Burning Skin, er, Burning Rubber

It was a nice sunny day for racing. Too sunny, some would say. Our nephew Colin had a big Super Late Model race today -- the Memorial 100 -- so we spent the afternoon at Golden Sands Speedway. Since we face the track and the sun is to our left, we all got a bit crispy on our left side, too. But it was worth it. It was somewhat of a historic day.

When Colin was growing up, he idolized his uncle, race car driver Flyin' Bryan Reffner. Today, for the first time, he got to race against him! That was pretty cool.

I had to make sure I took a picture in the early part of the feature, where Colin is actually ahead of Bryan (#80). As it turned out, though, Bryan finished 4th and Colin was just outside the Top 10 with an 11th-place finish. He's getting better all the time. That's what counts!

During the intermission, they shot t-shirts out of a "canon" of sorts. Again, I did not have one come my way. I don't know what it takes to get one! Perhaps if I asked. (ha)

Here Colin waves to the crowd after driver introductions prior to the 100-lap race.

One of the interesting things going on -- besides the main race -- was that this guy JonBoy from a show called Madhouse was there, trying to break the track record. I know nothing about him or the show. But I do know he didn't break the record. I figured I would take a picture of him anyway since I haven't run into any celebrities lately!

I gotta log off. I have to find the sunburn spray, big time, for my red knees. Don't want to be so miserable I can't go back to work tomorrow!

Wheelin' & Dealin'

I got a hot tip around the campfire last night that my running shoes were on clearance this weekend over at MC Sports in Plover. So this morning, after Daddy left to golf with a neighbor and Carter got his 11 hours of sleep, the 2 of us headed east.

And I wasn't just looking for shoes.

For the past 2 summers, I have been wanting to get a new bicycle to replace my now 18-year-old hybrid bike. Yes, it still works. But I am not a fan of the hybrid style. The wheels are thin like the old school 10-speeds so they don't do well off-road. Not that I am mountain bike queen, but there is a nice path around the lake nearby that has a few areas unpaved that my current bike doesn't handle. It just fish tails like I'm about to hit the dirt. Not liking that. So I have been shopping around for the past month. Today I cleaned out the trunk before we left "just in case."

And I found a "case."

Robyn the deal-digging bargain shopper scored big today. Not only did I get my shoes half price, which is a very good deal, I test-rode and purchased a new "comfort" bike (with fatter wheels!), also on sale in the price range I was aiming for. So it was good.

Since Carter had birthday money burning a hole in his pocket, we went to Wal-Mart over there. He bought a battery charger thing for his Wii remotes and also bought another Wii game -- Sports Resort -- that looks pretty fun.

With today's high heat and humidity, Jim only golfed 9 holes. So after I got my accessories on my bike, we went to a graduation party for the son of one of his school mates. Of course, we saw a few other people we knew, too, and had a very nice time. Did I mention there was yummy cake with good frosting?? Yep, that was a high point, too!

Got home and it had cooled down to the mid 80s so I took the new bike out for a spin. Very comfortable! Good seat and I sit up straight more than the other bike so it doesn't bother my back. I think I'm gonna like it!

While I was out, the "boys" broke in the new Wii game. I don't mind seeing Carter work up a sweat. That means he moving at least. While they played, I plunked myself down on the couch to watch my Twins on Sunday Night Baseball. Got to cheer them onto a win -- which was almost as good as my deals of the day... but, really, it's hard to top good frosting!

Doin' Chores

Since this was our "free day," no one in this house got out of bed before 8 a.m. today. Awesome! (Of course, when you go to bed at midnight or so, it's not that big a treat.)

I said something over breakfast about this being a good day for chores. In my mind I was thinking about dusting, vacuuming, laundry, perhaps extending it to some special projects that should get done.

Carter actually took me seriously and, without me asking, went out and got the wheelbarrow and picked up sticks in the back yard so Dad could mow. While he was doing that, I went out for a run/walk. I wanted to run the whole 4-mile route, but it was too stinkin' hot at 10 a.m. already. I should have gone earlier. Oh well, I did it. And got my first woodtick of the season while I was at it!

When I got back, Carter wanted to know what other chores he should do. I know -- what aliens came and took my child and gave us this one? I thought he was up to something since he normally doesn't just help out like this unless he wants something. It's now 9:30 at night and I still haven't figured it out yet.

Anyway, since he was asking -- and had the wheelbarrow available -- I said we might as well pull weeds out of various landscaping areas. That was one of those special projects I knew I should do today but didn't want to. With Carter's help, it wasn't so bad. And now it's done. I haven't decided yet if Ms. Black Thumb is going to plant anything yet. Hmmm, what should I kill?

After showers and lunch, I decided to take Carter mini-golfing. That was my idea, not his. Since Jim was mowing the back yard, he was too hot to go. So we went to Newman's, which is a very inexpensive little place in town (that also happens to sell ice cream). We had a nice time. I ended beating Carter by only one stroke (according to the scorecard he kept). I took some pictures (of course) and will have to post them tomorrow. As I'm typing, I'm simultaneously uploading pictures to get prints done.

After golf, we got a cool treat. Carter had a root beer shake and I was just thirsty so I got a blue raspberry slushie. Yummy.

Since this sort of turned into a Mommy-Carter day, tonight we went to Iron Man 2 so that I could finally see it. This was part of our weekend plan and I actually got the tickets earlier this week. Was glad I got to see it on the big screen. Carter was right -- it is awesome!! Really, really liked it!

Got home and hubby and the next-door neighbor were actually having a fire in our fire pit for a change. So as soon as these pictures get done uploading, I am outta here. There is no bedtime and no alarm setting going on here. Our "chores" are done and it's time to relax!

Hope you can do the same this weekend!

TGIFS (Thank God It's Finally Summer)

We're just about knocking on the door to June but today was totally a summer-like day already. And I'm not talking about just the temperatures. Though sunny and 80 is a good place to start!

Other signs it's summer (or close):

Golfing on a Friday morning... Jim had a vacation day today and enjoyed a round of golf at Wisconsin River Country Club with his dad, uncle and their friend. They only golfed 9 holes and he still carded 3 birdies! What a great day to be off!

