MuleChip

Resetting My Biological Clock

2009-09-09T21:42:00.003-04:00

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...

2009-08-13T09:35:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-20T18:23:00.002-04:00

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

2009-07-06T12:10:00.001-04:00

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)

2009-06-16T21:26:00.004-04:00

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

2009-06-11T12:17:00.004-04:00

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

2009-05-23T13:26:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-11T12:59:00.004-04:00

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

2009-04-19T11:41:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-29T13:43:00.005-04:00

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....

2009-03-20T14:13:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-16T18:01:00.004-04:00

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

2009-03-07T11:29:00.003-05:00

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?

2009-02-26T20:43:00.003-05:00

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

2009-02-19T22:24:00.003-05:00

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

2009-02-09T18:36:00.004-05:00

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

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.
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.
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.
Craig can write great poetry. He'll kill me for that, but some of the off-the-cuff things he wrote were phenomenal.
BD's Mongolian Grill is addictive.
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

2009-01-29T13:51:00.003-05:00

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!!!

2009-01-24T00:19:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-21T21:30:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-13T21:33:00.003-05:00

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

2009-01-05T20:10:00.003-05:00

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!).

Holiday Scenes

2008-12-26T11:15:00.003-05:00

Off to Detroit in a little while to take the boys and some of their friends to the Motor City Bowl. This is the 3rd straight year my Chips will be playing at Ford Field. I'm hoping the roads will less icy by the time we leave. Have to love winter!

Christmas was very peaceful at my house, even with 20 people. Here's a few scenes from the holiday. I'm also including a shot of me and the boys from 2 years ago as a point of comparison--all of a sudden I'm short, although I have been 5'6" since I was 14...

How do you say Merry Christmas?

2008-12-24T13:04:00.004-05:00

I found this little quiz out on one of my favorite sites. I got 13 out of 15 right! I'll admit to having guessed at a few. Ok, at several, but it was fairly intuitive. Now, if you're smart, you can do the same thing, um, well, because these are the answers, lol. Regardless of the language you use, enjoy the day.

You Can Say "Merry Christmas" in 14 Languages

You can say "Merry Christmas" in:

English

Spanish

Japanese

French

Arabic

German

Italian

Swedish

Portuguese

Gaelic

Hawaiian

Korean

Latin

Esperanto

How Many Languages Can You Say "Merry Christmas" In?

Finding an Angel

2008-12-22T21:55:00.006-05:00

Christmas is often a time of miracles..a time when those more fortunate reach out to those who have less. With the state of the economy this year, there are more who are on the "have less" end of the scale, and it is important during this holy season for us to give back.

Our church adopts several families each year to try to make the season memorable, especially for the children. The kids in our youth group are very blessed--and are always willing to step up and help others. As part of our annual December activities, we go shopping for gifts for our adopted families. The purpose of this is two-fold: those in need get a little something, and our kids understand how much they've been given. This year, we had $45 per person to spend, which is actually more than we usually have. We have a list of "need" and "want," and the kids try to get something from each list. They find out very quickly how far the money goes (or doesn't go).

This year, we ventured over to Wal*Mart on Glendale to do our shopping. I am generally not a Wal*Mart shopper. However, in this case, the trip introduced us to an angel in human form. One child we had to shop for was a 14 year old girl. The one thing on her "want" list was an MP3 player. The boys shopping for her did a good job of finding some clothing that she needed at bargain prices, and managed to have just enough left for the MP3 player. As they were looking things over, one of the sales associates started asking them if they needed help. She then suggested that they get a nice case for the player. The boys explained the list and the budget, and then the sales associate gave them a hug for what they were doing, and she DONATED (i.e., paid for out of her pocket) the case to give another child just one more gift. Bless this angel who, with a random act of kindness, impacted a variety of teens in a number of ways.

To all readers (if there are any of you left!) have a safe and joyous Christmas.

We're WHERE on the calendar?

2008-12-12T20:51:00.003-05:00

I am going crazy. Literally. Obviously, since it's been a decade since I last posted (or so it seems), time is at a premium. I am the one who always has Christmas cards done Thanksgiving weekend. The trees (yes multiple) are trimmed the same weekend. Outdoor decorations--limited though they are--are out. Most of my shopping is done by the first week of December.

Not this year. I'm sitting here writing this instead of the cards. One tree is done--the other has lights, an angel on top, and 2 ornaments since no one else seems to care whether or not it is fully done (and that's how it's going to stay). I have my head buried in the sand with respect to shopping for gifts. I keep hoping Santa's bag will be full of things for my guys so I don't have to actually shop. I do have the stocking stuffers handled (and the stockings are hung, although not by the chimney).

Basketball season is starting, and I volunteered to coordinate spirit wear. Why I did that, I'm not sure. I really have it pretty organized and it isn't that time consuming...it's just one more thing on the plate. On the positive side, I'm technically on vacation for the rest of the year starting on Wednesday (unless you count the 5 or 6 reports I'll be working on while I'm home--but at least I can wear my fuzzy slippers and new comfy robe while I'm doing them at 3 am in the midst of my midlife insomnia).

Maybe, if I get motivated (yeah, right) I'll post some pictures of my trees (once I take them). Right after I do those cards and shopping....

Shades of Fall

2008-11-27T18:34:00.007-05:00

Today is Thanksgiving, which marks the unofficial end of fall. The calendar says another month, but the Christmas decorations come out tomorrow (at least at my house) and the forecast is calling for snow, so it's beginning to seem a lot like winter. But here are a few memories of fall:

I've blogged plenty about the Kicking Mules football team(s). Great kids, great season. Fall colors were spectacular, but short-lived. This is my Japanese Maple. In the summer, it has green, lacy leaves. This does not do it justice--it looked like a beautiful sunset.

Election day, as I've previously posted, was difficult although I got to spend it with my great nephew Logan. Of course, Logan thinks his cousin Craig is a super hero.

Craig spent a couple of hours reading to Logan all about dinosaurs and watching Land Before Time. After I tried to get Logan to take a nap (NOT on his agenda), Craig took the reins while I ran some errands, and here's what I got.

In addition to Thanksgiving, the end of November also brings about the annual Michigan-Ohio State football rivalry. Living on the border of the two states means we re-live the great Toledo War from way back when state boundaries were being drawn, although I think that there may be more blood shed during the current "border war" than there was in the 1800's (no shots fired). At work, we use the opportunity to wear our colors as a fundraiser. There is a raffle where tickets are purchased for specific goodies associated with each university. There is also an "I don't care" box for those who really don't care. Well, actually, the prizes for that box were better this year, so at least one co-worker parted with his usual team to go neutral. Now, lest you think this was a Michigan fan who was using it as an excuse to distance himself from this year's maize and blue mediocrity, it wasn't--it was a Butt-guy fan. (That's what Matt used to call the scarlet and gray guys when he was little. I still think it's funny.)

There is also a chili cook-off. Celebrity and corporate judges spend about 45 minutes sampling and rating the 12 entrants and declare 3 winners. Then employees are offered the chance to buy samples or full bowls. The money collected goes to a select charity, which is often the family of a co-worker in need. This year, with so many people in need. the money raised went to the NWO Food Bank, and a can collection supplemented. I have known Tony Packo for several years, and last year I mentioned the chili shindig to him. As you may know, chili is one of the Packo specialities, so Tony volunteered to be a judge. He came back again this year. I also asked my favorite Blonde Highlight if she'd like to try it this year. She was game, but had a timing conflict, so she arranged for Christina Williams from 13ABC News to help out. I brought in a little help for after the tasting, shown in the basket.

So, it's goodbye to fall. On to the holidays and basketball. And on this Thanksgiving day, I am thankful for all that I have in terms of friends, families and overall blessings.

Ode to My Firstborn

2008-11-16T20:22:00.005-05:00

OK, I'm not actually going to break out into prose. But today is my firstborn's birthday, and that marks the anniversary of a miracle.

My Andrew arrived much before he should have. He tipped the scales at a whopping 2 pounds, 13 ounces when he was born. Preemie clothes and diapers were too large. Luckily, his lungs were in good shape, so he was off a respirator and breathing room air within 36 hours. He had few health issues--mainly he just needed to grow. He spent the first 8+ weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit at Toledo Hospital. He was up to 4.5 pounds when he came home. (Once home, he thrived, and by the time he was about 4 months old, he was actually almost caught up).

He and I had several excellent adventures way back when. We journeyed out to the east coast one summer and spent a few days with my aunt and uncle. I had no radio in my car at that point, so we spent the 12 hour drive each way singing goofy songs and talking about nonsense. He turned into an excellent traveller--he's been in 43 or 44 states. The missing ones? Hawaii, Alaska, Colorado, Mississippi, Louisiana, Delaware (and maybe North Carolina).

Being a preemie didn't hold him back. He was an outstanding student through his elementary years. Actually, he was a good student all the way through college. He'll be going back next term to become a social studies teacher.

Andrew is busy planning his wedding to Brooke next summer. That, for me, is kind of scary since it means I'm getting old (plus I have to squeeze into a mother of the groom dress-ugh).

Happy birthday Drewser. Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats. Ho.

Saying Goodbye

2008-11-06T20:33:00.002-05:00

Tuesday was not one of my favorite days, for a variety of reasons. In fact, it's been a pretty miserable week with plenty of change (both good and bad). But Tuesday was especially bad. It's not entirely due to the election. Some of the candidates I voted for -- in each party -- made it into office, while others did not. That's the political process and I'll live with the outcome. No, Tuesday was just plain awful for several reasons.

First, I had a sick kid--one who is rarely sick. He's still not quite up to snuff today, but Tuesday was bad. To accommodate my need to vote and to care for my sick one, I decided to work at home (bonus, or so I thought). My mom called around 10 to ask if she could drop my darling Logan off for the remainder of the day (another bonus)--she had to accompany my niece up to Ann Arbor so that she could say goodbye to her mother. And that is was makes it a miserable day. See, her mother (my former sister-in-law) was not going on a trip or moving. Instead, she was at the hospital at U of M, and had lapsed in to a coma, was on a respirator, and was not expected to make it through the day.

Sherry and my brother were married through most of the 1980's. Together, they had 2 daughters. They split when the girls were young, and the girls stayed with my brother. I don't like some of the decisions that Sherry made over her life's journey, but she and I used to do quite a bit together through the early years, and we maintained a cordial relationship over the years although we didn't see each other very often. In fact, the last time I saw her was at my grandmother's funeral in April '07. I have, however, seen her parents and one of her brothers fairly often over time, and will always consider them to be family since we have shared children (my nieces and great nieces).

Sherry has had health issues for pretty much the entire 26 or 27 years that I've known her, but has been in very bad shape over the last few. I know that she's at peace and no longer suffering, but I also know that it will be hard to say goodbye on Monday. I like knowing that she got to spend her last few weeks with her darling granddaughters. She lost her battle early Tuesday afternoon. She was 45.

So, my old friend, sleep well and watch over us.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T20:00:00.002-04:00

Ok, that's tomorrow, actually--but I'll be busy. I just got done carving the pumpkins. I have the spider web and spider hung on the porch. Candy is bought. No costume--I think I'll be a football mom at work tomorrow... but maybe I should be a witch based on this quiz. A good witch ;)

You Are 55% Witch

You've got some pretty witchy stuff going on.

Even if you're not a witch, you've got to admit that you're a little freaky.

You have a strong independent streak - social norms be damned. More power to you.

Luckily, the time when you would have been burned at the stake has passed!

Are You a Witch?

