Girls Weekend

Since Wheat jetted off to Phoenix for the WNBA All-Star Game this weekend, my wonderful mom and sister agreed to venture to Indianapolis to keep my hypochondriac self company. I appreciated it more than they know.

Friday night was mostly spent on the couch with slices of delivery pizza in hand and Fashion Police on the TV. Saturday, we headed to Sun King Brewery for some mid-day taste-testing. I'm not a drinker, but I decided to try all seven of the beers on tap...and by try, I mean I took one sip and passed it on to my sister to finish. As expected, I wasn't a fan of any of the seasonal beers (which included one made with popcorn), but I actually enjoyed one of the house beers, the Sunlight Cream Ale.

Unfortunately, there were no brewery tours that day, but I really liked the industrial look of the brewery and it was a perfect free way to spend the afternoon.

After the brewery, we wandered around the mall for a bit before stopping at one of my favorite places in town, The Flying Cupcake.

That night, we went to ComedySportz Indianapolis for an improv comedy show. The show was in an interesting format, with two comedy teams competing against each other for a grand-prize trophy, and super interactive. Not only did the comedians ask audience members for suggestions, but one of the guys actually sat next to my sister, picked up her purse, and started going through it, taking out her book and cell phone. Although I've been to funnier comedy shows in the past, it was definitely an entertaining show in an intimate setting. I'd like to go back another time to see how different it can be depending on the suggestions and games they play.

He was reading my sister's book during the show.

I'm already missing my two favorite ladies. I wish more than anything that I could spend each and every day with them.

Happy Thoughts Thursday

 It's high time for some smiles. What do you think?

+ Girl time. I didn't realize how much I've been missing this, but I've spent some quality time with my lovely friends Jenn and Emma lately and it's done wonders for my mood. Instant pick-me-up.

+ Cincinnati blogger meetup. On Tuesday, I made the trek to Cincinnati for a blogger meetup at El Rancho Grande. If there is anything better than meeting awesome bloggers in your hometown, then it's doing that with guacamole in front of you. It's such a bizarre experience to finally meet someone for the first time that you know so much about, but that's the awesome world of blogging. There were so many girls there and I wish I had more time to introduce myself to all of them, but it was so cool to meet new people and catch up with a couple old friends, too.

Picture courtesy of Sarah at Total Basset Case.

+ New phone. It's so refreshing to have a phone that actually makes calls when I ask it to. A phone that lets me view Snapchat videos. A phone that lets me use every letter on the QWERTY keyboard. Who knew this is how things could be?

+ Trivia. In the last two weeks, Wheat and I have won $100 in house credit at Tin Roof for two first-place finishes. I've always been a trivia buff, but this is by far the largest payout I've ever seen for my nerdy passion. Playoffs start at the end of the month, so I'll be spending my free time studying every '80s sitcom character and a map of the world. I regret nothing.

+ Thrillist. Not sure why this website is called a 'digital lifestyle for men' because I absolutely love it. It is essentially a tourism guide for various cities, giving you the best places to eat or drink and lists of unique things to do. I'm addicted to scoping out different lists and articles and planning fictional vacations based on their suggestions. Unfortunately, the city list is pretty limited. Hey Thrillist, if you're ever looking for a female voice in Indianapolis or Cincinnati, holla atcha girrrrl.

+ "Rude" by MAGIC! Maybe it was my recent Rastafarian-inspired experience at the Soulshine Music Festival, but I'm digging the reggae vibe of this song. Just pretend this band isn't Canadian and enjoy.



Have you ever met a blog friend in real life?
What do you think about Canadians heavily influenced by the islands?
What's making YOU happy this week?

Concerts Galore

Last week, Jenn and I ventured to the Astroturf-laden hills of Riverbend Music Center for an evening with Dave Matthews Band, our favorite annual summer getaway. Unlike previous years, we actually had excellent weather this time around. No rain or desire to tear clothes off due to the oppressive heat. So, we set up camp on a Lil Wayne blanket she found in her trunk and got in some great people-watching with an even better soundtrack.



