Firsts - Heartbreak Hotel (aka Crushing Cancellations)

Urgh.  So yes, again, I'm a day behind.

But to be fair and in the spirit of 'keeping it real, yo', yesterday was an effing bear.

Ever have one of those days where almost nothing you touch goes right?  Yeah, yesterday was that day.

But, onto the topic at hand:  Firsts.

August 10th I was going to take our 14-year-old son to his first concert, ala Hot Chelle Rae.

Keyword:  Was.

We got the notification via Ticketfly (nice folks who kindly reimbursed all the fees for the tickets and everything) that afternoon.  But that, my pals, pretty much put the capper on my day.

I take that back.  When I got home and there was a small quart of bright rose colored paint spilled all over my laundry room floor, yeah, that was straw that broke the proverbial camel's back as it were.  Who wipes up paint while fighting back tears?  Me, that's who.

Okay, god, I need to quit veering offa the subject.  So, I had to tell Arik, bless his heart, that there wasn't to be a concert.  Arik's pretty good at hiding stuff.  It must be a guy thing.  Anyway, he just nodded.  But when he walked away with his shoulders sagging, I felt horrible.  (Also, later on that night, he came and sat by me and asked "Did they say why?"  No, kiddo.  Just a scheduling conflict but kill me why don't you?  Arik's sad face is like what a puppy looks like after someone has kicked them.  Ie.  It should never happen ever again.)

I mean, of course, there will be other concerts.   Of course there will be.

But will it be like this one?  Probably not.

Why you may ask yourselves....Well, I'll tell you:

It's one of those concerts where Arik and I would have both enjoyed.

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have a really good friend whose momma - bless her heart, seriously - schlepped us all the way to the State Fair in Des Moines to see New Kids on the Block with Tiffany.  (God, I'm really aging myself here.  LOL And for the record, I was a Joey girl.)  It was awesome.  I can still remember standing under that scorching hot summer sun singing along, shoulder-to-shoulder, with some of my best pals.

For 14-year-old me, it was Heaven.

Fast forward a few months later and we got tickets to see them only this time at Carver-Hawkeye in Iowa City.  If memory serves it was to be January 6th (or 7th) of that next year, but at the last minute the concert got canceled (to be rescheduled in the middle of July...in Iowa. Oy vey)  Picture it:  Four or five very distraught and angsty teenagers sitting around watching VHS videos of their band over and over while making themselves sick on Coke Classic (what?  It was Joey's fave.) while lamenting their tiny heartbreak.

Source


God, it was the days before we fell in love for the first time, before that first real heartache...but I can still remember nothing hurting quite like that did at the time.   

And my friend's mom let us all stay there, in our jammies all day long and do nothing but watch those videos of 'our' boys being silly.  I can still remember - to this day - a moment from those tapes where Joey and Donnie are in the front of the bus and Joey or Donnie has something in their teeth and the one is saying to the other:  "Ovah, ovah, ovah" in their adorbs Bostonian accents. 

It's weird, the things that stay with you over the years.

I also remember my friend's mom taking us up to Carver-Hawkeye in July and cutting us loose to go and watch our guys when they finally came back.  Fourth row at a three-ring circus.  Keep in mind, this was during their hey day (which was no more evident than at the State Fair event as it was Tiffany opening for them instead of vice versa). 

Now, let's fast-forward a bajillion years to present day. 

These guys, Hot Chelle Rae, are on the verge.  In the few months since Arik and I have started listening to their music, we've noticed a huge upswing in their fanbase.  They're getting bigger and it's fun to watch. 

(Side Note:  Jude is dancing and singing along to the Nuh Uh Uh's as I've got this going in the background.  LOL!)

We, Arik & I, laugh along at their antics on twitter - especially, Nash, he's...something else - and watch their vids together laughing at what these boys get up to.  (Seriously, they're ridiculously hilarious, especially Jamie.  And Ian....okay, Ryan's a hoot, too)

And you know what?  Sometimes, these days, it's one of the few things Arik and I can talk about.

