I need a new layout. Really bad. I should probably attempt to make something soon. I feel like I’ve sort of let this blog go lately, but then again I sort of feel that way about everything. I have so much I need to tend to, but I just haven’t brought myself to do it. I have fanlistings beyond fanlistings I need to update with new layouts. I have this giant To-Do list on my desktop - using Rainlendar - and if anything, I feel like it’s just staring at me, mocking me and telling me to get my ass into gear and do something.

I’ve been in such a weird funk this past week, though. I don’t necessarily feel sick, but I just feel like I’m completely drained. No matter how much or little I sleep, I’m still tired. I keep hoping I’ll snap out of it. I suppose getting out more might help. The weather has been nice the last couple of days. I keep telling myself I’m going to go chillax on the front porch and read or something, but I just haven’t done it.

The other day I felt like we were dropped into the middle of the great flood or something. It just rained and rained all night. I guess some good did come out of it. The grass looked about dead, and Bart figured him and Blaine wouldn’t have to come out and mow again for at least a couple of weeks if not at all, but the grass seems to be back in fine form now, so I guess that means more mowing.

Regardless, I feel like the summer is slowly coming to an end. My brother starts school on Friday, and my sister goes back next week. Pretty soon Tori will be off to pre-school. It will be time for us to put on the outdoor furniture covers and start bundling up for fall. I’m not ready for that. I love the summer, but like all good things, it has to come to an end, I suppose.

Well, I survived the family vacation to Six Flags: Kentucky Kingdom. It was fun. Naturally, I got burnt, but like I was telling Nikki, I think that’s just a given for me. We spent most of the time in the water park.They had a water roller coaster that was a lot of fun. I went on it twice, and then we spent a lot of time at the wave pool. Those things got pretty intense the further in and closer to the middle you were. But it was a blast.

I think my computer liked my absence as well. It had a whole two days off. It’s weird but right before I left it was going really fast, but I think that has more to do with the wireless router than my actual computer. I’m not sure why it does like that, but I wish the Internet would go fast all of the time. Oh, well, it’s still better than the old computer. That thing is like a snail.

Since Friday was the 4th of July, we had a cookout here. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips. The whole shebang. Unfortunately, my cousins and brother were obnoxious, as usual. I, honestly, can’t ever imagine being that annoying at that age. I might have been from time to time, but, overall, I just don’t think I was.

Anyway, it was raining off and on most of the evening, which sucked because the point of the cookout was sort of to be outside. The kids stayed outdoors most of the time, though, which was nice since they were so annoying. And we really don’t have the best outdoor lighting anyway.

The fireworks started at ten, so around 9:30 I rode with my grandparents up to my mom’s house to watch them. Thankfully, it hadn’t rained too much at her house, but in town is was pouring down. The fireworks weren’t nearly as exciting at they used to be, and I got bit my mom a stupid mosquito - on the hand, no less.

But we had s’mores afterward, which sort of made it okay. Nothing to extravagant, but it was still nice.

Tori came to stay the night last night. Apparently, Allyson and Mitch went and got tattoos before they came to drop her off. Now Tori says she’s going to get a tattoo when she’s grown up. And Blaine also decided to dye his hair - blue black. Mom wasn’t too pleased about that, but then again I don’t know that she’s ever really pleased.

I guess this year we’re going to Kentucky Kingdom for vacation. It’s also been decided that Mitch isn’t going, which has helped in my decision to go. I wasn’t sure I wanted to at first, but if he isn’t going, then at least there’s one less annoyance to worry about. Last year he sent everyone into a terrible mood.

On Father’s Day there was this show in TV. I’m not really sure what it was called, but it was about vacation places. One of the places was a log cabin, and there was this one room in the place that had saddles, shoes of every size, skiing equipment and a bunch of other stuff for pretty much all seasons of the year. They said that the place could please even the most difficult of critics. Mom and I mused that if Blaine and Trey could go there and be appeased, then that statement would be true. They are both extremely hard to please. I don’t think Trey is going with us to Kentucky Kingdom, though, so again that’s one less person to aggravate.

I guess we’ll see how that goes and see how we all fare. We’re not going until next month. I think we’re going on a Tuesday and Wednesday in hopes that it’ll be less crowded those days.

I’m so excited. I’ve got most of the books I ordered today. I got one yesterday, and then the bulk of it came today. I’m not sure why they sent them separately like that, but whatever. I still have Breaking Dawn coming in August. I’m so excited about that, but the ones I ordered should help tide me over until then.

Sunday we had a dinner for Father’s Day. We had tacos at my Grandpa’s request. I got up early on Sunday morning to get Bart and Grandpa’s gifts. I wanted to get them more personalized gifts, but I had to settle for gift cards for Applebee’s for both of them. I know my mom and Bart go there to eat a lot, and I thought my Grandpa would like it because it could get a steak or something. It was really nice out, and I spent most of the day out on the front porch. Unfortunately, I still have itchy eyes because of that, but I think it was worth it.

Dad called my Uncle Punch while he was out here to see if he had any beer. I can’t get over how ridiculously pathetic my father is. I didn’t even bother in acknowledging on Father’s Day. He hasn’t done anything to deserve it. Bart and Grandpa have been more of a father figure for Allyson, Blaine and myself, at least as far as consistently being around and doing those little things dads are supposed to do. I don’t think I’ve ever really realized that before, but I’m grateful for it, nonetheless.