Please Consider Voting NO

Friends and family,

Tuesday, some of you will have the opportunity to vote on the Minnesota marriage amendment. I hope you will consider voting NO, and allow a future for everyone to marry the person they love.

This is why I will be voting NO:

• People who are gay make important contributions to society, and deserve the same rights and benefits that you and I have. People are people. Period.
• Despite claims, there is no solid proof that children raised with a mother and father are any better off than those raised in a home with two moms or two dads. To that point, plenty of heterosexual couples are doing a crappy job of raising kids, and they still have basic rights.
• Gay marriage does not threaten the sanctity of my marriage. My marriage is between me, my husband, and God.
• Marriage promotes stability, responsibility, and commitment. Aren't these also the cornerstones of our society? If two people love each other and want to build a relationship on these cornerstones, why are we trying to deny it?

I know this is a very uncomfortable topic for some. I am compelled to action on this topic for many reasons, the most important of which is I have someone in my life who I respect tremendously, who is in a committed gay relationship, and raising 3 great kids. And others in my life making their way - you know who you are.

"Same-sex couples want to marry for reasons similar to other couples. They want a lasting bond that can endure through good times and bad, through sickness and health, and that will bring stability as they continue life together."(From The Conservative Case for Same-Sex Marriage, published in the Star Tribune, written by Ken Mehlman, former Republican National Committee Chairman).

The irony of it all is, voting NO does not change anything right now. Gay couples will not suddenly have the freedom to marry. But this is one small step toward not limiting that reality in the future. It is not a political issue, it is a human rights issue. It is the civil rights movement of our time, and I hope you will thoughtfully consider voting NO.

With love and respect,
Jessica

Toddlers and Target

Tonight I was home from work a little earlier than usual, Daddy headed to softball, and around 6:15 Lucy and I headed to Target to grab a few things. The trip was a mixed bag, but in hindsight, fairly typical. Let me walk you through it:

I parked the car and got her out; she wanted to walk so I let her, saying she had to be a good girl and hold Mommy's hand in the parking lot. There was no hand-holding, and we stopped 3 times to inspect shiny things (garbage) on the ground.

No big deal. She is 2, after all. Patience, Mama.

We burst through the automatic doors, Lucy moving in a way that is not really walking, not really skipping, but somewhere in between. Swishing in the sparkly skirt she insisted on wearing today, and singing a song from her new daycare, "Lucy's here today. Lucy's here today. Yaaaayyyy, Lucy!!" which garnered smiles and a "that is SO adorable!" from fellow customers.

Yep, she is pretty adorable...

She played with the gift registry computers while I returned something, then we got a cart and continued on our way. She still wanted to walk and did OK until we got to the kids clothing section, where she started pulling toddler-sized plaid shirts off the racks. I patiently put them back, and she continued to walk while we picked out wipes and diaper cream. At this point, she became obsessed with the baby pacifiers and would not put them back on the shelf. In the cart she went, and she was not happy about it. She stopped crying but then started chewing on the side of the cart (eww), because I told her not to.

OK, patience getting a little thin now.

I bribed her by going through a few toy aisles. Heard a lot of "I touch this one!" and "This is Lucy's" but she was still OK and we made it through without anything in the cart, or any fits.

Score, crisis averted.

About this time, I started asking her to "talk in a quiet voice." My daughter talks a lot; (like, constantly) and there is something about being in a store that makes her almost yell while she's doing it. My requests did not matter, of course; and her yelling turned into protests when we grabbed a bag of M&Ms (her pee-in-the-potty treats) and I would not let her chew on the bag.

Temperature rising again...

Somehow her attention was re-directed to something else, and we picked up a few more things. We were in the garbage bag aisle when she started chewing on the M&M bag again, standing in the cart, and everything coming out of her mouth was a whine. I warned her several times that we would put the bag back if she didn't sit down and talk nice. It continued, so I took the bag and put it on the shelf and walked away. WATERWORKS. The kid screamed as if I had just beat her.

Must...stay...calm...

