Powering Through

Every once in awhile my back reminds me how young I am... not any longer.

I started stiffening up a bit after that lovely spring trail run in the snow. Then I had a few long drives up north and I started the Insanity workout, too. Each little thing added a few knots and just after I powered through the on-and-off pain for one more weekend, my massage therapist had to leave town on an emergency Tuesday. And I couldn't get in to see my chiropractor 'til today.

And that almost didn't happen. After I learned that Carter's baseball game was rained out, I called to see if I could have my appointment later since we didn't have to get to town early. The message on the machine said the office was closed until Monday. Boy, I let out a large groan!

Luckily, I left a message and my chiro called me back and said that that was an old message and he could see me today. What sweet relief! My neck seriously needed to be twisted off my head. But it feels better now. I have to go back tomorrow again but I am a little bit more confident about powering forward now.

And being stubborn like I am, I certainly won't take it as a sign to slow down.

But in just in case, I parked my butt on the couch for two hours tonight to catch up on Mad Men on DVR and actually watch Glee while it was on -- instead of DVR. And since Carter has two essays to write tonight, I don't need to linger on the computer either.

Got my blanket turned on and a good book to read. I think I'll be fine.

Day of Rest

The myth that Sunday is a day of rest doesn't always hold true around here. Had quite the full schedule today.

Church at 8 then off to to the ballpark for a few hours to work concessions and do some field work (well Carter helped pick up garbage anyway). Hubby had to stay on a few more hours to help. Carter and I came home. I worked out to Jillian Michaels, took a shower, then we headed over to Jim's sister's house for Colin's graduation party.

Had a nice time. Casey came home from Eau Claire so he could join us, too. The temps were as hot as yesterday but the breeze and shade helped. It was a nice party. We're proud of that kid!

Got home just in time to watch the season finale of Mad Men. So I am blogging during a commercial and keeping this short.

I noticed a pile of stories I meant to edit this weekend for work. Ugh. If this is a day of rest, no wonder Mondays are so miserable!

Better get some rest.

Winter Recreation

The 3 of us under this roof are not big fans of the cold and snow. Which means for about 6 months, maybe 8, we are not doing much in terms of recreation outside. Other than the sled run (which has not taken form this year).

So when big brother Casey offered to take Carter to Powers Bluff -- a winter recreation park northwest of Rapids -- we thought that was great. So the 2 of them and cousin Colin spent the afternoon there, tubing down a big hill, then not even breaking a sweat to climb back up. One, because it was only 15 degrees out. And two, because they have tow ropes there. Now that would have been nice for our Hedberg "sliding" parties back in the day.

I figured if they could brave the cold, I could, too. So I layered up and went for a run. I managed 4 miles without breaking a sweat. Well, a little, but only under my awesome Twins hat! So I guess I really did get in shape last night! Or maybe it was just 15 degrees out...

One of the indoor activities that I do enjoy in the winter is watching the award shows for television and movies. Tonight is the Golden Globes and in a few weeks, the Oscars will follow. I never really see any of the movies beforehand but I do know some of the actors and actresses. In tonight's case, a lot of the folks on some of my favorite shows (Glee, Mad Men, Modern Family, Big Bang, etc) are nominated.

So I plopped myself on the couch in my comfy sweats (which did not pass Red Carpet inspection) and am watching 3 hours of glitz and glamour. Something tells me I won't break a sweat doing this either.

Gotta love winter recreation!

Football Sunday

The nice thing about having this "free" weekend is that today finally felt like a true Sunday in autumn. I think you know what I'm talking about.... Football!

It was definitely a typical Football Sunday around here. After church and Sunday School, I got the chili going in the crock pot. Then actually had some couch time! I thought -- and knew -- I certainly had tons more June Cleaver work to do. But took the Eddie Haskell route and said, "Screw it. Watch football." So I did.

I even managed a little deck time at halftime. You never know how many of these glorious days are left!

Since the Packers played early and the Vikings late, we actually got to see them on TV for a change. I see I haven't been missing much this season. Lots of sloppy play mixed in with some good stuff -- just enough to give us a win over those darn Cowboys! Yee-haw!

Of course, Carter was obsessed with his fantasy team all day. Probably rightfully so. Big brother Casey is kickin' his keester right now. I am up against hubby and we are pretty much neck and neck. Since he is feeling sort of OK and well enough to go on his business trip Tuesday, I won't even get time to gloat when I beat him. Ha.

Now it's chili time. Then waiting for the next big TV event. No, not Sunday Night Football. It's the season finale of Mad Men. I hate to think this is my last date with Don Draper until 2011. And here I was just starting my fall Sunday routine!

Back on Schedule

I was awakened by an annoying sound this morning... and had to make fast friends with Mr. Snooze. Oh how I did not miss my alarm clock on vacation!

