B-rad's 20 year class reunion

I know, I know - NO WAY B-rad's been out of school TWENTY years....  Trust me, I KNOW.

His reunion was Saturday night at Wick's in New Albany.   Now - I was one year ahead of B-rad in school so I knew a lot of his classmates.  However, there were at least 2 people that spoke to me (& I mean like saying, 'Hi JAIME, how are you?'  I'm assuming they knew me because of Facebook?) I had no idea who they were... I handled it in my way by saying, "Ok - I'm sorry - I don't recognize you - what's your name?"  (They didn't pass out name tags until later in the evening...)

My pre-requisite for going to this shin dig was the fact that one of B-rad's buddies wives was going to be there - Denise.  You may remember us going to the Comedy Caravan w/ them for like a month straight when Mike kept winning tickets.?  She was a couple of years younger than the guys & I knew I could hang out & talk to her.  

Denise, Sarah, (another) Denise & Me.

Sarah & the other Denise were in band w/ me so I knew their names them.  Sarah kept bugging Denise & I to do shots but on our way to the bar she kept stopping to talk to people.  I told Denise, "To hell w/ this - lets go get a shot.  She's already had several & we need to catch up."

There are no pics of our 2 Lemon drop shots (Yea - we're not tequila girls) because the other Denise 'misplaced' her phone.  She had a pic of B-rad, Shannon & her doing Tequila shots & then Denise, myself & Sarah doing the Lemon Drop shots.  After our shots Denise & I started drinking Strawberry Long Island Ice Teas.  Now-I like a long island ice tea....but the addition of the strawberry?  Oh, people - it's deliciousness in a plastic cup...

 Denise SLURPED hers down & I had to man up & finish mine!

 B-rad & I.

 My pics start to get blurry at this point because:

A) The iPhone camera just sucks.  (don't tell anyone I said so.)

B) I had 2 lemon drop shots, 4 Strawberry long island ice teas & 1 Hurricane...

That's blurry Mike & Denise!

 This is B-rad's bestest buddy from school, Dean.  

 B-rad talked & visited w/ his long lost friends & this is when his diversified portfolio of hobbies comes in REAL handy... he can talk about farming, boating, hunting, archery, biking, swimming...  He had a couple of people tell him that his Facebook posts on losing weight had inspired them to try & lose weight as well.  
(I had someone tell me that they 'loved' my posts about 'B-rad' & I.  She said, 'You guys are so fun!'  I said, "Oh Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy them!  We like to make people laugh & I don't do mushy... I get mad on our anniversary when he says mushy stuff!")

  I let B-rad do his thang & catch up & visit.  Denise & I were perfectly happy drinking, boo-ing the band (Ya'll they sucked!  They were playing like 60's & 70's music - & NOT the good 60's & 70's stuff!)  & laughing our asses off.  

 B-rad & Mike.  

Random knowledge - Mike's parents live down the road from us.

 If you look REAL close, you may see three inebriated photo bombers ladies... 

(Yes, I hate photo bombs... I can't be responsible for my willingness to photo bomb after what I drank...) 

(Since Alicia & Daniel are the only ones who might know any of these guys-- 

Scott Shepherd, B-rad, Shannon Saltz & Beau Hendrich)

It was hot as HELL in that place because the a/c had frozen up.  The bathrooms were sweltering so anytime we walked in, the words, 'OH MY GOOOOOD it's hot in here' were said.   & after you walked in, said it & went into the stall to pee, the next time the doors opened, the words came from the next person.  

So we had heard someone was having a bit of TOO good of a time (Alicia- it was Alicia Byrum...) & she had been 'laying' on the couch.  During one of our, 'OH MY GOOOOOOD it's hot in here' visits to the bathroom we were greeted by her leaned over the trash can, while a friend of hers held her hair & she vomited.   I felt bad for her, but she was like a super popular girl in school & sometimes it's nice to see the popular girls heaving over a garbage can...even if it is 20 years later...

Denise & I held our liquor - just for the record.  

(& if you're wondering if I was sick the next day?  No - I was not.  Here's my secret:  When I'm done drinking, I start drinking water & lots of it.  Then before I go to bed I take 2 Advil, Tylenol 500 or something.  Good as new in the morning!)

Here's to the class of North Harrison - 1995...

