This morning Kodak's building #9 was imploded and I had a front row seat. I have seen buildings in Vegas implode on tv, but this was my chance to see it in person. I took pictures while Aaron shot video.

There was a countdown, a series of boom boom booms, a long pause, the building crumpling in on itself and then a billowing dust cloud rolling across the parking lot. Wow!

You can see Aaron's video of the big boom in my YouTube videos.

While I was in Atlanta for work, Tina was in NYC for work. She brought me back mini-cupcakes from Eleni's and a Tokidoki milk figure. The cupcake looks huge in the photo but it was actually only two inches tall. WAS.

All I brought back for her was a t-shirt. It's a very cool t-shirt though! More on that later...

This evening we hit up two concerts... Cherry Poppin' Daddies at the Party in the Park and Michelle Shocked at Big City Summer Fest. We probably would not have thought to go to Michelle's concert but Joel is a toe tappin, finger snappin' Shocked groupie with contagious enthusiasm. 

Of course one of my favorite things about the Party in the Park concerts is getting the Salt Potatoes. But really... look close... don't you think they should be called Butter Potatoes? Oh happy day!

(I had never had Salt Potatoes until I moved to Rochester... apparently they are a regional thing)

I was disapointed to discover that Jamba Juice was no longer in Atlanta. Today on our way to the office we found a different smoothie place called Robeks. I was amazed at how much it looked like Jamba.

Back in the rental with our smoothies, Joel took a slurp and announced... "It's good but it's not Jamba". I had say "Look it's all I've got. Can you just let me pretend!?"

So sad.

We are flying back to Rochester tonight. No cupcakes. No Jamba.

We have been working hard here in Atlanta and I don't think we are going to get a chance to go anywhere before we leave tomorrow. I am crushed because I found two cupcake joints in the city. 

One is the Atlanta Cupcake Factory and the other is Belly General Store, who was voted "Best Atlanta Cupcakes" in 2004. 

I could just cry.

I am in Atlanta a couple days for work and we have hit the ground running. 

Joel found Varsity, The World's Largest Drive-in Restaurant. It has been in Atlanta since 1928. The cheeseburgers were okay, the fries good and the chocolate shake fantastic. I love the tray they hook onto your window.

I made a mess of myself eating in the car however. When we got to our hotel I discovered I had ketchup and chocolate shake all over the front of my shirt.

We don't have much time here... but are there any "must see's"?

Aaron got us tickets to go to the LPGA this weekend. I like going through the Wegman's tent and getting the free samples. 

I also enjoyed meeting Dimples the golf ball. 

It turned out to be an exciting game... the two leads tied and we had to run back and forth between the 18th and 10th hole to watch the sudden death playoff.

We went downtown to watch the Rochester Criterium this evening.

It was almost more fun to watch Joel take pictures of the bike race.

It's good to have your ice cream match your shoes. 

(cotton candy frozen yogurt from Abbots)

Method can't go a few months without coming out with more cool products. This one looks really strange but it is an aroma ring. Supposed to put off an aroma like cut grass or vanilla apple without batteries, an outlet or fire. Magic!

If you don't like smelliness, you could go with the new go naked line which has no dyes or perfumes.

This is their new line of shower products, bloq. There is body wash, soap, lotion and shave cream. I am curious about one of the scents these products come in... beach sage. Do they mean sage the herb or a wise old man that lives on the beach? Hmmmmm. 

And since I am clearly a Method nut... I really should have this t-shirt.

While we were on our beach holiday, Aaron and I celebrated our third anniversary. While I stuck strictly to the traditional third anniversary gift of leather and gave Aaron a new pair of leather flip flops... he got me a radio. 

Recently we replaced our big stereo with a small iPod speaker dock. Without the stereo I couldn't listen to any local radio stations. I wanted a little radio that looked cute on the kitchen counter, so I could listen to NPR while I cooked. Aaron found this really nice, retro looking Tivoli Model One radio. It's perfect. (of course with the oven still sitting in the dining room it's listening to NPR while I paint the kitchen walls)

Quite awhile ago Shruti was trying to explain to me how Indian Mangoes are different from the mangoes I was used to. March through May there is Mango Mania in Mumbai. 

After an 18 year ban the US is once again importing Indian Mangoes. I spotted a stack of them at Wegmans, and despite the rather high price tag, I bought one. I brought it to work bundled in it's little styrofoam net for all to enjoy. We carved it up at lunch and we all agreed it was rather tasty. Shruti said it wasn't quite ripe like the ones in India and she had a wistful look on her face while she ate it. 

(My knife is cute right? It's a Kuhn Rikon I got at Williams Sonoma because I needed a knife with a sheath so I could carry it to work in my lunch bag without stabbing myself. It works great.)

I have been riding the bus for a month now and I was excited to hear that they are adding hybrid electric buses to their fleet this week as part of their Clean and Green program.

And here I thought the Clean and Green program just referred to the plastic bags they had at the front of the bus for dropping your trash in.

Maybe they could have the McDonald's wrapped buses run on biodiesel and use the french fry oil from all the local McDonald's. Like Willie Nelson. I usually don't like riding on the wrapped buses because I can't see out very well, but a big sausage mcmuffin bus that smelled like french fries would be funny.

We went to the Jazz Festival for the first time this weekend. Okay so we maybe didn't so much pay money to hear jazz as we stood around and listened to the free concerts. I'm not sure if I would have considered Rusted Root as jazz, but I guess most music has roots in jazz right?

