The "Farm"

Yesterday, we drove out to my Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Dave's house. Aunt Jeanette is my mom's sister. They live in Belleville, TX which is about an hour from my parents' house if you take I-10 and do 75 or 80 the entire time. Which, by the way, was slower than most driving on I-10 at 9:45 AM on the day after Christmas.

Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Dave have 15 acres with a house, a pond, a barn-type shed, a big ass garage, 2 donkeys, 5 or 6 goats, 2 dogs, some peacocks and some ducks. We used to go out there to swim when we were little, long before there were ever donkeys or goats. Owen kept saying, "we're going to the farm, today!"

When my sister posts some pictures or video on her blog, I'll put a link to it. Owen had a great time chasing goats until Carmen the goat wanted to butt heads with him. Owen got to ride on the tractor with Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Dave took us all walking through the woods. Owen kept asking if this was the hundred-acre woods where pooh bear lives.

We had a good time, ate too much sausage and got to see our cousin Sarah and I finally got to meet her boyfriend Ben.

Photo Booth: Owen

Before lunch time, Owen had fun with Photo Booth on my computer:

Houston

It's pretty darn cold in Houston today. It started getting colder yesterday. It's still not below freezing, but cold enough.

My aunt Margaret passed away Thursday night. I'm really sad and it really sucks. My uncle Ed asked me to say a few words at the funeral tomorrow. I have an idea of what I will say, just not sure I'll be able to say it all. Plus, it's hard to find the right words.

Mom and I took Owen to the mall yesterday. We rode the carousel at the mall and then went to mickey d's for lunch. Owen had chicken nuggets and a chocolate shake. Mom and I discussed how the greatest thing ever would be to have a whopper jr. and fries from mickey d's...their fries are fantastic.

Frikkin Snow!

I think we got about 4 inches of snow today. I drove in it WAY more than I really wanted to.

I leave for Houston tomorrow afternoon. As if things couldn't get any worse, I woke up this morning to a 58-degree house. The furnace would kick on, but the blower wasn't working. David came over after I left and pulled the cover off, put it back on and it started working. By the time I got home, the house was at 62-degrees and the blower had quit working again. I pulled the cover off, put it back on and it started back up again. I have a furnace guy on his way tonight to take a look at it. I don't want pipes freezing while I am gone because the damn blower keeps going out.

shopping...

...is sometimes fun and sometimes sheer torture for me. One of the nice side effects of being nearly single again is that I have 7 fewer people to buy gifts for. The Poussons decided last year that grown-up don't exchange presents...which was shot down by the Van Hooks. I know that it's the thought that counts, but I need more stuff like I need a hole in my head.

Thanks to the magic of the internet, the US Postal Service and UPS, all my Christmas shopping is done. I just had stuff shipped right to Mom and Dad's in Houston. Mom and Erin are under strict instructions to hide presents in the same closet where mom hid ours...and not to wrap them, because that is my favorite part. There are just a couple things for Owen that will travel on the plane with me.

And I already bought myself a nice couch for Christmas that will show up the week after, I think.

put out good mojo...

...or think good thoughts, or say a prayer or whatever it is that you do. My Aunt Margaret is not doing well. :(

Grad School Math

88.17% = A

Wah-Hoo!!

FINALLY our grades were posted for my statistics class. Before any kind of a curve, I have an 88%! It's official, I am no longer conditionally admitted...I'm a full-fledged MBA student.

nice snowfall

It rained Monday off and on, into yesterday morning. Yesterday around noon, the rain changed to snow. It wasn't that bad here in Davenport, I think we maybe got an inch.

One of the things I like best about the snow is I can see animal prints in it. This gives me an idea of what Miner is sniffing at. I am fairly certain that there is a rabbit living in the drain tile that comes out of the retaining wall. There were little bunny prints right in front of the opening last night.

In and Out of Crying a Lot

I'm a cry baby. We all know this. We have known this for a very long time. Lately, it's just been the eyes welling up sad sort of cry. Not the sobs of 6 to 12 months ago.

Aside from the crying in the bathroom on Saturday, it was a good class. We talked a lot about self-awareness. The whole idea of what you can and cannot control. Which I have to say, I am all about the serenity prayer these days...well, I have been for the longest time, but really in the last two years. When things were really bad, I would just say that over and over to myself in the car on my way home from work. It helped remind me that I can't control other people or their actions. I can only control myself and my reactions. Sometimes that's easier said than done.

It was interesting to see how other people in the class handled that. I don't want to judge...there are some people who clearly "got it" and others that you can tell are still in the full on wanting to control what someone else does. Don't get me wrong, I try to control other people, but I know better. I'm still not to the point where I never try to - no one is perfect. I do catch myself sooner than I used to.

We also talked about responsibility and integrity. I liked the idea that we choose what we are responsible for. That I am responsible for the things that I think are important to me. That I can choose not to be responsible for something that isn't important to me.

I left class Saturday afternoon feeling pretty good. It's about knowing who you are and what you value and choosing to do something about it.

Nice Walk

I haven't done any running since before Thanksgiving. Mostly because I was sick the week before, and then because I was working on having a good pitty party for myself. Anyway, it is relatively sunny and there's no wind this morning so I bundled up (current temp is 7-degrees) and took the dog for a walk. There's a hospital about a 1/4 mile from my house, and the loop around it is just under a mile. (I learned this using the distance tool on google maps...thanks google, you rock!) So, this morning, we walked 1.4 miles.