The perils of living on a mountain

B-rad & I have been working on losing weight.  He decided that he looked like a giant pumpkin in the pic I took of him & Brady w/ his toolbox at graduation & that was it.

As is B-rad's personality - he jumps in w/ both feet (sometimes more) & he's been doing really well w/ his diet.  He has lost over 20 pounds so far.  I could tell like a week or two in that he had lost weight in his stomach & face.  (Men are bastards...)  He has also noticed a difference this summer when we've gone to the lake & he wake boards.  He has more stamina & can wake board for longer periods of time.  

He's been working w/ Butterfly & Alicia (Thank you, Alicia, for all the encouragement & advice you give him!) to find out what he needs to do for exercise & eat & all that horrible stuff.  Butterfly told him he was NOT allowed to run until he was under 200 lbs because he would blow out his knees.  Now-who would normally know this kind of info?  I didn't.  So really, B-rad's been very fortunate to have two health nuts people to give him advice to do things properly.  

He borrowed a bike from Butterfly to ride because he used to have a bike that he would ride at lunch at work & he really enjoyed that. (He has since bought a more suitable bike for riding long distances.  It's super light...)  He also gets a membership discount at the Y through his work so he joined there & tries to swim a couple of times a week.  

As for me - I'm not so much the 'jump in w/ both feet' kinda person. I have been walking & trying to eat less... sounds simple enough, huh?  I also bought a Fitbit to count my steps.  That's been a really cool way to keep me motivated because on average you should have 10,000 steps a day.  WELL-I sit at a desk all day & if I get 3,000 steps a day I consider myself lucky.  Being able to see an actual count in black & white I get all proud of myself when I do over 10,000!  Plus my Fitbit gives me a big, green SMILE!  (of course 'there's an app for that' & I do love me some apps...)  

I drink water.  And water.  And more water.  When I go out to eat I try to get lemonade rather than coke.  (I don't like tap water from restaurants.  YUCK.)  

As far as eating - I try to eat serving sizes.  If it says I can eat 4 Twizzlers, by GOD I am eating all FOUR Twizzlers I'm allowed!  We still eat out - but we try to make changes there too.  We usually share fries (which I hate doing because I L-O-V-E fries...).  Really - to me - it's a lot about portion control.  I have convinced myself think I can eat whatever I want -  IN MODERATION.  

I HATE walking on the treadmill...it's soooo boring.  I watch tv, I listen to music but I still hate it.  When the weather is nice I like to walk outside...

But we live on top of a mountain so either way I walk - I gotta go UP to get back home...

Ok- so technically it's probably considered a hill...but when you're walking up it huffing & puffing it feels like a mountain...

Our field covers almost 1/2 mile of one of my paths.  See how the beans come to a point there in the middle?  Yea-the road goes right along w/ them...

And ya'll, this hill is TOUGH.  When I get ready to climb it I have already walked a mile & a half...

 I like walking down our road because:

 A) it consists mainly of our field {my property, my business}  

B) There aren't many homes to pass (see reason A).  

(less people for me to think are gonna kidnap & kill me...)

A couple of weeks ago I decided to go down the other side of our road.  There are more houses on that side, but it would get me to another road that consisted ONLY of farm ground (not ours - but still not houses that had people who could kidnap & kill me..)  The total trip for that path is 2.65 miles.  (& while I fully realize you may be thinking, 'HUH.  2 miles one way... 2.65 miles the other - that's not that much.... Well it may not be, but I'm happy w/ it - so there. It takes roughly 45 minutes for 2 miles & 1 hour for 2.65.  I'm happy w/ moving & getting my heart rate up 45-60 minutes a day...)

B-rad warned, 'You know - it's a steady incline from Corydon Ramsey Rd to our house.'

I said, "PSSSSSH, it can't be as bad as our hill..."

Well, it's not as bad as our hill, but it's still a pain in the ass... & of course it's also ALL up hill at the END of my walk.  Hmph.

I did find out that the road I walk that is only fields is seriously heavily traveled for a country road!  I had no idea!  (But now I have to worry about people in cars wanting to kidnap & kill me...)

And when I'm done - I'm red & sweaty & tired.

Now-I'm sure you're dying for all the sordid details of how much weight I've lost... Well, I DON'T KNOW.  Honestly -  I don't weigh myself.  I know me & if I have been walking my ass off & not eating & don't lose weight or only lose a few pounds I will get pissed off, discouraged & quit.  

