TGIF!!

Day two of solid rain. I love this weather, I really do!!! We turned our a/c back on last night though. It was downright humid inside - with no breeze.

Sitting here at work, looking out the window.....everything is so lush. One of the most depressing parts of summer (to me), is how everything looks hot. Not only is it actually hot out....but the trees and grass look sick of the heat too. The leaves are a little curled up on the sides, as if they are flinching at the warmth of the sun. But this week....everything is green and wet. The trunks of trees are 3 shades darker than usual, from the moisture. The air smells clean and fresh. It's impossible to keep your car, or kitchen floor clean. And the dogs are a sloppy mess 24/7. But the positive energy in the air is amazing!!!!!! Some people find themselves getting depressed or cranky when it rains like this...but I am just the opposite. Happy, full of energy.....yet sleepy and ready for a nap at the same time. :-)

I had to run up to my home town (about 45 minutes away) to sign some papers today...and stopped at the house on the way back to work. Grabbed a chocolate chip cookie...ate it...grabbed another one (yes, I'm still trying to get rid of the cookies I baked this weekend.....actually, I'd forgotten about them in the microwave - cat proofing - until Mot got them out last night - darn him!!!).

As I was getting ready to walk out the door, I noticed a dude walking up my front steps. Hmmmm.....wonder who he is?? I opened the door, realized who it was and why he was there, and about gave him a hug. It was the Fedex dude...with my new waterproof, crush proof, freeze proof, drop proof camera!!!!!!!! I opened the box, and took it out of it's plastic and cardboard straight jacket. Be free, new toy for Nej...be free!!!!! Of course, the battery needs charged, and I need to get a memory card for it, (it arrived a week early) but that's OK. I plugged the charger in the wall....then looked at the fingerprints on the housing. I got a smokin' deal by getting it in black, instead of silver. OCD sufferers unite - this thing shows some serious fingerprints!!!!! It was then I decided I'd better get back to work.

I had two very good pieces of news at my desk when I arrived.

#1 good news - The shower houses and modern bathrooms will not be closing early at Springbrook this fall. Every year, since 1968 (minus one year, the park was flooded, so we all met at the Guthrie Center, IA city park) we've held a family reunion at Springbrook State Park, the 2nd weekend in October. As the family grows up and moves away, the reunion gets smaller and smaller. (plus, we're not that big a family to start with) For the last few years, we've all begun inviting friends and such....the more the merrier. The reunion started as a picnic on Sunday (grandpa worked at the grain elevator, and it was his only day off during the fall). It has since grown to camping for the whole weekend....if not part of the week as well. This year, is the 40th anniversary...so we're inviting anyone who's ever attended. I'm also inviting more new people - what better a time to start a new tradition, then on the anniversary of an old one???!!!!????!!!! My friends ARE my family....so inviting them to this event only seemed logical. It's also a way to introduce my friends to each other...and get to see them all one more time each year. :-)

Anyway, back to why I'm telling you all this. As I was surfing online this week, I noticed that the shower houses and modern (flush) bathroom were going to be closed early this year. It seems the state had to slash budgets, because of the flooding in Eastern and Central Iowa earlier this spring. Well....news spread throughout the family like wildfire. No sooner had he found out, but Dad was on the phone and email with people in the DNR (Dept of Natural Resources), trying to get to the bottom of the problem. This has been going on all week. When I got back from lunch today, there was an email from him...saying that the state MANDATED that all Southwest Iowa parks keep their shower and modern bathrooms open. Three cheers for indoor plumbing!!!! Yes, I'm an outdoors-woman...but, come one!! Who out there would NOT chose flush over outhouse???? And a nice warm shower, in October, to wash away the campfire smell (if you want)...heaven on earth!!!! :-)

#2 good news - My scanner has shipped. I'm trying to get all of our physical pictures scanned and stored electronically. The boxes and boxes of photos that I never go through, need to be eliminated. The closet space isn't really needed....but those boxes are bugging me!!!!

I finally bit the bullet and ordered the scanner I'm going to use for the project. It's not the biggest, bestest, fastest and quietest model out there. I know after this project is complete, the scanner is going to collect dust, or find itself on a garage sale table. So I picked one that received good reviews, and had a decent pricetag. Soon, I will be able to watch TV and not feel guilty...because I'll be scanning photos and accomplishing something at the same time!!!! :-)

Woot woot to multi-tasking!!!!! What a good winter project this is going to be!!!!!! Plus, how much fun is going through pictures from junior high and high school. Laughing at yourself, your haircut, your clothes.....those huge zits on your adolescent face. What could be better???