…again. (I think this is time #6,742.)
Goodbyes are said. (For now.)
Bring it next 5 weeks. IT’S ON!Â
Here’s to following what you love.
…that if you click on the “i” in the rolling header above with the photos you can read information on where and when I took each photo?
After I posted about Garrett’s Popcorn a couple days ago, someone from the company posted a comment complimenting that feature (Thanks Tammy!) I wanted to make sure you all knew to click there. It was all the idea and fabulous work of my good design friend Bobby. (His last name is Holiday, how great is that? No wonder why he is so cool and creative!)
Look for some changing/added photos soon along with lots of video. The pre-road trip, road trip starts this weekend when I head east. I can’t lie, I have been a bit stressed, stretched and busy, lately- but now that today is my last day of work in Chicago for a while and I am about to pack it up and hit the open road, those uber-energizing, overly-excited, free-spirited butterflies in my stomach are starting to flutter and that can mean only one thing:
I’ll make you check back to see what 🙂
Today in particular, I cannot wait to be in this chair again busted by someone snapping a photo of me doing absolutely nothing besides refueling, relaxing and breathing:
4 days until I am fortunate enough to have my most cherished and much needed birthday gift again.
Yesterday was a short work day for me. As I have on most of those short days, I exited, looked left, right and just started walking. I think one of the best treats about living in a city (especially in summer) is the ability to to be able to walk everywhere. To me this provides continuous, fantastic free entertainment, and a great way to get extra exercise too! People watching, talking to strangers, wandering in and out of shops, taking photos, sitting on a random bench to write or daydream for a while, stopping for a treat like Garrett’s Popcorn because you can’t resist the enticing fresh-popped smell:
…accompanied by truthful napkins:
I nibbled and walked and nibbled and walked and still had this much left when I got home:
(and that was the smallest size they had!)
…ahhh. A perfect afternoon.
I have put some serious miles on my flip flops these past few months. In 4 days I take off to start putting some more serious miles on the BLR-Mobile, and my loaned 2012 Hybrid Civic for a while. I can’t wait! By foot or by car, exploring is what gets my heart racing, especially when there is no plan. That’s always when the best stuff happens.
I wonder if I will go left or right (north, south, east, west?) on this trip. Which way do you think I should go?
***(Continued from can you believe i didn’t get the nutella one…)
After our Bradbury’s crepes, we continued up the hill to the packed Capital Square of Madison and made out way through the crowd. There were all kinds of fruits, veggies, flowers and baked goods to be bought. My favorite; Fresh corn:
…pretty flowers making me wish I had my own cute little apartment, so I could buy them and have them on my cute little dreamed of balcony table:
…cherries at their peak of perfection:
…and of course we had to do a repeat visit to get the Stella’s fresh, warm, spicy cheese bread:
(The only way to do it is buy, take a seat on the Capital steps, tear, and eat as the cheese oozes out. Mmmm…)
The Gord Man was having fun freaking the kids out:
…and I couldn’t resist one of the huge cinnamon buns at one of the bakery tents:
I ate the whole thing. Yes, alone and did not feel very good after. The portion size could’ve fed 6 people, but it was so good I kept eating and eating! Lets just say my run later that afternoon was shorter than usual and a bit painful. What can I say?- I get excited when there are delectable treats around. I’m an easy sell on sugar, and clearly I was trying to make up for not getting that Nutella crepe. (Laughing at myself as I type this.)
Wouldn’t it be great if every town could have a Saturday market as large and as accessible as the one in Madison? I’m already looking forward to my promised annual visit back to my friends there next summer!
I know right? I can’t believe it either. It probably won’t ever happen again. The thing is, I had some life-changing fresh peaches last week when I made some red sangria, so when I saw the option for a peach and blackberry crepe:
…at Bradbury’s:
…on Saturday morning, I just had to have it. I made a good choice:
I gobbled this thing up in a second. It was the perfect fresh and all-organic breakfast to fuel me for the mac-daddy of all farmer’s markets; the Dane Country Farmers Market on Capital Square in Madison.
***(To be continued in part 2…)
Remember Sam from a few weeks ago? I am happy to report that he sent me a note and that he is Ok. (Didn’t I just write earlier today about running into strangers and that everyone has a story?) It turns out that Sam not only is a speedy Bike Messenger, but an Artist/Photographer as well. Check out his website here. Pretty cool eh?
Thanks for writing Sam! Watch those buses out there…
Scene; Sitting at Starbucks in Wisconsin this morning typing away on the patio with my coffee. Gentleman walks up to me:
“Sorry to bother you, but I’ve gotta ask you- What’s Blue Lollipop Road? I drove in behind you.”
A conversation ensues and in a few short minutes I share that Blue Lollipop Road is my blog, that I have traveled for years, and actually today was the day 1 year ago I crossed the Alaska border, hitting my 50th state in Skagway. He has been too. He grew up in Maine, and right near one of the towns I will hopefully be going to, so I can meet up a very interesting guy on my Honda Adventure in September. (Working on a few things, still TBA.) I share where I am from in Vermont, he has been there as well, and is now currently living in the Midwest like me too. Our conversation quickly wraps as he apologizes for bothering me again (which clearly he is not) and I go back to my head down typing away.
Moments like the one that just happened are fairly regular for me and I absolutely love them. Small worlds, unexpected and welcomed interactions with people I would have never otherwise met. I’m sure I could have talked to that gentleman for hours. Blue Lollipop Road has offered me such a great platform to open conversation on all subjects, and to prove that everyone has a story and something in common.
I can’t wait for my next random stranger interruption.
Early yesterday morning, I started a busy day sprinting to the train, and didn’t notice as I zoned out that I was the only one in this particular car until a few stops had passed. This has never happened before. The sun was shining in, the train rocked back and forth and it was a totally peaceful few minutes watching the city go by:
Relaxing, zen moments smack dab in the middle of the hustle = delightful.
The polls are open!
Honda has just posted on their Facebook page about the Blue Lollipop Road September Adventure. Check it out here. Whoop whoop!
Time to start spreading the news and getting your explore on with me. I will be tracking votes and asking for feedback regularly, so come on back and keep making suggestions!
Only 27 days to go until I pick up the car. Oh how fun this is going to be…