SO-what I base my success on is the fact that I have to tighten my belt a notch (or 2) tighter, that my clothes fit differently & that my knees don't hurt anymore... (which is what started this whole thing for me - I couldn't stand up w/out my knees KILLING me. {& stairs? OH LORD stairs hurt my knees..}  I'm not old enough for that bullshit...)

Jason Aldean in Indy

This past Friday night was the Jason Aldean concert in Indy... B-rad loves Jason Aldean, but the weekend of the concert he was supposed to be at an archery tournament thingie so he wasn't going to be able to go.  Shauna & I got tickets (she also LOVES Jason Aldean) & we were set to go.

SADLY,  Shauna's immune system had other plans & she was WAY too sick to go...  When she asked me if someone could fill in last minute I immediately thought of B-rad.  He had decided a while back not to attend last weekends shoot so it all worked out.  

You may remember we have seen Jason Aldean a couple of times in the past...but never in Indiana or Kentucky.  Some people think that's crazy...I think it's fun!  We first saw him when we drove all the way to Chicago in 2013 & again when we went to Cincinnati in 2014.

B-rad & I got to Klipsch as the concert was starting (the openers) but the place was PACKED.  We had to park hella far away & walk hella far to the entrance.  When we got to the entrance we had to wait forever to get in because there were so many people waiting to get in like us.  

Cole Swindell was the second opening act & I really wanted to see him.  As we finally got to our seats the first opener was ending so I decided to go to the bathroom before Cole Swindell.  WELL, the joke was on me because I had to wait THIRTY minutes to use the port a potty.  I could barely hear Cole Swindell & I was NOT happy about that.  HMPH.

We got back inside to hear his last few songs.  Double Hmph.

Then it was time to wait for the main man.

 You know how they play music between the acts at concerts?  This time they had a DJ there & when he started playing Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' the crowd was pumped.  I would say this DJ (& the opening bands) definitely did (their) his job getting the crowd ready.  

Remember this was before the show even started!  

A few minutes later he made his grand entrance. 

Singing 'Hicktown'.  I took a LOT of video this time.

I was pretty happy w/ our seats.  We (Shauna & I) have never sat on this side of the stage. 

 I took a butt pic & sent it Shauna.... I HAD to try & make her feel better, people!

 I was trying to get a pic of the massive crowd.... people were everywhere.

 Shauna & I are princesses & we don't sit in the lawn....we always buy the seat tickets.  I told her once that "just one time we need to sit in the lawn".  She was like, 'Nope, you don't wanna do that... people peeing & puking everywhere...'  UH, this was the lawn after the concert...Shauna was right - no way I wanna be in all that mess...

 Of course there is a mass exodus after the show.  Usually Shauna & I hang out & talk, pee, pick up gals who have lost their friends, phones & shoes & wait for the traffic to clear.  You can kinda see all the blurry red tail lights.

 B-rad & I had to walk so freaking far to the car that by the time we got there we didn't have to wait for traffic to thin out.  The parking lot is a field & there were lots of dips & holes & ruts.... B-rad didn't want me to fall because I would've bitched & moaned so he took out his handy dandy flashlight so I could see where I was stepping.   

(Of course he had to point out to me that the flashlight I had made fun of him for having came to my aid.  Whatever...)

The concert was great but it just wasn't the same w/out my concert buddy there.... 

You know how it's different between your hubby & your bff - you bicker & argue w/ your hubby... (Wait, NO?  That's just me??)  I had to gripe at B-rad SEVERAL times for various offenses... 

I wouldn't have had to do that to Shauna.... 

Tim McGraw in Indy

Loyal blog stalkers - another weekend, ANOTHER concert.  If anyone is keeping count, YES, I attended 2 concerts in one week.  B-rad said this might be a record...

I make no apologies.  

I love concerts...

Shauna & I headed up to Indy on Friday to see Tim McGraw.  

He's Mr. Faith Hill, ya'll...

However for this concert we invited my cousin, Ann, to go.  Ya'll know I love love LOVE Faith Hill, but she love love LOVES Tim McGraw.  (when she got married she played one of his songs, 'It's Your Love {a duet w/ my girl Faith} & she said, 'if I can't marry Tim McGraw at least he can sing at my weekend!  That's commitment, people!)  Ann has had some health issues & she lives w/ my aunt all week to help take care of her so I KNEW she would appreciate getting out to see her man.  When I told her that Shauna & I were going & wanted to see if she would like to go, she answered, 'YES!' before I even got the sentence out.  