He's a teenager and growing up fast and doing his own thing and while I love watching him become who he's supposed to be, you almost feel like you - as the parent - are getting left behind.

Yeah, there's that.

I was looking forward to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with my kiddo screaming out lyrics that we both know and watching his face as he watched the fracas that is someone's first concert.  And walking out afterwards, barely being able to hear, with his ears ringing and watching that ear-to-ear smile that Arik gets when he's completely stoked about something. 

There's really nothing like it in the world.  


But, it'll keep until another day.  We'll get there.  Just not now.

What to Read Wednesday....

Yup, I'm thoroughly aware that I'm doing my What to Read Wednesday post on a Thursday.  We had a minor illness outbreak yesterday in our home with the 14 year old boy.  He's back to his lovely irritating self, you will be happy to know, and I'm back here in front of the computer again hoping to blather around about what I'm reading/have read/thumbed through and tossed aside with wild abandon.

Either way, this week's episode of what to read is being brought to you by a writer who passed away this week, Maeve Binchy.

Okay, here's a little back story on my history with Ms. Binchy.  The first time I read one of her books it was because there was a little movie that had come out entitled 'Circle of Friends'.  Remember that?  Chris O'Donnell (yum), Minnie Driver (gorgeous), and Creepy Colin Firth (difficult to reconcile him to the buttoned-up Mr. Darcy but ...that's a story for another time)?  Remember that movie?  LOVED that movie. 

Also, I'm going to interject here about Ireland and all things Irish.  It has been on my bucket list for the better portion of my aware life (it's like when you start remembering things....like getting lost in the cornfield when I was three...I can remember looking up into the sky and seeing corn and clouds), I've wanted to go to Ireland.  I've had a fascination (ie. unnatural and probably a little creepy) with all things Irish whether it be actors, singers, poets and/or writers.  Their accents fascinate me.  Their turns of phrase are difficult to mimic but amazing just the same.  So, yeah, fascinated would be a good word.

Okay, back to Ms. Binchy and Circle of Friends.  When I found out that movie was based on a book, I got myself to the local Wal-Marts and picked up a copy.  It was good.  I don't remember it making a significant impact on me (other than learning/being reminded that Hollywood loves to take words and twist them to suit their money making machine in order to bring butts into the seats) but I liked it enough to pick up copies of her books when I hit up my local GoodWill/Consignment stores. 

I don't remember the first time I read The Lilac Bus but I do remember loving it.  It's got a few stories inside of that book and the other few are fine but nothing spoke to me - or so I remember - like the The Lilac Bus did.

She - the author, Ms. Binchy - starts out telling tales of each member of this 'bus' who happen to catch it every Friday evening from Dublin to their home town of Rathdoon.  Each character in the book has things going on in their mind that you would have no idea about by their outward appearances.  Her look at characters, at people, are unflinching and told with a matter-of-fact air about it.  These people may wrestle with their demons but .... you'd almost never know it.  One character has a mother running a pub and who is dangerously close to becoming a raging alcoholic.  Another has a sister in Dublin who is suffering from bulimia.  Another yet comes home to find that his brother has run off with the local flavor of the week leaving behind a wife, children, and a 'chips' shop. 

On and on, chapter after chapter, highlighting each character until the story unfolds and weaves together these hometown folks helping each other with their flaws, their problems, and giving each other hope against what they're struggling uphill with. 

I love it.

To this day my cop of The Lilac Bus is dog-eared, wrinkled, and pages are falling out because of use.  You can tell that someone definitely 'loves' this book. 

And to be fair, her other books are equally wonderful to read.  She believes in a big cast of characters and in her last few books, she reprised 'roles' of characters from other beloved books and in her last book 'Minding Frankie' there was a moment that made me do the ugly crying bit, saying good-bye to a character that I'd followed along with for three or four other books. 

She writes those kinds of characters.

They're so wonderfully flawed, real, and human that you identify with them almost immediately.  They leap off of the page and make themselves at home with a cup of tea and a biscuit in your sitting room and you don't want them to leave...ever. 

