Posts from — August 2010

Today is my mom and dad’s anniversary. They were married in 1955.  Happy anniversary as you are celebrating your this anniversary in heaven together.  I am in LA and spent last night with Kim. Had drinks with our friend Rob which is always a treat.  Here are some of my favorite snaps.

Hummingbird taken on Sunset Blvd

Painted guitar promotion on Sunset many business have them on display

Ferris Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier

Sunset at the Shutters Hotel

Rose taken outside a friends house

Father and son on a skateboard

ME

Rhyming booze

Beautiful waves

Sailing

The little friends playingin the surf

Whhheeeeee

Beak Beak

What!?

Gould for a Gould

Yeah today I am at the end of my back to back in August. But boy do I feel blessed to have had such a great month.  Needless to say my September is sitting empty so I will be stretching the money out through September.

Started the month off going to Washington DC for the Mil-OSS open sourcing conference with Josh Davis.  The folks did a great job a the Waterview Conference Center. This center is up on the 24th floor of a building that overlooks the Potomic.  The guests attending are mostly government and they couldn’t believe that we had such a nice space.  The week after that I was in Atlanta working the Coca-Cola Bottlers Association annual meeting at the Intercontinental Hotel.  Then straight after that I went into NW Georgia’s annual retreat.  For the retreat we rented out a Wine Market. The market is very cute  and a great space to host our event but the night of the event I was a little upset with the owners of the market.  They participated in my event as guests more than people who should have been working. Their job is to pour and educate people on the wine meanwhile they were eating and drinking – the market should have been closed down for us exclusively and it wasn’t.  Oh well I take blame as well for not explaining my expectations a little better. This will change for next year.

Divine Events Catering did the food. It was the first time I used this catering company and enjoyed working with them very much. I would recommend this catering company to anyone in the Atlanta area in need.

The next day of the retreat we went to The Farms at Serenbe and then onto The Hil for a buyout dinner. The group had a great time touring the farms. We talked about foods that highlighted foods that are cancer fighters. Then we let everyone walk the flower patch to pick flowers that they had to take into dinner and put in little bud vases on the table. It was all very sweet. The farmers also let us pick some tomatoes and peppers all the doc’s loved it.  Then we went to The Hil for dinner – highlighting the foods from Serenbe.  We had passed tomato sandwiches with basil mayo on homemade bread – Hilary’s crab fritters, homemade potato chips and veggie samosas for starters. Next we did an amuse of watermelon and beets with crumbled feta cheese, next we did a deconstructed veggie gazapacho and then we went into entrees. Here are some pictures.

J Patrick's floral arrangement at the Intercon

BBQ Brisket Burritos with Cole Slaw Topping

JP's floral look at the reflection in the back of the mirror

JP's flowers

Beef and Chicken Sates from Surin

Oversize Spring Rolls

Corn Off The Cobb Station

Sandy Hilary's mom helping with fresh cut flowers from the garden

Went and saw the movie to day with my dear friend Gabby.  I didn’t think I would like it but today I was having a weepy day with missing my father and feeling sorry for myself with all that I have done and what has to be done.  I actually did enjoy the movie very much. You have to be in a headspace to recognize personal betterment through spirituality or all 3 of the phases that her character Elizabeth went through. Most important she was willing to take some risks.  To say screw it these are things that are on my bucket list and I am going to go for it. And she did.  I really liked the part when she was talking about an x boyfriend that she doesn’t like at all. Her co-star told her to just think about it – wish him well even though he hurt you and then “drop it” as obsessing about it won’t do anyone any good. Acknowledge it, wish the negative well and then turn your mind onto something else.  Also if things don’t go wrong in your life how do you continue to grow or realize that you need to grow if everything always stays at the status quo?  I think I will probably go see the movie again in the next couple of weeks.

Also finished up a large proposal tonight and emailed it off – cross fingers for me as this is a new client and it would be huge if I could get this business. 

Have a busy week ahead – back to back with events. Then thinking of going somewhere next week for  a little holiday. I can’t decide if I want to go to LA or Miami.  Half o fme wants LA but the other half wants the Florida beaches – not west coast beaches but FLORIDA beaches. They are so much prettier I keep going back and forth.

This is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire

I went to a local Atlanta hotel (4 star) on Thursday to taste bread. That shouldn’t be so hard – I am doing a function there next week and I am tired of not liking the bread that hotels put on sandwiches. Why people don’t get the key to a good sandwich is GOOD BREAD. The tasting went well I tried about 5 different types of bread to pick out the exact one I wanted for my sandwiches next week. The winne was a crusty but not “bready” long French baguette. Technicaly the type of bread you see in New Orleans.  What I couldn’t deal with is a Thick Foccacia that isn’t a good bread for sandwiches or a sourdough roll way too much bread.  Stay tuned and I will let you know how it all works out next week.

This is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire

Called my niece Emily tonight. She started first grade today. Teasingly I asked her how was Kindergarden. Her voice got loud and she said Aunt Claire are you out of your mind? I am not in kindergarden I am in first grade! I love getting the little ones fired up. It just doesn’t take much.

I then asked her if she had homework…I got another Aunt Claire you don’t get homework on your first day of school.  I am sure this is going to be short lived when her happy butt hits grade 02.

This is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire

Received a nice invitation to join friends on the river for an evening of food and music. I was so grateful to receive this as it really was lovely. Joe made prime rib on the grill, smoked ribs and did chicken.  The food was amazing.

Brian cutting up ribs from the smoker

Docks on the Allegheny

Joe's Prime Rib it was delicious

Brian and Janine's new boat or expensive towel rack?

Picture of the peaceful Allegheny

Madison Kuntz singing

One Tomato; Two