Summer hours begin at work... I didn't mind being at work too much. One, we had a pre-summer potluck. I made up a great treat recipe. Melt some white almond bark and stir it into Smorz cereal (yes, it exists and it's tasty!). Drop by messy spoonfuls on waxed paper and put in fridge. They'll firm up and be a tasty sweet treat. Today also marked the beginning of "summer hours" at work, which means we get done at 3 p.m. on Fridays from now until Labor Day. Today, that meant getting out at 2 p.m. (just 'cause).

Cool eats... Of course, since it was summer, I had to stop at King Cone on the way home for some Blueberry Waffle Cone ice cream. Well, the car just turned in. I couldn't control it. You know how temperamental that Civic is!

Walking on Sunshine... Got home early enough to record some steps on the pedometer -- and simultaneously work on my tan lines. Summer walks are the best!

Frosty beverages... We had a rare date tonight, too. Sort of. We met some friends downtown at The Bar to celebrate a birthday. I call these guys our "racing friends" because that's where I first got to know them 13 or so years ago. Of course, now that summer is here, we'll see them at the races more often but it was a long winter. Always good to sip some beers and root beers with friends. (By the way, in a late schedule change, Colin did race tonight and finished 2nd in the super stock feature at Golden Sands. That's three 2nds so far this year. Not a bad start at all!)

Circle of friends... As is typical in summer (and winter sometimes), we wrapped up the day around a campfire. This time it was at our neighbors' 3 houses down. It was nice to relax, chit-chat and sit and listen to all the frogs and crickets and lord knows what near their pond. I was just glad the June bugs stayed off me! I can hear them outside the window now. Gross. Not everything about summer is wonderful!

Retirement Plans

Not that we were counting on it or anything, but we didn't win the big Powerball jackpot last night so I had to return to work today. Business as usual.

Hubby has this early retirement plan that would require one of two things: Either we win the lottery so we both can retire or we find good jobs that would allow him to retire at age 55 and me at 65. If you do the math on the second option, he (who is 5 years older than me) would have 15 years to perfect his golf game -- and the groove where his butt sinks into the couch.

I'm not in favor of that one.

Especially after today when I got my first taste of it.

Hubby has vacation days today and tomorrow. Today he had a funeral and then got together at a "local establishment" with friends. He also ran errands, did laundry and made supper. It was sunny and 80. Robyn, the sun worshipper, sat at her desk. Tomorrow he has an early tee time with his dad and uncle. It is supposed to be sunny and 80 again. Robyn will be sitting at her desk again.

And thinking of places I'd rather be. Warm, sunny places.

I can tell already I won't like this business of him retiring before me. I know my sister in Texas is in similar situation -- but at least her countdown to retirement legitimately is less than a thousand days. I don't even want to enter mine into a calculator! That would be way too depressing.

I guess I better keep my fingers crossed for Saturday night's drawing.

You Win Some...

The way Carter's game started tonight, I thought for sure we'd see a repeat of Monday. We were up 4-zip early on. I even heard some of the kids say, "Cool, we're going to win like Monday."

Never say that when it's only the 3rd inning.

As is happened, the other team caught up and we were tied going into the 5th inning. We didn't score, but the other team, the mighty Giants, scored 3 -- mainly on steals home. Yikes. We could not score enough on our last at-bat so we lost 7-5. (We still went to Dairy Treat for ice cream since they only have Rootbeer Twist this week!)

The good news is that Carter did get on base both times he was up. He walked both times but at least he was swinging and trying to hit the ball. Now, he just has to connect! Suddenly we're almost halfway into the season and he hasn't had a hit. Sigh.

Well baseball isn't everything.

Talked to my dad tonight and he is on the road to recovery. He went to the doctor today and seems that the fluid around his heart is gone -- thanks to some good meds. In fact, he might be getting rid of too much fluid. So they are adjusting that medication and he still has be careful AND follow doctor's orders. It was good to hear that he is recovering though.

And now for the really big news.... Look what I found growing in my garden!



This Black Thumb accidentally grew something! Cool, eh?

I knew there was a reason to celebrate today! (No guilt about the ice cream now!)

Flower Power

I envy my mother and her green thumb. Even the wildflowers (aka Weeds) in her yard look pretty! I had to zoom in on some of the beauty this weekend. I have no words or clever captions. Just enjoy!

Thanks for the garden tour, Mom!

Red Hot

When Coach Austin says he needs to light a fire under his team, he doesn't mess around. With record-setting temperatures in his arsenal, he and Coach Mike led the Reds to the most important record of the day. A WIN in the record books!

I guess with an 8-1 victory, I could say they were red hot! Seriously. Some good hitting tonight. And it was finally nice enough to bring out the camera to test it out.

I like zooming in on Carter's concentration. He did actually swing tonight -- more than once! That was good to see. He had one walk and one strikeout.

He stole second base. Literally. He slid into it and took the top off. They had to fix that before play resumed. Where was I for that? I know. Probably getting sand out of my teeth. There was a bit of a breeze going on.

We had very good pitching tonight so Carter had an easier time catching than some nights. I was not envious at all of hot it must have been with the extra equipment on. Yuck.

I was pleased that I could sit by home plate and get a decent shot at 3rd base. I really didn't snap too many photos, but am looking forward to testing out the action setting soon!

Other than that, it was dull day, of course. Nothing compares to a first win, that's for sure. I don't think it will be as hot on Wednesday, but hopefully they can keep their hot streak going.

Yay, Reds!

Now We're Cookin'

It was a magical trip Up North. When I left, it was Spring. When I came back, it was Summer! Nice.

It was actually a good trip. I guess any trip without car trouble is a bonus in itself! I got to my parents' in the early afternoon. Dad was taking a nap so I helped with some "chores." I still hate doing dishes! One of my sisters had been there the night before and got them started, but she left me the pans. Thanks! (And you know who you are!)

