Friends Michael and Sisko threw a birthday get-together yesterday afternoon to help good friend Larry (left) celebrate his 54th trip around the sun. Sisko (bottom left, with Dawn) made her famous gumbo, always a big hit, and topped things off with a fantastic bread pudding. Mix-master Michael whipped up some cocktails none of us had tried before - “Sand in your Shorts”, “Washington Apples” and some kind of shooters concocted with cinnamon schnapps and habanero sauce - and played country music on the stereo in honor of the occasion, something I’ve never seen him do before.

F.A.R.T. (Fraternal Associates of Rolled Tobacco) members gathered in the back yard and fired up a few of Michael’s finest while accepting two new members (Larry and Pat’s daughter Michelle and son-in-law Brian) into the esteemed Lodge. New member Brian “volunteered” to provide an air conditioning unit for the “lodge hall” to cover his initiation fee. During the “meeting,” member and guest-of-honor Larry reaffirmed his promise to write a column for this blog about guitars, and member Noah agreed to write one about the restoration of his Baja Bug. It was a nice afternoon, a good time with good friends.

Even though we’ve been back from our mini-vacation for more than a week, Dawn and I are trying to maintain some of the level of relaxation we achieved while away for as long as possible. So we remind ourselves every day that “the vacation’s not over ‘til we say it’s over - and it’s not over yet.” And this was another nice, relaxing “vacation” weekend.

After our Saturday morning four-mile power walk along Lake Natoma (my knees won’t tolerate jogging these days; ageing sucks!), we decided to drag out the bikes yesterday morning for a longer ride along the south side of the scenic lake. I hadn’t ridden in almost two years and knew I would be out of biking shape, but I had no idea just how out of shape I’ve become. It hit home as we sailed downhill for much of the first leg of the route, meaning there would be a lot of uphill peddling on the return.

Now, we used to bike this route, and some far more challenging, with regularity. But yesterday’s ride was difficult for me. I even had to stop a couple times after the longer climbs to catch my breath. I vowed to drop the thirty or so pounds I’ve gained over the last couple years and get back to the outdoor sports we’ve always enjoyed! I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Yes, it was a nice weekend. We were active, got some of our errands done, and finished it off with good friends. Life is good!