Feels Like Friday

We spent last weekend in Peoria and came back on Monday.  Since we usually leave on Sunday, I feel like I'm a day behind and have all week.  We had a very nice trip, though.  We got to visit Mom in Sterling (I haven't been there in two years) and went to the Olde English Faire (could have done without that...too hot!).  I also got to hang out with some old high school friends on Saturday night.  It was a ton of fun.  One of our friends couldn't be there since he was just transferred to Edwards AFB so we made a little cutout of him and took him along.  Oh boy.  Flat Kris got into so much trouble.  The police officers we asked to pose with him were awesome.  They thought we were either drunk or insane but they played along.  We probably had a little too much fun with it but that's okay.

Dad and I went through a bunch of my grandma's old scrapbooks and then Dad pulled out her old journal.  I didn't even know this thing existed.  Her thoughts from January 1941 through 1970.  It's mostly typed but there are a few handwritten entries.  It is, quite possibly, the coolest thing I've ever read.  I'm only up to 1946 but I'm trying to read slowly and piece together who is who (aunts, cousins, uncles, great grandparents).  I've heard of these people a billion times but to hear them spoken of so casually is very cool.    It's also funny to read about just how much help my grandmother had (a lot!).  This journal is truly gold.

I Really Thought This Was Funny

Okay, so those of you that I know from Peoria have already been sent this, but my high school friend, Sara, sent this to me last night and I got such a kick out of it that I thought I'd post it here too. These are so true...I felt the need to elaborate on some of these.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE FROM PEORIA WHEN...

You never go to Chiefs games but would raise holy hell if the team ever left town

You drive to Bloomington and hang out there for a change of scenery (hey Dad, if we were to go to Bloomington, and I'm not saying that we are, how would we get there? LOL!)

You remember the Manual Rams basketball state championships

You've ever been to the Heart of Illinois Fair

Mayor Maloof is the only mayor you'll acknowledge

You're familiar with the term 'Molinarmy' (Go Braves!)

Going out to eat is your #1 thing to do with friends

You've been to Bicycle Safety Town (what was that? Second or third grade field trip?)

You consider University Street during evening hours as 'rush hour traffic'

You rep the Bears and Cubs as if you live right in the middle of Chicago

Whenever you tell someone you're from Peoria they immediately ask you how far it is from Chicago (3 hours!)

You know the bad things they say about Pekin

You're always telling everyone you plan on moving to Chicago but for some reason still live in Peoria

You can't imagine life without Caterpillar

You get that warm fuzzy feeling when you're approaching the city from I-74 when you're about to cross the bridge (Peoria really does have an impressive skyline)

Your idea of 'twin towers' are totally different than everyone else's

You're totally into the bar scene only because there isn't really any other scene to be into

You still don't understand the whole 'Peoria Heights' thing

You wonder why Bloomington always gets everything years before Peoria does

You're adamant about the fact that Peoria is equal distance between St. Louis and Chicago (It is! LOL!)

You've attended the Festival of Lights

You really can't give a good answer to the question 'why do you live here'?

The Shoppes at Grand Prairie is about as fancy as it gets

You never go to Rivermen games but would raise holy hell if the team ever left town

You just found out Peoria has an indoor football team (Seriously?)

You remember the glory that was the Gus Macker tournament downtown

Two words: Steamboat Days

You realize that if everyone quit complaining about what Peoria doesn't have and participated in what Peoria does have, it wouldn't be so bad a place

The downtown area is still a little cool to you for some reason

The awesome view at the lookout tower in Peoria Heights gets you every time

You can always impress visitors from out of town by taking them on Grand View Drive (It works every time!)

You shake your head when approaching and leaving the Greater Peoria Regional Airport

You know the words to the 'Goldie & Gus' song (No need to worry, no need to fuss, we're swimmin' like Goldie and Gus...YEAH!)

CityLink will always be known as GP Transit to you

The numerous one way streets downtown are just a bit much and still give you fits when driving around down there

You still call Nova Cinemas 'Landmark' (When did this happen? I didn't know it changed!)

Dating someone who went to another high school than yours made you pretty damn cool

You bought new outfits for the following occasions: Fee Day, Gus Macker, the Fair, Taste of Peoria, Steamboat Days, the Manual vs. Central basketball games (Go Central!!!!)

You can count the number of times District 150 schools closed due to bad weather on one hand (Three times in my 13 years! I still refer to this every time the kids have a snow day!)

You think going to ICC for a couple years then transferring to a big university is a good idea

That KMart at Evergreen Plaza will always be Venture to you

You've went to the grocery store with someone from out of town and they're baffled that you can actually buy any type of booze you want from the freakin grocery store! (Never thought twice about it until I moved to Virginia. You have no idea how lucky you are to be able to buy everything in one place!)

It gets no hipper than hanging out at Barnes & Noble or One World

You LOVE Avantis food (I need a Gondola)

You remember when the Tree of Lights was actually something worth looking at instead of what it is now

You remember spending Saturdays cruisin for hotties at Northwoods Mall

You know at least a few people whom you grew up with that had a kid before the age of 21

You know at least a few people whom you grew up with that had a kid before the age of 18

You could answer the question 'What is Richard Pryor's hometown'? when most people in the country couldn't

You would never go to Bradley because it costs too much (Unless your Dad worked there!)

You cringe at the thought of what might be swimming around in the Illinois River (So gross to think about)

You've been somewhere and tried to make yourself look cool by saying you're from Chicago instead of saying you're from Peoria

Culver's is the shit

You'll call people you know to tell them where the cheap gas is

The car you're driving was obtained somewhere on or near Pioneer Parkway (or been pissed off by a car salesman on Pioneer Parkway)

You remember KZ93.3 radio station (What's strange is that I listen to Mix 93.3 here!)

You remember the 'all new' B92 radio station

You LOVE the Bob & Tom show

You know what the term 'Brown Bag It' is (one of my best high school memories...and my very first gyro!)

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