Running Wild in Illinois on the Best Day of the Year so Far
I love days like today. They have everything in them.
Sunshine. Blue skies. Cloud scatter. Tight breeze. Ever-so-subtle, atmospheric-scent in the air; And finally, the storm itself.
Moving in fast from the South and darkening and covering the blue with ominous grey and green. We didn’t care because we were already in and done with our day.
I mostly sat around all morning, and after Regis and Kelly (still hooked I’m afraid) I flipped channels and Sweet Home Alabama was on. I don’t care what you say. I’ve seen it 20 times and I’ll see it 20 more. If they show it, I’ll watch it. Cut-up to hell, but I don’t care. It’s too romantic and it spoils real life and love for the rest of us, but we all like to dream.
“Aw hell, nobody finds their true love when they’re 10 anyway”
So then my neighbor came over and asked me to help her move some plant potters and once I got a whiff of that outside I figured I’d better get out and enjoy it before it feels like a wasted day. So I did.
But first, I took a few pictures of her Frankendog. The dog had some surgery (she’s fine–just surface removal) and she looked so funny I thought I’d capture it forever. And of course share with you. Pictures below.
Then I hit the trail. Kind of slow, but at least moving. Listening to The Warrior playlist.
Check it out if you dare. Have to keep motivated. Have to go out and shake it tomorrow too. I am about to do some major damage to my gut this weekend and I need to be pre-prepared.
Friday night’s a free-for-all. Undetermined.
Saturday A.M. The BF’s Mom for breakfast. Saturday P.M. My Mom for Dinner. I’m sure there will be drinking. That’s what gets you is those alcohol calories. To the brain AND the bum.
Sunday A.M. Kids are home and we are going to need lunch. Possibly breakfast. And definitely dinner.
I guess I could show some restraint and just suck it up and eat healthy, but you know, I’m actually drinking right now typing this post and I’d rather just work out extra hard after, than miss something good right now.
Mother’s Day starts tonight for me! Hold up, I have to go fix another drink. brb (ha! NOW I know what that means–only took 6 months to figure that one out)
Ok crisis diverted. Back to the plot. While running I came up with a few ideas. First off, this post. I do my best thinking and pre-writing while I’m running. You might disagree…sister?? Best is questionable if this is the result, but I find it amusing and I’m only slightly buzzed.
Then for a playlist. “Running Wild and Crazy, possibly in the Jungle” I haven’t worked the details out on that yet, but it’s next. Depends on how many “wild” and “crazy” songs there are. So I thought I could throw in the “jungle” for filler. Got a great opener….
This is a funny thing while I was running today. At about the 1 and ¾ mile mark, I started seeing crayons on the ground. You know, Crayola crayons. Just laying there. First a yellow, and orange…a few moments later red and broken blue showed up, then a quarter mile on, here’s purple, brown, green….who’s missing? Oh yeah…black. Nope. Here he is. Made it just under 2 and ¼. Last guy to be dropped out of the box I guess by some poor kid walking around with his parents. I wonder what the thought behind bringing crayons to the Forest Preserve trail was anyhow?
When I go tomorrow, I’m going to pick them up when I see them. Usually stuff is still there after only one day. It did rain, but it was pretty hot during the day and some of them looked like they were melting to the ground when I saw them. Hopefully they won’t un-stick in the night and roll off the path in the morning. If I get them, I’ll post them! Something to look forward too! Hang on for one more day!
And I thought of another playlist–crayons, naturally. Like the colors–red, yellow, orange…etc. I’m working on that too.
After the trail I took the kids to the store. I really DID have a grocery list, although I’m not going to write down what it was.
Ok, ok, just real quick (for Amanda): Card for mom, yogurt, granola, Tums, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cheese sauce for Stevie’s school movie night, ketchup, Mountain Dew (also for Stevie), hot dogs, hot dog buns, baked beans, a little gifty for my sissy, and four, half-pound each, fat-ass burgers.
Like I said, Mom’s Day is early here.
When we got home, I put the stuff away, packed up Stevie’s stuff for school, and the kids went and played outside for a few.
Mason had bought flower seeds at the store, some Chinese Lanterns, that he thought looked cool, so he and Stevie went and found four different potters to put them in.
Then it conveniently rained, and they came in and watched Family Guy. I know it’s bad and not for kids, but it’s just SO funny. Besides, they learn new stuff. I can’t teach them everything.
With dinner over, my kids got transported to another store by the BF to purchase gifts for myself and the step-mom. After hiding the gifts in a location I must know, so that I don’t go looking there for 3 days, they are sleeping.
I am drinking.
The boyfriend is playing Mafia Wars.
Last game of the night: Lights off and laying down.
I am about to wrap this up with no words of wisdom, no extra pictures and no playlist.
