A Tale of Twisters and Monsters

What a strange two days! I took Friday afternoon off to head up to Hodag Country to meet my sister Nell. Not a local? Rhinelander is the home of the Hodag pictured above.

This mythical, mischievous creature was first “discovered” in Rhinelander in the late 19th century but may have been roaming the Northwoods for eons before that. I can't confirm or deny! Today, the Hodag has become the official symbol of Rhinelander – it’s even the mascot for the local high school and can be seen pretty much anywhere visitors go in Rhinelander.

That is not the reason we were going to Rhinelander. We swear. But it you can believe it, for me, meeting up with one on my sisters up there is twice as close (less than 2 hours) to driving 4 hours to see them in our Up North back home towns.

So when she said she was going to a conference Friday and Saturday and could use the company, I said sure!

In our routes up and over yesterday we were both more like the Storm Chased versus the Storm Chasers. We knew tornadoes and crazy stuff were predicted. In fact, on my route up I-39 they had already dismissed schools early for safety. We both had sunny skies and stayed ahead of it thankfully!

Me arriving to town: "Hey, sis, I found the Hodag!"

40 minutes later... clouds and high winds before we find a place to eat!

As we scarfed down our delicious Friday night burgers at a place called Bucketheads Sports Bar & Grill, we heard no less than three tornado warnings on the multiple TVs! We're like, should we take shelter? And... wait is that what county we're in? 

Who knew being a tourist in Hodag Country could be so dangerous?

We did make it back to the hotel fine and she beat me in two games of Five Crowns before we realized the twisters did destructively touch down between Rhinelander and Wisconsin Rapids. Uff da.

And this morning we woke up to 30 degrees and a "real feel" of 21 degrees. So Wisconsin had sunny and golfing Thursday, twister Friday, and winter Saturday.

*Checks calendar*

Oh right, it's spring.

Got home about 6 p.m. tonight and am grateful for at least a little sister time. And super grateful for our safe travels.

Prayers to all dealing with tornado/wind damage and flooding right now. Consider any way we all can support them!

Oh and keep an eye out for those sneaky little monsters among us!

The Power of Un-Powered Tools

Full disclosure: This is all going to seem like it's coming out of left field... because it sort of is.

My main agenda item today besides getting through work was delivering two pair of arborist pants to my cousin's son. Have I lost you already. He's in Stevens Point (well-known for its DNR related programs and degrees) and saw these for sale through Facebook Marketplace – but in Wisconsin Rapids.

So I picked them up and yesterday I was like, "Dude, I have your pants in my car. When do you want them?" So it worked out that I could meet him and his fiancee for a dinner after work. 

So what exactly are "arborist pants"? Turns out that if you're using a chainsaw like the well-intentioned beaver above, they're chainsaw-resistant. A bullet-proof Kevlar protection layer from serious harm. I can see why he wanted to buy these 20-dollar pants that normally sell for almost $200. Good call. (Also note that according to my blog title they are un-powered tools.)

But who cares about arborist pants? Obviously it was most important to hear about their upcoming wedding plans in 2027. And perhaps dish about our families. Lol.

So after that meal I headed into Wisconsin Rapids to WalMart to find a replace my hair dryer – who died inconveniently, of course. RIP.

And I can't make this stuff up. First my TIRE PRESSURE IS LOW warning comes on. So I pull over knowing that I have to have it in park to "calibrate" or whatever. That happened again when I got WR WalMart. So I did recalibrate again but that wasn't my main concern.

I've recently attached my key fob to a lanyard because it sometimes can fall our of the very shallow pockets of work pants. Well when I parked, I realized the lanyard was there... out of my pocket... but no fob was attached.

So I knew it was in that deeply imbedded spot under the seat that is impossible to reach with human hands. What can I do?

You know, I suddenly realized that I still had scrapbooking tools in my vehicle that I've neglected to unpack that might include some sort of tweezers to grasp it from its secret hiding spot.

And the tweezer for tiny stickers or alphabet letters won the day! A powerful tool that requires no power.

So after that, of course, I wanted to tell my scrap sisters about our life-saving tools!

Well, it turns out my monthly Girls Night Out group was meeting and eating a Whoudini's and I still had time to catch them there. I zealously shared my story with my scrap sister Jenny and then they all asked me what "arborist pants" are and I could not understand how they knew this.

They said, "Well you texted your husband about your dinner plans." I'm like "Yeah, did I accidentally send that to this group too?" No, they said. He's here.

