#FridayFeelings

#TGIF Happy Friday codex clubbers. Check in Friday's at noon on the youtube channel. Click to subscribe for news!

Pizza and Pool in Baltimore

Home Slyce is a pizza bar in Baltimore that offers free pool and varying kids of pizza and pizza-related food and beverage items. Mark and I went and had a great time Sunday.

Our recommendations: Beer and Pomegranate Lemonade, and the Strongman Pizza.

Things to Do in Panama City Beach, Florida (DAY 4)

To check out the rest of our trip, click here,

Day 1 click here, and Day 2 pt 1 Myrtle Beach and Charleston,  Day 3 Savannah.



Going South from Georgia, we stopped in Jacksonville and discovered a place called Taco Libre that had the most incredible, huge $3 horchatas and tacos. This was the only restaurant that prompted us to take leftovers with us on the road. And let me tell you, eating pork tacos with your feet up at a random gas station in the middle of nowhere, is one of the greatest enjoyments one can have.



Panama City Beach seems to be known more for beach and hotel rentals than hip eats and exciting things to do. But we found it all!



In the New York Times article '36 Hours in Panama City Beach', it's written,

"In this self-styled “Spring Break Capital of the World” — a moniker validated by the hundreds of thousands of students who descend on the town every March and April — you’ll find a predictably high density of tattoo parlors and mini-golf courses. But hidden amid this lowbrow mix are welcome additions including a farmers’ market and the area’s first craft beer pub. And in 2010, the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened just north of the city, making the trip south even easier. So trade in expectations of starched tablecloths and fine-art museums, and embrace the carefree notions that swirl with silly pineapple daiquiris and every facet of the relaxing life aquatic here on Florida’s laid-back Emerald Coast."



We had dinner upon getting into town - at a place called Schooner's Last Local Beach Club. I called ahead and asked if it was busy, and the woman on the phone giggled. I soon discovered why, as we pulled up. This beach-side institution looks like the most popping place in town. People lined up 5 rows deep waiting for a table. We put our names down, and walked along the beach (watched the sun beginning to set) until I got the text that our table was ready.



They seated us right by the water, and the cannon- which they shoot off every night at sunset. Enjoyed a pina colada (in complimentary plastic tumblr- it's substantially large), grouper (me) and chicken (him) sandwich.







We walked back onto the beach at night and enjoyed feeling the soft sand under our feet.

The next morning, we were so excited to wake up.

We had an appointment for the Dolphin Encounter at Gulf Marine World Park!

This was such a bucket list item for me. It was just enough time to really interact and enjoy the moment. But there were a lot of other great things happening as well, and with the Dolphin Encounter ticket we also had the opportunity to see the rest of the park afterwards. Here is a video of some of the highlights.









We stopped by a Sea Lion Show:

Saw some sharks!

Touched a stingray or two:

And then we were off to New Orleans!

The history of the codex club

Something not a lot of people know about the codex club, is that we've been doing it for a while (the license to the name was filed in Sept 2015). Moving to Baltimore from New York was one of the scariest things I've ever done. My first job was very corporate and utilized my technical graphic design skills, but not as much the creative part of it. To still have fun, I made greeting cards, about cultural events and inspiration around me (Trump, the Kardashians). Some of the coworkers I liked were creating their own illustrations- I started printing some of their designs on the cards too, and set up an etsy shop for us. Did some in-person sales as well, and had a lot of fun. When I left that job late last year, I had to think about the next steps for the club, and what I really wanted it to be. People and experiences come in and out of your life- and it's always been really important to me to document and keep records. That was the whole point behind the name; codex means a written record, the earliest form of books.



Updated the logo from a simple riff of two c's mirrored/interacting, to a fresh version of Mark's family coat of arms. Tossed around the idea of a sort of key-club, or organization that would be a little like a creative workspace. Most of all we want to continue branching into other sorts of products like clothing and home goods. The codex club website blog has been up since the new year, in an effort to connect and share news/inspiration. We hope you'll check it out and keep in touch!

Walt Disney World Resort Memories

This time last year, we were in front of where Harry Truman used to hang out in Florida on a family vacation to Disney World. It was my first time, a bucket list item.