Anyhow, the nice thing about this walk is that the sidewalks around the hosptial are wide and clear of snow and ice. Also, the walk along the west and south sides of the hospital are nice and quiet. Even the walk along the east and north sides are OK, they are just along more busy streets. Plus, there's only two houses that we pass that have dogs, so it's not streesful for me as far as Miner goes. And one of the dogs we pass is a super calm young golden retriever, so that helps build my confidence with making Miner do what I want. Plus, he's just a happier dog when he gets walks regularly. My friend Diane called him "exercise on a leash," which is a good way to think about it. It makes him and me feel a lot better.

rough spot in class

I had a hard time not crying in class today. One of our assignments is to interview 4 people for our final paper. We need to ask 2 people from our personal lives and 2 people from our professional lives to share with us our 2 greatest strengths and 2 greatest weaknesses as a leader. As people were asking questions about it in class, i got so choked up, because everyone was talking about interviewing their spouses. Luckily the instructor gave us a break right after that discussion. I cried in the bathroom. I don't know if I was more sad that I don't have a spouse to interview or that I realized that I don't know if I have friends that have seen me in a leadership role in the last 4 years.

I'm trying not to beat myself up that 5 years ago, I knew who I was. I knew what I wanted out of life. I had many friends who lived near me and more just 4 hours away. I feel really alone right now.

The 2nd Half...and 360-feedback

I did the other half of Miner's nails after class. Success! He expects treats afterwards which is helpful in getting him to be still.

For this MBA class, we had to do a 360-feedback assessment type thing. Not sure if any of you have ever had to do one. Anyway, you rank yourself on your leadership skills, and then you as your peers, managers, direct reports, etc. to rate you as well. We got the report back today. I just did an initial glance (we are going further in depth tomorrow) and I was a little surprised that I rated myself higher in a few categories than my 'observers.' So that's good and will help me know where to improve. A lot of the things were around communicating a clear vision about what we are doing, staying consistent and following through...all of which I would say are pretty accurate. There were also some very nice comments.

We did it! (half of it, at least)

The last time I tried to trim Miner's nails was a year and a half ago. You can't see the quick, because like everything else on him, his nails are black. I cut one too close and he bled for a day and a half. So, David took over those responsibilites.

Well, his nails are getting long. I decided that I would use the tactic that I use when I don't feel like going to Jazzercise (tell myself I only have to do the cardio and then wind up staying for the whole thing) on this. I'll just start with one paw. If it's a disaster, I can stop. Well this morning I was feeling pretty confident, so I gave it a shot. I got both his right paws done! I just trimmed a tiny amount, but looking back to vaccuming up the clippings when David did it, I don't think he was taking any bigger chunks.

Yay, me!! Plan is to try the other half tonight or tomorrow.

gifts - talents

For class this weekend, we needed to prep by filling out this worksheet asking about our gifts/talents, values and passions. I'm alright with the values and the passions, but I had a heck of a time coming up with at least 15 gifts - talents. The worksheet suggested thinking about "people say you are so good at WHAT?" and answer the what.

Here's all I could come up with:
stitchin'
gardening
public speaking
learning
organizing
planning
making lasagna
making people laugh
entertaining
trying new things
crafts/projects
empathizing/caring for others

I know there are more, but it's hard to be positive when you aren't feeling great.

The Tree

Since I finished my paper for class, I decided to reward myself by decorating the Christmas tree. Miner was nice enough to pose with it for me.

Christmas Lights 2008

Miner had his yearly check-up today. Plus he got the kennel cough nasal spray and his DHPP shot. He was very timid with the vet, but she won him over with a little doggie treat that she coated in ez-cheese. Miner is a bit of a wimp sometimes, so I have been working on building his confidence. Walks and runs are helping, so we went for a walk after we got home from the vet.

After our walk, Miner hung out in the front yard while I put up Christmas lights on my little Christmas Tree shaped bushes by the front door. I'm posting a photo so Owen can see that Auntie Amy has CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!!

Thanksgiving, etc.

Mom and Brian came to town for Thanksgiving this year. Dad stayed back in TX to go deer hunting. We made a couple of turkey breasts and all the sides. My friend Vonda joined us. She made 2 pumpkin pies, rolls and cranberry sauce. Vonda left a whole pie plus 2 pieces with us. Guess what I had for breakfast, afternoon snack and late night snack?


Movies watched from Wed-Friday: the extended versions of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Snatch and The Usual Suspects.
Miner and Brian in full-on relax mode:


Mom and Brian helped me pick out a new sofa on Friday. They both left Saturday morning. Saturday, I did more shopping, went out for sushi with friends for Sarah's birthday, and then out to see Mommy's Little Monster. It's been snowing since I left the bar last night! Today, I stayed inside and organized my closets and cleaned my office.

I also checked grades for my statistics class that ended last month. They aren't all posted, but the grades for the final exam were. I got an A on the exam! Woot!

Reflective Paper #1

I think I mentioned that I am in a Leadership & Personal Development course in my MBA program. Last weekend was our first two sessions. I really enjoyed it. Shawna mentioned that she thought it was interesting that I wasn in a personal development class at the same time I am goign through a divorce. She's right...it's strange, poetic, thought provoking, all those things.

Anyway, one of the assignments is to complete a three to five page paper reflecting on our first weekend of class. The instructor made the comment that any of us who blog should think about it like a blog entry. So, I thought I'd at least get started on laying out the heavy hitters from the weekend.

1. Surprise, surprise...we did Enneagram assessments and I am a type two "helper, giver." Say that surprise, surprise as if you were Gomer Pyle. My ears did perk up when we talked about things a type two does when they are under stress and things a type two does when they are trying to become more "self actualized" (I think that was the term she used.)