I told her when she stopped crying and sat down, we could go back and get the M&Ms. I turned the corner into the next aisle and it was like a volcano erupted. "MY M&Ms ARE OVER THERE!!" I reminded her again of the required actions. She sat down, but she continued to scream. I crouched down at got at her eye level. She quieted down. I counted to 10. She made it. We returned to the next aisle and retrieved the M&Ms.

Thank you God, for allowing me to remain calm. And for nobody else being in those aisles.

The rest of our shopping was fairly uneventful. She was pleasant, and put the items on the counter for the cashier. She rode in the cart and got in the car seat with no protest. She asked nicely for a cookie and I gave it to her. She said "thank you." I smiled.

She can be a very good girl.

As I was on the entrance ramp to the interstate, there was a calamity in the backseat. There was cookie on her chin, and this was a travesty. Tears and demands to wipe it off ensued. I could not wipe it off, as interstate driving preferably requires two hands. This was not acceptable.

Sigh.

So that was one hour. This parenting of toddlers, it's not for the weak of heart.

So I Always Wondered...

...what would happen if someone lost their wallet containing all forms of identification before needing to get on an airplane.

Unfortunately, now I know.

Today I woke up in Memphis, TN at 5:00AM. I got myself ready and about 5 minutes before I was to meet a colleague and go to the airport, I reached into my bag for my wallet. It was not there. It was also not in my coat pocket, on the floor, in the garbage can, shoved in the couch cushions, under the bed...

You get the idea.

Somewhere between the span of 10PM and 5AM, my wallet disappeared somewhere in the hotel. The last time I saw it was to retrieve my frequent flyer card for the desk clerk to print my boarding passes. My wallet was in my coat pocket during that time. Following that, I have no clue what happened. I can only surmise that perhaps it fell out of my pocket and a) ended up somewhere tricky where it has yet to be found, or b) someone took it. Retracing my steps and a check at the front desk yielded nothing.

So off I trucked to the airport to see what my chances were of getting on my flight with no ID and nothing else with my name on it but a business card. A call to my company's travel agent indicated that the decision was really up to TSA, and that a police report might help. The Memphis police were very courteous, but thought otherwise. I couldn't prove it was stolen, so there was no need for a report.

So anxiously, I approached the woman in the security line who would normally take a look at my ID and my boarding pass, and explained my situation. Naturally a supervisor was called. He was incredibly nice and the process was as simple as me writing down my name and address, and him calling some magical person on the phone. That person asked me my age, if I went by any other names, who else lived at my residence, and then my birth date (presumably to double-check my age answer). After that, I endured a thorough pat-down, search of my luggage, and swiping of my hands and bags to test for explosives. After that I had the green light to head home.

The relief was quickly followed by the next task - following up on all of my lost items. I was envisioning someone wreaking havoc with my bank card and credit cards. Husband helped me out by canceling our shared credit card, checking my bank account online, and texting my phone numbers for my other cards so I could make calls on my layover in Atlanta. Luckily, at that point, nothing was compromised.

So I'm out $50 in cash and will be spending some time over the next few days ordering replacement credit cards, insurance cards, membership cards, drivers license...and have learned a few lessons along the way. For one, I didn't need to be traveling with all that stuff. I should've lightened the wallet before I left. Second, I should keep one card and a little cash in a separate bag in case something like this happens. A copy of my driver's license would probably also be helpful. Third, keep better tabs on my damn wallet!!

All in all things could have been a lot worse, and I was so very lucky to be able to get on the plane. I had more trouble getting out of the parking ramp at the airport in Minneapolis, with no money and no ID! (they finally decided, after about 45 minutes, that I was who I said I was, and they could bill me). I am back home and while it's a huge PITA to track all of this stuff down, I'm so grateful for the kind people who helped me along the way.

March Madness

Ah, so it's been awhile...this month has been absolutely crazy. We've just been busy, running here and there, a visit from my parents, among other things. But the craziness is mostly centered around me working a lot of hours, including some travel to Memphis. When one of us travels it usually throws everyone a little out of whack, and this time the morning I returned, Lucy started throwing up. A stomach bug. I stayed home with her in the morning and Husband took the 2nd shift. She was fine in a day, but it threw my work schedule off in a very busy time, so I worked 8-4 on Friday (which is typically a 1/2 day) and then went back about 8:30PM-12:30AM. I wanted to get it over with and be able to relax and spend time with Lucy the rest of the weekend.

