Farewell Summer...

Farewell Summer...

Posted by Brit

So I only wrote once this summer... I am not always so good at this.

Summer has been great... I kicked off summer with two great trips to Colorado and Arizona and ended it with a trip to Florida where I met up with my dear friend Ashley.  Here are a few pics from that Labor Day Weekend trip, and then more pics from this summer will follow.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Redskins pre season game.  8th Row up.

Daiquiri Deck

Beach Time. aka #hotdoglegs

Rain moved out and we moved in.

_________________

I drank a lot of these, gin and tonics.

Spent time with some Ezell crazies in Lawrence.

Drank gift beer from Oregon's Rogue Brewery

Spent more time at the Clements Stone Arch Bridge

View from atop the bridge.

One of my favorite bands, The Harmed Brothers, rolled through town. (Check them out by clicking the link!)

Somebody backed into my bumper at work.  My dad fixed it with a hammer and a 2 x 4.

I spent a lot of time with this guy.  He rolled hard all summer long.

Spent more time with this nut.

She made me take this pic.  Outside of Gaslight Gardens in Lawrence.

OMG.  Adorable.

This is one of six new friends I've gained by having awesome neighbors with free range chickens.

Our sunsets beat all sunsets.

Found this on the way to Hutchinson's Third Thursday event.

Super Class Showdown got super classy.

Made some crafty crafts.

I am in the beginning stages of putting together my new guest bedroom.

Also, here are a few good memories I recently came across from last summer.

Lauren, myself, Tia and Ezra watching Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy perform at McPherson's summer music series in the park.  Someone for the McPherson paper graciously sent me this photo when I requested it after seeing that the photo was used on the music series' promotional pictures for this year!

Watching the wiffle ball competition at the 2012 Farmageddon Festival

On our way home from Farmageddon Fest.

Winfield is coming up this week!! I can't wait.  And Tia and Landon are coming down!!

More soon...

Recent Travels

Recent Travels

Posted by Brit

I've been a very bad blogger lately!  I went to Vegas last month to meet up with my friend Ashley.  The week before was so busy I made a recipe and took pictures, but I failed to even post it!  Since the trip I've managed to find other things to do other that blog.  The good news is that I've got a couple of recipes saved up now that I hope to post in the next couple of weeks.

Las Vegas was an excellent time!  I had some issues getting there Friday night, but made it just in time for Ashley and I to grab breakfast and start our day.  We shopped, we drank, we ate... it was really fun and surprisingly relaxed for a Vegas vacation.  It was definitely a different experience just going with two people, as last time we went with four.  A few highlights for me were the Hoffbrau haus, a German beer garden modeled after the original Hoffbrau Haus in Munich.  I loved the tapas restaurant we went to Sunday night!  Ashley and I got a Groupon for it and stuffed ourselves on tapas and sangria.  We also checked out the old Vegas strip where we got one of those famous cheap Vegas meals and they still have some old machines that spit out quarters when you win, which we got to see in action when Ashley hit a $250 jackpot!  Although I didn't win any money it was good to see Ashley finally win in Vegas! 

HoffBrau Haus

HoffBrau drinking contest... this guy wasn't supposed to be drinking yet, and definitely was persuaded to leave after reportedly pulling his shirt up and taking his pants off!

Ashley was brave and went for the big glass!

I opted for the half size... and wish I would have gotten the big one!

Ashley sits back to relax as the quarters (1000 of them) continue to pour out of the machine!

Winning buckets!

The Old Strip

Out on The Old Strip

Our Hotel, The Monte Carlo

Hard Rock - The weather was so nice when we were there!

Sangria at Marbella Tapas

And our tapas!

The other trip I've made recently is up to Lawrence to visit my family there and Tia.  It was a great weekend, as usual, but this time I got to meet my cousin, Sarah, and her husband, Randy's, new baby boy Brogan!  He is so sweet.  Of course my boy Gavin got lots of love too!  We played hide and seek on the floor and under blankets and scarves.  We got together and ate pizza and beer and watched KU play!

Gavin, Brogan, and I

At the Gaslight

Sister Sage

I got together this week with some awesome girls that I had my capstone business course with my senior year at WSU.  We haven't seen each other in almost two years, so it was so good to reunite, and it was almost like we never left off.  We had an incredibly tough semester and really bonded during that time.  Also speaking of WSU, I cannot say enough how proud I am of the Wichita State Men's Basketball team for making it to the NCAA Final Four.  Last night was an amazing game against Louisville and we played hard the whole time.  It was such a great and unbelievable experience.  My employer let us wear shocker shirts and jeans on Friday.  The whole city (and surrounding area) was so fired up!  I am a little cheesy, but I actually got chills as we were being introduced on CBS last night!  We had a kick ass time watching at Brandon's brother's house.  SO proud to be a Shocker!

