Happy Fourth Of July!
From Illinois! Tinley Park Benches 2015! The theme is “Heroes and Villains”. Me and the BF walked the empty streets this afternoon and came across this one (out of twenty) that I thought would be perfect as a post today and a good way to pick up where I left off. As this site becomes more and more random, I still like to try and make the occasional effort for purpose and meaning. Remember why we celebrate even if it’s just for a minute or two while waiting for the fireworks to start. My son will soon be out there as part of the bigger picture. This time next year he will be far from here, doing things, and going places he can’t even begin to imagine yet. He’s excited for his life to keep moving forward. I’m excited for him (and just a little bit nervous because life does keep moving forward). But more about that later. Graduation and going away. Plenty of news to come, and a Really. Big. Party. But for today, just this. Have a safe and happy holiday! Later.
Happy Birthday Me Madre!
I called you but I guess you are out doing birthday stuff. And I sent you a text. No reply. Did not do Facebook as you know I won’t be. But you have this! I like this picture. I hope you are having a great fun day and I will see you tomorrow! I love you! XO
A Mississippi River Tree
Because I like to take pictures of trees. With the moon, if you look in the branches. We went to the Memphis Zoo while we there, so I have lots of pictures there too. I highly recommend it if you get the chance. It was amazing and full of good, healthy looking animals. And I so want to keep this up every day! I am going to try to be better, she says, yet again. But I promised four and delivered four. I have that at least. January 3. Still raining. 34 degrees. Thank you for spending some of your day with me.
The Kids Wanted To Touch The Mississippi River
So I let them. I let them climb down a rocky, steep embankment, to lean over and touch the freezing cold, fast moving, dangerously currented big river. I was nervous they would slip and fall in and be lost forever. They swim good, but this is a big, fast, scary river even when it looks slow from the side. I know because I also climbed down there like a dum dum to touch that cold ass water, and I don’t swim as good as them so I probably really would have drowned if I fell in. Tourists. But I was fine. And they were fine. And there’s the picture.
November Near The Mississippi
We went to Memphis for Thanksgiving. It was really nice actually. That’s where the BF’s family lives. We went to Graceland. We took the tourist picture. I’m going to post it as a bonus, just for you, my special friends, who actually take the time to read this sketchy blog every few months or so. Please enjoy this piece of American culture!
100 Miles Away From Somerset, Pennsylvania
I’m told somewhere in West Virginia, near Parsons.
And here is Parsons. 12:30 pm by the clock tower.
Virginia. That sign says Mitchelltown. Looks about perfect weather out there too. That’s all I have for now.
I think I’m going to go drink a beer, dead head my flowers, and sit for a spell in the backyard while waiting for the rain and my children to arrive. I did actually leave the house today to go get some stuff I needed, and when I came out of the store, a guy was looking at my Jeep and offered to buy my tires and wheels, if I was thinking of going bigger, and selling the ones I have now. I am and I will. He left me his card. Chatted with my brother (also a Jeep owner but like, seriously Jeeped out with lifts and tires and winches and heavy duty trail capability) and he said sell them. Sell anything a buyer will buy. Especially when the stock stuff is still new and good. You can really get your money’s worth. I love being part of this whole other world I had no idea existed. There’s probably a slogan or something too that I don’t know about. Jeep Nation. I’ll post later if I can. Gotta finish up some work. Watch for motorcycles! Later.
Happy Father’s Day!
Another year. I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by great dads my whole life. My kids are equally lucky. I don’t know how I managed it, but I am thankful. To all those daddies out there putting in their time, it’s worth it, keep at it, you got this! You are making a difference. And of course, I can’t let an opportunity go by to post my favorite picture. One dad. Standard issue. Military grade. I see you more and more every day when I look in the mirror at my wrinkly forehead and my squinty pale eyes. It’s weird, but it’s working.
Trippin’ On Father’s Day
Somewhere between Ohio and Pennsylvania. No more info given except to say that he stopped for a few to let the GPS catch up and then back on.