Since we stayed up late (in my opinion) to watch Mad Men, I was a little slow out of the gate this morning, but about an hour into work, it felt good to be back. Not as good as laying on a beach sipping a smoothie, but OK good.

I tell you, if we won the lottery, I would not get a chance to be bored. Here we had a whole week off and I didn't even get anything done around the house. I could use a hefty jackpot to help me get things started -- like cleaning out my closet, organizing some family tree stuff, scrapbooking...

I'm not envisioning it's going to happen (winning or getting those things done), but I can dream.

Carter was back at Kidz Camp today, too. He is going Monday, Wednesday, Friday this week, then all next week, then that's it. Do you realize in just a little over 2 weeks, school starts? I knew it was a bad sign to see Sunday Night Football last night on TV already. Now, knowing school is less than 20 days away, we might as well admit summer is over.

Except for the part where it's 90-some degrees and humid.

With mosquitoes.

On the way home from work we made sure to stop at King Cone for ice cream. With Labor Day right around the corner, our days there are numbered, too! You'd hate to miss out on one more Blueberry Waffle Cone treat!

I better get off the computer and see what else I need to get done before the leaves change!

Off Schedule

Carter got his schedule for 7th grade a few days ago, along with his final list of school supplies and other info about his new school. He's pretty excited! (We are, too!)

This is how organized I am (ha), I've got his supply list printed out in an order that we can find supplies quickly (grouped by pens, notebooks, etc.) rather than going back and forth between aisles and forgetting something. Now we just have to go get 'em!

We did start on the clothing part. He has a dress code now so we had to get some "polo shirts" (which I mostly got earlier this summer on sale) and some "dress shorts." I shouldn't call them dress shorts, just plain/solid khaki or blue or black, and not the sports kind which, unfortunately, is about all Carter has. That proved to be a tougher task since stores are getting rid of their summer stuff (in July) and bringing in the pants and long sleeves for fall. Between Wal-Mart in Rapids and Target in Hudson (on our way to the reunion), we found a few pairs. I think they are a little long, though, for Carter's short frame. Anyone know a seamstress who could hem shorts for cheap and NOT make them look hemmed? I might go that route. We'll see what the dress code cops say at school.

I wish I was as organized with my other list. You know, that summer vacation we've been planning since January and is now, oh, just 6 days away. My thought was that we'd get a great start on packing this weekend, but then life happened.... races Friday night, out-of-state reunion Saturday, hubby's church picnic this afternoon and evening, and Mad Men season premiere tonight. Needless to say, I haven't even got the suitcases upstairs from the basement! But we sure had a fun weekend!

I did manage to steal away from the picnic today and connect with my friend Christine to get some plans together. We're pretty sure the guys are counting on us "girls" to organize things. And we're fine with that. We just hadn't had time (sad, I know) to figure things out. We're excited now, though. Got a few things in mind that should be fun, but mostly we're going to relax!

Now I just need to get back on schedule this week so I can get my work stuff done by Friday and that pesky packing done by then, too! Well, that deadline I can't miss!

Good Day Sunshine

We had Indian Summer Day 2 today. How long will this warm spell last? I have no clue -- and I'm afraid to look. We'll just enjoy it while we have it!

It was a much busier day than anticipated. I keep wondering how I would have done all this if I was out of town scrapping?

Anyway, got up for early church. Had the world's worst night sleep followed by the world's worst shower. Just a trickle since the water pressure (or whatever!) hadn't built up yet since we had everything shut down yesterday. Good thing I went to church and thanked God for all my blessings! Got some grocery shopping done while Carter was in Sunday School, so that was good.

Went for run when I got home. It was so nice feeling the sunshine on my face! It was so not November. I loved it!

After my run and shower, I caught some of the Packer game. Interesting that we (as in the Vikings) had to just sit back on our bye week and still make headway in our division. The Packers, Bears and Lions all seemed to take the day off, too. I don't mind that one bit!

After the Packers game, we headed over to Jim's parents to celebrate my father-in-law's birthday. Casey was home from college again (honestly, he must love it in Rapids for as often as he comes home) so he and Clay could join us, too. Had a good meal and nice visit. We drew names for Christmas so I can shop early -- for someone who doesn't have their list ready yet. I have a feeling drawing early won't change how we do things!

When we got home, I gave Carter a quick hair cut. He wanted it buzzed on the sides a bit and now thinks he looks like a mushroom head. So I trimmed some more to even it out. I don't blame him one bit, but I think he really does not like it and, unfortunately, I'm not sure what else to do to fix it. I swear I didn't do this on purpose so he'd look bad for his girlfriend. Did I mention she's a redhead? Well, at least Daddy gives the thumbs up!

I gotta go. I gotta try to fix this hair mess so the whole day is a smiling sunshine sticker. Then it's the season finale of Mad Men -- if I can stay awake that long. I'm just gonna have to. Don Draper is counting on me!