Anyway, I insisted we not dirty any more dishes, so when Dad got up, I took them out to eat. While we were down by St. Croix Falls, they showed me my nephew's new place in Osceola. He wasn't home, so we headed up to Wal-Mart to get some grocery shopping done. I made Dad stay in the vehicle since he'd had enough walking (in my opinion).

I had 2 reasons for going to Wal-Mart. One, it would be cheaper than the local grocery store in Luck. Two, I suspected that since it is on the "border" I might get lucky and score some Twins stuff. Boy did I score! Bonus, bonus, jackpot! Of course, I got 2 things for Carter, too, since some days he claims he's a Twins fan. (And who wouldn't be after our games Friday and Saturday?)

After shopping, we went home and Dad wasn't feeling well. So he sat in his easy chair and Mom and I played cards. (I beat her, by the way.) I was worried about him but he felt much better this morning. So I felt OK about leaving them.

I got back in the mid afternoon, when the temp had reached mid-80s already. Jim and Carter were at baseball practice so I walked over to the field (since I got no steps yesterday) and they were kind enough to give me a ride home! Whew. It's hot out there!

I don't mind it, though. I sat out on the deck a little bit and then mainly caught up with Carter, who told me they all had a good time at his party AND that Iron Man 2 was 5 times better than the first one! Now I have to get there this week!!

Last night they went to see Colin race up in Marshfield. He raced his "old" car, the Super Stock, this weekend. He took 2nd in the feature. He raced again this afternoon at Golden Sands. Sorry, but I got home too late and then it was too wicked out to sit for several hours. Colin did get fast time for Super Stocks and took another 2nd. Not bad for the first weekend!

Tonight I grilled up some burgers and Jim helped the next-door neighbor set up a batting cage. This will be helpful for Carter -- and the neighbor girl, who is on the tournament softball team.

It's going go be hot for Carter's games this week. We matched the record of 90 today in Wisconsin Rapids. Tomorrow they expect we'll set a new one. Yes, we turned the air on! And yes, I just polished my toenails. Time to break out the sandals (for a few days anyway)!

Stay cool!

Flying Solo

I'm heading Up North to Luck to see my dad today (Mom, too, of course).

No, I am not taking the Honda Civic. Though hubby totally trusts it, now that we seem to have fixed everything, I don't. The only deja vu I want today is a repeat of the Twins' butt-whoopin' on the Brew Crew last night! Wasn't that something?! Awesome!

Anyway, my absence means Jim has to continue with the party boys -- who got a little sleep anyway. He'll have to feed them lunch and then take them to Iron Man 2. Lucky! Tony Stark will just have to have his date with me another day!

Catch you later. Enjoy the summer-like weather!

Best-Laid Plans

I am putting this in writing. I don't think we are going to plan any more golf outings this summer. The key word being plan.

The last 3 times -- including today -- we planned to golf, it was a lovely, warm, sunny day when we made the tee times. Then golf day dawns either soggy or cold. This has not been fun. And 2 of the 3 times we actually used up vacation time from work to go! Pooh.

Today was just miserable. We met another couple over at Foxfire in Waupaca for a 9:20 tee time. It was sprinkling but we were optimistic it would stop soon -- and warm up. It did neither. We were cold and wet and struggling to hold onto our clubs and plant our feet when swinging. Not a good combination. We gave up after 9 holes, went into the clubhouse to warm up, then went our separate ways.

Next time, we're flying by the seat of our pants. No planning -- unless it's guaranteed warm and sunny weather!

Due to the rain, racing for tonight -- which was to be Colin's Super Stock opener -- was also canceled. So hubby and I are stuck home with the 4 boys.

Yes, 4 boys. Carter is finally having his birthday sleepover since Saturday soccer is all done. So 3 friends got off the bus and they've been playing football and dodge ball and getting really stinky and dirty. I escaped for a quick walk but now I'm "supervising" while Daddy runs to the store to get more beer, I mean root beer. They're only 12!

On tonight's agenda, while I watch the Twins kick Brewer butt, they will be watching Iron Man 1 so we can go see Iron Man 2 tomorrow. The tickets are already bought. Tony Stark is waiting!

I guess I don't care how late they stay up. These are good kids. Not so good they'd volunteer to take a shower before bed, but still, good kids. I think Carter probably realizes now that some birthday "treats" are worth the wait!

At least that's one plan that worked out.

Doctor's Orders

First of all, let me say I love my dad dearly. We are alike in more ways than I care to admit. Which means there's a good chance I'll be stubborn when I get old.

That's assuming I am 1) Not stubborn already or 2) Not old yet.

This isn't looking good.

The good news with my dad's health situation is that he is sleeping in his own bed tonight. The bad news, and I've already alluded to this, is that this whole episode could have been avoided. If he'd followed doctor's orders. And then kept following them.

A few years back, Dad was hospitalized in the Twin Cities and got a stent in his heart, got an oxygen tank to lug around for 6-9 months and got a diagnosis of adult on-set diabetes. All he had to do to stay healthy is take his medication (including blood-pressure pills), exercise, eat right and check his blood-sugar levels daily (at least).

Somewhere along the line he decided he didn't need to do that anymore. (It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks.) So it shouldn't be any surprise he ends up in the hospital with congestive heart failure.

While awaiting word on his condition today I did some online research. The much-respected Mayo Clinic has some FAQ on congestive heart failure. Basically he's got fluid around the heart and lungs that shouldn't be there. Some causes of it? Diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Something tells me that if he hadn't been stubborn about 1) following doctor's orders and 2) going to the doctor at the first sign of symptoms, this wouldn't have ended up so badly.

As it is, he is heading home with medication (once again) and doctor's orders (again) to exercise a little and keep an eye on the blood sugar.

We'll see how far this gets him. I plan to get Up North this weekend to give him some strong encouragement.

After I give him a hug first, of course. Thanks, everyone, for the prayers of support!

Hump Day Happenings

Scared to Death: We've gotten some good feedback and suggestions on how to get rid of those thievin' varmints in our backyard. I think the point is we don't want to just scare them -- or they'll keep coming back and this will be a full-time job. (Though if I had to sit out on the deck to do it, I might apply.) I think we only need options with some finality for the squirrels. Of course, I don't want to see any blood and guts, so we'll keep thinking on this one.