So here we were – my girls night and his last-minute three classmates from high school meeting at a bar we go to maybe once a year. (Including your hubby, A.P. my loyal blog reader. Not that I'm tattling!)

As Rick in Casablanca says: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine." Ope sorry.

Of course I really just wanted to show off a cute shirt I got at GW Boutique (yes, Good Will) the other day...

Random patterns and such a steal. I pointed out that I was fashionably late because I was so fashionable. Thank you to the person that donated it. You've added some POWER-ful spice to my life!!

It's in our Genes (and Jeans)

I had to laugh at this because today I went to my favorite fashion hub – GW Boutique (OK, it's Goodwill but appreciate my creativity) – to find some jeans over my lunch hour.

I don't think it's a far stretch for me to say that there are two main things that women everywhere hate shopping for (and trying on) and that's swimsuits and jeans. Am I right?

Ugh.

The issue is that there is no such thing as standard sizes in the fashion industry. One brand's size 8 is a size 12 by another brand. So of course, I seek the brands that let me boast (to no one actually, who am I kidding?) about wearing a smaller size. Ha.

I did successfully find two pair of jeans – by two different brands and two different sizes – that had the right fit. Granted I'm thrilled the numbers are lower than a year ago. But are they really? 

Hmmm.

You wonder why women play so many mind games in their heads. Well this is why. How come guys have standard 32x34 and we all have random size numbers. Sometimes odd, sometimes even. Never understood that either.

It appears I'll be working from home quite a bit in the coming 3+ years. You know what's not judgmental about sizes? SWEAT PANTS.

You're welcome.

The Sad Part About the Sandwich Generation

 

No offense to people of younger and even older generations, I don't think you understand the impact of being part of the Sandwich Generation. On the one hand, we're trying to raise our children as responsible adults... while simultaneously attending to our parents' ever-changing needs in advanced adulthood.

Between Jim and I we are down to one parent left. So we've dealt with that a little bit. But I realized today when I heard word one of the ladies at church passed away that I was not ready for the ripple effect.

I forget that when you worship with someone for nearly 30 years that they become part of your circle of people you care about. Just the compassion her and her husband showed each other in church each Sunday was something any couple of any age should aspire to.

And they always appreciated my writing for the church bulletins or monthly newsletters. Bonus points for loving them even more.

This past weekend three of my sisters made the trek to St. Louis to lay our Uncle Charlie to rest. The last OG Hedberg of that generation. So grateful for a trip there a year ago to celebrate his 90th birthday.

But my fellow members of this Sandwich Generation – my cousins there – have to deal with their father's death plus their mother's advancing dementia.

I recognize that certain generations have dealt with insurmountable tasks. but please give grace and understanding with some of us are trying to process as the Sandwich Generation. 

Because many of us are Gen X. I know we can handle it, but thanks for recognizing the challenge and that life is .... gosh darn it, so hard to deal with sometimes!

Well That Was Fun

I could dub thee Sarcastic Sunday. Because some parts were not that fun.

Take church choir for example. There were 4 us. Not a fancy barbershop quartet. Just 2 men, 2 women. Not the strongest singers. Myself included in that. And our director sang with us to bring it up to 5. Yes, it was just the melody for On Eagle's Wings. But still. Cringe. 

But then it got fun. 

Ran up to Herrschners for some baby blanket yarn (bless them for Sunday hours) and worked on blanket #3 (boy them #2) while watching golf.

I love watching The Masters – especially on Augusta Sunday. And frankly, I want it to be a close competition. And today delivered big time. So many lead changes and people climbing the leaderboard. In the end Rory repeated for a back-to-back win, but he tried to blow it on the last hole – driving it into the woods!

I noticed his daughter Poppy is getting big. Yes, I do "know" some of the kids. I just wonder if they understand what the big deal is when Dad always wins things! You know?

And as the leaderboard was heating up, so too were the temperatures. The windows in the house and the screen door were letting in fresh air! Also, maybe something related to pollen. Not pollen yet, but I sneezed no less than 20 times this afternoon/evening. Grrr.

Did get out for a jaunt around the neighborhood after golf concluded. 

There was a hen party going on around the bend but since I just saw 5 out of 6 sisters the other day, I kept on walking. C'mon, that's funny, right?

Ok. Break time is over. Time to get back to hookin' something! Hope you had real FUN at some point today!

