Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Post-It Note Therapy: But whenever Monday comes, you can find me cryin', all of the time.
OK, hold onto your hats, I have another masterpiece ready to add to my collection.
Here is the post where I unveiled my first (of what has now become a series) of what I'd like to call........"post-it note" therapy.
For any of you that missed it the first time around, or those of you that don't want to click on that link....here it is again......
I've entitled it..."Call me again, please."
Today's therapy session started out as an idea of me, bashing my keyboard, over my own head.
Unfortunately, yet again, my artist talent (or lack there of) comes shining through.
In reality, it ended up more like this......
It appears I'd just gotten through channeling the Hulk, had ripped my keyboard in half, and was now ready toshove it where the sun won’t shine gently place it back down on my desk, and walk away from calmly and quietly.
I'm calling it...."Send me another email, please."
P.S. I'd like to throw out thanks to my buddy Badass Geek, for providing the inspiration. Drawing these things actually makes me feel a little better. And having them there in front of me to look at, makes me giggle!!! :-)
Here is the post where I unveiled my first (of what has now become a series) of what I'd like to call........"post-it note" therapy.
For any of you that missed it the first time around, or those of you that don't want to click on that link....here it is again......
I've entitled it..."Call me again, please."
Today's therapy session started out as an idea of me, bashing my keyboard, over my own head.
Unfortunately, yet again, my artist talent (or lack there of) comes shining through.
In reality, it ended up more like this......
It appears I'd just gotten through channeling the Hulk, had ripped my keyboard in half, and was now ready to
I'm calling it...."Send me another email, please."
P.S. I'd like to throw out thanks to my buddy Badass Geek, for providing the inspiration. Drawing these things actually makes me feel a little better. And having them there in front of me to look at, makes me giggle!!! :-)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Taming of the Shoes: It's all about the accessories
I bought myself a new purse the same night I got these. And it matches these shoes quite nicely. Happy coincidences....aren't they fun? :-)
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Objects in MIrror.....
My best buddy, April, recently bought herself a new toy.
She took me for a quick ride around the neighborhood Sunday evening.
She took me for a quick ride around the neighborhood Sunday evening.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Nurple finds itself a new home in Southwestern Iowa.
April, my bud since....well....since forever........stopped by my house today to show off the newest addition to her family. :-) :-)
I present to you, Nurple, a 1965 Ford Galaxie.
Everybody, all together now...."Hello, Nurple!!"
You see, we are nothing but polite and welcoming here on the blog. :-)
And, I have to say, Nurple is very, very photogenic.
No car is complete without purple fuzzy dice!!!
April at home behind the wheel.
Brandon and his long legs test out the back seat while we drove around the neighborhood.
So...April....we need to get you gussied up, and get some sweet shots of you and that car....deal??
I present to you, Nurple, a 1965 Ford Galaxie.
Everybody, all together now...."Hello, Nurple!!"
You see, we are nothing but polite and welcoming here on the blog. :-)
And, I have to say, Nurple is very, very photogenic.
No car is complete without purple fuzzy dice!!!
April at home behind the wheel.
Brandon and his long legs test out the back seat while we drove around the neighborhood.
So...April....we need to get you gussied up, and get some sweet shots of you and that car....deal??
Monday, September 21, 2009
Corporate Cup Run 2009
Once again, our company participated in the Corporate Cup Run, to promote the American Lung Association.
A small group of us met before the event, for snacks and power food. :-)
We met at Joslyn, a local art museum.
At 7:30, we headed down to the start line. Check out our shirts this year. The runners "got it"...they all thought it was hilarious. The walkers all kept asking us for directions. This either means runners are smarter....or.......
It was the second largest turn out, in the events history.
There is no way this guy could run in those things. No. Friggin. Way.
Some ran in hula skirts and leis.
Steve got the best time for our company.
Rick wasn't far behind.
Jake walked with us.....until we turned the corner at the half way mark, and decided to make a play in front of the camera. :-)
The walkers all finished the 10K in just under 2 hours. We weren't speeding along the course...it's just an excuse to get us outside, burn some calories, and support the American Lung Association.
I'm going to figure out this shin splint thing and run it next year...that's just all there is to it.
Some of us got together at the end of the race.....and headed out for brunch.
We were a might bit under-dressed for the establishment....but the fact we all matched helped. :-)
Jean and Jake hammed it up for the camera before our food arrived.
Mimosas and Belgium waffles......yum!!!!
A small group of us met before the event, for snacks and power food. :-)
We met at Joslyn, a local art museum.
