#rileygreen

[buschlattegirl]

And I wish the price of gas was low and cotton was high I wish honky tonks didn't have no closing time And I wish grandpas never died #grandpa #rip #missyou #iwishgrandpasneverdied #beer #beerstagram #rileygreen #restinpeace #loveyou (at Rantoul, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdWO1eLLH-p/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[valerie]

sweet summer break

I've gotten into the habit of taking the week of 4th of July off. It's really the end of June/beginning of July because I one time took off the week after the 4th of July and apparently it was busy the week I took off. Oops! So I go for the week that has the holiday and here we are.

https://flic.kr/p/2skRJRQ

Supergirl - I bought the 1 PM IMAX showing for opening day, choosing my usual seat in the auditorium. I skipped the concessions line and headed to my seat even though I knew I'd have enough time to get snacks because they show a sitcom's worth of trailers before movies now. (Why so many trailers?!) When the movie started, I was hooked and what a ride it was!... I enjoyed Supergirl very much and the more I think about it, the more I love it. It was a great introduction to the character (thought if you saw Superman, you got a little hint of her) and I thought the movie had some great moments. I laughed, I got teary-eyed, and the action was fantastic. I confess, I wasn't sure how I'd like Milly Alcock as Kara (my favorite Supergirl is Laura Vandervoort) but she did a fine job and really held her own. Jason Momoa was freakin' great as Lobo. You could really see how much he was enjoying himself and as such, I really enjoyed his on-screen time... The vibe of the movie reminded me of Guardians of the Galaxy, which is not really a surprise, all things considered. It really worked with the story they were telling about Supergirl. She is such a contrast to her cousin, which I liked... I basically love the movie and I *might* love it a smidgen more than Superman, which makes me wrinkle my nose to admit. But so it goes. I went into the movie with no expectations and walked away enjoying it very very much. Go see it. :D

https://flic.kr/p/2skBpYw

This week was Amazon Prime Day and I pulled the trigger and bought a new photo printer. I had randomly happened upon photo printer videos a couple of weeks ago, which led me to put a couple in my Amazon wishlist. Well, one of them went up for sale for Amazon Prime Day and the rest is history. ;)

I think that going through the old family photos made me realize that having tangible items in hand has its appeal. I take pictures every single day yet almost all those shots live on my phone and in the cloud. I've started a bit randomly but I think whenever I write my mom a letter, I'll include a photo or two. I have a couple of empty photo albums. It's time to fill them.

https://flic.kr/p/2skXymr recently printed photos

I know I printed a lot of my Ireland photos to instax-mini but I might also print some bigger shots just to round it all out. We shall see. I want to print out more photos, especially from different occasions and gatherings. I've written on the backs of the photos and the photo paper seems to take to the ink well enough without messing up the picture. Cool beans! I'm finding that I really like printing people pictures with the white borders. Looks spiffy.

https://flic.kr/p/2sma19V more photos printed

The Polaroid looking photos are actually stickers, if I want to stick them on something. I think that's kinda neat-oh!

https://flic.kr/p/2skCe5n summer time at work

I posted this to my Threads this week:

Parent: Are you a mother?

Me: Does that matter?

P: Well, yes. If you were a mother, you'd understand...

M: I'm not answering that question.

Because how does my status of being a parent or not have anything to do with my job of telling you what our process for transfers is?

I found the question offensive in all ways and my face probably showed it AND I DON'T CARE.

Just because you don't like what I'm telling you-- the process of transfers-- does not mean you can ask me such a personal question. It is extremely offensive and REEKS of entitlement. Honestly, how does my status as a parent or not have ANY bearing whatsoever on the fact that our schools are impacted (above capacity) and you did not get the school you wanted? It has NO bearing whatsoever. The fact that the request was even approved should be met with gratitude or at worst, resignation.

I was so OFFENDED by the whole interaction after that question from that parent. I made sure to tell my supervisor about it. Thankfully she was understanding.

I am just so tired of people and their entitlement. They're making me want to say things like, "When I was in school, I went to the school that I was assigned to because that's how it was." :P

https://flic.kr/p/2skMb4i I'm one of those easy Riley Green fans

Riley Green is an expensive hobby, I tell ya. It looks like it only took me three minutes to order the exclusive vinyl of Riley's upcoming album but in reality, it was probably less than ten minutes because I got the alert via the actual Back 40 Duck Club app. I'm all about collecting the vinyl but I'm only getting the one that's autographed by Riley and his doggie Carl. Yes yes, I'm a sucker. But at least I'm not going to buy all the other albums that have different covers. But also, DAMN YOU, Riley Green, for having different album covers! Seriously, I hate how much I love this guy.

https://flic.kr/p/2sma9WZ but he makes for a great book boyfriend...

