Yesterday morning, we hit the road bright & early for the Michigan Summer Beer Festival in Ypsilanti. Of course, we had to make a stop at Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor for lunch, which was fabulous as always. I had a great sandwich, but the highlight for me was the Burnt Sugar Gelato. It was so good! Like the top of a creme brulee. Mike bought some fancy cheese and then we pressed on to Ypsi.

When we got to the park, it seemed like there weren’t many people there. I assumed the turnout was weak because it was supposed to thunderstorm all day. Good thing I brought umbrellas & towels. We got a decent parking spot, then headed to the gate. Oops, somehow we went to the back of the park and were at the employee entrance. We had to walk all the way around the park and down a couple of city blocks to reach the front gate. HOLY SMOKES there were about 568975568 waiting to get inside!! We waited in line for a while, marvelling at the assortment of pretzel necklaces people were wearing. At first we thought this was just a sustenance thing, as drinking on an empty stomach is not a good idea, but much later we figured out that the salty pretzels actually cleanse the palate between samples. Next time we will know better and have our own pretzel necklaces. We also saw a few people with Cheeze-Its and pretzels, and even a dude with various types of beef jerky and cheeses on a necklace!!

About the time we were halfway through the line the sun came out and started blazing. It did not stop all day long!! So much for my umbrellas and towels! Since it had rained so much before the fest, the whole park was a grody mud pit. But nobody, including us, really seemed to care that it was hot and muddy and humid and gross. There was beer beyond the gates, and we had work to do. Here’s a pic of us waiting in line. Mikey took the photo, so he’s not pictured.

Once we got inside, Dawn, Peach Pit & I got our cups & tokens. Mike & Peach Fuzz don’t drink beer, so they decided to camp out in the shady food tent while the 3 of us decided to check out our first brewery. The festival was HUGE, with 54 breweries and over 400 beers available to sample. Where to start was a pretty big challenge. Dawn & I diligently checked off the samples we tried on the beer list included in the program. Peach Pit doesn’t even like beer, and was really only there because he heard there was drinking. We even heard him say things like “Give me the lightest beer you have.” Contrarily, Dawn & I studied our list of options carefully before we got into the lines so that we knew what we wanted before getting to the taps.

There were some standouts for me. I loved Olde Peninsula’s Stout Chocula. It’s a little sad that I had to go all the way to Ypsi to sample a beer that is brewed 5 minutes from my house, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles I suppose. I really really enjoyed the Oak Aged Hatter IPA from New Holland. I didn’t even choose that one, Peach Pit did. I got The Poet Oatmeal Stout from New Holland and it wasn’t my fave so we traded. It was so good, though. Smooth, yet still rich. I also really enjoyed Pickle Tink, a strawberry wheat brew from Schmoz in Grand Rapids. It tasted like fresh strawberries. it was very good. I hope I get the chance to try this again sometime when my palate isn’t hosed by drinking 100 different flavors in one sitting. The big winner for me was Old Hat’s Peanut Butter Stout. It was absolutely delightful, and I have fantasies of an Olde Peninsula Stout Chocula/Old Hat Peanut Butter Stout float with vanilla ice cream. I think I need to make that happen this summer.

There were also a few brews that made it into the “Interesting” catergory. We tried a Margarita Shandy from Big Buck that was not bad. It was different than anything else I’ve ever had, that’s for sure. One of these would be good on a hot day, but I don’t think I’d want more than 1 at a time under any circumstance. I also tried the Short’s Imperial Spruce India Pilsner. This one was definitely different – it tasted very pine-y, sort of like a beer-gin hybrid. I didn’t hate it, but I don’t think I’d get that one again. One thing we were really excited about was the Beer Popsicles at the Big Buck booth. We waited in the line 20 minutes only to find out they were all out! They did have Stout ice cream, so I got one. It was really good and chocolate-y, but I realized dairy was maybe not the best choice so I tossed it after a few bites. They also had a beer Slip N’ Slide towards the end of the day!!

I like a lot of Short’s beers, so I bought a T-shirt, and I got a brewfest T as well. All in all, it was a super fun day. I would absolutely do this again, but I think I’d do the bus tour next time, because poor Mike & Peach Fuzz were pretty bored most of the day. I know they had fun at Zingerman’s, but the Beer Fest itself didn’t have much that was of interest to them, sadly.

Here’s my faorite picture from the day. Dawn took this pic of the 2 of us, but Peach Pit was feeling left out so he had to make his presence known, too. The end result is just adorable.

I also did this. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I love me some sand messages.

On Saturday, the boys went fishing while the girls stayed at the cottage and hit the beach. It was warm, but breezy – a perfect day for lounging by the surf. I slathered on sunscreen but still managed to get burned wicked back on the tops of my feet. Ugh, they still hurt. Anyway, we had a blast, and it was a nice relaxing little mini-getaway. There are lots more pics, and you can see a slide show here.

Aside from that, not too much is going on. I haven’t knit a stitch in quite a while, but I really need to get back on it. Mike’s mom told me last week that the big show in November is definitely on, so I need to get some stuff ready. I am thinking mittens to start with because I can knock them out so fast. I also have a great idea for some ornaments I want to do. They’re not knit, but I think they’re going to be really sweet. I guess I need to get a plan and make some lists.

I’ve been spending most of my time reading. After seeing Eclipse, I got sucked into reading the Twilight Saga again. This time around I read Twilight and Midnight Sun together – a chapter of one, then the matching chapter of the other. I thoroughly enjoyed reading them that way. It was so much easier to compare & contrast the two perspectives while each was still fresh in my mind. I burned through those and also New Moon, and now I’m a little more than halfway through Eclipse. After I finish these, I might need to take a break while I get a jump on some crafty goodness.

I’m stoked for the beer fest this weekend! It’s going to be totally sweet. I’m so looking forward to it because I heart beer and road trips. I also heart Zingermann’s, and I am pretty sure we will have lunch there. Woot! I need to get some fun road trip activities planned. I’m thinking Mad Libs for sure, but I’m open to suggestions, so if you have any, let’s hear them!

After the nomriffic lunch we went to the Rave to see Toy Story 3. GREAT movie, dudes. Like the first 2 before it, this movie really delivered. There were some great new characters. Lotso the bear was a great villain. Plus, Barbie & Ken!! There were so great. I loved Ken’s little fashion show for Barbie. The movie was all around awesome, and the ending was so touching – Mike & I cried like two little girls. It was a great movie, and if you haven’t seen it, do so. Skip the 3D, though – I don’t think it really added anything to the story at all, plus it gives me a wicked headache.

Saturday, Dawn, Rachel & I finally went to see Eclipse. While my expectations were understandably low based on the previous 2 movies in the saga, I was still hopeful. So hopeful that I was really scared my hopes would be dashed and I would be disappointed again, only even worse this time. My fears were unfounded!! Eclipse was my favorite of all of the books, and I think they FINALLY got it right. Don’t get me wrong, if I could turn back time (If I could find a way! I’d take back those words that have hurt you….oops. Sorry) I would recast the hell out of all 3 of these movies. Since that is not possible at this juncture, I will say that everything outside of that worked for me in this movie. I was super nervous that my favorite scene from the book would be foiled, but I think they played it off just right. It had the perfect tone and accomplished what the book did. Things I wasn’t crazy about: The new Victoria’s hair, Jacob wearing a shirt WAY too often, and a few other little tiny details that nobody else would probably notice or care about. Subtle things I LOVED: Edward saying “Doesn’t he own a shirt?” referring to Jacob’s abs of fury, and Jacob saying to Edward “We both know I’m hotter than you.” WORD.

Ok, speaking of recasting the hell out of the saga, this guy is my pick for Edward. Justin Hartley, also known as the Green Arrow. This guy would make RPattz look like a bumbling fool. Well, RPattz kind of does that on his own. Anyway, here’s a sample. Type this guy’s name into a Google image search to see even more (READ: shirtless). Jacob is awesome & gets to stay as is. Also, Bella should be someone else. Anyone else, really.

On Sunday, I went over to the SPCA for my volunteer orientation. It was very cool. It’s kind of heartbreaking to see all of the animals caged up and desperate for adoption. And on the other hand, it’s sobering to realize that without this organization, these animals wouldn’t be here at all. I am really excited to get involved and help out in any way that I can. I plan to focus on the cats in Kitty City, but one of my personal goals is to get a little more comfortable with dogs as well. I don’t dislike them, I’m just a little scared of bigger dogs because I don’t have any experience with them. So hopefully I can change that.

After orientation we hosted Crappy Movie Sunday. This week’s feature was Snakes on a Plane. We really did things up with flower leis and fake snakes. Of course, we had an awesome time. I am working on the blog post, and it’ll be up in a few days over at Crappy Movie Sunday.

I’m really really excited that Mike & I are going out of town for a few days! We are heading up north to stay at a cottage on Lake Michigan. I truly can’t wait!! It’s going to be so fun to get out of here for a bit.

We are planning a multi-pronged attack angaint the criiters. First, we bought a squirrel dome that will go over the feeder to keep fat critters off of it. We are also going to lube the pole with vegetable oil or maybe Vaseline so tiny paws will have a hard time scaling it. We also mixed cayenne pepper in with the bird seed. I read online that squirrels hate cayenne, but that birds can’t taste it. We are going to get our new (hopefully) squirrel-proof feeder set up this weekend. I’ll keep you posted on the results.

Everything else has been pretty good. George was gone camping last weekend, so Mike & I had the house to ourselves, and didn’t really do a whole lot. On Saturday my mom & I went out garage sale scouting, and my big find was a beer drinking board game called Chug-A-Lug from the early 80’s. The box cover photo is priceless and it even says “Beverages Not Included” just so there’s no confusion. I’m pretty sure this was a steal for 50 cents. Can’t wait to give it a whirl soon. We also went to Milham Park for the big craft show. Truthfully, it was a little disappointing. I didn’t see too much of interest, and all I bought was some fudge and some jerky for Mike.

We did have Crappy Movie Sunday, and this week we watched Twilight. It turned into a spirited debate of why Twilight’s vamps aren’t “real” vamps because Stepenie Meyer didn’t go along with the established vampire lore. The dudes are just really mad that Edward glitters in the sun and they don’t. Dawn & I tried to stand behind the actual story and the books (not necessarily the movie, which we know is crap), but the dudes are adamant that Twilight is lame and all vamps are made way lamer because of it’s existence. Or something. Jacob didn’t even take his shirt off in this movie, so I don’t know why the boys were feeling so threatened anyway. PS – can’t wait for Eclipse! It looks like it might actually be good! Dawn & I are going to see it next weekend in an effort to avoid the (other) screaming fangirls. We really want to be the only screaming fangirls, and that just won’t be possible on opening weekend.

Another exciting thing that’s going on is that I am going to garden. I have zero experience, but I asked a lot of questions and I think I have everything I need. So tomorrow is the big day & I will actually be planting things in the ground and hoping like hell that they survive more than a week. For those interested, I will be planting orange & yellow Celosia in the front window box, pink & white Astilbe in the large planter at the corner of the backyard, and hot pink Impatiens for the window boxes on the shed. Mike even got me a wheelbarrow to haul my soil and tools around the yard. So I own a wheelbarrow and I am going to plant things. I am so hoping this doesn’t turn out badly. I have a long list of things I want to accomplish tomorrow and they all relate to the outdoors, which is typically not my thing. Wish me luck, dudes.

Yesterday was Mike & I’s 6th wedding anniversary. We went out for dinner at this place down the street called Zooroona. It’s a Middle Eastern restaraunt and the atmosphere was so cool. But it didn’t hold a candle to the food – it was AMAZING. If you dig Middle Eastern food at all, this is the place to go. We ended up getting a 2 person sampler platter and we were very happy with everything we got. I usually don’t care for lamb, but the lamb & beef kebab turned out to be my very favorite thing that we got. We had a great time together and a great meal. After dinner we just ran around and shopped a little. We had a fun date and a stellar anniversary.

Today was Crappy Movie Sunday, natch, and this week we watched Tank Girl. I had seen a little of it years ago, but stopped watching because it was terrible. I was lured in by being promised that Ice-T was in it. I am a big fan of the T. But, wow, even T couldn’t save this trainwreck of a film. Not only was I sad that he was involved in such a disgrace, but he was a Mangaroo on top of that!!

Ok, as for TV, I’m plugging away at Lost, but season 5 is really tough for me. I really think this is the worst part of the show so far. I really don’t think it bodes well that every season I have thought it couldn’t possibly get any worse, and yet I am shocked to find that it has. I’m still hopeful for a great payoff in the end, but I’m really not holding my breath. Mike & I are still watching Buffy too, and we are about a third of the way through season 3. We still have a LONG way to go, but we are really enjoying it. I’m considering watching Dark Shadows on Netflix, too, but there are SO MANY episodes! I’m not sure I’m ready for the time commitment it will take. A season is about 40 episodes, and there are 20 seasons!! I’m still mulling this one over, I don’t know if I can handle all that. Anyone seen it? If you have an opinion about it either way, I’d love to hear it. And I’m talking about the original BTW, from 1966, not the 80s redo.

On Sunday, we had the gang over for Crappy Movie Sunday of course. This week we never really got around to planning for a movie, so Clovis brought a stack of kung fu movis over with him. We chose a movie called Chocolate that turned out to be sad, depressing, gory, and also a little absurd. We all had a great time watching it, though. After the movie we had some snackies and beers, discussed the concept of shame and how it impacts our daily lives, then we played the telephone game. The telephone game is pretty much a guaranteed good time, and we all loved it.

Yesterdy, we had my family over for a Memorial Day BBQ. It was a totally sucky and rainy day, but Mike is a trooper and stood outside grilling while holding an umbrella the whole time. We had some delicious eats, and we all enjoyed chatting and hanging out together. I made a yummy strawberry shortcake, and then I kept the strawberry tops and made fresh strawberry juice, which was really really tasty. Anyway, despite the weather, it was a great day, and a great holiday weekend.

Quick knitting update: I finished a pair of socks the other day. I think the socks theselves turned out great, but man is it some ugly sock yarn. I bought it on clearance, and I knew it wasn’t my favorite color combination, but it’s even uglier than I anticipated. I call these Toxic Sock Syndrome.

As for the sock yarn binky, there hasn’t been much progres. It’s just large enough that I don’t want to work on it when it’s hot, so I haven’t done a whole lot with it recently.

Houseboating last weekend was awesome as always! I didn’t take many pics because the landscape really hasn’t changed, plus it was rainy and/or overcast for most of the trip this time. The weather has been better, but trust me, none of us cared. We made the best of it and still had a ball. Shawn & I finally decided that we are equals when it comes to drunken Scattergories. So the grudge match is finally over and we can all rest easy. Pics are over at my Flickr, and here’s a video that I LOVE. Casey & Mike are singing along with 90’s on 9 and it’s so great. You’ll love it. Click here: Just a Dream. NSFW because Mikey says a naughty at the end. I know, I’m disappointed, too. I would have loved to embed it BTW, but Flickr and Wordpress can’t seem to play nice. I am having some kind of ongoing issue with uploading stuff to Wordpress. Super frustrating! Grrrr.

The week went by super fast since we didn’t get home until late Monday night, then Mike had Tuesday off. That left me only 2 days to get all of my usual stuff done before Friday!! So I was pretty busy with chores & such. We had another busy weekend, too. Sunday we had the latest edition of Crappy Movie Sunday – the dance classic Breakin’. Our rehash will be on the CMS blog in a day or 2. After the movie we grilled some yummy ribs (that Clovis made) and some burgers. It was quite a fiesta! We had a full house and tons of yummy eats. After we ate, the whole gang, except for Mike & I, headed downstairs to watch the big Lost finale. I’m not caught up yet and Mike has no interest, so we went to the man cave and had a romantic date watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We’re about halfway through season 2 and it’s really starting to get good. As for Lost, I’m about 2/3 of the way through season 3. Man, is it a crazy and intense show.

My friend Dawn has convinced me that I need to sign up for Netflix so I can get all the sweet TV shows streaming. You know I love television, so it was pretty easy to sway me. As soon as I finish season 3 of Lost, I am going to sign up for the 2 week trial thingy and get rolling on season 4. I can’t wait to get a look at hat my options will be!! I’m really really excited about this.

Friday afternoon we went to Noah’s school for a music program. It was very cool. They sang a song about a bull and acted out different parts with song and they played intruments, and they had a fun little parade. It was really awesome, and we were very impressed by the kid’s music skills. Here’s some pictures.

On Saturday, we took my mom out for a mother’s day dinner. She picked Red Lobster, so we took her there. We had a great time and we gorged ourselves on cheesy biscuits and seafood. We had a great time and I hope she did too. Since I’ve been doing so much artwork lately, I made her a pretty watercolor painting of a vase of flowers in a little glass frame. I think it turned out pretty nice and she seemed to like it too.

On Sunday we went to Grand Rapid for Mother’s Day with Mike’s family, which was also nice. We went to Frederick Meijer gardens, which I love anyway because I like flowers and sculpture, but there is a new exhibit of blown glass sculptures by Dal Chihuly. I LOVED it to say the least. It was amazing and beautiful. I took some amazing photos, here are a few of my favorites.

These are just my favorites, there are so many more at my Flickr page, link is on the right. The second photo is a new piece called Blue Moon, and it was my favorite. I took several photos, and none of them do it justice. I just couldn’t seem to get a good photo from where I was. It is so amazing in person. If you get a chance to visit the gardens before this exhibit ends, you really should. It’s so worth it. I definitely would go back. One thing I found interesting is that for the larger sculptures made up of thousands of pieces of glass, the pieces arrive individually, and then it takes a team of 90 three weeks to put them all together to prepare for the exhibit. Incredible. I loved the blown glass reeds, as pictured in the third photo here, the tall blue pieces. There were lots of these around the gardens in all different colors and I think they are so cool.

After the gardens, we raced home for Crappy Movie Sunday. Last night’s feature was Purple Rain. We will have a rehash up on the blog in the next few days, so keep an eye out.

I finally finished season 2 of Lost, and I am just about to embark into totally unknown territory – season 3. I’m excited and also terrified. Wish me luck!

Oh, and houseboating is this weekend!! I could not be more excited!! I’m going to be on a boat!!! Definitely packing my flippy floppies and planning to ride a dolphin.

Last week, I had my orientation for a volunteer position, and today I have my hands on training. I’ll be working at a volunteer run charity thrift store! I’m excited about it, and I think it’s going to be really fun. I am definitely going to do this at least one day a week, maybe even 2. I’ll get my schedule all firmed up after my training session this afternoon. I LOVE thrift shopping, so I think this is going to be awesome.

Crappy Movie Sunday continued yesterday with the latest installment – Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon. The CMS blog is all up in your grill here (I also added it to my links over on the right). If you haven’t seen this movie, I’m really not sure what you’re waiting for. It’s a kung-fu classic with music from DeBarge, so if that doesn’t have you running to the video store to rent a copy, then you must be crazy. Oh, and don’t forget to follow Crappy Movie Sunday on Twitter for all the latest.

We are houseboating in Kentucky in less than 2 weeks, and I could NOT be any more excited than I am right now. I can’t wait!! I found out last week who is going, and that made me even more excited. It’s an awesome group and it will be a ball. Pls it will be totally sweet to get out of town for a bit and relax with my homies. YAY!!