So I relaxed, and just after lunch on Saturday, it was my turn to get the bug. Husband was sick too, so we had to ship Lucy off to Auntie Candy's house and try to get some rest. We picked her up after lunch today and tried to get her to nap before going to Little Gym. She had a major meltdown after I woke her up and needless to say, we never made it. Her tummy was bothering her tonight, so here's hoping it passes and we wake up to a healthy girl tomorrow.

I have a few things to share with you all, including Lucy's first haircut, and of course her 22-month update. See you soon!

Christmas 2009 Tour: Stopped

The tour has halted, because this is where we're coming from, and this is where we're going. When The Weatherman in his infinite wisdom says "treacherous" and "storm of the quarter century," that used to make me pause. With a baby, it makes me leery. But when Dad says, "I know you don't want to hear this, but..." that's when I listen (suck it, Weatherman).

So Christmas outside of our little family will have to be rescheduled, unless the wrath of Mother Nature turns out to be less wicked than predicted. But it looks like she's pretty ticked off.

Craziness Part I

Wow. These past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind.

After multiple deadlines, a 3 1/2 day conference, 4 evening public meetings that required travel, and over 100 hours of work in, I was so ready to kiss the past two weeks goodbye. Sandwich in there a baby shower at my house and hosting 5 friends overnight last weekend...when this Friday came I was exhausted. I was hoping to take the day off, but being out part of the week at a conference meant I was behind on a few things at work, even though I had gone in a couple of nights to keep up. I convinced myself I could leave at noon like I'm supposed to on Fridays, but ended up staying until 3:15 just to get the minimal things done. Which made me miss a vet appointment I had set up for Buddy at 3:45.

Which due to raging hormones and lack of sleep, made me cry for 10 minutes on the way home, muttering things about personal thresholds and lack of ability to manage my schedule. Home has been getting the short end of the stick lately, and I feel so guilty about it. Some days I wonder how I am going to manage all of this when the baby comes. I am also realizing that I am going to have to learn to let some of this stuff go. So what if the laundry doesn't get done that day? It will get done eventually. I can ask for help. Same goes for work. I need to stop feeling bad if I just need a break. I think some people feel that because I am taking three months off when the baby comes, that I'm getting some sort of vacation and I don't need any time off now. While it will definitely be nice and I'm looking forward to it, it's not like I won't have my hands full this summer. In these last weeks leading up to it, there is some time that I need to decompress and prepare both mentally and physically.

When I finally got home Friday, Brandon and Buddy were playing in the backyard. I joined them for awhile and I laughed, and I de-stressed, and I went inside with a smile on my face. This weekend has been good and there's still a whole, beautiful day ahead.

I have many things to catch you all up on...so this was Craziness Part 1. Craziness Part 2 will come soon and will be much more positive, I promise.

Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute

Today on my way back to the office from a meeting, I went through a drive-thru to get a little snack (a strawberry shake sounded REALLY good this afternoon). As I was waiting for my turn at the window, an empty soda can and two fast food cups flew out of the driver's side window of the car in front of me and onto the ground. Then the offender drove to the next window, only to reach out again and grab a sack of food and two new fast food cups. Likely these will meet the same fate in some other unsuspecting public area when it's time to go through another drive-thru.

Now I realize that this is particularly appalling to one who actually separates out recycling in her car, but the earth is not your personal garbage can, people!

Been Away Too Long

Seems like lately I haven't had much to blog about, or don't know if you all want to be bored with the details of my pregnancy, which is mostly what's on my mind these days. Reaching the halfway point was actually a bit of an eye-opener for me; I've had a lot of thoughts swimming around in my head lately, and have been feeling a bit overwhelmed. So as I prepare to forge ahead, I thought I'd update you on some of the other things going on lately in life, that have also contributed to the "overwhelming" feeling...

WORK has been very busy lately. I have a lot of balls up in the air on a daily basis, and this has resulted in a several long days/nights, particularly last week. On top of it all, our office has not been immune to the hard economic times. We had a tough day last week but hopefully will rebound stronger. Needless to say I have been paying close attention to all the stimulus conversations. This directly impacts what I do every day.