We witnessed a guy's hilarious attempt to escape the security people while being escorted out of the venue. Instead, he was tackled, knocking over several innocent bystanders' beers in the process, and arrested. We also saw a young overzealous drinker, unable to stand up on his own, get pushed up the hill in a wheelchair by some medics. Like I said, great people-watching.

The setlist, as always, was glorious. I can't help it - I melt every time I hear the 'Dixie Chicken' line from the live performance of "Crash." I also can't get over the awesome crowd reaction whenever Dave mentions 'the GrooGrux King' during "Why I Am."

Bartender
Oh
Butterfly (tease) - First time I've ever heard this live!
Two Step
#27
So Damn Lucky
Snow Outside
Ants Marching - Ugh.
What Would You Say?

So Right
Granny
Seven
#41
Belly Belly Nice
The Idea of You
Say Goodbye
Gravedigger
Save Me
Crash
The Riff
So Much to Say
Anyone Seen the Bridge
Halloween (started with a 'Too Much' fake)

Sister
Good Good Time
Why I Am

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the first 25 years of my life, I complained incessantly that I never won anything. Then, in the last few months, I've had a complete reversal of fate. The latest in my winning trend were tickets to the Soulshine Music Festival, thanks to an Indy Downtown Twitter contest. The event was supposed to be held at The Lawn at White River State Park, but the forecast wasn't good, so it was moved to the Egyptian Room at the Murat. It didn't rain a bit, by the way.

The concert was interesting to say the least. Hippie-types of all ages filled the room with the smell of marijuana and unwashed armpits. Live yoga performances were happening on mats in all corners (Side note: There was also a yoga session held in the afternoon with Michael Franti playing alongside. I opted out.). Free spirits with dreadlocks and long skirts danced with no regard for personal space issues. The music, which was primarily a reggae-rock hybrid, was super easy to listen to, even though I didn't know many of the songs.

The entire show was over four hours long, so I intentionally showed up a bit late and missed all of Sonna Rele and most of Trevor Hall. Next was Brett Dennen, a poppy, nerdy guy that I remember from opening for John Mayer years ago. Wheat showed up in time for Soja and we stayed for most of Michael Franti and Spearhead's setlist. My favorite part of the show was either "The Sound of Sunshine," when the crowd passed massive yellow beach balls around, or when Franti called all of his openers on stage for a great rendition of Bob Marley's "Could You Be Loved?"



All in all, it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening, especially considering I had this handsome devil to twirl me around.

Mortified.

Last night, Wheat and I watched an interesting documentary on Netflix called Mortified. Basically, the film showcased a live show that allows normal people to get on stage and read their teenage or childhood journal to an audience. As expected, some of the stories were hysterical. Others were sad as the authors battled through tough times in their adolescence (ex. getting abused by a parent, struggling with their sexuality). Overall, it was completely relatable and left us feeling good in the knowledge that everyone goes through awkward, unpleasant growing pains.

It also got me thinking about my own teenage journals. I did keep some tangible diaries as a child, but starting in 2004, I started blogging on my LiveJournal site. Encouraged by the bravery of the people on the documentary, I decided to show Wheat some of my very first blog posts.

If you asked me how much I've changed over the course of my life, I would tell you that I've been the same person since the eighth grade. My blog, however, paints a completely different picture. It's incredible how much my writing style, humor, and personality have changed since I was 15. It was fun to spend a little while looking back on my memories and thoughts from a time that feels so long ago.

Yes, it was also embarrassing. But once I got beyond the ridiculousness, it felt nice to introduce Wheat to the teenage version of myself, the lost and struggling girl who eventually blossomed into the woman he loves.

Horrible quality, but circa the age of the post.

LiveJournal provides a convenient archive of all your posts by the date they were published. So, naturally, Wheat went through and read every post that I wrote on his birthday over the years. We got a kick out of the one I posted on his 16th birthday.

