Resetting My Biological Clock

Ok, no...I'm not talking about THAT biological clock. That one is about ten ticks from midnight and I'm ok with that. I am nearing a half century and have 1 grown and 2 almost grown sons, so no sense of urgency there--I can handle being Cinderella on that front.

Rather, I am speaking of my day-to-day functioning timeline. I am a night owl. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. I have always been a night owl, even as a child. I can function in the morning with after a big cup of coffee. But for years, I would roll out of bed, roll over the side of the tub and fill it up so I could doze in a nice suds. A sit-down shower gave me an alternative, but I do whatever I can to grab the morning zzz's.

This all changed a couple of weeks ago--or at least I have been trying to change it for a couple of weeks. I just cannot make it to the Y to work out after work. Not going to happen with all the activities the kids and I have. But middle age has caught up with me, and my days of being able to shed 10 pounds overnight have gone the way of "the" biological clock. Exercise is needed. I have some friends who hit the Y at 5:30 most mornings, and they invited me to join them. I had a Friday off, meaning I could go home after and go back to bed, so I accepted the challenge. Since then, I have been getting up at 5:15 and heading over there every Monday through Friday...2 weeks now. Problem is, my inner tickings have not kept up. My body continues to insist night time is the right time, but my brain keeps saying that I am now a morning person. I am surviving so far, and I am generally functional most of the day. I will eventually transform myself..I just hope it's figuratively (begone ye unwanted poundage).

To everything, there is a season...

I can't believe we're halfway through August already. It's been an eventful summer. Perfect weather. The mighty Kekambas took the Bedford Knothole title, but more importantly, baseball was fun again. Now we're on to football season, and I can't wait.

This season will be bittersweet for me. It is Craig's senior year, and while it will be exciting to watch this year's Kickin' Mules, it will be sad knowing that this is the last time we'll be watching this magnificent group of boys play together. I've watched them play for nearly half of their lives. They epitomize the word "team" and we have lofty expectations for them. JV will be fun as well...the "little ones" have all of a sudden gotten very big.

We have senior pictures taken care of, and are starting down the path of selecting a college. DePaul has been heavily pursuing Craig but there are a few others high on the consideration list as well. I know that the next year will fly by...maybe someone knows a magic spell to slow it down just a little so I can enjoy it.

One Small Step

It is hard to believe that it has been 40 years since the astronauts of Apollo 11 first stepped on the moon. At the time, I was 9 years old and living in Detroit. We had experienced --- a little too closely --- the Detroit Riots in 1967, and memories of the assassinations and conventions of '68 were still fresh. Neighbors and siblings of some friends were over in Vietnam. The space program brought something positive to the front...truly the Wonder Years.

I have some clear memories of that night. I recall watching the events unfold on tv--our black and white console--even though it was very late at night, at least for a 9 year old. For some reason, I have always pictured a full moon in my mind, but a visit to a perpetual calendar site today shows that it was a waxing moon, two days shy of being half-way to full. At some point, my dad and I (maybe it was my mom--that's a little sketchy) were out looking at the distant orb, and I was adamant that I could see the flag that had been planted using our telescope. (We used to do quite a bit of star-gazing with our telescope. Do kids today still do that?)

My sister ended up with a special bit of memorabilia from that night. My grandmother had woven each of us a blanket. My brother's had an eagle on it. Mine had an oriental-based bird and flower on it. My sister's was just a patchwork, with a few special squares. One of these was the square that my Granny was working on 40 years ago tonight. It has a silhouette of a moon and the date, July 20, 1969. A keepsake for sure, and ironic for many reasons that I won't divulge. Me, well I have a series of pictures that were in some Scholastic publication--I think they are in my cedar chest. Maybe I should dig them out.

It saddens me to think that there is a small part of society who do not believe that the lunar expeditions occurred. I have read several articles over the past few days debunking these conspiracy theories, and the photos of the lunar probe show physical proof for the believers. If nothing, this event served to bring together a fractured nation, at least for one evening. What will be the next giant leap for humankind?

Mid Year Review

It is hard to believe we're now several days into July! It's been a busy year thus far, and activity will be heating up soon as Craig starts his senior year and Matt continues his quest for a driver's license.

Earlier this year, I set forth some tasks I'd like to accomplish. It's a good time now to reflect on progress made. So here goes...

