Father's Day

In honor of Father's day, some famous dads we all know & love:

And then of course, the best one:

That's my dad!! :) I'd like to send him some good Father's Day vibes! This weekend Dad, Tony, JN & I went to JN's dad's place at the lake for a fathers day getaway filled with fishing, napping, bbq/smoking and general relaxation. I think a good time was had by all--at least it seemed that way! We were pretty bummed that Randy was too sick to join us...it definitely wasn't the same without him there.

On my way down to the lake on Friday, I got this text message from Dad: "The beers are too cold. I had three and they are just too cold." :) I know I laughed at that for a good 20 min. Once I arrived, the boys were sitting on the deck, cold beers in hand...ready for a great weekend! Everyone was in good spirits, looking forward to a relaxing couple of days. We spent the evening shooting the breeze & catching up, and later on JN, Tony & I got on the 4wheelers & took a drive to show Tony around, and even do a little off roading.

The next morning we got up early & headed out to the Lake for some fishing on dad's boat. I didnt get a fishing license until Sat. evening so i didnt fish, but was quite content chilling in the boat working sudoku, chatting with the guys & enjoying the peaceful morning on the water. There was one small catfish caught, so we brought that home, but other than that it was just casting practice & feeding the fish. :) We headed back to home base for lunch & so Tony could get the ribs into the smoker, and then we headed to the pond for a little more fishing. JN showed off his fly fishing skills (i was impressed! and i want to learn now...) and dad & tony fed the fish some more. It was getting hot so we headed back so dad & JN could nap, & tony & i went to walmart to pick up some odds & ends. When we got back, the guys were still sleeping, so we mixed some cocktails & started dinner. It was really nice to hang out with Tony--its rare that we get to spend time just us, and it reminded me of what a great guy he is--good natured, great sense of humor, and an all around loveable guy. Anywhoo, after dinner (bbq/smoked ribs...mmm...) we drove to the dam & did some more fishing. Since I had my fishing license by this time, I did get to fish...and I baited my own hook, tied some fishing knots to attach the hook to the line (i lost soo many hooks...) and actually caught 2 fish!! They were the only keepers the whole night! Woot!

When we got back JN helped me clean the fish, then i went & took a MUCH needed shower. Tony & JN took off to play cards with some neighbors & dad & i just chilled with drinks, talked & listened to music. It's been a very long time since dad & I have had that kind of quality time together just the 2 of us, and I really enjoyed it. We usually dont see too much of each other, i'm usually with mom shopping & whatnot, so i definitely appreciated having the time to spend with him. We caught up on how things are going with the fire department, things he's working on & helping out with, and how things are going with JN & I, our jobs & househunting & such.

This morning we slept in until about 9:30...since it was already warm & humid we opted to pass on fishing & head to town for breakfast instead. After breakfast we came back & packed up...kindof a downer, but we were so hot & humid, i think all of us were ready for the comforts of home (and a/c!). The weekend was a lot of fun, but passed too quickly!! Even so, i hope that dad & Tony had a good time...We didnt get either of them anything big for father's day, but I have always been a fan of quality time/memories over 'stuff' as gifts. Hopefully this was a memorable weekend for the 2 of them. It was for me! :) Happy Father's day guys!

And so the summer begins

Welcome back old friend! It's been a long, long while...over a year! So much has happened in that year...i'm into bulletted (sp?) lists these days, so here's the highlights:

• JN & I celebrated the one year mark on April 2, 2007, and the two year mark on April 2, 2008. This is now officially the longest relationship I've ever been in! And it's with BY FAR the best one in the bunch. For sure a keeper.
• To follow that last thought--he IS a keeper...and apparently thinks I might be as well because he proposed on Christmas Eve, 2007. AWWWW!!! I still get misty thinking of it. :) Mark your calendars for April 2009.
• TWO job changes--I was working at the Big C in accounting when I posted last...then I moved to HR in the following June, and this last May I returned to the company I worked for first out of college. So now I'm back to SS, under the same client (but in a diff dept), and working on the same floor as JN. So far all changes for the positive.
• Survived my 10 year HS reunion...as my cousin's husband noted "a lot of smiling & polite nodding"...but also good to see a lot of friends i hadnt seen in a bit!
• Survived the experience surrounding the 2007 Chicago Marathon. Adversity builds character, and sometimes the worst experiences in life can teach you as much or more as the best experiences. While I dont look back on that race with any trace of fondness, I am glad I experienced it--made me realize what happens when you combine a failure to seriously train for an event and the event organizers end up failing to be adequately prepared. Next time I need to do more to CMA (no...not the country music awards...its short for cover my arse). Also I realized that my mom is my biggest & staunchest supporter...that was such a low point for me as far as morale & physical ability goes, and she was still with me the whole way, doing her best to motivate me. My mom is The Best. Bar none.
• In May last year I moved in with JN...hugemongous step! We cohabitate pretty well most of the time...sans that one week or so a month when my horrible hormonal side takes over. Beyond that we do pretty well.
• Umm...not sure what else to add...i think that sums up the major highlights...i'll probably blog on it if i forget anything else...

So here's what i hope for you to hear about in the near future/coming year:

• Wedding Preparation. When i'm online it's what i'm reading about, when i'm talking to mom it's what we're discussing, and now that another one of my friends just got engaged, it only encourages me more. :) So far I've loved the majority of the process...still have about 10 1/2 months to go, but really have not had too much stress about the details as of yet.
• Physical Fitness. Common theme huh? Yeaaahhhh....about that....So I'm at my heaviest EVER. Right before I turned in my notice to the Big C, I visited the dr & my blood pressure was elevated. My weight was at 181. I've noticed my hands swelling & tingling. I'm sure my cholesterol is horrible. I'm about to marry the love of my life, I want to be around him for a long long time, and also want to have kids & be around for them for a long long time too....So if I didnt have a good reason to do this before I most certainly do now. I risk losing all of those things if I dont, so I'm going to make the changes again and am going to try to make them stick this time. I also have a wedding dress to fit into...when i got fitted i told the lady i wanted to lose weight & she said she hears that a lot & the reality is that most of the time it doesnt happen...i REALLY want to prove her wrong. :)
• House Hunting. The longer we're in this apartment, the more we want our own place. We're saving for a house as I type, and I can see us buying a house or condo within the next year.
• SSDD. Daily drabble...fun & not so fun happenings...trials & tribulations...excitement & adventure.

See ya soon! :)