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July 19, 2009 In Uncategorized

184,871-185,696

825 miles.

That is how many miles I drove today. It was friggin’ awesome. (That is my latest favorite thing to say/write by the way when I think something is completely and totally amazingly, fantastic, stupendous and great.)
Here’s a teeny taste of what I saw/heard/experienced besides this sign on the side of the road:
*Eric, the McDonald’s employee in Harrisonburg, VA that was the nicest and most fun I have ever fast food employee I have ever encountered. (No, I do not eat fast food much ever- but are you kidding? A girl has to have her french fries on a 14 hour road trip!)
*A McDonald’s in Pennsylvania that claimed to have a “Victorian Dining Room.” Huh?
*A man walking down the highway shirtless in acid washed denim cut-off shorts and boots. (They’re called “shit-kickers” where I am from. Hot.) I just Googled shit-kickers by the way and found this site for an interesting sounding “banjo-pluckin’ jamboree. Niiiice. Please don’t anyone ever tell me that you are bored or there is “nothing to do” in this world. Did ya click on that link? Holy entertainment everywhere you look Batman
*That song that has the line “I wanna take a ride on your disco stick” 422 times. Yes, each time I had a full-on-dance-athon in the drivers seat
*About 67 billboards with things like “Adult entertainment” and “Clean viewing booths ahead” and then some actual locations. Not sure how much I believe the word “clean” in any of that
*About 67 billboards that informed me that “Jesus Saves”
*A town called Shamokin Dam
*A town called White Deer
*A road called Grumpy Mountain Road
*A billboard that said every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed with Autism. (Ugh. Sad and a reality I was unaware of.)
*The song from Tag Team; Whoop There It is. Note the amazing lyrics such as “Slam dunk it, stick it, whip it and ride that B double O-T-Y- oh my” and “Here’s a shovel can you dig it fool?” Oh Yeah. You wanna talk dance party in my drivers seat? It was on. I have no shame. You will so totally be dancing when you click on the link above. You love it
Oh and that’s only 2% of it all people. I’d need years to write the rest.
Dear Honda,
The above title is the beginning mileage when I left my home in my super sweet 2000 Civic LX with tape deck today- and then ending mileage when I arrived at my destination. She drove like I just took her off the lot brand new. I love you Honda. I’m volunteering myself as a spokesperson for how amazing your little cars are. You can wrap my car with Honda logos or whatever you think works or give me a new little car to drive. I will go on the road, meet lots of people and tell them how amazing your product is.  Adventure ON! In return you pay for my expenses and I get to have the coolest life ever. I am not asking for much. I get excited over taking photos of old barns and eating dollar menu french fries. I’m a cheap date. I have no doubt I can sell hundreds of cars for you. You can find me here. Leave me your phone number and I will give you a call when I’m done enjoying my time at the lake. This could be your best marketing move ever. Hit me up. 
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July 16, 2009 In Uncategorized

ROAD TRIP!

Hold tight.

I am about to embark on a road trip. Gas tank is full and I have my old school paper maps. It’s on. I’m going to have LOTS of crazy, fun, cool and likely nutty things to share here over the next little bit so keep checking back!
If I disappear at any point and don’t post like 3 times a day, know that I am loving life dancing in a field with a bunch of hippies, drinking too much at whatever local wine festival is going on, broken down on the side of road chillin’ with tow truck drivers (I am good at that) feasting with family, friends or strangers, and a million other things that happen on the open road in summer time.
God I love this stuff.
Sat tuned…
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July 15, 2009 In Uncategorized

What About Bob?

(Couldn’t help thinking of Bill Murray hanging off the front of the boat screaming “I’m SAAAIIILING!” That movie cracks me up.)

I Just found this site and these neat bags by Ella Vickers. How cool. They are made from old yacht sails. She saves 20 thousands yards of sailcloth from landfills each year by producing these. (I’m sure preserving some awesome memories for people as well. Good stuff all around.)

Rocking out recycled materials in a totally creative way backed by Ella’s great story of how it all came to be. Now that’s what I call fashionable!
Dear Ella,
I’d be happy to sport one of your bags for you if you’d like to send me one. I love talking to strangers and I find it very easy to get people excited about things like checking out bags on websites and buying them:)
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July 15, 2009 In Uncategorized

Reverse Retirement

My friend sent me this email two weeks ago:

I just found that I have 2 pages in my address book assigned to you and mailing addresses.. 5 addresses in total but I am sure there should be more J