Let's Taco Bout It

I love that every bridal shower has themes these day. A few weeks ago it was love was brewing (as in coffee) and today it was "Let's Taco Bout Love."

And, it was a very nice bridal shower for Jim's god-daughter Becca.

I didn't win many games but Becca still was focused on the special guests and gifts. God bless them as they prepare for their June wedding!

How to Rebound

You realize that for many of us the best way to rebound from a mostly depressing day is, well, golf. In any form.

So yes, the coveted Masters is on TV. And perhaps I could catch sneak peeks at work on the TV since well, we are a PGA partner so we can have it on our TVs. But I didn't catch everything because well, work!

I loved seeing that Freddie Couples went birdie-birdie to start today. He is a favorite of both hubby and I and we were thrilled to see him at the Ryder Cup a few years back – even as a coach. "There's Freddie!" Love him and his easy swing and easy demeanor.

Not selling his Zen product or anything. Just saying he can keep us all grounded for a spell. Even if he finished well over par.

Getting back into the office today after three days of "remote planning" meetings, it was nice to see most of my team. We even had a birthday and someone else made the trifle knowing I wouldn't make it home until late last night. Yay. I can delegate and it can turn out yummy!

And I know my twin and her family had one heck of a sad day today with the funeral. Thank you to all of you who reached out with words of support. She needs them more than I do. But I love you for caring!

Gratitude During Heartache

 

Wasn't expecting to see 5 of my sisters in the middle of the week, but that's us. We're there for each other when one of us hurting. 

Today it was my twin.

Last week when I mentioned some tragedies. One was her daughter-in-law dying of cancer. She was on hospice and it went rather quickly.

She was only 38.

Nothing illustrates heartache and heartbreak like seeing my grieving nephew and their two young daughters (12 and 14) trying to hold it together while greeting dozens and dozens of well-wishers.

My sister's whole family has a hole in their heart where Melonie used to fill it with a smile that could light up a whole room.

So glad we made the 4-hour trek. Being there for my other half means everything.  

And hugging other family members i haven't seen since before Christmas was an added bonus.

Grabbed a bite to eat with a few of them before hitting the road back to Rapids. Also stopped to visit Dad and Mom's grave. Then swung by to give my sister Rachel a hug since we were going through Luck. So many much-needed hugs!

Be grateful for these moments. Life is so precious. 

P.S. Sorry for any typos. Typing on my phone since we'll get home after 10!

Two-Day Brain Drain

Today was the first of two days of quarterly planning for work. Which means nothing to you. In January, this process was new and we spent most of the two days learning what to do and how to do it. Today went more smoothly.

But it was still basically being in one continuous meeting since my alarm went off. Well, practically!

I was physically exhausted after work and I was just sitting all day. But at the computer. And working. I guess brain drain can also drain or other energy. I made good progress so tomorrow shouldn't be too bad.

At least my brain was not too fried. I remembered my – OUR – important task/privilege today. Voting! In our township, all the races fit on one side of the ballot. Not a ton going on. But some very important decisions to be made.

Hope you all exercised your right to vote. For me, that was the only exercise I got all day. I think my FitBit should give me double steps for that, don't you?

Fake Madness

 

Me. This is me. I am the "I don't watch basketball much" person in the office. Well one of many. So I always think there's a chance I could win the NCAA pool with my mostly #1 picks combined with random upsets.

Just doesn't work. My bracket was busted to splinters last week.

So do I watch the championship game tonight since it will be close and Michigan and UConn are obviously the best teams at the moment? Uhm, probably not. I'll admit my enthusiasm was more for winning the bracket than for college basketball itself.

I'm a fake.

But if I won our pool, of course I'd take the office traveling trophy and bragging rights and run with it.

Hubby still has a chance for a good return on his investment. So I'll let him watch and I'll catch up on The Voice another night. Now there's no fake passion there!

Good luck if you're still in the hunt!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! He is risen! He is risen indeed!

This morning I sang with the choir at both of our church services. Hubby had his service last night so this morning and he our brother-in-law helped clean up some of the fallen branches (from that ice storm) in my father-in-law's backyard.

There's still so much wreckage everywhere around here!

This afternoon we drove down to Lake Wisconsin in the Lodi area to meet Carter and Mamie for a late lunch. It was a good halfway point for us both.

Food was great but how did they know from my simple order of chicken tenders that I am a Picky Eater?!? They are not wrong. But what?! Crazy. And the source of a good laugh amongst us all.