So, when I heard this week via Twitter (am I never unplugged? LOL) that she, Maeve, had passed away, I was ... hurt.  It's very difficult to try and explain to people who don't read, don't fall in love with characters, who don't wish them well and want to know things turned out the minute we hit that last page and find it blank only to close the back cover, run your hand over it, and smile softly because yeah, it was that good.  It's hard to explain it to people that you mourn because a book is done.  And knowing that I wouldn't read her words again - well, new words - is hard to digest. 

Source

So, instead of having her new words to look forward to you, I'm doing something that she might appreciate.  I'm putting a sandwich board out here on the my blog and saying read this.  Or pick up Tara Road.  Or Circle of Friends.  Or any of the other many novels she has published over the years, sit down, and give yourself over to the lives, trials, and tribulations of people who are an ocean away. 

Again, if you have something you think I should be reading, let me know!  I'll add it to my list of things to read and may be you'll get to see me yammering on about it in the weeks to come!

See you guys tomorrow for Fyeah Friday!!!

(also, all images, unless otherwise credited, courtesy of Google Images....loves me some google)

#MusicMonday - Glee Edition

Okay, okay, I know danged well that some of you are avid Glee fans and some of you are so not.  But, separating the ridiculousness of the circus that is Glee, the tv show, I would like to say that Glee, the music, can be amazing and touching all in its own right. 

Glancing through my itunes on my laptop tonight I was quickly ruling out who y'all might wanna hear about or talk about or listen to me wax lyrical about and considering well over half of my itunes are Glee songs, I thought that maybe they might get a fair shake here on my blog. 

Now for my next trick, I going to attempt to pick out five (that's right FIVE) songs from Glee that I love.  Keep in mind that there is a talented ensemble cast behind these songs and stories (well, sometimes they make sense and others not so much - I blame Ryan Murphy - he's kind of a dunderhead). 

Okay, here we go:

5.  We Are Young (originally by the group fun)

This vid is one of those new-fangled lyrics vids that all the kids are doing nowadays as Fox and Glee keep a pretty tight rein on these kids' performances but you'll get the gist of the moment as it goes down.  This song climbed up the charts after they performed it, but I liked it well enough - and the band is amazing (Please, to be checking out fun if you get the chance) - as a single by the original singers.  This moment, though, in the show, when they all come back together again always gives me goosebumps and the blending of all their voices is amazing.  Enjoy.

4.  Shake It Out (originally by the group Florence + the machine)

I can't remember how many times I listened to this over and over and over again.  It's a beautiful rendition of this song led by Amber Riley, Naya Rivera, and Jenna Ushkowitz (aka Mercedes Jones, Santana Lopez, and Tina Cohen-Chang).  These ladies have not always had the limelight and/or the spotlight but their voices together are just hauntingly perfect.

3.  Man in the Mirror (originally by Michael Jackson)

Okay, here's the boys turn to shine.  I love love love this song.  Small secret that it's probably my fave MJ song (who doesn't love hearing about turning to look inside yourself to make changes?  No one, that's who) and these guys knock the shit out of it with the girls harmonizing in the back ground.  These boys excel week after week but just stand out and shine in this and when they bring it down for the very last harmonizing 'change', I get freaking goosebumps every time.

2.  My Love is Your Love (originally by Whitney Houston)

Oh lawd, this song.  I've watched this show probably since the beginning of season two, but was fortunate enough to find season one on netflix.  This song, watching this group sing together, reminded me so much of season one.  The song, orginally sang by Ms. Whitney, is perfect for them as an ensemble, as a cast.  Love, love, love it.

1.  Loser Like Me - Glee Cast

This little ditty came from an episode called Original Songs.  It's a cute anthem for all the geeks of the earth.  Don't get me wrong, music/fancy lyrics can't fix everything wrong with the world, but words are powerful when used as a mantra and/or anthem.  Revel in your geekery.  Love the fact that you're good at math or you can build a birdhouse.  That's what this song is about. 

I love it. 

Okay, that's my two cents on the music this week.  Do y'all watch Glee?  What's your fave?

