What a beautiful, dreary, warm and misty day we are having.
Days like today just increase my desire to live on the northwest coast. Nestled in between the redwoods and the ocean, watching the whales make their yearly trek all while being a short distance from a few delightful wineries really is where my heart is at.
I officially have my house purged and scrubbed. I also have ALL of my laundry washed, folded AND put away.
It's like a modern day miracle.
I think I'm finally getting the hang of this whole "adult" business. It's a good thing, too, (since I am now 31) and because last week proved that I shouldn't try and act like a 20 yr old ever again.
I just.....can't.
No. No. No. No. No.
Lets re-cap.
This is Rick.
He had a pretty amazing set up for his tailgate, including a bears ambulance and ample amounts of fireball whiskey.
His friends really liked my little sisters.
Actually the three of us made lots of friends that day.
Let's just leave it at that.
Thankfully those are the only pictures I have of the weekend.
Tailgating/Bears game was a fun experience, but I don't think I ever want to do it again.
Youch!
We hosted another friends thanksgiving at our house. It's something we like to do every year, and for a few reasons. We originally started this tradition of ours because we both worked crazy shifts, him with what he does and I as a bartender.
When I used to live in my small town (frame of mind) I would always think it was sad when people didn't have a place to go on thanksgiving and therefore ate their dinner at a bar. Then I quickly became that person and my view was drastically altered.
Working Thanksgiving at the bar let me experience the holiday in a different (and better) light. Everyone who came to those thanksgiving meals were truly joyous to be there. We were our own little community and thankful to be a part of that community. We were happy to have other outcasts to share a meal and conversation with. Nobody was judging us on our lifestyle choices, working habits, vices, etc.
We would all share our meal together and tell the most inappropriate stories and jokes.
There was (almost) never any fighting or hurt feelings.
And, as an added bonus, I would make a hefty amount in tips.
After I quit the bar scene (hallelujah!) The Mister and I had our first family thanksgiving. We realized that was not how we wanted to spend our holiday every year.
Our prior years of spending it with friends in the bar had left us jaded, (or maybe just opened up our eyes,) to what our expectations of the holiday are and how it should be spent.
Most of our friends live all over the world, but call somewhere around Chicago as their home-base. They come back every year to visit their families.
We all want to see each other anyway, what's more perfect of an idea than to host a giant dinner with our chosen family?
We can't think of anything and every year it just gets better.
At one point of the night, our entire basement was filled with adults and children, toys were thrown everywhere, children were chasing each other, screeching and laughing, adults were singing, joking, dancing and laughing.
I could feel just how full my heart was and I could not have been more thankful then at that moment.
(I didn't get to take a lot of pictures since I was in the kitchen most of the day so most of these pictures are stolen from our friends.)
Days like today just increase my desire to live on the northwest coast. Nestled in between the redwoods and the ocean, watching the whales make their yearly trek all while being a short distance from a few delightful wineries really is where my heart is at.
I officially have my house purged and scrubbed. I also have ALL of my laundry washed, folded AND put away.
It's like a modern day miracle.
I think I'm finally getting the hang of this whole "adult" business. It's a good thing, too, (since I am now 31) and because last week proved that I shouldn't try and act like a 20 yr old ever again.
I just.....can't.
No. No. No. No. No.
Lets re-cap.
This is Rick.
He had a pretty amazing set up for his tailgate, including a bears ambulance and ample amounts of fireball whiskey.
His friends really liked my little sisters.
Actually the three of us made lots of friends that day.
Let's just leave it at that.
Thankfully those are the only pictures I have of the weekend.
Tailgating/Bears game was a fun experience, but I don't think I ever want to do it again.
Youch!
We hosted another friends thanksgiving at our house. It's something we like to do every year, and for a few reasons. We originally started this tradition of ours because we both worked crazy shifts, him with what he does and I as a bartender.
When I used to live in my small town (frame of mind) I would always think it was sad when people didn't have a place to go on thanksgiving and therefore ate their dinner at a bar. Then I quickly became that person and my view was drastically altered.
Working Thanksgiving at the bar let me experience the holiday in a different (and better) light. Everyone who came to those thanksgiving meals were truly joyous to be there. We were our own little community and thankful to be a part of that community. We were happy to have other outcasts to share a meal and conversation with. Nobody was judging us on our lifestyle choices, working habits, vices, etc.
We would all share our meal together and tell the most inappropriate stories and jokes.
There was (almost) never any fighting or hurt feelings.
And, as an added bonus, I would make a hefty amount in tips.
After I quit the bar scene (hallelujah!) The Mister and I had our first family thanksgiving. We realized that was not how we wanted to spend our holiday every year.
Our prior years of spending it with friends in the bar had left us jaded, (or maybe just opened up our eyes,) to what our expectations of the holiday are and how it should be spent.
Most of our friends live all over the world, but call somewhere around Chicago as their home-base. They come back every year to visit their families.
We all want to see each other anyway, what's more perfect of an idea than to host a giant dinner with our chosen family?
We can't think of anything and every year it just gets better.
 |
| The Mister smokes and grills the turkey every year. I have never tasted a turkey as good as our thanksgiving birds. |
I could feel just how full my heart was and I could not have been more thankful then at that moment.
 |
| Chocolate covered fruit, marshmallows and pretzel sticks. Easiest desert I ever made. (Tastiest, too!) |
(I didn't get to take a lot of pictures since I was in the kitchen most of the day so most of these pictures are stolen from our friends.)
 |
| My Chicago Gals. I'm so thankful for their acceptance into the group when I was a newbie. These are a few of the best gal's I have ever known! And, of course, there's Buehrle, who is desperately asking for something. I bought a bunch of puzzles and games for the kids. They liked the games, but I think the rock painting was the biggest hit. (Figures!) |
And finally, the boys after their football game.
I don't know about the rest of them but The Mister sure did complain about being sore for days after.
I hope your holidays were also spent with the people you hold dear!
I don't know about the rest of them but The Mister sure did complain about being sore for days after.
I hope your holidays were also spent with the people you hold dear!
Happy Humpday!
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