Thursday Thirteen #28

Thirteen Childhood Memories!

1. Hearing my dad say, "See you at cookie time". My parents would come into our rooms to tuck us in, say our bedtime prayer, and say good night. As my dad closed the door, he dad would say to me "See you at cookie time". Cookie time was actually his breakfast. He would have two cookies with is cup of coffee. His "breakfast" cookies were always Nabisco Sugar Wafers.

2. Taking the last sip of coffee from dad's coffee cup after he was gone to work.

3. Going to the drive-in theater in pjs to see Benji, Lassie, Lady & the Tramp, etc with my family.

4. Sneaking change from my parents coin jar, riding my bike with my brother to the Penny Candy store, giving the owner our money and filling a bag with candy as she tells us how much we have left to spend. My favorites were the wax bottles, candy cigarettes, and candy buttons.

5. Cutting cattails from the ditch and setting up a stand to try to sell them. Five cents for a plain one ten cents with a cute curly ribbon attached. We didn't care there were thousands of cattails the people driving by could cut themselves for FREE...lol! By the way, we never sold one!

6. Swimming for hours with my brothers in our pool. My brother, Josh, would be full of goosebumps, shivering and have purple lips, but would insist he wasn't cold. LOL! He was probably 4 or 5 at the time and just wanted to be by his big brother & sister.

7. Spending the night in the "chicken coop". As I said before, I grew up in a 100+ year old farm house. It was not a working farm, but had all the buildings of one. In it's previous life our playhouse was a chicken coop. There were quite a few hot summer nights my brothers, step-sister & I would spend the night out there. I think Josh usually got spooked and had to go in the house...lol!

8. Ice skating with my brother on the frozen "ponds" and ditches all around us with my brother. There were times we could skate in the ditch for a mile! Of course, there were also the times the ice on the ditch cracked and we got soakers...lol!

9. Riding bikes up and down the LONG driveway for hours. Sometimes my brother & I would play "ET". That is where we took turns giving each other rides on the handle bars. Should I mention the time we fell and laughed so hard my step-sister & I wet our pants? LOL!

10. Playing games! Kickball and baseball on our little front yard diamond. Football in about only area in the front yard clear of trees. Dodge ball with the rotten apples that had fallen off the tree. (Mom didn't like that game...lol!)

11. Snowmobiling in our yard and the fields around us. My parents let us drive the snowmobiles by ourselves when I was 8 and my brother 6. (I can't imagine letting Olivia drive a snowmobile at six -- YIKES!!) One time my brother went up a steep snowbank and dumped me off the back of the snowmobile. I have a sneaking suspicion he did it intentionally.

12. Sledding down the hill in front of the house on those roll up sleds that wouldn't stay under you and the metal saucer thing. I think it was called the Super Saucer or something like that.

13. Going up to Eagle River, WI to spend time with our grandparents. This one sparks a whole new TT list of memories. What good times we had up there!!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Passing Time

Can you think of a better way to pass time when waiting for the someone to come repair a dryer than peeling wallpaper? I couldn't...lol!

The "demolition" of the full bath has begun. Instead of the complete redo we were talking about over the winter, we decided to just paint for now. It needs it BAD! Since the kitchen is a more public room than our full bath, we decided we'll do the big budget redo there first. We are going to have the cabinets refaced and replace the counters. The kitchen probably won't happen until sometime next spring.

By the way, the dryer is all better. A couple of thermal sensors needed to be replaced. It's working like a charm once again.

Another Repair -- UGH!

Barely a month ago we had to call out a plumber to repair the flange on the toilet in the full bath. Now, we have to have an appliance guy out for the dryer. It just stopped heating. Anyone know how long it takes to tumble a load of towels dry without any heat? LOL!! It's probably the heating coil thing a ma bob, but I am not comfortable with adding gas appliance repair to my resumé.

This is when Bob says the house is falling down around us we should just sell it. It's really not, but doesn't it seem like everything happens at once? "They" say things happen in threes, but I am hoping "they" are wrong. ;)

Training for the Future

I found this Couch-to-5K program few years ago, but had forgotten about it when I began training for my triathlon. By the time I stumbled upon it again, I thought it was too late to change up what I was already doing.

Next year I want to be able to run the entire 3.1 miles, and this afternoon I took the first steps to assure that happens.

It's Up!

Scroll down to July 7th & July 8th entries to read about my first triathlon experience. If I could sign up today for next year, I would do it without hesitation! I have already set new goals and will begin to work on those next week. :)

Also Up

Triathlon Pictures! You can see the shots Bob & Olivia were able to get at flickr.com.

I should have a few more to post, but I don't know when I will have access to those. Danskin had photographers every step of the way. I am waiting to hear word those pictures are ready. My fingers are crossed they had a photographer at the finish line. Bob & Olivia were there, but didn't see me.

Thursday Thirteen

I am skipping the TT this week, but do not fear it will return next Thursday!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Tomorrow, I Promise!

Bob took a few days vacation this week. We have just been enjoying time together. I have my story ready to go. I will type it up and post tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a story to inspire...

http://www.dailysouthtown.com/news/432483,181NWS4.article

Amazing, isn't it?

Tri THANK YOU!

The Danskin Triathlon was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I need sometime let everything soak in and write about the weekend. I want to express the emotion I felt during the event for all of you who supported me. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for that support. I could not have done this without you.

I Am a Triathlete

I was up just before 3:00 AM, and we were on the road by 4:20 AM. We had to catch a shuttle from Dairyland Greyhound Park to the race site. Parking and catching the shuttle were a piece of cake. (Erin was not so lucky! She left her house about an hour after we left ours. Arrived to near Dairyland at about 6:00 AM and waited in traffic for over an hour.)

Bob & Olivia were with me. I sat with them for a few minutes before I went to set up my transition area. Unfortunately, I made a rookie mistake when I racked my bike yesterday. I left too much space between my bike and the one on the end. My bike was "bumped" from the second to the third spot on the rack. Still easy to find.

I joined Bob & Olivia again for a little while. We were watching for Erin not knowing how she was stuck in the horrible traffic. The start of the race was actually delayed because of the traffic. They also allowed anyone who missed their swim wave to join one when they were ready.

