A Motley Crew

I know Halloween is supposed to be strange, but this one was a weird one for us. We were prepared that trick-or-treating had come to an end since Carter is in 7th grade. But he had a group of girls ask him to tag along so he wanted to go.

Our only rule was that he had to dress up. None of this showing up with a pillow case and begging for candy. So he decided he wanted to dress up as an injured person who got run over by a car or hit by a bus. "I can say I'm a role model. This is what happens when you don't look both ways." He found some used crutches at Goodwill and we tore up an old sheet for bandages. We paid 2 bucks for face paint and away we went.


He wanted a black eye and some various cuts on his face. (Sort of like Brett Favre today.)

And we can't forget multiple head wounds either!

We wrapped his head, one wrist and a foot. Thankfully, Trick-or-Treat hours don't last too long. I don't think it's all that fun walking around on crutches!

The group of girls he went with are fun bunch. I knew 2 of them from soccer -- the "man" next to Carter and the pink-faced monster next to her -- but the others seem pretty nice.

After dropping him off, it was back home to hand out treats for the first time ever. We had no idea if anyone even swings into our neighborhood since most of the kids in residence go elsewhere (as we have for years).

I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but we've been so preoccupied with the car and other "stuff" going on that we never even got a pumpkin to carve this year! I know, that's awful. But I put a lighted fake one in the window to attract any ghosts or goblins passing by.

We had a group of 5 young trick-or-treaters knock on our door before the "official hours" even started. Whoa. Maybe I should start a tally board! But then, just like Linus waiting for The Great Pumpkin, no other trick-or-treaters arrived.

So I guess that's more Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Kit-Kats and Butterfingers for us. What? You think we'd hand out treats we didn't like?? Add to that Carter's 4 pounds of candy (yes, I weighed it), and we're set at home and my work candy dish for quite awhile.

Probably about as long as it takes some of those girls to get all the glitter and color out of their hair! I'm happy to report, Carter was "injury-free" in no time. Now that's a good Halloween

Hope yours was filled with a few treats, too!

Shuttle Run

Normally I don't care one way or the other when the state cross-country meet is town. I think it's been held at The Ridges Golf Course some 15 years or so. As a passerby, I know it is a crazy zoo. There are thousands, yes thousands, of runners, coaches and fans who converge on Rapids. So we know what roads and stores (Wal-Mart, boo-hoo) to avoid during this Saturday each year.

Today, though, we got a taste of it!

My high school friend Julie, who lives south of Madison, was coming through town (from Eau Claire actually). Her daughter is on their school's cross-country team but due to an injury, didn't run much this fall and did not qualify for state. But she wanted to cheer her teammate on, so I said, "Why not park at our house and we'll shuttle you over to the meet? It's only 5 minutes from our house!"

Jim has a friend who was coming into town to cheer on his nephew. Jim hadn't see this guy for probably 20 years, so he said, "Why not park at our house and we'll shuttle you over to the meet? It's only 5 minutes from our house!"

It was kind of cool. They both said, yes, and we had a little shuttle service going.

Jim's friend, wife and daughter arrived first. I got to play sweaty hostess because I had just gotten back from a run when they arrived. No, I did not compete today and, after seeing these kids run, I wonder why I even try!

Anyway, Jim shuttled them over to see boys' races shortly after noon.

Julie and the girls got here right after that. I hadn't seen the girls in years. In fact, the last picture of Julie and I together with the kids was taken 10 years ago (with Carter squirming off my lap). So we took another group shot and headed for the meet.

I wanted to see just how crazy it was and I was not disappointed. For all the chaos among fans -- from crazy costumes to cow bells -- it was obviously a well-run event. I wasn't kidding about the thousands of people either. Very cool to be among concerned and supportive parents and friends cheering on their runner or runners. Julie's daughter's friend had a tough go of it, running with a wicked head cold, but she had a lot of teammates very proud of her. It was neat to be a part of it.

After we caught our "shuttle" home, Julie headed back to Madison and Carter and I headed to Plover to buy expensive basketball shoes. We all know how important good shoes are, right? Right. I'll keep telling myself that.

When we got home, Carter and I watched The Karate Kid movie -- the remake. It's no surprise I'm a huge fan of the original from the '80s. But I must say the remake was pretty good, too! Carter really, really liked them both and calls this one "inspiring." Not sure what it's going to inspire him to do, but I know it has nothing to do with running cross country any time soon.

It's fun to watch, though!

Wheel Done

I am pleased to report we are back to being a two-car family again!

After our failures in Wausau yesterday, we widened our search on the Internet and found ourselves in Green Bay this morning at a Honda dealer. We had one in mind from our search last night and, after looking at several similar ones on the lot, came home with it.

So we have a new car -- new to us, anyway. It's a 2006 Civic with low enough miles we think it can get us to Iola and back for the next 6 or 7 years. (And we hope our jobs last that long, too!)

Carter likes it because of all the little interior lights and digital displays. He got to ride shotgun on the way to a birthday party at the YMCA in Port Edwards. He does this sweeping "Vanna" motion of the dashboard and says, "I just love all this technology!" It's no KITT car, that's for sure.

After we dropped him off, we had about 2 hours before we had to return. Rather than drive all the way home, we hopped down the road to Goodfella's in Nekoosa and met our friends Mike and Christine for pizza. Hadn't seen them in awhile so that was fun.

When we were done eating and still had time to kill, we thought, "Why don't we go to the casino and blow some of our hard-earned money?" Well, we weren't thinking that exactly, but you all know that's how it almost always turns out. Unless you're my father-in-law who always "breaks even." (So he says.)

Did have fun there and picked Carter up by 8:45 p.m. It was a very long day with minimal time at home. But who can complain about a new car, old friends and good pizza?

Not me.

Shop 'Til You Drop? I Don't Think So!

Carter is laying on the carpeted floor of the computer room as I type this. He claims it's because he's waiting for his blanket to warm up. I think he wants to make sure I don't write about any girls he may "know." So I'll save that for another time...

Today was our first day of shopping for a new (well, different) car. You know, some people love shopping. We're suddenly not fans.

We had a Honda sort of picked out from various Internet searches. It seemed the best deal for the price versus mileage. So we trekked up to Wausau after work to check it out. We tried not to appear "too interested" so we actually ignored the Honda for awhile and test-drove 2 other vehicles.

When we got to the Honda, it became immediately clear why it was priced so reasonably low. We're talking "basic model" here, folks. Here is this 2005 model with a missing radio (but a spot for one) and, get this, roll-up windows! Oh no sir, we are not traveling back in time and having "manual" crank windows! And yes sir, we need a radio when we're in the car for 2 hours a day. Yikes.

So, since that was the last vehicle we looked at, we headed home and will have to embark on Day 2 tomorrow. There is no school and hubby and I both took the day off. So maybe all 3 of us can join in the fun! Hmm.

Actually, we don't have any other cars in mind right now so we need to think up a game plan. All I know is I do not want to spend our whole day off shopping.

Unless it's for new shoes or something. But those can only get me so far...

Fall Fury

Yup, I stole that headline from The Weather Channel, but really, there's no other way to describe this crazy windy weather!

