2010 Hump Day

Today is not only your weekly Hump Day but the 2010 Hump Day. After we get over the "hump" at midnight, half the year is done and we are coasting into the second half of 2010. Is that not crazy? Where did the time go?

I can see just from how this week is flying by how 6 months got away from me! Remember in January when I was going to pace myself to get in shape for my summer beach vacation? Wow, just think of how much progress I should have made! Now it's exactly a month away! Yikes.

That's OK. I got some gift cards and a little birthday money so I am going to treat myself to a new swimsuit anyway!

We finally (as my impatient son would say) got to use my birthday smoothie maker tonight. We did a quick trip to the store to stock up on some fruit, yogurt and frozen yogurt. Mixed up our first batch of smoothies and they were delicious (and nutritious). I can see us enjoying these more often than we should this summer! Yummy.

I also got a special gift today from my twin -- who I have yet to connect with this week. Apparently we're both too busy to catch each other on the phone and say "happy birthday." I got a fancy new purse that will make some of you smart people envious -- it's navy blue with a white handle and a nice Twins logo on the side. Sweet!! I'll have to transfer all my "junk" from my old purse so I can show it off. (Thanks, Lene! I still have to mail your gift since I guess I won't be seeing you anytime soon.)

Speaking of special gifts...

I try not to ever take for granted the gifts that God has given me. For example, I try to share my creativity to help others when I can or just cheer someone up. In the past few years, I have been a resource, for lack of a better word, for some friends who need help with the written word. Writing, editing, graphic design. I like doing it and I know some people struggle.

Tonight I got to help someone representing a very worthy cause who simply needed to formulate a thank-you note on behalf of his organization to the conference center that housed their recent convention. I put some general compliments together along with some names he provided and soon we had ourselves a very nice letter. It was not hard to do (for me) and the appreciation from this group makes it worth it.

Do you know that we all have God-given gifts and talents? If you don't think so, just ask a friend and they'll tell you what they love about you -- or even envy about you.

Do you that we praise God every time we share these gifts with others? If you don't think so, just look at the smiling face of the person receiving your gift. Then picture God's smile about a hundred times bigger.

Maybe we can all find something to make 2010 the best year yet -- for ourselves or others. We're only half way. I bet we've got time.

Home Team

We have a new organized ball club in Wisconsin Rapids this year -- the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters -- that plays at Witter Field. We play college-aged teams from similar-sized markets like Wausau, Appleton, Green Bay and, tonight, Waterloo, Iowa.

This was our first outing to a Rafters game -- mainly because kids who were involved in Rapids baseball and softball this summer got in free tonight if they wore their jerseys. So it was a good excuse to check it out. It was a good crowd of more than 1,500.

They make it entertaining, having different games and giveaways between each inning. In fact, my husband won the trivia question about "Witter Field History" so we will be treated to a free appetizer at Applebee's sometime. Excellent!

The game itself did not go so well. The Rafters got shut out 15-0. But, the bright side for fans anyway, is that this was a "guaranteed win" game. That means if they didn't win, we all get free tickets to the next game when Waterloo is in town. So it looks like we can see another game on Monday, July 26, if not before.

We had a good time and saw a ton of people we know from around our baseball league, plus old friends. It was a nice family night.

And to top it off, I finally got a chance to eat some birthday cake and ice cream when I got home. I know it's super late but I was not going to let another day go by. Plus, after that sorry scoring game, we gotta find something to celebrate.

I'll take one for the team. Well, make that two. Scoops, that is.

Birthday Wishes

I made a cake to bring into work today for my birthday treat. I did not put any candles on it. Not that I was worried about setting off the fire alarm or anything. I just didn't need to make any wishes. As the day went on, I was given more wishes than I know what to do with. And that is what makes a happy birthday.

Jim and Carter gave me a gift before we left for work this morning. I got a cool smoothie maker! So now we all can get our daily serving of fruit and I can get my daily serving of ice cream! What could be better?!

Had a strange day at work. The Internet was down so I wasn't nearly as productive as I needed to be ... but had plenty of time to visit with birthday "guests" at my desk. So that was cool. Over lunch, I got in a 3-mile run just to ensure I could have my cake and eat it, too.

After work, we picked up Carter from Kidz Camp and headed to Stevens Point. First stop was a sports store I was hoping carried the kind of pedometer I need to replace the one I lost. No such luck. I'll have to order it online and wait for it.

Second stop was Mitchell's Hilltop Pub, which has awesome Brew City Fries and, well, awesome anything you order! I enjoyed my chicken cordon bleu while hubby had a teriyaki chicken sandwich and Carter had half of his half-rack of ribs (of course). No room for dessert.

Got home and my in-laws were here. Had some cake left from work so I served them up some cake and ice cream. I was still too full, though. After they left, the neighbors girls came over with their dad -- who was wielding a chainsaw to take care of our tree that fell Saturday night. Served the girls cake and ice cream. And I was still too full for some.

Got a few birthday phone calls from some sisters and then my sister-in-law popped over with a gift. She had cake, too. Still too full for some so I'll have to have it tomorrow. I know. It seems like I'm defying the laws of nature by not having ice cream on my birthday!!

Carter really wants a smoothie from the new machine, too, but I don't think I know how to use it yet -- or have the right ingredients. I gotta get to bed soon anyway. Sucks to get old, ya know!

How old, you ask. I saw this on a sign recently and I am going with it: I'm not 40-something. I'm 39.95 plus shipping and handling!

Of course, I'd be the first to tell you that I've needed plenty of special handling in my lifetime!

