I have a thing about starting Christmas before Thanksgiving. I don't start shopping before Christmas (unless I can get a really good deal on someting) and I think there should be a law against having Christmas lights on before Turkey Day. It makes me sick to see stores putting out Christmas trees before Halloween.
That being said, Thanksgiving is over and that means the Christmas season is officially underway. While many people are finished Christmas shopping, mine is just beginning.
This week Nate hunted every day. He's shot at quite a few deer but still hasn't gotten one. I'm not a huge venison fan, but I wouldn't mind a few sticks of summer sausage. We spent Thanksgiving at Nate's grandparents, and Nate's cousin and her new husband, Christina and Jeff, were our house guests Wednesday and Thursday night.
I did something a little out of character Friday morning. Nate's mom and I left home at 5:45 a.m. to shop with all the crazy people. We only hit one store, the local Kmart. I was actually surprised. There were only about 20-25 people waiting for it to open. When they let us inside at 6 a.m. we hurried back to electronics with almost everyone else. Nate's mom was lucky enough to get the gift she wanted for Ryan (better not say what it is in case he's reading). I picked up a DVD player, a new winter coat for the kid, a few stocking stuffers. We were done by a little after 7 a.m. Despite my previous thoughts about people being nuts to go Black Friday shopping, it was actually fun here. Crowds were small, selection and prices were good. I suppose the diehards go to the bigger cities. I'd definately do it again next year.
I had a vacation day Friday, so now I'm just hanging out at home. I dug out the Christmas decorations, but I'd like to get a tree before we do too much. I also bought lights for outside yesterday, but I need Nate to help me cut some pine boughs to go with them on the porch.
Overall, it's been a good week!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Yes, I'm still alive.
But barely. It's been a hellish last two months, and I haven't had the chance to do much of anything except work and the bare minimum at home. It's been 50+ hour weeks for a while now, but the great news of today is the new guy started now. I'm learning I'm not as good with change as I thought. I like my routine. Seems like I finally got used to working alone, now it's back to sharing again. I'm sure I'll get used to it.
Not much new on the Nate and Jacob front. Nate's excited to go deer hunting this weekend. He had me pick up "groceries" for him today: ham and salami for sandwiches, beef sticks, pickles, candy, etc. I also got him some string cheese for good measure. Something about trying to make the other hunter's envious of his lunch?? Must be a guy thing.
I'm working Saturday, Sunday is off, then Monday-Thursday. Yes, Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'll be handling a photo op. The good news is I'm taking a vacation day Friday. I think I deserve it.
That's leaves two vacation days for when Kirsten is home for Christmas. She's seeking donations for her plane ticket fund, if anyone would like to contribute. Time for bed now. I'm beat.
Not much new on the Nate and Jacob front. Nate's excited to go deer hunting this weekend. He had me pick up "groceries" for him today: ham and salami for sandwiches, beef sticks, pickles, candy, etc. I also got him some string cheese for good measure. Something about trying to make the other hunter's envious of his lunch?? Must be a guy thing.
I'm working Saturday, Sunday is off, then Monday-Thursday. Yes, Thursday is Thanksgiving and I'll be handling a photo op. The good news is I'm taking a vacation day Friday. I think I deserve it.
That's leaves two vacation days for when Kirsten is home for Christmas. She's seeking donations for her plane ticket fund, if anyone would like to contribute. Time for bed now. I'm beat.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Update long overdue
I've been completely crazy busy: 50-plus hour weeks, meetings every night, weekend stuff, etc. Sorry I haven't updated, but I'm pleased to announce the Eckert household has stepped into the 21st century. Since last week, we now have a phone line, a laptop AND internet service. I'm still working on the new computer, but hopefully I'll be updating more often and even putting up a few pictures, if our dial up can handle it.
We're still reviewing resumes and have gotten some promising ones, so I'm hoping we will hire soon. I've been thinking some about the editor job, and I just don't know that it's for me. It just doesn't in to my long term goals, which are to raise my (hopefully expanding in the next few years) family, be a good mom and wife and an active part of the farm. These last few weeks have taught me that its impossible to give one 100% without neglecting the other.
On a happier, not so deep note, Nate started combining today, so he's all excited. Until something breaks then he'll be crabby. Jacob's babysitter had surgery yesterday, so he's home with me this afternoon. We had a substitute babysitter, and he seemed to get along great with her. I guess it helped she had a kitty.
I've been cooking a lot lately, much to Nate's delight. Strangely it usually helps me relax, even though it means I have to grocery shop for more than just frozen pizzas and hamburger helper.
This weekend I have a few photo assignments but will mostly be around home. Next weekend we're heading to Racine for Nate's cousin's wedding. Yay for a roadtrip and getting away from work!
We're still reviewing resumes and have gotten some promising ones, so I'm hoping we will hire soon. I've been thinking some about the editor job, and I just don't know that it's for me. It just doesn't in to my long term goals, which are to raise my (hopefully expanding in the next few years) family, be a good mom and wife and an active part of the farm. These last few weeks have taught me that its impossible to give one 100% without neglecting the other.
On a happier, not so deep note, Nate started combining today, so he's all excited. Until something breaks then he'll be crabby. Jacob's babysitter had surgery yesterday, so he's home with me this afternoon. We had a substitute babysitter, and he seemed to get along great with her. I guess it helped she had a kitty.
I've been cooking a lot lately, much to Nate's delight. Strangely it usually helps me relax, even though it means I have to grocery shop for more than just frozen pizzas and hamburger helper.
This weekend I have a few photo assignments but will mostly be around home. Next weekend we're heading to Racine for Nate's cousin's wedding. Yay for a roadtrip and getting away from work!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Welcome to my crazy life
Sorry I got behind, but this time I have a good reason. My boss announced a week ago Monday he is resigning. That means I am stepping up to his job (for now) and running the newspaper on my own for the next few weeks. We're hiring, if anyone is looking for a job. I'll post more on the subject later.
Here's my column from 9/12
This weekend marked the start of our corn silage harvest. Despite the stresses of getting all the crops in I think this is Nate’s favorite time of year. We also had a house guest this weekend, Nate’s fraternity brother, Nick. He comes to visit twice a year just to drive tractor: once in the spring for tillage and once in the fall for chopping corn.
Since I had no assignments for the weekend I assumed the role as head of the cook shanty, among other things. Nate and I invited his parents over for dinner Thursday night, our first dinner guests in the new house. After conferencing with Nate’s mom we decided I would take care of lunches Saturday and Sunday and she would make dinner Saturday. Friday evening marked my third trip to the grocery store for the week. I had already paged through my favorite cookbook for some ideas. Although I would cook two meals I planned three so I would have choices.
I slept in Saturday morning with Jacob, but was up in time to give the house a good cleaning and make chicken stew with cornbread dumplings for lunch. I clipped the edge of my fingernail off slicing carrots, but luckily it didn’t bleed much. A Snoopy Band-Aid had me back at the cutting board to finish lunch. Part way through I also found out Nate’s little brother would join us so I threw some extra broth and veggies in the pot. Nick asked for seconds so I figured it must be successful. Later Nate and discussed how much he liked my cooking and decided it must be because he’s a single guy who lives alone, probably on a diet of microwave dinners and frozen pizza.
I got out of cooking supper since Nate’s mom whipped up some lasagna for the crew. While Nate and Nick were out for some boy time that evening I stuck a beef roast in the crock pot for the following day. Sunday I got up early and made eggs for the boys before sending them back out into the fields. I roused Jacob and ran a few errands. I got home just in time to get lunch served and was greeted by the aroma of roast beef and herbs as I walked in. I shredded the beef, which fell right apart as I lifted it from the pot, and served it on huge kaiser rolls with chips and baked beans. Nick stuck around later than planned, so it was a good thing I had a third meal planned. The pasta dish took less than an hour total to make and bake. Nick seemed to like that too. I sent a big bowl of cherry tomatoes from the garden with him for the ride home. The best part of all the cooking this weekend is we’ll have leftovers for the whole week.
On a side note we finally heard from my sister this weekend who left to join the Air Force a few weeks back. She seems to be doing well and even taught me a great new word: Volun-told.
Here's my column from 9/12
This weekend marked the start of our corn silage harvest. Despite the stresses of getting all the crops in I think this is Nate’s favorite time of year. We also had a house guest this weekend, Nate’s fraternity brother, Nick. He comes to visit twice a year just to drive tractor: once in the spring for tillage and once in the fall for chopping corn.
Since I had no assignments for the weekend I assumed the role as head of the cook shanty, among other things. Nate and I invited his parents over for dinner Thursday night, our first dinner guests in the new house. After conferencing with Nate’s mom we decided I would take care of lunches Saturday and Sunday and she would make dinner Saturday. Friday evening marked my third trip to the grocery store for the week. I had already paged through my favorite cookbook for some ideas. Although I would cook two meals I planned three so I would have choices.
I slept in Saturday morning with Jacob, but was up in time to give the house a good cleaning and make chicken stew with cornbread dumplings for lunch. I clipped the edge of my fingernail off slicing carrots, but luckily it didn’t bleed much. A Snoopy Band-Aid had me back at the cutting board to finish lunch. Part way through I also found out Nate’s little brother would join us so I threw some extra broth and veggies in the pot. Nick asked for seconds so I figured it must be successful. Later Nate and discussed how much he liked my cooking and decided it must be because he’s a single guy who lives alone, probably on a diet of microwave dinners and frozen pizza.
I got out of cooking supper since Nate’s mom whipped up some lasagna for the crew. While Nate and Nick were out for some boy time that evening I stuck a beef roast in the crock pot for the following day. Sunday I got up early and made eggs for the boys before sending them back out into the fields. I roused Jacob and ran a few errands. I got home just in time to get lunch served and was greeted by the aroma of roast beef and herbs as I walked in. I shredded the beef, which fell right apart as I lifted it from the pot, and served it on huge kaiser rolls with chips and baked beans. Nick stuck around later than planned, so it was a good thing I had a third meal planned. The pasta dish took less than an hour total to make and bake. Nick seemed to like that too. I sent a big bowl of cherry tomatoes from the garden with him for the ride home. The best part of all the cooking this weekend is we’ll have leftovers for the whole week.
On a side note we finally heard from my sister this weekend who left to join the Air Force a few weeks back. She seems to be doing well and even taught me a great new word: Volun-told.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Painful to watch
Anyone else see Britney on the VMAs? I was channel surfing Sunday night around 8 p.m. and saw it was coming on, so I watched. It was like a car wreck. I was appalled and disgusted at the same time but couldn't turn it off. I'm not sure what was the worst part: the lazy, sloppy dance moves, the haphazard, careless lip syncing or revealing costume on her jiggly, untoned body.
Here's my advice for her. Grow up. Put some clothes on. Show me you can sing.
Here's my advice for her. Grow up. Put some clothes on. Show me you can sing.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Funniest OWI I've heard lately
If you're going to get an OWI, go big. This is from my paper. The story was picked up nationally. I think I'd miss these sorts of things if I decide to leave newspapers. Enjoy!!
Two Dorchester men were arrested Aug. 18 in Abbotsford for drunk driving in the same vehicle. Harvey J. Miller, 43, and Edwin H. Marzinske, 55, were each cited for OWI following a traffic stop after an officer discovered they were jointly operating a vehicle.
According to the report a Colby/ Abbotsford officer observed a vehicle at 2:40 a.m. traveling at 29 mph in a 25 mph zone. As the vehicle approached the parked squad it slowed to 18 mph and came within inches of striking the squad as it passed. The officer also noticed the license plate lamp was not working.
The officer pulled out to follow the vehicle and observed it cross the centerline as it turned on to Hi Line Ave. The vehicle drifted in its lane and traveled 35 mph in a 55 mph zone, the officer noted. A traffic stop was conducted and as it pulled over it came very close to going in the ditch.
As he spoke to Miller, who was in the driver’s seat, the officer could detect an odor of intoxicant. He admitted he had too much to drink. Miller told the officer his license was revoked for OWI, then said he was not driving. The officer asked what he meant and Miller said he was only steering the vehicle but could not operate the pedals because he did not have any legs.
Marzinske, the vehicle’s owner and passenger sitting in the center of the truck, told the officer he was working the pedals while Miller was steering. The officer noted he had a mushy speech pattern and red, glassy eyes. He asked the officer if they were speeding. When he said no Marzinske told the officer Miller was drunk and he was only operating the pedals.
A third person in the truck, who the officer observed was also clearly intoxicated, said he had no drivers license. He was allowed to leave the vehicle and walk home.
After field sobriety tests on both operators, Miller was arrested for OWI (3rd) and Marzinske was arrested for OWI (2nd).
Both were transported to the department and submitted evidentiary breath samples. Miller’s recorded .16 percent and Marzinske’s recorded .09 percent.
Both also received citations for exceeding the .08 percent blood-alcohol limit and operating after revocation. They were released to a responsible sober person who agreed to take custody of them and remove their vehicle from the roadway.
Just for clarification, the guy was not legless, but is paraplegic.
Here's the follow up story in the Marshfield paper if you want to read their side of things and see a photo of the "Abby Idiots": Click here.
Two Dorchester men were arrested Aug. 18 in Abbotsford for drunk driving in the same vehicle. Harvey J. Miller, 43, and Edwin H. Marzinske, 55, were each cited for OWI following a traffic stop after an officer discovered they were jointly operating a vehicle.
According to the report a Colby/ Abbotsford officer observed a vehicle at 2:40 a.m. traveling at 29 mph in a 25 mph zone. As the vehicle approached the parked squad it slowed to 18 mph and came within inches of striking the squad as it passed. The officer also noticed the license plate lamp was not working.
The officer pulled out to follow the vehicle and observed it cross the centerline as it turned on to Hi Line Ave. The vehicle drifted in its lane and traveled 35 mph in a 55 mph zone, the officer noted. A traffic stop was conducted and as it pulled over it came very close to going in the ditch.
As he spoke to Miller, who was in the driver’s seat, the officer could detect an odor of intoxicant. He admitted he had too much to drink. Miller told the officer his license was revoked for OWI, then said he was not driving. The officer asked what he meant and Miller said he was only steering the vehicle but could not operate the pedals because he did not have any legs.
Marzinske, the vehicle’s owner and passenger sitting in the center of the truck, told the officer he was working the pedals while Miller was steering. The officer noted he had a mushy speech pattern and red, glassy eyes. He asked the officer if they were speeding. When he said no Marzinske told the officer Miller was drunk and he was only operating the pedals.
A third person in the truck, who the officer observed was also clearly intoxicated, said he had no drivers license. He was allowed to leave the vehicle and walk home.
After field sobriety tests on both operators, Miller was arrested for OWI (3rd) and Marzinske was arrested for OWI (2nd).
Both were transported to the department and submitted evidentiary breath samples. Miller’s recorded .16 percent and Marzinske’s recorded .09 percent.
Both also received citations for exceeding the .08 percent blood-alcohol limit and operating after revocation. They were released to a responsible sober person who agreed to take custody of them and remove their vehicle from the roadway.
Just for clarification, the guy was not legless, but is paraplegic.
Here's the follow up story in the Marshfield paper if you want to read their side of things and see a photo of the "Abby Idiots": Click here.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Questions?
I have had more than 1,000 page views since last November, so I know you are looking at this. I'm going to pose a few occassional questions to see what my readers are thinking. Post a comment to reply to any or all...
#1. What do you think of the Healthy Wisconsin proposal?
If you live in this state and don't know anything about, you probably should.
#2. How should this country address illegal immigration?
I'm sick of people complaining about it but not offering any solutions.
#3. Where should Nate and I go on vacation this year?
#4. What would you like for Christmas?
They put out the Halloween crap a few weeks ago so I figure Christmas stuff is coming out soon. Wouldn't want to get behind on my shopping.
#1. What do you think of the Healthy Wisconsin proposal?
If you live in this state and don't know anything about, you probably should.
#2. How should this country address illegal immigration?
I'm sick of people complaining about it but not offering any solutions.
#3. Where should Nate and I go on vacation this year?
#4. What would you like for Christmas?
They put out the Halloween crap a few weeks ago so I figure Christmas stuff is coming out soon. Wouldn't want to get behind on my shopping.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Here's my column from last week. I was on vacation Thursday and Friday and didn't get a chance to update until now. I'll post this week's update about the fair along with pictures in a few days. Oh, and last week I didn't get my ark jabbed. It was my arm, and my blood test turned out good, so no more pokes!!
