Ian's Birthday Cake: Guest Blogger Eric Powell

Kina is allowing me to write the blog for Ian Clements' birthday cake, and I couldn't be more honored.

I'm trying to think of some funny jokes and lines to describe Ian (since he's the only person in the world who can make me consistently laugh by saying only one word...and sometimes none), but I can't handle the pressure and I don't want him to make fun of me if I fail.

First things first - the cake.

Kina designed the coolest cake to honor Ian:

The cake is the face not the basketball.

Ian is a great basketball player (congratulations!) and he is also a barber working on Oahu, HI.

I have no idea how she made the cake look so awesome/realistic - but she did. 

I'm sure it tasted good too.

I'm sorry Ian, I still have nothing that's funny enough to type so I have to get deep.

Ian and I first started hanging out as part-time valet drivers. I then asked him on a date to see a movie (I forget the movie, but we almost held hands)

From then on, he and Jerek (hopefully I'll get to write one about Jerek sometime soon!) and I became very close. They became the absolute ideal of what I had been looking for in friends my entire life.

We would often have man-weekends when our significant others were out-of-town or hanging out with each other.

Side Note: Katy (Ian's wife) and Meagan (Jerek's wife) are pretty awesome in their own right...but this blog is about Ian.

On these man-weekends we would participate in atypical "man" events. We would have Nerf Wars, make paper-mache', and other activities.

Ian with his cake.

Although I miss Ian now that we live an ocean apart, it still feels like I'm talking to him sometimes when I'm at work. Ian is my role-model when it comes to working with kids. He has a way of connecting with them and helping them understand their unique-awesomeness. Whenever I get tired or burnt out at work I always pretend to be "Ian" with my students. This helps me be 50% more ghetto, 75% louder, and 100% a better worker. 

Thank you Ian for being who you are. You are truly one-of-a-kind. 

In Portland with my favorite 6-people in the world!

As Kina would say, "Love You All! Take Care and God Bless!"