Ladies, gentlemen, and everything between: Life got in the way of blogging this week (with the exception being my Beach Bunny donut journey post).  Accustomed to having the entire summer to soak up the sun, sand, and all the glory of OCNJ, America’s Greatest Family Resort (I believe this statement 118%), when I can only go on a few select weekends living 400 miles away, I try to jam-pack all the fun I can.  Since I don’t want to bore you with every miniscule detail of my trip (false: I really do wanna bore you with it, but I’m too considerate to explain my deep thoughts on Monkey Bread vs. Kohr Bros [team Monkey 4 LYFE!]), it only made sense to sum things up with a (belated) Six Pack Sunday Tuesday.

Six Pack Sunday: This time, it’s Personal Tuesday

1. My best friend surprised us all on Saturday night by making an impromptu trip to the shore house.  I waited on the porch for her, and greeted the girl the only way I know how:
   

   One for me, One for Rach!

   

   AND A SURPRISE PHOTO SHOOT THE SECOND SHE LEFT THE CAR!

   Clearly, she was excited for the photog-attack.

   Rachel is one of the most inspiring humans I know, having been diagnosed with breast cancer at the insanely young age of 23.  Through the countless 71 doctor appointments (just fact checked with her), a double mastectomy, and never once dropping the ball as she finished every class at Pennyslvania College of Optometry and is about a year away from being a Doctor of Eyeballs.  Every time we’re together, it’s like we’re 11 again, and I love that she brings that out in me.

   

   Beach babes!

2. I got the most amazing ring that I’ve ever owned on the boardwalk.  The Spot on the OCNJ boardwalk is normally much too trendy for me.  Trendy, of course, pairing nicely with expensive.  But, sometimes you see something you can’t pass up. You ask a stranger for a coupon. And you walk out wearing this:
   

   Tentacles + Bling = My new hotness

   Needless to say, I only took it off to apply sunscreen.

3. Rogue hairs.  We’ve all had them.  They are normally a single freakishly long body hair somewhere like the arm, the neck, or, in some very rare occasions, on your back right by your armpit.
   

   Ahhhh!! MUTANT HAIR!!

   Thanks to Rachel’s keen eye, we found it before the night’s activities began on Sunday.  Which brings me to my next point…

4. A REAL-LIFE SIX PACK SUNDAY!!

   The Trail Mix Sampler by Tommyknocker Brewery, brought to you me and Rachel by our fabulous sommelier of suds:

   

   Thank you, fine sir.

   I’ll be honest, we didn’t do a formal review of them all, it was more of an impromptu tasting.  But there were definitely highlights (and, alas, lowlights) to this trail mix taste fest!

   

   Tiny Cups + lotsa chips = ingredients for a perfect pre-party sipping soiree!

   The lowlights: Jack Whacker Wheat Ale and Ornery Amber (though this site calls it Vienna Amber?) were my least favorite. Partly due to the fact that they didn’t really taste very good, but more because they were ones that I expected the most flavor from and actually delivered the least.

   The highlights: Maple Nut Brown Ale was Rachel’s favorite, just as she expected, but I was pleasantly surprised with how fond I was of this chocolatey, nutty beer.  My favorite was the Alpine Glacier Pilsner Lager, another surprise as I very rarely go for the Pilsners…  Fresh and flavorful, it was a winner.

   

   My favorites in order (left = winner, right = no thanks.)

   All in all, not my favorite six-pack as a whole, but there were definitely a few tasty brews, worth checking this brewery out if you’re able to get some/near Idaho Springs, Colorado.

5. Thanks to a post by Anne of fANNEtastic food, I was inspired to volunteer to whip up some tasty dessert for the family BBQ. All it took was 2 packages of fresh strawberries, Tollhouse Premier White Chocolate Morsels, and a bottle of bright blue sugar crystals.  Melt that chocolate, dip those strawberries, then dive them right into the blue.  Red, white, and blue stripes.  Fresh and sweet, so delicious.
   

   USA!! (United Strawberries of America)

   Thanks to Anne, these treats were the MVP of the night.  Maybe I’m biased, but this tray (toted around by Ryan, my beau!) was wolfed down faster than you can sing “God Bless America!”

   

   Whoah, whoah, plenty to go around!

6.  My patriotic bathing suit, which I have (painstakingly) been saving since I got it my first Six Pack Sunday was a total hit.
   

   Stars, stripes, and sisters (from different misters)

   I also spent the second half of the 4th of July rocking my new Ole Miss shirt by School House that I purchased at their sample sale a few weeks back!  So much patriotism.

   

   Ole Miss, by Damn!

   And, since I’m two days late, here’s two other random bits…

7. Weirdest parts of the weekend?
   

   Salon by Jordan

   Washing a friend’s hair before we rushed off to see the fireworks and….  maybe some other late night shenanigans happened on the beach late at night.

   

   Piles of clothes on the sand near the ocean? Bare legs? Your guess is as good as mine...

   Oh, hijinx.

8. Fireworks.  They were gorgeous, and I observed them with almost religious reverance, only instead of shouting out AMEN when the spirit moved me, I hollered out different names (none official).  My favorites: Golden showers, the dirty olive (green with a tiny red circle inside), Saturn’s Disco (with the ring around it), and Glitter Shots (which should speak for themselves.)
   

   The most beautiful part of the weekend.

   Fireworks are my favorite things, and any holiday that features them is A-OK with me.  Hence: the 4th is always my favorite.

To continue the patriotism that is my life, I think I’ll go watch the tail end of some 24 and hit the hay REALLLL early tonight.

How were your 4th celebrations? Or Canada Day?

Do you like fireworks or, like my puppies, are you petrified of them?