V A C A Y !

Greetings both my dear, faithful Nackebuhs followers. It's been quite some time since I rapped at you, but I've had my reasons, large and small. Mostly I've been daydreaming about / gearing up for / in the midst of my three week summer vacation!

It's the longest I've been away from cutting cheese since I began cutting cheese almost 8 years ago. Loaves of cheddar and wedges of parmesan have been replaced by the hands and cheeks of friends and family and the green green grass of home. This post finds me squarely in the middle of my vacation at my mom's place in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. There will be a thunderstorm tonight and I plan on sleeping out on the back porch to capitalize on it. Some highlights of my trip thus far include: 

Kayaking, leap-frogging, and zip-lining with my brother in the South Bend Urban Adventure Race 2009. We came in 10th! Out of 175!! WTF!!!

Discovering the Red Panda. Also called the Wah (because of it's distinct cry),  the Cat Bear (because it was thought to be related to a small bear and washes itself like a cat by licking its entire body), the Fire Fox, the Himalyan Raccoon, the Gambawarella, the Petit Panda, the Poonya, the Crimson Ngo, and the Ailurus Fulgens ("Shining Cat") in Latin.

Hearing my grandmother talk about the time she shook JFK's hand. This is a story that never grows old, even though she unfortunately is.

The grand and stately culemonimubus clouds of the midwest skies.

Humidity.

Laurie's Planet of Sound, which is me if I were a Chicago record store.

Alligator Dogs topped with St. Pete's at Hot Dougs.

Point Special on draft.

Witnessing an entire drum set be simultaneously played and carried off stage only to be put down in the center of the audience for exactly one more song.

Squeeze kisses at various bus stops around the windy city.

Pirouetting at Millennium Park.

Much laughter and lightness and other wonderful things.

Listening to the entirety of  Townes Van Zandt's "Live at the Old Quarter" at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Deep dish and Oz Park.

Vegetarian "pulled-pork" sandwich with my brother at the Chicago Diner followed by 4 sliders at a White Castle on our way out of town.

Standing in my mother's garden this morning and witnessing two hummingbirds alight on a fence directly in front of us for a full 30 seconds. That's almost 2 years hummingbird time.

I am looking forward to thunderstorms, fish frys, summer sun, train rides, friend marriages, beach houses, and everything else good that follows. . .