Oh you. You know me too well. Here’s a blue sky–above; a tip–right here: Don’t stand up in a canoe. Don’t do it; And a killer playlist–below:
(It’s “comprehensive”—but please, let me know what possible song did I leave out??)
Give me a devil-horn-hand-gesture and let me pass out. Vodka Rocks! Woo-hoo!
Sunday Night and I have been slacking off…
No cool words. No quotes. No poetry. No movies. No exercise. No healthy foods. Not even any money! Not even ONE stinking penny!
Although if you count yogurt mixed with granola as healthy then I did do that. I like to let it get kind of mushy and then eat it. It gets a strange doughy texture that I find quite appetizing with the cool, sweet yogurt taste…but whatever.
Everyone is asleep and I want to just re-cap the weekend and put up some words.
Saturday: Final week of bowling for the kids! Yeah! They got 4th place for team rank. Not bad for only having 3 bowlers out of five that actually show up, and only playing half the season! I forgot to take the pics of the trophies but I’ll do that tomorrow. They got free pizza and soda and played cosmic bowling for 1½ hours. What more could you want in a league??
After that we drove straight to their very best friends in the world where they were spending the night. Daycare buds from back in the day. Primary school. A brother-sister-sister combo. Picked mine up Sunday afternoon. We see them every few months. Switch off houses to spend the night. Every time they separate at the end of the weekend, it’s like a break-up.
For the adults left behind: myself and the boyfriend, this is what we did:
He went to play racquetball and eat sushi with his friends. I took the kids to bowling and their friends house.
He came home and put floor trim/ base board up around my kitchen! I watched! Finally. 10 years living in this house with the memory of trim…and it took like, 2 hours, tops. It looks so good. Tomorrow I’ll throw some paint on the angle cuts and kitchen complete! You know, for now. Still needs a counter top that fits correctly and new windows and new paint…but one decade at a time people!
Then we went out and got food.
Back home again and watched a movie.
Netflix is nice to have but those red envelopes are like small pieces of movie pressure. You want to get the most for your money–the most movie turnover per month, but you feel obligated to actually watch one to return one. And sometimes there just isn’t time. But that red envelope sits there, accusing, making you feel like you aren’t using your free time wisely enough. We tried to add movies to our list that we have missed over the past 30 years. Or even last year. Like good movies, not just comedy fluff or mindless entertainment. Serious movies. Drama.
But that means when they come in the mail you HAVE to watch them.
So, break out the alcohol. Vodka with Mike’s Pomegranate. Last one though, so I have to plan ahead. I take Stevie’s leftover Strawberry Fruitista Freeze (from Taco Bell) and some of her leftover popsicles from the business fair, out of the freezer. If I am going to add them to vodka they are going to have to melt a little. The strawberry is fine, but which pops to use? I settle on 2 pinks, a purple and a blue. That flavor combo shouldn’t be too gross. But what does that say about me? Problem, anyone?; that I would melt down a slush drink and popsicles because I don’t have anything else to mix with? Drinking straight vodka is just tacky.
Anyway. The movie is No Country For Old Men. Now I know people are going to disagree with me, but I thought the ending was sucky. Unfinished business. It was like Raising Arizona. Except Raising Arizona was good. That dreamy-dream-telling ending felt like the best solution in a discussion on how to end the movie because no one could figure out how to actually end the movie. I checked too. Both movies: Coen Brothers.
Now I’m sure I missed some symbolism or bigger message about life and all that, but still…the movie was intense and well done. I was holding my breath alot. I like the way everyone talked so easy, southern and country. Tommy Lee Jones is always good. Scary concept being chased by someone who will never stop and who will kill anybody in his path and your loved ones just to make a point. But the end. After Woody showed up I was getting a little nervous. Everybody dead in the end–presumably–except Javier and Tommy. Maybe. One walks off, one retires. Is it just a slice of a certain kind of life and that’s all it is? Smarter folks than me can argue that. Maybe I should get the book.
Next up: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. Not sure when…soon. Got to get it back so we can get something lighthearted like Bolt!
After movie time, it was back to TV. Charlie Harper and family. Season 3. Got my vodka mixed with Fruitista and pink popsicle juice (not as disgusting as you would think) and it’s time to play: We drink when Charlie drinks! (See post last weekend–April 19) I am going to be so sad when we are all caught up on this series.
Watched a few episodes. Finished my vodpop. Found a Diet Coke in the back corner, bottom shelf of the fridge. Holy Harper! Back in Bizness. Luckily the boyfriend can drink straight rum so I don’t have to share. Pro. I like vodka though so…Poured it up with the Coke. Watched more. Drank more. Fell off the couch and into bed. An hour later I was asleep. I think I am in love with Charlie Harper. (I am also simultaneously in love with Denis Leary, but that’s a whole other series.)