8/29 Column
After wasting a good three or four columns on the subject for the past year and a half, I sort of buzzed right by the subject for the past few weeks. We finally bought our house. And we even moved into it. Being a first-time home owner has been a real education. Thus far in our lives Nate and I have only lived as renters or leeches on the rest of the family. We closed on the house Aug. 8, and I swore we were going to sleep there that night. While Nate milked cows I got enough clothes and other necessities moved to spend the night. We had our bed, couch and TV. That was about it.
Over the past few weeks we’ve made many improvements to the place. Our appliances came in stages since some were in stock, some required a few modifications to the house and some had to be shipped and installed. I first got my washer and dryer. The dishwasher was delivered but not installed until a little wiring could be done. Next the refrigerator and stove were delivered. However, we learned our stove opening was about one-eighth of an inch too narrow. After a little amateur carpentry work by me and Nate with a hack saw and sander, we were good to go.
This past Saturday I finally had all my appliances up and running. I’ve finally been able to cook beyond the microwaveable, and Nate’s been reaping the rewards. He has enough leftovers to tide him over while I head south for a few days of vacation Thursday and Friday. Another ongoing project has been the installation of closet organizers. I found a great Web site with a closet design tool that I’ve been playing with. All I needed to do was adjust the closet to my dimensions, then draw in the shelves I wanted. At the end it printed a shopping list for me. My closet shopping trip turned out to be a waste. I learned the shelving was only sold in eight foot sections, meaning I’d need to high jack the truck for some serious hauling power. I got my chance last week and the seven sections of shelving, along with two bags of brackets, clips and supports filled our hall.
I spent most of the weekend drawing level lines, drilling holes, and popping in the hardware and shelves. The cordless drill and bolt cutters are my new best friends, but I’m asking Santa for a laser level. I still have a linen closet and front door closet to do. So far I’ve done all the work myself, but I thought I’d let Nate help with the last few. He’s been eyeing my newly purchased bolt cutter with envy since I brought it home Saturday.
If I’ve learned anything about being a home owner, it’s that they can sure drain a bank account fast. I hope now that we’re settling in, I can let the debit card cool off for a while.
8/29 Column
After wasting a good three or four columns on the subject for the past year and a half, I sort of buzzed right by the subject for the past few weeks. We finally bought our house. And we even moved into it. Being a first-time home owner has been a real education. Thus far in our lives Nate and I have only lived as renters or leeches on the rest of the family. We closed on the house Aug. 8, and I swore we were going to sleep there that night. While Nate milked cows I got enough clothes and other necessities moved to spend the night. We had our bed, couch and TV. That was about it.
Over the past few weeks we’ve made many improvements to the place. Our appliances came in stages since some were in stock, some required a few modifications to the house and some had to be shipped and installed. I first got my washer and dryer. The dishwasher was delivered but not installed until a little wiring could be done. Next the refrigerator and stove were delivered. However, we learned our stove opening was about one-eighth of an inch too narrow. After a little amateur carpentry work by me and Nate with a hack saw and sander, we were good to go.
This past Saturday I finally had all my appliances up and running. I’ve finally been able to cook beyond the microwaveable, and Nate’s been reaping the rewards. He has enough leftovers to tide him over while I head south for a few days of vacation Thursday and Friday. Another ongoing project has been the installation of closet organizers. I found a great Web site with a closet design tool that I’ve been playing with. All I needed to do was adjust the closet to my dimensions, then draw in the shelves I wanted. At the end it printed a shopping list for me. My closet shopping trip turned out to be a waste. I learned the shelving was only sold in eight foot sections, meaning I’d need to high jack the truck for some serious hauling power. I got my chance last week and the seven sections of shelving, along with two bags of brackets, clips and supports filled our hall.
I spent most of the weekend drawing level lines, drilling holes, and popping in the hardware and shelves. The cordless drill and bolt cutters are my new best friends, but I’m asking Santa for a laser level. I still have a linen closet and front door closet to do. So far I’ve done all the work myself, but I thought I’d let Nate help with the last few. He’s been eyeing my newly purchased bolt cutter with envy since I brought it home Saturday.
If I’ve learned anything about being a home owner, it’s that they can sure drain a bank account fast. I hope now that we’re settling in, I can let the debit card cool off for a while.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Home for the weekend
We were going to go to Door County this weekend, but the trip got cancelled since everyone seemed to have too much else going on. My plan is to putz around the house. I'm hoping our mailbox got put up today (it was on Nate's honey-do list). My plans for the weekend are to get the closet organizers up, mow the lawn if it dries out and get some more stuff unpacked and put away. I also hope to have a working range by the time I get home. Maybe then I can actually cook real food!
Here's a picture of Jacob at Athens Fair last weekend. We purposely waited until the last festival of the year to let him go on the merry-go-round so he wouldn't whine every time he saw one. He still pitched a fit when we were out of tickets, he he's having fun in this picture.
Next Wednesday I get my ark stuck again (hopefully for the last time). This time I want a tech without "Intern" on their badge. Then we're heading south to help the kids at the Iowa County Fair. Yay for vacation days, but I'll probably be working harder than normal. Have a good weekend everyone!
Here's a picture of Jacob at Athens Fair last weekend. We purposely waited until the last festival of the year to let him go on the merry-go-round so he wouldn't whine every time he saw one. He still pitched a fit when we were out of tickets, he he's having fun in this picture.
Next Wednesday I get my ark stuck again (hopefully for the last time). This time I want a tech without "Intern" on their badge. Then we're heading south to help the kids at the Iowa County Fair. Yay for vacation days, but I'll probably be working harder than normal. Have a good weekend everyone!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
It's a dirty job (8/22 column)
A letter writer this week suggested reporters should leave their politics at home. Some days I pretend politics don’t exist. Then I wake up and realize I’m sitting in another council meeting.
Politics, according to my handy-dandy Webster’s dictionary, has several definitions. One is the art or science of government. I laugh at the idea of it being an art, but is science any better of a description? If it was a science, anyone should be able to perfect it with enough study and practice. Also, there would normally be one right answer. But that’s not the case. For example, Karl Rove. He’ll go down in history as a great campaigner but awful at policy. What kind of politician does that make him? Maybe politics is an art. For some it just comes naturally. Still, politics does take study and common sense. Charisma must be nurtured into leadership.
The second definition is the policies, activities and methods of a government or political party. This is pretty straight-forward and how most people define the word. The third, and what our letter writer was referring to, is one’s general political standpoint.
Let me level with you. I hate politics. I cringe when I see a press release from a politician on the office printer. I don’t watch the State of the Union address. I try to avoid the subject in my columns. I didn’t vote in the April election because I had no clue who was running for what in my township. I would much rather spend my evenings with my son and husband than sitting hunched over my note pad in a folding chair at the Abbotsford city hall.
Unfortunately, politics are an occupational hazard. I knew this when I signed up for the job in college. I had whole semesters on human geography, local, state and national politics, and media law. I spent a year as a reporter on campus where there were plenty of clashing politics. I knew what I was getting into, or so I thought. As a journalist in a small newspaper, I don’t get the luxury of ignoring politics. It’s a big part of my job to keep up with what’s going on at the local, county, state and national levels. Another job I don’t take particular pleasure in is occasionally writing editorials. I hate controversy and I’d rather crawl under a rock than debate government policy. But once again, an occupational hazard. Not only must I keep up with it, I also have to sometimes express an opinion on it.
The truth is I can’t leave politics at home because it’s part of my job, like it or not. Instead I have a strict policy about leaving my politics at work where they belong. Home is my escape. The last thing I want there is politics dirtying up the place.
Politics, according to my handy-dandy Webster’s dictionary, has several definitions. One is the art or science of government. I laugh at the idea of it being an art, but is science any better of a description? If it was a science, anyone should be able to perfect it with enough study and practice. Also, there would normally be one right answer. But that’s not the case. For example, Karl Rove. He’ll go down in history as a great campaigner but awful at policy. What kind of politician does that make him? Maybe politics is an art. For some it just comes naturally. Still, politics does take study and common sense. Charisma must be nurtured into leadership.
The second definition is the policies, activities and methods of a government or political party. This is pretty straight-forward and how most people define the word. The third, and what our letter writer was referring to, is one’s general political standpoint.
Let me level with you. I hate politics. I cringe when I see a press release from a politician on the office printer. I don’t watch the State of the Union address. I try to avoid the subject in my columns. I didn’t vote in the April election because I had no clue who was running for what in my township. I would much rather spend my evenings with my son and husband than sitting hunched over my note pad in a folding chair at the Abbotsford city hall.
Unfortunately, politics are an occupational hazard. I knew this when I signed up for the job in college. I had whole semesters on human geography, local, state and national politics, and media law. I spent a year as a reporter on campus where there were plenty of clashing politics. I knew what I was getting into, or so I thought. As a journalist in a small newspaper, I don’t get the luxury of ignoring politics. It’s a big part of my job to keep up with what’s going on at the local, county, state and national levels. Another job I don’t take particular pleasure in is occasionally writing editorials. I hate controversy and I’d rather crawl under a rock than debate government policy. But once again, an occupational hazard. Not only must I keep up with it, I also have to sometimes express an opinion on it.
The truth is I can’t leave politics at home because it’s part of my job, like it or not. Instead I have a strict policy about leaving my politics at work where they belong. Home is my escape. The last thing I want there is politics dirtying up the place.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
A Tale of Three Weeks
Sorry I got behind. Read on and you'll see why...
Aug. 1 column
This past weekend’s adventure took me south for the first time since right after Memorial Day. Since it was my sister’s, my dad’s and Jacob’s birthdays all within a few days of each other, I decided to pack up the kid and go for a visit. We did the same thing last year this same weekend. This year’s trip was different. There was no Brewers game (the Brew Crew was in St. Louis this weekend) and no Nate. My poor husband had to stay home and milk cows since his brother is in Florida this week.
Despite these two missing pieces, I think I might have had even more fun than last year. Although I did miss Nate, there’s a certain amount of stress in keeping him entertained at my parents’ house. I didn’t really miss the Brewers since we have already been to two games this year. We drove down Friday night and I was impressed Jacob stayed awake the entire time. He did get cranky at the end, even when I promised we were almost there. Due to being strapped in a car seat for so long he was a little crabby when we got there, but he warmed up as soon as he saw the kittens, now big enough for him to play with. My sister had supper ready for us, so we spent the night catching up and checking out my mom’s pond and waterfall project in the yard.
I took Kirsten shopping for her birthday/going away present Saturday morning. Nate and I decided to get her a digital camera to have when she joins the Air Force this fall. Jacob was the guinea pig that afternoon as she tested her new toy. We also picked up a birthday cake for the two birthday boys and one birthday girl. While we were making supper, Jacob spied the cake on the counter and decided he couldn’t wait to try a piece. He pitched a fit loud enough that I gave in and cut a sliver off the corner. After supper Kirsten rounded up a handful of candles. Although it wasn’t the 77 we needed for the combined ages of the three, it was enough to impress Jacob. He looked in awe of the glowing candles on the chocolate frosted marble cake (minus one corner of course). We sang the obligatory song, which delighted the toddler even more. It must have made an impression because Jacob has been singing the song at random ever since.
Sunday meant time to go home, but not before Jacob received a few presents. Kirsten had found a metal sign of a boy playing with a tractor for his new room. Kaitlyn bought him a Cars poster. He got a pair of fun books from my aunts. But his favorite present was from my parents. In a weak moment Dad bought him an AMPI milk tanker at a delegate meeting in New Ulm, Minn., last winter. Once we found a way for everything to fit into my car, we headed back north. This time Jacob slept.
Aug. 8 column
It’s been a week of extreme ups and downs. I’m hoping this next week will be a little calmer. We celebrated Jacob’s second birthday with a little family road trip Thursday. After spending a few hours at work I picked Jacob up from day care. His babysitter, Dawn, and the rest of the kids threw a little party for him, complete with presents. I had a hard time getting him out the door because he didn’t want to stop playing with the little toy school bus Dawn gave him. I meant to write thank-you notes over the weekend, but ran out of time. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time tonight. But just in case, thank you on behalf of Jacob!
We picked up Nate and headed east to Merrill, then north to Minocqua. I had never been to the tourist trap in the summer, and I’m not sure I’ll go back until the lakes are frozen. The little town was crazy, full of Minnesota and Illinois plates along with every bad driver in Wisconsin. Nate said it was like driving in the city. I suppose that was because we were surrounded with city drivers. After dining on Jacob’s favorite food, pizza, for lunch, we headed out to Wildwood Wildlife Park. Nate said when he was little it was known as Jim Peck’s. We made our way inside and Jacob immediately was drawn to the throngs of friendly goats roaming free. He ran to and fro looking at all the goats. Jacob even climbed right on top of one poor sleeping goat. I pulled him off before the goat could jump up. He also liked the deer and the menagerie of other animals in the park. There were a few he wasn’t too crazy about. He steered clear of the wandering tortoise and despite his love for pigs, he wouldn’t go near the grotesquely obese potbellied pig. After a good two hours, we headed back out. We stopped to look for fish in the ponds near the entrance. Nate almost let the empty stroller roll into the musky pond when he came to check out a fish Jacob and I found. Luckily it hit him in the back of the legs on the way down the hill. After the drive back home with both boys napping, it was back to chores, then birthday cake and ice cream.
The weekend was spent on the go. Jacob and I visited Curtiss Days Saturday, then Nate and I went to the Wisconsin Valley Fair that night. Sunday was spent at the Taylor County Fair taking in more fair sights and a demolition derby. Jacob likes the cars but gets impatient between heats, just like the rest of us.
Monday meant back to reality and an unplanned trip for me to the doctor’s office for a visit and a few rounds of tests. Although not life threatening, the issue is becoming more drawn out than I’d like. I have another round of labs Wednesday, then I should know exactly what is going on.
On a happier note, by the time you read this Nate and I will be homeowners. We signed the papers early Wednesday. All I can say is it’s about time.
Aug. 15 column
Like I mentioned last week, it’s been a trying last 10 days. I debated a lot about writing about it because it’s not usually a topic for polite conversation. However, I think it’s both something that should be talked about more and will be therapeutic for me and hopefully others too. Nate and I have been keeping a secret for the last month or so. We were expecting a baby this coming March, five days before my birthday. We had decided to keep it a secret until after Labor Day or so, just to make sure things were on the up and up. It was hard not to slip up. People often see Jacob and ask when the next one’s coming along. I had to hide the excitement when I said, “I don’t know. We’ll get to it sooner or later.” Nate finally couldn’t take it anymore and told his best friend.
I first began to wonder if something was wrong a few weeks ago. With Jacob I had been sick and nauseous almost all the time by the time I reached six weeks. I had to snack on saltines all day just to keep my stomach happy. But with this one I felt exhausted most of the time, but never sick more than a little wave. I passed it off as a blessing and was happy not to repeat the awful morning sickness. I thought maybe this one was a girl since it was different from being pregnant with Jacob.
I first noticed trouble Saturday afternoon, Aug. 4. I hoped it would just go away on its own. It did, but came back the next day. I called the nurse at the hospital who said if I was going to miscarry there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it. I called my doctor first thing Monday morning and she had me come in right away. At first she said I was likely at low risk to miscarry. However, my blood tests showed lower than normal Hcg levels for nine weeks of pregnancy. I spent the afternoon getting an ultrasound. The technician could see what she called a gestational sac, a little black and white blip on the screen.
By Tuesday my symptoms were worse and when I went in for a second blood test Wednesday I knew what the results would be. My Hcg levels dropped, indicating I would most likely lose the pregnancy. I asked for two days off from work, which turned out to be a very good decision.
There’s many words to describe this kind of grief: disappointment, failure, heartbreak, loss. I have a whole packet of information from the doctor that’s supposed to comfort me. About one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, and I was amazed how many people I’ve spoken to this past week who have experienced it. Still, Nate and I are having a difficult time getting over losing something we never really had but still loved so much.
Now I’m just hoping my body handles itself so I can avoid an uncomfortable medical procedure to speed the process. It would really be insult on injury.
*Little update: got my blood test results Wednesday. So far so good. I got back for another one in two weeks. I need my Hcg levels at 25 or below to avoid more pokes and the possibility of a D&C.
Aug. 1 column
This past weekend’s adventure took me south for the first time since right after Memorial Day. Since it was my sister’s, my dad’s and Jacob’s birthdays all within a few days of each other, I decided to pack up the kid and go for a visit. We did the same thing last year this same weekend. This year’s trip was different. There was no Brewers game (the Brew Crew was in St. Louis this weekend) and no Nate. My poor husband had to stay home and milk cows since his brother is in Florida this week.
