Coasting for Kids

Pulling off exit 24 Olivia started squealing about the coasters in the distance. 

The last time I had taken that exit I had a car full of friends and we were still sporting our prom updo's and sleepy eyes. It was our high school's tradition - EVERYONE went to King's Island the day after prom. This time I was in a car with a 4 year old, a 9 month old, and my brother in sister in law. The giggles and gossip were a bit different than they had been on the trip 9 years earlier (Whoa. 9 years since high school. Whoa)

Back to the story at hand... we headed down early Saturday morning to hang around the waterpark and ensure we were back at the KI gates at 8am Sunday for the Coasting For Kids check-in.

More than 100 of us traipsed around the park all day in our purple shirts, riding coasters and spreading the word about GKTW. At lunch they told us we raised over $20,000 for Give Kids the World Village, which is SO AWESOME! 

It was a great day. My sister-in-law, mom and I were easily the daredevils of the trip.... often leaving my brother sitting with the kiddos while we rode coaster after coaster. Olivia tackled every kids ride she could, eagerly eyeing the "big kid" coasters for when she grew a few more inches.

In making sure the littlest skittle got the most out of her very first King's Island experience, I introduced her to Dippin Dots, she was instantly hooked!

There were 3 main coasters that we got to ride unlimited on, the Banshee, the Diamondback and the Racer. It was pretty cool seeing the carts full of purple shirts, and realizing what it stood for.

Coasting for Kids and Kings Island provided us lunch, during which they announced the Top Fundraisers and handed out prizes, I'm happy to announce that with the help of all of my awesome family & friends I was the Top Fundraiser from the Kings Island group!

Despite a misty rain off and on all day, we didn't let it dampen our spirits. It was a great time logging a few theme park hours with my family and my inner adrenaline junkie self had a BLAST on all the coasters. I think the funniest moment of the day was when my mom & I decided to ride the Banshee front row, and it started raining. Let me tell you how painful rain drops are when you're flying through the air 70some mph. OUCH!

I can't wait to participate in this event again next year. Give Kids the World is such an awesome organization, and after seeing what they did for Liv and my brother and sis-in-law I want to help them raise every dime I can for these kiddos!

 

An ode to couples that don't suck.

If you want me to be completely honest here, some couples suck.

Maybe that's harsh, but it's the truth. There are some couples who, when you log a few hours with them, they just absolutely suck the life out of you. Whether it's because they're constantly bickering, or wayyy too affectionate, or only into each other, whatever. They just suck. And when you finally wrangle free of their grasp it's like the heavens open up and you're all THANKTHELUCKYSTARSIMSINGLESTILL.

Where am I going with this? Well a few weeks ago a small group of us began planning a trip down to Louisville. Specifically for bridesmaid dress shopping, less specifically for Thunder Over Louisville and shenanigans. 

When I realized this 'small group' would consist of two engaged couples, myself, and one of my best girlfriends, I was slightly hesitant. Was I signing myself up for a weekend of pre-wedded-bliss torture? 

Fast forward (rewind then fast forward?) through this past weekend, I remember making it a point to tell them on the ride home how glad I was that they didn't suck as a couple.

We chatted, we shopped, we ate, we drank, we ooh'ed and ahh'ed over airplanes and fireworks, we laughed until our abs burned and tears were streaming down our face, and then we ate and drank some more.

Truth be told, there was more than one occasion where watching them together warmed my icy heart up a little. Maybe ALL relationships aren't absolutely dreadful. Maybe.

In closing, congrats (and thank you) on not sucking, Courtney & Legends, and Amelia & Andy. I want to be you one day when I grow up.

King George.

Live music is my lifeblood.

I've seen every one from Def Leppard to Britney Spears, Eagles to Ricky Martin, Billy Ray Cyrus to The Fray, Bruno Mars to Carrie Underwood.... and when I found out George Strait was going on tour for the last time I knew seeing him was a MUST.

Lucky for me, he was going to be in Louisville, just a couple hours south of Indy! And double whammy, my awesome mama had scooped up tickets when they went on sale while I was gallivanting around Australia back in November.

When March finally rolled around, we loaded into the car and headed southbound one Friday after work for a weekend of gambling, good music, and girl time.

