Hiking in Beaver Bend State Park

We had a great weekend this weekend.  A weekend that Lincoln and I don't have often mainly because of his work schedule always changing and being hectic.  Since Lincoln is at apprentice school during the week he had this past weekend off and also the next 3.  We took full advantage of the beautiful weather this weekend.  I'm on a kick about not wanting to do the same thing all the time.  It seems over the past 6 months or so that we do stuff on the weekends but its the same oh same oh so I'm trying to think of things for us to do together that are different, fun, and inexpensive.

 

Friday was low key.  We enjoyed cooking together at home and then spent the evening outside by a fire listening to music and just talking.

 

Saturday we got up and going and headed to Oklahoma to hike in Beaver Bend State Park.  I had been secretly planning this little day adventure in my head all week and I pitched it to Lincoln on Thursday. He was game and I was happy.  We packed a back pack with water, a lunch of sandwiches, some TP in case of emergencies and there was one. :)

 

You might remember we visited the state park back in October when we went on our little Beaver Bend Getaway.  This was only my second or third time to be at the park and the first time hiking. We had a great time and it was some much needed exercise.  We stopped at the visitor center to get a map and then headed off on our first small/easy trail.  We came to a crossing that pointed to the Look Out Mt trail which I really wanted to go on.  It was a mile UP and it was a hike let me tell you.  

check out this cool tree and how it grew

so of course I had to take a picture

 

We were both a little disappointed once we got to the top because it was called Look Out Mt....which would lead one to believe we were going to make the trek and have a fantastic view of the park....NOT!  There were too many trees, all we could do was see through the trees and then make our way down the other side. 

 

 

Once to the bottom we had to go right back up and we thought we might have been lost but Lincoln consulted the map and discovered we weren't lost just had a ways to go.  We finally made it back to civilization, found a nice spot to eat lunch, and did a bit more exploring before driving to view the lake and dam.   

 

 

 

We finished our little park adventure around 4 o'clock and on the way home stopped at some friend's house for a fish fry.

 

We had a great weekend and I can't wait for all the adventures Lincoln and I have ahead of us over the next few months and years!

Book Review: The Power Trip

It's been a while since I did a book review probably because I haven't read anything super riveting lately and also just because I have sort of forgotten but this book that I'm fixing to give you is unforgettable.

Like most great book finds mine usually start with finishing a book and needing another.  I always turn to Amazon to find books since I love and adore my Kindle.  I go about it different ways...I cruise the New York Bestseller list and other lists, then venture off on my own just browsing at times.  A couple weeks ago I happened upon The Power Trip and grabbed it right up.

Buy it for your Kindle or other versions from Amazon...HERE!

Synopsis from Amazon:
A luxurious yacht in the Sea of Cortez, a birthday cruise for one of the world’s most beautiful women and an invitation no one can refuse. The Power Trip—take it if you dare. From Hollywood icon and mega-seller Jackie Collins comes a thrilling new novel, The Power Trip, set on a state of the art luxury yacht off the coast of Cabo San Lucas. A tropical getaway with a cast of global power-hungry elites turns sour when they find out maybe they don't control as much of the world as they thought . . .

In The Power Trip you will meet Aleksandr Kasianenko, a billionaire Russian oligarch, as he sets sail on The Bianca. You’ll meet his sexy supermodel girlfriend, whom The Bianca is named after, and five dynamic, powerful, and famous couples invited on the yacht’s maiden voyage: Hammond Patterson, a driven Senator, and his lovely but unhappy wife, Sierra; Cliff Baxter, a charming, never-married movie star, and his ex-waitress girlfriend, Lori; Taye Sherwin, a famous black UK footballer and his interior designer wife, Ashley; Luca Perez, a male Latin singing sensation with his older decadent English boyfriend, Jeromy; and Flynn, a maverick journalist with his Asian renegade female friend, Xuan.

You will also meet Russian mobster, Sergei Zukov, a man with a grudge against Aleksandr. And Sergei’s Mexican beauty queen girlfriend, Ina, whose brother, Cruz, is a master pirate with orders to hold The Bianca and its illustrious rota of guests for ransom.

The Power Trip explorers the decadent playgrounds of the super-rich . . . and leaves you hungry for more.

I couldn't get enough of this book.  I was sucked into each couple's story and drama from the very beginning.  I had my favorites and hopes for what I wanted to happen for each couple.  I wanted to read and read but it's one of those books that you can't get enough reading but you almost don't want to read it because you know has to end.  I was so impressed with Jackie Collins story lines and style of writing I'm definitely going to get more of her books. 

If you haven't read this book then I HIGHLY recommend it.  The Power Trip is the perfect book to take to along on your upcoming summer vacays!  I loved it loved it loved it!!!!

HAPPY READING

Money, Money, Money!

Money is always something that I could use more of!  I mean yeah all the things I'm responsible for as a functioning adult are taken care of but I always have goals, projects, and needs wants that I need want RIGHT NOW!  LOL 

The only downside to this impatient mentality is I always feel like I want, want, want but can never do, do, do because there's never enough money, money, money for those things. LOL 

 

I know problems of a first world citizen.  spoiled!

 

I'm so grateful for the life that I've been given and have made for myself and I guess that's why I always want more! 

I try to live in the moment as much as possible and not wish away my life until I reach the next milestone......

ok a little side tracked there so back to the light and fluffy money post.....

