Happy Satur-Dane

I don't know my father's thoughts on Danes. His only remark one time (as a 50/50 Swede and Norwegian) was about "goofy Finlanders."

Today I spent the day in a historic building called Danes Hall in Waupaca. Apparently lots of Danes settled in this town 45 minutes away. First time at the hall. An impressive facility that can accommodate a ceremony and reception on the third floor, an area to relax for appetizers on the second floor, and a popular bar in the bottom floor known as The Cellar. 

Every time I swear off shooting wedding photos, I cave to another request. This time to one of hubby's cousin's kids who lives on the East Coast but wanted something close to the bride's hometown in Waupaca.

Today was sunny and 84 degrees – the warmest day this year – but sun is not always a photographer's friend. So I did take most of the pictures inside the nice venue but took a few dozen outside with the couple. 

Although I am the cheapest photographer around, I still want to prove my worth and deliver good photos.

What I liked about this one is that I framed an angel on their shoulders to represent Grandma Batch, who is my mother-in-law's sister. Both are gone now. For the bride, I think/hope this picture means a lot! I know it will to Uncle Richard, who tearfully hugged me while commenting, "This is so hard to experience without Batch. She'd be so happy."

Sometimes in the chaos of all things weddings, we might forget how much the occasion means beyond the immediate family and friends. It's good to remember the feelings of grandparents who were overjoyed for the first times to be called Grandpa and Grandma. These "young people" are the world to them! 

Just pointing that out since I have several brides planning in 2026 and 2027 and I knew your grandparents who have gone. Also, I know for 99.9% certainty that y'all have better things to do than read my blog! LOL. Well, I did my part!

#hugyourfamily

Cheering for a Green Bay Team... Wait, Wut?

You knew there'd come a day when the Austins would cheer for a Green Bay team. Spoiler alert: It ain't football!

The quick back story is that our friends' three little girls used to think there were referring to Jim and me as Mr. and Mrs. "Awesome" rather than Austin. So how could we not fall in love with them and consider them ours as they grew up through school years at Assumption, college years, and beyond.

All 3 played softball at their respective colleges. Ava, the youngest, was a star pitcher for the Royals and is in her sophomore year at UW-Green Bay throwing for the Phoenix. In past years, our spring road trip/travel time was limited when Jim was coaching baseball. This year, his freedom opened up a new freedom to leave town. (As you may have noticed on recent weekends!)

Ava's team had their last regular season home games today and tomorrow so we figured we'd go to Green Bay, now that all the NFL Draft enthusiasts were out of town. Unlike the MLB, they don't necessarily announce their starting pitchers until game time. So there was a chance she wouldn't be taking the mound today with 2 games today and 1 more tomorrow – all versus the University of Detroit Mercy. 

With a Phoenix as their school mascot, it was inspiring to see the uplifting messages on the drive in to the field.

It's Ava's place to continue to rise, for sure!

The good news is that the Phoenix won game 1.

And came back after a rough first inning to dominate game 2!

Unfortunately, our dear girl didn't get to pitch today. But she was still all smiles seeing us and her parents and one sister – and a few other fans who drove over from Wisconsin Rapids today. She deservedly has the biggest fan club! Now we know that next year we'll just have to get some earlier games. Like someplace further south maybe!

We did not let the chilly, windy weather or her lack of pitching time spoil our day. It was still great to see everyone – so not a wasted trip!

As a bonus, we stopped on our way home at a new BBQ joint in Waupaca that our friends recommended.

Located on Hwy QQ almost across the street from our fave Waupaca hangout – Clearwater Harbor – this place is just in its second year of operation.

 

Very cool vibe inside and the food... wow. This is Jim's ginormous Brisket Tacos. Two is all you need and might be one too many!

Meanwhile, even me and my big mouth could not bite into this tall Pulled Pork Sandwich. I tried 3 different BBQ sauces as I made my way down the pile – with a fork! Always fun to try new places. Highly recommend!

