Time for Therapy

It was time for a little therapy today...many of you know what that means...yep, the hedge trimmers re-emerged from the garage.  Nothing like a little cleaning and hacking to work through some thinking time...cleaning the warehouse and working outside in the yard is the best form of self-help I know!  I'm pretty sure that, at least this week, you could eat off of the floor in the warehouse, I'm also pretty sure I've sucked up at least 500 spiders in my ShopVac.  And hey, the shrubs are all shaped perfectly for winter...can't beat that with a stick!

So during my thinking time today, I came to the conclusion that one should be careful what they wish for...I always thought it would be great to live around wildlife...then decided today that maybe it is not so fun to live by deer (netted and wrapped the trees for the winter), the squirrels (holes and nuts everywhere in the grass), moles (need I say more?), I smelled a skunk nearby today, too nearby....

When we had Sally, our old dog, I wished for a young puppy that had lots of energy and was fun to play with...and one that liked to ride in the car.  Well, now we have Fin...who in the groomer's words today, "is the most hyper of all the cavashons I know."  Yep.  Agreed.

Also, I used to wish for a little time to myself in the evenings or on the weekends, you know...no husband or kids, just quiet, maybe have the house all to myself...yeah, well now, sometimes the evenings are a little too quiet!  It is very difficult to arrive home from kid events and not be able to share this and that with another parent! 

On that note...I am going to wish that I get more motivated to run...there is a 5K coming up!

Running Thoughts...

Out for a run today after a bit of a hiatus, those are never a good thing.

Thought one: If you run/walk 2 miles and then stop and watch your son's scrimmage, then run/walk back home for 2 miles...does that count as 4 miles? Or is it 2 2-mile jaunts...just wondering...I need to get to 4 miles.

Thought two: I spy yet another snake on the sidewalk...why me? Why do I always have to be the one to see the snake? Are they good luck? Or do they just make you keep running? Did the people in the car notice when I screamed and then jumped?

Thought three: Why do I like Tom Petty so much while running? Free Fallin', I guess. And 70's music, what is up with that? Go Jackson 5 and Blue Oyster Cult (is that even 70's?) And after listening to Tim (McGraw) sing, "In My Next Thirty Years"...I wonder what my next 30 years will bring?

Zachnanigans

The Zachnanigans never cease to amaze me...here is a tidbit of a few of the nanigans around here that always bowl me over...boys!

Scenario 1: Some of you will remember this one...Betsy visits the basement mini-frig in desperate need of some caffeine. She is so happy when she opens the door to find numerous cans of pop...only to discover that they have all been opened, drunk and then put back. Really? Really!

Scenario 2: Betsy opens the junk drawer in the kitchen in search of the scissors...happens upon many things in the junk drawer that don't belong there...like MANY clipped tops of freezy pops (with the drops of juice still in them) and the top clipped-off piece of a mini bag of Cheez-Its. I guess that kitchen trash can is really inconvenient!

Scenario 3: Betsy notices several cans of soda lined up on the garage workbench. You know, right where you are supposed to leave your empties...HA! I venture over to check out yet another mess made by Mr. Messypot...most cans are half-full and then there is the curious squished up Diet Coke can with an unopened top. Hmmm, but the can is half empty...after further investigation it is determined that someone attempted to puncture the bottom of the can and drink it that way...is this what U of Iowa Hawkeye Tailgating has led to? Shotgunning soda in the garage?

Boys! Gotta love them! And their messes!

The Man in My Life Driving Me Crazy

It is not what you think...but there is a little man in my life, driving me crazy...might have to send him back to the farm. Wonder if it is too late for returns? His name....Finley George Starman, he is my 13 lb. furry little man with four legs and he is driving me bananas.

What do you expect from a poor little guy who has to spend quite a bit of time in his crate and spending most of last year in the recliner with his Dad? Who can blame him? But unfortunately, just this week, we have had to say good-bye to many items. Good-bye to Zach's lunch box, for an entire corner was chewed off and spit out. Good-bye to a chunk of my good Keen shoes and poor Maureen...good-bye to the chunk of her Keds. Good-bye to the left sleeve of Zach's football game jersey (brand new and this one cost me $35) and to the 3 pencils found in random backpacks. Finley George is on a mission. There was also the corner of the package of frozen sausage that was in reach, the corner of the box of granola bars, a couple of empty toilet paper rolls gotten out of a trash can and numerous pieces of mulch...snagged and brought in to be had under the kitchen table.

Like any man (OK, or woman), I guess he needs attention...

Revenge...it can be a little fun!

Some of you might remember this back story...

December of 2008...Keith was out of town and Betsy was holding down the fort at the warehouse. A semi-truck was due with a delivery of 3 full pallets of books from Estes Trucking. Luckily, Keith's nephew had decided to come and help for the day, he had a day off.

