I've been thinking about this a lot lately but never mentioned it to anyone or wrote it down anywhere.

How do you ever know when marriage is a good idea? This person I used to be friends with got married recently, and I admit it...I laughed out loud when I heard the news. The thought of that person being married is absolutely absurd. Time will tell. Another person I know got married last year, and they seemed like such a great couple that it just seemed right...and now they...

Ernie and I went camping at Jerry's for the weekend. There was a big group up there, it was a lot of fun. The new trailer is so awesome, this was our second time taking it out. We put the awning out for the first time and put up the lights that his Mom bought us:



We couldn't have our rug out or our chairs set up, because Buddy bunches the rug up while playing with his toys and...

I've chosen time over money. I feel so horrendously guilty, and I worry that if I find myself in a situation where I could use a few extra bucks (besides the usual wants and stuff, you know what I mean), I'm going to hate myself.

Yesterday, I bought some sheets to put on the beds in the new fifth wheel. I got a set of king sheets for the regular bed, and we needed queen ones for the sofa bed. They were regularly $90 and $70 each, but they were 60% off. Pillows were on sale too, so I got a couple of king-sized ones. I also went to Barnes & Noble for my usual weekly music magazine hunt, and then I hit up Petsmart. There were two ten month old cats who were brothers, and they looked so much like Whiskers....

Friday! I don't know what it is about this week. Even with having Wednesday off, I still just feel like I absolutely need the weekend.

Things have been fun lately though. Like I mentioned in the last entry, I spent last weekend at my parents' house, and my sister visited too. I was sad to leave, we had so much fun. We went to the zoo, played Scrabble and Pictionary, had bonfires, and went shopping in Frankenmuth. When Mom moved back in with Dad, her cats Theodore and...

My parents are back together now, and Mom is getting settled back in. She accumulated a lot of stuff while living out east, so they're trying to fit in what they can. I went to visit them this past weekend, and among the moving boxes and extra furniture, I saw a guitar case sitting in the corner. I found out that Mom bought an acoustic guitar while she was in Maryland. It's an Alvarez RD8. She ended up not doing anything with it. She said she felt stupid for spending the money and then just having...

My parents went out to Maryland this past weekend to get the last of my mom's stuff. I guess the movers are bringing the rest of her stuff today, so she will be officially all moved back in. It's been five years since they were living together, it's weird but good. On their way to Maryland on Saturday, they stopped by for a very short visit (about 20 minutes). It was unexpected, and of course I hadn't done my housecleaning yet...I'd been out finishing up my last errand when they called to say...

As I already posted in B&C, Ernie and I saw Ryan Adams on Wednesday night. It was such an amazing show. I won't go into details too much since, like I said, I posted in B&C. I was able to meet three people from the Ryan board, including the gal who got the tickets for me. They're also the first people from online to see Ernie, since he doesn't want me to put his picture online. Now I have people to vouch for me that he does, indeed, exist.

Ernie signed...

I spent the weekend with my dad for Father's Day. I arrived Friday after work. It was all smiles and laughing as we hauled in my stuff, our chocolate lab Sammy happily wagging his tail as he watched. Then I walked into my room for the first time since Whiskers was put to sleep.

The bed was made neatly, the pillows covered by the bedspread. The pillows used to always be exposed, as Whiskers loved laying on them, often leaving behind a little nest of gray fur on her side. The TV...

Just not with me.

I live in this quiet Michigan town that people seem to have never heard of...even some people in nearby towns. We're fairly sleepy, but one time of year really brings people out: Flag Day. Yes, Flag Day is the jewel in our town's crown. People get so excited. There are activities going on all day, with the two major ones being the parade in the morning and the fireworks in the evening.

This is our third summer in this town, and the previous two years have found us walking...

Mom called me last night. She said that she and her sisters (my aunts, of course) had been discussing taking a trip together later this year. However, after being away from Dad so long, she doesn't want to take a trip without him (no, she's not home yet, but she should be in less than a couple weeks). They were toying with the idea of having it be a family trip...round up as many family members as are interested in going. Mom just wanted to give me a heads up, and she said they are considering...

...I called a repair shop today to get an estimate on what it would have cost to have my A/C condenser replaced. With parts and labor, they estimated $519. Just the part was $269, which Ernie was able to get for $110. Ernie also got a manual for $22 to help guide him so that he could dismantle the car as little as necessary to do the work. In total, the repair cost me $132. If I would have taken it to the shop, it would have cost me an additional $387. Thank you,...

Don't worry, it was an accident.

Despite the fact that it's rained on and off (mostly on) all day, Ernie put the new condenser in my car. He had to straighten up and run inside to take shelter during the thunderstorms (gotta be careful with lightning), but then he was back outside. How amazing is he? Hopefully, once I bring it out to where he works so that his co-worker can do the last step to complete the job...my A/C will work again.

As for the title...

I volunteered at the family tent at this local music festival that takes place annually. It was kind of disappointing, not a whole lot of kids participated. Most of the music was like alternative rock, so despite it being regarded as a family event, it seemed like mostly middle school and high school students wandering around. Lots of boys clad in black with interesting hair and tattoos. It was still nice to spend some time there though. I helped some kids make paperbag puppets, and I assembled...