Well, it was bound to happen eventually – one of us had to turn 30. I’m just glad it was Phillip and not me. Since we were somewhat limited in celebrating by the tail end of Phillip’s month of night float, Phillip’s brother, Ben, and I came up with a plan for a guys’ weekend here in Charleston to mark the occasion. It was actually quite a feat to get both sets of brothers (both Dean and Martin) in the same city at the same time. Ben came from Charlotte, Bobby came from D.C., and Scott came from Jacksonville. Everyone rolled in on Friday night and after enjoying grilled pork chops and Sweet Corn Mac ‘n’ Cheese, the boys were boisterous well into the evening as they enjoyed catching up and watching a bit of the NCAA basketball tournament.
The next morning while everyone slept in, I got to work on the birthday cake. Phillip had requested a Hummingbird Cake, his favorite. He’d spied a 35th anniversary recipe in Southern Living so I set out to make it for him. It involved making the cake itself, a cream cheese custard filling (which I’d actually made the night before), and browned butter frosting. Once everyone was up, we headed for bagels at Bagel Nation before doing a little sight-seeing downtown at the Battery.
That afternoon, the guys “settled” in for a game of Settlers of Catan, one of their favorite ways to spend an afternoon. I made cheese dip and pico for them to snack on during the game.
Afterwards, we headed back downtown to The Gin Joint, our favorite local bar (so far, anyway). They have some really interesting cocktails so it’s always an adventure. Plus, you can sit out on the patio and people-watch. It was a perfect day for sitting outside and Bobby entertained us with his uncanny ability to remember every Nickelodeon cartoon from our childhood – including both cartoons featuring koala bears.
Next, we headed to O-Ku for sushi and much seafood was consumed by all. After a little after-dinner roaming about, we headed back home for birthday cake. 
I’m a terrible icer. Forgive me.
The next morning, I made Cheese Grits with Poached Eggs (another Phillip request). The boys enjoyed a game of bocce in the backyard before starting a lengthy series of Smash Brothers match-ups. Because it was Easter, I made my family’s traditional meal of ham and twice-baked potatoes (although I used the Pioneer Woman recipe this time). I also threw in some peas for Phillip. The guys enjoyed one last game of Settlers before packing up and heading out. Phillip, of course, went to work for his last night of night float.
This one pretty much sums up the weekend.
If you have to turn 30, you should at least do it laughing non-stop with some of your favorite people, right? Happy Birthday to Phillip!