At about 7AM I began walking over to the swim start area. A slow take in all the sights & sounds walk. As I walked along the run path, I wondered about the stories of these women. About half way along the path, I came across a woman who had just finished chemo treatments. Her complexion was beautiful & flawless. I will carry the image of her in my mind always. As I passed her, the emotion of the day began to hit me. A tear trickled down my cheek. As competitors continued to walk a man began to speak about Danskin Triathlon traditions and other things that would happen today. A beautiful instrumental played for a few minutes before the National Anthem. The woman who sang it had a beautiful voice. The emotion of the day hit me again at that point and a few more tears flowed.

It was now time for the triathlon to get underway. The first wave, The Elite, are brought down into the water. They have a few minutes with Sally Edwards, National Spokeswoman for the Danskin Women's Triathlon Series. The Danskin traditional countdown began. 10 9 8... and the first wave was off! The event I have worked so hard to prepare for is here.

The second wave, Survivors, is brought to the water. Just about 30 seconds until they are on their way. The following waves go every 4 minutes!

I finally spot Erin in the crowd. She didn't get to see the start of the event because of the traffic at the shuttle pick up site. While I missed her & am sad she missed the start of the event, I was (am) thankful I had that alone time to experience the sights, sounds, and emotions of the day.

Erin & I talked for a few minutes before I headed over to the swim start to join my fellow yellow capped, 35-39 year olds. We visited with one another. Talked about race numbers, triathlon training, our strengths/weaknesses, and triathlon experience. There was only one other woman near me who was a first timer. The veterans encouraged us! Suddenly, the crowd behind us and to the right began to roar. The first runner was coming by. She completed the .5 mile swim, the 12 mile bike, and part of the 3 mile run before we were even hitting the water. I would estimate she did that in less than 45 minutes.

As our group was "on deck" for the swim Disco Inferno by The Trammps played. We all sang and danced to keep loose and get pepped up. The 15th wave was off and that means we are next. Looking around I see a few women who look a little nervous about the swim. The group I was talking to all looked pretty confident. We are in the front line of the wave. I was front & center! :) One of the Danskin Angels, the swim volunteers, leads us in some cheering. Asks us a few questions about who we are going to pass first (pink caps -- wave 15), and who we aren't going to let pass (green caps -- wave 17). She then gave us a word to remember as we go through the day - FANTASTIC! We are to use that word to remind us we are fantastic swimmers, fantastic bikers, fantastic runners, and fantastic triathletes. The countdown begins 10 9 8... and we were off. It felt really great, but the sun glared made sighting something on shore very difficult. Twice I swam outside the buoys and had to swim back to the right. I still felt like I was making really good time. I could see myself passing pink caps and only saw one green cap pass me. Bob said in my wave there were only about six women out of the water before me.

Swim Time 00:16:28
Rank 1065/3919

I ran to my bike. T1 went quickly and pretty well. I know I can shave more time off of it for next year.

T1 Time 00:03:11

The bike was tough. A lot tougher than I had anticipated due to the high winds, the heat, and the HILLS! I also need to look into getting a road bike for these events. The wide mountain bike tires are killers on a road in a race.

Bike Time 00:57:07
Rank 3051/3919 (UGH -- definitely needs work)

I hopped off the bike at the dismount point and my legs felt like Jell-O -- not the bricks I was expecting. Ah, a watering station. I wove my way between the racks to my area. I racked my bike and I was off.

T2 Time 00:02:04

Ah, another splash of water before I ran. My legs didn't feel too bad at all when I began the run. I think to myself I might be able to run the whole thing. I guess I though that too soon because shortly I felt my heart rate soar. I slowed to a slow jog. A lady points out that I had forgotten to take off my helmet after the bike. Oh, crap (excuse my french...lol)! I take it off and try to figure out what I am going to do with it. I thought about throwing it down in the grass, but eventually I looped the strap onto my tank top. Looking back, I should have thrown it down. Bob saw me running with the helmet and when I took it off. He was trying to run after me to get it. He said it was pretty sad he couldn't catch me even after I had just finished the swim & the bike when he had done nothing but walk...lol.

The heat during the first half of the run was brutal. I did a little running and walking. I wanted to be able to RUN across that finish line and wanted to conserve that energy so I could. The watering station at about half way was a welcome sight. As was the Jelly Belly Sports Beans station, but neither of those were as good as the hose the firefighters had to spray us. I drank the water, ate half a package of the sports beans, and enjoyed the water from the hose. The course continued on about a quarter mile before we got to turn around and enjoy those three stations again. At the half mile left mark we got the biggest boost any triathlete could hope for -- an open fire hydrant! More pressure than that hose and just what I needed to refresh me for the home stretch. I ran the entire last mile and it was so exciting to see the word FINISH up ahead. Sally Edwards was there cheering us on, and as we crossed the finish line our names were announced and we were given a medal!

Run Time 00:43:40
Rank 3076/3919

Total Time 02:02:33
Overall Rank 2636/3919
Class Rank (35-39) 460/578

I did it! I am a triathlete!

Danskin Triathlon Expo

Erin & I arrived near the race venue at 10:00 AM. Right on time. The line of traffic waiting to enter the lot was backed up at least a mile. We sat & waited about 30 minutes before we were able to get into the lot & park.

We entered the Lakeview RecPlex at about 10:35 AM. The room was full of the buzz of excitement & anticipation of tomorrow's event.

Erin & I split up to make picking up race materials go more quickly. Turned out to be a great plan. Our lines were about the same length, and we finished at about the same time. When picking up our materials we found out our swim waves. I was wave #16 - Yellow & Erin was #28 - Purple. (The colors are the color of cap our wave wore.) We then had our timing chips scanned to verify all the information linked to them was correct.

Then we were off to pick up our shirts, swim caps, and great bag from Danskin. There were goodies all around from race sponsors. The best by far had to be the folding tool from the great people at Trek.

Neither of us thought the first timer's overview would help us with anything we could change the day before the race so we skipped it. There was still a lot of time until the next course overview so we decided to skip it too. I don't think we would have been any better prepared had we seen either one of those. We knew the course, we swam in that lake before, and were as pepped as we were going to be at that point in time.

