The Blog: Spellbound by our own imperfect lives...

I think after the half marathon, I will forgo distance running. This is even though some people don’t consider 13 miles to be a distance. Some people run 50 miles…or a hundred. I’m not too interested in that. It’s painful to run 5 miles although not as painful as it once was. The river is still up and all the major highways into town are closed. You can get in and out via alleys if you know the right ones. But at least we have running water and the use of our toilets. In St. Clair, they have to use porta pots. Imagine getting up in the dark of night to use a porta pot on the corner under a street light. Last night Regis and I decided to camp out on the porch. We put the blow-up bed out there, hung some patio lights, and got the gimpy dog to curl up on the couch. We woke up about midnight, very uncomfortable, and moved the camping trip into our real bed. It was a nice idea but not very practical. Peter has gone to stay with his dad in Eagle Lake for a few days until the water recede...

Our town is experiencing flooding again. I don't know if this is historic proportions but I've never seen it like this. Both lanes of 169 are closed, 22 is closed to the south, and 99 is closed to the east. It's a mess. Bob and Emily have lost the use of their basement and water is pouring in through the cracks in the walls. The pictures are of 169 and you can see that both lanes are completely covered. Water is lapping at the edge of the McDonald's parking lot. While Regis and I stood looking and taking pictures, some jackass in a big pickup roared across the street and sprayed water for fifty feet. I swear, if he had gotten us wet, there would have been trouble.  I took today off and did exactly what I planned to do. I did nothing this morning, Regis and I took a drive this afternoon to survey the flood waters, and we stopped for a burger at Guenther's in Mankato. If you have been around here for a while, you might remember a place called Hamburger Heaven . Th...

And now Nana and Popop have to go take a big nap because they aren't used to taking care of 18-month old babies.

I left home Sunday afternoon for a conference in Rochester. I had a good time at the Grand Kahler (in spite of getting lost on my way to the pool and having to walk down 11 flights of stairs. Thank God for all those squats I did in the last year is all I can say.) I had dinner with Steve and Sherry and Catie at Chester's on Monday night and the walleye cakes were delicious. The conference was a big disappointment but the traveling and meeting folks and eating out was great. So good to be home, though. So good to be home. I got a haircut on my way back then met Regis at Plaza Garibaldi in North Mankato for fajita quesadillas. So good to be home with my sweet husband, my dog, and my own bed. My room at the Kahler was about what you'd expect with the AARP discount but the bar on first floor, Martini's, is so much fun that I'll forgive the hard bed and teeny room. I don't drink martinis. I told the ladies from ND I was visiting with that they would have to call 9...

These were the headlines in the online Tribune this morning: Two convicted in beating 'all over a golf game' Man accused of tossing acid in face of ex-girlfriend Convict in porn case is on the lam I need to know any of this? This is not news. This is national enquirer stuff that nobody needs to know. The only reason I would want to know any of this is if the convict in the porn case is on his way down my street and intends to make me look at the porn. Then I would want to get off the patio and into the house and lock the door. I believe in "need to know" and I don't need to know this shit. Yesterday the students in one of our schools were making a huge deal about some breast cancer bracelets bearing the slogan: I love boobies. Of course this appeals to kids but they had seen on television that some schools were banning them so they wanted to force our hand. Big deal. I love boobies. That's my only cranky comment today. This is really odd. When I run, ...

Two of my off-spring asked me to procure books for them this week. Tiffany needed  The Color of Water  by James McBride and Peter needed  Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Hurston. I love to read and tried to encourage them to love reading but I've always felt I was only partially successful at that. These books were not hard to find so they didn't really need me to do it...but it was nice to be part of the transaction anyway. A friend of mine who left the district, gave me her tall director's chair in a lovely leopard print. It was kind of tough to track it down but yesterday Bev, who brings our school mail, delivered it. So much fun to sit on! I have so many things to do in the house all of a sudden. It's into fall and I haven't gotten out my fall stuff. I love my little leaf dishes and the fall table cloth and the pumpkins. Maybe tomorrow. One of the things I look forward to in retirement is the slowing down of this season. The start of the school year is ...

Clean up the garden Dehydrate zucchini and apples Sort through my closet and make a box for the thrift store Finish Loving Frank Take a nap Make vegetable beef soup Go for a walk and listen to Shufflefunction on my iPod Have coffee at River Rock with a friend Write something Get a massage Dig out some of the crappy looking perennials Freeze basil Call my mom Bake something with apples Go to TJ Maxx

I ran 9 miles this morning. It took me two hours and of course, I walked some so I had a lot of time to think. I've read somewhere that the right brain is what keeps you from liking to exercise because it's the side of your brain that drives you to pleasure instead of pain. I've had many years of pleasure-seeking and pain avoidance. My right brain says things to me like this: You can't run, your feet will hurt. You could fall and hurt your hip. You should go home now, I think you need something to eat. I've learned to pack well when I run outside. It might seem like extra weight to people who worry about time, but since I don't, it doesn't. This morning, I took a jacket with a half a peanut butter sandwich in one pocket and a kleenex and my iPod in the other. I wore my hydration pack so I had water. I wore a hat to keep the sun out of my eyes. I was one well-prepared scout. My physical discomforts were taken care of so I thought about my psychological ...

We had a great time at Rock Bend. Beautiful weather and a huge crowd. this is City Mouse...one of my favorite bands since 1971. Here's a shot of the crowd in front of us. We were halfway between the flag pole and the Lion's beer booth. Easy to scope out all the food choices. Close to the bathrooms. On the main thoroughfare so we saw a lot of people pass by. Great fun. We're heading back tomorrow for a couple more bands.

