Kiku Collins: New Blog

WOW!

Just had my girl's 9th birthday party - will be on the road on her actual birthday, and today was the only possibility.  Timing is EVERYTHING! Forecast kept warning us of thundershowers, but we do an outdoor party every year in a quaint playground.  Every year they say possible rain. And we've never gotten caught!!!  Hope I didn't just jinx next year!

It was glorious out, sunshine, luckily the trees provided plenty of shade.  Water fountains were turned on as I was setting up. Friends rolled in, ate pizza, laughed at the veggie tray, enjoyed 3 kinds of cake, kids whacked at a dragon pinata and freaked out collecting toys and candy from the ground, stashing treasures in their Dragonball Z bags. 

Got a few bug bites - this is definitely my year of the bug. Luckily I have the magic bug cream from China! I swear, when I run out I may just go back and visit, let the bugs congregate, and visit the hospital again for more!  It's ridiculously effective.

I usually overdo the food, the cake, the drinks, but this year we got it perfect. Very few leftovers. Very little cleanup, very little pushing leftovers onto other people so I don't have to cart it all home and then fight the urge to indulge.  One piece of pizza and one piece of cake did me just fine.

And now I sit, watching my daughter mesmerized by her new video game, grateful for gift cards (an interesting lesson in money and how to spend, what's worth what...) and thinking of what to cook - or if we should just order in.  So many NYers order food, we don't. At all.  I can't remember the last time I ordered food to be delivered - I swear it was over a year ago.  I love to cook, but since I'm hitting the road again, and I'm beat, and I need to practice that hunk of metal, I'm thinking perhaps a phone call is in order.  I love when ordering in is a treat! There was a time in my life, in the past few years, when it seemed ordering in was a 50% deal for me. Now that I'm busier than ever, I seem to cook more.  Is that even possible? Maybe just an outlet that is not what I do for a living, creativity in completely different areas.  Hmmmmm. What do I have to cook around here...???

So thankful to Mother Nature, to great friends, to a good life, to love. And a happy early birthday to my girl. We'll celebrate again when I'm back (I have a few cupcakes in the freezer... shhhh!)

Also, my Kickstarter is going well, only 7 days left to raise the balance... all or nothing!  I may start biting my nails soon!  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kikucollins/album-2-lets-make-it-happen  .  My band is so good it makes me want to cry.  Like, happy tears.

xo,

NP