A Little Too Little Pressure

Once I made the determination that I wasn't going to hold myself to a daily blog post, I realize that I am getting more and more inconsistent with my writing.  I am amazed, however, that I can have the same number of hours as everyone else in the world, yet still feel like I am not keeping up with anyone.  Therefore, the blog post goes by the wayside.

The Girl came home Friday night.  Once we had the Durango packed to the gills with all her stuff from college, we stopped at a delicious--if also a little pricey--steak house just before getting on the freeway.  It is called Maddox Ranch House and is something of a Box Elder County institution, from what I understand.  A ranching family, by the name of Maddox, had a restaurant built at the edge of their ranch property and that little restaurant has only gotten bigger, and more filled with people.

If memory serves me, I believe I ate there following my friend Darin's wedding to his lovely wife Celeste, back in early 1992.  They were married in Logan and as a pseudo family member at the time attended the family wedding luncheon with them at Maddox.  I remember it was delicious.

Then a few years ago my acquaintance was renewed with the ladies in our YW presidency as we were traveling to Logan canyon for  a visit to one of our wards' Girls' camps that summer.  It was also delicious then.

But maybe because I had anticipated having The Girl come home all week, or because I recognized the luxury of having her all to myself--there wasn't ANY room for anyone else in the car anyways--I thoroughly enjoy a delicious meal at Maddox that night before we headed home fro the summer.  She had the salmon, and I had the petite filet mignon  and we both had smooth and creamy mashed potatoes and fresh steamed vegetables.  Oh, and their corn one and rolls--with raspberry butter.  Yumm-OH!  And, as they advertize, their fresh well water!  I know, that never struck me as a "thing" but it is tasty and girl raised on well water, you can taste a difference.

Overall, it was a lovely evening.  I guess it was more than that, as I got out of work at about 2 PM and spent two hours in the car--with the windows down, the sun shining (slightly sunburning my driving arm), with the radio up too loud for city driving getting up there too.  It was a great day.  And it has been a busy, but great weekend having The Girl home.

But today the spell is broken.  She has finally put everything away--or taken to DI, recycling or the trash--and she begins a full time job.  I'll know more to tell after her first day or two.

Dragging, And NOT The Fun Way

We are all getting back to "normal" around here today.  The Girl is back in Logan at school ready to start another semester.  The Boy just left for school, having grunted at me as he pulled the door shut behind him.  Genius Golfer was out of here really early, so we might get to see him tonight.  And I am getting myself together to head out to work in a few minutes.

Too bad there isn't some kind of post-vacation treatment I could take to get right back into my regular routine.  so far I haven't found anything.

Let me know if you have something that works for you.  I'd like to try it.

Why I Haven't Written

Fall colors in the canyons have called me up more often than I can answer lately...bummer.

Had to get The Boy ready for a three day weekend camp out with his Teachers' Quorum...backpacking in, rappelling, food, water.  You know that drill.

The Girl's Sadie Hawkin's Dance invitation was answered...in tiny papers inside of 142 balloons that filled her room.  Yes, it was quite the mess, but a lot of fun too.

Genius Golfer, The Boy and a couple of neighborlings helped get that darned trampoline moved into the back yard....at last.

Oh, did I mention, The Boy had to bring a rented wetsuit on this camp out?!

YES, he did suggest that he should keep the suit and wear it for Halloween with 8 little gold medals and be "Michael Phelps".  Uh, no.

President's Day Report

Well, it is a holiday for Genius Golfer and the kids.  Funny how laundry still needs my attention, and dinner will still need to be made and all that.  Oh well.

I had a dear friend call this morning to tell me something and in salutation had asked me "Doing anything fun today?"

The "fun" is relative, I suppose.  I did get to sleep in until 9 AM with out anyone waking me up--as was the case on Saturday.  So that was fun.

GG and I took the kids to Krispy Kreme donuts with their semester report cards where they got free donuts for each "A" they received, and where I bought two dozen un-needed and otherwise useless but delicious  glazed donuts.  So that is fun, at least until I have to get on a scale again.

The Boy and GG just got back form an previously undisclosed outing to Kohl's with a new suit for The Boy.  He was looking like hand-me-down-Harry at church yesterday with his wrists sticking out beyond his suit jacket sleeve and the floods must be rising based on the hem of his pants.  So a new suit will be much more satisfactory, and well, fun for me. Not sure if he cares that much.  And I didn't have to buy it.  That is fun.

And we did make plans to go to dinner on Friday for GG's birthday.  Which means I don't have to make dinner that night.  That will be fun.

Without a plan, I guess we still did have some fun today.  Not bad for a sunny day with deceptively cold temperatures, all in all.  It could always be worse.  And that wouldn't be fun.

Exhaustion Defined

I did nearly six hours at the pool this morning, running on a bagel, and a bottle of water. I seated almost 250 kids in 82 events with the help of 4 other parents. I kept swimmers from age almost 6 to 18 in the heats & lanes they were assigned and only managed to lose one heat of 11-12 year old girls on their way across the pool deck to the starting blocks. (I wasn't any of those girls' mom.) We created an entire event of 9-10 year old girls with no entries in the space of 5 minutes. I got really chewed out by only one mother. One set of parents thanked me for my attitude and cheerfulness with the swimmers. And another parent asked if in my "real" life I taught preschool, because I "am so great with these little kids". (I told them no that at noon I turned back into the Wicked Witch of the West.)

