Taking A Flying Leap

Love how most illustrations of Leap Day include a frog. I felt like anything but leaping today. I think the all-nighter caught up with me. When that alarm went off this morning, I just wanted to hit the snooze for an hour, maybe 3.

Probably good I was busy at work catching up after time off. No time for napping!

Ironically, this was Jim's work anniversary date when he worked at the newspaper here in town. Technically, I guess that was only 7 years ago. (You do the math.) On a positive, he only had to bring anniversary treats once every 4 years. On the flip side, he only got a raise that often.

OK, I made both of those up. But for real that was his anniversary.

If you note the fun facts above, it clearly illustrates that this is an important day for aligning the calendar and planet with the sun. It seems logical we should all get the day off. I'm always wishing for an extra 24 hours and when I get it, I have to work AND it's a Monday. Nice.

I could have used that extra day today to catch up on work around home. Since I was out of town I did not get to my "Saturday chores." I also didn't get to some projects I was working on. Got those done tonight so I will be free tomorrow to do housework in the evening or, most likely, go watch boys basketball.

Since I last blogged about life beyond scrapping, the Assumption girls basketball team won the regional championship Saturday and start sectional play on Thursday. Our boys team starts regional playoffs tomorrow at home. I just want both teams to go all the way to state. I hate to think of our seniors playing their last game.

It will make for a busy week as we also have our annual South Wood County Empty Bowls fundraiser this Saturday. Still need themed raffle baskets donated – or even items or gift certificates to be lumped in with another basket. You can drop off your donations at my church – First English Lutheran on Garfield Street – or I can pick them up in my spare time, which I think falls at about 7 p.m. Wednesday. Let me know.

And now it's time to leap into bed and under my warm covers! Hope that counts.

Nifty Fifty

Thanks to a day off Friday I arrived promptly at noon to board the Queen of the Crop. Tropical shirt? Check. Leis? Check. Boarding Pass? Check. (Good thing since our cruise directors would not let us "board" without them!)

Photos were required at check-in. I made sure my favorite cruise director posed with me. Since Becky turned 50 this past week, this was like taking a birthday cruise with her! Nifty.

Naturally, the weather was gorgeous this weekend – in the 50s – just because I had no time to enjoy it. And by enjoy it, I simply mean taking a walk or two. A person does not get many steps during scrapbooking weekend...

...As you can tell from this "action" shot! Yup, there are usually about 50 of us getting together to sit in our places and stare at our own photos. Ha, well, not that bad. But mostly we are all on a mission to get pages done. We do walk around to get creative ideas and our cruise directors provided some entertainment.

As it turned out, I didn't get a chance to wear my ugly Goodwill formal. My stepson #2, Clay, was home from North Dakota for the weekend so the Austin clan got together for dinner at Ida's to see him and meet his girlfriend. So great to have my four favorite Austin men together again for the first time in well over a year. It was worth it to miss the fashion show and take a break from scrapbooking memories to MAKE memories.

 

After dinner we went over to Jim's parents' house to have cake to celebrate February (Colin) and March (Casey and mom-in-law) birthdays.

If you heard that the fire danger was high on the west side of Rapids last night, that would be why. Had a quick piece of carrot cake (that's correct, my Weight Watchers program did not go on the cruise or ashore with me) then headed back to the Lions Camp in Rosholt.

Camp is less than an hour away so I didn't lose a ton of scrapping time but enough that I knew I better make pretty good progress before going to bed. And by pretty good progress, I mean stay up until 7 a.m. so the book is basically done.

I don't think I've pulled an all-nighter since college. I wasn't tired so much as my back and legs and everything was hurting. I did not want to quit with only 3 pages to go! But I took a 3 1/2-hour nap and showered before finishing strong.

I now have Carter's school scrapbooks done from kindergarten up to his decision two weeks ago to go to UW-Platteville next fall! That's 50 pages done this weekend (mostly junior and senior year). Am I the queen of the crop or what? Can I get a "heck, yeah!"?

Am I going to be sound asleep by 8 p.m. tonight? Heck, yeah!

Well, I am going to peek in on the Oscars for a little bit first – only because I really want to be sitting on a comfy couch, NOT using the left or right side of my brain! Plus, I don't want to dream about cropping photos and laying out pages.

On the other hand, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon can come on in...

Royal Response

After losing to Abbotsbord by a mere 3-pointer last week, our Royal men headed up to Abby tonight to respond with a vengeance. At least with some focus and attitude.

We rode up to the game with our neighbors whose son is one of our 4 seniors on the team. This game is considered the Marawood Conference Crossover Game where a team in the north (the Falcons) plays the equivalent team in the south (the Royals). It is the last regular-season game before Regional playoffs begin next week.

When we got there, the JV team was winning by quite a significant margin. I believe they finished with a 30-point lead or so. We thought, wouldn't it be nice if Varsity could do the same? Or really, just win this time – even if it's just by 3 points?

Our guys played well. Shots were more accurate and defense more intense than I saw against this same just last week. And it paid off!

Congrats for a great finish, boys! Now onto Playoffs! Pretty sure they picked the right time to kick start a winning momentum.

Go Royals!

Pack Rat, er Cat

We are not a cult and we are not weird. We just like to have fun.

I am talking about scrapbookers getting packed up for this weekend's Camp Crop-A-Lot. To make it interesting, every year there is a theme to the event. This year we are "Cruising to Completion" (of pages, that is) aboard the Queen of the Crop cruise ship, aka Wisconsin Lions Camp in Rosholt.

