Nothing puts me in summer mode quite like a trip to the county fair. I blame this on years of growing up in a small country town. Every summer, I would count down the days until I could walk around with my friends, see the cute guys I hadn't seen since school let out, and drink lemon shake-ups. I'd also make fun of the fair (and all of its unsavory characters) like I got paid to do it, but then spend seven straight nights there, anyway. Isn't being a conflicted, whiny teenager fun? Throw in a little demolition derby, ferris wheel riding, funnel cake, and karaoke competition and you have the makings of a perfect, Midwestern summer evening. I love state fairs, but there is something about the small-town feel of a county fair that takes me right back to my childhood.
Fortunately for me, Wheat and I have made it an annual tradition to go to the Marion County Fair every summer. This year, we walked the grounds of the fair, admiring the gorgeous colors and blinking lights, drooling over the smell of fried veggies and pastries, laughing at a piglet as it nearly escaped, and avoiding the carnies as they begged Wheat to "win the pretty lady a teddy bear." If only strangers were always so complimentary...
I settled on deep-fried green beans (yes, dipped in ranch - I have a soul) and a lemonade while Wheat went with grilled chicken and french fries. Dessert included a cookie dough sundae, that was far too decadent to finish, and Wheat's personal kryptonite, deep-fried Oreos. We listened to a gospel band perform as we ate, then decided to watch Elephant Encounter, a traveling show put on by a family with two elephants named Cora and Shannon. While I was highly entertained by the elephants marching around, carrying their trainer, and playing musical instruments, I couldn't avoid the nagging feeling that we were encouraging some type of animal abuse. I suppose it was the knowledge that notable traveling shows have gotten rid of their elephants in recent years (ex. Ringling Brothers), but I couldn't help but wince every time I saw the trainer goad the elephants with a bullhook. Heartbreaking.
Although I love roller coasters and any kind of thrill ride imaginable, the older I get, the less I can stomach them - literally. So, I usually just settle for the ferris wheel and call it a day. This year, however, when Wheat asked if I wanted to go for a ride, I opted out saying that the sunset would be over by the time we reached the top. Twenty minutes later, the sky looked like this:
Instant regret. Ugh. There's always next year, right? And now, I don't have to nervously wait as my best friend asks the cute guy to ride the ferris wheel with me. I can do it all by myself.
In full disclosure, I've been avoiding seasonal bucket list posts ever since my epic failure on the Winter 2014 list. Somehow, over the span of three months, I failed to use a Groupon I already bought for snowtubing, didn't manage to make a snow angel (despite plenty of snowfall), and even neglected to watch The Polar Express. Unacceptable. I know.
So, I'm diving headfirst into my summer list in hopes of making up for my last one. I'm also going to keep it short and somewhat reasonable. Attainability is key on these things, right?
- Canoe on any body of water
- Check out the All-Star festivities in Cincinnati* - Complete!
- Eat dinner on the rooftop of the theater in Fountain Square
- Stargaze at Holcomb Observatory
- Watch a movie outside (drive-in, IMA's Summer Nights) - Complete!
- Take a road trip - Complete!
- Enjoy a fireworks display - Complete!
- Watch an MLB game, preferably at Wrigley Field - Complete!
- Eat at Mug 'n Bun Drive-In - Complete!
- Bake a pie from scratch
*We will be out of town for a wedding the weekend before the All-Star Game. Unfortunately, I think this means no FanFest for us and since we aren't millionaires, no game either. We'll also miss the free Ariana Grande show at Paul Brown Stadium. Murrrr...
There are really a million things I want to do, but time is precious. Other ideas include: King's Island trip, fly a kite, paddleboat on the canal, swim in the pool, eat something ridiculous at the Indiana State Fair, get bikes, pick fruit, make popsicles, taste-test at a new brewery, take Wheat to Montgomery Inn and/or the Newport Aquarium, and check out Garfield Park Conservatory.
I'll admit it, guys. I've gotten pretty bad at blogging.
I no longer take pictures of every animal I see, meal I eat, or walk I take. My creativity and inspiration is faltering, sapped from my body by the number crunching I do all day. I only blog once a week and when I do hit publish, it's a weekend update that no one finds interesting besides my mom and fiance (hey, you two!). But whenever I find myself in a blogging rut, I remind myself that I started this blog for me and that's the way it'll stay.