It was a loud night last night with the wind just howling constantly. Despite less sleep, there are 2 things I'm grateful for. One is that nothing came flying through any windows (we saw plenty of downed trees and branches on our morning commute). And two is that it was just wind with a teeny bit of rain -- even though it sounded like a blizzard.

Well, make that 3 things I am thankful for. We did not get snow. My nephew Tim out in South Dakota and friend Gail in North Dakota both reported "blowing and drifting" snow today. Yikes. It looks like it veered off into Canada or maybe northern Minnesota. But it doesn't seem to be coming to Central Wisconsin. If you believe the weather men.

Since it allegedly will be sunny and 40-something on Friday, hubby and I will go look at vehicles then. For now, we're being nice and sharing the CRV with each other. He was extra nice and took Carter into town to confirmation so I could get some baking done, too. Due to my Momma Drama, I never got my Rice Krispy treats where they needed to go last Thursday so I am trying this again.

And Fall Fury or no Fall Fury, it is perfect baking weather! Don't ya think?

Blow Ye Winds, Hi Ho...

I have a song stuck in my head with the lyrics: Blow ye winds, hi ho, a roving we will go... When did I ever hear it or sing it? No idea. But it's hard not to think windy thoughts today.

The weather forecasters started giving us warnings yesterday that today was going to be really, really, really windy. Did I mention really windy? Like gusts up to 40, 50, even 60 mph. Unfortunately, they were right.

We've got rain on top of it so it's awful out there. Hubby and I had planned to trek up to Wausau after work but once we hit the monsoon, we figured we better wait until another day or so. As hubby pointed out, nothing says "desperate" like showing up in this weather to buy a car. They'd know we needed it and we'd have no bargaining power.

Plus on days like this, a person of a wicked nature thinks about alternative transportation anyway -- like a broom.

I was telling someone I started out the day as the Wicked Witch of the West and I've already made it to the Midwest! After learning from my nephew in South Dakota that they have the snow plows out already, I am not sure I want to stay in the Midwest either. Is there sunshine out East? Too bad I can't get this broom to fly South. Knowing my luck with vehicles, it would probably break down over a hurricane or something...

Speaking of vehicle "issues"... I had to change a headlight bulb again on the CRV. I think that's why the previous owner sold it. I mean, seriously, how many times have I changed these in the past 2 years?? It's a pain in the butt and I had to have Carter help me tonight (holding the flashlight).

I'm hoping my gearhead side proves I can be useful for something -- and not just breaking every machine or electronic device I touch.

This does not mean I won't charge Jim for labor...

Poor Sport

I am so glad Carter had his sign-up meeting tonight for basketball. It is time to focus my attention on a new sport. I am doing oh so poorly with my football endeavours, that's for sure.

The Vikings are awful (I might as well get that out of the way right away) and my fantasy team is losing right now by nearly 100 points! Anyone who plays fantasy football knows that's unheard of! It's awful.

So I will be glad to be hooping it up for the next few months. Looks like this is our only week of freedom for awhile. Carter will start basketball practice Monday already and the season goes to early January.

Last winter was his first attempt playing organized basketball. He has a lot to learn but he's enthusiastic about it -- as long as he can figure out how he's going to squeeze in homework, reading and baritone practice along with it. And maybe girls, too. But I told him that's the first thing he can drop.

They probably don't play fair at this age anyway.

(But when do we? Hmm...)

Fam-tastic!

Had a fam-tastic weekend. Loosely translated: I had a great time with my family this weekend.

Got up to my parents' place around 5 p.m. Saturday. This was my first return visit since the tornado cleanup day. Wow. There's such an emptiness there. So strange without all our trees!

Two of my sisters stopped by there as well before we headed into town. Got 2 special gifts. One was seeing my 16-year-old niece looking really healthy and doing well in recovery from her surgery. The other was a Vikings window flag my brother-in-law happened to pick up off the road somewhere... and he'd be caught dead before he'd drive around town with it on his vehicle. (We'll take it, Rick. Thanks!)

As you can see in the picture above, all my siblings except my sister in Texas made it to the party. Four of the grandkids also were able to make it so it was a nice gathering. We had our own "party room" at the Hog Wild BBQ Grill so we could really whoop it up... if that's what people do for their 83rd birthday.

We had a good meal plus cake and then Carter and his cousins played some tunes in the jukebox -- including "Happy Birthday." Then my dad gives Carter another dollar and says, "Play some more songs on the nickelodeon."

Nickelodeon?? Oh Dad, you're showing your age!

Apparently, someone picked some good songs because it got my mom and dad out dancing for one anyway!

After the party, we went with my sister Renell down to her place in Hudson and spent the night there. Today, Jim and I did some Christmas shopping in Hudson (there are certain things you can only find close to or across the Minnesota border).

Then the 3 of us headed over to Eau Claire to pick up Casey for some Christmas shopping at the mall. We take the "big boys" shopping early so they can pick out what they want, then I wrap it and hope they forget half of it and act surprised Christmas morning. At least then, they are getting what they really like.

After some shopping, we had a delicious, filling lunch at a place called Milwaukee Burger Co. If you're ever in Eau Claire, I highly recommend it!!

We got back to Rapids by 5 p.m. and stopped at my in-laws to borrow a vehicle and then stopped to see my other stepson, Clay, to wish him a happy 18th birthday (tomorrow) and best of luck on his gall bladder surgery (also tomorrow). I guess it may be his most memorable birthday yet.

Now we are home, unpacked and getting ready for the Packer-Vikings game tonight. Don't worry, I'm not gonna talk any smack here. We haven't earned that right yet. I just hope my team shows up.

And a win, well, that would really make a fam-tastic weekend complete, wouldn't it?

Make A Difference

Today is Make A Difference Day. This is always a good opportunity to do something to make a difference in your community -- or just in someone's life -- through some volunteerism.

Carter and I took part in a project undertaken by the Assumption Middle School students and their parents. This year's focus was creating cloth bags that contain person hygiene items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, etc. These will be distributed to some organizations who help local families in need.

I said at the get-go that I did NOT have any sewing skills so they put both of us to work cutting cloth, meticulously threading string through the top of the bags, assembling the innards and typing up a little message on the computer. (See, I put my writing skills to work!)

Hubby, who is home safely from Vegas, dropped us off at 9 and is scheduled to pick us up at noon, right after he goes to an 11 a.m. funeral. We got done with our project earlier than planned so Carter and I got a ride to the library and are hanging out here a bit. We'll have to make the trek back to school in the pouring rain to meet up with Jim in a little bit. (Did I mention this one-vehicle business is a pain?)

After that, we'll stop at home to throw some Viking clothes in an overnight bag. Then we will head Up North to make a difference in my dad's life. He turns 83 today and, after a recent illness and just this week losing several friends who passed away, I think he just needs to feel alive and well and loved.

We are meeting up with hopefully most of my family at the Hog Wild in Luck. Now doesn't that sounds like a hootin' hollerin' good time for an 83rd birthday celebration? I bet it will be.

And if it can make a difference to my dad, then it's all worth it.

