Real World Strength

The last time we got to go on an adventure together (...WITHOUT the feral bobcat that we brought into this world) was over a year ago. wanted to do something dope to commemorate completion of her 40th solar orbit, coinciding with our spending the past 10 of those as a couple. We chose the Spartan Deka Fit.
It had been 8 years since either of us had done anything Spartan-esque, and the intervening time has taken its toll - I had several muscle strains, she grew and birthed an entire human - so despite preparing the best we could, our expectations were not ambitious: Show up, have fun, don't die. And we did all those things!
We also had some fantastic food in Knoxville - Nashville hot chicken, locally farmed ice cream, CT-style tomato pie, and hotel breakfast biscuits that were better than they had any right to be. Oh, and we proved to ourselves that we still clean up pretty good (she looked 🔥, ngl). And we SLEPT. Amazing what happens when you don't get pounced awake by a toddler (which is exactly what happened the night after our return).
All in all, an immensely successful weekend. Knoxville is an adorable (very orange) college town, definitely worth exploring if you have reason to go.

10 years ago today...I was busy.
We kicked off a 6-week nutrition challenge at my gym that morning. The hot new girl who'd just done a cross-country solo drive to move to Anaheim said "so you're coming to my birthday party tonight, RIGHT?" I told her I had to go to my niece's 2nd b-day party in LA that afternoon, but I'd try to swing by afterward.
It was my first time going to a toddler party as a not-toddler, and I was YEARS away from being anywhere near the headspace required for children, so needless to say...it was a lot. But as the party wrapped up in the afternoon, even though my brain was FRIED by the massive overstimulation of dozens of tiny humans and their beleaguered guardians, I'd be damned if I wasn't going to show up to support my gym's newest (attractive, witty, intriguing) member. I drove back to OC, took a shower, put myself together, and chugged an orange Rockstar Recovery while speeding to The Auld Dubliner in Tustin (now defunct) to find the party.
No one else from the gym showed up.
I found Kristen with her new roommate and a few of roomie's friends spread across a couple of conjoined high-tops at the side of the bar area, not far from the dance floor. She was drinking a Sculpin, easily the best beer on the menu, and I ordered one to match.
The details of the evening are lost to time and the general unreliability of the easily-corrupted limited-storage hard drive of human memory, but I remember flashes. Key moments. Like how as soon as I sat down next to her, nobody else existed. We talked for hours. Ran out to dance on the floor. Eventually moved over to the bar. She tripped over nothing on the way to the bathroom, fell and tore a hole in her red pixie pants and was PI**ED cuz (1) we hadn't drank that much and (2) she really liked those pants. Back at the bar, she put her leg on my lap to show me the rip. The bar closed and we sat on a bench waiting for an Uber - I was terrified of screwing it up with her, but her body language yelled "kiss me you fu***ng idiot" and I paid attention.
I was pretty sure I was already in love with her. A week later, I knew I was going to marry her. Ten years later, I still couldn't be happier I did.

Anniversary brunch at .land celebrating 3 years of being legally handcuffed to this sexy mama and wonderful love of my life, along with a much needed break from our adorable feral bobcat offspring 😅
The food was excellent (especially the biscuits, shrimp n' grits, and filet skewers), service was on point, and the company couldn't be beat. 🥰

Merry Chrismakah y'all. Here's our gremlin overlord who throws hands then hugs and was hell-bent on opening leftover presents today

Happiest of birthdays to the best wifey and baby momma I could possibly ask for. It's been a wild year full of lots of changes and WAY too many sleep regressions (especially recently), but you've handled it with strength, humor, kindness, and beauty. I'm a very lucky man and I loves you 🥰

2 years ago today, I finally got to marry my best friend after 6.5 years together. (No, not THAT one...the one I'm in love with. The pretty one.)
We were gonna have a honeymoon when I finished grad school...instead we had a daughter and moved across the country. It's been a wild ride to say the least. I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
I chose the best possible person to spend forever with, and I choose her again every single day. 🥰

No time for a real honeymoon just yet, so we did a mini-moon to Sedona.
Ho. Lee. S**t. That place is beautiful. Also, the FOOD. Omg 🤤
1. Legit had the best Mexican food in my entire life at and so damn much of it too. Also wifey is adorable. 🥰
➡️2. On a hike. The backdrop here is incredibly typical for the area.
➡️3-8. Assorted views/foods around town. We ate cactus fries, rattlesnake & jackrabbit sausage, and a whole bunch of bison, and all of it was delicious.
➡️9. Arizona you so crAZy. (you see what I did there don't lie)
➡️10. Yup, that's an actual place of business. TOTALLY not tone-deaf in a town that's 85% white and 0.2% black... 🤦‍♂️
All in all, 10/10 would recommend since we had an amazing time...just change the name of that damn shop. I felt like I needed to go take a shower after seeing it.