i like to think that, had i been alive during the 1800s, i would have been one of those people who headed west  with a wagon train in search of adventure and stuff. i also love to imagine myself as a pioneer in the old west, herding cattle, and building a ranch from the ground up. or even just heading off to the mountains to live off the grid in a cozy little cabin, living off the land. what i do not like to admit is that i am ridiculously spoiled by modern conveniences. like flush-able toilets. and showers. they rock. :) i don't know why i am perfectly fine going days without a shower (gross..haha sorry) when i'm camping or whatever, but when i wasn't expecting to be without running water, i felt soooo yucky after just one day. lame! haha. what a hardcore survivalist i am!

and speaking of modern conveniences..i wish someone would take into consideration that women drive lawn mowers, too. and some of us have short-ish legs. i appreciate all the radical safety features (like the auto shut off when you take your butt off the seat), but if you make it so that i have to sit on the edge of the seat in order to reach the pedals, the automatic shut off triggers way too often. waaaaaaay too often. and that is kind of very, very annoying. :/ the cup holder is a nice touch, though. :)

this is what makes me smile:
chili's chips & salsa! mmm