• Pray. Daily. So far so good.
• Set aside "me" time to recharge my batteries. This will include things like getting lost in a good book while soaking in a bubble bath, and doing girls' night out (or weekend retreats) on a regular basis. I am excelling at this one. lol. Off to spend 4 days relaxing and taking in a concert this week, as a matter of fact.
• Visit my parents more often. I could still probably do better with this one, but I AM doing better than last year.
• Do things with my sister more often. Hm. Still don't see her often, but more than last year.
• Catch up with my friends. I have done very well with this one, but not in the manner expected. Facebook has reinvigorated old friendships from high school, college, and former workplaces, and has cultivated a few new ones. This dovetails very nicely with my "me" time.
• Help those who need it--continue to volunteer for whatever beckons. This is just critical, and while I regularly volunteer, there is always room to do more.
• Help those who may not need it--random acts of kindness--doing the unexpected. This I have done.
• Organize my garage and basement store room, and maybe my closet and sock drawer. Well, I organized my closet, my sock drawer, and part of my attic. I also arranged to have junky parts of my yard cleaned up. The basement is beckoning....

I am thinking of new things that need to be accomplished...creating memories for my kids and their friends, giving back to the community, having fun, serving God...any suggestions?

Toga! Toga! Toga! (or Follies of My Youth)

It is graduation season, which means loads of graduation parties on our calendar. One this past weekend was billed as a toga party. Now, I actually happen to own a toga that is not made up of a bedsheet. One of the kids wore it for Hallowe'en a few years back, and I can still get into it. That said, while I took it with me to the party, I did not don it for the event. There were a few of the kids who did show up all toga'd out. Unfortunately, I did not have my camera with me but it was a sight to behold.

It made me think back to my college days and the toga parties of old. I started college the same year the classic movie Animal House came out, and toga parties were hot at fraternity parties. One of my old roommates, who I'll call Kay because I promised her anonymity if I wrote about this, thought it would be fun to head to a toga party at the Phi Sig house. Never one to miss a good time, I was all for it, with one exception--I was NOT going to walk all the way across campus dressed in a bedsheet. We lived on the far north end of campus, and the party was about as far south as you can get. So we compromised and went to her friend's room on the south side of campus to change--where it would also be convenient to get back into street clothes before we made our second stop at a floor party in Merrill Hall (which at the time was all guys).

Somewhere at the toga party (which was an absolute hoot!), we lost track of the friend. We decided to head over to the dorm party in our togas. I am not a big beer drinker (that being about the only beverage available at this party), so I was far from inebriated when I made that decision (although I often claim otherwise). I had a bit of trepidation because there were about 6 guys I went to high school with who lived in the dorm. I figured, however, that most of them would be gone since they were all football players and it was homecoming back at Bedford. As luck would have it, the first couple of people I ran into were some of my former classmates. I also met a few guys from a nearby town. They stood out because they all had beautiful eyes, beautiful smiles, and were cut in a way that all 18 year old girls can appreciate. One later became my best male friend in college, although our friendship really didn't start until a year later. We still talk occasionally so something good came out of my pseudo-embarrassment. Oh--my desire to not walk across campus in a bedsheet was for naught. We never did catch up with the friend we misplaced, and ended up heading back the the Barnyard in our togas. Luckily, autumn evenings in Mt. Pleasant were often mild.

With one son a year away from his own college adventures, I'm curious to see what this year's party trends will be. In the mean time, if you hear of a good toga party, give me a holler.

The Ties that Bind

I come from a very loose-knit family. We aren't what I'd call dysfunctional--we just have our own things to do. My parents and my sister live within a mile of me, and while I see them periodically, we aren't compelled to speak daily. It's not that I don't love them, because I do--it's just because we're all really busy. My brother lives the furthest--all the way over in the Start school district, and I see him even less. But we all get along and act like family when we do get together.

I also do not have an extensive extended family. My dad was an only child, and he only had a couple of cousins himself. We are fairly close with his one cousin and her family since they lived by us when I was a kid. On my mom's side, I have 7 first cousins. Two of them were adopted, and my uncle (mom's eldest brother) died when they were very young, so we've kind of lost track of them. The rest of us were spread out all over the country--we've been in Michigan since the mid-60's, my Uncle Bill's family was in the Chicago area, and Uncle Robert and crew were in Connecticut. We just didn't grow up around family, although we did see the Chicago contingent a couple of times a year.

