Day 19- Time for a break

Let's go back to when you were a kid during the summer (I know, I know- that's the whole point of this blog) and you had yet another day of insanity. Either you played outside in the heat for an insane amount of time or you had some sort of family reunion or just some random activity that took up most of the day. And you were hot and cranky and just generally felt bad. It was at this point that your mom or dad probably told you "You need a nap!" or "You need some quiet time!"

Of course, you were 5. So, you fought it. And usually argued about it. But when your little body hit those cool sheets, it was like heaven. And you were done for.

That was me yesterday. An insane amount of work in the morning following by an INTENSE workout. By 2:00, I was fried. Done. Now, if you've been reading this blog at all, you know that I am physically incapable of napping. But, I did both the adult and kid thing where I ordered myself to my bed for quiet time. And I obeyed me.

On went the ceiling fan. Closed went the door. Up went the super cool white sheets. My body needed a break. It needed this quiet time. And rather than worry about all the stuff I had to later on that night and during the week. I just...stopped. I was still and quiet and just sank into the bed. And just like when we were kids, it was exactly what I needed. 45 minutes later, I got up refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day with a MUCH better attitude than I'd had when I banished myself to my room.

Day 18- Sometimes you need a treat

Sorry this blog is late guys. My computer was at the computer doctor until this morning. But never fear! I still did an activity yesterday so that when I got the laptop back, I could catch you all up.

Remember how you'd have days during the summer that either you got dragged everywhere on errands or you had stuff you had to do or you had swim lessons (the bane of every small child's existence) or something that was just generally unpleasant? But, your mom or dad promised you that if you'd just hang in there, you'd get a treat at the end of the day? So, you sucked it up and rode in the car and did what they said KNOWING that a reward was getting closer and closer as the hours ticked by?

Yesterday was that day for me. Just dumb, had-to-be-done crap all day. So, I decided that if I could just hang in there and get it all done, I'd get a treat. And what did I have pictured in my little brain all day? A milkshake. Not just any old milkshake. I decided I was going to make my own at home.

Now, I have always tried just slinging ice cream and milk in a blender without so much as even considering measuring amounts. Needless to say, the results have been disastrous. Soooo, this time around, I googled "Milkshake Recipe". I kid you not that the first recipe that came up was a Paula Deen one. I took this as a sign that I'd made the right choice.

Paula's recipe was for 4 people, so I had to make that a smidgen smaller. Two of her secrets? Adding vanilla extract and extra sugar.

So, into the blender went my ice cream, my milk, my REAL vanilla extract, and my Splenda. Wait a second! What are THOSE?????:

Who drinks plain vanilla milkshakes?? It's communist, I tell you!

All ingredients safely tucked into the blender, I gave it a whirl. And thanks to Ms. Deen, the measurements were just right to make a nice, thick milkshake.

I popped in a straw and took a gigantic, heartfelt slurp. Yum. O. So good. And so what this chick needed after a day of just not-fun-ness. I fully believe I EARNED that milkshake! Perhaps I should find a way to have more days that can end this way...

BTW- for those who are interested in the recipe, it is as follows:

4 cups vanilla ice cream

2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 tablespoons sugar

If you're adding anything in like I did, just eyeball it. Oh, and this is the amount that serves 4.

Day 17- A bit more realistic

Today's summertime activity was spending the afternoon at the pool! I know that when we were kids, it was all day. But that wasn't feasible for me today. So, I figured an afternoon would suffice. :)

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures for your viewing pleasure today because I was too busy doing pool things. But, I can tell you that things really haven't changed much since we were kids and went to a community pool. There are people there wearing bathing suits that they really shouldn't have. There is always that pool/community board member there who is constantly on a power trip. No matter where you try to go in the pool, there will be 7 other people up underneath you. You will get kicked at least once. Hard. In the side.

There are also the fun things like you will get involved in a serious water gun fight with perfect strangers. You will dive in and swim underwater as long as you can until your lungs start to hurt. There are the snacks in the the pool clubhouse that tempt you every time you get out of the pool. And the "honor system" is still in effect for payment for said snacks. :) There's still "adult swim" the last 15 minutes of every hour aka the lifeguard's break. So, all the kids get out of the pool and find some way to torture each other outside the water. And there's NOTHING like sitting on the side of the pool or in a lounge chair and just getting super hot and then JUMPING into the deep end to cool off. Ahhhhhhh!!!!!

