Looking Forward to the Holidays

Ok... not so good at the updates lately. Here is some random stuff to tide you over until my brain cells are all in the same zip code...

Let me see . . . a lot can happen in almost two months. Not that I remember much of it as it all went by so fast. So I will update as much as I can, focus mostly on the future and give you guys a few pictures to enjoy.

I can not believe Thanksgiving is next week. I am usually more prepared mentally for the holidays. I suppose with all that has happened this year, you will forgive me. I am looking forward to having a house full of family over for the whole weekend. Well, at least until about noon on Sunday. . . that is my official nap time.

I have put a lot of miles on my bike in the past two months. I have had some really good days and a couple of interesting days. Longest ride to date is 42 miles. I hope to work on my stamina over the winter and get up to 50-60 mile rides in the spring. Brandall helped me pick out some good cooler weather gear so I will be out on the roads scaring people until it is just too miserable to ride. We all know my tolerance for cold... so possibly this weekend was my last to ride? Nah, I enjoy it too much and even though it can wear me out, it makes me feel like I did something good for myself. It also helps clear my mind. It is really hard to think about all the "crap" in life when you are trying to avoid minivans and pick 'em up trucks. I do need to find a riding partner in this neck of the woods, preferably someone that can tell really bad jokes and make me laugh at myself when I get too serious looking. For now, I am learning to ride solo. Probably for the best, no one wants to hear my trucker mouth when I feel like I screw up.

This past Sunday I met up with Junie and Mary at Craft in Dallas for brunch - we wanted to stay through dinner for the gnocchi, but I don't think we could have eaten another thing. The food was excellent. The service was incredible. The company was stellar. Two hours with my beautiful friends and I felt like I was on a mini-vacation. I got my fill of happiness , food AND ice-cream. The 12 flavor sampler was irresistible. OH! and then a bite of Junie's fancy s'mores - I just needed a wafer thin mint. . .

on that note... This week I have every intention to go to the gym at the office building I work in. Seems as if we will be moving January 1st and I have yet to use their state of the art facilities. Ask me next week if I went or not. . . I have been telling myself this since we moved there in June or July.

ok... a few pictures to tide you over.

Ms MySpace photo...not really.
I got a new small digital camera and he tested it out for me.

He caught me as a passenger on the way to the air show.
I know. . . pick your jaw up off the ground.

Possibly my favorite picture ever!
Thank you for the photo Brandall.

ok . . . can I have two favorites?

L & M decorate Halloween cookies.


You know LOLCats?
http://icanhascheezburger.com/

I made you a cookie . . .

but I eated it...

M and Grandmom ready to go see a show.

Mr. Cutie Pie hamming it for the camera.

One of my best and oldest (I couldn't resist)
friends in the world joins us for lunch
...and does not run screaming!

All for now from the peanut gallery. I have two beautiful kids that need to be tucked in. . . after an appropriate amount of tickle torture. Mwaaah!

Oh. . . if I get lazy again... I wish all of you a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving Holiday. I know that I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am thankful for my family that has been by my side during what has proven to be the toughest year of my life. I am thankful for my old friends for being in my life after all these years and reminding me where I came from and where I need to be headed. I am thankful for my new friends as they remind me that I have so much more to learn. I am thankful for the men and women who serve our country and keep our freedom a reality. I am thankful for all the blessings in my life and for each of you that keep up with us and have held us in your thoughts. Happiest of Holidays to all of you.

No rest for the weary . . . just milkshakes and funnel cakes!

Two weeks. Maybe I can try every two weeks?

It seems that life is only as boring as I let it get and I have decided that boring is not what I thrive on. Although calm and serene are nice, boring is so very boring.

Here is what has been happening since last time...

