just another day: what's a bungalow?

SUMMER IS HERE!

"Uh, ERIN, summer started like a month ago, reMEMberrrr?"

I know I know I know, but it's really summer now! Here's how I know:

The Maloney bungalow! Ain't she purdy? 

(For those of you who don't know what a bungalow is:

 in other words, it's like a cottage)

This past weekend, while all my friends were at the Gay Pride Parade (I'll go next year, I promise!), I spent my first couple of days back at Makowsky's Cottage Colony.

This is the place where I've spent almost every summer of my existence running barefoot in only a bathing suit, sucking on Push Pops while playing cards, and sitting alongside my best friends going eight feet high on the swing-sets! Of course, most of the time I wear shoes now ever since I stepped on that bee, and then there was the time the chain on that swing broke while I was on it... Hey, the anniversary for that is coming up!  Everyone, mark your calendars!

JULY 3RD: ERIN'S 9TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY SHE FELL EIGHT FEET ONTO THE GROUND AND SPRAINED HER TAILBONE AND GOT CARRIED UP IN A RUSTY RED-FLYER WAGON.  

Actually, after I got the wind knocked back into me, it was pretty sweet. My cousin Danielle was singing Elvis songs to me on the way up to my bungalow while my cousin Owen was holding my hand yelling, "YOU'RE GONNA BE ALRIGHT!" as if I were in an ambulance, and then I got to watch West Side Story since I couldn't really move. Oh Tony... what have you done?! 

But in almost all seriousness, I have countless memories here, way too many to talk about. If I were to dedicate writing a book about this place, I would probably write in much more detail about the beauty behind it and how much it really means to me. However, I don't know if I could do it justice even then, plus you probably wouldn't really want to hear the stories. 

*CORRECTION: You'd definitely love to hear about them, they're hilarious. But reading about them is a little different and I don't consider them to be skim-worthy stories. I don't blame you though, I'm the same way. Look, just, visit me here or marry me and you'll understand. Yes, I know those options are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. 
 I'll leave it to you to decide. 

So this past weekend I got out of the city and got to breathe the fresh, mountain air! I've gotta tell ya, you appreciate it so much more after living in a place where it feels and smells as though everyone is smoking 10 cigarettes, all at once, inside of your own lungs. Still, j'adore, Manhattan. I mean that. I'll just let these recorded documents of my weekend paint the picture for ya!

There was a lot of this going on...

And this... 

(Jürgen Vsych, you are my role model!)

And a WHOLE lotta this... 

Quinoa mixed with sauteed kale and onions, sweet potatoes

and a Morning Star "chicken patty" with cheese. 

I feel like you'd all like me a lot more if I had made this (I WISH), 

but all credit goes to my Mom and Morning Star.

Later that night we all went to our friend Tara's 30th Mardi Gras birthday party.

My cousins Kelly, Norah, me, and Danielle 
(who is actually Norah's cousin but I'm not gonna 
get into all that crazy family tree business).

My pale skin matches so perfectly, I just might be able to pass as a real queen!

My favorite from the bunch, only because right before taking this picture my Mom said,"Erin, give me a sexy look!" 

WHOA, WHO'S THAT SEXY LADY? (the mask helps a lot...)

As the night went on, the party really got going! 

My sister, Chelsea, dancing while cleaning up her beer spill.

Meanwhile, cousin Andrew shares important life lessons by

explaining the difference between "discipline" and "abuse".

This is the face of a girl with glow in the 
dark freckles. Yeah, they're new.

And this is the face of a girl who regrets eating 

so many chicken wings. But, at least my hair looks good,

 if you don't mind me saying so!

The next day it was rainy rain raining. I had to head back to the city later that night, but I did manage to squeeze in a little more of this before departure.

The next couple of days will be fairly busy, but I'll be back upstate again for the 4th of July. I'm so sorry these posts are so long! If we were talking in person an hour probably would have just gone by and you'd want to kill me, so it's better this way for the both of us. I promise I'll try to keep it short from now on!

Happy Monday!