TV

House of the Dragon - The season premiere was last week and the episode had a big battle in it. And lo, this week's dealt with the aftermath. It was a bit gut wrenching to watch. Was sitting on the Iron Throne worth all of that anguish?

Warehouse 13 - R is doing a re-watch and I'm catching episodes here and there. The show still holds up and it's interesting how much I remember.

https://flic.kr/p/2skbDBL

the random stuff...

- I don't have any big plans for my week off, so that means laundry and probably hopefully organizing this home office while I contemplate what kind of desk I want. - I want to finish one of the books I'm currently reading. It's probably going to be the one on the Kindle since it's almost due. Yikes! - I should also write my mom a letter since I have pictures I want to send to her. Definitely on the to-do list! - I need to write some words for my WIP. Or edit one of my other stories. Something! - We're going to the American Century Championship in July. Tell me why Mark Mulder isn't listed as a celebrity to appear when he's been going for the past, I don't know, decade or so? I hope he goes because I would LOVE to see him and maybe take a picture with him? Because how cool would that be?! I can add it to my collection. - Oh, the live version of "If I Don't Leave I'm Gonna Stay" was released on Friday and yowsa, that song really hits for me. I don't know what it is. I love belting it out when I'm driving alone in my car. It's such a damn good song. Carly Pearce and Riley Green sound good together. Reminds me, I have a poster of that song I need to put up one of these days. https://flic.kr/p/2sm5kGs

Here's to a restful week. Let's see how far into the day I can go without turning on the a/c. ;)

[valerie]

winding down in the middle of June

The school year has ended. Sweet goodness! The 10 month employees' last day was this past Friday. The 11 month employees' last day is this Thursday, I believe. Lucky them! But they don't get what I'll get-- two holidays in the summer! First up is Juneteenth, which is the end of this coming week. Then of course, the 4th of July. I'll be taking some time off during the summer, which is most wonderful. Even though we don't have anything really planned, I do believe I'll get to the movies at some point because Supergirl is coming out on the 26th and MUST GO SEE. :D

https://flic.kr/p/2siEW46 Congrats to the Knicks!

R is a New York Knicks fan so he was SUPER HAPPY that they won the NBA Championship. I was happy too, even though I'm a lowkey San Antonio Spurs fan. ;) But it was great seeing the Knicks win, especially after clawing back from a 29 point deficit in Game 4. (Really, Spurs, you LOST a game in which you had a 29 point LEAD?! Dude.) Game 5 was stressful to watch as well but not in that crazy way. Whew! Happy for their win. I always cheer for them, apparently. :D

The World Cup started and THANK GOODNESS the USA team won their first match. Whew! It took me a long time to appreciate the footy but I do now and I enjoy watching it. The USA team might actually be one worth the cheers this time around, eh? Otherwise, I just like the game and it doesn't really matter who's playing as long as the USA wins their matches...

Baseball has lost a lot of its hold on me, I think. I can't watch the A's without feeling lowkey furious but in actuality, I think I'm just indifferent, which is probably worse. It's as if baseball is in its death throes. Maybe it's not that dramatic but for me, it just might be. There's no crying in baseball but I am hard pressed to find the joy in baseball at the moment...

https://flic.kr/p/2siKmT4 me and Dad long ago

Today would have been Dad's 84th birthday. I brought in some old photo albums from the garage and started going through some of them. I remembered the Google Photo Scan app and started scanning some of those old pictures. I'm so glad to be able to look back.

https://flic.kr/p/2siLrqr love how we don't look ready for this one... https://flic.kr/p/2siMvb6 better with this one! https://flic.kr/p/2siKn9u a holiday shot at the childhood home https://flic.kr/p/2siH7o2 ahhh, the 70s were so cool...

Dad has been gone from this world for seven months now and melancholy still takes hold of me when I think of him. I try to remind myself how lucky I was to have had him in my life for so long and it does bring a bit of comfort. There are regrets, of course, and I have to accept them and I mostly do. I just wish he had had more time. I wish he could have seen our new place. I wish he could have gone to those Stanford women's lacrosse matches in a couple of years. I wish he could have watched Project Hail Mary so that I could have reminded him that hey, I met that guy! I wish I could hear him sing his karaoke live once more, even if I did laugh a little whenever he did. I wish I could bring over some lumpia because family was coming over and he was making some pansit for all of us. I wish he had had just a little more time so that I can give him a kiss on the cheek, smelling whatever cologne he inevitably had on.

https://flic.kr/p/2rpq5C7 the last picture I took with Dad in the shot...