Just to add to some perspective, my mom likes to tell the story of a time an acquaintance drove her home from high school. When she pointed out her house, the acquaintance remarked that she couldn't live there because that was Bob Rogers' house and he was an only child. Apparently, he'd been telling people that although he had 4 siblings (one deceased already), 2 of whom had overlapping time with him in high school. I'm also thinking that the relationship should have been a bit less of a mystery to the acquaintance since my mom was still Joan Rogers at the time.

Despite this, there are still ties that bind. We didn't venture very far when kids were named for my generation. The first 3 grandkids for Porter and Emma Rogers were Robert, Robert, and Robin. It isn't so much that my mom and her siblings lacked in originality--it's more that my dad and uncle are both Roberts and wanted juniors. Robin's name was more likely due to when she was born. Made the few times we were all together interesting--we had Bob, Robert, Bobby Reese, Bobby Rogers---pretty bad when the kids had to start going by their last names when they weren't in trouble. I also have 2 cousins named Kim, but they are on opposite branches of my family tree. I am named for my mom's sister, who died when they were children. Once it got beyond 1961, names began to differ (Beth, Nancy, Debbie, Laura, Mark).

Birthdays were also interesting. Four of the 10 Rogers' grandkids were born in April (and one in the last couple of days of March). My brother Robert was born on my Uncle Robert's birthday (which is a week before my mom's). My cousin Laura's birthday is the day before my sister's, and there were 2 in January. Everything all compacted.

Ages of said grandkids are spread out though, starting in 1957 and ending in 1969. Well, except for a nine month period in 1960 & 61. My cousin Robin and I were both born in April (she's older by 27 days). My cousin Kim came along 8 months later--so there were three of us in the class of '78. Robin and I were best friends until I moved to Detroit at 5. We were together frequently as toddlers. We also spent the summer of 1970 together after my grandparents died. It was back in the age of stationery and stamps, so we exchanged letters frequently. I think the only 2 times the three of us were together was one Christmas when the CT gang came to Chicago (we were all too young to remember that one!), and when my grandmother died. My family drove out to CT at the end of the summer of '70, and Kim and I became pen pals after that as well. I vividly recall one missive that contained a glowing review of her trip with her mom to see Engelbert Humperdinck. We've seen each other on a few of my other trips east--I'm still waiting for her to journey to the midwest.

At any rate, none of us grew up together and yet, if we were ever in a room together, I'm thinking people would think differently. We've all hooked up on Facebook. I have learned via this medium that Kim has the same warped sense of humor that I have. Aside from my brother (and apparently my mom), she and I probably have more of a family resemblance than I have with the rest of my relations, including my sister. It's not that we look alike--we don't particularly--Kim is gorgeous. It's just that you can tell we're family. My sister looks quite a bit like my other cousin Kim (dad's side). Robin doesn't look like either of us, but if you listen to conversation, it is again apparent that we're related. I'm sure having parents who grew up in the same house is the root cause. I'm grateful to Facebook for allowing us to become friends as adults.

Paying It Forward

Last weekend was the Relay for Life. I was unable to participate this year because of an out-of-town family wedding. However, the boys stayed back to help out. We became involved in this the first year because it was a community service project for Craig for National Junior Honor Society. It also has a personal connection as I lost an uncle to lung cancer (he was 42 at the time), and we lost my mother-in-law to pancreatic cancer in 2001. While the boys were small at the time, and the disease progressed quickly after her diagnosis (about 6 weeks), it still had a profound impact on the kids. So we continue to participate and contribute as a key household cause.

When my grandmother died 2 years ago, each of the boys inherited just over $5000. I'm not sure what the oldest one did with his--he's an adult. But the younger two came to me and said that they'd like to take some to help others. Craig donated $500 to American Cancer Society, while Matt donated $500 to Hospice in honor of the care they provided for his beloved great grandmother. Not too many 13 and 15 year-olds who would do that unprompted, and it made me sooooo proud.

Imagine my surprise this morning during my Saturday morning long-bath/read-the-paper ritual. I was reading an article about this year's relay in the Bedford Press. The football coach (such a life coach actually!) wants the boys to participate in community service events, and many chose to be part of Troy's team in the Relay. Troy is a junior high football player who was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma last fall at the beginning of the football season. The kids have rallied behind him, and the football team (including parents) have tried to assist the family when possible as they go through this very difficult period. By the time I got to the end of the article (and even now as I write this), I was bawling. Lois (Troy's mom) singled out Craig and his efforts. To say that I am proud and humbled would be an understatement. I have taught my kids to pay it forward, often to what seems like deaf ears. To know that the lesson has sunk in, and that they unconditionally move to do the right thing is truly a blessing.

