Day171 - Grab some Nookie.

Thursday, June 19, 2008: Spikes Stadium: Stalking Furries.

I think it's well known by most that I love going to Spikes Stadium. I love being around people who are genuinely happy to be somewhere. Generally, most people are happy there. Or drunk. Or drunk and happy. And I love the drunk and happy people.

We were the guests of Erin and Ryan.




We ate lots of food.



The Spike. I do not fear this deer.



The best part - I got some one and one time with the Nookie Monster. He is handsome, isn't he.




And we went in the truck for the first time. Here she is in front of Beaver Stadium. I feel like I should scream "We are…", but I will stop myself. I blew a lot of the cool stalking the nookie monster and I need what I have left.

Day170 - Again with this?

Wednesday, June 18, 2008: The garage: Door handles.

Yep, another day here. I think that I'm a little burnt out on newness and kind of coasting a little here. Well, whatever. I had to install the handles because Troy was freaking out that we lost one or two.

You basically have to jam this little thing into a smaller hole. It's one of those "applied skills" meaning that it takes 10 tries to finally get the knack. I know have the knack for both installing and de-stalling? I mean "uninstalling." What the hell?



He also bought these new knobs that are just a slightly different color than the originals. Oh, and they were a total bitch to install.

Anywho, everything is starting to look better. Everyday we get a little closer to awesome.

Day169 - The kind of chicken wing I like.

Day169 -
Tuesday, June 17, 2008: The garage: Buffalo Wing Chips

Just because the truck is "done," that doesn't mean that it is DONE. It won't be done-done for another year atleast. So in an effort to completely fall of the wagon that is my diet, I bought these terribly good chips and ate about half of the container. Oh, and I had a milkshake to wash it down. Both were really good, but I'm in love with these chips a little.



They taste like a chicken wing without the chicken. That is a little bit of a mind trick, but I got over it fast enough.

MMMmmmmmmmmmm. Yummy. I know.

Day168 - I'm thrifty.

Monday, June 16, 2008: Thrift shopping: St. Vincents and Goodwill

Since Troy has been working from home, I definitely have been going on more joy rides. My blinding paleness may be a thing of the past if Troy drags me into the sun this summer. I'm more that content to sit and work all day, but that guy has some kind of illness that makes him unable to sit still.

And it's been like that since we moved in together. I would go to work and expect him to be there when I got home. Well he was, but during my shift he would sometimes drive north to the NY state border from Williamsport. Or west. Or east.

He has ants in his pants.

Back to the task at hand - we went to the thrift stores. I must still be in shock from spending a bunch of loot on the truck because I didn't want to buy a thing - except for a sweet ass bowling ball that I absolutely don't need.

And I kept banging my arm off the racks of clothing. Not awesome. My guns are looking a little rough these days.

St. Vincents was skewed a little old-ish. The only thing I liked was the bowling ball. The Goodwill had too much shit in it - I was easily overwhelmed.



Today was the first day that the truck went for a ride without me or Troy. Kyle and Carla went for a ride together. I made him promise to go for atleast 15 minutes and he did. They have the hot rod fever now too.

Day167 - A picnic. Well, why the hell not.

Sunday, June 15, 2008: Mint Chocolate Cake.

Today at a Father's day picnic I had this totally yummy crazy cake that Troy's uncle Butch baked. Check it out and weep my friends:




It is chocolate with a peppermint icing topped with a hard chocolate shell. It is something like a large peppermint patty. So freaking good. I was too full, so Troy had to finish it. I think if I finished it all, bad things would have happened. This proves that Troy's family is littered with talented bakers. I am a lucky girl.

Today was also the first day that I got to take a ride in the finished truck. Yep, it took awhile. This is me checking out Troy pumping gas.



This guy wanted to go for a ride too.




I think Troy's pap was probably the happiest for the ride. I think he loves it more that I do.

Day166 - I think we won anyway.

Saturday, June 14, 2008: Bellefonte Car show

It took me a while to wake up this a.m. I wasn't feeling exactly that hot. Wendi made the most amazing breakfast for us. I can't thank her enough for rocking so hard. She made this potato and cheese casserole that tasted just like a perogie. I could have died it was so good.

After breakfast, members of 329 headed into a 2.5 hour meeting. We got a lot out of the way and their was no off-topic nonsense thankfully. After about 2 hours our guests that were still here and those that were arriving started to get restless, as did the group, and we called the meeting to the end. I mean, look at these guys:




My dad, sister and Nick showed up. We all took a walk down town to check out cars. Unfortunately, because of the rain there really wasn't a lot going on. It was probably 60% of people/cars that are usually there. Also, we were hostage to intermittent rain.


Nick showing his ninja moves to Troy and Kelly.





In the end, we didn't win an award although I don't believe that their was a car their that was more "Antique - custom" than ours.

After we all ate, and ate some more (including the best chocolate peanut butter cupcakes that I've ever had in my entire life) and after all our friends and most family left, we took the Gypsy home. I still have not ridden in the cab since it's been done. I'll get around to it sometime.

