Undomestic Goddess :: Part 312

And now, another episode of my life as an Undomestic Goddess...

Saw this illustration today and laughed right out loud at its truth. This applies to me 100 percent. I hate doing dishes!

I mean, really, I hate doing dishes.

I'd rather run a half marathon (ha) or give up ice cream (for a day at least, maybe a week) not to have to do dishes.

My early memories of doing dishes as a child then teen were not pleasant. First, as a child, I was one of 4 to 6 at home at the time -- eating meals and dirtying dishes. Plus all those pans to make the meals! Yuck. At that time, we did not have indoor plumbing so that added labor to the domestic chore that was already too laborious for me! I used to think -- and shame on me -- that Mom should be able to do them since she is home all day. Bad, bad thought.

As a teen, when there were 3 kids home, then 2, there still seemed like there were a ton of dishes to do. My mom was working part time then so we really needed to help out. The old "I'm all done and I'm just letting these pans soak" trick was all fine and good until we had to finish up before school in the morning.

Let me tell you this. There's nothing like waking up to the feeling of dipping your hands into a sink of now cold, somewhat slimy water. Yup. That'll make you a paper plate user the rest of your life!

It sort of did.

I rarely used "real" plates when I was single. And now, for the past dozen years at this house, I have been spoiled mercifully with a bonafide electric dishwasher. Ahhhhh.

So while I don't have to scrub too many dishes these days, the undomestic goddess in me still puts pans (and baking dishes) in the sink to "soak for awhile." Sometimes, I take the lazy Martha Stewart route (as hubby calls it) and wait for my "TV crew" to clean up after me. Other times, I'm a big girl, and rinse the pan out and put it in the dishwasher. All by myself.

At least I don't keep dirty dishes on the stove or hide them in the oven. When I was growing up, we'd try to do that, but then we'd open the oven and there'd be clean socks drying in there. Yup, there was a time I lived with no indoor plumbing and no clothes dryer.

I might as well rename this blog: My Life as a Hillbilly.

Unconditional

One can't even come close to measuring the value of unconditional love. It is a gift to give it or receive it. The catch, however, is that it might not be reciprocated.

Take these two for instance...

Sylvester is definitely "Daddy's girl." Even though Santa technically gave her to Carter and even though there is another female in the house to bond with, she gives a good 95% of her love to Daddy. And he gives it right back.... but thankfully is able to give larger doses to Carter and me.

It doesn't always work human to human, though.

We were watching our favorite show Modern Family tonight. In it, the mom was thinking that her grown daughter might be "coming back" to her, so to speak, after the years of not reciprocating that unconditional love. Why yes, that did occur during her teen years. And yes, I did look at Carter when this was playing out on TV.

He looks at me and says, "What, Mom? It's just a show. You don't have to lecture me!" I responded by pointing out that I just looked at him, I didn't say anything or lecture. But that is the typical give and take right now. He does have his moments when he forgets to be too cool to interact with me. Like last night when I arrived at the basketball game late, I was walking past the student section and he yelled out, "Hi Mom!" I will tuck that little memory away so I remember it when he is rolling his eyes at me.

And I know he'll do it often. Trust me. After spending the weekend with my teenage BFF, I know darn well we thought our parents were clueless and, like, not even close to cool. Like, totally not.

So I'll just keep on lovin' him (as REO Speedwagon sang in my teen years), and be patient for the return trip. Very patient.

Like. Totally patient.

Terrific Tuesday

Why was my Tuesday terrific? Let me count thy ways...

"Hey, I know you": It was nice to wake up in bed next to my hubby instead of a body pillow -- or the cat -- for a change. As a bonus, I got 8 hours of sleep. In a row! Great way to start my "Monday."

I scream, you scream: Found out mid-morning that King Cone already opens March 1st for the season! Wait -- that's this Friday already! Whew. Good thing I didn't give up ice cream for Lent.

Foto Fun: Uh-oh. Robyn learned a new photo image manipulation skill today! All together now... Ooooooh..... Ahhhhhh. Is is not cool or what?? (Thanks, Brenda, for giving me the inside scoop!)

Empty Bowls: We had our wrap-up meeting tonight to discuss the success of our fundraiser for hunger. It was so encouraging to hear that everyone on the committee heard positive comments about everything -- from soup to bowls. We will be helping some great causes in the South Wood County area and there is a second event for next year already in the planning stages!

A Royal butt-kickin': From that meeting, I headed over to Assumption to catch the first round of the girls basketball playoffs. As the No. 1 seed, we played against Granton, the No. 8 seed in our bracket. There was quite a mismatch of talent. When I walked in at the end of the 3rd quarter, we led 66-3. I had to do a double-take. Final score -- and this is not a typo -- was 79-3. Uff da. Long ride home for the Bulldogs. Now we play Friday night.

Good thing the only thing blue about my day was my fingernail polish!

Home Stretch

Breaking news.... There are three -- count them, three -- people in this house. And it's going to stay that way for awhile.

For now, hubby's work travel is done and my scrapping weekend is done, so we are a family under one roof. Yay!

