How did I get here?

It's been a year and a half and almost 500 posts full of mostly nothingness. I'm trying to figure out how I ever got here.

I was on greekchat one day in the middle of another discussion about why Southern greek life is the be all and end all, especially because of how they dress (loud mouth frat boys) and I clicked on a link for Ask Andy About Clothes, a clothing forum for men. They have a Trad forum, which I thought was very interesting because although DOTR likes to dress, as he would say, "preppy", he has a heckuva time dressing himself. I decided to get educated and threw my opinion around once in awhile (imagine that!) I thought surely there must be something like that out there for women and started googling and found.....you guessed it.....the preppy blogosphere. And the mommy blogosphere, the decorating blogosphere, etc. It was unbelievable--I never knew such a thing existed despite my participation in a couple of anti-Mary Kay blogs (and that's a story for another day on how I found those!) I'd found my people!

As I read, I will admit to thinking "wow, I'm a lot funnier than that person and they get 50 comments telling them how hilarious they are" (nobody on my blog roll, of course) and "I can write a lot better than that", and after a bit I started this blog so I when I commented people would know something about me. If I'd been thinking, I probably should have called it "Abnormally Preppy Southern Pink and Green Madras Seersucker Monogrammed Normal Mom". I'm sure I'd get a lot more traffic and be on a lot more blog lists. But alas, DOTR and I had just had yet another conversation about the world gone whacko and how we are just so normal. But now our very normalcy is really abnormal. So that's all I could think of that day when I hung out my shingle here. I've used the Mom on the Run handle for quite awhile--it was a book title and at that time I totally identified. I lived in my car.

I like to write, I always have. It's something that's always been easy for me, even if I don't have anything profound to say. My motivation for blogging was not to make new friends (although it's been a great bonus to find out there are lots of people like me out there) or promote a business. And although I'm generally considered a smart alec by people who actually know me IRL, I don't think I'm ever mean. I try not to be, anyway. I know sometimes this blog is about as exciting as watching paint dry, but mainly, it's for me. It's no coincidence that the category with the most posts is "General Whining".

So where to from here? I don't know. I know that I got my feelings hurt over blogging and that's really stupid. Some days I think if this thing just disappeared, the only person who would miss it is me. And that's fine.

So, I guess I carry on. When I started I said that this was probably just going to be about my boring life.

And so it is.

Seen Around Town

Remember this?

Well, a couple weeks ago the photo actually appeared in the Cobb Life magazine, which is a supplement to our local Sunday paper. I saw it before church, as did a lot of people (who knew that many people read the whole paper before they went to church) because I heard about it all morning. My friend got it out and made us autograph it when we were there for dinner Saturday night....DOTR signed his forehead and I dotted my i with a heart just to be extra special. People are still mentioning it when I see them in Kroger. Total silliness.

Anyway, it's a horrible picture (or maybe I just look like that and I don't want to know it!) I have three rolls in my chin and DOTR is making his typical goober picture face. It would've been one thing if they'd put it in the paper...I could have claimed it was grainy and those really weren't three chins, but alas, there it is in shiny, living color. (see if you can figure out which one is us--we're in the Cobb Landmarks Tour of Homes album...and be assured that most people were dressed a lot better than some of those they pictured...Black Tie Optional, seriously?)

But hey, we're famous now. Chins and all.

Cool School

UPDATE: They have 5 videos (they did some of the packages on Tuesday) along with live shots that they cut to during the news on their website:

www.cbsatlanta.com/coolschools/

Tomorrow morning MHS will be the "Cool School" featured on our local CBS affiliate's Better Mornings Atlanta show. It's on from 5-7 am. Yeah, that's AM.

The band has to be there at 4 am for the 5 am pep rally. J3 kept getting emails about the live shots they'll be doing from the new batting cage--instructions on what to wear and everything. Arrival time for that--4:30 am.

Luckily (thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!) the boys have their big Cobb County Wrestling Tournament starting tomorrow night so they were told NOT to come for the pep rally, live shots in the batting cage if you're also on the baseball team, etc.

They have to be there at 7 am to weigh in and that's early enough for our house.

So if you're up and about at the crack of dark thirty here in the ATL, check out our cool school on CBS46 and give us a shout out.