I was asked to assist the Meeting and Events Team for our Holiday National Sales Meeting. It was held 9/15-9/18 in Scottsdale, AZ. I went out Friday the 12th to start setting up my stuff and to get out there to acclimate before starting in on a week of hard work. The Holiday NSM is always such a production, all the meetings are a huge amount of work for the team and I was honored to get to help. The Holiday meeting is full of even more Surprise & Delight than one can imagine. My job during this week was to manage the "stuff" that came off the trucks, organize it and make swag bags and notebooks for the 300 attendees. I had a rotating team of associates from the local stores that came and worked their rears off with me to get everything ready for the events. I also had to manage the re-boxing and palletizing of the merchandise after we were done. It was a big job and I could not have done it with out the help of Angie - the RA from AZ or the associates from the stores. I do hope to have a picture or two to post. Angie brought her camera and we had a holiday photo taken with my boss and his 5 RMs. I actually wore a dress. . . quit laughing, it can happen.

For me, the most fun part was coming home and seeing the kids. M likes it when I come home from my "work vacations" because I can sing to him at bedtime and L likes it for all of the product she gets. Who wouldn't love 10 different kinds of lip gloss, 5 different kinds of lotion and shower gels, 3 different kinds of perfume, a robe, a couple of tote bags and some really cute Sweetest Softest socks. I think L has not removed the socks since I came home last Thursday....

I can say that this was one of the longest "work vacations" I had been on in a long time and I was truly very happy to be home.

Kim - I apologize profusely for missing calling you on your birthday. I do however have some "stuff" for you from the meeting I was part of – Lauren left a few items. =D

There is a saying that I am not sure I fully understood until this past weekend. "No rest for the weary" -not necessarily in regards to the weekend, just how I felt after the week in AZ and then the fun filled weekend.... Let me catch you up.

For several years I have wanted to get a bicycle. It is something I wanted to do for fitness and to try to help with my back problems. I tried to get one a couple of years ago, but had no luck. It was right after I had a cortisone injection in my spine and the guy was leery of selling me a bike when I couldn't lift my leg over the top tube to sit on the seat. I don't blame him, my range of motion at the time was slightly better than a corpse...

Friday the 19th was finally THE day. I got my bike. Not just any bike, the perfect bike. I am thrilled with it. I have Brandall to thank for his expertise and knowledge of cycling. He helped me through the process of looking for and then deciding on a bike. After the bike that we had thought would be perfect for me was out of stock (in the whole United States)....we decided to go on a bike hunt. We ended up finding "the one". It is a Cannondale Synapse. It is beautiful. I will tell you how it handles and how much I know I am going to enjoy this when I tell you about Sunday...

Saturday was a day of fun, food, fun and food.

Plano was holding their annual Balloon Festival so Brandall and I decided to meet up and make a day of it with our kids since we were both interested in going and we both had the kids Saturday. We had intended to watch the morning launch, go to a movie, have lunch at the Purple Cow (best ever vanilla shakes…and they are purple if you ask!), hang out and then go back for the evening launch, but we both knew the kids would guide us in how the day really ended up.

Brandall has three kids LB, KB and MB - with my two we were a group of seven. I had to get L & M up at 5 to get out the door at 5:30 to get over to Plano in time for the morning balloon launch at 7. We met up and drove to the festival, got there before sunrise and found a spot to stand on a hill. The kids all played tag and ran all over the place until the sun and balloons started rising. We went a little closer to watch the balloons launching AND to get funnel cakes! You can not beat a good funnel cake for breakfast.

Balloons rising

Breakfast of Champions

M and MB made really good balloon counters, MB kept track of every balloon that launched through about 30. M was good at confusing the number with balloons that dropped and re-launched. We hung around for a bit and watched and let the kids play tag some more – we even jumped in the game when tagged.

M and MB counting balloons.

It was still pretty early when we gathered the kids to see if they were ready to go. We decided to catch an early showing of Igor and then figure out our day from there. Before the movie we knew it would still be too early for lunch and when we mentioned the Purple Cow was in Fort Worth and the drive over would take a while, MB got excited about going to Fort Worth because they had gone through the maze at the FW Stockyards the last time they were there. It was an easy decision to make and we ended up at the Stockyards and let the kids run through the maze. It is, for me, more fun to watch than participate. There is an observation deck and strangely it is like watching mice in a maze…

The Maze at FW Stockyards

The kids all seemed to have fun and they all helped each other out and even assisted other kids in the maze. LB even went in after we couldn’t find M for a long time, it was likely 5 minutes, but it seemed like a long time. Everyone came out ok and got their prizes. . . NOW they were ready for milkshakes! After a few wrong turns (I come by it naturally…and I even have a navigation system in my car…. Huh…) we finally arrived at the Purple Cow Diner.