Our Money's Worth

With the wheel-less situation, I was confined to working at home today. I called the garage, though, right at 8 a.m. to see if they could look at our precious piece of under-performing pooh. Our mechanic said I could bring it in whenever this morning and they'd get to when they could.

Knowing that I had one-way ride, I waited until the temps got out of the 20s first and then dropped it off. I was dressed in running gear plus stocking hat and gloves for the "trip" home. Now the last time I ran over to this garage, I grossly underestimated the distance and found myself running an extra mile than anticipated to get there. This time, I was well prepared for the 4.2-mile trek. I wasn't in the mood for it. But I was prepared. And I did it. Got home safely, showered and sat back at the computer.

The unfortunate thing about working at home 2 days before THE GAME, is that no only could see me in my pretty purple clothes -- not that I'd wear Vikings lounge pants to work, but I would have at least thrown on the old Moss jersey!

The garage called a few hours later and told me the damage. The temp problem is due to the water pump and the "vibrations" are due to deteriorating rack and pinion (or is pinions?) Either way, it sounds expensive to fix -- and it is.

So I called hubby (he's the one with the cell phone in Vegas) and we decided it would be better to invest that money into a new/different vehicle. Our little Civic, gave us a good ride for 216,000-plus miles! We got our money's worth and really can't complain (though I have this week, haven't I?).

When I called the mechanic back I got a surprise. He said if we didn't have plans for it, he'd buy it off our hands. Well we figured we'd almost have to pay someone to take it away, so I jumped at the offer. So here we are full circle. Saying goodbye (soon) to one Honda and likely shopping for another.

I guess I'm not too heart-broken or anything. I just realized we had her for 6 years and never even named her!

A New Job!

OK, don't get excited. I am not talking about a job as in new employment. I am talking about Job -- the guy in the Bible who was sorely tested and tested and tested by God but still had faith. (Didn't he? Please tell me it had a happy ending.)

I think after today I would be perfect for the role of Job. Oh maybe not on Broadway, but maybe in a community theatre setting. Or just in my home -- a place I wasn't sure I'd get back to today...

So I had a good productive day at work. Managed to keep the stress level tolerable and even got a good long run in at lunch (4.5 miles but who's counting). My plan was to leave work at 4:30 (I work 7:30-4:30), pick Carter up around 5:30 on my way into the school to drop something off, then we'd go Goodwill hunting for a Halloween costume, then come home. I made Rice Krispy bars with Halloween M&Ms to take to a meeting later, too. That was my plan. But you know what they say about best-laid plans...

Well I made it south of Iola to Scandinavia (about 4 miles) and was heading west when the stupid temperature gauge started going straight up to H. I have been keeping this under control with a little trick the neighbor guy taught me the other night. Put the heat on and crank it. This allegedly draws heat away from the engine and gets the thermostat cooler. Somehow. Not sure. But it has worked so far this week. This afternoon, however, I needed a new bag of tricks.

I ended pulling off onto a side road about 10 minutes into the drive. I let the car cool for about 5 minutes or so. I had a teeny bit of water left in a bottle in my workout bag, so I added that to the coolant reserve thing that normally has water or antifreeze. I didn't know what else to do. I did not have a cell phone on me because I am married to someone who thinks we don't need a cell phone but he has the one we "share" with him ... 2 time zones away. So panic was setting in a little bit. I hit the road again and managed OK getting to Amherst, which is about 10 miles down the road.

I parked at a gas station there and bought another bottle of water just in case. I added a bit more. I ended up driving to Plover -- another 10 miles down the road -- pretty much at 45 mph because the temperature needle seemed to hold steady in the middle at that speed.

When I got to Plover I pulled into the first gas station. "You don't happen to have anything resembling a pay phone here do you?" No, replied Mr. Gas Station Attendant. And no, he had no idea where I could find one. Perhaps at Copps (the grocery store), he said. Mainly I just wanted to call Carter so he wouldn't freak out when I was not there by 5:30 to pick him up (since it was 5:20 already) and to tell him to put the neighbor on "stand by" in case I needed him to come get me.

Well the helpful Customer Service lady at Copps let me use their phone. Only Carter didn't answer because it probably looked foreign to him on the caller I.D. So I left a message and let him know what was up. I went back out to the car and thought, you know, I should just walk over to ShopKo and buy a stinkin' cell phone for the ride home. I'm just that nervous.

So I ask Mr. Electronics Dept if any of the phones can be used right away, as soon as I walk out of the store. Sure, he says, pointing to a few. I snap one up and buy some minutes and take it out to the car. "To activate, please dial this number XXXXX from a different phone." Geez Louise. OK, so I walk back to ShopKo (I'm getting my steps in) and tell the helpful Customer Service lady that I would love to use their phone to call an 800 number to activate the TracFone I just bought at her store. She said yes.

I reach Mr. TracFone and his computerized voice says "This will take about 10 minutes." He was talking about the single human-sided conversation -- not the activation. Just before he hung up, he said it could take 4 hours, yes 4 hours, for the phone to activate and be usable. Are you kidding me? No, not kidding.

So I decide I better just start driving and hope for the best... and pray... and continue to bargain with God to just get me home safely. I did try the phone just outside of Plover. It worked already. Yay. So I reach Carter who says he never got my message and therefore, obviously, has been worried sick. Turns out my sister called at the same time so her message and mine were being left at the same time. Hers registered first and Carter did not realize there was a second oh-so-important message! Sigh...

Anyway, I told him I hoped to be home in 15 minutes and God-willing, with the heat blasting for 15 miles, I was!

So I call my sister back. At this point I am still shaking from the trauma and am telling this already too-long tale of my two-hour trip home from work. Then, and I wish I was kidding, there is the cat, sitting on her stool, puking all over the kitchen floor. Are you freakin' kidding me? This is how the day is going to wrap up?

At this point, Carter hands me a glass of eggnog I so wisely purchased at Wal-Mart last night, I hang up with my sister and give the cat the look to send her running, then clean up cat puke.

When hubby called, he was not attuned to the significance of my stress level. "What's the worst that could have happened? It blows up and dies by the side of the road somewhere. We got our money's worth out of the this car." Yes, that's all true, but I felt like my adventures in babysitting the car all the way home were bad enough.

Of course, God had to keep me off the ledge the whole drive home, too, and I was probably more of a handful.

Maybe I'm not cut out for this Job job just yet!

Free Advice

So after our evening of stress last night, it wasn't really any surprise I didn't sleep that well. But I was bound and determined to put on a happy face today -- at least for Carter's sake since he had to listen to my "rants" in hubby's absence.

It was only natural that before he went out to the bus stop he made sure he wished me a good day. I said I just hoped it would be better than yesterday.

Then he offered these words of advice for having a stress-free day: "Just be grateful you're not one of those people who have 6 jobs and 9 kids at home to feed PLUS 4 skunks. (I raised my eyebrows.) Yes, that's the scenario, Mom. So be grateful."

OK, then. I guess I had no choice but to be grateful and stress-free.

I managed quite well. After a productive morning, I went with a friend on a "gelato run." Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip gelato for lunch, you say? Oh yes. It can be done! Yum.

In the mid-afternoon, I had my weekly 15-minute chair massage. You understand I had to go to great lengths to reverse the damage of yesterday, right?