We went back to the car to get out bikes for racking. The line for racking had to be about a mile long when we got back from the car. Fortunately, a volunteer opened another gate for racking & we weren't too far from it. We split up again to rack and met back at the gate. I got a great spot. My rack was about half way between the swim finish & the run start. I was lucky to be able to get a spot near the end of the rack. Erin got a great spot too, but she was closer to the bike start/finish than I was. At this point we were both hating the heat and were a little worried about how it would affect us tomorrow.

A quick stop at The Brat Stop for lunch, and then we headed home. I relaxed most of the afternoon & evening. I planned on heading to bed early, but wasn't that tired. I didn't want to lie in bed awake thinking about how I should be sleeping so I stayed up until about 10:30.

OH NO!

As you all know, the triathlon is Sunday! Look at the forecast -- 96 degrees with a "real feel" of 99 -- UGH! Hopefully, it will stay mostly cloudy. I hate to think of what that temp would say if it was supposed to be a clear day.

Weather Forecast | Weather Maps | Weather Radar

I will be drinking LOTS of fluids! Hopefully, not much of the fluid will be Lake Andrea water...LOL!

What a Sight

Several nights last week brought us beautiful sunsets! I took some shots on a couple of those nights and have loaded them to my flickr account! Enjoy!

Thursday Thirteen #27

Happy 100th week to the Thursday Thirteen! To help celebrate the gang at TT asked us to...

…write about your thirteen favorite Thursday Thirteen posts. You can write about thirteen of your own T13 posts, or you can write about the T13 posts of others that you’ve enjoyed. Be sure to link to each of the 13 posts you highlight so we can all check them out easily.

I have decided to respectfully decline rebel. There are SO many great TTs I have run across since I stumbled upon the TT meme. It would be a lot of work to go back and find all those that I enjoyed. (I will give you my three favorite 'teeners: This Eclectic Life, J's Thoughts & Musings, and Life is RANTastic! Actually, I enjoy reading their blogs daily!)


Instead I am reviving my 22nd TT to make sure I have everything I need for my triathlon. Yes, time is ticking. I can't believe it is Sunday!

Thirteen Things I Need to Bring on Triathlon Day!

1. Timing chip and strap (given with race materials during pick up Saturday morning)

2. Swim cap with race numbers (given with race materials)

3. Clear goggles & tinted goggles (CHECK!)

4. Towels (small to stage transition area, medium to dry feet before putting on shoes.) (CHECK! CHECK!)

5. Bike helmet with race number affixed to front (CHECK! given with race materials)

6. Fix-a-flat kit & bike pump (CHECK! CHECK!)

7. Running shoes/socks (CHECK! CHECK!)

8. Shirt I plan to wear during the run with race numbers pinned to it. (given with race materials)

9. Sunglasses (CHECK!)

10. Food/snacks to eat during and/or after race (CHECK! CHECK!)

11. Bottled water/fluid replacement drink on full bottle in cage on bike to drink during the bike leg. Additional fluids to enjoy after the race. (CHECK! CHECK!)

12. Sunscreen, chapstick, Body Glide, & pain meds (CHECK! CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!)

13. Cell phone (CHECK!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Happy Independence Day

Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

This image is from a few months ago. There was a storm approaching, and I loved the way our flag was waving in the high winds. I snapped about 25 shots of it before I took it down. The rain hit just a few minutes after I got this shot.

Matthew Mead Style

Oh man, I think I am in love! Check out the eye candy at matthewmeadstyle.

Check out those bowls. (Yes you, C!)

I Surrender

We have had painting the exterior trim, garage door, and fence on our to do list for about 2 years now. It took me all last summer to get the outside of the fence & the arbor painted. The inside still needs painting. We finally gave in and decided to hire someone. Two companies are coming out for estimates tomorrow, and I am waiting for return calls from two others.

I love to do those types of projects, but the weather never seems to cooperate when I have time to work on those jobs.

Thursday Thirteen #26

Our first 10 or so raspberries were ripe for picking yesterday! There are about twice as many ready today! There are SO many more that just aren't ready quite yet. For the next few weeks we will be in raspberry heaven. This is for those of you who want to plant a raspberry bush, but don't know how to take care of them. They really don't required as much work as you may think.

Thirteen Things About Raspberries

1. There are two categories of red raspberries. The common raspberry, which ripens in early to midsummer and the ever bearing raspberry. The ever bearing raspberry produces an early-summer crop on the old growth (previous season) and a fall crop on the new growth (current season).

2. Raspberries grow best in rich,well-drained soil.

3. Raspberries grow best in climates where the spring is lingering and slow to warm, but may succeed in warmer climates if the are grown in light shade.

4. A row or hill of raspberries will ordinarily produce good crops of fruit for 10 years or more, before they need to be replaced.

5. Raspberries should NOT be planted in where eggplants, peppers, potatoes or tomatoes have been grown within three years. They they are susceptible to disease associated with those plants. (Oops, the year we planted our raspberry bush it was right next to TWO tomato plants. It survived and is now too big to have anything else nearby.)

6. New plants should be planted in late fall or early spring and set into the soil 2 inches deeper than they were growing.

7. Newly planted summer bearing raspberries should be left alone for the first year to establish themselves. When buds begin to show the following spring, cut back to 3-5 canes per plant.

8. Raspberry plants should be fertilized in early spring with an all purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer.

9. Do NOT let raspberry plants dry out during flowering and fruiting.

10. In spring, shorten the canes to 3 feet and force the growth into lateral side branches along support wires. (I did not know this. It will make harvesting next year SO much easier.)

11. After a cane produces fruit it should be cut to the ground. The only exception is with the ever bearing raspberry. The second crop's canes should not be cut down as those will bear the next year's first crop of raspberries.

12. Never cut off the new canes which haven't produced yet, they will produce the next years crop. (I am guilty of this, but only it is the suckers that spout up where they shouldn't be. Bad canes...lol)

13. Raspberries are easily propagated by pinning the tip of the cane to the ground, where you want it to root. Once it is rooted, sever the new start from the parent plant. You can also propagate from the sucker growths which come up around the parent plant.

source: thegardenhelper.com

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Fantastic Fundraising

As promised, here is an update on my fundraising. I have raised money through the ChipIn! in the right sidebar here, the official Danskin online link, a letter campaign, and pink paper ribbons at a local restaurant. My total as of this afternoon, is $582*.