Of course, just like when we were kids, being out in the sun during the hottest part of the day is exhausting. And, I managed to dive juuuuuust right to get a massive amount of water in my right ear. And you can sunscreen a bunch, but there will always be a part that gets pinked up. Hence, the title of this entry. I came home from the pool tired, with a slightly sunburned nose, and an ear full of water. And just like when I was a kid- kinda crabby from that combination. I am hoping, like when I was a kid, that I'll be able to get the water out soon and that all the activity will translate into a very good night's sleep. :)

Day 16- Summer blockbuster

I know, I know. I've already done a blog about going to the movies. But, to be specific, that was the DOLLAR movie that they only do on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. And it's always an older movie. Today is a WHOLE different thing.

Today's adventure was about going to a brand spankin' new gigantic summer release. We didn't get to go to many movies in the theater when I was a kid. Too expensive. But, I did have very vivid snapshots of some of the ones that we just couldn't miss. I remember that I had to sit in my dad's lap to watch "Back to the Future" because they'd oversold the movie theater. "Return of the Jedi" was just as crazy. (I'd been too little to see the first 2 Star Wars movies in the theater.) And does anyone remember a little movie called "Ghostbusters"?

I digress. Today was the day to see a brand new movie. One that was OBVIOUSLY going to make an insane amount of money. And it was:

Shut up. I have a kid. Besides, it was fun. It was SUPER crowded. We had to line up in a queue before they'd let us in the theater, for Pete's sake. Everyone had their giant tubs of popcorn and were all really excited to be there. And it was great. It was cold and dark and we were entertained by something brand new. And, if nothing else, we could all say that we'd seen something on OPENING DAY! We were part of that crazy statistic that they will run on Monday.

Get to the theater at some point this summer and see a great big BLOCKBUSTER! Yeah, yeah. Artsy films have their place. But, summer is the season for explosions and car chases and big laughs and big loves. (And yes, "Cars 2" had all of those, thank you very much.)

Day 15- Splish, splash

As I may have mentioned before, I'm from Florida. You know, where afternoon thunderstorms are the norm. They're going to happen. Everyday. Usually right around the same time, so Floridians know how to plan outdoor activities to avoid the 30 minutes to an hour that things are going to be getting soaking wet. I say all that to say- I know when clouds are just grey and when they're going to actually rain on you. See that picture above? Yeah, that means rain.

Ashley M. suggested that I needed to go on a good puddle stomp after a thunderstorm. Excellent idea. First, I had to wait out the rain. Impatiently, of course.

Finally, the rain and the thunder and the lightening stopped. Now, obviously, if you're going to go puddle jumping, you've got to have a pair of good rain boots.

Yeah. Those are my rain boots. What did you expect? Plain black? Please...

Off I went down my street searching for a good puddle worthy of splashing in. I went about a block and found a good one. Annnnnnnd go!

Oh, I'd forgotten how infinitely satisfying it is to make a flying leap into a puddle and feel the spray bounce off your legs and clothes. Holy cow. And it was a cool rain, too. So it felt FANTASTIC! After I'd exhausted this one, I went in search of another. Fortunately, I did not have far to go.

Love it. Love everything about it. It was fun and ridiculous and silly. Some of my neighbors may have looked at me a smidge funny. But it was a great way to spend the time after dinner outside in the cool dampness. I think I may keep my boots at the ready from now on anytime we have a thunderstorm. I suggest you do the same.

Day 14- Wildlife acquisition...

...or, as I like to call it- CRITTER CATCHING. Here's a little secret about D.G. that most of you probably don't know. I am an EXPERT frog and grasshopper catcher. Particularly frogs and toads. I know, I know; you're all thinking "Um, she's a big ol' prissy pants. She catches bugs and frogs??" Yes, yes I do. I always have. And growing up in Florida, we had our fair share of both bugs AND frogs. My favorites were the electric green tree frogs that were so little and fast and stuck to ANYTHING. They were the loudest at night when the sun went down and they were absolutely everywhere if you got up early enough in the morning before the real heat struck.

