TWTW: the one with the first birthday

The last time I was home on a Friday night was August 12. This Friday was the perfect night to be home: it was chilly and rainy, our fabulous cleaning lady Linda was there Friday so everything looked and smelled fresh and new, and I had no plans. Hallelujah and Amen. Only SEPTA fucked with me and stole two hours of my weekend off the bat with the 2+ hour chaotic train ride home from hell. Bastards. The only thing I did when I finally got home was cycle laundry and marinate chicken before chilling the fuck out with my homies.

Saturday I rolled out of bed and headed up to The Day We Remember Walk & Run, a charity event hosted by The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation. MFD's business was a sponsor of the event as an affiliate of the Homes For Heroes Program, which means he is committed to providing Hero Rewards (basically a cut of his commission) so that firefighters, law enforcement, military (active, reserve, and veterans), healthcare workers, emergency medical services, and teachers can save significant money when buying a home. He's a strong believer in helping those who help the community, so this program is a perfect fit to marry his personal philosophies to his business.

Anyhoo this event was a great way to honor heroes, our local emergency responders and military. The chair said something that stuck with me, and I'm paraphrasing it here: you see the politics on the TV, but life is really about what happens in our communities - what we give to each other and how we support each other - and you know who controls how things feel and work in our communities? WE do. A good reminder to make sure we're involved and doing what we can before we take to the Internet and complain about things. We really do need to be the change. As a bonus I got pics with the Phillie Phanatic and Brian Dawkins...this plus Bruce on Thursday, I'm set for a while.

Top left pic attributable to the event photographer

Not much doing Saturday afternoon. I hung with the dogs.

In the sometimes food photos are gross looking department, I also did weekly food prep Saturday afternoon: breakfast casserole (recipe coming soon), green chile dip for Lola's first birthday party (looks gross, but it's not, recipe tomorrow), chicken salad over spinach for lunches, and dinner is baked ziti a la Carol and salad.

Saturday night Lori and Amanda came over and we gabbed and gabbed and ate bad food. It wore the dogs out.

Sunday morning I headed to The Pub for some delicious cream chipped beef in a bread bowl (can everything come in bread bowls?) and good conversation with Lyndsey for her birthday and left the dogs with Treat Lady.

A little trip to Target with Lori (that's a straight up kitchen towel hanging out of the back of the pants of the man in front of us in checkout) and Lola party prep.

Then it was time, my favorite girl's first birthday party. Lola's whole gang was there, and Aubrey did an awesome job with the decor as usual. I can't believe my niece has been here for a year. On one hand it feels like she's always been here, and on the other hand I can't believe it's been a year already. She's made the past 12 months such a joy for so many people.

All good things come to an end, including the weekends. 

Go out there and kick Monday's ass.

Linking up with Biana at B Loved Boston for Weekending