I read this article on one of my favorite blogs and daily reads, The Every Girl, a few days ago and since I had recently been planning several goals for myself that related to finances it sparked this post! 

1. I told Lincoln on Sunday night that I've made up my mind that by October I WILL have a new car.  My Corolla (truck) is 10 years old and I've never had any problems...except today I had a flat when I came out of work to come home!!! 10 years and not even a single flat...that's Toyota for you. 

Ok so even though there's not a thing wrong with my car I deserve a new one and I'm going to get myself a new one by October or in October either way my goal is set = OCTOBER!

 

I've narrowed it down to 2 different cars.  Both in the same price range.  One of them will be in my garage by...when people... OCTOBER! 

 

The 2 finalist are...

 

The 2013/2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee

& the Infinity JX

 

 

Both around 40K and I LOVE both of them.  I have test drove a Jeep and still love it but have yet to drive the Infinity.  Aren't they both pretty?

2. Now that I have my house pretty much exactly as I want it...gutters installed and all my budget and extra money that I would normally be spending on home things will be put to use by making Peggy Sue a home away from home. 

I've got supplies to work on her and I really need to get on it if I want to reach my goal of having her where I want her by July 4th. 

Here's a sneak peak of some demolition work I've done so far.

 

After the regular construction/demo work comes the fun part for me and that's the decorating.  I intend do use and reuse different things from home and from Canton of course to mix mostly old and a little new to make Peggy Sue the perfect mobile home! :)

 

3. Of course an on going goal is to save and budget for travel be it a long weekend indulging or a week long vacay to Costa Rica!  There's never enough money to satisfy my want and need to travel. 

 

4.Now that I've lost my Ray Bans on my latest trip to Shreveport I'm savings for a new pair of those babies.  The problem is which ones...the only solution is that I won't be able to purchase these online I need to try on several pairs to see which ones I like the best.

So far these are a few that have caught my eye

Aviator Flip Out...love this style because it's classic and compact easy to store so I don't lose another pair.

Clubmaster...like them but not sure how they will look on my face

Timeless and Classy...the Jackie Ohh again not sure how hey will frame out my face

 

5. The last want///need that's been on my mind lately is the purchase of some land.  This isn't a short term goal like all the previous goals are but a goal none the less and a very important one in my book.  I think it's time for me to start cruising the real estate sites and Craigslist and maybe I'll happen into a great deal. I LOVE ME SOME REAL ESTATE!

 

There you have it... some goals of my that are taking up my mind and my checkbook lately.

Spontaneous Saturday

I didn't have much planned for my weekend so when Lincoln's sister, Amber, text me Saturday morning wanting me to go to Shreveport, LA with her I got ready and met her in MP around 10:30.  We headed out and arrived in Shreveport around 12:45 just in time to eat lunch at Olive Garden. 

I had a gift card from there so we put it to good use. After stuffing ourselves with way too much Italian we headed to Bossier and cruised the boardwalk, by this time it was 2ish and we shopped to our little heart's content!  I never buy myself clothes really and so when I walked into Papaya I went a bit crazy!  I bought several new things just in time for summer.  We cruised in and out a lot of stores and Amber and I both hit the jackpot at the Nike outlet when we bought new tennies for 20 bucks!  So cheap you ask...yeah it's because Amber has a trick...it's called kids sizes. 

I love it. 

Plus my new running shoes also are the kind that work with that chip and the phone app so I can't wait to try that out tomorrow!  By this time we had worked up a thirst so we headed to Joe's Crab Shack for some drinks and to enjoy the wonderful spring afternoon. 

Gotta watch out for those gators

This little kid was HILARIOUS!  His mom was at the table behind us and he was carrying around this root beer and being such a ham. 

Amber ready to get crazy that was like one of three HUGE drinks LOL  We had a good time!

At this point we pretty much decided we were having too much fun and just needed it to not end so we called our Mothers and I let Lincoln know that we would be staying the night in Shreveport.  We finished up our drinks and then took some pictures along the river before we hit up a few more shops. 

remember these stick on earrings LOL I remember having some when I was little.

on our way to the car I decided to do a bit of work to cover my spending!

Before checking into none other than the Marriott we had to run to a near-by Wal-Mart to get, oh I don't know,.... a pair of panties and a tooth brush.  We hadn't planned on staying the night so we were a bit unprepared but that didn't stop us.  After a trip to Wal-Mart we checked into the hotel, got settled, and then went out for some ice cream. 

out hotel room

a view from our hotel

We woke up this morning around 7, were checked out, and on the road to Starbucks by 8.  Once in the car I went for my sunglasses and they weren't there.  I looked everywhere!  We even went back to the hotel and checked but no such luck.  I guess I left them in a dressing room or somewhere yesterday!  I was sick especially since they were my Ray Ban aviators and I've had them for a while.  That was the only downside to our little spontaneous trip.

Amber and I had a great Saturday in Shreveport.  I think it was what we both needed since we are always going full speed ahead in life with school and work and sometimes we can get bogged down in the everyday.  I already told Lincoln that I'm planning us a little trip in June or there after to Shreveport to stay in the new Margaritaville Resort and Casino that looks like its going to be fab and a great place to spend a weekend during the summer. 

 

Amber and I decided that we love our spontaneous trips but from here on out we are just going to be sure that when traveling with each other in the future we come prepared for at least an overnight stay since CLEARLY we never know where we are going to end up. LOL 

 

What did you do this weekend?