Winding Down

Its the last 10 days of summer vacation. Its been/will be the busiest two weeks of summer vacation.

We camped on Thursday and Friday last week - very fun, but the campsites were a half mile walk from the parking lot. Not so bad on the downhill way there, but the uphill way back ... glad My Honey was along to help! It was a great experience though. I have never camped with a large-ish group before, so having 3 families with a ton of kids under 13 and lots of adults was a very different, fun experience!

I am in the middle of my work-week and then the fun begins. DW and I are taking our older kids back to school shopping on Thursday. Me and mine are leaving on Wednesday night for Issaquah to stay with my Dad, then we will bring his wife back with us on Friday so she and I can go camping on Saturday. Us two are going to the Gorge for a concert on Saturday night. I am very, very excited. Know why? Because its my very first ever rock concert and its Nickelback and its at this great outdoor venue and I can't wait! Its been 25 years since I was invited to my first rock concert so it's about stinkin time I got to do it! I am excited to camp, I am excited to do the whole concert thing and a little nervous too, but it will be a blast. We know a lot of people going between the two of us so I feel pretty safe about the whole thing. Unfortunately we cant bring any food or drink in, so its going to be a spendy food and beer day, but WTH? It will be worth it!

Miss I is enrolled in preschool, she starts on Monday and Bubba starts next Wednesday. Miss I went to the day care part of her school today and did really well. I think we're going to like it there. I hope grandma likes it too! Speaking of grandma, shes been gone for nearly a month in Portland helping my SIL with her new baby. I am thinking she will be home this week? Maybe?

What else? Oh night shift. Unfortunately, this week is the first week I really feel worn down by nights. Like I just don't want to go to work. I think its just been really busy (see above) and I haven't gotten enough sleep. Or maybe its been really busy and I know there is so much fun stuff out there I am missing out on? Or maybe its just that I am anticipating change and its coming up fast, with school starting and stuff? Hard to say. Hopefully after we are into the swing of school things it will all be better. Not only that, I am half-way through, so theres that. Although that means getting up at 2 in the morning again! UGH! I can't wait till January when I get to work at 5 am! ... Never satisfied am I?

Ho hum

Where, oh where did my summer weather go? Where, oh where could it be?
It's raining today and I hate it so, oh where oh where did it go?

I was thinking of taking the kids to Blueberry Hills again, but its starting to rain, it's a little windy and its COLD (54*). Not a good way to end the summer if you ask me! Plus, my tan is fading. And I had a GREAT tan too.

Teenagers. Why don't they sell them in the store? Or rent them or something? My youngest sister has been here for nearly two weeks and I love it! Mostly because I can come and go as I please and get different errands run, go to the movies with My Honey and run in the morning. Although, there have been some interesting happenings! She found a teenage boy on my block - who knew?! and took off to "the store" for a few hours the other night. (Ummmm, the store is a 15 minute round trip, INCLUDING the shopping) so its definitely been fun, entertaining and a good view into our life in 10-12 years! It's also been interesting to get to know her and give her my point of view on her life and share some of the regular day-to-day happenings of our lives with her too.

Unfortunately, I have not gotten out to do any photography in the past couple weeks, I saw something the other day ... I don't remember what, and wanted to snap a photo, but I was in the car. Someday I will get the courage to stop and do it, but I haven't worked up to that yet. I have a few photos, but nothing that really strikes my fancy to enter in the fair this year. We shall see, two more weeks to decide.

Speaking of, just three weeks till school starts!! I can't believe its already back to school time. We are planning a shopping trip with DW to Seattle in a couple weeks. She has a girl going into 2nd grade so we'll take our 2nd graders together. It should be a lot of fun!

Beer & Crab

My girl DW went to the coast last weekend. They did all kinds of fun stuff including crabbing... I begged and pleaded, I might have even cried or bribed her a little ("if you bring me some crab, you can go swimming at my house") and she was kind enough to share with me and my family, so last night we had crab and beer for dinner. Well, I did and it was DELICIOUS!

My Honey is gone golfing for the weekend. I am really happy for him, it's been a long time since he's gotten away for a few nights. He needs it. He deserves it. He's been working hard at work and at home with me on night shift. He da man for everything; early risers, breakfast, after working all day, he picks them up and takes them home and gets them dinner and puts them to bed! He's putting in some LONG days.

Since he is gone, I am flying solo to a wedding tomorrow... I KNOW! It's one of my co-workers and since not everyone was invited I better go see what it's all about. I am thinking of going early - weather dependant - to take a few minutes to photograph a little. Its at a golf resort, and you know how the stuff is there ... picture perfect!

It's been a rough day. I don't know why, maybe because I wasn't feeling 100%, maybe because ... well, I don't know. The kids drove me crazy and nothing went quite right so my youngest sister and I rented some dumb movies for tonight. I know I can't make it happen, but when I was at her house last weekend the best part of all was sitting, drinking beer, watching two of the dumbest movies I had seen in a LONG time. (Yes, I was a little dumber after watching them.) That's what I am in the mood for, just sitting and veging, so that's what we are going to do.

Which reminds me:
"Things I would like to do in Issaquah:"
Check out Ikea for a dining table & chairs DECIDED NOT TO AFTER LOOKING ON LINE
Chill - CHECK
Read - CHECK
Clean up my laptop - organize my photos - CHECK
Sleep 10 hours or so - KIND OF, I GOT A NICE NAP IN
Write a little - CHECK
Read a little more - CHECK
Hang with Dani and Doni - 50% DONI WASN'T AROUND, WAIT HE WAS THERE THE NEXT MORNING SO, CHECK!

Not bad for a 24-hour trip. Did I mention that I took the Jeep. That the top was off and I got beat to hell by the 100 degree sun and the wind and the road?! Holy cow! The most unnerving part of the trip was I-90. I did NOT like cars on both sides of me! I didn't realize how CLOSE they actually were!

Bittersweet

Miss I and my dad working on a project together.

They are lucky to get to know him. That's what I have to tell myself every time.

Goin' West

Things I would like to do in Issaquah:
Check out Ikea for a dining table & chairs
Chill
Read
Clean up my laptop - organize my photos
Sleep 10 hours or so
Write a little
Read a little more
Hang with Dani and Doni