So, here is a quick rundown of the last couple weeks:
- I saw Hozier in concert with my coworker and her daughter. The show was at the Lawn at White River State Park and you truly can't beat the venue. The view of the city from the stage is gorgeous and they hand out lawn chairs to everyone in attendance, a bonus for old people like me. There is also a small fenced-in area in front of the stage where you can stand, dance, sing along, puke, or whatever suits your concert-going fancy. Dawes opened the night nicely, but Hozier was definitely the main event. Unlike many other popular artists, his voice sounds exactly as it does on record and I loved singing along with my favorites all night. If you haven't heard "Work Song," I highly recommend it. The live experience was much better than I expected. Here was the setlist:
Angel of Small Death & The Codeine Scene
From Eden
Jackie Wilson
To Be Alone
Someone New
It Will Come Back
In a Week
Illinois Blues
Like Real People Do
Arsonist's Lullaby
Sedated
Take Me to Church
Cherry Wine
Problem/Regulate (Ariana Grande/Warren G covers)
Work Song
- I had an upper endoscopy. I'm still waiting on the results of the biopsies, but nothing looked fishy to the doctor, which is great news. They put me in "twilight" for the procedure, which was interesting, but I had no side effects from the medicine aside from being super groggy. So, I'm back at square one, trying to figure out why I feel so lousy all the time. On the plus side, Mommles came to town to act as my personal chauffeur and I got her to stay for four nights. It only took some light arm twisting and a strawberry long island from Kilroy's...
- We've had a few other special visitors in the last week. My dear college friend, Spazz, came by one night for dinner at Elbow Room, some women's World Cup action, and general catching up. It's amazing how some friendships pick up right where they left off, despite the time and distance. Jenn and Paul also came for a night and we spent our time exploring a hidden Indian market, eating extremely spicy vegetarian Indian food, walking on the canal, and playing Scattergories. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world when I take a step back and truly look at the friendships I still have from all different stages of my life.
- Other highlights included: "The Works" from the 50th Annual Strawberry Festival on the Circle, a new season of Orange is the New Black, roasting our own s'mores on the canal, my first swim in our apartment pool, the thousands of lightning bugs that hover around the canal at night, renewing our lease for another year, Vince Vaughn on True Detective, feeding ducks on the canal, blueberry lemonade, more World Cup viewing parties, a quick jaunt through crowded Familia Fest to hear some authentic Mexican music, and thunderstorms as I fall asleep almost every night.
In other words, summer is finally hitting on all cylinders and I'm just doing my best to soak it all up. I'll also try my best to be better at blogging, but there are no guarantees now that the pool is finally an option.
On the life spectrum of dentist visit to new Vince Vaughn movie, there is always one thing I can do with my weekend that sends me into somehow-better-than-Vaughn absolute bliss: spend quality time with my mom. I'm not quite sure how she does it, but she makes everywhere feel like home. She listens, laughs, tidies up, feeds, and generally brightens everyone's day she encounters. Just ask the cook she tipped $10 on Sunday for the "best French Dip sandwich" she'd ever had.
Fortunately for me, she decided to spread her cheer by visiting us in Indianapolis and keeping me company while Wheat worked two Fever games this weekend. Friday, we booked it straight to Chipotle once she arrived because I was experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms. Are there support groups for this? After dinner, she and I headed to Victory Field to watch the Indians take on the Gwinnett Braves. The tickets were free, the view was great, the ice cream was delicious, and the post-game fireworks were awesome. The Indians lost, 8-7, but the impressive rally and girl talk more than made up for that.
Despite the oppressive heat and humidity on Saturday, the three of us decided to brave the crowds at the Talbot Street Art Fair. I'd never been before and I was very impressed with the incredible lineup of artists and their wares. We even ran into one of my friend's parents, who are potters that traveled from our little Ohio hometown, at their booth. Had the day been 20ยบ cooler, we probably would have stayed for a few hours, but the heat was something even a Lemon Chill couldn't fix. So, we cruised our way through the fair (and the nearby Independent Music + Art Festival and INDIEana Handicraft Exchange) before decompressing on the couch at our apartment.
Once our body temperatures finally normalized, we had a quick dinner at Fresco before going to the local movie theater to see Jurassic World. At this point, I should probably share that the real reason for my mom's visit to Indy was to see this movie with me...because we're obsessed with all things Jurassic Park. Needless to say, we had high expectations and the latest installment in the series did not disappoint. The movie was chock-full of action, new dinosaurs, and some seriously impressive special effects. Chris Pratt was absolutely wonderful as the franchise's new leading man and there were some awesome, subtle references to the original film. If you liked Jurassic Park, I highly recommend checking it out. Right now. I honestly might see it again in theaters, due in part to the reclining chairs at our local spot.
The rest of the weekend was filled to the brim with sleeping in late, fruit salad, wedding discussion, dipping our feet (or in my mom's case, her whole clothed body) in the pool, the Game of Thrones season finale (ugh - anyone else?), dinner at Bourbon Street, and lots of hugs. She always knows how to soothe my homesick feeling. Now if only they sold Mommles patches to ease the pain of her leaving...