The Day After

The only bad thing about late date nights, wedding dances, etc. is having to get up early the next day and be productive. And really, today is Sunday so I could have taken a nap, right?

At a glance, my schedule doesn't sound like much, but it was just enough to keep me awake:

• Sunday school
• Grocery shopping
• Read some of The Shack
• Go running
• Make cake for tomorrow's tailgating potluck at work
• Watch some of Tigers/White Sox game until Twins game starts
• Put turkey in the oven
• Listen to Twins game on radio (not televised here!)
• Eat a Twinkie for good luck
• Sort through 2009 pictures while listening
• Cross fingers they don't blow their lead
• Celebrate we've got one more game in the Homer Dome
• Bake potatoes (that bag is truly magical now!)
• Serve supper
• Paint fingernails purple for Game Day
• Catch up on last 3 episodes of Mad Men
• Tuck Carter in
• Blog
• Watch new Mad Men

Then SLEEP. Yay! I knew I'd get around to it!

Change of Seasons

We're officially into autumn now. I wonder if that is what had me feeling under the weather today. It certainly wasn't something I ate. We had a great meal last night of steaks on the grill and baked potatoes (yes, completely baked this time in my magic potato bag!). Maybe my body can't handle such a great home-cooked meal!

Something's not right. My back has been hurting since I returned from my wild weekend. Perhaps I was too wild. More than likely, it was just too much time in a car. But worth it! Today I was feeling just plain ol' icky. Like I wasn't going to keep my food down. But I did and I got through work and am looking forward to some quiet couch time this evening.

I do hate to say goodbye to summer -- my favorite season (when I get to golf, that is). I like the fall, too, with its mild temperatures, brilliant colors and, typical of me, the return of Grey's Anatomy (2-hour premiere tomorrow night!) -- and our other shows on hiatus for the summer.

Besides our new-found love of Mad Men, Hubby and I like watching our Monday night comedy lineup together. But we each claim a TV on Thursday nights when both The Office and Grey's are on. I like The Office, too, but usually have to catch that online. Jim, on the other hand, has absolutely no desire to see (or hear about) what he missed on Grey's!

Too bad there's nothing on tonight. I really need to lay down. I guess I can always watch a movie. I'm sure Dirty Dancing is on somewhere... (sob, sob)

A Mad, Mad World

I don't know if I should be proud or embarrassed that hubby and I have become chronic couch potatoes the past week in our quest to watch 26 episodes of the first 2 seasons of Mad Men before this week's season 3 premiere.

The goal was to be done to watch the new show at 9 p.m. last night. We came up short.

The good news is that it re-airs tonight at 10 p.m. so I can watch the last 2 episodes in time. Jim stayed up late and saw them last night so he's looking forward to seeing what transpires.

Why the fascination? We're still not sure. There's hardly a likable character on the show but it's highly entertaining and enlightening (in a fictional sort of way) to observe life in the '60s... Drinking and smoking at work, on airplanes, everywhere but church. No seat belts. No shame in littering. And what I consider subservient housewives. Dinner on the table when hardworking hubby arrives home from the office each night. The wife never wins an argument. It's always praise, praise, praise for her mate.

At one point yesterday Jim handed me a pen and notebook so I could take notes. My how times have changed. Now husbands and wives can joke with each other!

I mean, he was joking, right?

A Few Choice Words

Brevity is underrated. Sometimes a person only needs to say a few choice words to know the quality of their day:

• Work
• Golf with Carter
• Eggnog ice cream
• Mad Men
• Bedtime (on time!)

She saw what she had done and said, "It was good."

Summer Fun

Want the perfect recipe for Summer Fun?

• Take two 11-year-old boys.


• Add in sunny skies and 80-degree weather.


• Apply sunscreen.


• Place them in the Water Park Capital of the World.


• And watch.

Sounds like the perfect day to me! Too bad us "big kids" weren't there! Carter was fortunate to have a friend invite him to Noah's Ark for the day. We had taken the big boys to the Dells when they were young but, for reasons that fail to come to mind, we just haven't gotten around to taking Carter.

I'm pretty sure it was worth the wait. He called on the way home with the promise of many exciting things to tell us about his day. In a word: AWESOME!

So while we were waiting for the boy to get home, hubby and I got down to some adult fun.

OK. Mind out of the gutter. We started watching season one of Mad Men, a television show on AMC that we've heard a lot of buzz about the last two years (16 Emmy nominations this year), but never took the time to watch.

Since the show -- set in sexy 1960s New York -- is designed for an adult audience, we figured we would cram as many episodes in as we can while the child is not present. We've got 7 days to get through season one and two before the season three premiere Sunday night. Not sure we're gonna get there. (Carter won't be in the Dells all week.)

We're intrigued by the show so far. But we might be sick of it by Sunday! Nah. I seriously doubt it. It's pretty entertaining.

The one thing about Summer Fun is there are plenty of different recipes. Depends who's cooking. And who's eating.