much in common with! Kelsey is Robb's younger sister. She just graduated from Cornell this May, and now lives in Kansas. After my surprise birthday gift of cheesecake and cab franc ice wine, we discovered that we share a love for good wine. And even better, we both have an extreme love for cheesecake and ice wine! Kelsey took a very interesting wine class at Cornell and is becoming quite the connoisseur.

During the week she was home in between Cornell and Kansas, while Robb was camping with the guys, Kelsey and I went out to Ferrantes for dinner. She had never been there before, and I just had to take her to where the cab franc ice wine comes from!Needless to say, we had the best time! We a nice appetizer, and sampled and compared of all of Ferrantes wines. Kelsey had a perfectly cooked fillet for dinner, and I had this langosteen manicotti. Langosteens are like crayfish lobster shrimp creatures, that were absolutely delicious! For dessert we split a delicious piece of cheesecake, drizzled with raspberry sauce, and polished off a whole bottle of ice wine. YUM! We chatted late into the night, until we realized we were pretty much the last ones in the restaurant! It was time to go. :o(
Thanks Kelsey, for introducing me to such delicious flavors that I'm now addicted to, and for being a wonderful friend! I see many more trips to Ferrante's in our future...

Birthday Fun, Part 2

For the remainder of my birthday fun day, Robb planned a nice dinner at a local sushi restaurant in downtown Willoughby, called Lure. I'd been there a looooooonnnnngggggg time ago, just for drinks and dessert, so it was a real treat to finally eat there! (Sorry the pictures are dark, it was dark in there, and I just had my phone camera)Robb happily awaiting his meal!The ceiling was cool. I liked all of those silver balls hanging around.The birthday girl sipping on sake Yum My tasty salad

Delicious gourmet sushi! Robb's layered chocolate dessert And my current dessert obsession... cheesecake with cab franc ice wine! Thanks to my future sister-in-law Kelsey introducing me to the combination as a birthday gift! Luckily the restaurant had my new favorite combination which I thoroughly enjoyed for dessert!

Thanks for such a wonderful birthday fun day Honey! You always plan the best things for me! XOXO.

Don't you just love this face?

We do.

Goddess Party

Back in May, Jill's mom had a fun goddess party that I was so happy to be included in. Not only did I get a whole night with Jill, but it was a really fun experience to be part of! When I got over, her house was completly transformed into a beautiful goddess home! Bathroom mirror

Bathroom decorations!

Living room was completely transformed into a goddess lounge area with pillows galore!

The food was heavenly! We loved the chocolate fountain with all the dippers!

We also dined on hummus, tabouleh, grape leaves, and many other delicious treats! Jill sneaking a bite of something! Too hard to resist!

We also decorated wreaths to wear in our hair!

Here's how mine came out!

Aren't we lovely goddesses? I was the goddess of nature, and specifically poison oak, becuase I had it all over me.

Baby goddess Kayla Reese! Our lovely goddess hostess, Pam! Me and my BF Jill!Candelight made the room glow as we all read and shared goddess storiesThe last surprise of the evening was a belly dancer who taught us goddess moves!The scarf dancing!

It's always so fun to be at one of Jill's mom's fabulous parties! She sure does everything perfectly to create a wonderful time!

Atlantis- STS 135

"The earth is the cradle of humankind, but one cannot live in the cradle forever."~Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, 1895

Atlantis is in space, and we're back from watching her launch! More to come...

Happy Birthday Robb and America

Happy 33rd birthday Honey!

Happy 235th birthday America!

Some fun facts:

This July will have 5 Fridays, 5 Saturdays, and 5 Sundays. This happens once every 823 years!

This year has the dates 1-1-11, 1-11-11, 11-1-11, and 11-11-11!

Did you know that if you add the year you were born to the age you'll be in 2011, it will equal 111? This is true for everyone on the planet!

Robb 78+33=111
Carisa 81+30=111