The Fog is Trying to Lift

My morning commute was trying so hard to display color despite the lingering winter darkness and the fog.

Naturally I realized this was the most appropriate metaphor for the past few days. My brain is foggy and mushy from two days of training and my color (aka Creativity) is trying to show through!

Pretty spot on, actually.

I was trying to do my "normal" job today and found it challenging to put words together. I guess upending how you normally do your work can cause a bit of fog. Not to mention mental and physical exhaustion.

So I am just sticking close to home tonight. Was going to shoot some pictures at school but I just don't have it in me. From what I've read about New Year's resolutions, it's a good one to realize and practice the art of saying no. 

Especially when it's a non-paying volunteer gig where someone else is capable of handling it. (Also known as: Note to self, Robyn. You don't need to be the hero here.)

So I'm going to veg a bit, maybe hook a little, then go to bed at an absurdly early time. Because I really want to. Really need to. And because I can.

Don't forget to make choices for yourself this year!

How Great Thou Halloween

Long before there was Beetlejuice, Michael Myers – and even me, there was Charlie Brown's Great Pumpkin. 

Even though our team of writers at work span all ages, we all know the Peanuts Gang and the Great Pumpkin. So that was our mission today: Dress like characters in that seasonal special.

I dressed as The Great Pumpkin. If you see my name badge, it says: HELLO, my name is GREAT.

And here's our gang. Back row:
Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Marcy, Snoopy's Dad, Lucy, and Charlie Brown. Front row: Linus, Snoopy, me, and Rerun.

Pretty much every team in our marketing department dressed up today so that was fun.

Our afternoon featured a different type of entertainment. As I mentioned earlier in the week, our team had two volunteer projects on our calendars this week. Today was going to the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King (outside nearby Waupaca) to help them with their Halloween party this afternoon. Mainly, BINGO.

Crazy amazing turnout of some 80 veterans. All eager to play the game and win their small stacks of quarters.

They also had a lot of pumpkins on display. We could vote on our favorite. Here's a few ideas for you next year! (Of course, I'm partial to the ice cream ones.)

Pretty cool, eh?

It was also cool that our friend Dar's dad is a resident at the veterans' home, so I got to meet up with him – and may or may not have given him extra candy from my Halloween Bingo Bucket!

What a fun few hours of volunteering!

Now, since Jim is out of town/state, it's just me and Mr. SKOL Man awaiting trick-or-treaters. Two so far – with lots of candy to go! 

Hope your Halloween (or Great Pumpkin) was worth waiting for! 🎃

Many Thanks to Our Troops

I may have mentioned a time or two how amazing my employer is – and my team of fellow marketing writers. Our company does provide us paid "volunteer time off" and it just happens that our team is doing two volunteer events.

This week!

This afternoon, we gathered in a meeting room at the Point Brewery and created (and wrote) Christmas cards to the troops for the A Million Thanks program. A Million Thanks provides support and appreciation to our active and veteran military men and women through sending letters and granting betterment of life wishes, as well as providing higher education scholarships to their children.

Their current initiative is the holiday card and letter program. According to their website, all holiday letters for our troops need to be received by November 1 for Thanksgiving letters and December 1 for the winter holidays.

Our team of 10 writers concentrated on Christmas cards and hand-written messages. Give me a paper trimmer, tape runner, and holiday cardstock and I am in my own version of heaven!

I let others write the messages. I just made cards like I was a one-person assembly line! Turns out, every one on the team had a creative streak whether they thought so or not!

I was proud of mine. A few shown here. Sorry they're upside down on the writing end of the table! 

In the end, we crafted and completed more than 75 cards that will be sent to troops far and wide to wish them a happy holiday season!

Interested?

Remember, you don't have to have a large group to do this. But if you want to try a worthy service project with a group, go for it. Here is the link to the A Million Thanks "send a letter" page with the details of what to say, what to do, and where to send. 

As I express my gratitude of the nephews – and brother and uncles – who have served, it solidifies my appreciation of those who are willing to lay their lives on the line for this country. That's who we should be thinking about and thanking during this election season! (In my humble opinion.)

P.S. If you need a teacher or some advice on the card-making, I'm your gal! Message me! 🎄🎅💖♡💙

London (jet) Bridges Falling Down

It's not often I have to set an alarm to wake up and watch the Vikings. But when I do, it better be worth it. 

And thank-SKOL-ly, today was!

Had to get up early enough to shower and get ready for church before sitting down for the 8:30 a.m. kickoff vs. The Jets in London. It was a great start and it was tough to trade the recliner for a church pew at 9:15 a.m. But witnesses can confirm I did! While I did have my phone on silent during church, I may or may not have been checking the score occasionally. We were kicking butt and I was missing it!

