Project 365 - May 20-26

May 20 started a run of leaving town for the weekend.  Two weekends out of state, one back home, one out of state, one back home and then leaving the country.  My sister and I were flying back to the Quad Cities, where we went to high school and where our mother still lives.  We see our mom often.  Just not in Moline.  Chicago, Denver, California, Tanzania, sure, but Moline....hardly ever.  I wouldn't exactly call it a Quad City Bucket List, but my sister had her mind set on Happy Joe's Pizza (home of the original taco pizza) and mine, of course, was on Whitey's Ice Cream.  Whitey's is a QC institution...and one of the places that will hire 15 year olds on their work permits and in general is full of high school students working their first job.  When I was in school one of my friends worked there and the girls had to wear white nurses dresses with the red and white striped apron.  Whitey's has moved forward with the times and now all the employees wear khakis.  In honor of my friend who used to bring me chocolate chip cookie dough shakes with Reese's cups, I had one.   It was a lot of ice cream.   I enjoyed it all.

May 20 - QC Airport



On May 21 we headed to Champaign-Urbana for a family wedding.   Our family, like many, has its quirks.  The recent trend is that we're meeting a lot of our first and second cousins as adults.  As a child, you meet the family your family introduces you to.  As an adult you can make a conscious effort to meet and keep in touch.    While we were in CU we took the opportunity to visit our grandma.  She is almost 100 years old and still lives alone in the house she built with my grandfather over 50 years ago.    This visit was followed by the wedding of our second cousin who we met in April when we came for a memorial service.   We also met some of our other cousins.   Who are hilarious.  Who are a lot of fun.   Who helped us close down the wedding reception.

                                                               May 21 - Family Time

May 23 we drove back to the Quad Cities.   I had an opportunity to visit with one of my best high school friends for a few hours before we went to a reunion party for the group that went to Africa.   After the Africa party, we were home just in time for the tornado sirens and rumors of flying Target carts.   What else would we do but take the wine into the basement?

May 22 - Tornado Shelter and Wine Cellar

May 23 involved us flying back home, then going to work and then going to the gym.  Crazy.  The rest of the week flew by in anticipation of the holiday weekend and our road trip to New Mexico.

May 23 - Chey

May 24 - PR for an internal event at work.  This is a serious claim because the last time there were corn dogs in our employee cafeteria people ate so many that those who went to lunch after 12 didn't get any.

May 25 - Random candy brought in by one of our employees

May 26 - Shots.  Wheatgrass.  Seriously?