Home for the 4th of July

I have been lucky enough to come home for a week during the 4th of July. Today is my third day back in Blanding, and everything has been awesome. and I have kept busy doing things with my family ever since I got here and there doesn't seem to be much in the works of slowing down anytime soon.

I flew into town on Monday, leaving New Orleans, LA, at 7am. Jerome drove me to the airport and I made my flight to Denver, CO. After arriving in Denver, I took the short hop to Durango, CO, where my parents were waiting for me with open arms.

I love visiting my parents and my hometown. We stopped to eat at Steamworks in Durago, which is a brewery, unfortunately, because I was with my parents, I didn't try anything from that brewery. They don't drink, or smoke, or curse, or skip church on Sunday.....often. :)

We started with a mountainous plate of nachos, followed by a plain burger for dad, spicy chicken pasta for mom, and enchiladas for me. Mom and I are pretty much the only ones in the family that will eat anything spicier than ketchup.

Next was a rousing trip to the mall, and Wal-Mart, in Durango, and Cortez, before finally making the lazy drive home, via oft overlooked roads taking us through some beautiful desert canyons and mesas. I had forgotten how yellow/red/brown the landscape can be, especially during the Summer, and I enjoyed the view from my backseat window on the trip.

That evening, I got to visit with my siblings, nieces/nephews, and in-laws before crashing to bed....it seems every time I come home, I end up laughing so hard my stomach hurts, this time it was my youngest brother...he cracked up at the story of me falling asleep in a movie, "Karate Kid", and twitching, but slamming my arm into a little kid who was sitting next to me.

Day two (or the first full day), found us cleaning up around the house. Turner and I loaded two truckloads of garbage and drove it to the transfer center that is south of town. On the way back, the old blue pick up truck that we had broke down and we ended up walking about a mile to my sister's house to catch a ride home. Luckily, Turner and his friend are well versed in auto mechanics and they were able to get the truck running again. If it were just me, I would've left the truck where it was and moved on to another vehicle....my parents never throw anything away though, unless it is thoroughly rusted or broken into several pieces.

Later that evening, we went to the softball fields and hit the ball. It has been several years since I have played, but I did all right though. At least, I didn't miss the ball like I thought I would. Dinner was chongaho's, one of my favorites and fry bread, which I missed a ton!! More laughter and fun ensued, then I finally crashed with a commitment to go lift weights early the next morning with my brother.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

So, I have been a fan of Star Trek: TNG since I was in high school. I remember staying up late and watching it. It came on at 10pm and lasted til 11pm, but I wasn't about to miss it. Anyway, nostalgia has a funny way of coming back. Recently, I have discovered that TNG plays regularly on syndiation, so I have set my DVR to record it every day. What a wonderful way to relive some old memories and re-visit a favorite pasttime. I know it makes me a dork, but whatever.