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Melissa McCarthy’s pep talk monologue with Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids was what I needed to both see and hear.
Before I taint the pool with my aha moments, watch the clip or read the transcript below and take note of what stands out to you. Did you need reminding of something, too?
Continue reading Melissa McCarthy’s Bridesmaids Monologue Is The Reminder We All NeedDid you know that this week is National Park week? To celebrate the Hubs and I rented an AirBnB in Joshua Tree. A small teardrop camper that had made its roots in the middle of the desert, on purpose.
You could say, we caravanned our way into National Park week like bosses. Is that too cheesy? #longhairdontcare
For the record, I’ve never been to the desert or Joshua Tree and didn’t know that there was actually tree named Joshua, hence it’s namesake. So this is the Tree, for any other fellow non in the know people, haha.
The Hubs and I packed up his truck and our puppies Saturday morning. My husband has a nasty habit of OVER packing. The hours before go-time is peppered with his worried phrase, “what if we need this?”
I err on the side of minimalism, last November I traveled to Buffalo in the middle of winter with one carryon for 4 days. So I usually ignore the mountain of stuff growing when the Hubs is in charge of packing, hahaha.
The cubbyhole was located just outside Joshua Tree National Park and gave you the right amount of seclusion in the desert vibe, with the reassurance civilization wasn’t too far away, just had to make it down a dirt road.
I would highly recommend Leafe and Katherine as an AirBnB host, they are amazing people with some amazing desert detours, which happens to also be their Instagram account.
Here are some of the photos from our trip:
How cool is showering outdoors?!
The desert is definitely its own kind of beauty. We went to escape the noise of Orange County and lose connection with our cell phones, next time we will hit up the trails and hike our hearts out.
The hike down the canyon into the valley was serene. A canopy of purple-flowered shrubs lined a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the trail and could even here bumblebees buzzing around the blooms. Spring has officially arrived in Southern California.
We got to the trailhead at about 8:30 A.M. and it felt more crowded on our trek back up at 11 A.M. Earlier is always better in my book.
The last 5 miles before pulling into the trailhead parking lot is a dirt road and there are well-kept porta-johns, I mention because I was surprised! California has had an average rainy season this year and the water levels in mid-April were full and flowing.
All Three Sisters were gorgeous. Keep in mind during the hotter months there’s very little shade on this hike and it’s a good steep hike back to the car. I wouldn’t bring my dogs because the risk of overheating is high, even though I’m sure they’d scale the rocks better than me.
AllTrails suggests to only use this hike from October to April and is recommended for very experienced adventurers, which I would agree with as the hike back up the canyon SUCKS. lol
Here are some of the photos from this weekend’s adventure.
Planning these little weekend trips have been a real blessing to my marriage. We both work our asses off and forget to enjoy each other sometimes, enjoying the sounds of nature has been a breath of fresh air, for reals.
So I encourage you to plan a little getaway, doesn’t have to be far (or expensive). Mother Nature has a lot to offer, so go take a hike. 🙂
RamblinRandol is about finding yourself and learning to love yourself again. Life is real and raw, there’s no room for perfection here. If you’d like to join the Hot Mess Express tribe where we discuss the daily struggle and bring real life to light, come hang out in my new Facebook group, here.
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The hike to Devil’s Punch Bowl was gorgeous once you got down into the valley. Opting outside has become a new favorite hobby of mine, and it’s probably because the weather here in Southern California basically screams for you to be outside as frequently as possible.
It was crowded once we got to the falls, but I still enjoyed the scenery (and people watching opportunities). The water was freezing and even though it was hotter than Hades I didn’t feel like jumping in, wasn’t in the mood for soggy underwear.
Cedar Creek Falls Trail is an out and back trail with the Devil’s Punch Bowl as its halfway point. Trip Advisor ranks it as the number two hike for the Cleveland National Forest, which means Hubs and I will be hiking No. 1 trail sooner rather than later.
All Trails ranks the hike as moderate and strongly suggests no dogs due to the many canine deaths from the lack of no shade. This hike does require a permit.
Here are some of the photos I took from our hike this weekend. Hope you enjoy!
This world is full of beautiful places and things, Don’t miss out on experiencing the best of the best mother nature has to offer. So go take a hike, it’s good for the soul.