My Grandma told me a few years back “Honey- I just use a pencil for you at this point.”
Both times I just had to giggle and respond with “How the heck do you think I got all these good stories?!”
I have been thinking about all my crazy moves and adventures lately because of some conversations with young college girls I worked with a bit this spring. The kind that have all the potential in the world, life at their fingertips and are between the ages of 18 and 22. Questioning whether they should jump or not, they’d say things like; “I have always wanted to move here, or try this, or do that but I’m not sure…” I tell them:
GO!
Do it.
Jump.
There’s no time like now, it only gets harder as you get older. Listen to yourself. Go wander around, screw around, explore around, study around- whatever you have always wanted to do. Pay for it all yourself. Every penny. When anyone wants to give you any negative feedback/thoughts/opinions/ “noise”,  you can tell them to go screw themselves. Why? Because you are supporting yourself, yes you have health insurance, AAA, a cell phone and all those other “safety and responsibility” things in line thank you very much and you have earned and paid for them all yourself. You’ll know when it’s time for you to slow down or start the next phase of your life. It’s a different time for everyone and no one else can decide that for you. The time you spend traveling or studying or doing that “thing” you have always wanted to- will offer you lessons for your life like nothing else can. It is now time for your reverse retirement. Enjoy it. Be smart, keep your eyes open for opportunity (take it if it feels right), but for god’s sakes don’t ever worry about where you “should”or “shouldn’t” be. I’ve done enough worrying about that for you and I can promise the worry has been a waste. Trust me.
I hope they listen and take some of that advice.
I’m thankful I got that advice from other people and can pass it on to the next “generation.”
Not everyone would agree that it’s the best and smartest choice for whatever successful future if you step off the beaten path and move around a bunch. Sure you might get behind the eight ball on a few things if you don’t follow a certain schedule. Yes, you have to have some kind of game plan. I still think jumping is the best way to go. I’m no genius. I don’t know any big secret, I just know jumping has given me lessons I would’ve never found otherwise. Most importantly I think jumping teaches us the ability to appreciate and understand things/life/people better and more. Now that’s something I am all about encouraging. 
Go get em’ girls! The world is your oyster!
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July 14, 2009 In Uncategorized

“A Number 2 Value Meal And A Tour Please.”

A “green” McDonald’s opens this week in Cary, NC. 
Yes. You read that correctly. 

Apparently this location is going to offer “Tours of the restaurant, highlighting many of the innovative and sustainable features throughout.” They’re also going to have preferred parking spaces for hybrid and fuel efficient vehicles and charge stations for electric vehicles. Now I don’t want to stereotype and I am all about going green and supporting the Hamburgular and Grimace, however– I’m not sure your typical hybrid car owner and canvas tote carrier is often rushing into the golden arches for a bacon egg and cheese biscuit. Then again, what do I know? Times are changing, and for the better I guess with news like this! 
I should pitch my ideas to Mickey D’s corporate for company wide “French Fries and Farmers Market Saturdays” events or a one napkin per customer policy. Maybe they’d hook me up with a lifetime supply of hotcakes. We’d just have to figure out an alternative to me picking them up in a styrofoam box.
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July 13, 2009 In Uncategorized

TTAA (Things that are awesome)

Feeling happy you can look back at a great weekend and be thankful for every minute of it. Inviting really old friends to meet brand-spanking new ones and having them all get along famously. Knowing that the old and new friends will likely be friends until we are all much much older and much much wrinklier. Catching up on laundry. Not waking up with a headache:)

TTAKOAB (Things that are kind of a bummer)
Dropping off a best pal at the airport to go far away and wondering when you’ll get to laugh over coffee in the morning looking at old yearbooks again. Catching up on bills. Canned peas. Realizing you live far away from a lot of people you love.
…then back to TTAA…
Realizing you live in a place where you’re supposed to be at this point in your life and sometimes that means being far away from a lot of people you love. Feeling so lucky for sharing minutes with incredible people who always make you laugh. Knowing there will be lots more.
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July 12, 2009 In Uncategorized

TTAA (Things that are awesome)

Waking up later than you should every once in a while. Giggling over bad high school hair in old yearbooks. Fried pickles on a patio for brunch. Relaxing at the pool reading People magazine. Frozen mudslides and live music. Complete strangers that are ridiculously nice and friendly. Watching kids splash around a pool and remembering how amazing being that kid was and how summer was so magical and perfect back then. Feeling like wow, summer is still that magical and perfect and you’re over 30. Stepping into A/C after being sweaty all day. Laughing, laughing, laughing. Dinners on a pier with the best company you could ask for. Ocean breeze. Sunday nights knowing you don’t have to work on a Monday. Falling asleep with music and all the lights on because the weekend you just had was perfectly exhausting. 

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July 11, 2009 In Uncategorized

TTAA (Things that are awesome)

Insanely fun and cool best pals visiting from Chicago. Riding in cars with boys. Waking up on Saturday mornings chatting and giggling over coffee about events the night before and how much of a blast you had as if you’re 19 and still in college. Deep fried french toast and breakfast sandwiches with diet cokes at Sweet and Savory. Boat rides in the sunshine on the ocean. Cocktails on a patio. Getting showered and gussied up. Fantastic conversation over dinner, feasting at Brasserie du Soleil with a huge group of new and old friends, enjoying life the best way; “Another bottle please! Who wants a bite of mine? OOH this is SOO good, here- try a some! I am totally getting dessert- Ok, you want to share? We’ll take the chocolate mousse, chocolate peanut butter and creme brulee please!” Laughing, laughing, laughing. A stuffed belly of really good food and drink. Booty shakin’. Riding in the back of trucks. Warm summer night air. Going to bed way later than you should.

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