I Feel Good!

The antibiotics have apparently kicked in and kicked this bronchitis. Yay! I actually slept through the night without any major coughing fits. In fact, I slept so hard the first few hours, I missed a major light storm that briefly knocked out our electricity (and a tree down in our back yard!) and left 2 inches of rain.

Yup, definitely feeling better!

The rain clouds threatened to hang around today but didn't give us more than a few drops. Mostly, it was warm and sunny -- a perfect day to wrap up our Cranberry Blossom Fest in Wisconsin Rapids.

Since we had baseball, we didn't get to partake in any of the activities until today's parade. We all went to church and then headed over to a friend's house along the parade route. It's a yearly event to gather there and tip back a few cold beverages of one's choosing and catch lots of candy. The beauty of being at the beginning of the parade is that they are never out of candy (or any of the other goodies they toss out).

It's also great to see friends I don't see often enough. It was a nice time. (And Carter caught plenty of candy for my candy dish at work!)

When we left, we saw that Carter's babysitters (well, former sitters now) were at their son's house a block away so we crashed that party, too! Visited with them for a few minutes and, honestly, it seems like we haven't seen them in months! A busy month of June can do that.

Got home and baked a cake to take to work tomorrow for my birthday treat. Remembered I had 2 movie passes that have to get used by June 30 so Carter and I went to see Toy Story 3.

OK, I'm not going to spoil the story line. Just saying if you saw the first 2 especially, you must see this one. Kudos to Pixar for wrapping up the series with an awesome, awesome finish. Yes, I wept openly and I think Carter did a little, too. But he won't admit it!

Now it's off to bed early again. I just want to rest and get this bronchitis completely out of my system! Don't want to feel "old" tomorrow for any reason!

Double or Nothing

We had another full Saturday for the Austins. You know us, we'll take a full day and make it fuller!

So we left the house by 10 a.m. so we could stop off at a friend's in town and drop off a birthday gift for their son (whose party we knew we'd miss today). Then we headed towards Marshfield -- but not directly there.

Had to make a photo stop at the town of Day cemetery east of Rozellville (if you've heard of either one of those I'd be surprised). Had to snap a few pics of some tombstones that could add some new info to hubby's family tree. Good thing it was a teeny, tiny cemetery. Too hot to hang around and we weren't there long enough for the ticks to latch on.

Then it was off to Marshfield for a 1 p.m. game. It was quite warm and humid today. I felt like crud for that first few hours, but it was such a good game, I almost forgot about it! Jim's sister and his uncle Frank both stopped to see Carter play. They saw a good one.

Here Carter prepares to spank the heck out of the ball in his first at-bat.

Here he rounds second and holds it after his double. Yes, double! Whoo-hoo! He really smoked that out to right-center. One hop away from the fence (but that's not nearly tall enough to go over it, of course). Very exciting though!

He also had a single later in the game and made a tricky catch in the outfield for an out! That was awesome to see! Unfortunately, that still wasn't enough for a team win. We lost be 1 run and had to play later at 5:30 in hopes of a victory.

Between games, we went over to Uncle Frank's house -- since they live in Marshfield and we really, really needed some air conditioning! Had a nice visit, too.

The second game of the day (and 3rd of our tournament schedule) was at 5:30 p.m. Everyone must have chilled out just enough to re-energize! Carter had another hit in that game and some great fielding again. Same goes for a lot of his teammates, too, and this time it worked. We won 6-1!

Here the team does their special victory "break down" chant. They were all pretty hyped up even though they were done playing for the tournament. Once again, we aren't playing for a trophy on Sunday but the boys are getting better every weekend! Fun stuff.

After the game was done, we headed over to the racetrack in Marshfield since our nephew Colin was racing his super late model tonight. (This is what I mean about jamming up the schedule.) We got there in time to see him race and not much else. He is handling his new, fast car better every time we see him. Hopefully, he'll start moving up from the back of the pack!

Races got done earlier than usual so we might actually get a good night's sleep. I am definitely feeling better than this morning and my coughing fits have been few and far between. So overall, it was a pretty darn good day for all of us.

Missteps

I missed a step or 2 today. Quite literally. Nearly 6 months complete in 2010 and today I lost my pedometer! Go figure.

I know where I lost it. But it's a big place. Somewhere at the ball fields up in Marshfield. Sigh...

But I certainly don't have dibs on the worst day of losing things. Our tournament team gets that unfortunate honor.

We had our first game of the weekend tourney tonight at 5. We did not have our typical runs in the first inning so we fell behind quickly. A misstep here or there and before you know it, we're really behind. Just as time was about to expire, our opponent got a 3-run homer which gave them a win due to the 10-run rule. Not nice. 11-1 loss.

We play again tomorrow at 1 and 5:30. I hope the team gets energized and focused. Despite their loss (and my loss) I still feel good about how this weekend is going to go. When we first arrived in Marshfield we heard "We Are The Champions" on the radio. That has to be a good sign right?

But what do I know? Apparently I'd lose my head (or at least a foot) if it wasn't attached...

Caller I.D.

Since the advent of Caller I.D., rarely are we surprised at who's on the other end of the line when we answer the phone. In fact, we can even "screen" calls and disregard the person's call altogether, if we want.

We do that for obvious telemarketer calls (sorry folks) and the suspicious "Unknown" or "Unavailable." We don't have any extra money to give and, no, we aren't interested in having our rug shampooed or our windows measured.