I actually had to leave work a few minutes early, too. Carter had a yearbook meeting after school so I told him to walk to the library and do homework until I got there -- but that I'd get there by 5 p.m. so we could eat before Confirmation. It all worked out. We shared some food at Taco John's and each got a mini-Blizzard of the Pumpkin Pie variety at DQ. Between that and some follow-up retail therapy at Wal-Mart, I'm feeling much better now.

I only had to deal with a few "rumbles" in the car but I managed to keep the temperature steady because, yes, I have that power. Right. I know God slapped me awake in the middle of the night to remind me I am powerless over everything so why not turn it over?

Between that and the focused gratitude and stress relievers today, I think that wise young man of the house is onto something...

Helpless Female

I normally don't mind being a "single mom" when hubby is on a business trip this time of year. There's no threat of a snow storm that I have to worry about driving in. And now Carter is old enough to get himself ready and off to school so that does not put me behind schedule one bit. Should be stress-free and worry-free, right?

Sure.

But it wasn't today and this is just Day One...

On the way to work, I notice the little temperature gauge inching its way up from C to H. It does not get all the way to H but I don't want it near it. If you recall my traumatic experiences with this this past spring, you know I am paranoid about this. So I keep an eye on it and am already stressed by the time I arrive safely at work.

Even my blood pressure was up. I did my weekly weigh-in and pressure check and it was up to 112 over 77 or something outrageous. Well, outrageous compared to my normal 97 over 60 or so. Just put me in the hospital!

So it was not smart to pile on the stress during the work day. By the time I left, I was not looking forward to a 50-minute drive with one eyeball peeled on the temperature gauge and the other on the road. To my relief, the little needle stayed right in the middle where it was supposed to.

But then I got to Plover. Well the temp thing was not an issue. What happened was that when I was accelerating after the last stoplight on the way out of town, when I was cruising at about 40 mph, the car all of sudden vibrated and shuddered a bit -- sort of like the feeling if the car went over those rumble strips at the side of the road. Only I didn't.

That shook me out of my zone that's for sure. Then it happened again, ever so briefly, and I was getting frantic. But it went away when I was accelerating to the highway and didn't happen again until I was in Kellner, less than 5 minutes from home.

Needless to say, by the time I get in the house I am a nervous wreck and had to vent to poor Carter since hubby was in different time zone. Poor kid.

I called the next-door neighbor and had to play the helpless female about the heat gauge. I knew I didn't have any antifreeze around. He said I could add water for now. So the Gear Head in me handled that part.

For the vibration, I did some searching around the Internet. Seems it has happened to other Honda owners, too, but I couldn't find a clear answer. This is not the week we need this to happen. Not when the other vehicle is parked at the airport an hour away! I have too much to do at work tomorrow so I have to go in. I'm just going to have to see how it goes on my commute. If I get scared, I'll have to bring a ton of work home with me and try to get into the garage Thursday.

If you recall just last week we thought it was on its "last legs" but then when we got it fixed, the suspicious noise went away and it felt safe again. We did have a car sort of picked out in Wausau if we needed to go get a new one. Since we thought everything was fine, we didn't.

We may need to make a road-trip when hubby returns. Oh I hate being Miss Helpless!

Monday Musings

Bite Your Tongue: The Austin men can always appreciate a trip to the dentist for Momma when dental work is required. My mouth is so numb when I get home that they are blessed with relative silence for hours! I didn't even go running because I was worried my numb tongue (that's what it felt like) would block my airway or something. I finally just ate supper now after accidentally biting my tongue earlier while I was reading. Who knew it was so dangerous?

Dental Assistance: On a recent episode of GLEE, the "kids" each had a Britney Spears singing and/or dancing hallucination while at the dentist. Apparently a good dose of "laughing gas" or Novocaine can assist a person with this process. So I prepped myself for today's visit by listening to some Brit on the iTunes. But once I got there and found out my dental assistant had never even heard of GLEE, I just could not get into the zone. Dang. Maybe next time. (Though I'd prefer not to have any work done for awhile.)

Best Analogy: Once in awhile I try to get creative with things I say or write, but I have to give props to Carter this week for an awesome analogy. Hubby and I were going to play cards and Carter pulls up a chair. "Oh, you're playing, too?" we ask. "Yes, I'm just like corn in your teeth. You're stuck with me!" Pretty good since we haven't had corn on the cob lately. I wonder if dental floss will get rid of him? Not that we'd try.

What Happens in Vegas: Speaking of getting rid of someone... Jim has decided he feels OK enough to leave for Vegas in the morning. Work trips are always a lot more hours than "normal" work so I hope he gets enough opportunities to rest. I'm sure he will. There's nothing ever happening in Vegas so I'm guessing he'll be in bed by 10 each night, falling asleep to Sports Center. (If not, I don't want to hear about it.)

And Now a Word from our Sponsor: Two words: BUTTER BRAIDS! Carter is selling this delicious pastry treat as a fundraiser for school. If you are unfamiliar with this yummy product, just visit www.butterbraid.com. You just thaw 'em, let 'em rise, bake 'em and eat 'em. They are $11 each and allegedly serve 11 people (except in our house). I know I can't resist Apple, Bavarian Creme, Blueberry, Caramel, Cherry, Cinnamon, Cream Cheese or Raspberry. Can you? (He's taking orders until Thursday night.)

That's all for now!

Football Sunday

The nice thing about having this "free" weekend is that today finally felt like a true Sunday in autumn. I think you know what I'm talking about.... Football!

It was definitely a typical Football Sunday around here. After church and Sunday School, I got the chili going in the crock pot. Then actually had some couch time! I thought -- and knew -- I certainly had tons more June Cleaver work to do. But took the Eddie Haskell route and said, "Screw it. Watch football." So I did.

I even managed a little deck time at halftime. You never know how many of these glorious days are left!

Since the Packers played early and the Vikings late, we actually got to see them on TV for a change. I see I haven't been missing much this season. Lots of sloppy play mixed in with some good stuff -- just enough to give us a win over those darn Cowboys! Yee-haw!

Of course, Carter was obsessed with his fantasy team all day. Probably rightfully so. Big brother Casey is kickin' his keester right now. I am up against hubby and we are pretty much neck and neck. Since he is feeling sort of OK and well enough to go on his business trip Tuesday, I won't even get time to gloat when I beat him. Ha.

Now it's chili time. Then waiting for the next big TV event. No, not Sunday Night Football. It's the season finale of Mad Men. I hate to think this is my last date with Don Draper until 2011. And here I was just starting my fall Sunday routine!

RIP June Cleaver

When I found out this afternoon that the actress (Barbara Billingsley) who played June Cleaver had died, I thought it appropriate I was having a June Cleaver kind of day...

I guess the key to having a productive day at home is to be home. I know we had one weekend in August that we didn't have much going on. But other than that, this was my first weekend totally FREE since oh, I don't know, April maybe. Crazy, I know!