You can go to the original post, but this is what it said:

Guys | June 28, 2004

I Want A Guy That:

- Will make me laugh
- Can help me with homework when I don't understand
- Will talk to me about football
- Will put up with my Harry Potter obsession...He doesn't have to like it
- Likes me despite all my strange paranoias and insecurities
- Wants to hear me play the piano
- Is willing to listen when I need to talk
- Is willing to talk to me when they need someone to talk to

Too much to ask? Probably...haha

As Wheat read this post out loud to me, my heart melted. I wish more than anything I could go back and assure that lonely, sad, jealous little girl that the perfect guy was on his way. I'd tell her to hold tight and be patient because when he got there, he'd fit every single one of those requests and so much more.

...you know, aside from the homework help.

Red, Bride, and Blue: Iowa Style.

As I previously mentioned, Wheat and I spent our holiday weekend in Iowa of all places. My cousin, Blake, was getting married in Des Moines, so we were excited to take another road trip for a weekend of celebration, love, and AMERICA.

We spent most of Friday afternoon catching up with my Nana, Aunt Nancy, and Jim. I don't see this side of my family nearly as often as I'd like, so I really cherish the little time we spend together. After lunch, we went to my Aunt Nancy's house to see all of her animals. Although she is a doctor, she is also licensed and registered as a wildlife rehabilitator. So, whenever a wild animal is injured or abandoned, she gets a call to pick it up and nurse it back to health.

During our visit, she had four fawns, five raccoons, and several squirrels. She also has four horses and tons of dogs and cats, including a retired racing greyhound and a pretty intimidating cat that is a crossover with an African serval. The raccoons were my absolute favorite, but I also loved the three-legged deer named Tres. At two-days-old, she had to have her back leg amputated after being run over by a tractor. It's amazing how fast she gets around on three legs.

Wheat got to bottle-feed a deer named Timber while I tried to think of ways to keep a baby raccoon in our apartment.

That night, we had dinner at Applebee's before scoping out the quaint, Dutch-inspired town of Pella. We checked out the the Molengracht Canal, which is modeled after an actual Dutch canal, and the Vermeer Mill, the tallest working windmill in the country. Then, despite my insatiable sight-seeing appetite, we headed to the local watering hole to appease my sister some of the other members of the group.

After leaving the bar, we went straight to a designated parking lot for a good view of the town fireworks. First, we hit the grocery store for more libations and an American favorite, Twinkies. I know I'm spoiled as far as fireworks go (nothing compares to the WEBN/Rozzi fireworks on Labor Day), but this display lacked a bit. Either way, it was nice to sit in the car with Wheat and my sister, admiring the lights while listening to the incredible Ray Charles rendition of "America the Beautiful."

Saturday afternoon, we drove to Des Moines for the wedding festivities. For lunch, I insisted on fueling my obsession with all things zombie, so we waited in line at the super popular Zombie Burger + Drink Lab. I regret nothing. The vibe of the place, the decor, the menu, and the food were totally worth it. The names of the burgers are incredible and they even have a fake zombie-related newspaper on the back of the menu. Between the entire group, we ordered the loaded nachos (amazing), the loaded fries, cheese curds, and the Mac Dog, a deep-fried hot dog covered in mac & cheese and bacon. Yes, you read that right.

Completely stuffed, we made our way to Sticks, the furniture factory where the ceremony and reception were held. The space was gorgeous - industrial with touches of light and succulents on every long table. The ceremony was lovely, too. Blake looked like a goddess and it was nice to finally meet her new husband, Ryan. We danced a bit, the food was wonderful, and the peach pie and ice cream for dessert was both unique and amazing.

This little rascal stole that succulent.

The next morning, we took our time before heading home. After saying goodbye to Nana and Kristine, we made a pit stop in Eldon, Iowa, home of the American Gothic house. If you're ever nearby, I highly suggest stopping. The visitor center has a little museum dedicated to Grant Wood's famous painting and its countless parodies. FYI: The people in the painting are Wood's sister and his dentist.

The best part? They have all the props on hand to recreate the painting for a picture. Wheat is, in fact, the most compliant best boyfriend in the world.

Since our nerdiness knows no bounds, we made yet another stop in Galesburg, Illinois, the birthplace of poet Carl Sandburg and the site of the fifth Lincoln-Douglas debate. Knox College, a small liberal arts school, hosted the debate and has some plaques set up on its gorgeous campus to commemorate the event.

