Friends

October 31, 2023

Chattanooga, TN

Took a quick adventure south to Chattanooga, TN to hang with our friends who currently call Chattanooga home. #travelnurselife We sure have missed having them around in Nebraska, so it was extra special to spend this time with them. ❤

While the visit was short, and I had an uninvited guest attempting to tear down my immune system (I may have slept in the truck on a few of their excursions… oof), we still managed to pack in the sights and sounds of southern Tennessee.

From breweries, to Lookout Mountain, Civil War memorials, downtown Chattanooga, Top of the Rock restaurant, to simple living room hangs while Kora got her wiggles out, and a dried up waterfall, we had ourselves a great time.

Can’t wait until the next adventure!

February 15, 2022

Oklahoma 2021 | Thelma & Louise

July 2021 Thelma and Louise trip took us south to Oklahoma. Our little Louise had first trimester woes, so our trip was fast, furious, hot as hell, and still full of goodness.

Day 1 took us through Topeka for a quick lunch with Tyree’s aunt before we moved straight on to Pawhuska, OK to experience everything Pioneer Woman.

The Pioneer Woman show is filmed on her ranch at their guest lodge located just 15 miles outside of town; 11 of which were gravel, potholes and cattle guards.

I was totally jazzed to see the location and listen to the stories shared by their family friend. The wild horses were a total bonus.

After dinner at the Merc and a few cocktails (for me!) at the local bar, we made our way West to lay our head down in a sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma. The sunset ride was exquisite.

Oklahoma City served as our next destination to take in the Memorial and a few other sites. Humbling, educational, and 103 billion degrees.

Y’all. July Oklahoma heat hits DIFFERENT. And it’s not good.

After a quick lunch, cold water and lemonade to rehydrate, we hopped on the bikes and headed North to find ourselves a red dirt road.

Then on to a middle of absolutely nowhere bar off a gravel road, that also gifted us with a handful of sand pits to maneuver through. And the locals thought we were gonna bury our bikes….

Listen. Listen. Listen.

Never underestimate us.

If it takes you a beat to find the bar, you know it’s a good one. Always find the hidden gems. It’s a must.

After the bar, we made our way back through Pawhuska, because wouldn’t you know it, we found out Leo DiCaprio was filming a movie, and we completely missed seeing the set the day before. Never mind it was literally the SAME BLOCK we had dinner and drinks on. #observantpartyoftwo

Since we didn’t really have any more destinations for this trip, and Tyree needed to get back to Omaha for pregnancy life, we backtracked our way home with a pitstop to see the set. Wild!

And one “1 star” motel experience later, we found our way back to Omaha with a few days to spare. Ok… We’ve stayed in a number of 1 star accommodations on our journey’s. This one took the cake. After this little number, we’ve agreed to stop being such cheap asses and upgrade to 2 star motels for the next T&L adventures. 😉 Gotta keep it a little trashy but a little classy, ya know? Preferably no bed bugs. Nor critters. Maybe the mold could be cleaned up? Ya…

Certainly the most mild of adventures, but no less fun. And can I just give Tyree a little shout-out? It was 10 billion degrees out, she was in her first trimester and not feeling real great, couldn’t even quench her thirst with an ice cold beer (the WORST), and she still stuck it out with me on this trip.

That’s friendship. True friendship. I love our T&L adventures and all the little ones in-between.

Cheers to many more.

A Look Back:

Thelma & Louise | South Dakota: https://harleysandheels.com/2020/10/08/thelma-and-louise-2020/

Thelma & Louise | Arkansas: https://harleysandheels.com/2018/07/24/thelma-and-louise-take-on-the-ozark-mountains/

February 13, 2022

A Look Back to Look Forward

Hi, friends.

2022 came in like a warm blanket of ongoing 2020 didn’t she? Warm because, hi… where’s the dang snow? And 2020, cuz also hi… our little pandemic friend.

Today, as I was cleaning out my iPhone photos preparing for a fresh new 13, I came across this screenshot I swiped off the Gram. While full of colorful words (sorry fam), the message is important. It was an early 2021 reminder to myself as I, along with many of you, were shaking our heads wondering what the heck just happened with 12 months of our lives. Minimal photos. Limited experiences. It was, and in some cases still is, taking a toll on our mental and physical well-being.