We ordered lunch and 6 milkshakes – these are the kind where you get your own milkshake and the metal mixer that it was made in. Who would have thought that we would have NO leftovers? I am certain the waitress was as surprised as I was when we were all done. Milkshakes were downed – some food was left, but not a precious drop of purple milkshake was to be found when we exited the Purple Cow.

In my mind this was the perfect nap time. Mid afternoon, full stomachs and we had all been awake since before the roosters. So – we came over to my house and chilled out. We all scattered and played Legos, Wii and pool. It was a very relaxing game time at the house. A perfect lazy Saturday afternoon. We had waited to decide on the PM balloon launch until we saw how the kids were holding up. Brandall and I each consulted our 12 year olds to get their expert opinions on going back to the Balloon Festival – they were fine with staying at the house and playing longer.

We decided to stay and have dinner here. You know I like to cook big! So we had grilled chicken and rice. KB is a perfect sous chef. She was very helpful in the kitchen and I must say the chicken marinade and the rice she made turned out perfectly. I might consider hiring her for my next dinner! Brandall was a big help in the kitchen too, it was almost too easy to make dinner with all my helpers! We ended up eating out on the back patio in the semi darkness. It was a neat experience for all the kids. We roasted marshmallows which was a big hit. I will have to remember to stock up on graham crackers and chocolate bars for any future marshmallow firings, S’mores were mentioned no less than a hundred times by my kids! I just figure going into a sugar coma at 9 at night is not fun for anyone…

A happy bunch for such an early start

That was Saturday. I hope I didn’t miss anything. It was like a mini-vacation all rolled in to one day. We were busy all day, yet it never felt like we were too busy. Fun, food, fun, food, fun, food…. Does it get any better?

Now for the bike ride, the maiden journey on my new bike. The bike is incredible. I am still in awe at the weight. The bike is a carbon fiber racing bike and weighs less than 20 pounds. I had a mountain bike when I was 17 or 18 and I swear it weighed 150 pounds!

Before the ride...

Brandall and I talked about a route and found what looked to be a decent 30 mile ride just around the Keller area. ACK! 30 miles?!?! What?!? . . . was what I initially thought, but figured it was a push goal and I knew a few shortcuts to get me home before I passed out… although I figured I wouldn’t make it up the hill to I-35, so rolling me back down to the house would be easy as pie.

I had to learn how to use the pedals first. I over think things sometimes and this is one of those times. Brandall has the patience of a saint and was able to work with me so I understood the concept of clipping myself into these pedals and NOT being able to just flay my legs around as needed, but having to unclip from the pedals to move my feet. Once I figured it out, I was ready to roll. We started out slow, mostly because I was worried about falling and we had to actually practice some stopping and starting.

In a word – WOW. I have not felt a sense of accomplishment like that in a very long time. Perhaps since M was born (I would say M being born was really quite easy in comparison, but I would get looks from some of you…so I won’t…). I realized somewhere around the 20 mile mark that I was actually doing this and I had not died yet. THEN we get to THE HILL. I don’t give up, I dislike giving up more than just about anything. Sunday, I was beat by a hill. I tried and Brandall was really pushing me to make it, I just went completely flat. As I walked up that hill with my bike, I realized I was mad at the hill. I knew that I would beat the hill next time. I did finish out the ride and felt amazing. I was certainly tired, but it was such a good tired. I am addicted to this in one outing and look forward to more.