In order to remind ourselves that we aren't an 80-year-old couple, we ended the night back in Indianapolis with a Chinese buffet and a late showing of 22 Jump Street. I'm so lucky to have found someone who truly enjoys the same nerdy things as me, someone who I'm proud to introduce to my family and friends, and someone who holds my hand during six-hour car rides.

Oh, and have I mentioned how much I love my awesome family?

We went. I lost.

I'm pretty proud of the progress that Wheat and I have made on the Summer Bucket List thus far. We've made it a priority and it's been a blast making fun dates a goal the last few weeks.

The most recent item to be crossed off the list was a putt-putt excursion to Pirate's Cove. We used our Groupon, committed to 18 holes, and flew through the course way too quickly. Wheat is really good at these types of things, while I typically huff, puff, and pout my way through them. I'm a bit too competitive to really enjoy mini-golf or bowling, but I'm slowly working on acting like an adult. I only slammed my putter into the ground in frustration and despair twice this time. Baby steps, my friends.

I am proud to announce, however, that I putted my first ever hole-in-one. It felt good and I took a picture to commemorate the moment.

Ultimately, Wheat beat me by six strokes and I can honestly say I'm proud of that spread. In a way, it's a relief because the bucket list didn't say 'Play putt-putt golf.' It said 'Lose at putt-putt golf.' 

Mission accomplished.

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend, filled with fireworks, lightning bugs, barbeque stains, and great memories. I'll be back with my weekend recap tomorrow. xoxo

Happy Thoughts Thursday

It's a long weekend and you're almost there, folks. Chin up, fight through today, and you're home free. Wheat and I will be heading to good old Iowa for my cousin's wedding in Des Moines. It's not exactly where I imagined spending my 4th of July weekend, but it will be nice to spend some quality time with my family.

Other than impending family bonding time, here are some things that are making me happy this week:

+ World Cup soccer. I will be the first to admit it: I'm a bandwagon fan...of sorts. By no means am I a soccer fan, but I do like rooting for the U.S. and I'm a sucker for international athletic competitions of any kind. So, like a good American girl, I painted my fingernails red, white, and blue and ventured to the Match on Mass watch party on Tuesday. After parking in Timbuktu, walking to Mass Ave, pushing my way into the extremely hot and smelly crowd, scanning drunk faces for anyone that looked familiar, and failing to find anyone, I opted out. Instead, I met Wheat at Elbow Room for some ice-cold Coca-Colas and air conditioning. I regret nothing.

Amazing day for soccer in #Indy. The crowd at #MatchOnMass from atop @ChathamTap, via @MichaelAdams317: pic.twitter.com/ArUQrgiEYH
— Cori Faklaris (@heycori) July 1, 2014

+ Old Navy Drawstring Terry Shorts. At the risk of sounding dramatic, how did I live without these? It's been so hot lately and I'm not sure how I could survive outdoor concerts and trips to King's Island without these bad boys.

+ Rick's Cafe Boatyard. As part of Wheat's birthday present, I made us reservations for dinner at Rick's Cafe Boatyard on Eagle Creek Reservoir. Although it was a bit expensive and the weather didn't cooperate, the view was lovely (and certainly didn't look like Indiana), the food was great, and the company was even better. We decided to split the calamari, which was excellent. I had a buffalo chicken sandwich and Wheat had a crab cake sandwich, of course. After dinner, we took a short stroll along the water for some pictures and hand-holding. He's so dreamy.

+ True Blood. Look, I know this show is awful, but it's one of my guiltiest pleasures. I'm so very happy it's back, even if I have to secretly sneak the episodes in while Wheat is at work. Jenn and I also have a series finale viewing party in the works, so that pushes my Eric Northman-fueled happiness to a whole new level.

+ "Closer" by Kings of Leon. It's an old one, but it reminds me of summer for some reason. Enjoy.



Are you a bandwagon Clint Dempsey soccer fan, too?
Are you tuning in for the final season of True Blood?
What's making YOU happy this week?

