Jacquelyn's Space

Now for the down side of the good – the bad…

We have been going out entirely too much lately — we went to the movies with my parents a couple of times in the last couple of weeks; saw Insidious – a scary but cliché ghost movie and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, 3D – that was fun, love Johnny Depp — and need to cut back. Well, we certainly want to eat less and eat healthier so perhaps that will help with the going out part.  We need to find some free stuff to do – maybe we should make exercise (walks) our going out. That and the pool will be open soon, yay. The only bad thing is it is summer and I will want to go to the beach and up north. Of course I would love to go back to Mackinac (may not happen again this year but I am keeping my fingers crossed for the fall). Plus we have a membership to The Henry Ford this year. All this takes some money and to go anywhere of any distance takes gas, stinkin’ gas which is over $4 a gallon! Blah is what I say. Gas prices need to go down or they are going to damage our fragile economy. I need to see the beach dammit!! I cannot stand to be landlocked!! So that has been getting me down – worries over the high gas prices and thoughts of being landlocked all summer.

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Did you know there are some people, living in Michigan, who have not seen any of the Great Lakes? I cannot imagine…

I remember when my friend Rachel and I went to a beach on Lake Michigan when we were around 19/20. She had never been up north but I had not realized she had never seen a lake as big one of the Great Lakes. She could not believe how big it was and that she could not see to the other side! I could not believe she could not believe it!! Shoot, we didn’t live that far from Lake Erie, which is a pretty big lake too. She had never been. I just could not fathom not enjoying the Lakes when you live in the state that is famous for them.

Once I met a friend for a late night snack at Denny’s. I was showing her my pictures of Lake Michigan and the bluffs of Sleeping Bear Dunes. Our waitress was also looking at my pictures and asked where they were taken. I told her and she could not believe that was Michigan! She thought they were pictures of California or some far off place. Nope, all Michigan, and fairly close to home (at least within a half day’s drive). I just can’t ever believe people don’t enjoy the beauty and assets of the state they live in. Unfathomable! I said that already (in so many words) but it really blows my mind. I am so thankful I have had opportunities to enjoy the Lakes.

So that brings me back to this summer. I need to enjoy the Lakes and my favorite Michigan places at least. It is not a want but a NEED, Dammit! Shouldn’t have bought all that crap at JCP and ate all that damn food, heehee.

It is a lovely night out tonight – not too warm, slightly on the cool side. My husband and I took advantage of it and took our dog for a 2 mile walk. Yay! My leg muscles are contracting as I sit writing and it feels good. For the night and the exercise I am thankful. I didn’t want to go at first ’cause I was feeling tired and my allergies are acting up but now I am happy that I dragged my butt along.

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My husband and I had a great day all in all. He has not been feeling well but he dragged his butt out shopping with me. I like going mall shopping with him or looking at other stores beside grocery stores. We generally have a good time.

We have a wedding tomorrow (the first of my youngest cousins is getting married – how time flies! I remember babysitting him!) and needed to get a gift plus I needed a strapless bra (I hate bra shopping, ugh) for the dress I am wearing. We went to my favorite store, JC Penney. As usual they had awesome deals and I ended up buying 3 dresses! I couldn’t resist – they fit well, are washable, will go with my favorite black strappy sandals. The best part is they were 70 % off! I didn’t get the bra I went there for (I chickened out on bra shopping – just couldn’t hack it) but I have some new fun and flirty dresses to choose from for tomorrow. I was going to wear the gorgeous gold/champagne dress I wore to dinner at the Grand Hotel but I needed the bra for it and the shoes I have to go with it are too big and slip off (I am not impressed with the shoes I bought in May to go with that dress; they are not made well. My one JCP disappointment). I did not have any luck finding some better shoes today. Who knows I may end up in the gold dress tomorrow (I may just wear my wedding corset with it and struggle with the shoes because I really love the dress and wanted to wear it) but I am thankful for the dresses I found though, they are going to come in handy this summer I think.

All this talk of dresses and shoes, yikes! I annoy myself sometimes. I am not really all that involved (focused on?)  with what I wear most of the time but sometimes it can be fun. I worry about my shopping though – that is what I used to do when I was really depressed to make myself feel better. I am struggling with a depression right now so perhaps that is what all this focus on the clothes have to do with right now. Oh well, that will have to be it for my shopping this summer because I really have too many clothes. Half of them I am too big for but I am going to work on that for sure. The walk tonight made me realize how much I miss and need exercise. I feel good right now.

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We went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get the wedding gift. While we were there we saw 50 things we wanted to buy, haha. We saw this new soda maker that a lady was demo-ing. We got a free sample of cola which was quite good and tasted like Coke. It was a really cool thing that you make your own soda pop with (there were many different flavors). I want one! Don’t know why or how convenient it is but I want one. We also ran into my Mom at the store and I got to see my nephews who were in fine form. I will see them all at the wedding tomorrow too.

To top of our day shopping, mi amor and I went to Famous Daves for dinner were we ate too much. The food is too good!! It turned out to be a great day topped off by this lovely night.