Has it been a month?

Sorry for no putting up any updates. The truth is I haven't been writing a regular column since the new guy started the end of August. I've been busy training him and trying to figure out what all my "new job" entails. So far it has been babysitting the new guy, still doing cops and courts and covering a few meetings, a little bit of sports photos, working on some special sections and covering for vacation.

I had my first day at the SN learning the ropes of their cops and courts. I'll be there Tuesday and Wednesday this week filling a vacation hole.

Speaking of vacation, I did use a few days of my own. Here's my last column on my vacation:

What I did on my summer vacation
When people announce they are “going on vacation,” that can mean many different things, depending on the person. Some people spend their days off catching up on the yard work or chasing after their children. Others go camping and brave the outdoors. Some go on exotic vacations to Mexico, Africa or Canada (OK, “exotic” might be stretching that last one) or to NASCAR races or to watch their favorite college or pro team play. Others visit relatives or old friends. One person in our office spent his vacation at a jazz camp for adult students.

I spent my vacation at the county fair.

For the past several years I have taken vacation to go to the fair. It’s become a tradition now, so I won’t be able to back out at least until my little brother outgrows 4-H in five years. I do usually take just two days of vacation for the whole affair. I don’t think I could handle any more “fun” than that. Anyone who participates in a county fair on the large scale like my family knows it can be a stressful time. There’s cattle to teach to lead, wash and clip before they can go on the trailer. Dairy cattle numbers from our farm have ranged from one or two to a dozen or more throughout the years. This year we had eight entered. Six made it to the fair.

We have cut back on the animal front, though. At one time throughout our 4-H careers at least one of us kids has shown beef steers, market lambs, chickens, geese, turkeys, rabbits, dogs, cats and horses. Over the years I think my parents have gotten smarter. We’ve cut back to just dairy.

But the animals are only half of it. There’s also all the fairhouse projects. As a kid I can remember making quilts, canning chicken, gluing cutout letters to posters, arranging flowers, selecting garden vegetables, tracking down the best bale of hay on the farm, framing photos and art, and others I’ve long forgotten. We’ve cut back on that too. Most of my brother and sister’s projects are limited to summer-long projects: flowers, crops, vegetables, art, photography, etc. It saves on the last-minute poster making rush.

That’s not to say there isn’t a rush. Kaitlyn put the finishing touches on flower arrangements as we hurried to the fair Wednesday morning. Kristopher put his hay samples in the required clear plastic bags as we were loading the truck. Then there’s the cattle. Getting six in tip-top condition is a little easier than a dozen or so, but it can still wear on a person. They sure know how to make a mess in the few hours they have to themselves between midnight and 4 a.m.

But I will go back, year after year, until Kristopher is done with 4-H. Then, I plan to enroll Jacob.

Career as an event planner? I don't think so

Sometimes I wonder what I’d be doing if I hadn’t discovered journalism. I think my sister Kirsten thinks of me as her own personal travel agent. Every time she’s needed to fly home, I’ve been the one scouring the Internet for flight deals to find the cheapest way to bring her home. It’s a challenge and a game to be played with the airlines since the prices are constantly changing. I like to travel and explore new places so I think it would be fun to advise and arrange trips and vacations for travelers. It’s a hobby though, not something I want to make into a career. This past week at a meeting, Gary Leichtman jokingly told me I should have been a police officer. One of my college roommates became a sheriff’s deputy and really enjoys it. Maybe I should have looked into it a little.

I’ve had a few friends from college who at one time wanted to be event planners: conferences, weddings, etc. That’s one area that’s never appealed to me. Too many details to worry about, too many things that can go wrong and too many people involved. This past weekend I got a little taste of what that career would be like in planning Jacob’s third birthday party.

For the kid’s first and second birthdays we just had small family gatherings, usually just for cake, ice cream and a few gifts. After encouragement from a few others and attending a kiddie birthday party earlier this summer, I decided it would be fun to finally host one. Plus, it would give people who haven’t had an excuse to visit yet a chance to see our house.