Sundown and the Gypsy. I kind of love this picture.




I found this frog on the way to Erin and Ryan's. He peed all over me.




After she was tucked nicely back into her garage, we went to Ryan and Erin's for a first shot at Wii. Here is my character - I think a very close representation.




Not a very flattering picture, but I don't have the concern to photoshop the shit out of my pot belly. It's filled with Macaroni salad right now.




Ryan and Troy going for the gold.




Troy won obviously.





I'm not a fan of Wii boxing, although Erin is pretty much the undisputed champion at boxing. I spent most of my time telling my girl to "STAY DOWN." She didn't listen and part way through I thought I just may have a heart attack and die.

I am a complete fan of bowling and tennis. I love tennis. I am no master at it, but I loved trying to figure it out: how does this arm need to move, what if I do this, etc. My brain can always use that kind of exercise.

So thanks to Erin for getting us addicted to Wii!

Day165 - Wow! Just what a day!

Friday, June, 2008: Open Cruise: Bellefonte Cruise

Tonight, Jerm, Yana and myself rode in the back of the Gypsy truck for the first time while Troy and Steph drove in the cab. It was fantastic. Truly. On of my favorite and best moments of the year. It was hot out side and even hotter in and on the exhaust. But we all loved it. I mean loved it.

Troy, Jerm, Me, Yana. Picture taken by (and taken from) Steph. Thank you for many, many things Steph!




It started out a rocky morning though. We were pretty sure that their was no way to get it inspected, which was said to be a requirement of entering the cruise. (Surprise! It wasn't. There were many other cards not inspected, some of which won awards and others that did not even have windshields.)

I sent out an email telling people what happened and that set off an amazing set of events. In the end, the truck was inspected, friends were at our house, food was cooking and the night began to go way too fast.

I can't even begin to express how exhausting the day the previous 24 hours were. I had every emotion and am only wishing now that I had written it all down just so I have a better record of it. EVERYTHING from depressed to hopeful, hopeless to ecstatic. I wasn't on a rollercoaster - I was the rollercoaster.

I barely - barely - got out of bed in the morning. We were so depressed and exhausted from being at the garage until 2 am. It was about 1 am when we saw our dream slip from our hands - the new tires and rims would not fit on the truck, the vent windows were not installed properly and the exhaust was too short.

But we got it all done and inspected, and by "we" I mean Troy. He left the house at 9 am on Friday and I didn't have conversation with him again, alone, until around 6 pm on Saturday. I have no idea what he was feeling or thinking or holding up. And for us, that is abnormal.

Let me just start off by saying thanks to Wendi and Gayle for helping me get food ready while I was trying to talk to Tre about helping to birth 3 babies (yeah Tre!), greeting people, keeping track of Troy and every other visitor and taking my first shower of the day. Wendi pretty much did everything that I wanted to do and got just about everything set up. I mean it when I say she is the best thing to happen to Jerm. And Yana… well hell… she helped me laugh. I needed some of that when I was near tears and super down, so thanks to her.

At around 6 we got everyone down to the Cruise. I was wearing me awesome new dress. Steph and Troy rode up front. Steph did us the greatest kindness and gave us this amazing rug for the interior. It was nicer that I could imagine getting. Jerm, Yana and I all rode in the back while Wendi, Gayle, Ryan and Erin and Jess watched and cheered.

My dress looked something like this. Thanks to Jerm for the pic.



Jerm, Me and Yana.





We said it was awesome many, many times and how the truck was probably the coolest thing in the world. Maybe the best car/truck ever. And the look on people's faces - ha! Raised eyebrows everywhere.

After we came back to the house. Steph and Yana set up dinner, Allen cooked and everyone else kept everyone else entertained. The food was great, the people were great and the night ended up being great. I'm sad Yana didn't feel so great and it sucks that Bill didn't get there until most of the fighting was over, but I hope they both still had a good time.

This is the first time I made macaroni salad and pasta salad. They were both really very good. I officially love macaroni salad now.





Kyle and I had 3 rounds of bare knuckle boxing. I call it a draw even though I look worse for the wear. I don't think that most people realize how I can rumble - there were quite a few oohs and aahhs - but those that have known me longer were not surprised. Best part - the cops were NOT called. Everyone won!

Wendi giving me advice.



I've been in the chicken wing before… many times actually…




My favorite picture. Thanks Jess!




Second favorite picture. Thanks Jerm!




Love this as well. This will help me out for my future PFA.




Can I get overly earnest right now and say I love my friends. Really really love them. The best compliment that I got the entire weekend was from Gayle. Basically, she just listened to all the conversations all night and was just really entertained. "They are all funny!" she said or something like that. What better compliment can you have?

Some people left, some people came (like Bill), and eventually we all went to bed - some of us loudly (sorry gayle!), some of us at 4 a.m.

But it was such a good great day. I am so happy I got to live it.