Independence Day Weekend!!

LizzyTish88

Happy Friday! This weekend is one of my favorites of the whole year!! 

Just have to get through the morning and then I am out of here at noon. Have to run to wally world to get party supplies then run home and start scrubbing the house. Tonight we are going to lay low and get stuff done around the house.

Tomorrow my aunt is having a party but BF might stay home and get our yard ready. 

Sunday is our big party! I can't wait, it's so fun every year. We get burgers and dogs, and everyone brings a side/app/dessert and it's a huge party. We have yard games and music. One of the many reasons I LOVE our backyard.

Monday will be cleaning from the party and going somewhere to see fireworks! It will be so nice to just relax on the 4th this year. 

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Now some questions!

Any exciting plans this weekend?
Do you have a special 4th outfit?
Are you going to see fireworks?
What is your favorite part of a cookout?

[Deleted User]

@LizzyTish88 Have a great 4th party! It sounds like it's going to be a blast!

Yesterday I scored my Peachtree Roadrace outfit for a great price! I'm so excited to wear it! Then I went to CrossFit last night and made Black bean and corn salsa chicken.

Today I need to pack myself, DH, and Callie since we are going to Columbus this weekend for DH's grandmother's 90th birthday. Turning 90 in China is a big deal and they go all out for their parties. So it's going to be a pretty big party. DH has to work tonight so hopefully I can get all the things packed.

Saturday we are leaving for Columbus which is only a couple hours away. This will be Callie's first hotel stay so hopefully she will get some sleep or else we might all be grumpy.

Sunday we are heading back home early since DH has to work all day and I'll probably spend the day with my family since we are staying there over night for the Peachtree.

Monday morning @labro and my family and I are running the largest 10k in the country. After that I plan to cook a big dinner for the 4th consisting of crab stuffed tilapia, Parmesan baked tomatoes, and strawberry cheesecake bites. I don't know if I want to keep Callie awake all night just to see fireworks. She would probably get pissed so we might not go and see them but maybe we will do some small ones ourselves.

Any exciting plans this weekend?
Running the peachtree!

Do you have a special 4th outfit?
Nope but Callie does! It's so adorable! I can't wait to AW it.

Are you going to see fireworks?
I don't think so, they might be too late for Callie.

What is your favorite part of a cookout?
The food and drinks lol

PamBeesly524

Morning!

@LizzyTish88 your party sounds so fun! I'm so glad the weather will be great for you guys, hope it's a blast!

I'm out of here early today too, I cannot wait. I plan on heading over to the nearby college to find a tree to relax and read under until H goes home. We're grabbing dinner out tonight and then having a low key night together. We literally have no big plans this weekend so the next 3 days seem full of possibilities! haha we might (read: WILL) go to the beach one day, and we have to fit a 10 mile run in somewhere. I can't wait!

Any exciting plans this weekend? See above - hopefully the beach! Boston area folks, what's your favorite beach to go to?

Do you have a special 4th outfit? Nope. I almost bought these really cute Keds because I don't have cute sneakers and I figured they'd work year round, but I forgot. http://www.keds.com/en/champion-americana-stripe/22431W.html?dwvar_22431W_color=WF54543 

Are you going to see fireworks? I hope so! We never go into the city because I'm assuming it's a nightmare, but last year we went to a neighboring town and it was really nice.

What is your favorite part of a cookout? What ISN'T my favorite part?! Sun, beer, grilled foods, friends. 

PamBeesly524

@southernpeach89 Good luck at the race! It's so cool that you guys do that every year. And $11 for the outfit, right? INSANE!

LizzyTish88

@southernpeach89 Congrats on scoring your outfit at such a great price! I can't wait to see Callie's outfit!

@PamBeesly524 How far are you willing to go for a beach? There are a ton of nice ones down near me, but they might be 45ish minutes from you. The best ones are over the bridge, but no one wants to go near there this weekend! 



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Any exciting plans this weekend?
See my post above, our huge party! Any localish NEYers are free to come by!