Rachel, Jessie, Tammie and I

Supporting the Shocks!

We called it the Flores Family Half Time Show

Shocker Love!

Paxton and our friend Anna playing with the Shocker balloons!  Our friend Anna is here visiting from Germany and came with us to watch the game!  She loved it!

Until next time...

Rights

Rights

Posted by Brit

Last night Brandon and I went to see a one woman play about Rachel Corrie, a young American woman who was in Palestine trying to help Palestinians lead a peaceful, non-violent, resistance against the Israeli government and militia in 2003. She was run over by a bulldozer while protesting the demolition of a Palestinian home by Israelis. Honestly, I don't know much about this conflict. I have a few friends who are interested in it, and I definitely have a lot more to learn. The point of this post, though, is to remind people (how I was reminded last night) how important human rights are. I am so lucky to have been born here and to have been born white. I am so lucky to have been born late in the 20th century, when many women before me already fought a long battle to be equal in this country. Though women still have a ways to go here, we're luckier than many women on this planet and the women before us faced a lot of the tough stuff so we didn't have to. I am lucky to have been born straight. I've had it pretty easy. People think human rights gets complex because there are so many levels to it. Just consider that we are all human and not one of us has the right to judge or dictate the other based on our own beliefs. Human rights boils down to treating others the way you'd like to be treated and helping those less fortunate than yourself. This is part of almost every religion and/or belief the same thing, so lets follow through with it. Fight for the benefit of future generations. There's so much more I could say...  Please just take time to consider others, to love others, to respect others. We're all human.

Off my soap box now, and about to enter nifty nut house and buy some damn tasty treats. :)

A while

A while

Posted by Brit

It's been a while.  I've been out of town the last two weekends and working in between.  And attempting to stay warm.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Denver.  I witnessed more love and friendship and family in one weekend in one place than I've probably ever witnessed before.  I don't get tear-y eyed too often but I did that Saturday night.  I was elated to be a part of something so whole and good.  I also had a damn good time shaking my butt all night long!

Last weekend I went with some friends to visit our friend Darren in Hays.  We were able to see his art show and had an opportunity to purchase some art at the Fort Hays art sale.  I came away with a ceramic bowl and a piece of Darren's art.  We missed our dear friend Ashley who is out in D.C. but other than that the group was back together after a long time a part.  It's funny how people change but some things stay the same.  It's also weird that I've known Joshua for eight years.  The rest I got to know sometime shortly thereafter.  We've all grown and changed in a lot of ways.  We're making separate lives when our lives used to be so intertwined.  The nice thing is we can always come back and pick up where we left off, even after not speaking for months.

Work is going well.  I have excellent days and some days of frustration.  I'm learning though, and continue to be given the opportunity to further my education (for free)!

I am saving for a trip to Germany with Brandon.  We hope to go in the Spring sometime.  I also have to save up PTO hours so that I can take two weeks off and hopefully still have a day or two built up just in case.  Here's to hoping I don't get ill this winter.  The money is the larger part of it though.

Speaking of money I received my first student loan bill this week.  I can't believe it's been six months since I've finished school. 

I'll make a food or photo post sometime soon.

Thrive

Thrive

Posted by Brit

Normally this is the time of year I'd be headed to Target to grab some new pens and a couple note books.  Yesterday marked the first day of the semester at WSU.  While I had considered taking an online finance class through the business school this semester, and even had it ok'd (and paid for) from my employer, it didn't work out due to the class being full.  I am feeling mixed emotions about this.  The class would have really been informational and taught me some things about banking that I don't know yet.  The class also would have given me something to do in the evenings, and free education is pretty cool.  At the same time I am not sure that graduation has fully set in yet, and so jumping in to a class may be something I would regret about a month from now.  It is strange though, thinking that I am really done.  That I've got my two majors and I am out in the world.  Working.  Building a career.

Now for a little more of an update.  Tia and I have been settled into our new home for about a month now.  It's spacious, efficient, and cute.  Here are a few pictures I took after work today.

Front

View from front to back

Bedroom. Colors.

Breakfast Nook

Rest o' Kitchen

Dining. Mess.

In other news, it's been hot.  Really hot.  And while I've watched most plants die a slow death over the last couple months this guy is thriving.  It even had a bloom.  We learned this year that the bloom is a night bloomer.  Night pictures didn't turn out so well so I snuck out in the early morning and snapped a few pictures.  This plant is not a product of my abilities, but Bran's.  I can't even tell you the type of plant that it is, other than a really cool succulent.

The next thing to say is this is Nixon.  Once in the yard and once at the Kansas Team Disc Golf Championship that was hosted at Camp Hawk two weekends ago.

Checking out some disc golf.

Last but not least.  Try these potatoes.  I had them at a birthday dinner last weekend and couldn't get enough. Crash Hot Potatoes - The Pioneer Woman