Part of the requirements is wearing a tropical shirt and presenting a boarding pass upon our arrival on Friday. Another requirement (or strongly encouraged) is participation in an Ugly Formal fashion show and dinner Saturday night.

Both of these required a trip to Goodwill. I know it's hard to believe, but there is not a Hawaiian shirt among the three of us in this house. And, since I gave away all my old bridesmaid dresses (no offense, friends), I didn't have any unattractive evening wear handy.

I think I found what I needed. My dress won't score points for beauty, but Sylvester gives it two paws up. I had it on the floor of my scrap cave while I was packing up the really important stuff – photos, papers, etc. She pawed at it and climbed in for a long nap. Is it because it's soft? Or can she tell some old cat lover wore the dress in a previous life?

Either way, she's far more attached to it than I am. I even told the cashier at Goodwill that I'd likely be bringing everything back Monday for the donation bin. She was surprised because she thought the dress and accompanying ugly scarf were pretty.

Oops.

Apparently I have to stop being so judgmental. I guess beauty is in the eye, or paws, or the beholder.

Ninja Moves

I think I figured out how I hurt my neck. I've been some multi-tasking ninja for the past week and, despite my kickboxing training, my body was not up to the task.


My neck felt better today thanks to essentials oils, ibuprofen, a muscle relaxer and a different pillow last night. When I tried to call this morning to squeeze in some trigger-point therapy, I got the machine at the chiropractor's office because they were too busy to answer the phone. That darn full moon!

I never did catch a moment to call back so I will have to try again tomorrow.

We have a busy few days at work with our out-of-town writers visiting Rapids for some face-to-face meetings with the rest of us. So today was projects squeezed in between meetings and ibuprofen. As a bonus, though, our writing team got to go out to dinner at a nice place, Andy's Bar & Grill, for good food and a few laughs.

I opted to come straight home after that rather than stop at the school for the first game of the girls basketball regional playoffs. Jim had been texting me keeping me in the loop. Since our Lady Royals were ahead of Athens by some 30 or 40 points, I figured I could pass – and get some reading done for work.

Still have to finish that up so I better sign off and put my ninja garb back on.

Maybe I should stretch first...

Just Another Moon-ic Monday

Full moons and Mondays don't mix. And I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that today.

We have just had a deluge of projects come in at work and we are all up to eyeballs in deadlines. I like keeping busy but I feel like my head is going to explode trying to keep it all straight! Going to be a crazy week or two, that's for sure!

Of course, my head also felt like it was going to explode because I was actually in physical pain, too.

Several days ago I felt like I had an earache coming. I usually just felt it when I was sleeping and it hurt laying on my right ear. Wasn't too major but I was treating it as an earache and using my handy dandy essential oils for it. Much to my chagrin, it didn't go away.

Today was different. It wasn't just painful when I was sleeping on it. It escalated to constant, piercing pain and I wanted to cry. I took a bunch of ibuprofen and put on my "pain relief" oils. Nothing worked.

I figured that since it was Monday, it would be busy at the walk-in clinic so I waited until after work. Apparently, due to the full moon or something, they had a record number of patients go through there today. I asked the doctor if I got a special prize for being number 100 but they were above and beyond that. Besides, he said, "I'm not sure what kind of prize you'd get."

I guess my prize was that I do not have an ear infection of any kind. My sinuses are clear, too. So what's the deal?

I guess there's a muscle along the neck that stretches from the shoulder area up to behind the ear. I guess I did something to that muscle. When he specifically pressed along it and especially close to my ear, I believe I yelped! All I can do is take ibuprofen for the pain, he said. I told him I think I need a massage! He agreed, so I said, "Oh so I can say it's doctor's orders?"

Ha. He said I could. Not that that will get me anywhere.

So tonight I am home and doing a dozen things and trying to keep my mind off the pain. So far, no pain relievers or muscle relaxers or essential oils are doing the trick. Hopefully tomorrow, when the moon is out of sight, I will be able to connect with one of the women who have done that trigger point therapy on me.

I have just the point they need to trigger. Uff da. Mondays and full moons AND muscles don't mix!

A Little Hoopla

Distance is relative. As seasoned commuters (100 miles per day) and round-trip road-trippers (8 hours Up North and back in a single day), it doesn't seem like a big deal to drive an hour or so to see a high school basketball game. And it certainly is worth it to see family "close" by.

I noticed on Facebook yesterday my 3rd cousin (ha, cousin Laryn's granddaughter and second cousin Candy's daughter ) was playing in a 5th-grade state championship hoops tournament over in the Fox Valley. For us in this area of the state, that's what we call Appleton, Neenah, etc, by the Fox River – a mere 65-70 minutes away. Unfortunately, I saw the info after the day's fun was done. But, since Miss Lilly and her Siren Dragon teammates were undefeated, they were set to play today, too.

Her first game was at 8 a.m. and a second was at 10:30 a.m. I knew I could not make either of those because today was a big day for our church. We were "installing" (not sure why they call it that) a new pastor. So we had one combined service at 9:30 a.m. to accommodate the bishop and a larger crowd. I think we're all pretty excited for a new beginning!

After church, Candy had messaged me that they won the first two games and would play at 1 p.m. at Appleton North High School. Since church went waaaaay long, I knew I would get there late but decided to go for it. Nice day. Nice roads. Why not?

Got there at almost 1:15 and thankfully the game started almost 15 minutes late. Like I planned it!