An inch away

2008-10-25T17:29:00.004-04:00

I would like to congratulate the Bedford Varsity football team on their incredible season. They were an inch away from a playoff spot, at least in the officials' eyes. Those of us who were sitting in the stands know that they were in the endzone on each of the last two plays in regulation and should have had the win. However, that's not how it turned out,. While we are disappointed in the outcome, there is no way that we are disappointed in our boys OR our coaches.

It has been exciting to be a part of Bedford football this year. All three teams at the high school level had winning seasons. Coach Wood has brought much needed discipline to the program without being hard-nosed about it; most of the parents and the boys have great respect and admiration for him and his coaching staff. I had chills each time the varsity team sang the fight song after home victories, and they did that often. What a wonderful tradition to start. And I literally teared up on Thursday when the FRESHMEN lined up and sang to us after their win (as did the JV!).

I was privileged to spend a good part of the past 9 Friday afternoons with the Varsity boys when we gave them their pre-game meal. This is an outstanding group of kids--polite, smart, funny, and truly supportive of one another. I saw absolutely NO finger pointing the few times that things didn't go right. I saw boys turn into men as they accepted responsibility for whatever went wrong (even if it was beyond their control!), and spread the praise for what went right--no glory-hogging.

While we wish we could have a Halloween game, this season has been quite a treat! Good job guys.

To everything, there is a season

2008-10-21T21:19:00.004-04:00

This passage from Ecclesiastes has always been my favorite...a time for every purpose ... At this time of year, the turning becomes obvious--the changing of the leaves, the chill in the air (and the need to turn on the furnace!). This weekend, I plan on switching my summer wardrobe for my winter wardrobe in my closet. This means I need to put together a few more covered wardrobe racks for my attic since somehow, I've accumulated more clothes than I had last year. And Angie, I promise I will pare it back as I go--but I still will need the extra organizers. Guess I should have the boys go through their closets and drawers as well since we never got around to that at the beginning of school.

Ah yes. Change is in the air. The election is only a few weeks off, and regardless of the outcome, there will be change. Work has been a constant stream of change, some for the good and some for the not so good. My workload has more than doubled in the last week alone, and I was already busy. Ugh. But life goes on, and somehow, it will all sort itself out.

Before you know it, we'll be inundated with Christmas sales and carols and all that jazz. Wait, that's already happening. I guess Christmas is turning into a 9 month season.

One season that I'd like to see extended is that of our varsity football team. They are making the long journey up to Chelsea for the regular season finale. A win will put them in the playoffs for the second time in school history and the first time in 18 years. They could make it with a loss but they're on the bubble there. Chelsea is always a top team, so it should be interesting. Go Mules!

All About Craig

2008-10-16T12:49:00.007-04:00

Today is Craig's birthday. He is turning 17. He shares his birthday with Angela Lansbury, Tim Robbins, and Suzanne Sommers. He is a Libra--the scales and balance--which is very fitting for his personality.

Craig has always been a little ray of light. He was a sunny blonde as a child and had a smile and laugh that would light up a room. I wish I could post the video from his second birthday--between his giggles and antics, I roll on the floor every time I view it. I am going to scan in some pictures of him as a little boy so you can see just how adorable he was (ok, bad mom, but I've been swamped between work, football, and school functions).

Actually, Craig is still adorable. And now that he is driving and past that mid-teen point, he is human once again, at least in his relationship with me.

One of the greatest compliments a mother can receive is when others tell her how polite and helpful her children are. These types of comments are synonymous with Craig. I can also recall how he amazed a group of adults at his brother's christening. Craig was 3 at the time, and walked past a plate of cookies to get at a plate of carrots. How many 3 year olds would do that?

He is the pied piper around little kids. The toddler and elementary school set at church have this puppy-like adoration for him. And to our young Logan, he is the absolute hero. He'll make a good dad some day--he gets how to interact and lead.

His current passion is football. As part of this year's winning varsity team, he epitomizes what it means to be a team player. He isn't seeing as much field time as either of us would like, but he is extremely supportive of his "brothers" and understands that the scout team contributes to the overall team success since our starters wouldn't be as strong as they are if they weren't daily going against the talent of our scout team.

Craig is smart. He is currently carrying a 3.8 grade point average, and is in the top 7% in his graduating class. He is taking tough, challenging classes. As a 7th grader (years and years ago), he merged his smarts with his passion, and was named the league scholar athlete.

So, Happy Birthday Craig!

Homecoming 2008

2008-10-12T21:05:00.005-04:00

This week marked the annual homecoming celebration for Bedford. With 2 boys in the high school, it was pretty crazy at my house. Wednesday night was Big Ball, then the Football moms helped to resurrect the traditional homecoming bonfire. If you haven't seen a big ball game, it is a pseudo-powder puff activity, but instead of football, the junior and senior girls move rather large medicine balls up and down the field. Of course, the boys show their class spirit, as pictured here:

On Thursday, we traveled up to Ypsilanti Lincoln to watch the Freshmen and JV games. Both teams won--the freshmen by a score of 36-21, and the JV by a score of 69-6 (trust me, it could have been MUCH worse!).

Friday brought the varsity game. The lovely and absolutely delightful Ashley was crowned this year's queen. I have known her since she was very young since her brother TJ and Craig played youth ball together. I am very happy for her. TJ also had a big night on Friday, helping to lead the Mules on to a 37-6 victory. Lots of incredible talent on that field--many big play makers including Nate, Joe, Shane, and Tyler. Way to go boys--one more and it's a winning season.

Saturday was the dance. Craig went with his friend Megan (whose brother is one of Matt's best friends!) This group is pictured below, as are just my boys plus the big bunch that went. All in all, I'd say that this year's homecoming was a smashing success.

Turn Back the Hands of Time

2008-10-07T12:13:00.003-04:00

I try to live my life with as few regrets as possible. Raw circumstances and joyous occasions have made me who I am today, and I am generally pretty happy with the person that I am and with the place where I reside, speaking both metaphysically and physically--current funk notwithstanding.

Over the weekend, I read a book with an intriguing lure. (The Summerhouse by Jude Devereaux). In this book three women who had a happenstance meeting at the BMV on their shared 21st birthday get together again as they turn 40. Life has not been particularly kind to any of them, and they are given the chance to go back to one three-week period in their lives and re-write their life story, if they so desire. Not the same 3 weeks for all--but ANY 3 consecutive weeks for each. If they do so, they can either totally erase the memory of the other life and continue down the rewritten path, move on with the new life but keep the memory of what has transpired elsewhere, or stay where they are in the life they have already made. Each woman chooses something different (1 for each scenario).

So what would I do if offered the same choice? I don't know that I could pinpoint a three-week period that would have been life-altering. In retrospect, I could probably name a handful of isolated moments that I would like a re-do on, but only on the assurance that I would, for the most part, end up in the same spot I am in today. In doing so, my desire would not be for something better for myself, but to perhaps help others on the road not taken for them. I think I would have told the people I love how much I appreciate them more often, but I am not sure that we can EVER do that often enough.

If you could go back and change anything, would you? What?

Autumn Quiz

2008-10-04T21:13:00.003-04:00

Love the linked site for funky quizzes (thanks Robin at Befrazzled!). Combine that with my favorite season, and here's what I get. Take the quiz for yourself and let me know how you stack up. I have to say that this is a pretty good description of me....

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a energetic, warm, optimistic person. You approach everything with a lot of enthusiasm.

When you're happiest, you are outgoing and expressive . You love celebrations, and you enjoy showing off a little.

You prefer change to come slowly. You need a long transition period when your life changes.

You find solitude to be the most comforting thing in the world. Being alone with your thoughts feels very peaceful.

Your ideal day is spontaneous and surprising. You like to play things by ear, and you always end up doing something interesting.

You tend to live in the moment. You enjoy whatever is going on, and you don't obsess over the past or future.

The Autumn Test

hmmph

2008-10-02T22:37:00.003-04:00

I am in a funk. My biorhythms must be out of sync, my cosmic doodads misaligned. I'm just saying. I can't quite put my finger on it, but something is just off. I'm thinking about finding a deserted island for a week or two. Well, maybe not entirely deserted. I'm going to need a bartender and a masseuse. Maybe a chef and a pool boy.

On the positive side, the freshman football team beat Tecumseh tonight to move their record to 5 and 1. They had a devastating blow-out loss to Ann Arbor Pioneer last week--it was their first loss in 3 years, and it looked like they saved all of their yips for one fell swoop. They were still a little tentative tonight, especially on offense--which is usually their bread and butter. But they managed to get the job done.

We're hoping the Varsity team is ticked off enough from losing a game they should have won last week (gave up 2 touchdowns in the last 3 minutes to lose by 7!) to roll tomorrow night. I've already got my long johns out since it's supposed to be pretty frigid by game time (making that deserted island sound even more appealing!). ADDENDUM: GO MULES! They pulled off the victory 56-40.

What type of vacation sounds good? The desert island? A girls' shopping spree in Chicago? Some other exotic retreat?

Sorry Mom

2008-09-28T20:09:00.002-04:00

It has been a crazy week. In chaos, I missed blogging about my mom's birthday, which was on Friday. She is the same age as my dad. I guess technically she's a senior citizen, although she hasn't yet acknowledged that fact. Most of the time that's amusing, but on Wednesday, it ended with an overnight visit to the emergency room. I'll spare the details, but in a nutshell, she fell and broke her arm. The boys are looking forward to signing her cast.

She's been amazing. Oh sure, she still goes out of her way to embarrass all of us. That's ok--that's in the Mom's Handbook, so I understand. All of the neighborhood kids and my sons' friends call here Grandma Joan. She was active at the boys' elementary school throughout their years, as well as when my niece attended. Every year, there was a VIP day for parents or grandparents. One little boy in Matt's class was unable to have family members attend, so my mom always went as his VIP so that he could share all of what he had done with someone who cared. My mom has also lent the school several pieces from her rather extensive holiday collections (Hallowe'en and Christmas) for display in the lobby.

Mom rarely fails to attend one of the boys games. I've told her that she doesn't need to make the long trip up to places like Dexter or Chelsea, but she still likes to make the trip (another example of her refusing to grow old even as the calendar moves).

My young Logan is very attached to his GiGi. She takes care of him three days a week. I'm sure that she'll make it to all of his VIP days and sporting functions as well.

So Mom, Happy Belated Birthday.

A new season of DWTS

2008-09-24T22:10:00.003-04:00

A new season of Dancing with the Stars began on Monday. I am not going to do the low-down of who is who. I'll just give some general reflections this time around.

The first man out was the right one. Jeffery Ross couldn't dance and he wasn't particularly funny, although in the end, his praise for his partner was surprisingly touching.
Ted McGinley was this year's Steve Guttenberg. I wish "Ace" would have lasted a bit longer, but oh well.
I don't get the whole Brooke Burke thing.
Warren Sapp is graceful. Who'd have thunk it?
I have a soft spot for Cloris Leachman. She was Phyllis on the Mary Tyler Moore show and the subsequent spin-off. Mike Allen used to sing the theme song from "Phyllis" to me in Mr. Tienvieri's history class in 1977. Anyway, I about peed my pants laughing last night as I watched her dancing and dishing out the tom foolery (which was a great bar in Mt. Pleasant in the late 70's and early 80's). She won't go all the way, but she'll make it entertaining.
I'm cheering for Toni Braxton or Misty May-Treanor this time. You girls rock.
The others are fun, but eh.

On a side note, did you know that "thunk" doesn't come up as wrong on a spell-check?? Have to add that one to my pet peeves list.

Oh What A Night!