A to Z: During our morning conversation today, Carter was checking to see if the cat needed food. Her dish is in basement next to an "old" stereo and a big CD tower/bookcase. He must have been looking that over because he suddenly asks, "Mom, are these alphabetized?!" I'm immediately defensive. "Yes, sorry, Mommy's a little anal retentive." Then of course I had to explain what "anal retentive" means. I don't think he was listening. But that's OK. That should not be the first lesson of the day for a 6th-grader. Plus, I'm sure he'll figure it out eventually -- once he catches a glimpse of my color-coded sock drawer!

Over the Top: I think we need to start a tradition that hubby and I get to stop at King Cone every day that both of our teams are on top of their respective divisions. Don't look now, but the Twins and Reds are hot! Keep it up. Way up. On top! (And by the way, Nutty Explosion was pretty darn tasty.)

Perfect Pitch: Carter finally explained that the reason he didn't swing the other night is because he was waiting for a good pitch. I gently explained back that these are other kids pitching. They are unlikely to throw you a perfect pitch. You have to adjust and go for it. (Not that I know anything.) Tonight they played a late game against the Brewers team, which has only won one game so far. So we had a chance. We did lead for awhile, too. Carter got hit by a pitch to get on once. The next at bat, he finally swung! But that was it. He ended up striking out lookin'. So I don't know. I talked to him on the way home and we didn't come up with any answers. Tomorrow night we've got nothing going on so maybe, just maybe, he and coach can take some batting practice. Oh, and we blew our lead so we lost 6-4. Sigh...

Add 'em Up: Yesterday I posted something on Facebook about remembering to count your blessings. I said: "Life can change in an instant. Sometimes less than an instant. Be grateful for what you have -- and who you have -- this instant." When I wrote it, I was thinking of a close friend of mine whose cousin was seriously injured in a fatal car accident Sunday night. But now it seems it was a premonition of sorts.

Found out tonight my dad is in the hospital. He experienced tightness in his chest while mowing the lawn. Yes, he's 82 years old and yes, he was mowing. And I hope to heck it was the rider, not a push mower. Anyway, they don't think it was a heart attack but they're keeping him overnight for observation and more tests in the morning. I'm surprisingly not wigging out about this. I know this is in God's hands and I've been praying. But I certainly wouldn't turn down a few extra thoughts upward, if you wouldn't mind.

Happy Hump Day!

No Deal

Every time I look out our picture window and see those darn squirrels stealing our bird seed, I pound on the window or yell out there to scare them away.

Hubby thinks it's time to get a BB gun. Carter thinks that's cool, too. I think "He'll shoot his eye out!" (Guess that gets ingrained in a mom's head after watching A Christmas Story a couple dozen times.)

On our way to work this week, we've played dodge the roadkill. For some reason, there are a lot of smashed up squirrels who must have been sassing off to drivers. I was almost sad today when we saw one squirrel squatting in mourning by the squished body of a friend or family member. I see too many of those kid movies, like Over the Hedge, and think he's going to look up with a big tear rolling down his cheek.

I got over it.

I'm also reminded of an episode of Seinfeld where George's girlfriend is disgusted when George runs over some pigeons with his car. George believes that pigeons and humans "have a deal" -- pigeons are to move out of the way when humans approach, and humans will overlook the pigeons' statue defecation. But when the pigeons have broken the deal, they deserve to get hit.

I think those squirrels broke the deal.

I also think that I finally know what to get Jim for Father's Day!

Of course, Santa won't be coming around for 7 months, so where am I gonna get my hands on one of them Red Ryders?

Taking a Swing

I finally got to see the young Reds team in action tonight. They were going into the game 0-2 against an undefeated Phillies team which, according to my scouting reports, has already hit 2 homers out of the park this year.

Tonight, their first batter hit a 3rd.

Yep, it wasn't a pretty game. I can't even joke about the Bad News Bears because it's just plain sad. I think part of it is my disappointment in our dear son's efforts, or lack of them.

My husband occasionally quotes someone famous (who I didn't take the time to look up) who says: "In order to finish first, you must first finish." Good logic there. In Carter's case it is: "In order to hit the ball, you must first swing." I'm serious. He struck out looking during each of his at-bats tonight.

I don't understand it. He practiced hours yesterday and I thought his confidence was up. But then he gets in the game situation and he doesn't swing. I'm not smart enough to get it, I just knew to keep my mouth shut on the long drive home. I hope he snaps out of it because we've got a whole lotta ball yet to play this summer.

The unknown wise person's quote (who was thinking about racing when he said it) still holds true for a lot of things.

In order to have a clean house, I must first clean. (Ha.)

In order to write a book, I must first write. (Yup, gotta get going on that.)

In order to lose weight, I must first find it. (Hey, I did that!)

OK, that last one probably doesn't reflect the true spirit of wisdom, but it's worth noting that I have accomplished something.

Now if I could just get someone to take a swing, we'll be in business. Lord, give me wisdom to understand it... or strength to keep my mouth shut...

Fasting

The word FAST certainly describes how quickly this weekend went, but it also doesn't begin to describe the speed those cars were whipping around the track last night. This is a new experience for our nephew Colin -- and his family and fans.

They rolled out the car for the first time last night at Marshfield Motor Speedway. This was 16-year-old Colin's debut in the Super Late Model division which, is the fastest. Yes, definitely the fastest.

Track personnel and fans were pretty excited about this car which brings back memories for central Wisconsin fans who followed racing in the 1970s. Colin's #88 Blue Knight commemorates the SuperAmerica Racing Knights -- Grandpa Tom Reffner, Dick Trickle & Johnny Boegeman -- who have all seen this car and thrown in their support (and a few words of advice) for Colin. How cool is that?

