Boston Pops Firework Spectacular

Fourth of July... the day that we celebrate our amazing country and the men and women that have fought for it, and us, for hundreds of years. This is the first year that I can remember that I have spent the fourth away from the lake, away from my family. We always spend the week surrounding the fourth up at the cabin and on the fourth, we head down to "the circle" and watch Dad and some of the other guys shoot off a fabulous display of fireworks.

When I was younger, we'd start celebrating before those fireworks with sparklers, a fire, and s'mores at our place. The mosquitoes were typically out in full force, which meant that Grandpa would watch us from inside the cabin, so after I had my fill of s'mores, I'd head inside to hang out with him and we'd watch the Boston Pops on television. It was strange watching the show tonight, not only not with him, but also not at my cabin.

My grandpa was an amazing man, and I miss him all the time. The fourth of July is just one day that I miss him a little extra!

May your days be filled with fireworks and admiration for the men and women that fight for us.

Pineapple Tops

I bought a pineapple a while back and promptly forgot it at the back of my refrigerator... whoops! While I was hanging out at the pool this morning, I remembered that it was in there and decided to chop it up for some fresh fruit and a smoothie. Unfortunately, I let it go a little too long in the fridge, and I didn't get any yummy fruit out of it.

However, my lovely little Callie (who has been quite the little shit lately) discovered the greens while I was chopping it up and she's been chomping on them ever since. I can't find anything that says pineapple greens are bad for cats, so I guess she's got a delicious new toy for a while!!

Hope your summer days are filled with sweet summer fruit :)

My Next Job Will NOT Be Housekeeping!!

That is one thing I can tell you right now! Two of my friends recently signed a lease on their new "apartment" (it's actually two floors of a house) and are working on moving in right away. Since I don't have a job right now, and I rather enjoy cleaning, I volunteered to help one of my other friends - the one that I'll be living with come August - clean the place up. We cleaned our butts off for close to three hours, and I have no desire to see any cleaning supplies any time soon. All I can say is, thank goodness we're moving into a place that will be spotless!! I'm not looking forward to waking up tomorrow with the sore muscles today will have created....

Back to Joblessness

Today is my first day post-Epic, and it feels strange. I made the decision a little while ago to leave my job at Epic and look for something a little more people oriented. While my time at Epic was a great learning experience, I just wasn't happy sitting behind a desk all day and felt strongly about moving into a new position. While I don't have a job lined up yet, the timing worked out really well for me to leave now, so last Friday was my last day there.

I'm taking the opportunity now to look for something that will be more satisfying and make a better use of the skills that I possess and although it's scary to not have a job right now, I'm excited about the possibilities that the future holds for me. I will be staying in Madison for the time being; I just signed a lease with my best friend that starts in August and I'm looking forward to that.

Let the job hunting begin!

Stepping Into the World

Today my baby sister graduates from high school! I am so incredibly proud of her, and I can't wait to get home and celebrate this great occasion with her :)

Simple Blessings

I was blessed with the opportunity to hang out with my best friend and her boyfriend (who also happens to be a friend of mine) tonight, just reading and drinking beer on her porch while her cat basked in all of the loving he was getting from us. It was a warm evening, the overhang protected us from the rain that eventually started falling, and it was all in all one of the best evenings I've had in a very long time.

Evenings like today's make me stop and remember all of the things that I have to be grateful for.

xo

Peeling Sunburn...

... it's making me look like the pigmentation on my face is going crazy! I know I shouldn't pick at it, but I just can't help it, so I have a face that is nice and pretty tan in some spots and pink in others. Gotta love the aftermath of a fantastic vacation :)