I didn't have time to change into Siren Dragon green at home (plus a Luck Cardinal only has red anyway), but I discovered I matched Lilly's socks so it was all good.

Nice to see Candy, her hubby and her other 2 daughters as well. So weird she's a grown-up momma and I used to babysit her when she was a year old! Apparently I am getting old and didn't notice!

The game was fun and nerve-wracking to watch. For 5th-graders, they sure hustle! In our opinion on the green side, the other team took hustle a little too far, but the fans can't make that call. In the end, they lost their first game of the weekend by 3 points. Nothing sadder than seeing these little girls cry over a loss!

Still, they played one more game and won that by 2 points to take 3rd place in the state! You can't cry over that. I was back home by the time that was done but Candy posted the photo above of Lilly wearing her medal holding the team trophy. Nice work!

Of course, Lilly's older sister Alayna also plays hoops and she told me the Siren high school team has done very well this year. They actually are in the same division as Assumption – D5 – so there technically is a possibility they could both make it to state and even play each other. Now that would be a hoot!

One step at a time. Playoffs start on Tuesday. I'll keep you posted.

Still, I'm hoping there's a road trip in our future.

Plan B

Hello, kids. Today's blog is brought to you by the letter B...

BAND: First of all, we heard the scoop on Carter's brass trio late last night. They are going to State Solo & Ensemble! So he'll be there for two events! Awesome.

BUTT-KICKING: Woke up early (for a Saturday) and went to strength / resistance class. Our instructor had a tournament so he kept class short but jam-packed with some butt-kicking activities. We were his "sled dogs" for part of it. And I believe I will be feeling it in my backside tomorrow!

BOOK CLUB: I had just enough time after class to go home and splash before heading to our Face to Face Book Club meeting at the coffee house downtown. This month's book was When I Found You by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The story of a man who finds an abandoned baby in the woods and how their lives intertwine over time. There. No spoilers. A good read! We had a very good discussion about troubled teens, spousal support, unconditional love and leaving a legacy. Check it out.

BASKETBALL (or BUTT-KICKING PART 2): Hubby and I traveled up to Marathon to watch the Assumption girls play their last regular-season game. There was a 3-way tie for first place in the southern part of the Marawood Conference. Due to multiple tie-breakers, we were playing the second-place game in the Marawood Crossover Game today. We beat Phillips, second place in the northern part of the conference, quick soundly: 63-41. After the second game (first place in north and south), they gave all-conference awards. Our five seniors all got awards from 1st team to honorable mention. And one of them was the conference player of the year. Well done, Lady Royals. Now onto the playoffs!

BACK ROADS: Since Jim's mom is from Marathon, he knows all the back roads to get up there, whereas I would take the Interstate for as much of it as I could. When I suddenly found us driving through Moon, Wis., I wondered what kind of Saturday drive we were taking. Just a random trip to the Moon today. Not as nice as Jim's home on Mars or mine on Venus. And frankly, I couldn't find my way back even with a map!

BEHIND: Spent my evening catching up on ordering photo prints for Camp Crop-A-Lot next weekend. A few dozen of the ones I already had printed came back with heads cut off, etc., because the photos were in so many different formats (phone, regular camera, Facebook). So I had to re-do those and get them uploaded. Will pick up the prints at Walgreens tomorrow and basically will have to get everything organized and packed tomorrow! Hopefully my schedule pans out because I do not have a Plan B for that!

Star Power

If you heard any cursing this morning at 5 a.m., that could have been us.

And by us I mean me for hearing my alarm, Jim for hearing my alarm after just getting home from the airport at 1:30 a.m., and Carter for not hearing his alarm but hearing "the voice" waking him up since he had to be at school at 6 a.m.

Today was his last district Solo and Ensemble competition – but not his last ensemble performance.

If you heard any cheering this afternoon, that could have been us.

And by us I mean all 3 of us happy that Carter earned a trip to State Solo and Ensembles for the third year in a row. Way to kick brass, kiddo!

In order to be chosen for state, a band or choir student must perform a Class A selection. Carter didn't do this his freshman year but has done so since, usually at least two brass ensembles and the smaller trio. This year he and his baritone did a larger brass ensemble – 8 musicians – and a trio with friends Olivia and Macie (above).

To move onto state, judges need to give a Class A starred first. A "regular" first won't get you there. The large brass group got a starred first! We still don't know if the trio is moving on or not. They performed toward the end of the day and the results weren't posted when Carter left.

My friend Lisa (Olivia's mom) was there so she took the picture of them. I love that both Macie and Carter are on their tippy toes. The only reason I know Carter was on his is because he has never been as tall as Olivia. Ever. She's even crouching down a bit. These kids. Apparently not nervous at all!

I hope they did well. Either way, Carter will have more brass to kick at State. Set your alarm early on May 7!

Low Profile

I decided to pull this photo out of the archives as Carter prepares for his last Solo & Ensemble competition tomorrow. He's come along way since 7th-grade band! He's almost catching up to the size of his baritone!

Since the bus leaves at 6 a.m., I figured we'd keep a low profile tonight since I will have to set my alarm for 5 a.m. in order to start the morning ritual of dragging his backside out of bed!

I decided to run into town for the girls JV basketball game just to snap a few photos of our friends' daughter, since it's the last game of the season for JV. I told Carter to make sure he has clothes for tomorrow so I can iron if needed.

Much to my surprise, when I got home after the game, Carter's car was gone. I texted him and asked where he was and he said, "At the game, in the student section." Oh boy. Apparently the talk of a good night's sleep so he can be well rested for tomorrow's competition was spoken in a foreign language – other than German.