Despite these two missing pieces, I think I might have had even more fun than last year. Although I did miss Nate, there’s a certain amount of stress in keeping him entertained at my parents’ house. I didn’t really miss the Brewers since we have already been to two games this year. We drove down Friday night and I was impressed Jacob stayed awake the entire time. He did get cranky at the end, even when I promised we were almost there. Due to being strapped in a car seat for so long he was a little crabby when we got there, but he warmed up as soon as he saw the kittens, now big enough for him to play with. My sister had supper ready for us, so we spent the night catching up and checking out my mom’s pond and waterfall project in the yard.
I took Kirsten shopping for her birthday/going away present Saturday morning. Nate and I decided to get her a digital camera to have when she joins the Air Force this fall. Jacob was the guinea pig that afternoon as she tested her new toy. We also picked up a birthday cake for the two birthday boys and one birthday girl. While we were making supper, Jacob spied the cake on the counter and decided he couldn’t wait to try a piece. He pitched a fit loud enough that I gave in and cut a sliver off the corner. After supper Kirsten rounded up a handful of candles. Although it wasn’t the 77 we needed for the combined ages of the three, it was enough to impress Jacob. He looked in awe of the glowing candles on the chocolate frosted marble cake (minus one corner of course). We sang the obligatory song, which delighted the toddler even more. It must have made an impression because Jacob has been singing the song at random ever since.
Sunday meant time to go home, but not before Jacob received a few presents. Kirsten had found a metal sign of a boy playing with a tractor for his new room. Kaitlyn bought him a Cars poster. He got a pair of fun books from my aunts. But his favorite present was from my parents. In a weak moment Dad bought him an AMPI milk tanker at a delegate meeting in New Ulm, Minn., last winter. Once we found a way for everything to fit into my car, we headed back north. This time Jacob slept.
Aug. 8 column
It’s been a week of extreme ups and downs. I’m hoping this next week will be a little calmer. We celebrated Jacob’s second birthday with a little family road trip Thursday. After spending a few hours at work I picked Jacob up from day care. His babysitter, Dawn, and the rest of the kids threw a little party for him, complete with presents. I had a hard time getting him out the door because he didn’t want to stop playing with the little toy school bus Dawn gave him. I meant to write thank-you notes over the weekend, but ran out of time. Hopefully I’ll be able to find some time tonight. But just in case, thank you on behalf of Jacob!
We picked up Nate and headed east to Merrill, then north to Minocqua. I had never been to the tourist trap in the summer, and I’m not sure I’ll go back until the lakes are frozen. The little town was crazy, full of Minnesota and Illinois plates along with every bad driver in Wisconsin. Nate said it was like driving in the city. I suppose that was because we were surrounded with city drivers. After dining on Jacob’s favorite food, pizza, for lunch, we headed out to Wildwood Wildlife Park. Nate said when he was little it was known as Jim Peck’s. We made our way inside and Jacob immediately was drawn to the throngs of friendly goats roaming free. He ran to and fro looking at all the goats. Jacob even climbed right on top of one poor sleeping goat. I pulled him off before the goat could jump up. He also liked the deer and the menagerie of other animals in the park. There were a few he wasn’t too crazy about. He steered clear of the wandering tortoise and despite his love for pigs, he wouldn’t go near the grotesquely obese potbellied pig. After a good two hours, we headed back out. We stopped to look for fish in the ponds near the entrance. Nate almost let the empty stroller roll into the musky pond when he came to check out a fish Jacob and I found. Luckily it hit him in the back of the legs on the way down the hill. After the drive back home with both boys napping, it was back to chores, then birthday cake and ice cream.
The weekend was spent on the go. Jacob and I visited Curtiss Days Saturday, then Nate and I went to the Wisconsin Valley Fair that night. Sunday was spent at the Taylor County Fair taking in more fair sights and a demolition derby. Jacob likes the cars but gets impatient between heats, just like the rest of us.
Monday meant back to reality and an unplanned trip for me to the doctor’s office for a visit and a few rounds of tests. Although not life threatening, the issue is becoming more drawn out than I’d like. I have another round of labs Wednesday, then I should know exactly what is going on.
On a happier note, by the time you read this Nate and I will be homeowners. We signed the papers early Wednesday. All I can say is it’s about time.
Aug. 15 column
Like I mentioned last week, it’s been a trying last 10 days. I debated a lot about writing about it because it’s not usually a topic for polite conversation. However, I think it’s both something that should be talked about more and will be therapeutic for me and hopefully others too. Nate and I have been keeping a secret for the last month or so. We were expecting a baby this coming March, five days before my birthday. We had decided to keep it a secret until after Labor Day or so, just to make sure things were on the up and up. It was hard not to slip up. People often see Jacob and ask when the next one’s coming along. I had to hide the excitement when I said, “I don’t know. We’ll get to it sooner or later.” Nate finally couldn’t take it anymore and told his best friend.
I first began to wonder if something was wrong a few weeks ago. With Jacob I had been sick and nauseous almost all the time by the time I reached six weeks. I had to snack on saltines all day just to keep my stomach happy. But with this one I felt exhausted most of the time, but never sick more than a little wave. I passed it off as a blessing and was happy not to repeat the awful morning sickness. I thought maybe this one was a girl since it was different from being pregnant with Jacob.
I first noticed trouble Saturday afternoon, Aug. 4. I hoped it would just go away on its own. It did, but came back the next day. I called the nurse at the hospital who said if I was going to miscarry there wasn’t anything I could do to stop it. I called my doctor first thing Monday morning and she had me come in right away. At first she said I was likely at low risk to miscarry. However, my blood tests showed lower than normal Hcg levels for nine weeks of pregnancy. I spent the afternoon getting an ultrasound. The technician could see what she called a gestational sac, a little black and white blip on the screen.
By Tuesday my symptoms were worse and when I went in for a second blood test Wednesday I knew what the results would be. My Hcg levels dropped, indicating I would most likely lose the pregnancy. I asked for two days off from work, which turned out to be a very good decision.
There’s many words to describe this kind of grief: disappointment, failure, heartbreak, loss. I have a whole packet of information from the doctor that’s supposed to comfort me. About one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, and I was amazed how many people I’ve spoken to this past week who have experienced it. Still, Nate and I are having a difficult time getting over losing something we never really had but still loved so much.
Now I’m just hoping my body handles itself so I can avoid an uncomfortable medical procedure to speed the process. It would really be insult on injury.
*Little update: got my blood test results Wednesday. So far so good. I got back for another one in two weeks. I need my Hcg levels at 25 or below to avoid more pokes and the possibility of a D&C.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Grab a butterbeer and enjoy!
At the risk of sounding like a geek, this week’s column is about my current reading material, the newest Harry Potter book. I’ve actually found time to do quite of bit of leisure reading this summer. I started with The Da Vinci Code, then moved on to Nicholas Sparks book, The Wedding, the sequel to The Notebook. I then dove into a crime/mystery novel I bought for a quarter at the Colby Cheese Days book sale. I rushed to finish it in time for Saturday.
No, I didn’t dress as one of the characters and stand in line for 12 hours. I didn’t push my way into the store at midnight and pay a rather large chunk of money for the new literary treasure. Instead, I stayed home, watched all the diehards on the news and patiently waited for the mail to arrive. I pre-ordered mine online several weeks ago, at half price and guaranteed to arrive Saturday or it was free. Although I opened the red and white box as soon as the guys brought it inside, I held off from opening the book until I had the proper time to give to it. That didn’t happen until the evening when Jacob went to bed.
My high school creative writing teacher introduced me to Harry Potter when I was a senior. She was reading one in class and told us how wonderful she thought they were. My whole family read the first three in paperback, but the rest were hardcover. We couldn’t wait for the cheaper version to come out. I believe I took the fifth book to California with me when I did a college internship. The sixth I read while pregnant with Jacob two years ago. When I came across a news article about the record number of pre-orders for the seventh book I had to join in.
Over the seven books, J.K. Rowling’s style has changed. They’ve become darker and more adult. Although I prefer the youthful fun of the first few books, I understand the need to change. The characters are growing up and facing adult issues. The style needs to grow up along with them. I’ve still got a ways to go in this book, but I should have it finished by the end of the week. Then I can mourn the end of Harry’s story with the rest of his fans.
_____________________________________________
(The boys watching the demo derby at the Lincoln County Fair last weekend.)
As scary as this is to think about, Jacob turns two next week. It’s his golden birthday, which is really just symbolic. Still, I can remember mine feeling a little more special. Although he won’t remember it, we’re hoping to make it special for him. Nate and I have talked about taking him to a wildlife park to see all the animals. If that falls through because of rain, we’ve have to come up with a back-up plan. Either way, one thing is for sure. He’s growing up too fast.
No, I didn’t dress as one of the characters and stand in line for 12 hours. I didn’t push my way into the store at midnight and pay a rather large chunk of money for the new literary treasure. Instead, I stayed home, watched all the diehards on the news and patiently waited for the mail to arrive. I pre-ordered mine online several weeks ago, at half price and guaranteed to arrive Saturday or it was free. Although I opened the red and white box as soon as the guys brought it inside, I held off from opening the book until I had the proper time to give to it. That didn’t happen until the evening when Jacob went to bed.
My high school creative writing teacher introduced me to Harry Potter when I was a senior. She was reading one in class and told us how wonderful she thought they were. My whole family read the first three in paperback, but the rest were hardcover. We couldn’t wait for the cheaper version to come out. I believe I took the fifth book to California with me when I did a college internship. The sixth I read while pregnant with Jacob two years ago. When I came across a news article about the record number of pre-orders for the seventh book I had to join in.
Over the seven books, J.K. Rowling’s style has changed. They’ve become darker and more adult. Although I prefer the youthful fun of the first few books, I understand the need to change. The characters are growing up and facing adult issues. The style needs to grow up along with them. I’ve still got a ways to go in this book, but I should have it finished by the end of the week. Then I can mourn the end of Harry’s story with the rest of his fans.
_____________________________________________
(The boys watching the demo derby at the Lincoln County Fair last weekend.)
As scary as this is to think about, Jacob turns two next week. It’s his golden birthday, which is really just symbolic. Still, I can remember mine feeling a little more special. Although he won’t remember it, we’re hoping to make it special for him. Nate and I have talked about taking him to a wildlife park to see all the animals. If that falls through because of rain, we’ve have to come up with a back-up plan. Either way, one thing is for sure. He’s growing up too fast.
Monday, July 23, 2007
A two-fer
June 11th....
You know the phrase “Brotherly love”? I’ve decided this isn’t a given. It’s definitely something that comes with age. The past few years I’ve done some reading on birth order. It really is fascinating, especially coming from a family as large as mine. Being the second child but oldest girl, I have traits of both the oldest and middle child. But since I am number two of five, I lean more toward the oldest child stereotype.
My oldest brother is a classic oldest child: more mature than his years, intelligent and relates better to older people than people his own age. My sister, Kirsten, who is smack in the middle of us, is a typical middle child. She is more reserved, is very willing to compromise and tends to get lost in a crowd. She’s a good listener but not much of a talker. Kaitlyn, being number four, has traits of the baby and the middle child. She is also a little reserved at times, but can also be the life of the party when she wants to. She’s used to being stepped on by us older kids, but doesn’t take it quite so easy. Kristopher is an obvious baby of the family. He is always talking. It’s hard to have a conversation with him because the words flow from one subject to the next before you can get a word in. He also is a whiner at times and has learned he needs to make a fuss to be heard amongst his siblings. And fuss he does.
Nate and his brother are eight and half years apart, making for an interesting study in birth order. Nate was used to being the only child until Ryan stepped in halfway through his childhood. Nate definitely is more of a type A personality. He is always planning, worrying about the future and tends to be the boss around the place. He despises laziness and sitting still, unless, of course, he’s the one taking the nap. Ryan is the baby 100 percent. He, like Kristopher, can whine with the best of them. He is used to taking orders and sometimes has a hard time getting anything done without someone there to prod him along.
Because of their opposite personalities, Nate and his brother don’t always get along the greatest. It seems the more time they spend together the worse it gets. It reminds me some of my sisters, who I couldn’t get away from fast enough when I left for college. All that seems to change as you get older and aren’t seeing them every single day. Kaitlyn and Kirsten are coming up for a little visit this weekend, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see them. I hope Nate and Ryan will someday have a similar relationship. I have a feeling once Ryan leaves for college this fall the dust will settle. But until now, I’m going to be very careful whenever I open any barn doors. You never know when a bucket might come flying at your head.
. . . And June 18th
One of the occupational hazards of working with Todd is he helps organize the beer tents at Colby Cheese Days. That means I’m doomed to work there at least once for the weekend. Last year out of desperation Todd asked me to work a shift Saturday night. It actually wasn’t too bad and I had fun with it. So this year I told Todd he could sign me up for the Saturday night shift again.
A few days before the start of Cheese Days, Todd realized he’d made a mistake in the scheduling. With the antique tractor pull scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. this year, there were only workers scheduled in the south stand until 6 p.m. He asked if I would come in a little early and help out. So after spending time at the Chariots of Cheese in the morning and pedal tractor pull and carnival in the afternoon, I headed back to Colby for a few shots of the antique pullers and free labor at the beer stand. I ended up working with Kelly, so we had a fun night chattering away between customers and restocking the tubs of beer, soda, water and ice. Although I had fun at the south stand as well, it is quite a bit different than the big north stand. At the north stand, you just need to be able to count tickets and run a tap. At the south stand there’s money involved and there’s the constant restocking of inventory. My special job became crawling in the tiny refrigerated trailer to dig out cases of beer and soda. Unfortunately, someone had placed our most popular seller in the back under another kind. It took some maneuvering, but I was able to dig out the 12-packs without getting locked in there.
Business was steady, but we still found time to indulge in some 50/50 tickets. Despite our best efforts to sway the sellers and even a plot to bribe the announcer, we didn’t win. As it got later, we faced a new challenge: no lights. Though someone had rigged up a flood light for us, it got harder to tell the difference between Busch Light and Bud Light while we tried to fish them from the icy water. Going into the trailer was even more fun, since I blocked any light that may be seeping in as soon as I climbed inside.
When the tractor pull wrapped up, Kelly and I packed away the merchandise for the evening, locked it all up and towed the lone cooler that would not fit in the trailer to the big stand. Since the north stand was going full bore, I stuck around and helped serve a few more hours. Nate, my sister, Kirsten, and several of Nate’s friends had made the trip south to check out Cheese Days, so I visited with them between pouring pitchers for thirsty Cheese Days-goers. At 1 a.m. business slowed, so I talked Nate into heading home. After all, the parade was now only a few hours away.
You know the phrase “Brotherly love”? I’ve decided this isn’t a given. It’s definitely something that comes with age. The past few years I’ve done some reading on birth order. It really is fascinating, especially coming from a family as large as mine. Being the second child but oldest girl, I have traits of both the oldest and middle child. But since I am number two of five, I lean more toward the oldest child stereotype.
My oldest brother is a classic oldest child: more mature than his years, intelligent and relates better to older people than people his own age. My sister, Kirsten, who is smack in the middle of us, is a typical middle child. She is more reserved, is very willing to compromise and tends to get lost in a crowd. She’s a good listener but not much of a talker. Kaitlyn, being number four, has traits of the baby and the middle child. She is also a little reserved at times, but can also be the life of the party when she wants to. She’s used to being stepped on by us older kids, but doesn’t take it quite so easy. Kristopher is an obvious baby of the family. He is always talking. It’s hard to have a conversation with him because the words flow from one subject to the next before you can get a word in. He also is a whiner at times and has learned he needs to make a fuss to be heard amongst his siblings. And fuss he does.
Nate and his brother are eight and half years apart, making for an interesting study in birth order. Nate was used to being the only child until Ryan stepped in halfway through his childhood. Nate definitely is more of a type A personality. He is always planning, worrying about the future and tends to be the boss around the place. He despises laziness and sitting still, unless, of course, he’s the one taking the nap. Ryan is the baby 100 percent. He, like Kristopher, can whine with the best of them. He is used to taking orders and sometimes has a hard time getting anything done without someone there to prod him along.
Because of their opposite personalities, Nate and his brother don’t always get along the greatest. It seems the more time they spend together the worse it gets. It reminds me some of my sisters, who I couldn’t get away from fast enough when I left for college. All that seems to change as you get older and aren’t seeing them every single day. Kaitlyn and Kirsten are coming up for a little visit this weekend, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to see them. I hope Nate and Ryan will someday have a similar relationship. I have a feeling once Ryan leaves for college this fall the dust will settle. But until now, I’m going to be very careful whenever I open any barn doors. You never know when a bucket might come flying at your head.