I was so lucky to have such a wonderful dad. I never questioned his love for me and my sister. He worked hard to provide for us, he encouraged us, and he let us go out into the world. He was always there. And now he isn't. Even though the world is not as bright without him, the memory of him still brings me love and joy, though touched with that bit of melancholy.

Happy heavenly Birthday, Dad. I miss you.

https://flic.kr/p/2siKyaV me wearing my new hoodie

The random stuff

- My latest Riley Green merch arrived this week! It was definitely NOT the speed of the shipping (free, remember?) that I chose but I got my stuff nonetheless. The hoodie is loose fit, and since it's probably made unisex, it's pretty long on me. I don't mind, I can tuck it under or whatever. I like it and it'll keep me cozy in the cold months. :) - Even though I know I have more books in storage, I still bought a few when we checked out Half Price Books yesterday. I'm currently reading Fourth Wing, so I picked up the hardcover of it and the next book. They didn't have the third one, so I ordered it from Amazon. I also got The Institute by Stephen King on hardback because I liked it and wouldn't mind reading it again. This time next week, I'll also have three more hardbacks because my June Book of the Month picks are on their way. Yes to more reading! - I'm trying not to spend so much time on my computer playing games (Township is my current addiction), so I've started writing in one of my notebooks, practicing my cursive. I'm writing my story ideas with fountain pens, which makes writing in cursive so much more fun. Sometimes I think of my cursive as secret squirrel writing because how many people can read it? https://flic.kr/p/2shXZAB - Our department went out for a late lunch/early dinner at Zephyr this week. It was nice being out in the office, enjoying some conversation and good food. We took a group shot but I don't think I've seen it yet. It was a nice way to end the school year, even though I work during the summer. At least it's slowing down a bit. ;) - The weather warmed up this past week and now it's going to settle to more slightly acceptable temperatures. Maybe. We'll see. https://flic.kr/p/2siKy5E

I think I'll end this and go do my nails. Cheers!

[valerie]

summer break begins

It's summer break! Well, the kiddos out this way are on summer break. Even though I work for the school district, I work through the summer. The joys of being a 12 monther! ;)

https://flic.kr/p/2sgL8pb

Even though it was a five day work week, it seemed to fly by faster than last week's four day work week. Maybe it felt faster this week because it was finals week and the students were off of school earlier than normal. I'm just so glad that the school year is over but I still have so much work on my desk. I have a lot to go through. It'll get done. It must get done.

https://flic.kr/p/2shwGbH

Unpacking our stuff has led to so much nostalgia for me as I find places for the things that have been packed away for far too long. The picture of the childhood home was taken in the early 80s and comes from a album full of photos from my elementary school years. I think I was the one who took a lot of the pictures, especially the ones later in the album of my classmates. Was I really taking pictures as a 12 or 13 year old? Maybe so, maybe so. I'm glad to have these things. Memories are great but having something to anchor of those memories is a gift.

https://flic.kr/p/2shvzQv 1982, San Diego

I think I need to commit to an app or something that I can use to scan family photos that are in albums. It's easy enough to peel back the clear cover but sometimes not so easy to take the photos out to scan. It would be so much easier to just take pictures of the photos.

https://flic.kr/p/2sgpiFj

Riley Green announced more dates to his Cowboy As It Gets tour and lo, two of them ended up being in driving distance of us! Would it be Wheatland or Mountain View? Hotel accommodations ended up guiding our decision and Mountain View it is! Yes, I used the presale code so that I could buy tickets on Tuesday morning. No, I did not pony up the ridiculous amount for VIP (which did NOT include a meet and greet with Riley, so that's softens the sting a bit). Yes, I managed to get aisle seats in the lower section.

