On Parade

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to be invited to the 500 Festival Parade with Kelly and her super-fun family. These people know how to do up a parade - close parking, front row seats, cotton candy, and a cookout to follow with the best fresh margaritas, grilled steaks, and lots of cheese. I'd never been to the parade, and I got pretty excited over just about everything, including the celebrities, the marching bands, the kids, and race car drivers, and Florence Henderson. Kelly's dad told me I was a great parade spectator. Kelly's daughter, T, told me I was embarrassing. All in all, we had an absolute blast, and the weather was perfect.

After the parade/cookout at the Scanlan's, I went over to Kelly's place to soak up some sun on her back patio. Her daughter and I engaged in some mutual negotiations to get Kelly to approve T's Sunday movie plans with her boyfriend. At the age of 15, T reminds me quite a bit of myself, though I think T is a much better daughter than I was at that age. She's a great kid, but I cannot imagine the trials and tribulations of raising a teenager, especially a teenager with her first boyfriend. Oy.

I put some hours in at work today, listening to the 500 race via internet, then had dinner with my own family to celebrate my sister's birthday. I was tasked with getting the cake, but unfortunately I waited until late this afternoon to make that happen. My sister almost ended up with the hot pink-iced Barbie cake with glitter sugar on top, one of the two left in the cake cooler at the grocery store. They had a more age-appropriate alternative, but I think the Barbie cake might have been better, and certainly would have been more fun. My grandma came down with my parents. She is such an amazing woman - very full of life and words of wisdom, even since my grandfather passed away. She informed me today that she thinks the internet is the work of the devil. She also pointed out that by the age of 33, she had 5 children.

Anyhow, I'm currently sitting on the patio having a glass of wine. Milo is curled up under one of the planter stands, taking in the last bit of this evening's sun. I am loving the idea of not having to go to the office tomorrow. I brought some work home, and I plan on getting it done while lounging by the pool.

I love everything about summer (except the fuzzy hair).