RamblinRandol is about finding yourself and learning to love yourself again. Life is real and raw, there’s no room for perfection here. If you’d like to join the Hot Mess Express tribe where we discuss the daily struggle and bring real life to light, come hang out in my new Facebook group, here.
OR
Be my friend on Instagram @shannahan22
If you were asked, “what are you best at?” what would your answer be? The first talent of mine that pops front and center in my mind, is my ability to find fun in the cheapest of places.
There are a slew of ways to enjoy life that don’t break the bank. All you need to do is put some effort into it, like taking a hike.
Spending the day outside is free. Some parks will charge a $5 parking fee but those are easy to avoid. Black Star Canyon Falls is a challenge, but worth the sweat and sore biceps.
Go take a hike is probably what you’re thinking, right? How you going to tell me going outside is your big bright idea of free fun, like I didn’t know that already.
Hey-hey, calm down. I just want to reiterate the importance of the sweat and sun combo. I can’t remember who, but someone said there is nothing better for your soul than spending time outside.
But how do you find trails near you? Glad you asked!
I use the AllTrails App to find hikes I want to do every weekend. This weekend we ventured out to the Cleveland National Forest and took on Black Star Falls Canyon hike.
Here’s a few photos from my trip to the top of Black Star Canyon Falls.
We started at 8AM and the sun wasn’t an issue until the last 2 miles back to the car. If you’re going to bring your dog, I’d suggest starting out at 6 or 7AM at the latest because the trail is less crowded.
You are walking on a paved road for quite some time but once you hit the river bed it gets interesting. I personally wouldn’t rate this hike as difficult when it’s dry, but can understand during the rainy season how it could be hard if the riverbed was flowing and cutting down trail options.
With that being said, there is an alternative dirt path that runs parallel to the river bed. My husband and I brought six bottles of water and were fine. OC Parks suggests a gallon of water per mouth.
Once you get to the Black Star Canyon Falls there is a path up and around the cliff to get to the top of the falls. It’s steeper and requires pulling yourself up on rope. The path to the top is up and to the right of the falls.
Despite the buckets of rain Southern California got this year, the falls were reduced to a leaky faucet by the end of August. No matter, I’d still recommend this hike, because who doesn’t enjoy climbing 30 foot boulders?!
About to head off into the wilderness and afraid you’re going to forget something essential to living without wifi for a week?
What if we run out of food on day three out of six!?
Don’t panic just yet, with these 3 camping tricks to upgrade your vacay, becoming one with nature is going to be a breeze.
You’ve planned meals ahead and prepped certain foods you don’t want to be responsible for without electricity, now it’s time to pack the cooler.
Skip picking up bags of ice at the grocery store and freeze bottled water, instead. It’s cheaper and doesn’t make everything in your cooler soaking wet after it has melted. I lost a whole bag of bagels to a pool of melted ice, once. #saddestdayever
I tried out the frozen water bottle idea this past week in Yosemite and was pleasantly surprised when the bottles kept my food cool and stayed frozen for almost 4 days!
Anyone else out there a last minute packer for long trips?
A few days before a trip I pretend like I’m going to get a head start, but really I know I’m going to do anything possible to avoid packing (like sweeping the entire house INCLUDING moving the furniture) and end up rushing last minute to make sure I have enough clothes to wear.
Due to my procrastination, I think I stumbled upon the best solution for, “what do I bring for clothes?”
I didn’t do laundry in the knick of time, so I was forced to get crafty with what I brought. I’m a firm believer of never having too much underwear, but not wanting to bring a full suitcase, I cut down.
You know those work out shorts that have underwear already a part of its fabric? Well, pack a few of those bad boys and never worry again about running through all your good underwear for the trip.
It was extremely easy to ‘wash off’ with my ‘better than a shower’ wipes, and wear to bed the bottoms I would hike in the next morning and know I had an extra pair of underwear just in case.
I get it, it’s camping and this shouldn’t matter. BUT, after 3 nights and 4 days without running water, ya girl could use a hot bath or at least a face and foot scrub.
Don’t tell my husband, but the camp coffee maker works as a really good sink (don’t worry I washed it out before the next morning’s cup). I put water in the percolator, put it over the camp fire for 10-12 minutes and gave my face a good scrub with hot water.