And it's not just my kids. Shortly after my grandmother passed, one of the kids' friends was killed in a very tragic accident. I started a scholarship in memory of our Philly, and one of the key requirements in the scholarship is an essay on what it means to make a positive impact on others. Because I am acquainted with this year's winners, I can honestly say that they live the idea of paying it forward on a daily basis. It comes as naturally to them as breathing. They do so without the expectation of kudos--they do it simply because they care. So I'd like to congratulate Joe Martin and Courtney Loe--not just on receiving the scholarship award, but for being the type of role models for peers and adults as well.

It is reassuring to know that there are so many in the next generation who understand the significance of giving, of making a positive impact, of potentially changing a life with a simple gesture.

Rites of Passage

More rites of passage flying by. I recall my high school years taking 4 whole years. It seems like my kids' are taking mere seconds. We've hit several milestones recently:

• Matt started drivers' ed and got behind the wheel of a car. While I am comfortable with that now, he will have an interesting story about his first "real" experience to tell his grandkids, and Mr. Andrews learned a valuable lesson about what not to have first time drivers do. I'll leave it at that.
• He also brought home information and an order form for his class ring. At least I only had to put $50 down on it but geesh those things are expensive. The older two both got really nice rings. I think they generally sat on a dresser somewhere.
• Craig is getting geared up for his senior year...once he gets through the next couple of weeks. One of my BFF's, Michelle, is branching out from her sports photography business and is doing senior portraits this year. She recently used Craig as a model. She does excellent work...I can't wait to see the real results when we do the actual session... but check out http://www.gskcreations.com/ senior photography and take a peak at the preliminary photos.
• Prom was this week. Craig took one of his friends. A bunch of the kids got together for the obligatory photo shoot. I watched so many of these kids grow up, and got to know some of the others over the past 4 or 5 years. I will say that my kids have done a great job in selecting their friends. It seems like just yesterday that I was watching some of them walk across the stage at their kindergarten graduation though.

Here are a few shots of the gang, she says with a tear in her eye.

Traveling with Teens vs. Toddlers

Just got back from an awesome vacation in Florida--my first "real" vacation in several years. I am not much of a flier, so I loaded the boys and their friends in my Edge and off we went for a 20 hour trip (each way). The experience was vastly different with teens than with toddlers, yet oddly, there were some similarities.

My boys are veteran travelers. Andrew has been in 44 states, and the younger 2 have been in 42. I don't think we've added any to their list in at least 10 years. When they were 13, 4, and 2, we did a cross-country journey--21 states in 18 days. That was long before there were things like dvd players in cars or cellphones in their hands. Andrew had his GameBoy, so he was well occupied. For Craig and Matt, it was more of the standard old-school car games. We also had some singalong tapes. Matt had his own rather violent version of Little Bunny Foo Foo that we heard dozens of times... Little Bunny FooFoo hopping through the forest, scooping up the field mice and chopping off their heads. The other kids made the mistake of laughing the first time, so it stuck and was repeated over and over again by all.

I did not get much whining on that trip...we made lots of stops to do fun things, like go through Rushmore Cave, visit Mt. Rushmore and the Little Bighorn battlesite. We saw Mt Ranier and the Grand Canyon...were in Monterrey California (on the beach) in the morning and Barstow in the desert at dusk. There were times when I needed (or wanted) a leash for the younger 2...to try to keep them a bit closer from the edge of the Grand Canyon or Sea Lion Cave (Oregon). The only times they tended to act up, as if on cue, were during heavy traffic or construction zones when I most needed to concentrate on what I was doing.

This trip was different. We had a dvd player with us, and while I had to watch the road instead of the movies, I did get to hear the dialog for movies like Knocked Up, Beer Fest, Old School, Super Troopers and others of that ilk. There was constant texting and conversation that I didn't need to hear...typical teen boy (and adult boy) type of talk. Ipods were occasionally turned up too loudly--if I can hear it clearly while it's in their ears, it's too loud. No cute little songs repeated...just the new version of "you spin me right round baby right round" which is rather vulgar.

They were pretty well behaved overall. I still had moments when I wanted a leash for them... this time it was more to keep hormones in check though...a metaphoric cliff rather than a real one. They slept most of the way back...except for 2 critical time periods: when I hit Friday night rush hour traffic in Atlanta (with the absolutely PATHETIC SIGNAGE ON THE HIGHWAYS IN THAT TOWN!!!) and in a construction zone in the dark, again with poor signage, in Knoxville.

