On 495

I saw a camel on the highway today.

Yes...a camel.

And before you're all, "Um, Amy..." let me explain.  I'm driving home from the grocery store in almost-but-not-quite rush hour traffic when I happen upon one of those horse trailers that you pull behind a pick up truck.  The trailer had the slats open so you could see the animal.  So I look over and there is a camel lying down with his face sizing up my car.

My first thought was, "Whoa...there is a camel...weird."
My second thought was, "I need to blog about this."
My third thought was, "Wait...why would there be a camel in a horse trailer?"
My fourth thought was, "Wait...that can't be a camel...this is New England."

I quickly tried to rationalize what I saw.  It must have been a llama.  A really big llama. But as I passed the truck, there were two huge, tour bus sized vehicles full of animals.

It was a children's traveling circus.

So that explains the camel.

 

Tuesday is for Bowling

Remember the time I violated several social mores in less than two hours?

Last night I went bowling...as a substitute for an adult, Candlepin bowling league with people from work.  (For you non New England folk:  Candlepin bowling is 10 skinny pins and a tiny ball...not to be confused with big-ball-bowling a.k.a. Duckpin bowling.)

For the last 10 years of my life, any and all bowling has consisted of late nights spent at The Cove (what up Nawaka) drinking drinks and tossing big balls down blacklit, cosmic alleys.  While I haven't been baby ball Candlepin bowling since middle school I thought I would give it a shot.  How hard could it be?

Well.  This was a bowling league.  Sadly, there were no matching polo shirts and K and I were the youngest people by at least 15 years.  To start, there was no automatic scoring system.  I made an older man friend who taught me the finer points of Candlepin scoring.

I also learned that there are A LOT of rules for bowling.  Like don't use the blue balls (because someone brought them from home), don't bowl when the person next to you is bowling, don't step over the line, don't aim for the pins, don't get a frame ahead of your competition, don't throw the ball, take three steps, left leg first, keep your hand flat, ring the bell when you get a strike, knocking pins down with the gutter pins doesn't count, release the ball like you are patting a child's diapered bottom (advice from my old man friend) and don't tell the other teams that you actually bowled 6 balls without knocking down a pin when your scoring sheet only says you bowled three.

The first game I bowled a 44.  Yes.  I bowled 30 balls and knocked down 44 pins.  But I got better!

And despite my overall suckiness, I was invited back...although they said something about a handicap.  Hmm.

Also...do you like how I added 12 + 9 and got 31?  Yes, I teach math to second graders.

   

In Short...

August:  Lazy then awesome.

Michigan:  Looks like New England.

Indiana:  Skip it.

Chicago:  Like Boston's big brother.

Rehearsal Dinner:  Delicious.

Flight Home:  Cancelled.

New Flight Home:  Chicago to Richmond to Newark to Boston on Tuesday.

Wedding:  Beautiful.

Sears Willis Tower:  Really tall.

Reception:  Gorgeous.

Dancing:  Fabulous.

Sleeping:  Limited.

First Day of School:  Missed.

Actual Flight Home:  Chicago to Manchester on Monday.

First Week of School:  Done.  And yes I need 4 days off after a 3 day work week.

Amy:  Exhausted.

September:  Back to blogging.  No really.  Yes, I know I promised this before.

 

I'm Backkkk

But hopefully in a less creepy way than this:

A friend politely reminded me that I was scheduled to return from my blog vacation in August and it indeed is now August.  (Although to be fair, I don't think she has posted a blog in like 600 days.)  Since we missed the regularly scheduled July recap, August goals and many, many Six on Sundays, let's play catch up (in bullet form obviously) ...okay?

While I was away ignoring the blog, I

• Went to Maine.
• Spent some quality time with my air conditioner.
• Saw Harry Potter...twice.
• Got a sunburn and TERRIBLE tan lines.
• Peeled from aforementioned sunburn.
• Got REALLY excited about my Midwest trip.
• Made s'mores.
• Got mosquito bites.
• Went in the ocean...it was cold.
• Lost 10 pounds.
• Read a lot of books.
• Ordered 312 dresses online.
• Hugged a baby.
• Got screwed by unemployment.
• Kayaked.
• Became obsessed with the movie Country Strong.
• Finished a minibook.
• Got a job.
• Tried new foods.
• Did NOT go to Dunks at all!
• Not even for an iced latte.
• Turned 29 and a half!

Here's to catching up and actually blogging again!  What have you been up to in my absence? 

    

Remember the Time I Invented an Acronym?

Because of the long weekend, today is Second Saturday instead of Sunday.  I'm heading to WEMA* for the day to get crafty with some besties so Six on Sunday is on hold for now.  Instead, I will leave you with the yummy-ness that happened in my kitchen.

Chicken (yes I eat chicken like 58 times a week) with a panko-parmesan crust and angel hair with tomato basil sauce (out of a jar...obv). 

I dredged the chicken in flour, bathed it in milk, then coated it with the panko mixture.  I'm not even going to pretend that I didn't make a huge mess...because I totally did.

* Rhymes with FEMA and according to Amy (me) WEMA stands for Western Massachusetts.