2008-09-20T13:55:00.002-04:00

Actually, what a couple of nights. On Thursday, the Bedford Freshman and JV football teams travelled up to Ann Arbor to take on the Huron River Rats on their turf. Both teams emerged victorious, with similar scores--20 to 14 for the Frosh and 21-14 for the JV, although the games were paced very differently. The Freshmen were dominant--the game was nowhere near as closely played as the score indicates. Matt is the backup quarterback, and when his good friend Aaron went down with an injury, he had to step in. He did a very good job, but timing was a bit off on a couple of plays, which resulted in fumbles by either him or the RB, ending drives deep into River Rat territory. A field goal attempt by first year player Nick Harvey just missed as well. What a terrific group of kids! They all played well.

JV was a close game from start to finish. The great off-season conditioning Coach Wood ran really made the difference. The JV RR were visibly exhausted in the 4th quarter. The defense did their job when it counted most! Having watched all 3 games in this series, I'd have to say the Huron JV team was the best of the 3, and it was encouraging that our boys played as powerfully as they did.

Then there's varsity. It was a crazy day, but oh, what a night! It was a designated "white out" game, and the football moms sold over 1000 themed t-shirts for the occasion. We originally had ordered something like 600. We had to do several special orders. The last one arrived just in time for the pep rally. Trying to get them distributed was a circus. Then we had a lasagna malfunction when it came time to feeding the boys, so more chaos.

At game time, the stands were full. I went over to the other side to see the impact of the "white out." It was very cool--probably 85% of those in the stands were wearing white, and the home side of the field basically glowed. I took a couple of pictures, but they don't do it justice.

No one thought our boys could pull this one off--no one other than the families and the coaches seem to have confidence in the team. The first half was a defensive battle--the Mules scored pretty quickly and Huron answered, then the defenses held tight. The second half was a different matter. Nate Davis and Doug Harmon had the offense going on all cylinders. They put on quite a show. The O-line was impressive. While some think they are undersized, they did a good job of leveling the "big boys" across the ball. Our kids may not have the pounds or height of some of our opponents, but they are like a brick wall and they know how to execute!

And what can you say about our defense??? AWESOME, AWESOME evening boys!!! Big plays when things got tight (the interception on the 1 yard line changed the whole rhythm of the game!) and consistent pressure kept the Huron offense on the sideline for most of the game.

Go Mules, and thank you! You made us proud!

BUZZZZ OFF!!!

2008-09-14T18:49:00.002-04:00

Earlier this year, I read an article about the hazards of a dying bee population. Well, I can tell the beekeepers of the world where all the bees have gone...they are residing in my attic. Um, that is, they were residing in my attic until I waged chemical warfare earlier this afternoon. I swear, there were several MILLION (well, ok, seriously, several hundred) swarming around the window, and at least a hundred more dead on the floor from the stifling heat of the attic. Apparently there is a nest under the eaves, and they are coming in through the vents. What makes it worse is the fact that I have two kids who have very nasty allergic reactions to bee stings--not life threatening thus far, but enough that we've made trips to the emergency room because the localized swelling is so bad. I understand the role bees playing in making my gardens look lovely and can tolerate bees in that environment. I refuse, however, to share my overall living space with them. Yuck.

I'm also starting to see spiders...big, hairy spiders. I whacked one that was crawling on the ceiling in my family room the other day. I was pretty sure that I had put it out of its misery, but all I managed to do was to knock it into the crevice in my couch. The vacuum cleaner eventually swallowed it. Yuck again.

Well, I suppose I could have the birds in the attic or the field mice in the family room or the groundhogs under deck as I've had in the past. Regardless, I'll going out to restock my creepy crawly removal arsenal.

Cheer, Cheer for Ol' Bedford High

2008-09-13T16:24:00.003-04:00

We are now one-third of the way through the high school football season. It has been an exciting season thus far--at all levels.

The Freshman team is doing well. Thursday's game was especially exciting! As the game wound down, the score was tied 20-20. Adrian went for the bomb with 4 seconds left and missed, but alas, there was a pass interference call against our young Mules, so Adrian got another shot with an expired clock. Their QB lofted it toward the end zone, where it was tipped into the hands of "T", who returned it 80 yards for a touchdown and the win. There are a few more gray hairs today among freshmen parents!

JV are also looking strong. They've played 3 tight games, but have managed a winning record. The teams that they have played against certainly know they've been in a battle--this is a VERY physical, hard-hitting group of kids.

Varsity is 1-2, but they have played to the very end in every game, and it has made for some heart-pounding action. The Airport game was disappointing, but the kids NEVER gave up. Saline was a game for the ages! A TD with 44 seconds to go, then the gutsy decision to go for 2 and the win (which was successfully executed!). Good stuff! Last night's game at Adrian was also exciting although our boys couldn't quite pull it off. Take 4 plays away (or even 1 of the 5 turnovers), and the score could have gone the opposite direction. Adrian is a highly ranked team, and people around the state didn't have very high expectations for our boys, but the Mules managed to hang with the Maples until the final seconds. The guts will bring glory. We have faith!

So, here's to the remainder of the season. Good Luck boys. Win or lose, we will always support you--but we think you can win the rest!

school days... or is it school daze?

2008-09-03T12:50:00.003-04:00

The boys are back to school. While both protest about the agony of it all, they seemed to have enjoyed their first day back yesterday. I'm feeling a bit sleep deprived because the idea of a regular routine is still a few weeks off. Consequently, I'm getting up an hour earlier than usual to make sure THEY get up on time. I try to go back to sleep, but the ensuing chaos precludes that.

Matt came home with Geometry homework on day one. He had to find the next elements in several series, then explain how he derived the solution. Here's a sampling. (I expect Angie to have them in a snap. I got the two with names quickly. The one with letters took longer, and when we figured it out, it was one of those "doh" moments.)

What are the next two letters/names in each sequence?

OTTFFSSE

George, John, Thomas, James

George, Thomas, Abraham, Alexander...

Here's some first day of school pictures over time (2004, 2006, 2007, 2008)

Unofficial End of Summer

2008-09-01T20:28:00.006-04:00

Labor Day is waning and the boys are getting their stuff together for the first day of school tomorrow. I guess this marks the unofficial end of summer, although the calendar still gives us another few weeks. It's hard to believe it's over--it seems like it just started.

It began with baseball and is ending with football. Views of Matt at the AA U14 State Tournament in Canton, plus a few from Thursday's Freshman Game and Friday's Varsity dinner.

We also had some landscaping done. It was beautiful before, now it's spectacular.

daddy's girl

2008-08-31T00:00:00.003-04:00

I have always been a daddy's girl. It's not that I'm not close to my mom; I am. It's just different. And today is my dad's birthday. He's somewhere in his 70's. I'm not sure he'd appreciate my telling his exact age. I wish I had a picture loaded on my computer of him, but I don't. Sorry dad.

As a smaller child, I was my dad's sidekick. He taught me to appreciate a good football game (and even a bad one). I can recall many New Year's Days spent lying across the bottom of his bed watching bowl games. I'm pretty good in my bowl pool selections because I had a good teacher.

My dad spent over 30 years working for Ford within the stamping function. From what I recall, he was a program timing coordinator--a kind of logistics manager. We started in Chicago, then he transferred to Detroit. As I entered high school, he decided we needed to move, so he transferred down to Maumee (more than 50 miles so Ford bought our house in Detroit), and we landed in Bedford. Eventually, he started working back in Dearborn again, and spent a good 15 years doing the 45 minute commute every day.

I think my dad made it to most of my major milestones (except my actual birth--he was still parking the car). He actually did a few girl scout banquets when I was younger, and I know he was at the school plays and my eighth grade graduation. When I played basketball in high school (GO MULES!), he came to several games; not all, but as many as he could. Many parents were unable to do that way back in those dark ages. I know he was at my wedding--I also recall what he told me before I walked down the aisle. I won't put it here because it was, is, and always will be between us. Suffice it to say that it was fun and I was laughing as we moved on.

My dad tries to get to my kids' sporting events when possible. I'm not going to say he's in bad health, but he could be better. He does have a tough time walking. He had a knee replaced about 4 years ago, and he had some complications (life threatening) that left him in the hospital for 7 weeks instead of the 2 days they expected. He recovered, but given the experience, he's not too eager to get the other knee replaced.

Dad is our resident family historian. He started doing the family tree when he couldn't answer some simple family tree questions for a project my brother had way back when. Since then, he's been able to trace back 11 generations on several sides. Along the way, he's found a few famous ancestors and/or current distant relations. The one that I think is the coolest is Daniel Dafoe, author of Robinson Crusoe.

So daddy, Happy 70-something birthday.

Still Crazy After All These Years

2008-08-25T12:05:00.009-04:00

I've mentioned a few times that I've spent part of my summer planning my 30 year high school reunion. The committee got a late start on planning, so attendance was a bit sparser than we would have liked, but I think that those who attended enjoyed themselves for the most part. The reunion committee is pictured above. I think we're holding up pretty well.

We started the weekend festivities with a mixer at Sidelines. We packed the dugout early on. Some 20-somethings started filtering in around 10:00 and tried to get us to leave by playing really nasty music on the jukebox. Since most of us have kids that age and have to listen to that stuff regularly, we were generally unfazed. We actually had several "lost" classmates who heard about the gathering and made it for Friday. I still don't have addresses for a few of them, but at least we know they are still around. I did pretty well at knowing who was who. I think there were 4 that I couldn't pin, but that's a pretty high batting average considering I haven't seen many for several years.

Saturday morning was our golf outing at Giant Oak. Bright and early--had to be there by 7:30--a bit rough after Friday night. I forgot my camera, unfortunately. We had 20 people on the links. I had fun with Wes, Mark, and Kevin--3 of my favorite people. They had to send a search party out for us because the rest of the group finished about a half hour ahead of us. We'll never tell the reason we were 3 holes behind. What happens on the golf course stays on the golf course. LOL.

After a nap, it was on to Connie's Celebration for the dinner party. A couple of our kids gave up their Saturday night to help at the check in table. At one point, though, I had to point out to Matt that he was supposed to be working the table. He told me he was working the room. Hard to argue with a 14 year old, so I didn't even try.

The 3 piece band was great, although Ron and his date Paige and Tim and Debby were the only ones that consistently "cut a rug" (as my mom would say). I think we must be getting old though--at our 5 year reunion, we tapped out the alcohol by about 9:00. This time, I think there was still a significant amount of beer in the keg as Cinderella left the ball.

Much reminiscing took place. We had folks in from Florida (2), Nevada, Oklahoma (2), Georgia, Minnesota, among the more regional locales. Several folks who were there were first-time reunion attendees. Some said they hadn't come in the past because high school had not been a particularly positive experience for them--they had felt a little picked upon. However, they were almost unanimously glad they had come,saying that everyone seemed different--that they had had conversations with people that wouldn't have associated with them (or vice versa) 30 years ago.

Next time, I think we'll try to go more casual. Maybe we won't wait 5 years. A "we're turning 50" party seems in order for 2010. In the meantime, I can help plan my oldest son's wedding that is on the calendar for next June.

A taste of fall is in the air!

2008-08-16T17:55:00.002-04:00

Today was Media Day for the Bedford Kicking Mules football program. Freshmen started at the crack of dawn. Well, ok, it was at 8 am, but they had to be there by 7:30 and I was up later than anticipated last night, helping to assemble the programs for today's festivities.

We couldn't have asked for a nicer day! The morning started out nice and crisp, and while it warmed up, the temperature on the field was still comfortable for the boys. The atmosphere was upbeat as well. The varsity kids spent the earlier part of the week together at "camp," and it was obvious that they have bonded. They were very much a team rather than a group of individual football players. Success has eluded the varsity for, oh, the past 60 years or so. Here's hoping that this group of kids can start the turn around point, and that the next 60 years will be as successful for the football program as the wrestling program has been.

