Toot Toot, Hey, Beep Beep

So, kids. Stinky got a bad stomach flu last night. Poor thing. I think she's feeling better now, but last night was pretty rough.

Today will just be a little photo expose' that some friends and I did when we were out at the bachelorette party. We saw this funky backdrop and decided it would be perfect for mocking senior pictures, but of course, we just cracked ourselves up by making them more and more raunchy. So, soon we were taking senior photos at reform school. Anyway, Here they are. Enjoy... Or not.

Ride Like the Wind to be Free Again

Archie putting the bike box to good use.

Okay kids. My internet was screwy all weekend...Again. I'm ending my internet relationship with Mediacom and hooking up with Qwest instead. I'll let you know how that works. They won't have it hooked up until the 7th. So, blogging might be even more sketchy this week. Who knew that was possible.

So, here is a quick little pictorial of my weekend. My bike came on Friday and The Guy was so good about putting it all together and having me sit on it and readjusting everything for me. How great is he? Then since we couldn't watch a Netflix streaming movie, because we had no internet, we saw Pirate Radio instead.

On Saturday, we did some things around the house, ran errands and then went on a 30 mile bike ride to a town called Windham. My bike was so much fun to ride and made me very, very happy.
We stopped at a little tavern in town and ate some greasy food and drank a beer before we rode the rest of the way home.

Then we were off getting ready for the bachelorette/bachelor parties we were going to. Stinky babysat for some friends who were also going to the parties.

I met the girls at a bar in Mount Vernon - where the bride was from and had a great time. Then we went to a bar in Solon - where the groom was from.

Then we came back to The Dublin and met up with the guys and had a dance party. Yea! it was fun, but I was exhausted and finally went home around midnight.

It was about 80 degrees here on Sunday and it felt great for our bike ride to Hills. it was crazy windy on the way there, when it was against us and way more fun on the way home. There's really nothing like screaming down a hill on old Highway 218 as fast as you can go. It makes up for almost standing still while we peddled against the wind on the way there.

There's Only One Solution to This Life

Here is the Queen Mother waving at me from a junk shop window on my way to work this morning.

Soooo, we missed the UPS guy to get my bike yesterday. We have to sign for it, and he must have stopped by in the half hour where Stinky went to work and before I got home. So, that means I got to go home early today and wait for him. A half day Friday and a new bike? It sounds like a pretty damn good day to me.

The rest of the weekend looks like this: Tonight I'm making the brown sugar glazed salmon with new potatoes fried in olive oil and rosemary, steamed veggies and salad. We'll (and when I say we, I mostly mean The Guy) will put together my bike and hopefully watch some geeky bike movie while doing that.

On Saturday, we'll take care of things in the morning, and then meet our friend Bry and take my bike for its first spin. We'll get home, clean up and then I'll go to a bachelorette party and The Guy will attend the corresponding bachelor party.

I have no idea what I'll do on Sunday. It's supposed to rain, so I'll probably work on house projects and if the sun peaks out at all, I'll try to run or ride or both.

How about you guys? Are you waiting for a bike or getting ready to ride?

Birds Singin' in the Sycamore Trees

Here we are at G.'s party. In our world, bunny ears are never not funny.

I know I sound like a broken record, but I had another great weekend. On Friday night the guy and I went out for sushi after work and then picked up Stinky and went home and watched Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant in The Philadelphia Story.

Here is the guy with his game face on, getting to ride his first race since the accident.

On Saturday we got up and got some things done around the house and some errands run. I also got a nice run in, while The Guy was getting stuff at the store.

In the evening, we went to our friend G.'s birthday party at Sam's Pizza. We split a stuffed pizza and had a couple of drinks and then went home around 9. Stinky got home shortly thereafter and we all watched some episodes of Shaun the Sheep together. Both The Guy and Stinky had seen it before, but I hadn't. I liked Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run, so I wasn't surprised that it was as clever and fun as it was.

Here is the guy kicking ass at the finish line.

On Sunday we got up early so we could head to The Guy's first bike race since the accident. Our friend Bry showed up, which was nice. The Guy ended up placing 2nd in his age groups. That would be impressive if he HADN'T been in an accident where he broke his back and that prevented him from working out on his bike for a few months.