With all that fresh air and food, I think we'll sleep good tonight. And knowing that there's definitely only one Green Bay team we're cheering for, we should rest easy. 😃

The Calm Before the Alleged Storm

I love purple – but not when it indicates we could be in for a nasty wake-up call tomorrow. We're right on the bottom of the Ice Storm Warning and close to the milder Winter Weather Advisory. There's a chance the storm won't follow the boxy county lines, so I'm holding out home.

Still, we made sure our dinner plans started early enough in case it started this evening.

Since one of Jim's classmates lives over in the Fox Valley area and the rest of us are in Rapids, we decided to meet halfway at Simpson's in Waupaca. Five people in this photo are from the Assumption Class of '81. I still marvel at how close hubby is with classmates after all these years. So not my post-high school experience.

We had a good meal and great conversations. When you can linger over a meal for more than 2 hours, that's good stuff! A fun group! 

And as a bonus, the skies stayed clear our 45-minute drive home. 

We'll see what happens while we're sleeping. I'm supposed to sing in church choir tomorrow – coincidentally the same song we were supposed to sing on Ash Wednesday when that service got stormed out. Honest, Lord, we sound good. Let us sing it already!

Whatever happens, be careful out there! And remember – it's not the worst thing to be home-bound during March Madness! 

 

The Attempts to Be the Best

I can't even imagine the pressure a teenager feels during sports playoffs and the ultimate participation if they're among the best in state.

Today, my friend's daughter was the only Wisconsin Rapids girl to compete at state for her school – as a freshman – at state gymnastics. She looked young (and confident) during the walk-in parade of athletes but I knew her talent shouldn't be underestimated.

There was one tiny slip on her uneven bars routine that dropped her final score and I felt so bad for Elsa. A split-second can change the final score so fast! Same with the beam. 

Her reaction to that score sums up the day. I hope these young people (who don't care what adults say) realize that they are and were competing as one of the best in the state of Wisconsin.

After gymnastics, I had another playoff (to state) situation with our Lady Royals.

Jim and I headed to Waupaca (the neutral site) for the Sectional Final between Assumption and Sevastopol (which is over in Door County – I didn't know either). It was a nerve-wracking game, which I call any game we don't jump out to a 20-point lead by halftime. But we did actually get things moving and grooving in the second half so there was something to celebrate in the end.

Yup! The Lady Royals are headed to state!! Whoo-hoo! I know I have better celebration photos but we just got home and I am just starting that editing process now. Know that there was much excitement – especially among our 4 seniors who never want that "last" game.

And just like Elsa earlier today.... no matter how they do at state, I hope they remember they're now one of the top teams in the state for the 2024-2025 basketball season!

What a day! I see a very boring Sunday in my future. OMG and I just remembered we have to change our clocks! Spring ahead then set your alarm.

Rock and Roll

It's been a busy weekend. And there's still 2 more days to go. Whoo-hoo! We've got quite a full schedule since it's graduation weekend, but I did want to be sure I got some more of my rock-garden-snake pit project done.

Did I say snake pit? 

After work yesterday, I headed to the Out Back and wanted to get some underlayment down back there before I had to head to Assumption to shoot graduation.

And my friend Freddie was back! If I scream in an empty neighborhood, did I make a sound? I don't know. Literally no one was around. So I played nice and let Freddie keep sunning – I mean I like to do that, too – and kept up a stream of useless conversation so he knew I was there. You never want to startle a snake!

I just kept an eye on him... until that one time I looked and he wasn't there. And I wanted to pull from that rock pile I was pretty sure he slithered into. Uff da. I just kept talking and hoping he wouldn't jump out from somewhere. And needless to say, I got that underlayment down in record time. 

Follow me for more landscaping hacks!

After that, graduation was a nice calming experience. I stayed up until midnight getting the photos posted for the school. So didn't bother blogging. And today, I got back in the Out Back for awhile and didn't see Freddie or any other F-word Friend. Whew.