Today, though, I would have loved to have been home when the person (or business?) pictured above called us. Carter Precious. Sounds more like a sentence than a name, right? Like "I hungry," "She pretty," "Carter precious."

No clue if it was a joke or not but I'm pretty sure when Carter does get that cell phone five years from now, we're going to make him put that as his account name!

And, if he gets one any sooner, it'll have to be Carter Spoiled.

Type A Personality

I have found that bronchitis is not as bad as it sounds. I mean I feel pretty good, pretty normal. The only time I feel sick is when I cough. Then I don't feel sick really. I just feel pain and it ain't good. So I try not to cough.

Easier said than done.

It was another terrible night's sleep. It's like my body knows it's night time and I start coughing. Then I lay down and I might as well forget about sleep! It's actually not too bad when I'm sitting up, though, so I went to work today.

It's not that I am a total type A personality. (OK, I am!) I know the place can survive without me. But I did have lots to do and, frankly, I wasn't feeling too bad. I pretty much stayed close to my desk and kept interactions with other humans to a minimum. (I guess if I was contagious I would have already passed it on Monday or Tuesday anyway.)

I also tried to follow the doctor's orders and drink plenty of liquids. That extended to an after-work stop at The Harbor -- a nice bar & grill on the Waupaca Chain of Lakes. I kept my liquids to soda but Carter and Daddy both had beer (Carter's was of the root variety). Had a nice visit with some friends we used to work with, ate some good food, survived a quick rain storm and then got ice cream to go. Can you top that?

Yes, we can.

Good thing we took Carter out to eat because we had something to celebrate. Of course, we didn't know 'til we got home. But report cards came today and we now officially have a 7th-grader in the house. Whoo-hoo! (or boo hoo?) We also have a straight-A student, too! Nice way to finish up grade school, Carter!

I guess we're both type A personalities in our own way.

Tuesday Tidbits

Wish List: A new book came out today that I've been waiting for for 2 years. It's the 16th (plus) in a series by Janet Evanovich. Sizzling Sixteen will continue to follow the story of my favorite character Stephanie Plum who is a lot like me -- she totally sees nothing wrong with eating birthday cake for breakfast! I can't decide if I should go out and buy it or drop major hints for my birthday wish list. I'm thinking that since I just started a different book, I'll just hold out. Hint, hint.

Heat Index: I know we got up to around 90 in temperature but that humidity was at 100++. We were smart and turned the air conditioning on this morning before we left for work. I feel sorry for Carter and Jim, though. It's only "cooled off" to 86 and they are at baseball practice. Probably good it didn't start until 7 p.m.

Twinkies: Speaking of baseball... I finally get to see my Twins on TV since they're playing the Brewers. I almost broke down and got tickets just so I could see them in person this summer. Looks like there's no way we'll get tickets at Target Field unless someone surprises me for my birthday. Hint, hint. (Just kidding! I'm just glad to wear my Twins gear in front of the big crowd here -- kitty and me.)

Choked Up: I've had an annoying cough and sore throat for the past few days. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it since it could be allergies. Lots of people have allergies so I didn't want to come across as a whiny wimp. I even told my dad last night that I was going to be stubborn about this (like him) and skip the doctor. Let it run its course, you know. This morning, though, my throat was killing me so I broke down and called for an appointment. While I was disappointed I wasn't seen by a McDreamy. The visit turned out to be a good thing. Found out I have bronchitis. So I wasn't a whiny wimp after all. Though, I will be if these antibiotics don't work.

Either way, it's a good excuse to curl up on the couch in the A-C and watch my boys! Go Twins!

Rainy Days and Mondays (are the same day)

I'm not going to complain about the rain. It was somewhat sunny -- and hot and humid -- most of the day. The rain hit just as hubby was finishing up some mowing. (Hey, he volunteered and I didn't fight him on it.)

The air is really heavy, though. I can't explain it but you can just hear some old-timer tell ya, "It's not the heat; it's the humidity." Amen, brother. Went for 3-mile run at lunch and that was hard, hard, hard. The air was so thick it added resistance! OK, not really. But it was hard to breathe.

After picking up Carter at Kidz Camp we voted unanimously to stop at King Cone for ice cream on the way home. Those guys can be persuaded when I offer to pay! I tried a new flavor tonight called After Dinner Mint. Yes, of course, I liked it!

And yes, I know you are shaking your head wondering why I would have ice cream when I ran today. That's why I run. So I CAN have ice cream! It's psychotic, I know, but that's me. I need a t-shirt that says "I scream, you scream, I run for ice cream!" or something.

The ice cream did cool us off a bit. Tonight I also gave Jim and Carter haircuts so hopefully that will help, too.

I finally got around to calling my dad to wish him a happy Father's Day. He was plenty spoiled by my siblings yesterday so I don't feel too bad. I had to give up the phone, though, so Carter could call his girl friend (two words, he says) Autumn back. I better go cut him off. The rain may have stopped but I can be a wet blanket where that is concerned!

Dad's Day

You know, I talk a good game but I certainly didn't deliver the kind of Father's Day hubby deserved.

I didn't make a great breakfast like he made me. In fact, he had to heat up some leftover brat or burger for lunch. Lord knows we don't eat enough "ball park" food around here the way it is.

I did not get around to mowing. Because after that delicious leftovers lunch, we went over to his parents' house to deliver a card and gift for Jim's dad. Then went to the softball championship game to cheer on Madison, our next-door neighbor who is Carter's age. The Rapids girls won the tournament and I took some good pictures for Madison's mom, too.

