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.

Weekend at Galveston, Texas

Ayrton, Reese, Christine and I enjoyed a weekend stay on Galveston, Texas just days before the horrible destruction of hurricane Ike devasted the island. This picture serves as a sad reminder of what was. Our hearts go out to all the residents of Galveston.

Cafe in Little Italy + New York

A few days in Portland with Ponzi & Friends

As I entered the Willamette Valley outside of Portland - I felt the stress of the city, the job and past obligations leaving my body and mind. The sky was clear, the air was clean and the trees were lush and green. This was just what the doctor ordered: a refreshing change from the hot August heat of my Austin home.

Ponzi Vineyards sits nestled in a calm and beautiful valley in Beaverton, Oregon about 15 miles southwest of Portland. The family vineyard is well kept, well respected and has a great story. While Ponzi's pinot noirs are world reknown, the real reason I was there was to visit a dear old friend whom I had not seen in many years.

Jeff and I had both escaped the chaotic, stressful, overpriced and overhyped world of Southern California in recent years. His journey took him north to Portland, while I ventured to Austin in the great state of Texas. Both cities carry a similar creative class vibe, which I found comforting. Music, art, food, hippies, technology, trees and wine thrive alike in Austin and Portland.

Jeff and I shared a great evening at his home preparing a wonderful meal of cheeses, vegetables, steak, shrimp, and a delicious grilled pineapple desert. We caught up on each other's lives, reminisced about college and laughed about things everyone took so seriously back in the day. Tonight was just the way life should be: good food, good friends and good wine.

Speaking of wine, I want to thank Jeff for sharing a few great bottles from his cellar including a delightful 2007 Ponzi Arneis and the oustandingly epic 2005 Archery Summit Red Hills Estate Pinot Noir. This was definately the best pinot noir I have ever tasted.

Ayrton's Summer Vacation in Bonaire

Ayrton's surprise birthday party culminated with the presentation of gifts. His surprise present was a pair of fins, a snorkel, mask and a trip to Bonaire in Netherlands Antilles with my sister's family, his uncle Stuart and his dad Philip. Ayrton's mom Safron, my sister and I all pitched in together to make it happen.

Ayrton had a fantastic time snorkeling and exploring the island with the gang. He saw lots of iguanas, flamingos and donkeys. Mostly he saw fish. Part of the ABC Islands, Bonaire is reknown as one of the world's best scuba diving destinations.

Ayrton and I are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family. Thanks Tammy, Rick and Korye for making this memorable vacation possible for my son.

Happy 13th Birthday Ayrton!

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