Later this afternoon we went to a graduation party and then picked up our neighbors Todd and Terri to go to Waupaca for a concert. Our friend Kat was singing with Vic Ferrari at the Indian Crossing Casino (which turns out isn't a casino at all). It was nice to trade in my rocks and snakes for rock and roll!

Here we have three members of the Assumption class of '81.

And here is Kat – proving once again she's a rock star!

She did amazing as always. And the band as a whole was awesome, too. Fun time – and so worth getting home at almost 1 a.m.! Don't forget this is Vic Ferrari's last year together so see them somewhere if you can. Worth it! 

And I even got 10,000 steps from all that dancing. Way better than steps earned from running away from my back yard! 

Pretty Much Par-fect

If you ignore the snow piles here and there, it was a pretty perfect (or PAR-fect) day for golfing. Not a cloud in the sky and temps in the mid to upper 60s, we had to go for it!

Hubby and I met our friends Scott and Sandy at Foxfire in Waupaca, sort of a halfway point for them (Green Bay area) and us. Lots of people had the same idea. Was pretty busy and a bit slow at times but then, who cares? We're outside. If feels like spring. And we're golfing with friends. Let's take our time.

There were a few spots where it was pretty wet – and not just the water hazards. But for the most part, not in bad shape for April.

So no excuses – other than not swinging a club in many, many months! I did get to do one par dance. That will keep me coming back. Ha.

The four of us had dinner in the club house after and made plans for a second outing this summer – hopefully a full weekend in July. By then I should be back in the swing of it and we definitely won't have to worry about snow piles in the sand bunkers.

At least I hope not.

Cross your fingers that spring has sprung for real! Because it's pretty awesome.

Heart Strings

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

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

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

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

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

Here's Ben in one of his matches.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ripon Good Time

We all dragged our backsides out of bed early today to head southeast towards Ripon. Good thing our runners weren't dragging!

Both our boys and girls cross country teams had a successful inaugural appearance at the Ripon invitational. One of our girls had a top 15 finish and our boys, well, they rocked it and finished 2nd as a team!

This means they've placed 1st or 2nd in 3 out of our four meets so far. So yes, they are ranked in the state and we can only cross our fingers that everyone stays or gets healthy!

Carter had his best finishing time of the season, but it is not close to his personal best from last year.

He's healthy, though, and still having fun so I hope that keeps him motivated. I know we all (as in fans and parents) are having a good time. It's fun to win or almost win, isn't it?

By the time we got home after 1 p.m., we actually needed a nap before our next item on the agenda. So, hubby and I slept like old folks for almost 2 hours! Got up and hit the road to Waupaca to meet up with some friends we worked with in Iola. Yes, I already miss them enough that a get-together is needed!

The Clearwater Harbor Bar on the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes is closing for the season next week so wanted to be sure to get there and enjoy good company and the last bit of summer.

The breeze required sweatshirts, but as long as the sunshine required shades, I was happy! Seeing good friends: a bonus!

Home by 8 p.m. so we could see our boy for a few minutes before he went off to someone's house. Despite the nap, I'll be hitting the sack soon. Tomorrow we have more fun in the sun planned.

Please, summer, just hang in there...

Nailed It

Did I mention I love high school basketball? It can be so unpredictable and intense, especially during the playoffs. In a way, previous records don't matter. Both teams got to the point they are at through skill and determination.

Tonight, our lady Royals took on the Loyal Greyhounds at Waupaca High School. During sectionals a larger – and neutral – venue is used to accommodate the crowds. Hubby got a ride with friends to the game and I just hopped on the highway from Iola to Waupaca after work and was there in 15 minutes or so.

The gym was jam-packed – maroon & white on one side and Royal Blue on the other – and loud. Intensely loud. Our Pep Band did a stellar job performing pregame, halftime and between quarters. They weren't nearly as loud as the fans, though, during the nail-biting second half!