One of the bands we saw was from Scotland. They were wearing kilts. Note the festival dancing guy on the right. You know it's a good concert if the festival dancing guy is there.

Chuck and Tina brought Lauren. She may be the next festival dancing baby. She is pictured demonstrating two of the main activities at the festival... dancing and drinking.

Today was our first pick up at our CSA farm. We got to meet the goats, chickens and one very large angry turkey. This weeks harvest was lettuce, radishes, onions and another bag of lettucey looking stuff. We also picked a bunch of strawberries... yum yum.

I just got all 225 beach pictures uploaded and my vacation feel like a distant memory. At least I can enjoy the pictures. 

I can see we spent a lot of time going for morning walks, collecting shells, poking dead washed up sea critters, watching the dogs run around like nuts and sitting very still while the wild horses strolled past.

Here are the pictures in all their glory on my Gallery.

I was at scooter club on wednesday when I noticed cards for a South Wedge Farmers Market on thursdays. 

The card said it was Rochester's only local sustainable farmers' market, so after work today we headed over to check it out. 

Being so early in the season, it was mostly lettuce, lettuce and more lettuce, but I think it will be really nice this summer. We bought two heads of lettuce and will definitely be back to check it out again. 

This saturday is our first veggie pick up at the CSA farm and we are pretty excited.

When I got my latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, I discovered they included a free issue of her new Martha Stewart Newletter. At first I thought "I so don't need another subscription to something... but then I read it and I was hooked. It comes with "behind-the-scenes news, exclusive photos, product pics, Martha's calendar..." basically a more in depth peek into Martha's life. I found myself talking like I had been chatting with her over a cup of tea... "Martha doesn't need a lot of sleep... but she lets her dogs sleep in her bed." "Martha really likes those Orka silicone oven mitts." "Martha was just in China." Just what Aaron needs to hear all day long.

I also find her magazine body + soul more and more interesting. It has lots of information about  green, sustainable living. This month's issue has tips for a cooler, greener home, natural remedies and the best organic ice creams. I also love the cover with sea shells and starfish. (Reminds me of my vacation... *sigh*)

I am back from vacation... struggling to get back into the non-beach routine. No long walks looking for shells and beach glass... no napping listening to the sound of waves crashing... *sigh*

I have a gazilion pictures... not uploaded yet... but here is one I pulled out. Just as I expected there were oodles of chubby beach horses wandering around the Outer Banks. One morning I counted 35. They didn't pay us much attention, except for one time a group of four came right up to our beach chairs and tried to eat my dad's hat. And it was on his head. 

The pictures will be forthcoming.

The newest additions to my toy collection, Eviroboy characters, Himelin and Buster. 

I especially liked the box Himelin came in, which had the words "The weirdos are always excellent!!" on it.

Several people commented on how they liked the shirt I was wearing to the Rhinos game last Sunday. I have to admit I didn't think it would work when I saw it on the store, but when I tried it on I liked it, Aaron liked it and it was super comfy. 

It's called an Angie Kimono... I found another one online and ordered it too!

We got our flowers and garden planted. Now let's hope it rains.

Check out these Wilton Silly Feet Silicone Baking Cups! I think they are the funniest thing to hit cupcakes ever.

You can use them to make this inchworm cake. 

I found these Pyrex Butterfly gold salt and pepper shakers last winter at an antique shop. They match my Pyrex butter dish. Now I am afraid to use any of them for fear of breaking up the set

I read about this sandwich and I think about it all the time. It is called a Pig's Ass Sandwich! It has... "two types of pork butt (a.k.a. pork shoulder), one that’s beenbrined and glazed with maple syrup like a baked ham, the other one rubbed with a slew of spices and Peet’s coffee and thenslow-roasted and shredded like pulled pork. " Ahhhh!

It's almost summer and we are back to eating at the public market. Oh, those tacos!

It is time for our annual trip to the Outer Banks with my parents. 

I will be offline for the week, but Tina is going to publish my pre-written posts. 

When I get back I should have lots of pictures of sand, sea and chubby beach horses.

Coming off a Henry's popcorn addiction from the Lilac Festival, I spotted these bags of Popcorn, Indiana popcorn at Wegmans. Turns out there is a real town called Popcorn in Indiana.

The popcorn is all natural and comes in flavors like kettlecorn, spicey honey mustard, summer picnic bbq and smoked cheddar cheese. You can even have it delivered to your door.

I had a BBQ and it was yummm- eee.

(a little more info on Henry for those who know whom I speak of... "Chronically long lines are part of the testimony to Henry's popularity. Henry, the man at the kettle with the long wooden paddle, looks like a Mennonite in an Eddie Bauer wardrobe upgrade. In actuality, Henry was a lawyer in a past life. His straw hat is not just for show. When he pours the kernels into the hot oil, the bowed rim guards against hot splatterings.")

Oscar and Stewie enjoy being outside. 

I am paranoid Stewie will make a break for it so he wears a harness and leash. I really am being paranoid because all he does is lay around.

Aaron and I ran the Corporate Challenge last evening. It is really more of a big social event than a race. 

I designed our company t-shirt again this year. It didn't win, but I think it turned out really nice. Aaron isn't wearing his company t-shirt in the picture because theirs was long sleeved and the weather was H - O - T!