Dream Big.

Have you seen this story? I love it.

The synopsis: A 48-year-old man from Oregon, Kent Couch, flew a lawn chair rigged with helium filled balloons 200 miles into Idaho, the next state over. He carried a Red Ryder BB gun with him to pop the balloons as needed to adjust his course and his altitude.

Here's what he had to say about his voyage:

"If I had the time and money and people, I'd do this every weekend," Couch said before getting into the chair. "Things just look different from up there. You've moving so slowly. The best thing is the peace, the serenity. Originally, I wanted to do it because of boyhood dreams. I don't know about girls, but I think most guys look up in the sky and wish they could ride on a cloud."

It wasn't his first attempt at getting out of the state. He had tried a time or two before, but he needed to tweak the process a bit..

To that end, he ordered more balloons. Dozens of volunteers wearing fluorescent green T-shirts that said "Dream Big" filled latex balloons 5 feet in diameter, attached them to strings and tied clusters of six balloons each to a tiny carabiner clip.

Although his wife called him crazy (can't blame her), I love that this guy pursued his boyhood dream and in the process made so many other people think about dreaming big. I know if I had seen a man floating over me in a lawn chair surrounded by a hundreds of huge, colorful balloons, I would certainly be taken back to my childhood wonderment. And seeing him land successfully? Well, it kind of makes you wonder which dreams of yours could be possible if you put in a little effort and perseverance.

And the fact that he used a Red Ryder BB gun of all things, well... that, my friends, is priceless.

Yay, America!

Well, I was starting to think this 4th of July was going to be a bit of a bust, but the R Braves Firework Crew proved me wrong.

Until Thursday morning, we had plans to head up to Pennsylvania. Many weeks and weekends of neglecting our house, though, made us reconsider, and we finally decided to stay home and do things around the house instead. Not the most fun holiday weekend, but PRODUCTIVE. And boy, do I like productive. In the past two days, I have basically done spring cleaning on the entire downstairs of our house, including hand scrubbing all of the linoleum. My hands hurt, but damn, those floors look good.

Last night, we decided to head down to Colonial Heights to watch the fireworks, because I do not do 4th of July with no fireworks. Wouldn't you know, they were canceled because of the weather. ARG!
To make up for missing them last night, we decided to go to the Richmond Braves game tonight. I have never been able to figure out where the best fireworks in Richmond are, and I think I got my answer tonight. It was an awesome show, complete with patriotic music and cheering fans. I love that experience, of celebrating the fact that we are all Americans and we're happy to live here and have the great lives we have. Granted, the majority of people watching fireworks probably aren't thinking stuff like that between their "oohs" and "ahhs," but I am. I even shed a couple of tears during the national anthem/finale, when everyone stood up and removed their hats. I might not seem like the most patriotic girl in the world, but the history of this country does not escape me, and I know that if I lived somewhere else or if things hadn't happened the way they had, I would not be leading the life I lead. And I really dig my life as it is, so... yay, America. :)

The Braves lost, unfortunately. Oh, and it rained for the last three innings of the game. But after that fireworks show, none of that really matters. :)

I am such a sap.

Just got back from seeing WALL-E. It's a love story. About two robots.

I cried. I'm such a sucker for romance. :)

Stationary Bicycle

Lately, I feel like my wheels are spinning but I'm not getting anywhere.

Part of the problem is that I haven't really focused on a destination. Or that I have so many destinations I'm headed for that I never seem to make any real headway towards any of them.

I want to be a good wife and partner for my husband (and I want him to be a good husband and partner for me--this ain't just my job! :) ). But in that goal, there are numerous destinations: quality time together, quality time apart, keeping the house clean, keeping food in our mouths (because I like to cook), planning for the future, organizing the present. We are super good at quality time together, which I have zero complaints about. The result of that, though, is that I often neglect housekeeping or grocery shopping or any of the other destinations I'm headed for. And then I get frustrated because the house is a mess, and then I get crabby, and then I am definitely just spinning tires in the pursuit of being a good partner.

I want to be a good daughter, friend, granddaughter, sister, etc. With that goal, there are so many people that I want to spend time with, and I find myself putting off spending time with each of them until I really have a nice, good, big chunk of time to spend with them, because I love them all so much that I want to be around them for a long time when I DO see them... but then I find that too many days pass without those big blocks of time presenting themselves, and I feel like I'm neglecting the most important relationships in my life. And then I get frustrated because I haven't seen or talked to most of the people I love in way too long, and then I can't decide who to see FIRST since I need to see EVERYONE.

