What is this a picture of, you ask yourself?

Well, 5 seconds ago it was a picture of very loud baroque-period harpsichord music and my parents sharing a bag of Beer Nuts across the aisle.

*sniff* It just about brings tears to my eyes. ;)

(I'm 106 miles from Chicago. I'm in the back of the van. It's dark and I'm wearing sunglasses.)

The hot tub

Alas, time to head back to the real world.

I do, however, get to ride next to my funny and beautiful niecey though, so that does make the return trip worthwhile. (She's sleeping while holding my arm--if I move too much, she squeezes me. I love her :)

I'm trying to post a vacay pic I didn't post yesterday: it's the cedar hot tub (the round thing with the stovepipe coming out the top). My uncle and cousin put it together just like a whiskey barrel (no glue, just water-swelled wood. Fill it up with lake water and light the wood stove, 30 mins later you've got a hot tub!

They have a big wooden oar to stir the water to an even temp. For years I've been trying to get them to invest in some giant foam carrots and onions, cause when someone's stirring the tub from above, you kind of feel like...well...soup.

Peace and quiet...

The grown-ups are still laughing and playing the bodhran and harmonicas in the room above my head, but I'm ready for sleep.

Sweet dreams everyone...

What a beautiful day :)

Today was a day filled with the adventure of a power outage, rides on the pontoon boat, soaking ourselves im the wood-fired cedar hot tub, a little sunburn (curse of the irish!), lots of talking with my cousins, and good dinner :).

On tap for tonight? Illegal fireworks, ice cream, and the family harmonica and drum jam. So fun :) I'm pretty lucky.

My dad is whistling along to Beethoven's Ode to Joy

...hellllp meeeeeee.....

It worked!

Now lemme try a picture... It's me da, driving the lead car in the caravan :)

Mobile posting is trying to defy me...

...and we all know how I feel about blogs that fight back. Let's see if this one works...