After the race we stopped and ate a late breakfast and then went home and took a nap. We woke up and headed to bike shops to test ride cyclocross bikes. I've been pretty interested in that sport since I saw it last Thanksgiving. I'm thinking about competing in it sometime this Fall. I've talked to my brother and he said he might come down and do one with me too. Anyway, I test rode a couple of bikes, but I'll probably get one on-line from some place that can be hundreds of dollars cheaper than the name brands at the shops. I'll also be able to use the bike as a road bike or for racing if I decide to do that too.

In the evening, The Guy went to play pool with Bry and Stinky went to her youth group thingy. I went to G.'s house for a bit, then came home and watched the movie, The Orphanage. If you haven't seen it and you like really scary horror films - check it out. At one point, Stinky and I were on the couch with Archie lying between us, and we jumped and screamed and Archie went running. Funny.

Fat Bottomed Girls Will Be Riding Them Too

Here is an abandoned farm house. Creepy.

So, last night The Guy's friend was supposed to come down from Minneapolis for dinner. They ended up getting snow there, so she stayed to ski and didn't make it down until 10. Since The Guy already promised Stinky dinner out, he wanted to uphold that and we let her decide where we ate. She chose to go to Pagliais Pizza and we had a lovely meal. The Guy's friend showed up and we talked with her until around midnight. That's pretty damn late on a school night. It was worth it, though. She was really cool and fun to hang out with.

So, now onto the weekend....Tonight the guy and I have decided to just chill out. We're going to probably try and get some sushi and then come home and watch a movie and hit the hay pretty early.

I plan on running and getting a few things done during the day on Saturday. We kicked around the idea of going on a Spring ride with a bike group here, but I think the 36 degree temps and chance of snow is enough to dissuade us. Saturday night we will celebrate our friend G.'s birthday. We probably won't stay out super late, on account of what's going on Sunday morning.

Sunday morning will be The Guy's first cycling race in a year and since his accident. We've heard it will be hilly and it's still supposed to be cold, but I'm still excited to check out the scene. Bicycle racing is so much different than running races in that there is all kinds of strategy to it. It should be pretty interesting.

How about you all? Will you be chilling out this weekend or racing around?

But I Know Our Filthy Hands Can Wash One Another's

Me scaring one of the guests with a loaded Archie.

Oh, but this weekend was a busy one. On Friday, the guy and I had a nice dinner and watched True Grit. It was a DVD someone I knew copied off the internet, so the sound was off and the quality wasn't great, but I still liked it a lot.

The Guy peppering the conversation.

On Saturday we woke up fairly early and ate some French toast and veggie (fake) sausage, then set to work cleaning the place up before The Guy's mom came over for the first time. She loved seeing Heidi again, and of course, like most sociopaths, Archie was very charming while she was over. We took Stinky and The Guy's mom out for lunch and it was so very nice.

Then The Guy went to ride his bike and I went to run. We met back at the house a bit later and ran some errands. We made a trip to Menards to pick up a few things and then came back home and ate meal of bread, leftover shrimp, salmon pate', cream cheese and smoked trout. Yum.

We headed over to a friend's pre ST Patty's Day party where I may have had a little wine and could possibly become a little louder than I should've, but people should assume that's what will happen when I show up, right? Anyway, it was a fun party and The Guy and I stayed out past 10 o'clock. Crazy, I know.

Yea! Coadster is back for a few days.

Today was okay. I had another bad migraine, but I guess I should be used to those by now. The Guy got up early and took care of a bunch of things and that was so very nice. Then he went on a long bike ride with his friend Bry and Coadster and her boyfriend got here and took Stinky to the mall with them. I tried to get a few things done, but the brain pain made that kind of tough.

Everyone got home about the same time, I took Stinky to work and then we had a a couple of friends over for dinner. I made cheese tortellini with pesto sauce, linguine with Alfredo and sauteed chicken and The Guy made an excellent salad. The Guy and his friend Bry went off to play pool and my friend G. stayed for a while and we had some good girl talk.

