Holy Sit!

I was lying on my back, stretching it and working out the kinks on the foam roller after several hours of working at my computer. As I groan in pleasure and pain simultaneously on the living room floor hubby says, "You know, sitting is the new smoking."

Say what?

I guess it is. I looked it up.

While my January has been so busy – mostly in a chair somewhere – I haven't really kept up on any news, including the story about our sedentary lives leading to earlier deaths.

Researchers have linked the long-term effects of sitting for many hours at a time with Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Even though our lives may seem fast-paced. We are kind of slowing our bodies down. We may spend 8 hours in our office chair then sit in the car for our commute home then binge-watch on Netflix from our couch or recliner. Or spend hours at the computer working on freelance assignments or messing with photos.

We are suffering from "occupational sitting" and it definitely shows on my Fitbit, where I register only a few thousand steps on those busy (sitting) days. There's a reason my wrist buzzes at least once an hour, encouraging me to get up and get some steps. I need to start listening to it. The Fitbit is far wiser than me.

I have been trying to get regular walk breaks in at work so I can reach my goal of 10,000 steps a day. But days like today when I'm super busy, I didn't even have 1,000 steps by lunch. Ouch. So I made sure I went to kickboxing tonight between sitting at work and sitting at choir. Ha. Got some steps anyway and it did feel good to move.

Even if "sitting it the new smoking," I doubt I'll have the urge to light one up. Though I wish someone would light a fire under me to get me moving!

One step at time, right? Sit less. Move more.

And, I guess, live longer. Yay.

Red-Headed or Red-Jerseyed Stepchild

The meaning of red-headed stepchild is clear enough: it's used to describe a person who is neglected, mistreated or unwanted. 

For a few weeks, I've been thinking our wrestling team – combined with two other schools – was sort of the red-headed stepchild of winter sports. Not unwanted, so much as just not supported by a huge fan base compared to, well, basketball.

Now I know that wrestling can't claim the title. 

But hockey can. It so happens we have two Royals playing for the Pacelli Assumption Amherst Almond-Bancroft Iola-Scandinavia Co-op Team. Yup, that's a lot to fit on a jersey. They just call it the Pacelli Co-op Team for short.

Like wrestling, the Assumption hockey fan base is made up of parents and a few grandparents or siblings. But there are only two Royal hockey players and four (oooh, twice as many) wrestlers.

Tonight I took pictures at hockey in Stevens Point. Our combined team was playing against the Rapids team, which is division one. Even though my friend Michelle (one of the two hockey moms I knew) loaned me her gloves, I didn't have the stamina to stay for the whole thing. I am hoping I got enough pictures in the first 2 periods. We were behind 6-1 when I left.

I actually feel fortunate that I am taking some pictures for moms and for the Assumption yearbook. I get to see these other sports I wouldn't normally watch voluntarily. But more importantly, I get to witness some more talented Royals giving their hearts to their passions. You know they love it if they are willing to go on a team with several other school names attached!

There's not much time to check out a match or meet or whatever their competitions are called, but you can try to squeeze one in this week.

Even if they have navy and red jerseys, you can still wear your Royal Blue if you want! #royalpride

Seasonal Disorder

It's hard to tell what season we're in now that football – for most of us – is over. Pro Bowl doesn't count because, well, it just doesn't. And, after processing photos today of basketball and board-breakers, I can't even think about the new sport I may be shooting tomorrow night.

Sylvester, though, has it figured out. She napped in the sunshine right on top of the Minnesota Twins beanbag door stop. So that settles it. If she says it's baseball season, it's baseball season.

The Twins first spring training game is a mere 25 days away!

OK. I'm not really thinking of that. Just too tired to put thought into a thoughtful blog. It was a long day.

After our church annual meeting – where yours truly was elected to council, hubby and I met for brunch at Assumption for their annual pancake breakfast, then went shopping (searching) at Home Depot and Menards for something they just don't make anymore. Came home and got through the overdue photos and then did freelance design work. So I don't want to touch the computer mouse for another 11 hours if I can help it.

Will try to get my seasons and schedules back in order, come Monday.

If Sylvester lets me.

How We Get Our Kicks

And this is how we get our kicks on a Saturday...

First, we stay busy so I for sure can't do Saturday chores on actual Saturday. Got up and made treats for the TaeKwonDo and kickboxing open house, then went to the open house. And yes, hung out with Iron Man.

Seriously, watching Iron Man break concrete. That is impressive entertainment.

His sidekick (see what I did there?) did well, too. Compared to these guys and the kids breaking boards, I am sure the kickboxers were boring to watch. But I heard at least two new people sign up for classes, so our performances must have convinced a few that anyone can do it.

