Running to and fro...

To be frank, some weeks I put more thought into this column than others. It just depends on what’s going on and what sparks my interest that particular week. This week I have a lot to choose from. I was running to and fro from 5 a.m. on Thursday all the way until now.

Yes, I said 5 a.m. That’s because I planned a full day of activity. It started with the alarm going off at an ungodly hour so I could fit everything in. After I rolled out of bed and we finally got on our way (Nate was a little more reluctant), our first stop was the car doctor where my trusty Pontiac had an appointment. I had dropped off a set of keys the afternoon before so the car just needed to be left. Then we headed out of town to spend quality time with the 70-some bossies. I’d agreed to help milk cows that morning so Nate could accompany me on the next part of my agenda.


After chores and a visit from a friendly salesman, we headed west toward the Chequamegon National Forest for my Rural Living story. I was accompanying several dairy farmers on an ice fishing excursion. This was my third time out on the ice, and the first two we didn’t catch anything worth counting. The weather was pleasant for January and the fish were hungry. In a few hours we lost count of how many flags had gone up. My tip up yielded the best catch of the day, although I let Nate reel it in. He pulled in a nice northern measuring over 30 inches. We also caught two other nice sized ones and threw back a few mediocre ones. Not bad for my third time out.



Without even getting very cold, we drove back to civilization to rescue Jacob. After a quick shower to get rid of the fish smell, the little guy and I headed south for some exciting wrestling. Although I planned to leave early to get to bed early, I couldn’t abandon such a close match. You could hear the crowd breathe a sigh of relief when the final match went in Abbotsford/Colby’s favor.

The following day my mom and sister came up to visit for the weekend. It’s nice having extra hands with Jacob around, even if the hands do come with bodies that crowd my little dwelling. We also firmed up plans to have Jacob spend a week with them in February. When the extra family members left Sunday after lunch to beat the snow home, I was ready for a nap.

Monday meant back to the grind and a night meeting. Although I was a little worn out from the weekend, I made it through the day without dozing off. Monday evening I had a pleasant call from one of my best college friends, Jen. She and her boyfriend, Chris, became engaged in October and they are busy making wedding plans for March 2008. Jen asked me to be a part of their wedding as a bridesmaid which I am delighted to do. Also, Jen mentioned a possible girls’ weekend trip sometime in the next few months. I told her I’d have to check my calendar and budget but I’m already dreaming of a long weekend on a beach.

So Tuesday morning I was pondering which exciting event I should write about. Suddenly I realized I was a mile past daycare with Jacob still in the back seat. Oops.