Old Time Rock and Roll

They don't make 'em like Bob Seger anymore. We have proof. At 72, the "old rocker" ripped through a two-hour, 21-song set at the Resch Center last night in Green Bay like he was in his prime. If you ask hubby and me, he still is!

I had given Jim tickets for his birthday in July so we have been looking forward to the concert for weeks. Got to Green Bay early for a quick "birthday dinner" then walked over to the concert venue a block away. This was our "Hollywood" lights picture.

And no, our seats weren't THIS good. But we were on the floor about 30 rows back. Not bad except for the inconsiderate chicks a few rows up who had to stand on their chairs. Thankfully, there were three big screens so we didn't miss anything. And you definitely could HEAR it no matter where you sat.

The only thing to adjust to was Bob's appearance. Most of the time he was wearing a Harley-Davidson muscle shirt (a nice nod to Wisconsin), jeans, and thick-rimmed glasses that clashed with his thick shock of gray hair. It took some getting used to looking at him when I picture him from old album covers in the '70s and '80s.

But the sound. That hasn't changed. When you could hear him sing clearly over the sold-out sing-along with nearly 9,000 fans, he was awesome! The same strong rocker voice we heard on the Greatest Hits CDs we listened to on the way over. Amazing.

And he rocked the stage. Just up there dancing and pumping his fists and making sure he addressed audiences on both sides of the stage besides front and center. Kind of got nervous the one time he said, "Hang on, I gotta catch my breath," but he was OK!

It was such a good mix of slow and fast songs that we just stood the whole time and sang and hooted and whistled and sang some more. I can't think of a better concert I've been to. And I know Jim has seen The Who at least three times but I am sure this ranks up there for him, too.

Probably helps to know EVERY song, right? Still, he'd say things like, "Let's see if you remember this." Of course we do!

Glad he played my favorite, Turn the Page, which he coincidentally wrote in Wisconsin (Eau Claire, if you didn't know). Alto Reed playing what Jim calls the "world's loneliest saxophone" for that song gave us goosebumps! Had to video that one. Shhh... don't tell.

Oh yeah, and obviously decent cameras were prohibited. Thus, my fairly crappy photos.

I also loved when he sat at the piano for We’ve Got Tonight. He told us, "This was my mom's favorite song and even though she died in 1989, I still play it every night." So cool. He later sat center stage and played acoustic guitar for Like a Rock. More goosebumps.

When he was done (allegedly), the crowd kept on cheering and, as predicted, he and the Silver Bullet Band came out for an encore. It wasn't until then that he played Against the Wind, if you can believe it. They actually did two songs.

Then he was done (allegedly) and people started to leave. But he came out for a second encore and two more songs. I love this guy! So dedicated to his fans. He was having so much fun and just wanted to share. Amazing, amazing, amazing.

I went online to find last night's set list. Take a look and see if you won't be singing your way to sleep tonight with a few of these:

Roll Me Away

Tryin' to Live My Life Without You

The Fire Down Below

You'll Accomp'ny Me

Old Time Rock and Roll

Mainstreet

Come to Poppa

Her Strut

Face the Promise

Like a Rock

The Devil's Right Hand

The Fire Inside

We've Got Tonight

Travelin' Man/Beautiful Loser

Turn the Page

Ramblin' Gamblin' Man

Against the Wind (encore)

Hollywood Nights (encore)

Night Moves (second encore)

Rock and Roll Never Forgets (second encore)

Nope. Rock and roll never forgets – and neither will we. Rock on.

My Fair Lady

I took a cue from my 85-year-old mother, who had nine entries in the Polk County fair this year and got eight ribbons plus a Grand Champion on her Cultural Art entry.

When she was telling me about this a few weeks ago, I said, "Hey, maybe I'll try to enter some photos in the fair here." She was all over it, encouraging me to not only enter photos but baked goods, too, and maybe a plant. As you can see from the photo, she grows blue ribbon African Violets. Me. Not so much.

I told her I'd stick with some pictures for this first time and see how the whole process goes. One, I have never even been to the Central Wisconsin State Fair in Marshfield (Wood County). Two, I have no idea how big it is or how many exhibitors it draws. Not that I shy away from competition, but the last time I had something judged for the fair, I was in 4-H.

Since I was on a somewhat tight deadline to register, I just picked some random pictures that fit categories and went with that. There are like 20 categories. I could have gone crazy but I had a deadline to meet to register plus get the matte 8x10s in the mail.