Going into the locker room after 2 quarters, our girls were leading by more than 10. That felt very good. Back on the floor, Loyal staged an amazing comeback in the 3rd quarter and by the 4th had taken the lead. A very slim one, but it scared us.

That was a bit unexpected. Incredibly nerve-wracking as it did come down to the last seconds. We had just gotten ahead by 2 and our dear girl Olivia then made 2 free throws. Up by 4 with 10 seconds and we held on to win!

Way to go, girls! I can say it was crazy fun... NOW, but man, we weren't sure of anything!

Now they travel to another neutral location – 2 1/2 hours away – to play a Green Bay area school at the Oconto Falls fieldhouse Saturday afternoon. Just one game away from a third trip to state in 3 seasons!

My fingernails can't grow fast enough so let's see if we can't keep the nail-biting to a minimum, shall we, girls?

Boys of Summer

Since today was one of Carter's last days in Iola for the summer, I decided to treat him to dinner down at The Harbor Bar & Grill on the Waupaca Chain O'Lakes.

We invited a couple of the guys from work who Carter thinks are pretty cool. We hadn't even left work when I got a text from hubby that he was already in Chicago (coming back from Indy) and would be home before 7 p.m. Uh-oh. Busted.

I knew he didn't have his keys with so I suggested his co-worker/driver swing through Waupaca and drop Jim off at The Harbor. Jim declined and had his sister (who had a spare key) stop by the house and unlock it.

Uhm, feeling a bit guilty at that point but didn't want to let Carter down, of course.

So we had our dinner on the deck overlooking the water. Me and the 4 boys of summer. Yes, 4... One of the guys had his 3-year-old son with and he wanted nothing to do with sitting down -- just wanted to feed the fish. So it was a little bit more chaotic of a sendoff for Carter, but he still had a good time.

For the record, I had no room for ice cream after supper but Carter got a scoop of Malt-imore. It looked good but I just didn't have the room. Plus, I actually got out for a 3-mile run/walk at lunch so I didn't want to erase all my efforts.

I'm sure the buffalo chicken strips and fries already did that.

But that's summer!

Friday the Thirst-teenth

My husband is one to say, "If I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all." He's just trying to be clever. We all know how super lucky he is to have me, right?

Today was the only Friday the 13th for 2010. And because time flies so quickly and I am losing track what day of the week it is, I was ill prepared for the supposedly unlucky holiday. I had no time to work up a good case of paraskevidekatriaphobia -- that's "fear of Friday the 13th" for you lay people.

And that's OK because it was really just a normal day (barring any strange events in the next 2 hours).

Had a busy day at work since we were off yesterday. Before we knew it, it was 3 o'clock and time to go. I love summer hours -- but only 3 more "early release" Fridays left!

We had some wicked weather go through central Wisconsin so before noon they had already called off racing for tonight at Golden Sands. Part of me was bummed because it was supposed to be "Kids Night" and Carter could have ridden in his cousin Colin's super stock for a lap. (I guess they'll do it 2 weeks instead.) The other part of me was sort of relieved we didn't have to go somewhere tonight. We've had quite the busy week!

We had already planned to hit The Harbor in Waupaca after work. Now instead of rushing off to the races, we were able to stay awhile. The Harbor bar & grill is located on the Chain of Lakes and is always a pretty spot to tip back some cold Diet Coke and watch the sunset. It was too cloudy for much sun, but drinks were going around.

There ended up being at least a dozen of us from work -- including 3 former employees who have moved on to other things but still live close enough to enjoy The Harbor on occasion. We had a nice time. Carter knows most of them, too, so he had fun. We had supper there and hit the road around 7:30 p.m.

Since I was designated driver, I got to choose the route home. We just happened to go past Scoopers Ice Cream Parlor down the road. Did you know a single scoop of hard ice cream there is equal to about a pint? I'm serious! Well worth $2.90 for a "scoop" of Mint Chocolate Chip. Oh yeah!

Had to run a quick errand in town when we got back but am safely home on this suspiciously scary day -- and aiming to be in bed ASAP so I can wake up to a normal, Saturday the 14th tomorrow.