We'll be in bed.

Resolutions

I usually don't have New Year's resolutions, or I have the same ones every year and they go by the wayside. And I never, I mean NEVER join a gym in January.

I always wait until February.

So here it is, February staring me in the face. I'm thinking about giving Jazzercise yet another whirl, only this time going at 7:30 pm instead of trying to get there first thing in the morning when the building is still freezing cold and everybody is there to socialize (since I'm, you know, kinda shy).

Last Saturday night, DOTR and I went to dinner with some friends after the wrestling tournament. We were totally wiped out, but we had a great evening. Our friends got a hot tub a couple of months ago, and this time I did bring my suit so I could get in (same place I went to dinner the week before when DOTR was in Nebraska and Favorite SIL and BIL were there, but I left my suit at home). I can't say I've ever just sat in a hot tub with a margarita (we have a pool, but it's not heated) on a cold winter night, but I have to say it was great. I slept like a log.

So what does this have to do with Jazzercise? Oh yeah, I had to wear a bathing suit. Yikes.

Good thing it was dark.

Detail Work

DOTR and FIL installed the toilet in the master bathroom last week, along with the new faucets. Unfortunately, it's taken me this long to get everything put away and the bathroom cleaned up again. I waded through piles of ironing and laundry and straightened out my closets. I cleaned out another closet (we have five in our Master bedroom/bathroom) so you can look inside and say "ooooh" and "aaaaah". Later, I need to make a Target run and pick up some new and nifty towels and rugs because the current ones don't match since we painted. And I'm changing out the little knobs on all the drawers and cabinets and probably will have to put a coat or two of oil based paint on the them since DOTR cannot seem to figure out how to shake his razor into the sink and not all over the bathroom (shaving cream kills a paint job).

Since we haven't had people arriving two to a mule to look at this place lately, I've become just a bit slack (now THAT'S the understatement of the year). It's a mess. I start to hyperventilate every time I see somebody outside writing down the info number on the sign (no, we don't have fliers, we have an info number that tells you the features and price) fearing they'll just want to come on in and look while they're out front. So far it's been people looking for "friends", thank goodness. But that sick feeling is not going away until I get this place back under control.

It's all about the details.

Maybe I'm Shy

Since it has come to my attention that certain people think I'm "a little bit rude" for not saying "hi" when I recognized them from their blogs....sorry. Sometimes the timing is not right for that. Like I'm with a friend who knows nothing of blogging and it would be incredibly awkward to explain it all. Or maybe I'm shy. I know I don't seem like it on here, but actually I'm not really good with just walking up to people I don't know and talking with them (I leave that to DOTR).

So, Cobb County (Cherokee, N. Fulton, Midtown, or wherever,too, if you want) bloggers, how about a get together? Just email me and I'll be the cruise director.

You can even come to my house (and Clemsongirl can see why she should be thankful she doesn't have to try to sell it). I'm game.

Just don't call me rude. Because I'm not.

I'm shy.

Okay, Maggi and Jill are in.....anybody else? mom_on_the_run2001@yahoo.com

Action and Adventure

Did you watch this Sunday and Monday nights? I read the book quite awhile ago (yeah, I'm a sucker for any story about the Knights Templar, Mary Magdalene, ancient writings, secrets, etc......and all this was pre DaVinci Code, I might add).

Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

I could've done without the 1 1/2 hrs. worth of commercials, though.

Ordinary Time

Right now the church calendar calls this ordinary time. We've put away the purple advent colors and the Christmas whites for that funky green that seems to hang around for most of the year. Really, most of our life.

Ordinary time, putting in our hours. Getting it done, waiting until the next big thing.

We tick off the days until Christmas, the days until vacation, the days until the weekend like something we just have to get through.

Saturday morning when I was cleaning up from breakfast/setting up for lunch in the hospitality room, DOTR called to tell me that one of J3's friends had been killed in a car accident the night before. DOTR coached him on a middle school baseball team, the parents were in our Sunday School class, I taught his younger brother in 1st grade Sunday School. After 6th grade they moved to a different school district farther out in the county and he was making a name for himself on their football team. Like most families with kids who are involved would, they left our church for one closer to their new home so their kids would be interacting with their school mates. The kids kept in touch, though, thanks to Facebook and MySpace and texting and all the things kids do that make it easy. J3 just "hung out" with him a couple of weeks ago.