It did make for a fun day. Hanging out with the ladies from class and seeing what everyone does there. Two of my classmates were teaching another one to knit. I could have joined in but I am just thinking I probably don't need another hobby right now. I'll just "oooh" and "ahhh" over their work.

Had a great, standing-room only crowd at the 1 p.m. show and a smaller one at 3:30 p.m., but that allowed me to move around and get some pictures. Didn't have time to go through them yet.

Right after the open house, I got in the shortest car wash line I could find and took advantage of above-freezing temps to get rid of the salt and slush grime. That was awesome, said my car.

Got home, showered quickly and hubby and I were off to a retirement party for our friend Chet. Was a great crowd with plenty of people we know – including my BFF and her hubby in town, and a bunch of friends we mostly see at the races. Well, Jim sees them when he substitute bowls. But I don't. It was fun.

In fact, a pretty fun day overall. And we'll get to bed by midnight.

That's how us old folks get our kicks.

Game Day Coverage

Our Lady Royals' victory over Edgar tonight was such a big deal the ESPN College Game Day crew was in the house.

Or something like that.

The object is not to try to understand the seniors on the basketball team. Just enjoy them and their spirit as they support the girls team. From left, our mascot who may or may not be Ethan, then Tyler, Lucas, and Jake the birthday boy.

Too funny.

The girls did have a good night. Both JV and Varsity winning. Varsity final was 77-35. You read that right.

I did get some pictures but since we just got home and we are nearing the bewitching hour of midnight, I will have to post those another day. Need my rest to kick butt and kickbox tomorrow. Plus we've got social engagements requiring our attention. Nothing so exciting the ESPN crew needs to be there. But we should have a great time with old (literally old, ha) friends.

Signing off until the next game day coverage!

The 12+12 Days of Christmas

Due to popular demand in December, my department at work wasn't able to have its holiday extravaganza (a.k.a. pot luck and white elephant gift exchange) anywhere near Christmas. So we took advantage of the 12 days of Christmas, tacked on another 12 or so and had our celebration today.

You know what that means...

TRIFLE!!

Since it was still a Christmas celebration, I made my chocolate-peppermint one with the Keebler Peppermint Stripe cookies I was looking for in December and couldn't find. Found 'em on clearance AFTER Christmas. Works for me.

The timing of the party was perfect. So many of those parties and food buffets in December that we were due for one of those meals where I overstuff myself to the point my fat jeans are tight and I am dying to unbutton them at my desk.

You know what I'm talking about. Don't deny it!

It was a fun 2 hours. Ate plenty and did a white-elephant gift exchange, which is basically getting rid of something you don't need or want. Could be re-gifting. Could be a practical joke. For my part, I got rid of a boxed set of M*A*S*H* seasons 1 and 2... on VHS. But still in the package. I threw in a bottle of wine to give it some value.

I ended up receiving an oversized ceramic beer stein of sorts. Ended up trading it to someone who wanted it and had something I could use. As a gift, that is. I know. Re-gifting times two. Don't judge me. If you get it, you'll love it. I guarantee it.

So with 40 people eating and contributing food, I had about half a trifle left. Thankfully, my neighbor stopped by so I could give some to her. And I had a meeting tonight where treats – even messy ones – are most welcome!

Came home with just enough for us to break our diets another day. But at least not 12 days.

There's a gift you can't refuse.

If You Can't Kick 'Em, Join 'Em

It's that time of year when everyone is trying to kick their diet and exercise programs into gear. Why not kick it literally?

We kickboxers and martial artists cordially invite you and your family to our 39th Anniversary open house at Park Institute on Saturday. While I haven't been a regular in class lately, I can tell you it is still in Wisconsin Rapids, close to the Sleep Inn, Wal-Mart and Applebee's. You know the area.

Join us for afternoon of fun, food and prizes! Oh, and entertainment. Check out this schedule...

Yep, shows at 1 and 3:30 p.m. And yep, this girl is dusting off her gloves to be one of the "showgirls." You might just have to see it to believe it.

Seriously, the cardio kickboxing is great for getting in shape and their TaeKwonDo program is outstanding – for any age! There will be deals to be had, too.

Stop by. I'll be there most of the day and can show you around – and feed you.

Let me know if you want to learn more! It's a great family to be a part of.

Battle of the Blues

Some things don't make sense.

• Me getting rid of my hybrid car and then getting a commute. (Still wouldn't change that!)
• Eating a healthy but gross-tasting snack and having to "wash it down" with some chocolate. (True story.)
• A senior basketball player suffers a fluke eye injury – this after sitting out football season with an ankle injury. (His senior year.)

