Issue Five – Happy 40th!
It happened. I turned 40!
Celebrations
The week kicked off with a Memorial Day hanging out by the pool and having dinner at Grannie-Annie and Pappi’s (as my children know them). There was conversation, food, a couple drinks, and a rum cake presented with a round of ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. The girls gave me the most thoughtful cards and useful gifts.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent trying to clear my to do list at the shop ahead of our travel plans while watching the girls. The dual role can be stressful (for sure), but having the flexibility to take care of my children is one of the greatest perks I enjoy (and maybe take advantage of) with being a business owner.
Thursday, we traveled to Philadelphia….
The Birthday Trip – Philadelphia and New Hope. PA
After our travel attempt a couple weeks ago, Amanda and I had a touch of “PTSD” (the lighter, less traumatic kind). This time was different. This time, the plane took off.
We got to Philadelphia. Picked up our rental car. Drove to the Loew’s Philadelphia and checked in to a room with an amazing view. (Pictures to come)
When in Philadelphia….Crab Fries!
Chickie’s and Pete’s was the first dinner spot. Our server inquired about our Oura Rings and convinced herself to get one on her next payday, so I shared my $40 off referral link with her (Oura Ring Discount Link). We also shared a nice parental conversation with the couple at the table behind us that was with their 2-year-old daughter. I thoroughly enjoy random conversations, with random strangers, from different places. It always proves the powerful existence of connection, kindness, and humanity.
The Day of Birth
Amanda and I slept in. At this stage of our lives, sleeping in is waking up by 9:00am. The bed was very comfortable, too!
Guest Services recommended breakfast at the Green Eggs Cafe; DELICIOUS!
Next stop, Franklin Institute and the Art of the Brick. Lots of pictures! Nathan Sawaya is another level of LEGO Master! Of course I took advantage of the free build area and left my mark (pictures to come). Amanda bought me an awesome LEGO Engineer book with plans to build various items that I can more than likely put together with pieces from my collection of blocks.
After running through the rest of the museum and declaring that we need to come back with the girls, we made our way to South Street. Interesting area of Philadelphia that has apparently changed a lot over the years, but somehow the debaucherous shops manage to stay in business even with all the other “competitor” shops in such close proximity. We did manage to find a little comic book store and an anarchist book store (Wooden Shoe Books)
While waiting for an Uber back to the hotel to change for dinner, the homeless man standing near be said, “Zach?” in a very familiar tone. He then goes on to mention my days as a concierge in Florida. I don’t recognize the man, but it’s not out of the realm of possibilities that we worked together at some point. He spoke of the metaverse connection, stated that we could help him by encouraging others to ‘stir the pot’, and appreciated our authenticity.
Birthday Dinner
Little Fish BYOB. Chef Alexander Yoon and his team put together an amazing dinner experience. Every course was phenomenal! The entire team signed the back of my menu along side birthday wishes and one of the cooks gifted the hat they were wearing.
Went back to the hotel. Ventured to Insomnia Cookies and then back to the hotel for a cocktail. Crawled into our comfortable hotel bed.
New Hope, PA
Saturday morning, we woke slept in again. Packed up. Checked out and headed for our next destination.
On the way out of the city we drove by Mama’s Grandmother’s old house so that Amanda could get a glimpse of her family history.
The drive to New Hope was beautiful! The road along the river and the town gave me nostalgic ties to Telluride, CO.
The town was cute and historic, lined with touristy shops and restaurant venues.
We walked around. People watched. Crossed the bridge to New Jersey. Bought a clock at an old Five and Dime and then ventured into a Historic Firehouse that is now home to a recreational shop (Baked by the River).
Back to Home
Coming home carried a nice feeling of ‘reset’ with it. Post Birthday and an ease back into the work flow, the trip was a fantastically beneficial step away to transition between seasons and onto the journey ahead.
I’ve also made some decisions and begun taking actions on some pending initiatives:
- I’ve decided to start adding my notes to this forum. I think it will be the best way to put the information to use (especially compared to there current lack of use hiding in baskets of notebooks).
- I officially kicked off my podcast on YouTube. LIVE. Raw and uncut.
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