I want to nurture myself and be the best ME I can be. I want to travel. I want to take classes. I want to exercise. I want to read. I want to watch TV. I want to take naps. I want to write. I want to browse the internet. I want to get organized. I want to print out all of my pictures and make albums. I want to join a book club. I want to cook more. I want to decorate my house. I want to make a budget. I want to figure out how to invest wisely and lucratively. I want to paint. I want to learn how to paint. I want to be a teacher. I want to be better at my job. I want to mentor a kid that needs it. I want to learn more about what's going on in the world. I want to grow a garden. I want to go to the beach.

I want to do it all, I think.

And really, when it comes down to it, I want to figure out not how to narrow that list down, but how to do all of those things. I've never considered myself an overachiever, but, looking at that list, I sort of feel like one. Maybe now that I have that list, though, I can get this bicycle off its stand and actually pedal it down the road...

High Rollers we are not. But we do know how to have fun.

Alright, so, I owe you a Vegas post.

Firstly, if you want to see the pictures, I'll send you to the album. Click here for that.

And now, on with the program.

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Last year, we went to a tiny little place in the Caribbean called Turks & Caicos for our vacation. It was gorgeous, stunning, beautiful, relaxing... and small. Which meant there wasn't a whole lot to do once we did a day of scuba diving and a day of driving around the island except for lay on the beach and eat. This was perfectly fine by me, but Bryan was itching for activity. We had a great time, but I think the man got it in his head that he was going to make up for lost excursion time on our next vacation. And we definitely did. We stayed so busy during our trip to Vegas that between the two of us we gambled for MAYBE two hours. Maybe. But that was fine, because 1) we're close enough to Atlantic City that we can go gamble any time and 2) we found plenty of other ways to blow our money. ;-) I could spend hours telling you all about every day of our trip, but how about I just touch on a few highlights?

1. Penn & Teller: We stayed at Paris the first two nights partially because I love all things Paris, partially because we got two-for-one tickets to Penn & Teller. I knew of these guys (they're magicians, if you don't know), but had never seen their act. It was PHENOMENAL! We loved it. And they even came out afterwards and we got pictures and autographs like total dorks!



2. World Series of Poker: They had the WSOP going on in the same hotel as Penn & Teller, and, being poker fans and players, we went and stalked our favorite poker pros. We were total tools about it. And it was so much fun. We even got a halfway decent picture of our best friend Daniel Negreanu. (Okay, he's not our best friend... but we watch him on TV and think he would make a good one... :) )


3. Red Rock Canyon: Awesome. The rocks are red because they oxidized, or rusted, basically. Cool, huh? I found it amusing that they called the hike we went on "moderate," yet I thought I might die, it was so hard and so hot. Later we read the hiking guide a little better and it said their ratings were based on the perception of an AVID hiker. Which we are not.



4. Joy!!!: I got to hang out with my college roomie, Joy, who I haven't seen in like five years, one day while Bryan was at his conference. It was sooooooooooo nice to catch up with her and meet her son, who's 14 months old. I wish she lived closer!!!! She took me to a park she often takes her son to, where there was ACTUAL GREEN GRASS!! Ah, how refreshing. I never realized how much I love green. They also had a play area for the kids featuring a giant snake and a giant lizard they can crawl on. Yes, this is what kids play with in the desert.


5. Pool & Massage: The second day of conference, that's how I spent my day. Can anyone say HEAVEN? Oh, and I also had an ice mocha, chocolate croissant and fruit cup for breakfast. Again, they call that utopia in my world.


6. Helicopter Ride: We did a nighttime tour of The Strip. We got to wear giant headphones. Helicopters are not as scary as I thought they'd be. The Strip is bright no matter which way you look at it. :)


7. DUNE BUGGIES!!!: We spent a morning riding a dune buggy through the Valley of Fire. No pictures of this yet because they were on a disposable camera and I haven't uploaded them yet. It was quite a rush, and I don't know that I have ever been that dirty in my life. Which rocked.

8. O: This is a Cirque du Soleil show whose stage is basically a giant aquarium. There's a floor that moves up and down depending on what the act is. Phenomenal. I was breathless numerous times. I have no idea how they do some of the things they do... like high diving from the roof of the auditorium into that pool like 80 feet below? Wow.


9. North Rim of the Grand Canyon: I've been to the South Rim a couple times, but had always heard the North Rim is a different experience because it's less tourist-y and also greener. And it was. I am in love with the Grand Canyon and would be happy if my job was to sit and stare at it all day every day. Not hike it--been there, done that (2/3 of the way down, anyway), no need to do all that again. But it is so amazingly huge and beautiful and mesmerizing... There is only one lodge at the North Rim, and we got a cabin for our last night out west. No phone, no tv, no AC... it was the perfect way to wind down from the insane hustle of Vegas! We even managed to drag ourselves out of bed by 5am for sunrise... which was absolutely gorgeous. Of course. :)


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Wherein I steal from other peoples' blogs.

