Welcome to Lyla's 90th Birthday Party!

DISCLAIMER: If you get easily nauseated/grossed out by reading about bodily functions, stop reading when I mention "Lazy Horse Vineyards". You've been warned.

We've all heard the phrase, "I see no good reason to act my age." Well, this weekend my wine-tasting pals and I were witness to why there's a perfectly good reason to act our ages.

In an effort to get a few steps closer to completing our wine passport, Cassie and I ventured out of town with Steve and Lisa. First stop was at The Rose Colored Glass in Stromsburg, NE. Beautiful little art gallery/tasting room/shop. The 4 of us downed a bottle of Jesse James, and piled back in the car and drove to Superior.

We stepped in the doors at Superior Estates, and were greeted by a sign that said, "Welcome to Lyla's 90th Birthday Party!" Luckily, wine tastings were still being offered so we were able to taste away. They had several delicious wines so we enjoyed ourselves. Afterward, we heard that there was a good Mexican restaurant in Superior, so we made our way downtown to see what the fuss was all about. Jumbo margaritas, chips and salsa, burritos, chimichangas, fajitas, and a muy guapo waiter did not disappoint. (Thanks for the recommendation Amy!)

We hit the road once again; destination Ohiowa, NE. You just said "Ohiowa? Never heard of it" didn't you! Well, it exists. It was worth the stop. Well, all until "the incident." Lazy Horse Vineyards is a beautiful place. Country setting, roaming horses, plentiful grape vines, and people galore. It was very hot out, and unfortunately, we had to sit at the only available table outside. I am no fan of being hot, but I was trying my best to be a trooper and enjoy myself. However, the people at the table next to us had been enjoying themselves for what looked like hours judging by the 6 empty wine bottles on their table. These people looked to be in their upper-40's, early-50s, and they were tanked. We all know that our lips get a bit loose when we've had a few, but their conversation was not appropriate for a public place. And it's not like this group was speaking quietly among themselves.

Because we were outside, we had to go indoors to get our next sample of wine. I had also had enough of this mother discussing her sons "shower rituals" (to put it as PG as possible). When I returned with my glass of sangria, my cohorts looked at me and said, "Okay, we're leaving." I was like, "What? I just got this glass!" I was not aware of what happened in my brief absence. Apparently, a woman in this group had been in the restroom for an extended period of time, and when she came back outside, she vomited on herself. I threw back my glass of sangria (which really was a pity, because it's drink that should be enjoyed sip by sip). and waited inside to pay our tabs. I overheard the staff talking about how that lady had vomited all over the women's restroom. Multiple stalls and the sink. Then I see her walk back in, and she's standing at the sink washing vomit out of her hair. THAT, my friends, is a shining example of why you should act your age. She should have said "when" a long time ago. I was embarrassed for her. The older you get, the wiser you must be about testing your limits. I'm all about having a good time, but I feel like I know when to say when.

 

Anyway, we had a pretty darn good time until that last stop. We'll have to return to Lazy Horse when they're not so busy to enjoy the wine and pizza (two of my favorite things on the face of the earth)! And in case you were wondering, it seemed like Lyla had a wonderful 90th birthday.

For the Love of Pets

A few weeks ago, my niece and I traveled to Omaha to spend some time with my sister. We had a girls day full of fun: pedicures, ice cream, and painting pottery. After supper we went to the movie "The Secret Life of Pets." I had built up a lot of hype for this movie, which I know isn't good because it usually leaves me disappointed. Unfortunately, my reaction to my movie was lackluster. It was okay. However, it did get me thinking about pets. Also, I saw today on Facebook that one my friends had to part with their furbaby, so it inspired today's post.

Right before my senior year of high school, my mom and dad got a wild hair and decided to get a puppy. I don't even remember asking them for a pet...but now that I'm thinking about it, I could totally see myself saying, "Mom, you're going to need someone to keep you busy when I go off to college next Fall." I remember the day my parents brought  him home. He was a miniature schnauzer, and we decided to name him Harley. Handsome Harley. He was the sweetest. I could not sleep that night listening to his cries from the kitchen, so I took my pillow to lay with him for a little while. We fell asleep on the floor. From that point on, we were buds.
The time came for me to go to Lincoln to attend college. I had a picture of me and Harley snuggled up on the couch to keep a piece of him with me. When I went home for a weekend, I always looked forward to the time when I pulled in the driveway. Mom would open the door, and Harley would beeline to my car anxious to see me. At that moment in time, no one loved anyone more than that dog loved me. He had a wiggle about him when we was super excited, and I can still picture him doing it to this day. It still makes me smile.
Unfortunately, Harley crossed the rainbow bridge way before we expected. He had been through a lot and developed some health problems that he couldn't overcome. He'd been ill for quite some time, and we couldn't watch him suffer any longer. It was not the life a dog should live. I am not exaggerating when I say that I cried for an hour after I got the news. I couldn't hold back the tears no matter how hard I tried. I will always miss him. My mom still has his collar and tags hanging on a framed picture of him that reads (what else) "Handsome." I love that she's kept it out on display for all of these years. Just shows you how much we loved him.