That last one's a tough one. Feel bad for a young man named Jake who just loves playing sports – and has the ability to match.

So while he recovers from a resistance-band snap to the eyes, his teammates are trying to keep the Royals on top of the South Marawood Conference. Remember I told you last week there were 4 teams tied for first? We beat Stratford to make it 3 teams and tonight, we played the fellow first-place (also Royal Blue) team from Auburndale. With tied 8-2 records, we knew we were in for a good matchup, with or without our usual starting lineup.

Hubby and I were there in plenty of time to see the whole game. Actually 90 minutes early because we didn't know the JV game was canceled. Due to Jake's and other's injuries, we don't have enough Royal manpower at the moment for two full teams and any sort of bench.

There was a VIP crowd on hand tonight with our friends Jon and Audrey – Carter's former sitters – and Mark and Brenda, who live just down the road but we just haven't seen them lately.

It was a tight game from the tip-off. Basically tied the whole first half, with the lead changing by increments of 1 or 2. The second half, well, that was a different story.

Gotta credit Auburndale's defense and their ability to shoot the 3 for their leap to a big lead. As much as 10 points a few times. But our tough boys battled to the end and came up short by only 4 points.

It is heartening to see that when one man is down, the others rally and give 100 percent to keep the great season going. Even with the loss, we are only one game down. Keep your chins up, boys. Soon wounds will heal and you'll be at full strength for when the games really count.

Win or lose, it's just plain fun to watch our Royals, don't you think?

Swing by Friday and join us. There's always room in the VIP section.

Staying at the Three Seasons

It's 8 p.m. and I just realized I haven't showered yet. Now that's a good snow day. Or ice day. Or rain day. Depends on the hour.

For real, I was at home today. No, not licking my wounds. I swear. We had the option of not braving the wicked roads. When I saw all the schools in the area were closed, I figured I didn't need to be a hero.

Frankly, the way the weather went, I would have been fine driving to work. But the drive home would have been hell.

It was like three seasons, though. It rained like spring most of the morning and early afternoon. Sometimes really hard. Then like a switch, it was sleeting like a cold fall day. And then lots of snow. Fast, sleety snow. And the temperature dropped – like it always does in the winter.

So I can't imagine what the road conditions are like and what they will be like in the morning after round 2 goes through tonight.

It was a productive day on the home front, though. Got lots of work-type projects done. Finally did my Saturday chores from two Saturdays ago. Got caught up on This Is Us. Made some yummy chicken strips in our new air fryer. And maybe, just maybe, I'll squeeze in a Hallmark movie tonight.

I guess the shower can wait.

God, Grant Me Skol-renity

 

The tough thing about being a lifelong fan is that you have to take the good with the bad, the joy with the sad. This past week was some of each.

I can't speak for all Vikings fans, but we sure were riding high this week after that miraculous catch to give us the win over the Saints. It was such sweet redemption for us fans, you'd think we'd won the Super Bowl.

I guess that's as close as we'll get for now anyway.

Tonight's loss against the Eagles wasn't heartbreaking. It was sad, of course, and disappointing. I can't be mad about it. We weren't robbed with poor officiating. We didn't lose on a last-second play that maybe wouldn't have made a difference if two or three other plays had gone differently during the game. Instead, we were just seriously out-played on both sides of the ball and, sadly, the Eagles deserved the win.

By halftime when we were down a few scores, I thought maybe I should watch a Hallmark movie or something to calm down. Instead I started a wordfind from a Chicken Soup for the Soul Inspirational Word Finds book.

Appropriate passage (and puzzle clues) about moving on!

And rather than just cover my eyes for the second half of the game, I finished the puzzle. The only victory in our house today.

Still, I love my Vikes no matter what. They had a great season and maybe could do it again and get even further. You can never rule out hope.

Even when your skol-renity, or serenity, has off, always have hope. Even us lifelong disappointed Purple fans can dream.

One day the ending will be different. You just have to believe.

Heart Strings

It's a good thing the "strings" that tie our hearts to others are unlimited in their reach. It is an amazingly resilient bond that only gains strength over time. That's why we can see a friend after a long absence and still feel just as close.

Today I got to pull strings, so to speak, in three different directions.

This morning, I met up with my college friend Carrie, whose son was wrestling in a state tournament up in Wausau. Although she and her family live in the Milwaukee area, we just don't get to that neck of the state that often. And when we do, it's usually tied to some event and we are on a schedule. So we do what we can to get together, even it's a wrestling date far from either of our homes.

Since I am now officially "experienced" in wrestling photography, I brought my camera to take pictures of her son Ben and, well, yes, his 3 teammates that also made it to the state JV tournament. It was actually a fun time. I felt pretty official.