We were all pretty nervous for Colin but he handled himself just fine. He didn't finish with the results he wanted, but you've got to start somewhere. It was just helpful to get some experience behind the wheel (and amongst other drivers on the track). We were just grateful he finished in one piece! This might be a bit of an unnerving season for his mom and this old aunt!

We got home pretty late and, after loading a few picks to the online racing page, it was after midnight and less than 8 hours away from alarm time. This morning, I did get up in time to get Carter to Sunday School. I threw on my Reffner Racing hat and sneaked out of the house without taking a shower. Yikes. So very glad I did not run into anyone I know when I was grabbing some groceries at Wal-Mart!

Got home and made lunch, then had a big work project that had to get done today. I was torn between working on that, watching the Twins on TBS (it's rare for me to see them on TV here) or getting out in the sunshine. It was a gorgeous day!!

I know what you're going to say. This is Robyn, the sun goddess, she went outside. Nope. Not right away. I stuck to my guns and got the work project done. Then went for a little 2-mile walk just to get some sunshine. Yes, it was after 3 p.m. before I finally took a shower. Uff da. I did manage to catch the end of the Twins games, too, while folding laundry. Nicely done, boys.

Spent a little time this evening helping Carter with some batting practice -- but mainly let Daddy handle that one. I don't know the first thing but, as you know, it can only be done outside. So I grabbed a few extra minutes of sunshine.

I just checked the long-range forecast, too, and it is going to be sunny and mid- to high 70s here this week! Awesome! Gosh, I suddenly feel a virus coming on... I hope I don't have to stay home from work all week...

Kick it in High Gear

We had our last soccer game today. And, of course, the sun waited until the last game to shine! Better late than never...

I had to work concessions from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Then I came home and kicked in high gear. I managed to sweep, dust and vacuum in the half hour I had available before we headed back in town for Carter's game.

As usual, he played goalie the first half. This time, though, we were up against that tough team that beat us by one goal earlier in the season. In the first half, they got 3 goals past Carter. Just barely, but that doesn't matter, does it? To his credit, he had some great saves, too. I happen to get one on the camera.

Here he's grabbing it before it goes into the goal...

Now he's got it and he's protecting it before he kicks it away.

During the second half, he declared war on this kid. He's the one who scored the 3 goals against him!

They had some interesting battles. Carter did get one penalty for pushing, but we'd rather have him aggressive than letting the ball get by!

In the second half, his team did catch up and it ended up in a 4-4 tie. We actually were pretty happy with that, all things considered.

After the game, Carter and I went down to Port Edwards for their Villagewide Garage Sale -- just in case there was anything left. Managed to find a mother lode of books -- just a quarter each. I bought 30 today. I should be set for a few months!

Got home and kicked it in high gear again. Took a quick 3-mile walk and then uploaded these pictures. We're leaving for Marshfield Motor Speedway in about 5 minutes.

Now it's our nephew Colin's turn to kick it in very, very high gear. This is his debut in the Super Late Model division. You'll definitely hear more about that tomorrow!

Hope you enjoyed the sunshine today :)

Definitely TGIF

This week feels like it was a month long -- not even counting today, which must have been 2 weeks on its own. Ah well, that's called getting back to work and trying to swim back to the surface! So, so glad it's Friday!

After work we picked Carter up from the sitter's, where he was enjoying scooting around on their go-cart. No, we are not breaking down and buying him one. He may be spoiled, but not that spoiled. Yet.

He had soccer practice tonight. So Daddy volunteered to mow the front lawn if I took him. Fair trade to me. I had to go to the bookstore anyway to find a New York Times. There was a full-page ad in there today for the Amazon Kindle. The book featured on the Kindle was written by a longtime friend of mine --we're talking back in the '80s when we were Bible camp counselors together. I'm very excited for her and this great exposure she'll be getting for the book, which is just one in her series of 4 books. So cool for a girl from Luck to make it BIG.

Got home in time for Carter to finish mowing while Daddy disappeared. Seriously, I have no idea where he is. I figure if there was an emergency somewhere, I'd have heard by now. So it must be something to do with Friday night and Bud Light. Just a hunch.

I spent my evening going through old picture CDs to email some photos of Carter at school functions over the years. They are putting together some memory DVDs and a book, I believe, for 6th-grade graduation. I just look at that cute little boy and wonder where the time has gone!


Here Carter is with a different redhead -- his classmate Alec -- in first grade. He's so embarrassed I was even looking at these pictures. Doesn't he realize he was adorable? I mean, he still is.

But then, aren't we all?

Home Sleep Home

I'm ba-a-ack! I had an unexpected break from blogging this week. My trip out of town was expected, yes, but I also had expected some free time to get to a computer and write. Didn't work out that way.

Land of Lincoln: From Monday through Wednesday, I was in Schaumburg, Ill., on the outskirts of Chicago for a work conference. I shouldn't call it a conference. We referred to it as an Innovation Summit... time away from the various company offices (around the U.S. and beyond) to think hard, think collectively and think big. It was very worthwhile.

Of course, when you're in Chicago, things are already "big" -- at least somewhat grand or on the expensive side. The hotel we stayed at was very, very, very nice. Did I mention is was nice? I just had to take a picture of the TV built into the bathroom mirror -- for the businessman who doesn't want to miss the financial news while he's shaving in the morning... or for Robyn who doesn't want to miss Sports Center on ESPN while she's curling her hair. Pretty cool, eh?

Wii big different: After Tuesday's day full of meetings and thinking, we had dinner reservations at a place called Pinstripes, which boasted Bowling, Bocce & Bistro. Not your typical bowling alley from Wisconsin, that's for sure! Even had leather couches to sit on while waiting your turn. Very upscale, but the lanes were still the same width and same length -- just a bit more difficult to see with the mood lighting. Not that I'm making excuses. Thanks to my recent Wii training, I did better than my usual struggle to break a hundred. In fact, my first frame was a strike! Beginner's luck. I did pull out a 135 which is very good for me.

Home Sleep Home: That was it for the fun. Headed back Wednesday evening and I got home by midnight. I am dead tired after a few sleep-reduced nights and a very busy work day today catching up. I anticipate I'll be in bed before Carter tonight -- mainly since he'll be up watching the Celtics hopefully win and move on in the playoffs.