Random pics. I like this one too. I like the color and all those poles. Everyone is coming in but no one is leaving.
Last shot for the night. Destination. Of course I don’t have a name of the town. I texted but you know these motorcycle gangs, they don’t stop to answer a text message! This was at 7:30 pm Saturday night, his time. The BF is an hour ahead. Who knows what wondrous things he has already seen today while I have been sitting in my backyard drinking coffee. I’ll post as I get em’. Meanwhile enjoy this beautiful Sunday. Father’s Day! Honey, if you read this, I love you and thank you for being an awesome dad to the kiddies. They love you tons. Be careful as always. Stay safe.
Our weather here is gearing up for storms later. Hot cha cha cha.
Watch for motorcycles! Later.
Argh! Two More Months Of Life Slipped On By
And it’s summer again. Almost. We are still undecided here in the Midwest. But the calendar says June 14. And the temps don’t lie. Well, they do, but we ignore that flaw because we love it so. I don’t want to bog this day down with a lot of past dwelling so let me update fast and we can carry on from this moment. I’m only hitting the highlights, so to speak, and moving on. First, the darkness.
Death has touched ground too much this year and I have had 6 opportunities to say goodbye to some lovely family and friends in the last 6 months. That’s really all I’m going to post about it. No disrespect to anyone, but I can’t trust my wordiness, and I don’t like carrying a heavy heart very far. All were loved, and all will be missed.
On a lighter note, I have a new vehicle! If you have visited here before you may know that I kind of loved my Maxima.
In a comfy, stable, but still kind of fast and sexy, way. Well, 200,000 thousand miles just wasn’t in the cards for the old girl and she decided to give me a random Wednesday off of work when she pooped out in the middle of the road while I was driving her in to the job. Too much to fix this time and we had to let her go. Cursed and blessed. Because I found my dream machine. Catch me I’m falling, swooning and flushing, batting my eyelashes, getting all hot and sweaty, because I am in love love love with this mere automobile. Meet my new main squeeze, the 2012 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Used, but so sweet, and only 18000 miles.
Isn’t she beautiful? I hesitated at the edge for a split second and then jumped in anyway to the Jeep pool. The dealer said I would love it. He was right right right. I have been driving it for a month and it feels like it has been mine forever. When I walk out of work and see it in the parking lot, my heart skips a little beat, I swear. Typed, that looks, and sounds, sad, I realize, but I don’t care. My heart for a Jeep.
I still waste entirely too much time playing these stupid stupid phone games that I get absolutely nothing for in the real world except satisfaction of reaching the maximum level possible and the knowledge that I did not spend even ONE cent of my own money to get here. Level 70. Tiny Village. You kill me. But I love you so. I have a job. I have money to pay my bills. I’m fairly healthy with a birthday coming up that I’m not exactly jumping for joy about, but I’m alive right? I lost 10 pounds since I saw my doc in April! That alone makes me happy. My clothes fit! And my B/P is going down number by number with each little weight loss. My skin still turns into kind of a mess every few weeks but these are the things we live with. Stay out of the sun, don’t drink alcohol, (don’t drink a lot of alcohol), eat as healthy as you can, exercise, get some sleep. That’s pretty much the whole trick of it.
The kids. The kids are out of school. Again. I have a Junior and a Sophomore now. 16 and 15. Both driving. Both taller than me. Both beautiful. And both not too shabby in the brains department. Healthy and seemingly happy as of this moment. Also, spending the weekend with their dad. Father’s Day and all that. This is the first time I have been totally alone in this house, for a whole weekend, and overnight, for like, a million years. One. Million. Years. It. Is. Wonderful.
But Lisa, you say, don’t you have a boyfriend? Where is he? How can you be totally alone?
Well, let me enlighten. I still have a BF. He’s fine. He’s fabulous. He supports my crazy. And there’s no shortage of that around here. I always find the extra level. I’m blaming it on age. He’s younger (that’s right, that’s how we do it) so I have to blaze the trail. It’s hard, to be sure, but it’s less hard now; now that I got that Jeep! Woop. See what I just did? Turned it into a Jeep commercial. Shameless.