Since I had projects to do I stayed home and tried to wrap some of them up so I can get MY 8 hours of sleep anyway. Not gonna happen. Was happy to hear, though, that the varsity girls won versus Aquinas and the boys upset Marathon in their travel game tonight. Nice night for Assumption hoops.

Now to quiet things down and get that low profile going for that low-brass performance tomorrow.

Here's hoping he can sleep on the bus and I can go back to bed for an hour after he leaves! Jim will be home around 2 a.m. so he'll be quite grateful if we can keep the snooze level low, too!

Door Busters

Apparently when word got out there were "Door Buster" sales at Wal-Mart yesterday, this cow decided to bust his barn door and get there.

Seriously, a cow was trying to check out the dairy section or something in the Wal-Mart in Plover (next town over, just south of Stevens Point). The animal got loose from a neighboring dairy farm around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, according to Portage County dispatch officials.

Authorities managed to corral the cow and got it back to its owner safely – but not before enough people saw it and posted photos of it on social media! Only in Wisconsin.

I usually am not as concerned about what I will see at the store, but rather who will see me. I do not want to end up on one of those People of Wal-Mart websites but I push my luck pretty often.

It just happens that the place I do kickboxing is basically next door to the store. So oftentimes, after class, I head over there, still wearing some funky outfit and waiting for the sweat to stop dripping off my forehead. Even if I am physically beat from the class, I make my way through the store in record time, hoping to escape before I'm recognized by the paparazzi – or just somebody I know.

It just happens that two of the neighbor girls (Carter's age) are cashiers. I never see them around the neighborhood in the winter time but you can bet I'll see one of them or both when I am speed shopping after class.

Tonight I saw one of them and said, "It never fails I only see you when I'm coming here after kickboxing. I want to assure you I do actually take showers, curl my hair and wear makeup every morning."

She just laughed and said, "Hey, I applaud anyone who works out."

Still, I might need a decoy next time. Wonder if my neighbors would mind if I borrowed one of their cows...

Snow State vs Sunshine State

If you ever want to predict the weather in February, just ask me what hubby's travel schedule is. Without fail, it always snows or sleets or something wintry when he is off to someplace warm.

Today, as we looked out the office window, the first thing I thought was, "Figures. Jim's on his way to Florida!"

This photo, taken courtesy of my co-worker Jeff, is a perfect illustration of the Snow State versus the Sunshine State. Thankfully, the snow was short lived and the sun did come out later.

When Jim texted me from the Atlanta airport that it was 56 degrees, I responded, "It's 32 here but feels like 56." Later, when he arrived in Orlando, he texted, "76 here. That's more like it." I've got no response to that!

I don't think we'll get anything worse in the next two days so I won't have to beg the teenager to shovel or operate the snowblower. I can probably make my 8-minute commute to work on my own, too! What a big girl I am. I even took the garbage out!

Tonight, though, I took the evening off to go to a basketball game at Assumption. It was the girls' turn for Senior Night. Can't believe we're getting down to the last home games for these "kids" we've seen grow into beautiful young women. Carter is fortunate to have such neat friends! As a bonus, we won the game against Stratford.

Came home and while waiting for my bed to warm up, I got this lovely photo from Jim.

This is the convention center where he'll be working the next few days. Pretty sure Mr. Deck Chair and I would fit right in.

Sunshine State definitely trumps Snow State!

Hail to the Chief Day

In this crazy election year (my opinion), I do not want to talk politics on Presidents' Day. Instead, I found one of my favorite photos of my mom and me... and 4 very dead presidents.

This was taken on a warm, sunny day in June of 2014 on our little vacation out west to South Dakota. What I'd give to have a sleeveless shirt on right now (not to mention, a tan!). It was a neat vacation, great to spend time with Mom and very cool to see historic monuments.

These days, Presidents' Day means two things: 1) a federal holiday so some people are off work, including mail carriers, and 2) a whole lot of presidential sales on clothes and other items not closely related to patriotism or honoring our nation's leaders.

For me, it was another day at the office, followed by an insane one-on-one kickboxing class, followed by the Assumption boys basketball game. It was senior night so I wanted to get some pictures of my friends with their sons. It also turned out to be an intense game versus Abbotsford, with our Royals falling by 3 teeny tiny points. Dang. Still a nice tribute night for the 4 seniors and their parents.

Managed to snag a photo of "my" senior, too, playing in the Pep Band. Of course, he still strategically places that big ol' baritone in front of his face when he spots me. But I got one quick frame off first.

I figured as long as I was missing the Grammys, I might as well get the next best thing!

And they did play a stellar Star-Spangled Banner so we fit that presidential patriotism after all.

Cupid's Not the Only One Working

My Valentine's Day is depicted by a robot because I sort of felt like one. After taking yesterday "off" to work my way around central and eastern Wisconsin, I had to stay put today... And address my list of things to do.

Had to get those pesky "Saturday chores" out of the way first. Too bad I don't really have a robot to do that! Then it was time to lock myself in my office and take care of some freelance design projects. Had quite the variety today. One was for an event, one for a magazine and one was a t-shirt design. Fun stuff!

Got it mostly done in time to visit with our friend Pete, who was in town from Denver visiting family. Pete graduated from Assumption with Jim and he and his wife were the ones who hosted us for our Colorado vacation back in 2014. We were supposed to see them this past fall to see The Who in Minneapolis. Now we'll see them in early May for the rescheduled concert – if things stay on schedule. We're crossing our fingers.