. . . And June 18th
One of the occupational hazards of working with Todd is he helps organize the beer tents at Colby Cheese Days. That means I’m doomed to work there at least once for the weekend. Last year out of desperation Todd asked me to work a shift Saturday night. It actually wasn’t too bad and I had fun with it. So this year I told Todd he could sign me up for the Saturday night shift again.
A few days before the start of Cheese Days, Todd realized he’d made a mistake in the scheduling. With the antique tractor pull scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. this year, there were only workers scheduled in the south stand until 6 p.m. He asked if I would come in a little early and help out. So after spending time at the Chariots of Cheese in the morning and pedal tractor pull and carnival in the afternoon, I headed back to Colby for a few shots of the antique pullers and free labor at the beer stand. I ended up working with Kelly, so we had a fun night chattering away between customers and restocking the tubs of beer, soda, water and ice. Although I had fun at the south stand as well, it is quite a bit different than the big north stand. At the north stand, you just need to be able to count tickets and run a tap. At the south stand there’s money involved and there’s the constant restocking of inventory. My special job became crawling in the tiny refrigerated trailer to dig out cases of beer and soda. Unfortunately, someone had placed our most popular seller in the back under another kind. It took some maneuvering, but I was able to dig out the 12-packs without getting locked in there.
Business was steady, but we still found time to indulge in some 50/50 tickets. Despite our best efforts to sway the sellers and even a plot to bribe the announcer, we didn’t win. As it got later, we faced a new challenge: no lights. Though someone had rigged up a flood light for us, it got harder to tell the difference between Busch Light and Bud Light while we tried to fish them from the icy water. Going into the trailer was even more fun, since I blocked any light that may be seeping in as soon as I climbed inside.
When the tractor pull wrapped up, Kelly and I packed away the merchandise for the evening, locked it all up and towed the lone cooler that would not fit in the trailer to the big stand. Since the north stand was going full bore, I stuck around and helped serve a few more hours. Nate, my sister, Kirsten, and several of Nate’s friends had made the trip south to check out Cheese Days, so I visited with them between pouring pitchers for thirsty Cheese Days-goers. At 1 a.m. business slowed, so I talked Nate into heading home. After all, the parade was now only a few hours away.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The wonders of modern technology
We can't cure cancer, end world hunger or find a way to efficiently run a car without oil, but dammit, we can get TP without touching the roll...
Company Rolls Out Electronic Toilet Tissue Dispenser That Spits Out 5 Sheets Per Wave
ROSWELL, Ga. (AP) -- Richard Thorne grins as he waves his hand under a toilet paper dispenser in a women's restroom. The machine spits five sheets of tissue into his grasp.
A year in the works, the electronic tissue dispenser is being rolled out to the masses by Kimberly-Clark Professional as it seeks to capture more of the $1 billion away-from-home toilet paper market. The company believes most people will be satisfied with five sheets -- and use 20 percent less toilet paper.
"Most people will take the amount given," says Thorne. Waxing philosophical, he adds, "People generally in life will take what you give them."
Kimberly-Clark turned to focus groups and years of internal research to determine just how much is right.
Americans typically use twice as much toilet paper as Europeans -- as much as an arm's length each pull, Thorne says. The company decided the best length is about 20 inches -- or precisely five standard toilet paper squares, though the machine can also be adjusted to churn out 16 inches or 24 inches, depending on the demand.
Roswell-based Kimberly-Clark Professional, a unit of Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp., hopes dispensers like the one at the office will one day fit in with the automatic toilets, faucets and paper towel machines that have become a norm in many other office and institutional bathrooms.
"The one part of the room where there's not an automatic option is toilet tissue," says Thorne, director of the company's washroom business.
Call it a final frontier -- of cheapness -- if you wish.
When one of the two motion sensors is activated, the device's battery-powered motor automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of toilet paper.
The machine isn't completely automated. Each also comes with a suite of "security" features in case the machine malfunctions.
There's an emergency feed button, and a manual feed roller lets the users pull the roll around if the motor breaks down or the four D-size batteries run out. There's also an option for a "rescue roll" on one side of the machine just in case the old-fashioned way is preferred.
"This is probably the most personal experience you can have. We didn't want to get any frustrations," Thorne says. "None of us like to touch things they think someone before them has touched."
The devices cost about $30 apiece for the plastic variety, and $55 if cased in stainless steel.
Sean Nichols, one of the lead marketers for the device, says he's banking on the "coolness, the newness of the unit."
He's sending some to late-night comedians and hoping for TV exposure. He also says he hopes the devices will appeal to clean-freaks, such as Tony Shalhoub's obsessive compulsive germophobe character on the USA Network's "Monk."
But Thorne admits the company won't truly achieve a "touchless" bathroom until it develops a toilet that does the dirty work for you.
"And that," he says, "is going to be interesting."
He slides his hand under the toilet paper one more time for emphasis, and another string of toilet paper shoots out.
"The final frontier," he says with a smile.
Company Rolls Out Electronic Toilet Tissue Dispenser That Spits Out 5 Sheets Per Wave
ROSWELL, Ga. (AP) -- Richard Thorne grins as he waves his hand under a toilet paper dispenser in a women's restroom. The machine spits five sheets of tissue into his grasp.
A year in the works, the electronic tissue dispenser is being rolled out to the masses by Kimberly-Clark Professional as it seeks to capture more of the $1 billion away-from-home toilet paper market. The company believes most people will be satisfied with five sheets -- and use 20 percent less toilet paper.
"Most people will take the amount given," says Thorne. Waxing philosophical, he adds, "People generally in life will take what you give them."
Kimberly-Clark turned to focus groups and years of internal research to determine just how much is right.
Americans typically use twice as much toilet paper as Europeans -- as much as an arm's length each pull, Thorne says. The company decided the best length is about 20 inches -- or precisely five standard toilet paper squares, though the machine can also be adjusted to churn out 16 inches or 24 inches, depending on the demand.
Roswell-based Kimberly-Clark Professional, a unit of Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark Corp., hopes dispensers like the one at the office will one day fit in with the automatic toilets, faucets and paper towel machines that have become a norm in many other office and institutional bathrooms.
"The one part of the room where there's not an automatic option is toilet tissue," says Thorne, director of the company's washroom business.
Call it a final frontier -- of cheapness -- if you wish.
When one of the two motion sensors is activated, the device's battery-powered motor automatically dispenses a predetermined amount of toilet paper.
The machine isn't completely automated. Each also comes with a suite of "security" features in case the machine malfunctions.
There's an emergency feed button, and a manual feed roller lets the users pull the roll around if the motor breaks down or the four D-size batteries run out. There's also an option for a "rescue roll" on one side of the machine just in case the old-fashioned way is preferred.
"This is probably the most personal experience you can have. We didn't want to get any frustrations," Thorne says. "None of us like to touch things they think someone before them has touched."
The devices cost about $30 apiece for the plastic variety, and $55 if cased in stainless steel.
Sean Nichols, one of the lead marketers for the device, says he's banking on the "coolness, the newness of the unit."
He's sending some to late-night comedians and hoping for TV exposure. He also says he hopes the devices will appeal to clean-freaks, such as Tony Shalhoub's obsessive compulsive germophobe character on the USA Network's "Monk."
But Thorne admits the company won't truly achieve a "touchless" bathroom until it develops a toilet that does the dirty work for you.
"And that," he says, "is going to be interesting."
He slides his hand under the toilet paper one more time for emphasis, and another string of toilet paper shoots out.
"The final frontier," he says with a smile.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Why I was crabby earlier this week
Lately I’ve started to feel old. You’d think after leaving college, getting a “real” job and having a baby would have have done it before, but it wasn’t until these last few weeks I’ve really felt it. Where I’ve felt it is in my back. Over the past few years my body has started aging on me. I used to be able to work on the farm all day, go out all night, and get up the next day and do it all over again. But lately it seems any kind of physical exertion outside of my normal routine causes trouble. The next day my whole body aches and all I want to do is sleep.
The past few weeks I’ve had a bit of a sore back. I blamed it on sleeping on a mediocre mattress for the past six weeks and spending more time bending over in the garden. I took it easy last week after the graduation party, and I seemed to be feeling much better. But this weekend I really abused it and I’m paying for it now.
On Saturday I helped unload a few loads of hay. When it comes to mowing hay, there are two jobs: the wagon or the mow. Both have their bad points. In the mow, it gets hot and there’s usually not much air moving. Plus, you have to swing the bales up to the stack.In the wagon, there’s fresh air, but you can get a sunburn and if you are working solo like I was, you have to handle every bale. I figured it was about 10 steps per bale. I’m not sure exactly how much they each weighed or how many were on a wagon, but I figured I got a workout.
Sunday morning I woke up a little stiff but nothing unusual. With the first crop finally all done, Nate and I decided to tackle moving the rest of our stuff from storage in Medford to the farm. First we had to empty our furniture out of the trailer into the house. There are a few rooms nearly complete (one just needs paint) where we can store our furniture. Once we had the trailer cleared we headed to town. There we loaded all the boxes from the storage barn at Nate’s aunt and uncle’s house to the trailer. I took the job of stacking it in the trailer so it wouldn’t shift while Nate and his uncle pulled boxes from the shed. Afterwards we made a stop for ice cream, then headed home. A quick aside on the house, if everything goes as planned, we will close on it Aug. 1.
On Monday morning when I headed downstairs at Nate’s mom and dad’s, my foot slipped on the second to last stair and I landed hard against the stairs and tile below. I’m not sure what did it, the fall, the lifting, the mattress or a little of all three, but my lower back has been a mess since then. I apologize to anyone I was short with this week. Back pain, as well as feeling old, makes me crabby.
Update: Feeling better, but I can't wait to get my cushy mattress back instead of the firm one we're using now.
Also, you can find the most recent photos of Jacob here.
The past few weeks I’ve had a bit of a sore back. I blamed it on sleeping on a mediocre mattress for the past six weeks and spending more time bending over in the garden. I took it easy last week after the graduation party, and I seemed to be feeling much better. But this weekend I really abused it and I’m paying for it now.
On Saturday I helped unload a few loads of hay. When it comes to mowing hay, there are two jobs: the wagon or the mow. Both have their bad points. In the mow, it gets hot and there’s usually not much air moving. Plus, you have to swing the bales up to the stack.In the wagon, there’s fresh air, but you can get a sunburn and if you are working solo like I was, you have to handle every bale. I figured it was about 10 steps per bale. I’m not sure exactly how much they each weighed or how many were on a wagon, but I figured I got a workout.
Sunday morning I woke up a little stiff but nothing unusual. With the first crop finally all done, Nate and I decided to tackle moving the rest of our stuff from storage in Medford to the farm. First we had to empty our furniture out of the trailer into the house. There are a few rooms nearly complete (one just needs paint) where we can store our furniture. Once we had the trailer cleared we headed to town. There we loaded all the boxes from the storage barn at Nate’s aunt and uncle’s house to the trailer. I took the job of stacking it in the trailer so it wouldn’t shift while Nate and his uncle pulled boxes from the shed. Afterwards we made a stop for ice cream, then headed home. A quick aside on the house, if everything goes as planned, we will close on it Aug. 1.
On Monday morning when I headed downstairs at Nate’s mom and dad’s, my foot slipped on the second to last stair and I landed hard against the stairs and tile below. I’m not sure what did it, the fall, the lifting, the mattress or a little of all three, but my lower back has been a mess since then. I apologize to anyone I was short with this week. Back pain, as well as feeling old, makes me crabby.
Update: Feeling better, but I can't wait to get my cushy mattress back instead of the firm one we're using now.
Also, you can find the most recent photos of Jacob here.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Partied out
After being an active part of a graduation party for my brother-in-law, Ryan, this past weekend I remember why I’m putting off a wedding celebration. The party was held this past Sunday. Why so long after graduation? My mother-in-law wanted to wait until after she was done teaching for the summer to have the party, and we were scheduling around other graduation parties. Why a Sunday? This particular weekend was also the same as the Tomah tractor pulls, which Nate always goes to with his college buddies.
For the past two months the party planning has steadily escalated. I helped with groundskeeping this spring to keep the grass trimmed and healthy and the flowers from drying up. The guys built a new retaining wall around a tree on a slope, which was backfilled with rocks this past week. We also spent time tidying the area by the calf hutches, in front of the barn and around the vegetable garden. Inside my main duties were hiding Nate’s collection of mail, papers and miscellaneous junk. I also organized Jacob’s toys and moved my shoe collection from inside the door to the basement.
Starting Saturday morning things got downright crazy. Nate left for Tomah, so we occupied Jacob with his favorite cartoons so the women could start cooking. I sliced three types of melons and strawberries, along with shucking grapes from the vine for the fruit salad. Nate’s mom and aunt began a crazy salad-making spree in the meantime. In the afternoon I took Jacob to pick up the roast beef while the guys hauled in tables and chairs. We had a mad rush of visitors later on as my parents, relatives lending us a tent and relatives in an RV arrived almost simultaneously. That was actually a good thing since we then had plenty of help setting up the tent. I took a quick trip to Unity for pictures of the pulls, then back home to visit with my parents. Dad filled in for Nate in the barn so I gave Mom a tour of the new house.
The next day was as crazy as the first with decorating and getting the last minute cooking and cleaning done. Nate got home around noon, and at 1 p.m. we set out the food just in time for the early birds. About 2 p.m. everyone finally settled down from the final rush and got to enjoy themselves. The crowd cleared out for the most part by 7 p.m., but began to pick up again later in the evening as neighbors stopped in and some guests returned. At 11:30 p.m. I called it quits and carried Jacob, who conked out on the couch, up to bed. Nate came up at 12:30 a.m. after the last guest had left.
Nate and I always intended to have a party to celebrate our marriage. But after this past weekend, I think the family is partied out for now. I know I am.
(Yes, we still plan to have a wedding celebration someday. The way it's going it will be more like an anniversary party though. Progress on the house: loan approved, surveyer coming July 7, plan to close Aug. 1.)
For the past two months the party planning has steadily escalated. I helped with groundskeeping this spring to keep the grass trimmed and healthy and the flowers from drying up. The guys built a new retaining wall around a tree on a slope, which was backfilled with rocks this past week. We also spent time tidying the area by the calf hutches, in front of the barn and around the vegetable garden. Inside my main duties were hiding Nate’s collection of mail, papers and miscellaneous junk. I also organized Jacob’s toys and moved my shoe collection from inside the door to the basement.
Starting Saturday morning things got downright crazy. Nate left for Tomah, so we occupied Jacob with his favorite cartoons so the women could start cooking. I sliced three types of melons and strawberries, along with shucking grapes from the vine for the fruit salad. Nate’s mom and aunt began a crazy salad-making spree in the meantime. In the afternoon I took Jacob to pick up the roast beef while the guys hauled in tables and chairs. We had a mad rush of visitors later on as my parents, relatives lending us a tent and relatives in an RV arrived almost simultaneously. That was actually a good thing since we then had plenty of help setting up the tent. I took a quick trip to Unity for pictures of the pulls, then back home to visit with my parents. Dad filled in for Nate in the barn so I gave Mom a tour of the new house.
The next day was as crazy as the first with decorating and getting the last minute cooking and cleaning done. Nate got home around noon, and at 1 p.m. we set out the food just in time for the early birds. About 2 p.m. everyone finally settled down from the final rush and got to enjoy themselves. The crowd cleared out for the most part by 7 p.m., but began to pick up again later in the evening as neighbors stopped in and some guests returned. At 11:30 p.m. I called it quits and carried Jacob, who conked out on the couch, up to bed. Nate came up at 12:30 a.m. after the last guest had left.
Nate and I always intended to have a party to celebrate our marriage. But after this past weekend, I think the family is partied out for now. I know I am.
(Yes, we still plan to have a wedding celebration someday. The way it's going it will be more like an anniversary party though. Progress on the house: loan approved, surveyer coming July 7, plan to close Aug. 1.)
Friday, June 22, 2007
Caught up...
I finally caught up with posting columns. The one below is from Wednesday. We've been crazy busy lately. This weekend is Ryan's high school graduation party and my parents are coming to visit. We've got some cleanin' and cookin' to do yet before Sunday, but overall everything is in good shape.
In other exciting news not yet mentioned, my cow Marnie had a heifer calf almost three weeks ago. She weighed less than 50 pounds at birth (normal calf is closer to 100) but is spunkly little girl. Nate likes to pick on me by telling me she died because the cats got her. Jacob helped name her the obvious choice: Mini. I haven't taken any pictures of her yet, but I'll try to this weekend.