Anyway, the BF just left for another one of his motorcycle trips (hence the alone part) and this time I’m gonna document it. It’s a week long, and I won’t even say where. One, cause I don’t really know exactly, (East towards Pennsylvania and then South to Tennessee/Alabama/etc…I believe), and two, I don’t need to know because he’s going to take pictures every time he stops and I’m going to post them. We are all going on this journey together. Gather round and follow us down. I’ve been up since 5 am so I’m really proud of this day. And it’s only 3:30! I have a shit ton of work to catch up on but I think I can handle it with all this breathing room I have. Even if it is only 48 hours worth. The house is neat and quiet. Most of the laundry is done. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. The flowers are blooming. The air is fresh and clean. It’s like a damn country song over here. I even got a flag in the window. And a Jeep in the driveway. And the boy’s GMC out in the front. If I had a lake in the backyard to skip a stone on, I’d really have it all. Well, ain’t that America? I will do my best to share what the BF sends back to me every day. It’ll be a small vacation for all of us. For free. Let’s go!
Park Forest, Illinois. 6 am. Packing and getting ready. He’s driving alone today. Meeting the rest of the traveler’s in PA later tonight.
Plymouth, Indiana. 7:30 am. Gas, water, food stop. Since there is no picture sent with the message I’ll just use this here map to kind of show the way. (Internet Map CREDIT: Map Of The United States by FreyFox. Thank you!) It’s silly, but it’s meant to be. It’s also a good map! Take a look all around, then look to the East. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania.
Upper Sandusky, Ohio. 11:30 ish. Fun fact: All you can eat KFC! But it’s more than that! It’s a KFC, Long John Silvers, DQ, and a gas station. I’m at home eating leftover noodles with butter. I do like this picture though. It never seems like other states are as crowded as Illinois. Hmm. Pondering time.
Carrollton, Ohio. 2:30 pm. Not much to see. Let’s flip it around.
Well, it’s a gas station. I just thought I’d showcase the motorcycle since I was so bad about the last trip. The text received with the pic is: Back to the road…next stop will be destination. 3 more hours. I asked about time zones, but it was too late. You can’t keep these motorcycle people still for long. So that’s it for now. I will update as much as possible this week. Work will interfere but I have a late night ahead, to try and get ahead, and some days off in the near future. Maybe I will even get in some extra stuff. Birds and flowers and such. I got benches for the last three years. And some found money that I am about to lump into an all-inclusive-3 year total. I could potentially be up all night! Full moon too. You can stay with me if you like. Come and hang if you happen to be up. Leave a comment or just browse around.
And as a side note to the BF: You might not see this today or anytime soon, but be careful! Stay safe. I love you.
Watch for motorcycles! Later!
Random Sunday Butterfly
I’m going to go babysit my brother’s new baby for the first time today! Although technically since he’s 6 months old now, he’s not all that new. So expect the random pictures, I promised, plus new and updated baby pictures, throughout the day as I add this new thing into my Sunday of football, work, and posting. Our dinner was very nice except we forgot that they had the lighting/parade/Christmas thing downtown (in Chicago–in case you want to look it up) and we got caught in a million people’s attendance and traffic. No joke. I heard the news last night, they said one million people were estimated to have attended. If I research and confirm this factoid, I will let you know. But I probably won’t. I won’t research. I won’t confirm. Or refute. Heck, I probably won’t even ever speak of it again. If you want to keep it real, feel free to comment with the correct number and facts, otherwise, let’s just all agree we were downtown with a million other people last night and leave it at that! I will post pictures of anything food/fun related the kids took as soon as they send it to me. I am also planning on a lot less words to go with the rest of the posts I put up here today. Consider this all the reading you need to do for the day! I have to shower and gather my things. Time is a ticking. The kids are going to their dad’s and I think the BF is staying home. It’s individual Sunday. That can totally be our new thing! Later.
just shy of pretty 