At 7:30, we headed down to the start line. Check out our shirts this year. The runners "got it"...they all thought it was hilarious. The walkers all kept asking us for directions. This either means runners are smarter....or.......
It was the second largest turn out, in the events history.
There is no way this guy could run in those things. No. Friggin. Way.
Some ran in hula skirts and leis.
Steve got the best time for our company.
Rick wasn't far behind.
Jake walked with us.....until we turned the corner at the half way mark, and decided to make a play in front of the camera. :-)
The walkers all finished the 10K in just under 2 hours. We weren't speeding along the course...it's just an excuse to get us outside, burn some calories, and support the American Lung Association.
I'm going to figure out this shin splint thing and run it next year...that's just all there is to it.
Some of us got together at the end of the race.....and headed out for brunch.
We were a might bit under-dressed for the establishment....but the fact we all matched helped. :-)
Jean and Jake hammed it up for the camera before our food arrived.
Mimosas and Belgium waffles......yum!!!!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Taming of the Shoes: Bowling in Style
My previous bowling shoes were ugly.
Not the cool ugly. You know, like rental bowling shoes. Those things are ugly, but uber cool.
No, my old bowling shoes were fugly.
So.....after taking advantage of a a local television station's gift certificate promotion for one of the bowling pro shops in town, I got these!!!! Wore them for the first time this past weekend. :-)
I bowled noticeably better than last week. We'll give credit to the shoes. Why not? :-) :-)
Not the cool ugly. You know, like rental bowling shoes. Those things are ugly, but uber cool.
No, my old bowling shoes were fugly.
So.....after taking advantage of a a local television station's gift certificate promotion for one of the bowling pro shops in town, I got these!!!! Wore them for the first time this past weekend. :-)
I bowled noticeably better than last week. We'll give credit to the shoes. Why not? :-) :-)
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thematic Photographic 67 - Urban
TGIF everybody!!!!
And thank you to Carmi, for providing this theme.
This week's Thematic Photographic theme, urban, reflects my belief that the seemingly endless process of paving and repaving the planet leaves lessons behind that we'd do well to learn. It's not a question of, to quote The Hulk, "Urban/bad, nature/good." Rather, it's a reminder that we should never be in such a rush to get through the day that we don't stop and wonder how the places that surround us came to be.
Actually, this one was hard, because I had quite a few shots I took while in Korea that I thought applied to the theme. Harbor views from our hotel windows, or the streets of open air malls lined with scooters and dotted with Starbucks.
Those shots seemed a little too obvious for this weeks' theme, which is why I chose the following shot.
I remember walking around a particular temple city (the name escapes me), looking at the temple buildings....admiring their simplicity and their complexity, all at the same time. Everything was so quiet.
At one point, I looked up over the rooftops, and suddenly found myself holding my breath. Seeing the modern city buildings looming, almost encroaching, caught me off guard.
And thank you to Carmi, for providing this theme.
This week's Thematic Photographic theme, urban, reflects my belief that the seemingly endless process of paving and repaving the planet leaves lessons behind that we'd do well to learn. It's not a question of, to quote The Hulk, "Urban/bad, nature/good." Rather, it's a reminder that we should never be in such a rush to get through the day that we don't stop and wonder how the places that surround us came to be.
Actually, this one was hard, because I had quite a few shots I took while in Korea that I thought applied to the theme. Harbor views from our hotel windows, or the streets of open air malls lined with scooters and dotted with Starbucks.
Those shots seemed a little too obvious for this weeks' theme, which is why I chose the following shot.
I remember walking around a particular temple city (the name escapes me), looking at the temple buildings....admiring their simplicity and their complexity, all at the same time. Everything was so quiet.
At one point, I looked up over the rooftops, and suddenly found myself holding my breath. Seeing the modern city buildings looming, almost encroaching, caught me off guard.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
PROMPTUESDAY #73: Sniglet...wasn't he a friend of Pooh?
San Diego Momma's done it again. She's posted a PrompTuesday challenge that has piqued my curiosity.
Sniglets. Remember them? Defined as “words that don’t appear in the dictionary but should,” sniglets defined my generation. Make up some sniglets!
Making up words?? I love making up words!!! I do it all the time!!!!
Really....I do.
Mot, back me up on this one. :-)
If only I'd write them down.
(sigh)
The only thing I can think of is a phrase I used once, while talking about Karma.
I'll give you a little back story first.....
I can't call in to work sick because, inevitably, the next day I actually AM sick.
Most people would say it's because I was thinking about it too much, so my brain made it happen.