THE HOUSE has been throwing us a few curveballs lately. Thursday night just before midnight, Husband informed me that our furnace was blowing only cold air. I got up and we both sat up for awhile and tried to figure out what was wrong with it, with no luck. We finally went to bed and when I woke up in the morning, it was 54 degrees in the house! Not so bad for sleeping, but not so great for shower time. Luckily Husband's cousin was able to come over on Friday and fix it for us (thanks again Casey!) Turned out to be the igniter and a relatively easy fix, but the house wasn't done with us. Apparently when I was gone this weekend the downstairs toilet plugged up and ran for awhile, unbeknowst to the boys. There was a stream of water running all the way from the bathroom to the drain in the utility room. Again, luckily no harm was done and they got it all cleaned up.

BRANDON recently took a pre-ACT exam. This also kind of hit me hard, as I realized that in two years we need to be prepared for college. We certainly are in a unique situation here with one kid on the way and one preparing to step out into the world.

FINANCES have been on my mind lately, for all of the reasons above, and also because it's tax time. We are trying hard to prepare for the baby and all of the expenses it will bring along with the joy. Husband and I have a "money date" this week to talk about a revised budget and get ready to get our taxes done (sexy, I know!)

This weekend I spent a few days with some of my best girlfriends, and got some clarity on the situation, especially baby stuff. They were very patient with all of my questions, and two of them even took me into Babies R Us and gave me the lowdown on what they liked, what we absolutely need, and what to not even bother with. This helped me tremendously to not feel so overwhelmed with all of the choices out there. I also laughed more this weekend than I have in a long time. Very, very special thanks to my girls for a great weekend.

Now I'm back and ready to take on the world. After a good night's sleep. :)

Irony

A few weeks ago I took Buddy in for his final test for beginner obedience class. He’d been doing great in class and toward the end he was the only dog who stuck all the way through, so we got a lot of personal attention. By the end we were teaching him things that are part of the intermediate class.

All he had to do to pass was sit, lay down, stay for 30 seconds, walk with a loose leash, and 1 trick of our choice. He decided he really didn’t want to lay down that night, but eventually got there, and did the rest with flying colors. We also did 4 tricks (because he is awesome and super smart) and the trainer just ate it up. She complimented me on my progress as “pack leader”, and said there is a noticeable difference in Buddy’s demeanor since the beginning of class. She thinks he’s a very smart dog and even recommended that he could be a therapy dog if I am willing to go through the training to get certified.

I know I’m biased, but I get real satisfaction out of hearing (and experiencing) that he is smart. When we adopted him, we heard repeatedly from the shelter volunteers that “he isn’t the brightest bulb,” and “he’s really sweet, but he’s not the smartest.” They named him Meatball. I know he just passed a beginner class, but I’m really proud of our pup!

So I was flying high on this canine accomplishment, but was quickly brought back to reality about 2 days later when I came home to this:

I HAD PURCHASED THIS RUG 5 DAYS PRIOR. I thought it would be heavy enough to deter him from dragging it off. Apparently I was wrong, and apparently it’s also fun to chew on. There were reminders of this little indiscretion all over the yard.

He might be smart, but he’s still obnoxious. We start the intermediate class next week.

Earth Day - It's Getting a Little Gassy in Here

I’d like to take the opportunity on this Earth Day to share some of my thoughts about gas. Not the kind that comes from “uh-oh, shouldn't have had that Taco Bell..." but the kind we put in our vehicles. The kind that is costing us upwards of $3.50 per gallon at the moment, and is likely to climb near $4.00 in the near future if projections are correct. The high cost of gasoline and diesel makes it cost more to transport goods, and translates to higher prices at the pump and also at the grocery store, among other things. I can’t deny this hurts when it takes $40 to fill up my Honda Civic (how much more am I loving that little fuel-efficient car right now?!), or $60 to fill the Envoy. Thinking about a road trip kind of makes my stomach hurt.

But on this Earth Day I ask you, are higher gas prices all bad?