When I talked to Jim last night, I told him I had more than 50 pages done and he said I couldn't come home until I had 72 pages done! Does he realize that making me stay longer at Camp Crop-A-Lot is not a terrible punishment? As it was, I did end up with 73 pages done for the weekend, which reflects grades 1 through 4. Can I get another YAY?

Here are a few photo highlights... (I will take some pictures of favorite pages at some point, too):

The rule of thumb is everyone is comfortable -- that means jammies or swearts or yoga pants... and slippers! Gotta love these hungry lion slippers my friend Andrea was wearing. I had to take a picture for my sister Rayna, another lion lover!

It's quite fitting that Julie and I met in 3rd grade on a field trip to the Shrine Circus. Now she has become part of the Scrappin' Circus (see controlled chaos in background)! Actually, it really was great that even though our lives and schedules have become a circus, we made the time for this special weekend.

My friend Becky (far right) organizes this annual event with 2 other women. She wanted a picture of "her people" and we had a devil of a time finding an angle where the sun reflecting off the snow wasn't killing our eyes! Here we are all squinting like crazy and when I zoom in on each face it just makes me laugh out loud. What a great group.

Monday morning: That awkward moment when you realize that all your table mates are gone so ALL the "stuff" spilling over 3 tables is yours! If you can believe it, I was packed up in 15 minutes! Experience, my friends. Experience.

So now that I am home, I've got some laundry and sleep to catch up on. Plus I had the guys DVR the Oscars for me so I am going to try to squeeze a 3-hour show into one hour.

After squeezing all that stuff into my vehicle, I'm feeling pretty confident.

Happy Campers

Greetings from the Sticks... otherwise known as rural Rosholt (that's redundant) where Internet connection is sketchy at best. But since I found a "hot spot" in our scrapping hall tonight, I will blog quickly while I have it!

On Friday morning, we woke up to maybe 3-4 inches of snow or so. But it was coming down lightly so we weren't too concerned about heading up here. Add to that the fact that hubby was home -- after an atrocious drive home from Milwaukee airport Thursday night -- and willing to snowblow so we could go.

Julie and I got here by 11:30 a.m. ... And all details are pretty sketchy after that.

What I do know is we didn't get enough sleep, but we did get enough food (and treats).

I know that Julie didn't have much scrapping experience coming into this weekend, but she caught on quickly and created more than 30 fabulous pages! As a bonus, it was just awesome to spend time with her!

I also know that I can't fit all 6 of Carter's elementary school years into one album, but now I can say I finished an album! Grades 1 through 3 are done and now I am working on 4th grade in the new, second album.

I am glad I decided to stay through Sunday night so I could keep working. There are 15 of us (of the 55 attending) enjoying an extended stay. Julie left late this afternoon to go home south of Madison. She texted me awhile ago that she made it home safely but forgot her coat, gloves and scarf here. A scrapbooker's priorities in the dead of winter are Cricut and papers first, outerwear second. At least she had her "mummy" sleeping bag with her to keep her warm if she needed it!

I can't give her too much grief about not thinking straight after 3 days of scrapping. When I finally got on the Internet tonight, I grabbed the tape runner sitting next to my laptop and wondered why my "mouse" wasn't working!

Uff da. I better get back at it while I still have a few brain cells left!

Eye-Q

Been keeping an eye on the new winter storm system they simply named "Q."

Today is the day hubby is supposed to get back from his last work trip of the "season." We kept in communication since I could look online at the radar and forecast for Memphis, Atlanta and Milwaukee for him. Especially important is the "when will it start snowing?" part of the formula.

As it turned out, despite rain/ice mix in Memphis, he left on time around 6 p.m. He got to Atlanta fine (yup, flew south to go north) and they just had rain there. Now he just texted me he has landed in Milwaukee and it is not snowing yet. So, with a lot of luck and some caffeine, he should be home, sweet home, by 1:30 a.m.

That will give us 8 hours together before he goes to work and I take off for Camp Crop-A-Lot for days.

Well, c'mon. You knew there was more than one reason I've been keeping an eye on Q!

To beat the storm, my high school BFF Julie drove up from Madison area this evening and is staying overnight. Then, come hell or high snow banks, we are convoying to camp sometime in the a.m.

The projection is 3-6 inches of snow in central Wisconsin. But we are on the border of the dark pink 6-12 inch circle on the weatherman's fancy forecast map. So who knows? It hasn't started snowing here quite yet, so I'm just going to have to go to bed and wake up surprised.

I hope it's a nice one.

Hump Day

These weeks that begin with a Monday holiday really screw up my mindset. Go ahead and say it. It doesn't take much!

Today is already hump day, which on a normal week means, "Yay! Weekend is almost here!"

This week, however, it means, "Holy crap! The weekend is almost here! I have to get my work done to be off on Friday and Monday. Need to get my scrap organized and set to go! Plus this, that and the other thing... that thing I better write down or I'll forget!"

Work was busy today. On the way home, I stopped at our tax guy's house in Stevens Point to give him our documents. I also swung by Michaels looking for one particular item. You would be proud of me. It wasn't there so I walked out without spending a dime. (Hold the applause.)