But, I digress. I decided that tonight was the time to reclaim my title of world's greatest critter catcher. Off I headed to my backyard with my official bottle to contain said critters. I was primarily looking for toads, since frogs are hard to find up here. And what do you know? After about a minute, I'd spotted one! So, I penned him in and voila!

You're mine, toad. All mine.

Now, when one is hunting for frogs and toads and grasshoppers and such, one has to be very aware that there could be a release of...fluids at some point. Again, I know what you're all thinking- "Dawn has had critters pee and/or spit on her and she didn't freak out???" Nope. Want proof?

Note the 3rd and 4th fingers. Yep. Toad pee. Deal with that!

As I continued my hunt, I realized that dusk in Georgia may not be the best time to look for toads. It was a great time for tree frogs in Florida. Not so much here. But, I was bound and determined to find at least one more before I gave up. Well, lo and behold along the fenceline, TINY TOAD NUMBER 2!!

They were clearly being coy. Ignoring each other in a toady attempt to be cool. That's ok. I get it.

So that was all she wrote in terms of my critter catching for the night. I wanted to find more toads, but I was out of time and luck both. It was loads of fun, though. And most importantly, I'm just as AWESOME at catching stuff as I was as a kid. Aw yeah.

Day 13- Let the games begin

As we've discussed previously, one of the true highlights of the summer is the fact that it stays light for so long after dinner, thus allowing you to play outside for much longer! Today, I decided that I needed to learn a new game. Yes ladies and gentlemen, it was time for me to learn that super highbrow game known as...LADDERBALL. (Also known as ladder golf in some parts of the country.)

For those unfamiliar with said game, here's a quick picture:

Essentially, you're supposed to stand, like, 20 to 25 feet from the ladders and sling the bolas (yep, that's what the balls connected by the strings are called) at said ladders. If you manage to get your bola to wrap itself around one of the rungs, you get points! YAY!

Here's a little secret about D.G. that most of you probably don't know. My depth perception is WRETCHED. I'm serious y'all. It's bad. I firmly believe that this is the main reason why I am not athletically gifted. But, I digress. I was determined to master ladder ball!!! So, I stood back, took a deep breath, and slung my first bola!

WHAAAAAT? Did I make it onto the ladder on my very first try??? Oh. Hell. Yeah. I was as gleeful as a kid at that point, let me tell you. So, I stuck it out. Kept flinging the bolas. And it was fun. And I didn't have to be anywhere at a certain time and I was just determined to beat my own record. Remember that? When you were a kid and you'd do something over and over again just to beat yourself? That was me. I was IN THE ZONE!

By the end of my evening outside, I had 5 mosquito bites, but I was regularly accomplishing this:

Yep, those would be all 3 of my bolas hung on the ladder. Shut up. I went in feeling pleased as punch with myself. So I ask you, when's the last time you went outside after dinner and challenged yourself (or the neighbors) to a fun outdoor game? Get on it. And, while you're at it, get some Off. Or Cutter. Trust me on this one.

Day 12- PLAY BALL!!!

Ok, since I took yesterday off, today's blog promises to be a little...verbose. But, bear with me. Got a lot to say.

As far back as I can remember, I was brought up on the gospel of baseball. As a matter of fact, that was the only sport I was aware of for the longest time. My father grew up playing the sport and I think may have even had pipe dreams of just playing in the minors. It was not to be; and as a result he'd spend a majority of my childhood teaching me about the art of the game.

I have some of the best memories of going to minor league ballgames. I was born in Jacksonville and we lived there until I was 3. We went to countless Jacksonville Sun games before we moved to Tampa. When we got to Tampa, we'd go to spring training games and to see the minor league Tampa Yankees. (Side note- the Devil Rays did not come to town until I was almost done with college. And we won't even TALK ABOUT when Miami got the expansion team over Tampa before that. There's still bad blood about that deal.) So, majority of my baseball watching was minor league or lots and lots of televised games.

By the way, if you have never been to a minor league baseball game, what are you waiting for? It's cheap both to get in and to eat, there are always ridiculous forms of entertainment that grown men are whipped up to try simply to win a $25 gift card to Chili's, and lord knows they're always giving stuff away "to the first 5,000 fans"!