For his family, there is no more ordinary time.

There is only before. And after.

Barely Hospitable

This weekend we host our last (thank goodness) wrestling tournament. Usually we have one, a JV tournament right before winter break. This year we are helping out a private school that is having their gym renovated, so we've hosted three tournaments in a month. I'm tired of being hospitable, to say the least.

Luckily, with my impending jury duty and the uncertainty of whether or not I would be able to get it all together (and the fact that we will be pulling in some big bucks for this final tournament--we get to keep the gate this time) we are actually BUYING most of the food rather than catering the thing out of my kitchen. Yes, I do have that fancy big stove, but seriously, the transporting of food in a 300 series BMW is more than a little challenging. Considering that I'm stashing stuff in my trunk so it's not sitting around looking like clutter (in the unlikely event that someone drops by to look at the house) , I don't have a lot of room for toting food.

However, I still have to make a big Costco run and gather all the details, then sit around being nice for two days (now that's definitely the hard part for me!)

So, here we go again.

Bummer

Called back to jury duty today.

Pray I don't get on a jury that runs into tomorrow, because I have to set up the hospitality room for a gigantic middle school wrestling tournament by 3:30 Friday.

Some fun.

Yet Another Sequel

I bought this at Target over the weekend (home alone, what's a girl to do?).

Lots of syrupy sex scenes. Negligible attempt at a plot. Oh well. Not entirely a waste of four hours and $15.

I daresay, I rather liked it.

Enough Already!

I am sick of being cold.

I can't get anything accomplished. My brain is not working. All I want to do is sit around wrapped up in a blanket.

Global warming? I'm all for it.

At least for today, anyway.

A Day Off

Hurray! They called all panels back today except mine! I get the day off jury duty.

Keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Jury Duty

Panel 1. Picked for the first jury.

Shortest trial in the history of this judge. Here's a clue....don't represent yourself because you'll have a really stupid "attorney".

Out by noon. I'll probably have to go back tomorrow if they call my panel.

Justice must be served.

Mission Accomplished? Not so much

Well, they're all back.

The boys got home about 6:00 pm just as I was leaving to go to dinner at our friends' house (Favorite SIL & BIL were there from 'pert near Alabama). They were sound asleep when I got home at 11:00. They had a fairly successful run at the state tournament and actually went one round further than our region champs. They lost a very close dual for the opportunity to wrestle for third, with a couple of mental mistakes causing pins that made the difference. Oh well, the good news is that they're young. Mostly sophomores and a couple of juniors. For them, there is next year.

DOTR arrived home from the frozen tundras of Nebraska mid afternoon. He'd already changed into shorts by the time I got back from an errand since it was a balmy 50 degrees here. He had a great time, but it was cold. Really, really cold. I loved hearing stories about dreamy football players turned used car salesmen with grey hair and spare tires (ha!) Drew Pearson was the featured speaker at the banquet, and Bill Curry won the Gerald R. Ford Legends Award. President Ford's daughter presented that award, which was first presented to him the year before he died, according to the program "to bring more recognition to the Center position while honoring the philanthropic and business commitments made by former centers from the college or professional level, as well as to honor and preserve the many accomplishments of the late President Gerald R. Ford". The whole thing benefits the Boomer Esiason Foundation (Dave Rimington is President) which raises money for Cystic Fibrosis research. DOTR's first cousin, Bonnie, died from CF 26 years ago, so it is definitely a cause close to his heart as well. All in all, a good weekend because, well, there really IS no place like Nebraska. ;-}

I didn't get a darn thing accomplished all weekend. I was cold. I couldn't seem to figure out where to start, so I didn't. Then I had a total freak out moment yesterday when I went out to get the paper and there were people in front of our house writing down the info. I talked to them for a minute and they said they were scouting out houses for their friend. OMG. I am so not ready to have people looking at this house again. It's a mess. It's been so dead that I've just let it go and now it's going to take a miracle to get it in shape again. If anybody wants to look at it this week I'm SOL!