So last night we enjoyed a campfire next door and today I slept in past 8 o'clock. Unheard of! I wasn't in the mood for domesticity just yet, so we went to the Cranberry Pancake Breakfast in the nearby village of Biron. Good pancakes and lots of other breakfast stuff. Plus dessert. Gotta love a place that serves dessert with breakfast! They also had locally grown cranberries for sale so I had to lay claim to 5 pounds of those.

We took the long way home, going along the Wisconsin River and seeing where there had just been massive flooding a few weeks ago. How quickly things change! It was a nice little side trip. Sort of like a Sunday drive on a Saturday.

When we got home I directed Carter to wash windows, hubby was already hitting the laundry pile and I went for a run. Hey, I had to get that out of the way before transforming into June Cleaver.

It was actually sort of a "fall cleaning" day since we were all home and could chip in. Carter did the inside of the windows and Jim got the outside. He did most of the laundry, too. I got my dusting and vacuuming done, then mopped the kitchen and dining room floor. Stupid mop busted not even halfway through so that turned out to be a much slower process than I anticipated!

After housework, it was Carter's turn to be June.

The reason I needed to get my hands on those fresh cranberries was because my guys love this new recipe I stumbled upon last year for The Best Cranberry Bars Ever. That's what they're called. And they are. So I divided my 5 pounds of berries up in to 2-cup bags and put them in the freezer. All but 2 cups' worth, of course.

I told Carter that if he liked the bars so much, maybe he should make them. He has always been my kitchen helper. Since he was probably just 2 years old. Helping decorate cookies or emptying cups of chocolate chips into a bowl or pouring vanilla or cracking eggs. You name it. Today I had him do the whole recipe while I sat across the counter and supervised. I made him wear an apron and he wore it only if I promised not to take pictures. Figures.

He did very well. He mixed quite thoroughly and realizes it is not as easy as it looks. It takes some muscle! Tonight we frosted them and taste-tested them and dang, if they still aren't The Best Cranberry Bars Ever! He did an awesome job. I told him he could make them all the time (and he probably would if we had all the ingredients).

After supper and after Jim got home from church, we enjoyed some family time for Sweetest Day (which I do not consistently remember like hubby does). We played some cards, ate cheese balls and drank some beer.

Root beer, that is. Would June Cleaver have it any other way?

Rash Behavior

I'll be the first to admit I am a total wimp when it comes to pain. Sure I tolerate a certain level daily (practically) in my back but I cannot imagine what my husband is going through with this Shingles stuff.

Not only is the rash itchy (but thankfully not widespread yet), but he is in pain. Pain that has been compared to exposed nerve endings or getting constantly beat or poked with a brush. Either way, I know I would have stayed home today to cope with it and cry or knock myself out.

But hubby, who is more of a man that I could ever hope to be (and that's a good thing), went to work today. I know he wasn't on top of is game but he plodded through and we both had productive days.

Tonight, though, he found his own way to deal with the annoying pain. Bud Light. Well that and Dorito's and laughs with the neighbors around the campfire. My sister-in-law stopped by, too, so it was a nice time.

It just felt good to be relaxing after a hectic week. I know we're all pretty tired, too, after several late nights. But, of course, I'm the first one to wimp out and come inside. Hey, I had to be sure my blanket was turned on! It's chilly out there -- though we hardly noticed by the fire.

I will say this. It is such a treat to sit around and talk about everything and nothing at the same time... and not think about the stressors in life. Even if just for a few hours. There's nothing like a circle of friends around a ring of fire... listening to a "Ring of Fire" too!

I figure if Jim's "horse pills" don't cure him, some good ol' quality time around the ring is bound to help at least a little!

Indoor Amusement

When you're in Wisconsin, it doesn't matter if the temps dip into the 30s during the night. You can still enjoy a water park the next day.

Thank god someone invented indoor ones!

I think this is about the fifth year my sister Renell has had a trade show at the Kalahari in Wisconsin Dells. It's always in the fall and, since the Dells are only 56 miles away, Carter and I always manage to "visit" her during her stay (read: use her free passes to the indoor water park). Last year, my niece and her son Anthony (same age as Carter) came with. This year, just Anthony did.

During the past few years we've doing this, there have been many changes at the Kalahari, including the addition of a huge (of course) indoor amusement park, complete with bowling, go-karts, laser tag and a Ferris wheel.

I picked Carter up from his final soccer practice this afternoon and we were down there by 6 p.m. At first the guys did the water park thing while Renell and I watched and visited. Then it was amusement park time. The boys went off and did their own things -- laser tag and video arcade games (what a surprise) -- so us girls did what we wanted, too. We rode the Ferris wheel and raced go karts. I must not have been very fast because I never had to use the brake! It was quite jarring on my back, too, so now I know why I usually stand on the "sidelines" and take pictures rather than drive!

While we were having fun, hubby went to the doctor to see about that "annoying itchy, teeny rash" on his back that I mentioned the other night. The rash is still about the same size but now had morphed from annoying to painful. Not good. Turns out he has Shingles. At least they caught it early so he has drugs and it hopefully will clear up soon -- especially before his 4-day business trip to Vegas next week.

I don't know much about Shingles but from what I heard they can be painful. Poor hubby.

I just thought it was ironic that the editor of a metal roofing magazine has shingles! I don't think he thinks that's funny.

Yet.

Enjoy-mint

They say all's well that ends well. I guess that can apply to a day, too, can't it?

It was another stressful day at work but we got through it.

Had our car in for an oil change and learned it's probably close to being on its last legs. Who can blame it after 215,000 miles?

Had a good run tonight but felt like I was on my last legs, too! Think I need to be hydrating a bit more during the day. But I needed the run. I needed the endorphins. Endorphins make me happy. Or at least less stressed.

You know what else makes me happy?

The Schwan's man told me on his last visit we are "one catalog away" from MY catalog! That would be the Winter/Holiday one with the Peppermint Stick ice cream. Tonight I went out to freezer in the garage and decided it was time to crack open my last container of it from last winter (remember I practically bought him out).

Well much to my surprise and enjoy-MINT, I had 2 containers left!

I asked Carter if he wanted some of that or the Autumn Treat ice cream. Since we have only one container of that and "you have a year-round supply of Peppermint Stick, I'll take the Mint," he said.

So we both got in a little Christmas spirit... Just as the Fleet Farm commercial came on TV announcing Toyland opens this Saturday! OK, ice cream is one thing. But Christmas shopping before Halloween? I'm not ready yet.

Calgon...

What a fine lot we are tonight.

We've got Carter in bed early with a tummy ache. We've got hubby editing stories and proofing pages on the couch -- with a nagging, itchy teeny rash of some kind on his back. I just finished editing and proofing, too, and am dealing with an achy back and annoying cough.

Yep, we're a happy bunch.

I suppose part of it is we all just need to get some decent sleep one of these days, er nights. Also, it will help when our schedules sort of get on an even keel. That should happen for Carter now that soccer is done. Probably a good thing since his homework level has skyrocketed this week. He had a 25-pound backpack last night, I swear!

Unfortunately, our stress level at work has skyrocketed a bit, too. I told Jim on the drive home that it's not a good sign when we have to start taking work home with us again. But that happens. We get a nice reprieve for a while and then it gets crazy.

And people wonder why I like to escape via a hokey show like GLEE! (Hey, it works!)

