You ever have one of those days when everything just feels good, and comfortable, and things just go right and you don’t have to work at it?  No?  Me either, normally.  Well…. this weekend Saturday was the exception.

My husband knows that I’m not one for planning.  I can be sort of a homebody, sometimes.  It’s not that I don’t want to do anything, but I hate to plan in advance, and I always feel like it’s such an indulgence to leave so many things that seem important undone to do OTHER stuff.  In addition, I absolutely HATE to be booked on both of my precious weekend days.  Partly because the biggest excuse around here for half completed projects is that we don’t have the time to get things done, and partly because it makes me feel overwhelmed when I have to go back to work on Monday if I’ve been running all weekend.  I’m trying to get over that, because obviously it’s becoming harder and harder to avoid.

First, we had a planned date with the lake, which seems to be a new running theme in my life.  This was the annual kids’ fishing derby hosted by the Lake in the Hills Sportsman’s Club.  This is the second time my kids have participated, and they absolutely love it.  They fished from around 9:30 (because we were a bit late… another reason I hate planned events) until noon.  Let me say it was by far the least successful fishing outing we have had yet.  My daughter had two nibbles and my son had one good nibble but neither could close the deal.  Not one fish caught, although the worm massacre was severe and merciless.  My kids didn’t gripe about it at all, even though a family of about a hundred was just across the lake from us whooping and hollering as they reeled in fish after fish after fish for measuring.  I was proud they were able to shake it off and just enjoy the time we spent together, and when I left them at noon, they were happily enjoying hot dogs and anxiously awaiting their raffle prizes which ended up including a new fishing pole and bag of goodies such as lures, hooks, weights, and bobbins.  It was a well-organized and fun event the kids look forward to each year and completely worth the time and planning.

I left the kids with their dad at the lake, because at 1:00 pm I had lunch plans with a friend from college I hadn’t seen in person for too many years to count.  I will now admit that I was a little nervous, because I was running a little late, and I didn’t know exactly where the town was that I was going to.  Plus, I was the only guest.  I can be a bit antisocial sometimes, and it felt like a lot of pressure being the only lunch guest.  I always psyche myself out in social situations, imagining that I won’t be able to make conversation or that I’ll make a fool of myself somehow, naturally.  I don’t know why it feels like more people means less anxiety, because if I was invited with a whole crowd of people I would stress that I wouldn’t know anyone but the one person and I would stress about talking to people I don’t know.  My anxiety never lets me win!  In reality, the visit was really relaxing, very enjoyable, and so easy!  The host and hostess were fantastic and welcoming, I was stressed out over nothing because it was all fun talking to Jess and meeting her daughter (as well as her friends who were kind enough to let me come into their home), and it was great being able to just relax and socialize a little bit for a change.  I loved it!  It made me realize that I really need to stop being so reclusive.  Oh yes, and I brought my camera but never got it out because I felt weird about it.  Not because I have any hang ups or anything, of course.  Give me a minute, and I’m sure I can come up with a perfectly valid reason that I left it in my bag.  I’m. A. Freak.

Anyhow.

I phoned home once I was back on the road, and my husband’s response to my hello was “Where are you?”  Change the Garmin… don’t come home!”  Yes, if you were on IL 290 around 4:30 pm on Sat, I was the crazy doing 80 mph while changing my GPS destination.  I apologize if I was drifting just a bit.  Apparently I was a mere ten minutes away from the location of the best parade of my life, and I didn’t have time to drive home first to pick up my family.  FYI, I hate hate hate having multiple cars when I’m out with my husband.  Hate it.  So naturally I was against the whole idea.  I made a lot of heavy sigh sounds into the phone and some of those “tsk” sounds to go along with it.  He was having none of it.  In the time I had to kill while waiting for their arrival, I was unfortunate enough to have a run in with the filthiest gas station bathroom in all of the Midwest.  I’m just going to tell you not to stop for a bathroom in Wood Dale and leave it at that.

The parade consisted mostly of a bunch of normal parade stuff like marching bands, and stepping groups, and of course Jesse White’s tumblers.  And then I laid my eyes on this:

I’m pretty certain that this will make my balloon hating mother practically crawl out of her skin, but in addition to being one of the most incredible looking balloon art creations I have ever laid my eyes on, it was also the coolest sounding balloon art I have ever heard.  OK, I admit that I don’t hear a lot of balloon art.  However, the breezes and the movement of the people dancing while wearing these fairy wings caused all of these balloons to squeak and rub in the most delightful way as they danced on by.  I’m pretty certain that if I could get my hands on one of these things I would wear it every chance I got.  Except around my mother, because she is most certainly anti-balloon.

And then the Stanley Cup walked on by….

Of course it had a pretty solid police presence, so this was as close as we could get.  It was still pretty close, but of course unless I”m holding it in a bear hug it’s not nearly close enough.  I’ll keep trying and let you know if it works out.  Overall a great parade.  When it was over, I was hungry again.  It was a long parade, give me a break!

We dined al fresco at some beef place and it just so happened to be cruise night in the neighboring parking lot.  Not just any cruise night, either, but a perfect summer day cruise night, which means lots of soft tops.  And then I fell in love and died right on the spot after I took this picture:

And when I came to, it had driven away.  I promise you that I found another one in burgundy to fall in love with about 10 parking spots down.  Here’s the deal; I would never, ever make heavy sighs or tsk sounds if I had to drive anywhere, or anytime alone or with passengers in that car.  Just sayin’.  I’d be willing to bet my hubby would’ve let me come pick him up, too.  It’s a win/win.