My blog pals inspired me today, so I wanted to share a few things I found while checking in with my buddies...

-J Bird just started her blog but damned if that girl does not find the coolest stuff EVER. She always did (she was my college roomie). To this day I still envy her ability to go into someplace like Marshalls or TJ Maxx and find the most awesome deals...

Anyway, in her latest post she showcased this thing called Wordle. You can put a bunch of text in a box, and it makes this cool, well, "wordle" out of it. I used a passage from one of the best books ever, Breath, Eyes, Memory, by Edwidge Danticat. I have read hundreds, if not thousands, of books in my life, and I read this one probably ten years ago. Yet this is the only passage I've ever read that I actually recall and go back to time and again. I won't paste the full text, but you'll get the idea of it through my wordle (click on it for a larger view):



-Jynx'd provided some commentary on a hilarious story from the Virginia news. Two guys managed to get hitched in Norfolk, because one of them was a transvestite and (s)he played the part of the bride so well that no one suspected they weren't a man and a woman. Well, apparently the "bride" was so tickled to get away with getting married that (s)he decided to go back and have her name legally changed... to Penelopsky Aaryonna Goldberry. Well, this raised a red flag, and the authorities finally figured out that she was actually a he. And now there's a big uproar about whether or not their marriage was legal since (s)he is transgender and all kinds of craziness.

But can't you just hear that conversation? "Well, damn, if I am such a fabulous woman that they let me marry you, I need an equally fabulous name! What should it be, what should it be... Ooh, how about PENELOPSKY! Yesssss, honey, that is FAB U LOUS! Penelopsky Aaryonna! I don't know what the hell that means, but, girrrrrrrrrrrrl, it is FIERCE!"

-Finally, my old friend Nikole at clearframe talks a bit about discovering herself in these past few years. Nikole and I went to high school together (and, before that, played percussion side-by-side in the Chesterfield All County Band in 6th grade!), and she was always the girl I wanted to be like. She was loved by everyone, was nice to everyone, was smart, beautiful, and seemed to be so sure of her place in the world. Her post is a reminder that even those who we think have it together the best sometimes have the same struggles we do. We are all human, and we all have our self-doubts and our self-criticisms. It is also a reminder that we often don't give ourselves enough credit. We may not feel like we're succeeding in life, but there is always someone out there who looks up to us. Nikole's post stirs up many more feelings and thoughts, but I'll leave it there for now.

Never thought I'd long for humidity.

Well, we're home.

We got back from our Vegas trip yesterday around 10am, and promptly went to bed. I slept until 4:30, then fell back asleep on the couch around 6:45, where I slept until about 10pm, then went up to bed and was back asleep by 11pm and didn't wake up again until this morning at 6:30. I believe they call that "worn out."

We had an excellent time in Vegas and at the Grand Canyon, and for those that didn't keep up with me via Twitter, I'll be blogging about the trip in due time. I have to sort through all the pictures, first, though, and tend to that little thing called "life" that for some reason had the nerve to NOT STOP while we were gone! The nerve.

Anyway, while I'd love to be on perpetual vacation, I have to say that I was so dry and had so many nose bleeds because of it that I was dying to get home to the humidity so that all my mucus membranes can go back to their natural states... that is, MOIST.

And since I know you're wondering, we did not lose ANY money gambling! In fact, I won about $20 in the 1.5 hours I played poker, and Bryan won $45 in the 30 minutes he played blackjack. Apart from that, we were too busy doing other stuff to gamble! Can you believe it?! I told Bryan this means we need to go back to Atlantic City soon, because I had some new poker tactics I was trying and they seemed to be working, but I need more playing time to know for sure... :)

Viva Las Vegas!

In just 7.5 short hours, Bryan and I head out to Las Vegas for the week. He has a conference there, and we decided to make a trip out of it! I'm not taking a computer with me and I have no idea if I'll find internet access while we're there, so I'll most likely be blog-silent for a week or so.

Don't do anything too crazy without me.

Alfred Klinger presents: "The Birds"

Scene I:

The Klinger Residence. 10pm, Wednesday last week. Mr. & Mrs. Klinger have just returned from Mr. Klinger's softball game. It is dark, and, as usual, the porch light is not on, because Mr. K works for the power company and is all about conservation. Okay, not really, it's not on because they just don't turn it on. Mrs. K approaches the door first to unlock it, with Mr. K close behind.

Mrs. K feels a freaky flapping on her face as soon as she begins to open the door.

Mrs. K: WHAT THE EFF WAS THAT!!!!!

Mr. K: It was a damned bird! It was in the wreath!

Mrs. K: Holy shit, that was scary. I about had a heart attack! Thank god it didn't come in the house.