Do you have a special 4th outfit?
Today I have on a red shirt from Vickie's that has a front pocket flag, and on Sunday I am wearing my red and white striped tank from SF. 

Are you going to see fireworks?
Yes, Monday night.

What is your favorite part of a cookout?
Food, Beer, Sunshine and Family.

PamBeesly524

@LizzyTish88 I think any decent beach is going to be at least 45 minutes from us so I'm open to anywhere but Cape Cod! Although I think anywhere we try to go will be a busy nightmare...

speakeasy14

@LizzyTish88 Your party sounds like a lot of fun! 

I am in such an amazing mood today! After my bf picked me up in his new car, my step dad called and said to talk to him before we buy a car.  Turns out his boss is selling is Rav4.  I test drove it last night and loved it.  My bf is checking it out now, and hopefully by the end of the day I'll have a new to me car!  And then we'll be a Toyota family.

Any exciting plans this weekend?
This whole weekend is packed.  Tomorrow I'm going to the beach with my best friend and a bunch of her friends.  Tomorrow night I'm going to Dave & Busters with all my siblings to celebrate my youngest sister's boyfriend's birthday.

Sunday the whole family is going to my mom's to have a bbq and celebrate her birthday.

Monday, depending on my bf's work schedule, we may go to the lake or go kayaking with Calla.  Also will stop by friends for bbqs.  The plan is to be home by 8, so we can take care of Calla before the fireworks start.  She does not handle them well at all.

Do you have a special 4th outfit?
I got this dress the other day:




Are you going to see fireworks?
If there are any from my yard.  

What is your favorite part of a cookout?
BBQ food, good drinks, good company -- usually we bring out a tarp and make a giant slip n slide

LizzyTish88

@PamBeesly524 Whitehorse in Plymouth is awesome. It won't be too bad during the day, but at night it will get crazy, especially on the 3rd since they do a huge party that night. Horseneck in Westport is good too, but depending on where you're coming from, it might be a hike for you. That is the one @500days and I were talking about going to together. 

@speakeasy14 Love that dress!! So pretty! We bought a slip and slide this year, to play slip and slide flip cup. We got one of those huge blow-up waterslides the last two years, but last year it was close to $500 and no one used it. So we scaled it way down this year.

PamBeesly524

@LizzyTish88 Thanks for the suggestions!

@speakeasy14 Congrats on the car! That dress is so pretty.

GoldenPenguin

Happy Friday!! 

@southernpeach89 - I cannot WAIT to see Callie's 4th outfit! Good luck to you & @LaBro & the fam in the race!

@LizzyTish88 - You have such a fun weekend planned! I wish I was closer, I'd totally stop by for your party!

@PamBeesly524 - I'm always going to recommend Maine beaches I think you're right though, no matter where you go, it's going to be super busy. I hope you have fun!

@speakeasy14 - Fingers crossed for the car to work out!! It would be so nice for you to finally not have to worry about stupid vehicles anymore!

I'm working from home today. I have a second fence guy coming for an estimate at 9:30, then I'll just work & hang out with the pups for the rest of the day. H is working in Vermont, so he'll be home this afternoon and then we're in for the weekend. 

We're going to go car shopping tomorrow - we're going to definitely go to Honda and Subaru (there are two dealerships right next to each other) and possibly Mazda, since there's one of those right near our house too. I'm not sure if we'll end up with anything this weekend, but we're getting the ball rolling. 

The rest of the weekend we have nothing planned, except some cleaning up around the house. Last year I thought that we'd be able to see the fireworks from the city from our house but the trees block them, so we might drive up like five minutes away where there's the most beautiful view of the skyline & catch them there. I do love fireworks. 

Any exciting plans this weekend?
Just car shopping!

Do you have a special 4th outfit?
I'm wearing my LLR blue leggings with white & red arrows, if that counts?

Are you going to see fireworks?
Maybe

What is your favorite part of a cookout?
FOOD. And when we have a fire. I love sitting around a fire pit. 