I'm sure by now you've figured out that today's summer adventure was a baseball game. And where did I wind up going?

Need another hint?

That's it. That's all you get. Now, I was not really a Braves fan until college. My father was a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan. I have no idea why, since he was born and raised in Florida. But, my freshman year of college was when the Braves won the World Series. I happened to actually BE in downtown Atlanta the night they won. It was absolute insanity. And they've held a special place in my heart ever since. Those Braves of the 90's were the REAL Braves. The Jones boys. The best pitching lineup ever. EVER. And let's not even get into our hitting and Javy behind the plate. Did I mention the greatest baseball commercial ever made was also during this time? Here it is, for those of you who forgot about it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ltD21rYWVw

I digress. Off a whole herd of us went to Turner Field to watch the Bravos take on the Rangers. This was our view:

Yes, we were in the nosebleeds. But who cared? We were in the stadium. It was an early afternoon game, meaning that we would be having lunch at the ballpark. Now, in my group, we managed to knock out hot dogs, popcorn, a soft pretzel, peanuts, a frozen lemonade, and multiple Coke products in an incredibly short span of time. There would be pictures of said delicious ballpark food, but we were so hungry, we all but unhinged our jaws and swallowed it all whole.

As the game continued, the big names got up to bat:

No Chipper today. Oh well. As the game wore on, we also had the awesome between innings entertainment of the shell game on the giant score board, the Braves fan crew throwing t-shirts into the crowd, and of course, my favorite, the ridiculous foot race between people dressed in nonsensical costumes. Today's sponsor was Home Depot:

Why yes, those are grown men dressed in giant foam tool costumes running for their lives. LOVE IT.

Of course, my biggest victory came in the 7th inning stretch. Not because I necessarily love singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"; but because I was getting one of these:

Unless your ice cream comes in a souvenir batting helmet, DON'T EVEN TALK TO ME!!! I cannot even tell you how many of these things I had as a kid. Let's just say that all my dolls could have taken batting practice at any given point and they all would have been safe.

As the game (and the heat) wore on, there really weren't that many exciting moments. No pitching duels. No one went yard. But, as I sat there, I remembered how great it was to be at the ballpark as a kid. Listening to the cheesy organ music. Singing along to the oldies they played over the PA system. Eating my treats in my seat. Just hoping that someone would knock one over the fence so you'd have a reason to get up and yell. (Oh, there was one more thing that made me feel like a kid. The biggest man on earth was sitting right in front of me. I'm not kidding. Look:

Look at the size of that man's head!!!!!

The long and short of it is that baseball for me will always represent my childhood. I played catch in the front yard. I had my own glove. At the ripe old age of 6, I visited the Louisville Slugger plant in Kentucky, for Pete's sake.

Plain and simple, I love the sport and all the cliches that go along with it. Give me an old man sitting by himself keeping score old school style in his program any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Nothing sounds like that ball coming off that bat. A diving catch in the outfield to end an inning??? Forget about it!!! I love college football. Any of you that have met me for even 5 minutes know that. But, baseball is the 7-year-old Dawn. Sitting on the couch with wet hair after my nighttime bath because I'm allowed to stay up a little late to watch the first half of a game. It's also the mini baseball bats and ponchos and commemorative game balls and tissue thin free t-shirts and all the other doo-dads that were given away "to the first 5000 fans" of all the minor league games I went to that I hung onto as long as I could.

I guess I can sum up this entry pretty easily. Of course, there's always someone who can say it better than me. You're welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU3a1PDtTYk&feature=related

(PS- Braves won. 4-2. Good afternoon.)

We interrupt this blog...

Ok, due to the blogger being slightly under the weather today (both figuratively and literally), today's entry will actually occur tomorrow as I will be taking part in a BIG summer activity with lots to report on. So stay tuned. I promise it will be worth it!

Day 11- Time to chillax

Lamest. Word. Ever. For the record.

But I digress. Today's suggestion comes to us from the lovely Jessie B. She had the swell idea to take a nap in one of these:

Wellll, since I hadn't won the lottery, nor do I live anywhere near a beach, mine looked more like this:

Hey- beggars can't be choosers, right? Now, for those of you reading this who REALLY know me, you know that I am literally unable to nap. No, I'm not kidding. I can't nap. Whenever I try, it's always a disaster and I generally feel cruddier and more tired than when I originally laid down. So, I figured that simply laying and swaying would be a good enough substitute. (Jessie B. is the forgiving type and all.)