I picked Carter up from school, dropped him off at home and ran a few more errands in town to get gas, last-minute items for Camp Crop-A-Lot and some groceries. I had to stop in the local scrapping store for a quick check to see if they had what I was looking for. About 30 minutes later, I walked out with a few items. Not the one thing I was looking for, but a few things I will use. (Aren't you glad you held your applause?)

When I got home, I told myself, "No TV tonight! You have too much to do!" So I set the DVR to record Modern Family and American Idol.

I made the mistake, though, of sitting down to watch American Idol while folding some laundry. Most of the female contestants they had on tonight were amazing. So I sort of kept folding -- or pretending to -- and saw most of the show. Whoops.

I still got lots done. I will just have to be super "on task" tomorrow. If it's the day after Hump Day, I better be careful or it will all be downhill from here.

Catch My Drift?

Well Old Man Winter must have really needed to blow off some steam today. Though I actually would have preferred steam to his blustery (and that's putting it mildly) winds!

The drive to work was interesting. We got 2-3 inches of snow overnight. And Mr. Wind silently showed up, too. So besides snow blowing across the roads so you couldn't see where it was icy or not, you also couldn't follow too closely behind someone because the snow would just blow up in your face, so to speak, and you were momentarily blinded.

It wasn't too bad until the I met a semi around a curve and his motion kicked up a bunch of it right into my lane. I couldn't see at all. I didn't know if I should brake so I wouldn't hit the car in front of me but hopefully avoid going in the ditch, or not brake since the car behind me would be blinded and wouldn't see my brake lights anyway. Scary moment there. It lasted maybe 2 seconds but it took 2 more miles (or perhaps 20) to get over it!

Now I know what a "whiteout" is, and I don't like it! I wish I had a horse that knew the way to carry my sleigh through the white and drifting snow...

I made sure I left work early enough today to drive the whole route in daylight. Good call. The snow was drifting in places and constantly blowing across the road any place there was not a tree or house to block it. And that was either side of the road. It was weird. Just blowing across the highway like a mysterious fog rolling in on an old Scooby Doo episode... or like a fog machine at a Who concert!

If I had been traveling in the dark, I don't know if I would have seen the road OK. Good thing I am smart about winter driving. And yes, let's face it, a wimp, too.

Got Carter at school, came home to eat supper and raced to church for a meeting at 6:30, planning to skip out early so we could go to the boys playoff basketball game down in Port Edwards. Turns out I didn't have to skip anything since the meeting is next week. In fact, after double checking, I clearly had it written in my purse planner and my wall calendar that the meeting is 6:30 Feb. 26.

Oh, today's not the 26th?? This cold weather is getting to me!

I'm kind of scared for tomorrow when the windchills are supposed to hit 25 below zero.

Stay warm, my friends.

P.S. The Assumption boys won by 20 points to advance to the next round! Glad we got to go after all!

Highs and Lows

We had off today for the Presidents Day holiday! I did some work from home and Jim went to work to get a few things done before heading to Milwaukee, where he flies out of in the early morning for Memphis.

My highs today:

• I slept in again past 8 a.m. Whoot!
• It was almost 40 degrees out so I got a nice outdoor run in!
• I have 90% of my packing done for this coming weekend's Camp Crop-A-Lot!

My mediums today:

• I ended up spending most of the rest of the time at the computer, working on a special project for a friend. It was good I had the time to do it. It's just that I had DVR'd at least one Hallmark movie plus another movie I wanted to see. Guess I'll have to wait on that!

My lows today:

• Rode with friends up to Wausau to watch our undefeated Assumption girls take on conference rivals Newman. It's always a tight battle between these two schools. When they played in our "house," we won. Tonight, the Cardinals claimed victory on their home turf. Dang. There goes a perfect season. At least we are still conference champs and seeded #1!
• I told Carter to ride the bus home today. Then he calls after school and reminds me there is NO BUS today because public schools weren't in session. ... Which we knew because Jim gave him a ride TO school. Duh me. I guess I do deserve his eye rolls once in a while! (But I'm only admitting that ONCE.)

Good thing I know how to forgive myself! Saw this illustration today and thought it appropriate for all of us who make mistakes -- then learn from them!

Sleeping Beauties

There's been somewhat of a shortage of sleep around here. For us princesses anyway.

Thursday night was a late night because we were out of town for a basketball game then had to get up at 5 on Friday to get Carter to school by 6 for Solo & Ensembles. Then Friday night we were down at the neighbors' talking stupid 'til 2 a.m. Saturday.

Yesterday, while I really wanted to sleep in, hubby got up at 9 to go to work and I just couldn't fall back to sleep. I was thinking of all the stuff I had to do. So instead of staying in bed, I did them. It was a productive day. I made my Amish Friendship Bread butterscotch muffins (I am ending that cycle for awhile), did my Saturday cleaning chores and got our tax stuff together for our accountant. All that and Carter still slept.

But he had a good reason. He had an overnight lock-in at the school last night so he wanted to sleep as late as possible Saturday. He did. He got up at 3 p.m. Wow. Don't remember the last time I did that unless I was sick!

On the plus side, he can brag that he managed to stay up all night last night! We had arranged that I would go get him at 7 a.m. this morning when it was done, but he texted me at 6:15 to see when I was coming. Oh no worries. I like getting up early these days... especially when it is 12 below zero out!

