This, That, and the Other Thing

It’s December.  DECEMBER!  Like… HOW?  

Prepping for that walk thing I did sucked away my ability to know what time of year it was.  Suddenly BAM.  December.  I need to breathe into a paper bag or something.

Still with me?  Aren't you faithful.  Thanks!

Speaking of that walk thingy, I forgot to mention one of the coolest parts of it… My family!  Duh, Amy.  While I was in the southern most region of the state of California I was blessed by a few lovely folks who came to see me.  Like my cousin Heidi -

And my mother and my Opa.

It was totally incredible to see someone you know and love standing with a sign of encouraging words.  

So lovely.

After we returned from the walk - BAM - Thanksgiving.  I made this and this and they both were divine.  Truly.  Teenagers were singing praises as I basked in culinary bliss.

It’s the little things in life, man.

Last weekend Mr. Pihl and I treated ourselves to a weekend in Kansas City.  We stayed at the Hotel Phillips which was simply beautiful.  No joke.  My inner history major was going nuts (and quickly threatening not to remain an inner) over all of the historic furnishings.  

We spent quite a bit of time in the Power and Light District pretending we were 21, which meant that Saturday promptly slapped me in the face with the fact that we are no longer 21.  And by “we” I mean ME.  Mr. Pihl was fine.  I on the other hand couldn't make any sudden movements, experience drastic temperature changes, or stand still for too long without feeling the pangs of hangover nausea until roughly 7:18 am on SUNDAY.

Age + Adult Beverages + this place (shown below) = A BAD WAY.

To be fair, that’s a photo (which at the time, I thought was brilliant) of a blurry mechanical bull behind a crowd inside an establishment.  To be fair to this establishment, my decline began well before I entered its doors.  My demise actually began the minute I forgot that whiskey = EL DIABLO and I ordered an old fashioned at the Maker’s Mark restaurant.  Three sips and I abandoned my cocktail in favor of my trusty sidekick BEER because my taste buds (and my upchuck reflex) were not going to tolerate all of the bourbon.  Apparently those three sips solidified themselves in my stomach for the next 36 hours because YUCK.  I could still sense its evilness all day on Saturday.

Despite the evilness of bourbon, Mr. Pihl and I had a lovely time walking around the Kansas City Plaza Christmas shopping (mostly for ourselves) and soaking in the beauty of the Plaza at Christmastime at night.  I tried and failed to capture the beauty of it all, so instead I give you this Google image search results list so that you can ooo and ahh over the pretty lights.

By the time Sunday rolled around my liver was ready for a mild workout again. 

Enter: Blood Orange Mimosa.

In spite of the bourbon, Kansas City showed Mr. Pihl and me a wonderful time.