My fren' Jen

So it isn't very often that I get to spend time with one of my nearest and dearest friends- Jennifer J.-M.  Jen and I have known each other roughly 9 years now. I know that because she was at my wedding 8 years ago on 8/30/11, and she has known me as both "Mommy Dearest", but also "Stone Cold Lush". 

Jen was in town recently for a much anticated Montana vacation. I booked in advance and secured myself a kid-free, spouse-free evening of sitting with my friend, picking amazing juke box music and searching for the name of the South American women that wear bowler hats on my wicked awesome smart phone.

Before we knew it, it was after 9pm and the air was ripe with desire.  Desire... for karaoke.  We headed to the Play Inn, where you don't even need a book of songs to peruse when you know what the eff you'e doing.  We both selected two songs. In no particular order:

Mary Rose - Midnight Special
Jen - Renegade
Mary Rose - Ballroom Blitz
Jen - Fancy

I can say- truthfully and honestly, that I had no idea that Jen had the PIPES that she does. This is the girl that I could barely get to sing backup on "Night Moves" 7 years ago but now she's belting out Reba like she had actually pimped out her own girl child. 

After a night of frolic we came back to Casa Swan and sat by ourselves by the firepit and watched lightning and clouds and the full, full moon as it lit up the night-time sky.

Jen, I can't wait to come see you again, hopefully in the near future, but even if the earliest I get to see you is Christmas I look forward to the

From La Madre Loca

precious few minutes I get to spend, giggling and chortling with you.

As a testament to how much effort I'd put in to writing a blog just for Jen, I did this entire blog entry on my smart phone after 3 having beers at a baby shower.

Love,
MR

We kick karaoke ass



Fear and loathing in the Play Inn

From La Madre Loca

Where does the time go?

So July is nearly over and I have hardly posted at all this month. Sorry, blog, for ignoring you for so long, but here is a nice long one for you.

This month has been pretty busy, even if we're just busy with doing nothing. The Swanz (I'm adding the z because it gives us street cred) went camping this month for the first time this summer, and had a big blast. Camping included lots of awesome food (thanks to Mrs. Violett and her keep-it-new-by-keeping-it-in-the-box cook stove), some fun kids to play with (also provided by Mrs. Violett, and also Mrs. Ballew), and some hiking. Elora hoofed it the whole mile up the trail to find the Pine Creek Falls which were BEAUTIFUL.

Both kids did really well on the hike, but Elora really took my breath away with her observations and her stick-to-it-iveness.

After we got thoroughly filthy on the camping/hiking expedition the 3 gathered clans decided to make a pit stop at Big Timber water park on the way back to Billings/Colstrip. I had almost wiggled out of it when the kids were asleep when we pulled up to the park, but once they woke up we knew our plans to try to escape were all for naught. But after getting my sweaty body into my one piece bathing suit it felt totally worth it to clean myself off for the first time in 36 hours hours using a public swimming facility.

I've never been a huge water slide person, but I think that after this trip Big Timber will probably be a destination for The Swanz (street cred!) again in the future. They have a slide with rafts that we all enjoyed, and the kiddie pool was a hit with the younger Swan. Elora went down lots of slides with her daddy, and looked like she was having a pretty good time.

We made it through our work week after the refreshing and relaxing time spent in Pine Creek, and this last weekend we just kicked at home, Swanz-style (more street cred!). This "style" includes beer, blow up kiddie pools, and usually something Thad has cooked in the smoker. I got to enjoy a kid-free trip to the farmer's market with my MIL Saturday, followed by picking out new glasses at Sam's Club. And my new peeps are going to be AWESOME.

The next few weekends will be pretty much filled with various activities, hopefully including more camping. Colter turns the big TWO August 21, no party planned as of yet but we might find something awesome and fun to do to celebrate it when it rolls around. Any fun suggestions would be appreciated!

When the party is over

So hometown weekend is over, spent most of the time just playing with the kids and watching them enjoy their childhood in our old stomping grounds. Here are the highlights:

- Bahamanian tan, along with some fabulous wardrobe selections picked up cheap cheap cheap!

- I watched fireworks Saturday with two of my favorite people in the world. Oh, and Adrienne and Dena were there too... AHAHAHAHA, comedy! The kids sat still and watched in wonder snuggled up against me, and it was a pretty nice little show.

- I'm too old to start partying after 10:00pm. I can keep partying if the partying is commenced earlier than this time, but not after. I found that out Saturday night.

- I'm a militant tobacco-free endorser. I'm sure it's annoying, but now it's a part of who I am.

- I spent time with mi familia loca, and while it was short and sweet it was nice, but probably best that it was so short.

- John brought his girlfriend home to meet mi familia loca. That went well, she was a big hit, and she didn't leave his ass in Colstrip at the end of the weekend. BONUS!

- I'm a slut for my husband. No details, no hints, but I love that man so much it gives me heart palpitations.

Upcoming is the 4th of July weekend and celebrations with an old coworker from way back in my Molerway days. Back when I was a much less militant anti-tobaccoist. Then the following weekend I'm hoping to get a sighting of my dear friend Jen J-Mc. I hope that all my friends and family and readers have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend!

Colstrippin'

We are leaving tomorrow for a weekend in Colstrip with family and friends. The last weekend in June is Colstrip Days, which I hear a fair amount of snickering from non-Colstripians about. Doesn't every small town in America have a weekend dedicated to returning to your hometown like refugees, visiting with old school mates, and getting sauced in the local canteens? They don't? Well, sucks for all those other little towns then, doesn't it.

Growing up in a little town like Colstrip was great, so great in fact that Thad has been considering applying for a job there. We aren't eager to move, but if he found something that paid well enough that I didn't have to work I think we would definitely consider switching gears and trying it out.

Tonight I'm treating myself to a spray tan so I can be deliciously bronzed for the weekend. I'm super excited to see friends, spend time in my in-laws back yard watching the kids play, and enjoying a frosty cold Coors Light. I've been foregoing my usual nightly beer this week, as though my abstinence will lower my tolerance before the weekend. Hey, it might work.

Have a great weekend!!!!

90's Flashback #6

I miss the days when MTV actually had music videos. I can't believe I'm saying this, but even TRL was better than 100% of the shows currently on MTV. That's my two cents on the state of MTV. Now for your regularly scheduled music video.

90's Flashback #5

Aw, Green Day. I loved Green Day. I loved 1,039 smoothed out slappy hours, and I loved Billie Joe, effed up teeth and all. Most of my family can attest to how much I yearned for Billie Joe.

I kind of think that when I first really started developing a crush on my husband that it was because he was the closest thing to a punk rocker in Colstrip, MT as I could get. Not like mohawk punk rocker, but he didn't fit the molds of jock or stoner or nerd. He had the element of just not giving a f*&%, or a "dissidence", if you will. I can't believe it's been over 10 years since I finally suckered him into dating me.

Enjoy a fabulous weekend!

90's Flashback #4

Today's 90's flashback is a Weezer song. Weezer had a little album called Pinkerton, released in 1996. Pinkerton was not nearly as popular as their first album, but much like myself in high school, being popular and being awesome are not mutually inclusive. There were a lot of excellent songs on Pinkerton, but this one is probably my favorite just because of it's sing-along-ability. If you've never heard it before, give it a listen, I think you'll like it