PamBeesly524

@GoldenPenguin Are there any special 4th of July car deals? I hope you find one! It's funny that you mention Maine beaches because I almost ALWAYS drag H to Wells because I grew up going there. Even though it's farther away, I'm familiar with it and I know the parking, best places to be, etc. so I'm comfortable with it. We'll most likely end up there this weekend if I can convince him to take the trip

speakeasy14

@LizzyTish88 we just get tarps, hay bales, and dish soap.  My bf's parents' property is on a huge slope so we make a ridiculously long slip n slide.  They used to not get the hale bales, but too many people ended up in pricker bushes, so now the hay bales are a barrier. We haven't tried slip n slide flip cup yet though.  May have to make that suggestion. 

[Deleted User]

@speakeasy14 - Your post makes me smile all around, but especially that dress!  I love it!

@labro and @southernpeach89 - Good luck on the Peachtree!

Morning everybody!  I was slow getting started this morning, and now I'm feeling slow at the office...I just don't want to do anything!  But I have 500 words left to write on this project and then I'm done, so I'm at least going to get that done.  This evening I'm going to get a workout in, so help me God.  I've been really bad with food this week (that trunk full of chocolate is basically gone...) so I'm trying to get back on track.

Any exciting plans this weekend?
Nope.  Unless sitting on the couch watching episode after episode of the X-Files counts.

Do you have a special 4th outfit?
Most likely running clothes and then sweatpants.  I do have some running shorts that look like fireworks; maybe I'll wear those.

Are you going to see fireworks?
Probably not.  It would mean going alone and fighting huge crowds and I'm not sure I want to do that.

What is your favorite part of a cookout?
I love the food of course.  But sitting around drinking and talking is probably my favorite part. 

wink0erin

@LizzyTish88 Your party sounds so fun! Hope it's great!
@southernpeach89 Have fun at the 10k!!! Your food descriptions just made me drool. Yummmm. 
@speakeasy14 Giant slip n slide sounds FUN
@PamBeesly524 I'm no help with beach ideas, but let me say how jealous I am that you only have to drive an hour for one. If I want to see the coast it takes me at least 6 hours. WAHH!! 

For some reason I have "defying gravity" stuck in my head this morning. I'm not mad about it. I'm in a kind of grouch mood so the song playing through my mind is nice. Perhaps I shall BLAST IT in my office soon. 

Today is my one year dating anniversary with BF, which is nuts, because it both feels like it's been longer than a year and that it's flown by. We are getting sushi later at the place our friends work, so that should be fun.

This is honestly the first time I've ever had a real one-year anniversary with a BF, and it's also the first time I actually know what day we started dating (mostly because he asked me out, I said "no thanks, not yet, lets still be friends, k?" we continued to hang out and around a month later I said "ok lets do this.")  

The above paragraph kind of blows my mind because I'm 30. Like, shit, I know 16 year olds who have had one-year anniversaries. It's not that I didn't date, it's just that I usually dumped them after a few months because I'm a cold bitch with a low tolerance for BS, and the two longer-term BFs were conveniently never actually dating me on the 1-year anniversary. It blows my mind it took me this long to be in a healthy, stable relationship! 

Any exciting plans this weekend? I have no specific plans other than dinner tonight! Usually my 4th weekends end up coming together last second, so I'm sure something will pop up. 
Do you have a special 4th outfit? I have a couple different tank tops. Last year I made one out of a hilarious Walmart tshirt and I might wear it again this year, but I also have a USA tank top I bought recently. 
Are you going to see fireworks? I will probably head downtown on the 3rd for the fireworks. I'm afraid it'll be crazier than usual, but I usually park a half mile away at my workplace to avoid traffic.  
What is your favorite part of a cookout? FOOD. BEER. 

eilis1228

TGIF, guys. TGIF.

I'm so relieved that it's July. If I don't get that job, the plus side is that work will calm down significantly in the next week or two. Our new fiscal year starts today, so as soon we close the books on the previous fiscal year, life should return to normal. In the meantime, I'll be frantically working on outstanding billing issues, quotes, orders, etc. Today will be a long day.