I am THRILLED. The day I signed up I set $250 as my goal. I had never raised funds for an event such as this for myself and thought my original goal was almost out of reach. I kept the faith, kept working hard, and I did it!

I could not do it without you! I thank you for your support and generosity from the bottom of my heart!

*This total does not include any donations sent directly to the address on the donation form I included with the letter.

Triathlon Fashion

I know it's not a fashion show, but I was a little worried about biking and running in a regular swimming suit with something else over the top. I found and ordered the solution. It arrived today, and I LOVE it!


It's an all in one suit! All I have to worry about after the swim is getting to my bike putting on my socks, shoes & helmet. I will also pull a shirt with my race number pinned to it over the top. Transition to the run will be park bike and remove helmet. Easy peasy!! :)

Erin & I headed out the lake for a .75 mile swim and 9 mile bike ride this morning. Since running is my weakest leg of the event, I will run twice this week. That's it for this week's training. My schedule calls for light training this week and next. The event is less than two weeks away! It's coming fast and I am so excited!

Tomorrow I will give you a fundraising update. It's exciting!

A Day at the Track!

Those of you who know me and know that the NASCAR Busch Series & Craftsman Truck Series were in Milwaukee over the weekend might think I am going to tell you that's the track where I spent the Sunday! It's not! Bob & I spent the day at Arlington Park with some friends. It was a beautiful day & a GREAT time! Here's one of the horse we placed a very small wager on. This is after he ran.

If I remember correctly, this horse's name is Life's Lesson!

We didn't win! Don't bet on horses was our life lesson of the day...lol!

CONFESSION!

Today was my day with grandma. We usually go to Culver's for lunch when we are together and today was no exception! The flavor of the day was Take 5, and I had a single scoop in a dish.

Bad girl...lol!

Thursday Thirteen #25

My favorite summer treat is frozen custard. So in honor of the first day of summer, I bring you a list of my favorite frozen custard flavors. Even though some of the flavors are pretty self explanatory, I am including the description to tempt your taste buds! These descriptions come from the website of our favorite frozen custard stops. Visit culvers.com to see if there is one near you.

I haven't had any in so long because it is high in fat, calories, sugar, etc. All things bad...lol! I am pretty sure I will be having a small dish very shortly after the triathlon! ;)

ETA: Don't think gross when you read frozen custard! It is not the stuff used to fill donuts frozen...lol! The difference between frozen custard and ice cream is that frozen custard is made with the addition of eggs. It is slow-mixed rather than whipped with air like ice cream. Then it is frozen. The result is a thick creamy frozen treat you will love. It is also served at a higher temp than ice cream and you can really taste that rich creamy flavor.

My Thirteen Favorite Frozen Custard Flavors

1. Apple Pie -- creamy vanilla custard and pie crust pieces with cinnamon apple chunks.

2. Butter Brickle -- specially blended butter pecan custard enhanced with all-time favorite chewy chunks of Heath Bar.

3. Butter Pecan -- specially blended butter pecan with way too many toasted pecan pieces.

4. Caramel Cashew -- legendary vanilla custard swirled with streams of sweet caramel and loaded with lightly salted cashews.

5. Cookie Dough Craving -- rich chocolate and vanilla custard swirled with cookie dough pieces.

6. Double Strawberry -- fresh strawberry custard swirled with sweet plump strawberries.

7. Just Drummy -- fresh vanilla custard loaded with Spanish peanuts and waffle cone pieces, then splashed with brittled chocolate coating.

8. Orange Creamsicle -- a dreamy blend of refreshing orange custard with real cheesecake pieces and Bavarian cream twirled throughout.

9. Red Raspberry -- a zesty tasting raspberry custard finished with whole sweet raspberries.

10. Star-Spangled Berries -- fresh vanilla custard with real strawberries and blueberries.

11. Take 5 -- pretzel, chocolate, peanut butter, caramel and peanuts blended with vanilla custard and ribbons of rich caramel.

12. Turtle -- velvety smooth vanilla custard and swirl in streams of sweet caramel, brittled chocolate coating and pecan pieces.

13. Turtle Cheesecake -- cheesecake custard swirled with caramel, bits of milk chocolate, toasted pecans and pieces of rich cheesecake.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Now Showing

My spring pictures have now been uploaded to flickr. You can see them here!

Spring Blooms

Spring 2007...

Front "porch"!

Close up of planter in plant stand.
I love the colors of this planter & the little white flowers smell SO good!
Anyone know what they are?

Meadow sage in front yard!

Meadow sage & weigela in front yard.

I will be adding more to my flickr photos later. Right now a pretty wild storm is on it's way to our area. I will be logging off for a while. Probably so I can capture some cool storm cloud pictures. Yes, I'll be careful!

My DOH! Moment

I had one of those moments today! A little over a year ago I got a new cell phone. A Razr (pink, of course). Until today I didn't know how to turn it to speaker phone. Bob called while I was in the grocery store, and I accidentally hit a button that put his call on speaker phone. I could not figure out how to turn it off. I thought when I disconnected the call it would, but no. I fiddled with it for a little bit, but ended up abandoning my cart to go outside to call him back. It was a short phone call and luckily no one took my cart thinking they had to put it away! I had to pull out my book to figure it out, but now that I know how it works I might actually use it! :)

When was your last DOH! moment?

Thursday Thirteen #24

Back in May my TT prior to Mother's Day was quotes about moms and motherhood. I felt like I couldn't leave out dad so here's 13 quotes about fathers!

Thirteen Quotes about Fathers/Fatherhood

1. Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad. (Proverb)

2. Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice. (Author Unknown or Proverb? I find it listed as both in my searches!)

3. By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong. (Charles Wadworth)

4. A father is someone who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be. (Author Unknown)

5. The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. (Theodore Hesburgh)

6. One of life's greatest mysteries is how the boy who wasn't good enough to marry your daughter can be the father of the smartest grandchild in the world. (Proberb)

7. My father was often angry when I was most like him. (Lillian Hellman) How true is this? The things Olivia does that frustrate me most are the ones I have done.

8. My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass"; "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys". (Harmon Killebrew) I love this one!

9. Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. (Bill Cosby)

10. A father is a banker provided by nature. (Proverb)

11. He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. (Clarence Budington Kelland)

12. A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. (Author Unknown)

13. There are three stages of a man's life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn't believe in Santa Claus, he is Santa Claus. (Author Unknown)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Open Water Swim

Sunday morning my friend Erin & I met in the lot at a local McDonald's bright & early to set out for Lake Andrea (this is where the tri will take place)! There is lap swimming available in Lake Andrea each morning from 7 - 10. We decided to face this beast so we know what to expect on race day.

I cannot describe the anxiety we felt seeing that lake in person knowing we would have to swim across it, but not knowing what part we would have to swim. We thanked our lucky stars when the very helpful lady in the pool house knew. She also knew how many laps we had to swim to equal approximately the distance across between the points she showed us. It didn't look so bad.

We changed into our suits, headed to the sand. Put our toes in the water, it was cold. Walked in a little further, it was cold and there is squishy green stuff under our feet. We walked a tiny bit more, it was cold! Count of three, we're going under. This isn't so bad!! We swim the short distance to the lane markers. The lane was approximately 180 meters. We swim one and the whole time we are thinking what did we get ourselves into? LOL! The next lap was even better. We swam six laps! That was just over 1180 yards. We only need to swim 880 in the event. We think we can do this.

Sunday morning we are following the same plan, but we are going to bring our bikes along and ride after our swim. Anyone care to join us? ;)

Remind Me

Next time I say "whew" remind me not to! I thought things would get back to normal around here after that. Well, needless to say they did not! (Jenny was right!)

Friday after Bob got home from work we were all on the second floor of our house. There are two bedrooms, the den (really a bedroom), the line closet and a full bath. I went downstairs to move a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer, but stopped at the counter in the kitchen when I noticed water on the counter. It wasn't a big puddle. More like someone had accidentally sprayed the counter with the sprayer from the sink. While trying to figure it out where it came from I feel water drip on me. I look up to see the paint on the ceiling bubbled and water running out!

It turned out to be the beeswax ring around the toilet upstairs. It only leaked when flushed so I shut off the water and put it out of commission for the night. The next morning I went to the hardware store for the items I need need. Replaced the ring, put the toilet back on. Later that night the toilet was leaking again, but just on to the floor next to it this time. Thank goodness it wasn't to the kitchen again. So I took the toilet apart for the second time in as many days. The toilet flange (a drain pipe fitting that allows you to securely connect a toilet to the actual piping) was broken. I don't have the strength or tools to fix that. So it was plumber time! I spent today waiting for him to show and had the privilege of handing him nearly $400. Better than the approximate $550 the first guy estimated over the phone.

Thanks to the leak on Friday night, I have to move paint the ceiling of the first floor up on my to do list. There aren't any headers over the doorways to the rooms on there so I have to paint the entire ceiling! I am thankful that the water mark left is above a cabinet and not very noticeable. It dried fine and won't need much repair other than a tiny bit of spackle , a coat of primer and paint!

Can someone say UGH for me! ;)

Triscuits, I Think I Love You

While grocery shopping a few weeks ago, I picked up Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil Triscuits. Today, I had my first taste of them! Oh my, they are SO good and pretty good for me too. As long as I don't eat the whole box...lol! I didn't! *snicker* I topped them with Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss Cheese! It was a nice treat for my morning snack! :)

Thursday Thirteen #23

My 86-year-old grandmother was diagnosed with osteoporosis about two weeks ago. She met with her doctor yesterday and will be taking a once monthly osteoporosis pill along with doubling her dosage of calcium/vitamin D.

She is the type of woman who sweats the small stuff. Complains about her health when she should really be thankful because is in really good health -- especially for an 86 year old! There are many, many people far younger deal with much more than she ever has. She is freaking out about having to take a pill and already worrying out which side effect she is going to have. (For those who don't know she reads every letter of print that comes with a medication and every time says she has one of the side effects about 12 hours after taking the new pill.)

To help her understand her diagnosis I have been doing a some reading on osteoporosis. I thought I would share some of the risk factors for those who may not know them. Some I knew. Some I did not.

Thirteen Osteoporosis Risk Factors

1. being older than 65

2. breaking a bone after age 50

3. having poor vision, even with glasses

4. starting menopause before age 45

5. having a close relative with osteoporosis or who has broken a bone

6. smoking

7. having more than two alcoholic beverages several times a week

8. being underweight

9. having never gotten enough calcium

10. being inactive

11. falling

12. having one of the following medical conditions: hyperthyroidism, chronic lung disease, Cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic hepatic or renal disease, vitamin D deficiency, Cushing's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis

13. taking one of these medicines: steroids, cancer treatments (radiation, chemotherapy), thyroid medicine, anti epileptic medications, immunosuppressive agents.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Lots of TaDas Today

Today was one of those days when your to do list seems longer than the hours in the day. Thankfully, most of the things on this list today were finished quickly. It feels good to cross seven things off my list today!

mow & trim lawn
plant window boxes
hang picture
install curtain rods
hang valances
swim 35 minutes
go to grocery store

It isn't time for bed yet so I have time to get more done...lol!! Laundry & sewing are on my list for tonight. The sewing will be nice relaxation after a long day!

Whew!

The last ten days or so have I have been so busy they have just flown by! I think my schedule will return to "normal" for a bit before Olivia is done with school. She has 5 real (I use that term loosely this time of year) school days, one day long trip to Six Flags, and a half day left. I can't believe next year is high school!

I will be glad to be back to blogging. I have missed reading many of my favorite blogs during this busy time and look forward to getting back to you all!

My Thursday Thirteen will return this week as well! :)

Small Plane Crashes In Lake Michigan

A Cessna Citation aircraft went down in Lake Michigan about 20 minutes from our house today -- only a short walk from my mom & step-dad's house. The FAA said it lost contact with the plane at about 4 PM. There isn't any word yet of how many on board.

Since my step-dad flies a small plane, I always worry when I hear about these small planes going down. My prayers & thoughts go out to the families of those on board!

Editing to update: They are saying may have been a medical transport plane carrying transplant organs. There were six on board.

DOH!

It's Thursday! I completely forgot about the TT today! I will try to be back later with one. Having a Monday holiday always makes my week strange!

