it's summertime in America's Greatest City!

Summer is officially here! Memorial Day weekend is a great time to visit with friends, have cookouts, and enjoy beautiful weather. This weekend was no exception!

Friday night there was supposed to be a meteor shower. I am not exactly the star gazing type, but Hektor loves to watch stars, so I let him wake me up at about 12:30 and we went up to his roof to await the star show. In my mind, a meteor shower would be easy to spot - lots of stars all shooting at the same time. Well, that's not exactly the case. He saw two or three shooting stars - me not so much. I couldn't be still up there - it was cold and my contacts were blurring and I couldn't see anything. I was so fidgety and the clock tower that's up on his roof was putting out too much light. So, no meteor shower for me, but he saw a few so that was good! We finally went in around 2:15...

Saturday we went to H's friend's birthday party/cookout. It was a beautiful day - not too hot, not too cold. Coleman did all the cooking - everything was delicious and we did a lot of day drinking. I was home and asleep by 9:30. I definitely had a hangover on Sunday - I do not recommend playing flippy cup with red wine....I'm such an amateur!

Sunday I went out to Bartlett - so. far. away. - but I got to see Jackie and Amy! They had a memorial day cookout so Tanya came with me and we met some of their other friends from their neighborhood who are super cool. We played bags and hung out with their super huge dog, Mason, and played a drinking game called Cheers to the Governor. I'm not going to explain all the rules (click that link to see them all) but you basically make up all these rules and go around the circle trying to remember the rule - one I made up was instead of saying 3 (as you count up to 21) you say, in a dainty little voice, "I'm a little girl." I know this makes no sense, but it's a super fun game!

Love Jackie and Amy and can't wait till we go to a Sox game next month! Teacher Appreciation Day June 10th! :-)

idk what's wrong with Amy's face...

Hugest dog EVER

Love!

And now it's Monday evening and H and I just had a super fun day renting Divvy bikes and riding around the lakefront! Divvy is a bike sharing program all around Chicago - pick up a bike for $7 for the day and then drop it off at any location. The only thing is you have to check it in every 30 minutes, so that's super annoying, but our ride was pretty sweet.

We started up by his place on Irving Park and rode the lakefront all the way down to Navy Pier and back. Took this pano from the little boardwalk that goes out into the lake over by North Avenue Beach. Speaking of the beach, it was packed today! You can totally tell that everyone is ready to be out in the sun after that nasty winter we had!

It was a beautiful day and weekend. and now, only 7 more days of school until bike rides, volleyball, vacations, and sleeping in fill my schedule!

And, no Memorial Day weekend would be complete without paying tribute to those that protect our freedoms! Our country is so amazing because of the servicemen and women who keep us safe! Thank you for all you do and for giving us this day to appreciate you all!

How was your weekend? Hope it was fab!
xo
Michelle

Okay Kacey Musgraves, we can be friends now.

So a long time ago when the Merry-Go-Round song came out, I totally thought it was so annoying. I would always change the station if I heard it, and the thought of buying her album never crossed my mind.

Then, Bobby Bones (he's on the morning show I listen to) talked about how she was kind of a brat at an award show, so I really didn't like her or have any interest in her music.

Fast forward like six months, and I guess Bobby made up with her, because then he was talking about how her album was so good. She had another song - Follow Your Arrow - that had to grow on me, but then I liked it. One morning Bobby was talking about how the album was so good - so I finally downloaded it, and he's so right. It's awesome!

So today I share with you my top 5 from her album! Enjoy, and then go download it!

Blowin' Smoke

If you've ever said you'll do something or quit something and then you didn't exactly get around to doing it so quickly, well then this song is for you.

Well, we all say that we'll quit someday

When our ship comes in

We'll just sail away....

Stupid

Ever frustrated that you can't find a great relationship? That you find one then it doesn't work out and then you're back to square one? Yeah, so is Kacey...

Stupid love is stupid

Don't know why we always do it

Finally find it just to lose it

Always wind up looking stupid

Stupid

Follow Your Arrow

A song about being yourself. Love it.