Fyeah Fashion Friday

I know, I know.  For all of you who truly know me, you know I am NOT a fashionista in any sense of the word.  I love pretty clothes, don't get me wrong,  But, normally, I dress like the soccer mom that I am.  (No, none of my kids play soccer.  I just like the term, okay?)  I loves me some ball caps and 99% of the time on the weekends, you will not see me without one. 

Pinterest

(My style does lean more this way; although, my flip-flops would be plain Old Navy and a more brightly colored purse.  Seriously, I've got a kelly green number I've been using for a few months now)

Anyway, my job doesn't allow for ball caps and jeans so I'm forced to look for 'dress-cazh' clothes to wear to work.  And don't get me started on what khaki pants do to your butt.  No one, I repeat no one, has a fantastic ass in khakis.  It just doesn't work that way.

Okay, so, in the interest of keeping it real, I'll let you in on a widely known secret about me:  I'm a thrifter. 

I wasn't a born thrift store shopper.  As a matter of fact, when I was a teenager, I would've done anything/everything to get out of going into Goodwill, etc.  It just wasn't cool.  Fast forward a few years, and I'm a young lady, out on my own, and working at Wal-Mart (don't even.  It was a job).  One of my co-workers dragged me to Goodwill in our local town and my life was literally never the same again.  There were all of these cute clothes for a little bit of nothing.  Being the clothes horse that I've always been, this did nothing but feed my habit, as it were.

Plus, there were books there, too.

(I'm thinking my ideal store, nowadays, would be a clothes/coffee/book/music store...seriously) 

Since then I've branched out and found other consignment stores and since becoming a mommy have used my savvy-thrifty skills to find some outfits for my kiddos. 

And it's not just for clothes neither.

I can still remember when 'The Boy' broke one of my beloved Fiestaware plates (which shall be another post for another time - I loves Fiestaware like a fat kid loves cake). 

Source

I was off to Kohl's that Saturday morning to buy another set when, on a whim, I decided to stop into Goodwill in the 'City'.  Lo and behold as I perusing the shelves a bright yellow caught my eye.  Three plates and two serving bowls were peeking up at me.  I flipped every single one of them over and yup, there was the familiar Homer C. Laughlin mark distinguishing it as Fiestaware.  Three plates at $1.38 apiece and the two bowls were $3.38.  I got five pieces of Fiesta for less than I would've paid for one four-piece place setting.

That was a great day.

My other all-time find has to be from earlier this year.  Anyone familiar with the internet, the world, and/or every college campus in the continental US knows what Sperrys are.  Also, if you know me at all, you'll know that I have a 'thing' for plaid.  (My kingdom for Burberry, seriously.  So expensive, but so pretty)  I had been coverting a pair of Sperry loafers for the better part of six months and still couldn't justify buying a pair even on the clearance rack at Scheels for a grand total of $50.00.  It just wouldn't do.  So, every once in awhile I'd sigh, hem, and haw over a pair I'd see and lovingly put them back on their shelf at whatever store I'd happen to be in.

And then...and then...it happened.

Yup.

Strolling the aisles of Goodwill one afternoon, I glanced over at the shoe section and thought "Oh, those are so cute.  Bet they're Sperry knock-offs."

I flipped them over.  The first thing I noticed was that they had NEVER been worn.  Not one scuff, not tell-tale wear and tear on them.  And then, I saw the Sperry logo on the heel.  Next to that, a bright pink price tag declaring them to be the grand total of $4.38.  I almost laughed out loud, in shock.

Being Ms. Cazh, I tossed them in my cart like it was NO BIG DEAL and strolled up to the counter.  I can still remember getting out to my car and calling my pal and freaking the hell out.  I got out of Goodwill with a brand new eighty dollar pair of loafers that I had been drooling over for months.

In the last month, I went shopping with my Momma while she was here visiting from Phoenix and scored a pair of white denim Michael Kors capri pants for seven bucks on summer clearance at one of the big city consignment stores.

The goods are out there for the pickings so to speak.  But, like anything, there are a few hard and fast rules about thrift store shopping.