All in all, a pretty damn nice weekend. I'd say.

Let's All Get Up and Dance to a Song

The Guy and I with some friends last weekend.

Well, kids. I hope everyone in Japan and the West Coast is okay...And that includes any of my blogging buddies.

So, this weekend proves to be a busy one. Tonight I'm making tofu shrimp stir-fry and miso soup and we're watching a movie. In my mind, it's a perfect Friday night.

Tomorrow I'll try to get up early and get some cleaning done. Then The Guy's mom is coming over and checking out his new digs and visiting the cat and meeting Archie. Poor woman. We'll go to Oyama for lunch and then I think The Guy will go back with his mom and ride one of his bikes home while I run and get a few things done around the house. We're also kicking around the idea of getting a swim in later in the afternoon.

Saturday evening we'll stop by a friend's pre-St Patty's Day get together for a bit.

On Sunday Coadster and her boyfriend come home for a couple of days. Yea!

What are your plans this weekend? Will you be hanging with family, or hanging with family?

Goin' Mobile. Keep Me Movin'.

we're going to try really hard to keep Archie out of the laundry room this weekend.

So, my starter in my car needed to be replaced. I also had them try to get my hatch to work again. It had been stuck shut since the tornado. I was afraid that if I ever got it open, I may not get it closed again. They said it was jammed with broken glass from when that back window shattered into a million pieces due to the force of the winds. Anyway, it actually works now. Weird. It wasn't horribly expensive, and I had the money to afford it, so It wasn't horrible.

So, this weekend...I actually some plans this time around. Tomorrow night, I'm making the brown sugar salmon, some almond rice pilaf and saute'ing asparagus, red bell pepper, and zucchini in garlic butter and white wine. The girl crush is going to visit and she'll finally get to see my house, meet Archie and officially meet The Guy. I'm so excited.

On Saturday morning, The Guy and I are going to drive to Des Moines to pick up his new car. He got it $500 cheaper than buying one here in town, so it's very worth the drive. I'm not sure what will happen when we come back in the afternoon. If it snows enough, we might try to ski...In the evening, we're going to go out for a nice dinner to celebrate our mobility. Yea us!

I'm not sure what's going on for Sunday yet. I'll have to let you know after it happens.

So, what do any of you have planned this weekend? Will you be hanging out with your girl crushes who are visiting from out of town or going out of town yourselves?

He Only Did What He Had to Do and Now He's Growing Old

Archie, step away from the laundry room.

So, this weekend was fine for the most part. There were a couple of rough patches, but in general, very nice.

Friday night the guy and I had dinner. I tried to make another surprise for him, but it was a big, fat fail. He liked these hot and dirty martinis we had at Orchard Green restaurant, so I looked online and followed a recipe (kind of) and it ended up not turning out very well. Damn! The beans I made also didn't turn out as planned, but the rest of it was good and then we watched an American remake of a Swedish vampire movie called, Let Me In. It was quite good.

On Saturday I woke up and tried to get some things done. I cleaned out my breezeway and took back my cans and bottles and then went running. It was much colder than it was on Thursday when I ran, but still very nice for February. The Guy and I were planning on going swimming at 3:30. Before Stinky went to work she asked me if I'd put her clothes from the washer into the dryer when they were done. I did that while I was getting ready to leave, but then wondered why there was a thumping sound when there weren't any shoes in the dryer...Then I wondered where Archie was. Oops! He must have jumped into the dryer without me noticing. I ran and turned it off and grabbed him out. He seems fine - if not a little sweeter and more clingy for a while. The Guy joked that we might need to give him a dryer ride here and there to calm him down now.

The Guy and I had a nice swim, steam and went for a drink at the Dublin, before we went to pick up Stinky and back home for pizza and a movie. All very nice and quaint and shit.

Today, I woke up with a killer migraine. Wah. I took some meds and went back to bed for a bit. I was awakened by a text from my friend E. to see if The Guy and I were going swimming at all today. I told her we were and to meet us. She is just learning, and I've been singing the praises of how well The Guy helped me learn, and so he helped her as well. Then we all went to steam and had a nice talk. All in all it turned out to be a pleasant afternoon.