As Americans, we love our cars, and our roadway infrastructure was designed to make it very easy for us to drive from Point A to Point B. Driving is convenient, and many of us make our daily trips alone. That’s a lot of cars on the roadways. The effects of driving in general can have significant environmental and health impacts. More and more vehicles are added to the roadways each year, resulting in congestion that contributes to air quality issues, noise, water pollution from leaks and application of road salt, and increased use of oil, which is not an infinite resource. Between inconsistent commute times and congested roadways, Americans are spending an average of 3 days per year sitting in traffic. Going nowhere.

I don’t know about you, but I could think of better ways to spend those 3 days.

So will $3.00 per gallon make us change our driving behavior? When prices broke the $2.00 barrier, behaviors did not change significantly, and the extra cost was absorbed without much fuss. As prices continued to rise, the complaints grew louder, but only as the $3.00 barrier has been broken and gas quickly became $3.49+ per gallon are we starting to take a good hard look at how we drive. It seems the only way to get us to change our habits is to hit us where it hurts – in the bank account.

I am already starting to see changes that have been a long time coming. I’ve heard several people say they are driving less, not taking those discretionary trips. We have made some of these decisions at our house too. Car manufacturers are starting to respond to consumer demands for more fuel-efficient vehicles – even in the SUV market. I know people that have now started to ride the bus to work instead of drive. Others are working all or part of their work week from home.

So if a higher bill at the gas pump makes me drive less and/or drive more efficiently…makes me stop and THINK about what I’m doing and where I’m going…then I’ve got to believe that other people are doing it too. All of this stopping to THINK and modifying habits can turn into something very good for us and the environment. This could very well be the beginning of an overall shift in human behavior, and it could lead to better, more sustainable and responsible living in the future. If it takes $4.00 gas to start making these things happen, I say bring it. We cannot continue on this path of infinite growth in a finite world.

This is what I THINK. There’s a lot of hope in there too.

Just for the record, I have little patience for those that complain about the extra cost of gas, but still pick up a $3 or $4 coffee on their way to work every day. Life is full of choices, and it’s time to start making some good ones.

Click here for tips on how to make the most of the gas in your tank.

Presumptive Assumptions

Lastnight as I was driving home, I reached into my bag for my wallet. It was not in the place it should be. Some idle perusing revealed nothing. I worried that I had left it on my desk at work. In fact I convinced myself I was sure I had left it on my desk. Then I worried the cleaning guy or someone else might be tempted to swipe it. Given the impending house purchase, this would be a very bad time to lost my wallet.

I called my office mate and asked if he could look to see if it was there. As he was looking, I dug deeper into my bag, and voila! It was right there. I kicked myself for making the assumption and calling my co-worker before I took the time to really look.

Later that evening Husband and I went out for dinner. I paid our bill and stuck my wallet back in my coat pocket. Or did I? We got home and as we walked in the door, I reached into my pocket and it wasn't there. I got into the driver's side of Husband's vehicle and looked over in the passenger seat. Nothing there. I figured of course I left my wallet at the restaurant. I had forgotten the remaining pork chop that the waitress had packaged up for me, so it made sense that I would be so stupid as to leave my wallet there also. So I drove back to the restaurant (luckily within 5 minutes of our place) and guess what? They didn't have it. Hadn't seen it. A sickening feeling came over me...did someone take it? As I walked back to the car, mind racing, I need to call the bank, I need to call my credit card company, how is this going to affect my credit report? I thought I'd better take one last look in the Envoy. I opened the passenger door this time, and reached my hand down between the seat and the console, and once again, voila.

I am lucky, but I can't help but think the universe is trying to tell me something. Like "hang onto your money, girl," or maybe even "quit worrying so much about money, things will work out." But the message that came through loud and clear is that I NEED TO SLOW DOWN. Take a moment to think about what I'm doing. Have a little faith in myself.

Don't automatically assume the worst.

Can't Even Make a U-Turn Anymore...

This is insane. I don't know how this guy can sleep at night.

A Change in Perspective...OH!

Woke up this morning...OH! It's 6:45! I overslept! Speed shower, dry hair and dress.

Not doing too badly for time...OH! We have a hockey game tonight! Need to pack bag, there will be no time to come home beforehand.

