Willy Wonka and Blueberries at dusk

Yesterday was a fun day. Sunday is the only day I have off during the weekend. Then I have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off work, but this week I'm covering for someone on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I have my weekly housecleaning gig. So, needless to say, yesterday was my only real day off for the week.

It started off in the best imaginable way possible. No, not breakfast in bed or a sweet cuddle session while watching the morning sun rise over the hills, while sipping a much-missed latte... no. Although those two options would be cool. We went to church, and partook of the most fulfilling Meal. Glory to God.

Then Job and I spontaneously decided to get burritos for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants (Baja Fresh). Very tasty! Then we decided to see Willy Wonka... but of course, we would need (or... I would need) chocolate to snack on while watching the movie. Well, we went to 7-11, which brought back a rich plethora of childhood memories (my dad always took us there on Saturdays, when we helped him run errands to the lumberyard or hardware store). Once I got there, nothing chocolate really appealed to me. So we got a giant slurpee and split it. This was my first slurpee in four years... I don't think I had had a single one since I started college. And slurpees are, as I quickly discovered, the only sugary confection that Job will consume. He just doesn't like sweets, or cake or coffee (sad!). So, needless to say, it was VERY fun to finally enjoy something sweet with him, just for the heck of it. Because you know how it is, it just isn't fun to have dessert or ice cream or a latte by yourself, you want to enjoy it with a friend or your spouse.

So we handed it back and forth, and sipped and slurped. When I had had my fill, Job gladly polished it off.

We then picked up my brother and headed for the movie theater for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! I'm glad I saw it, as my curiosity was quenched. But, I'm going to be a poopy-pants and say I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I hoped I would. The original film just dominates. I really tried to seperate the two films in my mind, and simply appreciate this new one as a singular endeavour. And granted, there were many things I liked (the Grandparents were awesome, and this Charlie really was so cute and sweet). Although I was prepared to be enthralled by Johnny Depp's performance, I must say I was disappointed. Everything kinda dragged on, and it was all too digitally stimulating. That's just me, though... don't take my word for it, though, if you're set on seeing it!

However, we were all glad we saw it. It's a good film on morals (and passions!) and honesty.

After the movie, Job and I puttered around my parents home for a little while longer, ate dinner, etc. We then drove home, and on our way we stopped at the side of the road as we passed through some "countryside" to look at a white Subaru that was for sale. Being out in the county, even for a few minutes, inspired Job. As we drove away, he got an idea...

When we arrived in our hometown, we passed the turn-off for our apartment. We passed all the fast food joints, and grocery stores, and buildings. We passed through the little city, and drove straight into the country again. Job brought me to a little U-Pick blueberry farm, where he worked one summer when he was 12 or 13. We spent the rest of the evening picking blueberries. We searched for the best bluberry bushes, and we were so enthralled with the search, that we ended up on opposite sides of the orchard.

The sky was a dark lavendar, and the moon was shining bright. I still had the dress and sandals I wore to church, making it feel all the more quaint and romantic :) A peaceful little date, spent in solitude and silence. And when we could no longer distinguish the good berries from the bad berries in the evening dark, we met up again and weighed the collected bounty. Now we have plenty of berries, some for munching, some for baking, some for smoothies and some for freezing.

So that was our day. For a cheap outing, go out to a u-pick berry farm. It doesn't have to be in the evening... but little compares with being out in the country on a summer night.