The Balłoon No-Glow

For as long as I can remember I've always wanted to go to the Balloon Glow in Forest Park. The kids' activities always superseded. For years and years it was football games and marching band performances. Later it was high school plays, then we progressed to out-of-town trips. This year, this year was our year! 

King Ralph and I immediately mixed cocktails in to go containers and iced down beer in the cooler. We got the collapsible wagon, chairs, blanket and an umbrella--just in case. Mother Nature is always teasing us these days (the umbrella never made an appearance).  We waited for M to arrive home for a weekend visit, then the three of us headed to the park in the city. 

The evening was georgous September weather. Honestly you couldn't have asked for a more beautiful evening in the park.  We picked our spot amongst most of Saint Louis, spread our blanket out, set up our chairs, had a drink and posed for a snap chat to send to Princess A and D. 

Oh that silly King! Let's take a closer look...he's "keeping the peace" in the city's big park. 

Once our dinner hunger had peaked King Ralph and M peaced out (I couldn't help throwing that in here), I mean hit up the food trucks while I protected our claimed spot. I love food trucks! They did not fail us! 

We shared...two bites, rotate, till it was all eaten up.  We feasted from three separate food trucks--cheese steak, nacho supreme, gyro, and cheese fries. About an hour later we decided to hit up the dessert trucks 

The only item we ate was that large square of super sweet and yummy German chocolate gooey butter cake (gooey butter cake is a serious St. Louis bakery treat, that bakers are always taking to a new sugary level). 

The sun had set and folks starting packing up their belongings to head into the balloon epicenter. Remember I've waited years to experience the glory of the glow.  We watched as the Curves balloon inflated, then we watched as it deflated. WHAT?!  

Ha! While Mother Nature kept the rain at bay she sent the winds. It was just windy for the balloons to inflate. The wind would have blown them into the flames, igniting the parachute fabrics. So instead the pilots  just blasted their flames.

It was a flame show until the fireworks went off at 9:15pm, while the band played American themed songs to a glowing show in the sky. 

The next day was the balloon race. Having things to tend to, going back to the park was not an option. We did however catch the beginnings of the race in the skies, as we drove through another section of the city. At times we saw as many as eight balloons peppering the city skies. 

While it wasn't everything I had hoped for King Ralph and I enjoyed our Friday evening with our M. 

A Reason To Smile

Today was early release day for students. It's a nice change of pace in the office. The phones don't ring much, tasks can be managed without constant interruptions. It's what one would define as a relaxed office atmosphere. 

I did have one wee little desk-side deversation, and her name was Lily. She was a teacher's kindergarten daughter. Mr. Teacher picked up his daughter from school and asked me if I minded if his child hung with me, while he attended his meeting. I obliged him. It's hard to turn away an adorable red head in a floral dress with cowboy boots. Lily came armed with gold fish crackers and art supplies. I offered lemonade and access to my office supply drawers. Little Lily enjoyed rummaging my drawers and finding items to create a collage. I'm down thirty-three cents of my personal lose change floating in my drawer, but with a bit of Scotch tape it added quite the shine to that collage. The thing I loved most was a portrait created with the Crayola marker as the chosen art medium. I was asked my hair color...suppose my Nice and Easy 106G wasn't fooling a little red headed kindergartener. She colored my clothes to exact color pallet: black. I'm not certain if my desk chair is space age or I stand on my head in my chair. 

So. I present to you--"Jodi at Work with Lily." And I smile! 

Weekends Are Rarely For Relaxing

I feel like crap! The rag weed season has finally caught up to me, but I'll take it, considering the alternative germ that could have got me.  All last week I listened from my desk to students puking in the nurse's office. Just when we all thought we had beat that 12-36 hour incubation period of possible infection, the puke started all over again. As of sunday we were all in the clear (again) and I am left holding a box of Kleenex and my inhaler (still better than my head in the toilet any day!). But, even feeling like crap didn't  mean the busy weekend ga e me a break. 

Friday lunches are back! My lunch buddy Julie and I seldom order lunch in like everyone else (once we did last year, we were noted as being "out of character", we over ate and felt miserable all day), so instead we take turns bringing in lunch to share on Friday. We do things like Italian subs, homemade hummus and sloppy joes. For the return of Friday lunch I made seven layer salad. Seven layers of healthy yum...until that dressing layer, that was more delicious than healthy. When you feel like crap and there is half a pan of salad left...it's what King Ralph gets for dinner! Then I lie on the couch watching TV, clutching a box of Kleenex. 