I just checked weather underground and the forecast shows:            Saturday                           Sunday Perfect weather for the Rock Bend Folk Festival! We're heading down to the park about 2:00.

A guy came to measure for our new door. We had measured, but if he was installing it, he wanted to make sure it fit. Then he did a scratch test for lead paint. Our house was built before 1978 so he said it was likely there was lead paint. Positive for lead paint. Now, here's the deal. The installation charge goes up by several hundred dollars. That will make it $500-600. He has to cover the entire living room with 6ml plastic sheeting. He has to cover the outdoor area for 10 feet outside of the door with 6ml plastic sheeting. He has to string caution tape around an area twenty feet outside of that. The furnace (if it is on) has to be shut off and the vents in the house covered. Small children and pets would not be allowed to eat any of the paint chips. We would have to get a permit to install the door. When we get the permit, they will ask who is installing the door. If we are paying someone, they will ask if the person is lead certified. If an uncertified person pu...

You'd think I was back in kindergarten. I've hardly slept for two nights worrying about school and other life trials and tribulations. No matter how much work you do in August, the week before school starts and the first day of school are just shit-hitting-the-fan fun. At least I've learned to control my BP which is more than I can say for some people who seem to think that every damn little thing is cause for wing flapping and shrieking. Here are just some of the first day of school emergencies: A carpet not cleaned properly Rust marks on the carpet Rusty (really rusty) legs on the desks Two toilets not replaced Lack of job descriptions (this is probably the biggest deal) Bus issues as in the bus can't come at the time we want it to Papers unsigned Kids going here instead of there People should know that once you go home and make a pot of chicken soup and pour a glass of wine, all of this recedes into the realm of "it doesn't matter" or the g...

I hate picking out stuff like this. There are too many options. These are the things I had to decide: steel or fiberglass window or no window color of metal in the window color of the door color of the hinges type of door knob and lockset color of door knob and lockset type of storm door color of storm door You can see this is a nightmare. It took me all of about five minutes and mostly we asked the dude what he would pick. He's the door professional, right? Here's the kind of door we yearn for...because it looks like something that would be at the bottom of an oak tree in a forest and gnomes would come out of it but really it's a massive solid oak door that you would find on the front of some rich person's mansion. The picture is just tiny. If we put this on our house, we'd have to gut two rooms. Who buys this stuff? Really. So, we bought some kind of door (fiberglass) with a window (oval) in a prepainted color (red) with a knob (brushed silver). So...

I found other images for anxiety that were more descriptive than this one but frankly, they were scary. This one is more peaceful. This is where I need to lead my mind. Last night, I hardly slept. I think it's partly the start of school and partly seeing our kids so much. It all triggers those gray faced men to march around the bed all night, reminding me of all the bad things that are out there. We have a busy day planned. We're off to the Man-Store to find a new entry door for our house. This is an overwhelming task for me. I hate picking things out because I tend to do it impulsively then not like my choice later. Not a good thing. I hope we can find a helper who is older than 15 to assist. Grocery store. It shouldn't be busy today. Pay bills. No anxiety in that, thank God. Sort through paperwork. I hate this job. Where does all that crap come from and why do I save it? Friends on the porch at 3:00. Ahhhhh. That will be the lovely part of the day.

Such a nice party to celebrate Bob's 31st birthday. The food was great: barbecued ribs cooked by the birthday boy, broccoli salad, baked beans, roasted potatoes, and an ice cream cake. the mosquitoes made it almost impossible to be outside but otherwise, everything was splendid. Don't we have handsome offspring? Reg and Amber...where are you in the photos? Next time....

From Elliot and Nana Regis and I took care of Elliot for a little while yesterday while the other grown-ups were busy doing something. He's not an age to be very helpful with those kinds of things. We had a nice time and Regis took a lot of pictures. We're going to another family event this afternoon (Bob's 31st birthday) so there will be more pictures of the little kids! Peter was telling us of his amazement that Subway had hired two older people (in their thirties). He said if they hire people that old they're going to be breaking their legs. What the. We almost fell off our chairs laughing and I reminded him that I ran three and a half miles while he laid in bed the other day. Beautiful fall weather other there! Get out and enjoy the day!

I registered for the Banana Relay with two people who are closer to my age but crap happens and they couldn't do it. I ran the relay with two 8-year olds who did a great job. I think we were the team with the youngest members and the oldest member. You had to run two miles, then pass the banana to the next team member. This little guy stepped in at the last minute to complete our team. He was fast. His little feet were smokin' when he headed out for the last leg. We didn't win any prizes but we had a great time. The kids had banana splits and the rest of us in the over-21 crowd went to Patrick's for a glass of wine. You got to stay hydrated when you're an athlete, you know. Yesterday morning I thought I would walk downtown to do some errands. I got about 3 blocks away from home and decided, due to the wind, this was a bad idea. I turned around and took the car. I parked it by the bank and walked around to do my errands, though, so got to stop in the two ne...

Even though I have what is referred to as an extended contract and work most of June and August, the first official week of the school year is a killer. We had our district day on Monday...ll teachers gathered in the theater for the inspirational speeches and power points of district goals and bad financial news. It isn't too painful but it is way over-stimulating. Some of those folks I have only seen once a year for the thirty years I've worked here. It's a struggle to remember their names. That is task enough, let alone concentrating on PLC goals and AYP results. So, we have only eaten out once this week which is an improvement over some years when I can hardly find my way home in the afternoon much less round up the gumption to cook a meal. Last night we had stuffed peppers, our new favorite summer meal. I should have taken a picture of them on the grill...they're beautiful. Here's a few pictures from our evening. Roasted vegetables Pico de gallo with fres...