"The brain is a powerful thing."
Yada, yada, yada.
I, on the other hand, believe it's Karma.
She spends her days having fun, playing golf, shopping for shoes, and singing on Broadway.
What?? You think the whole "what comes around, goes around" gig is a full time job??
Every once and a while, her iPhone will come alive while eating at a bistro in France, or sunning on the shores of Belize.
It will play Aretha Franklin's Respect.
(The actual song. Not the Musak cell phone version.)
She'll pull it out of her pocket, and see she has a message.
"Nej skipped worked today. She called in sick. She's not sick."
She'll calmly put her phone away, tell the cute cabana boy that she'll be back for her drink order and massage later, jump into her Bugatti Veyro and drive to Omaha, NE (which, in a Bugatti, takes exactly 4.5 seconds from anywhere in the world).
She will sneak into my house, pull a glass vial filled with the Common Cold from her Yves Saint Laurent white alligator handbag, and proceed to infect my cell phone, toothbrush, and all the round handled silverware in our drawer, with a solution from the vial.
(I use the ones with rounded handle ends because the pointy ones hurt the palm of my hand.)
Karma knows no bounds. She's ruthless.
So.....having said all of that, I present to you my sniglet.
KarMADically challenged (noun)
mental condition: being unable to lie due to a fear of Karma and her silverware-infecting, toothbrush-tampering tactics
Sniglets. Remember them? Defined as “words that don’t appear in the dictionary but should,” sniglets defined my generation. Make up some sniglets!
Making up words?? I love making up words!!! I do it all the time!!!!
Really....I do.
Mot, back me up on this one. :-)
If only I'd write them down.
(sigh)
The only thing I can think of is a phrase I used once, while talking about Karma.
I'll give you a little back story first.....
I can't call in to work sick because, inevitably, the next day I actually AM sick.
Most people would say it's because I was thinking about it too much, so my brain made it happen.
"The brain is a powerful thing."
Yada, yada, yada.
I, on the other hand, believe it's Karma.
She spends her days having fun, playing golf, shopping for shoes, and singing on Broadway.
What?? You think the whole "what comes around, goes around" gig is a full time job??
Every once and a while, her iPhone will come alive while eating at a bistro in France, or sunning on the shores of Belize.
It will play Aretha Franklin's Respect.
(The actual song. Not the Musak cell phone version.)
She'll pull it out of her pocket, and see she has a message.
"Nej skipped worked today. She called in sick. She's not sick."
She'll calmly put her phone away, tell the cute cabana boy that she'll be back for her drink order and massage later, jump into her Bugatti Veyro and drive to Omaha, NE (which, in a Bugatti, takes exactly 4.5 seconds from anywhere in the world).
She will sneak into my house, pull a glass vial filled with the Common Cold from her Yves Saint Laurent white alligator handbag, and proceed to infect my cell phone, toothbrush, and all the round handled silverware in our drawer, with a solution from the vial.
(I use the ones with rounded handle ends because the pointy ones hurt the palm of my hand.)
Karma knows no bounds. She's ruthless.
So.....having said all of that, I present to you my sniglet.
KarMADically challenged (noun)
mental condition: being unable to lie due to a fear of Karma and her silverware-infecting, toothbrush-tampering tactics
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Weekend Update #34, Sister time, Dad time, Friend time
Mot was working Friday, and I hadn't seen my sister in some time....so I went to her place after work. Our main mission was to complete our annual friends and family reunion invites, but I was able to get most of them done before I arrived....and that, happily, left us more time to hang out. :-)
We went to a pizza place for dinner....got hit on my a very talkative dude....then got dumped on my Mother Nature. To say it was just raining would be an understatement. The rain was insane!!!! :-)
And where else do you go when it's raining....why, shopping of course. At an outdoor mall - where you have to go outside to walk from store to store.
But, I don't think it had rained a drop there! The sky was nearly clear, and the temperature had cooled down. Perfect night for wandering.
After shopping, we headed back to her place to finish the invites. We'd forgotten to get stamps while we were out. The ONE thing we knew we HAD to get. :-) :-)
Tom arrived home Saturday morning well rested. They'd be super busy all day, but we actually allowed some rest time during the night. I'm wondering if the rain didn't have something to do with that??
So, since he wasn't in need of a nap, we left right away. Breakfast at IHOP, then went to the campground where mom and dad are camp hosts most of the summer. Dad's birthday was Friday 09/11 (my mother in law's is as well - makes it easy to remember). We sat at the campground and chatted with mom and dad for a couple of hours, and mom fed us lunch.
