i'm being forced to write about this even though I don't think it's such a big deal

We're under a tornado watch tonight and I happened to ask Regis if the weather radio is at the ready since I have a fear of a tornado bearing down on me in the dark. He got up to check and found the spot where it had been but there it was: gone. Sometime this winter, in a fit of cleaning which happens rarely, I took it from its spot on the counter and poked it into the cupboard beneath. Regis is pitching a fit. He says I am unreasonably fearful to the point of paranoia about storms and it makes no sense that I would disarm the weather radio. I said I'm not really fearful of winter storms sneaking up on me so it makes perfect sense that I would put it away in December. He's storming around here in one of his man-tempers about the whole thing and insists that I write about it. I suppose he thinks I'll make myself look bad rather than sugar coat it like I did.

Peter was going out to celebrate a friend's birthday tonight. I told him if he was in a bar and a tornado appeared, he should go into the beer cooler. He said Chopper's has a basement. A nice one, I bet. That bar has been there since dirt.

Miles, keep a weather eye out tonight, buddy. I hear there are storm warnings for your area. You should hear the robot on the weather radio say Owatonna. It's a hoot.

I went off to the pulse this morning to save myself the work-out this afternoon. Rachel reminded me that she would see Betty and me this afternoon at 3:15 for our training. Uff da. I had forgotten. So I got a double work-out today and I'm beat. I'm taking the day off tomorrow to rest my weary muscles.

That's it for today. I'm going to bed to read.

hangover review

Very funny movie. We slapped our knees and guffawed until our faces hurt. Here's Reger Ebert's review. Not the kind of movie to take small children or your mother to see, but a good movie if you want to laugh at really ridiculous and dirty stuff.

melting is way too passive

I don't really like to talk numbers but I have lost a lot of weight in the last year. Let's just say a lot. I have a few friends who proclaim that I am melting when they see me about once a week. Today when I was at the pulse, doing my 30-minute treadmill workout #2 with inclines and intervals, I thought melting is way too passive for what I've been doing. Most days don't feel like an entire campaign but some days do feel like a battle. I would say that in general, all the things I've done since last August, including the head parts, are the hardest work I have done in my life.

We took Peter to Patrick's for a hamburger tonight. Before he got there, a young man with a baseball cap walked in with a girl. I swear Regis gasped...he thought Peter was bringing a girl to meet us. Peter really laughed when he heard that. I keep telling him we don't want to read in the Free Press that he bought a marriage license.

Regis made Bruce's recipe for Apple Pie yesterday. This is a recipe made with ever clear, not your grandma's apple pie. We took a bottle to Tom and he proclaimed it a success. I didn't try any...not sure what would kill me faster, the juice or the liquor. Best not to experiment.

I went out to fill the bird feeder and when I approached the bag of sunflower seeds in the garage, I spotted a dead mouse. I backed away and came back into the house. How could a mouse expire within 8 inches of a huge sack of sunflower seeds. Peter came out to fill the feeder and move the mouse. I asked him if he could tell what had killed the mouse but he didn't know. No autopsies were performed.

We're going to see the movie The Hangover. Don't ask me why.

oh, say it isn't so

I just read the newsletter from one of my favorite blogs, This Goat's Life. The main goat, Baby Belle, was diagnosed with cancer. She's been doing pretty well since January but you can guess the outcome. They think it will be impossible to continue the blog when Baby Belle dies. I'm heartbroken.

I sat on the patio in a lawn chair most of yesterday afternoon. It was warm enough to make a guy seek shade but cool enough to not drive you inside. I even took a short nap which is difficult to do sitting up. I finished So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger. It's now on my list of all-time favorite books. Ella came over after her nap and helped Regis cook chicken breasts and ground brisket sandwiches on the grill. We walked across the street to pick strawberries and see the fish pond, and then we read books in the lawn chair. What a day.

Today is quite another story. It's back to cool and damp and overcast.

If you ever look at the comments from the other posts, you might have noticed the exchange between Deb and my mom. I realized they were talking to each other but not until I had dug through a garbage bag to find the padded envelope in which my bracelet arrived.

Betty and I did our cardio and strength workout today. This is the start of our 3rd week which is much longer than most people would have guessed we would persevere. I walked most of my treadmill routine today hands-free! Hurray for me! My balance must be improving which I hope will keep me out of a nursing home someday. Much of it is still very difficult...doing the exercise, counting, and breathing takes a lot of coordination. I asked Rachel if we could hire her kids to count for us as that seems to be a downfall. The other things are sort of critical. You probably have noticed the absence of any news about Zumba. By the time I'm done with this other stuff, that is way beyond my capacity.