 (you may remember Ann from the time mom & I took her out to Kansas to meet her first grand baby.  AND it was also the time my mom took a gun onto a MILITARY base.  Re-live my misery the funniness here.)

 To say Ann was a little excited to go to the concert is an understatement...

I did my #1 Faith Hill fan duty & asked several security people, "Is Faith Hill here?"  

No one said yes...

And if she was, she never showed her face.  

Hmph.

 And maybe you will not appreciate all the pics I will include here of Tim McGraw...

 but ya'll - he's super hot...

 I cannot help that...

 The hat...

 The tight clothes...

The holes in the jeans...

Since ya'll probably don't know that much about Tim McGraw like I do, he was an alcoholic & my fav, Faith Hill, laid the smack-down on him & told him he was gonna have to stop that stuff.  So he did & he started working out, lifting weights & that sort of thing... (but he has one of those obsessive personalities like B-rad where he goes big or goes home.)  But really - in this case Tim McGraw being obsessive about getting buff & being hot is really just good news for us all...

So he was singing one of his songs called, 'Indian Outlaw' & there's a verse about someone trying to sneak a peek into his teepee to see him in his 'buffalo briefs' & when he sang that part, he lifted up his shirt... 

YOU GUYS - you would not believe the screams from the audience.  All three of us just had our mouths open & looked at each other.  

It's good times, people...

 Another great night up at Klipsch!  In a couple of weeks we'll be seeing Shauna's fav, Jason Aldean!

Last minute Shania Twain concert & more Brady farewell tour

While we were at the lake last weekend, Brady started talking to his mom & I about the Shania Twain concert that was happening that Monday night (2 days from the day he brought it up.)  (His main incentive for going was 'because she's hot.'  Details schemtails ..)  His girlfriend, Sarah's, brothers were going & had originally asked Brady if he wanted to go...then when it was time to buy tickets they 'forgot' to tell him they were getting tickets so he was left out in the cold.  

So when he started talking about going - well, you know me - someone says concert & I'm all over it.  

Once B-rad got our wi-fi hooked up (our cell phone data SUCKS at the lake & he has a Verizon data card that we use.) I was on Ticketmaster shopping.  I had gotten alerts that there were still tickets left so I knew it wouldn't be a problem.  I said, "Brady-I'm not playing around w/ you - if you wanna go - I will SOOO buy these tickets!"  

Once I got everyone committed to go & to the price I hit buy, buy, BUY.  

Yes - I consider getting tickets for a concert 2 days before last minute!

The opener, Gavin DeGraw, sang a cover of Bryan Adam's 'Heaven' & I had to look at Brady because I knew he would know it.  He was raised on the music his parents listened to...80's & 90's - no little kid sing alongs for him.  He was raised on Journey, Def Leppard...you know - the CLASSICS.    He was singing along & I said, "Brady!  You know this song, right?!"  He said, 'Yea!'  I said, "That's because your parents raised you right!!!"

 Here's a little trivia for ya:  You know Alicia's sister in law, Robin, & her daughter, Kaitlyn?  Well, Sarah is Kaitlyn's bff... small world I tell ya!

ANYWAY-Robin & crew had gone to the same Luke Bryan concert B-rad & I did last year in Lexington so I asked Sarah, "How many other concerts have you been to besides Luke Bryan?"

She answered, 'Luke Bryan is the only one I've been to...'

This makes me sad...
Before the show started they played Joan Jett...guess who was singing along?  That's right - Brady!

 Since I am a concert connoisseur I will review the show for you.  I'm not a huge Shania Twain fan, but a concert is a concert, people.  The screen behind her was really cool.  It changed all the time.  Sometimes she was in it big, then it would show videos or make her be in 2 different spots.

 She had really cool lighting too.  There were lasers, fireworks & fire.  Who doesn't love a bit of fire?

 She brought out Gavin DeGraw, to sing a song w/ her.  I like when they do that.

At one point she said she wanted to 'see us better' so she hopped on a little cart thingie & came back to the back of the venue.