Later that evening, the boys stopped by, and we all jumped in the car to head to Thurman, IA. (about an hour south) There's a bluegrass band from Omaha, that I've been trying to catch performing.....and they had a gig at a winery Saturday night.
Southpaw Bluegrass Band.....great group!!!!!
I was trying to not be one of "those" people with a camera....so this is best shot of them I had on my camera. The banjo player is there...he's just hiding behind the fiddle. :-)
The show was at the Sugar Clay Winery.....what a great venue!!!! The winery is located smack dab in the middle of the Loess Hills...pine trees all around. The winery had a large wrap around deck that also extended through the timber....ending at a raised deck overlooking some of the vines.
We went through a number of bottles of wine....a meat and cheese tray...and some WONDERFUL goat cheese, pear and walnut baguettes.
We left the winery after the show (about 11:00), the boys bought a case of wine, both couples bought a CD, and all 4 of us left with a t-shirt (or two).
On the way home, we stopped by DC's, a local bar down in the Old Market, for some dancing (Danny and Steve), a couple pool games (Mot and Danny), and some drinkage. :-)
(And, just for the record, there is video of some of the dancing....and for the right kind of bribe, I'll post it. Hehehehehe.)
Sunday morning came quick. On the way home from the winery, we decided we'd meet up again in the morning for donuts. To be specific, donuts as big as your head.
(notice the Splenda packet for size reference)
We passed these two on our way to the donut shop. They were taking advantage of the cool morning and went out for a drive.
Not only did we meet up for donuts...we also all went in our pj's. :-) :-)
Mot and I went home after breakfast, watched some DVR tv, tried to take a nap (another story all together), and then got cleaned up for our Sunday bowling league.
The four of us all bowled pretty well. It was an average setting night...which is usually the night I bowl my best game ever...never fails. Lucky, I just bowled an average game. :-) :-)
We went to a pizza place for dinner....got hit on my a very talkative dude....then got dumped on my Mother Nature. To say it was just raining would be an understatement. The rain was insane!!!! :-)
And where else do you go when it's raining....why, shopping of course. At an outdoor mall - where you have to go outside to walk from store to store.
But, I don't think it had rained a drop there! The sky was nearly clear, and the temperature had cooled down. Perfect night for wandering.
After shopping, we headed back to her place to finish the invites. We'd forgotten to get stamps while we were out. The ONE thing we knew we HAD to get. :-) :-)
Tom arrived home Saturday morning well rested. They'd be super busy all day, but we actually allowed some rest time during the night. I'm wondering if the rain didn't have something to do with that??
So, since he wasn't in need of a nap, we left right away. Breakfast at IHOP, then went to the campground where mom and dad are camp hosts most of the summer. Dad's birthday was Friday 09/11 (my mother in law's is as well - makes it easy to remember). We sat at the campground and chatted with mom and dad for a couple of hours, and mom fed us lunch.
Later that evening, the boys stopped by, and we all jumped in the car to head to Thurman, IA. (about an hour south) There's a bluegrass band from Omaha, that I've been trying to catch performing.....and they had a gig at a winery Saturday night.
Southpaw Bluegrass Band.....great group!!!!!
I was trying to not be one of "those" people with a camera....so this is best shot of them I had on my camera. The banjo player is there...he's just hiding behind the fiddle. :-)
The show was at the Sugar Clay Winery.....what a great venue!!!! The winery is located smack dab in the middle of the Loess Hills...pine trees all around. The winery had a large wrap around deck that also extended through the timber....ending at a raised deck overlooking some of the vines.
We went through a number of bottles of wine....a meat and cheese tray...and some WONDERFUL goat cheese, pear and walnut baguettes.
We left the winery after the show (about 11:00), the boys bought a case of wine, both couples bought a CD, and all 4 of us left with a t-shirt (or two).
On the way home, we stopped by DC's, a local bar down in the Old Market, for some dancing (Danny and Steve), a couple pool games (Mot and Danny), and some drinkage. :-)
(And, just for the record, there is video of some of the dancing....and for the right kind of bribe, I'll post it. Hehehehehe.)
Sunday morning came quick. On the way home from the winery, we decided we'd meet up again in the morning for donuts. To be specific, donuts as big as your head.
(notice the Splenda packet for size reference)
We passed these two on our way to the donut shop. They were taking advantage of the cool morning and went out for a drive.
Not only did we meet up for donuts...we also all went in our pj's. :-) :-)
Mot and I went home after breakfast, watched some DVR tv, tried to take a nap (another story all together), and then got cleaned up for our Sunday bowling league.