So I pick him up and he said he had fun. He was kind of wired still so he said he was going to just stay up all day. I, on the other hand, crawled back into my warm bed and fell asleep until 11. I really, really, really needed that!

Carter did make it until 4 p.m. and then said he wanted to just lay down for an hour or so. Bad idea. He slept for probably 90 minutes. Now, a few hours later and he is still out of it. That's what happens. There is a trick to naps. Everyone has their "just right amount" of time for it to both rest them and refresh them. Going on no sleep then sleeping hard for more than an hour didn't cut it.

I imagine he'll fall asleep pretty easily later -- after he does his homework in Zombie Land. Tomorrow, since there is no public school, Carter needs a ride. I think it's Dad's turn since I went this morning. That would be a good thing. I can't imagine how difficult it will be just to wake him up. Probably a bit like waking the dead.

Too bad we don't have a Princess Charming to give him a kiss!

Who Are You?

Dateline Denver... and nearby Golden, Colorado, too...

Uploaded some pictures from Jim's brief visit to see his high school friend Pete, wife Dawn and, of course, The Who!

Dawn and Pete live in Golden, Colorado. Howdy, Folks!

Their Chows -- Annie and Rudy -- are adorable! (I won't let kitty see this picture or she'll get jealous!)

Some sight-seeing included Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater.

Not a bad seat in the house, if you ask me!

A scenic drive no matter where you drive. Wow!

Speaking of scenery... Gorgeous! (And the mountains aren't bad either.)

You never know who you're gonna find in the mountains. RIP Buffalo Bill!

Now onto the concert fun... This is Jim (top right) and his friend Pete (front left) when they went to see The Who in Wisconsin in late 1982.

30 years later... still friends... still Who fans... and still rockin'!

Concert poster! Are you excited yet?

A somewhat blurry concert view from a camera phone. You get the idea. They weren't terribly far away from stage!

You guessed it. They pretty much stood for the whole concert! Here you can see them watching the stage (light at left) and checking out closeups on the mega-screen. Jim can't say enough about how awesome it was! That's good because I don't know if there will be another "reunion concert"!

Going, Going, Gone...

I should be a writer. Or at least somebody in marketing or PR. Oh wait, I actually do all those things for a living. Sort of. But when it really counts is when it comes to Carter's fundraisers.

By signing him up for baseball this week, I got the typical box of candy bars -- 60 to sell this year, not 50. I took care of my VIP customers first, then brought the box to work today. Just took a little signage ...

And directions to my desk (I added arrows)... and we are sold out! Going, going, gone... Good job, Carter!

Actually, I can't give him any grief for his lack of personal sales efforts. He was busy doing something important today -- competing in the district Solo & Ensemble contest. Now that he is in high school, he has the chance to go to state if his performance gets a starred first rating on a class A piece. He was happy to get a first on his class B brass trio but disappointed that the larger brass ensemble only got a second on its class A number. So no trip to state for him this year, but our school will still be well represented.

Since the contest was up in Marshfield, we had to get Carter to the school at 6 a.m.! Tough morning. And long day. While we got out of work at 3 p.m. since it's a holiday weekend and we have early release, Carter didn't get back to town until almost 6. That's a really long day!

Jim met him at the school and they stayed to watch boys basketball while I took in a crafting class at the new scrapbook store in town. It was supposed to go from 5-7 p.m. but it got a little technical and went until 7:30. Yes, working with micro-glitter can be technical!

Afterwards, I met the guys at school and got to the game at 7:40 or so when the first quarter was just ending. Our varsity boys beat the Phillips Loggers by a lot. That was good to see.

Afterwards, since the basketball season is soon to be going, going, gone... we got together with some "freshman parents" just down the road and had a great evening. Since our gathering didn't start 'til almost 10 p.m., it seems logical that we were there until 2 a.m.

In a few hours, it will not seem so logical. I know Carter won't have a problem sleeping in. Probably Jim and I won't either. Just hope the phone knows not to ring!

Love Will Keep Us Together

We heard Captain & Tennille singing "Love Will Keep Us Together" on the radio on the way home from a basketball game tonight. It's a good thing love will do that because we certainly can't rely on Cupid.

Today, for example, you would have thought Cupid called in sick and sent in Santa and Jack Frost to do his job. We really didn't need another 3 inches of snow or so overnight. I was not feeling the love when I was snowblowing on my "lunch hour" -- even if I was doing it to be nice to my Valentine!

Overall, it was a different Valentine's Day. We exchanged a few gifts before Jim headed off to work and Carter went to school. I worked at home today since I had what turned out to be two appointments with Dr. Fun. I suppose I should have given him a Valentine! But while I wasn't exactly loving what he was putting me through, I can say I love the results of his exams, extractions and tests. I am in good health! Whew.

After we picked Carter up from school, we stopped to get a heart-shaped pizza at Rocky Roccoco's. I even got a nice red heart balloon, too. We ate and headed up to Auburndale to watch the Assumption girls (conference champs!) play and keep their undefeated streak alive.

It was the closest, most intense game of the season. Tied after the 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters. With less than 15 seconds left, we managed to get 2 free throws in so we led by 4. That was enough to do it and we won 45-41! Worth the road trip!