And I have jury duty tomorrow. Again. Third time in 5 years. Last time I got on a jury and I'm still kind of po'd about it because I just gave in and went with the crowd to award somebody a bunch of money for a car accident. Long story short, she wasn't really hurt that badly but they life flighted her out because she had a head injury that was bleeding so badly they thought she was really hurt. And SHE did not have car insurance. She turned down very generous settlements which would've covered all her medical bills and loss of time at work but she wanted more. I felt like I was in that commercial "have a wreck? get a check" and it made me sick, but we had a bunch of bleeding hearts on our panel and they wanted to give her all kinds of money. Three of us just wanted to cover her bills since her "pain and suffering" was due to everybody being scared of a bunch of blood, and she was relatively uninjured. So I am so hoping I don't have to sit through another one of those because I'm STILL ticked off about it (can't you tell?) I am big on personal responsibility.

Now I will jump off my soapbox and get back to work.

We need to sell this house!

It's the Big 2-0!

Happy Birthday, J2!

It's Showtime!

Go Devils!

UPDATE:

They lost their first round to the 2nd seed (Pope) by 10 points. Not bad. J3 lost his match, but he at least saved team points by hanging in there and not getting pinned. His opponent is state ranked, so we'll take that. Now they go through the loser's bracket tomorrow and will probably wrestle Mundy's Mill.

The team that won our region (Kennesaw Mt.) also lost because it was tied at the end of the dual....really they'd won by one point, but one of their kids threw his headgear and they lost a team point. So guess what the first tiebreaker was? Yep, it was "Did you lose any team points?" So....they go to the loser's bracket, too. Wouldn't you hate to be the parents of that kid? OMG, I'd kick my kid's butt from here to China if he ever thought of doing anything like that! Last week at the region meet, one kid from E. Paulding got so mad that he ran out into the lobby and punched his fist through the window, then cut his artery when he was pulling it back through. They had to call an ambulance because he was bleeding like crazy.

Boys....anger management, please!

One to Go

Goodbye, Grissom.

(And I'll be watching tonight all snug in my bed.....home ALONE!!!!!!)

Just Keepin' it Real(istic)

So, how's it going with the prevention.com health tracker tools? I think I need an iphone so I can connect directly to the internet and add foods right when I'm actually eating them. Sounds like a good idea, right? Actually, I'm doing a commendable job of keeping up so far, but then again it's only been a few days.

A couple of days ago I started looking at some of the other catagories and decided to mess around for a bit with the weight goals. This is really cool, you can plug in what you weigh, what you WANT to weigh and when. Then....voila, it tells you how many calories you can eat everyday to attain that goal in that amount of time.

I guess I'm going to have to reevaluate my goal.

873 calories a day for the next five months......don't see it happening.

A Wrench in Things

Yesterday the plumber was supposed to come first thing to put in the new toilets and two new faucets I got for my bathroom. Same plumber we always use.

They are calling all morning because the crew is delayed. And delayed. So I've spent another morning hanging around the house for no reason (except to watch a couple episodes of "Whose Wedding is It, Anyway?".....but still...sheesh).

They finally arrive at 1:00 pm and I show them where the shining new thrones are to be installed. Then he starts writing up the bill before they even start. I'm thinking WTH? Then I found out why.

They neglected to tell me that it would be over $1,000 to install 2 toilets and 2 faucets when I made the appointment. What a waste of time. I would've said no right off the bat.

So I paid them their trip fee and sent them on their way. No new potty for me today.

DOTR knows how to do it, he just doesn't want to. Well, I don't want to wash clothes, make beds, or cook dinner either. I could pay somebody thousands of dollars to do it, but I won't.

Sometimes, life's a crapper.

Big Weekend

Both boys are going (J3 is on Varsity and J1 gets to go as one of three "extras"). DOTR is going to Nebraska for the Rimington Awards.

They all leave Thursday. And I will be alone.

ALONE.

