Birthday Bash 2016

Sunset at Grand Haven State Park

It is hard to believe that we (the three July birthday gals) have managed a 5th annual birthday bash at the Grand Haven beach, this year on the day after my birthday. Every year has a new twist. Last year we hit a Grand Haven brewery. One year we entered the green water gingerly and subsequently had to strip and shower in order to remove the globs of green algae that stuck to unmentionable places!

That big lake can be unruly, but this year it was clean, calm and actually warm enough to enjoy. A colorful new inner tube from MC Sports was my ticket to ride the small waves in style. We laughed so hard trying to get M. on her skinny pink air mattress that we might just have all peed a little in the lake!

Also new this year was a chocolate cake. We discovered that the old "free" birthday cake featured for decades at Bill Knapp's restaurants was still available in the local D & W supermarket freezers for $10.99. It was really tasty, especially the second slice, after sunset, with some vanilla ice cream, enjoyed out on the picnic table--with Bill.

Downtown Grand Haven was really busy but we found a dinner spot upstairs at the Kirby House (K2), which features wood-fired pizzas on its limited menu. It was still very warm out, but we sat on an upper deck with a view of the channel. We ordered our own personal pizza.

Birthday cocktail

Cocktails are usually a waste of money, in my opinion, but I have often tried to order a unique or Instagrammable drink on my birthday. There were no prices on the drink menu, and this green punch thing with gin, Chartreuse, cucumber and basil was disappointing (in a plastic glass!)--especially when I saw the bill: $11.50! I was outraged! J. had a Perrin Black draft with her pizza, which would have been a better choice.

The second bit of foolishness for the day was my desire for a beach tan. I allowed too much sunshine on my shoulders (makes me happy) while floating around on that new tube. I am still suffering a bit from that. Warm shoulders when the temps are in the 90's is not cool! Burning white flesh is also not cool.

After dinner we enjoyed a concert in the park, featuring a jazz trombonist.

That's about it for this year's Grand Haven Birthday Bash!

I did have other birthday indulgences, including steak, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream, a beer treat compliments of J. from Horrock's tap, e-gift cards and packages from the daughters, and a most beautiful peacock pop-up birthday card from O., delivered personally through my mail slot! And I even got a snail mail birthday card from G.

Life is still good around here. And hot. Good & Plenty hot!