I poured hot water over my feet and did the same thing, the dirt NEEDED to come out of my toe nails people, quit judging me!
Camping requires a slower pace and it promotes a simpler vacation with less hassle, well semi-less hassle. Let’s be honest, the stress of bringing enough food for the entire duration of the trip can make anyone go a little nutty.
Regardless, sleeping outside with the crickets and stars forces a sort of slow calmness we all need. If you want coffee in the morning, you have to wait at least 15-20 minutes until the water boils and then another 10 minutes for the hot water to bubble over your coffee grounds.
Your insides will be screaming CAFFEINE NOW, but it’ll probably be the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had.
Camping is a vacation from the noise, hustle and bustle of life and good for the soul to reconnect with life’s most precious moments.
But with these three simple hacks to upgrade your camping experience, your easy vacation just got a little easier.
Sigh-our last full day in Colorado Springs, a bit more than bittersweet, we didn’t want to leave at all. If it were possible to move all our belongings in a blink of an eye, I think we would have.
In the beginning of a trip, that first wake up means the whole adventure is in front of you, so when it ends, it feels like it came and went to quickly. As soon as you book a trip, it takes forever to get there, but when you’re on vacation, it flies by faster than the speed of light.
I’m just grateful I got to spend it with my guy and our two puppies.
After breakfast we headed into Manitou Springs to visit the cliff dwellings. These dwellings were homes to the Anasazi ( The Ancient Ones or The Ancestral Puebloans). The people of this culture lived from 1100 A.D. to 1300 A.D. in the four corners area ( Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico).
These apartment homes were carved into the side of the huge red rocks to protect themselves from invasions by intruders, so their backs were always covered, no sneak attacks from behind.
The tiny narrow hallways and low ceilings gave you the feel of what it might have been like to live in one of these homes. The stairs were just as narrow and with the sun behind us, it was very dark.
There was also a museum housed inside a Pueblo. A structure made from clay and hay, because of the cold winters Colorado has, the snow melts the clay and has to be replenished yearly. I hate mowing the grass, how spoiled are we, can you imagine?
We were also in for an unexpected treat that day, there were wolves walking around, real life BIG ones. The Hubs and I got to pet and feed them, totally insane!
I was walking up to the female when the male, Ghost, came galloping up to me, nuzzling me with this long thick snout. I’m not going to lie, for a quick second I thought this was it. “Here lies Shannon, eaten alive by a wolf.”
The handler explained people adopt these animals and try to mix them with dogs, because they think it’s “cool,” and when they become an adult, they’re too much to handle and get left in shelters, or in the present females case, tied up to a tree.
Because they end up in shelters, nobody wants to adopt them and they end up being put down, a sad fate for a wild animal. So, he takes them in and cares for them.
The wolves eat between 6 to 9 lbs of raw meat a day. So the handler brings them out to help raise money to feed and house them. They can’t be domesticated, meaning you can’t house train them. They live in a huge back yard with man-made dens, another female wolf is the pack leader. You Go Girl.
After the dwellings, we dropped the dogs off and went to downtown Colorado Springs and historic Colorado City. Downtown was nice, a small city with clean streets. The homes were Victorian style, where the floors probably creaked and the banisters were hand crafted wood.
Historic Colorado City is like any historic area, small trinket stores, hand dipped chocolate goodies and a grassy area for guests to sun bathe on. It’s cute, nice for tourists and people who eat lunch outside.
It was built by a few guys who had enough money to spend, pretty much the same song and dance for any town in those days.
We got back to the hotel early in the afternoon and were wiped out. All the hiking and exploring caught up with us and we were done-zo. I crawled under the sheets and dozed off for an hour, woke up to The Hunger Games on HBO and a very hungry husband.
The Hubs found a restaurant that was inside an old Boeing KC-97, him being an avid aviation junkie, especially during the WWII era, so we had to go. It didn’t dissapoint.
The building surrounding the plane offered additional seating and plenty of eye candy hanging on every inch of the walls. The menus were newspapers you could take home as souvenirs and the waiters were dressed in airline attendant fashion.
Let the record show, I Shannon, was in a plane willingly without any mild heart palpitations or panic attacks. Plus, the food was pretty good. I got an avocado burger, the Hubs got salmon pasta something or other and we split a brownie sundae.
A great way to end the day and trip, because in the morning, we had an 11 hour trek back home ahead of us.