This will probably be our only concert this year, though if Tyler does that show at the Hard Rock Sacramento, I will be quite tempted. ;)

I am excited to see Riley in concert. I wouldn't mind meeting him but I'm not paying stupid money for that. Maybe I need to haunt the radio station socials to try and win a meet and greet. It would be cool if being in his fan club meant getting meet and greets for discount or something. Is it too much to ask?

https://flic.kr/p/2sgAMuP Riley & Jordan

Oh, and Riley Green's merch shop is running a "free shipping for orders over $50" and I just had to buy something. When they said free shipping, they meant it! When I looked at the shipping choices, ALL of them were free. So just for kicks, I chose the most expensive shipping choice. I don't care if I don't get it faster, I just wanted to see what would happen. I ordered two things, one of which I can't wear unless the temperatures drop drastically but maybe I can wear it for the concert.

https://flic.kr/p/2shxFF8

More book shelves delivered this week and we put them together this weekend. My shelves are so chaotic! At some point, the Pop! Funkos are going to have to move because I know I have more books that need to go on the shelves. When we finally get to our storage units, it's going to be a real adventure for sure! So much stuff.

https://flic.kr/p/2sgYYq5

My Book of the Month books arrived this week! (If you'd like to give them a try, click on my referral URL.) I got two books (Rings of Fate and Blood Bound) as well as a cute book tote. I chose Rings of Fate and they added Blood Bound to my order for free. Neat! I need to finish my audio book and Kindle book then I'lll start on one of those new books. I already know which June book I want. Maybe I'll stick around with Book of the Month long enough to fill one shelf. We shall see. ;)

https://flic.kr/p/2shvzSp

I should never say things like, "There's nothing to watch," because we have so much stuff we can watch. DVDs, blu-rays, 4K/UHD-- we can never not be entertained. And if we don't want to watch anything, there are all our books and comic. And we don't even have all our books out!

https://flic.kr/p/2shx2YW Mulders

My baseball corner is getting full. I had to take the Cardinals version of Mulder out of his packaging because the packaging got crushed. I was obviously a Mark Mulder fan. I have more things of him than I realized. Ah, when baseball had more of a hold on my heart. Miss those days.

https://flic.kr/p/2sgFCtL old tv shows

Random musings

- During our weekly department meeting on Friday, I spied a black widow and her egg sac. YIKES! She did not survive our meeting. - The childhood home is officially a memory. - The hottest our house has been so far is 74F. Or was it 75F? Either way, not too bad! And it does cool down quick enough once the a/c turns on. - I would like to figure out my desk situation. Oh, and chair. - I just bought some fountain pens since I need to fill my blank books. - I've been feeling out of sorts since yesterday. I took a long nap today that might have helped. - Seriously, how is it summer break already? https://flic.kr/p/2shsnhm

Here's to a good week! May I get through logging those transfers and prepping those expulsions.

:D

[valerie]

the whims of spring

music: "Find Me Falling" Harry Connick Jr.

The weather was fun this week, sometimes cool, sometimes warm, definitely windy! It did cool down this week, which was nice. And now it's Sunday and the weather is just right, currently in the mid 60s. Perfect!

https://flic.kr/p/2s7VeEC anniversary faces

Thursday was our 32nd wedding anniversary! Time flies but where does it go? After work, we had dinner at Zephyr's then a drink at Crown and Crow.

https://flic.kr/p/2s7Rfik

Thirty-two years seems like a lifetime yet it doesn't feel like such a long time. I just know that it's been more good days than bad and I can't imagine going through this life with anyone else. I feel very lucky indeed...

https://flic.kr/p/2s85EaU

Friday was celebrating the 2026 LUHSD Graduates of Distinction. My first supervisor at the district office, the one who hired me, was one of the grads. The honor is so well deserved, for all of them. They started the day at the temporary location of the front office for a morning reception and ended at Cap's for appetizers and nice words.

https://flic.kr/p/2s83zeW me and Roy https://flic.kr/p/2s837Pg https://flic.kr/p/2s84XcJ https://flic.kr/p/2s8pHwX me, Volta, K

It was nice seeing the former superintendent. He introduced Roy for the reception at Cap's.

https://flic.kr/p/2s882o8 https://flic.kr/p/2s81kZT

This was the third end of day reception for Graduates of Distinction that I've attended and I always walk away feeling glad to have witness the celebration. The grads spend the day touring the high schools and talking to the students in assemblies. It's a good time for them to see the changes that their schools have gone through and it's good for the students to see graduates of their high school achieve success in their lives and careers. It's not just about the success, of course, it's also about what they give back to their communities. It's one of my favorite times being part of the district because it's a positive light shining.

