If it looks like this...

If the cycling studio you attend looks like this -> 

They don't care about teaching cycling. Cycling is an afterthought driven by using open space to generate revenue. Those bikes are trash and there isn't much way for you to know if you are in the right gear to get stronger, no matter how dedicated the instructors.

If the cycling studio you attend looks like this below: 

Congratulations! You have found a real cycling studio with quality bikes and instructors who will know just how to get you stronger. 

Anxiety

This is a picture that I was so proud to take. My daughter went with me to vote for the first woman to be President of the United States. We bought a cool t-shirt and a button at the Fair even that summer. 

I was sure of it. 

I felt it in my bones.

I had no clue that people hated her quite that much. Or hated that she 'let her husband get away with, xyz'. Or that EMAILS! 

I was kind of crushed.

Boo Boo would not go with me to vote in the next election. She was crushed too. 

Now she takes to Instagram and posts about anti-bullying, being kind, and taking care of others. Protests - #sayhername #blacklivesmatter #Beruit - She knows what is going on and asks me questions.

Mom, do you know who Kamala Harris is? 

Do you know why Joe Biden picked her to be his running mate? 

Did you and Daddy vote yet? 

It all is starting to feel familiar though. And with the #45 Parade down our Lilac Way this past weekend, I am anxious, to say the least. 

Not to mention all the vitriol on posts by our Governor. I can honestly say, I would be afraid to be in front of some of these people. 

How did Minnesota get like this? 

The white supremacy seeping out from the "nice". 

I will remain positive, but a little anxious, until this is all over. 

Maybe by Christmas. 

Just please, no Jason Lewis. 

I was driving when this a****** decided that he's going to practically stop in a 45 mph zone.

In our town, there is a three-lane road where at one point, before it gets downtown, one of the lanes becomes an exit only.

This morning when I was driving my child to soccer a gentleman decided that he wanted to jockey for position to move over into the crowded exit only lane and not care that he was blocking the entire center lane of this three-lane highway. (He had plenty of opportunities to merge into the lane, he NEEDED to be first in line)

I honked at him, then as I passed he looked at me like, "What is your problem?" 

I'll tell you what my problem is loser - My PROBLEM is white dudes like you who think that you can jockey for position wherever you are regardless of everyone else. YOUR NEED TO BE FIRST NO MATTER THE COST. 

You are an entitled lump of crap and you are blocking the way of everyone else!! 

Get out of EVERYONE's WAY!!! 

that's my problem

Something Scary Comes This Twitter....

This morning I was checking Twitter Notifications and I saw that someone "liked" one of my tweets.

I could not even think when that Tweet was from, a PINK Chevy Tahoe?

So I clicked and found it was from 2010...

What kind of time do you have on your hands that you can literally find a random tweet, from a random person, and take the time to not only like, but reply? Bot? Or Not?

Enjoy peeps!

It is JUST like a Monday. #TuesdayAfterLaborDay

ANNNND I need a pedicure...

Off We Go To Milwaukee!

Earlier this summer I had a crazy idea that we would drive over five hours to Milwaukee. Lucky for me I am married to T-Bone and beyond my giving him grey hair he is a pretty good sport! How many husbands would agree to a 36-hour trip that 10+ was driving? 

It would be a surprise visit to Summerfest for my child to see Billie Eilish. 

p.s. I agree it was an amazing show and her brother was also fantastic to watch. I'll give my review later...

But along the way, we found other ways to amuse ourselves. 

Me - I looked for license plates (after I saw Alaska!) and I found:

I got a lot of problems with you people and now you're gonna hear about it.

I am of the opinion though that Illinois has FAR too many variations of their plate & that people have plate frames that oddly cover a large amount of their state name. Which I can't believe is legal. 

Then, of course, there was Sunday Brunch & watching USA Women's Soccer KICK A$$!

Rose Bowl @ Wicked Hop

We wrapped up our weekend in a place where T-Bone could be happy too. 

The Harley Davidson Museum! Who goes to Milwaukee & doesn't do that? 

We took a guided tour - heard about plenty of motorcycles (and other motors!) and went into the limited run exhibit "Daredevils! A Century of Spine-Tingling Spectacles" that had everything from Buffalo Bill Cody to Joie Chitwood & Evil Kenevil. Plus, some idiot that tried to build a loop-de-loop & mountain bike it...ugh! Do NOT try this @home. 