Type A Personality

I have found that bronchitis is not as bad as it sounds. I mean I feel pretty good, pretty normal. The only time I feel sick is when I cough. Then I don't feel sick really. I just feel pain and it ain't good. So I try not to cough.

Easier said than done.

It was another terrible night's sleep. It's like my body knows it's night time and I start coughing. Then I lay down and I might as well forget about sleep! It's actually not too bad when I'm sitting up, though, so I went to work today.

It's not that I am a total type A personality. (OK, I am!) I know the place can survive without me. But I did have lots to do and, frankly, I wasn't feeling too bad. I pretty much stayed close to my desk and kept interactions with other humans to a minimum. (I guess if I was contagious I would have already passed it on Monday or Tuesday anyway.)

I also tried to follow the doctor's orders and drink plenty of liquids. That extended to an after-work stop at The Harbor -- a nice bar & grill on the Waupaca Chain of Lakes. I kept my liquids to soda but Carter and Daddy both had beer (Carter's was of the root variety). Had a nice visit with some friends we used to work with, ate some good food, survived a quick rain storm and then got ice cream to go. Can you top that?

Yes, we can.

Good thing we took Carter out to eat because we had something to celebrate. Of course, we didn't know 'til we got home. But report cards came today and we now officially have a 7th-grader in the house. Whoo-hoo! (or boo hoo?) We also have a straight-A student, too! Nice way to finish up grade school, Carter!

I guess we're both type A personalities in our own way.

Summer Nights

Nothing signals the definitive end of summer like a final trip to The Harbor.

The sad thing is this is only the second time we got to the popular waterfront bar and grill, located on the Waupaca Chain O' Lakes. And this comes the night before Carter's last day at Kidz Camp (already!) and one week before school starts (already!).

Where did summer go?!

It's probably a good thing we had some things to celebrate -- 2 co-workers moving onto new jobs -- or we might not have made it out there again.

The Harbor is just a neat place. It's right on the water so I like it. The Budweiser's cold so hubby likes it. And some (not all) of the "cool kids" from work hang out there so Carter likes that. (I sometimes think he's got more friends than I do.)

So Carter spent his time telling jokes (and learning a few) with the guys and playing some game where you try to swing a metal ring on a string onto a hook -- and count points or something. We had a hard time getting him out of there!

The weather had been if-y all evening with drizzle off and on. When we left, I was glad it stopped raining but the drive home was a nightmare. Fog, fog, fog! Very challenging and scary. Good thing I am a lifetime designated driver or we would still be making our way home!

Now it's late, way past our bed times and Carter keeps thinking about his new jokes so he doesn't forget them. I hope he doesn't volunteer to share them on his first day of school

So this drunk walks into a bar....

What a Treat

I figured since we were on a cake binge these days, I'd take a cake to work for our wedding anniversary. Hey, any excuse for cake, right?

Well that's what happened -- but the reasons were a little different. I was actually just being efficient in the "must bring treats to work for birthday" department. I figure bringing something in would cover my birthday and hubby's (coming up Friday). It did. And no one complained. They ate my Dirt Cake right up. No leftovers to bring home (darn).

After whipping together the Oreo delight last night, Jim and I stayed in and watched a movie. Cool and rainy so no golf again (another darn). We watched a movie nominated for some Oscars a year or so back -- Into the Wild. Movie was interesting but not incredibly exciting. I wouldn't say you have to see it -- unless you're really interested in the story (based on a true story). It was about 2 1/2 hours long so it was a late night for this old early-to-bed lady. So late, in fact, I didn't even turn my alarm on. So that's how this day started!

Felt the need for a pot of coffee. But my morning pick-me-up actually came later when I got an email from Carter. My how times change. No letters. No phone calls. It's email now. I didn't mind. In fact, I'm still smiling about it. I did get to talk to him on the phone tonight. He must have said he missed me a dozen times and I said, yes, but you're having fun, right? Oh yes, he assured me. "It is totally worth it!" Good to know. Can't believe we'll be seeing him tomorrow night already. What a quick week.

