ADIML: APRIL 27, 2016! (MY 26TH BDAY, FIRST POTTERY CLASS, POTLUCK WITH FRIENDS)

This is Wednesday, April 27, 2016!
A day off work on my 26th birthday. A day full of friendship, new creative beginnings, eating dill pickle popcorn.

Enjoy!

I woke up, and suddenly I was 26. Over the hill in my 20s. Life is weird.

I was hoping the eczema on my face would get better before I turned 26. But that was kind of an arbitrary marker. Woke up to Tweedy’s breath.

Sufi always notices when I start to stir and comes and stomps on my chest.

Turn off my humidifier that I bought in the “pregnancy aisle” at a Target.

Zach dyed my hair the night before, I see now the true color now that’s it dry and light out. A little too blue in my mixture, but I’m still happy with it.

Cleaned up the makeshift salon around in the living room (yes, I put down pee pads to catch falling hair dye)

I never noticed the ceiling light before. It’s calming!

Coffee and milk and more coffee

I finally decide that the stove has GOT to be cleaned and de-greased. It’s gone too far.

While I bleach the sink, I focus on 409ing the stove.

I’m 26 now. I need to know how to clean my shit. This is embarrassing.

While the vinegar chills out on the stove, I turn my attention to throwing my meal together for tonight’s potluck.

A recipe with salsa verde AND beer? Mmhmm…

I chopped up onions in strips and added them to the chicken and cumin already in the crockpot.

I add the salsa verde and beer, and set the timer to 8.5 hours on low.

Well..it doesn’t quite clean as well as I was hoping. But…progress right. Baby steps and progress.

Need to deep scrub my hands that now smell like vinegar.

Sometimes I accept that this is just what my new face looks like. I don’t mind the red, it’s the itching and peeling that bother me the most.

A memento on my b-day? That’s the tits.

I let the pups out of the bedroom now that the cleaning supplies are all tucked away.

The pups have to take their monthly medicine, which means they get yummy wet food.

I have to wrap the pill in some of the wet food and make sure they both eat it. They eat the shit out of it.

I have to bring Sufi’s special wet food into the work room. He doesn’t like to eat while he’s being watched…weirdo.

Of course moments later I catch him peeing on my rug…SUFI.

Gee, I wonder if he feels guilty?

Let’s get out of here.

I’m not sure how I never noticed that my neighbor has a LOQUAT TREE!!!!!

Evil Sufi.

I throw my dirty shoes onto my messy shoe rack.

Time check.

I never edited photos and went through them for my ADIML I did on Christmas. I’ll do it still! 🙂

Zach got me this super weird Downtown Sasquatch shirt…yeah…anybody else know the reference? 🙂 PS Baby Drake

In the morning I’m on a flight to Asheville, North Carolina to visit Zach’s sister’s homestead. I haven’t even weather checked or packed. The time is now.

Tried a little today.

I was warned by a friend that taking a pottery class means getting covered in clay. So I tried to find some clothes I didn’t mind getting dirty.

Zeen! Holding some small boxes.

One contains this slightly-off Luke’s mug! I’m going to def take this to the office.

Let’s go! When he asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, for some reason “pottery class!” jumped into my brain. I think I wanted to feel handy and creative and to try something new.

Got to pick 4 pounds of clay total to make 2 items.

Zach’s flower pot…a little wonky but very charming overall.

I tried to make two bowls that would be the same shape and size. I successfully made two bowls, they just happened to be more…uh…unique! (The front bowl is mine, as well as the flatter bowl in the background)

So fun!!!

Dancing for joy. Pottery success. I feared I wouldn’t even successfully make 1 thing.

Changed shirts and pants in the car

For a quick romp to Disneyland.

We’re mostly visiting to try this little Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel that we heard was kitschy and weird and fun.

Walking to Downtown Disney

Failed jumping pic

We made it!

Was silently thinking “who would be here at this bar on a Wednesday afternoon besides me? Oh right…tourists and their children.”

Ordered a little mix of wings, fried beans, and Portuguese sausage to nibble on.

Zach looking like he was just electrocuted. I could only get enough light to take photos whenever somebody opened the door to come in or out.

Part of the “charm” of the bar is you get a fun cup with your beverage. Here’s a shruken zombie head.

Just drinkin’ some liquified zombie brains

Cut back into California Adventure through another hotel, The Grand Californian

I was handed a b-day badge upon entry. They are on it.

“What do you want to do?” “Get pickle popcorn.”

Stumbled on a wine and beer event at the CA Adventure “vineyard.” Why not!

HERE IT IS! A beer and some dill pickle flavored popcorn.

So salty. So popcorn. Much yummy.

We wander around to see which character is up next in the drawing studio, but decide to squeeze in a few rides at Disneyland if we can before heading back for the potluck.

I was hoping the line for Indiana Jones wouldn’t be too cray, but it was unfortunately. We sneak a fast pass for Thunder Mountain and get in line at…

Pirates! A gentle reminder of the impending mortality of us all.

Me and Zach, dead skeletons on a beach someday.

Perfect timing!

This was always one of my favorite rides as a kid.

It holds up.

I soak in a few more sights and sounds and smells on Main Street before we head back to the car.

5:24 exit, right on time.

Listened to the new Matt & Kim EP and then DJed the worst assortment of songs on the way home.

The sky was nice.

We parked and rushed back to the apt. I wanted to make sure a) my crockpot didn’t burn the house down and b) that Aryn was safely inside (she drove down from SF!)

I win I win, Kiki and Aryn are already both inside!

ARYN BB MY LOVE

Pulled out the chicken that had been slow cooking for 8 and a half hours and shredded it.

Sara is here!!!! Putting some salt and pepper on the brussell sprouts and goodies.

Mmmmm

Caught demonstrating my poor knife skills. I cut up some onion, tomato and cilantro.

A full kitchen going through the potluck line. We had veggies, a salad, chicken tacos with toppings, hot cheetos, beers…yaaah!

I love being creepy and admiring all my friends sitting together and eating and being happy. After dinner we set up the table.

Evan is wearing all his “Girl with the Pearl Earring”

We all played One Night…these photos make me genuinely happy, to see everybody into a game and just laughing and enjoying themselves. *GUH I LUV FRIENDSHIPS*

Tweedy always gets extra love

We played many many rounds.

The world’s fastest clean up

James brought me a Hello Kitty cupcake ❤

And Zach’s final weird present…these handmade dolls from Etsy. John Denver (that I joke looks like Zach), Yul Brynner in the King and I (one of my fav childhood movies that I just rewatched as an adult and thought to myself…hmmmmm…), Picasso and Dali haha.