After Pete left, it was time to drag the teenager into my To Do List. It seems we have a dozen scholarship applications staring us in the face. And by us, I mean he does but I am the nagging co-pilot. He's got 2 essays down and 4 more to go... basically in the next week. We got the putzy stuff done today. I can't tell you how easy it is to do everything online compared to when I had to apply. Yes, computers were invented back then but we didn't use them as word processors then. Had to neatly write my applications and essays or type them.

Man, this senior year is making me feel like a senior!

Thank goodness for Valentine's Day. Love and hugs always make us feel younger, don't they? And they soften the robotic side, too, which I need once in awhile!

Hope you were able to give or receive love in some form today!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Restorative Nature

Restorative: Having the ability to restore health, strength, or a feeling of well-being.

 

 

Just inside the grounds of the Winnebago Correctional Center lies a garden. I don't recall seeing it this past summer or fall, but today, under a clear bright sky reflecting on the stark white snow, it caught my attention.

WCC Restorative Justice Garden.

I love that name. It speaks volumes for what that place is doing for my nephew. On one side of the equation we have "restorative" – restoring health, strength and a feeling of well-being – and on the other we have "justice" – the quality of being fair and reasonable.

In Tony's case, he is getting his physical and mental health back so that he can return to being the fair, reasonable – and even responsible – young man we all love. It is such a blessing to see that I want to cry sometimes.

We talked about this in my visit there this afternoon. A lot of bad stuff had to happen to get him to the good "restoration in progress" place he is in today. The key will be tending to that "garden," even in the off season, so it can continue to grow in the positive direction. I know that and he knows that. It will take work, dedication and serious support.

"I'll be your wingman," I told him, and pointed to my sagging triceps. "Which wing do you want?" (Hey, if you can't laugh in prison, where can you laugh?)

It was just great to see him and give him Valentines hugs from a dozen people! It always puts my troubles and blessings in perspective. In fact, my entire day was restorative.

I managed to get up for strength class followed by a relaxation segment. I stopped in at Assumption to see part of a grade-school hoops tourney game my friend's son was playing in. Got to drop off some donations at Goodwill. Had a nice visit with Tony followed by a great visit with my former "work husband" Angelo and his wife, Robyn, who live less than 15 minutes up the road from WCC. Then I shopped in Appleton a bit for my Valentines back home. And had sunny, safe travels all around in the subzero temperatures.

Time with friends and family are definitely the perennial blessings in my garden. What's growing in yours?

Time to Chill

Most "normal" people of sound mind and body would see this temperature and think hot soup, hot tea, hot chocolate... hot anything.

But those of us on the outside of normal looking in think ICE CREAM!

By sheer coincidence, today was the season opener for King Cone in Plover AND I was heading to Plover after work. True story.

An old publishing friend was having a retirement party there. Since my guys were both washing dishes at fish fries – Jim volunteering at church and Carter getting paid for it at "work" – I had to head over there alone. I went straight from work since I wanted to stop at Staples first. Can I help it you go past King Cone to get to Staples? Well, it's a bit of a detour actually, but it still got me to both places.

You know how Oprah brags on the Weight Watchers commercial that she lost weight and had bread every day? Well, I am not having ice cream every day but I was mathematically responsible and saved "points" for my frozen supper. I'm not used to just getting a SMALL, but it was just as good. Plus, as a bonus, I got a free Valentine's container of red velvet something.

As an added bonus, thanks to the lovely temperatures, it sat in my car during the party and didn't have a chance of melting!

Did enjoy myself at the party and saw some former co-workers I haven't seen in the 6 months since I left Iola. Reaffirms that I miss the people not the job necessarily. And I don't even have to miss King Cone on my commute because they'll be opening one in Rapids in 2 short months!

The location is not that far from work so I will really have to be a diligent mathematician with my Weight Watcher points then! Since I am that person on the outside of normal looking in, I did calculate the mileage. It's a 1.2-mile walk from work so I could get a nearly 2 1/2 mile walk in and burn it off as I am eating it. Not that I'm planning to go there every day or anything.

Just when I need to chill. And not from the temperature.

Steady Decline

Somebody needs to send Old Man Winter a message reminding him that just because gas prices drop, doesn't mean temperatures have to as well.

Don't mind cheaper gas, but when I am the only one to crawl out of their warm bed to attend 5:40 a.m. kickboxing class, I really mind the subzero air. Of course, my instructor (aka drill sergeant) made sure I warmed up quickly! No worries there. Can break a sweat in all four seasons.

Unfortunately, pump prices and the mercury are not the only things declining these days.

It's been a prayerful week for my family. Remember I told you Sunday I received troubling health news? Well my brother-in-law Paul down in Texas has been in ICU ever since. To start with, his blood pressure was low, his kidneys were failing and he was dehydrated. The kidney function is getting back to normal but at the same time, they diagnosed walking pneumonia, they found a bleeding ulcer in his stomach and doctors believe he may have had a heart attack during all of this. That would make the third heart attack in the last 20 years. I sure hope Paul is part cat so he has several more lives left!

Needless to say, we have been praying quite a bit for healing, comfort from pain and guidance for the doctors. My sister Rayna also has been recovering from a cough and cold so they are hoping she doesn't have/won't get pneumonia, too.

Uff da. There is nothing in my life that justifies any complaints or whining compared to that. How about you?