Raced home after to catch the 4th quarter and witness our defense saving our team that seems to be forgetting we play TWO halves. Grr. Thankfully, Aaron Rodgers could not lead his team to comeback victory. He was too close for comfort.

But in the end... we're 5-0, baby!

With an early game, it was the perfect opportunity to take advance of BINGO at Assumption. Didn't win anything but had a good time. 

This was as close as I got to winning the progressive coverall jackpot. Nobody did so that goes up to almost $2,800 in two weeks. It's already on my calendar.

That finished just in time for me to head over the funeral home at 3 p.m. for a visitation for our dear friend Dewey, who lost his battle with cancer last week. Jim was out of town at a Gene Watson concert (you probably have to Google it), so we paid our respects at different times. I found some friends to stand in line with because we have a ton of mutual friends. In fact, so many people, it took me 40 minutes to even get into the building. Obviously, Dewey was a kind, generous, and popular man – who impacted a lot of people in a special way. God, please bless his wonderful wife and family!

When I got home, I had to study a few minutes before heading out to a new type of volunteer work. I was on one of the panels interviewing young ladies (vying for a certain title) so they'd get real life experience answering questions and improving that skill before they face the real deal in a couple weeks. It was very interesting and I had a great time brushing up on those journalistic interview skills of mine! Can't wait to do it again.

For now, I need to brush up on that habit of getting 8 hours of sleep! The wind was so strong today, it blew us way closer to Monday than I was prepared for.

Be careful out there!

Fry-Day

As work weeks go, this was a long one. For all of us under this roof. Hubby had technical issues and Carter and I just had outright piles of stuff to get done.

So Friday comes around and we're thinking a good ol' Wisconsin fish fry.

Of course, Jim volunteers at his church fish fry and runs the dishwasher, so it was just my boy and me tonight. At 50 degrees, it felt pretty spring-like so I found this palm tree fish fry graphic to illustrate our evening. But then I realized my imaginary second home in Florida was 30 degrees warmer today.

So we just enjoyed some delicious deep-fried perch from The Ridges and gave a sigh of relief that nothing further was required of us for the evening.

Now I just have to decide if I'm more invested in basketball, some catching up on Hallmark movies, or major catching up on my streaming series. As long as the most work is changing a channel, i'm good.

Hope you all survived your week OK and have some weekend relaxation in your future!

Color Us Happy

Since one of our work teammates was in town this week, we scheduled a volunteer event for all of our team. We went to a nursing home in Stevens Point and helped them color Thanksgiving pictures with either colored pencils or fine-tipped markers. Whatever worked best with their motor skills.

In my group, we had a few ladies earnestly coloring a picture they could hang on their door.

Some were simple and some (like this one) were more complex. But they enjoyed the quiet time visiting with us.

Naturally, we had to color along with them so the conversation flowed more naturally. Here's my co-worker Tom's finished product who the one nursing home resident called "undercooked turkey." LOL.

And here's what I putzed away at. You can't tell, but there is some purple and yellow in there! Hey, it's fall and football season!

I'm grateful to work for a company that gives us "volunteer time off" so we can support the communities where we work and live. We help others and bond as a team.

Be super grateful if you can say the same! 

USSO :: Day 7 and Final

When I walked into the U.S. Senior Open grounds this morning, I pondered whether the current leader Berhnard Langer (the 2010 winner) would win SentryWorld. Or would it be one of our favorite Wisconsin boys. 

Spoiler alert: I was right.

I initially wasn't going to be volunteering today, but I love this green shirt so much, I wanted to wear it one more time! Actually, they didn't need help for my media/marketing job today so I was able answer the call for much-needed volunteers today.

So I started on hole 9 per usual. Then they needed help on hole 2 with the large crowd following our two Wisconsin golfers in the last two groups. After that, I went back to 9 and then they needed an extra "quiet please" person on hole 17. I agreed before I realized my 3 hour shift was turning into nearly double.

Of course, as a marshal, the TV coverage showed only my lovely backside – thankfully blurry.

By coincidence, when eventual winner Bernhard Langer was putting on hole 2.

And driving on hole 17.

Quite a long, hot day. But pretty cool seeing quite a few people I know. I even ran into my college friend's dad, hubby, and son. That was cool!

And I got a few of the leaders in action en route between volunteer holes...

Wisconsin's Jerry Kelly on the par 3 hole 3.

Leader Bernhard Langer on hole 3.

After telling Bernie good luck on 17, he looks at his book as if to say, "Anything for you, anonymous volunteer!"

And I did get him carrying the trophy through the media area later. Just didn't have time for many autographs.

On the plus side, I got a pic of Strick giving an autograph to my friend's son.