At some point during the game, Carter handed me a frosted, heart-shaped cookie and says, "Happy Valentine's Day, Mom." I say, "Oh cute, where did you get this?" The typical teenage boy responds with a sarcastic, "Off the floor in the boys' bathroom."

Well, the sentiment was there. Right?

Like I said, good thing LOVE will keep us together because we can't always rely on cookies or pizza or a good basketball game.

Some days, they are a nice bonus, though! Hope you felt some love today, too!!

Once in a White Moon

It seems these days that once in a Blue Moon (not the ice cream flavor), hubby and I are in the same house together. Tonight starts a 4-day stretch!

Yes, he had a great time seeing his friends and seeing The Who. I will have to download photos and share them. Probably tomorrow. It's gorgeous out in Colorado and the entertainment, this time anyway, can't be beat.

Pretty sure it's going to be boring around here in comparison.

Our excitement today -- that fun stuff he was missing -- included school and work, then witnessing Carter pick out some Valentines (definitely more than one) and signing him up for summer baseball.

That was a topped off with a phone call to my parents, home from their extended stay at my sister's in Texas. I heard a little about their trip then spent some time (oh let's not say how long) trying to talk Mom through some instructions on their cell phone. I should know by now. But every time I think maybe I'm explaining it a little clearer. While clearly I am not.

While I haven't quite decided what I am going to give up for Lent, I most certainly have no patience to spare. In fact, I've got a whopping headache right now that stems from my lackluster "technical support" effort coupled with lack of sleep last night.

Time to hit the hay before all the crabby leaks out!!

Oh, and speaking of Blue Moons or white moons, here's a little creative piece I designed from a picture I took in June when we were visiting friends in Door County. I will keep this in mind during Lent when I figure out my goal.

Good night, Moon!

We Got The Bead, er, Beat!

I screwed up. I guess I was under the impression that Fat Tuesday was automatically followed by Skinny Wednesday. Are you telling me that is NOT the case?!

Dang.

I still don't think that would have stopped me from indulging in what I believed to be a bead-free, sin-free, guilt-free slice of Vanilla Bean Caramel Pretzel Cream Pie!

I mean I really had to have a piece. I brought it to work after all. I certainly didn't want anyone to think it was no good. If anything, I guess we'll have to blame the Schwan's man. (Though I honestly can't, at heart, because, well, he really is my best enabler.)

I did try to run it off on the treadmill at lunchtime. However, I doubt burning 300 calories was enough to cover that sinfully delightful dessert! And no, I refuse to look at the nutritional -- or in this case, non-nutritional -- info on the box.

Nope. I will just work it off for the next 40 days.

Most likely I'll skip any other attempts to get Fat or earn Mardi Gras beads. Especially with hubby out of town. One would guess that he is dancing -- well, grooving anyway -- his extra Fat Tuesday calories off tonight to an extremely loud beat.

Yup, just 3 days after receiving his AARP membership information packet in the mail, Jim is in Denver to see The Who, whom he saw 30 years ago on their "farewell" tour. The irony.

This probably will be their farewell tour, with 2 of 4 original members gone to that Classic Rock Station in the Sky. I know they still can rock it, though. And I'm so glad Jim got to fly out to visit his high school friend Pete, who went to that concert with him 3 decades ago. What a neat thing for them to do. Plus he gets to visit and sight-see a bit, too.

Maybe we should all start living like it's Fat Tuesday and live on the edge a bit. Or at least cross something fun off our Bucket Lists. A great concert or whatever.

Of course, next year at this time, Jim and I could do something together .... and cheaply with his AARP discount!

Room With A View

Remember last year when I managed to get a nice hummingbird picture -- after about 323 attempts? Well every time a cardinal comes to our bird feeder, I miss it. Carter sees them. Jim sees them. I never do.

The other day Carter took this one and said, "Here, now you have one for your blog."

Works for me! Of course, I won't give up. One of these times I will see them out the back window and will have my camera in hand. In the meantime, it's good to know I've got Carter looking out for me!

Just as much as much I would love to capture a cardinal on "film," our poor sentenced-to-life-indoors kitty would love to capture the obnoxious red squirrel that torments her out the front window. She should thank me. I actually did capture it!

But only on film. Sorry, Sylvester.

He looks so cute and innocent, doesn't he?

But then... "There he goes, Kitty! Get 'em!"

Oh, that stinkin' squirrel! Just mocking her and her imprisonment. If only kitty would realize that she is snug inside while the birds and rambunctious rodents are stuck out in the bitter cold.

Then she'd be content with her station in life. Of course, I think from her lofty pedestal (several of them actually), she's gotten that figured out.

Now if only I would be as content when I miss out on things. Maybe just enjoy the rooms with a view and capture it in my mind.

Then take a nap...

Slippery-Do-Dah... Slippery Day...

I saw the weather "advisory" last night predicting freezing rain from around noon-6 p.m. today. So I made sure I got up for 8 o'clock church so I'd be home safe and sound in plenty of time.

Good plan.

