The Man Can Cook, Loved, At A Standstill

1. Steve cooked! He laid out his ingredients to assess what size pot to use. (He ended up using a 9 gallon pot.) See the pepperoni sticks on the right? They're my favorite ingredient in corned beef and cabbage.
1a. I was sincerely blessed by all the birthday wishes. I'm humbled that so many good and kind people call me their friend.
2. Claire and Daniel drove all the way here just to celebrate.
2a. Mari lets me hug and kiss her all I want. I don't think she loves it, but she is tolerant and I admire her for it.
3. Our power went out at the onset of the ice storm this evening. The kitchen was piled with dirty dishes- practically every dish, glass, and utensil we owned. They became invisible and therefore nonexistent in the darkness, to be dealt with in the morning. Steve and I sat by candlelight for two hours, watching it snow and listening to the quiet.