I'm not sure that I have a preference for which age group I prefer for travel. I guess I just like spending time with them regardless of age. As for the driving rather than flying, well, we've seen the whole country via the wheel...I view the journey as part of the fun. I don't mind at all.

Matt's Day

Another year has evaporated, at least from my perspective. For Matt, it makes him just one step closer to his driver's license (and another gray hair pops up). Time just seems to fly. My baby is now 8 inches taller than me and has nearly a year of high school under his belt. He's hitting his mid-teens--just think of all of the things I have to look forward to: girlfriends and broken hearts, insurance for 2 teens at the same time, college visits, more sports (yay!), adolescent attitude (so far so good with this one!)...and in a few short years, the empty nest. I guess I better enjoy it while I can. Here are a few pics from Matt's past year. Happy Birthday Matt.

Rememberies....

My sister sent me a video clip this morning. It was a couple of chimps telling an off-color joke. Very clever. But it brought to mind one of the revered shows of my youth... Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp. They just don't make shows like that any more. My kids would never get that show... it was really pretty bad. Somehow, at the time, though, it was amusing; must watch TV. Along the same lines were shows like Lost in Space, HR Pufnstuf, Lidsville, Banana Splits, the Monkees... Who could forget Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, or Time Tunnel? OK, so the special effects were anything but special, at least by current standards. At the time (considering I was probably no more than 10 when any of these were on!), it was possible to view them in state of suspended belief. Ah, the sweet memories.

I once rented the Rocky Horror Picture Show to view at home. I have seen this movie probably 100 times in the theater. The Westwood, known more as a XXX theater, used to show it as the midnight movie on Friday and Saturday nights in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I became a true fan. Who can resist Tim Curry in fishnets? Really? But I digress. Viewing this at home lost the impact. The guys actually tried to follow the plot line (and yes, there is a plot line, weak as it is). They missed all of the subtle comments and nuances. Of course the demise of different product lines makes it difficult for them to understand why people would want to throw toilet paper when someone said "Great Scott." Also, they thought it was a bit strange when I pulled out the toast and started throwing it around.

Last night, I watched a retrospective of Dean Martin on the Biography Channel. Ah Dino. I can recall watching Dean in the Matt Helm movies and remember liking them better than James Bond. Matt Helm was pure camp and exceptionally cheesy. That's probably why I liked the series. I looked them up on Amazon. One of the "raters" mentioned that anyone who never viewed these movies just wouldn't get them. The acting wasn't the greatest and the special effects were poor, but for me, these movies will always be near and dear.

I wonder what my kids will remember about their youthful viewing when they near the mid-century mark.

Brigadoon Pond

We did not purchase waterfront property when we built our house eight years ago. Instead, we found a beautiful wooded lot that would remain fairly private, even as houses were built around us. However, the back part of our property and the wooded area behind us should probably be designated as wetlands. The builder could only go down 2 feet for our foundation, then we backfilled and graded the remainder. Each year about this time, Brigadoon Pond emerges. With the snow thaw and spring rains, we have a rather large swampy area for about 10-12 weeks. Luckily, it tends to dry up before mosquito season hits. In the past, we have had ducks swim around on their trip back north. If you look closely at the picture below, you will see a pile up of twigs between the two cottonwoods. I'm thinking maybe we had some beavers building a dam out there recently. (I can't believe one of the guys actually would have stacked them up, but I could be wrong).

This year, our ghost pond has been a bit oversized. The ground is pretty saturated from the massive amounts of snow we had over the winter, and the 4 inches of rain we had last week didn't help matters. It's dried up pretty well right now (it should since there is a drainage system under it!). Luckily, we didn't have any flooding in the house but the sump ran steadily for several days.

This is just another harbinger of spring.

Another Change of Season

I'm not sure if the snow is done for the season, but it's nice to see the signs of spring starting to creep in. I'll be glad for the extra hour of daylight after today as well. I don't mind winter, really, but there is something special about spring--it always seems to bring a new burst of energy and I am SO ready for that. Maybe I should go gather up my outside Christmas decorations and get them put away now that they are unburied from beneath the snow (and it's warm enough to go out to get them!).