After yesterdays breakfast, I knew todays was going to be just as good. I almost couldn’t wait to get out of bed, almost.
Knowing we had to tire the dogs out before leaving them at the hotel, the Hubs found a disc golf coarse (golf with a frisbee) 25 minutes away. Every time we go somewhere new, we check out their disc golf courses. We were’t disappointed, the puppies were pooped.
There was a foot trail that circled the park and I decided to tire the pups out a little bit more. A quick run never hurt anybody, right? Wrong, we got lost, it didn’t circle the park and the Hubs had to come pick us up, miles into the country, oops.
After we got back to the hotel, we checked out The Cog Railway Train Adventure and were disappointed to find you were required to schedule the ride 24 hours in advance. Matt really wanted to go on top of a mountain.
Plan B! We can drive up to Pikes Peak, even better! So we drove the 20 miles to get to the base of the mountain to begin our trek up, and man was that a long way down.
The views from the side of the mountain were anything but ordinary. Breathing in that fresh mountain air was rejuvenating, even with the altitude trying to take your breathe away.
We stopped to hike up some rocks before getting to the tops and this is where the picture below was taken.
I wouldn’t say I have a fear of heights, but rather a fear of falling. I’m pretty proud of myself for standing on the edge. My knees didn’t give out, hallelujah.
To the top of the summit is 14,115 feet above sea level. Fun Fact: The view from the summit inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write “America the Beautiful” in 1883.
Before you get to the summit, you travel up roads that are a little to close to the edge for my taste, guardrails only on the sharp turns. Due to ice and snow we couldn’t make it all the way to the top, but we got pretty close.
We made it to Boulder Park, 13,380 feet above sea level. We got out, trampled through feet of snow ( with improper clothing, I was wearing capri work out pants, yikes!) and hiked to the top of the boulders, trying to get as high in the clouds as possible.
As we drove back down the mountain, we stopped at the Crystal Reservoir and took the self-guided nature trail. The reservoir was frozen over and we got to read about the Big Foot sightings.
Yes, you read that right. Big Foot was spotted by a guest in Pikes Peak back in 2001. A sign was added to commemorate the sighting. You can read here about more tales of Big Foot and the Sea Monster in Mystic River.
We got back to the hotel, ate dinner and passed out before 10 p.m. and if you know me, that’s a feat all in itself. Goodnight!
The first wake up always feels so good, you have your whole trip ahead of you. The hotel bed feels amazing, you couldn’t get anymore comfortable and you don’t have to clean anything. Plus, free continental breakfast and if my husband was writing this he would tell you, it’s not a real free breakfast without a waffle iron. (For the record, ours did.)
When you walk into the lobby, a business center with way to many plush couches are set up around a faux fire. To the right of that, the indoor swimming pool is front and center, and the restaurant (where our breakfast was served) is up and to the left, additional seating on the ground level.
There were tables upon tables of good breakfast food, buffet style. They also had a ‘omelette guy’ who made to order omelets right in front of you. Let me tell you, this is the best breakfast I’ve ever had to not clean up after.
After we finished out breakfasts, we gathered up the pups and went to check out Garden of the Gods. It’s rated as one of the best parks in the country and as an added bonus, it’s free! On the drive down we noticed the abundance of dogs being walked, all over the place! Colorado Springs is shaping up to be just as good as I expected.
As we pulled up to the parking lot for the park, the Hubs and I were both awed by not only the size and shapes of these boulder rocks, but the color of them on the backdrop of the mountains behind them. This place is awesome AND beautiful.
We briskly walked all over the park, making sure to check out each designated spot on the map. We saw climbers on the tops of the rocks and birds flying out of holes at the tippy top of those same boulders. These rocks were huge, I loved it!
The park also had a number of trails that varied in length, feeling frisky we went for the big one, in total it would be a little over 8 miles, but it promised a big rock balancing on a smaller one, who wouldn’t want to see that?
As we hiked around the mountain, I was surprised how hard it was to breathe, that altitude is no joke! My heart didn’t race this much while I ran a 5k or did the StairMill at the gym for 30 minutes, as expected, the views were worth the gasps of air.
By the time we got back to the hotel, puppies and parents were pooped. Everybody took a nap, except me … I began my blog writing, took a bath and read some more of my book, relaxation at its finest.