I watched about thirty minutes of the USA vs. Ghana World Cup game while we ate lunch. That has been edge of my seat intensity. Good soccer. What a beautiful sport to watch when it is played well.

I got The Boy to collect his scout gear and be ready when the ride came to pick us up. Then rode shot gun with Dear Friend Kelly--my partner in running the bull pen this morning--to get three boy scouts to their Timberline Camp about an hour and a half away with Kelly's three your old stuck in the car seat with us the whole way.

Now it is nearly seven and the breakfast bagel, and lunchtime chicken strips have long since burned away, and yet I am too tired to care. Just.Want.To.Sleep.

I Am Losing It!

I had two meetings yesterday I completely spaced. I never do things like that. I like to think of myself as a responsbile, dependable person. I am not sure what to think. Maybe it is early onset menopause, or worse, Alzheimer's.

I had stuff to do yesterday, but it wasn't one of my wall-to-wall calendar days. Maybe I do better when it is non-stop scheduling. Summer brings with it a lazier pace. I am not used to that. And I hate it when I miss things I have committed to do. Argh!

Boths Ends of the Spectrum

I have activities on tap today that cover points across the spectrum. This morning I am heading up a morning of indoor soccer for the Young Women in our stake. We have never done this but so many girls have requested it that we thought we could at least try it. I have a couple of "expert" soccer players leading the learning and coaching and will ref the scrimmage game.

Then I am off to photograph the selection of the new 2010 Strawberry Days Rodeo queen. They have an interview portion at our library and then out to the Rodeo ground where these girls will ride for the title. I've never covered this event for Strawberry Days before, so it could be very interesting. The Girl is curious too so she is coming with me.

Finally, we have two nephews--they are brothers--receiving their Eagle Scout award tonight, along with six other boys in their troop. Boy that is a lot of Eagles at one time. But it will be very cool to see. Let's hope the inspiration will rub off on The Boy who should be done with his stuff for an Eagle next year some time.

Speaking of The Boy, at some point this morning he will come home from an overnight cam pout and will have laundry and other stinky things I will take care of, certainly. Then Grandmama is picking him up for a birthday lunch date with her--lunch a little shopping, and they will meet us at the cousins' celebration tonight.

Genius Golfer is, well, golfing. He went out early this morning to get his round of 18 in and will be back in time--or so he says--to help me rototill the garden spot I have started working on in the back yard. Between my scheduled things today I need to run to the garden place and pick up a couple bags of stuff to mix into the ground so tomatoes will grow. I'm planting on Monday--so the first will be done for my tomato babies.

Man, writing this day's events out is making me tired already. I'd better quit planning it and start living it. Happy Weekend, everyone.

Follow Up Friday

I am so happy to see Friday dawn today. It have been a long week. It was a long week already on Tuesday.

As I rewind the week in my head, I thought I would give you the update on what has happened, or what was going to happen. Then you may have a lingering doubt or wondering--free weekend.

Monday this week, The Girl had her first day of Swim team at the HS. Being a newbie HS parent, it didn't dawn on me that the HS bell schedule is a half hour earlier than the Junior High. It was also early-day-out which vexes me repeatedly each week. I had told my kids that I'd pick them up at 12:30 at the end of lunch. That would be great, but the HS's 4th period class begins at 12:07, at the beginning of the lunch time for the Jr High crowd. DOH! Yes, they were late, but we got that figured out for Wednesday and even got a bit of a carpool going too with the other swim moms.

Tuesday I got to go to the temple with the ladies in our YW presidency. That was nice. I haven't been to the temple with friends, or husband for that matter, for a while. I have been going on my own, when the time opens up so I just run up. It was nice to go in a group and feel the added camaraderie with these good women.

Wednesday, The Boy had his early morning dermatologist consultation. Sure enough, the lipoma is ready for removal. The new doctor even told The Boy that after the retelling of his last lipoma removal he was surprised that I could even get him to come in and see the doctor about it. He was reassuring in the fact that he will use the happy gas, a la the dentist's office, and we'll get some topical numbing gel and the stick of the local anesthetic will help The Boy feel almost nothing. Plus this doctor is more grandfatherly and very gentle. Good thing. The "surgery" is scheduled for October 5th.

Yesterday, was a full and busy day, but everything worked out OK. My PTA Council meeting went just fine. I still have a lot to learn--like I skipped over the representative from the district who is assigned to our council and visits with us each month to relay information from the superintendent and the district. Ooops. We kept the meeting to an hour, and I made it to Tammy's in time. Her morphine dosage has been moved to every two hours, but double the amount now. She was sleeping through most of the day yesterday, and her already quiet speaking voice was also becoming slurred. When I was relieved of my duties there, I ran back to the Junior High where I sit on the School Community Council and we had our first meeting. Another hour or so and finally headed home. Have I mentioned that I am glad I don't have to work full time every day?!

