Adventure #10: Staying Busy for Bigger and Better Adventures

Not gonna lie:  I'm typing this on Adventure Day.  I never actually made a rule to NOT type the blog on the Adventure Day itself; however, I think that I'm 'wasting' away an Adventure Day by typing out the blog while Adventures could be happening right NOW!  Yet there are circumstances that call for me typing this out, since I'd much rather be safe than sorry when it comes to typing and sharing my blog.  What circumstances?  Well...  My MICHIGAN trip, of course!  I leave tomorrow morning bright and early to head to Bismarck with Dad for my early afternoon flight.  And traveling without my laptop means that I need to get a head start on blogging today!

So here I go...today thus far (and by the end of the blog, it will be today in its entirety).  I woke up (duh).  But today was a big wake-up day, since I've been waiting quite awhile to be able to say, "Tomorrow I leave for Michigan!"  And so, my Adventure Day of travel preparations began.

To the right you see my carry-on luggage.  Yes, all of it will be taken right on the plane with me, and everything inside will be all I need for nine days.  Some people are amazed by the above, but I've been flying solo for short, medium, and long trips for years now, so I'd like to think that I'm getting to be a pro at packing/traveling in general.  The luggage pictured isn't completely packed though.  Packing completion has been a major task for today (and being me, I started packing weeks ago...but some things can't be packed until right before leaving, so I've been at a standstill for awhile now).

With my packing goal set for the day, I had breakfast and stretched for what would be the last time for awhile.  I'm not-so-sure I'll be stretching much if at all in Michigan (way too many other awesome distractions).  I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Spotify during my stretch fest, and I've been making much use of it on today's Adventure Day and in the past week, too.  (New laptop just got it downloaded recently!  I love Spotify!)

PJ time lasted for quite awhile this morning, and I was totally ok with that.  1)  PJ pants are comfy, especially when our house is so heavily air conditioned.  2)  I don't get to wear PJ's all that long each day, especially since camp started four weeks ago.  3)  I can still be productive in my PJ's.

So with all that cosidered:  No guilt for waking up at 7am (don't ask why I can't sleep in...) and not being ready for the day until 11am.

BUT when I was ready for the day, Mom and I headed out on what I would call OFFICIAL Adventure Time!  She had already been out with Dad, but I needed some travel stuff still from the store, and we ended up being out for quite awhile.

Ready...set...Adventure Time with Mom!

 Stop 1: Kmart for random stuff.

   Stop 2:  Bath and Body Works so Mom could get lots of stuff and so I could get a couple yummy-smelling candles

Stop 3:  Runnings Farm and Fleet so Mom could continue her search for a patio umbrella (she bought a patio set earlier in the morning and wanted an umbrella for it).  Pic to the left taken while we ever-so-patiently waited for the store attendant to bring us the umbrella from the back of the store.  (We were testing out the patio furniture!)

Stop 4:  3rd Avenue Floral for an outdoor rug (Mom really wanted the deck to be complete by the end of the day!) AND I got some loose leaf tea!  I'm excited to try it--I feel that I've got quite the tea collection these days.

Stop 5:  Dan's Supermarket for Mom's berries she eats every morning and spray-on sunscreen for me (I swear by the stuff--I use it every day in the summer).  Above is all the stuff I got out with Mom--I felt quite spoiled for being treated to so much!  It was a fun time out shopping with her.

Back at home, I was starving.  I was impressed with my sandwich-making skills as I tried to use up most of the Ali-only foods that would go bad when I leave.  (Sandwich:  12-grain bread, avocado, spicy mustard, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, goat cheese, and olives.  Basically YUM).  It's also been my intent to paint my toes/fingernails white before my trip,, since I LOVE having my nails white in the summertime.  The problem:  painting nails in 100+ degree heat outside means that the nail posish coagulates and is very difficult to work with.  Whatever, I got it done (just don't look too closely at the finished product).  Also, don't ya love my new pink headphones, also courtesy of Mom?!

Next:  I added the above pics and words. 

Next after that:  I BAKE!  (As in, baking is happening as I type.  This is the last view of 'baking magical goodness': 

While the above process was going on, I marveled at the following document, which FINALLY came in the mail:

Yup, I feel officially graduated now that the diploma is actually in my possession.  Waiting is not something that I am skilled at, and let's just say that I've been playing the Waiting Game with the mail for quite some time now (how bout since I arrived back home in NoDak?!)

I'm sure you're curious as to what the finished product looks like.  Here ya go:

AND THEN...

I took a mini break outside and chilled out in the hammock.  But it really wasn't 'chilling,' since it was over 100 degrees outside.  I was ok with that though.  I like hot weather.  Oh yeah, and Duncan was with me.  He's usually with me.  He's my Shadow Dog.

I think Duncan will miss me starting tomorrow.  Poor guy.

Maybe Duncan was begging me not to go to Michigan in the above pic?  Sorry Dunks, but the flight is booked, my bags are packed, and I am SO EXCITED!!!  (But that doesn't mean I won't miss a certain Corgi.) 

And back to my recap of the day...  I layed outside til dinner (leftover pizza--YES!) and then I went back outside and lay in the hammock.  And tried to read but fell asleep.  And whether I was reading or sleeping, I kept thinking about tomorrow and next week and all the fun things I have planned with the fun people that I will get to see in only 24 hours.

So I took my frustration elsewhere--to the hanging hammock-chair under the deck (I should have taken a pic, it's hard to describe).  But I fell asleep there.  And THEN I moved upstairs to the deck where...I fell asleep AGAIN.  After waking up at this point (thanks for the text, Fish!), I decided enough is enough.  I took a glance at the setting sun (below) and headed in to do the two loads of laundry that had to get done before my departure.

As I type, laundry is still being washed and dried upstairs.  I'm currently Skyping Fish (who is being very patient as I type away all about the second half of my Adventure Day).  I can't imagine too much else happening today.  However, Adventure Day will be quite different next week.  I'm considering just taking a bunch of pictures and uploading them of Adventure Highlights worth sharing from my Michigan travels.  Unfortunately the Adventure Shoes won't be present.  But they will be with me in spirit.

And I think that's all for now, but I can promise much more is to come very soon.  The coming weeks will be all about July--which I know will come and go before I know it.  So don't get lost in the chaos of my life and enjoy your own summer days as best as you can.

May you be graced with many enjoyable sunny days in the coming week.

:)