More Tri Progress

Things just got really busy on the fundraising front! The friend I am doing the triathlon with works at our favorite local grill & bar. It is owned by her parents. I met her there Tuesday afternoon to cut out 200 card stock pink ribbons. She came up with the design, and they look GREAT! Yesterday, I ran (not literally ran...lol) the signs I made up over there to "advertise" our efforts!

My sign!

I finished up my fundraising letters yesterday and they are going out today. I am at $285 right now and hope to break the $500 mark before the end of June!

As for the training for the week, I am slightly behind with running & swimming. Memorial Day along with a daughter who can't seem to get the concept of bringing her dirty clothes down to the hamper got me off track.

Totals so far:

Mon: 25 minute run
Tue: 85 minute bike (that was 17 miles to & from the restaurant where we cut out the ribbons)
Wed: REST
Thu: 30 minute swim
Total: 140

Remaining training for the week (day I plan to get it in): 35 min run (Fri), 25 min swim (Sat), & 20 min run. The total training time for the week is schedule to be 205 minutes. If I get all this in my time will be 220 minutes. I thought I was going to be behind with all the extra stuff I had this week. It's good to know I am ahead of schedule. Next week's 245 minutes is going to be tough, but then it begins to taper off as the event approaches.

Summerfest Will Rock!

The latest act to be added to the Summerfest lineup is Daughtry! I would love to go, but it is two nights before my triathlon. I have to pick up my race materials early the next morning and will probably have other things I should be doing.

For those who don't know, Summerfest is the world's largest music festival. It is held on Milwaukee's lake front each summer for 11 days. In addition to the Marcus Amphitheater, there are at least nine other stages. All those stages are free with your admission to the festival grounds. It's a music lover's dream! Lots of music and fun!

Here is the amphitheater lineup for Summerfest

06/28: Steely Dan
06/29: Def Leppard w/ Styx & Foreigner
06/30: The Fray w/ OK Go & Mae
07/01: Ludacris w/ Chris Brown, Ciara & T-Pain
07/02: Roger Waters
07/03: John Mayer with Ben Folds & Brett Dennen
07/04: Tool
07/05: Bon Jovi
07/06: Daughtry
07/07: Panic! At the Disco w/ Gym Class Heroes, The Academy Is, & The Hush Sound
07/08: Toby Keith

Any of your favorites on that list?

Most of those I would want to see play on one of the free stages. I am not sure how many times we will get down there this year. I REALLY want to see the Silversun Pickups; Shiny Toy Guns on June 29 & Plain White T's on July 4.

Remember & Honor

Today we remember & honor those who have served our country!

Courage is contagious. When a brave man takes a stand,

the spines of others are often stiffened.
Billy Graham

Training Totals

Here are my training totals for the week so far.

Mon: 40 minute bike
Tue: 35 minute run
Wed: REST
Thu: 30 minute swim
Fri: 50 minute bike
Tot: 155 minutes

My training schedule calls for 215 minutes total this week. I have a 25 minute swim and 35 minute run left to complete. I plan to do those over the weekend.

I continue to do a light strength program while training for the tri. Since I posted about the 8.5 lb loss on May 8, I have only lost another half a pound. While I the numbers on the scale aren't moving much, I do see a difference in my body and how my clothes fit. Most importantly how I feel. I enjoy biking, running, and swimming. I plan to keep it up after the tri!

I have been eating healthy and only have one Diet Pepsi a day. (One soad per day is a HUGE improvement for me.) I need to to track what I am eating to see if I am eating enough calories to fuel my body for the increased exercise. I am wondering if that is why the pounds are coming off so slowly. I don't mind them coming off slowly. Those are the ones that stay off, but I am curious to see if that might be the cause. I am so close to getting into those capris & shorts from last year.

I Heart Widgets

While searching for a countdown widget to use in my side bar for the triathlon, I ran across cool widgets for NASCAR fans here.

Check out the sidebar on the left below the blogrolls! ;)

Thursday Thirteen #22

As you can see, time is ticking away until the triathlon. Since it is on my mind a lot lately, I decided to list thirteen of the things I will need to bring with me on race day. Of course, this list is not all inclusive. I have a much longer list sitting with the rest of my race stuff. This could be a continuing TT topic! ;)

Thirteen Things Things I Need to Bring on Triathlon Day!

1. Timing chip and strap

2. Swim cap and race numbers given with race materials during pick up

3. Goggles

4. Towel

5. Bike helmet with race number affixed to front

6. Fix-a-flat kit & bike pump

7. Running shoes/socks

8. Shirt I plan to wear during the run with race numbers pinned to it.

9. Sunglasses

10. Food/snacks to eat during and/or after race.

11. Bottled water/fluid replacement drink on full bottle in cage on bike to drink during the bike leg. Additional fluids to enjoy after the race.

12. Sunscreen

13. Cell phone

I didn't mention bike because it will already be there. We pick up race materials and lock our bikes in the staging area the day before the race.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

About My Thursday Thirteen

I have a lot on my plate today and hope to get to my Thursday Thirteen later, but can't make any promises I will. If I don't get a chance today, I will definitely be here with TT #22 (or is it #23?) next week!

And I'm off...

Dress Shopping -- UGH!

We have a wedding Friday afternoon, and I have been looking for a dress for a couple weeks now. The reception is at a country club so I want something not too casual, but not black tie formal either. Do you know how hard it is to find something like that? I did find one this afternoon, but now that I have it home I think the style is too mature for me. Guess that means I have to go back to pounding the tiles of the mall once again tomorrow.

Tuesday's Tri Training: 35 minute run
Today's Tri Training: REST (If that's what you call running from store to store in two malls.)

Tri Training

This is for you Martha! ;)

Saturday was such a beautiful day here so I decided to go on a training run, but combine it with a walk. I walked a little over 4 miles from home and ran back only stopping once during. I walked for about five minutes and continue my run! Boy, did that feel good. I am pretty sure I got to the 3.1 mile mark before I had to stop.

Today I went on a nice bike ride. I don't know the exact mileage, but got a pretty close number from usatf.org/routes/map/. It was 8.25 miles in about 40 minutes. No resting here. I think the challenge with the bike portion will come after swimming half a mile.

To kind of try to tackle that, I plan to bike to & from one of my swimming sessions each week. This week I will probably do that on Thursday! It's less than three miles from home, but I think it will tell me a lot about how it will feel to swim then ride!