Today was the day to drop off the entries so I took part of the afternoon off to find the fairgrounds first, and then find the right building! Everyone thinks it's easy to find since it's home the World's Largest Round Barn.

Anyway, I got where I needed to be. Here are my 8, yes 8, entries. You be the judge. Haha.

Make a wish! (Category: Black and White)

Clouds at Dusk in Wisconsin Rapids. (Category: Clouds)

Spring rain. (Category: Spring)

Loon on Soo Lake. (Category: Summer)

Eagle near the Wisconsin River. (Category: Bird)

Moo-ving closer! (Category: Animal).
This always makes me laugh, so what the heck.

Sun sets on the farm, taken near Hwy 10. (Category: Sunset)

"I roped one in!" (Category: Human Interest)

I'll let you know what they say. If I like it, I might do it again. If I don't, I'll just keep working at getting better, right?

And take even more pictures. Is that possible?

Re-Routing

Everything I know about technology I've learned from the various information technology (I.T.) departments I've worked with. Basically, it can be summed up in two short sentences. "Turn it off. Turn it back on."

Sadly, that is usually what works. And I, the head of the Incompetent Techno-geek (also I.T.) department, could figure that one out.

Now I am crossing my fingers that works for our router, which just dropped the signal in the house while hubby was trying to access Internet on his laptop and I was uploading designed pages to DropBox.

Since I need to conserve the signal (is that even a thing??) for pressing deadlines, I'll have to log off the blog and log back on tomorrow. By then I will have a new experience under my belt, too.

Hint: It doesn't involve 4-H or food on a stick, but it does involve the fair.

A Trifle Bummed

My heart may not be broken. But my trifle bowl is.

Yup, the source of magical treats somehow broke in the dishwasher. Even though it is dishwasher-safe and was in the same rack as last time. So yeah, I'm bummed.

I try to alternate using that and my Magic Blue Pan when it comes to inventing treats to please the palates of many. Glad my pan is made of sturdy stuff. But I will be on the lookout for a new or new-to-me replacement trifle bowl.

Other than that drama tonight, it was an OK Sunday. Finally was around and was not sick either so I could go to church! After that I had good intentions of getting lots done since the weather was if-y. Got a third done of what I wanted but they were things that HAD to be done. So I'm making headway.

Would hate to get too much done, want to celebrate and not have a trifle bowl for the extra-special treat.

You know by now I can justify anything. :)

Prelude of Things to Come

 

Spent the afternoon with friends and family of our nephew and his fiance in advance of their upcoming nuptials – 8 weeks from today!

Since Colin and Amy decided to hold a "couples shower," that meant both men and women were invited instead of the usual bridal shower. Hubby had previously signed up to participate in the Assumption golf scramble we have both done the past several years. I skipped that and took Carter as my date to the shower. Since he is going to be an usher at the wedding, it's sort of his duty anyway.

They had a huge crowd, which is probably a prelude of things to come. The wedding may be a big one but, more importantly, they have a huge network of friends and loved ones to support them on this important journey.

For our part, Jim and I gave them some useful gifts with a side of marital tips. Since Colin races cars and they both run 5K races, I tried to tie that into the gifts and the advice.

1.  Invest in good equipment
Marriage is more like a feature than a heat race. More like a marathon than a 5K. Be prepared for the long haul by properly equipping yourself with an open mind and kind heart.
(Gift: Certificate for Shippy Shoes, which carries the best running shoes!)

2.  Wear protection
Cushion yourself for the rough spots in the road with a firm foundation of love and trust.
(Gift: His and hers running socks)

3.  Stay hydrated
Nourish your relationship with steady communication, support, kind gestures and, occasionally, open ears and a closed mouth.
(Gift: His and hers cute little water bottles for kids actually)

4.  Hit the shower
Make a habit of showering each other with love and attention. Give a hug or pay a compliment for no reason. That’s when your spouse may need it most.
(Gift: Bath and hand towels)

5.  Celebrate
Nothing is as sweet as sharing a win, a good day or a great time. Those “Silky smooth promises” are good to give and receive.
(Gift: Dove milk chocolates with silky smooth promises in each one)

6.  Winner’s circle
At the beginning and end of each day, be thankful for each other and your blessings… just as all of us are grateful for you two!
Ready to begin your adventure?
On your mark. Get set. Go!
(Gift: "Gratitude" kitchen hand towel from their registry)

It was fun to watch their excitement over all the gifts they got. In my opinion, probably a few too many Packer items, but I will not love these two any less. They are good kids.