Archie putting his best end forward...Judging by the guy's face, it doesn't seem to smell that good.

So, my weekend was just fine. Friday night we had our dinner and the salmon was amazing. Then we did a Netflix streaming of Tom Waits' concert film, Big Time. It was very nice.

On Saturday, I ran and then picked the guy up at 3 to go swimming. They were having that diving tournament at the pool, so in between laps, I would stop and watch people dive off that super high platform...And almost have a heart attack that they were all headed to meet their watery deaths. Jaysus! After the swim and the steam, we headed to the Dublin and the man who was the story editor for the first season of True Blood and then later worked on Weeds, showed up. I talked to him for a minute, because our kids were in show choir together. My favorite bartender, S. was all aflutter, because his wife is a big fan of his writing. The guy and I ended our night by falling asleep on the couch to another movie...But after all the stuff we did, I don't feel too bad about that.

Archie turning around to his other end...And now that he's teething, I doubt it smells that much better.

Today the guy told me he wasn't going to have time to hang out due to some stuff he wanted to get done and some social obligations with other people. I woke up to a text from my friend E. asking me if the guy and I wanted to go swimming with her. I told her that the guy was busy but that I'd go with her. We had a great time swimming and steaming and sauna'ing. Then I asked her if she wanted to meet later for a drink and appetizers. She was up for that, since she had her sons all weekend and wouldn't mind socializing. I told the guy what E. and I were doing and he said he'd love to see us. So, he and his friend Bry met us at Graze and had a drink. They took off to play pool and E. and I had a great talk. When we were ready to go, we stopped by the pool hall and shot a couple of games with The boys. It was such a blast. I'm just learning to play pool, so even when I got the easiest shots in, they all gave me some condescending applause...Even condescending applause felt nice. It was weird for me to go out on a Sunday, but I was so glad I did.

Aim So High Above Any Card That Has Been Dealt You

Me wearing G.'s fringed purse on my head and making everyone think I looked like Janice the Muppet in Animals band.

Sorry, I was lax with the blog again this extended weekend. This time I actually have an excuse - my internet was all wonky for a couple of days.

So, let's see....Thursday night I went out with the girls for a very little bit. I had one beer and enjoyed some wacky hijinks and made it home by 9:30.

New Year's Eve was lovely as well. During the day, I ran and did some cleaning. The guy and I were going to try to swim at 5, but that kind of fell through. Instead, we went to our friend Pat and Mandy's and had appetizers and some fun pomegranate/cranberry juice vodka drinks. At around 8, the guy and I went back to my place. We ate too much at our friends house to eat a full meal, but I still baked some salmon and we had a really great talk. Before I realized it, it was 12:14 and we had missed the start of the year. I guess I'd rather be so involved in a great conversation with my boyfriend, then know exactly when it turns midnight....

We had candles in the shape of bombs. The best part, was that the package made a big point to say that they wouldn't actually explode. Bummer.

If the first day of the year is any indication...It should be one hell of a year. Stinky worked most of the day. I had a nice afternoon to myself, getting a few things done and generally putzing around the house muttering to myself. In the afternoon, the guy and I were going to try and swim laps, but we got confused on the hours, and the pool was closing just as we got there. Instead, we went to my place and took showers and got ready for dinner. We went to Graze and had martinis and then went to Devotay for our 6:30 reservation. Devotay is mostly a tapas place. We tried a bunch of different things and had some wine. When we were getting ready to leave, we realized two hours had passed while we were there. Crazy. I guess time flies when you're gorging yourself and engrossed in conversation.

I hope you all had a great end and beginning to the years...And that things continue to get better and better.

Don't Get Me Wrong, If I'm Looking Kind of Dazzled

A Christmas Jack-O-Lantern I found while I was shoveling snow.

Christmas morning started with shoveling snow. It wasn't super cold out, so I didn't mind. Then I went running and that felt really nice. I cleaned the house a bit while the girls were at a movie with their dad.