RIP Barbara Bush. Half of another Gemini couple (George Bush Sr. and her were the longest married presidential couple), and someone who accomplished an incredible amount in her life. She said in 1990 Wellesley College commencement address:

"At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a child, a friend, or a parent."

Listening to: 'A Life That's Good'

Being from Texas, there are a few country songs that bring me back. Started watching Nashville recently. Really liked the storyline between Deacon and Rayna. This song and 'Sanctuary'; the feels.

Visiting Our Old High School

This post is dedicated to Jenny Lai and her unique, positive vision for herself and everyone around her. We met living down the hall from each other at our arts boarding high school in Natick, MA. We'd have dance parties in her room, hang out in practice rooms, explore together. She always knows what I need, often before I do. My first time in New York was with her to scope out whether we'd want to go to college there. If I hadn't gone with her, my life might've been really different. I think it's definitely high time we went back to our roots- 12 years later (last time was freshman year of college).



Walnut Hill School for the Arts feels like a secret gem, tucked a short ride on the metro away from Boston. A little oasis for arty high schoolers from all over the world who knew what they wanted to do with their lives, or so they thought. As background- I used to want to be an opera singer. My dad loved classical music and supported my yearning to be on stage. My siblings and I all took piano lessons already, so I started doing my vocal scales on the keyboard after practicing the same songs they were. I knew I didn't want to stay in Texas forever, so I presented the idea to my voice teacher, and made a tape. When I found out I got a scholarship, I presented the idea to my parents. To their credit, they let me go with some conditions, like I wouldn't date anyone, and continue to go to church every Sunday. And I followed those rules. Once I got to school, I met some great friends. To this day Jenny and a few others are still very important to me. I admire and am inspired by them a lot. Halfway through my Junior year, I had a very serious talk with my dormitory parent/ surrogate advisor/ birthday twin Ken Tighes, who said he saw me sketching every night and if that's actually what I wanted to do for college- I should start making my portfolio right away. If he hadn't helped me move to the Art Department, my life would have been (again) very different. To go back to this place and reminisce with these people was very special to me.







I remember being fifteen: hanging out in the grass snacking, sneaking into the campus center at night to drink chocolate milk, and painting for hours in my art studio space. Getting to see Jim Woodside, who was head of the Art Department and has only grown more and more into his role since I was a student, and his granddaughter Juniper, was incredible. His daughter Ruby is so great and Becca who hung out and walked around with us.



This whole trip took around 24 hours total. Took the bus down Friday night and got in super late, looked at our old art with Jenny, woke up in New York and took another bus down to Boston to ride the old red line to Natick. Ate some McDonalds but also really good tacos at a place called Southwest Grill, both inside South Station. After the afternoon walking around, we got dinner in Cambridge at Kimchi Kitchen and then I uber'd to the airport to get back home to Baltimore Saturday night. I almost teared up at the most perfect cup of coffee Mark had waiting for me when I got into the car: warm milk with honey mixed in, and fresh hot coffee poured over it.

An Ode to IHOP

There's a place in my heart for the International House of Pancakes. Doesn't matter what location (for the most part). My favorite one is where I'm constantly trying to convince Mark to take us as a reward for a good morning workout after the gym.



The best brunch- when I close my eyes and imagine my go-to order at IHOP: steak tips and eggs (poached, cut them in half over your hash browns and drizzle a little hot sauce over that mmmhmm), the neverending coffee, and pancakes with sprinkles on the side, with whipped cream on top.



I put my favorite dream breakfast aside this week, when I heard that a new type of french toast debuted, using Kings Hawaiian Rolls. If you've ever put that fluffy goodness in your mouth- I understand you. So I tried the bacon, sausage combo with that new french toast with strawberries and bananas. This is an unapologetically focused description of just how much I value these ideas and breakfast executions- keep doing you IHOP.

Storm King for our Birthday Last Year

'Whip, whip

Run me like a racehorse

Pull me like a ripcord

Break me down and build me up

I wanna be the slip, slip

Word upon your lip, lip

Letter that you rip, rip

Break me down and build me up



Don't wanna be the parenthetical, hypothetical

Working on something that I'm proud of, out of the box



Whatever it takes,

'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins,

'Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains,

I do what it takes.'



https://youtu.be/gOsM-DYAEhY









I want to be friends with the youtuber who commented this under the video,

'I let my goldfish listen to this, Now he's a shark.'