2. We did this Lego exercise where you couldn't see what your team mates were building, but you all had the same pieces and could talk. The goal was for everyone to have the same thing when it was finished. 4 of the 5 of our team were spot on, but one guy was 90-degrees off. All I could keep thinking was, "where did we go wrong?" Our 'status checks' to see if everyone was on the same page were not as effective as we thought. One contribution I made was to take a little 1X1 piece that had an eye on it and put a little 'roof' piece on top of it. Sort of made it look like a one-eyed guy with a hat. I shared that idea with the group and at least a couple of the guys did the same, and we got a little farther along and someone said, "oh, I took that off." I was proud of myself for sticking up for my idea...so we kept it.

3. It's challenging to do all this self examination and focus in on how this effects me as a leader. My tendency has been to focus in on what did I do wrong in my marriage...

4. A week or two ago, my mom was talking with me about "bossy" and how when I was in pre-school, she worried to my teacher that I was too bossy. Mom said that Ms. Gonzalez said, "Amy's a leader, she's not bossy." I wonder about that. We talked a lot about the difference between a manager and a leader in class. I think bossy is more manager than leader...but maybe not?

OK, that's enough for now.

Damn Sinuses

It's 4 AM and I can't sleep. This is mostly due to the fact that I can only breathe through my mouth and have to keep blowing my nose. It was nice and warm Sunday. By 'nice' and 'warm' I mean in the upper 40's to low 50's. I spent a couple hours outside raking leaves. That probably didn't help my sinuses, but I didn't think it would make them worse!

update

I saw a lawyer this week. It's still quite surreal. Even though they call it 'amicable' divorce, it's still pretty frikkin painful. We at least agree on the division of the stuff. I didn't realize that dog goes on the same list as brown love seat, bakers rack and TV stand. But yep, I get Miner.

maybe not...

I've been thinking a lot about the "could I keep the dog" question. He's an OK running partner, and I assume would improve with time and practice (just like me). And David is finding that it's hard to find a place he can afford that will also allow dogs. So I am going to pretend like I don't have David to rely on to come let the dog out...and see if I think I can handle it with my regular schedule...we'll just have to see.

The Magic of the Internet

Something very different about graduate school and my undergrad experience is what a difference 8 years makes when it comes to technology. And I'm just talking about the internet. Yesterday, my stats instructor posted the solution to the final exam on the course web site. I am pretty sure there is only one 5-pointer that I missed with very little hope of partial credit and two 5-pointers that I think will get some partial credit. Which all adds up to me feeling pretty good that my 'conditional' acceptance shouldn't be an issue any more. Unfortunately, I won't know my final grade for the course for at least another week.

deck = done

well...for now anyway. I know I posted months ago that it was finished, well now it actually is. The inspector came out yesterday. So, now I can take that orange sticker off the front door!

FINISHED!!

I finished my final in 2 hours (we had 2.5). Not too bad, I was well prepard and my notes from class were well organized (it was open book). So, to celebrate that and the fact that I didn't die on my first quality run day...I am having a small bowl of slow churned peppermint ice cream with a little hershey's special dark syrup on top. Happy Happy...I'm going to top it all off with the 2nd disc from Pride and Prejudice (A&E version...mmm, Colin Firth) and then go to bed. (I know, it's 9 but I am all hopped up on diet coke).

Riley from Across the Street

Check out our neighbor's little girl on voting day! Isn't she a cutie?

sad...just sad...

I guess I am going to have to come up with a new name for this blog. David and I are separating and Miner will eventually live with him. I got to name the dog, but he's really David's. The whole separation thing is something completely different, and I am not sure I am ready to publicly provide details. It's just sad, and I wish that things could be different, but I know that they can't. And both of us realize it's the right thing to be doing.

free at last

Miner was just released from quarantine. Too bad it's frikkin freezing outside. Maybe we'll bundle up and go for a jog later on.

I don't mean to brag...

...but seriously, I have the cutest nephew EVER!

Slacker No More

I'm feeling quite proud of myself. I've been making sure I'm doing something exercise wise every day for the past week. Makes me feel good.

Hobbies

Today, I was sharing with a co-worker today about my current cross-stitch projects and mentioned the last big project I finished. It's been more than a year, I think since I had it framed. It's hanging in the kitchen. So here it is:

Wow...

I have always been greatful for the opportunities that being an American affords me. These were really cemented after spending a summer in the Dominican Republic. I really do have to say that I have never been more proud to be an American than today. We're watching history. I took part in history by voting. I am still crying, and the goose bumps are permanent at this point. Si se puede!

If you haven't already done so...

...get your ass off the couch and go vote! And if you have, good for you. And if you voted Democrat, even better!!

It will be exciting to see how this all turns out. To think, I was there on "that cold January night in Iowa" sitting in the multi-purpose room at Adams Elementary with the Obama group - one of many 1st-time caucus goers.

It's been a long time coming.

Christmas

So what if it's 51 days before I go to Houston for Christmas. So what if I am skipping thinking about Thanksgiving all together. I am already making my mental list of what I want to do while there (in no particular order):

• Meet Marcus
• Take Owen to the zoo or something equally as cool, with just Auntie Amy. No Mommy, Daddy, Nona or Papi. Maybe Uncle Brian can go.
• Go to Jazzercise with Mom
• See Kelli, Steph, Trevor, and Kyle. Especially want to see Steph's new place
• Play poker, Settlers and possibly Risk
• Do Washington Post crossword puzzles with Erin and Brian
• Eat greasy Tex-Mex (preferably Tia's enchiladas) and have a margarita
  
• Costco
• See my Granny
• See a movie with Erin, Brian and John
  
• Make meatballs, stuffed artichokes and bushaluna with Erin and Mom
• Convince Daddy to make roast, rice and gravy with the "fine I-talian vegetable - butter bread"
• Read something not for school
• See live music

Can you tell I'm a little homesick?

Underdog!!

Our neighbors' dog Shelby was Underdog for Halloween. Their son made the costume. Here's an example of one time it's OK to put a small dog in clothes.