Off to dig up another book. Light a candle in your garden for Baby Belle tonight.

deb's beautiful bracelet

Cousin Deb sent me this beautiful bracelet that she made. The two gold beads are from Italy. I can't wait to wear it. Deb, you're an artist!

bluesfest photos

The bluesfest was great fun. The weather was perfect for sitting in the sun, the smell of charcoal grilling wafted across the grounds, and the music was great. Regis took a lot of pictures, mostly of people we don't know. There are always interesting faces at things like this. We hope the Ambassadors do this again next year. It was a hoot!

bluesfest

More pictures tomorrow...blogger not cooperating tonight.

oh, yeah...I should have said...

That the jacket is a white Eddie Bauer from my cousin Deb and the gloves are fuchsia Italian leather with cashmere lining. I was quite fashionably dressed for a parking lot behind a bar. Even dressed as I was, it was still cold on the those metal picnic table benches and when your butt is that cold, all the songs start to sound the same, so we didn't stay long. The crowd was mostly people our age and they were all starting to drift away about the time we did, being replaced by a much younger but only slightly hipper set. Ah, youth.

raining again

It was a nice morning while I was at work, but it started raining this afternoon and now it's cold again. We're heading downtown to see Everett Smithson's band. This from their website:

The Everett Smithson Band plays an interesting variety of music as well as standards that have a unique spin on them and many delightful originals. They play Zydeco (swamp rock), Rock and Roll, Country, Blues, Rockabilly, Gospel and funk. The song list is unpredictable with songs from Fats Domino, Johnny Cash, Howlin Wolf, Rosie Ledet, Wanda Jackson and Allison Krause -- music from 1900 to the present time.

I took a short nap this afternoon, in bed...in my pajamas...which is the only way to take a real nap. When I got up I talked Regis into going to Gordman's for a little shopping trip. I felt the need for orange sandals. Of course, we bought a lot of other crap, too. When we were in line a guy behind us said, "Hey, I got distracted and forgot to buy the thing I came in here to get!" He sounded dismayed. I said it happens to everyone.

When we go to the show tonight, I'll be wearing a winter jacket and leather gloves. No sandals.

poppies

Regis spent part of the morning observing a drama in the garden. There was a grumpy looking baby robin who did not seem happy out of the nest. He was being harassed by his parents and by a couple of grackles. Regis said he marched into the garden once waving his arms and yelling to disperse the grackles but the robins didn't seem tickled with him either. (See the slideshow at the bottom!)

The other pictures in the slide show are the poppies...the annual blooming. The weather has been perfect for them. They bloomed slowly because it's cool and they're in good shape because it hasn't been windy the last few days. They are absolutely captivating. We sat on the patio so I could watch them this afternoon. I publish pictures of them every year because I badger Regis to take more pictures of them.

Young Regis and Peter were around for a meal so we made burgers on the grills with sauteed peppers, onions, and stuffed portobellos. Delicious.

That's all for today. I'm pooped.

remainder books

Years ago when I was at a summer writing conference in Iowa City, Jim Heynen said that when he goes in a bookstore and sees his books on the remainder table for some ridiculous price, he has to buy them. He has nightmares about driving around in his old car peddling books from the trunk. I always think of that when I visit the remainder table at the local bookstore. Yesterday I bought So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger. I've only read a few chapters but I love it. His sentences are like a warm bath. I'll type a few of them here tomorrow night as I'm too soporific to get up off my chair right now.

Regis and I lifted the veil of moroseness by going out into the sunshine this afternoon. There was only about an hour of it, but by God we enjoyed it. Regis had a beer and a cigar and I had a popsicle and we watched the birds and admired our baby robins and our new grass. What a day.

There's a great story in the Trib today about a family from Missouri who sent out a family photo Christmas card last year. They also posted the photo on the family blog. Lo and behold, friends of theirs driving through Prague in the Czech Republic see their family photo on the front of a store, life size, advertising something. Well, hmmmmm. The store owner says he got it off the internet and if the family lived in his country, he would send them a nice bottle of wine as an apology.

So, if any of you are driving through an eastern European country and see a photo from my blog on a storefront, make sure to let the store owner know he owes me a bottle of wine.

sorry I removed the electric mattress pad

Who knew I would need an electric mattress pad into June? It's about 60 degrees right now, going down to 48 with rain tonight. Good grief, Miles. Get out the Patagonia again. I bought a new white cotton blanket today at Penney's so I hope that will keep me warm tonight. Somebody told me (Joanne?) that people have been wearing winter coats to graduation parties when they have to sit in the garage. It's a midwestern thing.

I remember one year it was cold on the 4th of July. They brought a van full of old people down for the parade and their wheelchairs were lined up along the street. Each of the old folks was wrapped in a white blanket like a cocoon. It looked like a Guindon cartoon, if you remember those.

