Julie's Journal

We’re heading out to the Arizona side of the lake for a few days to do a little camping and swimming. See you all back here in a couple days. Behave while I am gone!

[tags]Lake Mead, Arizona[/tags]

I am horrible when it comes to Christmas. I always wait until the very last minute to buy gifts, and all that does is cause unneeded severe stress and anxiety. This year I have vowed not to do that, and start my shopping early, like NOW!

I asked the boys, and Michael, to start making a list for me, so I can plan and prepare the way I want to. The boys can’t seem to come up with anything, claiming it’s too early, and the things they want may change by then. Michael on the other hand has quite the list going. He picked out a Rubis slanted tweezers with a magnifier thingy. Apparently he wants to make fires with it when we go camping. HA! He’s such a mountain man.

When do you start your Christmas shopping? Do you start early in the year, or wait until the last minute?

[tags]Christmas, Rubis[/tags]

We decided to beat the heat and get out of town at the last minute on Friday. Of course we chose to go camping, and of course we chose to head to Mt. Charleston. (Side note: If you ever take a Vegas vacations you have to drive up to Mt. Charleston, it’s gorgeous!)

It was the last full weekend before school starts here, which I totally spaced on until we got up there and found out that all the campgrounds were full. To accommodate the people that didn’t have reservations (i.e. us) they opened up Old Mill day picnic area to overnight camping. You have to park in a parking lot and trek all your equipment back up into your spot, but it ended up being really nice, and semi-private.

As we were leaving on Sunday, we drove by the camp host station to throw away our trash, and I looked over to wave good bye to him. I was completely caught off guard by this.

See the American flag? It’s upside down! What is THAT all about? What does that mean? I’ve never seen one hung like that, but that CAN’T be a good thing, right??!!??!!

[tags]Las Vegas, Mt. Charleston, American flag[/tags]

I got a cool surprise gift in my email this morning. My mom sent me a couple pictures of when I was a baby. I was 5 months old, and a tornado ripped through my Grandparents yard. It uprooted a big ass tree, and lifted their garage about 4 feet off the ground. I obviously don’t remember this event, being like 5 months old and all, but I wonder if I got any unique baby gifts that year. You know, like a Dorthy and Toto doll, or maybe a stuffed Tin Man.

[tags]Cedar Rapids, Iowa, tornado, 1965[/tags]

My mother sent me some pictures of my hometown flooding. The following two really made my heart hurt.

This is the Flamingo on Ellis Blvd. where I spent almost every Friday night with my parents and their friends. They had the greatest pizza ever! Thin crunchy crust with grease that dripped down your arm while you ate it.

This is the A&W on Ellis Blvd. I spent many nights as a kid/teen with my friends.

(I am not sure who to credit the pictures to, but thank you)

[tags]Cedar Rapids Iowa, Iowa Floods, Flamingo restaurant, A&W[/tags]