Got everything except my jeans, where are my jeans?...OH! They're downstairs in the laundry room. Down I go.

I will not let this day get the best of me.

Go to kitchen to grab breakfast...OH! Have to bring pot of chili for office chili cook-off. (Thanks to my dear Husband for making it the night before). Get stuff out of fridge.

I am good...OH! Forgot I'm supposed to also bring items for a food shelf donation. Go back down to basement to grab a few cans.

OK, now I'm going to be late, but at least I have everything. Go to put on my shoes...OH! My shoes are upstairs. Up I go.

Load up with bags and crockpot...OH! Forgot hockey tickets. Set everything down and fetch them from the kitchen.

Re-load and lug bag of clothes, bag of food shelf items, and large crockpot out the door. Greeted by INCREDIBLY COLD AIR. Attempt to set chili on back of car to unlock it...OH! Chili sliding! Drop other bags to catch it (thank goodness for small favors)

I will not let this day get the best of me.

Set chili on ground to unlock door. Unlock, load bags and crockpot, start car...OH! Need to scrape the windows. I am so late now.

Scrape windows, finally off. Sun is shining...OH! Sun is glaring off off salty, dirty, hastily scraped windshield. I CAN'T SEE. Pull over to let defroster do its business.

Off again. Windshield better, but still perpetually dirty...OH! Windshield wiper fluid not ejecting. Here's hoping I'm not blinded on the interstate.

Arrive at exit ramp to I-94...OH! Since it's 8:00 now, traffic is backed up on the ramp. So I wait.

I will not let this day get the best of me.

Approach my parking lot, knowing I have a slim chance of a spot being available this late. If not, I have to park in the ramp across the street, lugging 2 bags and the crockpot across traffic. I can't remember if I had an early meeting today. I am cutting it close.

I see someone pulling out of the parking lot. I enter, and pull into the last spot in the lot, vacated only moments before. Yessss...

I was late, but no early meetings today. No harm done; I have to stay late today anyway since there's no time to go home before the hockey game. I am here. My schedule is clear of meetings and I'll be able to get a lot done.

Today is an alright day.

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful

Well here it is again! Tuesday snow + weekend snow = beautiful mess! I say beautiful because it is rather pretty, particularly when viewed from indoors, with the modern convenience of HEAT. I say mess because a one-hour commute and one "snow emergency" parking ticket later, the snow can do terrible things to a person. Add that to the fact that the parking ticket was on Husband's vehicle, and he's not even here (he's in Las Vegas). It's completely my fault, I didn't move it soon enough. We have a wacky landlord who will not allow us to park in the driveway of our very charming duplex. This is because the main part of the driveway is filled with his two vehicles, which he cannot fit into the two-car garage conveniently situated to the rear of the property, adjacent to said driveway, because it is full of CRAP. So anyway, I didn't get home before the plows and Husband's vehicle got ticketed. At least it wasn't towed!

Aside from the commute and parking challenges, it seems the weather is causing other transportation issues - Husband's flight home is delayed. Right now it's only estimated at a half hour late, but it's still snowing here and it says visibility is zero at the airport. That can't make for a good landing.

The Ghost of Halloweens Past

Well, this ghostly holiday is nearly over and without an ounce of celebrating from our household. No costumes, no Halloween decorations, no scary movies, not even a carved pumpkin this year (or even an uncarved one), which is my own fault. I should have just done it, but it's not nearly as fun without someone to carve with! Even as an adult I've been known to dress up, but there were no parties this year. I did buy candy, and we had a grand total of...3 trick-or-treaters. Which is more than last year, when we had a big fat goose egg.

I have always loved Halloween. As a kid it was so exciting, dressing up and going trick-or-treating, collecting a sack full of loot that would be counted and sorted before bedtime. I loved the dressing up; the chance to be creative, to be another character for a few hours. Some of my signature Halloween costumes included a Storm Lake High School cheerleader, or a punk rocker, which really wasn't punk rock at all, more slightly rebellious valley girl I think...(you can't see it, but Cousin Kristi and I have red glitter on our cheeks. Very cool.)