I know many of you can relate to this. Pets hold a special place in our hearts. They become family. And until you're a pet owner, I don't think you can fully understand the bond. That's why I get so irritated when people say, "He's just a dog." You sir, are an asshole. He's not "just a dog" to me. He was much, much more.

I've wanted a dog of my own for many years now, but I cannot bring myself to adopt one. Yet. I'm too busy. I'm gone all the time. I can't just leave my pet home for days at a time while I'm out of town. So, to fill the void, I have Dusty. Dusty is also a miniature schnauzer who belongs to my brother's family. Dusty and I spend quite a bit of time together, and he helps curb my craving of owning a dog. He's my buddy though, and I love him as my own. I mean just look at that face. How could you not love him?

Give your furry friends an extra hug today. In the words of Roger Caras, "Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

Type O Hero

With all of the violence and tragedy surrounding us these days, it's easy to feel helpless. It's easy to feel like you're just a spectator. It's easy to feel like you aren't able to make a difference. But, you want you. You wish there was something, anything you could do that might make someone's life just a little bit better. Well, I'm telling you, there is a way. DONATE BLOOD.

I've been donating blood for over a decade. I still remember the first time I donated as a high school senior. That started the charge. I have continued to donate since then because the need for blood is constant. Only 10% of eligible donors in America choose to donate. That is incredibly depressing, and it needs to change. I'm sharing this post to encourage and educate. So let me share a little story.

A while back, I had an appointment to give blood one afternoon. I asked one of my co-workers to accompany me "because I needed someone to drive me" (a little white lie that served a great purpose). I got to the blood bank and waited for my turn. As my co-worker and I sat there, the phlebotomist came to take me back to do my pre-screen. She looked at my co-worker and said, "Oh, are you going to donate today too?" He said, "No, I'm not eligible. I'm taking medication for cholesterol." She smiled, handed him the medication-deferral list and said "Is it any of these?" He read the list of medications, and to his surprise, his was not listed. Before I knew it, he was next to me giving his pint. (By the way, he became a regular blood donor after this visit, so +1 for the good guys.)
So what do we learn from this little story? So many people assume they're not eligible to donate because of medications they're taking, because they smoke, because they tried once and their iron level was too low, etc. Don't assume that you're not eligible, because I'm betting that you are.

I'm going to share some blood donation facts at the conclusion of this post, but I also want to share my reasons for donating.
I donate because it's one of the easiest ways to give back. It doesn't cost anything. Not all of us have the means to make monetary donations to causes we support, but I am able to give my time. It is not a time consuming process. I'm in and out in less than an hour (unless I stay too long visiting and eating homemade cookies. Oh, and yesterday they were serving sloppy joes, so I didn't have to make supper. #winning).
I donate because it makes my heart feel good. I know that I'm making a difference in someone's life. Also, the act of giving blood for someone else makes me think of Jesus. I think it's an answer to the ever popular WWJD? Jesus gave blood, and since I'm made in his image, it's only right that I do too!
I donate because there is a need for blood all of the time, and one day, it could be me who needs it!

My hope is that by sharing my personal experience in donating blood that it inspires others to do the same. If you have questions, there are plenty of resources available to help (including myself)! For all of your Albionites, there's a blood drive on Monday, September 12 at the Casey building at the Fairgrounds from 11:30 - 5:30. Take an hour of your day and save some lives. You can make an appointment here.

pluviophile

You really do learn something new every day. I was sitting here trying to think of something, anything to write about today. Nothing came to mind other than mindless babble. So, naturally I resort to talking about the weather. I know, invigorating stuff.

