Starting Summer Off Right!

I miss the days of summer vacation and getting to do whatever I please, so when the opportunity for a mini roadtrip presents itself... I'm game! Tom was headed to Colorado and decided to stop in Davenport, IA for a Quad City River Bandits vs. Kane County Cougar baseball game and invited me to join him.

Unfortunately, this meant I had to drive separately there and back. A small price to pay for a new one-on-one adventure with my brother. I took more pictures than I anticipated, but wanted to share some of the unique happenings at the game.

The gates opened 2 hours before the game and the theme of the night was celebrating our National Pastime. Prior to the game, there were two vintage baseball clubs participating in an exhibition game.. donning the uniforms from that era (1858), the lack of gloves, and some crazy rules.

Tom and I toured the ballpark and found some of our young Cubs taking some additional batting practice in the cages behind the seating bowl. Overgrown weeds and a random pile of cardboard boxes giving it the feel of a true low-A minor league ballpark.

About a half hour before gametime our boys took the field for final warm-ups. The kid in me was able to snag a few more autographs on my team ball, and I gave knuckles to a couple of the relief pitchers as they headed to the bullpen. I venture to say the smile on my face was priceless.

I honestly have no idea why they had three people parachute in towards the end of the National Anthem, but it was super cool to see the flag, on the underneath of the last parachute, spiral down and float into centerfield.

The River Bandits stadium is just a stones throw from the Mississippi River. To our surprise, it also featured a dozen pelicans circling the field throughout the game. Below, Tom is attempting to get a photo of one fishing in the river for dinner.

Here's a couple happy Cubs fans enjoying the game. As usual, we spent less than an inning in our assigned seats. Had it not been a 90+ day with stagnant air at those seats, we would have had an awesome view... just two rows behind the Cougars dugout! We opted for the leftfield line bleachers with a strong breeze all evening long.

It might seem odd to some people to drive a total of 3.5 hours for a similar length ballgame, but to me it was a no brainer. Baseball with my brother always makes for a fun time. Can't wait for us to hit Wrigley Field later this summer.

And do keep in mind... sometimes the more the merrier! Who's up for a Peoria Chiefs game on my birthday this year? And guess what, they're playing the Kane County Cougars!

Starting at the source of the problem.

If you aren't aware, today is the last day of Spring, so if you've been putting off that Spring cleaning, then you better get to it! I've been chipping away at not so weekly chores over the last few weeks and feel pretty good, but there's one weekly chore that has gotten out of control.

The source of the problem, this furry little dude also know as Jinkies.

His hair-o eject-o system has been on overdrive the last couple of weeks. The frequency of his hairballs is every other day (happy to report I haven't stepped in one & Sparky hasn't eaten one). After just a few days from the last run of the vacuum the carpet starts to look like it's in the shade.

To attack this hairy situation, I decided to take another step further into adulthood and made my first purchase of an upright vacuum. The hand-me-down Hoover from my aunt back in 2002 just can't seem to keep up with Jinkies hair production. So I let my fingers do the walking, surfing, clicking, and purchased this dandy of a vacuum the other day.

Note: I had it delivered to work and it was the talk of the office today. Apparently people had some vacuum envy.

Here's the before photo. Inquisitive cat and an empty wind tunnel.

Here's the during photo. He tolerates it fairly well while Sparky cowers in the corner of my bedroom on the other side of the house. Another sign that I have a chicken dog.

Check it out! Pure cat hair! I learned that pictured below represents what a full canister looks like.
Note to self: empty cat hair before vacuuming the rest of the house.

I won't share a photo of the aftermath with you. You're welcome.

I'll simply leave you with a happy, less hairy, and treat filled cat.

24th Weekend of the Year

My weekend was supposed to consist of seeing some distant friends and competing in the Warrior Dash. Unfortunately, the stars were aligned for none of this to happen. Last weekend I pouted around the house with a bum ankle, and I refused to have another "woe is me" weekend.

Friday night Sparky and I headed to Peoria Stadium to watch Jim play softball. It was a beautiful night for a game, but I could do without the mosquito bite below my right eye.