1.  I always give the item/piece of furniture/etc a good once-over.  What may seem like a bargain in the store quickly turns into something that gets tossed back into the Goodwill box at home if there is a rip/ding/tear in it.  Look closely AND carefully.

2.  If you don't need it, don't buy.  I keep an ongoing 'wish list' in my purse that I try my dangest to adhere to.

3.  Sometimes life-sized dolls happen.  You'll have to know my mother for this.  She spotted a life-sized doll and bought it for my youngest.  Yeah, mothers.  What can ya do with 'em?

4.  Enjoy the thrill of the hunt.  Today may not be your day but remember that you will live to fight and bargain for another day.

5.  Don't bring the kids if you can possibly help it.  They talk you into things like life-sized dolls and baby poop green 1973 pop-corn poppers.  (The Boy did this to me a few years back)

6.  Keep an open mind when looking at furniture.  If it has great 'bones', use your artistic side and 'see' what it might look like with a coat or two of pain.

7.  Get an invite to Pinterest .  It will give you several ideas of how pieces of furniture and/or clothing can be repurposed/remade. 

8.  Carry cash and stick to your budget. 

In closing, I won't say that this way of life/shopping is for everyone.  You have to have a little bit of patience and a sense of humor to do this (especially if the kiddos ARE along).  But, you might just save yourself a few pennies and find a treasure!!!

So, what's your fave bargain you've ever found?

What to Read Wednesday

So, as I've said before I'm going to try and put a couple 'themed' posts in every week to see if I can stick with something.  So I asked myself what I should write about.  It was a very boring, one-sided conversation but me and my inner-psyche decided that there were three things that I loved to talk about more than my family:  Music, books, and clothes. 

Now, while I'm not normally given to shopping sprees for any of those three things as I'm a born and bred thrifter, it doesn't mean that I don't like pretty music, pretty words, and/or pretty clothes.  It's just that I'm a little bit more frugal about certain things.  I still download songs off of itunes and I've been known to buy a book in hardbook if I want to read it bad enough (although, lately, I've been having a fun fun time downloading things to my kindle), but yeah, clothes, I'm a huuuuuge thrifter.  Find me a bargain and I'll love it forever...or at least until next season.

Anyway, before I get into a big long drawn out post on the benefits of thrifting, I'll start off on my actual subject that I wanted to wax lyrical about today:  Books. 

I've been told that I was a reader at an early age and I honestly don't remember a time in my life when I didn't love to read.  From Harold & the Purple Crayon to Harry Potter....I've loved 'em all.  The last book I admittedly read was probably the Hunger Games Trilogy.  I do jump on the pop culture bandwagon from time to time and every once in awhile I'm pleasantly surprised by what's being churned out. 

Just don't expect me to go reading Fifty Shades of Gray anytime soon, okay?

I got a like two-three page peek at that book on my kindle and abruptly did an about turn.  It's not that I'm opposed to Erotica or anything like that.  I've read enough fanfiction in my day to understand that sometimes whooops, sex happens.  I'd just prefer to read something that doesn't delineate everything for me in such a 'nuts & bolts' fashion as it were.  I'm also definitely not opposed to sex in books.  I love love love Nora Roberts for pete's sakes, but I have zero to little desire to read this book that has everyones tongues wagging. 

Why you may wonder.

Well, I'll tell you. 

It's badly written in my humble opinion.  If I'm supposed to get all jacked up about something, you'd better grab my attention and deliver the so-called 'goods'.  And if you're reading them for entertainment value, then yes yes yes, I totally get that but please don't tell me that it's the best literature you've read ever. 

For now I shall digress and leave you a couple silly things that were found out and about the net (I dinna find them.  My pal pointed them out to me when she found out my subject matter for today):

Source

Just some silliness to tide you over till Friday.  But for the sake of me being nosey, what are y'all reading this summer?  And yes, it's totally fine if you guys say Fifty Shades.  I'm not judging at all.  I'm just saying what works for me.  So, do tell, what's good to read?  :CHINHANDS:



#MusicMonday - needtobreathe

Like any good social media girl, I loves me some Twitter.  I freaking love being a fly on the wall of some of my fave celebs, some online pals, and some real time folks, too.  Usually on Mondays there is a twitter 'trend' (and Oh God, do I need to explain twitter trends?  Yes?  No?  Well, it's when the bajillion folks on twitter have all typed the same thing with the same 'hashtag' and it makes the 'saying' (aka trend) popular) called #musicmonday. 