Events tend to snowball, I think. It starts innocently enough: picking a date, a guest list, designing and mailing invitations, menu planning, etc. It doesn’t take too long to get somewhat out of control. Looking at the calendar, there were only two open weekends that would possibly work in July and August. I crossed off one because Nate’s mom would be on vacation in South Carolina. That left August 9. The first full week of the month tends to be my busiest week because I usually have both a city council and a village board meeting. Throw a referendum meeting in there and that eats up the first three days of the week.

Thursday morning I surveyed the house and wondered what I was thinking. The island was piled full of mail. The lawn was four days past when it should have been mowed. The fridge was piled full of uneaten leftovers. To top it all off, Jacob’s toys were littered about most of the house. I made a list of what needed to be done on what days to make this work by 2 p.m. on Satuday. Somehow, it all came together. Jacob even helped a little (I bribed him with fruit snacks to pick up his toys). My mother-in-law washed windows and my mom helped with the food. By 1 p.m. Saturday, most of it was pulled together and I was finally able to relax as the guests arrived.

Tuesday I visited the friends and family picnic at Continental Manor. As I talked to one of the employees, Becky, we were in awe of how well organized the event was despite having what looked like several hundred people to feed and entertain. I could barely handle 30 guests. No, event planning is not for me. I’ll stick with newspapers.

Jacob's birthday: Part I

**We also did a part for him Saturday. Here's the summary from Aug. 3-4. I'll get something up about this past weekend later.

What do you get a little boy who already has too much stuff for his third birthday? A trip to Lambeau Field of course. A few months back I received a press release announcing the Green Bay Packers Family Night at the stadium. It landed on Aug. 3, the day after Jacob’s birthday, so it seemed like perfect timing for a family getaway.

Last year I started something which I hope to make into a family tradition. Instead of buying Jacob more toys, we took him to a wildlife park near Minocqua as his birthday treat. He was going through an animal-loving phase at the time so he had a blast. This year Jacob’s tastes have moved a little more toward sports and things that go: big trucks, trains, airplanes, etc. dmittedly, he’s more into baseball and watching dad play softball right now, but I’m sure his taste in sports will morph with the seasons.

I had never been to Packers Family Night, but it got excellent reviews from those I talked to about it. First of all, it’s a bargain.Tickets for all seats are $8, parking at the stadium is $5 (or free on the street if you don’t mind the walk) and there’s a picnic lunch where everything from brats to watermelon to ice cream is just $1 each. My original plan was for us to spend an entire weekend, Saturday through Monday, in Green Bay. Due to Curtiss Days for me and second crop for Nate, we cut back to just one night. We left Sunday late morning and headed east. The hotel I booked was on the east side of Green Bay, so we took the scenic route and got a good view of the bay before checking in. Even though our hotel was a little out of the way from the main tourist attraction, I picked it for its pool area. The kiddie pool with giant froggy slide was the perfect place for Jacob. Dad caught a short nap while I attempted to burn some energy off Jacob.

We headed to Lambeau only to be greeted by dark clouds and spectacular flashes of lightning. We headed to a fast food restaurant for supper and shelter, hoping the event wouldn’t be cancelled. It stopped raining so we headed back to the field. Due to the lightning they still couldn’t allow spectators onto the bleachers. We visited the Hall of Fame while people huddled in all corners of the stadium concourse waiting for news. The storm did clear up in time, and it turned out to be a fantastic night. The fireworks at the end, shot off to music from all around the top of the field, were worth the entire trip.

The next day was more swimming, then a visit to the National Railroad Museum. Jacob was in awe the entire time, from his first sight of the giant locomotive, Big Boy, to the ride around the grounds. We could barely peel him away from the glass case of the model trains and the life-size ones left him speechless. We came back Monday afternoon in time to make it to the city council meeting. I shoved two days worth of work into Tuesday, but the trip was worth it. Anyone on a dairy farm knows family vacations are a rarity, but a little getaway can be enough. Now I have to figure out what to do for next year. Judging by Jacob’s excitement over Grandma Bubble’s birthday gift of a “fishing hat,” next year’s trip might have to be to the lake.