Oh, I forgot to update on the job lead. They scheduled another phone interview for today with the sales director. They couldn't give me a specific time... just sometime before 10am, which is in about 30 minutes. Definitely annoyed, but I also realize it's a good sign too. 

This week flew by so fast that H and I never made plans for the weekend. It will probably be a quiet, lazy weekend, which sounds really nice. H has been working a lot lately as well. We will happily be hermits over the long weekend.

I'll come back and reply to everyone in a bit. Sorry I'm a crappy friend this week!

cu97tiger

@southernpeach89 and @labro - I remember two things from the Peachtree when I ran it 12'ish years ago.... it was HOT and HILLY. Yuck But it was still a cool thing to do!

@speakeasy14 - Cute dress!

I'm so glad this week is almost over. 4 more work days after today and then it's VACATION TIME!! 

I need to run tomorrow morning, then Crossfit Sunday and run again Monday. I need to figure out how to fit running and CF in before my mileage gets too high!

I did find out this morning that someone else on my Ragnar team wants the long legs that I had, so I'm thrilled to drop down to something more manageable.

Any exciting plans this weekend?
Not really. H wants to stay close to home, so we might go to our friends pool, but otherwise I'll probably attack one or two closets in the house, and just relax! Monday I need to go grocery shopping for my FILs arrival on Wednesday.

Do you have a special 4th outfit?
I have a workout tank-top that has a flag on it, so I'm sure I'll wear that on Sunday.

Are you going to see fireworks?
Yep! H has to work Monday but I'm sure we'll walk over to the park at some point.

What is your favorite part of a cookout?
Being with friends!

cu97tiger

@wink0erin - I only ever had 1 year anniversaries with two people. One when I was 26, and then H when I was 33. I don't think there's anything wrong with it... no need to stay with crappy people just to make it to a year! I hope you guys have a great anniversary.

That reminds me, 5 years ago today, H asked me to marry him (here's my AW thread). Love that man!

ETA: Apparently this is the thread with the whole story.

LizzyTish88

@cu97tiger I remember that! I just went through the thread thinking "I know I congratulated her.. and I did! LOL. Happy engage-aversary! 

speakeasy14

@wink0erin that just means you didn't put up with bad relationships! So woohoo for 1 year!!!

@cu97tiger I forget, what are you doing for your vacation?

@PamBeesly524 Are the kitters getting along better?





My bf was trying to be sneaky and surprise me, but he needed a copy of my license and social.  He apologized for the hell he put me through with not putting more pressure on the mechanic, and not realizing how upset I've been.  So I now know that he bought me a car!!!!!! I now have a Toyota Rav4!

wink0erin

@speakeasy14 That's a good way of putting it! AND OMG YAYYYY CARRRRRR

PamBeesly524

@speakeasy14 that's so cute that he was trying to surprise you! And thanks for asking - they actually DO seem to be getting along a lot better. They are still fighting but it seems to be a bit more playful and it's less and less often every day. Last night Cooper pinned LC down and bit her but then I caught him cleaning her after so I think they might be in love haha.

cu97tiger

@speakeasy14 - Yay for a new car!! H and I are joining my parents, one of my aunts and uncles (like one couple, no idea how to say it without sounding odd. I have 18 aunts and uncles, so I felt I needed to specify that only one couple was coming).  ANYWAYYYYYY - we're going to the 1000 Islands. Google images search 'Wellesley Island 1000 islands' and you'll get an idea what I'm looking forward to!

speakeasy14

@cu97tiger That sounds like a great trip! I've always wanted to explore the castle there

AlPacina

@LizzyTish88 – I hope you have such an amazing party this weekend! It sounds like a freaking great time……. N/m, you’re already off work.

@speakeasy14 – So much car news! It probably feels like being able to take your first shower after being stranded in the wilderness for a month. I LOVE THAT DRESS. What sort of neckline does it have in the front?