I picked up the guy around 5 and came back to my house. He offered to take me and the girls out for sushi and we headed to Oyama after the girls got back from their movie. We had a nice meal and a great talk. It was lovely to be surrounded by my three favorite people, eating my favorite food. I couldn't have asked for a better evening.

The kitten under the tree.

We dropped the girls off at home after dinner and went to the Dublin to meet some friends. It was a nice night. We normally don't go out that late, so it was great to see some of the folks who go out later than we do. I got tired after a certain point and realized it was time to go home. Apparently, I'm old or something....

Another pic of me with my eyes essentially closed. Typical.

I woke up today with a migraine...Which explained why I was so tired last night. I took my meds and took a nap and it went away for the most part. Of course, the meds just make me so stupid and tired, but I'll take that over the pain any day.

I picked up the guy in the afternoon to go swimming. He asked me if I'd let him buy me some cross country skis. He knows I'm uncomfortable with him spending so much money on me. I feel like he pays for more than I do, but he thinks I do more for him. So, he presented his case, and I let him buy me cross country skis. It was so nice of him. We found a pair of last year's models that were way on sale, but couldn't find boots to fit me. We're going to check a few more stores for those. I'm really excited to get to ski whenever it snows.

We had a great swim and a steam, before the guy went to meet his friend Bry to play pool and I left to pick Stinky up from work. I had a nice relaxing evening at home tonight with my girls. Exactly what I needed.

Now It's Easy When You Don't Know Better

The most hideous ornament ever made...By Coadster when she was in kindergarten.

So, my. What a weekend. Friday was very nice with the guy...But they all are with him.

Saturday we went To G.'s house and got her bike put on a trainer so she can ride inside during the Winter. I ran outside and that was nice too. The guy and I went to the Dublin and had some drinks while the guy played pool with our friends, Paco and Heather. We went to the Bluebird Diner for dinner and had some great seafood pastas and wine. I dropped the guy off at his place and went home and tried to watch The Messenger. It seemed really good, but I was too tired and fell asleep about a half hour into it.

Today was a great and hectic day. Coadster's boyfriend came to visit. He's really kind of awesome and funny. He helped Coadster and I get our Christmas tree. I ran outside again and I needed it. Then the guy asked me if I wanted to go to the University rec services building and swim with him. Of course, I did. It was such a wonderful afternoon. We swam laps and he helped me with my breathing and with doing certain strokes. It was a 50 meter pool and it was the first time I've ever been able to swim the whole way without stopping to do the side stroke because I couldn't get enough air. After we were done swimming laps, we kept alternating between the sauna and steam room and talking about everything we could think of. I think we were there for 2 1/2 hours.

I got home and got some things ready. My friend K. came over and we ate leftover veggie lasagna and bread and roasted garlic. Then we decorated the tree and had a wonderful talk and she got to meet Archie.

I don't think it's possible to ask for a better Sunday in December.

And When I Look in My Window. So Many Different People to Be

The guy is very brave to be wearing the cat as a hat.

Another weekend down...And it was a good one too. Friday night I picked up the guy and we had a lovely evening of food and drinks and great talks, I just never get tired of our nights together.

The guy and I at the wine beer/wine tasting party.

Saturday was nice...Except for the weather...Or really more the threat of bad weather that never actually materialized. I got Stinky to work and had a bit of time to myself before I picked up the guy and we headed to the hipster craft fair. We really just did a drive-by there and said hi to a few folks we knew who were selling their wares.

We headed back downtown and went to John's Grocery to pick up some fun beer to take the tasting party later. After that we went across the street to the Bluebird Diner. It has really nice ambiance and they were playing the Charlie Brown Christmas album and we got sandwiches and soup and it was all very lovely. We had some time to kill before the party, so we went back and did some hanging out at my place. The thing about dating, is that it's nice and fun and stuff, but you rarely get to hang out with the person in their regular environment. So, it was nice to just chill at my place and read and rest or whatever, and our time wasn't quite so short and structured. I always think it's important to find someone you can just be quiet and mellow with as well.

The party was great. A lot of people bowed-out because of the weather threat, but that almost made it better. There were enough people to make it fun, but not so many that it was overwhelming. The guy won the beer tasting with his raspberry flavored beer. We had good snacks and got to meet a few new people. It was a great way to spend a cold, snowy Saturday night.