Matt's basketball season ended on Thursday. The varsity boys still have at least one district game. I'd like to see them win that..Mark German will look so nice in a beard. It gives me a chance to watch the seniors one more time...they are a great bunch of kids and I will really miss them next year. Baseball tryouts start on Monday, at least for the freshmen. I get a break for a month (keeping my fingers crossed that Matt makes the team), but Matt doesn't.

Second trimester also ended. Both boys did well again this term...at worst they each got a 3.8. Matt still has an outside shot of keeping his 4.0 depending on how he did on his geometry final. Craig has a big week ahead of him...MME's (and the ACT) loom on Tuesday. I know he'll do well as long as he stays focused. While I wasn't too thrilled when he got really sick during exams this week, I'm just glad he's gotten it through his system before this week's major milestones.

Maybe the change of season will signal other changes along the way. Here's hoping the sunshine brings a bit more enthusiasm to the economy and all other ills that we seem to be encountering.

I'm What?

OK, the creative juices are lacking today. It's been a busy week. Just a quick update--dad is doing better; the freshman basketball team won another game; the tangled web at work just keeps getting crazier. I gave up several things for Lent, but I'll save those for another post when I can be humorous about them.

Because I'm spending an inordinate amount of time online (I caved in and joined Facebook), I thought I'd take this little quiz. I think it is pretty accurate. The one about which girl scout cookie I am was not--I would much prefer to be a thin mint (thin anything) than a peanut butter sandwich/do-se-do (I don't care for those). Anyway... what Internet slang are you?

You Are LOL

The internet is always cracking you up. You could waste the day away finding things to laugh at. You're usually the first one to find a new funny video, picture, or website. You're always up for wasting time online, even if (especially if) you're at work. You also tend to spend a lot of time chatting, especially with people who make you laugh out loud.

What Internet Slang Are You?

Taking stock of what is important

My mom hasn't made it to too many of Matt's basketball games this year. She came last Thursday with my sweet Logan to watch the freshmen Mules take on Ann Arbor Huron. Probably not the best choice--it wasn't a particularly fun game to watch. But my boys (and my nieces and their kids) are a top priority for my mom -- and me -- so I'm glad she got to watch. My dad, on the other hand, has not been able to attend, and it looks like he probably won't make it to any of the remaining home dates.

One of my New Years' plans was to visit my parents more often since they basically live around the block from me. Work and kids' schedules have been hectic though, and I've been remiss in this area. I need to fix that, and I hate that it takes trauma to make me re-evaluate. My mom mentioned that my dad wasn't feeling well, and that I needed to get over to see him before it was too late. I took that with a grain of salt because sometimes my mom can be a bit dramatic (just in case you wonder where Matt and I get it). Unfortunately, this time she was spot on. I ran over on Saturday to take some dishes back that have been sitting at my house since Christmas. My dad really was in very bad shape. It was very obvious that he had pneumonia, but he didn't want to go to the ER because he had a doctor's appointment scheduled for Tuesday. I was truly fearful that he wasn't going to make it until then. The only other time I've seen him that bad was when he had complications from surgery 5 years ago and we almost lost him.

Needless to say, the doctor took one look at him and put him in the hospital. He's still there and will remain there for at least a few more days. He's breathing easier, but there are some secondary issues that still have me concerned.

It's also taking a bit of a toll on the boys. The elder two really want to bury their heads in the sand and pretend nothing is wrong. The younger one is losing focus--he tries to make it seem like he's taking it in stride, but he and his grandfather are close, and he's the one who has been to see him, so I know he's distracted. They've all watched friends lose grandparents recently, so it is a life lesson that is hard.

I'm sure my dad will be fine, at least this time. It's just a wake up call for me.

Things I Meant to Blog About, and Things I Shouldn't Blog About

Several things happened last week that I meant to blog about, but I just never got around to it.

1. The Freshman Boys' basketball team finally got their first victory of the season! Hurray! Matt had a double double (10 points, 11 rebounds). Thomas and Tyler also had double doubles, and Brendan played some excellent ball as well.
2. Andrew is back on the job market with the demise of Circuit City. If not for bad luck, he wouldn't have any at all, but he's a trouper.
3. The boys on the football team once again showed that they understand the meaning of family as they stood by their friend Nate as he mourned the loss of his grandparents one week apart from each other. My deepest sympathies to Nate and his mom Cheryl and their family members on the loss of her parents.
4. Craig can write great poetry. He'll kill me for that, but some of the off-the-cuff things he wrote were phenomenal.
5. BD's Mongolian Grill is addictive.
6. I watched shows about Jesus and about the shroud of Turin on the Discovery Channel and History Channel to change the karma in my house and to offset the blue cloud coming from my basement during the second half of the Super Bowl. Thank goodness the Steelers pulled it off in the end--all is at peace once again.

