Silver Linings

 

I pretty much should just put my blog on DND (Do Not Disturb) during the Olympics, because I am that weird junkie and I want to see as much as I can... while working full-time... and capturing high school sports.

Today, it just didn't work out that I could see the LIVE pairs curling competition between my original homeland Sweden and my current/real one USA. It did my heart good to see hundreds of people in nearby (somewhat) Duluth cheering on Korey and Cory. Cool.

And, spoiler alert, even though I'm about to sit down and watch delayed NBC coverage, I know they fell just a teensy tiny bit short of the gold. Still... yay USA! I usually wear more silver than gold anyway!

As for other events, you know I love figure skating but I do love a good hockey game (saw Miracle of 1980), long ski jumps, and the very creative snowboarding runs with flips, corkscrews and mathematical degrees of twists.

Just throw in all the other sports, and I'm good. Enjoy the games. No matter what OG Homeland (Scandi-hoovians are awesome in winter!) you're cheering for!

Sport Shorts

The last 48 hours have pretty much been all sports. Yes, it was SUPER Sunday yesterday. What that meant was that is was "Souper Sunday" at church with a fundraiser for the food pantry/soup kitchen.

Then, I got home in time to watch legit LIVE Olympics coverage of team figure skating.

The Quad God for the win! I mean, WOW. How fun to watch!

After that, I did pop over to what I believe is like the 44th annual SuperBowl party in our friend Chet's basement! Said hello to all and participated in some "investment opportunities" (which yielded nothing!), then came home to actually watch the game and/or flip with Olympics coverage.

Boring game if you ask me. I like the ones that are super close and down to the last second! But that's just me.

Today was a work from home day that ALMOST had me wishing for a lunch hour with Mr. Deck Chair.

Oooh this high temperature was amazing. Obviously not sit outside for endless hours, but still so refreshing!

After work, I continued on my sports quest with Lady Royals middle school hoops. Turned out we were hosting Stratford – home of all the Austin clan that I'm related to (through marriage). Didn't take me long to recognize their coach as Jim's cousin's daughter. Then, when I talked to her at halftime, she said one of the players belonged to another cousin's daughter... so granddaughter. How fun. I then had players from both teams to shoot pictures of. 

Just got done editing and uploading pictures. And since I know what happened with co-ed curling and ice dancing today, I don't need to watch the delayed Olympic coverage. Or do I?

All the time delays... I just don't know. Go USA! And Royals! And, yes, Stratford!

Baby Border Hopping

With a wake-up temp below zero, I hit the road at 7:30 a.m. with one destination: SOUTH.

So maybe South is a stretch but I did end up in Iowa! Remember me crocheting that "Love's Baby Soft" blanket? Well today was the day to gift that to mother-to-be Hannah down in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin. Never heard of it? Me neither. Thank the lord for GPS that last half hour. Turns out we were "this close" to the Iowa border!

Spoiler alert for those who didn't have the insider intel: They're having a girl!

Random fact: Carter has lived with all three of these women – including the mom-to-be. To clarify: He and 2 other guys were roommates with Hannah (center), who is BFFs with his girlfriend Mamie, who has a friend Halayna (right) who is marrying Mamie's brother in May. Not confusing at all.

In a nutshell, they've all felt like extended family to Jim and me for years!

So it was nice to drive 3 hours to celebrate Hannah and Hunter's upcoming daughter. She loved the blanket, by the way.

 Then, after the shower, head down to Dubuque for a coffee date with Mamie, Halayna, and MY BOY!

We had coffee at Charlotte's where we had it maybe 5 years ago. Still tasty! But it was good to catch up with Carter and deliver a couple dozen cookies!

How do I get shorter every picture with him?

Anyway, I managed to get home safely before it was completely dark (encouraging) and in time to catch the "delayed" recap of Olympics coverage today. Worth it. 100%.

Snoop, Meet Myles

After watching some coverage of the Olympics, I have two thoughts about Snoop Dogg. One, I don't know why we keep elevating his status. I mean I don't DIS-like him, just don't get the fascination. And two, he needs to spend some time in Wisconsin and Minnesota in the winter to really understand winter. 

And how to do it.

I saw a video of him riding a flying saucer type sled and having no concept what to do. Then these pictures of him as a curling "coach." Well thankfully, our U.S. duo is off to a good start anyway! And he may prove me wrong and curl in the next Olympics. 

It brought up an old curling memory, though. (Something you never thought you'd read.)

Shortly after moving to Wisconsin Rapids in late 1995, I recall a local guy here vying for the Olympics. Myles Brundidge. I even remembered his name!

What I also remember is that I had no idea what curling really was. Apparently there's sweeping but it's not the same as broom ball (if you know, you know.) It was also not something I purposely watched before. (Part of that is because in the late 1990s, we still had limited coverage of all events compared to today's live-streaming and whatnot.) And it definitely hadn't achieved the great popularity it has now – well in the Midwest anyway. Heck, even my company has a curling center named after it!