Runs, Hits, Errors: Speaking of Carter, I missed out on some of his activities this week. In the Runs category, he had his once-a-year 6th-grade track meet with all the elementary schools. Daddy had to wear long underwear to spectate that Wednesday morning! Carter did triple jump, shot put and 100m dash. He will not be taking home any gold medals.

The Hits category reflects the first 2 baseball games. Oh, I don't necessarily mean Carter had the hits. The Reds lost 3-zip on Monday night and tied 6-6 Wednesday evening in a game called for the time limit. I guess it was a bit chilly both nights. Maybe it's not so bad missing a game or 2. The other "hit" is just a little positive side note. Carter tried out for and made the baseball tournament team! So we'll have to adjust our summer weekend schedules (which I previously noted were already full to some extent). Should be fun though.

The Error category is a bit unfair. Hubby was assigned the task of capturing some of this with pictures this week. Of course he couldn't shoot while coaching baseball but the track meet didn't quite go as well as I hoped. He was there but missed Carter's shot put and triple jump -- which were both somehow done in the first 10 minutes. In his defense, he had a 2-minute tutorial (over the phone) on how to use my/our new camera, so the 100m dash pictures sure look like Carter must have been running fast! At least too fast to stay in the frame. Ah well, you live and learn. I was just glad Jim was able to go.

I'm also just glad to be home. End of story. (er, blog.)

A Spoonful of Sugar...

I think Mary Poppins had it right. A spoonful of sugar probably would help the medicine go down. Too bad we never thought to try that with Carter. Of course, he probably wouldn't have trusted us that it was actually sugar, not medicine.

Since day one (practically), he has been the anti-Medicine Man. When he was a toddler and would get ear infection, we had a devil of a time giving him his amoxicillin. The pink stuff would be everywhere. On his clothes, our clothes, his bib. He just refused to swallow it! Finally we resorted to holding him down. One of us would hold his arms and legs still on the diaper changing table or floor (or wherever we caught him) and the other, armed with the eyedropper, would plug his nose so he'd have to swallow it. I know it sounds cruel, but trust me, it was for his own good.

He still hasn't outgrown it but has been willing to drink his "shots" of Tylenol, etc., if the flavoring is OK. He wastes no time gagging and spitting it out if it isn't. Most times, he'd rather suffer through the sickness than take the medicine.

Thankfully, he's rarely sick. I don't know if it has helped or not, but he does like taking a daily vitamin. Oh not in the pill form -- they invented gummy vitamins for kids! Last week though, since he's 12 now, Carter decided he wanted to try the "teen boy" multi-vitamin. I said, "OK, but this only comes as a pill." He responds, "That's fine, Mom. I think I can do it."

So I buy the bottle and, unfortunately, they are "horse pills." You know what I'm talking about if you take a daily vitamin or calcium supplements. They are big pills! So of course Carter tries for an hour and can't swallow one. I cut it in half and he still can't do it. We sort of gave up on it. Or so I thought.

Yesterday, he started practicing with M&M's. The unfortunate comparison is that M&M's will start dissolving right away AND they actually taste good when they do. But Carter managed to swallow one and felt empowered to take an ibuprofen (his first pill ever) for some soreness (I think Wii related) in his back and shoulders. It took a few tries, but he got that little pill down.

This morning he was up early and willing to try one of those teen boy horse pills -- if I cut it in half. So I cut it in half and had to leave for work. He called later and said he managed to swallow both halves, but then read the label that it should be taken with food. Even though he had finished cereal just 10 minutes before taking the vitamin, he had a granola bar. Then, he said, his stomach was upset so he took 2 Tums.

OK, so we've gone from the anti-Medicine Man to a Pill Junkie overnight!

I might need some sugar myself to get through this one!

Following Her Footsteps

What a nice Mother's Day! I hope all you mothers and stepmothers and grandmothers and motherly types had a wonderful day today. We all deserve it!

My own mother worked especially hard this week to earn this day of rest. She raised $2,313 and was the second highest individual money raiser among 100-some walkers who participated in the American Cancer Society walk in Luck yesterday. At 78 years old, my mom doesn't walk regularly but since she is physically able to do it -- and knows a ton of generous people -- she decided to put some effort toward a good cause. All of us kids are very proud of her.

Taking walks with Mom was something we started at a very young age. We absolutely loved walking in the woods, looking for special sticks or pretty leaves -- and often stepping around cow pies. In the picture above, taken in kindergarten, I am in the middle hugging my mom and twin sister. (It always looks like I'm strangling Raylene but I honestly do love her!)

Those early walks must be one of the reasons I like being outside so much -- walking, running, biking, golfing, sitting (in a chair in the sunshine)! Thanks for getting me started, Mom. Today I did get outside, too.

Hubby made me a gigantic yummy breakfast of Eggs Benedict (my favorite and a Mother's Day tradition for us). I was still full after church and lunchtime so I went for a walk. Ran probably half of the 3-mile loop but then I was still too full to do more. Great breakfast, hon! He also helped Carter buy me some new Assumption Royals gear so I can be a supportive mom next year at his new school. I got a wind jacket and sweatshirt. Very cool!!

This afternoon we went to Jim's parents ... and ate some more. Visited, too. Got home when it was still light enough out to go for a bike ride. I am always begging Carter to go for a walk or ride, anything outside. This time it was his idea. I guess he was being nice since it was my day, after all. He was kind enough to pose for a picture of us two as well.

I guess he felt the need to puff out his chest because he is so proud I am his mom... Or was he just trying to look as tall as me?

Since it's still my day, I'll choose to believe the first!

May Day?

Slept in til after 8 this morning so the snow was mostly melted by then. I guess we got just enough to stick to the grass, trees and deck. It was gone by noon though. That's good, 'cause Carter's soccer game was at 1.

You know what they say, neither rain nor sleet nor snow can stop soccer... or something like that. Today was quite the defensive battle:

Last night we dined with the Jacksons as friends. Today our boys were on opposing teams. Above, Nate and Carter fight for control of the ball.