As far as things I SHOULDN'T blog about... that would be the conversation I walked in on after work that was going on between My 3 Sons. While my life can resemble a sitcom at times, I don't think that old show would have been able to broadcast the conversation. At some point, I tried to remind them that I was MOM and not another teenager. I won't go into detail---it would REALLY embarrass them, but suffice it to say, the FCC would have had a heart attack. (although personally, I found it hysterically funny but totally inappropriate--there were things I should have set them straight on, but that would have been just wrong).

So on to life's next adventure...

My Latest Science Experiment

My boys take sadistic delight in telling their friends that I don't know how to cook. I take exception to this sentiment; I am an excellent cook but I don't do it often. I worked in a restaurant kitchen in high school and used to have nightmares about the dinner or lunch rush. I cooked enough meals to last several lifetimes. Also, with sporting events on multiple evenings each week 12 months out of the year, concession stand food and fast food are my friends (unless, of course, I need to get on the scale).

Their friends will tell you that I make outstanding pancakes, french toast, and scrambled eggs. Breakfast and baking are my specialties. I have a great spread on holidays as well, when I cook for 20 people.

Last night, after going a little stir crazy being snowed in most of the day, I decided to make a meatloaf. This is another of my prize recipes. Except I don't really use a recipe--at least not as it's written. I have a friend I'll call "Kate" who is a very good cook. She will tell you, though, that she almost always uses a recipe and prefers one with a picture. I figure if I don't know what it's supposed to look like, no one else does either, so if it comes out looking lopsided no one is the wiser.

I view the cooking process--especially with pancakes and meatloaf and other such meals--to be something of a science experiment. Measuring spoons and cups are guidelines, not precision tools. I have secret ingredients that I use in my pancakes that mean no one else will ever make them the same way. Same goes for the meatloaf, and frankly, both of these are kind of like snowflakes: no 2 batches are ever the same.

I got mixed reviews for my meatloaf last night. The eldest and youngest were torn. I mixed so many things together that every taste was a new adventure. They weren't too certain they were ready for that. The 17 year old, on the other hand, was very appreciative. I'll give you all my ingredients, but since I didn't measure anything, I can't give you proportions. My megaloaf contained:

Ground beef; sausage; 2 eggs; milk, clubhouse crackers; honey bbq sauce; chicken wing sauce, seasoned salt, onions, tastefully simple onion onion and garlic garlic, Worcester sauce, oregano, basil, cilantro, and mozzarella cheese.

Any suggestions for my next experiment?

Back in Black!!!

Tonight was the first annual Black Out game for the Bedford Basketball program, following in the footsteps of the football White Out. It was a spectacular night, to say the least.

The freshman team has been struggling this year but they managed to take the Hornets into overtime before bowing out right at the end. To say that it was a physical game would be an understatement--I think I saw 6 ice bags after the game.

The JV game was also exciting--it didn't go into overtime, but it did come down to the wire for the win (I think it was a 1 point difference). Then came the main event...

Michelle, Dagmar, and I have spent the better part of the past 2 months peddling special event shirts to be worn tonight. We managed to sell somewhere between 400 and 500. We had enough bodies filling the gym that we had to have seating open on both shelves--it was a full house. The pep band got the music for AC/DC's Back in Black for the occasion. It was raucous good fun in the gym--the student section was HUGE, and they were exceptionally animated. And the game certainly did not disappoint. After falling behind by a dozen in the first half, the varsity Mules took the lead in the 4th quarter, then the score seesawed back and forth. Like the freshmen, the game went into OT. I have to admit that I was banned from the gym in some point in the 4th quarter because every time I walked in, Saline rallied, and every time I left, the Mules edged ahead. So when the AD nudged me into the lobby at the end of OT, we all had a good laugh. While I was out there, Joe Martin had a beautiful assist to John Harmon, who put it in at the buzzer for the 2 point win. Now what makes this even more special... John is the one who caught the touchdown pass with 45 seconds left to tie the football game in the fall (with a nice 2 point conversion by TJ for the win). When the "Just Like Football" chant started, it had special meaning.

ALL of the boys on ALL of the Mule teams played their hearts out tonight. Congratulations!!!