The four of us all bowled pretty well. It was an average setting night...which is usually the night I bowl my best game ever...never fails. Lucky, I just bowled an average game. :-) :-)
Monday, September 14, 2009
Your home is where your heart is....
.....but your desk is where you display the insanity within.
Yesterday afternoon, Steve sent me pics of his desk at work....along with an idea to do something similar on my blog.
I've done posts showing people what is in my purse, what is in my fridge...and a weekly post showing everyone what shoes are in my closet. But I've never shown anyone what my desk looks like.
My desk is pretty boring, actually. It looks like any other workplace desk. printer, computer, phone, calendars, couple of house plants, bottle of tequila (whoops....I should put that away), in box, recycling box, and calculator.
My desk....
My dad bought me that radio when I was a pre-teen. AM/FM and cassette. Still works like a champ. There is a second set of speakers behind my monitor, that I plug my iPod into.
Hockey posters (24 days and counting), artwork from Brandon (thanksgiving 2 years ago) and Lauren (in one of them she has a girl fishing off a boat with a paperclip), a turkey feather and mardi gras beads.
This is stuck to the bottom of my monitor. It was inspired by a Facebook post by one of my blogging buddies, Badass Geek. The day I read his post, I literally wanted to either strangle myself with the phone that wouldn't stop ringing....or jump out my window.
I decided the 2 foot drop to the ground probably wouldn't be nearly as effective as initially hoped. :-)
I also had one with a stick figure blowing up our Jeep, and a certain co-worker's head being smashed in a molding machine.
I threw those away...
......after shredding them to bits.
I decided they had potential to be incriminating. :-) :-)
Love this picture!!!
Sometimes, this statement is just a little too true.
My boss finally saw this the other day. It's been hanging there for 6 years. I think the happy rainbow colors must have worked as camouflage.
So, what about you? What does your desk look like?
Yesterday afternoon, Steve sent me pics of his desk at work....along with an idea to do something similar on my blog.
I've done posts showing people what is in my purse, what is in my fridge...and a weekly post showing everyone what shoes are in my closet. But I've never shown anyone what my desk looks like.
My desk is pretty boring, actually. It looks like any other workplace desk. printer, computer, phone, calendars, couple of house plants, bottle of tequila (whoops....I should put that away), in box, recycling box, and calculator.
My desk....
My dad bought me that radio when I was a pre-teen. AM/FM and cassette. Still works like a champ. There is a second set of speakers behind my monitor, that I plug my iPod into.
Hockey posters (24 days and counting), artwork from Brandon (thanksgiving 2 years ago) and Lauren (in one of them she has a girl fishing off a boat with a paperclip), a turkey feather and mardi gras beads.
This is stuck to the bottom of my monitor. It was inspired by a Facebook post by one of my blogging buddies, Badass Geek. The day I read his post, I literally wanted to either strangle myself with the phone that wouldn't stop ringing....or jump out my window.
I decided the 2 foot drop to the ground probably wouldn't be nearly as effective as initially hoped. :-)
I also had one with a stick figure blowing up our Jeep, and a certain co-worker's head being smashed in a molding machine.
I threw those away...
......after shredding them to bits.
I decided they had potential to be incriminating. :-) :-)
Love this picture!!!
Sometimes, this statement is just a little too true.
My boss finally saw this the other day. It's been hanging there for 6 years. I think the happy rainbow colors must have worked as camouflage.
So, what about you? What does your desk look like?
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Taming of the Shoes: Funtional and understated.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Ribfest.....Mmmmmm......
Welcome to Friday morning everybody!!!!!
Three cheers for Friday!!! Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!
(ahem) Sorry 'bout that.
As usual, I thought I'd take a stab at the theme photo challenge Carmi provides each week.
Or in this case, maybe I should have said I was going to take a "slab" at it. You'll see what I mean. :-)
This week's theme....Shiny.
It's fun to say, isn't it?? Come on, say it with me......ssshhhiiiiinnnnnyyyy.
You're smiling now...admit it.
:-)
I took my shiny picture this morning, as I was packing my lunch for work. The boys invited us over to their place last night for "ribfest." The table was covered in brown paper, and piled high with meat.
Meat, meat, meat.
A carnivore's dream!!!!!!
There were also red potatoes, corn on the cob, crawfish (that kept staring at me...ick!) and shrimp.
Oh, and cornbread straight from the cast iron skillet.
(drooling)
It was most pleasant!!!!!!!!
Three cheers for Friday!!! Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray, Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!