[Fade to black.]

Scene II

The Klinger Residence. 10pm, Wednesday night. Mr. and Mrs. K have just returned from Mr. K's softball game. It's dark and, as usual, the porch light is not on because the K's couldn't bare to spend the extra $.05 to illuminate their front stoop. Okay, not really, it's not on because one bird attack didn't teach them any lessons. This time, Mr. K approaches the door first, with Mrs. K close behind.

Mr. K is faster at the unlocking than Mrs. K was the previous week, and as he opens the door, he immediately throws himself belly-first into the living room, a la "Duck & Cover." Mrs. K has no idea what the hell is going on, but she looks around quickly because it appears they may be under attack by some serious enemy fire.

Mr. K: AAAAGGGHHH!!! THE BIRDS!! THERE'S A BIRD! IT GOT ME! OH MY GOD! THE BIRDS! IT'S IN THE HOUSE!!

Mrs. K begins to laugh because the sight of her husband on his hands and knees as if he is behind enemy lines is comical, but stops herself because the idea of a bird in the house is NOT funny in the least.

Mrs. K: Honey, are you SURE it got in the house, maybe it just flew back out? (Mr. K assembles himself into a seated, semi-fetal position, and Mrs. K notices something on his ear.) What is that on your ear, baby?

Mr. K: What do you mean? Where? (Mr. K reaches up to check it out as Mrs. K registers that white... goo... on... husband's... ear... can only be...)

Mrs. K: Honey, that bird shit on you! (Mrs. K begins to laugh hysterically, and is incapable of containing the hilarity.)

Mr. K: It's not funny!

Mrs. K: Oh yes it is!!! (Continues to laugh hysterically. Runs to bathroom to avoid accident in her pants.)

Mrs. K takes Mr. K's shirt to wash it while Mr. K goes to shower away the bird poop. Mrs. K searches the house and finds no trace of the attack bird. Just in case, though, the K's close their bedroom door when they go to sleep.

Scene III

The Klinger Residence. Early on Thursday morning. Mrs. K is almost ready to head out the door to catch the bus for work, Mr. K is still attempting to drag himself out of the bed. Mrs. K goes into the spare bedroom where she keeps some of her clothes. She hears a distinct flapping noise coming from downstairs.

Mrs. K: Honey. It's in the house.

Mr. K: (Unintelligible mumbling.)

Mrs. K: I said: the bird. It's in the house. It might be in the ceiling fan downstairs. I don't know what it's doing.

Mr. K: Where is it?

Mrs. K: I said it's downstairs. I have no idea what it's doing.

Mr. and Mrs. K put on old clothes (in case of bird poop ambush) and close all of the doors upstairs. They begin to descend the stairs, much like you may remember Scooby Doo and Shaggy creeping along while trying to solve a mystery. Knees up high with each gentle step, head jutted forward, ears cocked towards the rogue bird.

Mr. K: There he is! Oh, he's just a little bird! Do you think he can even fly?!

As if having to spend the night inside weren't enough of an insult, the bird hears Mr. K and decides HE'LL SHOW HIM! The bird flies into the dining room! Into the window! Up around the ceiling!

Mrs. K stands waiting by the open door after tapping it a few times to make sure no more birds are in the wreath. When she is satisfied there are none, she removes the wreath and examines it for traces of a nest. There are none. For good measure, in case there are some sneaky ass birds still hiding in there, she taps it a little more. When satisfied there REALLY aren't any birds inside, she whacks the hell out of it while thinking, "Yeah! Take that, birds! I'll beat on your nest! That's what you get for trying to live in my wreath!" (Mrs. K would, of course, not have the heart to actually beat on anything a bird was using for a nest. But since they're gone, she can take out her frustrations with no guilt.)

In the meantime, the bird has flown up into the loft and Mr. K is chasing it around with a broom. Finally, the bird swoops downstairs and right out the front door! Mrs. K swiftly closes the front door and looks at Mr. K with eyes that say, "What in the hell just happened."

Mr. K: No more wreaths on the door.

Happy Thoughts.

Okay, so it's gotten a little deep and a little depressing on this here blog lately. Time to change the pace. Baby pictures oughta do the trick, right?

Over Memorial Day weekend, Bryan and I were in Pennsylvania for a couple of days. While there, we got to spend some time with the newest addition to the family, Miss Allie. And boy, is she precious.

Here she is with her lovely mom:

And looking rather alert with her Aunt Lydia (she's just a couple months old, she likes to sleep):
And of course, I can't post pictures of Allie without also posting some of her spectacular big brother, Joey, AKA Bubble Blower Extraordinaire!:
Excellent. Now perhaps (fingers crossed) we can get back to our regularly scheduled positivity.