Ira post #2 Can't wait to meet you!

Nice face, Ira!

This is my favorite picture!

This is what I see when I analyze your mind

#1 This is what I see if when I go biking during my lunch hour in Oberlin, Ohio.

Frank Lloyd Wright surprise while exercising: AWESOME!

#2 This is what I see if when I analyze your mind (usually a black cat is snacking in front of the red barn).

#3 This is what I see if when I come home...sometimes.......dog snacks.....

26 miles: Four deer, a beaver, a bluejay and a tiny turtle

I longed to be outside in the early fall warmth...

so I decided to bike from Independence, OH to Peninsula, OH ~ 13 miles on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park towpath trail and THEN I decided to bike back. It was great.

This is a dry riverbed, if you look closely,
it might look like an overbaked brownie...
sometimes I see in food

Welcome Ira

~1 month before birth

~16 hours before birth

~3 days old

~3 hours old

And hello Watson!
-He has A LOT of DNA

San Francisco Day 2: WTF & Cupcakes

So first a humorous and depressing note:

OK....I can be dramatic,
but it wasn't THIS bad

The first time I was in San Francisco I noticed a marked difference in the behavior of most homeless people. They were seemingly considerably less harmful...now I KNOW that all homeless people or I should say MOST homeless individuals are harmless....but there have been some individuals that I have avoided getting close to when walking down the street (AND NO! I am not talking about any avoidance based on purely on race; some individuals just seem sketchier)....LIKE the guy the walked by my in Chicago and kicked me hard in the leg FOR NO REASON that was apparent to me.....:-(

Anyway, I know this might sound horrible (or not), but the homeless in San Francisco are different than in other cities (Chicago, NYC, DC, Boston, Cali, Bogota, Cartagena, Paris, Madrid...blah blah blah.....). Although touched by mental illness or other trauma like many homeless, they have an endurable sense of humor that is always evolving and adapting....

This time the homeless cardboard signs were unique:

Countdown:

-#4. Kick me in the ass for $1 (sad...I know and a little symbolic)
-#3. MILF Hunter

Another Coda spotting, first one was in Boston:
Clearly named after my friend Coda.

-#2. Why Lie, I need a beer.
-#1. Fuck you! Give me money. (my favorite)

Then I accidentally walked by a cupcakery with a cupcake bar! YES!

cupcake dog

Classy American Cupcake

Hell yeah

San Francisco 1: I hate flying

On airplanes, I cope with alcohol:
It somehow takes the edge off of that terrible,
"I'm going to die in a SUPER horrible plane crash"
feeling I have

High

All I wanted to do was to EXIT
 the fucking airplane :-o

Happiness is a firm ground

Dog Day at Lake Erie

Once upon a time...we went to the "unofficial" dog beach near our house at Lake Erie and we haven't been back in over a year or two...I don't even remember when that was....what I DO remember is the garbage on the beach and the dead fish....one of which Mathias decided to to rub his head on.....
We decided to go back and give it another try...since we have a giant lake 5-10 mins from our house filled with potential beauty and Leo LOVEs the water......

Leo likes to jump-swim

This dog visit to Lake Erie was MUCH better

I told Mathias to sit in the water and
I thought this was hilarious

Another freaky dog beach picture

Lemon Cupcakes Day 2

fresh lemon juice

lemon syrup in the making

buttercream icing with lemon juice &
lemon zest 

Today, Steph had a
red-skinned avocado-hard to tell here
(but Steph's fingernails looked Goth)

Veggies from Steph's garden

Steph was quite proud
of her lunch today

Our blue office monkey died

lemon buttercream icing

Source: Cupcake Fun

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 cup butter softened

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

4 cups (approx. 1 lb.) confectioner's sugar sifted

Additional lemon juice or milk (optional)

Makes: About 3 cups.

Instructions:

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and zest; beat well. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, if icing is dry, add additional juice or milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

Keep icing covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Re-whip before using.