Hopefully this gives you something to be thankful for and, more importantly, gives you another reason to pray tonight. All warm thoughts are welcomed and appreciated.

Five Things

Not sure what to give up for Lent? I made this nice graphic as a cheat sheet for you.

Well, for me, really.

I always think it's the ice cream and cookies that are weighing me down, when in fact it's a lot of other things. So while I am trying to give up the treats as part of Weight Watchers, I will try my hand at this other list for Lent and beyond.

We had a very good sermon tonight at Ash Wednesday service. A big focus on self examination and repentance. Definitely spoke to me and my chronic condition of self-centeredness, which is somewhat reflected in all 5 items on my list.

I must ask myself: Am I trying to please everyone so I can help them and make them happy – or so they will like me? Am I afraid of change because it might humble me and lower my skill levels a notch? Definitely dealing with that. Am I letting my past still make me feel unworthy and unholy today? Do I put myself down because of 1, 2 and 3 or am I begging someone to tell me something positive I cannot see? Why do I overthink? I guess refer to this entire paragraph!

My challenge is that giving up these things really is going to be harder than skipping trips to Dairy Queen. Thankfully I do not have to do it alone.

We were reminded tonight, as disciples of Jesus, we are being called to a discipline that contends against evil and resists whatever leads us away from love of God and neighbor. I invite you to join me on my journey to the discipline of Lent – self-examination and repentance, prayer and fasting, sacrificial giving and works of love – strengthened by the gifts of word and sacrament.

I'm at a pretty low starting point so it may take more than 40 days to even see progress. Good thing God is patient. Now if I can get others around me to feel the same way 'til i get my head on straight!

Blessings to you this Lenten season!

Fat Tuesday :: The Real One

After my self-imposed Fat Tuesday the day before Weight Watchers began and Carter's German class Fat Tuesday (aka Fasching), we are on our third and finally "real" Fat Tuesday.

Unfortunately, mine was a big of a Flat Tuesday.

Got up for kickboxing class. Went to work. Was fine. But about 10:30 a.m. I just felt like I was hit by a bus – or perhaps a float in the Mardi Gras parade. Just didn't feel well. Actually went home, which is rare for me, and laid down... 'til hubby woke me at 5 p.m.

Feel a bit better but will be going back to bed soon. Really whoopin' it up here! It stinks to feel like crap when you did nothing fun to get you there. Hope you had a lot more fun and have the beads to show it!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Monkeying Around

Happy Chinese New Year! I did not even eat Chinese food today but I should have since this is my year. Oh yes, I am a Monkey! That should be obvious with my love for monkeying around, my daily banana, my ability to throw a monkey wrench into everything... and my hairy legs. (In the "off season" anyway.)

What is in store for me and others born in 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992 and 2004?

First, a little bit about the Monkey...

According to traditional Chinese horoscope, people believed that Monkey people may suffer misfortune in the Zodiac Birth Year. There are a lot of potential dangers, difficulties and losses in the whole year. Therefore, they need to be very careful all the time, especially when driving or getting sick. However, the opportunities also coexist with challenges in this year. They are provided with great chances to change their life thoroughly. They may get big breakthroughs or make rapid progress in work and study.

Sounds ominous and not all that fun. Let's get down to specifics for 2016. And you know these have to be true because they are on the Internet! (You can tell by the sentence structure that either these were translated or just plain poorly written.)

Career Ambitious goals, switching jobs... In 2016, the fortune in career is really unpredictable. Monkey people have a lot of ambitions in this year, and they try to realize them to change their current life condition. They may want to switch a new job, start a career on their own or pursue a high education. They are indecisive and hesitant, what makes them less concentrated in their present work. At last, they may achieve nothing in this year. Therefore, they are supposed to stay still in their old career and get improvement step by step, which could be a strong basis for the future development.

Wealth Handsome gain, spending problem... In this year, they can make a fortune easily, but could also run out of money soon. They have a thin awareness of financial management, and cannot take control of the spending problem. They also get a little luck in easy money, but it is better to avoid investing a great deal amount savings in business project. When lending or borrowing money, they should be very cautious, otherwise they may suffer financial woes. It will be quite helpful to make a budget before spending.

Love and Relationships Stable marriage, entangled relationships... Their fortune in relationship and love is favorable, but they are not aware of that. For the married people in Chinese zodiac Monkey sign, their relationship will be in a stable stage, but they may feel constrained. Nagging and complaining will trigger their fury. However, they would better behave patient about these, otherwise squabbles cannot be avoided if they fight back. For single people, they long for true love, but they are entangled in several relationships. Once they adopt a serious and sincere attitude towards love affair, they will gain a long lasting relationship.

Health Kidney disease possibility, regular exercise... Their health condition in 2016 is unfavorable according to Chinese zodiac analysis. Special attention should be paid to kidney and skin disease. For the old, once they get asthma, cough or pneumonia, they need to go to hospital at once. Meanwhile, it is suggested to take regular exercise to build up their bodies. In this year, they might be easily irritated, and that also results in some mental sickness. Maintain a peaceful mind and learn to forgive.

Luck Prediction for Monkeys Born in 1968: People at age of 48 (I'm still 47 right now!) will spend a stable year, for everything develops in their control. In work field, there may be insidious people playing tricks behind, so they should be cautious when they speaking. Direct squabbles should be avoided, and a modest attitude might be helpful. The best way to get rid of bad mood is to concentrate in work. More attentions should be paid to digestive problems. It is advisable to go on a light diet and avoid eating raw and cold food.

