Margaret’s 32nd Birthday
Down on the water for Mag's stand up paddle boarding birthday. Friends came including Carl and Lauren, Sherryi, Kate and Charlie, and Gillian! I made virgin piña coladas, and floated downstream in shavasana after SUP yoga. We then paddled together over to a massive brick structure.
The women did tandem SUP with Gillian sitting with Mags, and Sherryi clinging for life as Kate takes charge of the board. The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere divine. We wore our hats to protect from the sun, but Margaret's glow still radiated all of us.
After friends, Margaret and Brendan went to Bella Pizza, then went to see a Darryll Scott at the Alberta Rose theatre! It was a great night, with a shared kombucha and a CD for the road.
Pick-a-thon
My birthday present to you in 2022 was two 4 day passes to Pick-A-Thon, a Bluegrass, Americana, Country, Rock, Blues, and anything you want to play festival. I was still coming down from my high of experiencing my second Above & Beyond Group Therapy Weekender when this came to us, just a neighborhood away in Happy Valley. You had never been but had always wanted to go, with many bands you’ve known and loved having played here before.
It was exactly and nothing like I expected. It was simultaneously more produced and put together while also looking home grown and improvised.
We got lunch on day one and had to buy Pickathon plates. At first I balked a bit at the cost and what felt like a money grab, then I realized it was to reduce waste, encouraging everyone to wash and reuse the plates. Now they’re my two favorite plate/bowls!
We toured each stage and wandered without much of a goal in mind.
My favorite area was a nook away in the woods with blankets and rugs and meditation pillows. This is where a sound bath and guided meditation and yoga sessions were held, plus a essential oil salt smeller workshop.
The lights on the trees at night created such an atmosphere. The people attending were all having a great time. I loved that we got to listen to things we’d never heard of, relax into each other, dance, and have such a fun and weird and new experience. I wouldn’t have wanted to do that with anyone else.
Claire and Aaron’s wedding reception
After double checking that I had my wallet, I dropped it in the driveway before heading to the airport, so we flew separately down to LA, to celebrate Aaron and Claire’s beautiful love.
We met at a health food market, and then walked to Venice Beach.
Played a bit on the sand, watched a bit of a basketball game, and then walked to the venue in Culver City, lol.
The reception was funny and fun. Kathy was perfectly inebriated and sharing loud stories. Friends were mingling and playing games. We found out later the whole party was an escape room that Claire designed!? So cool. Aaron performed a few songs with friends, including a massive sing along with Pink Cadillac.
We walked to a hotel I booked that night cause we were invited to brunch the next morning.
We grab some new clothes from a Ross and enjoyed some sausage and eggs, then got to chat with Aaron and Claire and friends for a good while.
We got robot delivered dumplings from a Chinese place before catching a Lyft to the airport.