I got home and watched the final round to see how everything went. Yeah for Flower Hole coverage – where my cousins volunteered...

Pretty fun to see. And pretty amazing to be a part of!

I'm pretty exhausted and sun-drenched right now and looking forward to cooling off and sleeping in. Hope I didn't bore you for the past week, but this was a pretty big deal! 

Please continue to enjoy your holiday weekend! 

USSO :: Day Four

Today's first round of competition can be summed up in three letters: H-O-T. And maybe: P-A-R. But not many birdies.

I got there an hour or two before my volunteer shift. Totally different vibe today. Lots and lots of spectators. And the Flower Hole has loved the recent rain and now the heat.

I only managed to grab a few pictures on my phone before and after my volunteer shift.

John Huston gets out of the pristine white bunker on the Flower Hole.

John O'Donnell, the founder of johnnie-O Apparel, was having a good time.

Vijay teed off on hole 9 right before my shift.

Mike Weir teed off on hole 9 right after my shift.

In between was a much more intense volunteer shift than earlier days. You don't want to make a mistake or miss finding a ball or any task when it's real competition – and on TV. Oh in just 96 countries. No biggie. And did I mention it was hot?

This was at 7 p.m.! Yes, quite a day. I stopped to by some adult Pedia-lite just to get rehydrated. 

I don't know if it was the heat or what, but only 4 – yes, just 4 – players finished under par today. Wow. Not I do not feel badly about any score I've carded on this course for golf league! But side note. Watch it on TV a bit and feel free to be jealous.

I cooled off in the media center with my co-workers after the shift.

That's pretty cool in and of itself. Feel free to be jealous again.

And when I asked about my round, er day, I said, "Things are just starting to heat up!"

Thanks for following along. Be careful out there!

USSO :: Day Two

Day two of the U.S. Senior Open featured Day One of practice rounds for the public. And one of two days I could bring my "real camera" to catch some action before and after my volunteer shift. 

Got to meet Jerry Kelly – one of two Wisconsin favorites in this championship.

Super nice. And funny!

Some folks on the driving range warming up.

Wanted to see Bernhard Langer in action beyond the driving range, but it didn't mesh up with my free time.

Got to see the other Wisco favorite Steve Stricker in action in front of the media and then in front of the crowds. Long-time fan here.

Mark O'Meara practicing on the 18th hole.

The Big Easy Ernie Els tees off on 17.

Rocco Mediate finds time to show him a video before he tees off.

Rocco doesn't bother dousing the cigar during his drive or during a quick autograph for a young girl.

Other familiar-looking players having fun during practice. Just don't have time to look them up. Ha.

Ernie Els on 18.

Love this candid of him laughing at something his caddie says. Obviously a much more relaxed atmosphere on practice days.

Stuart Appleby (maybe?) on practice greens. He looks familiar. Gah.

This guy too.

Checked out action on the Flower Hole for a few minutes.

Great shot of someone I can't name. I KNOW. I need to do my homework!!

It's looking pretty bloomin' good, anyway.

More putting green practice.

And then I took a quick lunch break in the media center, knowing I had about 20 minutes for the projected tee time for Stricker and Harrington. Since Padraig was on some live interview on TV, I knew I had time for a quick snack and energy boost. As I'm leaving the media center, I run into Padraig and his caddy and say, "Hey, I just saw you on TV! Take your time getting to the first tee so I can get a picture."

Yup. Me. 100% fan girl dork.

But I did get a great shot of Strick giving some hole advice to the defending U.S. Senior Open Champion.

And seeing them both tee off!

A few more miscellaneous shots of people I should know and will once you tell me their names again!

I wished Mr. Montgomerie well this week. I just wanted to hear his accent thanking me, ha.

While volunteering, my highlights were locating off-fairway balls for both Justin Leonard and Retief Goooooose! Both handed me my marker flag with thanks. Fan girl time.

Then later in my shift. I was moved up to the green by the rocky creek with the assignment to watch balls going into the creek or CLOSE to it. Got to help a few caddies scoop out their master's golf balls.

Then, when Paddy and Strick came around, someone hit a rock and it went into the creek. Someone else hit a rock and bounced high and then back into the fairway by a sandtrap. When they got on the green (left), I went right and asked who hit a rock and didn't see where it bounced to. I said it's back in the fairway by the trap. Padraig said it was him. I asked if he wanted me to got get it. He said yes, "no ball left behind."

Anything for the reigning champion, right?!

So I got it and then, not trusting myself to throw it over the creek, I walked along the edge of the putting green and personally handed it to him with a "Good luck this week!" and got a nice Irish smile and "Thank you."

Week made. If you ask me.