Somewhere in Time

Yesterday I had fun volunteering at the Welcome Center on the Square. Kind of quiet, but had a good time chatting with the people who work there (as I always do, which is how I ended up getting roped into subbing for someone who's out of town). A couple from Oklahoma came in and wanted to look at some antebellum homes, so I helpfully suggested the driving tour (since they're all private homes and not open for tours) and a snazzy little route so they could see the three big streets with houses and then end up at the battleground's visitor center. We talked about the cool cemeteries in town, both a National cemetery where they started burying Union soldiers after the battle of Kennesaw Mountain (and I believe it is now full, but was active until not too long ago). Then there's also a Confederate cemetery just off the Square, and it has some very interesting headstones.

I drive by these things so often that I don't always notice them anymore, so it was fun to share it with people seeing it for the first time. It seems kind of funny to run into people with maps on walking tours when out walking because, well, I'm just living my everyday life. I guess that's what it feels like to live in Charleston or London or wherever people go to see things they've never seen before--except it's all the time. Gotta be weird. Or maybe you just get used to it.

They told me things are usually pretty slow in January and most of February. Then the people who spend the winter in Florida start stopping in on their way back home, then the spring is really busy and it's bustling through the summer and early fall. Then there's the Pilgrimage and things get wild. So they enjoy this little lull.

I'm on the sub list for now, but I'm looking forward to doing it again in two weeks. Hopefully it will be warm enough to suggest the walking tour.

Potty Talk

Finally.

We got a new toilet (one piece, low profile) for our master bathroom. And another for the powder room (regular, basic Kohler).

We're down to 4 out of 5 with low water use now. Whether we see any actual savings in the long run, who knows. It's hard to tell because our water, electricity, trash and recycling bills are all bundled, and since we have a pool, our water usage is enormous. Along with two, count 'em, TWO teenage boys who take really, really long showers....well, what can I say? We try with water conservation, but we're less than successful.

All I know is that I'm one happy flusher.

It's the little things, isn't it?

A Fresh Look

We talked with our real estate agent the other day, just sort of checking in with a "state of the listing" conversation. She filled us in on what new things are going on in our neighborhood (veeery interesting) and some of the migration patterns from one side of Mtown to the other. I can see this just from driving around myself, and since we have less inventory in our supposedly more desirable side of town....along with a good lot, newly refurbished pool, etc. etc. AND we are a couple hundred thousand less than two smaller houses on less desirable lots (but they have granite...woop dee doo! They're both flips--who knew people were still even trying that?!?), HOPEFULLY somebody will stop being so scared to buy a house and get the ball rolling. As in, somebody please buy the boring subdivision house of one of the two families who are dying to move in town so they can buy mine. Then I can buy the one I want and we'll all be happy. Easy enough, right?

We're going to do a "refresher" agent caravan next month and I'm going to put away all my pictures. I guess I haven't mentally come to the place to "release" this house in case it doesn't work out with the other one. I mean, who wants to pack and then have to unpack it all again if somebody buys it out from under us?

DOTR has assured me that nobody is going to do that, so I have to just believe it and get ready to move. So I'll put away the clutter (aka pictures and books), straighten up those darn closets and pack up more junk and get on with it.

But I'm not touching that wallpaper.

The Big Time

Today is our area wrestling team duals tournament. Georgia has an individual state tournament at the end of the season, but also has a team duals tournament in a couple of weeks. Top two teams from each region get to go to the state tournament. This year we are seeded 2nd in our region. This is the first time in my memory that we've had such a strong team....we've always had a handful of individuals who are standouts, but since we are one of the smaller AAAAA schools and also what is considered a more "urban school" (meaning we have lots of heads to count but a very low percentage of those heads actually participate in anything), this is huge for us.

J3 could be a lot better if he had his head in the match more often. He always seems to blow it in the last minute because he loses focus. DOTR gets so frustrated with him.

J4 participates in wrestling grudgingly, but he actually does a good job once he gets out there. Last night before bed he came in my room and sat on my bed for awhile and told me that he was going to have to go along to the varsity tournament Saturday. You know, Mom, in case they need me....you know, for the team. In case they have to move people up to fill weight classes (he's 103). 'Cuz Mom, this one's all about the team and we have to be ready to contribute and not think only about ourselves.

Sounds like somebody's been paying attention at practice.

ETA: We did end up second in the region, barely losing to the champions and we're going to State! First time ever!