I mean great grown-ups!

Friday Foto Finish

TGIF! Where has the week gone?! I know I have only blogged sporadically but I am crossing the finish line now for the week and can catch you up with some photo highlights (or lowlights?).

Yes, that's me crossing the finish line after the Hustle S'More 5K at the Wisconsin Lions Camp last Saturday. I am used to seeing nothing but white when I am there in the dead of winter for Camp Crop-A-Lot. We did have a beautiful course. Hilly, but beautiful. Since I run slow I can take pictures mid-race and they aren't blurry.

Neighbors Marigene, Mike and me. They medaled in their age groups and I took 4th in mine. So much room for improvement, but still a great time before I drove up north to Pine City, Minnesota, to stay the night with my sister RoAnn and family before going to our niece Beth's baby shower on Sunday.

You'll notice I did not get all the creative genes in my family. They are spread out amongst all of us. The fancy baby carriage...

And Ham Onesies were courtesy of RoAnn. Never thought I'd type or say "ham onesies" in my lifetime, but they were cute!

Not as cute as 8-month-pregnant Beth. What a cute basketball baby bump!

Rest of the week flew by with work, work meetings, food, after-work activities, food, the solar eclipse and food.

Made this birthday treat for a co-worker on Thursday. Layers are chocolate cake, cheesecake pudding (with some food coloring to make it pink) and crushed Carousel crackers.

Yup, those frosting-covered animal crackers. Yum!

Last night I went to the first cross country meet of the season. Assumption has a full middle school girls team and complete high school boys team, plus two middle school boys and one high school girl. Our number one boy runner graduated but we still have plenty who are fleet of foot. Boys ended second as a team by only 7 points. Very good start to the season. The middle school girls were crazy good. They did not give out a team award for middle school, otherwise they would have taken the trophy (by 30-some points)! They'll be fun to watch.

Took some pictures (duh) with my new camera. I love the anguish and determination on faces at the finish line!

The boy in red is trying so hard to pass our Royal runner at the finish.

 And girls are just as competitive! 

And there's me at the finish line for the week!

I am hoping things will take a cue from my running and slow down a bit. I miss writing and, well, sleep.

Rush Week for Grown-Ups

All I know about the so-called "Rush Week" at frats and sororities is what I've seen in movies and what little College Boy told me about his experience last year – neither confirming or denying they are one and the same.

A lot of activities crammed into a few days despite the "normal" schedule of life on campus. You know, classes and studying and stuff.

This week at work had a similar feel to it – minus the beer pong and Around the World shot challenges, of course.

We have our "remote" workers from our department in-house this week so are capitalizing on the rare face-to-face contact with extra meetings, eating and other bonding before, during and after my regular work schedule.

Throw in a few deadlines for some freelance work on the homefront and I am tapped out. And looking like Cruella Deville in the picture above.

So despite being M.I.A. from blogland, I did not fry my eyes by watching the eclipse. My brain, though, that's a whole other matter.

Guess it is kind of like a Rush Week for grown-ups. My brain cells are dying – but not from drinking. Just an over-abundance of stress and under-abundance of sleep.

Party on.

Solar Power

Not sure what the big hulla-balloo about the eclipse was, but I made sure I didn't miss it.

We were only getting a "partial" eclipse here in central Wisconsin. When it was rainy and cloudy at wake-up time I thought we'd be denied seeing anything. But two good things happened. One, the sun came out and it was nice out. Two, someone from work picked up a bunch of pairs of the special SAFE eclipse-viewing glasses and was willing to share.

So we took turns looking like dorks at a 3-D movie as we stared up at the sky and could really see what was happening. All other light was filtered out so you just saw the orange sun and the dark moon.

I had my camera with at work "just in case," so I put the glasses at the end of the lens and snapped a few pictures every 10 minutes or so during prime time. Conveniently close to lunch time but still work interfered with the viewing party on the front lawn.

Got some pictures. Not the greatest, but it's what was happening here.

My brother actually drove down to Nebraska to view the TOTAL eclipse. I don't even know if they had clear skies or rain or what, but I look forward to seeing and hearing about his experience.

Hopefully you all got to see something. And no one has to call in "blind" to work tomorrow.