The Beauty of a Public Education

I have heard much criticism of the public education system over the past few years--how a private school education is superior to a public school education-- and to that I say hrrrmph. I am not saying by any means that a public education is better. Rather, I am a firm believer that a wonderful education can be gained anywhere if the student is truly interested in learning. I, myself, attended Detroit Public Schools (Peter Vetal Elementary) for my K-8 studies before moving to Bedford just before I entered high school. I could have gone to any university based on my academic and extracurricular activities in high school (I was recruited by West Point to be in their second class with female cadets--thanks but no thanks!). I went to a MAC university where I had first rate teachers. I've done just fine with my life.

Just to challenge myself, I decided to take a little test out on blogthings. I surprised myself, actually. (and I'll admit to guessing at one or two). But here's a testament to public education...

There Are 0 Gaps in Your Knowledge

Where you have gaps in your knowledge: No Gaps! Where you don't have gaps in your knowledge: Philosophy Religion Economics Literature History Science Art

Do You Have Gaps in Your Knowledge?

I'm #2, but that's ok

As the mother of teenagers, I know I can be the enemy. With our church youth group, I am the "bad cop"--the one who reins it in when things get a little too crazy. I'm ok with that--especially since I don't have to do it often.

My boys will tell you that I go out of my way to embarrass them, which is true. Actually, they tell me I'm embarrassing myself, but I'm not. I don't care if people think I'm crazy or eccentric. I'm going to wear my Santa hat and holiday socks at Christmas regardless. I'm going to sing along (very off-key) to my radio or ipod. That's just who I am. Deal with it.

So, when the 17-year old told me he considered me to be the 2nd best mom around, I was pleased. I think over the past couple of years he's realized that he has it good. We don't always get along--we both are at rather hormonal stages in our lives--but our little arguments tend to be over fairly insignificant things in the grand scheme. I think he also realizes that I remember what it's like to be a teenager, and while I need to point out bad decisions, as long as certain rules are adhered to, I'm pretty flexible. Some day I'll relate my escapades during the blizzard of 1978 (or not).

His favorite mom? That would be Carol. If you go back in the archives (adventures with...), you'll see that Carol was the one who encouraged me to get my then-16-year-old son a Mustang. She's an insurance agent--it's good for business. She's the mom that's been known to be out baja'ing on the golf cart in the wee hours of the morning (lol). And I could go into the whole burping thing (which would be embarrassing to my boys if I did it) or the text messages... But she's of the same vein--have fun, but be smart. You don't need the extra, less-than-legal stuff to have a good time. Truthfully, if I were a teenager, Carol would be my favorite mom too. As it is, she's one of my favorite people for the same reasons my kids love her.

So I'll settle for my #2 rating, grateful that at least I made the list.

New Year, Renewed Me

Well, the calendar has rolled over into 2009. I can't say I'm sorry to see 2008 go. It was an up and down year. I lost a few friends (Steve, Sherry, Steve). Made a few new ones (my football moms!). I still have a job even if I don't always like it, my kids are great--the younger boys were successful in both academics and athletics. Andrew had a bit more of a tumultuous year, but I'll leave it to him to tell that story.

With the change of years generally comes the traditional New Year's resolutions. I swore them off a couple of years ago. Sure, I could stand to lose 20 pounds (ok, 30 pounds), but I'm at an age where my inner workings are making that more and more difficult. I'll do what I can, but I can't let that rule me. I'll eventually get around to using that Y-membership.

Instead of things to change, I like to set out a list of things to do and see how many I can check off. This year I will:

• Pray. Daily.
• Set aside "me" time to recharge my batteries. This will include things like getting lost in a good book while soaking in a bubble bath, and doing girls' night out (or weekend retreats) on a regular basis.
• Visit my parents more often. I am blessed to still have them, and they live around the block--yet I do not see them very frequently.
• Do things with my sister more often. She also lives within a mile of me, and I see her even less frequently.
• Catch up with my friends. I owe Dave, Monica, and Jenny lunch; Bob, Kim, and Michelle dinner. I have a good friend Margo who was my partner in crime for many years, but life got in the way and we haven't seen each other in forever--we owe each other one of those girls' weekend retreats.
• Help those who need it--continue to volunteer for whatever beckons.
• Help those who may not need it--random acts of kindness--doing the unexpected--can change a life.

I should probably also include more mundane things like organizing my garage and basement store room, and maybe my closet and sock drawer. um, maybe not.

Here's to a wonderful 2009 for all my family and friends (and me!).