Then there was the part where the curlers didn't look like "typical" Olympic athletes. No offense. But maybe I already offended. Sorry.

But Myles did indeed represent U.S.A. in not one but two Olympics! My sports writer hubby got to meet and interview him a handful of times and said he was a nice, down-to-earth guy. Which is quite refreshing, actually, when you think of some high-level athletes these days.

Here's the Robyn-pedia scoop (not Snoop) on him: Myles Brundidge (born 1960 in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin) is an American curler. He competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where the American team placed 4th, and at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where they placed 7th.

So no hardware to bring home, but he was certainly a positive representative of our country – and, of course, central Wisconsin!

Snoop could maybe learn a thing or two from us hardworking (mostly humble) survivalist-minded winter people! 

Whatever your thoughts... enjoy the Games!!

Thursday Randomness

 

So many random things today... Since today was the last day in the office before the SuperBowl, we had a tailgate potluck amongst our writing team. 

Crockpot in the middle is my Honey Chipotle BBQ Meatballs (nope, not a trifle today) which was accompanied by hot artichoke dip & French bread, two Chex Mix concoctions, some pretzels and beer-cheese dip I sampled several, delicious times,  plus chips & salsa and guac, popcorn, cheese & crackers and sweets like cookies, bars, and Puppy Chow.

We did not go away hungry. It was a graze-ful day!

When I got home I mixed up Monster Cookie dough to bake some tomorrow since on Saturday I'll be traveling to southwest Wisconsin for (follow this if you can) Carter's former roommate and his girlfriend's bestie's baby shower. I wanted something to send with Mamie to share with Carter. Not mom of the year material since the leftovers will go to Sunday's SuperBowl party. LOL.

And of course, this Olympic junkie is set to watch admittedly delayed TV coverage, I will tune into this tonight. Since one of the first interviews was with a Wisconsin-based speed skater inspired by my Apolo, I figured I better blog now and go watch. 

Go USA. Oh, and go football!

Love Favorite Feelings

Our nephew Colin's wife does an amazing job each Christmas of creating a family calendar of sorts for the next year. 

So when Endless January did indeed finally end, it was nice to see cute pictures of him with his family at the racetrack, with his mom at the awards ceremony, and just a random shot of his favorite uncle and aunt at the Nashville Music Hall of Fame Museum.

I like the title: You are my favorite feeling.

What's your favorite feeling? Does it involve a person, place, or object?

I can tell you I love goodbye kisses in the morning from my husband... but also loved the feeling of eating that Andes Mint Chocolate Cupcake at work 2 hours later today (Bless you, 2 1/2 Cups Bakery in Marshfield!)

I also love when people drool over my trifles, genuinely appreciate my photography, and give me the best hugs ever (usually my sisters – there's no holding back!).

But it depends on the day, doesn't it? 

On many Sundays my favorite feeling is nailing our choir song in church. Then later hanging out with BINGO friends I didn't even know a year ago – whether we win or lose.

On Mondays, my favorite feeling is sleeping until the last possible minute to just cross the hallway into my office to work! No shower. Maybe comb my hair.

On Tuesdays, it's going into the office and seeing the people I sincerely like and respect, who care if I had a decent weekend and days out of the office.

Wednesdays typically mean my monthly Girls' Night Out dinner then church choir squad. (Yes, a squad. We're that cool.)

On Thursdays, my favorite feeling only applies in the summer when I have my Foxy Ladies Night golf league.

Friday it's ditto of Monday with an occasional fish fry sprinkled in.

On Saturdays, my favorite feeling is no alarm and no plans. 

So yes our favorite feeling can vary by the calendar. But mine, no matter what, is just feeling loved, respected, and appreciated – no matter who or what prompts that feeling! 

Hope you all have some favorites that never let you down!

Stuck Scrapbooking Pig

I never paid heed to the phrase "bleeding like a stuck pig." Until I was the pig. And I have to blame scrapbooking. Noooooo.

In advance of Camp Crop-A-Lot in a few weeks, our scrapbooking consultant reached out to see if we needed any product ordered before camp. We could earn tickets for fabulous prizes, by the way.

So I had a feeling I was in need of some tape runners – what we use to adhere paper and photos to the pages. 

I pulled out my main supply cart (yes, it's a thing) and blindly reached in to see if I had any new ones in pages but instead came face to face – or finger to blade – with a paper trimmer cutting blade. Just lying face up, waiting for a quick, very tiny slice.

And it was such a teeny tiny puncture wound to my righthand middle finger, yet I am still bleeding 20 minutes later. Good grief, I had no idea our fingers carried so much blood!

So now this little piggy really needs to cry all the way home so she can order some tape runners without more blood on the stinking computer keyboard.

How is it I am a hot mess every day without even trying. Must be a superpower, I guess.