F'd up Halloween

1. In Davenport they trick-or-treat on the 30th
2. Miner bit/scratched (it happened so fast, we couldn't tell) a kid.
3. Kid is fine.
4. Skin was broke, but bleeding stopped quickly
5. Animal control was called
6. Miner is on in-home quarantine until November 9th

feeling pretty good

I went to Jazzercise today. Feel pretty good about myself. I actually made it all the damn Celine Dion outer thigh routine that always kills me. It's an oldie but a goodie. So, I don't feel too bad about having 1/2 a box of mac and cheese for dinner. Too tired and the taco meat wasn't thawed.

snow, kind of

Sunday night, and again yesterday evening, we had our first snow flakes. I am not even sure they touched the ground. I still think our first full-on snow will come after November 5th. That's my prediction.

Heel

When you jog/walk with the dog and he won't heel, just move the collar farther up on his neck. He'll make himself heel if he starts to take off. About 15 minutes to go 3/4 mile. It's a start.

Blustery Day

Is that a word? Blustery? Anyway, it's super windy here and there is a chance of snow tonight. I pulled the last of the green tomatoes off the vine and cut the plants down. It's too windy to mess with raking leaves, so that will have to wait for another day.

There's a pile of dirt and rocks on the concrete next to the garage. It's left over from the flower bed building. A friend gave me a 5 gallon bucket full of irises that her neighbor divided. 2 or 3 months ago, I planted the ones that looked good and healthy and tossed the rest on the pile. This morning, I noticed that there were about 6 or 8 of them that had sprouted up. So I pulled them out of the junk pile and planted them. Who knew a pile of dirt, rocks and dead house plants sitting on a concrete slab was a fertile environment for bearded irises. We'll see how they survive this winter. Worst that could happen is they don't make it...but they were free, so no huge loss.

"You can't stop me"

OK, so for a guy who has only ever been in academia, the guy teaching my statistics class is actually quite good. As he's lecturing he will define something to be true (what normal distribution is, for example) and says, "I'm defining this...you can't stop me." Maybe it's a "you have to be there" kind of thing, but it happens nearly every class and always elicits giggles from the class.

"Look, people, this isn't junior high, OK?"

...was what the guy teaching my statistics class said when he was talking about our grades last night. Meaning, the complete grade for the course will be on a curve. As far as the mid-term goes, I got a 43 out of 60 - which incedentally was the median. And I got an 85% on the group project we turned in 3 weeks ago and have 95% or better on the three homework assignments. Though, the 4th one we turned in yesterday I am still not too sure about. But whatever, in general, I am still feeling good about the class and not freaking out.

So Confused

We covered some new stuff in class last week that isn't in the text book. Which sucks, because I have to rely on my notes for making sure I understand this stuff. So, I sent an email to the prof. and his response got me even more confused! So, I asked some more questions. His response to that one started with, "Take a deep breath." Damn, how's he know that I need to be reminded of that?!

Fall is Here

As much as I hate winter in the midwest, I LOVE fall (and spring, too). Summer was strange. Rainy, so it screwed up the timing on vegetable gardening. It's been cool, then warm, then cool again. Amazingly, the $0.40 geraniums I bought from Km@rt are looking awesome.


And the front door is all dressed up for fall, too. (Note my reflection - I've started wearing overalls when working in the yard. An homage to Grandpa.)


Finally, a photo of the massive entertainment center that took over our basement for at least a month. I think David did a great job, but then, I am biased.

Dag Nab It

Still no midterm grades posted.

Midterm!!

Today was the midterm for my statistics class. Shawna and I studied most of the day Saturday and then I studied again on my own last night. I spent most of my solo study time reviewing what we did Saturday and making my "notes pages." We got 3 sheets (both sides) of notes pages. I only used 2. My plan was pretty simple:
1) Don't get cocky
2) Read the whole question before I start thinking about a solution
3) Don't freak out.

Actually, that makes me think of Erin and John's rules for Owen.
1) No running
2) No screaming
3) No running
They really should add "no freaking out." It served me well.

New Curtains

So, there was a window treatment sale at JC Penny, and I took advantage. I do have to say that the lady was very helpful in helping me pick a good color. What do ya think?

Country Music with No Big Papi

Last night we went to the reception for my friend Robert and his wife Lisa. They got married on the 3rd in Hawaii and had their 'Quad-Cities' party last night. It was outside at Bass Street Landing in Moline. Very nice, and nice weather, too. They had a DJ and played several country-western songs. Made me wish I had my Daddy or someone else who would dance with me for at least one of them.

Fall is here. We've had a few warm days, some flowers didn't get watered while I was trveling...so I am going to buy some garden mums today to spruce up the front porch for the fall. It's nice and cool this morning.

Anti-Slacker

I got up early this morning and went to jazzercise. I did pretty good, and feel better about myself. Now, I am off to vaccuum and maybe trim the 'mushroom trees' by the front door before getting cleaned up to study with Shawna.

Slacker

I'm lazy. I'm tired, and I feel like crap. So, the dog and I are hanging on the couch. At least the entertainment center that was taking over the basement and garage for the last 4 months is finally delivered and installed. If I'm lucky, I'll get to park in the garage this weekend.

Ike update

Now that Holly has connected IKE and IKEA, that's all I can think of. Damn, you, Holly!

Mom called at 2 PM yesterday and let me know they were OK. I was glad she did, because I was pretty worried. Lots of branches in their yard, no trees on the house, no broken windows, but without power.

Dad called this evening to give me an update. Overnight they got another 6+ inches and water was within 2 feet of coming into the house. That's the LAST thing that they need (they're almost done paying off the repairs from Tropical Storm Allison in 2001). Luckily it stopped raining and Dad said the water drained off really quickly. He did report that his okra crop is decimated. Which is really a bummer, okra is so yummy...link added to explain okra to my midwestern friends that may not know.