All I had was one stop at Wal-Mart. Apparently, I wasn't the only one. Ran into several people I knew and had a nice long chat with Carter's former babysitters, too. While I was dilly-dallying around, I had no idea the freezing rain had started early. Well, earlier than predicted.

Good thing a guy coming into the store warned me on my way out that it was slippery already. My shopping cart became my life line between me and my car! Yup, it was definitely icing up. The roads were slick but I thankfully made it home OK and so did hubby.

Since we were "trapped" at home all day, he had plenty of time to pack for his next trip. (He'll be gone to Denver from Monday to Wednesday, visiting a good friend from high school and seeing The Who in concert!)

We also had time to play some cards. We each won a game of 3 to 13 and I left it at that. It's so rare I beat him, I didn't want to push my luck. After that fun, I spent some time in the kitchen making some Valentine treats for work (or whomever) and making chili for supper. Somewhere in there, I also finished a book for an upcoming book club visit. And edited some stories for work.

Now it's time to sit down and watch the Grammys and hope I can at least count on one hand how many "artists" I know. Just not hip enough any more.

I'm pretty sure the only thing cool around here is the thick layer of ice on the driveway.

Bowled Over

Today was the inaugural South Wood County Empty Bowls event. And, pun intended, I was bowled over by the success and support for it!

Since I was on the planning committee and Carter is always on the lookout for community service hours, we both headed to our church at 8 a.m. to help prep. It was evident from the moment we walked into First English Lutheran that this was a community -- not a just a congregation -- event.

We had volunteers from our parish and Scout groups and the neighborhood. We had multi-gallon soup donations from 7 local restaurants. We had desserts aplenty from "church ladies." We had about 230 pottery bowls crafted by our pastor and two other talented potters from the area.

And we had nerves and excitement.

You just never know how a first-time event is going to go. We felt pretty good about getting the word out -- with coverage in both local newspapers, the radio and even television. But still, our committee was conservative and cautiously optimistic. Our pastor, however, predicted we'd sell out of soup and bowls.

Good thing Pastor Josh has a decent track record for being right. Especially this time when it counted!

How did it work? Each person who attended paid $10, got to choose a ceramic bowl to keep (not an easy decision, I tell you), then enjoyed a lunch of delicious soup, fresh bread and dessert. The money raised goes to our local food pantry and a few other anti-hunger programs. The bowl goes home with donors to remind them that every day someone in need has an empty bowl.

If you thought choosing a bowl was hard (Jim grabbed this one in front before treating me to lunch and Carter got the one in the middle with the yellow and blue design) -- choosing a soup flavor wasn't easy either. I highly recommend the Cajun Bean, while hubby supports the Chicken Gumbo and Carter favored the Chicken Dumpling. Yum. Yum!

Here's Pastor Josh with one of his bowls. I think even though he predicted a good turnout, we were all amazed that we had 100 bowls sold by 11:10 a.m.... and it officially started at 11 a.m.! Whoo-hoo!

It was encouraging to see such community support and hear all the wonderful comments from attendees. I am grateful to be a part of it.

And, of course, any time I can spend the day with my baby is a bonus, too!

Melt Down

I had to work from the home office for two reasons today: One, I had to be here to let the drywaller in. Two, I had a doctor's appointment at the end of the day.

Somewhere between there I lost my Internet connection, thus connection to my work computer, so I found something creative to do. You guessed it... take pictures!

If one was just looking out the window and seeing the sunshine and the icicles melting, one would think we are in the midst of a major warm-up. Not the case. The sun did help melt the icicles but it was only 20 degrees. In my book, that feels warm compared to recent weeks!

I was just happy to have a picture or two turn out. Here's one I designed for my Facebook page. (Yup, the Internet was down that long!)

That about sums up the day, too. But I'll fast-forward through that to tonight's fun.

Our Assumption girls hoops team played rival Wausau Newman at home and we finally beat them. And soundly. I think it was by 20 points, which is unheard of in recent years. Last year we split the conference title with them. It would be nice to win our last 3 games and not only win the conference title, but enter playoffs undefeated. Our girls are 11-0 in conference games and I think now 19-0 overall this year.

Feel free to be impressed!

After the game, we went over to a friend's house to celebrate awhile. It is now almost 1 a.m. and I have an early morning so I'll wrap it up, get some decent sleep and hopefully not have any meltdowns tomorrow!

If I do, I hope they make pretty pictures at least.

Glazed Over

I don't mind a glazed doughnut now and then. But I can do without glazed over roads and vehicles.

They (as in the weather gods) predicted freezing rain overnight and warned of a slippery morning commute. Before I left the house, I heard threats of ice, fog and snow. Yet, my drive to work was uneventful.

Looking out the window all day, I saw a fine mist coming down. I did not know that freezing rain could be so deceiving. It left a thin layer of ice on all of our cars in the parking lot, then piled some snow on top of it. Needless to say, it was the longest solo drive home I've had to accomplish. It really made me miss my chauffeur!

Good thing he's home now. For three days at least.

I got home in time for us to go to the boys basketball game. We got to watch part of the JV game then had to work concessions. The varsity game went so quickly, we missed it all. But I'm happy to report our Assumption boys beat Stratford.