The freshman and JV teams also looked good. It's clear that the off-season conditioning has been a bonus. It will be fun to watch both of these teams this year.

Marching band gave us a bit of a preview as well. They played the fight song up and down the sideline just after the varsity finished their scrimmage. The absolute highlight of the day came when all of the varsity players sang the BHS fight song. "Cheer Cheer for old Bedford High..." Learning this was part of the program up at "camp" this week--Coach Wood insisted that they know it. They sang without hesitation and fairly well in tune. Somehow, it was very touching--and very cool.

Two weeks til the first game. Good luck boys! We're all proud of you.

Turning into whom? or what?

2008-08-14T12:29:00.003-04:00

I need to thank my old friend Mike for this post topic. He started a comment chain on my grammar police post from a few weeks ago, and rather than continuing that thread, I thought I'd bring the topic upfront. Let me digress a bit though. Mike and I went to grade school (k-8) together in Detroit. He was my main academic rival for 9 years, and I think we're both better people because we had a constant challenge to be the best. We haven't seen each other since I moved in 1974, but it's funny how old ties still bind. We now have children of similar ages, and are going through similar experiences... and that's where I will begin the topic at hand.

Our previous thread started delving into the murky area of communicating with teenagers, specifically, communicating with 14 year olds. With Matt at that age, this is the third time I've navigated this channel, but it really doesn't get any easier. Mike mentioned that he has turned into a cross between his dad and Red Forman from That 70's Show. I'm just not seeing Mike as Red, but I thoroughly understand the sentiment.

I don't think I'm turning into my mother, per se. Instead, I think I'm turning into the stereotypical middle-aged mom. I find myself saying things like"I don't need a reason" or "because I said so" or "I'm not your personal ATM," or other equally trite and banal mutterings. Now, my kids are generally pretty even-tempered, and we still actually speak with each other regularly. At times, they'll give me too much information--things I really don't need to know although I'm grateful that they feel we can have discussions at that level.

If you've ever called my cell phone, my ringback tone is Bowling for Soup's song "1985." It was my boys' idea; they say it is sooo ME. They are probably correct, although I don't recall ever wanting to dance on the hood of White Snake's car. To them, I am crazy, eccentric--and in public, thoroughly embarrassing. I tell them it is in the mom's handbook and is payback for every embarrassing moment they provided me before they entered kindergarten. My two youngest boys helped at my class reunion last weekend (more on that when I get time to download my pics!). I think they realized that they have it good (or at least that I'm not an isolated case of crazy).

What typical parental phrases do you find yourself saying even though you SWORE they would never escape your lips?

A great piece of advice

2008-08-04T13:49:00.002-04:00

I love my friend Jodi, even though she occasionally sends me emails of doom and gloom (one of which resulted in a broken ankle). We are getting ready to celebrate our 30 year high school reunion. She sent me this last week--I wish I knew who authored it so I could give credit, but it is SO spot on.

"Old Age, I decided, is a gift. I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be.. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body, the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don't agonize over those things for long.
I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging. Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's & 70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will. I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set. They, too, will get old. I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things. Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect. I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver. As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong."

Thanks Jodi, for once again putting it in perspecitve.

Random acts of kindness

2008-07-25T20:39:00.002-04:00

As a parent, I try to impress upon my boys the importance of being kind, of doing unto others as you would have done unto you. Consider the image of helping a little old lady across the street, or doing something as simple as holding a door for a stranger. I just love the insurance company commercials about the impact of the random acts of kindness and how the recipients pay it forward. I have, over the years, done things like that--my kids roll their eyes and think I'm crazy, but I think once their brains mature, they'll understand better. Last year, on the way home from the state baseball tournament in Columbus, Matt and I stopped at a Steak & Shake somewhere around Marion. They were decidedly short-staffed, and I could tell our waitress had had a very rough day. I won't say I had exceptional service, but given the circumstances, she did a good job, so I left her a $10 tip on a $15 bill. She'll remember it someday when she sees someone else having a bad day. I didn't do it for attention (and that's not really why I'm telling the story), just to point out that little things can have a lifelong impact on others. (and my son has told this story numerous times, so like it or not, it's had an impact on him and he still thinks about it.)

I've had a long, miserable week at work (well, sometimes at home because I've spent the better part of a week fighting a migraine). I had someone who works for me break a leg, someone else return from maternity leave (yeah!), projects that have had major issues, a couple that have done well--all in all an exhausting week. Traffic was nasty coming home, and as I turned on Phillips over to Lewis, there was a guy on a bike, obviously on his way home from work. With gas prices what they are, I understand his mode of transportation. But he wasn't wearing a helmet, he had on headphones, and he was holding up traffic by drifting in and out. It was getting a bit frustrating, but then came that random act of kindness... There was a couple struggling to either load or unload a washing machine from the back of a pickup truck. The man on the bike started to ride by, then stopped, pulled off the road (freeing up traffic--yeah!), and went over to help them take care of what they were doing. It was pretty obvious that he didn't know these people, but he interrupted his commute to take a few moments to help out a stranger. He was actually dressed nicely as well-- not in clothes I'd use to be moving heavy loads. My frustration vanished, and the rest of the ride was peaceful, if only in my mind. You can be sure, after having witnessed this, that I will be looking for the next opportunity for my own random act of kindness ... just like those commercials.

Where are the grammar police when you need them?

2008-07-21T21:45:00.002-04:00

I have reached my quota of listening to grammatical errors today. I will confess to not always being perfect in my sentence structure (and fat-fingering into typos periodically). My worst offense tends to be dangling prepositions. I know this is incorrect, but sometimes I get lazy.

I am, however, a stickler for matching tense. Past participles are the worst! I just heard an announcer in either the Tigers/Royals or the Reds/Padres game utter the phase "should have ran." It is "should have RUN". If one more college educated person in my work place (or household) says "should have went" instead of "should have gone," I think I am going to lose what is left of my sanity. I also overheard a colleague state that they "seen someone." AAARRRRGGGHHHH.

My latest nitpick is the phrase "I have got to." The word "got" is totally unnecessary, yet usage of this phrase has become so commonplace, it's easy to overlook the fact that it is off kilter.

OK, enough of my ranting. What are some of YOUR pet peeves?

Time flies...

2008-07-14T12:12:00.003-04:00

Two weeks since my last blog? Seriously? Time flies when you're having fun--well, actually, time flies. Period. We are in the final week of baseball. The season went quickly. It was a fun year. Summer basketball is winding down and football is gearing up. While prognosticators on MLive see no chance for the Mules this year, those of us who have watched this year's varsity players over the years see all kinds of positive possibilities, and the freshmen should do just fine as well (and JV, although I don't have anyone on that team).

My class reunion is coming up in less than a month. Talk about time flying! Too much work to do on wrapping up the details on this shindig! Not to mention the fact that it's been 30 years(!) since we graduated. It's funny, though, how when my classmates and I look at each other, we still see the same person we saw back in the 70's (just as foggy now, although for different reasons ).

Craig asked me the other day what it felt like to be almost 50. I had to point out that I still had over a year and a half to reach that point and he'd be better off asking his uncle, who will be 50 in September. Overall, though, it's just a number. I'm still 24--just twice over. My body has become a shape shifter and my hormones have taken a different direction, but I'm still active (although comfort has replaced fashion!). I like to think I'm wiser in addition to being older, just as long as my friends still think I'm crazy after all these years.

No rest for the weary

2008-06-30T20:49:00.003-04:00

I was on vacation last week. I did a good job of not "working". I only sat through one conference call and checked my work email twice a day. It helped that people at work knew that I needed to take a break. Two days out of town all by my lonesome--I got through a couple of novels (this was part of my new year's resolution of setting aside some self-indulgence time, and I finally got around to meeting my goal, six months in!).

The rest of the week, I played Mom's Taxi service. With Craig in Boston, my schedule should have been light. Ha. Matt had 9 baseball games, basketball camp, and football workouts (I missed 2 baseball games) plus several incidental travel needs. Several of the games were up in Canton, Michigan, where we spent almost as much time dodging raindrops as we did watching the games. We drove up Friday for 2 games, then had to be back up there by 8 on Saturday morning. Early bedtime was beckoning on Friday night.

Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men... The call came at about 8:45 pm--the bus bringing the gang (Craig) back from Boston broke down in Fremont. They weren't going to be getting a new bus there any time soon, and there were kids from Novi and Jackson who needed to get a little closer to home. So off I went at sunset to shuttle folks back to Toledo. I finally got home as the 11:00 news came on and still had my early wake-up time.

Now I'm back to the grindstone, looking forward to my nice short work week. Maybe I'll get a chance to do some of the yard work I never got around to last week -- or catch up on my sleep. Somehow, I think not. sigh.

Dr. Mom, MD (not)

2008-06-22T19:04:00.002-04:00

I'm not a doctor, and I don't play one on TV. However, after 25+ years of motherhood, I have some pretty well-honed instincts when it comes to my children being ill. Andrew used to run a temp of 105 when he got tonsillitis, and a 101 with an ear infection--he got boils before a viral infection. Craig used to break out in hives, which signaled a fever coming on within the hour. Now that he is a teenager, I can usually nail him when he's looking for a free day (post-nasal drip has a nasty side effect on him in the mornings; the rule is no fever, no home time).

Matt doesn't usually get too sick, so when he told his coach he didn't feel well and didn't want to play yesterday, I knew he was miserable. Even so, he was well enough for a few hours in the evening for me to go out with my friend Michelle to catch up on a few things. As we were sipping our adult beverages, we BOTH got calls that our youngest were a bit under the weather. I dropped her off and home and went in for a few minutes to chat. As she hunted for her thermometer, I used the mom-mometer on young Tyler, which pointed to a temp of about 99.5 (he was warm, but not hot).

When I got home, Matt was to the "hot" stage. Before I stuck in the thermometer, my mom-mometer said he was at 100.5. His dad scoffed at my medieval techniques. When all was said and done, the highly sensitive digital device registered Matt at 100.6. Let's hear it for the mom! I don't think Ohio or Michigan will grant me a medical license any time soon, but my maternal instincts are pretty spot on.

Matt recovered quickly--he managed to play a double header today, and smacked a BEE-YOU-TEE-FULL double over the center fielder's head in game one. A little TLC goes a long way. (And Craig, if you read this, I'm wishing you well on your trip to Boston--out of sight is not out of mind).

Now, I'm off to enjoy a couple days of rest and relaxation.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad

2008-06-18T21:48:00.002-04:00

Summer has me hopping and I have been remiss with my posts, but since most of my blogging buddies are MIA as well, I'm betting things have been slow on readership anyway.

I need to take a few minutes to wish my parents, Bob and Joan, a happy anniversary. They are celebrating 53 years of wedded bliss. Now if you know my parents, you're laughing on that one--they are the Bickersons. Deep down, though, I think there's a deep affection and they would be lost without each other. They wouldn't let us do anything for their 50th (it's just another year, after all). However, I am at a point in my life where I am supremely grateful to still have both of my parents, and to have them together.

We have a very cool video made from our childhood home movies (and some older filmstrips as well). One reel was from my parents' wedding. My mom was drop dead gorgeous, she with the Scarlet O'Hara waistline. She had a great ballerina length dress. Neither my sister nor I would have been able to wear it, although I wish I could have. (My sister also had the Scarlet waist, but she and I both would have had to have had multiple bodice alterations--my mom still hasn't figured out where that came from!). My dad was very dapper in his white coat and black slacks. It was also fun to see my grandparents (when they weren't much older than I am right now--in fact, I think my Granny was actually YOUNGER than my current age).

My mom likes to tell the story about how her reception was "dry." At some point in the evening, she noticed that all of the groomsmen (and groom) had disappeared. Any bets on where they were found?

