Happy 70th Birthday Mom!

Today was a wonderful celebration of Judy Logan's life so far. More than two dozen friends and family came from far and near for mom's 70th birthday party. It was hosted at the beautiful home of Tammy and Rick Scott in Tehachapi, California. Christine, Ayrton and I flew in from Austin, Texas for the big event.

Special family guests included Judy's brother Jim and his wife Billie, Peggy, Philip and Olivia. Many of mom's friends from church and the community also joined the party. The festivities included live music, great conversation, swimming and fantastic food. Christine and Ayrton even brought a brisket from the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Texas.

Everyone had a great time, young and old alike. While the older generation shared life stories and pictures of their grandchildren, the younger crowd like Ayrton, Korye, Trisha, Tyler enjoyed the pool, video games and guitar playing. The youngest in the crowd had so much fun, she had to take a little break.

The next day a few of us headed out to Cummins Valley for a visit to Tehachapi Wine & Cattle Company. Mom, Tammy, Christine and I enjoyed the wine tasting that featured slections from Tehachapi, Antelope Valley and Paso Robles on the nearby Central Coast. This little winery is owned by great people with a lot of charm.

Ayrton's 13th Birthday Party + Seabrook, Texas

We surprised Ayrton the weekend before his 13th birthday by taking him down to Arlene and Vic's in Seabrook for what seemed to be a normal visit to the relatives. When we got there, Ayrton was surprised with a wonderful birthday party with lots of wonderful special guests.

Ayrton's mom and step dad James made the trip from Austin, as did his tennis coach Aaron. Reese was there, as well as Lance, Quinn, Ron, Sue and lots of family friends. It was truly great to surprise such a wonderful boy with this party. I send a huge thanks to Arlene and Vic for hosting the event.

Ayrton later told me how happy the party made him feel. He talked about how good it felt to see his dad, mom, family and friends all gather together happily to celebrate his birthday.

The Adventures of Ayrton & Korye in NYC

Ayrton started his first day of summer bright and early. As I woke him at 4 am, I said "welcome to the real world kid." We had to be on a flight to Hartford at 6:30 am. I was taking my son with me on the week's sales trip to Connecticut, New Jersey and New York. This was going to be a great father and son adventure!

Our first stop was Hartford, Connecticut with a hotel right across the street from the picturesque state capitol. We toured the capitol and surrounding park that featured many historic statues and monuments, including a tribute to the gallant Frenchman Marquis de LaFayette. 

Day two included a journey south through Stamford across the Tappan Zee Bridge and on to Morris Plains, New Jersey. We had dinner with my friend Andy and his daughter Katie at Arthur's Tavern, famous for their 20 ounce steak. This was just an appetizer for the big event: New York City. I had a full day planned for my son's first trip to The City.

The Adventures of Ayrton & Korye in NYC:

10 am - NJ to Manhattan via Lincoln Tunnel

10:30 - Parking at 42nd and 9th

11:00 - Cab down to lower Manhattan

11:30 - Ferry at South Shore Docks

12 noon - Tour of Downtown, Ellis Isle & Lady Liberty

12:30 - Wall Street and pics with the Bull

1 pm - Ground Zero  

1:30 - Lunch in Chinatown

2:30 - Desert in Little Italy 

3:30 - Subway to 59th 

4:00 - FAO Schwartz

5:00 - Central Park

6:30 - Brick oven slices

7:00 - Put on rocker attire

8:00 - Concert: The Morning Benders & Kooks

10:00 - Empire State

12 Midnight - To Queens

Ayrton & Joe from The Morning Benders