So, I gathered all the necessities- a pillow, some catalogs that have been languishing on my kitchen counter, and of course the MOST important thing:

If you can't tell what that is, just go ahead and smack yourself. (And to the guys reading this: no, it is not a beer.)

I am sure that majority of you have, at one time or another, laid in a hammock. So, you know that there is NO graceful or cool way to get into or out of a hammock. Hence why there are no pictures of those events on this entry. :) I settled in and stretched out. Here were my 2 primary views:

and

It was wonderfully overcast here today. The breeze was constant and cool and my hammock was swaying ever so gently back and forth. Oh my goodness. It was heaven. You got that vibe like you were on a ship and just gently listing from side to side. As I flipped through my catalogs, I truly felt like I was just sinking into the hammock. It was wonderful. Relaxing. I could honestly say that I could have stayed in that hammock for hours this afternoon, if I'd had them available. And who knows? Maybe if I had stayed a little longer, I could have finally achieved...

Day 10- It's blue and sparkly

One of the best things about summer is how even after you eat dinner it's still light outside! And what did that mean? That meant that you got to go back outside to play!! Until your mom absolutely dragged you back in to take a bath, that is. (God, remember how absolutely FILTHY you'd get during the summer? Like Pig Pen levels of filth!)

But I digress. Today's activity happened after dinner. I decided to take it to the streets. On something blue. And sparkly. Emblazoned on the side? "Huffy."

Don't be jealous, kids. I know that is one sweet ride. One speed. Giant seat. Your classic beachcomber. Oh, did I mention this?

Ring-a-ding-ding. All I lack is the basket on the front.

We had a huge storm front move through here last night which lowered the temps and the humidity around here today. There was actually a cool breeze blowing through my neighborhood as I set off. It was just the right time to ride, too. Other people were out in their yards. Lots of kids were riding around. Everyone waved and yelled hello. You got the occasional bug in your mouth when flying downhill. It was just like when I was a kid. Well, except for the "hills" part. We aren't too familiar with those in Florida.

After a few leisurely laps, I felt great. I wasn't in a hurry. I wasn't doing serious off road biking or training for some long distance bike race. I was just cruising my neighborhood. Racing the mosquitoes and the flying ants. And my hair blew out behind me. And I stood up to pedal. And maybe, just maybe, I might have done this:

Day 9- This one's a tasty one

Well, I did have an idea for an outside activity this evening, but a MASSIVE storm system curtailed that plan real quick.

So, I decided to SUFFER through eating another summer treat. Ladies and gents, let's discuss the Coke Float.

Now, according to Wikipedia, the ice cream soda was invented in 1874 when some poor soda selling schmuck ran out of ice. He slapped some vanilla ice cream in the glass to help keep the soda cold and VOILA! A fantastic treat was born!

I know that SOME of you out there probably have other flavors of soda when you make your floats. But, I live in Georgia. We make COKE floats. Let's start with my list of ingredients. It's pretty difficult so try to keep up:

And of course:

Of course, the very, VERY important rule is to put the ice cream in the glass FIRST. Then, you add the Coke. Otherwise, it's just a giant mess on the counter. Write that down, kids.

If you did the whole shebang correctly, it should look a little something like this:

I dove in with a GIANT smile on my face. Wow. I gotta tell you, unlike the great Kool-Aid tasting, this was an absolute win. Yum-E. Foamy and sweet and creamy and bubbly. The best part is that you have to eat this treat with both a straw and a spoon. So, you get all the delicious Coke and then you get to eat the last of the now Coke-flavored ice cream at the bottom of the glass.

Mmmm, MMMM! That would be a gleeful expression on my face. Dee-lish. I don't think this is going to be a one time thing this summer. And I think you should make it a regular habit, as well.

By the way, if you did all the above steps correctly, this is what you should end up with:

Day 8- Today's word is "bioluminescence"

Anyone have a guess about today's from the title? How about this:

Yep, today was the day to catch fireflies!