At any rate--happy anniversary Mom and Dad. You did well.

Function over fashion (or oh my aching feet!)

2008-06-07T15:13:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was the annual junior high music department trip to Cedar Point (the amazement park). I like to chaperone this trip, although I am not a big coaster fan. It was about 95 degrees in the shade, so I went sleeveless (and slathered the SPF 50 and 70 all over). I debated on footwear though--my funky Converse one-stars (chuck taylor-lites) or my more sensible sketchers. I opted for the Converse--BAADDD move on my part. They looked much better with my outfit than the black and tan sketchers, but I am paying for it today. I have 5 new blisters, some in places that I didn't know you could get blisters. Actually, the count may be higher--my little toe is one massive blister, or maybe it's more of a conglomeration of a dozen or so smaller blisters. Regardless, it is now swathed in bandaids, and between those and the underlying pain, walking any further than across the room is not an option. Overall, though, it was all worth it.

The kids deserted us early on--what 14 year old wants to be seen with their mother?? So the moms walked around and dared to go on a few of the rides. I am not a fan of the coasters with the really big hills, like Millennium Force or Top Thrill Dragster. Those are just not going to happen for me. But I will go on some of the loopy ones. I managed to do 4 coasters--old standards like Blue Streak and Gemini, which still provide a fun ride even if they are tame. My favorite is the Raptor, so I hit that one. Then one of the other moms and I decided to test our fate on the Maverick. It doesn't look bad. The ride is smooth. I survived it and can say I did it, but I'm not sure I'd do it again. It is fast (my son laughed when I said that--but when you're older than dirt, the speed kind of takes your breath away). It is constantly flipping you one way then another. Quite a ride--worth it, at least the once.

Off now to other summer pursuits, and hoping the boys can keep themselves occupied this summer without beating on each other. At least they'll be together at the high school next year. That's a good thing. I think.

In the blink of an eye

2008-05-30T18:26:00.014-04:00

Today marked another rite of passage. It was 8th grade recognition. It was my third time going through this--each one has been special. But this is my youngest baby, and he is now going to be a high schooler. It seems like yesterday when he was finishing kindergarten... but that was almost in the last millennium. He is still friends with some of these kids, although he currently towers over them.

Two years ago, we found out the sky was the limit as we reached for the stars... the theme of the 6th grade recognition at Temperance Road Elementary. The group of kids (all 60 of them) from TRE class of '06 was pretty tight. Great kids with loads of potential. They were starting to look like teenagers, but frankly, were still kids who carried a special kind of innocence & naivete that we parents wish we could bottle up and throw on them at the age of 16.

Junior high marked huge changes--some good, some bad--for the kids. Physically, they are growing. They are maturing, some too quickly. They are challenging us for their independence and showing us that they are ready to handle greater responsibility. As much as we'd like to keep them tucked in safe and warm at all times, they are ready to spread their wings, and we need to push them out of the nest, at least a little. We have to remember, however, that they are still kids and still need our guidance, albeit sometimes in a roundabout way. Rebecca, our favorite Blonde Highlight, did a dynamite job with her keynote speech. It was witty and poignant all at the same time. The message was strong, and I'm hoping the kids paid attention. (I wish I could have gotten a picture of her son, though, when she said she was going to do a dance since that hadn't been explicitly forbidden. The look on his face was just priceless!).

Just to show how much they grow... the first picture here is of Matt and his friend Devon the night of their 6th grade recognition. The second is from today, with Matt and Devon on the ends. Aaron and Allison are in between. These kids really rocked with their outfits today. The last picture is of four of my girls--gorgeous and sweet every one. (Kaylee, Kelsey, Maddie, Taylor). Congratulations kids! Best of luck at the high school next year.

There's a little black cloud round my head tonight

2008-05-28T21:24:00.002-04:00

Did you ever have one of those days (weeks, months) where nothing seems to go right? I'm feeling a bit like Eeyore right now and trying not to do the "oh poor pitiful me" thing (well, except for blogging about my miseries).

I try not to talk about work, but it's been a circus lately, a constant state of flux that leaves me wondering what next. That sets the mood. Then my relatively new house (6 years old) seems to be falling apart. It started on Sunday. I wasn't in a good mood to start with (mid-life hormones and all). One of the zones on our sprinkler system wouldn't shut off. It ran for something like 3 hours. I was home alone. I pulled the lid off the valve box out in the yard, but couldn't get it to turn off. I turned the whole system off. It still ran. I unplugged the system. It still ran. I interrupted a golf match to get it taken care of. Probably not a good move on my part, but I had other things to do.

Today, the smoke detectors were apparently going off for 2-3 hours before there was resolution (had to interrupt the start of a trip for that one0. The sensors are hard wired with battery back ups. A low battery in any one of the dozen (seriously) sensors will cause the whole system to go, as will dust in the attic, temperature differentials between the attic and the hallway. Have to remove ALL of the batteries, then start replacing one-by-one to find the problem child. .

And speaking of problem children, one had a baseball game about 30 miles from home (45 miles from where I work) that I hightailed it to. Brother of child not playing called to see if he could come, but since I was already within a mile, that was out of the question (remember, this is within an hour of the smoke detector fiasco). No sooner had I arrived at the park (5 minutes later) than I got a frantic call about damage to a car. Minor stuff, really--a mirror broken off pulling into the garage. But this is the car with the lease that is up in a month, and just another chink in the armor. Then came the baseball game--the boys did not play well--they are probably having the end-of-school jumpiness. It made for a long evening. It was longer because I spent 40 minutes in a car coming home with a 14 year old who attituded himself right out of dinner (he had to fend for himself when we got home). And now the Red Wing are losing. Maybe a bubble bath will help. I'll find out if and when I pull my head out of the sand.

Send me jokes people (clean ones!). I need a good laugh.

How long until summer?

2008-05-23T16:20:00.007-04:00

It was warm enough at last night's final track meet to forego the 3 blankets I usually have, but not to go without a sweatshirt. I've noticed some freckles after the past few meets, so the sun is there somewhere--but my legs are ridiculously pale and it doesn't look like they'll get out from under slacks any time soon.

By this time of year, it's usually safe to move my hibiscus plants from their indoor warm spots to the front porch without killing them, but I'm not so sure that was a good idea this week--one has a nice dose of the plant equivalent of frostbite. My landscaper buddy Paul was surprised at how late my rose-of-sharon trees are in even budding this year although they are obviously still alive. However, I am seeing some more signs that warmer weather may soon be coming.

My irises are in full bloom. If you enlarge the picture, you'll also see some peonies that have budded up nicely. I wish they'd bloom at the same time as the irises, but they always seem to be a wee bit later so the impact is missed. If you have any need for irises (or daylilies--I'll post when they bloom), all of mine are in need of thinning, so I'll have bulbs available. have typical purple and white ones, and then I have the spectacular coppery-lavender ones that are HUGE. I can't recall where I found these--it was in one of the bulb catalogs that I receive--but they are very unusual.

My yard has also been overrun by gnomes. They've built a house in my oak tree. Craig (my 16 year old) looked at this and rolled his eyes. He thinks I'm getting eccentric in my middle age (although he uses other verbiage). Bonus points if you can identify what the vine climbing up the tree is! It's bigger around than my closed fist, and the leaves are as big as my hand (luckily, they're about 40 feet up in the tree!).

And finally, as I've indicated in the past, I have critters that eat my flowers, herbs, and veggies. I chased away a squirrel who was nibbling on my lemon balm and lavender this morning, then I put cayenne pepper in the planters to discourage the wily critter (and I actually don't mind the squirrels). Over the winter, I found a patio planter that may be my saving grace. It stands about 4 feet high. If you look at the plants coming out of the bottom--those are tomatoes and cucumbers. Having them grow downward eliminates the need for staking and keeps the "fruit" out of the reach of most animals. On top, I have cilantro, basil, and a couple of types of hot peppers. I'm just hoping that it's not too cold still to have these out.

Enjoy the long weekend. Remember our vets on Monday.

DWTS -- The Final Dances

2008-05-19T20:07:00.012-04:00

OK, it's down to the final 3 on DWTS, and all are deserving. All 3 have to dance the Cha Cha to the same song. This should be fun (hopefully it's a good song)! I am eager, though, to see the freestyle. Dance order for the Cha Cha: Cristian, Jason, Kristi.

Dancing to Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling."

Cristian & Cheryl: fuschia outfits? bare chests (ok, that's not so bad). Entertaining. (Len's tie matches Cristian's outfit!)

Jason & Edyta: ooh, he looks stiff and that's not a good thing on this dance. He got bad marks on this one last time. Lots of tricks thrown in. She just missed a move.

Kristi & Mark: She's having a blast. This one is hers (judges agree).

Scores: C+C 26 J+E 24 K+M 30--perfection.

The Freestyle Round! Curious to see how C +C are going to do lifts with his arm out of commission.

Kristi & Mark: WOW. lots of energy. very difficult moves. Awesome. Score: 30.

Jason & Edyta: very hip hop. Fun. More bare chest. Crowd loves it. Score: 27. hmm. judges usually leave all the contestants tied so the fans can decide. not this year.

Cristian & Cheryl: love love love it. nice lifts. good job! Len didn't like the lifts. Carrie Ann didn't think it was as good as Kristi's. Score: 26.

Looks like it's Kristi's to lose. I'd like to see her win, but I'm also pulling for Cristian. (My kids want Jason)

Bad mom...

2008-05-15T20:58:00.003-04:00

I love my children. Truly, I do. And I encourage them to do their best (and have high standards for what their best should be). I am supportive. Really. I go to every possible activity, be it scholastic, athletic, music-oriented, or religious. I holler for them (and everyone else, which drives my boys crazy...but hey, I've watched their friends grow up so those kids are kind of mine too).

Today, the stage mom came out. I said I'd blog it, so here goes. I hauled my cookies up to Chelsea, Michigan for a track meet today--one that was supposed to start at 4:00, but got rolling at 3:00 instead. Matt was scheduled (as usual) for 3 events: shot put, 400m, 4x400m relay. I am going start by congratulating him for taking second in the shot put and achieving a personal best. I didn't watch that event, but I would have whooped and hollered and given him an atta boy (and told him I loved him and thoroughly embarrassed him). Next up was the 400. He's usually pretty good at the 400, but something was off today. He started out okay, but seemed totally gassed at the end. He eased up APPROACHING the finish line, and lost TWO positions at the tape. Being the highly supportive mom that I am, I think something that contained the phrase "lazy butt" came out of my mouth. Loudly. My Blonde Highlights buddy was sitting right in front of me, so I have to fess up, and I have promised not to yell out any similar comments during her 8th Grade recognition speech.

OK, it gets worse. Sort of. In the 4x400 relay, the boys and girls ran simultaneously. Matt has a friend, Kelsey, who was going to run anchor for the girls while Matt was anchoring the boys B line (he's usually an A-line, but not today). Kelsey and Matt are like siblings. They lived next door to each other from the time they were 2 until they were 8. We started encouraging Kelsey to beat Matt (and told Matt he was walking home if he lost to Kelsey). Now, this is unfair, although Matt did take the hand-off ahead of Kelsey. See, Kelsey is the school record holder for the 400m for the girls, and her time is pretty close to what the top boys run. Kelsey prevailed, the kids laughed, and I think Matt has forgiven me. Sorry kiddo. Bad mom. Bad, bad mom.

ADDENDUM: I need to point out that Rebecca from Blonde Highlights was cheering Matt on even as I was being the manic mom. (and I was cheering for hers--speedy boy that one, and nice to boot.)

