I flew in Friday night and took it easy with dinner with my family but Saturday morning, I was up and ready to go. The weather out there was absolutely GORGEOUS. 80 degrees, sunny. Doesn't get much better. So everyday I went on a run-to burr oak woods (aka: picture, above), a nature park by my parents house. I used to go there on field trips when I was a little kid. We played with caterpillars there and it was the highlight of our days for, oh, about two weeks (because, you know, we captured the caterpillars and took them home as pets and then two weeks later they died. The end).
This was the view I had running to the trails. Looks like the midwest, eh? FLAT. It's funny, I remember the trails being so much more hilly. Not so much after running in Western Washington.
Once in the woods, I took a 3 mile trail to the back of the park...
Complete with a little lake where one day I saw people fishing. Really. I know, it seemed weird to me, too. I mean, what kind of fish could possibly have been in there? Maybe I'm just an ignorant non-fisher person. Yes, that's most likely it.
And a little stream running through the woods. So serene.
Some days I added another 3 miles to the trek by doing the Bethany Falls trail, a trail I LOVED as a kid due to the huge boulders on it (like the one above). It's funny how short the trail seems now as compared to when I was a little kid (kind of like how I remember the "hills" as true hills). I remember as a kid, I felt like it would NEVER end. When I ran it this time, I was all, "huh. well, THAT went fast." I still had it in my head that was the never ending trail. Turns out that as you get older your perception of time changes. As does the length of your legs. Apparently that makes a difference.
After I ran each morning (one time in the afternoon), it was onto bigger and better things. Like Saturday- a trip to an outdoor mall over in Kansas. Above- my brother and I on a turtle. (NOTE: I took this picture because that adorable boy I'm seeing tends to call everyone "turtles." Why does he do this? I do not know. But I think it is cute (aka: he's adorable) so I saw a turtle, thought of him, snapped a picture with my Jon bro and sent it off to that boy. And voila, the picture).
After shopping all day and eating dinner with my family, I headed to my friend Frank's condo. We had convinced each other over the course of the day that we should just go to the silly high school reunion. And if it sucked, we'd leave. Ok, decision made, we are going! The above shot is the sun setting over my hometown. I do miss that city.
We had to stop to get cash before going into the reunion to pay for the entrance fee. Frank decided to buy a blue raspberry shot at a drug store to get the cash back (I think it was vodka). It was pretty terrible, or so I assume by the gagging and hacking that commenced after intake. It was enough to persuade me that I wanted no part of that madness.
Frank and I hanging out after the reunion. I had SO much fun at the reunion. I was blown away. I never in my wildest dreams expected it to be as fun and as enjoyable as it ended up being. I was partially convinced to go by Frank, obviously, but also by the fact that I knew I'd have other friends there as well as college friends. Initially, I just wasn't sure I cared that much because I pretty much keep in contact with the people I want to see. But I have to say- there's nothing better than actually being PRESENT. It was such a great experience and so good to see people I hadn't seen in literally years. I only wish that more people could have made it. After the reunion Frank and I went out in Kansas City for a while. Again, BLOWN AWAY. Kansas City, you have grown up since I've lived there. You are actually fun now and have such cool pockets to hang out in. WHAT HAPPENED?! 
On Sunday morning, I got up and went to church with my parents. You know, because it's important to my mom so I do things like that. Sometimes. And I do like going to church with them for the social aspect because there are so many old friends there that have known me since I was in diapers. It's pretty cool. After church, I went on said run (see above). It was HOT. Holy hell, I may have lost 10 pounds in sweat on that run. My aunt Layne and cousin Kristyn were coming to our house later that afternoon. They were driving from Texas back to California as Kristyn is starting a new endeavor in Denver and doesn't need a car...so Layne flew out to drive back to Cali with Kris and leave the car there before Kris flies to Denver. Kansas City happened to be an overnight stop. It was pretty cool that they were going to be in town on one of the same days I was. Above- grandma and mom hanging out outside in the nice weather.
And- Kristyn and I enjoying the sunshine...me, especially, since god knows when I'll see it again as we enter fall in Seattle... Later that night we made a great dinner, ate outside and stayed up talking with Kristyn and Layne. They hit the road early Monday morning for their trek back west. I was told they stopped at an Oz winery once they hit Kansas.
Monday: I had plans for wine with my girlfriend Carolyn. YES! It just so happened to be on a day where the Royals and the chiefs had a double header. So heading into the city, the stadiums were alive and hopping. Another thing I miss about Kansas City: the amazing sports fan, irregardless of how bad the teams suck (though, that being said, Chiefs, winning streak, what?!)
And a shot of the Kansas City skyline from my drive in to meet CJ.
We went to a wine bar that we've been to before in downtown- JP's. It's fabulous and BONUS! Monday night is buy one bottle get one free night. PERFECT. We had two bottles of this spanish red. It was VERY tasty. I'm not usually a huge spanish wine drinker but I did quite enjoy this one. And, even more bonus, since we didn't totally finish the 2nd bottle, JP's gives away doggie bags. FOR WINE. SERIOUSLY?! I didn't know that was possible! Cool!
A picture of Miss Carolyn at the bar. I have known her sine 3rd grade and we reconnected in Phoenix. Pretty crazy cool.
And a picture of us with our wine after munching on some great appetizers and talking and talking and talking (OH and a sidenote: that talking was slightly interrupted by a call from my OB-GYN office wondering why I haven't called to get in for a colposcopy because my yearly pap smear in JUNE came back abnormal. WHAT?! (for the millionth time this post...) A) No one even remotely called to inform me of this and B) WHAT THE FUCK. and C) WHAT THE FUCK. I was a little freaked out listening to that voicemail and finally got a hold of the nurse there who assured me that it's fairly common for paps to come back abnormal and even if it (the abnormality) IS cancerous it's usually fairly slow growing. Great. Assholes. Good thing I was drinking wine. More on that OB debacle in a later post...) After a fabulous night with Carolyn (and deciding that she is coming to Seattle for Thanksgiving- YAY YAY YAY!!!!) I checked out her new apartment in Kansas City, we almost got killed in a mini-tornado leaving her apartment, and I headed home. In pouring rain. And winds. Love the Kansas City weather. Yes, yet another thing that I miss- the wild storms. Nothing better than a good thunderstorm. Anyone from the midwest will agree entirely.
Tuesday meant one thing: golfing with my family. A much acclaimed activity for our family, always. Above- my dad teeing off.
And a shot of my brother smacking the ball. Let me just say: for a guy that NEVER golfs except for when we do? He can hit that sucker.
My mom scoring a winning putt for the double team of my mom/dad. My brother and I were winning the scramble through about 5 holes and then we started sucking and my mom dad started tearing it up. We ended up losing by one stroke. Boo hoo.
Me hitting a tee shot. I always rock for the first few holes after I haven't played for a while. Then it starts to get into my head, as this silly game always does. And I realize I should practice more.
Follow through action shot!
And a shot of the parental units in the cart. We ended the last night I had at home with dinner and just staying up talking. It was so nice.
Early the next morning, I was up and out the door on my way back to that rainy pacific northwestern city that I love. I had to come back a little earlier than anticipated but I was excited to be back... in Seattle. A city that I've come to love and I was so happy to see that boy who I love. It was good to be back in what was my home for so many years but equally as great to be back to my home now.
Love. Happiness. Life. Home. Doesn't get much better. Life is good.
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