Mixed Bag

SKATER CAKE: Last Saturday was all about Teen Feed. Sunday was all about Birthday Dreams, as we had a cake to deliver on Monday. The cake was for an 18-year-old boy who liked to skateboard. We went online to find some inspiration and found a cake we liked that had a silhouette of a skater on a ramp, and graffiti like letters for the name and age, so we went with that. 

We made gumpaste by adding tylose to our homemade marshmallow fondant. Annabelle carefully traced a silhouette I found online, and cut out the skater. The tylose made the fondant dry stiff enough so that it would be able to stand. (There is a post running down the back side of his leading leg into the cake to help hold it upright.)

She used her airbrush to paint the letters. (The birthday boy's name is changed in the photo to protect his anonymity.)

The ramp is a big Rice Krispies treat covered in buttercream and fondant. He requested a vanilla cake with vanilla icing. We did add some blue sprinkles in the filling, though (blue is his favorite color).

We hope he liked his cake!

THE OLD BALL GAME: Tuesday night we took advantage of great ticket offer (only $18 for a seat on the lower level!) and went to the Mariners' game. 

It was a beautiful night at the ballpark.

I couldn't help but notice this couple's jerseys - Griffey and Martinez, the two greatest players in the history of the franchise.

CJ was working the game, of course. He was able to join us for his half hour break, which was nice.

Unfortunately, the Mariners didn't win. The Houston Astros are tough to beat - so much power at the plate from top to bottom in their lineup.

PRODUCING: Our trio of sunflowers continue to impress. This one is our tallest, at about 5 feet. I'm always kind of amazed by sunflowers and how their single, rather spindly stem can support their weight.

Some neighbors gave us some zucchini. Annabelle use a handy tool to turn it into spaghetti noodles for dinner Tuesday night.

PRE LAUNCH: An email from NASA invited us to be their virtual guests for the launch of the 16th Northrop Grumman Commercial Resupply Services Mission Launch.

Northrop Grumman is targeting liftoff of its Antares rocket and Cygnus spacecraft for no earlier than 5:56 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 10. These launches are always a little different to watch, as the rockets rise from Pad-0A of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island.

Onboard Cygnus will be a variety of research experiments, including a demo of 3D printing in space using a material simulating rock and soil found on places such as the Moon. Also on board will be Blob, a European Space Agency investigation, which will allow students to see how slime molds’ behavior is affected by microgravity.

Space fans can participate virtually by registering online. Those who register will receive mission updates, interactive opportunities, and a stamp for your NASA virtual passport following launch.