Dawn Patrol

today, we took charlie to monmouth park racetrack for their "dawn patrol" program. they open the track up to early risers, provide juice, coffee, and doughnuts, and give you a tour of the behind the scenes workings of the horse track. it is a very informative tour that takes you through the stable area, the backstretch of the track, and even into the jockey's room. cool stuff.

after dawn patrol, we headed north to sea bright to check out the pod of dophins that have been frolicking in the river for the past week. reports have the number of dolphins in the pod at around 14, all of which are moms and their calves. this is a big deal because dolphins don't normally hang out in the rivers in NJ. you usually find them a few miles off shore in the ocean. every now and then, they may come in close to the beach and give you a little bit of a show, but not that often. many are worried that the 4th of July boat traffic in the river will hurt the dolphins, so they are attempting to coax them back out into the ocean before next week.

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Celebrate Good Times, Come On...

yesterday was Pat's graduation party at monmouth park racetrack in Oceanport, NJ. it was a beautiful day and the perfect venue. the location of the party - the patio terrace - was excellent. there was an open bar, delicious food, and even our own betting teller for the races. friends and family enjoyed the celebration from noon until around 6:30 pm. some pics from the party are posted below.

also, kim pointed out that there was a major flaw with my scoring of the baby pool, so i'm changing the scoring completely. here's how it will play out - everyone starts out with 1000 points. if you guess the wrong gender: -15 points. if you guess the wrong date: -1 point per day. if you guess the wrong weight: -1 point per ounce. the winner is the player with the highest score. you will still email me your guess (gender, date, and weight) at douglasraynor@gmail.com. only 1 submission per person. submissions must be emailed by July 7. the due date set by our doctor is July 20.

now, a challenge to anyone who might be heading to Las Vegas anytime soon. there's a bar off the strip called the Double Down Saloon. i will pay for you to drink the bacon martini, made with bacon infused vodka. our good friend Larry in NH calls bacon "God's Candy," but i'm pretty sure he wouldn't even try this. i would need proof that you drank the entire martini in order to get your $$. i would also want a full review of the martini because if it happens to be good, i would like to try to replicate it.

Rooms and Pools and Birds, Oh My

it's been almost a week since the last post, so i'll make sure to update more often. as usual, it's been pretty busy around the house and work, so i haven't really been able to take time out to blog. first, the pool is finally open, but of course, the weather has cooled off to normal June temps. opening the pool was a chore this year - it was nasty dirty, and the filter and pump didn't want to cooperate at first. after messing with everything for much longer than i had anticipated, all is well and the pool is ready to be used. not only are we excited to start using the pool for the season, but the dragonflies are also excited. they love to dive-bomb the pool and either drink the water or eat whatever microscopic thing that might be floating on the pool.

also last week, we had a few interesting birds visit our area - a goldfinch and a toddler robin. the goldfinch took a bath in the water at the end of our driveway and has been visiting a lot since last week. the robin was lost and hadn't learned how to fly yet, but its parents were able to guide it to safety.

the garage office is finally set up the way we want it. all that is left on the inside to do is finish with the AC/Heating unit installation (hopefully that will be soon because i'm sure more hot, humid weather is heading our way). we like the set up and are very pleased with how the office turned out.

now for some pics.

Before

After (still needs some vaccuming)

Lost Robin

SYTYCD

short post until tomorrow. i haven't yet seen the full episode of the top 20 on SYTYCD (remember, so you think you can dance) but my 2 picks right now:

Will - i think the clear frontrunner
Twitch - my favorite this year so far

more to come tomorrow.

Walkin on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head

first blog from a new location - friday, Kim and i were able to move all of our computer equipment, a desk, and a couple chairs into our new office in the garage. the office is now functional. the setup is just temporary as i have our desktop on a banquet table we're using until we're able to get something more permanent in the space. my commute has changed tremendously - i now have to walk more than 4 steps to get to the office, and i even have to put shoes on to do it. :)

also, the 3 H's decided to pay a visit to NJ this weekend - hazy, hot, and humid. it was upper 90s saturday and sunday, and is expected to push 100 today. that is the beauty of NJ weather. we went right from winter to mid summer temps almost overnight. there wasn't much of a spring to enjoy this year. we spent just about the entire weekend inside under the protection of our central AC. it may have been different had i been able to get the pool open when i wanted to, but it's still got the cover on, and it doesn't look like it will be open unless i take a day off and knock it out. the heat this weekend didn't help Kim at all. the baby didn't appear to like the hot weather, and made sure he/she let Kim know. the baby was moving around like crazy all weekend and showed no signs of stopping this morning. i'm not sure if the baby wanted to get out to enjoy the hot weather, or if it was banging on Kim to tell her to turn on the AC in her belly.

finally, Kim gave me a new lens for our camera for my birthday this weekend. it's a 50mm lens that basically blurs everything in the background of your picture (sometimes referred to as bokeh). some pics taken with the new lens:

Wren McCormick would be proud...

tonight, the top 20 are announced on the best reality show on TV - So You Think You Can Dance (which will from now on be referred to as SYTYCD in this blog). we've seen all tryouts leading up to tonight, and still i don't have a favorite. once the top 20 are announced, i'll make my pick for the winner (of course, that pick will change as my picks get kicked off the show...). to commemorate tonight's show, i've added a video from one of my all time favorite routines from the show. i'm not sure why i like it so much - maybe it's the dancing, maybe because it's different, maybe because it reminds me of one of the greatest music videos ever (Thriller) or maybe it's just because i can't get enough of the song they dance to (Ramalama Bang Bang by Roison Murphy).

Chlorine: the breakfast of champions!

last night finished up Charlie's latest session of swim lessons. he's doing very well and is now able to keep his head above water. his technique, however, is still being refined. he's scheduled to take more lessons in the summer and we will probably keep sending him to swim lessons until we feel he is on par with the likes of Mark Spitz, Matt Biondi, Michael Phelps, and Drew Dundas.

Good Morning!

Kim and I get up pretty early in the morning, as Kim likes to be on the road to work just before 6am. I thought the sky this morning presented a nice photo opp, so here's the view from our master bedroom "terrace." (sounds snotty, doesn't it) :)

The Perfect Refreshment

it's finally starting to feel like summer here in Jersey, which means it's time for a refreshing cocktail recipe, and this one happens to be one of my favorites - The Margarita. this is very simple to make, and it's made by the pitcher.

Ingredients:

1 Can Limeade from concentrate (large can)
Tequila (doesn't matter what brand)
Triple Sec

make the limeade per the directions on the can. after the limeade is made, fill up the empty limeade can with tequila and add that to the Limeade. then, fill the can up halfway with Triple Sec and add that to the Limeade/Tequila mixture. stir. pour over ice. drink!

the good thing about this recipe is that since it's made by the pitcher, it will always be waiting for you in the fridge (if you don't finish it the same night that you make it). you can have it for breakfast before you go to work, as a mid morning pick-me-up, maybe with your taco bell at lunch, or enjoy it as a happy hour drink later in the day. the Margarita is very versatile, light, and refreshing and can be enjoyed any time of day (of course, if you would like to keep your job, i would not recommend drinking the margarita with breakfast during the week, especially if you drive to work.)

chips, salsa, and a Margarita are the perfect starters to a nice summer evening.

happy mixing!