Sharing the Things We Know and Love With Those of My Kind

The guy trying to calm down the cat.

Weeellll. last night got away from me in a very good way, and I didn't get around to blogging. I'd like to say I'm sorry, but I'm not.

...And now, looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow night, Stinky is going to a party with some friends. I'm picking the guy up after work and we'll eat dinner and relax and have the house to ourselves...Well, I guess we still have Archie to contend with, but that can be fun too, when we get to torture him.

The cat calming down the guy.

There is a lot going on for Saturday. Stinky will work most of the day, and the guy and I are planning on going to What a Load of Craft at the fairgrounds. It's kind of like a hipster craft show. I'm not sure how long we'll stay, but we'll definitely check out the spectacle. After that, we'll either have a late lunch or early dinner. Then we'll head to my friend E.'s house for her holiday beer and wine tasting party. Of course, because we live in Iowa, there could be quite a bit of snow flying on Saturday too, but I'm pretty good at working around that. I have to. I'm a Midwesterner.

So, how about you all? Are you all having so much fun that you're unapologetically not blogging or dashing through the snow this weekend?

Faded From the Winter

The poor kitten taking a break from being tormented by a squirrel.

So, the weekend is over too soon again. I even had an extra half day and it still seemed too short. It was lovely, though. On Friday I got off work, ran some errands and then did some real running. I got to spend a little time with Stinky before I went to pick up the guy. We headed to Graze and had appetizers and a drink before we went to his work party at the Riverside Casino.

The work party was nice. Of course, I really didn't know anyone there, so I got to just check out the scene from my seat and didn't have to interact too much. I did meet some people, so I can put a face to some of the names the guy mentions...And since the guy goes back to work a week from Wednesday, I'll probably be hearing more about his work peeps very soon. Everyone there was very nice and friendly. There also seemed to be a HUGE difference in the kind of parties you have in the private sector, and the ones I get working for the state.

The squirrel who tormented poor Archie through the glass,

Saturday started out a little snowy, but not too bad. I took my car in and got it Winterized...Just in time apparently. I ran a few more errands before I picked up the guy.

We stopped at the bike and ski shop and picked up a few things to help our friend G., but when we got over to her place, she wasn't feeling well and was out of commission. We went back to my place and I took the clippers to the guy's hair. He is nicely shorn now, so in essence, he has been Winterized as well.

Next stop was the Dublin for a beer and luckily, a lot of fun people stopped down, so I felt like I got a good bit of socializing in. Finally, my appetite got the better of me and we went back to my place and ordered a pizza and actually watched the movie Secretary. Hmmmm. It was interesting and a little different than I had anticipated. Still, Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader were perfectly cast in their roles.

Poor Archie all tuckered out from the torment.

Today I gave myself a Get Out of Jail Free card. I did a few chores, but other than that, I didn't do much else. It was very cold here and I have such a hard time getting out to run when it's that frigid out. I just got a membership for the rec services building, so I'm hoping to swim and work-out there.

Mostly today? I read and tortured the kitten and did some hardcore lounging...And I didn't feel the least bit guilty either. My friend, S. came over to meet the kitten later in the afternoon. She thought he was hideous and awful, just like we do. So, she only doted on him for a little while...Icky, spoiled kitten.

If I Should Fall From Grace With God Where No Doctor Can Relieve Me

Here is a wall full of wine bottles and a bike...In other words - rapture.

Man, Face Book can be so weird sometimes. So, this morning I was running outside in the cold before work. As I turned onto my street, The Pogues' "If I Should Fall From Grace With God" came up on my random playlist. When I got to work, I posted a status update documenting that fact. A little later, a friend of mine who lives in Chicago commented that The Pogues were playing there in March and asked me if I wanted to go with her. Of course, my first instinct was to assume that it wouldn't work for me to go. I really hate driving in Chicago. The guy told me I should go. He has seen The Pogues live and said they put on a great show. As the day went on, I kept thinking about it. I really wanted to go, so I posted that if I could find someone to go with who wanted to drive in the city, I'd try. It wasn't long after, that my friend K. said she'd go with and drive. Sweet! So, it looks like I'm going to see The Pogues in March. How many different kinds of weird and awesome is that?