Today I have an appointment to give blood--since my attempt last week was foiled by slightly too high blood pressure. I try to stay with the schedule our stake keeps and then I can always give with the blood drive they host. I'm only a week later, so I should be fine to donate again in December when the stake hold their next one. Then I need to kills wasps that are living in my decorative birdhouse in the flower bed and it is Sucker Sales at the Junior High so I have a shift for that. Then it is my turn to drive the swim-bus to the high school again. And I think I should have time to pull out the sewing machine and repair my cute cotton purse I washed yesterday and shredded the lining seam while dying the white T-shirt and bra I wore to exercise in bright yellow! The dyed items are also soaking in a color removal bath in the wash.

You wish your life were this exciting, don't you?!

I am just grateful for the health I enjoy to do all this, the fact that I don't have to work, and the opportunities that I have to help in our schools and with my kids. Not everyone can say they have all that. I am rich, if also a little tired.

Two Out of Three So Far

I think Benjamin Franklin was on to something when he said "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." I haven't seen the wealthy part yet, but I sure feel better getting up and getting busy in the morning. So that is the healthy and wise bit. Having a schedule to be on helps too.

All summer long I tried to get up at the same time, about 6:30, to make it first to swim practice then on Trek (it was earlier yet then). Once swim team was done, I would still get up and go to my water aerobics class at the same time as much as possible. Now that school has started, I'm basically on the same schedule--just a little earlier. I am up t 6 AM and have a half hour to myself before anyone else starts waking up.

That me time is very valuable. I get up and read my scriptures and have a little personal devotional time. Then once kids are up and moving, lunches get made, and breakfast is eaten and family prayer together before they head out. Genius Golfer catches family prayer and then his shift for breakfast before taking off about the same time as the kids.

I am trying to get out of the house with them and go walk for about an hour in the morning--hoping it will help my blood pressure and weight (while I am wishing). If I am in the habit of exercising already first thing int he morning, I figured I ought to keep it up as long as the weather cooperates. When it gets yucky I already have the time carved out for some yoga or retro-80s aerobics here at home.

I sure feel better when I can attack the day early on and get so much done before lunch--especially on early out days. They seem earlier and earlier each week. With The Girl swimming for the high school this year, I have a driving shift for the next month or so until the bus comes to get them to the neighboring town's indoor rec center pool. It is like a kindergarten schedule again--pick up someone at school first after lunch. It will be OK, once I get used to it.

Good thing I am getting some much done in the morning, right?!

Something's Gotta Give

When I was a girl, there was a song on the radio that I liked a lot. It is "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce. Part of the bridge keeps coming to mind. It says:

But there never seems to be enough time
To do the things you want to do
Once you find them

Yesterday, I had what started out as a fairly clear day on the calendar. It ended up anything but that. But as I was winding up the day I realized that if we did everything we are "supposed" to do, whether out of guilt or health or covenant or choice, we'd run out of time a lot sooner than things to fill that time.

That made me think, Why would God give us too many things to do everyday?

The answer came in one word: Priorities.

Everyone has the same amount of time--24 hours a day. But we sure don't use them the same. We, each of us, has to choose which things to do in that time frame. We get to determine what is most important and then "choose the better part".

But even that is easier said than done.

I'm not complaining, however, having so many options for my 24 hours is overwhelming. Sometimes, so is the guilt.

*Squaring shoulders and setting chin*

Today I will choose for myself and put the guilt out of my thoughts. At least, I'll try that today.

Kids and Their Plans

So this week is shaping into a busier than usual one here at the cul-de-sac. The Girl will go with the Young Men and Young Women for our ward Youth Conference this weekend--Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Meanwhile, The Boy seems to think that his 11 year old scouts are having a camp out on Thursday night through Friday--through no official word from their leaders, as yet. Then Saturday is the first swim meet of the year and The Boy and The Girl are scheduled to be swimming in that.

I understand that there are only so many weekends in a given summer, and I also realize that the world doesn't revolve around my family. This, however, doesn't change the fact that The Girl thinks she can (and will) be in two places at the same time on Saturday. And The Boy thinks that he can camp out and still be able to swim in the meet without being at the the practice just before the meet! ARGH. Good thing their coaches are so good with these kids. The coaches know that they are all busy, good kids and have always tried to encourage the swimmers to attend Family Reunions, Youth conferences, Girls' and Scout Camps even making exceptions for those swimmers to be able to compete when they get back to "reality".

I know we will figure everything out. With help from another swim parent, Dear Friend Kelly, we will get The Girl to Salt Lake City for the second part of the day on Saturday, and The Boy will camp out with his scout buddies and still swim on Saturday as well.

I'm just glad that my kids are busy being good and doing good things. I imagine what other families have to deal with in terms of wrong choices and their kids and thank my lucky stars (and a Heavenly Father who loves all of us) that we are just having to accommodate lots of good choices. Too bad the kids don't ask what would be convenient for me BEFORE the plans get made. But if it were that easy, then what would I have to write about???