Sunday: Boyfriend goes to play racquetball. I stay home and drink coffee. Shower. De-hair-ify. Need to stay smooth for the summer. 80+ on Saturday. 70+ today. Need to break out the short pants. Need to stay stubble free.
Boyfriend comes back home. We discuss my hair removal techniques up close and personal, then pack it in and go get the kids.
To distract from the extraction, we are taking them to the pet store to buy some feeder fish. That’s goldfish of varying sizes that you purchase with the express intent to feed them to other bigger fish. 24 smalls were purchased and let loose in a tank with 4 Oscars (had 2 tigers/ bought 2 albinos today to replace the deceased ones from a few weeks back). Time of release was approx. 5 pm.
Kids showered, got re-dressed, took them to Applebees, and came home. Goldfish left in tank upon arrival at 9:30 pm: exactly…one. By morning, probably none. Those Oscar bellies are fat. Just like my kids bellies. They ate everything. stuffed to the grill, so they say. This was our last night of out eating. Back to the strict program in the morning. Modified for them, Hell for us. I am going to be SO hungry. And I have to run too. Exercise anyway—something. I forgot I have a 5K in May. Then the Warrior Dash. And possibly the Half-Marathon. Possibly. I’m going to see if I can run every day for distance and decide later in the month. 13 minute pace MUST be maintained or you have to get off the track. Picked up by the truck that picks up the ones who can’t keep up. I don’t want it to be me. 13 minute miles sounds easy until you have to keep running them over and over again. And I am NOT a professional athlete. I just do it for fun and to fit in the cup. (See post on April 10/Good Morning Weekenders, for explanation).
So that’s it for tonight. Boyfriend just strolled thru to get some water and maybe I better go to sleep myself. I’ll have words and quotes and playlists galore in a few short hours. Back on track at 5am.
Sleep sweet.
We Drink When Charlie Drinks
This post might be a bit scandalous based on the previous, but like Beth says…stream of consciousness…
Saturday. No kids. No plans. Went to visit the BF Mom with the BF brother and gal pal…that sounds kind of dirty…it wasn’t. Then off to the library, where I may be a wanted criminal. Living dangerously. Finally returned the Booky Wook. Funny stuff. I’ll miss being in his head. But when the library sends you a letter in the mail telling you to get that book back, ya better do it. I owed $2.90 and it was worth every penny. Zoomed over to Jimmy John’s and had a sub and some chips. We have them all over downtown but none at home. Recently a shop made it out to the edges of Cook County and now there is one right near the house! Sadly, I have been thinking about these sammy’s for a week and only made it there today. Too lazy to drive and spend 5 dollars. I guess my son is right, to mutch (on purpose misspell) free time.
Went home and watched Sidewalks of New York. Took a few words from there AND spotted the NYCC! See below! But then what? Dinner? Not really hungry yet and nothing to drink—or nothing to add TO a drink…but hey! Idea!
Let’s watch 2½ Men, and when Charlie drinks, we drink! The rules are simple, when Charlie takes a drink of anything alcohol we take a drink of whatever we have. Which, at the time of this brilliant Saturday night party idea, was nothing. Do we do shots? And of what? Or just make a drink and have that? Let’s see, put in the new disc (Season 2 already–Disc 2) watch the first one…oh crap…3 drinks BEFORE the opening theme song. Doing shots we’ll be bombed before we finish one episode. So let’s modify. Make a drink with a few shots in it, then take a drink of that when he does. That works. Let’s go get some stuff!
First to our favorite dive-y restaurant for a quick dinner—pad the belly–and then over to the liquor store. Uh oh. Can’t go. Kids are home early, and Dad and the whole family are sitting inside! See the truck, see the people. Those darn kids of mine like that place too, dragging their other family over there! Oh well, get back in the car and drive to the highway. Our second favorite dive-y place is over there.
Now back to the plan. Get Vodka and Mike’s Hard Pomegranite Lemonade–I know it seems cheesy, but if you put the vodka in the Mike’s with ice it’s pretty good. Gives a flavor and kicks it up without tearing the throat…and we picked up some Bailey’s for the coffee…for the NEXT day! We plan ahead!
Back home and we got the drinks ready to go. Sitting. Watching. Waiting. No drinking at all in the next episode! What?? Now what? Do we just drink? It’s not like these are hard rules here…Maybe shots are the way to go? Next episode please….oh yeah! It’s good. Charlie Harper back in business. I think we ended up watching 4 more, maybe, 5, don’t know, because I was gone….
Needless to say, the night ended well. Pulled it thru until 2.
3 am to 6 was a bit of a touch, but pulled it again round about 9. (Winky man right?) ; )
But that’s another story. : )
just shy of pretty 