There was a small issue with the seat. Someone actually tacked a 2 by 4 onto the bike where the seat is supposed to go. . . I am sore in places I did not know existed. My legs recovered quickly and I would have been ready to ride again Tuesday, BUT my BUTT was not ready to go near the bike. I went to get a new more feminine friendly saddle on Wednesday so I hope to be back on the road this weekend. Watch out world… here I come!

A little catch up on L & M. School is well underway and everyone seems to be really happy this year. It has been a good school year so far and I like all of the teachers I have had the opportunity to speak with and meet. The kids seem to like their teachers this year and that is always a good thing. L is enjoying 7^th grade and keeping up with her classes nicely. We just changed her over to an AP History class at the request of her teacher. For those of you keeping track she now has AP History, Science and Language Arts. She has also joined the Junior Historians Club and they have their first outing at the Vintage Flying museum this weekend. Whew! She is one bright kid and she continues to light up my day with her quirky sense of humor and her fantastic outlook on life. M is busy as ever and I am sure keeping his regular teacher and GT teacher in stitches. That boy says some of the funniest things. He is still in piano and joining the running club at school. He has also asked to be in Tae-Kwon-Do. We will see…

Until next time. . . every two weeks? Hmmm, how about just when my not so boring life has pictures. They seem to break up the story nicely.

Kim is coming up this weekend and I hope to make it out for at least one ride this weekend – so I may be back here before you know it. Or want it. ;)

Happy September!

It happened again… maybe I should call this “the very occasional sometimes updated but not very often blog from the boring life of…”

Here I am looking at my calendar and wondering how it happened. August went by and we are 1/3 of the way in to September and I have not been able to keep up. I know that the Olympics took up about three solid weeks of my life, but can not account for the other couple of weeks in there. OK, maybe I can. I will try to update you as best I can.

I apologize in advance (sorry mom) for the lack of pictures. Seems I have been slacking on my picture taking duties this past month. I have charged my camera batteries and renewed my vow to be a better keeper of our history. Look out!

Where do I start?

School started.

I can not believe I have a 7^th grader and a 2^nd grader. I think my disbelief comes for many reasons. First of all, my mom just celebrated her 39^th birthday – so it seems impossible. Second, I talk to my 7^th grader and some days get a response I would deem more adult than most adults I know. Third, I look at my 2^nd grader and remember a time when his little heartbeat was visible on a sonogram screen and it seems like only yesterday. I could go on and on here, but I will spare you.

The kids both seem to truly enjoy school so far. Homework has been light and it seems to be a review year vs. a learning year for both of them. We will see how things go. I am looking forward to a great year for both of them. I really like M’s teacher and believe she has the right kind of organizational ability to keep M on task. I may need to ask her for some tips. ;)

The Summer Olympics.

What can I say? I put my life on hold to watch them every 4 years. I am fascinated with every sport and with every athlete story. Of course the aquatic activities are what I anticipate more than anything. Memories of my days as a swimmer come flooding back every 4 years . . . and I feel even more out of shape each passing Olympics! Although, I would like to mention that I am in better shape than I have been in years. I have lost a considerable amount of weight in the past 10 months and am quite happy about it. I may even put on a swim suit and get in the pool for some laps (when I find the time and a swimsuit that fits). Back to the Olympics – I am proud of Team USA. This was a great Olympics for America and the individuals that went to China represented our country well. This was also a great showcase for China. I was fascinated with the venues and enthralled with the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. It was truly amazing to watch the artistry in motion.

New Adventures of an old Kelly

I have always loved the water and the outdoors and have recently learned to do something that combines both in a very exciting manner. My friend Brandall was brave enough to take me kayaking. He has two kayaks, an orange one named Orange Peel and green one very appropriately named Speedwell by his oldest son. I have decided that I love kayaking. I love the ability to get out and be in the middle of no where even when you are in the middle of somewhere. The beauty of Texas is seen from a completely different perspective when seen from the river. I am a fan for life of river sports (easy slow flowing river sports).

