It’s Monday. Well, it happened—we hit 80 degrees! We had a somewhat sunny and warm weekend that had me break out my short-sleeved shirts. I was going to go all-in and also dig out a pair of shorts as well, but ultimately I was too lazy. It looks like we slip back into the 60s and 70s during the week, so there’s really no hurry.

On Sunday, we took a drive down to my girlfriend’s parents’ place in Mahomet, Illinois, for a retirement party for her brother, who officially wraps up work at the end of this week. The weather couldn’t have been better, so everyone spent most of the day outside enjoying it. There was plenty of good food, cold drinks, and lots of laughs all around. Honestly, not a bad way at all to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

Unfortunately for the rest of us who aren’t retiring anytime soon, it’s back to work… again.

-keep

It’s Friday! It’s almost here. After what felt like an endless stretch of gray skies and chilly mornings, summer is finally starting to make its presence known in Illinois. The days are getting longer, the sun actually has some heat behind it, and people are slowly emerging from hibernation like groggy groundhogs in flip-flops. Lawnmowers are roaring back to life, grills are firing up across the neighborhood, and some have gone so far as switching on the AC. It’s that magical time of year when a simple 75-degree day feels like winning the lottery.

The girlfriend and I will be taking a ride down to see her family on Sunday. They’re having a retirement party for her brother, so there will be plenty to eat and drink. There’s rain in the forecast, so hopefully it’ll hold off long enough so we can enjoy being outdoors as much as possible.

And no, I haven’t forgotten about my Corvette still sitting in storage. The time has finally come… or at least it should be arriving sometime early next week.

It’s also another Friday, which means you can expect a new amateur photo along with double babes and double jokes. As always… enjoy!

-keep

Keep, I’m no pro, but I think you’ll find this pic of my lady fitting for your amateur friday feature. I can’t say enough about the work you do. I’m a daily “reader” who rarely misses a day. Keep it rocking, pal! -Anonymous

It’s Thursday. Some people build model airplanes in their garage. Others restore classic cars. And then there’s this guy, who apparently looked at the entire Star Wars universe and thought, “Yeah, I can probably make that out of cardboard.” Armed with nothing but shipping boxes, hot glue, and what had to be an unhealthy amount of free time, he recreated everything from X-Wings and lightsabers to helmets and full-size droids. Somewhere out there, George Lucas is turning in his grave. Oh wait—he’s not dead yet, is he?

-keep