Wow! Look at me with a Floor Pass... I can go anywhere. Even sit with the coach at the edge of the mat to get really good pictures! That was admittedly pretty stinkin' cool. Especially since there were matches going on simultaneously on 8 different mats so the chances of seeing everything from the bleachers were minimal.

Here's Ben in one of his matches.

And the proud momma – my fellow RA on the first floor of Angell Hall at UW-La Crosse back in 19XX. You don't really need to know that, do you?

Anyway, we were having fun watching and catching up on life when I got a text from College Boy that his ride back to Platteville was leaving today instead of tomorrow, just to get ahead of the projected winter weather.

That threw me for a loop because I wasn't mentally or emotionally ready to say goodbye. I mean, we really didn't get any one-on-one time with him. Our last family meal was Christmas morning. And so on. So I raced home to get there in time to see him off.

"Can I at least get a picture so I can look at it each day?" I said. Yup, he was accommodating. Probably had some guilt, says wishful-thinking momma. Either way, it was definitely tugging at those tough but tender heart strings. Empty nest equals empty heart.

Didn't have much time to lament since we had dinner plans over in Waupaca. We met up with our friends Scott and Sandy from Green Bay.

Sandy and I decided that when our hubbies make silly bets over college bowl games that require one of them to buy dinner for the other couple, we are the winners. We didn't have to know anything, watch anything. Just order food and drink and be happy.

It was great to see our favorite golf partners in the off-season. Maybe Jim and Scott can bet on something else to bring us together before spring. We'll see.

In the meantime, my heart will remain securely connected to my baby and these special ladies.

Royal Focus

Just a quick note to say I'm still around. Just had a few late, late nights. And since it's midnight now, I'm going to bed pretty quick.

Both nights were sports nights. Last night I took a second swing at capturing wrestling photos of some of our Assumption boys on a combined Assumption-Nekoosa-Port Edwards team. I had taken a few two weeks ago and wanted to improve it a bit.

So here are a few from last night...

Our guys just lift their opponent like it's nothing. Wow.

Other than that, they are always straining to pin the other guy, who's typically got a painful expression on his face.

Can you blame him? Ouch!!!

We did win the meet. I can say "we" since I've been to two now!

Tonight we had a double-header basketball game at home versus Rib Lake. No camera. I knew the games would be close and I just wanted to watch and cheer!

Our varsity boys won in overtime. Crazy! Very physical game. Well, I guess not as physical as wrestling, now that I can compare the two. The JV girls won but the varsity girls team just came up short.

Afterwards, quite a number of us gathered at a watering hole to catch up on life beyond the court. It was very nice. Now off to bed so I can focus tomorrow. No matter what I type tomorrow night, do not assume I suddenly love wrestling. Just love some people involved.

And happen to have a camera available. Hope you had a good week and can do something – anything – to enjoy our brief mild spell!

Warning: Flake News

Remember when we were whining about our subzero temperatures a few weeks ago? Sorry about that, Siberia. (And the South.)

There were news reports that temperatures in parts of Siberia plunged to a "how do they breathe?" 88 degrees below zero yesterday, prompting even eyelashes to freeze. And probably any exposed body part!

I thought the picture was fake news, er flake news, but no, it's real. I would guess – like us Midwesterners – they are accustomed to record-cold weather now and then. But uff da! Or, as they say in Russia, ncNx!

I have some friends and family saying their equivalent of uff da this week, too!

My poor sister and brother-in-law opted to "winter" two months down in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Oh, they should never use "winter" as a verb! Today, as snow and ice blanketed the South, Rayna and Paul were basically locked out of their car. Iced out, to be more specific. Two snow brushes on hand couldn't chip through it enough to get in, see out of the windshield or go anywhere. At least for a good chunk of the day.

Uff da, right?

And our dear friends Mike and Christine were so looking forward to a week in Florida visiting her "wintering" parents. Well, it is sunny. But they have to bundle up to walk on the beach... in the 26-degree temperatures. At least it was nice enough one day to golf.

Hopefully the sun will actually bring warmth to both their beaches soon. Very soon.

I guess I'll have to refrain from bragging if the mercury reaches the projected 39 degrees here Friday. Mum's the word.

Or is it numb's the word?

Norse Gods Keep Smiling

If bad things happen in threes, I hope that means good things happen in at least tens or twenties... or maybe hundreds.

The Norse Gods are smiling on this Vikings fan this week and it would be awesome if it could keep going a few more weeks at least.

Sunday the Vikings won.

Monday I got to and from work safely despite the crap-tastic commute.

Today our Royals beat Stratford to move a game ahead of them in the conference. And this Viking fan won the 50-50 raffle at the game.