(ahem) Sorry 'bout that.
As usual, I thought I'd take a stab at the theme photo challenge Carmi provides each week.
Or in this case, maybe I should have said I was going to take a "slab" at it. You'll see what I mean. :-)
This week's theme....Shiny.
It's fun to say, isn't it?? Come on, say it with me......ssshhhiiiiinnnnnyyyy.
You're smiling now...admit it.
:-)
I took my shiny picture this morning, as I was packing my lunch for work. The boys invited us over to their place last night for "ribfest." The table was covered in brown paper, and piled high with meat.
Meat, meat, meat.
A carnivore's dream!!!!!!
There were also red potatoes, corn on the cob, crawfish (that kept staring at me...ick!) and shrimp.
Oh, and cornbread straight from the cast iron skillet.
(drooling)
It was most pleasant!!!!!!!!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Weekend Update #33, A Perfect Balance
I had a goal for this past weekend. To eat as badly as I could, spend time with friends, and be as lazy or as active as the situations presented us would allow. No need for diets or plans. Jump in and see where life takes me.
You get the picture.
So, Saturday morning, I jumped in my car and headed to Des Moines to see the girls. I had my bike, bowling ball, disc golf discs, camera and laptop. I was like a mobile sporting goods store.
Here is a set of texts between Sheila and I, as I was driving to their house.....
Nej: Mobile Scheels to tower. Tower, do you copy?
Sheila: Scheels, we read you loud and clear. Are you in position.
Nej: Affirmative. ETA 15 minutes, permission to land?
Sheila: Copy, permission to land. Tango out.
I arrived on scene about 10 minutes later, and we headed out. We hit Sheila's favorite store in Des Moines, we got some awesome Mexican food (and margaritas) for lunch at a new place they wanted to try, visited Starbucks (green tea frappachino - yum!) , and we also stopped by the new Bass Pro Shop grand opening.
(Mel had to scope out the competition.) :-)
From there we headed home.
Their son was going out for the night with a friend, and they wanted to be home in case he called so we headed back to their place. Mel cooked dinner (an awesome dinner I might add), while Sheila and I played Peggle to our hearts' content.
I'm officially an addict.
It's true. They could make a TV public announcement spot about it.
This is my brain, this is my brain on Peggle, any questions. :-) :-)
Mel and I got up Sunday morning and took the bikes out for a ride around (well, not all the way around, how about...along) ...yes, we took the bikes out and rode along Saylorville Lake.
It was a gorgeous morning. A little foggy, cooler....and not an ounce of wind. The ride was great!
It officially kicked my out of biking shape rump, but it was good none the less. :-)
And speaking of rumps, I still have the bike seat that came with the bike, and it's killing me. How do you pick out a good seat??? I want some cushion, but I don't want to look like a pansy with my HUGE bike seat.
After we rode along the lake for a while (and then had to turn around and repeat the route - uphill this time - ugh!!), we decided to ride out along the dam.
Boy am I glad we did!!! I'd seen something I've never seen before. You see, in this area, there are quite a few turkey vultures flying around. It's really a common site in this neck of the woods. But, what we saw when we first biked out onto the dam had me stop my bike without warning.
There were hundreds of them....sunning themselves on the rocky banks all the way along the dam. Holding their wings out like they were trying to air out their armpits. Hilarious!
After our ride, we headed back to their place to eat breakfast. From there, Sheila and I decided to conduct a reconnaissance mission of sorts. You see, last year some time, I'd decided to add another sport to the growing sporting goods store in my basement.
Neither Mot or I had done anything with it....heck, we don't have time for the other 40 million hobbies we've collected over the years. So anyway, the last time I was in Des Moines, I'd brought a magazine with me to read. Sheila latched onto it, and was immediately intrigued.
Disc Golf.
Oh yeah!!! So this weekend, I brought the gear we'd purchased a year ago, so she and I could try it out. We headed to a course close to their house.
We weren't there long before we had successfully spooked three grown men out. (We didn't know what we were doing, so we sat in my car and watched them like a hawk.)
We sat there for a good 15 minutes, before deciding to go back to her house for some more research. Neither of us like to jump into things, when we have no idea what we're doing. We were hoping to find a map of the course online...and also wanted to take some time to read up on the sport a little.
After completing our online research, the three of us (Mel joined us) went to Scheels (via Starbucks, green tea frappachino - yum!) to price a set of discs for Sheila. We also wandered over to the gun section to drool over some really nice shotguns. (gun geeks, aren't we cute?). *giggle*
The rest of the evening was spent with Mel making another outrageously awesome dinner, while Sheila and I plied our brains with more Peggle. (It's a good thing I don't have this game at home, I'm just sayin'). After dinner we watched a movie (State of Play - oooh, Russell Crowe) then headed to bed.