As I look back and share with you some joyful moments of 2021 as we all look ahead into 2022, I am inviting you to move ahead with the daily reminder to live. Experience. BREATHE. To take the photos. To make time for what is good in life. To soak it in and experience every experience for what it is, and enjoy everyone for who they are.

A look back at 2021.

Spring fishing and evening rides.

40th Birthday fun for Jess

Lake of the Ozarks with the girls.

Michigan, Oklahoma and Nashville

Fall Hikes

Hardy, Kane Brown & Iowa Football

Bonfires, Friends, Fam, and Cats

And forever chasing sunsets.

Cheers to living 2022, and embracing all that she gifts us. Wins, losses and everything in between.

And keep chasing those sunsets. They bring the promise of a new day.

November 9, 2020

Just Flockin’ Around

Summer 2019 is when it began. The Flamingo Fandom.  Flocking Fiasco.  Whatever you want to call it, I am here for it.

We were sitting around having a few beverages with Tyree and Cole when the random topic of flamingos came up, and just like that, an idea was hatched, a secret order of Flamingo’s was made and the wait began.

It wasn’t until three months later when an invitation to meet Cole and Tyree in Benson for a Husker watch party provided us a window of opportunity to flock their yard.   Wait… Husker watch party?

Y’all.  Clint never turns down an opportunity to heckle Husker fans.

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Once in Benson, we enjoyed plenty of food and drink, where Clint flawlessly sprinkled flamingo jargon into conversations without anyone suspecting a thing.  Our three month plan was coming to an end, and with one Husker loss and a lost bet later, we made our way home knowing T&C were in for a fun surprise.

And so, Fall 2019, the flocking tradition was born.

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Two months later, Tyree and I found ourselves wanting to spread some cheer to Tracy who had been recovering from surgery, and on 6:30am on December 1st, we made it happen.

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And then we waited.

Surely she’d post on social media? Or suspect us and send a text.

But we got nothing. 

By that evening we brought her sister into the secret.

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December 2nd:

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So, we send her some flamingo memes instead.  You know… make her think a little.  Keep her on her toes.   That’s what good friends do, right?

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The memes went back and forth for a while before she finally got it.

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Let me detour here for a moment and draw your attention back to the Benson scene and the lost bet.

First rule at the party?  Never bet Clint.  Stakes are high.  And in this case, the loser of the bet won a Hawkeye tattoo.  And four months later, it was time for that Husker fan to pay up.

It just so happens that Tyree was coordinating a surprise party for Cole-man as he had just graduated nursing school, so the tattoo and a fun night out with friends served as the perfect front.

Ty got the tat:

Cole got the surprise:

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Back to this flamingo business.

2020 brought a surprise marriage and new last name for Tracy, so mid-March at the start of the pandemic, we ambushed her again wearing very reliable COVID gear and shooters of whiskey.

A Surprise Wedding Shower, COVID style.

…And the bish had the audacity to ignore our FaceTime from her driveway.

In the end, we got her.  Half-showered and all.

#blushingbride

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Cheers!

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This ambush quickly turned into another flocking adventure, with Jamie as the target.

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6 hours later… Jamie turned the tables:

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Then COVID really hit the fan.  Clint and I passed the time with card parties with our quarantined buddies and the occasional icing of unsuspecting friends.

Spreading Cheer when the Pirtles are near.

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August came around, as did Tyree and I’s 40th.  I guess we’ve made our mark with the flamingo nonsense.

Rolling with it.

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Back to flocking yards again.  It takes time and patience.  Arrangements had been made for an October girls trip to Weston, MO, and so a full year after the first flocking, our pink friends found their new nesting place at Jessica’s.

Slight derail when we found Luke home working on the house, but we forged ahead anyway.  And when the two folks who were helping with the home projects asked what the flamingos meant, we told them Luke was a swinger, hopped in the truck, and moved along for Luke to navigate that one.

😉

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Weston was windy and filled with a ridiculous number of people, but we found ourselves good food and drinks and of course, enjoyed the good company.

We didn’t exactly think this flocking through as Jess rode home with us on Sunday morning.  As we were rolling into her driveway she noticed the flamingo’s, but ever so smoothly I blurted out:

“TRACY!  That sneaky bish!”

Since Tracy was unable to join us that weekend, she became the perfect person to blame. Next Jess would text Tracy and it would become a thing

… oh this was going to be good!

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And the tale of the traveling Flamingo Flock continues…

Cheers!