Living Room Photos

As promised.

I think we need curtains, but I can't decide...

Anniversary Presents

So, for our anniversary, we got each other a TV and new fridge. The 4th year is electronics and appliances, right? I catch flack from my "work mom" Robbi (I call her that because she reminds me of my mom, only her kids just turned 21 instead of 30). She says, "no gifts with extension cords." She's also volunteered to take David shopping for something sparkly for my birhtday coming up. I might take her up on that if I can talk David into it.

I had a diet Coke before class tonight...I'll be up until midnight again...

1/2 Iron Man

My brother, Brian is officially half an iron man. Friday, Davis and I drove up to MN
to camp and see my brother race in the Square Lake 1/2 Iron Man Triathlon. We camped at William O'Brien State Park on the St. Croix river.

It was C. O. L. D. Friday night, Saturday morning and again this morning as well. We borrowed an air mattress (yes, I am selling out...it's car camping, not backpacking) from Shawna. Friday night, I must have not screwed the cap on correctly that covers the place where you attach the pump. At about 2 AM, the mattress was mostly deflated. So, I blew it back up Saturday evening and must have managed to get that cap on correctly. I slept quite nicely and according to David, I snored...so I must have been comfortable.

Miner had fun of course. There were hunting dog trials in the area this weekend, too. So he had plenty of chances to get worked up about other dogs. We all three still have issues with him and other dogs. I met a guy who works in a different division of Deere who does dog training on the side...I think I might ask him about helping us with Miner. Here's a shot of Miner and David chilling in the back of the Tundra. Note: David had to pick Miner up to get him in there...


So, Brian got up at 5 this morning and was packing his stuff up when I woke up and realized a) I needed to go to the bathroom and b) Brian didn't have a flashlight. So, I gave him my headlamp, helped him dismantle the tent from hell (that we used to own and gave to him) and sent him on his way. David and I wound up sleeping until 7:30, made coffee, broke camp and drove to Square Lake, thinking we'd get to see Brian make his first loop on the bike ride (it was two, 27-mile loops). And we did.

We knew Brian had a blue bike, but didn't know helmet color or what his unitard looked like...so every time we saw a blue bike rounding the corner with a rider about B's size, I got ready. David decided that he would yell, "Way to go, Poo Poo" which is what Brian's law school friends called him. I thought for sure he'd know it was us, then. So we took his picture, and headed back home. He called us later to tell us how he did (he finished, which I think was all he really wanted to do) and said he had seen us.

So, that was our weekend. I am off to bathe the dog and give him his flea and tick treatment...he spent a lot of time in the tall weeds.

Living Room

Not sure why, but David and I thought that we needed a change in the living room. I played around on graph paper for a while, but you still don't get a good idea until you see it in 3D. So, we moved things a few times and settled on a new configuration. I'll take pictures soon.

After rearranging the furniture, I did my reading for class. Reading math is way harder than most of the reading I've done in the last 8 years.

First Class

My first class was yesterday evening. I totally had all the 1st day of school jitters. A strange feeling at 31. So far, so good. I did some studying tonight, and I have reading to do before next week's class. Just one day a week from 6-9:20 PM.

Finally feeling better...

...antibiotics are a wonderful thing.

The weather this weekend started off humid and nasty and wound up beautiful. David did a long ride yesterday and went out again this morning. Yesterday, I had brunch with Shawna and Marcy, hit the farmers market for some home-made jam and scored a great pair of pants for $20 at Marshalls on the way home. Last night, we bought a new comforter for the bed. Now I need to work on getting some artwork up on the walls in our bedroom.

While David is out on his ride this morning, Miner and I drove up to Scott County Park and hiked for about an hour and a half. It was nice. When we got home, I planted the two hostas I bought yesterday at the farmers market and did some weeding. Now, I'm just relaxing in the shade on the deck. Today is the kind of day that makes me love living in the Midwest.

Tetanus Shot and Antibiotics

I've been fighting sinus pain and issues for nearly 3 weeks. I broke down Monday and went to the doctor. Everything I usually do (nasal rinse, gargle with salt water, etc.) was not working. So I'm on an antibiotic now. Hopefully that will knock it out.

Yesterday around lunch time, David calls to tell me he's in the emergency room because "the table saw bit me." My brain automatically starts thinking he's lost a finger or something. Not quite, but close. 7 stitches across his thumb. He's have an interesting thumbprint when it's all said and done. And they gave him a Tetanus shot which he's probably needed for YEARS. He's fine, but that is sure not the phone call you really want to get...I guess it could be worse, though.

1.5 miles

Miner and I walked 1.5 miles this afternoon.

1st party

We had our first party out on the deck last night. It was a great evening. Very nice for August, it was in the 70's! We had a bunch of friends and neighbors over for s'mores and drinks. We can fit a lot of people on that thing! As usual, I didn't have the camera, so sorry, no pictures.

Funny things from the evening:
- Chad was doing magic tricks with marshmallows
- Our neighbor's 4 year old got chocolate marshmallow all over her face
- Miner decided he wanted to try and "hump" the 4 year old and has been labeled a pedophile.

Fun Filled Weekend

This was SUCH a fun weekend. Friday night, we had dinner with David's parents and our nieces - Amanda (11) and Avery (3). Then we all went and saw the fireworks for Tug Fest in LeClaire, IA. After we got back late, David took Miner for a walk on the river at 11:30 PM. They got home around 1:00 AM. Miner was pooped all Saturday morning.