Usually hubby and I each kick in 5 bucks so we get like 35 tickets. Tonight he said he didn't have any money so I just bought $5 worth. That's 6 tickets and the winning number was on the 5th one. A $122 jackpot. Whoo-hoo! Or do I say, SKOL!? First time I've won. And believe me, we've invested in a lot of them.

Back to important things...

Basketball. So Assumption boys were part of a 4-way tie for first in the Marawood South Conference going into tonight. Their opponent, Stratford, also had a 6-2 record. With the Royal victory, Assumption is now just tied with 2 other schools for first, since both Marathon and Auburndale also won. Looks like there's going to be some very good games in the next month!

Fortunately, the boys rely on skill.

But me... I hope my luck holds.

Keep smiling, Norse Gods.

Beneath the Surface

Things aren't always what they seem.

While we watched the nice, fluffy snowflakes fall yesterday afternoon and evening, it didn't seem like they warranted the nasty Winter Weather Advisory from the forecasters. But once in awhile they know better than we do.

I quickly learned on my morning commute that it was really a travel advisory. Underneath the surface of the fluff was a slippery mess.

Even on plowed, well-treated highways, it required tentative and attentive driving. Saw two cars in the ditch in the first 15 minutes. After getting through Plover and onto the interstate, they were doing "traffic reports" and indicated some traffic jams on the interstate by Stevens Point. I had no idea how that could happen. Oh, but it did.

The morning commute was pretty much at a standstill. Not sure why. Granted, I did see another 3 vehicles in the ditches, but nothing near this police car that was sitting by the exit. Still, we were down to one lane and just inched along for a mile. Then I could exit for work.

Scary stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if the cops were sitting there just so we all would slow down. Prevent more cars from zig-zagging off the road. Sometimes it's best to listen to the people who know.

A few days ago, we were quite grateful we did.

In early December, hubby's uncle and godfather learned he had cancer of the spine. All these different health issues this year and there was cancer, lurking undetected beneath the surface – much like today's ice.

Frank has been in a nursing home much of the last month and declining fast. The caretakers were primarily managing his pain. Last week, though, they knew it was getting worse. And he was, too. They know these things. They've seen it. And, thankfully, when they pay attention they can warn the loved ones so they know they have one last time to say goodbye.

Jim and I went up to Marshfield last Wednesday night to do just that. Frank wasn't awake but we talked to him and he did squeeze our hands. We were able to express our love, pray for his comfort, and give him final hugs and kisses.

He died the next night.

It's a blessing when we who are left behind get the opportunity for final farewells. It was reminiscent of saying goodbye to my dad. On the way home, I again told Dad he was getting another good one Up There and to take good care of Frank for us.

I know he was listening because a trucking song suddenly came on the radio. Beneath the surface, that's The Lone Spruce telling me, "I got you, little buddy."

And "Drive with care."

Pace Makers

According to my Fitbit, I only got 3,082 steps today. Four hours in the car will do that.

I can tell you honestly that I think 3,000 of those were pacing during the entire 4th quarter of the Vikings-Saints game. And 82 of them were the result of continuously jumping up and down – while screaming for extra cardio – during the last 10 seconds of the game.

As we Scandihoovians say... Uffda and SKOL! Wow.

Glad we got home in time to witness it!

Had a good time yesterday at the wedding for my high school BFF's daughter. I took it as a good sign that when Julie and I posed for a picture, we had Viking purple hair! This the last picture of us when we are both under 50. Her birthday is Tuesday. Maybe purple is our transition to becoming blue hairs?

After the reception and dance, hubby and I drove up north another 2 hours to Siren to sleep at a hotel. This morning, we went to check out my mom's new Diggs, er digs, in Grantsburg and take her to breakfast.

I was hoping that by bribing her with breakfast and some groceries, she'd cheer for the Vikings today. But as much as she loves purple, I don't think I can change her ways at this stage of life. Can't blame a girl for trying.

By the way, her little apartment is a nice fit for her. She said she likes it, is meeting new friends, and is the warmest she's ever been during a Wisconsin winter. The old, big house was always drafty and a lot to heat. So that was good to hear. And great to see her looking well!

We also made a quick pit stop at Burnett Dairy to see my twin for a minute (she was working) and snag some ice cream. Who cares if it was 20 below zero?

We got on the road after 1 p.m. so had to listen to the football game on the radio for the first half. As we appeared to be running up the score in the first half, one of my sisters texted me to see if I was happy. I said we were "conservatively optimistic" because, well, we're Vikings fans and have seen many a blown lead and disappointing losses.

Turns out I wasn't far off the mark.