I think my favorite though, was a costume I made myself in the 4th grade. I created an Indian "squaw" costume. I remember specifically a skirt made out of a paper grocery bag, painstakingly decorated with patterns set in magic marker, and fringe cut on the bottom. I believe that one won me "most creative costume." Those were the days.

So as I sit here across the room from the bowl of undelivered Kit-Kats, Husband snoring on the couch, I wonder where all of the excitement went. I guess it's just another one of those things that falls by the wayside with work, running here and there...am I too busy for Halloween? One stinking day a year? Where does it end? Where did the passion go? I hope I find it again.

Brain Waves Not Connecting

It's been a pretty random week, nothing too much of note, but just a little off.

For instance, Monday night I stayed late at work so I could drive directly to my book club at 7PM. On the way to book club, I realized I forgot the directions. I thought I could remember, but once on the street I had absolutely no idea which house I should go to. I struggled for about 15 minutes, driving around and trying to decide if I should randomly knock on the door of a house with the light on...a house that looked like it might house a book club...I'm glad I didn't, because turns out I was two blocks too far north. So I stayed late for nothing, and didn't get to go at all.

Tonight, I went out to eat at Cheesecake Factory with my MIL, SILs and my niece. As we were getting ready to leave, I realized I didn't have my keys. I thought for sure they had fallen out. My purse had been sitting under the table, so I sent Hayley under to investigate. No keys. I had the manager searching with a flashlight. No keys. Candy asked the front desk. No keys. I went out to my car. Keys on the seat.

I guess my brain just couldn't handle a week without much excitement. It's about to get a whole lot more exciting though...I'll be an aunt any day now!

Riders on the Storm

Well, this week started off with a bang, literally. We had quite a storm lastnight that came to a head around 1:30AM, complete with extremely loud cracks of thunder that almost made me jump right out of bed. The lightning occurred simultaneously, so the storm was upon us, and by the sound of it you’d think it was literally camped out on our roof. The electricity flickered a couple of times, then shut off completely. The thunder passed but the rain poured down for quite a few more minutes. In the meantime I traveled downstairs to retrieve my cell phone so I had some kind of alarm, just in case. I then made the obligatory visit to the bathroom, and out the window witnessed the downpour and the eerie pinkish cast of the nighttime sky.

I returned to bed but found it difficult to sleep without the breeze and the gentle hum of the fan. Just as I was about to finally fall sleep I experienced a tremendous itch at the base of my right thumb, and upon inspection by the blue light of the cell phone, discovered I had been bitten by something. Great. Nothing I love more than knowing there is some kind of bug in my bed. Normally under such circumstances I would go sleep in the other room, before I start getting visions of centipedes crawling all over my body in my sleep. But the comfort of my own personal space heater was appealing on this stormy night, and besides, he could serve as a back-up alarm clock in case the cell phone didn’t work. So I shook out the pillows, hopefully depositing the offender somewhere off the bed.

The rain stopped and all was silent, except for Husband, whose snoring was particularly raucous lastnight (in his defense, we’ve both been fighting colds). I forget how much the fan drowns it out! The rain started up again and I finally fell asleep. The last time I looked at my phone it was 2:47AM. I awoke at 6:05, about 5 minutes ahead of the alarm, and still we had no electricity. So I showered and dressed in the darkness, and tried to air-dry my hair as best as possible (needless to say as you can expect, I am looking quite foxy today). I called the electric company and they said our whole neighborhood was out, and they are usually back up and running within a 4-hour timeframe, but by then about 5 hours had passed, and she had been given no inclination of when service might be restored. So I hope we don’t return home from work today to a warm house and a bunch of rotten food.

Happy Monday.

Update: Looks like the electricity came back on around 8AM this morning, about 40 minutes after I left for work! Everything is back to normal, didn't have to throw anything out.

Grrrr...

It is now July 23rd and our landlord has not cashed the check for this month's rent yet. I don't know why this irks me so much, the money is there, I know it's coming out eventually...but it's just irritating. It's a sizable check, not pocket change...If he doesn't need the money that badly, then why can't I just pay whenever I want?

Update: It finally cleared the account July 28th!

Center...Clarity...Peace...Serenity...

