My Epic Jersey Summer Weekend In Pictures

Note: Next weekend I'll hopefully be able to post my Weekend In Pictures on Tuesday, I'm golfing with my friends at DPD Monday woohoo! Duck! This might pale in comparison to last weekend on the Epic scale, but all good. After an amazing weekend back up home in New England celebrating Padre's birthday, I was ready for a lower key weekend in Jersey. It's so fun being able to enjoy so many places all around our area outdoors. After the poor unhealthy air quality we had for a few days from those Canadian wildfires, I definitely wasn't going to take my outside time for granted at all.

That unhealthy haze of smoke from the wildfires was intense! Tuesday afternoon I was outside our radio station on the phone with a friend for less than ten minutes, and thirty minutes later the air kicked my Caboose. My left eye and left nostril started running big time and fatigue kicked in. WOW. I still don't understand why it was only my left eye and nostril, while the right side of my face was in that same awful air, lol. I'm very thankful that stuff is hopefully over and past us.

Friday night I was happy to meet up with besties Brad and Steve at Kite's for happy hour. We were all sharing conversations about how intense those hazy smoky skies were earlier in the week. Overall a good Friday night for sure.

Saturday morning I was in the mood to hit Rockaway Mall. It's funny how different your scenery and surroundings can change with just a 35 minute drive. I was happy to have so many entertaining options at my disposal. I had been contemplating buying a Red Hot Chili Peppers T Shirt. No special reason, I've just always been a fan of them and their differing sounds throughout the decades. I'll never forget seeing them front row at a WBCN River Rave concert at Great Woods in Mansfield, Massachusetts front row. They were fun, interactive and sounded fantastic. I ended up at a Hot Topic store for probably my first time in 20 years or so? Yes, I felt OLD, LOL. There was a girl working there named Erica, who was sweet and bubbly immediately. I was able to find The Red Hot Chili Peppers T Shirts pretty quickly. I got one for me, and one to surprise bestie Carrie. She LOVES them. I went to tap my Amex card, and it didn't go through. Erica said "yeah sometimes it just doesn't work with the tap. Just push it right in...that's what she said, I know." I CRACKED UP! I told Erica, "if you didn't make that joke, I would have!" I then inserted my card and it worked. I then joked how important the angle was, and she cracked up saying I made her morning. I'll definitely add her to the list of people I need to visit on a regular basis. I was cracking up.

Next trip adventure was to Pennings Farm to see bestie Matt Spooner. His birthday is very close to Father's Day, so it's easier for all of us to celebrate it the weekend before basically. Spooner's friends he grew up with are simply amazing and inclusive. They make you feel like you grew up with them too. I only get to see them usually once or twice a year, but it was absolutely fun. We enjoyed Pennings Farm Cidery, which until last year for Spooner's birthday, I didn't even know existed. I'm starting to prefer that over the Pennings Beer Garden. At the Cidery you have much more space on the open field, you don't feel like you're packed in like sardines. Our timing was perfect because just as we were getting ready to leave they were starting to charge cover charges of $10 per person. I was good going back to Campus. It was a beautiful night to just take in the sunset on my deck, something earlier in the week wasn't possible due to the poor air quality.

Sunday I was excited knowing that The Crystal Springs Vista 180 Pool was in my future. That pool and area is absolutely my happy place. An infinity pool that has a view of Crystal Springs Wild Turkey Golf Course, and then the valley of mountains as a backdrop? I absolutely love it. I was there for a couple of hours with a couple of besties Shawn and Ruby. btw, I definitely had an I'm old / have been here awhile moment, realizing that Ruby who's like another niece to me is now 20, meaning she was 11 when I moved here 9 years ago. WOW. Time really can fly by when you're having fun.

I had a nice time relaxing by the pool with them. I then ended up meeting up with besties Brad, Steve and JG at Moonshine Tiki Bar at Minerals to wrap up the weekend. Great times with awesome friends.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my Epic Weekend In Pictures. Time to start planning next weekend here we go: Crystal Springs Beer & Food Fest, and the DPD Golf Classic on Monday!