Priest Lake, Idaho has been my favorite place on this earth ever since I became old enough to choose favorites.
Tucked snugly in the woods just beyond Washington state’s eastern border, Priest is close enough to be easily accessible, while still far enough away from the big city experience to allow visitors to feel sufficiently unplugged. I learn something new with every visit, making Priest not only a lake above all lakes, but a sort of outdoor educational conduit for my own personal growth. Besides learning that my favorite place on earth boasts of more than seventy miles of shoreline ripe for recreation and relaxation of all types, the last few years I’ve come to understand that when you mix my family and friends with Priest Lake, laughter induced stomach aches, life lessons and interesting occurrences abound. Following is a selection of wisdom I acquired this past weekend spent lakeside:
Cheetos brand cheese puffs, always a good idea. Sitting on a pontoon boat with fifteen people who think watching a fast approaching lightning storm from the middle of the lake an ideal plan, not such a great idea.
When you hear the same song six times in the span of two days you just might start paying attention to the lyrics.
Routinely leaving at least one window open at your lake cabin is a good idea, especially in the case that minutes upon arriving at 11pm one of your friends decides she’s going to lock and close the front door, with all of the keys, cell phones and warm clothes tucked, and now locked, safely inside. As a side note, watching that same friend try to wedge herself through a window about 8 feet from the ground, Charlie’s Angels style, does prove quite entertaining.
Quoting SNL skits and movies like Zoolander, The Royal Tenenbaums, So I Married An Axe Murderer, and The Rundown can make an afternoon raft-lounging on the lake pass ever so quickly. So quickly, in fact, that you don’t realize until it’s too late that you could look the part of the lobster on the Long John Silver commercials without ever donning a costume.
Don’t argue with the birthday girl. It can only end in tears.
Biff remains a better name alternative than Clifford. Well, naturally.
Water in northern Idaho is still /take your breath away/ cold in June. But never does that deter the extreme lake fan from taking a pain staking plunge at midnight.
The deepest question of the weekend: “Do you think Ronald
Reagan really liked everyone calling him Ronnie?” My answer: Nah.
This week I have been:
Writing, editing, and organizing grant proposals, and preparing gargantuan-sized grant budgets feverishly, to meet deadlines both old and new.
Snuggling with my pug and enjoying any downtime I have been able to muster.
Writing! I’m so excited about three different stories I have in the works, and thanks to a recent prompt by Danny, I’ve been sitting down daily to translate my excitement into actual words on a page. (Not unlike snakes on a plane. Only → Read more...
This post inspired by my friend and partner in movie quote crime, Home Sweet Sarah.
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Some of the most memorable places I have stood, in no particular order:
On The Great Wall of China. Next to my sister as she took her wedding vows. In front of the Kremlin in Moscow. Next to my favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Priest Lake. Specifically, my family’s Priest Lake dock spot. On Mt. Seorak, South Korea. Poolside for countless summers with friends, and cousins, and awesome(ly ridiculous) bikinis. At the base → Read more...
Full disclosure: I initially considered titling this post !!!!!!!!! but Wordpress started laughing at me, and threatened to throw spam.
At this point to say I cannot contain my already typically excessive exclaiming is to understate. HOW am I going to refrain from blurting out, “Hawaii! I’m going there!” from now until I leave at the beginning of September? Better yet, Maui! + getting to see my sister in TWO WEEKS = how am I going to sleep tonight? And the → Read more...
Originally aired: January 19, 2007. Watched by Kerri Anne: August 1, 2010. Courtesy of: Netflix Instant Watch. Because: a) I was in the mood for a lighthearted, kid-centric story; b) Netflix told me I would four stars enjoy it and saw fit to leave out crucial somber-tone-revealing plot points in their synopsis; c) Netflix is a lying liar face; d) ALL OF THE ABOVE.
Starring: A slew of great Spanish actors you’ve probably never heard of, most notably Ivana Baquero and Maribel Verdú. Protagonist’s → Read more...