Toasting the Weekend

Another whirlwind weekend and I'm ready for another not quite so busy.  

On Friday night, Robb took me out on a date!  We were on our way to Des Moines to pick up a couch for Meri but the lady selling it cancelled when we were halfway there.  So hot and sweaty in the truck with no air conditioning, we turned around to catch a quick bite in town.  I thought we were only going to just grab some fast food, but Robb had other things in mind.  Before the trip cancellation, I was reading him posts that I saw on FB and one was asking "What would make this a fantastic Friday?"  And  he came through!  We looked sweaty and disgusting but our favorite Chinese restaurant still welcomed us in and we got our usual waitress who was great!  We don't go that often but we know what we like!  And they were actually faster, tastier and more friendly than any fast food joint!

 When we got home, I got to sew and finish a tunic top thing.  It was going to be a dress, but when I tried it on for Robb, you could see my legs CLEARLY through the thin knit.  Yeah... this one will need leggings...  It's waiting to get washed to clean out the iron in tape that I used to make the most perfect hem you've ever seen!  Too bad it will be worn a lot before next years fair...  

Would it be terrible to submit a shirt to the fair that's pilled badly?  Or sweat stained?  Or has that greasy spot from a splo-der hamburger?  Probs not.  Meri or I will just wear it to death I'm sure.

On Saturday, Robb and I headed to Meri's apartment SUPER early and hit the road to see my Mom and Dad three hours away.  And while Robb, Meri and Dad went off to my brother's to pick up a banana tree that he was gifting to Meri, my mom and I went to the Good Will and did a little thrifting for some shirts for her.  She was running low.  We found her some good ones and while she was trying them on, we realized that she'd left her jacket that she wore into the store back on some rack.  No one had tried to purchase it, so we were good!

Robb picked us up then and we took them out to Coney Island for some dogs and fries.  I reminisced about working at a shoe store right around the corner in college.  We used to go buy an exuberantly priced bucket of popcorn at the theater and snack from it while we sold shoes.  That job was so much fun until they cut my hours to about 1.5 a week with no notice...  I'm pretty sure we didn't get butter on the shoes... ;)

Lunch was a lot of fun, then we delivered Mom back to the nursing home and Dad back to my sister's and hit the road for home.  We'd have stayed a lot longer, but Meri was involved with a play that evening and she needed to check in at 4:30 for costumes.

Meri and I worked hard on her Thank you notes on the way.  I got all the envelopes done while she worked on the cards to slip inside.  She's still hopelessly behind, but it'll happen.

We got home in time to change and grab a bite to eat, then headed over to the hall for the play. It was held in the same place we have Thanksgiving every year.

Meri's skit was about a browbeating girl (Meri) berating her timid boyfriend, who was remembering his ex-girlfriend that HE used to berate.  We told Meri that we needed to get her in for anger management therapy... She was just TOO good!

On Sunday, she met us at church and afterwards, she came back to the house with us. We totally cleaned out her old bedroom and put in a new bed for guests.  I must have picked up 3 pounds of bobby pins out of the carpet.  It looks so roomy now that when I said that out loud, Meri was offended and asked if she had too much junk.  Ummm yes.  She'd had a tv table, overstuffed chair with ottoman, rocking chair, 2 picnic baskets and lots of other things!  Out of all the things I mentioned here, all that is left now is a bed.  Whew!  And her fish tank.  She'll take that another day.  OH and she also took Fitz!!!  We're just down to the two dogs now.  The house is feeling SO empty!  I do believe I could get used to this.

Leon came home last night and we watched Jurassic World together.  It had been on tv and I'd taped it for us.  Robb was giving spoilers and I almost banned him from the room.  "He's about to lose an arm!"  SSSSHHHHH!!!!!  It ended up being more than that, but still.  Leon had seen it probably 20 times and every time I felt like I should cover his eyes, he said, "I've SEEN this!!!!"  

Maybe next time we'll watch the Blair Witch Project with him.

(I'm kidding!!!)

But I DO want to see The MEG.  But with Meri, not Leon.  Robb is not interested.

I just dropped Leon off at his dad's this morning.  I hope they're having a great day!

I got to sew a little last night, if by sewing I mean drawing out my plans for the bag challenge, then yes.  I cut out a piece of paper the size of the fabric I got from a canvas bag.  

All the seams have been ripped and ready for a new creation.

Our sewing group has challenged us to make a new bag out of the given bag but the secret is that we need to use up every bit of the fabric.  So...  I'm going to be as creative as possible and make a bag that would only cost $12 online or at Walmart.  Well, actually this particular one is $25 and the most expensive I could find that wasn't made entirely of leather.

Sometimes I wonder why I sew...

OH!!! On our way Saturday morning, I got a call from my brother.  He had NEVER been to the Iowa State Fair and after talking to me about my entries, decided that this was the weekend to do it.  So if we'd been on the same highway, we could have high fived each other passing.  He took one of his friends, Cathy, and hit the road.  Throughout the day, I got calls from him announcing what they were doing.  Apparently Cathy had brought a toaster and bag of bread for when they saw the butter cow.  I'm hoping they were joking, because they will NOT let her take a swipe of butter...  I told him about the apple slushies that were in that same building and they had one each.  He's a big fan now!  and I might have to go back to the fair to get one this year!  Or figure out how to make one at home.  OH YUMMMM!!!

He called later to find out which building the sewing stuff was in so I described it and they went there. He called again because they couldn't find the steps to go upstairs, but then Cathy found them.  He kept me on the phone to describe where my things were located.  Oh HERE is the dress Meri wore in Beauty and the Beast!  and HERE is her prom dress!  Weren't all these things on the deck for her party?!  He was thoroughly impressed with all the sewn items and was actually proud of his little sister!  :)  Is he the best brother or what?  

True, he is my only brother...  But it warmed my heart that he mainly went to the fair to see my things!  and probably also to use the term Beer Thirty and get introduced to the pitching cow chip game.  I haven't heard much since he went home.  Looking forward to seeing some of the pics he's taken but he hasn't shared much on FB yet.

Anyway, I should probably end this post now or I won't have anything to write about tomorrow.  Actually I'm fresh out of topics for tomorrow but I've got roughly 24 hours to come up with something.  Shouldn't be a problem for me.  My life is a soap/comedy/drama/romcom/tragedy.  

It's ALWAYS something.  OH!!!  That's another movie that I want to see so bad!!!! LOVE Gilda!!  The preview made me cry...

Ok I'm done.