Happy Belated Birthday Logan

2008-05-11T19:57:00.003-04:00

This is one of the loves of my life. His name is Logan Michael, and he belongs to my niece. He is my baby sister's grandson. My boys are some of his favorite people. He'll let me buy him donuts, and he loves the toys at my house. He also loves to come over and play the piano. It's funny how kids always sound like they know what they're doing when they sit down at the keyboard.

He turned 2 on Friday. I meant to blog, but went down with a migraine about mid-day. Happy Birthday babydoll. Love, Aunt Phyllis

Dancing, Dancing, Dancing Machine

2008-05-05T19:58:00.007-04:00

It's Monday, and that means it's time for DWTS. I'm going to try to follow along with the show tonight--they are down to the final 5 (with a nod to Befrazzled, who follows AI so I don't have to). This could get long, so I'll apologize in advance. Two dances from each contestant.

Kristi and Mark doing the quick step. The footwork looks a little slow, actually. Cheesy lift. Len loves it though, and Bruno agrees which is a rarity. Carrie Ann isn't as thrilled. score: 29

on a side note, I just looked out my window and my least favorite rodent, the woodchuck / groundhog that lives under my deck was out on the dirt hills in the vacant lot next door. Think Carl in Caddyshack and the great gopher hunt. I'm about there!

Mario and Karina doing the Viennese Waltz. He needs to be stiff. Footwork is a bit off, but what do I know. Nice lift. Judges liked it. All of them. Score: 27
Marissa and Tony doing the Fox Trot. She's trying too hard--too much walking, not gliding. Great lift. Not as good as last week. Bruno agrees with me about the gliding but didn't like the lift. Score: 25
Jason and Edyta doing the Tango. Wow. I think they did multiple lifts though. Her kicks looked like lifts. ooh Len and Bruno are getting into it. Score: 29
Christian and Cheryl doing the Tango. to Michael Jackson?? Too much walking again. Nice lift ! Not bad. Not great but good considering his bad arm. The judges don't agree with me--they think it's brilliant. Score: 28

Round 2

Kristi and Mark-Samba:Cool costume! out of sync at first. Very interesting spin at the end. Carrie Ann didn't like it. Not going to score well, except with Bruno. Score 26
Mario and Karina-Jive: Not sure I like this. He almost dropped her on the lift. Len agrees with me. The others liked it. Mario will probably be in the bottom 2 tomorrow since his scores are on the low side and he hasn't always had viewer support. Score 26
Marissa and Tony-Mambo: They are having fun. Same turn Kristi did. hmm. Carrie Ann is rough again. Score: 25
Jason and Edyta-Samba: He can move for a big guy. WOW on the lift. Carrie Ann didn't like it. She's really mean tonight! Len didn't like it. Bruno didn't like it. The good news is that everyone is scoring low in this round. Score: 23. It really wasn't that bad.
Christian and Cheryl-Mambo: He needs more hip. Ok, he has more hip. dynamite lift. Very clever. a little slow in parts, but good. Score: 29.

Either Marissa or Mario is probably going to leave tomorrow. I think Marissa, although I think I'd rather see Mario.

It's my party..

2008-04-30T07:52:00.002-04:00

Today is my birthday. Really, on the calendar, it's just one of the 365 days of the year, but I like to use it as a day of reflection for what has happened and where I'd like to go next.

On Matt's birthday, I mentioned my parents' frantic rush to the hospital. That was not an exaggeration. My mom had had a long labor with my brother, who is 19 months older than me. When her water broke at 12:15, she figured she still had plenty of time, so she changed, finished packing, got my brother ready, then she and my dad headed for the hospital at about 1:00--a half hour ride. By the time they arrived between 1:25 and 1:30, my dad was pretty sure I was going to be born on the front seat of his brand new Mercury. As it was, I was born at 1:34--my dad was still checking my mom in, so when they came to tell him, he hadn't made it to the waiting room. It took him another several hours before he actually found out.

I've also found out that birthdays can be lessons in current events. I have two friends that I'll call Pete and Mike because, well, their names are Pete and Mike. I remind them every year that my birthday is coming up, and I wait patiently for my gift. This year, I found out what typically happens. From an email exchange yesterday:
Pete: I sent Mike $50. He was going to buy the gift and send it.
Mike: By the time I paid for gas and stamps, there was no money left for the gift.

How true is that? This is my second 24th birthday. The picture up top is of me in kindergarten--I still look pretty much the same; just older and significantly larger. As my friend Michelle reminds me (often), I am older than dirt. Of course since dirt is constantly being made, that's all relative. I am also officially middle-aged since I intend to live at least as long as my grandmother did, and she was 96 when she passed last year. I had the pleasure of listening to stories of her life while travelling with her a few years back, and it was amazing what she had lived through. But in thinking about what has transpired in my less than half a century, the world has certainly changed as well. Here's a snapshot of what I have lived through (not that I remember some of the early stuff!):

The Cuban Missile Crisis and Bay of Pigs invasion. I actually recall a drill in the bomb shelter when I was in 3rd grade.
The Kennedy assassination
The space race and all the joys and sorrows (landing on the moon, the explosion of the shuttle and the earlier explosion of the capsule containing Gus Grissom)
The VietNam war, Gulf War, War in Iraq
Civil rights protests--I've mentioned that I lived in Detroit (city proper) during the '68 riots
Watergate; Iran contra
Disco; preppies; yuppies

When I was a kid, we had a black and white console TV with rabbit ear antennas (I think I was 13 when we got our first color set, and cable became more common when I was in college). We got the 3 network stations, one UHF station (channel 50), and because we were close to Canada, we got the CBC, which came in handy for watching Hockey Night in Canada. You had to get up to change the channels. There were no VCRs or TiVO--if you missed the program, you could hope for re-runs. Phones had rotary dials. Cars didn't have seatbelts in the back seats, and there were no shoulder belts (or air bags or ABS). There were no personal computers--journals were the surrogate for blogging, and no one wanted to share what was in their journal! Music was on vinyl; 45's were king. There were plenty of drive-ins--food and movie (which were fun when I was in high school, lol). We had to do math by hand--calculators were expensive. I did NOT have to walk uphill both ways for 5 miles through snow to get to school. That was my parents (and probably yours).

I can't wait to see what changes the next 50 years holds for me!

Update on blooms

2008-04-27T11:45:00.008-04:00

I should have waited a couple of days--my dogwood has bloomed although it isn't as spectacular as it has been in prior years. My tulips are also starting to bloom. Too bad the frost we're supposed to get the next few nights will probably do them in!

Spring flowers, without many showers

2008-04-24T19:40:00.013-04:00

My yard is starting to come alive. I said I'd share. I wish the dogwood tree (in the background of the shot below with the pear tree) would bloom at the same time as the others--it's starting to open, but none of the vibrant colors yet. There are several beautiful white azaleas that will bloom by the dogwood as well, but they are also holding out (although my other azaleas are in full bloom). The down-side to all this? The pollen; but I'll put up with that to enjoy the benefits of Spring.

My "double-sub weeping cherry" tree (and a few hyacinths underneath).

Just click on the pix to get an "up close and personal" view.

My pear tree (no partridge!)--dogwood in background; daffodils up-close (you can't tell, but these have ivory petals and pink centers!)

Azaleas

The whole picture... HAPPY SPRING!

much about nothing

2008-04-21T18:33:00.006-04:00

I can't believe a week has passed since I posted. It's DWTS night--I'm hoping it's Marissa's week. She keeps hanging in there though, kind of like Syesha on AI (ugh). Hopefully, I'll be able to stay awake--I'm already ready for bed. It's exhausting sitting and watching baseball game after baseball game, especially if your team is losing. (4 games over the weekend).

I did manage to overcome a major fear getting to the games out at the Oregon Rec Center--I am bridge-phobic, and swore I'd never go on the new bridge. But I'm playing single parent this week, and I wasn't going to let the 16 year old drive me and his brother on 280, so I managed to suck it up and cross the bridge--6 times. I wouldn't go out of my way to do it again, but it really wasn't as bad as I thought.

I've had some interesting adventures with wildlife this past week. I was deep in discussion with my 16 year old (a rarity, so I took advantage of it!), and he started saying "OMG." I looked out the window, and there were 2 wild turkeys in our side yard (and NO, they weren't on the label of a discarded adult beverage bottle). Now, I've lived in the same general part of town for most of the past 35 years. The woods that are now my backyard were our hangout when I was a teen. I've seen pheasant, deer, fox, and small rodents, but never wild turkey. They were HUGE. Later on I watched 2 robins tormenting a cardinal. The cardinal sat looking majestic while the robins were buzzing it. I also threw out some bread crusts. A very hungry squirrel ate most of it, but it was comical watching him bury the parts he didn't want to eat. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have understood it if I would have tried to explain that it would be worm food before he could dig it back up. Must have been the nutty coating on the bread.

At least this week is fairly event free. One track meet on Friday and a baseball scrimmage tomorrow. Maybe I'll find the time to caulk all my tubs and showers or read a book or catch up with old friends. or blog some more about nothing in particular.

Who's idea was it??

2008-04-14T22:07:00.003-04:00

I am slllooowwwly thawing out. Today was the first junior high track meet. It started off warm enough--didn't even need a jacket. By the time Matt's last event (which was the LAST event) was over, I was in a winter coat, with a blanket, thinking about getting out another, and wishing I had brought my gloves from the car. The thermometer in my car indicated that it had really only fallen about 4 or 5 degrees over the course of a couple of hours--I think I need to get that thing checked next oil change. Matt has never run track--he's a baseball kind of kid. But in order to qualify for the school scholar athlete award, the student has to participate in 3 sports, so I encouraged him to give it a go since his baseball schedule is more accommodating this year. I forgot how cold it is in the evenings in the spring! He's having fun though. I'm getting gray hairs, which could be because I'm getting older every day, but is more likely from trying to figure out how I'm going to get Matt to and from all of his activities (baseball, track, summer basketball, football conditioning, church youth group). Oh, and throw in Craig's events as well (but at least he can drive himself--once we finally get him a car). In the meantime, I'm looking for a battery operated space heater.... Who's idea was this again??

Brainiacs and Jewels

2008-04-10T16:36:00.010-04:00

Today was the MCISD Middle School Quiz bowl, which brings the brains from the various middle/junior high schools together to match wits. Big doings for Bedford, which is the 2x 8th grade champ (and has also made it to the championship round with the 7th graders the past 2 years). This is only the 3rd year of the contest, so pretty good stats! Not much pressure on the kids!

The 7th graders flew through their competition. No close matches, and they emerged victorious.

.The 8th graders had my heart pounding a bit. They won their first match handily, then proceeded to get trounced in the next match. Now something was a bit off on the questions in this round--it was against a Catholic school, and they kept getting asked things like "what is the nationality of the group that guards the Pope?" or "what nationality is the current Pope?" Our kids didn't have a prayer (so to speak). After lunch (look at these boys--they were staving!), they won their next round (against the team that had won as 7th graders). That put our boys in the finals AGAINST THE TEAM THAT HAD BEATEN THEM. In order to survive, they had to beat the St. Charles team TWICE. Round 1 was a squeaker--I sat in the lobby because my stomach was in knots. BJHS by 5 points. On to the rubber game of the match. Another close one, but it was a Bedford sweep. Good for the balance in my house since the 16 year old was on the winning team 2 years ago!

As for the jewels, well that's for me tonight. I'm off to what others in my household consider "cult" parties--a girls's night out. Sometimes it's for food products, sometimes for candles. Tonight it's about the bling. I have my eye on a stunning necklace.... (Really, I think it's a good excuse for a cocktail party, and I'm sure we'll be using some of the food from the last get together.)

Congrats to the Bedford Junior High Quiz Bowl teams for bringing it home! And remember, diamonds are a girls best friend!

