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After a day of collecting maple sap and getting ready to boil some syrup tomorrow, Claire and I and Doug and Erika had dinner at Farm Club and are now attending the mixed double national curling championship in Traverse City!

First time seeing the youth Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra tonight. Will be back. G. F. Handel .............................................. Concerto Grosso Op. 6, No. 2 M. Ravel ........................................................... String Quartet in F Major I. Allegro moderato – très doux L. v. Beethoven ............ String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat Major, Op. 74 "The Harp Quartet" II. Adagio ma non troppo A. Dvořák ........ String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96, No. 12 "American" I. Allegro ma non troppo

Burning a lot of wood and boiling a lot of sap today. About 45 gallons has evaporated off so far...

Had breakfast at the Hummingbird with Dorothy and her bo Gavin. I had fried chicken hash, Dorothy had chicken and waffles and Gavin had Heuvos Rancheros. Forgot to take pics.

Happy Birthday Nate! Bing / Copilots images were a bit generic and failed to capture the magic that is Nate. It's a reasonable creative writer, with short declarative prompts. (Note what wasn't said that it inferred) You Nate is a man who looks like Vince Vaughn, but isn't. Nate is a Meritorious Civilian Service Award recipient. Nate is a DIY audiophile enthusiast. Nate is an avid cyclist. Nate likes baking cakes with his teenage daughter. Nate likes old fashioned cocktails. Describe Nate enjoying his Birthday. Copilot Certainly! Let’s imagine a delightful scene for Nate’s birthday celebration: Title: “Nate’s Birthday Bash” Nate, with his unmistakable resemblance to Vince Vaughn, stood in the center of the room. The warm glow of fairy lights adorned the walls, casting a soft ambiance over the gathering. His friends and family had come together to celebrate this special day—the day Nate turned another year wiser. The room buzzed with laughter and chatter. Nate’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award sat proudly on a nearby shelf, a testament to his dedication and hard work. But today, it was all about joy, camaraderie, and the simple pleasures of life. As an avid cyclist, Nate had chosen a bicycle-themed cake. His teenage daughter, Lily, had helped bake it—a delightful concoction of chocolate layers, adorned with miniature fondant bicycles. The cake stood tall, waiting for the moment when Nate would blow out the candles. But before that, there was music. Nate, the DIY audiophile enthusiast, had curated a playlist that spanned decades. Vinyl records spun on the turntable, filling the room with soulful tunes. Nate swayed to the rhythm, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he sang along. The old-fashioned cocktails flowed freely. Nate held a glass of bourbon, the ice clinking against the sides. His friends raised their glasses, toasting to friendship, milestones, and the joy of being alive. The room echoed with cheers. And then, it was time for the cake. Lily, her face flushed with excitement, carried it over. Nate closed his eyes, made a wish, and blew out the candles. The room erupted in applause, and Lily beamed with pride. Nate’s heart swelled—he was surrounded by love, and that was the greatest gift of all. As the night wore on, Nate danced with his daughter, twirling her around the room. The laughter, the music, the warmth—it was a birthday he would cherish forever. Vince Vaughn might have been missing from the scene, but Nate was the star of his own story. And so, under the twinkling lights, Nate celebrated another trip around the sun. His smile, genuine and infectious, lit up the room. As the clock struck midnight, he made a silent promise—to savor every moment, to embrace life’s twists and turns, and to keep pedaling forward, just like on his beloved bike.

This Man Lives in an Abandoned Japanese School - The Final Days "I'm a Barbie girl" again, but in the style of 6 classical composers 🎹 🎤 Josep Castanyer Alonso How to Stop Tinnitus in 30 Seconds

Agreed. However, Some Cakes Are Larger Than They Appear. It used 9" cake pans, so a little larger.

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Lily and I decided to revisit a cake recipe we made six years ago. Chocolate Coconut Cake (artistic photo by the teenager)

Well, they are a thing. https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/truly-decadent-bacon-brownies-recipe And for @mikeymad (and others) https://www.mantitlement.com/whiskey-bacon-brownies/

Why not bacon brownies?

The Genius of Narrow Wide Chainrings - Why they work! (Mountain Bikes) How one company owns color (Pantone) Why Clip Art Was Everywhere... Until It Wasn't

live country at the flora-bama bar (made famous by the Jimmy Buffet song Bama Breeze)

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I just learned today that Hinton Battle passed in January. Among many roles of note, he was the original Scarecrow in The Wiz, and more recently the slick, dancing demon (and choreographer) in the Once More With Feeling episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The marquee lights of Broadway will dim on March 12th in his honor.

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. Hope this isn't another clean sweep by Verstappen.

Celebrating Run It Into the Ground Day