Lower 48 Special and Miranda Lambert

So I just figured out that I've been writing for a year and I didn't even know it!

Life's been pretty crazy the past few weeks: baptisms, funerals, air travel, car travel, hotels, new jobs, life decisions, etc etc etc. But life's getting back to normal and I'm getting back to my regular schedule.

I had a bit of an extended spring break thanks to some full Alaska Airlines flights, which was nice because it meant spending more time in sunny, (unseasonably) warm weather with my family.

Including this guy- isn't he the cutest?

It also gave me some time to reflect on things I love about the lower 48.

So, the lower 48 special: (It's a little like .38 Special)

(Full disclosure- It's March. In Alaska. It's really cold and gross, so this is pretty much just an ode to summer.)

1) Thunderstorms - I wrote about these before, but I seriously love them. I got to see a couple while I was in TN/IL, and they were good ones - lots of lightning and thunder. There's just something about the drama and the danger, right?

2) Shorts- Everyone knows shorts are better than pants. I just wish I had more of a chance to wear them. Okay, I didn't actually wear shorts while I was on vacation,  mostly because I'm not really sure where my few pairs are. But in theory, I could have been rocking them like nobody's business. It's never really warm enough for shorts in Alaska, even in the summer. Sure, Alaskans might risk it a few days during the summer, but let's be honest, legs that don't see the sun most of the year, don't look very good in shorts.

This was actually last winter. I was going out to get the mail.

3) Warm Nights- I went out for ice cream one night when I was in Nashville. And we sat outside. And I didn’t need a coat. (I had whiskey and pecan ice cream, and it was amazing) Here in Alaska it’s not warm outside at night, even in the summer. In fact, I haven’t lived somewhere with warm nights in a really long time (California doesn’t have warm nights either). There is something so great about being outside after a long, hot day. It might not have been summer, but that didn’t stop me from getting Summer Nights stuck in my head.

4) Steak ‘n Shake- When my sister asked me what I wanted to do while I was in Nashville, my only answer was, “Go to Steak ‘n Shake”. You can’t get Steak n Shake just anywhere, and they have the best fries ever. (They are even better if you get them with cheese). It’s traditional diner food, but so much better. They make their burgers with ground steak rather than regular ground beef, and while they are delicious I prefer the Chili 4-Way, which isn’t actually on the menu. I guess technically it’s a Chili 3-Way with cheese or a Chili 5-Way without onions, either way it’s spaghetti topped with chili and cheese. It’s a delicious comfort food party in your mouth.

Since I spent nearly two weeks in Nashville, it seemed appropriate to pick a country song, so this week's hot jam is Kerosene by Miranda Lambert. I like Miranda because she's sassy, plays her own guitar, and writes (most) of her own songs. The video for this song is kind of dumb, so I suggest listening while you update or facebook status or tweet about how cool I am. Something like that.