Not Monkeying around here ......Just Incommunicado

For the 3 of you out there who even noticed I have not posted in a while... and wrote me on Facebook or emailed me wondering where I have been... I think THIS will answer your questions......
To say I have been a little wigged lately is perhaps an understatement...
Fear not....
I will be back soon..
I hope...

Until then.. I will return to flinging poop against the walls...

Self Conscious

She is self-conscious because everyone knows she has wings but they've never seen her fly. Now & then there will be a feather in odd places or maybe a footprint to show she was there. All in all, she thinks it's nobody else's business what she does with her free time.


These Brian Andreas quotes are proving to be more thought provoking than I had imagined...
Love this so much..

She is self-conscious because everyone knows she has wings

but they've never seen her fly.


Now & then there will be a feather in odd places or maybe a footprint to show she was there. All in all, she thinks it's nobody else's business what she does with her free time.


You gotta love this one...
I don't know about you... but sometimes...I feel that way...

You know...

That feeling that ...I am capable of so much ......but afraid to let on how much.

Why IS that??...


It's too bad ... because on those few occasions that I do feel so fearless..

I really DO feel like I can fly...

(It just doesn't happen THAT often)

I think maybe we are all a little like that.....
Pity...

Foot Print Image

Reading is FUNdamental !!!!

It's the end of August...
So you know what that means... or do you?
Well... It's time for our Book Club members to reunite ...
Just like the Swallows of Capistrano...

At this yearly meeting... we come together usually at someones home.... ( This year like last year it was in Nancy's and let me just say...... Home Girl here.. takes her entertaining serious ) This specific meeting is to share the books we have read after our long summer apart OK... that and EAT....DRINK.....EAT some more..... DRINK some more.....A little more eatingAnd of course more drinking..... I think you get the picture....
We have it down to a Science....



Susan.. you look stunning as always... let me take your picture...Niccccce... Camera Strap in the way....Take #2 .... Muuuuch better... you'd think by these pictures SOMEONE had been drinking...

Hmmmmmmm

I know this picture is blurry.. but I think it captures Gertie's personality.. perfectly...

As does this of Chris..... ( I'll say no more...)Again.. No words needed.... Carol deep in conversation..... either that or playing patty cake.. I am not sure.. Soon we got down to brass tacks as they say...( Why do they say that anyway? )

* Note to self... google Brass Tacks saying...

Here we have Chris Stella and Gertie... Speaking of Gertie... I have to say.. EVERYONE LOVES Gertie...

Everyone wants to BE Gertie.. when we are 85...

Heck.. we'd like to be her NOW !!!Teres.. our resident bookaholic is no doubt giving Sue the low down ...

Probably about lepers.. ( Never mind... it's a long Story... )These here are our "Younggins" Jessica and Emily... They are TEEchers

( Emily..... I am sorry to say is a wee bit of a trouble maker..Jess Do be careful of her influences..) Nancy..... is either reliving a childbirth scene ... or telling Karen about a great new recipe..

She just gets excited like that...

Carol... Are we boring you????

We made our picks for the upcoming year.. and they sound great...

All in all I would say it was a Great get together...

I have to say after talking to Nancy this morning... we have come to the conclusion that we just love our book club...and all the girls in it..( even those that couldn't make it )

Although that trouble maker Emily.. DID swipe my camera... and tried to sneak up on me...

So I decided to get all Sexifed...

Epic Fail......

*Oh by the way... I plugged in Origins of Brass Tacks.. In case you couldn't sleep at night wondering...

Your Welcome...

Gooooood Morning ...... Saugatuck !!!

Oh Saugatuk....

We're Baaaacccck.....

I have to say.... It was not a good start... to the day... The day was completely overcast and gloomy.. surly Mother Nature wasn't going to rain on our parade?!.... So with highest hopes we jumped into our car and headed due West.... 15 minutes into our 3 hour road trip ... Rain..

It figures...it was going to be a soggy day in Saugatuk...

Mr R kept saying.. it was going to clear up.... and while he kept

"Putting it out there"...

I being the eternal pessimist... took a brief nap...

I awoke ....To Sunshine..

OK.. so maybe sometimes the whole good vibes things works... Sometimes...

We got into town a little ahead of check in time.. so we stopped in for a late lunch at Pumpernikel's...(Bakery... Breakfast...Lunch Beer Wine and Booze..) I would say that covers all the bases...

Say Hello to our little friends....

The bread is made fresh daily.. yummmm..

I had the chicken salad....(It was good )Mr R had the Ruben... (It was better !!!!)... He was nice enough to suggest we each take a half of each other's sandwiches.... I think over all He/We were very happy with lunch....
Time to walk around and see what might be new in town...
I have to say... the flowers where beautiful... almost each and every store front had Pots full of flowers....

This shop is one of our favorites...