We went on two different kinds of trips. The first was on a faster flowing river where there were some small rapids, some long slow places to paddle and some exciting places. For a very short period of my life I was a dam. I was perpendicular to the river at one point, stuck between some rocks and a tree. I even had a cute little fish jump in my boat to mock me and tell me to speed it up. I eventually muscled (stop laughing dad) my way out of it and was cheered on by Brandall. I laughed more than I had in a long time when trying to get out of some interesting stuck places. The trees and small fish are magnetic and really liked Speedwell. It was beautiful; it even rained a gentle slow rain while we were on a quieter part of the river. Likely one of the most serene moments of my life.

The second adventure was on a somewhat slower river between Lake Ray Roberts and Lewisville Lake. We did get to do some paddling and some pulling of the kayaks. I learned that I am not as scared of the unknown depths as I thought I was (otherwise described as I watched too many horror movies as a child and am scared of the things you can not see under water). The fish here were much bigger and thankfully none of them jumped in my boat this time. I will have to invest in a waterproof camera for future kayaking trips; there is just too much beauty to not capture some of it on film.

Now for some photos to go along with story time....

This past weekend was the September Birthday Bash Extravaganza! Of course I brought the camera.

The Birthday Boy - 14 already!!

Mom, Kim and Ryan all have birthdays in September – so we try to get together at some point to have a little celebration. Kim was kind enough to host her own birthday party and let us meet at her house. We went to lunch at Trudy’s where Kim’s boyfriend Jay and our other sister Kim (Sasser) met us to eat. After lunch we all went back to Kim’s (sister) to open presents and eat cake and baklava.

Ryan got a steering wheel thing (see how much I know….) that he was super excited to get. The thing is, they gave him the box 1^st as a little birthday hoax. It was filled with all kinds of awesomeness like underwear and socks and books and movies. Ryan was so gracious and truly happy with what was in the box even after he realized what he really wanted was not in the box. Then after a few moments – the steering wheel and parts were given to Ryan – much to his excitement. The pictures tell it better.

Surprise surprise.

A lovely bunch.

We love kisses!!!

Then there is the trip to IKEA . . . all I can say is "Can you hear me now?!?!?!". If you want to know the full story - Kim S has video. =)
Update: The video. . . Thank you Kimberly!
Check out Kim's amazing photography at www.firedancer9.deviantart.com

Proof that technology will be the death of some of us.

Baseball

I did get to go to another Rangers game this year. I was thinking I would miss going to any more games this year, but was able talk Brandall in to going this past Sunday. We scored some amazing seats at a steal. The game was not so amazing, the Rangers lost to the Red Socks unfortunately. The ballpark is one of my favorite places to be, so win or lose, I am happy to get to experience one of the greatest team sports I can think of live and in person.

The new Cowboys Stadium being built next to
the Beautiful Ballpark in Arlington.

The view from our seats.
I love this place!

I do hope to have more frequent shorter updates as life becomes slightly more settled. The house is still on the market. We have not had too many showings, but certainly a great motivator to keep the house neat, clean and tidy. I will keep you posted, if even only once a month or so – I will try.

Blah blah blah. I did it again, didn’t I?

August already?

My boring life has been a little busy lately I guess.

Where did July go? It was just June, I blinked and here we are in August. Lots to catch up on I suppose.

Summer always brings a flurry of activity with the kids. Summer camps are a highlight for both kids.
L went off to Shake Hands with Your Future at Texas Tech. Check in is at noon - so to make it there we had to leave pretty early. Brandall joined us for the trip and helped drive. I had worries about making the 12 hour round trip and there were some pictures he wanted to get out in West Texas so thankfully it worked out. Lauren was a chatter box and kept us laughing with her witty sense of humor. We got there and ate lunch at Gardsky's then checked in. After she was settled in and met her roomie (before the counselor kicked me out) we said our goodbyes and off we went. I really didn't want to leave L. She is just growing up so fast. She had a great time at camp learning and getting to hang out. This year she had Anatomy and Physiology and and The Experiment - a hands on class in medicine, biology, chemistry and physics. (Yeah, I am still reeling at just the thought...)

Saying goodbye or whatever silly girls do.
Lauren's room mate for the week.

