Happy 30th To Me!
The 30th anniversary of me getting my driver’s license! So here’s a picture of my Jeep and all our new Jeep friends doing Jeep stuff last weekend.
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 To The BF!
A day late. Still from the middle of nowhere Illinois. Thursday AND Friday night out of town? Oh yeah. We came here for Jeep modifications and it’s just one problem after another. Hence the two night birthday bonanza. (And he says we never do anything together with just us!) 42 years old. I guess this is the birthday you will definitely remember! If you add 4 plus 2 together, that’s actually MORE than there are things to do here! And we did all of them. Yesterday. I’d like to say I’m joking but its kind of true. What’s worse is, we didn’t even get to town until 11:30 am and then we spent an hour at the shop. THEN we did all the tourist stuff and went to dinner by 5:30 pm. (Technically, everything closed at 5 so we really didn’t have a choice there.) But on the upside, the restaurant that we went to is actually a “thing to do” so you can kind of see what I’m talking about. Tonight we can just drink and chill and hope to god we get to leave in the morning with our Jeep. Oh wait, I mean our “pizza cutter.” That’s for the Jeep nation. Apparently what we will be driving home, (IF the Jeep gods allow us to actually get a wheel alignment done without any more issues), is some kind of Jeep joke with little tires on a lifted truck. I dont know. It’s too much pressure. Listen up all you Jeepers: WE HAVE BIG TIRES AND COOL WHEELS DAMMIT! We just don’t have them together, in the same place, and available for install, until next week. Just one more problem on the pile of problems. So don’t judge too harshly if you see us tomorrow heading north on 57 back to Chicago. We know. We already know. At least we get to drive a really big loaner vehicle, for free, and spend another night of good quality time together, for free.
Seriously though, this gave me time to figure out this posting thing from my phone. (Hopefully successful if not looking a little crude. We didn’t bring a lot with, so this is it.) Despite all these little setbacks, we are still having a good time! No fighting! Fingers crossed for the automotive angels that better be looking out for us in the morning, or there’s gonna be big noise from the bottom of Illinois around noontime.
Happy birthday Jeff! I love you! There’s no one else I’d rather be trapped with, in this southern cow poke town, than you! XOXO
Now let’s go get some alcohol before they roll up the sidewalks and turn off the lights. Later.
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!
Happy New Year In Four Fast Photos
This was Christmas and New Year’s. It’s January 3. These lights are gone, put away already. It was the only holiday stuff we had up due to some house painting and carpet replacing we did this winter break. No Christmas tree, stockings, decorations, etc, versus that fresh new house feeling? So worth it. And the house really does feel sort of new considering most of our stuff is still outside in the garage. I’m trying to de-clutter, so if it stays out there long enough we don’t need it right? Luckily I have been working every day so I missed most of the mess and most of the manual labor. This “re-filling” of the house could take awhile. And, no snow. Thank you Midwest weather. Seriously. Thank you. True to Chicago fashion, our “Winter Storm Alert!” is 33 degrees of rain. Not a problem as I see it. It can just keep on raining. Anyway, that’s it. I’m still here. We’re all still here. And I’m going to post 3 more pictures going backward now to catch up from October. Then we’ll be back on track. Even got some new bird pics to share. Yes fair readers, it’s true. Crows. Three big crows. From I don’t know where. They came, they walked around the yard, they flew away. 2015, here we go.
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.
just shy of pretty 