Shopping Blues

Tomorrow night we're going to the grand opening celebration for our newly restored 1930's theatre. DOTR invited a couple from our "old life" in outer suburbia to come along...cocktails here, then dinner and on to the show. The first thing the wife did was call me and ask "what are you wearing?" It's a gala, but who knows what people will show up wearing! We'll be seated by tux clad ushers and there's a $500 VIP dinner party before the show and a champagne toast and dessert reception afterward. Obviously, we are only going the the dessert and champagne part. But if you're paying $500 for a ticket, I'm assuming you'll dress up a bit.

So, of course, this called for a shopping trip because I honestly have nothing that's not too dressy or not too casual. Last night I began wandering the mall and then made my way to Steinmart. Where I ran into the wife. We laughed very hard when we were both holding the same "evening" blouse in different colors. So much for that thought! (BTW, it looked great on her and not so much on me because I have a short torso and it puckered in the back.....oh well!)

I really need a go-to outfit, like a great dinner suit or something that I can wear to these kind of occasions. Since I'm basically a khakis and sweater kind of girl, I don't even know where to shop for this kind of stuff.

But I can tell you where you won't find anything. The mall closest to my house. The lamest mall in the world.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before.

Speaking of Garrison Keillor......

When I went to Minnesota for French camp, I mentioned to DOTR that I was sorry I was leaving on Saturday night because I would've loved to see "A Prairie Home Companion" live in St. Paul. I just said it in passing and didn't think about it again, but DOTR checked to see how much it would cost to make changes on my freebie ticket (a lot). He discovered that the new season started the Saturday after I was there, so there was no show to see anyway. Oh well. Could've used that extra night recovering from my five hour drive and shopping the Mall of America. At least he tried.

Anyway, all the way from Northern Minnesota to the airport, I was listening to Minnesota Public Radio and they were advertising the season premiere show the following Saturday night....get your tickets, don't miss it. The thing that struck me as somewhat hilarious was that immediately following the show, everyone was also invited to the street dance and meatloaf supper.

I should've stayed another week.

The Writer's Almanac

It's the birthday of poet and novelist John Neihardt, (books by this author) born near Sharpsburg, Illinois (1881). He grew up in Kansas and Nebraska. He went to college, became a schoolteacher, and moved to a town in Nebraska on the edge of the Omaha reservation. In 1912, he began a huge project, a series of epic poems called A Cycle of the West. It was a history of the West, from the arrival of the first European trappers through the death of Crazy Horse and the Battle of Little Big Horn.

While he was doing research for this project, he met the Oglala holy man Black Elk, a survivor of the massacre at Wounded Knee. Black Elk agreed to be interviewed, and that turned into a series of conversations between the two men, and John Neihardt published Black Elk's story as Black Elk Speaks (1932).

I get this in my email box everyday from my friend Garrison Keillor*. I grew up 6 miles from where Neihardt lived as a young man and began writing his poetry and returned there to live in retirement. Now my parents live in that town. My mom was the postmaster there for many years, and our schools have been consolidated for almost 25 years now--just three years after I graduated. My brother did a reading and book signing at the Neihardt Center a couple of years ago when his book was published.

It seems odd to have something like this in such a small and familiar place.

Great things happen everywhere.

*no, we're not really friends....I just signed up for The Writer's Almanac to be delivered by email everyday.

Raise Your Hand

Photo: Heavy Tweed Jacket (Take Ivy)

....if you actually wore this outfit in its historical context.

If you did, that means you're old.

Like me.

Tools

Run, don't walk, straight over to prevention.com and sign up for their free (yes, FREE!) health tracker tools. It's the tab on the far right side on the top of their home page.

I'm amazed. It tells you the nutritional makeup of everything you eat, how many calories you expend according to your weight and lifestyle and so much more. I was really surprised at what nutrients I am sorely lacking in my diet (okay, not really surprised....I mean I know I've been eating like crap lately). But you get my drift.

All you have to do is register. It's free.

Go do it. Now.

French Word of the Day

Régime

Après les excès fêtes, elle veut se mettre au régime.

No kidding.

Dumb Luck

DOTR is and always has been lucky. Some people are just lucky. Other people are the Griswolds. That's just how it seems to work. I only get any good luck because I'm married to Mr. Lucky.