Oh my aching back...

2008-04-05T17:50:00.002-04:00

I am having a tough time getting out of a chair; an even harder time standing up straight. My thighs are singing and tomorrow is going to be worse. I should have been hitting the gym over the winter, doing squats, but that would have meant going out in the snow, if my kids didn't have some sort of athletic endeavor, so that didn't happen. But it's all worth it because it means I've hit another spring rite of passage--the de-winterizing of my beloved flower beds.

I spent the better part of 7 hours today bending, stooping, sitting. I pulled all the weeds that got neglected last year. I did my final dead-heading of the plants that flowered late into the fall. I cut back most of my decorative grasses. I still have to trim up some of my shrubs, but that will wait for another day.

This all heralds good news. First, it was actually warm enough to be out there today without a jacket.. Yahoo! (of course, it also means I'll be loaded with freckles by Monday. Grrr) Second, I had insect activity (worms and such) which means the soil is healthy. I saw very little root-rot, which means I lost little in the way of stock. And most importantly, my hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils are pushing up through the remnants of the mulch (another chore-ugh), my salvia is raring to go; my irises and daylilies are looking good. My dogwood tree is laden with ripening flower pods. My lilacs and forsythia are on the brink! Oh the glory I will have in a few short weeks. I will share. Spring has sprung!

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjack

2008-04-03T12:34:00.002-04:00

Spring is here! My spring obsession, NCAA basketball is drawing to a close, but now it's time for one of my passions--BASEBALL. This sport is a way of life!

I have been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember. My family is originally from Chicago--the south suburbs. By all rights, I should be a White Sox fan. But on opening day 1964, my dad took my brother, who was 5 1/2 at the time, to see the White Sox. He said I was too young to go although I was only a few days shy of my 4th birthday. My mom taught me how to ride a two-wheeler that day without training wheels, but more memorably, that was the day I became a Cubs fan.

I am also a Tigers fan, although not as passionately as in my youth. I can remember standing on the corner in Detroit, hooting and hollering when they won the Series over St. Louis in 1968. This was a few short months after we watched the National Guard roll down the same streets to attend to the riots in the summer. What a contrast. I believe my dad also took my brother to see a Tigers game at the end of that season--one of Denny McClain's big wins (30 or 31). I got left home again. But I got the last laugh--I'm the baseball fan and my brother couldn't care less.

In the '80s, I became a KC Royals fan, unless they were playing the Tigers. My friend Margo had met one of the players, and he used to leave us tickets for all of their games in Detroit, and occasionally in Cleveland, for a 3 year span. We'd go out with the players occasionally after the games. The parking attendents and stadium security knew us by name. Pretty cool. One of the players is now in the hall of fame; one is a major league coach. Don't know if they'd remember me or not, but oh what a time it was.

I have spent the better part of the last 40 years watching youth and high school ball. I was the head statistician for 3 years in high school--had my choice of running track and being on the bus with a bunch of smelly teenage girls, or keeping score and being on the bus with a bunch of smelly teenage boys. It was no contest. I even played a season of baseball (fast pitch) in a parks and rec league in Detroit when I was 12--an all girls team that played against boys. We won our division, mainly because 2 of the 4 other teams wouldn't play us, and forfeited, but we did win half the games we actually played.

Now I'm involved w/my kids' games. Between the two younger boys, I probably get in 60 games a season. Matt had a scrimmage last night. It was more like being in an ice rink than on a baseball diamond. BRRRR. My fingers and toes are still thawing out! But oh the anticipation!

Closing with a few quotes from my favorite baseball movies:
From Bull Durham, the words of Annie Savoy:

Baseball may be a religion full of magic, cosmic truth, and the fundamental ontological riddles of our time, but it's also a job
Walt Whitman once said, "I see great things in Baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us."

From Terence Mann in Field of Dreams:

Ray, people will come, Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.

Moonlight Graham in Field of Dreams:

You know we just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought, well, there'll be other days. I didn't realize that that was the only day.

PLAY BALL!

All About Matt

2008-03-29T10:43:00.008-04:00

March 29, 1994 was an important day. It was the day we met Matthew. All 7 lbs 15 oz, 21 inches of him joined us at 5:55 pm. He'll tell you it was 5:55:55, but I don't think they were quite that precise in the delivery room that day. Labor was easy--a whole hour and half from my first contraction. (I was induced, so I was in the hospital all day--no rushed runs to the hospital like my parents had with me). He made it home in time for Easter, and at 3 days old he helped his older brothers color the eggs. They've all outgrown that now. I miss it.

I've learned that there is a pattern to the delivery thing. Easy delivery means difficult toddlerhood and easy teen years; rougher delivery = easy toddlerhood and snarky teen years. At least that holds in my household. Matt had it rough as a toddler--he has two older brothers and he also tends to be more emotional than the others. Life was dramatic. As a teen, he is very easy going. He's grown a thick skin and can roll with the punches.

His life, from his perspective, is all about sports. This spring/summer, he will be playing baseball, running track, playing in the Steve Mix basketball league, and then ramping up for freshman football in early August. A couple of years ago, he played in Cooperstown (see picture). Quite an experience. In one game, he had the other team's signals deciphered by the 2nd inning. Their 3rd base coach was cracking up--he and Matt got to be buddies by the end of the week.

He's also smart. Scary smart. In a couple of weeks, he'll be representing BJHS at the County Middle School Quiz Bowl. His brother's team was the county champ 2 years ago--he has big shoes to fill. He's being recruited by schools like Cranbrook. He is participating in some ventures through Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search--they came looking for him based on his MEAP scores. They had him take the ACT. As an 8th grader. He went in without even looking at a practice test and scored a 21. He hasn't even had half the subject matter yet. (His friend Nolan also took the test and scored a bit higher--these 2 have been challenging each other for years). I wish I could say he had a 4.0. I can't. If he turned in his Algebra homework more than occasionally, he would.

Did I mention he's tall as well? At 14, my other boys were just hitting my height (5'6"). This picture was taken after a choir concert (oh, he also sings) last December. He's actually taller now--over 6', maybe 6'1". Size 13 feet and he's not done growing. Ugh.

Happy BIrthday Matt! Hope I didn't embarrass you too much. Love, Mom

I could have danced all night

2008-03-26T12:06:00.004-04:00

More like I could have watched dancing all night. I like reality shows. Really, I do. But it's easier to read about the results the next day than to actually watch them, so that's usually what I do. Except this season. I made the mistake(?) of turning on Dancing with the Stars last week when there was nothing else on, and I am TOTALLY hooked. Aside from the two low-men on the totem pole, even the more mediocre stars can do a whole lot better than I could! To quote Steve Guttenberg, "WOW!"

Penn Gillette and Monica Seles are done. Since they had to vote off one from each gender, the decision was the right one, although I'd rather have seen Adam Carolla and Penn go this week and Monica inevitably leave next week. Monica just wasn't as graceful as the others. In another season, she might have lasted longer, but the women this year are amazing. Penn has two rather large left feet, and he named his kid Moxie Crimefighter. That has nothing to do with dancing, but the dude just isn't right. Here's how I see the rest (as they say, in no particular order although more from the bottom to the top):

Adam Carolla: Can't dance. Not particularly funny and although paired with two time defending champ Julianne, is likely to be the next out the door.

Marissa Jaret Winokur: bubbly. makes you want to vote for her, but likely to drive me crazy soon. Just not up to snuff with the other performers (LOVE her partner Tony--that's who I'd want since Maks isn't on this season). Most people have never heard of her though, so that doesn't bode well.

Christian de Fuentes: (probably butchered that name). Very cute. A decent dancer paired with Cheryl Burke. I almost cried with him when he was called safe. Hopefully will last awhile, but not likely to have a large enough fan base in the US to go the distance.

Steve Guttenberg: My sentimental favorite. He's about my age (he's a little older) and he is SOOOO darn cute! OK dancer. Doubt he'll be long for the competition though.

Shannon Elizabeth: Boys in their teens and 20's appreciate her. Something tells me they aren't voting. She's cute and she's pretty good. Others are better.

Priscilla Presley: She'll get the over 50 vote, but they can't dial the phones as fast as the young'uns, and texting is probably not an option. I hope when I hit her age, though, I can still move the way she does! Top 5 pick.

Mario: This kid can move. So far, the dances have been up-tempo (and looks like next week will be as well). Going to be in trouble once votes move from those lower--I'm not seeing him picking up as many as the others.

Kristi Yamaguchi: Wow, wow, wow. Her skating and artistic background shows. She is by far and away the best dancer. I don't think she's going to win though. She's almost too good and that's going to scare off some votes.

Jason Taylor: This guy is 6'6" and moves like a dream. Awesome. I'm torn--but I see him in the finals.

Marlee Matlin: Absolutely incredible. She has hit the steps more in tune with the music than anyone else. Graceful. I think she wins.

Reaching out to old friends

2008-03-24T12:54:00.002-04:00

I mentioned the other day that one of the sad parts of putting together a class reunion was in figuring out the "in memorium" piece. My class lost another classmate yesterday. I'm not going to mention his name because nothing has been in the paper yet. This classmate lived 2 doors down from my sister, so she lived through the craziness. This guy and I were friends at one point, mainly our freshman year. I went to homecoming with him as a sophomore. For him, it was a date. For me, it was going to homecoming with my buddy. The evening didn't go well, and our relationship grew very awkward. It took the remainder of high school for us to get back on an even keel. This has long been one of the few regrets I have in life.

Over the past couple of years following some health scares (one mine, others my parents'), I've actively sought out old friends from my grade school and college years. My grade school friends and I drifted apart largely because everyone spread out from our Detroit neighborhood during the urban exodus of the early '70's. (We watched the national guard roll down the street during the '68 riots--our parents hung out longer than most!). These folks are largely the reason why I am the way I am. Of those I've managed to track down, all are highly successful in their careers and lives in general. If I win the lottery, we're having an 8th grade class reunion. (or if they read this, maybe we can figure out a way anyhow).

My high school friends I see regularly since many of us are still in town. I get the opportunity to tell them how much I appreciate all they've meant to me.

My college friends are all over. I've found a couple of old roommates and a couple of my drinking buddies. We were too busy living life to tell each other we cared way back when. So now I'm telling them. I'm also mending fences where needed. One of my best friends from college and I parted on less than stellar terms--another one of my major regrets. After looking for 10 years, we've reconnected and I hope this friend will be in my life forever. If not, they know I care.

The lesson today: tell the people who matter they matter NOW. Don't have regrets. Fix those you can. Hug your kids. Tell your parents you love them.

The great car debate

2008-03-22T13:38:00.004-04:00

My guys are coming home tonight. Assuming their plane gets in as scheduled, they'll be home just past my bedtime. They're leaving the 80 degree weather and sunshine (although it's supposed to storm there today) to come home to the 8 inches of snow I refuse to shovel from my driveway since it will all melt by tomorrow.

I've pretty much recovered from the shock/humor of the Girls Gone Wild truck photo that Craig sent me. He has promised me that it was just a joke (although it really was on the beach where they were staying). Rumor has it he did a few quick jogs down near the pier just to see if there was any action. He's 16. I would expect that, although I absolutely don't approve.

When he gets back, we'll jump back into where we left off on the great car debate. This 3-way debate has been roiling for a year now, about the time that Craig started driver's ed. Some may say my kids are spoiled (but really, they're supposed to smell bad, they're teenage boys!). I prefer to think that I'm minimizing inconveniencing myself. Craig wants a car. I want Craig to have a car. I've wanted that for awhile. I thought if we got him one prior to him getting his license, he could get a good feel for driving it while one of his parents--ok his dad-- was in the car with him. Dad didn't see it the same way, and since Craig spent the fall in an especially surly state when it came to dealing with me, I chose not to fight that battle.

