2014-06-14

World Naked Bike Ride and Broken Rocks

Thankful for vacations, with all the resting, relaxation and fresh sea air that was part of the Happy Meal with this last one. For more details and pictures, click *here*. I totally get the sea air thing. Glad to be well rested going into next week, in which I start my workday at 4am every day. 

Speaking of happy meals, how thankful am I for the Eastern seabord's clam chowder? An eleven. I ate so much clam chowder this week I'm pretty sure my blood type was "chowdah." If you cut me, I would have bled clam-scented butter.

I believe I said that same thing to Zoe when I met her Tuesday! I MET ZOE BYRD IN PERSON TUESDAY! She's amazing. Thankful isn't a strong enough word to describe how glad I am to have had that experience, and to have met her at all. Her spirit is a living example of strength. The fact that she's able to hold gratitude as part of her existence is ... inspiring.

She's part of this thankful community, that I'm eternally thankful to be part of. This Ten Things of Thankful community. Click HERE to join in on the silver linings carwash for your soul.
I'm thankful for my sister Moe who watched my kids when I was gone, she's like their grandmother. She spoils them and loves them, and keeps them busy and happy, since my mother has no interest in that apparently. My sisters make up for just about all the world's injustices.

I'm thankful to the moon and back for my Father-in-Law, who also loves and spoils my children. He is the best Grandfather anyone could want. Especially since my father is no longer with us, and he lived several hours away when he was alive. I know I won the lottery with my husband, but it's like winning twice since his father is just like him. 

Thankful for the amazing season finale (even though I don't want it to be over) of Game of Thrones Sunday night.

Also thankful for my smart phone, which I've said I did not want, but without it's GPS I couldn't get around as easily as I do on these trips. Maps are like math to my brain, allergic. I also watched almost all of Orange is the New Black, and this season was en fuego. I'm doing a whole post on the difference, but without spoilers which is a challenge.

I'm thankful to be back home with my kids, and
I'm thankful to be thankful about that. That counts as two. Thousand. Years ago, during my first horrible marriage my sisters and I went on a chick trip to New Orleans. My husband at the time was pretty mad I had gone, as he was allergic to my happiness, but that's a long sad story. Anyway, on the way home from that trip, I was beyond depressed to be coming back to that hell and I realized enough was enough. I needed to do something major. When you don't want to go home, changes need to be made. You should find comfort at home. You should feel safe and want to be there. Life is totally different when you do. 


Now to lighten up the mood a little.....

The World Naked Bike Ride also rolled through Chicago this week, raising awareness of breaking our oil dependence, bicycle safety, and I hope very carefully applied sunscreen. I doubt I would ever participate, especially nekked, but I love that there are people out there doing this. Naked. 

I can hardly handle bike butt on a leisurely ride while wearing my thick mom jeans, I don't want to think about that fruit rollup sound of nekked sweaty flesh sticking to a bike seat. I'm glad to see the ladies wearing skivvies at least. Phew!
Here's a link to prove I didn't make this up, and if you Google this and click Images, well, you're welcome.
http://www.timeout.com/chicago/things-to-do/world-naked-bike-ride

25 comments:

  1. It was so great to meet you as well! You are way too kind in your assessment of me... just throw money! SNORK!
    Isnt it great when home is a sanctuary and you want to be there? I dont always want to be home but I never dont want to go home! Now I am off to the naked bike ride! woohoo!

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    1. Yehaaaaaaaw! Hope you have a comfy bike seat!
      There are moments, espesh after this Polar Vortex winter, when I had to GET OUT OF HERE, but mostly I love being here, it's super comfy. Comfy is our color.
      Don't forget your sunscreen on that bike ride, missy!

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  2. The blog-up wouldn't have happened without you! I'll be over the silver moon when we meet! Ok, that sounds weird. I do need to get that TToT button again, I saved this over the last one and yeah, I do like the sparklies :D

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  3. The clam chowder sounds wonderful! And meeting blog friends in real life!

    As for Orange is the New Black - on my list of things to watch when I get over my current addiction to Heroes....

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    1. It was so good everywhere we went, when we returned to the Midwest and tried some it was not the same.
      Tomorrow I'm posting a sort of review of both seasons, without spoilers.

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    2. I'll make a note to come back and read it! But maybe not until I've watched Season 2.... ;)

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    3. Don't worry, there are no spoilers! I wrote most of it right after season one so it's mostly about that. It reminded me so much of another show, season one did....