So great to deliver Easter "baskets" and visit with the kiddos! They had a positive time in Duluth despite the wicked weather. They're pretty excited about the possibilities so we, in turn, are excited for them! Just a nice lunch!

I don't think we've been in that exact area of Wisconsin before. It was a nice sunny drive with some pretty views, too.

And some unusual ones. Yup pelicans in Wisconsin! You can see the white cap wave there. It was quite windy out but for some reason they'd rather fly here than a beach in Florida?? That's where the phrase "bird brain" must come from!

Anyway, despite not having a full family gathering, it was a blessed Easter. Hope you all can say the same!

Easter Weekend

This makes me laugh every year. Predictable, juvenile humor. But I love it. And who doesn't need a good laugh these days?

Today there were a ton of egg hunts in the area. I did not participate in any of them. I did however check out a bake sale and RAFFLE BASKETS for the Best Christmas Ever program. Last time, I walked away with two winning baskets. Today, well, zero. Unless they're still making calls. LOL.

Other than that we had a lazy day. I finished the baby girl blanket and am starting the boy one now. 

And baseball was on TV. And basketball. My bracket blew up so I don't know if I care. I do like close games though!

Jim is singing in his church tonight and I have to sing at both Easter services in the morning. The Easter Bunny did not make up baskets for either one of us so that chocolate pictured above is all I'm going to get. Probably for the best.

A picture is calorie-free!

Enjoy your Easter weekend – hopefully with family, loved ones, or your own box of chocolate!

 

Chilling Out Not What It's Cracked Up To Be

No April Foolin', the darn weather dudes were right. We were in the heart of a wicked ice storm. I took this picture at 8 a.m. and realized it doesn't matter how little ice it seems to be, most of us were not driving to the office.

Especially since it just kept accumulating all day.

I fired up the laptop and was able to work for 3 hours. The lights had flickered a few times and then, at 10:44 a.m., they went out. Without electricity, our wi-fi router wouldn't work, so not more work for me. I shut down my laptop to conserve power. Our lovely cellphone provider wasn't providing great signals all day either. Add to that, no running water or use of indoor plumbing.

I forgot what it was like to live like Laura Ingalls!

Most of the day I kept an eye on our bunny ear trees, which normally stand pretty straight up. This was early in the morning before even more ice accumulated.

At their lowest point, this was how close it looked like at least the right one would break.

But then the ice stopped coming and it warmed up just enough for us to witness an ice rain as the ice broke up and fell from all the trees. At the end of the day, the trees hadn't parted ways but they put some distant between themselves like fighting siblings.

Throughout the day we could just hear the snap, crackle, pop as tree branches (mostly pines) were falling everywhere – in the woods around us, in the neighbor's yard, a few in our yard, and all the way down the street.

This is typical of the destruction everywhere in that darn targeted purple area. No surprise about the power outages. In the early evening, many of us on our street were notified that power was restored. We're all like, "No, it's not." So we all had to resubmit our outage reports. And think that put us to the back of the line – of thousands of customers without power.

When we went to bed in our dark, chilly houses last night, the last we heard was that our power would be restored by SATURDAY afternoon. Ugh! 

Somehow managed to get a little sleep – even without my electric mattress pad. First World problems, I know. But dang. We do take a lot for granted! This morning, I went to the office to be warm and productive since yesterday was a lost cause.

Suddenly I was getting texts that there were Alliant trucks in the neighborhood. Would I dare get up my hopes?? Jim texted my a picture of our dining room lights on at 11:50 a.m. (25 hours without power). So I raced home and showered and made it on time to church for 1 p.m. Good Friday service. I guess God really does answer our prayers on His time.

Here a few "cool" shots from yesterday...

Poor birds falling victim to fake spring and looking for anything to eat. Icicles weren't doing it!

I hope this didn't kill off any of our budding trees!

And how safe our these power lines in our yard?

I was happy to learn, though, that there are things you can do when it's a daytime power outage.

Mind out of the gutter! I meant practically completing a whole baby blanket! 💗

Want to send a special shout out to all those offering up generators, water for our toilets, and a place to stay. We have the best people in our lives. Take care of your friends and loved ones, too! 

And we've potentially got more of that freezing rain coming tonight. Be smart and be careful out there, friends!

Purple Rain, Sleet, Snow, or All?

 

I hate when they make my favorite color purple look evil. But sure enough, we are in the heart of the worst of the ice storm warning starting at midnight tonight. I with this was April Fools, but it's not!