When we got out to the car, we realized it was still snowing the whole time we were in there. Hubby was scraping off the car and the windshield wiper came off. Uh-oh. We need that. Good thing he's married to a gearhead. Even in the dark, with no gloves and dealing with ice, I got that wiper back together and on. And we were good to go.

Not really a nice welcome home for someone who's enjoyed the mild Texas weather... when not in airports or convention centers anyway. Maybe when our temps get into the 30s on Saturday and Sunday, he'll feel the love.

Maybe.

Strength Training

There are few songs out that proclaim the message that what doesn't kill us, only makes us stronger.

In my lonely commute to and from work today I heard two versions of this -- one by Kanye West, the other by Kelly Clarkson -- and I knew that even if God doesn't like rap music, He still was speaking to me.

It's funny how sometimes I am completely up for a challenge and other times, not so much. I think I've figured it out. If I choose the challenge, I am in. I am dedicated. I am out to prove I can tackle it. If I don't choose it -- say, maybe God just throws it in my lap or sideswipes me unexpectedly -- that's when I have a problem.

I recently chose two physical challenges. Not because I am particularly athletic, but because I need to prove to myself I am not too old, weak and/or completely out of shape to achieve them.

In December, the "challenge of the month" at the Iola fitness center was planking. I think I told you about that. I don't remember the results or where I ended up, but I wasn't strong enough to do well.

In January, the challenge was to hold two 3-pound dumbbells out like the picture and hold them in that "T" pose for as long as you could. Without dropping your arms. In fact, there was a bar there preventing you from doing that. You had to hold your arms out above it. And if you touched the bar, you were done.

You'd think 3-pound weights wouldn't be that heavy. But after a few minutes, they might as well be 30 pounds. In my first attempt, I surprised myself with a 3 minute, 40 second hold. That was the lead after awhile until some woman got over 4 minutes. 4 minutes, 20 seconds to be exact. I tried twice to get close to that time, but failed. In my final try on the last day of the competition, I just wanted to improve on my 3:40.

By the 3:40 mark my arms were shaking uncontrollably but I wanted to push further. It wasn't quite killing me or anything. I made it to 4 minutes and dropped my arms down though. Ouch. I ended up finishing second and won some free classes at the fitness center! Not bad for someone whose only arm exercises are typing on the computer and scooping up ice cream!

My other physical challenge will be the 5-mile Point Bock Run on March 2. I know that won't kill me either, but it may hurt me. Unless, of course, I get my act together and keep on my running schedule. Since they capped the run at 2,000 participants and some of my friends didn't get in, I better put my best foot forward... quickly followed by the second foot! Should be a great time, regardless of how I do.

And it will make me stronger.

I am hoping that holds true for a few other challenges that have been plunked down in my path. God really must have more faith in my strength than I do. He certainly likes to test me.

But I suppose after handling everything from slippery roads to slimy cat poop on the floor today, He may be onto something.

I'll let you know.

Another Blizzard?

OK, it's not a real blizzard -- as in hubby is in warm Texas and I home to run the snowblower again (well, maybe with the 4-6 inches forecast for Wednesday night). No, this is the good kind of Blizzard -- as in Dairy Queen is open again for the "season."

My season.

Now before you get on my case about breaking my New Year's resolutions, take a look at this logo. See, they are all running, just like me!

Is it wrong to run 3 miles over lunch so I can have a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard for supper? Not according to this logo. It wouldn't lie.

I can keep running on ice cream!

If you can believe, I actually forgot it was re-opening already. In Wisconsin Rapids we don't have a Chill & Grill. Just a "chill" I guess. So the owners close it from mid-November to early February. This year, really early February. I wouldn't have even known except I saw a picture of the neighbor's dog already getting her first DQ ice cream cone of the year.

I was cool-treat beat by a dog?? I must be losing my touch.

Either that or the subzero temperatures have frozen that little cone-shaped area of my brain that desires ice cream. How tragic.

Good thing I have been saved.

It just happened that I was thinking of DQ and they sent me an email today with a buy one-get one Blizzard deal. You know these coupons don't last forever. So when I picked up Carter from weightlifting after school, we made sure to swing by.

Is it wrong to have to wait for a parking spot while the owner shovels away slush and snow? Clearly we have somewhat of a character defect frozen in place.

I hope it melts by spring!

(Or maybe I don't.)

Making the Connection

Anyone who has traveled by air without a direct flight knows how precious each minute is when it comes to making the connection.

This morning, Jim was up in time, his co-worker was at our house at 3 a.m. to pick him up. They made it to Madison in plenty of time to make their flight and boarded on time. Unfortunately, the plane did not take off in time so when they arrived at the Atlanta airport, they missed their connecting flight to San Antonio.

They were supposed to arrive at 8:54 a.m. and make the 9:46 a.m. flight. That in itself is a tight squeeze for time in that huge airport.

So what did the missed connection mean?

Well, simply put: 8 long, long, long, long hours in the airport!! There is only so much reading, talking, walking, eating and attempts to sleep that one can do in a somewhat confined space -- plus having to lug their carry-ons with them.

They kept an eye on flights that were going to San Antonio and were placed on standby in case someone didn't show. That didn't happen. They ended up on a flight just about exactly 8 hours later and, thankfully, Jim just texted me and said they'd landed in San Antonio.