I'm in need of all these. It's been a long week, but I don't know why. Nothing particularly stressful at work or at home. I just feel a little off. My back is all knotted, I'm not sleeping well. I am tired of TRAFFIC, tired of long days, tired of everything and nothing at the same time. I think it's because I haven't had a vacation for awhile; haven't taken more than a one-night trip in a long time. I feel the pull of wide open spaces...it's time to lose myself in the middle of nowhere, in the midst of trees and water and the sound of loons...

3 more weeks, and we're headed to Lake Vermilion. Here's to holding out.

Camp Okoboji – The Long Story aka My Kayaking Adventure

I did add a little adventure to my stay in Okoboji. Sunday morning I got up early to take a little kayaking expedition with my dad. By about 6:30AM we were on the water. It was a gorgeous, peaceful morning and a great time to be out. We detoured away from the lake and explored some adjacent canals and marshes, and just talked and meandered our way, looking for signs of wildlife and just generally feeling content. I particularly enjoyed watching some barn swallows and their graceful acrobatics on the open water. It was quite a beautiful morning.

At one point we were exploring a marshy area filled with cattails and a plethora of bossy red-winged blackbirds. It’s nesting season, so they chattered at us quite a bit and hovered a few feet above us, chiding us for getting too close. Just as we were about to turn around and begin the return trip to camp, we heard a weird bird noise from the reeds, and Dad headed back in to explore.

I noticed a different-looking bird flying away, being chased by a red-winged blackbird. I turned my head to watch as it flew above and behind me. I twisted just a little too far, because...

I fell in.

Kayak full of water, Jess in water, and the worst thing – digital camera overboard. The good news was, the water was only about 2 feet deep. Bad news – my feet sank in disgusting muck up to my knees. All I knew was by the time my feet sank down, I was waist deep in water green with algae and who knows what else, and that muck was stinky. It sucked so hard on my feet that I almost lost my shoes, and even with them off I had a hard time getting my foot out when I wanted to take a step.

Dad reacted like a champ. He took my camera (I did find it) and also my shoes. Although he had a camera of his own, he did not feel the need to photo-document this experience (though in hindsight, we both kind of wish he would have). He was calm and helped me the best he could, without getting out of his kayak, because we didn’t want both of us stuck. I had a heck of a time getting back in that boat. Holy cow was that frustrating! With the muck so deep and sticky, I had no leverage to hoist myself back in, and with the boat half full of water, it was heavy and didn’t offer much leeway in terms of weight before taking on more water. We didn’t have anything to bail water with. At one point we pulled the kayak into some reeds, and I was able to get in by hoisting myself up with the help of some cattails, but the front end was up so high that by the time I got in it, the water in the kayak weighed it down so much that the back end sank! So I had to get out again and try something different.

I pulled my kayak up over the back of Dad’s, which was quite a chore because it was so darn heavy. I got it up high enough to tip it and drain some of the water out, which helped. We pulled it into the reeds again to a more level position, and I figured out that the cattails were dense enough that they had a pretty solid root mass that I could stand on. With that I was able to get back in the kayak, although I was still sitting in the water that we weren’t able to drain out. That was kind of gross in itself (though at that point it really didn't make a difference), but it also made the kayak sit very close to the water, and very prone to tipping. I had to paddle very slowly and carefully so as to not have another “spill.” We found a spot along the bank and although muddy and not very wide, we were both able to get out and fully tip my kayak to finally drain it.

I have to say that although the experience was a little frustrating, and I was bummed about the camera (verdict still out on if it will ever work again), we were both laughing the whole time too. The water wasn’t deep so it wasn’t scary, just really disgusting! I remembered yesterday on the ride home that Dad said to me before we left on our trip, “I hope you’re not grossed out by green scummy water.” I assured him that I was not. Little did I know I would be essentially covered in it by the time our trip was over.
A little kayaking adventure, and a story I’m sure we’ll be telling for years. Apparently I also hold a record, which Dad reminded me of shortly after I splashed into swamp monster habitat. This is the first time that he’s gone paddling with someone who has tipped over. He told me earlier that day that he bought his kayak in 2000, so…there you have it.