Nate had some good kicks today, but his team did not score any goals.

Carter had some good kicks today, too. (And a goal attempt here.) But his team did not score any goals either. That's right, we ended in a 0-0 tie. They can do that for rec soccer... thankfully. We certainly didn't want to hang around in the cold for overtime!

The players had rosy cheeks and plenty of layers on. Not too many. They still had to move. During the game, we experienced everything from wind and rain to snow and sunshine. Brrr. Just stinkin' brrr.

Casey was home from UW-Eau Claire this weekend so he stopped to see his baby brother play. I know he had more exciting plans later!

Speaking of excitement... Our kitty was tormented today by some backyard visitors she could see out the picture window -- but couldn't get to.

Here's a squirrel doing its afternoon stretch to eat our bird seeds.

Here's his fat brother, eating from the bottom up. I've heard of "upside margaritas" but not "upside sunflower seeds."

Here's our adorable kitty Sylvester, just watching, thinking, "Squirrels are idiots." Amen, sister.

After all that excitement, I baked some banana bread, made a Jello salad for dinner at the in-laws tomorrow, put lasagna in the oven and convinced Carter to go on a mile walk with me. After supper, we watched the movie The Toothfairy, which we just bought on DVD. Cute movie.

When it was done I caught Daddy playing Wii bowling downstairs. Both he and Carter are up to the Pro level so I know they've been playing it plenty! Good thing to know this was a good gift for all of us! We might do some golfing on there later. That's what a typical May day would be like, right?

It's Snow Use

Thank goodness it was Friday today. I had a hard time getting back into the swing of things -- especially since I couldn't hit the snooze as many times as I wanted. I had to get to the chiropractor before work.

By the time we got to the office, I was pretty sure this (above) would be the perfect serving of caffeine for me today! Yes, I had my camera with when I went to Madison. You never know what you'll stumble upon (when you're NOT driving).

It was actually a quick day at work. Very busy and, with the weather turning crappy, no clock watching or longing to get out early to hit the golf course. It was raining all afternoon.

On the way home, we decided neither of us wanted to cook supper, so we called up our friends Mike and Christine and had them meet us out for supper at the Branding Iron (south of Rapids). We didn't have to cook and Carter, aka Mr. Ribs, was thrilled with his half rack. So everybody wins.

Got home and there was a message that the baseball scrimmage scheduled for tomorrow afternoon is canceled. Also, our nephew Colin's first race of the 2010 season was postponed. So 2 of our 3 outdoor sporting events for Saturday have been called off due to the weather. So far, soccer is on.

What could be inclement about rain? Oh, it's not just rain. We live in Wisconsin, after all. After supper, we all gathered back here at our house and watched the rain turn to snow. Yup, see for yourself.

Looks like this Mother's Day weekend might be a Mom's weekend after all... Mom can snuggle up under a blanket on the couch and watch a chick flick or two and get some reading done. If soccer is still on tomorrow, it will pretty much take me the rest of the day to thaw anyway!

Enjoy your Mother's Day weekend and stay warm!

Out of the Office

For the second (and last) day, I rode down to Madison with my boss to attend a trade show where we could introduce one of our online products to potential customers. Not the most exciting time but quite tolerable since we were there and back both days within normal working hours.

Today was a shorter day so I actually got to escort Carter out to the bus stop this morning and was home in time to meet him when he got home from school. That worked out nice. I won't have too many opportunities to do that. Next year for junior high he'll be boarding the bus when we leave for work and getting home hours before us (to do homework, of course).

I did have him do some homework before we ran to Wal-Mart to get a few things for supper (spaghetti, meatballs and cheesy garlic bread). While we were there, we scoped out a few things for Mom for Mother's Day. I'd point out something and say, "Can you remember this for when you and Dad go shopping?" Hey, I'm not selfish here. They wanted ideas, I swear!

Managed to get supper going before Jim got home (just seconds before). Now Carter is taking on Daddy in some Wii game and I'm printing out birthday invites for Carter's upcoming sleepover. We're taking a few boys to Iron Man 2 but I don't know if I want to wait 2 weeks! (Tony Stark may need me now!)

I feel like I have been gone from home for 2 days, too, even though it was just from the office. I probably better get a few things done. Tomorrow morning will be normal alarm time and I haven't missed that at all!

It's WINDsday

For some reason Winnie the Pooh has crossed my mind twice this week.

The first time was Saturday. I was looking through my potpourri of paper plates to use for Carter's birthday cake. All of a sudden I open one of the bags and here are the leftover Pooh plates from his first birthday party! And napkins, too! So we just had to use them!

Just goes to show that I was right. I have to save everything because eventually I will use it someday.

Just kidding. I am honestly trying to fight that line of thinking! (As much as possible... even though it did create a nice moment of birthday nostalgia.)

Today I was thinking about Winnie the Pooh and "Winds-Day" in the Hundred Acre Wood. It really has been a windy spring, which is attributing to the dryness. Today I road-tripped to Madison to attend a trade show for work. On the way home, it was so windy we saw several Dust Bowls crossing the Interstate. Scary and weird at the same time. It wouldn't even be a good day to fly a kite or we'd get carried away like Piglet!

I got home in time to get to Carter's baseball scrimmage. As usual, the kids can handle the weather but us moms in the stands whine about the weather. Hey, it was windy and cold. I guess we should feel grateful. Saturday when we have several scrimmages the high is supposed to be something like 48, maybe rain, maybe snow.

Gotta love baseball weather. I just hope next time the wind carries some of our hits to the outfield!

River View

Two of the things I love about spring are, unfortunately, short-lived. The Lilacs and their wonderful scent are almost here. And the beautiful Hopa trees, sadly, have come and gone already.

I went riverside to scope out the trees and test out some camera options. I was expecting a row of pink there, and was dismayed there was only one tree with the pretty blossoms still around. So I took some pictures and fought the wind -- which kept moving the branches out of my "frame"! Here a few of my views...