6/20 Column...
Depending on who you are and what your purpose is, public records can be your best friend or your worst enemy. As a journalist public records are a tool I use often. From accident reports to court records I use public records on a daily basis. Although I’ve never had to use the official open records request, we learned about it in my college media law class. As an FYI, the law is called the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA. Over 70 countries have some form of open records. Among journalists, these are known as sunshine laws--set rules on access to information or records held by government bodies. Sweden's Freedom of the Press Act of 1766 is the oldest law of this kind. Most of the U.S. open records laws were put in place in the 1970s.
So why do I go into open records? A couple Nate and I are friends with recently had a brush with open records. Mike is a friend of Nate’s from high school and was Nate’s roommate before we were married. His girlfriend, Kristen, moved to the area a few years ago from Green Bay. Despite her being a native Minnesotan, she’s adapted to the group quite well. For the past few years, Mike and Kristen have watched couple after couple say their vows. I’m sure it got annoying how many times people asked them, “So when are you going to get married?”
On the surface both seemed content with the way things were, so Nate and I figured it would happen just out of the blue someday. I ran into Kristen at a benefit last winter. We got on the topic of weddings and I couldn’t resist asking myself.
“Oh, we’ll probably just do something like you guys did,” she said, meaning a very small ceremony with a justice of the peace. I didn’t think much about it again until last week. As Nate and I were sitting around the supper table Friday night, Nate’s dad piped up, “So I see in the Star News Mike and Kristen are getting married June 22.”
We both about choked on our tater tot hotdish.
Our first thought was concern for Kristen, as she’s been working through a major illness since last fall. Then we came to our senses and decided quiet was just how they wanted it. I stopped in to visit Mike Monday night and asked about wedding plans. He said they hoped to elope now and have a big wedding next summer. However, since the newspaper came out he said his phone hasn’t stopped ringing. A marriage license, just like an accident report or court sentence, is a public record. While FOIA is vital for open government in this country, it can sure screw up a surprise.
In other exciting news not yet mentioned, my cow Marnie had a heifer calf almost three weeks ago. She weighed less than 50 pounds at birth (normal calf is closer to 100) but is spunkly little girl. Nate likes to pick on me by telling me she died because the cats got her. Jacob helped name her the obvious choice: Mini. I haven't taken any pictures of her yet, but I'll try to this weekend.
6/20 Column...
Depending on who you are and what your purpose is, public records can be your best friend or your worst enemy. As a journalist public records are a tool I use often. From accident reports to court records I use public records on a daily basis. Although I’ve never had to use the official open records request, we learned about it in my college media law class. As an FYI, the law is called the Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA. Over 70 countries have some form of open records. Among journalists, these are known as sunshine laws--set rules on access to information or records held by government bodies. Sweden's Freedom of the Press Act of 1766 is the oldest law of this kind. Most of the U.S. open records laws were put in place in the 1970s.
So why do I go into open records? A couple Nate and I are friends with recently had a brush with open records. Mike is a friend of Nate’s from high school and was Nate’s roommate before we were married. His girlfriend, Kristen, moved to the area a few years ago from Green Bay. Despite her being a native Minnesotan, she’s adapted to the group quite well. For the past few years, Mike and Kristen have watched couple after couple say their vows. I’m sure it got annoying how many times people asked them, “So when are you going to get married?”
On the surface both seemed content with the way things were, so Nate and I figured it would happen just out of the blue someday. I ran into Kristen at a benefit last winter. We got on the topic of weddings and I couldn’t resist asking myself.
“Oh, we’ll probably just do something like you guys did,” she said, meaning a very small ceremony with a justice of the peace. I didn’t think much about it again until last week. As Nate and I were sitting around the supper table Friday night, Nate’s dad piped up, “So I see in the Star News Mike and Kristen are getting married June 22.”
We both about choked on our tater tot hotdish.
Our first thought was concern for Kristen, as she’s been working through a major illness since last fall. Then we came to our senses and decided quiet was just how they wanted it. I stopped in to visit Mike Monday night and asked about wedding plans. He said they hoped to elope now and have a big wedding next summer. However, since the newspaper came out he said his phone hasn’t stopped ringing. A marriage license, just like an accident report or court sentence, is a public record. While FOIA is vital for open government in this country, it can sure screw up a surprise.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Last week's column, I'm catching up!
When I tell people what I do I get mixed reactions. Some suddenly become very conscious of what they are saying, like I’m a psychiatrist analyzing their words so I can put them in the paper. Some ask a lot of questions and seem eager to pick my brain on politics and quiz me like they expect to gain some inside knowledge on the situation. Sorry, I rarely know more than what goes in the paper. And even when I do I don’t often tell. It’s like showing a poker hand before the final wager. Some are enthusiastic and ask all about my camera and what kinds of things I cover.
I do run across all sorts of interesting assignments in my job. I’ve been on farms, in taverns, in schools and many local businesses all in the name of work. I’ve ducked line drives at softball games and dodged running backs at football games. I’m an annual attendee of about a dozen Christmas programs and all the local festivals. My favorite assignments, however, is ones where I really get to sit down and pick people’s brains and find out how they live.
Our Rural Living section is a perfect example of stories I like to do. For this Rural Living I had planned to do a story about a pheasant farm, which seemed to be a perfect Rural Living story. I called and spoke to the farmer’s wife and found out he’s a little camera-shy, so he declined. As I was about the hang up, the woman, whose name is Helen said, “But I have a perennial garden.” Facing a deadline and with no story, I replied, “That will work just fine,” and made an appointment with her. After I hung up I got a little nervous and realized I didn’t ask much about it. Lots of people have perennial gardens. Was this one anything special? What if I got out there and there was no story?
Luckily, I visited Helen’s garden which was chuck full of beautiful flowers of every kind. I especially like the irises because they reminded me of the purple ones surrounding our house when I was growing up. Despite her impressive garden the best time I had was sitting at her kitchen table with a cup of tea and a kolache (a type of Czech pastry). Some times people get nervous when I interview them and don’t say a whole lot, but Helen was exceptionally talkative. When we’d wrapped up my portion of the interview she began to ask questions about me. It turns out she reads my column every week. As we talked we realized our husbands are actually a lot alike. Both are a little on the quiet side but very motivated, intelligent workers and business men. It was fun to trade stories about being a farm wife.
Before I left Helen showed me her paintings, which could have been a whole other story in itself. She loves to capture rural scenes, and her image of a Hereford at a water tank staring at a little boy, tongues both hanging out, reminded me of Jacob. I’ve always had an artistic drive, which for the past few years I’ve channeled to my photography. Lately snapping pictures doesn’t seem to ease it. After seeing Helen’s country scenes I wondered if painting could be my outlet? If I can find the time between work and family I’d like to try.
Update: Still no time to paint, but I'm working on it :)
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
And finally, the June 6 update...
Sorry about the delay. Time flies when you are insanely busy.
6/6 Column:
I don’t recall if I’ve mentioned this but for the past several weeks, Nate, Jacob and I have been living with his parents.
It all came about due to the house deal we’re working on. We had hoped to have the purchase wrapped up by May 1. We gave notice to end our lease in February with plans to move into our new house right from there.
But as the date loomed, it became clear we needed an alternate plan. The house wasn’t done and we hadn’t agreed on a price.
We had extended our stay at our rental home past May 1, but it still wasn’t enough time. A day before we were to move, we decided it was time to move to plan B: put everything we owned in storage and move in with the in-laws.
Now, just for the record, I get along great with my in-laws, but I also wanted to keep it that way. Now into week four of residing with the Eckert family, things are going OK yet, but I am feeling a little claustrophobic.
It was time for a break from central Wisconsin. After making sure I had a clear schedule from noon on Friday until Sunday evening, I called my mom and told her I was coming down.
I hadn’t taken time to visit my parents since a quick visit in March. Several times I had hoped to make it down there, but something always came up: work assignments, car trouble, etc.
But this weekend luck was on my side. I picked up my car from the shop Thursday (it was diagnosed with a security system problem) and had no events to cover for the weekend.
Jacob has gotten to be a good little traveler. He sat quietly in the back seat, pointing out the more exciting sights like “Tree” and “Cows.” He dozed off somewhere around Babcock and didn’t make a peep until I woke him in Spring Green.
Friday night was a quiet night in, then Saturday we made it to the Iowa County Dairy Breakfast. I used to help at the breakfast during my 4-H days, but it’s been a few years since I made it there. It rained, but the pancakes were still the best I’ve had and we ran into several old friends who had not yet met Jacob.
We had an afternoon trip to the zoo planned, but we decided to do an indoor activity instead. My sister, Kirsten, who is also Jacob’s godmother, and I took the little boy to his first big screen movie, the latest Shrek flick. Jacob loves the big green ogre at home, so he was quiet as a mouse throughout the movie. The only time he moved was to get another handful of buttery popcorn from the bag on his aunt’s lap.
Back at home Jacob took a tour of the farm with my other sister, Kaitlyn, while I attacked some weeds in the strawberry patch. The recent rain is good for the garden, but bad for the rapidly growing weeds. Still, I got a good section cleared and found enough strawberries for shortcake.
On Sunday it was packing and lunch at a graduation party. We also visited my grandpa in his nursing home. He always gets a kick out of seeing Jacob. Then we headed back north with my little passenger sleeping almost all the way home. Dad was glad to see us, but his eyes really lit up when he saw the strawberries we brought him.
6/6 Column:
I don’t recall if I’ve mentioned this but for the past several weeks, Nate, Jacob and I have been living with his parents.
It all came about due to the house deal we’re working on. We had hoped to have the purchase wrapped up by May 1. We gave notice to end our lease in February with plans to move into our new house right from there.
But as the date loomed, it became clear we needed an alternate plan. The house wasn’t done and we hadn’t agreed on a price.
We had extended our stay at our rental home past May 1, but it still wasn’t enough time. A day before we were to move, we decided it was time to move to plan B: put everything we owned in storage and move in with the in-laws.
Now, just for the record, I get along great with my in-laws, but I also wanted to keep it that way. Now into week four of residing with the Eckert family, things are going OK yet, but I am feeling a little claustrophobic.
It was time for a break from central Wisconsin. After making sure I had a clear schedule from noon on Friday until Sunday evening, I called my mom and told her I was coming down.
I hadn’t taken time to visit my parents since a quick visit in March. Several times I had hoped to make it down there, but something always came up: work assignments, car trouble, etc.
But this weekend luck was on my side. I picked up my car from the shop Thursday (it was diagnosed with a security system problem) and had no events to cover for the weekend.
Jacob has gotten to be a good little traveler. He sat quietly in the back seat, pointing out the more exciting sights like “Tree” and “Cows.” He dozed off somewhere around Babcock and didn’t make a peep until I woke him in Spring Green.
Friday night was a quiet night in, then Saturday we made it to the Iowa County Dairy Breakfast. I used to help at the breakfast during my 4-H days, but it’s been a few years since I made it there. It rained, but the pancakes were still the best I’ve had and we ran into several old friends who had not yet met Jacob.
We had an afternoon trip to the zoo planned, but we decided to do an indoor activity instead. My sister, Kirsten, who is also Jacob’s godmother, and I took the little boy to his first big screen movie, the latest Shrek flick. Jacob loves the big green ogre at home, so he was quiet as a mouse throughout the movie. The only time he moved was to get another handful of buttery popcorn from the bag on his aunt’s lap.
Back at home Jacob took a tour of the farm with my other sister, Kaitlyn, while I attacked some weeds in the strawberry patch. The recent rain is good for the garden, but bad for the rapidly growing weeds. Still, I got a good section cleared and found enough strawberries for shortcake.
On Sunday it was packing and lunch at a graduation party. We also visited my grandpa in his nursing home. He always gets a kick out of seeing Jacob. Then we headed back north with my little passenger sleeping almost all the way home. Dad was glad to see us, but his eyes really lit up when he saw the strawberries we brought him.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Last Call: Relay for Life
I got a memo on my desk this morning: "A friendly reminder that Bank Night will be Monday, June 4." Crap, that means I'm still short of my goal for Relay for Life and I only have a few more days to get there.So you may be asking yourself at this point, "How can I help?" It's simple. Visit my Donation Web Site and make a secure online donation. You can use your credit or debit card, and the best part is it's tax deductible! (Amazing how the older you get, the more inportant that is.) If you'd rather send cash or check, we're getting pretty tight to the deadline to mail a donation but it's still possible if you get it in the mail right away. Visit my work web site on the right and you can send it right to the office.
A special thanks to everyone who has donated so far: Jen, Cindy, Lynn, Corey, Grandma, Todd, Jennifer L., Jane...sorry if I missed you, I'm listing those off the top of my head.
Still on the fence? Here's two reasons to donate:
#1. You are supporting the American Cancer Society and its efforts to help millions of people who have cancer now and the millions who may get cancer in the future. Supporting cancer research is an insurance policy. Maybe some day our children won't have to worry about this horrible disease.
#2. Wouldn't you like to see me walk from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.? For every donation I get, I'll put up one picture of me doing something silly at the event (and I'm taking requests).
But seriously I need your help! Hope to hear from all of you soon!
Friday, May 25, 2007
The Car Saga (5.23 column)
Mondays have not been too kind to me lately. But then again, neither has my car. Cars and I have a mixed history. My first car was a 1984 Plymouth Horizon, more commonly referred to in our household as a rat on a roller skate. The little four-cylinder was purchased for a run-around car for my mother long before I got my drivers license. My brother refused to drive the thing so two years later it became my shuttle to school every morning. Although it was not exactly a “cool” car, it got great gas mileage and drove like a go-kart. The poor little thing met its match with a large doe one December evening. Then it was on to my Olds Cutlass, a traditional and rather unexciting car for a high schooler.
When it was time for me to go off to college, I needed something more dependable. I had been eyeing the forest green Grand Am owned by one of the school administrators for a while when lo and behold he offered to sell it to me at a fantastic price.Despite higher mileage, I loved that car. It was trouble free and perfect for the times.
But my senior year of college, I had a good job working on a dairy farm and money burning a hole in my pocket. With a road trip to Louisville looming, I took out a loan for my current car, a newer Grand Am with lots of features. I left my trusty green car with my parents since they had helped pay for it. In this new car era, the ride has not been smooth. An alignment problem cost me few sets of tires before the problem was found. The intake gasket went bad. A wheel sensor was on the fritz. This winter I started to miss my green Grand Am still parked at my parents, now with almost 200,000 miles and no engine problems.
But never did I miss it so much as lately. My car has been towed twice in the last 10 days. The first incident was on a Monday in Colby. I went to a meeting and when I came back, the engine would turn over and over, but never fire up. I hitched a ride back to the office to borrow a car to make it home for the night, then called the shop in the morning. Along with a laundry list of little things I knew about, the fuel pump wasn’t working. Although it did start, there was no guarantee how long it would stay running. A few paychecks later, the problem was solved.
Or so I thought. This past Monday after dropping Jacob off at day care, I returned to my car to find the same problem: the starter would turn, but it just wouldn’t fire up. So it was another trip on the tow truck (which I believe my car may have a crush on) for more tests and analysis. The car did start at the shop, and no problem was found. To be on the safe side, for now I’m limiting my driving to a 30 minute radius from home just in case my car gets temperamental again.
In the meantime, Nate and I have started talking about possibly replacing it, but we haven’t agreed on what kind. He thinks he’s being brand loyal. I think he’s being close-minded. Either way, does anyone want to buy a car?
Update: My car refused to start Wedsneday and has been sitting in front of the house since then. We checked did a little vehicle shopping Thursday and found a Trailblazer, but I actually like the Equinox better. However, Nate doesn't think it looks manly enough, for some reason. More arguing to come, I believe.
When it was time for me to go off to college, I needed something more dependable. I had been eyeing the forest green Grand Am owned by one of the school administrators for a while when lo and behold he offered to sell it to me at a fantastic price.Despite higher mileage, I loved that car. It was trouble free and perfect for the times.
But my senior year of college, I had a good job working on a dairy farm and money burning a hole in my pocket. With a road trip to Louisville looming, I took out a loan for my current car, a newer Grand Am with lots of features. I left my trusty green car with my parents since they had helped pay for it. In this new car era, the ride has not been smooth. An alignment problem cost me few sets of tires before the problem was found. The intake gasket went bad. A wheel sensor was on the fritz. This winter I started to miss my green Grand Am still parked at my parents, now with almost 200,000 miles and no engine problems.