I did have a legitimate gleeful moment today. I happened to get an email offer to buy tickets to the musical Wicked before they go on sale to the general public this weekend. I have wanted to see this show for several years but every time I hear about it in the area (as in within a 3-hour drive), it either is right after it happens or it's too late to get any ticket or too late to get a decent seat. (In the latter case, I wisely have not been willing to dish out a hundred bucks for a crappy seat.)

Today, though, I pounced on it right away. One, it's only in Appleton (just 70 minutes away) so even though it's in February, we can feel confident we can make the trek. Secondly, my friend Christine and I had just been talking about seeing this in Madison this fall but did not get around to getting tickets early enough. When I got the email I called her right away. "Are you in?" I asked. "You bet! " she said.

So 6 minutes later, I had secured 2 tickets for a girls afternoon away to sit 7 rows back and watch the pre-Wizard of Oz story of the childhood friendship (or not) of Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West. I cannot wait!

Just like GLEE, this is not hubby's thing, so he is fine with me going with someone else. I also realize I will have to win the Packer pool 2 more times to pay for the ticket, but I have high hopes.

In the meantime, though, Calgon (or GLEE) can take me away!

Team Players

I guess since there's a lightning delay for the Monday Night Football game I can get my blogging done now...

Today was Carter's last soccer game of the season. This one was at West Junior High against the 7th-grade girls team. Another tough team. Another loss. But another night of witnessing some great team spirit.

What I have really enjoyed all season is the support Carter's teammates give one another. Everyone is always yelling "Nice play!" or "Good job!" to their teammates. Even when Carter and our other goalie let a combined 6 goals get past them tonight, they did not say negative things to make them feel bad. They were just good, team players, shouting out encouragement.

I don't know if I can even expect that level of respect in tonight's Vikings game. I'm fine with having Randy Moss back for his talent. But now we have 2 monster egos on the team between him and the "sexter" Brett Favre. I'm curious to see how it goes. I guess I'm curious to see how a number of things play out with those 2. But not that curious!

With the game delay, I will not be staying up 'til the end, that's for sure. I'm still a bit tired from the weekend and I had a good, solid training run tonight. So I could just nod off now... but I didn't break out my Purple Pride lounge pants and new fuzzy Vikings slippers for nothing!

At least I am a team player!

Weekend Warrior

I'm pretty sure the definition of "weekend warrior" is something about taking on too big a project for one weekend. But what if that "project" is the weekend itself? That's where I come in. I had a weekend completely packed with activities. I mean completely. But you know, it was so much fun I wouldn't have had it any other way (says the blogger with a big yawn)....

Homecoming Performance:

Carter's Marching Band debut was a success Friday night. They played a half-hour pregame show, then marched and played 3 songs at halftime. He did fine. Nothing that would make America's Funniest Home Videos or anything...

There are 81 members of the Marching Band, which combines the Assumption Middle & High School bands. Carter is in the front row, to the right of the girl without the uniform.

The weather was quite warm Friday, if you recall, so it didn't take him long to get a red face.

Here Carter finds the next selection to play.

This baritone is pretty big to hold a half hour and then hold again to march around the football field. I said to Carter, "I bet you'd prefer the trumpet for Marching Band, wouldn't you?" Kind of, he said! (By the way, Assumption won their game, 10-8.)

Lettie's 5K Tomorrow River Run:

I tried to get to bed at a decent time Friday night because I had a race over in Amherst Saturday morning.

My neighbors Niki (left) and Cindy joined me. Cindy twisted her knee in the Pumpkin Run last week so she was unable to run. She served as a great cheerleader for the other Desperate Housewives of Blue Jay Drive though!

Here we are at the start. They had a great turnout -- almost 200 runners. Nice. The weather was sunny and warm and the trail along the river was gorgeous. But I don't like warm temps. Heat + Hills = not a good race for Robyn. I still finished pretty good for me, just not really good for me like last weekend. I was 7th out of 19 in my age group. Always room for improvement, but it was fun (when it was all done), so that's what counts.

Bowling for Dollars:

After I got home from the race, I did find a few minutes to bond with the deck chair (you can't beat this perfect weather), then had to change into my bowling clothes. Is there such a thing? Yes, but not in my closet.

Jim and I were in a Scotch Doubles tournament with our friends Mike & Christine and Craig & Jenny. I did not realize until we got there that the format meant the guys would bowl first (in the first and third games) -- and if they didn't get a strike, their wives had to pick up the spare. Oh boy, that was not in my wheelhouse of skills, that's for sure.

Luckily my hubby, the one with hops here, got some strikes.

In the second and fourth games, the girls (Jenny, left, Christine and me) led off and the guys cleaned up our messes. I find I do not have that skill in my wheelhouse either. What an empty wheelhouse! Oh well, it was fun.

Surprise!

After the bowling tournament, we headed over to Danny K's restaurant to help stage a surprise birthday party for our friend Cathy, who turns 50 on Monday. Her daughter organized the whole event and her mom was surprised!

Cathy worked with both of us at the newspaper and then again at our current publishing company in Iola. In fact, she played a big role in me getting on board there. She now works in town so we don't see her as often as we should. It was nice to see some other former co-workers, too. Good time!

Hack & Pack:

We tried to get a good night's rest last night (didn't happen) because we had to be on the road at 5:30 a.m. to get to Wrightstown (near Green Bay) for a sunrise tee time. We joined our friends Scott and Sandy in the Hack & Pack Golf Tournament. Basically, we hacked up the course all morning and then ate a lunch while watching the Packer game in the clubhouse.

The one good thing about being up before dawn is that we enjoyed a nice sunrise during our 90+ minute commute.

We also witnessed the fog roll in but it was deemed "tolerable and playable" by the 8 a.m. shotgun start.

You can tell by Jim's early shot off the tee box that there was a lot of morning dew (not just our Diet Dew) on the course.

Here Scott hits the snot out of the ball!

Jim wore his Reds clothes since they are playing tonight. Must be nice to have a team to cheer for still. Sigh...

Sandy and I are always consistent with good drives so the guys didn't have anything to worry about there. All of us, however, struggled with the second shot and sometimes with putting. So while we finished at 4 under par it wasn't close to the winning score of 15-under. That's OK. We had a lot of fun and really, who could have predicted the perfect weather? Sunny and in the 80s? It's like summer! (And it felt like the beginning of the golf season for me anyway. Ha.)

Got home by 5 so Carter didn't suffer too much by himself. He actually was at a friend's for awhile so it all worked out.

Now I am eyeing the clock and wondering how soon is reasonable to hit the hay?? Being a weekend warrior is a noble effort. But it ain't easy!

Ready... March!

Carter's first grading period of the school year ended yesterday so he did not have school today. When I saw the forcast -- sunny and 80 for today -- I thought I better take vacation and stay home with him!

Ha. Yes, the deck chair calleth... and I answered! But not until I had my weekend "chores" done and Carter and I got groceries. Then I sat out awhile and he got his band gear in gear for tonight.