Saturday was the "Glennon Gallop", the charity polo match for the children's hospital that Princess A is employeed by. She decided to get involved with the foundation and I happily agreed to go with her to volunteer. Since going back to work full time I've sadly gotten away from giving my time to worth while organizations. Volunteering really does make you feel good. It made me feel better when someone asked if Princess A and I were students at SLU. Anytime a menopausal woman is mistaken for being college aged it's a good day to volunteer!

I know nothing about polo, other than what I learned from watching "Pretty Woman"...and yes there really was a divot stomp at half time. 

Princess A and I decided next year we are going to attend the polo galla instead of volunteering. It's $25 a car load, and you can sit on the hill side with a blanket, buy a picnic basket for $50 (there is wine in the basket) or bring your own basket. For a $100 you can tail gate (bring your own feast). Princess A and I think it would be a fun girls only event. Not to mention getting to dress cute and wear a fun hat. 

Once we finished a day of volunteering, King Ralph and I went to an RV show. We just bought a new truck and now we want to find the perfect retirement RV. King Ralph was eligible a few years ago to retire, you know college keeps him in a uniform. We have a plan to take off the morning after my last day of the school year and come home a few days before I return for the next school year. There is a big country out there to see, and we plan on seeing it--in style! 

It wasn't long after we got home these two cuties arrived.

The week started for them as cousins and ended it as sisters.  My girls know I don't get the whole sorority thing, but somehow it has served them well in their college years. I do think it is going to be fun to see D and her cousin bond in a new way. A matter of fact, all but one of the first cousins share a bond of the same "sisterhood." I made a hash tag for these girlies #therealcousinsofcape--they are taking SEMO, the music department and now AXO by storm. 

Sunday was shower day for another cousin. Princess A baked adorable cookies to add to a beautiful dessert table 

They paired well with the cupcakes served 

D and her cousin aren't returning to school till Monday. It's the bonus of the 8am class being canceled in advance and being only an hour and a half from home...or in this case school. The beer loving girls and their pop decided to have their own beer tasting of local craft beers on the deck.

                              The weather (ridden with rag weed) was georgous and perfect for grilling. King Ralph grilled mac-n-cheese stuffed burgers (man's been purousing Pintrest). The only thing missing all weekend was our M! 

Now it's back work to rela, blow my nose, and roll the dice on contracting the flu. 

Almost Unplugged

(Tuesday post long holiday weekend is a hard one to embrace, but I allowed time for reflection. 

There's something unbelievably refreshing when you can almost unplug. I say almost because we had perfect cell reception. What we didn't have was wifi, TV reception and we left the DVD player at home...we had music, magazines, Mother Nature's playground and each other. It's called camping! 

King Ralph and I arrived Friday to what we now profess as our favorite state park--St. Francois. It's just 45 minutes from home, with the bonus being it's on the Big River. Once we got set up (and accepted our across the street neighbors...because nothing says we're here like hanging your head out the car window, peering at the fly infested vault toilet, while screaming "is that our shitter").

 I served up our happy hour feast of buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chips and celery, salami and English cheddar and herb cheese, toasted garlic French bread slices and shrimp cocktails. Oh ya, grapefruit martinis! After our food digested a bit we took a short bike ride. We both had hectic Fridays at work, so relaxing in our lounge chairs while star gazing felt like the perfect way to end the week. 

Saturday started in the usual way, with coffee and tea...then in the not-so-usual way of mapping out our lazy day.

 I cooked a breakfast of pancakes and sausage and then we set out on a long bike ride. The morning air was cool and the view on the ride was serene--the yellow iron weed flowers littered the fields; making it feel perfectly peaceful! Then we packed a cooler of cold beverages and tuna sandwiches and it was off to the river to grab the last of summer's sun. The only worry of the day was that my cup was empty. Those are the best days, when the worries seem so insignificant. 

We finished up our Saturday with a dinner of smoked chicken, Italian salad, a game of Yahtzee and a dessert of candy corn. 

Sunday started like Saturday. On Saturday I commented I forgot the blueberries in the pancakes, so I decided to redeem myself 

and I added hash browns, bacon and made to order eggs. Then we set out to hike our favorite trail in the park: Swimming Deer Trail. 

(King Ralph has no patience for selfies) 

What we really wanted to see was if our chalk autograph on the old saw mill barn was still there from August 2. It was! 