And now...On to the weekend. Tomorrow I'm only working a half day. I'm going to get a few things done, go on a long run and then around 4:30 I will pick up the guy. We're going to grab some appetizers somewhere before we head to the Riverside Casino where his work Christmas party is being held. I'm really excited to meet his co-workers. Stinky will be babysitting for my friend Eggo. So, it looks like Archie will have the place to himself. If he throws a raucous party while we're going, I'm going to be REALLY pissed.

I think early on Saturday, I'll try to get some crap done around the house. Later in the afternoon, the guy and I will go to G.'s house and help put the guy's studded tires on her bike for her, so she can try and ride as much as possible this Winter. After that, the plan is to maybe get a drink at the Dublin and then forage for food downtown somewhere.

How about you and your'n? Will you be attending an early Christmas party or getting your vehicle of choice ready for the Winter?

Gotta Gotta Be Down Because I Want It All

Here is a cyclist going down a ramp.

Um, so...I'm not really sure what to write tonight. This weekend was so hectic, I'm still kind of recovering from it. Today it rained and tomorrow it might snow. I'd say it's Iowa at the end of December, as far as the weather is concerned.

This evening I picked up the guy and we had a drink at the Dublin before we headed to Banditos for really good Mexican food. At one point, a waitress came by and just gave us a pint glass full of Margarita for free. She said it was a mistake. Then she said she gave it to us because she met me through our mutual friends, Bridget and Kathleen. I vaguely remembered her, but was glad she remembered me so kindly.

Of course, drinking that Margarita made me even more stupid and now I have to leave you with this sub-par blog post. Feel free to blame the generous waitress with the good memory. I know I am.

I See the Bright and Hollow Sky

I forgot my camera and had to steal D.'s photo from FB. Boom Boom asked me why I never posted about him on my blog anymore and I didn't want to let him down again.

Sooooo. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of buying my house. Crazy. So much has gone down since then. I still love my house and so glad I bought it - no matter how house poor I feel sometimes.

Tonight I went to the Dublin after giving plasma. Erik and Boom Boom were in town. I hadn't seen Boom Boom (I love calling a guy with a Phd Boom Boom) in well over a year and it had been several months since I saw Erik. I met Erik's current girlfriend and filled him in about the guy. I think it's kind of nice when you get to a point with your ex where you're totally fine talking about relationships with them and feel good that they're happy.

I stayed a little longer than I had planned, but there were so many people out that I wanted to get to talk to as many of them as possible. I finally took off and gave my friends Shecky and K. rides home. Lovely, lovely.

The even cooler thing, is that tomorrow is Friday. Yea! Both my girls will be in Cedar Falls for the state football championship. I'd be surprised if they got home before midnight.

The guy and I are planning on making dinner. I'm just going for simple with salad, miso soup and spicy peanut noodles.

On Saturday, the guy and I are visiting another small town. I think we'll either go to Kalona or the Amanas. I'm sure wherever we choose, we'll have fun.

And what about all y'all? Will you be wondering what happened to the last year, or creating adventures in the current one?

And Maybe We'll Get Lucky and We'll Both Grow Old

Here is a kitschy little thing.

Oh, kids. The big side effect of being this happy, apparently, is stupidity. But I guess it could be worse...I could be unhappy and stupid.

I know this is getting boring for you all, but I had another wonderful night with the guy. I decided to go back and make the meal that exploded on me on Friday. Tonight, went without incident. The salmon was perfect, the lemon spinach couscous was wonderful and the veggies sauteed in garlic butter and white wine were nice too. And all new and improved and glass free!

I got a text from a friend tonight letting me know that Erik and his friend Boom Boom were going to be in town and hosting a happy hour dealy at the Dublin tomorrow evening. I think I'll stop down around 6'ish when I get done giving a plasma and do a drive-by. I kind of like doing that - I breeze down, have one beer, say hello to everyone I want to say hello to and go on my merry little way. Easy breezy.