my parents decided earlier this week that we would be taking a trip to the old market downtown to see the farmer's market. and mom said i could invite ashley! we've been wanting to go to the old market, so i figured why not hitch a ride there with my parents. we didn't tell ryan or dad untill the last possible minute. but they still threw a fit. dad doesn't like her, and ryan hates her. mom is tolerant of her because she is one of my few friends. and unlike 3 other friends i talked about before, ashley keeps her word. if she says she's going to show, she does. and if she can't she calls me. the only time we miss each other is miscommunication. neither of us is good at communication, but we've gotten better.

my parents hadn't even pulled out of the driveway this morning and they had already started fighting. we had to run to pick up dad's meds first and they fought the entire time. we were headed to pick up ashley and i told them to just drop me off at home. i'd rather follow in my own car than ride with them. i didn't want to hear them fighting, and i didn't want ashley to see it. ryan said he wanted to ride with me. the shock of us wanting to leave them got them to shut up. they said they would behave so we all ended up staying in one car. and they did behave. i'm proud of them.

we walked across the pedestrian bridge first when we got there. it connects nebraska to iowa. halfway across there is a line and when you step over it you're in another state. we walked all together 3-4 miles. poor ashley nearly died. especially when my fast walking parents had gotten pretty far ahead and i made her jog to catch up with them. she's a swimmer not a walker/runner.

the old market was fun. i got a pocket watch that is wooden. i love/collect cool watches. and i got some food. i managed to find a little strawberry pie! it looks so good. we had lunch at a pizza parlor, ashley and i shared a little pizza. but i was worried ryan was going to kill ashley. she is a loud talker like myself. our workplace is noisy so we talk loud to hear over it, and never quiet down outside. she she was showing us pictures of her trip to tennessee, and talking about her comic she's making. she really is an amazing author. i think she's going to end up being a comic artist for her career. or author. but my parents and brother didn't care, and were really annoyed. but mom at least feigned intrest really well. but my dad and brother were super annoyed, i could tell.

my parents and brother went on a hike after lunch but ashley and i stayed in the old market. we found a lot of antique shops. a pack rat's heaven. i bought an old 6 pack of coca-cola bottles still in the original cardboard case with the soda still in them, and an older empty coke bottle. i collect coke bottles. but the coolest thing about my 6-pack is that they have my zoo, the henry doorly zoo's logo on them. the bottles were made for them years ago! and there are penquins on the case. i love them.

we eventually met back up with my parents and they dropped ashley off and we came home. i napped. but i napped and hour longer than i planned which means i probably wont sleep well tonight. oh well. but mom bought some raw dried catnip from a flower store downtown. the 3 boys went nuts over it. they are currently stoned to the next planet. but mindy doesn't react to it at all. i think it's because she's so old. she ignored the piece i gave her. i want to clean her kennel out today, but i might end up procrastinating untill tomorrow.