King Ralph was in the humorous spirit and signed again, under our autograph, "9-6-15 BACK" 

Talking of back...by the time we finished our morning hike, making it back to the camp site, Princess A, D and Uli had arrived to the spend the day with us. We took the girls and the dog on the trail for a bit till we reached the path veer off to river. It's a section of the river no ones uses. We had our own personal river oasis.

We plopped our chairs right down the cool water, which made our bourbon slushes taste that much better. 

Uli is not a fan of water, so I carried her across the river to the island so she could  happily run laps. She felt like a queen, a one dog island all her own! 

Of course we had that family selfie moment, recalling we were down one member. 

Once we baked in the sun for five hours we headed back to camp for dinner, games and homemade ice cream (from this resurrected relic) 

It was the perfect end to summer camping. 

Now it's time to plan fall camping! 

When Purpose Is Redefined

 

This has been my week. 

Deep In Depression

While King Ralph and I adjust fine to an empty nest...some don't.

Uli is deep in dog depression. She's wondering why all the sisters have left her. 

The Nest Is Empty

The nests are now empty, but before my sister-in-law, King Ralph and I sent our babies packing we partied. 

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Last Saturday we spent the day poolside, with family. We had a college send off celebration for the youngest family members: D and Peanut. 

(Princess A with the nieces) 

We mixed lots of tropical beverages...no garnish, but the bendy straw was an adequate replacement. 

Time for a refill! 

King Ralph was given the honor of grill master (even if the hat doesn't fit wear it, because someone found it hiding in a box). 

Dinner ended with dessert, cake--to send the baby cousins off to the same college, to major in the same subject: vocal music education. 

D arrived to SEMO on Tuesday with the the help of King Ralph, and set out to prepare for the onslaught of the Freshman's arrival. 

Thursday Peanut arrived and sent a snap. 

(The snap chat of joy alerting her arrival to campus) 

D's assigned move-in day shift had ended, she headed over to help...make a bed?  The proof is all in the picture...looks more like an observer than a bed maker, if you ask me. 

The cousins met up in the evening at a campus welcome event, and while it is important for Peanut to make her own freshman friends, it's nice to know she has a junior in her corner. Not to mention now when we go to concerts we get to enjoy two beautiful known voices! 

While my sister-in-law is nursing her emotions of sending her only child off to college, King Ralph and I are partying it up...our nest is empty again! 

Send Off

As D prepares to depart tomorrow for her Junior year of college...I'll send her off sharing this funny moment that happened this evening. 

King Ralph: Jodi, is that the tornado sirens going off outside 

Me: (walking towards the back door listening) noooo, that's Demi downstairs vacuuming. 

King Ralph: DAMN! I've never heard her vacuum before

Pretty much a true statement! 

The Fine Print

Appearantly the fine print in my employee contract says: heavy hauling, must be able to lift 50 pounds and move boxes from floor to floor, one end of the building to the other...bonus: use of elevator key. Damn it I didn't read that fine print in 2007, when my eyes could still focus without reading glasses.  I've hauled and unpacked and stocked office supplies for three days. My bones ache, my foot swells, I soak in Epsom salt bathes at night, and I feel like "Three Guys and a Truck"--except I'm one gal and a flat bed dolly. If I never see a case of manila file folders again in my life time, I'm certain I could survive the most herendous disease. I've unpacked a gross amount of unnessacery supplies that I'm certain a teacher could secure a raise...just off of jumbo paper clips and file folders alone. If you think I was miffed as I did this [solo] task, you guessed correct!  I just felt like I was seeing misuse of my taxdollars dash   before my eyes.  I'm frugal, practical-- what can I say?! I did win the favor of the custodians because I just asked for that flat bed dolly and did the work all myself. Those guys are over worked, under paid and are never appreciated as they should be. I figured if I was taking a bull by the horns myself, well, I mine as well just win the bull fight all myself. I told them to watch out I was a threat to their jobs. Wink, wink! 

When I returned to work last week, my desk I couldn't find. Seems when you're off all summer people think it's okay to dump the things they aren't sure what to do with into my sacred space. Looking at my desk made me sweat. Well, luckily my diligence paid off...my desk is all mine again! I can finally type without the risk of bruising my elbows and I'm not hidden by the Great Wall of boxes. My to do list was down to two tasks, so I was beginning to feel comfortable. I decided as exhausted as I felt that a family night at the ballpark was in order. Then my summer fun list could get another check mark. 