I'm glad I've got a mother and a cousin's-wife (not to be confused with sister-wife) who love country music as much as this girl... they're some of the best concert mate's around! 

They had the stage in the very middle of the place, and Jorge spent a little time on each side, which was awesome because everyone got a little piece of the action!

I think my exact words after the first encore were "I forgot how many hits he has had!", for an old boy he sure put on a helluva show. And the little Tom Petty diddy he threw out at the very end of course tied the love knot for me. If this truly was his last tour ever, I'll be disappointed I only saw him once, but I'm glad I had that opportunity!

We stayed at the casino, so I'll let you all guess how much time I logged at the roulette tables. I only walked away about $20 down at the end though, thankfully. Here's to hoping my Vegas trip in a few weeks will have better odds.

After the St. Paddy's stress working all week, driving down to Louisville, the concert on Friday night, gambling in every minute of free time I could find, shopping all over Bardstown Rd and the outlet malls, I can only tell you how wiped out I was when we got back into town. All in favor of extending weekends by adding an additional Sunday say AYE. Aye.

Soggy in the Southeast

I'm forever thankful for the kind of girlfriends you can call up and say "hey, get in the shower and meet me in an hour for a little field trip".

Yesterday afternoon we piled into the car with two of my favorite fellas and headed down I-74 to Cincinnati for the second time this month, this time for my first ever Reds game. Once we got into town I called up my little Cincy native and had her meet us at the ballpark to join in on the shenanigans!

Our friend happened upon the tickets, and for fear of ever missing out on a good time I of course agreed to tag along for the fun. Despite the fact it was 2 hours away, a night game, and a Monday night.

A downpour started somewhere around the 6th inning, the game ended up getting rained out, we annihilated some chili cheese dogs, went on a mini shopping spree, and eventually decided to brave the monsoon rains and mosey on down to Tin Roof.

It's always the most random nights that garner the laughs, and logging a few hours with this crew had my abs burning for sure.

Finally I rallied up the rain-soaked gang and herded em on home across the Indiana state line in the wee hours of the morning. Hey someone had to be the responsible one!
     

Would you expect any less from me

Like all good stories, this one started with a wiener.

Wait, what? Just kidding guys...
Although, really, it did.

Let me back up first though.... when we first started planning our little girls trip, we quickly learned there is no longer an easy way to get from Indy to Punta Cana. Almost all of the flights involved an overnight layover.  Being the vacation brats that we are, we started searching surrounding airports. Cincinnati, Chicago and Louisville are all within 3 hours of Indy - we were determined to find SOMETHING better!

We ended up booking our flights out of Chicago O'Hare, saving a HUGE bundle of cash, and scoring a direct flight to Punta Cana (a direct flight at Spring Break, that's nearly unheard of these days?!)

So Saturday afternoon we piled into the car and roadtripped our way up I-65 North. After a pitstop in the heart of Chicago for pizza, we continued onto our hotel only to find the most iconic piece of Americana known to man, the Oscar Meyer Weiner-mobile was also sharing the hotel with us.

We did what any respectable group of women would do... giggled profusely as we made off-handed comments about touching the wiener, grappled at it's size, and posted pictures on Facebook.

Because really, when that happens the first night of your vacation, you know it's going to be a good week.
 

American Saturday Night

Things I learned this weekend

-Hauling a golfcart on a trailer in an sDime makes for lots of giggling

-Mix CD’s titled “I NEED A BACKSEAT MIX” also make for a lot of giggles, and gang signs being thrown up

-Everyone gets a little bit twangier when you take em out in the country.

-Showing up with jello shots and fresh baked cookies make you an instant hit at any party

-Fireworks are always louder in the country.

-Sometimes golf carts die mysteriously in the middle of the woods leaving you with a half mile trek, in the pitch black, through the mud back to the cabin. With a storm rolling in. It’s not so bad when your deathgripping the hand of a cute boy though.

-Boys like to sing country songs when they’ve been drinking. Some boys are particularly fond of Billy Currington’s Let me Down Easy. “There’s a little moonlight….”

-I do not like to eat Bambi.

-Sitting on the porch in rocking chairs watching on a storm roll in might be the epitome of heaven on earth.

-Queen-size bunk beds might be the best invention EVER .

-Stopping at the country diner for greasy breakfast on the way back home is always a great idea.