I hope this finds you all coming off of a well spent Labor Day weekend and if you were anything like me, getting back into the swing of things on this Mondayest Tuesday was a little on the rough side.  Let’s just say I felt every last adult beverage leaving my pores at the gym today.  Good thing I did two classes AND lifted, because my body needed it.

Friday night Clint and I packed my purse full of our favorite tallboys and hit up the theater for a popcorn fueled dinner with entertainment provided by the latest Jason Bourne movie.

…all while sporting our favorite team gear in anticipation of College Football Opening Weekend.

Spoiler Alert: One of my fave actresses sees the end of her run AND this movie is totally left open for more.

Saturday

We made our way down to Coburg, IA where Clint assisted in the tear down of an old barn while I got to have fun with Sara’s babes.

Kaeleen is little Ms. Conversationalist with a sense of adventure and fun at every moment.

And Ms. Adyson is a mix of sugar and spice with that sweet innocent smile and mischievous glisten in her eye.  She was quite the helper by assisting me with the transportation of snacks for the boys. 😉

We played Frisbee, volleyball, swang on the swing-set, watched the boys work and played in Clint’s truck and trailer.   Adventures and imaginations were abundant.

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At the end of the day this old barn had been torn down, boards salvaged, treasures were found and ideas for reusing the boards had just begun.

Saving history one re-purpose at a time.

Follow Troy and Sara’s business page for their newest treasures and creations at  SW Iowa Primitives, Antiques & Furniture.

And if you are interested in making your own creations from salvaged barn board, contact Clint at Walkup Wood Products to get your hands on them!

Around dinner time, Clint took off to Clarinda to help clean up the farm for our annual Pirtlefest shenanigans in a few weeks while I made my way to Villisca to hang with my girl Tina for the remainder of the night.   What started off as a few hours of chatting on the back deck turned into nearly 5!  Beautiful evening, good conversation and ice cold drinks.  Can’t beat that!

Sunday

A day on the bikes with the girls!  And of course it would rain on us on our first leg of the journey to DC’s Waterhole in Plattsmouth, NE.

But, while we dried out, one of the owners so kindly bought us a round of the most delicious lemon drop shots we have ever had.   Lemon flavored sugar was the secret ingredient to this yumminess.   Next time you are near Plattsmouth, be sure to stop in to DC’s and get yourself one!  Promise you won’t be disappointed!

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Out next stop landed us at Sugar Clay Winery for their last Sangria Sunday.  We enjoyed live music, the most delicious sangria I’ve ever had, yummy snacks and great conversations.

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After we filled our bellies and spent ample time at the winery, we headed back out and aimed East, which naturally landed us by Hunter School outside of Tabor, IA.   Somehow over the last few years, Jessica and I have made it a tradition to jump off the stairs.   What is a simple and quite juvenile act has turned into one of the most hilarious traditions.   If you can’t let loose and act ridiculous with your friends, then you have the wrong friends. 🙂

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After wasting an inordinate amount of time, we lined up like a little duck family for a photo session…

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and continued East to Imogene, IA for some little beers at the Emerald Isle before landing in Silver City, IA at The Hood for some juke box blaring, bar floor stretching, random dancing entertainment.

Let’s just say we made the bartenders day, because while he gave off the vibe that he wasn’t paying one bit of attention to us, we know he secretly enjoyed the nonsense we provided for an hour.  We even had a surprise visit by Liz and Andy on their way out on the town!

What is the source of all these photos, you ask?

A helmet visor, similar to Darth Vader or some alien source.  We aren’t quite sure.  But, what we do know, is Tracy rocks that thing like none other.

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And this is where we continued our trek back towards the city and landed at the Back Room Lounge outside of Glenwood, IA for some dinner and friendly conversation with Rat, who found it completely inappropriate that I was merely borrowing a few chips from the counter.  Locals… jeesh! 😉

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Sunday concluded with a BEAUTIFUL sunset ride back to the City that wrapped up a pretty stellar little day of riding.

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Labor Day Monday included a deep cleaning of the house, up and down, yard work, vehicle cleaning and meal prepping for the short week.

September has started off on the right foot and has the promise of continuing that streak with an upcoming anniversary road-trip to Illinois with Clint, Pirtlefest and Bikes Blues & BBQ!

Cheers!