Now, being as I am from central Florida, I didn't know pea-turkey about fireflies until I was 6 years old. I went on a family trip to Kentucky where I saw them for the first time. And they BLEW MY MIND! I remember wondering what the heck they were and also hoping that they wouldn't sting me because I REALLY wanted to catch one! Fortunately, my great grandmother had quite the collection of Mason jars and I caught and caught to my heart's content.

Even now, they're still really cool. Now, if you're one of the the Smarty McSmartenpants out there, you can just skip this part. It was originally believed that the fireflies would light up to warn predators not to eat them. But then scientists figured out that nope, they were just trying to attract a mate. The whole "stay away predators!!" thing was just a nice side benefit. The stuff in their abdomens that causes the light to go off is a chemical reaction known as, you guessed it, bioluminescence. (Use that one in a sentence today. Impress your friends.)

Anywhos, let's get to the assignment for today. Exhibit one- the bug collecting jar:

Of course, you have to get outside at JUST the right time. For me, it apparently was 8:35. Yep, that was when they came out AND it was still light enough to both see and catch it. Let the grabbing begin!!

Thank goodness, these things are easy to catch. They're slow and they glow in the dark. Before I knew it, I already had several in the jar.

After just a few minutes, I already had a dozen fireflies in my captivity. Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel. But, it was fun to see all the different sizes I was able to catch and the different colors that they glowed. Most of mine were yellow and almost a neon green. Apparently there are also some reddish ones out there. I'd love to see those.

Feeling pretty successful, I called it a night.

I think my last count was 14 or 15. They were all confused and I felt like it was time to set them free. Plus, you may have heard of an old saying: "You've got to break a few eggs to make an omelet." It should really be "You've got to get a few mosquito bites to catch fireflies." Got some whoppers on my feet and ankles. Off Deep Woods my ass...

Day 7- Today's activity brought to you by the letter "P"

For "picnic"! Today seemed like a great day to eat outside at the picnic table. It's warm here, but there is a really good breeze. So, I loaded up my lunch goodies and headed out.

Now, I realize the above picture does not include a normal childhood picnic. There are no sandwiches with Oscar Meyer lunch meat and Kraft American cheese slices. Nor is there Kool-Aid (we already did that one, remember?). No, my picnic today was homemade chicken salad, cherries, baby carrots, tortilla chips and SWEET TEA!

I also grabbed a book to add to the enjoyment. But, when it came down to it, it was so nice to sit and listen to the birds all around me. The breeze was constant and soothing and the food was just right. I took my time eating and just let the time pass. I did have some lunchmates:

Yep, the required red and black ants did show up as well. For the most part, we ignored each other. We were all cool. Of course, inevitably, my presence apparently pissed off some of them. I have the bites on my feet to prove it. :)

The moral of today's story is- eat outside!!! If you can find some shade, what are you waiting for? There is nothing more calming while you're eating than the sound of tree leaves rustling and birds chirping merrily. (Besides, when you eat outside, it gives you complete freedom to see how far you can spit your cherry and/or watermelon seeds! How summery is that???)

Day 7- Today's activity brought to you by the letter "P"

For "picnic"! Today seemed like a great day to eat outside at the picnic table. It's warm here, but there is a really good breeze. So, I loaded up my lunch goodies and headed out.

Now, I realize the above picture does not include a normal childhood picnic. There are no sandwiches with Oscar Meyer lunch meat and Kraft American cheese slices. Nor is there Kool-Aid (we already did that one, remember?). No, my picnic today was homemade chicken salad, cherries, baby carrots, tortilla chips and SWEET TEA!

I also grabbed a book to add to the enjoyment. But, when it came down to it, it was so nice to sit and listen to the birds all around me. The breeze was constant and soothing and the food was just right. I took my time eating and just let the time pass. I did have some lunchmates:

Yep, the required red and black ants did show up as well. For the most part, we ignored each other. We were all cool. Of course, inevitably, my presence apparently pissed off some of them. I have the bites on my feet to prove it. :)

The moral of today's story is- eat outside!!! If you can find some shade, what are you waiting for? There is nothing more calming while you're eating than the sound of tree leaves rustling and birds chirping merrily. (Besides, when you eat outside, it gives you complete freedom to see how far you can spit your cherry and/or watermelon seeds! How summery is that???)