Saturday afternoon, Amanda and Avery came over. They spent the night with us Saturday night. Avery and I colored in coloring books outside while Amanda and David finished screwing down all the deck boards. Then we made cheesy dip and chips for a snack before going to play putt-putt golf. That was fun. Avery did really well. She wouldn't play the holes that had water, because she didn't want her ball to get wet. The rest of us landed the ball in the water at least 2 or 3 times. We had tacos for dinner then lit a fire in the fire pit and made s'mores. The fire pit is still one of Miner's favorite things.


Avery has always been a little leery of Miner. He's never bothered her, she's just a bit afraid of him. So, early on Saturday, she would scoot way out of the way whenever he would come near her. By Saturday evening, she had warmed up to him and would be sure to let you know, "I touched him! I toucht-ed Miner!" She was so proud that she patted him on the head. Still, she and Amanda slept on the floor of my office so she could shut the door and keep Miner out. By Sunday morning, she and Miner were best friends. By the way, I made the French toast from America's Test Kitchen for breakfast. SO GOOD!



We dropped the girls back off at Craig and Nancy's and picked up a garden tiller. I tilled up the nasty clay mess that was at the top of the retaining wall. Then tossed a bunch of clods of dirt and clay that wouldn't break up, added some top soil, transplanted a hosta that needed help and spread 9 bags of mulch. It turned out nice. I know you've been waiting for it, so here they are - the photos of the finished product:

Check Out Marcus!!

Yesterday morning, our 2nd nephew came along. See Marcus Ascher Johnson on my brother-in-law and sister's blog, Maholo.ne.Trash.

The Nuge

It's time for the Mississippi Valley Fair again. The fairgrounds are less than a mile from our house and each night they have a concert. As my friend Brian described it, "it's kind of like the rodeo (in Houston) but without the rodeo part." Last night's act: Ted Nugent. He started up about the time we were finishing putting our table and chairs together on the deck. So we sat around and listened to loud Ted Nugent.

All the deck boards are down, we just have to put the steps in.

Phase 2: In Progress

David started on the deck Saturday while I was having lunch with some friends. That lasted a lot longer than I thought, so he didn't have much help. Sunday, David's Dad Craig came and helped us. We got about 1/2 the deck boards on. When you start putting deck boards on, you find where things are out of whack that need to be straightened...which is why we didn't get as far as we would have liked. Plus it was WAY hot. Now, I know Holly will trump me with 100 degree temps and way more humidity. Like I've said before, I am a wimp now that I live in the midwest. So we called it quits at 5 PM. We might have been better off to take a siesta in the hot part of the day and then finish up...but oh, well. Craig is coming to help David this afternoon. You will get pictures when it's done and you will like it!

Phase 1: Complete

Well, they were right. They finished by 5 PM on Friday - sod and everything! We had them put in landscape fabric and river rock under where the deck will be built. We still need to decide what we're doing with the area around the burning bush/tree and across the top of the retaining wall. I think we'll plant hostas under the bush (since it's shady all day and I can split some of the bigger ones on the side of the house). But we aren't sure about the long strip of ground at the top. I think I might make it an annual bed, since there's not really any other good spots for annuals in the yard. Maybe mix in herbs with annuals. That spot gets PLENTY of sun.


Here's another view from closer to the side door. It will wind up being a pretty big deck! The plan is to rent an auger and dig the footings on Tuesday. Hopefully the inspector can come out Wednesday and we can start working on the deck this coming weekend.

It Begins!!

The crew showed up today to start on fixing the disaster in our back yard. The wall was torn down and is 1/2 way rebuilt. They are going to try and finish it all tomorrow, but I don't think it will happen that quick. I am just getting excited that we might have a deck in a few weeks!! Miner supervised the action and made sure to mark the pile of blocks - and he didn't use that can of spraypaint.

We've been without internet for 3 days at the house. It's a little frustrating how much we get attached to having it.

John Deere Classic

Yesterday and today, we were marshals at the John Deere Classic.
We got rained on yesterday, but not much. Today was beautiful and a nice breeze where we were on hole 3. As the day went on, it got more and more windy. We're watching the leaders finish up on TV now. I think I'll take a nap and then maybe do a little work.

Red it is

So, we went with a dark red with a lot of brown in it for the front door. We think it turned out pretty nice.

Ignore the bright orange permit sticker for the deck (it's coming eventually). And the smudgy stuff at the bottom of the screen door is part my reflection and part doggy nose prints.

David also just finished building a light box for a stain-glass window. So, I thought I'd let you all see his handy work.

Where's the Bark?

I know you should "be careful what you ask for" and all, but Miner doesn't bark. We think he might have been mistreated when he was young for barking, because the first few times we heard him bark he cowered. So we try to give him plenty of positive reinforcement when he happens to bark today.

This morning, Miner was laying by the front screen door, looking outside as usual to see if any squirrels happened to come into the yard. Squirrels have come as close as the top step by the front door before. (I think they are taunting him.) We hear Miner growling at something. Not a very loud growl, just a low rumble. David walks over to the door quietly so he doesn't scare whatever it is off. He looks around and busts up laughing. Miner was staring and growling at a fly that was hopping around on the door mat. I wish we had been able to get it on video.

Debating

David does these online surveys and trails and such. This week a big bag of dog food came in the mail for him to get Miner to try. Neither of us are very much interested in switching his food, so we decided to donate it to the Scott County Humane Society (where we got Miner a year and a half ago).

While we were dropping the food off, we went and checked out the adoptable dogs. We've been debating for a while if we should get a buddy for Miner. We think he'd be fine, but aren't sure we have enough room and realize we would have to do the same work if not more than what we did when we got Miner. But we did see a wonderful little female black lab called Abby. She was so sweet and quiet.

The only bad thing is that David is busy with work now, so he doesn't have a lot of down time and that is keeping us from adopting. We don't want to if we can't spend lots of time with both dogs.