Also, like any good social media gal, I'm properly lifting it from them and going to see if I can stick with sharing some things from my itunes. 

Now, onto a proper post:

I saw these folks when I was at Bonnaroo a little over a month ago and I vaguely (and when I use that term, I truly do mean vaguely as that place, that festival, is a virtual sensory overload on every single one of the senses....seriously) remember seeing them and thinking they were amazing.  Actually to quote my facebook page for that date, I believe I said they were 'sick'.  (Don't ask.  I had to look up HAM in the urban dictionary yesterday.  Such is life.)  When I got home from the long road from Tennessee, I looked these folks up and found this gem:

 

You might recognize it from the PS. I Love You soundtrack or you might not.  But the lyrics in this just kill me.  I'm a sucker for a good lyric, for something that touches that thing inside of me.  And if you stick around this blog you may find out that sometimes there is a very little 13 year old girl living inside of me and also at the same time a very old woman.  *shrugs*  Again, such is life.   

Mostly, I think, it's when he sings over and over 'please don't worry now, it will turn around', I kinda believe him.  No, I take that back:  I do believe him.  And as a basic born and bred worrier, this is soothing as hell, trust me.  It's a salve on my soul.  

Plus, just listen.

Giving new musics a try is a good thing and even though it might not be your personal cup of tea at least you gave something new a try today.  And that, my friends, isn't a bad thing neither.   

Needtobreathe is currently on tour world-wide (and I'll throw up the link to their page when it's not having database errors) and are fun to follow on twitter . 

'Firsts'

Source

In honor of this year being a year of definite 'firsts' for me, I thought I'd do a 'firsts' series. 

But allow me preface these tales with another small story:  A couple years ago (almost 18 months to be exact) I was working in a job that made me supremely unhappy.  You know the job.  We've all  had 'em, right?  Low pay, low respect, maximum duties, and there were times where I was so damned uncomfortable with my job tasks (I can admit that now that I'm away from there).  The morale at that place was crazy low, the management was just plain cray, and while our family still needed me to work, I was completely unhappy.  On the positive side - there's always a silver lining - there were some good gals that I worked with and if nothing more, that job taught me exactly what I could handle:  And that place weren't it.

Now, through a stroke of luck, I got the job I have now.  I work for six pathologists at the University of Iowa Hospital and love my job 99.9% of the time.  My faculty/bosses are AMAZING, kind, quirky, funny, lovely folks. 

I had been there about six months or so when it was discovered through one of our conversations that I had never ever flown in a plane before.

Yeah, I know.  How do these things happen, Hez?  Why you no fly before?

Well, last time I checked, plane tickets cost moneys and the last thing on my list for extraneous expenses was flying somewhere.  I also grew up in a household where flying just wasn't mentioned or something we did. 

Ergo, no flying for Hez. 

Now, onto present day....or at least the latter part of last year.  One of my faculty's spouses flies planes as a hobby and they offerred to take me and any number of my family members up in this cute little four-seater plane.  We even made plans but for some reason or other it got tabled till this year.  It was brought up again in May or June and we settled on Sunday, July 1st.

Oh yeah, my birthday. 

I also decided that I wasn't doing this alone.  My 14-year-old son, Arik, was tagging along.  Needless to say, like all teenage boys, he was STOKED. 

Me?  I was scared to death.  But did I show it?  I hope not.

My birthday dawned warm.  It was the first of July in Iowa, after all.  How could it NOT be warm?  But it was a great day all around.  I got homemade cards, ice cream cake, and had a nice relaxing day.  Five-thirty finally rolled around and we - the boy and I - headed up to the Iowa City Airport. 