But never did I miss it so much as lately. My car has been towed twice in the last 10 days. The first incident was on a Monday in Colby. I went to a meeting and when I came back, the engine would turn over and over, but never fire up. I hitched a ride back to the office to borrow a car to make it home for the night, then called the shop in the morning. Along with a laundry list of little things I knew about, the fuel pump wasn’t working. Although it did start, there was no guarantee how long it would stay running. A few paychecks later, the problem was solved.
Or so I thought. This past Monday after dropping Jacob off at day care, I returned to my car to find the same problem: the starter would turn, but it just wouldn’t fire up. So it was another trip on the tow truck (which I believe my car may have a crush on) for more tests and analysis. The car did start at the shop, and no problem was found. To be on the safe side, for now I’m limiting my driving to a 30 minute radius from home just in case my car gets temperamental again.
In the meantime, Nate and I have started talking about possibly replacing it, but we haven’t agreed on what kind. He thinks he’s being brand loyal. I think he’s being close-minded. Either way, does anyone want to buy a car?
Update: My car refused to start Wedsneday and has been sitting in front of the house since then. We checked did a little vehicle shopping Thursday and found a Trailblazer, but I actually like the Equinox better. However, Nate doesn't think it looks manly enough, for some reason. More arguing to come, I believe.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Relay for Life!
Volunteering has been a big part of my life in the past, but, I sadly admit, it’s been pushed aside in the last few years due to family and work obligations. As a 4-Her for 10 years, many of my childhood memories include donated time. Christmas time always included a trip to the local nursing home for carols. Spring was time for roadside clean-up, and the first weekend of June was spent bussing tables at the county dairy breakfast. Then I spent the summer in the marching band entertaining in local parades. August was fair time which meant many little hands who wanted to pet calves at both state and county fairs. They also had a zillion questions about the critters.
The school year was filled with food stands at sporting events, pep band and other unpaid hours for the good of the whole. I didn’t have a job off the farm in high school because I was too busy doing unpaid labor. In college I was a member of a sorority which meant more volunteerism, which I was happy to do. It was a pleasant break from books, and I always felt better afterward no matter what other drama was going on. Three events really stick out from my sorority volunteering. The first was a trip to a children’s hospital in St. Paul to do craft projects with the kids. My sorority also annually conducted a special “trick-o-treat” for spare change around Halloween. We raised nearly $500 for charity. The third event was “Senior Prom” held at a local nursing home.
Since college though, other commitments have prevailed, right or wrong, for the past few years. I had nearly forgotten the joy of donating my time when I helped out at Colby Cheese Days last summer. For my New Years resolution, I vowed to find more ways to get involved. When a co-worker suggested putting together a Relay for Life team, I decided it was a great chance to give back. Cancer has become a presence in my life over the past few years as I’ve watched friends and co-workers struggle with the disease. It just seemed like the right cause.
Our TP Printing team, also known as “The Headline Chasers,” has been individually raising money over the past few weeks. If you have not been asked to donate and would like to, be sure to track one of us down. Donors are welcome to stop in the office during regular hours. Or if you see me out in the community in the next few weeks, I’ll most likely have my donation envelope with me. We’re also working on a few group efforts to boost our team total. We’re still in the planning phases, but a bake sale and raffle are potential events. Check this paper next week for the final plans.
Relay for Life organizers are also planning some fun activities during the event June 8-9, 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., at Owen-Withee High School. There’s a survivors’ lap at 6 p.m. and luminaria ceremony at 10 p.m. Going with the theme, “Carnival for a Cure,” organizers are planning family carnival games with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. We hope to see you there!
If you'd like to donate, visit my Relay for Life site: Donate Now!
Update: Plans for a bake sale and raffle are set for May 24 and 25. If you'd like me to pick you up some treats or need some raffle tickets, let me know!
The school year was filled with food stands at sporting events, pep band and other unpaid hours for the good of the whole. I didn’t have a job off the farm in high school because I was too busy doing unpaid labor. In college I was a member of a sorority which meant more volunteerism, which I was happy to do. It was a pleasant break from books, and I always felt better afterward no matter what other drama was going on. Three events really stick out from my sorority volunteering. The first was a trip to a children’s hospital in St. Paul to do craft projects with the kids. My sorority also annually conducted a special “trick-o-treat” for spare change around Halloween. We raised nearly $500 for charity. The third event was “Senior Prom” held at a local nursing home.
Since college though, other commitments have prevailed, right or wrong, for the past few years. I had nearly forgotten the joy of donating my time when I helped out at Colby Cheese Days last summer. For my New Years resolution, I vowed to find more ways to get involved. When a co-worker suggested putting together a Relay for Life team, I decided it was a great chance to give back. Cancer has become a presence in my life over the past few years as I’ve watched friends and co-workers struggle with the disease. It just seemed like the right cause.
Our TP Printing team, also known as “The Headline Chasers,” has been individually raising money over the past few weeks. If you have not been asked to donate and would like to, be sure to track one of us down. Donors are welcome to stop in the office during regular hours. Or if you see me out in the community in the next few weeks, I’ll most likely have my donation envelope with me. We’re also working on a few group efforts to boost our team total. We’re still in the planning phases, but a bake sale and raffle are potential events. Check this paper next week for the final plans.
Relay for Life organizers are also planning some fun activities during the event June 8-9, 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., at Owen-Withee High School. There’s a survivors’ lap at 6 p.m. and luminaria ceremony at 10 p.m. Going with the theme, “Carnival for a Cure,” organizers are planning family carnival games with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society. We hope to see you there!
If you'd like to donate, visit my Relay for Life site: Donate Now!
Update: Plans for a bake sale and raffle are set for May 24 and 25. If you'd like me to pick you up some treats or need some raffle tickets, let me know!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Homeless by Sunday
Well, I knew it was coming. We are officially homeless as of Sunday. The house deal is currently on the edge of disaster. We got news of the appraisal results at 6 a.m. this morning. $118,000, and that's just the house and one acre. The other four acres (which we want) are another $12,000. This is more than 50 percent higher than what our loan officer estimated it was worth. Not to mention it's still not done.
I was upset at first, not because we wouldn't get the house but because of how the seller jerked us around for the last year and a half. For example, he lied to Nate about when the appraiser was coming so he wouldn't be there when it was done.
I got a copy of the appraisal when I got to work this morning, and I've calmed down. There's one big red flag on it, and a few little ones. It was appraised as if we were adding it to an adjoining property. We don't own the farm buildings around it (Nate's dad does) which could reduce the property's value by about one third. That would put the appraisal right on the money with our loan officer's estimate.
There's also a few little things wrong with it. The house is listed as a three bedroom, but anyone who's been inside it knows the third room is not a bedroom. There's hardly enough room for a twin bed, and no closet. We planned to use it as an office for now, and a laundry room down the road when I tired of hauling clothes up and down the basement stairs. Another red flag is the septic system is very questionable. It didn't work when the last people lived there, and it sure as hell didn't fix itself.
Well, I'm taking the rest of the day off to get this thing straightened out. I'm hoping to meet with the loan officer this afternoon, and Nate wants to call the appraiser to say what gives. If all else fails, we'll be moving in with the in-laws I guess.
I was upset at first, not because we wouldn't get the house but because of how the seller jerked us around for the last year and a half. For example, he lied to Nate about when the appraiser was coming so he wouldn't be there when it was done.
I got a copy of the appraisal when I got to work this morning, and I've calmed down. There's one big red flag on it, and a few little ones. It was appraised as if we were adding it to an adjoining property. We don't own the farm buildings around it (Nate's dad does) which could reduce the property's value by about one third. That would put the appraisal right on the money with our loan officer's estimate.
There's also a few little things wrong with it. The house is listed as a three bedroom, but anyone who's been inside it knows the third room is not a bedroom. There's hardly enough room for a twin bed, and no closet. We planned to use it as an office for now, and a laundry room down the road when I tired of hauling clothes up and down the basement stairs. Another red flag is the septic system is very questionable. It didn't work when the last people lived there, and it sure as hell didn't fix itself.
Well, I'm taking the rest of the day off to get this thing straightened out. I'm hoping to meet with the loan officer this afternoon, and Nate wants to call the appraiser to say what gives. If all else fails, we'll be moving in with the in-laws I guess.
This week's column: Divorce (not me!)
A Chicago billboard is causing quite a stir. But it’s not the bare male torso or woman’s cleavage peeking from a black lace bra that’s causing the controversy. It’s the message between the two images: “Life’s short. Get a divorce.”
While neither Nate or I come from families of divorce, we are starting to see it among people our age. Right after college, it seemed like everyone was getting married. Now, just a few years later, three couples we know are divorced or in the process of it. Luckily, none of the three have children involved.
Divorce, although considered by some to be a modern phenomenon, actually dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, according to my internet research. It was liberally granted in ancient Rome under the theory “matrimonia debent esse libera” (“marriages ought to be free”). Either husband or wife could renounce the marriage at will. Divorce was eventually restricted by Christian leaders. The Christian church considered marriage a sacrament instituted by God and Christ indissoluble by mere human action. After the 10th century, divorce was generally prohibited. Husbands and wives were allowed to live separately (like today’s legal separation) but were still married. This is where alimony came from. The husband, even after separation, was bound to support his wife.
Marriage later became considered a civil contract, which was able to be terminated. Today divorce is quite common. It’s estimated around 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce. Your chances of a successful marriage don’t improve following divorce. According to divorcestatistics.org, 60-67 percent of second marriages fail and 70-73 percent of third marriages end in divorce.
So apparently lots of people are taking the advice of the all-female law firm who used the billboard with the catchy slogan as advertising. Critics say the ad promotes divorce, still seen as taboo among portions of our society. Supporters, as well as the sponsor law firm, say it promotes happiness among people living in a bad relationship.
I guess I have mixed feelings on the subject. The message alone has a lot of truth. Life’s too short for a lot of things, including living in a bad marriage. Although I’ve seen situations where people “stay together for the children,” sometimes I think the children would be better off without the tension and unhappiness in the home. At the same time, the use of sexual imagery is in poor taste. It leaves the impression that’s all there is to marriage. Everybody knows that’s not true; there’s also bills, raising children, working together, playing together and talking together.
Chicago won’t have to worry about whether or not the billboard is motivational or grotesque. It was taken down Tuesday. I don’t endorse censorship, but this may have been the right thing to do. There was nothing wrong with the message, but how it was presented was in poor taste.
While neither Nate or I come from families of divorce, we are starting to see it among people our age. Right after college, it seemed like everyone was getting married. Now, just a few years later, three couples we know are divorced or in the process of it. Luckily, none of the three have children involved.
Divorce, although considered by some to be a modern phenomenon, actually dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, according to my internet research. It was liberally granted in ancient Rome under the theory “matrimonia debent esse libera” (“marriages ought to be free”). Either husband or wife could renounce the marriage at will. Divorce was eventually restricted by Christian leaders. The Christian church considered marriage a sacrament instituted by God and Christ indissoluble by mere human action. After the 10th century, divorce was generally prohibited. Husbands and wives were allowed to live separately (like today’s legal separation) but were still married. This is where alimony came from. The husband, even after separation, was bound to support his wife.
Marriage later became considered a civil contract, which was able to be terminated. Today divorce is quite common. It’s estimated around 50 percent of first marriages end in divorce. Your chances of a successful marriage don’t improve following divorce. According to divorcestatistics.org, 60-67 percent of second marriages fail and 70-73 percent of third marriages end in divorce.
So apparently lots of people are taking the advice of the all-female law firm who used the billboard with the catchy slogan as advertising. Critics say the ad promotes divorce, still seen as taboo among portions of our society. Supporters, as well as the sponsor law firm, say it promotes happiness among people living in a bad relationship.
I guess I have mixed feelings on the subject. The message alone has a lot of truth. Life’s too short for a lot of things, including living in a bad marriage. Although I’ve seen situations where people “stay together for the children,” sometimes I think the children would be better off without the tension and unhappiness in the home. At the same time, the use of sexual imagery is in poor taste. It leaves the impression that’s all there is to marriage. Everybody knows that’s not true; there’s also bills, raising children, working together, playing together and talking together.
Chicago won’t have to worry about whether or not the billboard is motivational or grotesque. It was taken down Tuesday. I don’t endorse censorship, but this may have been the right thing to do. There was nothing wrong with the message, but how it was presented was in poor taste.
Friday, May 04, 2007
This week's column...all about rocks
After a stressful week that included a big work project and a trip to urgent care, I was hoping to spend the weekend napping on a lounge chair under a shade tree. Nate, however, had other plans. So did Jacob.
My lazy weekend turned out to be rather productive, which was probably good for me. Saturday started off with a trip to the bank, then a stop at the barn to let Jacob explore. He loves all farm animals and knows all their sounds, but cows are the favorite by far. One game he can play for hours is walking in front of the cows in the tie stalls and smacking whoever dares to sniff him on the nose. I guess for a 30-pound boy, startling an unexpecting, 1,200-pound bovine is a thrill.
After lunch with Grandma Bubble, I finally got Jacob down for a nap, which I enjoyed as well. He was tired from tearing around the farm, but I was exhausted from trying to keep up with him and make sure he didn’t get hurt. Later that afternoon, we took a can of cold pop to the field where Nate was working. Watching him in the tractor made me realize how bad we need rain. He was just a cloud of dust as he worked the soil. Jacob got to play with Grandma that night so I could help Nate with chores. Since the guys were on the tractors all day, we got a late start on chores. An extra person makes all the difference then.
On Sunday, Nate had special plans for me, Jacob and Grandma Bubbles: rock picking. Where I grew up, rocks are a big deal in the fields. I can remember picking rocks one time as a kid, and that’s because we were making a new field from what had been an overgrown brush patch. When I moved up here, I couldn’t believe how full of stones the soil was. In the spring, rock picking is just as important as plowing or planting. Corn fields aren’t as important, but in hay fields rocks can be a big problem. Hitting a rock with a haybine can cause a lot of damage, and with a disc-bine like Nate uses, it can be deadly.
Nate’s dad Tony found this out a few years ago. They had only had their new tractor a few weeks when he hit a big rock with the discbine. A piece of it hit the back window, shattering it. But he was lucky. If the window hadn’t taken the brunt of the damage, it might have hit Tony instead.
So Sunday we scoured a hay field for rocks before the alfalfa gets too tall to see them. Jacob seemed to enjoy the experience for the most part. I was hoping since he showed he could pick up Easter eggs, he could pick up little rocks too. But no luck. He was content just to tag along and jabber to the rest of us. More than three hours and many trips across the field, we called it a day. We didn’t quite finish the field, but it should only take another two or three passes to clear the remainder.
I had planned to pick up some groceries Sunday on the way home, but decided neither Jacob or I were in any kind of shape to be seen in public. As the saying goes, “It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.”
My lazy weekend turned out to be rather productive, which was probably good for me. Saturday started off with a trip to the bank, then a stop at the barn to let Jacob explore. He loves all farm animals and knows all their sounds, but cows are the favorite by far. One game he can play for hours is walking in front of the cows in the tie stalls and smacking whoever dares to sniff him on the nose. I guess for a 30-pound boy, startling an unexpecting, 1,200-pound bovine is a thrill.
After lunch with Grandma Bubble, I finally got Jacob down for a nap, which I enjoyed as well. He was tired from tearing around the farm, but I was exhausted from trying to keep up with him and make sure he didn’t get hurt. Later that afternoon, we took a can of cold pop to the field where Nate was working. Watching him in the tractor made me realize how bad we need rain. He was just a cloud of dust as he worked the soil. Jacob got to play with Grandma that night so I could help Nate with chores. Since the guys were on the tractors all day, we got a late start on chores. An extra person makes all the difference then.
On Sunday, Nate had special plans for me, Jacob and Grandma Bubbles: rock picking. Where I grew up, rocks are a big deal in the fields. I can remember picking rocks one time as a kid, and that’s because we were making a new field from what had been an overgrown brush patch. When I moved up here, I couldn’t believe how full of stones the soil was. In the spring, rock picking is just as important as plowing or planting. Corn fields aren’t as important, but in hay fields rocks can be a big problem. Hitting a rock with a haybine can cause a lot of damage, and with a disc-bine like Nate uses, it can be deadly.
Nate’s dad Tony found this out a few years ago. They had only had their new tractor a few weeks when he hit a big rock with the discbine. A piece of it hit the back window, shattering it. But he was lucky. If the window hadn’t taken the brunt of the damage, it might have hit Tony instead.
So Sunday we scoured a hay field for rocks before the alfalfa gets too tall to see them. Jacob seemed to enjoy the experience for the most part. I was hoping since he showed he could pick up Easter eggs, he could pick up little rocks too. But no luck. He was content just to tag along and jabber to the rest of us. More than three hours and many trips across the field, we called it a day. We didn’t quite finish the field, but it should only take another two or three passes to clear the remainder.
