Foodie Penpals June

It’s one of my favorite times of the month!

Foodie Penpal reveal day!  This month I got paired up with Heather over at For the Love of Kale.  She sent me a great package!

Let’s take a gander: Pizza Flax Snax - I was a little skeptical, but they totally do taste like pizza!, Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups – These were a semi fatality due to the crazy heat wave.  Don’t worry, I popped them in the freezer.  Good as new! Popped Apple Chips – I already have a love affair with apple chips, these are no different.  I could seriously eat the whole bag in one sitting.  I had a little self-control this time and only ate half the bag.  Lastly, a protein powder.  This one is specifically for recovery.  I’ve never used protein powders, I probably should, especially after long training walks/runs.  Anyone have any suggestions for me?

Thank you so much Heather!  Your pen pal package is almost all gone!

If you want to participate in the fun that is #Foodie Penpals, check out Lindsey’s blog!  I highly recommend it!

 

Highs and Lows

It is that time again ladies and gents!

Cab Calloway is the best!

Low: Chigger bites, they suck!  I’m pretty sure I got them on our adventure time on Pea Island.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about chiggers are little mites that bite you, leave a red welt or bite, and said bite sticks around for weeks.  They can be itchy and just down right annoying.  The bites also get aggravated when you are hot…so glad we are having an insane heat wave…

 

High: I found somewhat of a solution to the chigger bites.  Tea Tree oil.  I made a spray bottle of it, which I sprayed on my pants and laundry from OBX.  Also, I put a dab of it on all my bites which helps with the itching madness. 

High: Wes Anderson is has made a new movie!

I love me some Bill Murray and Edward Norton.  I’m not so sure how I feel about Bruce Willis…

High: I got my #Foodie Penpal package in the mail today!!

Low: Part of it got melted in the oppressive heat…  Don’t worry I have a plan.

High/Low: I’ve had to close all the blinds and curtains so that I heat stays out.  It’s kinda cozy, but also makes me feel like a vampire…

www.aceshowbiz.com

 

What are your highs and lows?

 

 

The Life Aquatic with…me!

Whenever I got out on a walk or run I always go out the same way.  Not because I have some weird OCD, it’s just where the path starts.  I started noticing in the past couple of weeks a bird call.  Yep, I’m about to get all naturalist on ya!   I learned about this particular bird while living in Ohio and working at the Girl Scouts Camp.

www.nick.com

 

You better believe that we ate leftover Girl Scout cookies all. the. time.  Back to the bird.  One day we were taking a walk with our ornithologist so she could tell us about different birds so that we could tell the girls.  At one point she told us that we had a very rare bird in our forest, a Towhee.

www.allaboutbirds.org

 

Apparently this bird is pretty reclusive, but has a bird call that sounds like, “have SOME TEAEEEE!”  Or as I like to think of it, “Flavah Flavvvv!”  Anyway…as I was running my sweaty booty through the expensive and well manicured neighborhoods of Virginia Beach I heard this bird call.  I stopped, looked up, and guess what?  I saw it!  It was super exciting and I felt like Steve Zissou when he found the electric jellyfish on the beach…er Man-of-wars.

www.flickr.com

So there’s my nerdiness for today. 

 

Shnikes!

Yes, it’s that serious!

Did you know that Jeremy Renner could sing?  Yah, me either, apparently someone has been holding out on us!

If you go to Renner’s website, you’ll be a much better clip. 

Mind blown!

In other sad news, Ann Curry announced she was leaving the Today Show today (redundant?).

I think NBC handled the whole situation quite crappily.  Yes it’s a word, I just made it up.  I felt so bad for her, so heart wrenching!  NBC really needs some lessons in how to let people down slowly.  This is strike two NBC (first strike was Conan).

What’s my age again?

No I’m not having an age crisis.  Give me a month though and that may be a different story. 

It just seems that since being on summer vacation, I am following the same schedule as well, senior citizens. 

Yesterday I went grocery shopping at prime old person shopping time.  They were moving slowly, taking up the whole aisle, asking me questions.  The nerve!  One lady asked me if she should by the sweet corn that was one sale.  I told her yes, since I had just bought some.  As I was walking away she was repeating, “I’ll use it on Friday, I’ll use it on Friday…”  I later saw her in the store again sans corn.  Ok…

Today I had something else I needed to pick up.  Off I went, thinking I was well above the senior citizen shopping window.  Wrong!  On my way there I was behind someone who thought it’d be great to slam on the breaks every 30 seconds or so…seriously.

www.funnyjunk.com

 

Yikes.  I went to Fresh Market because what I needed was a specialty item.  I love me some Fresh Market, but it’s so sketchy because you can go in not wanting anything and come out spending $150.  Case in point; I bought four things at Fresh Market and spent $25.

Whoo, this post was super complainy.  I promise not to be so bitter next time!

Just so you know senior citizen grocery shopping time in Virginia Beach runs from 1:00-4:00.  Either that or they just follow me around.

OBX breakup

Do you ever get that feeling after a great vacation?  That you’ve kind of broken up with it?  You know, you sit around, do nothing?  No, just me?

It truly was an awesome trip. 

We saw:

Lots of wildlife, most notably 8 bears!

Yes, I know that there are only three in the picture…

Spent an inordinate amount of time at the beach:

Ate… a lot…

 

Tortuga’s Lie.  We ate there twice and had the same waitress both times.  Poor girl.

 

 

Basically just hung out together:

 

 

 

 

 

Now I get to experience the opposite side of the coin and sit in training sessions allll week.  Yuck.

I said it once, but I’ll say it again… I am so happy and thankful that I got to spend a week with my family.  We don’t necessarily live close to each other.  This was a great time to get to know each other again and remember how funny we all are

Just in case you were wondering about the places we at while in OBX…

Tortuga’s Lie

Outer Banks Brewing Station

John’s Drive In

These are pretty much my three favorite spots.  Oh and Duck Donuts!

Hope you all are off to a great week!

Alligator River Adventures!

I feel as though I am neglecting the blog a bit, but I have a good reason.  I am on vacation…with my family…which is pretty important.

There’s been one line that has been repeated over and over again on vacation, “Well, I’m just trying to be on vacation!”  This can be used at any time when you are feeling particularly overwhelmed by the calmness of vacation or anyone is giving you a hard time about something.

We are off on an expedition down the Alligator River this morning.  We kayaked this last year and it was super cool.  I’m excited to go again.

Because I’ve been a bad blogger, I’ll leave you with a picture of the solstice as seen from Jockey’s Ridge on the 20th.

Enjoy the rest of your Friday, I know I will!

Happy Solstice!

Welcome to June 20th!  Did you know that today is the summer solstice?  Well…it is.  That means it’s the longest day of the year.  We are planning on going up to Jockey’s Ridge to watch the sunset.  Should be pretty spectacular.

To keep you occupied while we are traversing up the dune, how bout some pictures?

 

You are welcome! It’s been a great week so far.  I’m so glad that my aunt and cousin came down for the week!  I can’t wait until tomorrow when the bestie shoes up and then on Friday when the brother and Sara get here!  Exciting times!

Have a great solstice y’all!

OBX day 1 photo dump

It’s safe to say that we are settling in quite nicely here in Jackson Cottage…

The views are spectacular

It’s also safe to say that the Gregosky/Conners snarky sarcastic quality of conversation is not on vacation

If only everyone was happy that we were going on vacation

Getting ready for another great day at the beach!

OBX hello!

Aahhh, made it to OBX. Going to sleep listening to the waves roar and crash. Finally on vacation!