Luna and the Color Run

(amazing artwork by Viria)

Without reliable internet at home, I feel like my blogging has dwindled down to nothing.  

Sighhhh....

Makes me so sad, but it's just such a pain to take hours to post just one little thing.  

Anyway...

What I've been up to lately:

Watching the Harry Potter movies again.  How brilliant are those stories?  I mean, really.  I know we've all heard the pomp and circumstance over them a thousand times, but I'm still in awe when I rediscover them after a while away.  I just re-discovered my love of Luna Lovegood (and the absolutely perfect casting of her character in the movies).  And then there are the Weasley's.  I can never get enough of them.  

Instagramming it up.  I'm obsessed.  I think it's been my "blog" for the year.  My sweet little iphone has been the only consistent place that I can get internet access, which means Instagram is about the extent of my online-ness (besides some email and a little Twitter).  

Running.  It's a love/hate relationship we have.  I hate doing it, but love that I have done it when it's over.  I do think having a goal to work toward is helping immensely.  Oh, right....my goal....The Color Run.   I can't freakin' wait!! Lately, I've been listening to Pandora's 80's Cardio Radio while I run.  So many great song.

Still missing camp.  It's just so quiet around here.

Getting super excited for the Renaissance Festival, which starts up soon and very soon.  It's my favorite tradition of the Fall.  The food, the shows, the people watching.


So for those of you that have been asking (my sister included) where I've been, there a tiny post for you to read.  You're welcome.

reading now

Has anyone ever read Wool?
I found it on Amazon when I was looking for books for my Kindle.
It took me a while to get into it, but now that I'm in Part 4, I'm hooked.
I enjoy dystopian novels and this fits right into that category (Brave New World, anyone?!).

What are you reading right now?
I'm really far behind on my Summer Reading List.
It's going to have to roll over into a Fall Reading List.

roller coasters and camping

Hooray for calm, relaxing, camping weekends.

My family was (and still is) big into camping.

Let me define camping...travel trailer with air conditioning, bathroom and sink.

That's how we roll.

Anyway, this weekend has been my light at the end of the long summer.

A weekend away with my parents at the campground I grew up going to.

Plus....wait for it....a trip to King's Dominion.

Hey-o! Roller coasters galore.

We also went to downtown Fredericksburg to do a bit of antique shopping.

So many fun things.

And such crazy expensive prices.

Vintage is "in" now and the prices reflect that.

Our day at the park was amazing.

No lines.

Walked on to almost every single roller coaster.

The weather taunted us for a while but ended up being perfect.

Cool.  Cloudy.  No rain.

It was a sheer delight.

Dear S came down to share in the free fun as well.

My dad's company had given him 4 free tickets to the park plus free food too.

Free day.  Good weather.  No lines.  Brilliant.

This was the roller coaster that actually scared me when I first saw it.

I'm big into roller coasters and will ride just about anything without a second thought.

This one...eeesh.

That hill looked crazy high and straight down.

I was nerrrvous.

But I walked up to the line, got on and screamed my head off with glee.

I may never ride that one again though because after the hill, everything got fuzzy.

Out of focus and wouldn't go back into focus.

Tunnel vision and things started to get grey around the edges.

Yes, I almost passed out on the ride.

Had to close my eyes and breathe.

It was so fast.  SO fast.

My mom had the same experience.

Never had that happen to me before.

So while it was THE BEST hill I've ever been on on a roller coast, the rest of it was too intense for my little body I guess.

We had a super fun day and rode tons of roller coasters 

and finished up early because of the "no lines" thing.  

(yes, my parents ride/love/are obsessed with roller coasters.  they instilled that love in all their kids)

We did a little more shopping the next day and found some gems like this clock.  

And this sign that Don Draper must have left behind.  

And this sign that I wanted to get badly, but had a price tag that was beyond ridiculous.

All in all it was a fun, happy end of the summer weekend.

Every summer should involve a roller coaster ride or 10.

Echoes

(a perfect ray of light over a perfect water lily in the neighbors pond)

Camp is full of echoes this week.

By that, I mean that every little nook and corner is whispering of all the things that, just one week ago, were full of life.

Walking by windows, I hear voices of counselors and campers talking and laughing and getting ready for the day.

The beach is nothing but echoes of glee filled screams and splashes.  The sounds of the boat motors that I can pinpoint from any place on the property (even inside my house).

The pool, right now so still and serene, echoes of diving board jumps and whistle blows.

The gym, which used to be lit well into the night, is now closed up and dim.  No dodge balls banging off of walls or music playing while kids cheer.

Snack shop has no lines and only the echoes of cans opening and ice cream wrappers being torn open with reckless abandon.  There aren't hoards of people waiting there to chat and cool off.  This is especially disheartening.

I see it like a movie.  The main character is looking out over their surroundings and the empty background transforms into shapes of what they miss.  A face.  A child running in slow motion, almost transparent.  A happy group of friends waving or smiling.  That's how I picture it.


This week, every year, is always so difficult.  One would think that after 14 years I would have learned to deal with it all better.  The emptiness.  The loneliness. The quiet. The giant hole that is left in my world when every one leaves and camp is over.

I know it's really rather silly to feel so down and depressed over something that really isn't the end of the world.  But it still is hard.  It's the end of something I held dear for 10 weeks.  It's goodbyes with people I had come to love and spend time with.  When you are forced to abandon everything and everyone else that exists outside of this property, these people, these kids somehow take on a comfort zone of familiarity.  And then it's ripped away yet again.  I have to discover how to exist without them once again.  I'm allowed to go back to those friendships I've ignored and it's almost confusing.  What?!  Who am I?!  Where have I been?!  In a coma?!

These are my feelings this week.

Happy and full of life, right?

Prescription:  one week of misery and then it's time to get over it.  No one likes a Debbie Downer.

And thank you, Jesus, for the friends that are here to stay.  They are my lifeline.  I adore them.

return

I never know how to return after being gone so long.

For example...what do I start with?

Do I tell you how melancholy I am today because camp ended Saturday and life is too quiet and lonely?
That seems like a huge downer.

Or do I tell you about the time we went to the carnival to celebrate my roommate's birthday and we rode the Tilt-A-Whirl and I laughed till my sides hurt.

Or perhaps about Smoothie Night 2012 and the crazy 80's outfits that abounded.  Such a good time.

Or how our water at camp has been un-drinkable for 4 months and turned half of my clothing and swimsuits orange, not to mention my skin and everything in our bathroom.  Grr...so frustrated.

Or perhaps how I have 517 (honest Abe, that's the number) posts to read in my Google Reader because I haven't been online in weeks.  Overwhelming.

Or how about how I'm back in the office and being inside all day feels like torture after a summer in the sunshine.

Or maybe I'll show you how I completed my summer photo challenge and posted a photo every day of summer camp on Instagram.  56 photos.  Actually, I've been posting every day 8 months, but the summer challenge was specific to camp.

There are so many choices.
So many stories.
So much of life that has gone by.
I'm learning to accept that there are times when it will be desolate here.
And that's okay.
But for now, it's good to be back.
I missed you.

xoxo,

Cottage Girl