I had planned to pick up some groceries Sunday on the way home, but decided neither Jacob or I were in any kind of shape to be seen in public. As the saying goes, “It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.”
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
New month, new house!
Kind of looks like a Lincoln Log house doesn't it? I loaded the much anticipated photos on facebook this morning. You can see all the interior shots plus my commentary by clicking here: Our Future House
There's still a lot of work to be done in the next too weeks, but the end seems to be in the distance. The much anticipated (and possibly dreaded depending on how it turns out) appraisal it next week. We have to be out of our rental home by May 12. So if anyone wants to come help us move that Saturday... :)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Inside my crazy brain...
Once again, I have no big topic to discuss this week. So, back by popular demand, here’s another episode of “Random Thoughts.”
--Nate and I went to Miller Park Saturday to watch the Brewers and Astros. I’m steadily becoming a Brewer fan, although I still can’t stomach watching a baseball game on TV. There’s just nothing quite like being right there. On TV you miss the sausage races, fan trivia, fireworks and Bernie going down the big yellow slide. If you haven’t been to Miller Park yet, plan a trip this summer.
Another great aspect of the Brewer stadium is actually outside. Pre-game tailgating is just one huge party. The smokey charcoal grills with sizzling brats is not to be missed, not to mention the cold drinks. After all, the park and team were named after frosty beverages.
--Another reason for Saturday’s trip was to spend quality time with my husband who I haven’t seen much of lately. It’s spring fieldwork season, so all Nate’s free time is spent on a tractor or fixing a piece of equipment he broke while on the tractor. Nights aren’t much better. Nate tends to work in the fields until he absolutely has to stop to milk cows. By then, it’s on the late side and then it’s after 10 p.m. before he comes in the driveway.
Overall, Nate’s been in a good mood lately, as have most farmers I think. Although the state’s a little behind the five-year average for getting the oats in, the great weather the last few days should help many catch up or even get ahead. The fields are actually pretty dry, which is both good and a little scary. Lately it seems dry springs translate into dry summers. Also, some moisture would kick-start the grass and rest of the plants to green up a little more. Some leaves on the trees would be welcome right now.
--The move is getting closer and closer...I think. We’re still holding out hope we’ll be moving directly into the new house without a layover with Nate’s mom and dad. New to the house in the last few weeks are kitchen cabinets, lighting in the great room, bathroom cabinets and an outside light beside the kitchen door. However, move-in ready it is not. Yes, there’s a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink and toilet, but none are hooked up yet. Doors have yet to be installed and some interior wood wall covering needs to be lacquered. However, I’d take plumbing over privacy any day.
--Since we’ll be moving soon, I’ve started to take inventory in the house for an efficient relocation. Or an attempt at it anyway. It’s amazing how much stuff I’ve forgotten I had: clothes, pictures, knickknacks, toys, shoes, etc. I keep telling myself if I haven’t touched it in a year, I don’t need it. However, it’s tempting to horde these new found treasures, but my conscience keeps getting in the way.
“Have a garage sale,” it says. Maybe I will, but not until after spring planting. My box carrier is busy in the fields right now.
--Nate and I went to Miller Park Saturday to watch the Brewers and Astros. I’m steadily becoming a Brewer fan, although I still can’t stomach watching a baseball game on TV. There’s just nothing quite like being right there. On TV you miss the sausage races, fan trivia, fireworks and Bernie going down the big yellow slide. If you haven’t been to Miller Park yet, plan a trip this summer.
Another great aspect of the Brewer stadium is actually outside. Pre-game tailgating is just one huge party. The smokey charcoal grills with sizzling brats is not to be missed, not to mention the cold drinks. After all, the park and team were named after frosty beverages.
--Another reason for Saturday’s trip was to spend quality time with my husband who I haven’t seen much of lately. It’s spring fieldwork season, so all Nate’s free time is spent on a tractor or fixing a piece of equipment he broke while on the tractor. Nights aren’t much better. Nate tends to work in the fields until he absolutely has to stop to milk cows. By then, it’s on the late side and then it’s after 10 p.m. before he comes in the driveway.
Overall, Nate’s been in a good mood lately, as have most farmers I think. Although the state’s a little behind the five-year average for getting the oats in, the great weather the last few days should help many catch up or even get ahead. The fields are actually pretty dry, which is both good and a little scary. Lately it seems dry springs translate into dry summers. Also, some moisture would kick-start the grass and rest of the plants to green up a little more. Some leaves on the trees would be welcome right now.
--The move is getting closer and closer...I think. We’re still holding out hope we’ll be moving directly into the new house without a layover with Nate’s mom and dad. New to the house in the last few weeks are kitchen cabinets, lighting in the great room, bathroom cabinets and an outside light beside the kitchen door. However, move-in ready it is not. Yes, there’s a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink and toilet, but none are hooked up yet. Doors have yet to be installed and some interior wood wall covering needs to be lacquered. However, I’d take plumbing over privacy any day.
--Since we’ll be moving soon, I’ve started to take inventory in the house for an efficient relocation. Or an attempt at it anyway. It’s amazing how much stuff I’ve forgotten I had: clothes, pictures, knickknacks, toys, shoes, etc. I keep telling myself if I haven’t touched it in a year, I don’t need it. However, it’s tempting to horde these new found treasures, but my conscience keeps getting in the way.
“Have a garage sale,” it says. Maybe I will, but not until after spring planting. My box carrier is busy in the fields right now.
Monday, April 23, 2007
I guess the bus driver was right...
Here's a little accident report from my paper's police blotter. This should tell you something about the level of intelligence around here:
XX XXX, 19, Medford, reportedly received serious head injuries in a mishap that occurred around 1 a.m., April 19, on CTH A in the town of Mayville. The police report states she was a passenger in a car driven by XX XXX, 18, Medford. She reportedly became ill and when she stuck her head out the passenger side window it was believed she struck a mail box with her head. The driver reported that she heard a “thump” when she fell back into the car. The driver said she took the passenger to a Medford hospital for treatment.
#1, Didn't the bus driver always tell you not to stick any arms, legs or heads out the window because you might hit something?
#2, Maybe they should have called an ambulance?
Here's another from the idiot files:
--April 4–An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford business for a theft complaint. The manager advised a cashier took two phone calls from a person who claimed to be with Western Union. The first call was for a transaction to one person, and the second call was to a person with the same last name. The manager said each time there was no money taken into the cash register, which is not how it was supposed to be done. He said in a normal transaction a person comes to the store with the exact amount of money. The person claiming to be with Western Union told the cashier she could do the transactions, so she did. The caller then told her to tear up the paperwork, which she also did. Both transactions were to California. The manager spoke to the security division at Western Union who said there were no such transactions. The pieces of the paperwork for the transactions were retrieved from the trash can. The cashier agreed to come in for an interview at a later time.
On a side note, the amount stolen was close to $5,000. Duh, "just send the money and dispose of the evidence."
I hope she got fired.
XX XXX, 19, Medford, reportedly received serious head injuries in a mishap that occurred around 1 a.m., April 19, on CTH A in the town of Mayville. The police report states she was a passenger in a car driven by XX XXX, 18, Medford. She reportedly became ill and when she stuck her head out the passenger side window it was believed she struck a mail box with her head. The driver reported that she heard a “thump” when she fell back into the car. The driver said she took the passenger to a Medford hospital for treatment.
#1, Didn't the bus driver always tell you not to stick any arms, legs or heads out the window because you might hit something?
#2, Maybe they should have called an ambulance?
Here's another from the idiot files:
--April 4–An officer was dispatched to an Abbotsford business for a theft complaint. The manager advised a cashier took two phone calls from a person who claimed to be with Western Union. The first call was for a transaction to one person, and the second call was to a person with the same last name. The manager said each time there was no money taken into the cash register, which is not how it was supposed to be done. He said in a normal transaction a person comes to the store with the exact amount of money. The person claiming to be with Western Union told the cashier she could do the transactions, so she did. The caller then told her to tear up the paperwork, which she also did. Both transactions were to California. The manager spoke to the security division at Western Union who said there were no such transactions. The pieces of the paperwork for the transactions were retrieved from the trash can. The cashier agreed to come in for an interview at a later time.
On a side note, the amount stolen was close to $5,000. Duh, "just send the money and dispose of the evidence."
I hope she got fired.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Infamy
There are certain days you’ll always remember where you were. My dad tells the story that he was in school taking a test when he heard John F. Kennedy was shot. Others older than I know where they were that day too.
I remember the Columbine shooting. We were in school, so the full effect didn’t hit me until I got home and that’s all that was on TV. I wasn’t a real emotional person then, but I remember crying as I watched the students embrace outside the school. I also remember the morning of the Sept. 11 attack and sitting in class trying to figure out chemistry problems. Students were mumbling rumors about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. We thought it might have been an accident, until I got home and saw both towers billowing smoke on TV.
This week, it’s pretty hard to think of anything else but the Virginia Tech tragedy right now. Monday may also go down as one of those days I’ll remember where I was when I heard. I actually didn’t find out until fairly late in the day. Jacob and I had been in the doctor’s office and I just hadn’t bothered to turn the TV on. I was driving through Dorchester that afternoon when my mom called and told me about it. Since I have my internet home page set to a news site, the story was the first thing that blared at me when I opened the program.
The problem with events like these is all the questions. Who was the shooter? Where did he get the guns? What set him off? Could it have been prevented? But mostly, why? I guess sometimes there just aren’t enough answers, and there may never be. The best thing we can do is pray for the families of those lost, the survivors who need strength to move on and that everyone can find peace of mind in the senseless murders.
“For today, we are all Hokies.”
------------------------------------------------
On a brighter note, there finally seems to be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel on the “house” front. We may not be homeless at the end of the month after all. I spent Saturday, with my sister Kirsten, who I am eternally in debt to, painting. We painted ceilings, closets, hallways, a bedroom and even the bathroom. Unfortunately there’s more painting to be done, but we got a really good start. I picked out the colors last week after getting a little input from Nate.
“As long as it’s not too dark,” he said.
I selected a light cream color for our bedroom and hall, a not-too-nursery blue for Jacob, and a grayish green (“Gull Green”) for the bathroom. Nate likes the cream, but he’s not completely on board with the green bathroom yet. It’s not a “green” green, but more of a blue-grey-green. The name “Gull Green” is a little baffling to me..
“I’ve never seen a green gull,” I told Kirsten as we were painting.
“Maybe it’s a sea-sick gull,” she said.
Ouch. But it’s too late now, so Nate will have to learn to live with it. I think it’s already growing on him a little, though it may take a while. Kind of like Gull Green mold I guess.
I remember the Columbine shooting. We were in school, so the full effect didn’t hit me until I got home and that’s all that was on TV. I wasn’t a real emotional person then, but I remember crying as I watched the students embrace outside the school. I also remember the morning of the Sept. 11 attack and sitting in class trying to figure out chemistry problems. Students were mumbling rumors about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. We thought it might have been an accident, until I got home and saw both towers billowing smoke on TV.
This week, it’s pretty hard to think of anything else but the Virginia Tech tragedy right now. Monday may also go down as one of those days I’ll remember where I was when I heard. I actually didn’t find out until fairly late in the day. Jacob and I had been in the doctor’s office and I just hadn’t bothered to turn the TV on. I was driving through Dorchester that afternoon when my mom called and told me about it. Since I have my internet home page set to a news site, the story was the first thing that blared at me when I opened the program.
The problem with events like these is all the questions. Who was the shooter? Where did he get the guns? What set him off? Could it have been prevented? But mostly, why? I guess sometimes there just aren’t enough answers, and there may never be. The best thing we can do is pray for the families of those lost, the survivors who need strength to move on and that everyone can find peace of mind in the senseless murders.
“For today, we are all Hokies.”
------------------------------------------------
On a brighter note, there finally seems to be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel on the “house” front. We may not be homeless at the end of the month after all. I spent Saturday, with my sister Kirsten, who I am eternally in debt to, painting. We painted ceilings, closets, hallways, a bedroom and even the bathroom. Unfortunately there’s more painting to be done, but we got a really good start. I picked out the colors last week after getting a little input from Nate.
“As long as it’s not too dark,” he said.
I selected a light cream color for our bedroom and hall, a not-too-nursery blue for Jacob, and a grayish green (“Gull Green”) for the bathroom. Nate likes the cream, but he’s not completely on board with the green bathroom yet. It’s not a “green” green, but more of a blue-grey-green. The name “Gull Green” is a little baffling to me..
“I’ve never seen a green gull,” I told Kirsten as we were painting.
“Maybe it’s a sea-sick gull,” she said.
Ouch. But it’s too late now, so Nate will have to learn to live with it. I think it’s already growing on him a little, though it may take a while. Kind of like Gull Green mold I guess.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Need something to do on the weekend?
The Eckert Household is soliciting applications for the following positions:
Paint application specialists
Furniture relocation technicians
For more information or to apply contact Karyn or Nate.
Photos of job site coming soon!
Paint application specialists
- Duration: One weekend, April 14-15.
- Qualifications: Some painting experience necessary or ability to learn. Neatness a plus.
- Description: Help Karyn and Nate paint their new house! Pay based on experience. Comprehensive benefits package including deluxe lodging at the current Eckert home; meals cooked to order by Karyn or the local McDonalds; all the beer or other beverage of choice you care to drink (after painting of course); and sober cab to/from local bar. Plus, be the first to see our new house! A modest relocation stipend is available.
Furniture relocation technicians
- Duration: Weekend still to be determined (like last weekend in April or one of the first two in May).
- Qualifications: Ability to lift boxes or furniture and help get it on the truck. Must be able to read labels and place items in corresponding rooms. Person with truck preferred but not required.
- Description: We're moving and need some muscle to help. Pay negotiable. Comprehensive benefits package including deluxe lodging at the Eckert home (possibly even the new one); meals cooked to order by Karyn or the local McDonalds; all the beer or other beverage of choice you care to drink; and sober cab to/from local bar. A modest relocation stipend is available.
For more information or to apply contact Karyn or Nate.
Photos of job site coming soon!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Just makes you want to quit
I don't really want to talk about it, but it's about all that's on my mind this week. Grace, my Ayrshire calf born March 31, died Saturday. She got sick last week and just couldn't shake it. Nate probably shot half a bottle of Excenel into her, but it didn't seem to help. I feel awful about it because I wanted her to be the start of rebuilding a nice group of registered cows.I know there will be more calves. I have two more heifers due soon. One Holstein in May (which is confirmed a heifer by ultrasound) and one Ayrshire in June. But right now I just feel awful and frustrated with the whole thing.
Seems like I just can't catch a break with any of my cattle. For all I've bought over the years (not to mention all the money spent), I'm down to these four I have in Medford and one or two more cows still at home. My best Holstein, Vida, has yet to have a heifer. All bulls so far, and she's six. I think she's going for a record.
So I guess if I want to build a herd, I either need to start buying, flushing the ones I have or just say the heck with the whole thing. The latter is certainly tempting right now.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Enlisted
So, the big news from my family is my sister Kirsten decided to enlist in the Air Force. I'm glad for her because I think it will give her the direction she needs right now, plus the chance to get ahead financially in the future. She would like to go back to college someday, but just needs a way to pay for it right now. Yay GI Bill.
Kirsten passed her physical yesterday and got her military ID card. She is on delayed entry, so she won't be leaving for basic training in San Antonio until sometime after June 15. Mom and I are thinking we might roadtrip down for her graduation and maybe visit my aunt who moved from San Bernadino, Calif., to Houston a while back.
Nate said to me last night what I'd been thinking about it: "I hope she likes it." My response was I'd never met anyone who went into the military voluntarily who didn't like it. I hadn't thought about it like that before, but it does make me feel a little better.
Anyway, hope you all keep her in your prayers as she takes on this new challenge. Congrats Kirsten!
Kirsten passed her physical yesterday and got her military ID card. She is on delayed entry, so she won't be leaving for basic training in San Antonio until sometime after June 15. Mom and I are thinking we might roadtrip down for her graduation and maybe visit my aunt who moved from San Bernadino, Calif., to Houston a while back.
Nate said to me last night what I'd been thinking about it: "I hope she likes it." My response was I'd never met anyone who went into the military voluntarily who didn't like it. I hadn't thought about it like that before, but it does make me feel a little better.
Anyway, hope you all keep her in your prayers as she takes on this new challenge. Congrats Kirsten!