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  4. Naked bike ride?! I'm with you - ain't gonna happen for me.

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    1. Right? Besides my own issues with my body, OUCH!

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  5. Naked Bike Ride....er...but I'm happy that you've met Zoe! She's awesome!

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  6. Nice to meet you Zoe. Your list is great - I know so much about your life (marriage 1, marriage 2) and children in one short post. Great writing. Oh, and I'm a chowdah head, too.

    Val

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    1. This one kind of put it all out there, didn't it?

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  7. Glad you had such a good vacation! We're about halfway through Season 2 of Orange is the New Black and enjoying it so far.

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    1. I'm doing a WHOLE POST on it tomorrow. No spoilers, which makes writing a post tricky, but I wrote half of it after Season One anyway. Glad to be back!

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  8. Tell me that the news report didn't start, "after an initial rocky start to the race with numerous collisions and neck sprain injuries…"

    hey! did I see you went to Martha's Vineyard? cool I was born there… actually in parts of Oak Bluffs (which, depending the time of year, the ferry may have docked at, most likely you went to Edgartown).
    cool

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    1. Ha! The medical team has never seen such an epidemic of RUBBER NECKING!
      We went to Oak Bluffs and just mostly walked along the waterfront. The weather was so gorgeous, warm and sunny with a delicious breeze. We all talked about living there, we didn't want to leave!!

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  9. YOU GOT TO MEET ZOEEEEEEEE!!! I want to do that, too! Glad you had a great time. I LOVE meeting bloggy friends IRL. It's the BEST.
    Can I just say I love this post without enumerating? Because there's too much to detail: your description of your first husband, your sisters, your mom, your dad, your FIL. Home. In so few words, you've said so much. You have such a gift with writing.
    And let's hear it for Orange is the New Black! I am not a tv or Netflix watcher, but I have gotten hooked on OITNB! I am still in season 1, about episode 12, I think (how many episodes in a season, anyway?) so NO SPOILERS! I did a "which OITNB character are you" quiz and got Daya.

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  10. Thank young much for saying that. I never think my writing is any good, I just turn a silly phrase. It took me a long time to get through season One of OITNB, didn't like it at first but it grew on me and season two is so much better! My post doesn't have any spoilers, no worries! The only thing I mentioned was Season One "I threw my pie for you." that happens early on and isn't a main story line.

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  11. I think I would eat chowder every day if I could. I am jealous you now have chowder blood.

    Oh, and I just started watching Orange is the New Black, and I heart it tons! I'll read the article with or without spoilers, I enjoy it that much.

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    1. The post is up NOW! No spoilers, I know those suck, just fun and silliness.
      hehehe "chowder blood" I feel like that this week when trying to fit in my pants O___O

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  12. Oh how I love chowder. And bisque. And soup. As long as it has seafood in it, I want it. Glad you had your fill.
    I'd be really jealous of you and Zoe meeting up if I hadn't met Dyanne this week. Isn't meeting a blog friend fun?
    Very true: if the thought of going home makes you miserable, something needs to change.
    Here's to helpful, supportive, fun relatives!

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    1. ME TOO! I made a corn and crab bisque for my husband's last birthday, it was delicious. Lots o' butter!
      Oooh I would love to meet Dyanne, and you and ANYONE from TToT!

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  13. Dude! This is brilliant! The Facts Of Life parallels are uncanny! LOL Of course Mrs. Garrett is Red! Why didn't I see that before? She could cut a bitch, no problem. Uzo is amazing and I loved that clip. I saw her on the Today Show with Piper, Alex and Larry and I swear, I didn't get that it was her until she opened her mouth and began speaking. She is a chameleon. The casting on this show is stellar and so is the acting. I love everything about it. I finished Season 2 last week and I am in some serious withdrawal. This was an excellent fix.

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    1. I have no clue why Blogger put this comment HERE :) my Facts of Life post is http://www.comfytownchronicles.com/2014/06/orange-is-new-game-of-thrones.html
      but THANK YOU! I'm glad you liked it, we talked about this post weeks ago. I wanted to read the book, but who knows when/if that would happen. Mrs. Garrett and Red, so funny! I love Uzo, too, I'm obsessed with seeing the characters in their non-prison real life clothes and makeup! I'm SO GLAD the 2nd season came out the week before I went on vacation, I couldn't help but binge-watch it. I am missing it, too, the .gifs are hilarious. I could post them all day. I have to figure out how to make my own!

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