This is a big night. Assumption homecoming with pregame and halftime entertainment by Carter (and the rest of the High School & Middle School Marching Band, of course!). Jim is in La Crosse watching Colin race in the Oktoberfest Racing Weekend so I will be video-taping the performance. I am not confident I will have very good lighting for pictures so Carter and I did our own photo shoot in the front yard a few minutes ago...

Looks pretty sharp, doesn't he? I can't wait for tonight!

Deja Vu All Over again

There's a lot of things the Yankees do pretty well -- pitching, hitting and, oh yes, don't forget... squashing the Twins' hopes and dreams.

Have I written this before? It sure seams like I've lived through these exact same playoff games before.

Actually, close to it. We have this great history with the Yankees in the post-season where the Twins get up on top, get the fans all excited about the possibilities. Then oh, about 10:20 p.m. they blow their lead and the game. Then the next day, in an afternoon outing, they repeat. They are sort of like shampoo but instead of "rinse & repeat." It's "taste defeat & repeat." They better clean up their act. This is not as fun as it's supposed to be!

Oh well, if that is honestly the worst thing I have to worry about today, then we're doing OK, aren't we?

It did start out to be a bit of a stressful day. I'm wondering from you other parents out there at what age we can start charging our kids mileage for those "extra" trips we have to make when they forget things at school or, in the case today, at home?

Today was team picture day and even though Daddy set out Carter's soccer uniform last night and filled out the picture form and wrote out a check, Carter remembered on the way into town this morning that he forgot his uniform at home.

I had to get to the chiropractor for a 7 a.m. appointment so we were being nice and giving Carter a ride to school. When he mentioned the forgotten uniform, we were on our way and Daddy said he's drop me off first then they could head back home and get the uniform, then come back into town and get me before dropping Carter off at school. I think we could have just turned around when he told us and that would have saved time. But I see Daddy's strategy -- the longer the ride, the more time Carter has to think about his irresponsibility. If this wasn't a team photo that other parents were paying for, too, we probably would have said, "Tough." But I'm a little inexperienced in the tough love department.

Perhaps someone should apply some tough love to my Twins! The long ride in the car seemed to help Carter think. Maybe the Twins should drive out to New York!

Sigh...

Priceless

Free and Clear: My niece Ashley had her surgery this afternoon. It started around 1:30 p.m. and I was surprised when one of my sisters called me at 4:30 and said it would take another hour yet. I just kept praying and I thank those of you who also sent some thoughts upward. Even Carter mentioned on the way home that sometimes they go into the Chapel in the school for a few minutes in the morning. "This morning I prayed for Ashley," he said. "I know He has a lot of prayers to answer but hopefully He'll get to this one." And you know what? He did! The surgery was successful and, most importantly, the gigantic cyst with the 4+ liters of liquid inside of it is non-cancerous! They also were able to save one ovary so she could be a mother some day if she chooses. Thank you, God!
Cost of surgery: Probably astronomical
Number of prayers: Countless
Getting a "free and clear" sign: priceless

The Spirit Within: This morning was Spirit Day at school so Carter and I had to get ready early in order for me to spray his hair blue and white. I wisely had a garbage bag over his clothes and he held paper towels to his face. I also wore rubber gloves. It took a lot of spray and I even had to use the hair dryer to get it to stop dripping. Needless to say, there was no time for pictures by the time we were done. Daddy had to drive him out to the bus stop so he wouldn't miss it. I wasn't necessarily picturing Carter's hair all day but I was thinking about it... Apparently I ingested so much "paint" from the air that every time I blew my nose today I had blue, you know... I know. Snot funny.
Hours it takes to run free and clear: 12
Cost of blue and white hair spray: $3
Having school spirit inside and out: priceless

Dueling partners: This is an usually good year for the baseball fans in the Austin household. Hubby's Reds are in the National League playoffs and my Twins are chasing the American League pennant. For now we are loving and supportive partners because we want both teams to win and keep advancing. Can you imagine this house with both the Reds and the Twins in the World Series?! Whoot. Thank goodness we have 2 TVs. Of course, Carter claims he's a Twins fan but he's also a bandwagon jumper so he'll go with whoever goes further. Jim was lucky Carter and I had a dentist appointment today so he could watch the Reds this afternoon in their first game. (The Twins are on momentarily).
Number of hits the Reds had Game #1: Zero (sorry, honey)
Number of pregame Twinkies Carter and Mommy will eat in the playoffs: Hopefully 3 or 4 dozen
Having a post-season smackdown in the Austin house: Priceless

This one's for the 'girls': We all know you get what you pay for. When you are an athlete (or wannabe), you sometimes pay top dollar for equipment not just because it looks good, but because it functions well and could be safer. I've learned over time to invest in good running shoes. I'm flat-footed and need the proper support to save my ankles, knees, hips and beyond. There are parts of me, though, that aren't so flat. For us "blessed" runners, we sometimes find ourselves wearing 2-3 "layers" of athletic support up there for races. Maybe Winnie the Pooh's Tigger liked "more bounce per ounce," but we don't. I recently was registering online for a race and noticed the company sold athletic gear, including some ultra-compression sports bras. I thought, "They're expensive so they must work." I ordered one and got it today. I took it out for test drive, er run, tonight and give it 2 thumbs up!
Cost of the super-duper concrete compression compartments: $39.99 + shipping and handling
Amount of "turbulence" during tonight's 5K: Zero
Pleasure at finding the Holy Grail of Sports Bras: Priceless

We've Got Spirit

It's homecoming week at Assumption so Carter is enjoying the "dress-up" days at school.

Yesterday was Hip-Hop Day so he revisited his "gangsta" look from last Halloween. Today they got to wear t-shirts for other kids to sign (I instructed him not to let anyone use a Sharpee 'cuz it bleeds right through to the skin. So far no "tattoos" in sight). Tomorrow will be Spirit Day so the cans of blue and white hair paint are on the bathroom counter just waiting for morning.

It's so great to see him embracing school spirit less than 2 month into his new digs. It's always good to feel a part of something and share the same beliefs and excitement and hope, isn't it?

By some strange coincidence tonight, my new fave show GLEE was addressing this issue of spirit, make that spirituality. Not everyone believes the same things or should be forced to. They gave a realistic illustration that when bad things happen, sometimes people don't turn to God, but turn away from Him instead so they have someone to blame.

I remarked to my family earlier today the God must think we Hedbergs are pretty special because He sure has given us lots of reasons to pray lately!

Tomorrow my 16-year-old niece undergoes surgery in the Twin Cities to remove an 11"x11"x4" cyst near her ovaries. They may have to remove parts of one or both ovaries as well. The good news is that they will be able to test it immediately to see if it is cancerous or not. I hope that it is all good news -- that she does not have cancer and that someday when she wants to, she'll be able to have children with no complications. I hope this, yes, but know that God has His own plans in place. When I pray, I am asking for comfort and for strength for my sister and her family to get through whatever God places on their plate.

I also learned today my dad, who turns 83 this month, is not doing well at all. He has a severe viral infection of some sort that seems like a wicked cough and cold but requires antibiotics -- and could require a hospital stay if his condition doesn't improve by week's end. He is quite weak and honestly doesn't seem to have the strength or will to fight this.