Big Texas Sky and a little wind farm.

M went to Zoo Camp again this year. I figure they should pay us to let him go, he is fun and entertainment for the whole group. I dropped him off and picked him up the last day. He got out of the car and the camp counselor was SO excited to see him, called him by his name and M bounced out of the car chatting away. Picking him up was a little different. M's strap on his water bottle broke right before pick up time and he was somewhat upset. He had three beautiful camp counselors trying to console him and tell him it would be ok. He did finally "get over it" and decided to tell me the 901 things he did that day at Zoo Camp. M said in his most enthusiastic voice - "Yeah, it was pretty good!".

4th of July we spent at the Summer's house. Jason and Melissa have a big 4th of July cookout every year and I took the kids over for a day of baseball, watermelon and sparklers.

Watermelon and the 4th of July.
Does it get any sweeter?

We all had a good time and were completely wiped out by the end of the day. Thank you Jason and Melissa for your hospitality - it was good to be out of the house. L & M had a great time plying with the Summers Boys - Melissa and Jason have 3 boys - Caleb, Colton and Caden. L especially liked getting to hold baby Caden.

Sweetness.

I must say - L can hold her own in a game of baseball against the big boys. It was a score until you are out game and L scored 38 runs before she got her 3 outs. . . I think this is the year that rule changes.

Backyard baseball fun.

My two favorite people in the world looking cool as cucumbers on a hot 4th of July.

What else has happened? I am settling in to my new office and my new job. It is a temp office until we find a permanent office and is on the 16th floor of a glass cage...um, tower. I am not one for elevators and the express elevator makes me want to puke. ugh! As far as my job - I LOVE IT! I am still learning and getting used to the pace and the different mindset. I am getting there and truly enjoying the process of learning again. This is a change I needed at a time in my life where change is abundant. This is a good change.

The biggest change in our lives now is a pending divorce and subsequent move out of the house. Wes moved July 4th weekend into an apartment down the street. The kids seem to love it, the tiki themed kids bathroom is a big hit.
It has taken a few weeks of cleaning, painting (hired out) and sweating, but the house is now on the market. The kids have been fantastic at helping keep it neat and tidy - my next house I will just keep a for sale sign out front year round. M is really (to a fault) good at reminding everyone to take their shoes off when they walk in the door...or even about 15 yards before they arrive at the door. Funny guy.

For Sale

The prayers I ask for now are for ease in transition for the kids and for all of us as we sort through the next few months. L & M have been truly amazing in all of this. We have our tough moments, but we have many more happy moments now. I think for both Wes and myself this is truly the best thing that could happen. We both seem happier in our lives and the kids can tell. Wes is spending more quality time with the kids and doing fun things like going to the water park and taking them to the pool. From where I sit now, as hard as this has been for all of us, I see that it is the best thing for everyone.


Until next time. I just hope December doesn't sneak up on my like August did... ack!

Are we having fun yet?

This will be another get your drink and snack post.... see you back in a minute....

Let me see . . . I have to catch up here. I am a little dizzy from all that is going on lately.
Mom said it perfectly yesterday when I was showing signs of wear and tear . . . "A body wasn't made to be in so many different time zones".
Since May 24th I have been to Las Vegas, Columbus, Burbank, Detroit and Phoenix. In that order - you think I would have planned it better. Along with jet setting across the country these past 5 weeks I have been transitioning into my new job, training my replacement, preparing my home to put on the market, enjoying time with my sister and brother-in-law, to an Indy race, hosting a mini HS reunion and doing my day job. It has certainly been a whirlwind and I am ready for some calm.

So... HS reunion was June 15th. Wes invited a few people over for an early lunch that Sunday. Junie, Mary, Melissa and Jocelyn showed up for some food and I am sure some laughs when the yearbooks were dusted off (I had to leave for Detroit before the yearbook fun). Mary, Junie, Melissa and I met for brunch the 14th at Craft in Dallas. OMG! Yummy yummy food. Then we went shopping at Northpark. It was a relaxing afternoon. I hope this becomes something we can do more often . . . although I will have to get a gym membership and a second job - it will be well worth it!

