Wherein I make you jealous

I love my parents. There's no question. When my dad retired they bought a house in western North Carolina. No biggie. It's a beautiful house. They are surrounded (literally) by babbling mountain brooks. The one behind the house has a dam built in, so it makes a nice little wading pond for the kids to get muddy in. It feeds into a larger creek and is widely known in the fly fishing world (Curtis Creek, if anyone is interested). It's quiet. It's picturesque. It has no cell phone service. Yeah, there does exist such a place. It's mostly due to being 'in the gap'. They are in between two mountains and the cell towers don't quite have the punch for them to get service. You have to go up (they can day hike up to the Blue Ridge Parkway) or down into town to use your cell phone. Being out of touch is nice. I don't talk on my phone much, so it's not a big thing to me. However, they only have dial-up internet. It's crazy. You can't use your cell OR surf the internet. You can walk the internet, but there is no such thing as 'surfing the web' at their house.

The first day, you're fine. "I can do this! It's awesome not hearing the email chime on your computer/phone go off every 5 minutes!" Day 2, you might think "I should probably check my email to see if anything important came through" and you promptly forget. Someone wanted to go for a ride in "The Mule"

Like this-but not camo. And lots more grandchildren. Source

The third day, you login to your email and realize, "Holy shit, I have 234094tr098wr0098876876 unread emails!" But most of them are spam, so you're okay.

By the fourth day, you're wondering if you need bread/milk/chocolate bars so you have an excuse to go to the store. You will find a recipe for your mom to make that requires obscure ingredients, so you can check your FB/Twitter/other social media sites. You also realize you get most of your news from Twitter and wonder if the Zombie Apocalypse has started.

However, you DO get to use your cell phone's camera ('cause you forgot the regular one) and get some pretty amazing shots, IMO. These photos ALL came from my G2X phone camera. I used no filters from Instagram, no photo editing software. This is just me and my camera (phone).

The bench by the fire pit. Yeah, they made that.

Close up of some of the run off from the damn. A mini-waterfall.

A violet, I think.

A dandelion

This is the view from the front deck.

The pond reflecting the sky. I really love this shot.

So, yeah, I get to spend two weeks there at the beginning of June when we're in the process of moving. Be jealous of the beautiful views. Don't be jealous of my dial-up internet.

Wherein you get inside mah brains

It's been over a month since I posted. I know you've missed me. I don't have an excuse for not posting other than I forgot? I'm lazy? I didn't have anything nice to say?

This time of year I always get in a funk. It's my SAD time. It's this time of year that graduates are graduating. New babies are being born. So many things are beginning and ending for so many people. Spring is supposed to be a time of renewal and I get that.

I don't know that I've ever really talked about this with anyone. I might have mentioned in passing the overwhelming sense of...something I feel every year at this time. Loss? Guilt? I'm not sure I can put it into words.

You see, 11 years ago I was pregnant. I was also a senior in high school getting ready to graduate. We weren't sure of the due date. (That's another story for another day. I'll leave it at I was 18 and wasn't paying attention to anything other than getting through high school and living at home.) I went into labor at 1:17 in the morning. I got up to go to the bathroom and my water broke. I woke my mom up, took a shower, and off to the hospital we went. At 10:36, my daughter came into the world. Blue eyed, red haired and left handed (Exactly the way I knew she would be).

That day was also exactly two weeks before my graduation ceremony.

I didn't get to "finish" my senior year. A teacher came to my house to proctor my final exams. My best friend took my year book for everyone to sign. I didn't get to sit in my classes talking about the future with everyone. I was at home, trying to figure out how to take care of a baby. I didn't know what the hell I was doing.

Two days before the graduation ceremony, I went to see my doctor. Not because I was sick. I had talked with my vice principal. I had to have a doctor's note to walk at my graduation. I was determined to walk across that stage. I didn't care that I was two weeks postpartum and had been back in the hospital with mastitis.  I was walking across that stage and getting my diploma, dammit!

And I did. My daughter was in the stands sleeping watching her momma get her high school diploma.

It's just a weird time of year for me. Yes, I'm happy to celebrate my daughter's birth, but at the same time the "What if?" game gets me.

Excuse me while I drown my sorrows in Diet Coke.

Wherein I ramble about the weather

Things are going well here in the Tookel household. Now that the sun is shining more, I feel happier. I always fights with the SADs and am so glad when I can open my windows and feel the fresh air blow through. Listen to the birds. Hope for the bird family to return to my porch (and not my dryer). Driving with the windows rolled down and music blasting. Ahhh, summer.

Yeah, I said summer. I live in coastal South Carolina. We have two seasons:summer and not summer (also known as fall). People here freak out if the temperature is gonna be below 50 degrees. Snow? Forget about it. If there's a forecast of possible snow, schools get delayed (sometimes cancelled), the city offices shut down, people buy bread, milk and cereal like it's the end of days. It's kinda crazy.

I do love this time of year. Everything is new again. Feels like nothing can go wrong. Then full summer hits and all you wanna do is hang on the air conditioner vents and never go outside. *Sigh* When we move to Connecticut, I'll miss it. But only because it's closer to 'home' for me.

All you ever wanted to know about underwear

Also titled:What you never wanted to know about AnnaBella's underwear. Your choice.
Link up!

What's your favorite underwear you own? -
Oh, the soul-searching questions! I think I'd have to say my BUNCO, BRITCHES!! (There's an inside joke there...)

What's the worst pair of underwear you own? -

Hmm, really dirty ones? That's nasty.

What's the most embarrassing underwear you own? -

Dirty ones.

What's your favorite color of underwear? -

Clear. *waggles eyebrows*

What color underwear will you not wear? -

Thongs. Oh, that's not a color? Suck it.

What's your favorite underwear on a member of the opposite sex? -

Banana hammocks

What underwear do you hate seeing on a member of the opposite sex? -

Ones that remind me of my dad's *shudder* 

Have you ever lost your underwear while out somewhere? -

Lost intentionally or unintentionally? The answer is- I don't recall.

Have you ever found someone's underwear while out somewhere? -

Ew. No. Thank Jesus. However, my friends and I once saw a random swimsuit lying on the ground in the middle of a public park.

How often do you buy new underwear? -

Whenever I see a cute pair, so a lot

Do you buy underwear for anyone but yourself? -

Yes, yes I do. Three boys and a number of my girlfriends, if the spirit strikes me. Ya know, the spirit of underwear giving. It's kinda like holiday spirit, but more underweary.

Where do you like to buy your underwear? -

Not thrift stores.

Do you have a favorite brand of underwear? -

The cute kind

Is there anywhere you refuse to buy underwear? -

Thrift stores.

Do you own any novelty underwear? -

What does that mean? Edible or remote control vibrating ones? Surprisingly, no. I have some with no "middle" if you know what I mean. *waggles eyebrows*

Have you ever bought novelty underwear for anyone? -

I bought my husband some banana hammocks. Don't tell him you know that.

Have you ever worn someone else's underwear? -

Yes. Do you need me to go into specifics?

Has anyone else ever worn your underwear? -

Yes. Do you need me to go into specifics?

What type of underwear do you wear most? -

Clean ones. Unless I'm drinking at bunco, then accidents may happen........

Is there any kind of underwear you refuse to wear? -

Didn't I answer this already? Oh wait, that was what color. Ok, same answer- thongs.

These are my Bunco Britches.