https://flic.kr/p/4wMHKa 1998 - Steven, Danielle, Robert, Kevin

I received an email from a fellow Xena/Kevin Tod Smith fan the other day and it gave me pause, throwing me back a little to those fun convention days and also to Kevin's departure from this world. This fellow fan had come across my website back in the day and had enjoyed its contents back them. After Kevin died, she moved on, as we all did, the memory of him more sorrow than joy.

https://flic.kr/p/4w6vwQ 2000 - Kevin in Pasadena

She started thinking about him again recently and searched on the internet and rediscovered my site. She decided to email me and share some how Kevin impacted her and how the various websites helped her in her search for information in those days. I was gratified by her even remembering my site and I was glad to hear from her. It felt a little old-fashioned, getting such a lovely and random email like that. I am also touched that she felt comfortable enough to email me and share her love for Kevin. I hope my response tells her how much I appreciate her email.

https://flic.kr/p/4wMGPK

I am always happy to talk about those convention days. They were such good times and Kevin Tod Smith was one of the reasons for it. I made such good friends because of our mutual love of him. I only wish that I could have told him. He inspired friendship and love and I will always be grateful for that. As I told her, I still think of him with much love and fondness. I feel so lucky to have met him.

https://flic.kr/p/2s8fU5j - Riley Green's new song "My Way" dropped on Friday and he's set to make his acting debut in tonight's episode of Marshals. Will I end up watching the episode? Why yes, I just might. ;) Oh, and the song is very lovely. - Our blinds are set to be installed tomorrow! FINALLY! Wonder how much they'll change the look of our rooms. - I added more to my re-write of "Worst Way." Yeah, I named the story after Riley Green's song. I might change the second version to a different title. We'll see. - I should make a playlist of slow to mid-tempo tunes. Something for when I'm writing. Hmm...

[jivorotee]

Riley Green 2026 Cowboy As It Gets Tour Dates Two Sides Unisex Tee

Some tours feel like a show. Others feel like a whole summer written across highways and backroads. 🤠🌾

That’s the energy behind Riley Green’s “Cowboy As It Gets” Tour 2026.

It kicks off in April in Southaven, Mississippi and runs all the way through August, hitting cities like Nashville, Charlotte, Saratoga Springs, and Salt Lake City—turning arenas and amphitheaters into something that feels a little more like home. (Live Nation Newsroom)

Because Riley’s not trying to be flashy.

He’s telling stories.

About small towns. Old friends. The kind of life that doesn’t need to be explained to the people who already get it.

And this two-sided tour tee feels like it came straight from that road.

Front — simple, grounded. Like a quiet intro before the first chord hits.

Flip it over…

The full tour dates stretch across the back—city by city, night by night. Not just locations… but moments.

The drive there. The crowd singing louder than the speakers. That one song that hits harder live than it ever did in your headphones.

Because country tour shirts have always been different.

They don’t just represent the artist. They represent where you were… and who you were with.

And a run like this—Riley stepping into bigger arenas while still holding onto that front-porch honesty—makes it feel even more personal. (Damn Country Music Tour)

This isn’t loud merch.

It’s a map.

🤠

If Riley Green’s music feels like something you’ve actually lived through… this tee probably belongs in your rotation.

[jivorotee]

Riley Green 2026 Duckman Country Photo Tee

Some country merch is clean and polished. Others feel like they’ve been out in the woods all day. 🦆🌾

That’s the vibe behind the Duckman tee.

With Riley Green, everything comes back to real life—hunting trips, backroads, early mornings, and that quiet kind of freedom you don’t really explain… you just live it.

And the “Duckman” image?

It’s not just a graphic. It’s a whole identity.

A nod to Southern outdoor culture. To camo, trucks, and weekends that don’t involve cities at all.

That’s exactly what this country photo tee captures.

The design feels raw and unfiltered—like a snapshot instead of a concept. Something that could’ve been taken right before a hunt or after a long day outside. No overdesign, no flashy elements… just real, grounded energy.

Because that’s what Riley Green fans connect with most:

Songs about where you’re from. People you grew up with. And the kind of lifestyle that doesn’t need to be dressed up.

Even official merch drops around his “Cowboy As It Gets” era lean heavily into that outdoor, Southern aesthetic—duck hunting references, camo influences, and simple photo-driven designs that reflect his roots. (Riley Green)

That’s why this tee hits different.

It’s not loud. It’s not trying to stand out.

It just feels like something you’d wear without thinking twice.

🤠

If Riley Green’s music feels like home, dirt roads, and a little bit of silence… this tee probably belongs in your rotation.