High and Dry

So, Davenport has a little flooding in downtown, but nothing more than what we had a couple of months ago. We live well up from the river, and not close enough to any of the creeks to have any real water problems. I can't go my normal way to work because of the flooding downtown, but that's no big deal.

I went to a conference in Sioux Center (northwest Iowa) this weekend. I-80 was closed between Walcott and Iowa City because of the Cedar River flooding. So, we had to re-route and take US-61 to US-20 to get to the west side of the state.

The Cedar River, Des Moines River, Iowa River and Raccoon River are all above 1993 levels. The Iowa DOT website has some pretty amazing pictures. 83 of Iowa's 99 counties have been declared disaster areas.

We're OK. David's brother in Cedar Rapids is OK. There sure are a lot of Iowans who aren't.

Throw Money at the Problem

The back yard is a disaster. The people that built the wall tore the grass up with their damn Bobcat. The wall is not level, it's leaning and they didn't backfill with rock. To top that all off, we've had like 10 feet of rain in since March. After spending 2 weekends thinking that we can fix it ourselves, we came to the realization that we have the money to pay someone to fix it. I think it will save David's back and joint (the blocks on the wall weigh 80 lbs.) and my sanity. So, in true Los Bike fashion, we are throwing money at the problem until it goes away.

Get This?!

Of the three Asiatic Lilies I planted Memorial Day weekend, I thought two were orange and one was white. But they all started blooming this weekend and they are ALL white. Maybe they start white and change? I wanted at least the one white to balance out with the white bleeding hearts on the other side of the front door. Oh well, we'll just have to plant some more lilies. :)

Sunday Crossword

I've been trying to work the Washington Post crossword puzzles online every day. I am typically really good at the beginning of the week. The first couple of weeks, I wasn't so good on the weekends. Today, I got almost done with the Sunday Challenge before giving up. Yay me!

Scavenger Hunt

This afternoon, my friend Shawna, her 5-year-old son Payton, and our friend Chad participated in a "Green" scavenger hunt. The intent was that you should complete the entire hunt on foot, bike or public transport. Of the three teams that competed, we were the only ones that went completely green. We had to find 16 individual items and get 22 different photos with at least 2 team members in them. Some of the best ones (or best stories to go with them) are below:

We were the only team to take a photo in a fountain that actually had water in it. Payton was standing watch to alert us if any cops came by.


We had to get a photo with a uniformed police officer or firefighter. The first cop we stopped was a young guy who told us "No, I can't do that. I don't want to wind up on some my space page." So, while walking to the bus, Chad notices a fire truck and ambulance at a furniture store. His master plan was to walk by "casual like" and he'd take our picture with the paramedics in the background.


We walked across the Centennial Bridge (a first for me) and hit a gold mine at the Davenport Farmer's market as it was closing up. A photo with a port-a-potty. This is Chad's "paparazzi face."

The playground equipment there is SO cool.

We had to get our photos in front of someone playing a musical instrument. Chad and Shawna noticed that a couple kids had viola and flute cases. They had been playing at the farmers market to raise money for earthquake relief in China. They played beautifully and Chad gave them $5 towards their fundraiser.


We also needed a photo with something Polish. We saw a hot dog vendor packing up, so I told him what we were doing and that we needed a photo with something Polish and asked if he had any Polish Sausages. He said no, and as we thanked him and started to walk off, he said, "Wait, do you just need a picture with something Polish? I'm Polish!" So Chad, Shawna and Payton took a picture with him. He tells us, "the name's Crackwheel." Not sure that's exactly how it's spelled, but that sure is what it sounded like to us.


We also needed a photo in front of the vats at a local brewery. We visited Front Street Brewery in Davenport. Their vats are down in the basement. Chad talked the bar tender into taking us down there. It's down 2 flights of stairs, through the banquet room, through a storage area and way in the back.

This final photo is all the items we had to collect. The hardest to find was a non-expired pizza coupon. 4 papers and a phone book later, Shawna was able to get one from the Radisson in Moline.


It was a great time. Even though we were the last team to finish, we got a bonus prize for actually going green. We each got John Deere water bottles and a $10 gift card to Best Buy!

Memorial Day Weekend Projects

Here's what we did for the long weekend. In 3 stages, I removed this pile of rock from the front and side flowerbeds. In my estimation, it was about 30 wheelbarrow trips from the front yard to the back, half of which David did for me.

Getting rid of that stuff let me put in 3 Asiatic Lilies and one more purple Coral Bells, 4 bags of top soil plus most of the dirt pile left over from widening the parking pad and 8 bags of cypress mulch. The end result is quite nice if I do say so myself.

David hung the ledger boards for the deck in the back yard. Hopefully the weather will hold this week and the retaining wall guy will be able to start tomorrow.

I also picked up this cute bug made out of a glass insulator (like from old power lines) at the farmer's market.

with all due respect...

...George Lucas has gotten pretty lame in his old age. We went to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I must say that Cate Blanchett was pretty good. I just kept waiting for her to say "moose and squirrel." Most of the special effects were pretty cool, but there was a scene where they're in an army vehicle chase in the jungle, and they're sword fighting between two vehicles and it was just entirely too contrived and very "green screen" looking. By that, I mean you could not suspend disbelief because you could SO tell that it was done on a green screen. So, I give it an "Eh." It was entertaining, but it kept making me think of how crappy the end of Return of the Jedi turned out when Lucas re-did them.

too damn busy

It's still spring and I love it. It's cool enough in the morning and night for a jacket and has been nice and sunny. Last weekend we got the garden in. Already, some radishes are sprouting. I am hoping one of the three yellow pear tomatoes that I planted from seed will take.