While the Cardinals were kicking the Piarates' butts, M filled my hand with some peanut M&Ms, when they dumped out in just the school colors I was certain this was a sign...

a sign good things are to come. For me and our teachers! 

Commence with the 2015-16 middle school year! 

Summer Report

It's time to give myself a summer report card. Did I succeed at doing all the things I set out to do during my summer hall pass...things that I needed to do in order to rejuvenated my spirit..because God knows I was losing faith in humanity near the end. 

Here we go...

Clear my mind and soul - I truly felt relaxed this summer. I let certain people creep in my mind from time to time, but overall I felt a peace in my soul. The peace I needed to be healthy. 

Lose some pounds- Okay, so I only lost two pounds, but it's a loss and that counts. I blame it on being laid up with a foot injury. 

Read - I wasn't my usual summer reading self, but I got two books in. I last read "Still Alice", which I loved (even cried twice while reading). Then I rented the movie and wondered why I rented it, and why the producers butchered the book in the making. 

Bronze my skin--poolside - I took to my sister-in-law's pool several times over my break. I also made certain to take no less than fifteen minutes each day in my chair on the back deck. I sat on the beach of the Big River too. Vitamin D in its natural form lifts the spirit...did mine! 

Hang with people I love - I had no problem fulfilling this. I made a super fast trip to see my bestie and grandma, saw friends that the school year full of family obligations just doesn't allow for.

Go camping - This is just a given. No, we didn't take our usual cross country ventures, but we enjoyed seeing what our own state has to offer. 

Drink grapefruit martinis  cucumber martinis, blueberry lager and Moscow Mules - Check, check, check and check! 

Hike - I took strolls on paved trails in my own community, a trail while in Illinois, and into the woods while on camping trips. 

Run on treadmill - Until my foot swelled like a blow fish I got on the treadmill everyday for at least an hour. 

 

Have coffee and lunch with friends - This was an easy task to check off my list. Coffee and lunch dates are no less than a three hour experience. 

 

Hang with my nieces and daughters - You know what is great to be able to add to this? Hanging with my nephew. He's finally stationed at a base minutes from home. Hanging with my daughters and nieces included dinners at my nephews new house, taking my oldest niece to brunch and hanging with my college bound niece at the pool. 

My girlies and I had the best daughter dates too! 

(Best part of a three-day date with M) 

(Best date night with Princess A- dinner, dessert drinks and Harry Connick Jr. concert)

(Spent a great afternoon of learning with D at a historic site that neither of us had visited, but always wanted too) 

Float on the river - Mother Nature foiled our big cousin float trip, but I'm taking last weekend in that blow up raft boat on the Big River as a success to this task. So I say--check! You can say--cheater. 

Go on dates with King Ralph - He will always be the best friend to go to Steak n Shake with and share a vanilla shake with (even if chocolate is his favorite). 

Make strawberry jam - Well, I made organic blueberry jam instead. I still long to make strawberry jam, and one day I will. 

 

Visit the lavender farm - This was a task of mission impossible. When I say impossible it's nature that is actually at fault here. The harsh winter and relentless rains of spring and summer killed the lavender crop. The fields had to be cleared and will be replanted for next season. Damn you Mother Nature! 

 

Go to the Botanical Gardens Lantern Festival - I didn't see the lanterns glow, but they were equally as fabulous to view during the day. It was a great day spent with my M on her trip home this summer. 

Go to a Cardinals game - I'm ashamed to say this is the first summer in years we did not attend a game. It's almost feel sac religious. 

Go to the wineries - it was just to hot or humid or wet outside to accomplish this task. Maybe in the Fall.  

My over all grade...A for effort! A for enthusiasm. Really, that's what matters most! 

 

Summers Over

Well folks my summer hall pass has been revoked. I feel like Cinderella, the clock strikes times up, and the carriage turned back into a pumpkin. 

In other words I'm back at my desk today. It's a horrifying site...piled high with months of mail and crap no one knew what to do with. I'm digging my way out, envelope by envelope, email by email. Sigh! 

A Man And His Selfie Stick

King Ralph wanted a selfie stick, so for Father's Day the girls indulged him. He's never been great with framing pictures, even without his stick, and he doesn't take to constructive critasism. Which we think is more good advice--don't put the stick in the picture, you don't always have to extend the stick fully, etc....

Take One - oops not everyone got in the picture

Take Two - Try again...to much ground on the left 

Take Three - where's Princess A 

Take Four - "Princess A stick your head out!" 

Perfect. (Except there's still too much ground on the left) That's a wrap! 

Amen.