She's FOURTEEN!

Happy Birthday Livie-Liv!

The first "professional" picture of 7 lb 3oz Olivia!
Taken May 21, 1993

Bob's feelings these days:
Many a man wishes he were strong enough to tear a telephone book in half - especially if he has a teenage daughter. -- Guy Lombardo

Daughters are like flowers, they fill the world with beauty, and sometimes attract pests. -- Author Unknown

I'm It Once Again

Jenny over at J's Thoughts and Musings has tagged me for another Meme about me.

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was a single mom working as an assistant manger at McDonald's. My shifts were not set. So I spent a lot of time carting a darling little almost four year old from babysitter to babysitter depending on my shift. The poor girl didn't know which "sitter" she would see from one day to the next. Thankfully, they were all family or like family.

I was also "helping" Bob shop for my engagement ring! ;) (June 28 will be 10 years since we were engaged.)

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Getting ready to go visit BIL & SIL for my nephew's baptism. It ended up being the last time I saw my DH's grandma before she passed away.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Almonds
2. Pear with Laughing Cow cheese
3. Apple with peanut butter
4. Dove Promises (dark chocolate of course)
5. Peanut M&M's

Five songs that you know all the lyrics:
1. Vogue -- Madonna
2. You Oughta Know -- Alanis Morissette
3. Ice, Ice Baby -- Vanilla Ice
4. Hanky Panky -- Madonna (from my bad girl karaoke days...lol)
5. Summer Nights -- John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Buy a little cottage in Door County, WI
2. Put more college money aside for Olivia
3. Vacation more
4. Buy DH the boat & convertible he thinks he needs now...lol!
5. Let my DH retire early and find him a hobby to keep him busy...lol!

Five bad habits:
1. Procrastination (oh no, Jenny! This is my number 1 bad habit!)
2. Avoiding arguments/disagreements (Keeping this one at number 2!)
3. Nail biting, but I am getting better at this one. I have almost broken it.
4. Peanut M&M's (yep, my favorite snack is a bad habit)
5. Gossiping with mom about extended family. (Ouch, that one was hard to type.)

Five things you like doing:
1. Working in the yard
2. Decorating my home
3. Sewing
4. Taking pictures
5. Blogging

Five things you would never wear again:
1. Banana clips
2. Leggings
3. Leg Warmers
4. Jellies
5. And everything else listed in my TT #5...LOL!

Five favorite toys:
1. My camera
2. My MP3 player
3. My bike
4. DirecTV/TiVo
5. My computer

And Now for the important stuff...

INSTRUCTIONS:
Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so:

The blog. Yep, the blog.
Dog's Eye View
Inside Mo's Mind
J's Thoughts and Musings
Just Bloggin' Along

Next select five people to tag:
Kelle at Come Do the Speed Limit With Me
Martha at Elizabeth Hill Cottage
GP at Fish Creek House
Shelbi at Keeper of the Chocolates
Stacy at Stacy Sews

If you choose to do the Meme, comment back so we can learn even more about you.

I'm It Once Again!

I reposted this entry above, and it now has comments. I have NO idea why this one did not. Some blogger glitch I suppose! I went through all my settings and nothing was changed. Test entries had comments available so who knows!

Thursday Thirteen #21

I consider myself a good speller, but there are a few words I get hung up on over & over again. I either misspell them often or have to think about them a little longer than most words. Apparently, some of them are commonly misspelled words. It's good to know I am not alone.

Thirteen Words Commonly Caught In My Spell Check!

1. broccoli

2. calendar

3. definitely

4. judgment

5. license

6. lightning

7. liquefy

8. maintenance

9. ninety

10. satellite

11. separate

12. triathlon (I spoke of this one already...LOL)

13. vacuum

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

What Flower Are You?

I am a Snapdragon!
Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the prankster that loves to make other people laugh.

What Flower Are You?

I like little online quizzes like this! Some of them describe me pretty well. Others are WAY off! I think this one is pretty accurate other than mischief being my middle name...lol!

Women Skipping Mammograms

From themilwaukeechannel.com:

Mammogram Rate Falls 4 Percent

The rate of women getting mammograms to screen for breast cancer fell 4 percent from 2000 to 2005, according to a study at the National Cancer Institute.

In a news release, author Dr. Nancy Breen said that regular mammography is the best tool for early cancer detection for women over 40, and that it has reduced breast cancer mortality.

In studies from 1987 to 2000, the rate of women over 40 getting the exam went from 39 percent to 70 percent. Numbers from 2005 show the rate is now 66 percent.

The paper said that the small change is significant because it shows a shift in direction.

Breen reported that the drops were more sharp in women over age 50 and those with higher incomces -- groups that had previously shown higher rates of screening. The screening rate dropped 6.8 percent for women ages 50 to 64.

Rates went up, however, for American Indian women.

The authors said they are concerned that a drop in screening could mean fewer cases of cancer caught early.

The report was published in the journal CANCER.

I think this is a shame! We hear over & over again about early detection! We cannot ignore our health!

Evidence

Here is the evidence of why we should wait until later in May to plant around here:

See the words "FROSTY MORNING" on Thursday!?! What's crazier is today we hit 91! Yes, from 91 to frost in one week! That's Wisconsin for you...LOL! We are close enough to Lake Michigan that we should be protected from the frost, but just a few miles from us gardeners will be scrambling to bring in pots and cover tender seedlings.

Our New Wheels

I FINALLY got my bike over the weekend! I absolutely love the colors! (The photo is of my bike.)

Bob decided he wanted one too. I am looking forward to family bike rides. You don't even know how long I have been wanting bikes for the entire family. Olivia had one already. Now Bob & I can join her on some long bike rides on the local bike trails!

Now, I need to do some googling for bike racks that go in the back of a pick-up in case we decide to go on one of the trails a bit further away!

Plant for the Cure at Lowe's

This is the first spring we have a Lowe's nearby. I was so excited to be able to pick up this year's Plant for the Cure geranium! It is such a pretty shade of pink!

And it's planted! Woohoo...our growing season is so very near! (If there is the threat of frost, I can move the planter into the garage for protection.)

Thursday Thirteen #20

Thirteen Quotes About Mothers or Motherhood!

