Community Rules

It’s been no secret on here of the somewhat crack level addiction to Diet Dr. Pepper fountain drinks I currently have.  It’s my own personal pick me up in the morning and nothing taste better than when the fountain gods bless a particular machine with the proper carbonated water to syrup ratio and jettisons it out of the tap with a non-foamy precision to top off your 44 ounces of liquid nectar.

Lately though southern Indiana fountain machines haven’t been going to church.  In the past week I’ve hit all my regular stops and even some other stops in Madison, Hanover, and Scottsburg and NOBODY can seem to get one right now.  It’s a two minute minimum at the machine just to top off your cup because every machine is putting out more foam than a draft beer tap a fraternity party keg.  It’s become and epidemic as I have another friend with a small scale fountain addiction also and neither he nor I have found but ONE machine in this whole damn area that is currently putting out a proper pour.  First world problems I get it, about the only thing I have to bitch about right now though.

Another rock star weekend for my daughter and I is winding down and it will be two weeks before we get to test the boundaries of fun again.  Holiday World didn’t happen this weekend due to a number of factors so hopefully in two weeks we are in Santa Claus, IN (real place) trying out roller coasters and drinking free beverages all day.  In the mean time we had her school’s yearly “Back to school” swim party last night at the local aquatic center.  I don’t know who had more fun her (never left the water) or me (never got in the water), either way it was more fun than any human should ever be allowed to have.

Hopefully nobody finds a Baby Ruth, if you don’t get that Google it!

   

She loves that towel!

I took her last year and knew exactly TWO people that I could carry on a conversation with, this year parents were looking for me to tell me how happy they were to see Sloane at school on Wednesday.  I think more prayers were said for Sloane the past week than anybody in southern Indiana.  Parents, teachers, and other students were all stopping by if they bumped into me to express their happiness for Sloane and me.  It really was humbling, I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face I cannot thank her school community enough for taking Sloane and I into their thoughts and prayers.  From Skipah personally to each and every one of you “Thank You”, for answering every question I ever had, pointing me in the right direction when I was looking the wrong way, and just being there.  I am forever in your debt, and yesterday made me proud to say I can’t wait to “officially” join the community starting this Wednesday when I start the process of RCIA.

Fast forward to today and for the second time in two weeks I was back at America’s favorite walking locale The Big Four Pedestrian Bridge joining Indiana and Kentucky with a leisurely stroll across the Ohio River.  No,  Miss Madison wasn’t with me this time, Miss Sloane wanted to see the construction of the new I-65 bridge today and the weather was perfect so off we went.  We even hit the budding downtown community of Jeffersonville.  I say budding because ten years ago you wouldn’t have caught me dead down there if they were passing out free lottery tickets and Shawshank Redemption DVDs.  My little rock star doesn’t quite walk the pace of Miss Madison but I’ll put her up against any other seven year old in the country (non cross-training division) when it comes to walking at an acceptable pace for exercise purposes.  She absolutely loves that bridge and wants to go back at night again like we did last year when it was all lit up.

The Ohio River Bridges Project

    

Here we go!, Segway crowd get a life!  

After that it was a quick stop at the mall for some pretzel bites, then an impromptu pool party with her tomato headed buddy from school and others.  The backyard pool extravaganza was disguised as an emergency Skipah’s Army meeting with his top generals to discuss strategy for The Colon Mission.  Personally I think it was to pepper me about Miss Madison, but I love my troops all the same.  Thank god I only have an unofficial red headed big sister, because if I had a biological one neither of us would have finished high school!

Aunt Annie’s this is your one free shout out!

About it for tonight, have to answer the bell way to early tomorrow and fix Hammy’s ladder again!  Where does he keep finding all this vodka!   In Indiana you can only get alcohol in a restaurant on Sunday’s and I’ve yet to find one that serves hamsters!  Rosy had a 20 minute mauling play session herself earlier today just so she didn’t feel left out.  I wish this week didn’t have to end, but who is to say next week won’t be better!