Let me translate what this particular purple means... up to an inch of sleet and up to half an inch of ice. In other words, travel is not advised early Thursday.

So since my home and my workplace are both the purple zone, most of us who have a commute are working from home tomorrow!

The one purple that did me joy today was a I sort of kicked bunny tail in our department egg hunt. I don't know if I found the most since not everything was tallied yet, but I snared 41 of them! Me, competitive much? Not a surprise at all.

Hope you'll be safe tomorrow no matter what color in the map you live in. Make smart choices!

Not as Trifle of a Trifle Tuesday as I Hoped

I should've known at the first glance of the sunrise on my morning commute that God was trying to instill in me a sense of calmness for the day ahead.

Instead I was worried about my precious cargo for a Trifle Tuesday birthday celebration at work. Granted that does take 30 minutes of concentration – especially when I had to slam the brakes for two idiotic deer crossing the road. I held my hand across my passenger seat like I was protecting a child! In the end it got to work intact.

Right now I feel stupid talking about what was in the trifle because some tragedies occurred today with some of my loved ones but I'm not at liberty to share yet. Just hug your loved ones and know cancer effing sucks!!!

So anyway, this is my usual Frosted Circus Animal Trifle. So appropriate when a majority of us working in corporate setting know it can be a circus!

Bottom layer had a very carefully placed parade of animals on the outside. Inside that parade is mini frosted vanilla cupcakes basically cut in half or crumbled a bit. Next layer up is white chocolate pudding I added some red food coloring to for a pink-ish layer to match those animals! Next layer is chopped up vanilla wafer cookies – the kind with frosting in them, not to be confused with 'Nilla Wafers.

Repeat layers. Add Cool Whip on the top – plus more circus animals!

It was very sugary and sweet and delicious. And I came home with perhaps one serving left if I really scrape the bowl good. I'm not above licking it clean when it comes to this particular trifle combination!

The other bright spot of the day – although much colder than "summer" yesterday – was Royals baseball kicking off their home season. I lasted a few inning but got pictures of each of the starters at bat. And we were ahead when I left and thankfully continued to kick butt and beat Owen-Withee 11-1. I think this will be a fun season to watch and capture.

When it's warmer! 

I do hope you all found something positive and not the least bit "trifle" to your emotions today. Take care!

Monday's Micro-Dose of Spring

This. This is 100% me. And also why I decided at 7 a.m. – after consulting with Mr. Deck Chair and the ugly upcoming forecast – I was taking the afternoon off. I mean It's almost April and I've used one day (of 6 weeks' worth) of vacation in 2026.

Best decision!

I logged off at noon and was at my friend Jenny's house in town by 12:15 and we commenced to enjoy a leisurely but calorie-burning 3-mile walk. With so much catching up!

Got home and started assembling a trifle for tomorrow (no spoilers allowed this time). Then sat on the deck to paint my toenails a sparkling pink SUMMER color (of course!). Then sat on the swing to let the nails dry while I listened to my current Book Club book that is changing my life – Theo of Golden. Trust me, as soon as I'm done I'll be blogging about it because I want everyone to read or listen to it!

Took another walk later because well, it was still gorgeous out. Plus I had to get in a few more steps. I think my health and fitness program at work is going to think someone stole my FitBit because... 10,000 steps TWO days in a row?! This is not the Robyn Austin we've come to know.

I fully acknowledge that shortcoming. Working on it, working on it!

The challenge comes with winter allegedly returning in 48 hours or less. Gah. I think Old Man Winter and Mother Nature should just pool their resources and pay for therapy for the lot of us!

On a serious note... graphic photo alert... today is the 2-year anniversary of my sister Rachel's horrific crash that tried to claim her life (a few times!) but the angels decided it wasn't her time yet! If you don't believe in God and miracles then look at this photo and ask yourself how else she and her friend survived!

Even now, she's not out of the woods yet. She's advancing more to walking without a cane or walker but is smart when she knows she should use one of them. And the legal battle for which insurance company will pay her medical bills is ongoing. She even had a deposition today of all days. Minnesota's "no fault" rule means she was 50% at fault for the accident because she was on that road – even though the other driver crossed the line and struck her. Obviously with impact! If any of you are the praying type, she still could use your prayers.

It continues to remind our family that there are so many miracles of spring. We love the birds and the little shoots of flowers blooming. But having our sister still with us tops them all. 💖

Hug your loved ones. Or if they are far away, tell them you love them!