Other than that, I have been SO busy at work and just exhausted, so that's why no posts for such a long time. We start prep for the deck and retaining wall this weekend, so there will be plenty of pictures to share.

TX Weekend

I had a nice long weekend in TX. I flew into Houston on Wednesday night. Thursday my mom, dad and I drove to Austin for my cousin Kelli's wedding. It was a 3 day party! So much fun. There was a rehearsal dinner on Thursday, the wedding was Friday night and a brunch on Saturday. She and Nick got married at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. It was so beautiful and Kelli looked so pretty. I got to see lots of other cousins and aunts and uncles. We had a good time. The food was awesome, chocolate cake and dancing until late.

I was also able to get a good tex-mex fix with several mornings of breakfast tacos and lunch on South Congress with Holly. Yumm! Then last night, Mom, Linda and I went to Fuzzy's Pizza in Houston for dinner. We ordered a great pizza with the unfortunate name of "President Bush's Pizza" named for George H. W. Bush who is buddies with Fuzzy (the owner). We told the kid at the counter that we were celebrating Jenna Bush's wedding. He looked at us like we were nuts. But it was awesome pizza with artichoke hearts, pepperoni, sausage, canadian bacon, onion, mushrooms, black olives and green peppers. SO GOOD!

Things I miss about TX: family, food, all things pretty and green
Things I don't miss about TX: heat, humidity, traffic

To top it all off

our furnace went out last night. The fan/blower part works, so it might be the thermostat. At least that's what I am hoping for...or something similarly cheap.

Spring? What spring?

High of about 50 for today. Tonight's low is supposed to be in the mid 30's. WTF?!? It's really windy and means that much longer before I can get a garden in.

Miner got a new toy last night. It's a stuffed duck that quacks. He loves it. This morning, when I let him out, he took it with him. It's like a kid with his blankie.

23 down, 77 to go. My usual instructor wasn't there today. The sub was ok, but it meant no PT class today. Ah, well.

Workin' Out

A regular class and PT on Wednesday and again yesterday equals 22 down, 78 to go. My triceps are pretty tired today, but I'll live.
I've determined that it's about time I start golfing again. So, today, we're going to look for a new set of clubs for me. I think being so short makes it worth going and getting fit for them. That's what my rebate stimulus check is doing for me!

As promised

Photos of Spring in Iowa.


These two little ones were bent on their stems. So, I cut them and put them in a bud vase (butt face) that my sister made.



Oh, and by the way: 18 down, 82 to go.

It's official...

...Spring is here! My daffodils bloomed Tuesday. The grass is all green (except the dead spots from the Round-up incident) and the birds are so noisy in the morning. We took the dog to the county part near the house to swim. He didn't want to jump off the dock. We tried, and he whined and fussed about wanting to get the stick we threw in, but he just wouldn't jump.

We should have good weather this weekend. So, I'll take some pictures and post them.

Johnny A

Last night I went to see Johnny A at the Redstone Room which is part of the River Music Experience museum-type-thing in downtown Davenport, IA. Very, very cool show. It was all instrumental and just awesome. If he's in your area, I highly recommend going to see him.

office

After much discussion, we went to Ikea Friday night and got a bookshelf and desk. The coolest thing about this desk: the legs are adjustable. Which means, I can make it counter-top height! Should be nice for when my office works its part time job as a sewing room. I'll post some pictures later.

12 down, 88 to go.

slacker

10 down 90 to go.

April Fool's

I am trying to come up with a really good April Fool's joke to play on David. Suggestions?

Eh...

Pretty interesting day at work today. I got to tour our Davenport factory. I haven't been on that factory floor since 2004. I love factory tours.

When I got back to my office I had to messages. One that I am going to help fill in for a co-worker who is having surgery. Neat opportunity for me to learn a different job (one that I'd like eventually). The other was from University of Iowa. They are accepting me 'conditionally' on account of my low score on the GMAT (see 'frikin idiot post). Well, I won't start classes in the summer because of the fill in at work, but I likely will be able to start in the fall.

I am excited about the opportunity at work. Means I get to travel to VA and WV a few times.

Oh, and it snowed today! It's like 5 days short of being April and we're getting snow?!

Wicked

We went to Chicago last night to see my Christmas present - tickets to see "Wicked" the musical. SO good.

Miner stayed home by himself and we stayed in a Hampton Inn in the theater district. Our neighbors took care of feeding Miner and letting him out. He was a good boy.

We are now calling Miner "Sandwich Snatcher" and David is no longer allowed to leave food in the living room. You can figure that one out.

fruit loops

I know they aren't good for me, but there could be worse things to snack on, right?

I'm seriously mental

After the Grand Canyon, we went to Sedona, AZ. We took a Jeep tour. The kind where they take you off road and give your chiropractor extra work to do. We stopped at this sink-hole called Devil's Kitchen. It collapsed in the late 1800's, and then another huge chunk fell in a couple of days after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. Needless to say, the rock lover in me was SO excited about all the cool geology in the area.

What seriously freaked me out about myself was this: a family was hiking with their boxer dog off leash. The dog gets right up to the edge of the sink hole. I instantly suck in my breath, afraid the dog is just going to jump in. WTF? Dogs aren't 100% stupid...it wasn't like there were any animals down in there (at least none that I could see) that the dog would want to go after. And it wasn't even my dog!

Like I said, WTF?!

Canyon? What Canyon?

We left Las Vegas yesterday around 10 AM. Traffic at the Hoover Dam was slow, but then we were on our way. We had rain, snow and some mixture thereof for a good part of the way to the Grand Canyon. When we finally made it to the National Park, this is what we saw:

Overnight, we got about 3 inches of snow, as evidenced on our rental car.

Luckily, after some breakfast and packing everything back in the car, the sky had cleared some. So, we did get to see the damn thing.