Around 4:30 we perked up again, and decided to check out the downtown historic area of Manitou Springs, about a 15 minute drive from our hotel. The buildings were old, the floors creaked in each boutique and as it should be, there was a penny arcade. Hubs and I won 62 tickets, he got a Butterfingers and a popper.
As we ate dinner our eyelids grew heavier and we were all in bed by 10 p.m. I hadn’t been that tired in a long time, but I had a sneaky suspicion we would be, if not more, because we had three more fun-filled days before the drive back to Texas, whoop-ee.
Ahh–vacation, it’s finally here! Today me and the Hubs are driving up to Colorado Springs for a long weekend, it lieu of our Spring Breaks. The beach did have its appeals, but the mountains won out. Plus, it’s a dog friendly city/state and there’s plenty to do with your pups, a win-win for us.
While we trekked into new territory, it still looked pretty similar to home. Texas is ginormous, but it generally has the same feel. A lot of farm land, old rusty cars rotting away into the dirt piles and way too many cows. Did you know that there are more cows in Texas than people? “Let’s hope they don’t figure that out,” as my husband would say.
As we drove north west, nothing but open road, we rocked out to oldies but goodies. We rapped Lil’ Wayne, Eminem, and a mix of old southern rappers, Crime Mob anybody?
After knuckin’ and buckin’ we turned the music down, randomly told stories, and posed questions to stir up more random conversation, the kind you only have when you’re stuck in a car with nowhere else to go. Then, we enjoyed the silence and scenery.
I think it’s more telling when you can sit in silence with your significant other, not having to entertain each other, or feel like there needs to be a conversation in order for us to be an awesome couple. I think when you find someone you can enjoy the silence with, that speaks louder than words.
We made our way through Wichita Falls, Amarillo and other small farm towns before we hit New Mexico. I was shocked by how quiet these small towns were. Not many people on the road, except the few cars that were driving through, and the one flashing yellow light on Main Street. Not official ghost towns, but close enough.
As we entered New Mexico, the scenery hadn’t changed much. When you enter a new state the scenery should immediately change, especially for people who have been in a car for 5 hours already. Though, it was starting to get hillier, the clouds were getting lower and that dirt mountain rock began to appear, we were inching closer and closer.
About 25 minutes upon entering New Mexico, the Jeep overheated and we couldn’t go above 40 mph. There was a loud grinding noise and we had to pull over. What kind of car overheats in 60 degree weather? Thank Zeus for Google. The Hubs got onto a message board, found the trick, and after a mini freak out from me, we were on our way again.
(Apparently, other Jeep owners had this overheating problem also when they drove 75-80 mph for a long period of time. If you find yourself in this problem, put the car in neutral, wait for the transmission light to go off, and wah-la, you’ll be on your way.)
As we entered Colorado, FINALLY, The Rocky Mountains, with their thin blue mist, were to the west driving with us the last 3 hours of the trip. The change in scenery helped, a little, but we were all ready to be done. That last leg of the ride always takes the longest.
While we wound up and down and around the mountains, we noticed a few historical signs talking about some memorial, we decided to Google, nothing like a little history on a long trip.
The Ludlow Massacre was an attack on the miners and families of Ludlow Colorado, by Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. At the start of the fighting, any where between 19-26 people were burned to death in a single tent, women and children alike.
The strikes lasted from September 1913 to December 1914. It was dubbed one of the worst and deadliest incidents in southern Colorado history. The strikes were led by the United Mine Workers of America, and were fighting for better working conditions.
Interestingly enough, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was the chief owner of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. The results from this massacre, led to 8 hour work days and chill labor laws.
Historian Howard Zinn described the Ludlow Massacre as “the culminating act of perhaps the most violent struggle between corporate power and laboring men in American history”.
In total, around 200 miners and their families lost their lives. The remains of the burnt town can still be seen in the completely abandoned city of Ludlow Colorado in the southern part of the state.
As we pulled into our hotel parking lot, It took everything I had to not run underneath the bed covers and fall asleep. It was dark by the time we pulled in to Colorado Springs, so I could only see shadows of mountain tops, but it was nice to know they were there.
In the morning, it was going to be a beautiful sight and I can’t wait to get the party started, vacation never felt so good.
RamblinRandol 