It might not have been one of my most Epic Weekend In Pictures, but that was partially by design. Friday brings back The New Jersey State Fair Sussex County Farm & Horse Show at The Sussex County Fairgrounds (which as you can guess rolls off the tongue so easily when you're trying to talk about it in 15 second intervals lol.) Everyone involved with The Fair works very hard and the weather always seems to bring us a heat wave and thunderstorms, often at the same exact time. It can be a grind working in the hot sun. That's why I wanted to try to take it easy this weekend (well, as much as I can.)
Friday afternoon, I started my weekend off by receiving some wonderful news. My dear friend Garret from Father John's Animal House emailed us that we collected over 775 pounds of food at Franklin Sussex Auto Mall with our Pet Food & Supply Drive. Sussex Rural Electric did a fantastic job just like they always do helping animals. Our community is so amazing and generous. Thank you so much for helping us! Whether it's my Adopt A Pet Of The Week, or the work I do with our friends at SCARC, one of the most important things we get to do is stand, and speak up for those who might not be able to speak for themselves. Getting to be a voice for those who might not have one is an amazing honor. Thank you so much for helping me get to help others. By the way it goes without saying that both my cute puppy and kitten Pets Of The Week have now already been adopted, right? When they were kissing each other during our Facebook live video that was easily one of the cutest things I've ever seen in person. Between getting that great news, and giving my new friends from Rising Tide a tour of our 3 iHeartRadio stations, my weekend was already off to a great start.
Friday I met up with bestie Carrie to have a happy hour drink at Hef's Hutt in Vernon. We absolutely love the gorgeous views of the mountain we get to live on. The weather was absolutely beautiful after an earlier rain sprinkle bout. We both had plenty to catch each other up on our work lives, she with her fun new career and well for me, things are never boring LOL. She was psyched our Pet Food & Supply drive went so well, and I'm proud of her already doing well with her new career.
Friday night time for Minerals Moonshine Tiki Bar. We were able to have a fun night with Brad, Steve and JG. We all had fun stories to catch each other up on, and we also of course had fun busting on each other. Friends laughing together and busting on each other, I always say the way life should be. I then snuck away from our fun to get one of my best sunset pictures to date. Given where we live, that's saying something because with the pools and mountain backdrop there are usually several terrific opportunities to get amazing sunset pictures.
1 of 5 Photo: Me with my new friends Rising Tide
2 of 5 Photo: YES!
3 of 5 Photo: Having a beer with bestie Carrie
4 of 5 Photo: Not a bad view at all!
5 of 5 Photo: Me, Brad, Carrie and Steve
Saturday morning wasn't overly excited, mainly stuck to errands and adulting chores like laundry fun. Shout out to my wash n fold friends on Route 94 in Hamburg. While we are lucky to have our washers and dryers in the condos at Great Gorge Village (Campus, as I lovingly call it,) they can be on the small side. This will sound first world / lazy, but it's just so much easier and quicker for me to just spend $15 every 2 weeks or so, drop off my laundry and pick it up the next day. Towel loads I'll do that at home sometimes on Sunday afternoons when I'm just hanging around my place.
Saturday afternoon my destination was the Vista 180 Pool at Crystal Springs. It was wonderful light at the end of my tunnel and a fun way to beat the heat. I didn't even go in the pools, but just being near them was so relaxing listening to the running water. I always refer to it as my Heaven On Earth.
I've learned this weekend that I apparently do not learn from mistakes I repeat. We've been told our whole lives to not be out in the hot sun for too long, right? After a few hours relaxing at the pool, I was just totally wiped out from being well, in the hot sun for too long. I didn't even see any friends Saturday night, too wiped out from being in the sun all day. I know better, yet just still couldn't get enough of our beauty here. I even say "I only have so many weeks left to relax by the pool, to justify me staying there entirely longer than I should.
1 of 7 Photo: Here we go!
2 of 7 Photo: LOVE THE VIEWS
3 of 7 Photo: LOVE THE VIEWS
4 of 7 Photo: LOVE my Trinity Rehab in Sparta. They make PT fun!
5 of 7 Photo: scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast (the peppers scared me away from the hash browns)
6 of 7 Photo: More pool time
7 of 7 Photo: Me with Natalee and Brendan!
Sunday was almost like a Groundhog day for me repeating the mistakes I made Saturday. I did errands in the morning, put away laundry later, and in the middle I went back to the Vista 180 Pool at Crystal Springs where I yet again stayed out in the hot sun for hours. Yet again I was fried and in bed early wiped out from the hot sun.
Maybe I'll finally learn my lesson but I just can't get enough of the beauty we have here. The gorgeous sunsets and more. It was a great beating the heat summer weekend in Sussex County, New Jersey for me.
Thank you for taking the time to read my Epic Weekend In Pictures. Time to start planning next weekend, and The Fair will be returning!