What a disappointing turn of events the second half was as the Saints came out scoring and picking apart our offense. Been in this position before, believe me.

With 2 minutes left, Jim turns to me and says, "You know what's going to happen, right?" I said, "Yep, it will come down to a field goal and we'll miss it." Since that has happened twice in playoff games – and Jim has been there for both!

When we actually made the fieldgoal, I said, "A minute 30 seconds is way too much time for Drew Brees." I was right about that, too. The Saints did come back and score. At that point, we were so mad about blowing such a glorious first half – while simultaneously hoping for a miracle.

When that last play happened with 10 seconds left, I was literally jumping and screaming at the top of my lungs. College Boy was embarrassed ("Mom, I have friends here."). I think I might have pulled a muscle. And may have had a heart attack. I have no voice left. And I can't stop watching replays of that last catch and run by Diggs.

As I mentioned last week, beating the Saints in a playoff game is a longtime coming since the "bountygate" business back in 2009. Who knows how we'll do against the Eagles next week in the NFC Championship game. Today was just a huge dose of much-needed karma.

My heart is still racing. That's a good sign. At least for today, well for a whole week, it's not broken.

This ol' purple-haired lady will take that any day.

Purple Friday... Yup, It's a Thing

Apparently, my ancestral DNA results are going to take some time yet. In the meantime, I'll just assume I have 100% Scandi-hoovian genes and can carry on with my purple pride.

SKOL!

Every Friday in the Vikings season is Purple Friday. Don't see much of that in central Wisconsin, but I still sneak my purple Chuck Taylors into the usually green-and-gold dress code. But since the Vikes are the only ones playing now, I got a little bold.

Still, I am keeping my expectations – well, trying to keep my expectations – for Sunday's playoff game in check. The last time we played the Saints in a critical game, it was the "bountygate" game where they were getting extra in$entive to injure Vikings players, namely our QB at the time. Wasn't ever a fan of #4 but he didn't deserve that. Hopefully Sunday's game will be some redemption anyway. At least to move forward another round!

We have a wedding out of town tomorrow so I may or may not get a chance to blog. Don't want you thinking I got bumped off for talking too much smack.

Unlikely, since I seem to be converting people. For reals.

Look what our neighbor Mike made me. Homemade and hand-cut with his something-or-other saw! That's the best payment ever for taking family photos!

Now if we can get one die-hard Packer fan to support us, can't we get them all? Haha. Let's try to get one or two maybe.

I'll keep my dreaming for bigger things!

Goldilocks and the Three Sloths

If you wonder what Christmas break looks like for college students, here's a hint.

There's been a pile of footwear by our front door all week. Sometimes neatly arranged like above. Other times messily strewn about with some wet boots and a few pair of lady shoes thrown in the mix.

While College Boy does like his kicks, these are not all his. He had two friends come over on Sunday night and I think they've moved in. Some nights there are 2 or 4 others also sleeping on the floor in the basement Man Cave.

Meanwhile, hubby and the cat get no time alone while he's working from home. He's kindly served the guests delicious breakfasts (usually in the early afternoon) at Jimmy's Bed and Breakfast. The rest of the day there's a whole lotta video-gaming and napping going on. Occasional sledding and bonding with girls. And the fridge and cupboards are getting pretty bare.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, right?

Really. It is.

We could be upset about our "home turned sloth hibernation zone" but as a parent of a teenager – and you others will agree – it's nice to know where he is. Exactly.

And that he's safe. (Except for tonight, naturally, when they venture out while the area is on ice-storm lockdown. Boys.)

Of course, winter break will come and go. College Boy will insist he was "home the whole time" so I can't complain about not spending time with him. He's got me on semantics.

We do still have another week or so "with" him. Hopefully we'll get some one-on-one time during that span.

And, well, hopefully the smell of feet won't linger too much beyond that.

Above Freezing Fun

Why yes, it was above freezing again today. And yes, the lines were crazy long at the car washes. Everywhere.

So that's how I spent my lunch hour today. In the short line. I thought.

Wrong.

Took forever and when I did get up there, I paid the machine. Waited my turn. Then had to pay again for it to work! I wonder if that's why it was taking so long. Everyone had to pay twice. Now there's a money maker for you!

That's OK. As my car reminded me, "I'm worth it, lady." Yes, salty girl. You are.

I really need to name that car. I have an hour's worth of drive time each day to think about that.

While I'm adding the grime and salt again. Vicious cycle. Hopefully, plenty of warm days will cycle in!

It's all changing back to winter tomorrow so I hope your vehicle got a good New Year's cleanse today, too!