@wink0erin – Wait until you’re about to leave, then just blast “SO IF YOU CARE TO FIND ME, LOOK TO THE WESTERN SKYYY……” and stand on your desk singing along at the top of your lungs……… And happy anniversary! There is nothing bad to be said about someone who hasn’t found a long term relationship before. It’s mostly that the right person hadn’t come around yet. And I don’t think you deserve to call yourself a cold bitch. I think you’re warm and sweet.

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Any exciting plans this weekend?

BF and I are driving to my hometown tomorrow to stay with my parents and enjoy the pool for basically two days straight. The next town over has fireworks on Saturday, so we might go watch those. On the 4th itself we'll probably just hunker down and keep the dog happy. Hopefully our neighbors are big celebrators, so we can just enjoy their fireworks.

Do you have a special 4th outfit?

Um........... no.

Are you going to see fireworks?

Only maybe. I'm still not completely recovered from our fiasco last year.

What is your favorite part of a cookout?

I almost always get to try some foods I've never tried before.

speakeasy14

@alpacina this is the front.  With my butt it's a little shorter, but I really like it.  I got it off a place called The Rage.  I also got two tunics and a really short (like I'm going to make it a top short) hot pink strapless  dress. -- I'm on freaking cloud 9 with the car stuff.  

AlPacina

@speakeasy14 - It looks like a really cute dress overall! I have to make most dresses into shirts, haha.

speakeasy14 said:

@alpacina this is the front.  With my butt it's a little shorter, but I really like it.  I got it off a place called The Rage.  I also got two tunics and a really short (like I'm going to make it a top short) hot pink strapless  dress. -- I'm on freaking cloud 9 with the car stuff.  

[Deleted User]

Ok I finished putting together DH's grandmother's bday gift. DH is part Chinese and his grandmother is full Chinese and this is her 90th birthday so in Chinese culture it's a big celebration and they usually receive peaches as a wish for a long and healthy life. So I put together a "peach" themed basket for her. This is what it includes: 8 fresh Georgia peaches, Georgia Peach Salsa, Peach Butter, Peach pecan preserve, and Peach Pepper Jelly. I hope she likes it lol:

AlPacina

southernpeach89 said:

Ok I finished putting together DH's grandmother's bday gift. DH is part Chinese and his grandmother is full Chinese and this is her 90th birthday so in Chinese culture it's a big celebration and they usually receive peaches as a wish for a long and healthy life. So I put together a "peach" themed basket for her. This is what it includes: 8 fresh Georgia peaches, Georgia Peach Salsa, Peach Butter, Peach pecan preserve, and Peach Pepper Jelly. I hope she likes it lol:

@southernpeach89 - What a coincidence! I'm also Chinese and turning 90! You don't happen to have any peaches left you wanna send ME, do you?

[Deleted User]

@AlPacina Haha yes...all the peaches for you for a long and healthy life!

eilis1228

@LizzyTish88 Your party sounds amazing! I hope you guys have a ton of fun!

@southernpeach89 Good luck at the 10k! PS: Your 4th dinner sounds AMAZING. I am drooling.

@PamBeesly524 Are you a Gilmore Girls fan? Your reading under a tree plans reminded me of Rory studying at Yale. Regardless, that sounds fabulous and so relaxing. What book are you reading?

@speakeasy14 1. I LOVE that dress! 2. I'm crossing every appendage that the RAV4 works out! How awesome would it be for you guys to get 2 cars in one week?! JK just saw that your BF bought the car! 

@GoldenPenguin Sending you ALL the car shopping vibes!

@futuremrshistorian I didn't get a chance to comment yesterday, but OMG TRUNK OF CHOCOLATE! That is the most amazing gift ever. Wow.

@wink0erin HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Like @cu97tiger, I've only had one other anniversary celebration with a partner other than H. I think it's great that you really take the time to think about a partner before starting a relationship, and it also makes anniversaries that much more special for you. I hope you two have a wonderful evening

@cu97tiger Happy proposal-versary!
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I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently it was between me and one other person, but the director of sales was more impressed with me. I should get the offer letter next week. 



Blah, now I have to go try and focus on my current job. 

speakeasy14

@eilis1228 YAY!!!!!!!