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
NYC Part 2
After a week of anticipation (I’m sure all of you are still at the edges of your seats) I continue my tale of the big city. After the Conan filming, we hopped the subway to the World Trade Center site. Although it is now more of a construction site than one of destruction, the stunning photographs on display and strange empty space are still reminders of that horrible day four and a half years ago.It was early to bed and early to rise for Thursday as we got up extra early, grabbed some Starbucks and headed for the studio of “Live with Regis and Kelly.” Regis was absent due to his heart surgery, but Neil Patrick Harris (also on Conan the previous evening) was the guest host. We even got front row seats that had an amazing view of singer Josh Gracin and Kelly’s very cute shoes.
We took a walk through Central Park until rain cut our visit short. We then decided to take the NBC studio tour to escape the weather. As it turned out, it was an excellent choice. We caught Carrie Underwood rehearsing for Saturday Night Live. After the tour, we headed to the top of the Empire State Building. After dinner it was time for a visit to the wax museum. Jen and I had both been to wax museums before, but Cindy had not. I think she was expecting either a traditional museum or something cheesy. Instead, she took more goofy photos at the wax museum than either of us. She sang with Bob Marley, posed with N’Sync (which, for some reason, was missing Lance) and danced with Usher. “That was fun, do you guys want to come back tomorrow?” she said only half jokingly.
On Friday morning the “vacation” was starting to wear me down, so Jen and Cindy got up early to go to the Today Show while I slept in. I met them at Rockefeller Plaza only to find out I really didn’t miss anything by sleeping in. We met Meredith Vieira and the rest of the Today Show crew. Pink performed inside the studio, though she did come outside to greet the crowd. We spent the rest of Friday visiting the Statue of Liberty and had a late lunch in Chinatown. Friday night was concert night with Christina Aguilera at Madison Square Garden.
On Saturday Cindy awoke not feeling so great, but after a run to the drug store she was good to go for shopping on Fifth Ave. About 800 stores later, we stopped in a deli for pizza, then headed to “The Lion King,” our musical matinee. Times Square was unbelievably crowded after the musical, so we headed to Grand Central Station for a snack, then planned to go on a harbor lights cruise. However, we opted out after standing in line in the rain and hearing there were no more inside seats. Instead we finished our souvenir shopping, then Cindy decided to turn in early. Jen and I visited an Irish pub for drinks and nachos, then turned in ourselves.
The flight home was a little more exciting, but not in a good way. Storms made the flight longer, and a bumpy landing made me very happy to be on solid ground. I was even more thrilled to be back home with Jacob and Nate that night on a quiet country road.
Monday, April 02, 2007
So much for the season...
I was part of a rather chaotic and frightening event Saturday: the local Easter Egg Hunt.I've never seen so many greedy people in one place. During the actual egg hunt, Jacob and I almost got run over trying to pick up our 15 eggs. Dragging a little kid through a sloppy wet field with a camera bag and egg pail was pure hell. Jacob has little legs so we couldn't move very fast. When we would finally get to a group of eggs, other kids would swipe them right from under Jacob's little hands. It was worse than being at a summer parade. I'm sure I looked ridiculous out there, but I had to chase down the eggs for Jacob before the other kids took them all.
And remember the 15 egg limit? I literally saw parents carrying gallon pails piled full with eggs for their one or two kids. Guess they just can't count around here. Meanwhile, Jacob and I got six. Thankfully, a kind parent who's kid gathered a few too many took pity on us and gave us the rest of our quota.
After the hunt, which lasted less than 10 minutes to pick up almost 5,000 eggs, we stayed for the torturous raffle drawing. Jacob and I each received a ticket at registration, so we parked ourselves outside where the PA system was loud and clear to wait for our numbers. Finally Jacob's was called. I waded through the crowd, saying "Excuse, I just need to pick up a prize," over and over again. No one moved, mostly because they couldn't since it was so packed. Apparently these people thought they would have better chances if they crammed themselves in as close as they could to the prize table.
There were a few bright spots: Jacob got a kick out of the giant Easter bunny sitting in the corner. He went running over to it, only to have it wave at him. He jumped back as he realized it was a real person. He later made friends with the rabbit enough to sit on his lap for a picture.
Leaving was my favorite part.
I guess some people might have fun at those things, but if it wasn't for my job I'd never go back to one again. I do have to go to one this Saturday, but I'm going prepared this time. I'm taking Nate with me for a bouncer.
Friday, March 30, 2007
This year's Alice is going to look rather familiar...
Alice in Dairyland Finalists Announced in Chippewa County
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 03/30/2007
Five women have been selected to compete for the title of Wisconsin's 60th Alice in Dairyland. During a candidate briefing forum in Chippewa County on Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture informed the finalists about what the 'Alice' position entails and how to prepare for the finals event, which will be held in the county May 17-19.
This year's finalists include Brenda Cavanaugh, Prairie du Sac, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Tolea Kamm-Peissig, Athens, a graduate of UW-River Falls; Amanda Levzow, Rio, attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Jill Makovec, Muscoda, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Susan Orth, Fennimore, a graduate of UW-Madison.
The public is invited to attend the finals at the Sleep Inn & Suites in Eau Claire on May 19. They can also view the ceremony during a special live Webcast presented by Wisconsin Ag Connection, which is being sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Accelerated Genetics.
Alice in Dairyland is a full-time public relations professional employed by the division of agricultural development for a one-year term.
The funny thing is I know all of these talented women! I had classes (and probably a few drinks) with Brenda at UWRF, definately had a few drinks with Tolea at UWRF, plus she is my brother-in-law's ag teacher in Athens. Amanda was my sister Kirsten's roommate in Madison while she was in short course, and Jill is from Muscoda and we both worked in the PR department at CRI. And lastly, Susan and I were in the district leadership team back in the day for 4-H. It's my favorite saying, so I'll say it again: isn't it a small world?
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 03/30/2007
Five women have been selected to compete for the title of Wisconsin's 60th Alice in Dairyland. During a candidate briefing forum in Chippewa County on Friday, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture informed the finalists about what the 'Alice' position entails and how to prepare for the finals event, which will be held in the county May 17-19.
This year's finalists include Brenda Cavanaugh, Prairie du Sac, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls; Tolea Kamm-Peissig, Athens, a graduate of UW-River Falls; Amanda Levzow, Rio, attending the University of Wisconsin-Platteville; Jill Makovec, Muscoda, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Susan Orth, Fennimore, a graduate of UW-Madison.
The public is invited to attend the finals at the Sleep Inn & Suites in Eau Claire on May 19. They can also view the ceremony during a special live Webcast presented by Wisconsin Ag Connection, which is being sponsored by the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and Accelerated Genetics.
Alice in Dairyland is a full-time public relations professional employed by the division of agricultural development for a one-year term.
The funny thing is I know all of these talented women! I had classes (and probably a few drinks) with Brenda at UWRF, definately had a few drinks with Tolea at UWRF, plus she is my brother-in-law's ag teacher in Athens. Amanda was my sister Kirsten's roommate in Madison while she was in short course, and Jill is from Muscoda and we both worked in the PR department at CRI. And lastly, Susan and I were in the district leadership team back in the day for 4-H. It's my favorite saying, so I'll say it again: isn't it a small world?
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
New York City!
Sorry I've been getting behind. Here's a link to photos of my trip to NYC:
http://uwrf.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034022&l=51217&id=184904887
This week's column, a trip recap:
Since I got back from New York late Sunday night, everyone’s had the same question for me: “How was your trip?”
I got tired of answering after the eight or ninth person and told them to read my column this week instead. It saves me from having to tell the story over and over again.
Last week Tuesday night I headed west toward the Twin Cities. While driving, I began thinking about everything I had forgotten. When I reached Hudson to do my shopping, I called each of my fellow travelers. Turns out I wasn’t the only forgetful one. After arriving at Cindy’s, we reviewed our plans over an episode of Miami Ink. Cindy shared with us she wanted to get a tattoo. Meanwhile her husband Larry had a strange look on his face I took as disapproval. More on that later. I told Cindy to go ahead if she wanted, but get something small that can easily be covered.
I don’t think any of us slept more than two or three hours because 4:30 a.m. came awful fast Wednesday morning. After a quick stop for gas station coffee, we were on our way. As we pulled up at our drop-off point, Cindy suddenly realized she’d left one of her suitcases at home. Thankfully, it was an extra bag with just a towel, toiletries and a pair of pants. Nothing irreplaceable. Still, we figured that would be our disaster of the day.
The flight to Newark airport was rather routine. I planned to take a nap, but instead spent the time gabbing to Jen about newspaper stuff. She’s also a reporter at a weekly in the Twin Cities. We arrived, found our bags and boarded the train to the Big Apple. After getting a little disoriented, we finally found our place of residence for the next few days, the Big Apple Hostel. For those of you unfamiliar with hostels, it’s a very scaled down hotel. They’re more popular in Europe. They have bunk beds and shared bathrooms. Although this hostel accepts all ages, it’s most popular among the 30 and under crowd.
We wandered Times Square a bit (1/2 block from the hostel), then grabbed an awesome slice of New York pizza and visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The rest of Wednesday afternoon was dedicated to getting seats at Conan O’Brien. We went and checked with a clerk in the gift shop on where to check in. He said it’s upstairs, but don’t bother checking in until the time on the ticket. We walked up anyway, and they were handing out wristbands to confirm seats. “Come back about 4:10,” she said. So we headed back out, watched the skaters in Rockefeller Plaza and shopped. We came back at 4:05 p.m. “Come back in 10 minutes,” he said. So we got something to drink and came back. As we started to walk up, a lady stopped us. “You have to go down there,” she said. So we went that direction. The next guy said, “You’re too late, you were supposed to be upstairs.”
I could have slapped him. We explained to him what we were told, and he took us up to the correct line. So after all that chasing around, we did get into see Conan. Although I must say none of the NBC interns seemed to know what was really going on. To be continued next week...
http://uwrf.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034022&l=51217&id=184904887
This week's column, a trip recap:
Since I got back from New York late Sunday night, everyone’s had the same question for me: “How was your trip?”
I got tired of answering after the eight or ninth person and told them to read my column this week instead. It saves me from having to tell the story over and over again.
Last week Tuesday night I headed west toward the Twin Cities. While driving, I began thinking about everything I had forgotten. When I reached Hudson to do my shopping, I called each of my fellow travelers. Turns out I wasn’t the only forgetful one. After arriving at Cindy’s, we reviewed our plans over an episode of Miami Ink. Cindy shared with us she wanted to get a tattoo. Meanwhile her husband Larry had a strange look on his face I took as disapproval. More on that later. I told Cindy to go ahead if she wanted, but get something small that can easily be covered.
I don’t think any of us slept more than two or three hours because 4:30 a.m. came awful fast Wednesday morning. After a quick stop for gas station coffee, we were on our way. As we pulled up at our drop-off point, Cindy suddenly realized she’d left one of her suitcases at home. Thankfully, it was an extra bag with just a towel, toiletries and a pair of pants. Nothing irreplaceable. Still, we figured that would be our disaster of the day.
The flight to Newark airport was rather routine. I planned to take a nap, but instead spent the time gabbing to Jen about newspaper stuff. She’s also a reporter at a weekly in the Twin Cities. We arrived, found our bags and boarded the train to the Big Apple. After getting a little disoriented, we finally found our place of residence for the next few days, the Big Apple Hostel. For those of you unfamiliar with hostels, it’s a very scaled down hotel. They’re more popular in Europe. They have bunk beds and shared bathrooms. Although this hostel accepts all ages, it’s most popular among the 30 and under crowd.
We wandered Times Square a bit (1/2 block from the hostel), then grabbed an awesome slice of New York pizza and visited St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The rest of Wednesday afternoon was dedicated to getting seats at Conan O’Brien. We went and checked with a clerk in the gift shop on where to check in. He said it’s upstairs, but don’t bother checking in until the time on the ticket. We walked up anyway, and they were handing out wristbands to confirm seats. “Come back about 4:10,” she said. So we headed back out, watched the skaters in Rockefeller Plaza and shopped. We came back at 4:05 p.m. “Come back in 10 minutes,” he said. So we got something to drink and came back. As we started to walk up, a lady stopped us. “You have to go down there,” she said. So we went that direction. The next guy said, “You’re too late, you were supposed to be upstairs.”
I could have slapped him. We explained to him what we were told, and he took us up to the correct line. So after all that chasing around, we did get into see Conan. Although I must say none of the NBC interns seemed to know what was really going on. To be continued next week...
Friday, March 02, 2007
Last week's column
The time has finally come for us to say goodbye to our home of nearly two years. Well, not quite yet. I still have a few months to get used to the idea, but so far it just doesn’t want to sink in. I’ve written in the past about our quest to purchase a home of our own. We’ve run the gamut of ideas: anything from building new to parking in camper in Nate’s parents’ yard. Of course, I told Nate he would be living alone in that camper.
Truth is we’re sick of driving, and so is my car. This week’s been especially complicated between illness and trying to finish up our taxes. On Monday my trusty, now-getting-old car racked up 150 miles in one day. I know this because I filled the gas tank and reset the trip ticker that morning. On Tuesday morning when I left home I checked it again. Monday’s fiasco actually started last week. Jacob came down with a touch of stomach flu which he graciously passed on to me. After spending the weekend on the couch, I was only moving at half-speed most of Monday.
I dropped Jacob off at daycare knowing he was cranky and not feeling 100 percent, but I knew I didn’t have a choice until noon. I decided then the worst part of being a working mom is when the kids are sick. You feel guilty not staying home with them, and you feel guilty not being at work. It’s hard to tell which blade of that double-edged sword is sharper. Nate and I were able to work it out, but not without a lot of running. I picked him up and took him to Dad at the farm during Nate’s break between chores, then rushed to Dorchester to see U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.
Afterward it was back to the farm to keep an eye on the kid while the guys went back out to the barn. When Grandma Bubbles got home from work I headed out to my evening of school board and basketball. In the meantime, Jacob’s caretaker shifted to Auntie Hun Bun while Grandma headed to her own basketball game. I found him sleeping on the living room floor a few hours later when I went to retrieve him. All the different faces that day must have just worn him right out.
So 150 miles later, Nate and I made it back to our humble, rented abode. This is when the decision to break our lease was solidified. All this driving is costing us money that could be making a house payment, not to mention the dollars we’re sinking into rent. So how is the house coming? (As is the favorite question of all our friends, neighbors, relatives and even the guy who picks up our milk.) It’s making progress. The outside is nearly complete and the sheetrock is up inside. Dry wall should go in soon, followed by the kitchen fixtures, plumbing and heat ducts. But will it get done by May 1? That’s still a little up in the air. If not I guess there’s always a camper in the yard.
Truth is we’re sick of driving, and so is my car. This week’s been especially complicated between illness and trying to finish up our taxes. On Monday my trusty, now-getting-old car racked up 150 miles in one day. I know this because I filled the gas tank and reset the trip ticker that morning. On Tuesday morning when I left home I checked it again. Monday’s fiasco actually started last week. Jacob came down with a touch of stomach flu which he graciously passed on to me. After spending the weekend on the couch, I was only moving at half-speed most of Monday.
I dropped Jacob off at daycare knowing he was cranky and not feeling 100 percent, but I knew I didn’t have a choice until noon. I decided then the worst part of being a working mom is when the kids are sick. You feel guilty not staying home with them, and you feel guilty not being at work. It’s hard to tell which blade of that double-edged sword is sharper. Nate and I were able to work it out, but not without a lot of running. I picked him up and took him to Dad at the farm during Nate’s break between chores, then rushed to Dorchester to see U.S. Senator Russ Feingold.
Afterward it was back to the farm to keep an eye on the kid while the guys went back out to the barn. When Grandma Bubbles got home from work I headed out to my evening of school board and basketball. In the meantime, Jacob’s caretaker shifted to Auntie Hun Bun while Grandma headed to her own basketball game. I found him sleeping on the living room floor a few hours later when I went to retrieve him. All the different faces that day must have just worn him right out.
So 150 miles later, Nate and I made it back to our humble, rented abode. This is when the decision to break our lease was solidified. All this driving is costing us money that could be making a house payment, not to mention the dollars we’re sinking into rent. So how is the house coming? (As is the favorite question of all our friends, neighbors, relatives and even the guy who picks up our milk.) It’s making progress. The outside is nearly complete and the sheetrock is up inside. Dry wall should go in soon, followed by the kitchen fixtures, plumbing and heat ducts. But will it get done by May 1? That’s still a little up in the air. If not I guess there’s always a camper in the yard.
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