Say what you think

Love who you love

'Cause you just get so many 

trips around the sun

Yeah, you only

Only live once

Keep it to Yourself

If you need a breakup song - this one is good. Basically, the ex needs to keep their feelings to themselves when they feel like drunk dialing or it's late and they want to talk.

Keep it to yourself

If you think that you still love me

Put it on a shelf

If you're looking for someone

Make it someone else

When you're drunk

And it's late

And you're missing me like hell

Keep it to yourself

Keep it to yourself

Step Off

At one point or another, we all deal with negativity from those around us. This song is so clever and will make you feel better if you're in that kind of situation.

Step off, step off

Yeah you're getting too close to me

With all your negativity

Just.....get lost

Just try to make a little difference here

So why you gotta interfere?

Just keep climbing that mountain of dirty tricks

and when you finally get....to....the top

Step off.

Do you already have the album? Favorite track? Please share! :-)

If you don't have it, it's totally worth the 10 bucks it costs in iTunes!

Happy Monday!

Michelle

Daily Dudley

I really want a dog. Like alot alot.
But, I live in an apartment by myself so I can't have one.

I told H one day about this and he's all, "Well, where would he live?"
I replied, "With us...not yet, but maybe in 2015 one day in the future."
I told him I wanted a Doodle - the jury is still out on a Golden Doodle or a Labradoodle, but any Doodle will do. (They don't shed!)
I also told him I wanted to name him Dudley. H was all, "Wow, you've really thought this through!"

Here's why:

My first year of teachching, I had a kid grading papers for me. To make a long story short, as she wrote positive notes on the top of the pages where kids did a good job, they came out as "Dood Joob, Dud!" (for Good Job, Dude!) (This is before I had any idea of how to teach spelling...obvi.)

I told H this story when we first started dating, and somehow the Dud part of the story stuck. He started calling me Dud as a nickname and then I started calling him that, too, and so yea. We call each other Dud on a regular basis.

So you can see how naming our future pet Dudley would be a perfect fit!

Anyways, last week, I sent him this picture and said, "Look, it's Dudley!"

sorry it's a fuzzy pic!

And then yesterday, I sent him this one:

I've decided that he's going to get a Daily Dudley until we have a Dudley of our own. The next one is this one:

Are they so adorable, or what? I can't wait for the real Dudley!

Have a great holiday! Our Easter celebrations start today!

Love, Michelle

Hamburger Proposal

I totally need to be better at this blog! I go back and fourth with BigTime Literacy wondering if I should just put everything there, but I kinda like this personal one for my family and friend stories, too!

I have a story that I just want to get down so I don't forget before it's too late!

Last night I was at H's house and we were making dinner together. First of all, how great is that? Making dinner with the person you love more than anyone?

But, I digress...

We sat down to eat our spaghetti and Entertainment Tonight was still playing. So we're talking about Kim and Kanye's Vogue cover and other celebrity gossip and then a White Castle commercial comes on. In the commercial, a couple was sitting down to eat with their "hamburgers." (Food status of those hamburgers: questionable.)

The girl opens up the little box to her Slider and there's an engagement ring in the bun. I start laughing and say something like, "NoMG" (This is a new term - like no + omg? hahahha)

Anyways, as I'm saying this, Hektor is saying, "Awwwhhh man, they took my idea!" and so here we are joking about engagements.

I say, "You better not!" to which he replies, "How do you know that involves you?"

Touché!

I reply, "It better involve me!" and we both laugh.

We're at a good place. Joking around about engagements. I love it!

sidenote: Told my mom this story and she said, "You better take an engagement and a ring in any bun that he wants to give it to you!" Hhahhaaa. Love you mom!

Even better - a McChicken! I will not be posting this on facebook should it happen to me!

Gratitude Lately

Today I'm thankful for...

A bottle of red wine and quiet time to myself.

A Saturday afternoon nap when I'm just not feeling awesome.

My new favorite show, Scandal, and Amazon Prime for the most current episodes.

fave character

Country music and great friends to listen to it with me.

Thoughtful gifts from friends that bring on a hilarious, howling laugh.

I guess I say this alot...watch this for the reference if you don't follow....

FaceTime that connects me with these babes:

Having this face back in my life every day: