Category Archives: reminiscing

Kalamazoo for the weekend

July 10, 2012

This past weekend some good friends of mine from college were having a baby shower. Since I didn’t have a car in Austin and won’t be in Michigan long enough to justify getting a car I decided to take the bus. It was actually not quite as bad as I expected. It was nice and cool, I had my own 2 seats with a charger, and I had plenty of time to work on my knitting baby shower gifts (about 9 hours, it would take 5 if one were to drive).

I went to school in Kalamazoo and still have a handful of friends there. I love the feeling I get when I’m there. It’s such a familiar place with so many memories. Since I left about 4 years ago this is only my second trip back. I’m glad I had a bit more time on this particular trip to visit some of my favorite places.

I stayed with my friends who are expecting and on Saturday I borrowed a bike to visit the farmer’s market. You know I’m a sucker for a farmer’s market and I do remember how much I loved it when I lived there. Despite the souring temperatures I rode all the way there with out passing out from heat stroke and had a nice time shopping around and chatting with an old friend once I stopped sweating so much and hydrated. Ha!

It was a bit of a dry weekend, as far as drinking goes, with a baby coming.  On my last day though when I was on my own and waiting for the bus I stopped into Bell’s Brewery for a beer before boarding the bus. Good thing it was only a quarter of a mile away. I got back just in time to head back home. Next time I visit I get to meet a new friend, a sweet baby girl. I can’t wait!

Happy 4th of July!

July 4, 2012

Now that I’m back in Northern Michigan for the summer what better way to celebrate than a parade! I’m from a super small town and most of the year not much goes on here. My dad lives about 3 miles from “downtown” tucked away in the woods. If you were to go into town you would find a post office, a general store/gas station, a bar maybe 2 bars and not much else. What does go on here though is the biggest little 4th in the north. Everyone around here gets super excited about it and our little town gets filled to the brim with locals and guests. It all starts off with a parade and continues  through the day with a beer tent, food and vendors and then right around dark there are fireworks at the park.

I don’t ever remember going to the parade but I went to the fireworks a few times in high school with friends of mine. The last few years I was home there was a tradition of volleyball on the beach at a friends place and swimming when it got too hot. Instead of watching fireworks in a crowded park we would lay on the beach while our friend’s dad let off his own fireworks right over our heads and we all hoped they wouldn’t actually hit us.

All those traditions are over now with everyone having gone their own way so this year I went back home for the 4th. My dad and I drove the 3 miles into town with the dog and sat by the side of the road while the parade went by and the candy went flying. It was actually kind of fun and it was nice running into old friends along the way.

I’m hoping to catch the fireworks later too! Woo! Happy 4th everyone! Stay safe.

Road trip home

After my going away party I had one more day in Austin. I went to work and said bye to all of my coworkers, picked up the U-haul trailer I’d be towing all my things in, moved everything and packed it all once again, and took in my last night in Austin sitting on the porch with my dad and Katie. It was nice to have the last night be sort of quiet and reflective. It was perfect.

The next morning I threw the last few items in the car and said a quick goodbye to Katie so I wouldn’t get too sad and my dad and I were off, on our way back to Michigan. It took us 3 days driving about 8-9 hours per day. I say us but I should be saying my dad since I didn’t do any of the driving. When I wasn’t sleeping though I provided some company. We listened to books on tape, ate really awful road food, and I worked on some knitting projects. All of the motels we stayed at were dog friendly which was good since my dad’s German Shepard Mago was along for the ride. Surprisingly, despite being right off the freeway, they weren’t so bad. The first one had a little lake behind it with a trail. It’s called Mammoth lake since apparently they found a Mammoth there while building the freeway. The second, in Cloverdale, IN, looked out onto some sort of farming field. It was pleasant.

Despite the fairly smooth drive and not so seedy motels after 3 days we were more than ready to be at our destination. We celebrated by having some Michigan wine out on the porch and listing to the whippoorwill do it’s thing.