Finally!

Now last week I will admit I was jealous about his business travel. Golf and California sunshine just about had me holding a pity party in the midst of the snow storm.

But today, I was reminded that business travel is not all it's cracked up to be. The traveling alone can take up full days on each end of the trip sometimes and, while you aren't really doing anything, it is exhausting all the same.

So when he calls in a bit I probably won't mention that I had a good day at work, Carter is already doing his homework and I just pulled some fresh-baked banana bread out of the oven.

Nah, I'll just mention how cold it is here so at least he's got that going for him!

Super What?

OK, as I start this blog there's a power outage delaying the game. When it comes back on, I may not even watch any more. I am surprisingly disinterested this year.

Maybe it has something to do with my whole day being off-kilter. I set my alarm to get up for 8 a.m. church today. But I realized when I rolled over at 7:54 a.m. that I forgot to turn it on. Whoops. So I went to 10:30 church and saw a whole new crowd. Well, there were a few familiar faces but now I know there is rarely much crossover between the two services. Oddly, a person gets in a rut and sticks with what they know.

After church, we had a little time to relax before heading to our annual Super Bowl party at our friend Chet's house. He's been doing this party for so long, you really better have a good reason not to show up. It's tradition. Even though his basement lacks a bit of space and HDTVs.

But it does not lack for food, beer and good company.

Got to catch up with my friend Christine, who I don't see often enough. And see a lot of the guys we normally only see during "racing season."

We had planned ahead to leave at halftime since Jim has to wake up at 2 a.m. or so and catch his ride to the airport at 3 a.m. When we got home and saw there was a power outage at the game, he figured it was as good a time as any to hit the hay.

Carter, on the other hand, sat on the couch through all that even though he could have been getting his reading homework done. Instead I have to come home and start nagging right away. He ignores me anyway and we'll go through our familiar routine of him staying up past all our bedtimes to get his homework done and me having to drag his tired butt out of bed in the morning.

It's no wonder Daddy doesn't mind these work trips!

That and the fact it is going to be cold and/or snowy again while he's gone... and highs close to 80 down in San Antonio. I'm guessing he cares less about the Super Bowl than I do right now.

At least with our new cable system, I can rewind and check out all the commercials I missed.

Whoops... I was just informed by the couch potato that the game is getting close again. Maybe I better check it out after all!

Furry Friend

I'm not really a cat person, though I have come to love our pretty kitty. Hair balls and all. Now, I believe I could love another furry critter... Punxsutawney Phil!

Oh yes, from the perch of "Gobbler's Knob," the prognosticator of prognosticators finally predicts an early spring! After several days of sub-zero temperatures, I for one can hardly wait. And so help me, if he is wrong, I am going to track down his furry... face.

I don't joke about the cold.

And Mr. Deck Chair and I certainly don't take lightly any possibility OUR days in the sun will come sooner than expected this year.

We did get above zero today. In fact, the Weather Channel reports today's high was 11 degrees at 1:45 p.m. when conditions were sunny. Just warm enough for the guys to shovel the snow we got last night and nice enough we could run around and take care of errands and even take in a few basketball games.

Some of the boys Carter plays tournament team baseball with are on Assumption's 8th-grade tournament team for basketball. So we watched them in a few games and Carter hung out with some friends there for awhile.

Tonight he is over at some girl's house with some other girls AND boys watching movies. Since I could smell his fake cologne from across the dining room, I asked if he thought this was some sort of date. After the expected eye roll, he gives me the "No Mom. It's not against the law for boys and girls to be just friends."

Oh, OK. Glad we have that straight. And doubly glad hubby talked to the parents to confirm my son was telling the truth. Ha. I did warn Carter he has our trust when he goes places so he better not blow it.

You don't even want to know how long it took me to forgive Phil that year he was wrong about spring.

Oh, Phil. Please make me forget!

Take Two

OK, somehow it's already month number two in 2013. Here I thought February was the shortest month of the year, but January just flew by. And I didn't get everything done I needed to.

First, I realize I didn't even get my beautiful photographic calendar from my sister hung up anywhere. I usually hang it at work but I have that firefighters' calendar that hubby gave me hanging there. (Don't want to hurt his feelings and not hang that up.) At home, I have one that has mega spaces each day because we often have to squeeze 3 or 4 events in one square. Sorry, Rayna, I WILL find a spot for your special planner. I know I'm missing out on some great pictures!

Second, I haven't gotten into the habit yet of writing 2013 on my checks (or anywhere). I'm still changing 12's to 13's but making it look like a natural 13. Must be working. It hasn't stopped anyone from cashing my checks!

Third, I was planning to celebrate a blogging milestone but now that event is over. So instead of raising a glass of Coke Zero and toasting my 2,000th blog post, we are saying "cheers" today for number 2,006! Maybe I should have held off for 2,013. Of course, I was pondering retirement at 2,000. Now I might have to wait 'til 3,000 to keep it an even number!

Fourth, I really haven't given my new year's resolutions a chance to even glimpse success. I am not giving up, though. It's a new month so we get another new chance. Just like in the movies. If the first take isn't good, we "take two."

Sounds good to me.