So, there you have it, my fellow 47.5-year-old friends. Money will come and go. Our relationships will be tested if we nag too much. We gotta watch our back at work. Our bodies are going to pot. And we are psycho.

Great.

Good thing I have the World's Greatest BFF to get my "new year" off on the right foot!

Super Sunday

Even before game time, I considered it a "Super Sunday" today.

Today was the first service with our new pastor at church. We have been led by a variety of interim and occasional substitutes for the past 18 months. Now we have Pastor Cheryl on board as our permanent, full-time leader. It's an exciting day for our church. We can start to move forward.

I won't base my entire opinion on one service, but can tell you I like her. She and her husband seem very down to earth and genuine. Looking forward to getting to know them!

After church, since it was honest-to-goodness mild out (30s!), I went for a 3-mile walk, knowing I would be couch or chair bound (with food in hand) for the big game later on.

In the early afternoon, we headed over to the annual party at our friend's in town. Have to get there early enough to get a good seat! At least that allowed me to catch up with my BFF since I don't see her in person much now that she works out of town. So that was a bonus.

The downside of a party with multiple games going on – football on TV, card game, dice – is that you can't hear the game or what are supposed to be the year's best commercials. I heard Lady Gaga sing the National Anthem and that was impressive. Commercials... not so much. Perhaps we've raised our standards?

Kind of wanted Broncos to win since I like my Manning boys. Wouldn't have minded Carolina since Jared Allen is on the team (ha, ha) and Cam Newton is an impressive athlete. Coin toss for me. I was not invested emotionally in the game, but did manage to double my monetary investment by halftime. Coincidentally, $50 for the 50th Super Bowl. Ha. Came home awhile to actually watch and hear the game a bit for the second half. Probably a good thing as I heard from both sides of our families on health issues that could use some super-sized prayers.

As much as is I love $50 burning a hole in my pocket, there's more to life than football, that's for sure.

Sometimes You're the Nail...

There's a phrase that goes something like: "Sometimes you're the nail and sometimes you're the hammer."

Today my nails were ready to rock some Assumption hoops. Unfortunately, our teams got hammered.

We traveled to the JustAGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells to play a doubleheader against Barneveld. That's the team our girls have played for the state championship the past 3 years. Sometimes this February matchup serves as a pretty accurate preview.

Hopefully not this time.

The JV teams won and then it was time for the boys to take the spotlight. They didn't do too badly, but just couldn't pull off a win. I can't believe I didn't note the score for either game! When the girls played, they had a lead at halftime but ended up losing by 10 points, I think. It was tough.

Proudly, though, we had a great Royal fan turnout for the games. Love that we are willing to travel for support. From Rapids, the Dells is only an hour away. It helped it was a nice mild day for travel, too.

We came home right after the games. Did some grocery shopping and made some snacks for tomorrow's Super Bowl party at our friend Chet's house. I think Jim has gone like every year for 25 years or something crazy. Everybody contributes to the snack table, which has grown to 3 or 4 tables over time. Should be a great test of my willpower.

Hopefully the game is entertaining enough to keep me and my big mouth distracted. Unlike today, I don't have an emotional investment in the bowl. Not enough to change my nails. Those an hopefully bring some good luck over the next week.

Bring on the hammer!

Just A Little Tip or Two From Me

Tire Kicker: Ran an errand at lunch today and it was so warm (high 20s) I didn't even need my coat. FYI: Just because it's sunny and mild and SEEMS like a nice winter day doesn't mean that stubborn ice chunk is ready to be kicked off your car. Ouch. Just a little tip from me. Your toes will thank you later.

Blackhawk Birthday: I wanted to fulfill my duties as Birthday Fairy at work today but didn't have time to bake treats last night. Since I knew Tom, the birthday boy, was a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I went with that theme.

Treats, store bought. Signs, homemade. Just a little hockey party tip from me.

Men Are From Mars: After working a 10 1/2-hour day, I decided I would relax tonight and watch a movie. Since I have seen nothing nominated for Academy Awards, I figured I better get started on my Oscar list. Rented The Martian, starring Matt Damon. I really liked it. Sort of like MacGyver on Mars. I was more than halfway through and I said to Carter, "I wish I knew if this was going to be a sad ending or a happy one." Just a little tip from me... I'm not telling.

Supper Star

Nope, the blog title is not a typo. I am not a super star, but rather a supper star, hoping to lose enough of the supper to turn it into super.

After 2 weeks on Weight Watchers I received my 5-pound star sticker! Who knew a simple sticker – not even a glittery one like this one – could motivate someone? I'm not known for being the sharpest knife in the drawer. More like the biggest spoon for eating ice cream!

But whatever the motivation, I am keeping on track. So far.

What have a I learned so far? The program is easy to follow, especially with an app on my phone. Just so easy. I don't have to labor over a handwritten journal (because we know that's hard work). Instead I can just punch a button or two or even scan the bar code on the product to determine its Smart Points value.

Secondly, I've learned that I don't feel deprived. I don't feel hungry. I can eat just about anything. Just have to be mindful of the points so I don't overindulge all day that way or at least all weekend. We do have "cushion points" that can be spread out over the week. I am trying not to use ALL of them, but just in time for the real Fat Tuesday next week, it's about to get tempting.

Dairy Queen in Wisconsin Rapids opens back up for the season tomorrow. Did they have to email a buy one-get one coupon today? I'd hate to see that expire.