Monday morning, Sheila and I headed out to play some disc golf. We were unable to find any maps of the course, but finally decided it was Monday morning, on a holiday weekend....there shouldn't be any one else out on the course that early...and we were free to make complete fools of ourselves without an audience.
I hadn't brought any long pants with me, so I put on a pair of capris, long wool socks pulled up to my knees, and my red Keen sandals. (I was stylin', I tell ya!)
It's a good thing I did...this is what Sheila looked like by the time we got to the second tee box.
It was a gorgeous morning. The temperature was cool...but unfortunately it was still humid. I'm glad we decided to go in the morning before it really heated up and got muggy.
We started on the 8th hole. Why??? Because we didn't know where the 1st hole was. The 8th was right there...so why not?!?!
You could tell we'd never played before. We had discs going off into the woods on the right, into the tall grass on the left. Some discs went a mere 30 or 40 feet ahead of us....some really flew - but usually in the wrong direction, or hooking horribly at the end of their flight.
I only ended up in poison ivy once, so I thought it was an overall victory. :-)
We skipped the 9th hole, because there was a young kid (14 or so) throwing random objects into a tree in the middle of the course. We later found out he'd lost something up there the day before, and came back before other people arrived on the course to shake it loose.
We also skipped the 5th hole....basically because we couldn't find it. After some later exploring, we're pretty sure we know where it is.
Sheila, you'll have to confirm that this week!!!!
The 6th hole was the worst. The absolute worst. The tee box was up on hill, no problem there. The fairway was huge, wide, and mowed nicely...still no issues.
Running right across the middle of the course, a really gross and disgusting water way.
But we didn't know.
My tee off disc didn't go all that far, but Sheila's really sailed. We were excited....
.....until we saw where it landed.
Way down in the ravine, a mere inches away from the most disgusting water I've seen in some time.
Ick!!!!
When we finished playing, we headed back to their house for breakfast and a shower. Sheila and I were actually Peggle'd out (surprisingly enough) so we all just sat in the living room and talked.
Then ordered delivery pizza. :-)
After eating, I packed up my gear and headed home.
I had just unpacked when my great aunt and uncle, and grandma knocked on my door. They were in town shopping, and wanted to stop by and say hi. We spent an hour or so out on our back deck talking - boy was that nice!! It's not often I get to see them, and just get to sit down and talk.
Once they left, I crashed on the couch, then eventually moved my lazy bum to bed.
I ate like a pig, but was actually still a little active. My goal of being a complete lazy hound didn't pan out...but I sure gave it a shot. :-)
You get the picture.
So, Saturday morning, I jumped in my car and headed to Des Moines to see the girls. I had my bike, bowling ball, disc golf discs, camera and laptop. I was like a mobile sporting goods store.
Here is a set of texts between Sheila and I, as I was driving to their house.....
Nej: Mobile Scheels to tower. Tower, do you copy?
Sheila: Scheels, we read you loud and clear. Are you in position.
Nej: Affirmative. ETA 15 minutes, permission to land?
Sheila: Copy, permission to land. Tango out.
I arrived on scene about 10 minutes later, and we headed out. We hit Sheila's favorite store in Des Moines, we got some awesome Mexican food (and margaritas) for lunch at a new place they wanted to try, visited Starbucks (green tea frappachino - yum!) , and we also stopped by the new Bass Pro Shop grand opening.
(Mel had to scope out the competition.) :-)
From there we headed home.
Their son was going out for the night with a friend, and they wanted to be home in case he called so we headed back to their place. Mel cooked dinner (an awesome dinner I might add), while Sheila and I played Peggle to our hearts' content.
I'm officially an addict.
It's true. They could make a TV public announcement spot about it.
This is my brain, this is my brain on Peggle, any questions. :-) :-)
Mel and I got up Sunday morning and took the bikes out for a ride around (well, not all the way around, how about...along) ...yes, we took the bikes out and rode along Saylorville Lake.
It was a gorgeous morning. A little foggy, cooler....and not an ounce of wind. The ride was great!
It officially kicked my out of biking shape rump, but it was good none the less. :-)
And speaking of rumps, I still have the bike seat that came with the bike, and it's killing me. How do you pick out a good seat??? I want some cushion, but I don't want to look like a pansy with my HUGE bike seat.