Afterwords, trying to make good on making it Dad's Day, I suggested we go out to eat at Anchor Bay on the Wisconsin River. Great idea, Robyn. But you forgot your purse at home so how did you expect to pay for dinner with 3 singles in your pocket?! So poor DAD had to buy his own supper (and ours, too). Can't win.

We did get home to watch the end of the U.S. Open at least. Though it really would have been a nice day to go golfing ourselves. Why didn't I think of that?

Maybe next year.

The good news is our anniversary is 10 days away and his birthday is 12 days away, so I've got time to make it up to him. And if I find that one gift I hid, that's just a bonus.

Happy Father's Day, hon! You deserve a great day every day!

Old Stomping Grounds

Was back at my old stomping grounds today. Of course, I'm not sure why they call them "stomping grounds." The only stomping I did in Marinette was probably some wicked moves on the dance floor. I know. Let's not go with that visual.

Anyway, not to date myself, but a former co-worker at the newspaper in Menominee (who I've now known for 20 years!) had a graduation party for her son Jake, who was just a toddler when I left the Marinette-Menominee area back in 1994. My how time flies.

Since Carter had 2 tournament games, I had to make the trip alone. That worked out fine. I got to visit with my friend Cindy and her huge family -- who sort of adopted me when I lived there -- and also got to see my friend Sally (another "girl" we worked with) and her family. Just so great to see them all again!

Before I left town, I drove by my old "home" and then cruised over the draw bridge into Michigan so I could get a picture of "my" lighthouse, see my old newspaper office, my old beach and see which bars have closed down since I left town. Purely coincidental, I'm sure.

I drove straight (in a roundabout way) to Stevens Point so I could catch Carter's late game. They lost the early one today in another high-scoring performance, 10-9. Another one-run loss. Dang. Carter did get a nice hit to center field in that one.

Tonight I arrived in the first inning so I did not miss much. I got to see the entire VICTORIOUS game!! Yes, we won one! It was pretty solid, too, 10-6. Unfortunately, we don't advance to the final round tomorrow but at least we ended on a positive note and the kids were fired up. Hopefully, they can carry that momentum into next weekend's tournament!

So it's another late night for us. I really want to go to bed but I haven't been able to locate part of hubby's Father's Day present. I bought something in April or May but can't recall where I hid it. Don't you hate when you hide something so well you can't find it?

I think I'm gonna have to find a different way to make it up to him tomorrow. I guess I could get that haying done. I wonder if I could stomp it instead of cut it. These are my new stomping grounds after all...

TGID (Thank God it's Dry-day)

It's a good thing we have summer hours at work now so we can get out of the office by 3 p.m. on Fridays. Our schedule is full and we can use those 2 extra hours!

We had a good storm last night but nothing like the twister action in Minnesota. The good news is that it was dry all day so we knew baseball would be a go!

Had some batting practice in town at 5 p.m. While Jim helped with that, I installed a new headlight bulb in the CRV. (We should have known when the driver-side one went a month ago or so that the other was bound to run its course soon.) Had the light installed in time to catch some of practice (I'm getting too good at this). Then we all did a convoy up to Stevens Point for this weekend's tournament.

The first team we played was one who came to our tournament last weekend and beat us 6-1. So it was quite encouraging that we scored 3 runs right away -- including 1 of 2 homers by Carter's friend and teammate Austin. The other team answered with the 3 of their own, though, so it was tied 3-3 after the first inning.

The game went back and forth like that. Carter hit a solid shot out to center field but they caught it. He also walked. No strikeouts, though, so that was good.

In the 5th inning, we were up 8-6. Then, our opponent hit a 3-run homer. Dang! Then the unthinkable happened. We hit our time limit so it was game over. We would not get another inning to rally. We lost 9-8.

It still was a great game with good hits and aggressive fielding. I hope the momentum carries into their two games tomorrow.

On the way home, we saw that racing was still going on at Golden Sands Speedway. So we stopped in to see how our nephew Colin did. Plus, since I am such a gearhead, you never know if he needs help in the pits! Turns our we missed his race but found out he took Fast Time tonight in qualifying and then finished second in the Super Stock feature. Not bad! We ended up staying for a race but then hit the road. It's late and we need to rest up for another busy -- hopefully dry -- day!

Have a good weekend!

Sunny Side Up

The sun finally made an appearance. And stayed awhile. Unfortunately, I had such a busy day, I didn't have much time to hang around with it.

I was desperate, though. So this afternoon at work I proofed some pages outside, sitting on the steps of one of our building's entrances. I wish I would have had more stories to read. I definitely was not out there long enough.

When we got home after work, I took one look at our "hay" and knew I should get mowing. That would mean sun time, too. But I had errands to run and was basically gone the rest of the night until now. I hope tomorrow brings another opportunity for bonding time!

Carter and Daddy had a 2-hour baseball practice tonight so I'm sure they'd prefer a switch to something cooler. I say we compromise. Not too hot and sunny -- but no rain either. There's baseball to be played this weekend!

And that green hay in the front yard really has to go.

Showing Signs of Improvement

Coach Austin's Reds team wrapped up their season tonight with a stunning loss versus the almost-undefeated Phillies, 16-7. The score, however, doesn't tell the whole story...

We were down 16-2 going into our last at bat. So at least we got a rally going! Carter, unfortunately, logged the team's last out of the season. But that doesn't tell the whole story either...

Here's a kid that showed up at the first several games of the year just looking. Not swinging, but looking. Now he's a swinging and hitting fool. Tonight he got on base the first two at-bats. One was a really nice hit over the first baseman's head. And his last up, he grounded out. The important thing is that he made contact. And he finished up the season hitting.

