When Shoes are Required...

My life currently...

I've been up to my neck workin' 6 days a week

wearin' holes in the soles of the shoes on my feet

been dreamin' of gettin' away since I don't know

Ain't no better time than now..for Mexico



No shoes, no shirt, no problems

Blues what blues..hey i forgot 'em

The sun and the sand and a drink in my hand with no bottom

and no shirt, no shirt, n' no problems! No problems



Want a towel on a chair in the sand by the sea

want to look through my shades and see you there with me

Want to soak up life for a while In laid back mode

No boss, no clock, no stress, no dress code



No shoes, no shirt, no problems

Blues what blues hey i forgot 'em

The sun and the sand and a drink in my hand with no bottom

and no shoes, no shirt, 'n no problems



Babe lets get packed..tank tops and flip flops if u got 'em

No shoes, no shirt, no problems

No problems.

But if one must wear shoes ...these ones are pretty great!

Thank You Kenny Chesney and Nordstrom's for today's retail therapy inspiration! :)

And the Star Spangled Banner in Triumph shall wave!

I've spent hours staring and marvelling at the spacious skies while laying on my back on a grassy hill on a warm summers day. I've spent hours pondering the spacious skies at night and all the star-lit wonders to be found. I've driven through waves and waves of amber colored grain ready to harvest. I've driven through several states where all there was to see was beautiful perfectly straight rows of corn for miles in every direction. I grew up looking forward to the majesty of the purple and blue mountains that surrounded my home at dusk each night.


I've walked pulling hand-carts in the footprints made by pilgrims feet. Feet who beat a thoroughfare of freedom across the wilderness. I'm two generations removed from heroes proved in the strife of World War II. I'm friends with active-duty heroes proved in every day liberating strife abroad currently. Friends who are looking forward to brilliant firework explosions instead of that of warfare --the explosions they saw last 4th of July.


I often consider the patriots dreams our forefathers had that saw beyond their years. And I too have dreams that I'd like to think see beyond my years. I've lived in the alabaster glow of the biggest city in the Nation. I've lived in and seen the alabaster glow of several cities across the US --not dimmed, but brightened by the blood sweat and tears of the people who make the cities thrive by living out their American dreams.


Irving Berlin once wrote:


While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:


God Bless America, Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America,
My home sweet home.


May God truly bless America. We are so fortunate to live in the land that we do. I grew up in the mountains I've driven across the country through the prairies and stuck my toes in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, white with foam. There is no place better than the Land we live in. Wherever you live. It's beautiful.


I spent today on Lake Merridian in WA at the home of one of the physicians I work with. I sat on the dock, I swam and played in the lake, we barbequed, I ate apple pie and watermelon slices. I lounged on the dock and watched an immaculate sunset followed by a brilliant fireworks display over the water. And I had watched the Yankees play ball earlier in the day (sadly, it was not in person but on tv ...still though) It was just about as American of a day as you can get.


And still on the way home, a few tears escaped, longing for home. No fireworks show I've seen compares to Logan's. Seriosly. And, more importantly, no matter how old I get or where I am geographically located ...no matter the brilliance and patriotism and camaraderie of the day... To me the 4th of July will always be me in my pigtails waking up at the crack of dawn with my family excited to go to the Lewiston and Hyrum parades in small farming towns in Utah. It will always be rodeos and weenie-roasts over a camp fire. It will always be popsicle-sticky faces and watermelon seed-spitting contests with my brother sister and cousins. It will always be huddling on one little small blanket in a corner of our front yard with my little brother and little sister --trying our hardest to keep our drooping eyes open and watching dad light our family fireworks, one by one from the box on the tailgate of his truck. It will always be ending the night with sparklers hoping that a stray spark doesn't fly away and light one of my braided pigtails on fire. It will always be getting tucked into bed with a kiss on my forehead as I sigh with an satiated and exhausted grin, "What a good day mom! Good-night, I love you!"


So in the absence of all that, I've brushed my teeth and gotten all ready for bed. I'm about to tuck myself into bed, and I just wanted to say, "I had a good day today Mom, Dad, Cody, Chelsea, and Heidi, but I missed you all! Good-night, I love you!

Food for thought....

Couple thoughts running through my increasingly jaded and cynical mind:

I LOVE the 4th of July. It's my all time favorite holiday ...and I actually have it off this year yay!!! So here's the thing. Why do office people need to take Friday off? Oh no, a holiday falls on a weekend when we already have the day off, we better give ourselves an extra weekday off to make up for it. We can't have a holiday pass without giving you desk people bank people and post office people an extra un-needed non-holiday day off. This would be tragic. Yes, I work nights weekends and holidays like it was any other time, any other day. I chose it, and I wouldn't trade it, but I don't understand why you all get a day off when it's not a holiday, just because you already have the actual holiday off. It makes no sense.

Also, I hate the post office. Remember the episode of Friends when Monica and Joey are discussing that Joey's mom wasn't actually invited to Mon and Chandler's wedding, but Joey told her she was, and she was all offended that she hadn't received an official invitation yet? Joey told Monica to just blame it on the post office because his parents hated the post office. I have become Joey's parents. I hate the post office. I hate going there, I hate parking there, I hate waiting in line there, I don't like it any more when there isn't a line, I hate talking to the people there, I hate mailing things, I hate buying stamps, I think its rediculous that the price of stamps keeps going up. I don't understand why I can't just send letters via ups or fedex. I have no real reason for my disdain, and I don't feel I need an actual reason. I just don't like it. And I haven't for a while. It just keeps getting worse. I think the post office knows I don't like them and as retribution doesn't deliver all my mail. This has been a problem since I moved here. The chances are about 50/50 on whether the items you send actually get here if you send them via the post office. Letters or packages --large and small. Most recently I had to wait 6 weeks to get a package that was sent and that I should have received in three days. Max. My friend who sent the package asked if I still had what she sent, and if I did -could I please take pics of it for her. This is how I figured out I didn't have it. She contacted the post office she sent it from, and they told her they couldn't do anything for 30 days. I contacted the post office here and they said there was nothing they could do. Two weeks later, what mysteriously appears in my mailbox? The missing package. I hate the post office. So, should anyone feel a need to send me packages and presents for my birthday (you still have 9 days) I recommend you send them ups or fedex.

Those are my two annoyances for the day :) On the upside I spent a lovely full day at the lake today and it was fabulous. 85 and sunny all week! :)