About 10:00 a.m. the very large Estes semi pulls up, next to the curb at the bottom of the driveway, and a quite plump, little round driver, who we will call Freddy (not his original name as some will recall), hops out with the paperwork. Betsy questions him, "How will you back up to the warehouse to get the pallets up the driveway?"

Freddy laughs (actually he cackles) and says, "Well you ordered lift-gate service, but not an in-house delivery...so I'm dropping these pallets right here." That would be in the slushy street, at the bottom of the slushy driveway.

Betsy clarifies, "In the middle of the street? Right here?"

Freddy quips, "Yes Ma'am"

So that is what Freddy did, he dropped 3 pallets (260 boxes) of books right in the middle of the street...thank God for our nephew who helped wheel 8 boxes at a time into the warehouse.

Now I've since seen Freddy, driving around in his big Estes truck since Iowa City and Coralville are "his route." I still give him dirty looks. But today it was perfect...and Freddy had no idea that he was getting a "payback."


September 2010...Time for revenge...I spotted Freddy driving down the Coralville Strip in his big Estes Semi Truck today...hmmm...I'd like to get him back..so I did. I casually moved my car in front of Freddy's big truck and drove 15 mph right down the whole 2 mile strip...Take that Freddy...and though I'm sure Freddy was not aware of who I was, it felt good to get a little "revenge."

A Thank You

Jimmy Fallon often does a bit with thank you letters on his show...stealing his idea:

Dear City of Coralville,

I want to thank you for putting my yard back the way you found it after correcting the water issue along our bike trail...if I remember right, I did have weeds lining both sides of the trail AND I did have the most godforsaken grass growing horizontally in every direction, but up! AND I did have matted-down hay that had to be raked out every so often so other grass could grow. I also appreciate the tire tracks from the large equipment that ran through here...yep, those were there too! Thank you City of Coralville because I believed you when you said, "Your yard will be put back just the way we found it!"

Now...the upside of lawn repair...it is great therapy. Nothing like getting the frustrations out on your lawn...raking, pulling weeds and seeding...helping the ol' broken heart to mend!

The Good, the Bad and The Ugly of Kinnick Stadium

Many of you know I often choose the theme..."The Good, the Bad and The Ugly"...I even have this movie theme song on my ipod... (right, Rick?)

The Good of Kinnick: Nothing like attending a Hawkeye Football game on a warm, beautiful Saturday with good friends and family...getting the win, cheering with the crowd, enjoying great tailgating, etc. Beating ISU and the like!

The Bad of Kinnick: Have you ever been there at 7:30 am the next morning for stadium clean up? Oh my! High school and junior high athletes in the IC School District are supposed to show up for clean up, then Iowa pays the booster clubs, it is pretty simple and a good way to raise funds. And pretty amazing to see the teamwork and camradery...Zach and I felt compelled to help...well, I felt compelled, Zach not so much, but he is a good trash bag holder. So since I am no longer a Stadium Clean Up Virgin...I have a few requests for those who sit in Sections 104-105...first of all, if you are going to buy the $3.50 bottle of water...drink it! Second, please do not pour your Coke into the popcorn buckets...yuck! And third, clearly a lot of you bring your friend Captain Morgan to the game...how about taking him home with you when you go?

The Ugly of Kinnick: Things you never should hear at Kinnick: On Saturday, during the game, I had the distinct pleasure of overhearing this in the restroom at Kinnick while witnessing a gal...not a young under-age one either... "showering" in the sink with the help of her friend (she needed to, there was vomit everywhere)...her friend says, "Should I go get you some papertowels?" The reply, "No, I don't need any, but you should take some up to the people where we were sitting."

Need I say more...Back to the Good of Kinnick: Thank you folks in Section 133 for keeping it under control...I love my section!

I Thought Fridays Were Supposed to be Laid Back

Well, this unexpected entrepreneur did not enjoy last Friday...Accounting, Schmaccounting...I just want to know who chooses to do this for a living...? Though I know I need to get my head in gear, I think something is broken with the gearshift. My head knows lesson plans, teaching, managing children, grading papers...it doesn't always do so well with credits, debits, sales receipts and undeposited funds...BUT I'm confident we will get there! I secretly think my accountant doesn't care for accounting as much as he does it for a living...you should see the man light up when you inquire about his upcoming hunting trips...elk in New Mexico, bears in Canada, deer here.

Then to top off the accounting appointment...my manager put me in training...as he is soon leaving for a fishing trip (notice a pattern here with the boys) I need to be on top of every single thing that goes on every single day...and admittedly, I haven't. After a mere 10 pages of notes, I think possibly I can pull off the daily shipping report, the inventory scan out and the Amazon "Charge When Ship" report...I think. After methodically taking me through every step, Joe (my manager) questions how many pages of notes I have taken..."10" I answer...he then showed me the single small sheet of paper he proudly took notes on a year ago when Keith trained him...needless to say, my two-word reply to Joe was not very nice...