He was asking us on the way home if we thought he improved this season. Most definitely! The encouraging thing, too, is that we only have one tournament out of the way. So even though the league season is done, he still has another dozen games at least to play for tournament.

Let's keep the hitting streak going!

Here Comes the Rain Again...

I was surprised to look at the calendar today and see that June is half over already. It seems like it's been raining for weeks so I keep forgetting we're in the first month of summer!

Of course, it's also easy to forget when hockey action just wrapped up last week and the NBA finals are still going on -- which I know plenty about. In fact, the guys are watching right now, hoping the Celtics wrap it up on the road.

Good thing those are indoor venues. My poor nephew Colin has had so many "rain checks" for auto racing. It's crazy. And Carter once again had baseball practice canceled due to rain tonight. And it's just plain chilly out!

So I trespassed into Wii-ville and played some Wii Sports Resort. I had to have Jim show me how the heck to do everything. This particular game uses a special motion-type remote that means if I hold it crooked and "swing," then my golf ball or Frisbee or bowling ball is going off in a crazy direction. It was still fun, though!

After that, Daddy and Carter took a little batting practice. (For real.) The rain had lightened to a fine mist, so they were OK for the batting part but it was still quite annoying as glasses wearers!

Now they're inside where it's warm and dry, watching the Celtics-Lakers game. I might just join them. I already got a good run in over lunch. I did two loads of laundry and made Rice Krispy bars. I might as well turn my blanket on and go relax.

And wonder when summer will get here...

Pitching In

Today was our first day of our "Iola Summer." In other words, Carter started commuting with us to Iola and we dropped him off at Kidz Camp -- basically a child care program at the fitness and aquatic center.

When we picked him up, he reported a great first day back. In fact, being one of the oldest kids there has its privileges. He will get some training in the weight room this summer and do some special fun activities like rock climbing. When we picked him up today, he was inching up the rock-climbing wall in the gymnasium. Cool stuff! (I'll have to bring my camera next week!)

Tonight was our penultimate league baseball game. I ended up pitching in and working the concession stand since another parent did a no-show.

The good thing about it is that it was a crappy, rainy night. (In fact it was called off due to rain, but we still took a loss.)

The bad thing about it is that I missed the game. I knew Carter was going to get to pitch, though, so I sneaked out and snapped a few shots during that brief outing....

Getting his footing.

Making eye contact with the catcher...

Winding up...

Putting some mustard into it...

... And release.

Carter said he did terrible. He did throw some strikes but he also walked 2 guys and hit one batter. So he lasted less than an inning. Which was to be expected since he hasn't practiced pitching like he has batting.

In his words, "I guess I can catch and climb walls, but I can't pitch."

Well, at least he knows his limitations. We should all be so humble.

Wild Things

We couldn't dream of being contestants on the reality show So You Think You Can Dance, but when my family gets together. And there's a party. And there's music. Then yes, we think we can dance.

And do.

The entertaining part of the wedding reception/dance at my sister's place last night was when the old song "Your Momma Don't Dance and Your Daddy Don't Rock 'n' Roll" came on. My dad set his cane aside and he and Mom joined 6 of their kids on the dance floor!

That was cool. Dad didn't last long but they wanted to prove that our momma does, in fact, dance and our daddy does rock 'n' roll. Hey, I never said my family was normal. We just like to have an old-fashioned good time! And we did -- even though I found myself dancing to a tractor song. (International Harvester! Yes, now I'm a redneck.)

It was nice to see my brother and 4 of my sisters. Stayed up dancing late and slept in a bit at my sister Romey's, then hit the road back to Rapids by noon. I wasn't in a huge rush because Carter's tournament team did not, unfortunately, make it to the championship round today. So I had a little extra time.

Of course that means I toured Romey's gardens looking for photo ops this morning...

She has plenty of Day Lilies looking beautiful.

I often have a morning Dew (Diet Dew, that is), but this morning dew looked pretty darn cool, hanging around on some leaves.

I know. Cool, eh?

This might be rated R or would pollenation just be PG? I'll have to look that one up.

When you're out in the country, we wake up when the cock crows (or when a nephew doesn't shut his alarm off!). Oh well, the rooster and hens worked together to provide us a tasty breakfast anyway!

And they are kind of neat looking. Though, I'll stick to my snooze. It doesn't talk (or "bawk") back!

It's Rally Time

We played our first game of the day under cloudy and misty conditions. Not making excuses or anything.

That Rapids Rage had a tough morning. They fell behind 8-0 in their first inning! Yikes. That was tough to watch. They did manage to score 5 runs in the 3rd inning (Carter got the first run) and then rallied and scored 2 more in the last at-bat. But that wasn't enough. So they lost 8-7.

Now we're all home resting and Carter goes back to play a "must win" game in a little bit. Let's rally, boys!!

I'm hitting the road to go to my twin sister's house. Her stepson got married today and they are having a pig roast/party at their place later this afternoon and evening. So my guys are on their own.

I certainly hope they have a win to report later! If not, I'll still come home to them tomorrow. They kind of grow on ya.

Scattered Showers

I was a total weather geek today. I was obsessed with watching the radar on my computer screen... silently urging the green and yellow and orange masses to make their way quickly across Wisconsin.

Somehow it worked.

There was plenty of rain -- enough to cancel stock car races for the night -- but it stopped in time for our ball tournament to start this afternoon. I worked concessions basically from 4-6 p.m. to help get things set up and going. Then I ran some errands and got back to the fields for Carter's 7:30 game. His first tournament game!