I realized today (as I wept silently at my desk) that even though I thank God daily for our health and I ask Him to watch over my family, I am not yet ready to face the inevitable with my parents. My dad has been in such poor health so often the past few years but somehow he always manages to pull through. What if he doesn't this time? Or next time?

That is not my worry. It can be my concern but I can't worry. I can only ask again for God's spirit to strengthen me and get me though it.

Yes, we've got spirit. And it's a wonderful thing.

Little Goals

The gratifying aspect of setting little goals is that you often achieve them.

Our first mini-goal of the day was to head into work early. I knew I had tons to do this week in order to leave early a few days for soccer, dentist, etc. So I set the alarm an hour early -- 4:45. As it turned out, I woke up for some reason at 4:15. I noticed hubby was out of bed already (he's not a great sleeper). I found him out on the couch trying to find the Ryder Cup on TV. I figured as long as we both were having trouble sleeping, we might as well head in even earlier.

It was a dark drive and we were there before sun-up but, hey, first goal achieved. (And it was a pretty productive day so many goals were achieved.)

We had to hit the road by 3 p.m. to get to Carter's 4:30 soccer game in Marshfield. Yes, it's quite a hike from Iola. Marshfield has skunked us twice, 8-0 and 6-0, so the team's realistic goal today was not to beat them on their turf -- but just score against them.

And we did!

We ended up losing 6-2 but the team was ecstatic to get 2 goals past them. Too bad we don't have another game for a week. They would love to carry that momentum forward! Now we are down to just one game and yes, it's a big goal, but we want a win. It would be our first of the season.

Some goals, no matter the size, just taste sweeter when you reach them. Can't wait!

Autumn Treasure Hunt

It was another gorgeous fall day here today and this one found us on 2 sorts of treasure hunts.

For the first one, Carter and I were back in Nekoosa at the Giant Pumpkin Fest. Since I was too busy yesterday working concessions, I did not get time to shop all the arts & crafts booths there -- and there were a lot! So today, we were on a mission to hunt down a few Christmas presents. I'm happy to report we found a few! (And a few things for myself that I will not be waiting until the holidays for.)

We also found an elephant ear for Carter and mini-donuts for Mom. (This has got to stop!) And, of course, we had to look at the Giant Pumpkins again...

I've heard of pumping iron but pumping pumpkins? This one weighed 1,468.5 pounds! Carter must be drinking his milk!

Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater... Had a wife and couldn't keep her... A person really could live in this pumpkin! It's huge! Maybe I shouldn't give Jim any ideas...

Though he had a great one when we got home from Nekoosa! Since the 2 of us are in a golf tournament next Sunday, we thought it would be a good time to shake off the rust. It worked out great. I'll have to thank the Packers fans for staying inside on this glorious day to watch TV so that the Austins could have a golf course practically to themselves!

Yes, we even dragged Carter along. He's golfed the same amount as me this summer (about twice) so we were even.

Actually, we started off pretty close to even. I was relieved I finally got into the swing of things -- a few times anyway. Golfing, though, was our second treasure hunt of the day. It is very hard to find golf balls among the fallen leaves, I tell ya. They all reflect with the sun so they are hard to pick out. My advice is sticking to the fairways. But what fun is that??

We golfed nearby at The Ridges. Lots of pine trees there so there wasn't much fall color to look at, but hubby sported some orange so I wouldn't lose him among the leaves either! Here he is putting on a Par 3 that I actually parred. Whoot!

Carter had some putting issues today -- but he wasn't the only one. I just hope in our scramble next weekend they don't rely on my putts! Or my drives... or my second shots....

If it's a beautiful day like today, I can at least provide the good attitude (and camera)!

The Great Pumpkins

The organizers of the annual Nekoosa Giant Pumpkin Fest couldn't have asked for more appropriate weather today! Totally autumn. It was crisp and sunny. A little too breezy for my taste, but we'll let it slide.

First on the agenda today was the 5K Pumpkin Run sponsored by Nekoosa Ambulance -- who thankfully were not called to respond to any participants in the run! I decided last week I'd give this run a try. I haven't run a 5K in 3 years so I was out of sync with this. Sure I ran that 10K last month and this is only half the distance, but I prefer distance over speed. I think.

Other than facing the wind for a lot of the race, I had a few things going for me. One, I was well rested (ha). Two, it was my perfect running weather. I love it between 40 and 50. Three, I had support of my 2 nearest neighbors plus a friend from church.



The race was run though some neighborhoods in Nekoosa since the recent flooding of Riverside Park there forced all fest-related events to new locations in the city. So it was weird not having a clue where we were going but I kind of liked it. It made the race seem shorter. (It's all mind games.)


Seriously, I did not get tired at all. I felt really good and full of energy. And, as it turned out, I finished in a personal-best time. And my minutes-per-mile pace was faster than my 10K by a minute and a half (less than 9-minute miles!). So I was thrilled. All 3 of the "Desperate Housewives of Blue Jay Drive" - Niki on left and Cindy on right - posted best times today. We rock!


After the race, I had to buzz home, shower and return to Nekoosa to work concessions for the Assumption Music Parents Association. Carter came with because there are some cool things to see there like, oh, GIANT pumpkins! That is the name of the festival after all!


There were some neat carved ones by some talented folks.

This guy was working on his second pumpkin face when we got there.

Before we left at the end of the day, we got to see both pumpkins. Pretty cool, huh?

Now for the Giant Pumpkins. These must have been the inspiration for Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin! See how flat they are because they can't hold their weight? We're talking 500-1,500 pound pumpkins for this event. A 1,600-pound one would have been a world record. I don't know if they got that high because I had to go work concessions.

Here's my "li'l pumpkin" standing next to a not-so-little pumpkin!

They use a mini-crane to pick them up and set them on the scale.

How 'bout these melons?!? They had produce, huge produce of all kinds there from melons to gourds. Very cool!

Although my chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick that I had for "lunch" wasn't that big, the pumpkin-pie flavored ice cream cone I had for "supper" certainly ranked right up there. Now that would be a fun record to break!

Maybe next year....

Very Fair Weather Fan

I had to give up my Soccer Mom crown today. I totally became a fair-weather fan and was not up to braving the elements.

Really, it wasn't that cold out. But it was raining, in the annoying steady drizzle kind of way. And I wasn't in the mood to sit outside an hour and 10 minutes. So instead, I lasted about 10 minutes. Then my nose started running and I knew I had Kleenexes in the warm car. So off I went.

I said to hubby, "Well it's not like I'm not here. I'm still watching the game." It's not the same, he said.

So hanging my head in shame (well, for looks anyway), I jogged to the car and cranked the heat. I did feel bad for the kids, though. Our Royals team has no 8th-graders and this Marshfield team has a ton of them. This is the team that we got slaughtered by last week 8-0. Today's tally was 6-0. So are we getting better? Sure!

The thing is, we travel to Marshfield on Monday already so we'll have to face them again. On their turf.

The Royals are still looking for their first win of the season. Now that's sad. But I like how enthusiastic the kids are on the sidelines. They still yell encouragement to their teammates and say what a good game it was. That's awesome.

Good thing they're not fair-weather team players!

There's enough of us wimps seeking shelter the way it is.