The latest event in DOTR's lucky streak, or being in the right place at the right time with the right people, isn't going to mean much to a lot of you (but Quintessential Procrastinator and Hillside Acres will understand immediately), so I'll fill in a little background.

We grew up in Nebraska, and as I've said many times before there are two degrees of separation there....."where ya from?" and "do ya know......?" It's a state with very few people, all interconnected with only one major team (the Huskers) to love. And we all do. Even the most disinterested parties have a passing knowledge of the main players/big names, as in even my 93 year old grandma could tell you which three Huskers won the Heisman trophy*.

So this particular story starts with one of our clients, who is also DOTR's fraternity pledge son, needing a new carrier for his company's 401(k) because of all kinds of service problems. DOTR meets with the rep for the desired new company and discovers he's our age and, of course, from Omaha. He didn't go to Nebraska, though, because he needed a football scholarship and only got offered a spot as a recruited walk on. So being from one of those large Catholic families, he took a scholarship to play at Iowa. But he's from South Omaha, which is a world unto itself. Like every city, Omaha is full of neighborhoods, a lot of them revolving around a certain parish....and well, hasn't everybody in Nebraska been to at least one good Polish wedding reception at Sokol Hall? Yeah, thought so. So basically, he knows a lot of the same people we know, went to school and church with them and still keeps in touch because all their parents still live there. Are you following me?

Well, some of these people happen to have been football players for Nebraska when DOTR and I were in college. As in very famous football players. As in there's an award named for one of them that's given away to the top offensive lineman in the country (a guy from Penn State won this year) on ESPN.

DOTR played football at one of Nebraska's state colleges for one year but couldn't stand it because it was in a small and isolated town. So he transfered to Nebraska and being a big burly guy, was recruited to be on the Yell Squad where he enjoyed two years of lifting girls above his head and standing on the field during National Championship games. Yeah, sucks for him. His partner was a girl from this same part of Omaha, so he became somewhat acquainted with all these players on the team from there, too.

So, back to today. New friend is talking to very famous football player on the phone and asks if he remembers DOTR, better known as R's Yell Squad partner. Sure, I remember him. Hey, he was a lot of fun....why don't you bring him along with you to the awards. Swell, will do. They get their plane tickets and make plans to attend the big banquet next weekend. Evidently, they give out the award on ESPN, but all the awards have their own ceremonies later all over the country.

And that's how DOTR ended up being invited to sit at Dave Rimington's table at the Rimington Awards in Lincoln next Saturday night. With Mike Rozier (he won that thing called the Heisman) and a bunch of other Huskers of our era.

Pure, dumb luck.

*Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch

Last First

Today is J1's last first day of school.

Nine hours left and she's "gettin' out". Four years at Georgia Tech and she never lost HOPE.

Can you tell we are just a little bit proud of her?

Blowing off steam

So yesterday, J3 (with a little help from DOTR.....and boy was HE sorry!) pushed me over the edge. J3 has a serious problem with his mouth. In that he can't keep it shut and always thinks he has to have the last word. It will bring my blood pressure up again to go into details, but if you've lived with a nasty 16 year old boy who thinks he is king of the world, you know where I'm coming from.

So.....what to do to get rid of all that negative energy?

Shopping, of course.

I didn't do much, but checked out a Super Target outside my 'hood and found a bunch of 75% off Christmas stuff like basic red and silver bulbs. Then I went to the outlet mall in Calhoun (I needed a serious cooling off) and went to Ralph Lauren and Coach.

Coach had at least 75% of the store at 50% off the lowest marked price. I got J2 something for her birthday in two weeks--she's lucky, she always gets a 50% off birthday! I think I'll go back today (it's about an hour up I75) and get something for J1 now.....DOTR actually suggested it. I guess he knew he messed up big time. (Oh yeah, I got something for myself, too).

I'm not suggesting that retail therapy is the answer to all one's problems, but it worked for me yesterday. Sure beats what I had planned for the day.

Cleaning and organizing the kitchen cabinets.

Some fun.

Happy New Year?

I'm just about ready to sell my 16 year old son to the gypsies.

Or move out. I haven't decided yet.