I'm not sure when engagement photo sessions became a thing. I mean, none of our parents have engagement photos, right? But, I assure you, in 2015, they are definitely a thing. In fact, when Wheat and I started looking around for potential photographers, the engagement session was just part of the wedding package for many vendors, an added bonus you get for the cringe-worthy fortune you spend. I think I blame Pinterest for the most part, but I also blame Facebook because whenever I see a new engagement album on my feed, I'm drawn in like a moth to the flame. Even if it's someone I haven't seen since carving pumpkins in second-grade Girl Scouts, I must analyze each and every one of their photos with doe-eyed admiration and make mental notes of poses and outfits I like...as if I could dream of recreating them.
Needless to say, I was a bit nervous about my own photo shoot. Anyone that knows me at all knows that I'm a picture person, but I'm usually the one behind the camera. The second the date was set for our shoot, I started to panic. What do I wear? How do I lose twenty pounds in a week? What is he wearing? Will we clash? What if it rains? What if I'm burning up and my face is bright red? Should I get a pedicure? Will the photographer know good poses? Should I come with suggestions? Where will we change clothes? Basically, I melted down into the worst, most annoying version of myself.
...and after we got our finished pictures back on Sunday, I realized that all of the worrying was for nothing. The pictures are absolutely wonderful. Not because we look so gorgeous or I'm finally content with my weight (I'm not at all), but because we look so happy and so, so in love.
All of our wedding festivities are taking place in Cincinnati, so we wanted our engagement pictures to capture the city where we met, the city where we live, and the city where we fell in love. Fortunately, our photographers, who are based in Indianapolis, were willing to drive to Cincinnati for the wedding at no extra charge. So, we settled on the canal and White River State Park as the setting for our pictures and I'm so happy we did. This has become such a meaningful place to us and it served as the perfect setting for our pictures.
The shoot lasted about two and a half hours and consisted of two outfit changes, extremely red faces due to the heat and mugginess, lots of wind and hair fixing, several location changes, lots of stares as I walked around in a dress carrying a hockey stick, and cheeks that hurt from smiling so much. Did I feel awkward? Absolutely. But our photographer (Andy at Blissful Kiss Photography) is really awesome, encouraging, and told us exactly what to do...except the tie pull. That was all me. He also kept telling me to lift my chin, so I know he has my best interest at heart.
More than anything, the experience was an excuse to hold hands, kiss, and stare at my best friend for a few hours, which honestly didn't feel too out of the ordinary. I hope these pictures showcase how we feel about each other, even when one of us is throwing a temper tantrum about our favorite team losing. And even though there are no foot shots (partially due to my one-sided sunburn from the Indy 500), it was still the perfect excuse for a pedicure.
This weekend was back to our normal chaotic hodgepodge of happiness, but I'm not complaining. It seems that once a certain month rolls around, I look at my calendar and have something scheduled for every weekend until fall. Bring it, summer.
On Friday, I watched one of my dear friends and college housemates marry the love of her life at the Manor House in Mason and it was absolutely gorgeous. The ceremony took place in a beautiful glassed-in atrium, complete with a fountain, sunlight streaking through, and live music. The reception was a blast and it was wonderful to catch up with some of my best friends from college, especially the Central Perk crew. As wedding favors, they gave each guest a scratch-off lottery ticket and a penny. We even had a few winners at our table. How cute is that idea? Lindsey and her groom, Aaron, looked so unbelievably in love - their happiness was contagious and made the night very special. Plus, can you believe how gorgeous this little hipster bride looked in her glasses? Congratulations, Lindsey and Aaron. I wish you a lifetime of happiness and can't wait to see you again! Also, what does it mean when you can't get through the "Cupid Shuffle" without your calves burning?
Saturday, we left town early to get lunch with Eric and CJ (two other college besties who were in Cincinnati for the Bunbury Music Festival), Jenn and Paul, and Peter and Emily. As always, it was fabulous to catch up, but time flew by and before we knew it, we were on the road back to Indy. Wheat had a WNBA game that night, so I spent the evening finishing Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn (which was so bizarrely intriguing) and starting Little Bee by Chris Cleave (which I love so far).
Recently, I won tickets to see American Idiot during its opening weekend at the Phoenix Theater, so we spent Sunday afternoon listening to Green Day's rock opera and enjoying the awesome, little theater company we have down the road. The production was wonderful, the casting was great, my little punky heart loved the music, but I wasn't really a fan of the storyline...or lack thereof. Has anyone else seen this show? I know it's supposed to be a disgruntled youth's response to the Bush administration and life post 9/11, but I just didn't love it. Am I missing something or was it as slow and anticlimactic as I thought?