We felt a few drops when it first started but that was it. The threatening rain clouds graciously skirted around the fields so we could play the whole game without any inconvenience (or discomfort) to the fans.

I tell ya, the tournament games are much more intense than our regular league games. But I like it! I also like knowing some of the kids on the team and their parents and being able to cheer for them since we're all from Rapids -- instead of cheering against them when they are on different league teams. That part is fun.

It's also fun winning.

We got off to a quick 5-0 lead but the other team (from Plover) wasted no time returning the favor and before we knew it, it was tied. Thankfully, we got some great hits in during the last inning and we won, yes won, 10-5. Whoo-hoo!

Carter grounded out and then struck out after a failed bunt attempt. But hey, he was hanging in there. I think he'll be OK this weekend. Tomorrow we have games at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. so we're going to get some good sleep.

Carter's taking a shower to clean off and, as he put it, "Wash away all thoughts of today and concentrate on tomorrow."

Good strategy. Now let's hope the chance of scattered showers means the clouds will scatter again, too. Scatter away.

Filling Time

I know there were several versions of that movie Home Alone -- which illustrates some of the "adventures" kids can get into when they are unsupervised, either their choice or otherwise.

Normally I wouldn't have any concerns about Carter being home alone. He's a certified Baby Sitter through the Red Cross. He is too mellow to be much of a hell-raiser. He normally is pretty responsible, too.

But in the back of my mind, I was thinking about Autumn. No, not the season... The girl. The girl who circled her picture in Carter's yearbook this week and, right next to it, Sharpee'd in her phone number. The girl who called Carter twice yesterday after school. The girl we'd never heard of before this week. But now wonder about.

I just hoped she wasn't within walking or biking or scootering distance today when we weren't around. I'm pretty sure she wasn't. But I know they talked on the phone. How do I know? Carter told me while we were on the phone and then, during the same call, said, "I gotta go. I'm getting another call." And it was her again! Boy they sure have a lot to talk about.

Other than that part of his day, Carter did a good job filling time. He ran the dishwasher and, he said, "I was so bored I even put the dishes away!" Now that's a first. He also had me talk him through getting his laundry done, too. I'm pretty sure he didn't just wake up and become a responsible pre-teen. I suspect he's trying to distract us in some way. But we won't let him know we're onto that.

We got home a bit early and the house was still intact. Although his brother Casey said he stopped by and no one answered the door. Apparently, Carter was in the basement watching a Toy Story marathon (in preparation for the new movie) and didn't hear him. So they'll try to connect again tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be another short work day and Home Alone day 'cuz it's game day! Tonight we went over to the Kellner ball fields to help get things ready for the big weekend tournament. Carter's team won't play their first game until 7:30 but I've got concessions from 4:30-6. It will be a busy weekend.

Maybe there won't even be time for girls. We'll see...

End of an Era (of Sorts)

With graduation behind him, the only thing Carter had to do this week was, basically, show up. Not much learning was going on but he enjoyed his last few days at Grant Elementary School before all of his classmates move onto Middle School ... and none will be moving onto Assumption with him. So it was a bittersweet day for him.

And for Mom, too. But then, when am I not emotional when it comes to my baby?! (Never mind that he is almost as tall as me now. See below, I think he's on his tippy toes, though.... Please...)


For the past 2 years, Carter has been getting himself up and ready for school on his own. Without fail (except those 2 times he overslept), he has called me at work at 7:45 a.m to touch base, tell me all the sports highlights from ESPN and tell me he loves me. I know we don't talk much substance, but I have enjoyed these calls. A lot.

Today when we hung up, I realized, wow, that's the last call. Next year he'll be getting on the bus for 7th grade about the same time we head out to work -- 6:45 ish. No more morning calls. And no, I will not use my loneliness as a reason to get him a cell phone. Don't even bring that up!

This also means Carter is officially "too old" for a babysitter. Today we had to say goodbye to Audrey and her husband Jon, who both have been like second parents to our boy since first grade! They are "good people," as we say, and it has been a joy getting to know them and their family. They have put up with Carter's silly sense of humor and even taught him that physical labor won't kill you! We're all going to miss them.

Good thing they're not too far away. (Plus, we'll always have our garage sale together!)

To cap off Carter's big day, we played the Orioles tonight. I have to take this opportunity to let you know that I was partially right in my math equation. The Reds still are > Orioles. We beat them 6-3. Carter got walked (with a full count) and then had another hit (see above right after he hit). So he didn't have to walk home from Mead -- way on the other side of town. And we officially have won 3 games this season -- all against the Orioles.

We still have 2 regular league games left on Monday and Wednesday. Carter may get to try his hand at pitching. I would hope he knows by now, from catching, that it's a pretty good idea to throw the ball right across the plate ... into the catcher's mitt when possible.

But let's not cross that chalked line until we come to it.

Today we celebrate the end of being a little kid! Yay!

(sob, sob, boo, hoo...)

Waterfront Property

It has been raining for the past 12 hours at least! Since I've got water on my mind, I thought I'd share a few pictures from our recent excursion with my parents and sister down to The Lure Bar & Grill on Lake Petenwell.

This pair was "parked" along the shoreline. It was such a nice calm night, I would have loved to have taken one of them for a spin. We had such a big meal, though, we'd probably have sunk it!

My mom got out for a little walk to see the view. Here Carter is telling Grandma all about the lake. It's the second largest in Wisconsin, you know.