I was trying to frame the flag and paper mill in the background -- part of the symbolism of Wisconisn Rapids (besides the Wisconsin River). I see the blossoms are in focus but the building and flag are not. Something to learn from. Still kinda cool.

These two geese were trying to find their way back to Canada. I don't think they had any luck since they were chasing each other in circles.

This nearby Mallard just took a nap and ignored them. Stupid geese!

Here's my macro-zoom. I'm liking it. And I'm glad I'll have at least a few pretty pictures to look at until these are in bloom again next spring!

Sweet Music

Stop me if you've heard this before... We got the car back from the garage today...

Knock on wood, this better be it! The problem was easily fixed and yes, just a little bit their fault. But it's all good now. They replaced the faulty part and we are back in business with even temperatures under the hood! Yay.

To celebrate, hubby and I went out to eat tonight. Well, it worked out that way. We had to drop Carter off at the junior high and had 90 minutes to kill. So we went to Culver's since it was a fund-raiser night there for my church. It all worked out. They even had Mint Explosion for the flavor of the day. God loves me.

The concert was awesome. It was a Combined Band Concert for the entire Rapids school district, with band members in 6th-12th grades. (I did not bring my camera. I decided to just listen.)

First, all the 6th-grader from the 9 elementary schools played 3 songs together. Carter was among 20 trumpeters. Very cool. Then the 7th, 8th and 9th grade bands played a song each. We were then entertained by the high school drum line -- that rocked -- and the high school band, who played selections from Mamma Mia! I'm telling you, this was my day.

The finale was a song played by all the bands combined. For that, Carter must have been among 100 trumpeters at least. That was loud but awesome!

As a music geek, I am looking forward to many years of concerts like this. It was sweet music to cap off a pretty sweet day!

Youth Sunday

Today was the Youth Sunday service at our church, which meant the kids took over everything from the readings and sermon to the final blessing. Despite the fact he's missed a month of Sundays, well a month of Sunday School, Carter got to read the Psalm and joined in the group singing. It was a nice service.

After church, I had to run to a friend's house for some emergency hugs and prayers. But after that, the day was uplifting and fun. We sort of made the whole day a Youth Sunday -- and Mom got to act like a kid again (and will probably pay for it tomorrow).

I got my bike down from the garage rafters, dusted it off and Carter and I biked over to the gas station to put air in our tires. It was a breezy but sunny ride. I let Carter set the pace and I didn't mind all that it was quite leisurely. Gotta ease into it, ya know. Just five miles and plenty of sunshine.

When we got home, I could not pass up an opportunity to sit on the deck a bit and read. Guess what I'm reading? Now I'm into the second book of his Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. I guess I've sort of committed to reading all 4 of them after Carter gets done with each one. Hey, if it keeps him motivated to read, that's cool. Plus, he keeps insisting "it's the best series ever" even though it's probably the first real one he's read. Too funny. Oh well, I didn't mind an excuse for some sunshine time.

Carter was quite anxious to set up my character on Wii so we had to do that. Then he showed me just some basics on tennis, bowling and boxing. I was getting my heart rate up there! It was pretty cool -- and soooo easy, even a mom can do it!

After supper we all went to batting practice. Daddy pitched, Carter hit and Mommy fielded. I know it doesn't take too many throws before it's too late and I've already done the damage to my old lady arm, shoulder, back. Ah well. I was not there to be an athlete. Just an athletic supporter.

Some dark clouds rolled so we headed home. It didn't rain though. I guess it was just my cue to head indoors and get a little work done.

It was really a nice, warm day. But I think I'll still need my mattress pad on for my aching back...

Youth Sunday. Yeah right.

Birthday Treats

I think we can officially call this a "birthday weekend" because it's been filled with too many treats to confine it to one day!

Last evening we got some much-needed rain so soccer practice was canceled. Since Carter couldn't play outside, he decided to show us how he learned to play Happy Birthday on his trumpet (which I just realized he forgot to do for his party today). Anyway, he didn't have sheet music for the song so he created some and played from that. A little later, he asked if he could play the organ -- referring to an old electric organ that I think used to reside in the basement of Jim's childhood home.

Two things to know about this organ. One, Jim can play it very, very well -- using both hands plus the foot pedals -- but doesn't let people know that. Two, Carter has never touched it (or a piano).

But he sat down with this Happy Birthday sheet music and figured out in just a few minutes how to play it on the organ! I was quite impressed. But that was just the beginning. For the next hour, I heard him play through all of his band music. He could do every song -- even Eye of the Tiger -- on the organ. Unreal! What a treat.

After that, Daddy and I decided to kick his butt in a game of Dirty Rummy just to take his ego down a notch or two.

Since today is Carter's birthday, he got to pick breakfast. So I made blueberry pancakes. Then we cleaned up the house a bit and headed over to soccer. I don't know if it was the power breakfast or extra birthday energy, but the whole team was rockin' today! They won 8-0!

Carter played goalie the first half and had a handful of saves which, ultimately, helped in the shutout.

This is my favorite "action shot" with my new camera. Both feet off the ground and a look of determination. Love it!

This one also was good as he and teammate Peter go after the ball to keep it away from the orange team! The more goals they scored, the more energized they all seemed to get. Fun to watch!

After 4 p.m. we had Jim's parents and sister (and family), along with our friends the Jacksons, over for supper (pizza) and presents and cake.

Carter got some very nice gifts and was quite surprised when he opened the Wii. With the help of his cousin Colin, he got that set up in no time and they were boxing and bowling and playing baseball. His friend Nate has one at home so he was giving some inside tips, too. After everyone went home, I had Carter show me how it works. I beat him in a short game of golf. (I think I'm going to like this thing!)

Although we were stuffed from pizza, we did find room for some Dirt Cake. I expect I'll come crashing down from that sugar high shortly and then I'll be ready for bed. I had to wait up anyway. Carter doesn't officially turn 12 until 10:15 p.m.

Guess I can go give him his birthday kisses and tuck him in. There's no guarantee he'll let me do that next year... or even next week! I'll appreciate that kind of birthday treat when I can get it!