Ms. Faculty greeted us there as her hubby was out inspecting the plane and we hung out in the tiny airport shooting the breeze.  One whole wall of that room was windows, of course.  We could see a smaller jet sitting on the tarmac.  Mr. Pilot was sharing the room with us reading his newspaper.  I'd glance at him now and again (hello?  People watching, my all-time fave past-time) and he'd grin as Arik (aka The Boy) would make some comment about this being his first flight, too.

Did I mention that? 

No?

Well, yeah, it was The Boy's first time at bat with this whole flying shebang, too.

And then it was time.

My first thoughts, if memory serves, went along the lines of something like "Holy SH*T, that's a tiny plane!" and "OMG, I hope he has barf bags". 

Really, no self-respecting Cancer would lose control like that, but it was a near thing on descent.  But again, back to the first impressions.  It was a cute plane.  And we climbed in - me in the back with Ms. Faculty and Arik up front with Ms. Faculty's Spouse. 

That would be the Boy pre-flight.  He told me later that he had major butterflies but was also REALLY excited. 

I absolutely adore this picture.  It's Ms. Faculty's Spouse explaining how everything on the 'dash' of an airplane works.  Arik, for once, is really intensely paying attention.  And plus the silhouettes make me happy for some reason.  I dunno.  I'm weird like that.  I'm also sure Mr. Freud has something to say about that but we'll delve into my psyche and neuroses another day. 

And then we were off.  We radioed the tower and let 'em know we were on the way and within minutes we were airborn.  I kept looking at the treetops, and not the ground, as I didn't really want to hurf.  All the while I could hear Ms. Faculty's Spouse and Arik chattering away in my headphones. 

And then, then, then Ms. Faculty's Spouses voice came ringing through the fog that had developed in my brain:  "Hey, Arik, you wanna fly the plane?"

My mommy mind screamed 'WOT?'  Um, hell to the no. 

But I figured if this guy knew how to fly a plane, he sure as heck take anything a novice kiddo could dish out.  I could hear Arik's excited reply of yes.  And then there was this:

Yup, sportsfans, that's my kid flying a plane.  He did an amazing job and listened to everything Mr. Faculty said and I could hear the smile in his voice over the headphones. 

Incidentally, when I told him later that as many times as his dad had flown in small, private planes he'd never once flown it himself.  Arik fist pumped the air and I knew he was so beyond excited to have done something his dad had never done.

This is what happens when you're a boy and have a bad ass for a dad, I guess.  LOL

Anyway, we flew over our town and got to see our house and all I kept thinking was that Iowa looks like a quaint quilt from the air. 

And we got a gander at the Iowa River not far from our town, too:

One thing Arik and I both enjoyed was seeing people's yards and finding swimming pools that we would've had no way of knowing were there from the ground.  We're simple folk.  What can I say?

After seeing our house and our town, we turned around and headed back towards Iowa City.  Arik drove most of the way back sans the landing.  The descent was probably the only time that I felt nearly ill but I hung on and breathed deeply and then we were on the ground again, moving steadily down the runway.  Once we got slowed down, Ms. Faculty's Spouse let Arik drive the plane back to the hangar which wasn't as easy as it sounds.  He had to drive with foot pedals but my kid handled it like a PRO! 

The boys went through the jillion point inspection as we hopped out (once the plane was stopped, of course) and Arik helped Ms. Faculty's Souse push the plane into the hangar. 

We said our thank-yous and good-byes in front of the tiny airport. 

The whole way home that kid of mine was ear-to-ear GRINS.  It was an amazing experience to be able to share with him and I'm so very glad we did it and am so thankful to have people in my life who want to do things like that for us. 

Yeah, pretty danged thankful. 

To wrap this post up as it's gotten to be a little run-on, I'll say that it's a summer for 'firsts'....or a year maybe.  Either way, I wouldn't be able to do these things without the people around me that support and love me in a way that allows me to step way outside of my comfort zone and do things that scare the bejeezus outta me. 

Also, in closing, what have you guys done for the first time this past year?  Share with me. 

As a teaser for the next 'firsts' posts, I will tell you that they include a music festival by the name of 'Bonnaroo' and also taking my son to his very first concert in August (cannot. freaking. wait.).