I stumbled upon a word to enhance my vocabulary on Pinterest today. Pluviophile. How appropriate today. I always get a little sad when I have to leave my bed and adult for the day, but even more so when it's raining. There was nothing I would have rather done today than to stay in bed and listen to the rain hit the roof. However, I could hear my credit card saying, "Hey! Remember me? Remember how much you've abused me over the past few weeks? Yeah, you're going to want to get out of bed and make some money today." I resisted the temptation to hit snooze for the third time and finally set my feet on the ground.

But now, the weekend beckons. A weekend full of celebrating one of the biggest joys in my life. My niece. She will be 7 on Sunday. Happy Birthday B!

DCI

I hate being hot. I hate sweating. I hate sitting in the blazing sun in the middle of summer while the sun fries my alabaster skin like two strips of crispy bacon.
However!! There are exceptions to almost all things in life. One said exception is witnessing the glory that is a DCI performance while sitting in metal bleachers in sweltering heat with a heat index well over 100 degrees.

What is DCI, you say? Well, let me first proudly display my band geek flag. DCI stands for Drum Corps International. It's basically marching band on steroids. It's the major league of marching music. Here's a taste courtesy of the Blue Knights - Denver, Colorado.

Incredible, right? That's just a teaser, too. The amount of work these corps (which, by the way, the mean age of participants is 19.4) put in is astounding. Most of them are full-time college students, or high school students aspiring for degrees in Music once they head to college. It really is amazing, and I could ramble on and on about how awesome they are. But, until you witness a live performance, you just can't appreciate the magic that is DCI. And no, I am not overselling this.

In my last post I mentioned that I got to cross off a bucket list item when I got to see Phantom of the Opera. Well, here's another one I'd like to get crossed off; going to the World Championships of DCI in Indianapolis. One summer in August, I WILL be going. Occasionally I get lucky, and a show makes a stop in Nebraska. My luck struck a year ago in Seward, and my sister and I got to witness a show at Heedum Field (snow cones in hand to try to beat some of the heat...can't imagine how hot it must have been wearing full marching uniform). Seven corps performed, and each performance blew my mind.

But anyway, if you feel like checking out some videos, there's a gang of them on youtube. Just search DCI performances, Or, hop on over to DCI's page and you can discover a wealth of knowledge. Here you can find the best 2015 DCI moments. Worth a watch, IMHO.

Props to my friend Jessica Cates on posting this video that inspired today's post. This clip shows just how in character these kids get for performances. Is that passion, or what?

-S

Hiatus

I sound like a broken record, but here I go again (on my own...ah, Whitesnake). I'm not quite sure why I take 2-year extended blogcations, but I just do. It's my way. The sad truth is this: I go back and read what I wrote in 2014 and think, "Wow, not much has changed." I have a someecards desk calendar, and one of my "keepers" says the following: "Just wanted to update everyone on the fact that absolutely nothing new is happening in my life." But that doesn't mean I haven't had fun along the way.

I turned 30 this year. No mid-life crisis (yet) so that's good. It has actually been a really fun year. I'm just going to share some highlights so far.
My friends surprised me for my birthday and we went to an Escape Room in Lincoln. Freaking fun. Try it out. http://lincolnescaperoom.com/

Went to Las Vegas in February to celebrate Cassie's 30th. I love that place. We had such a fun time, and were immediately planning our next trip on the plane home.

Purchased season tickets to the Orpheum (well, that started in 2015), but I got to cross off a bucket list item by doing so. I finally got to see "Phantom of the Opera." It was incredible.

Cassie and I have also been doing the Nebraska Wine Passport. We went on a 1200 mile trip in May to cross off the vineyards in western Nebraska. Stayed at my first B&B (Balcony House in Imperial, NE), and fell in love with a new author during our stay (Nick Pirog, who just so happened to be the Balcony House owner's nephew...how cool is that?). Needless to say, we've drank a lot of wine. Also, it was so fun to explore my own state. There's still so much to see, so a return trip will definitely be in my future plans.

Summer is in full swing. I've got a busy bunch of weekends coming my way. Lots of fun to be had. My niece will turn 7 this weekend. In true Sup-fashion we're having a giant celebration in the park and at the pool. She's so fun. Sassy, but fun. She's also too smart for her own good, but she makes life better.
We've got some more wineries/vineyards to cross off our passports, a wedding in Grand Island (that is coincidentally at a winery), a weekend at Shanno's cabin, horse races in Columbus, and many more spontaneous nights of hijinks, I'm sure. That might be the best part of being single. I can do what I want, when I want.

So there's a brief synopsis of the Sheila happenings of '16. I hope to continue the blogging this time. We'll give it a whirl.

Until next time,
-S