The set of American Idiot
We followed up the show with some tacos, chips, and guacamole on the new outdoor patio at Bakersfield. While eating, we got word that our engagement photos were done ahead of schedule, so we scarfed down our food and got to work on our Save the Dates and wedding website. Can't wait to show you guys the pictures, so here's a preview!
Tune in tomorrow for more of me fawning over my dreamy guy...
This weekend was our last "free" one for a while, so we did our best to fill it with things we love. That included, but was not limited to, a late lunch at Bru Burger, rustic mini-golf (that I actually won!), and tacos for dinner at Revolucion in Broad Ripple. We walked on the canal during a torrential downpour and made our first stop at Mrs. Curl Ice Cream shop in Greenwood - the line was ridiculous, but the ice cream was worth it! We watched Chef, which I highly recommend, and met up with my dear friend Morgan for lunch at Hopcat and free ice cream at BRICS in celebration of its five-year anniversary.
The highlight of the weekend, however, was The Main Event tour on Sunday night. One of the many perks of marrying someone who works at an arena is taking advantage of free tickets. In this case, we got to see Nelly, TLC, and the New Kids on the Block and it was precisely the break from real life that I needed.
Nelly was probably my favorite performer of the night, simply because look at this set list:
E.I.
Where the Party At (Jagged Edge cover)
Shake Ya Tailfeather
Batter Up
Pimp Juice
Air Force Ones
County Grammar
Errtime
Dilemma
Just a Dream
Cruise Remix (Florida Georgia Line cover)
Ride Wit Me
Grillz (with "Billie Jean" intro)
All I Do is Win/Turn Down for What/I Don't F*** with You (DJ Khaled, DJ Snake, Big Sean covers)
Hot in Herre
I knew all but one song that he performed and it was both fun and terrifying to experience such a blast from the past that placed me squarely in the middle of my high school dances. I forgot how much I loved the songs "Grillz" and "Pimp Juice." He didn't wear a band-aid on his face, but he did mention it, so all was right with the world.
After Nelly's 40-minute set, TLC took the stage for a much shorter, but absolutely jam-packed set. As a kid, I loved TLC, so I was in my element jamming along with "Creep." For "Red Light Special," Chili brought Pacers player George Hill on stage for a very uncomfortable, yet hilarious lap dance. Before "Waterfalls," they showed a video of Left Eye talking about how she loved the song and then the entire crowd broke out their phone lights for the chilling, incredible performance. I absolutely loved their portion, but it felt so strange and sad to finally watch them perform live as a duo instead of a trio.
What About Your Friends
Ain't 2 Proud 2 Beg
Baby, Baby, Baby
Creep
Diggin' on You
Unpretty
Red Light Special
No Scrubs
Meant to Be
Waterfalls
Although the New Kids were well before my boyband-loving time, they are still so much fun to watch live. They still do the same choreography they did in the '80s. They run all over the stage with the energy of men half their age and do so much fan interaction (ex. taking selfies, hugs, bringing them on stage to dance with them). "The Whisper," which was actually released in 2013, was my favorite song of the night, but I'll admit that I also enjoyed Jordan Knight's shirtless solo performance of "Give It to You." How is he 45?
Block Party
Crash
My Favorite Girl
You Got It (The Right Stuff)
The Whisper/Single/Shout
Let's Try it Again
We Own Tonight
Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)/Valentine Girl/If You Go Away/Never Can Say Goodbye/Please Don't Go Girl
Remix (I Like the)
Summertime
Dirty Dancing
Just a Friend/Good Vibrations (Biz Markie and Marky Mark covers)
Tonight
Baby, I Believe in You/Give It to You (Jordan Knight solo)
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)/Twisted (Joey McIntyre solo)
I Need You/Lean on Me/Cover Girl (Donnie Wahlberg solo)
Games
Step by Step
I'll Be Loving You (Forever)
Hangin' Tough
Other highlights included Donnie doing a cover of his brother Mark Wahlberg's famous song "Good Vibrations" and the outrageous stage theatrics that alternated between confetti, streamers, and fire. About halfway through the set, I came to the embarrassing realization that I've seen the New Kids twice since I moved to Indianapolis and also saw Jordan Knight with Nick Carter last summer. Yikes.
We still have quite a few concerts this summer - Hozier in a week, Dave and the Rolling Stones in July, and the Beach Boys and Temptations in August - but I'm always looking for more cheap tickets. Maybe, just maybe, One Direction in July and American Idol in August?!