Now as summer approaches and he's going to need to be taken to football workouts, baseball practices and games, and potentially a job (someone other than me needs to pay the $3.50 a gallon for the gas), I think both parents are now in agreement that the time has come for him to have some wheels. It helps that his older brother sells cars--we can help out multiple family members. But the battle is now over what TYPE of car (and how old) to buy.

I'm a mom--a very paranoid mom. I want sheet metal, lots and lots of sheet metal, as well as the most advanced safety features that technology can provide. If he were driving my vehicle, that's what he'd have. Not that I'd buy him a brand spanking new car--I'm not that generous. I prefer one that is 2-3 years old, fairly low mileage, and that will get him through his college years reliably, especially since he wants to go to college in Georgia or Virginia. Dad has been leaning to something a bit older, but I think I have him convinced that in the long run, spending a bit more right now will cost us less than having to pay for a new water pump or engine or the various other things that we encountered when we bought a highly seasoned car for the oldest child a decade ago. I'm thinking a nice Ford 500 or something of that ilk. (we're a Ford family; my dad worked for Ford for over 30 years, and my son sells for a Ford dealership.)

Craig has other ideas. He's looking at pick-em-up trucks (uh, no, sorry), or boats. You know, the kind of cars we had to drive when we were teenagers cuz that's what our parents had--the Crown Vics, Grand Marquis's and Caddy's of the world. Old ones. Beat up ones. Sure they have lots of sheet metal, but I'm just not buying it. Of course in one of our latest text messaging exchanges, he informed me that he wants a motorcycle. Nice and fuel efficient. Not much sheet metal though, and not very practical for our Michigan winters. I asked him what his dad says. The reply "When you move out and you're on your own, and you have money you can buy whatever you want. But that's a long way away." Now I don't have a leg to stand on for this one. I didn't get a car until I was done with college, and I bought an Escort that my dad had been leasing. When I was 16, I drove my dad's 73 Maverick (3 on the tree baby!) or my mom's 76 LTD II station wagon. I also had a motorcycle. Well, my brother had a motorcycle, but he was in the Army and was stationed in Germany, so it was mine, all mine. So I'm going to leave this debate to Craig and his dad. What would YOU do?

Bringing out the tomboy in me

2008-03-21T13:12:00.004-04:00

Today is a day of indulgence for me. I initially took the day off because it's Good Friday. Then I discovered my church wasn't having services this afternoon. So I spent the morning pampering the girl in me. I had a wonderful massage, courtesy of Mary over at HMH Wellness in Sylvania. I don't do that often enough--but then again, daily wouldn't be often enough! Then I did a little retail therapy. I'm not much of a mall rat--I prefer to shop online. But sometimes, things don't fit right and I find it easier to return them to real stores rather than via couriers. So I hit Coldwater Creek to return a dress. REALLY bad timing--they were having a 60% off sale, and I ended up spending my store credit x3, but I got some really great stuff. Hit the grocery store so the boys would have something to eat on Easter besides grilled cheese sandwiches. Now, it's time to bring out the tomboy in me!

I grew up in a neighborhood in Detroit (in the city itself!) that was mostly boys. There were 2 girls on my street that were my age, and one of them wasn't allowed to play with me because I was a bad influence (forget the fact that I was a straight-A student and was too afraid of doing anything that would really get me into trouble). So I hung out with Lori and the boys. I learned to love sports--I keep a mean baseball scorebook and can throw a football like a boy. But my favorite was always basketball. I played for the Mule team during the '75 (JV), '76, and '77 seasons. We were good. My junior year, I saw more bench than floor because I played behind Terri Blok. Terri still has the single game scoring record (42 against Ann Arbor Pioneer, who scored 41). Especially impressive since this was way before the 3 point line came into being. I was a really good defensive player since I spent most of practice being Terri's foil. It came in handy the one time I had to guard one of Stan Joplin's sisters.

But I digress. It is Day 2.5 (if you count the play-in game) of the NCAA Men's Basketball finals. I am obsessed. If I were a betting person (deep clearing of the throat), I probably would have turned in 4 brackets in the office pool, which is also a fundraiser. I probably got 15 out of 16 games right on one of those brackets yesterday (woohoo). What happened to USC??? And if Duke and Wisconsin keep it up, I could go gray prematurely (well, maybe not so prematurely). So I'm going to sit this afternoon and soak in the hoops action.

I am also going to be keeping an eye on the NCAA D-1 WRESTLING championships. My beloved CMU Chippewas qualified 9 out of 10 wrestlers, all of whom remained in the championship bracket after the first round. I am a Bedford girl, so while my personal sport of choice is the hoops, I totally appreciate what it takes to be a first-rate wrestler. My Chips were ranked #2 in the nation going into this tournament, behind Iowa and ahead of Iowa State. That's the position they were holding after the first round yesterday as well. They are the only non-Big 10/non-Big 12 team ranked in the top 13. FIRE UP CHIPS!! EW-WAH; CHIPP-EWA; FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll

2008-03-20T12:00:00.003-04:00

My kids love That 70's Show. I think it's funny as well, but I don't watch it very often. I don't have to--I lived it! I got together with a bunch of classmates the other day to plan our 30 year high school reunion. Long live the Bedford High School Class of 1978! We had it made then, and many of us still have it made. We were the last graduating class to be born during the Eisenhower administration. We were too old for Mr. Rogers (Happy Birthday Fred) and Sesame Street when they came out, but that made us old enough to remember the first moon walk (as in Neil Armstrong, not Michael Jackson). As trailing edge boomers, we got all of the freedoms that being a child of the '60's-'70's brought without having to put up with the pain of fighting for the rights. Some of us had brothers or neighbors who were in Viet Nam, but we just missed. Because of them, however, the drinking age had been lowered to 18 by the time we got to high school, and trust me, most of us took advantage of that (ssshhh, don't tell our kids). Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll was the theme of the time and we all participated to some extent in at least one of those (mine was Rock & Roll--the other two would have gotten me into too much trouble).

My graduating class was a large one--450 +/- a few crossed the stage at Centennial Hall on June 2, 1978. I was the 13th to walk across; is that bad luck? For a class that large, we were surprisingly close-knit--not that we didn't have cliques like everyone else. But we were mostly respectful of one another and let diversity rule--or maybe I just see life through rose-tinted glasses.

I think that synergy was reflected in our reunion committee meeting. There were 9 of us there--8 ladies and Ron (10 if you count Gary, who phoned in from Minnesota just to say hello). Everyone there knew everyone else, but most didn't hang out together regularly back in the day. Still, it was like old home week. We all looked fabulous, if I do say so myself. Think Donny and Marie, who are our contemporaries, but without people to do our hair and make up. We all could pass for being a decade younger, IMHO. We did get some planning in--a few tentative dates, a couple of bands to check out, etc. We listed classmates we've lost over the years. Right now our count is at 18 (16 guys and 2 girls), but we may be missing some. Most of the time, however, was spent reminiscing.

It would be unfair to repeat some of the stories, and since some of our kids may read this, it would also probably be unwise. Again, remember, the drinking age was 18 so most of us were legal for a large portion of our senior year, and Lawson's would sell beer before school if you asked nicely. (I never did that, but I know people who did). Framptom Comes Alive; Styx, REO Speedwagon; Blue Oyster Cult; AC/DC; Queen -- they were in their heyday and we were there. Of course, we were also there for disco and Andy Gibb.

But we aren't content to live in the past. We're planning a GOOD TIME come the summer. We may actually have some real wine (ok, not for me any more) instead of the Boone's Farm or Mad Dog from our youth. And our committee keeps getting larger. 10 people for a first meeting is pretty good--as our fearless class President Meg put it--there were as many people at our committee meeting as the class of '76 had at their reunion. I expect the total to double by the 3rd meeting. Any '78-ers who read this--come join us!

To all you other BHS classes--ours was the best. Even the teachers think so. I know they told you that you were, but they just didn't want to hurt your feelings. '78 was awfully damn great!

A Spring (almost) break

2008-03-19T12:10:00.002-04:00

My two youngest sons got on a plane to Ft. Myers with their dad last Saturday at 7 a.m. Now before you say "poor mom," let me assure you that I was left home alone by choice. I don't like to fly, and with no compelling reasons other than sun and sand, I'm still in Michigan. My eldest son is still around, but I sent he and his fiance away for the weekend so that I could have two days of TOTAL peace and quiet--time ALL ALONE just to recharge my batteries. I've also learned to be careful about what you wish for.

Saturday started off wonderfully. I got miscellaneous housework done. Read part of a book. I went over to my parents' house to play with my sister's phenomenal not-quite-2 year old grandson (more stories about him later, I'm sure). Then I went home to really relax. I poured myself a nice glass of Chardonnay and got my book back out. About a half an hour later, I'm covered with hives. I have a few food/drug allergies, and sulfa happens to be one of them. The wine was the likely culprit. As I started having difficulty swallowing, and with no one to watch over me, I headed over the the ER at Toledo Hospital to get it checked out (which is NOT where you want to be on a Saturday night). (OK, so I could have taken an anti-histamine and all would have been ok, but mixing that w/alcohol when I was alone...). A couple doses of Prednisone and all was well. No more wine for me. Boo hoo! Sunday WAS a day of bliss. I just vegetated, watched a couple of movies, slept. I am very refreshed!

I think my boys miss me. They have called or texted several times each day. Last night, I had an interesting conversation with Matthew. Luckily I spoke with Craig first, and Craig informed me that while it was warm and sunny, it was also VERY windy and the waters were choppy. Typical conversation full of information with a 16 year old, but hey, at least we're speaking to one another. Matt, who will be 14 next week, was a bundle of energy, as always. He was getting tired of trying to sleep in the same general region as his brother (the problem w/hotels), and wanted to sleep in the "very comfortable" chairs located outside of the room He asked if I thought that would be OK. Based on my conversation w/Craig about the windy conditions, and knowing the nature of Matt, I told him I didn't think that would be a good idea. He told me that's what his dad said--so I'm not sure why he asked me. Dad then told me that he said no because they were on the 10th floor of the hotel. 10th floor, windy conditions, balcony, 13 year old. Nothing good can come of that. So Matt slept inside (well, presumably he slept). Today he and Craig are down at the beach hunting for the Bedford girls they've run into, and trying to avoid fat old men who are wearing the same style/color of bathing suits. At least I'm not the most embarrassing thing in their lives today.

Getting started!

2008-03-18T18:22:00.000-04:00

My friend Cheryl has convinced me that I need to start my own blog. I've been a bit of a blog-hog in the comments area of the wonderful women who blog as Befrazzled and Blonde Highlights, so it's time to put myself out there. When I figure out all the mechanics, I'll link you into their very funny ponderings--Cheryl's as well.

I'm going to be spending much of my time with the joys of motherhood since my life revolves around my teenage boys (and the 25 year old who is planning his wedding with the lovely Brooke). Since the boys are heavily into sporting activities, you'll see quite a bit about the exploits of the mighty Kicking Mules of Bedford High School, and since I'm a proud CMU alumna (see, I even learned gender-specific latin terms up there!), I'll be bringing in some ew-wah, Chippewa fun as well.

The middle age part, well, that's where I am. It brings its own set of challenges. In fact, I'm off momentarily to help plan my 30 year high school reunion. 30 years? You have to be kidding--that would make my graduating class old enough to be grandparents for crying out loud! OK, so we are--but we're also still baby boomers who know how to have fun.

Tomorrow, I'll catch y'all up on a week without the boys, who are enjoying the beach down in Florida.