And now we are home again - jiggidy-jig!     

How is your summer? 

Come and knock on our door....

Got a little irritated this morning trying to return a Redbox. 

The location - that appeared in my search for a movie the night before - did not exist. 

So, I had to find another location on the way to work and it took extra time. Boo! 

And now - annoyed at Amazon as they have delivered an item to my front steps, where it states - 

ALL DELIVERIES TO THE SIDE DOOR PLEASE

Because I live on a busy street I do not like them leaving packages framed by my hedges for all to see.  I mean, really? I have it on my account too - ALL DELIVERIES TO SIDE DOOR/BACK DECK. And the person that delivered it today even took a picture of it.  

What a dipwad. 

So - I have to do something to cheer myself up. 

Before and After of my side yard!!!  

The first picture was of the progress my dear T-bone was making constructing our awning - the second the awning is done, a new light (bonus) and the landscaping is fixed!!! 

Yeah! 

Here is hoping the Amazon box with the solar pathway lights doesn't go missing. 

Looking Back - and Laughing Out Loud - Fabulous Friday!

Today I realized I did not have all of Boo Boo La La's first-day pictures in one place.

Facebook has been showing them to me lately and I decided today I better get them together as I only have so many years left!!! (she was reminding me she will be 13 SOON today!)

And scrolling through Google Photos as I was I came upon gems that NEEDED to be published. 

You see, I went to a movie with these two ladies on Wednesday night and it was so much fun. 

They are both VERY crafty, me not so much.

They are both VERY funny. 

I love them! 

Patty!!! Who makes days fun and can be found hooping, crafting, listening, grabbing candy and parades, boating, maybe has a beer in her hand, but always reaches out for yours! 

And well this is Boo Boo's funny side....from 4th grade.

Enjoy and Happy Friday Peeps! 

The Great Minnesota Get-Together!

Today starts the Minnesota State Fair.

Have you ever been to the Minnesota State Fair?

No? 

You should visit. It is just about the best time you can have with tens of thousands of your closest friends and neighbors. 

There are concerts - some free around the grounds - and bigger shows at the Grandstand, people watching, a GINORMOUS slide, rides, games, fun activities, people watching, live television and radio shows, and MORE FOOD ON A STICK (or not) THAN YOU CAN HARDLY IMAGINE. 

2017 State Fair

Then there are the barns. I love walking the barns. Horse barn, sheep barn, cow barn... But lately, this little lady below, who is now 12 and not 7, is not quite as enamored of them as she was when she was 7 years old. 

Like, I could NOT get her out of the sheep barn and she wanted to love and pet everysinglesheep! when she was 7!  

Last year? Yawn. 

But Facebook reminds me just how much she used to love petting the sheeps. And that is cool. 

Plus, she still will hang out with me at the fair. 

BEST Juicy oven baked chops or chicken!

I am no good at taking photos while I cook.

I don't have a fancy camera to make things look like Pioneer Woman. 

I do like to cook. A lot. 

I do not always GET to cook because my husband gets home before I do and he does not want to wait until 7pm every night for dinner.

I try to make food exciting when it is my turn to get behind the stove. But because of how picky Boo Boo La La is I often just bake chicken with lemon or wine and cinnamon, or chops with onions or apple. T-bone had commented on how dry he thinks baked chicken breast is, but he does not like other pieces of chicken.  And chops can get dry in the oven too.

So I googled pork chops and found this lovely recipe from The Kitchn blog.  And as luck would have it the chops I had were bone-in!  I made the brine with garlic, pepper and some thyme, which is what I had, and voila! DELICIOUS chops.

A month or so later I tried it again with two packages of meat that were needing to be cooked or lost forever - one package was pork chops and the other ended up being chicken thighs! They came out so delicious that T-bone even ate some of the chicken thighs! I buy chicken thighs on sale for myself and do make ahead lunches with them. Yummy! Salivating just thinking about those juicy nuggets from the brine.

Now, this week I had Presidents Day off so I made sure I had everything ready to make chicken breasts in the brine when I had an epiphany (!) TEQUILA!!!

I have a giant bottle of tequila in my fridge that I have been trying to use up, so I substituted half the water for TEQUILA and used just garlic and the juice/zest of a lime in the brine.

You can say it.

That totally does not sound like it sucked at ALL.

And you are correct peeps. It was PERFECTO!

Muy bien.  

Let me know if you try it and you like it too!