So, in preparation for Saturday’s festivities, I had to do some long overdue repair work on the deck. As many of you may know, I’m more known for my skills with computers than with power tools – rebuilding this section of the deck was the first project that I have tackled with power tools in a long time. Here is what it looked like after I finished rebuilding the frame (with some guidance from my roommate Kim):
Special thanks to all those who came out to help me celebrate my 37th birthday on Saturday. It had been far too long since I had hosted a large gathering of any kind – I hadn’t realized how much I had been missing it. The homemade-by-Brian portion of the menu included smoked brisket and sausage, fresh bread, and a new ice-cream creation: espresso cinnamon sweet cream. (Brian Webb also contributed some homemade cookies-and-cream ice cream, so we were well supplied on the ice cream front!)
I had a chance to check out Houston Grand Opera’s production of Don Pasquale last night. I’ve only been to a handful of operas before – I enjoy them enough to understand the magic that some people see but I haven’t been fully captured by that magic myself. Based on past experience, I made a point to read a plot synopsis in advance so that I could sit back and enjoy the music and performance and not have to focus so much on reading all of the subtitles on the screen above the stage. A nice change of pace from some of my usual activities.