And hopefully I'll get the Total Eclipse of the Heart song out of my head, too! Turn around, Bright Eyes...

High Mileage

It's 10 p.m. Sunday night. I have put about 500 miles on my car and at least 3.1 miles on my legs this weekend.

Needless to say, I need sleep. A 5K race yesterday followed by trip to north-central Minnesota yesterday afternoon and the return trip this afternoon and evening.

No rest for the wicked, they say. But I am going to give it my best shot.

Friday Night Lights Already?

Hard to believe it's already time for high school football season. But with today's "cool" temperatures, there was an appropriate feel of fall in the air.

Some local teams hit the gridiron last night but Assumption had its home debut this evening. It was a non-conference match-up with Necedah from down the road.

Hubby will be going to all the games since he's a Stat Man. I will likely only go to home games and will possibly be a fair-weather fan. Tonight, for example, I did not want to sit in rain or cold when I am recovering from my own cold or allergy or annoying cough business. But it was short-lived, thankfully.

I'll admit it was strange last year not seeing Carter's classmates on the field. This year, his friends have all graduated, too! Now it's the "little boys" of our friends and they (the boys, that is) aren't so little anymore.

The game started out well and we were quickly ahead by 2 touchdowns. Felt a comfortable lead going into halftime. Then the unthinkable happened. Our starting quarterback got injured. You never want to see anyone get injured and it is tougher to take at a key position. Kind of seemed like a right ankle injury but that was only an opinion from way up in the stands.

The backup QB, also a senior, was only a few plays in before he, too, came limping off the field. Oh no! Thankfully, he was back in it in no time. The starter is still out.

So with an injury and adjusted play, our Royals struggled a bit and Necedah took advantage and scored.

Despite the struggles, Assumption pulled off the win 42-34. Yay!

I did actually leave after the third quarter so I could get my crackly voice back home and indoors. Still listened on the radio.

Now the only Friday Night Lights are yard lights for the boys, out with friends and out at the game. We are excited for the rest of the season, though, and hoping it's rain-free and injury-free.

GO ROYALS!

Voice Activated

I pretty much got 8 hours of sleep last night with no time in the recliner to sit up more in order to cough less. I was so happy this morning that I could speak beyond a squeak, too.

I said to hubby: My voice is back and I think I'm coughing less.

He looks at me and says: You rolled over at 4:28 a.m. and coughed in my face and I had to wipe it off.

I wisely chose that moment to go back on mute.

Still not sure if we have allergies, a cold or what, but I'm hearing of more and more people dealing with the summer crud right now. Physically, I feel fine. It's not like my nose is running or anything.

I just want my voice back, 8 hours of non-coughing at night and the ability to run (eh, walk) my 5K Saturday without having coughing fits when I breathe in and out too much. Naturally, I'd happily suffer through all this in exchange for a lottery win. See how easy I am to please?

Meanwhile, hubby would be content with the sound of silence and a dry face.

I Remember Him Leaving the Building

I hate when there's a "Today in History" event from 40 stinkin' years ago and I remember it!

Yup, I remember the day Elvis died.

They used to say that "Elvis had left the building" when he was finished with a concert so people would go home. The fans used to stand outside a venue for hours, if not days hoping to see a glimpse of him after a concert. Elvis often had to travel in secret for just that reason. People still use the phrase and half the population has no clue what it's about. We elders do.

This is the weird stuff I recall about that day. Every time they mentioned he died in his bathroom, I could only imagine him sitting on the toilet. In a sequined outfit, of course. Also, he was 42 but he died of a heart attack, which I thought only happened to old people like grandpas and grandmas. Since my mom was a few years older than The King, I suddenly had it locked in my brain that at 45, she was definitely old.

Do I think that now? Heck no!

I also remember there was a big to-do about it since he was the most popular musical artist since Frank Sinatra. In my 9-year-old brain, I didn't think of Elvis as a "current" star. He was Mr. Old Black-and-White Movie guy. But how would I have known the difference anyway when we only had a black-and-white television?

I just know that the next time a major celebrity died, I was going to be sure my parents knew. I recall distinctly some 3 years later when I saw on the night-time news that Colonel Sanders had died. I went into my parents' bedroom and woke them up to tell them the major news.

Not joking. It is a distinct memory.

But no one ever said the Colonel left the building. He just kicked the bucket.

Still too soon? Or just not funny?