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!