After we rode along the lake for a while (and then had to turn around and repeat the route - uphill this time - ugh!!), we decided to ride out along the dam.
Boy am I glad we did!!! I'd seen something I've never seen before. You see, in this area, there are quite a few turkey vultures flying around. It's really a common site in this neck of the woods. But, what we saw when we first biked out onto the dam had me stop my bike without warning.
There were hundreds of them....sunning themselves on the rocky banks all the way along the dam. Holding their wings out like they were trying to air out their armpits. Hilarious!
After our ride, we headed back to their place to eat breakfast. From there, Sheila and I decided to conduct a reconnaissance mission of sorts. You see, last year some time, I'd decided to add another sport to the growing sporting goods store in my basement.
Neither Mot or I had done anything with it....heck, we don't have time for the other 40 million hobbies we've collected over the years. So anyway, the last time I was in Des Moines, I'd brought a magazine with me to read. Sheila latched onto it, and was immediately intrigued.
Disc Golf.
Oh yeah!!! So this weekend, I brought the gear we'd purchased a year ago, so she and I could try it out. We headed to a course close to their house.
We weren't there long before we had successfully spooked three grown men out. (We didn't know what we were doing, so we sat in my car and watched them like a hawk.)
We sat there for a good 15 minutes, before deciding to go back to her house for some more research. Neither of us like to jump into things, when we have no idea what we're doing. We were hoping to find a map of the course online...and also wanted to take some time to read up on the sport a little.
After completing our online research, the three of us (Mel joined us) went to Scheels (via Starbucks, green tea frappachino - yum!) to price a set of discs for Sheila. We also wandered over to the gun section to drool over some really nice shotguns. (gun geeks, aren't we cute?). *giggle*
The rest of the evening was spent with Mel making another outrageously awesome dinner, while Sheila and I plied our brains with more Peggle. (It's a good thing I don't have this game at home, I'm just sayin'). After dinner we watched a movie (State of Play - oooh, Russell Crowe) then headed to bed.
Monday morning, Sheila and I headed out to play some disc golf. We were unable to find any maps of the course, but finally decided it was Monday morning, on a holiday weekend....there shouldn't be any one else out on the course that early...and we were free to make complete fools of ourselves without an audience.
I hadn't brought any long pants with me, so I put on a pair of capris, long wool socks pulled up to my knees, and my red Keen sandals. (I was stylin', I tell ya!)
It's a good thing I did...this is what Sheila looked like by the time we got to the second tee box.
It was a gorgeous morning. The temperature was cool...but unfortunately it was still humid. I'm glad we decided to go in the morning before it really heated up and got muggy.
We started on the 8th hole. Why??? Because we didn't know where the 1st hole was. The 8th was right there...so why not?!?!
You could tell we'd never played before. We had discs going off into the woods on the right, into the tall grass on the left. Some discs went a mere 30 or 40 feet ahead of us....some really flew - but usually in the wrong direction, or hooking horribly at the end of their flight.
I only ended up in poison ivy once, so I thought it was an overall victory. :-)
We skipped the 9th hole, because there was a young kid (14 or so) throwing random objects into a tree in the middle of the course. We later found out he'd lost something up there the day before, and came back before other people arrived on the course to shake it loose.
We also skipped the 5th hole....basically because we couldn't find it. After some later exploring, we're pretty sure we know where it is.
Sheila, you'll have to confirm that this week!!!!
The 6th hole was the worst. The absolute worst. The tee box was up on hill, no problem there. The fairway was huge, wide, and mowed nicely...still no issues.
Running right across the middle of the course, a really gross and disgusting water way.
But we didn't know.
My tee off disc didn't go all that far, but Sheila's really sailed. We were excited....
.....until we saw where it landed.
Way down in the ravine, a mere inches away from the most disgusting water I've seen in some time.
Ick!!!!
When we finished playing, we headed back to their house for breakfast and a shower. Sheila and I were actually Peggle'd out (surprisingly enough) so we all just sat in the living room and talked.
Then ordered delivery pizza. :-)
After eating, I packed up my gear and headed home.
I had just unpacked when my great aunt and uncle, and grandma knocked on my door. They were in town shopping, and wanted to stop by and say hi. We spent an hour or so out on our back deck talking - boy was that nice!! It's not often I get to see them, and just get to sit down and talk.
Once they left, I crashed on the couch, then eventually moved my lazy bum to bed.
I ate like a pig, but was actually still a little active. My goal of being a complete lazy hound didn't pan out...but I sure gave it a shot. :-)
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