Then I saw these in Walmart tonight. You know I absolutely love carrot cake. I have it so rarely that it is a huge treat when I do.

I just wanted to buy a package and lick out the frosting center on the spot. But, for the record, I walked away from them.

This time.

Temptations are everywhere. I just need to stay strong and choose my treats wisely. If I completely deny myself I will be that shopper eating her way through a container of Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies on the way out to the parking lot. Too much denial equals a binge for me.

I need to stay focused on the end goal. I want to change the supper to super. And I sure as heck don't want a binge video of me going viral on the Internet!

Just keeping it real, one day, er meal, at at time.

Senior Moments :: Committing

Today's senior moment is brought to you by the letter P.

P as in Platteville. P as in Pioneers. P as in Pete the mascot. P as in Parents turned Empty Nesters!

Yup, Carter has now committed to going to University of Wisconsin-Platteville this fall! We're all pretty excited! We liked the school. We liked the size. And we liked its stellar reputation for its engineering programs.

And I love ORANGE! (But don't let that influence your opinion.)

In case you didn't know where Platteville is located. It's almost to Iowa and Illinois. It's a bit of a hike, but less than 3 hours so a shorter drive than heading Up North to see my family. For Carter's benefit, it is just far enough away Mom and Dad can't just "drop in" unannounced to see him. (As far as he knows.)

So as of this evening, he is enrolled, has housing reserved, has his college placement exams (for math, English and German) scheduled, and is set to register for fall classes on June 13!

Somewhere between now and then he'll be graduating from high school, too. And then there's the other P word: PARTY!

As they say at UW-P, "It's a good day to be a Pioneer." But as we say at home, "It's a great day to be a Royal... and our baby!"

Pass the Puffs tissues, Please.

And Spring is Right Around the Corner

It's always ironic when the famous groundhog Punxatawney Phil calls for an early spring while we have a "snow day" in Wisconsin. Not that I believe the furry forecaster. In fact, I didn't totally believe the non-furry ones.

Still, just to play it safe, I had hubby give me a ride to work so I wouldn't have to worry about the drive home. When it was 10 a.m. and we still hadn't seen a snowflake in Wisconsin Rapids, I voiced an opinion or two about why they needed to call off school. Certainly, even if the "storm" started at 10 or 11 the buses could manage to get the kids home in the early afternoon, couldn't they?

When it started, I decided to take pictures at 1 hour or so intervals to prove my point. Here is the view of our parking at 10:15 a.m.

Then, at 11:30 a.m., I still wasn't convinced they needed a snow day. I mean, even Carter could handle driving home in this.

 Around 12:45 p.m. I ate my words for lunch...

Crazy, huh? Two thoughts came to mind. 1) Darn weather guys were right. 2) "Can we go home?"

Actually, they did let us out early because the visibility was low, mainly due to the wind. So I got a bonus 2 hours to my day!

Not long after we got home, Jim started snowblowing and I shoveled off the decks. Carter accidentally forgot his boots at a friend's house this weekend, so he was off the hook. Besides, he has a crappy cold and probably didn't need to be outside.

I took a picture when Jim was making progress on the driveway. Next time I checked, there was an extra neighbor guy – holding a beer. Next time I checked, there was another one – holding a beer. How many guys does it take to operate ONE snowblower? Well, 3 buds and 12 Buds!

All fingers and toes are accounted for and the driveway is done so they apparently make a great team!

For that round.

I thought maybe we got off easy but it still "sounds" like we're getting several more inches overnight – or freezing drizzle. Yay. Not sure if I believe them or should consult the nearest rodent.

Happy Groundhog Day!

Base Coat

The secret to a good manicure is 3 steps: Apply Base Coat, then Polish (or Jamberry), then Top Coat.

Apparently our driveway is taking a cue. I noticed this morning – after a crunchy walk out to the mailbox – that we have a nice base coat of ice ALL OVER it. Just waiting for a layer of snow – about 8 inches high – topped with freezing drizzle perhaps. Lovely.

Actually a few photos do look lovely, in that artsy, let's pretend we like winter, way...

It was warm (Wisconsin warm) and sunny today so some of it is gone now. Hubby tried to shovel as much to the side as he could so he doesn't have to break the snowblower on ice chunks tomorrow. If, in fact, he needs it.

I'm still not sure I'm convinced the storm is coming. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't even have a name, does it? How come Goliath counted because it was hitting America's midsection but we get diddly because, well, we're used to snow? Hmm.

I was quite surprised, staring at out the sunny window at the office, that area schools were already declaring a snow day tomorrow. I mean 3 p.m. Monday and they are calling it. I hope for their sake the weather forecasters are right. I was thinking districts would be looking at Wednesday, when we all have to shovel or snowblow out. But I guess they're onto something.

Naturally, OUR school district was last in line. Typically, because of their size, Rapids and Stevens Point are the hold-outs. But Point called school off by mid-afternoon. I couldn't believe it! Rapids just made the call a few minutes ago – in time for a certain teenager in our house to shut off his alarm. Lucky.

I was figuring we wouldn't cancel because the latest forecast downsized us from the 8-12 inches to just 7-11 inches. And I do say "just 7-11" because, well, we are used to it, after all. And here's one forecast that is just vague enough to be correct...

Can't go wrong predicting "sizeable" snow and slippery roads. Duh.

And I can't wrong planning for somebody to drive me to work in the morning just so I can avoid the drive home later. With the alarm already off downstairs, I'm guessing the somebody sleeps right next to me.

I better lay on the charm like a thick layer of base coat!