Saturday I woke up earlier than a work day because I needed to be at mile marker 2 of the Steamboat Classic to hand out water to runners of the 4 and 9 mile races. Whitney's Walk for Life traded 24 volunteers for informational packets getting stuffed into Steamboat participant packets.

I had so much fun being a part of the lime green army that was handing out and splashing water on the runners, and I hope we get this opportunity again next year. I don't ever recall being told thank you that many times in one day, let alone a hour and a half.

Would you give me a chance to thank you? I'm participating in Whitney's Walk again this year and could use your help to blow my modest fundraising goal of $150 out of the water. Post from 2010 on why I joined the lime green army. Also, I may be the only one that says "lime green army".

Saturday afternoon brought on a road trip to Geneva, IL with Jim and Tom to watch the Kane County Cougars, single A club for the Chicago Cubs. It was a bit sunny out, so Jim loaned me his newly won hat to fight of the rays.

I few highlights from the evening:
1. Getting our photo taken with the Chick-fil-a cow
2. Player autograph session before the game
3. Team baseball card set giveaway
4. Caught foul ball

Here's Jim and Tom in the lucky foul ball catching row of 'O', no doubt discussing baseball. I don't think there's anyone else I'd rather go to games with. Fun is always in the cards and I can't help but revert back to a kid, only this time I have two big brothers. Hopefully Theresa can come next time and join in on the giggling or should I say cackling with me.

It was quite the long day with getting home around 1:00am. Definitely past my bedtime, but the Mt. Dew and slushy helped power me on through the night. Who would have thought 70% chance of rain and thunderstorms would turn out to be such a gorgeous night at the ballpark.

Sunday morning I woke up around 7:00, then fed the natives and myself. Then I fell asleep on the couch and got woken up about 10 minutes prior to my alarm when my Dad called to ask me to run an errand on my way over today. Shortly after I was shaking my head... at myself!

If you live under a rock, then you probably haven't seen the thousands of postings on Twitter and Facebook wishing dads all over a Happy Father's Day. What I don't expect you to know is that today is also my Dad's birthday! Well, 5 minutes after I got off the phone with him this morning is when I realized I mentioned neither to him. Yep, classic! Still shaking my head.

As Sparky and I headed down my parents' street, I saw half a car barrelling down on us. What the heck kind of vehicle is.... wait a second, that's Dad, Tom and Laura in Ed (Dad's 1953 Chevy truck restoration project). Here'a pic of Dad and Grandpa pre-joyride with Ed. Please note, Dad hit is goal... which I completely forgot about, but mentioned in the blog linked above.

Everyone got a ride in Ed today. Quite the different experience than our first opportunity to sit in Ed.
Such a fun surprise!

Now you see it, Now you don't!

Okay, so they weren't immediate changes. 

As you probably assume based on appearance, the tree in my front yard was trimmed by the electric company like an oversized bonsai tree. Over the 6 years I've lived in my house, the tree has only gotten bigger and more lopsided. Add an infestation of carpenter ants and it's an accident waiting to happen.

Bring in the work crew. I stopped by over lunch to check on "chicken" dog and give the workers some water. This is right before the crew moved in to attack the bee hive that was formed in one of the dead and hollowed out branches. I gave them my can of wasp spray and they made good use of it. I found it sitting empty on the stoop when I came home. I hope they didn't get stung.

Kind of wish we had days like this all the time. Great weather and such a beautiful sky. A sky which I can now see outside my living room window. It's kind of nice, but my yard looks naked! There are 5 service lines running to my house and the neighbors' houses. I would love to plant a tree, but will have to do some investigation of what kind might work.

Now we move to my desk at work. We had to do a bit of rearranging yesterday and my desk ended up looking like a bomb went off!

Unable to work in that type of environment, I had to clean up and organize. Amazing what you can do when you have enough room to properly file and store your projects.

Here's proof that "chicken" dog truly exists. I'm watering the flowers along side of the garage. Sparky, afraid of water, is "hiding" in the sparse flowers at the back of the house. Yes, I was kind enough to warn him that area was next for watering.