Hoopdee Scootee... Inside are all kinds of irreverent naughty funny novelty items...(Thus the reason it is our favorite) ... up in the window.. those are not flowers... but what looks like the underskirt and legs of a woman ...hanging out of the window..I only wish they allowed pictures inside... the stuff is hilarious... This day.. it was packed..

It was finally time to check into ... The Lovely... Bayside Inn

We were on the 3rd and top floor.Our room..

We had a great view of the the Bay... This is just below us....Off the Balcony... we saw Sooo many kinds of boats go by...Fast Boats...
Slow Boats....Party Boats..* Note the large gas grill.. Wet bar... and full size frig on board!!!!...This really IS a party boat !!!!

The folks in this group had us laughing...

As they were docking.. they had Frank Sinatra blaring New York New York..

everyone was clapping and waving..

I not wanting to seem unfriendly...... got up and starting doing my best Rockette leg kicks..

Yes.. I am afraid the party boat was my fav... although... this luxury yacht docked next door... wasn't too shabby either..

I must say .....The husband and wife team on this boat just didn't seem to be as much fun...

( I am sure they can live with that.. ha )

Off to see the sights...around town...

Art

and Artisans
I took a couple of pictures with my brother in mind... This is one...because of the hogs...The other... a Gran Torino.. Niiiicccee !!!!We walked and walked and walked... until it was time for dinner... stopping in at the" Mermaid"
Mr R again made a great choice... the Mahi Mahi Fish tacos... WOW !!!
I obviously being A chicken.. or in a chicken state of mind .. again predictably chose CHICKEN..( Well at least it was SPICY Buffalo style chicken.) It was really really good...Mr R was soaking it all in....The day would not be complete without a scoop of Ice cream from Kilwins !!!

As we walked back to the Inn...

there were parties going on in virtually every bar and restaurant.. this one even supplied a jumper moonwalk thingy for the kids..... It was a little more quiet the closer we got to our place... people walked their dogs... played with their kids.... fished off the dock... and some just sat and took it all in...( I just LOVE this pic)

Back at the room.. Everything started to wind down.. What a wonderful view.. what a wonderful day.....

This next day... this was our view!!!!!I can only imagine in the fall how glorious this must be...

A swan greeted me as I came out on the balcony...As did this cute couple...They even left me gifts... ( Be glad I did not take pictures of that!!! )

The breakfast provided by our Inn Keeper Charlotte was WONDERFUL !!! I did not have my camera with me ... but believe me when I say she did a great job!!!

Alas.. it was time to say good bye.. and as we were getting gas... we decided to venture out into Douglas the town just the other side of the bay...

One house in particular struck me ... and I wanted to see it up close... It did not disappoint... all the houses were beautiful

This....Is a view of the place we stayed in from the other side...

Our stay was wonderful ... but now it was time to go home....

Farewell Saugatuk...it was great while it lasted!!!

As we traversed the lovely Michigan country side...somewhere between the cornfields and cow pastures... We (OK... Mr R) decided to be spontaneous... and suggested we stop off in Lansing... our State's Capitol...

I am really really trying to BE more spontaneous... AND less pessimistic ... I'm not sure it's going to work.... ; )

anyway ... wanting to be a team player I said "SURE"

As we drove along all the One Way side streets ... I said.. I should call Chari... and see if she wants to do lunch... Ha Ha Ha... You see.... I didn't even know the location of her building in the city....

I no sooner got the words out of my mouth and Mr R said..

"Hey didn't you say she works at XYZ???"

I said yeah.. why?... right there in front of us was her building!!!!!...AND an empty parking spot !!!!!???!! ( Unheard of !!!)Can you say Serendipity?...

This was all crazy!!!

I did remember her saying she could see the capital building from her office...
Umm .... yeah..

So being TOTALLY spontaneous and off the cuff... we parked the car.. went up to her office and asked the nice guy at the desk if he knew of a Chari -----

He said yes...

We has if she worked in this office...

He said yes...

We asked if he could call her ...

He said No...

She wasn't in the office today... she was out sick...

Do you hear that... ????

That was the sound of the air being let out of my ... Wow... this is so cool moment..

Oh Well.. He put me through to her office voice mail and I let her know I was just calling to check on her... ( From her Lobby!!!!!)

Maybe next time Girl !

We cruised around the town a bit more...

* Written beneath this picture...

" Law students must not forget they are fitting themselves to be ministers of Justice"
Thomas M Cooley

Hmmmm...

Then headed for home....

Yes..

I would say over all the entire experience was GREAT !!! ...

I don't know why... but It's hard for me to take time out like this....

( I mean really har...... for some reason I feel guilty...It must be the FIC... Female Italian Catholic in me...)

But I did want to do something nice.. for someone so special to me...For all that he does... and all that he is to us... He deserves this and so much more...

So I'm glad we took the time to do this... It's something I am going to remember for a long timeHappy 50th....

Love Ya Honey.....