In order to take advantage of one more "date night," Jim and I stopped at The Harbor bar & grill on the Chain O' Lakes in Waupaca on the way home with some other people from work. Thought we'd see a romantic sunset for our anniversary, but it was too cloudy. Enjoyed some good food and good company. A real treat!

Now we're trying to get a few things organized so we can hit the road at a decent time Thursday afternoon. My blanket is on (yes, it's still cold out) so I can fall asleep quickly and get up early (yes, I'll set my alarm). Want to get to work and be done with it for 3 days!

But as anxious as I am for that, I'd rather not see Date Week draw to a close so quickly. I don't think we can really count tomorrow and Friday nights as "dates" when we're sharing a hotel room with 3 boys! Good thing I love ALL those Austin boys (for better or worse, right?).

Cabin Fever

Some of the weather reporters claim we tickled 70 degrees today. That would explain why everything and everyone came out of the woodwork and grabbed a bit of sunshine if they could. Me included.

It was one of those days where cabin fever hits big time and, had I been back in college, we would have been cutting afternoon classes to lay out in the sun and perhaps sip a cold one (or two). Instead I was sitting at my desk with the urge to play hooky -- but I knew my golf clubs were still in the corner in the basement some 45 miles away. That does me no good. So I gave it an honest 8 and will plan ahead better next time.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer! But I do know I have too much work to do so I know I won't be ducking out too early.

Everyone (just about) was looking forward to The Harbor opening tonight. That's a bar and grill on the Chain of Lakes in Waupaca where a bunch of people from work go most Fridays in the summer. It's awesome to be right out on the deck to watch the sun set. They've got great chicken strips, too. Just ask Carter, who likes to accompany us there occasionally in the summer (when he commutes with us) and hang out with some of our cool work friends.

Tonight, since we drove separately today (Jim had a dentist appointment this morning), Jim is enjoying the opening and I got soccer mom duty. I didn't mind. Honest.

It was so nice out, I found myself walking laps around the school yard (and beyond) where he practices, just enjoying the sunshine and the exercise. If it had been raining, this would be a whole different story, of course. (Most likely involving a pouting female character!)

If the weather guys are right -- and this time I hope they are -- we will have nice weather for both the garage sale and soccer. Then, if we make enough money at the garage sale, we can buy a new gas grill for the next nice warm spell ... probably sometime in May.

Just Jokin'

I was on guard today for an April Fool's joke from the guys, but none were forthcoming. Maybe they feel bad for me and my crazy work situation these days. Or maybe they'll wait to spring something on me when I least expect it!

I'll have to say it was rather boring at the library today without Carter to entertain me with trivial facts and sometimes funny jokes. It sure beats the conversations I have with the committee in my head! My highlight of the day was helping a guy find his wallet he'd dropped in the library. From where I sit in my "corner office" (booth), I was just at the right angle to see it under a chair. He was quite grateful. No reward or anything but he kept saying, "This makes for a great story!"

After "work," I picked up Carter at the sitter's and we headed over to Waupaca to meet up with Daddy for a baby shower for some friends of ours at work. Carter's a big fan of theirs so was happy to be able to go along. He was also in his element, chit-chatting with all the people we work with (he's met them before at various get-togethers -- and some have babysat him).

I couldn't get over how comfortable he felt with the adults versus the "little kids." Like he's getting so old now. He had an arsenal of jokes to tell so he was loving the attention. One of our friends who met him for the first time said, "He's such a little Jim!" I wasn't sure if she meant the physical resemblance or the ability to capture an audience with good storytelling. Either way, that's a compliment! Some of the guys told Carter they'd see him again this summer so he better brush up on his jokes and have some new material by then.

As long as he's concentrating on those jokes, hopefully I can let my guard down until next April 1st. Hopefully.