A King's Island Birthday Celebration!

As per the usual, I'm sitting at my desk on Monday, downing caffeinated beverages and obsessing over the weekend's events. This weekend was particularly special because Wheat turned 26 on Saturday! 

After the Fever game on Friday, we made our way to Lebanon for the night. Even though it was 2:00 AM, my whole family was awake, primed and ready to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him. They surprised him with an ice cream cake, a banner, balloons, cards, and even a personalized pinwheel.

The next morning, we woke up far too early for a long day at King's Island. Jenn offered us tickets because it was the day of her company picnic, so we didn't have to pay for admission or lunch! We also had early admission, so we entered the park before the general public. Mrs. Koenig and Paul took advantage of the short lines and hopped on Banshee, the newest roller coaster. Wheat and I made our way to Top Gun (which they now lamely call 'The Bat'), then did Drop Zone with Jenn.

After Drop Zone, Wheat and I jumped on Congo Falls for quick relief from the already-stifling heat. We got absolutely drenched. Next, the crew headed over to the Eiffel Tower to admire the view of the park from the one-third scale replica of the real thing in Paris. I assure you that it's plenty tall enough - You can feel the whole thing swaying in the wind.

Just a little wet, eh?

Next, we hopped on the carousel so Kenzie could finally partake in something. By the way, I was not photo-bombing this picture. I was actually just that happy to be on a merry-go-round.

After the carousel, we made our way to Planet Snoopy (formerly known as Hanna-Barbera Land), so Kenzie could ride some more rides. We opted out of The Great Pumpkin Coaster and settled instead on some blue ice cream. We win.

I went a little overboard taking pictures in Planet Snoopy because I really love Peanuts. I yearned to watch "Charlie Brown's Hoedown" in its entirety, but settled for snapping a few pictures from afar.

Next, we headed to the picnic grove for lunch. There were hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, potato salad, popsicles, and other summer-type foods. Please ignore the humidity hair.

This is what 26-year-old boys do when they're bored after lunch.

After lunch, we passed through Planet Snoopy again on our way to Dinosaurs Alive! Although it was fun to laugh at the animatronic dinosaurs and pose for hilarious pictures with them, I would probably skip this next time around to save more time for rides and shows.

By this point, every ride in the park had a really long line, so we decided to ride the train over to the water park for a couple hours. We changed into our bathing suits, spent a bit in the kiddie pool, did two loops on Splash River, then hung out in the wave pool. Unfortunately, Jenn, Paul, and Kenzie had to leave by then, so we thanked Jenn again for the awesome day and parted ways.

Shortly thereafter, Wheat and I decided to head back over to King's Island. As soon as we got changed and boarded the train, it started to rain, so we took cover in the arcade in Coney Mall. Wheat, of course, was in heaven - There is nothing he likes more than basketball arcade games. He also chose the biggest case on 'Deal or No Deal,' which was a first, so we ended up winning an embarrassing amount of tickets yet again. With our winnings, we accidentally fleeced the arcade worker and walked away with a bear bobble head and a dozen walking dinosaurs, though we're pretty sure he only should have handed us one, not the entire box.

Finally, we made our way to the pavilion for the '80s music show. The show itself was pretty subpar, but the costumes were hilarious and you can't really beat a Michael Jackson impersonation.

Please also notice Cher and Tina Turner in the background.

Although the park was open for five more hours, we were tired, hungry, sunburned, and damp from the rain. So, we picked up Wendy's and went home to relax for the last bit of my guy's special day.

...and relax they did.

I'm so happy I got to spend Wheat's entire birthday by his side and I can't believe it has already been a full year since his last one. Although I spend a lot of time reminiscing on good memories with him (which is essentially what this entire blog has become), the thing I love the most about Wheat isn't what we've already done together; It's what's to come. I've spent my entire life feeling nostalgic and recounting times I wish I had back, but not with him. With him, I'm constantly looking to the future, excited for everything headed our way...and that is a very welcome change.

Happy 26th Birthday, to the dreamy guy who makes me feel like every day is my birthday. I love you, Wheat.