Beyond the Grime

My car is still begging me to get cleansed of the road salt and grime. But before and after work the lines at every car wash on the route were at least 6 cars deep. I don't have time or patience for that but I will make it a priority tomorrow.

In the meantime, I can still see beyond the grime. See beautiful things, in fact.

Even through my dirty windshield this morning I could see the beautiful day God gave us.

Makes me wonder how many times we are missing a blessing because we are concentrating on the grime. 

If the day starts off on the wrong foot because of a cranky spouse or teenager, why do we let that ruin our whole day? There's probably still another 16 good hours left to appreciate. 

If we eat really well and exercise one day but the next morning the scale doesn't reflect that, do we give up or do we push forward, knowing progress takes time?

If you are like me, you may end up of sabotaging your joy for the day because of something negative that only occupied 10 minutes. There are 1,430 other minutes of that day that quite possibly could be filled with blessings.

Let's try to look beyond the grime and see that. We can still work on washing away the layers of negativity, but keep our eyes on light peeking through. There's beauty there. Just look.

In fact, every day that we wake up is a gift. A clean slate. 

Make it count!

The Year Summerfest Saved Christmas

Did you know that there was a sequel to the old TV movie The Year Without Santa Claus? Thank goodness The Year Summerfest Saved Christmas was just released today...

Since it feels like summer (well, spring) with temps nearly out of the Freeze Zone, it’s perfect timing that Summerfest officials finally revealed a headliner for this year’s edition.

Make that two headliners. And one that College Boy was especially happy to hear about. So were Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Pop star Halsey and rapper Logic will co-headline Summerfest's American Family Insurance Amphitheater on June 29. Obviously, Logic's appearance is super wonderful news for Carter, his buddies, and any ticketholders to the Dec. 13 show that was canceled due to illness. Rotten luck for those of us who TRIED to give the tickets as Christmas gifts.

Tickets for the new concert set for the day after my birthday – if you haven’t marked your calendar – go on sale January 19. So Santa really needs to be on the ball about this. Well, actually, those disappointed college boys better figure out what they want to do since this is assigned seats – not general admission like the other one. Yes, Mrs. Claus is doing her homework.

If you still don’t know who Logic is…



His anti-suicide anthem "1-800-273-8255," from his Billboard 200-topping 2017 album Everybody, went triple-platinum in the U.S. and is nominated for Song of the Year at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, airing Jan. 28.

Mrs. Claus did not know that off the top of her head. Or did she? Gotta give her some cool points for keeping tabs on this stuff.

Even for kids who may have transitioned from the Nice List to the Naughty List already. They have until June to set things straight. Mrs. Claus keeps tabs on that, too.

Sunday Snapshot

While it was actually double-digit temperatures ABOVE zero today, it still wasn't warm enough to really go out and do something in the great outdoors.

Plus, our smarty cat advised against it. 

So instead, she supervised and, for me it was 8 a.m. church and a choir performance, followed by un-trimming the Christmas tree, delivering a birthday gift, grocery shopping, and flipping back and forth between the NFC playoff game (Bring on the 'Aints!), the Sentry Tournament of Champions, and the Golden Globes.

Sylvester also strongly encouraged a nap, but I declined. Instead I'll be in bed by 10 p.m. and still complain tomorrow morning about it being Monday.

Always tough after such a strenuous day!

Pretty Great Show

Right now, our internet is down so I am blogging on my phone until every connection in the house is down.

What did YOU do on this sub-zero Saturday? My friend Cindy and I kept warm snuggling with Hugh Jackman and Zac Effron. Well, they were sort of in the same room anyway.

We went to the movie The Greatest Showman. It is a musical actually and done quite well. Great music. We both loved it.

And for once I saw a movie before the awards season. This probably won't be a habit. Unless the weather stays this cold.

Then I might have to a few more leading men to snuggle with. It's just for survival, folks.

Arctic Toilet?

OK. This is the last cold weather blog (for now). This deep freeze stinks. I'm tired of it. You're tired of it. But...

This is stinkin' funny...

I will never look at that the same again! Hey, we gotta laugh. It keeps our teeth from chattering.

You know what else helps?

A warm evening with friends! Enjoyed a tasty fish fry at the nearby Wildhorse Saloon with our neighbors Mike and Cindy. As a bonus, we each ran into friends we knew. Then we came home and watched some of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui.

Yup, just warm and fuzzy all over.

And grateful we have warm, indoor plumbing.

Made of Stern Stuff

Stop me if you've seen this before...

You know, I met Al Gore once back in 1988 during a campaign stop at UW-La Crosse. He was celebrating his 40th birthday that day. I still should have taken him aside and told him then there'd be days that whole global warming thing would be a tough sell.

Not just to Wisconsin and Minnesota folks either.