Central HS revisited.
Junie, Mary, Kelly, Wes
Jocelyn & Melissa
Photo courtesy of the brilliant L!

Kelly & Mary at Craft for Brunch

Junie, Mary & Melissa at Craft for Dinner
I missed this and the trip they got to take through the kitchen...

Junie and Mary were two of my best friends in my younger years. Junie and I met in 8th grade. I had just moved to San Angelo, TX from Crete, Greece and Junie was one of the first people I met. We spent Summers in the pool for fun and then in HS school all year in the pool for competition. Mary and I met in high school and spent our time shopping and dreaming of our futures. The last time I saw Mary was in San Antonio and I was pregnant with L.

I am not sure how this happens, but we lost touch over the years We were fortunate to find each other again on the world wide web... getting together again was a brilliant idea at a perfect time . Getting to spend time with Junie and Mary, it felt was as if we had not been out of touch for so many years. I look forward to keeping the connections this go round.

I trained for my new role with Cher in Detroit the 16th and 17th - I learned more in 2 days with Cher than I could have imagined. She is an amazing teacher and incredible partner. When I returned to DFW Jason and I worked on meeting prep for our big meeting in Phoenix and I moved most of my stuff to the new office.

Keri and Eric came up for the weekend of the 20th-22nd. It is always fun and relaxing to have them around. We didn't do too much - it was perfect. I needed a "chill" weekend. We did eat a lot of food though, we always do when family is in town. Sunday I grilled a "big lunch" - dad even came over! There was a Ranger's game on - so we didn't hear much from dad, but he did eat his share of the food. We had a house full with Keri & Eric, mom & dad, L's friend S, my friend Brandall - as usual I cooked too much and we ate too much. Oh - I made peach ice cream with some peaches from dad's trees...it was scrumptious. I will need more peaches and perhaps a large freezer so I can make more next time!

Saturday with my beautiful Keri.

Um...what the butt?
Eric - good photography on your part. ;)

I discover quickly what a camera and
a hat can do to otherwise normal people...

Sissy... you funny.

Olive Garden and mind games

Monday the 23rd I left for Phoenix for our big West Zone Meeting. We stayed at the Mondrian in Scottsdale. Nice resort, a little fancy for me. The fact that I didn't get to lay out by the pool during any of the 112 degree days was a little sad, but I will get over it. The meeting was a complete success thanks to the hard work of all involved. It was great to see all of my peers and to get to interact with my new boss.

My room at the Mondrian. This is not a B&W photo...

Kelly, Angie & Sylvia at Cowboy Ciao.

Jay & Kelly after dinner.

The gang at Cowboy Ciao - Good food & great company!
Sylvia, Kelly, Mimi, Angie, Maria
Jay & Susy
(Thank you Susy for the photos!)

Angie & Susy looking fabulous after 4 days of hard work!

The beautiful Mimi

Proof that Jason works harder than I do!

The day we left Phoenix there was a huge grass fire just outside the airport. When the plane took off you couldn't see the fire, but as we ascended you could smell and taste the smoke and then we were in complete smoke blackout for a few minutes as the pilots got us up above the smoke. Thank goodness for instruments that work and pilots that know what they are doing.

Fire in Phoenix

That brings me to today . . . a perfect lazy stormy day. A good day to catch up on the blog and clear some of this clutter in my mind. I can not imagine things will continue to be so hectic. I hope for a little quiet before the storm of moving. Putting the house on the market right now is a scary proposition... it will either sell fast or sit for a while. I hope for the best and can use your thoughts and prayers as I get through the next few months. I will keep you as posted as I can on happenings around here.
Hope you are having a safe and fun Summer so far.

Indy race at TMS

Grab your Natural Light and Beef Jerky.... I fear I have made this longer than necessary (Although, if you don't mind - I will grab my Shiner and some lightly salted mixed nuts).