My sister Romey is quite a catch! Couldn't resist getting the perfect camera angle to make her "look" like quite the angler. I know her husband would be pretty impressed -- especially since it must be a Leinie's fish!

That was a fun time. I love water -- when it's in a lake or ocean or river or hot tub...

This rain is a bit crazy, though. Carter's ball practice was canceled for tonight. Hopefully this day-long soaking will wrap up tomorrow for his next Reds game.

Don't want anything to dampen his streak.

And You Thought I'd Never Use Algebra

One of the first equations without numbers we all learned in algebra was something simple like this: if a > b and b > c, then a > c. Seems so logical, I thought I'd apply it to real life.

So going into Carter's baseball game tonight, I figured: if Reds > Orioles and Orioles > Brewers, then surely the Reds > Brewers. Right?

There's a reason we said in high school that we'd never use algebra in real life. It'll only get you in trouble. Sometimes those rock-solid thoroughly proven algebraic equations don't add up.

I will say that we could have and should have won. We had a few chances with loaded bases where we could have run up the score. We just couldn't stretch the momentum. In the end, we lost 7-4. But we're pretty OK with that in the Austin household.

Our little lefty finally started swinging.

And that was a good thing. I told him before the game if he didn't get a hit, he'd have to walk home. Hey, it's only 3 miles, if that. I don't know if that was a motivator or the fact that two 6th-grade girls (including his ex, the redhead) were in the stands. Either way, he got moving.

In Carter's first at-bat, he swung at the first pitch and got a foul ball. He had a few balls and ended up striking out. I was so relieved that he struck out swinging, I didn't even mind the out. (Probably some other parents did, but oh well.)

In his second at-bat, I thought he was going to let the pitcher walk him, but all of sudden he's swinging at a pitch he should be swinging at and, lo and behold, he knocks it over the head of the second baseman. Whoo-hoo! We finally have a hit!

(And Carter has a ride home.)

He was pretty jacked about that hit and some good base running (he didn't even slide so no laundry for Mom tonight). I guess it's better late than never. Like Coach Austin said, "One hit does not a season make." So hopefully he'll keep the momentum going into Wednesday's league game and this weekend's tournament games. For that, it's a pretty good time to start hitting.

Let's hope it starts to add up like it's suppose to. (Not that I know anything about math.)

Just Chillin'

The temps barely got up to 70 today but it was sunny so it felt pretty good. I don't mind the chilly weather when it doesn't have rain or wind accompanying it!

This morning was Carter's last day of Sunday School (ever, I guess) and also our church picnic. We basically had to eat and run so I had no chance to even win back one of my 4 cake walk items. Darn. That's OK, we still have some of Carter's "graduation cake" left.

We had to exit the picnic by 12:10 so we could pick up a baseball teammate at 12:15 so they could be at our house to ride with Coach Austin (assistant coach, that is) to tournament team practice. Made all my deadlines!

While they were gone, I finished watching a movie I rented, Dear John, and was relieved no one was around to watch me bawl over a silly movie. Hey, there's a reason they call them chick flicks! After my mushy stint, I spent a good 45 minutes attaching a water bottle holder to my bike -- which did not come with 2 screws built in for that purpose. This was actually the 2nd holder I bought for this bike, so I'm glad this one worked.

When the guys got home, I was just about to head out for a ride and it started raining. Where did that come from? Cloudy on one side of the house and sunny on the other, so I knew it was short-lived. I took a half hour ride in the sunshine. When I got home, Jim was grilling up some brats and burgers for the week (They have proven to be nice, quick meals.). I decided to chill out on the back deck in the swing and read awhile. That's my kind of Sunday.

I had to run a few errands later and now I come home to find Carter out and about and Jim gone to Menards for something for the batting cage next door. I better log off. The couch is mine and, better yet, so is the remote!

Earth Quenching

My family hit the road after breakfast today. We had a typical hotel continental breakfast for our guests -- scrambled eggs, sausage and cinnamon rolls. I'm still waiting for housekeeping to show up for cleaning detail though.

Seriously, it was great to have company. We live so far from everyone that it's a real treat when family can make it down. I'm glad they didn't stay for Carter's baseball game today 'cuz that didn't go so hot...

The final games for this particular tournament were all at 12:30. So after my parents and sister left, I took a quick 2-mile run, showered and got over to the field for the first pitch. It was not nearly as exciting as last night's game. In fact, the team seemed a bit sluggish. In the end, the Giants beat our Reds 4-0. So we finished 4th -- which was good enough for a trophy in a 6-team tournament. How wrong it that? I mean really, it's nice for kids to get trophies but I think that's really rewarding mediocrity. That's just my humble opinion. I could be wrong.

After the games, co-coach Mike and his wife stopped for a bit. Then I had to run some errands in town. And boy did I run.

I could say I went for 3 runs today. One down the road and then 2 at Wal-Mart running into the store and running out to the car. I mean literally running. It started raining in mid-afternoon and did not let up for several hours. Yes, we need it. The Earth has been mighty thirsty. And who cares if I looked like a drowned rat in Wal-Mart? For once I didn't run into anyone I knew anyway.

The rain finally stopped after 8. Which was a few hours after I made and frosted two cakes plus a batch of Rice Krispy treats for tomorrow's church picnic and cake walk. After I got that stuff done, I finally sat down (felt like the first time in days) and watched some kids movie (The Spy Next Door) with Carter. Not a great movie, but boy was it great to sit down and relax!

I am pretty sure I'll finally get a good night's sleep. Everything smells like fresh rain -- and it's just cool enough out that I've got my blanket on. Sweet dreams!