My friends in Florida had legitimate reasons to complain this morning when their wake-up temperature was only 26 degrees. Yowza.

And my sister Rayna and husband Paul had a long road trip from Hudson, Wis., to Gulf Shore, Ala., before they hit weather above freezing. This winter is not for wimps. You're either made of stern stuff, or you'll suffer from the cold or a bad case of useless whining.

You know who else is made of stern stuff? Wrestlers.

What?

Weird transition, yes, but I spent the evening taking pictures of a wrestling match since we have some Assumption kids on the co-op team with the nearby Nekoosa and Port Edwards high schools. I hadn't been to a match in a long time. Like when my brother wrestled in high school... and he graduated in 1979. So I definitely forgot what it was like.

Still managed to take hundreds of photos for some moms – and the Royal yearbook. Not sure moms want to seen the grimace of pain and strain on their boys' faces. But I think I got enough decent shots that I won't have to go to another one. Unless I just go for fun.

Not sure I'm tough enough to handle that. Let me face the weather first and see how it goes.

Cheeseheads in Paradise

If you're a fan of golf and actually watch it on TV – yes, some of us do that! – then you'll want to watch the PGA TOUR's Sentry Tournament of Champions tomorrow through Sunday.

Why? Because I had a teeny tiny part in making it happen. Sentry became the title sponsor for the Maui event and will be basically running it for the next 5, possibly 6 years. Since we own a beautiful destination golf course – SentryWorld – right on our "campus," we know a bit about golf. Now it's our turn to tell the world what our little company in Stevens Point, Wis., knows about business insurance.

So any time, any where you see the Sentry logo, it is something that came through my department – marketing – to do. Pretty much every little sign or name tag or program had to be created, written, designed, approved, by us.

See the tee markers and the large sign back there? You will see our new logo everywhere. The quote marks representing the conversations we have with our customers to better help them.

This is where the action will start on the first tee. Since this is Hawaii time, it will air in the Midwest from around 3-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

This sign has all the previous winners of this tournament. I got to write some of the media guide – including golfer bios. I bet you had no idea what all gets done behind the scenes of a major event like this. I didn't. Lots of i's to dot and t's to cross. That's for sure.

We do have some staff down there – obviously not the newcomer Robyn – and had people videoing everything from the course to culture to the making of the trophy. A glassmaker on Maui did the magic here, including a whale tail splashing in the ocean or, if you look closely, one half of our logo's quote marks. Crazy cool, right?

It guess they were posing the trophy everywhere today. Careful with that!!

I do look forward to seeing how it all goes so we'll be much better prepared for next year. So very many details!

I might just sit back and enjoy it this year while I can. And try not to get jealous when the bosses return next week with suntans and stories. Aloha!

Change View

For a moment, when I was backing out of the garage, I thought my car had grown fangs. Then I realized my backup camera was just observing well-placed icicles hanging from my trunk.

When I see that option to "Change View," I keep hoping I can click it and it will show green grass and heat rising off the concrete.

Dream on.

The good news is that we got above zero today! I think we reached 9 degrees or so. Still no predictions to actually get above freezing in say, the next few months maybe (hope I'm wrong), but at least we're climbing out of the deep, deep freeze.

I called my mom tonight – her first new phone number in several decades – just to make sure she's staying warm and to see how she's settling into her new apartment. Her new view. I caught her in the middle of watching an episode of Andy Griffith on TV.

This 85-year-old woman got cable today for the first time in her life and she found a re-run from back in the black-and-white TV days. Ha. That's awesome. I am so glad her change of view is working out for her.

Hopefully when we get up to see her in a few weeks, she'll still be enjoying it and we will have a milder view ourselves. Pretty sure we will.

My fangs mostly melted away today.

Cool Reception

Can't even go into the weather another day. Just so far below zero again that we never even ventured out of the house today. Not that there is anywhere a person really HAS to go on New Year's Day. So 2018 gets a rather cool reception and will just deal with it.

Pretty much had the laziest day of the year. (See what I did there?) My goal was to finish my 2017 business to get started on my 2018 items of action. First thing...

With my annual (usually short-lived) resolution to eat healthier, I had to get rid of the holiday fare from the house. Tried to yesterday. Just couldn't finish it all. Today, laying around eating bonbons and anything else with significant amounts of sugar, I still couldn't finish it all.

But I'm no quitter. We'll get the goodies gone and move forward eventually.

Until then I wish you peace in 2018.

Myself, I wish for peace... world peace, inner peace, and an occasional piece of cake with really good frosting.

Hey, I just want a resolution I can keep. You know?

Happy New Year and good luck with whatever goal you hope to accomplish.