What will this weekend bring?

It's not often, but every once in awhile I truly wish I had a crystal ball. After spraining my ankle last week while prancercising, my plans for the week have become quite cloudy.

Last Saturday I couldn't help my friends move. Tonight I couldn't play softball. I haven't taken Sparky for a walk since last Tuesday. Riding the recumbent bike is also out. I did hobble through the yard, mowing the lawn with a heavily taped and immobile ankle, but apparently that wasn't the smartest thing to do either. Wonder if I'll manage to do find other simple tasks I should not do?

Yesterday and today were full of ice packs and leg elevation. I imagine tomorrow will be a repeat along with the next few days to come. That's my brain talking, while my heart says it'll be better by the end of the week and with an ankle wrap, you'll have no problem with the Warrior Dash on Sunday. (Remember the obstacle race I did a couple years ago where I jumped through fire?)

So yeah, I want a crystal ball. Do I give in today or keep hoping for the best? And deep down I wonder if it's more than just a sprain and should I go to the doctor? I guess I should go find my Magic 8 Ball. That will have the answers, right?

Found the Magic 8 Ball, although it seems to be down a few milliliters of liquid. Let's see what it says:

1. Wonder if I'll manage to do find other simple tasks I should not do?

     Concentrate and ask again. I'll come back to this one. Signs point to yes.

2. Do you remember the obstacle race from a couple years ago?

     Very doubtful. Good thing I linked it.

3a. Do I give in today?

     Very doubtful. 

3b. Do I keep hoping for the best?

     Signs point to yes.

4. More than just a sprain?

     Very doubtful. 

5. Should I go to the doctor?

     My sources say no.

6. Will the Magic 8 Ball have the answers?

     As I see it, yes.

May 2013 Vacation!

I normally create a photo book a year, but this trip was exceptional and required a photo book stat!

Click here in an attempt to see this photo book larger or buy a copy?

Thawing Out Berries

Today was a pretty good day sprinkled with a little family here and there. I was plugging away at work and got a text from my brother, "you free in 5 minutes?". Yep, I sure was and desperately in need of a break. I kept working, but now looking forward to a possible call or visit from Tom. I got the latter and a bonus scoop of chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. Does Tom know me well or what?

Once I got home, I hooked up Sparky and we headed to Springdale for our walk. I thought about Prancercising down Prospect, but I didn't want to cause an accident. Anyway, Sparky and I made it to the bottom of Springdale on our normal route, but it started to get a bit crowded with runners, so we crossed over to a sidewalk to stay out of the way. As we started to merge back onto the road, I looked both ways and then promptly sprained the heck out of my ankle on the uneven sidewalk.

http://prancercise.com/

Shaking the pain and waiting for the tears to clear out of my eyes, I debated on whether to call for a ride to take me up the hill and home. Asking a passer by even crossed my mind, but I decided that with a dog and bag of poo... well, I would hesitate letting that in my car. Plus, I was still upright, so I decided I'd try to tough it out and headed towards the hill.

As I baby stepped it on the flat ground, towards the hill, my phone rang. It was Mom! She works just a couple miles from Springdale and was on her way home. Momma to the rescue! She asked if we needed to stop anywhere else on the ride home and I assured her I had ice packs in the freezer. I was wrong, they had sprung a leak at some point and I threw them away last sprain. Bring on the berries! Guess who's having thawed fruit tonight?

The best part, Mom stayed for a couple minutes. As I let Sparky into the backyard, a light bulb went off in my head. I shouted to Mom, "The poop's still in the back of your car!" Then I promptly busted a gut. Mom yelled back, "That's not funny!"

I have to share Sparky's newest pastime, trying to get to the cat who now lives on the other side of the fences. It's awesome to see him "be a dog". Quite often noises outside will scare him and he jumps non-stop at the back door waiting for me to let him back in. Now, he's out there for minutes on end stalking his new little buddy. Wonder if he realizes he's got a cat inside he could play with?

A random thought... do you think clothing stores in Alaska ever have clearance/end of season savings on coats?