1. A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother — and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment. -- Anna Jarvis, promoter of the establishment of Mother's Day

2. My mother could make anybody feel guilty -- she used to get letters of apology from people she didn't even know. -- Joan Rivers

3. Sometimes when I look at all my children, I say to myself, 'Lillian, you should have stayed a virgin. -- Lillian Carter, at the 1980 Democratic Convention, where her son was nominated for a second term as US President

4. A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. -- Tenneva Jordan

5. And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see -- or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read. -- Alice Walker

6. Why do grandparents and grandchildren get along so well? They have the same enemy -- the mother. -- Claudette Colbert

7. By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacationless class. -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

8. I looked on child rearing not only as a work of love and duty but as a profession that was fully as interesting and challenging as any honorable profession in the world and one that demanded the best I could bring to it. -- Rose Kennedy

9. If you've never been hated by your child, you've never been a parent. -- Bette Davis

10. Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs...since the payment is pure love. -- Mildred B. Vermont

11. Spend at least one Mother's Day with your respective mothers before you decide on marriage. If a man gives his mother a gift certificate for a flu shot, dump him. -- Erma Bombeck

12. Motherhood brings as much joy as ever, but it still brings boredom, exhaustion, and sorrow too. Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own. -- Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons

13. Most of all the other beautiful things in life come by twos and threes by dozens and hundreds. Plenty of roses, stars, sunsets, rainbows, brothers, and sisters, aunts and cousins, but only one mother in the whole world. -- Kate Douglas Wiggin

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Two Months and Counting

The triathlon is two months from today! Here's where I am at:

1. I am up able to run a little over 2 miles at this point. When I started training a month ago, I couldn't even run a mile. (The run is 3.1 miles.)

2. I am able to swim 600 yards without stopping. (The swim is half a mile which is 880 yards.)

3. I am able to bike 15 miles without being too run down. (The bike is 12.4 miles.)

4. I have lost 8.5 lbs! (Still have a little to lose to get into my capris from last summer.)

5. I have DRASTICALLY cut my Diet Pepsi consumption. Until about two weeks ago, I drank Diet Pepsi ALL day long. I probably had 8-10 cans a day. The most I have had on any day since I got sick is ONE. This past Friday & Saturday I didn't have a single one. I have replaced the sodas with water & iced green tea.

6. I have passed my fundraising goal of $250 and haven't sent out letters other than to online contacts. (I need to get these out this week!)

I think I am in good shape, but need to keep it up! This week is a heavy training week with workouts Monday - Friday. Next week is really light. Then it builds as the date gets closer with light workouts the week prior to the event.

Tag! I'm it!

Jenny at J's Thoughts and Musings tagged me to share 10 interesting facts about myself. I will have to see if I can think of any I haven't shared yet.

1. Until I was in about 5th grade I was one of the tallest kids in my classes. I became one of the shortest practically over night. (I'm 5'3".)

2. I have this strange hole in my left ear. It is hard to explain, but it looks like I have my ear pierced where the top of the ear connects to the head. It is genetic: my grandma & Olivia have it on right ear. My uncle and I have it on the left. I have met one other person who has this.

3. In high school, I was in our church's youth choir. Each summer we would go on tour to churches in nearby states. I toured in Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. Minnesota was by far the most fun year and most beautiful area. (No offense Michiganites and Iowinians.) I am sure you are thinking what's strange about this, but you haven't heard me singing skills...LOL!

4. My uncle is a Baptist pastor. My great-aunt & uncle were missionaries in Africa. Their daughter is carrying on their work.

5. With the exception of the year I was at college, I have lived in the same county all my life.

6. I have not missed voting in an election since I was of legal voting age.

7. I met three of the four members of Stryper when a friend got tix and backstage passes to a concert when we were sixteen. I also caught one of the Bibles they throw into the crowd during their show.

8. I fell off my bike when my brother "kissed my tire". I broke my leg, broke off part of a tooth and chipped another when my face hit the road.

9. I can't stand cartoons or clowns!

10. I have never watched a Star Wars or Star Trek movie.

Now I have to tag 10 people to share their interesting facts. (This is, of course, optional!) I won't have ten since most of those I would tag have already posted their interesting facts. I now tag: Kelle (Come Do the Speed Limit With Me), Martha (Elizabeth Hill Cottage), and Heather (Heather J's Life). If anyone else would like to share, feel free to do so!

Thursday Thirteen #19

Today is my husband's birthday. So in honor of his birthday, today's list is thirteen things about Bob!

Thirteen Things About My Favorite Birthday Guy!

1. Born May 3, 1970

2. Born & raised in Cudahy, WI.

3. He is German & Swedish.

4. He has awesome red hair.

5. He has gorgeous brown eyes.

6. He is EXTREMELY quiet until he gets to know someone. Then you cannot get him to stop talking...lol!

7. He is the funniest man I know.

8. His laugh is contagious.

9. He has three degrees: an accounting, the Masters in Tax, and a Law degree.

10. He earned a FULL scholarship to attend law school and graduated #1.

11. He is a partner at a large law firm in Milwakee.

12. He is very picky about his hair and gets it cut every other Saturday at 11 AM. (Shhhh, don't tell him I told you all...lol!)

13. Last, but not least he is my best friend!

I love you, honey! Happy Birthday!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

We Love Our Team

You know how I LOVE the Packers!

There is a waiting list for season tickets for the Packers. There are now nearly 74,000* names on that list. According to a number crunching assistant professor at St. Norbert College**, if you put your name on that list today, it will be 473 years before you become a season ticket holder. Do you think Favre will still be playing then? LOL!!

I guess I am in a sporty mood today! ;)

*An all-time high!
**Bob graduated from St Norbert in 1992.

Another Baseball Entry

I am no longer a huge baseball fan, but was as a teen. This year is the 25th anniversary of the Brewers only appearance in the World Series. I remember that year well! With Brewer as my maiden a last name, I got teased by other kids constantly about being related to the team, being their mascot, having season tickets, etc. All I wanted was to marry The Ignitor, Paul Molitor...LOL!

It is early in the season, but the Brewers are atop the standings. As of this afternoon, they had the best record in baseball. People in town are excited about Brewer baseball again. It's kind of fun!

Silly Words

I ran across this quote today and thought it was kind of cute!

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.