Goodbye, Grade School

If you ever question how quickly kids grow up, just look at pictures of Carter in kindergarten versus sixth grade. An amazing transformation!

Today was a special day for Carter and the other sixth-graders at Grant Elementary. It was graduation day! The day they mark the passing of grade-schoolers to middle school (aka junior high). Due to some restructuring plans for next school year, Carter's class also was the last 6th-grade class ever to "graduate" from Grant. (Next year, all the 6th-graders will be part of a middle school.) So they made a big deal out of it.

Daddy and Mommy worked a half day to get home, meet up with my parents and sister and head over to the school for the 1:30 p.m. ceremony. I knew as soon as they started playing Pomp and Circumstance that I would get choked up. Then, when they had a DVD presentation later -- which included "before" and "after" shots of the kids (like the ones above) -- I pretty much lost it.

Other features of the ceremony were two numbers by the 6th-grade band and a commencement address by state Rep. Marlin Schneider. Then all 64 students also got a certificate and memory book. So yes, it was more than an hour on hard chairs. I felt bad for my elders but was so glad both sets of grandparents, an aunt and an older brother got to share Carter's day with him.

Afterwards, we gathered here for some cake and ice cream and pats on the back.

We didn't have long to just sit around and relax, though, because the ball tournament is still going on. Carter's team played their second-round game at 5:30 tonight. This one went better than round one. Tonight the Reds soundly beat the Orioles 7-2. Carter did not get a hit but did get walked on and did some good base running (and stealing) to add to our total. So Grandpa and Grandma Hedberg and Aunt Romey got to share in the glory.

When we got home, we played cards (Dirty Rummy) until after 10. While this was sort of Carter's day, I just couldn't let him win at everything. So I took the honors... for tonight anyway. Now we're just tucking everyone in so we can do some of this all over tomorrow.

Well, the baseball part anyway. Unless we have cake for breakfast (which I will not oppose).

Tour Guides

My sister Romey drove my parents down to Rapids today so they could be here for Carter's 6th-grade "graduation ceremony" tomorrow. It was a surprise. And for once, it worked on the inquisitive Carter! He was suitably surprised and pleased to see who's here!

After work, we met up with them at a hotel in town and then took them to The Lure Bar & Grill on Lake Petenwell. It's a little bit of a hike south, but it is always a pretty place to take visitors in the summer. Jim gets to play tour guide and explain the man-made lakes and dams in the area while I snap photos and Carter makes sure they are serving BBQ ribs for the night. We succeeded on all accounts.

My dad seems to be doing a little better than when I was up there a week ago. We did our best not to tire him out. Tomorrow, we will meet here at the house around noon or so. (Jim and I will work in the morning.) Then head over to the school for the graduation program.

Due to the long distance between here and Luck, this is the first Carter program of any kind that my parents get to see. So this is very nice of them to come -- and very generous of my sister to drive them. We love to see family and it just doesn't happen often enough!

Hopefully, Mother Nature will cooperate and we can squeeze in some extra fun tomorrow. You know us, we never have an empty calendar on the weekends!

Round One Goes to the Phillies

The rain got past us just in time to get Round One of our weekend baseball tournament in.

The Reds are stuck in the same "pool" as the still-undefeated Phillies. And that's who they started off with this evening. Might as well get the tough one out of the way first.

It was actually the quickest game of the season. Mainly due to good pitching. Their pitchers pretty much retired our batters quickly -- 3 up, 3 down. We didn't do too bad on our side either. But we had one inning where some overthrows and misjudgment came to play, and the Phillies scored as a result.

Going into our last ups, we trailed 4-0. We got 2 runs in and had runners in scoring position to tie, but their pitcher got us again. So we lost 4-2. I was just glad they rallied a little bit. I hate skunks!

We left the ball field at 8:30, just an hour and 10 minutes after the start. This was good because I was just starting to get cold. And it's all about me, after all. (That's sarcasm.)

In Round Two, the Reds will take on the Orioles on Friday. In "regular season" play, we beat the Orioles handily so let's hope our rally mindset continues. And let's hope it's a little bit warmer and drier, too.

For the players, of course.

Up to Par

When it's too hot to golf for real, and the Wii game just doesn't cut it, you head to the mini-golf course (one that has ice cream, too, of course).

Some photos from our Saturday "outing":

Newman's Golf Course is a dinky little set-up that's been around for ages. But just because it's small does not mean it is without its big challenges...

Without fail, every time there was a moving obstruction, like this circling disc, one of us or both of us would hit it and have to take the extra stroke! Just could not get that timing down.

Here Carter celebrates after a hole-in-one! He wanted to count a second hole-in-one later but technically (after hitting a moving obstruction), it was his 3rd shot. Gotta learn to play fair -- even on the little courses.

Carter kept score and I have to trust him since I beat him in the end. By one stroke only, but it's still a victory (for those of us competitive types who care about things like that).

Carter had the pink ball (because he has not outgrown that love for pink yet). I had orange so it would match my flip-flips. Very good reasoning, doncha think?

Putting takes lots of concentration -- especially when Mom is constantly taking photos! If he missed, he'd say, "Oh that one was for the camera. This one's for real." Whatever, honey.

Now why would they need a sign that says "No Full Swing"?

Because a golfer is tempted to swing hard to get their ball over this water hazard...

or have to fish it out...

or, if they're lucky, just fish it out of the hole after a HOLE-IN-ONE! Whoo-hoo!

Ahh, finally a game that is up to par with my skill level!