She had a red saddle that came up out of the stage she sat on & it swung her over the floor  seats while she sang.

So I'm justifying the 'I'm not a huge fan of Shania Twain' concert as my contribution to the Brady farewell tour... besides - if I don't let these kids get a taste of concerts how will they know what they're missing??  (Sarah's already texted me links to other concerts!  I think she's got the bug!!!)

Weekend at the lake & Brady's farewell tour

This past weekend B-rad had to work at his 'real job' on Saturday until noon but then we were going to head to the lake.  Normally I would balk at driving an hour & a half to be there for a little over a day, but Brady is getting ready to leave for school & B-rad says, 'we're only going to have a couple of more weekends w/ Brady before he goes to school...'

Now-who wants to be the bitch that tells the man he can't spend time w/ his nephew? 

Sigh...not this bitch...

After I used Butterfly's Forerunner (because of the unfortunate water accident in my car) B-rad used it while we saved money to put tires on his truck.  The tires have been bought so it was time to return the car. I was going to meet B-rad at Butterfly's after he got off work & then head to the lake.  Butterfly wasn't home, but I left him a nice gift in the fridge...

(Which B-rad has corrected me saying I spelled 'forerunner' wrong.  Hmph...)

He told me, 'go in, watch tv - netflix, whatever you want.'

UHM high speed internet Netflix?

YES PLEASE.

 It also gave me a chance to see some of the improvements he has made to the house.  He painted the front living room grey (like I wanted him to suggested.)  Last time I was there he had a couple of grey samples painted on the wall & I picked the darkest one.  He was concerned about it being too dark but I reminded him how open the room was & how much natural light the picture window let in.  I think it looks great & I'm super jealous because I want to paint our living room grey I've just been too lazy & cheap to do it.

 When B-rad got to Butterfly's he put his stuff in my car & asked, 'Are you driving or am I'?  I said, "UHM I am...because you're not allowed to drive my car, remember?"  I figured out that this was the first time in my 21 years of going to the lake w / B-rad that I had driven us there.  

Brian & his crew were already there & once we got settled we took the houseboat out onto the lake.  I'm not gonna lie to ya'll-going to the houseboat is not the most fun in the world for me...  I don't mind being on the water & in the sun, but I don't like getting IN the water... Plus we just kinda hang out & do nothing (I can do that at home w/ my own stuff.  i.e. my own dvr, my own washing machine {I do laundry on the weekends!}, my own super comfy bed!)  My in-laws are what you call 'dockers' - they do NOT take the boat out on the lake.  They sit at the dock & are perfectly happy doing so.  Brian is a 'floater' & he likes to take the boat out on the water.   I enjoy taking the boat out more than I do sitting at the dock.   It can get a bit precarious at times though because the boat moves so much in the waves - it's like trying to walk when you're very drunk.

I mean - come on...you can't get this at the dock...

 After we ate dinner out on the lake, Brian let B-rad take the helm of driving the boat.  Brady's farewell tour also included a couple of buddies (who also happen to be his girlfriends brothers.)

The moon was CRAZY bright & big that night.  The pics don't do it justice...

We have done some re-organization on the houseboat & B-rad & I switched the room we will sleep in.  We chose to go down in what's called a 'cuddy'.  It's a bit roomier than the other stateroom & easier to maneuver getting dressed & making the damn bed.  You may remember this room as the one I fell down the stairs in a couple of years ago on Labor Day weekend & messed up my leg.  http://thefarmingmcafees.blogspot.com/2013/09/apparently-falling-at-my-age-can-be.html

Yes, B-rad made fun of me all weekend about that...  

One of the most important purchases for our room was a fan.  The stateroom we used to stay in would get very warm so we'd have to put a chair in the room w/ us w/ a fan on it.  That used up valuable space we didn't have but the cuddy stays much cooler.  The fan is there because I need a steady noise to sleep.  The fan sits right beside the vent then blows the cold air on B-rad while he sleeps.  He loved it.

Sunday morning I kept hearing a clicking noise under me.  Like I almost thought it was circuits & stuff in the boat going off.  I asked B-rad, "What is that clicking noise?"  

He said, 'Turtles hitting the bottom of boat.'

Uh, seriously? 

I get it - it's a houseboat not a mansion - but really?  Turtles under me while I sleep?  Sigh...