Saturday I went to my first ever live motor sport race - the Bombardier Learjet 550 at Texas Motor Speedway. Awesome stuff! I got to go with my friend Brandall. We have known each other since I was 16 and we lived in San Angelo. It was nice to get to go with someone that has a great understanding of the sport and the patience to help me understand. I am not sure if I needed more explaining during the race or during the Robbie Knievel stunt, but Brandall put up with me nicely. I enjoyed the experience immensely.

It was amazing. Every moment was new to me. EVEN the hot dog eating contest and Robbie Knievel jumping 20 something Hummers.... It was all part of the experience. Hard for me to decide what my favorite part was. The race was incredible, nothing like it. The people watching . . . OH! The people watching was something else entirely.

Ok - I will try to gather thoughts here...

If you have never been to TMS- it is a gigantic beast of a venue. Imagine it full of an incredible mix of Indy car & NASCAR fans that have been drinking since yesterday. Yeah, see why I can't decide what was more fun?

We got there somewhat early and found our seats. The pre-race entertainment was interesting to say the least. There was a hot dog eating contest that was unreal. I had not eaten dinner at this point (lucky Brandall) and was certainly not hungry after watching part and then suffering through listening to the rest of the contest. The thing is, these guys were not just eating hot dogs. They were required to eat 10 hot dog which also had BBQ beef and jalapenos piled on them. The contestants were visually shaking by the time they had stuffed three dogs down and then to watch them try to stuff 10 in there.... eeew. Only know of one guy that had to use a bucket... see, it was kinda gross. The winner won a trip to another race . . . where I presume he would be dubbed the champion and get to do it all over again. Wow, really?
It was actually more appealing than the girl that sang the pre-race song. That is a whole other story.

Then Mr. Knievel started his little jump tease.... otherwise known as a death defying jump over 21 Hummers, it was supposed to be 24, but there were high winds. I believe it took 45 minutes of showboating to get the man to risk his life for a somewhat unenthusiastic crowd. After he called "us" Dallas . . . the crowd was not as Texas Friendly as one would have hoped.
Still, an amazing feat. Brandall was kind enough to take a photo so I could have something to blog about and mom could have something to scrapbook with.

Feel the heat!
An amazing feat for Mr. Knievel against the wind!

So then we get to the good stuff. The race was about to begin, the crowd had filled in nicely.
I wanted so badly to hear a voice boom "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!". I hear "Indy car racers, start your engines." and want to boo! No time to complain though, the race was on!

It is impossible to describe the feeling, the sound, the thoughts that run through your mind when you watch these guys take off, then when they come around the track again at full speed and you break your neck trying to keep up with them. My heart was pounding!
I had watched NASCAR on TV - those guys go about 170 MPH. To see these guys zoom around the track at 214+ MPH (when not under a yellow caution flag) was incredible.

Brandall described it perfectly, he said it was terminal velocity. That it is. When asked my thoughts, I said something to the effect of "Holy Shit!". I know, always the eloquent one.

Here are some photos from the first laps - the downforce on the cars is so great, they were scraping the track and sending sparks flying going into turns 2 and 4.

Sparks fly at Turn 2

More at Turn 4

We picked who we thought would win before the race. I had to go with #3 Helio Castroneves. I had heard of him before, but had become more interested in him when he was on Dancing with the Stars. That man is funny, he can dance and it does not hurt that he is easy to look at. On top of all that, he is quite good at his sport. He is the only Indy race driver to finish top 5 in the seven races held this year. Brandall on the other hand actually picked the winner, #9 Scott Dixon. No bets were placed, so we are still friends.

Quite an experience, I would go again. What I am actually looking forward to is a chance to go to a Formula One race. To see that live, to experience that firsthand - I imagine I wouldn't have words to describe it (lucky you...).

Windblown and happy at TMS.

All in all, for something I thought I might miss due to other crazy life things going on, I had a blast. I had a great time catching up with Brandall and hanging out with 83,000 or so people.

I will update you soon on other things. . . I still need to catch my breath from these past two weeks and regain my hearing from this weekend!