Regis and I stopped at Mazatlan for lunch today. They have new booths and new chairs and it is so cute! It looks like a real authentic Mexican hacienda (or something). I told Regis I must have a little southern blood because I LOVE those bright colors. The bathroom is a bright periwinkle and the ceilings are orange. The furniture is very colorful. We're going to take a picture next time we go. If you live in the area, this is a MUST FREQUENT restaurant. The food is wonderful, the service is excellent (Jesus waited on us today, for example.), and the prices are great. Highly recommended. The link has the menu but not the new decor. Check it out.

We like go out to eat but it's been a bit of a challenge since my surgery. I have a hard time finding the right thing and I usually end up with about 6 meals out of one entree. Mexican restaurants are the easiest because I can eat refried beans and guacamole and they make their ground beef so fine that it works pretty well.

Hey, this morning I made it 5 minutes on the elliptical without stopping to rest! Way to go!

Our robins seem to have made it through the most dangerous first days out of the nest. At least we haven't found any smashed on the street. The parents still seem to be buzzing around with worms so we suspect the babies have graduated to low-hanging limbs. Life's rough in the bird world.

Cousin Deb is sending me a red bracelet. She makes them and they're so pretty. I have two turquoise ones and I love them.

Tom is home safely from his trip to Idaho. We haven't heard the stories yet but I bet there are some good ones.

I wonder what kind of shoes a guy wears in weather like this. Socks seem a little unfashionable in June but I might have to go with it.

animals galore

Our yard is full of baby birds and animals today. There's been a baby robin (or two or three) perched here and there for the last couple days. We hope they're the babies from our nest. A parent bird is usually nearby, still delivering worms and bugs. There was a baby house finch in the tray feeder with the mama today, and I could hear him squawking from in the house. That must get on her nerves. When she finally left and flew into a tree, he followed and almost landed on top of her. Children are the same in any species, I guess.

The birds have been making good use of the tray feeder full of sunflower seeds and the grape jelly. We put jelly out for the orioles but we never see any of those. The grackles, finches, and robins all eat the jelly like crazy.

I wish Regis could get a picture of the baby robins. They are so darn cute. This isn't ours, but it's what they look like. I love the little pin feathers on his head and the grumpy look.


It's so cold and windy out for those poor little things. They need tiny coats and mittens.

I ordered Regis a present for Father's Day today and had it delivered to the home of a different person. I'm not going to say who because he might be sniffing around there. I also forbid him from using Amazon for the next two weeks so he can't look at where's our stuff. I don't think I've bought him a present in ten years that he hasn't seen before the event for which it was ordered.

I went to the work-out place this afternoon and did the elliptical thing for five minutes without dying but I had to take a couple breaks. Some people actually use that thing and read magazines while they're doing it for heaven's sake. When I walk on the treadmill, I hang on for dear life. She wants me to work on walking hands-free. I said I didn't think that was allowed and really, why would they have a handle on it? I can do it when I walk slower than 3.7 miles per hour but any faster than that and I am afraid I'll shoot off the end like a hocky puck. I don't wave at people or watch television while I'm walking either. I have mastered the iPod. Ta da.

Seriously, this working out thing is full of amazing sights. There was a class going on where people danced back and forth on a step thing while waving their arms. Now that's coordination.

I like to listen to the Dropkick Murphys while I walk. Good thing that the only noise comes out of the tiny headphones.

Mom

I left this picture of mom off the picasa site because I didn't know if she would want her picture in a robe made public but I've had so many inquiries...where's your mom???....that I had to post it. Sorry, Mom.

record low high

We were at Barky's Resort on Ottertail Lake with most of the Saums this weekend. We were prepared for cold weather, even stopped at Fleet Farm and bought two extra sweatshirts, but we were not prepared for the weather we had. Regis said it was a record low high yesterday in Battle Lake. That means, really, a record low. The rain came sideways and was torrential. We weren't on the beach even one time. We had about 2 hours of sunshine Friday when we got there and that was the end of the pleasant weather.

We had a very good time, though. There are pictures here if you want to take the extended look. The babies were a big hit...Tiffany's Elliot and Jeremy's Dakota Star. The three little girls, Evynne, Darby, and Evelyn, had a great time together even though they got a little squirrely. Mom took us all out for breakfast at Betty's Pantry in Ottertail to end the fine weekend.

The pork butts that Regis smoked were a big hit. We served the whole family sandwiches on Friday night. We made a Carolina barbecue finishing sauce that's a vinegar base rather than tomato base. It was perfect.

If you know me at all, you know I am not a fan of long car trips. I was a good sport on both legs of the journey this weekend but about Hutchinson on the way home, I started to get antsy. I had eaten a piece of sugar-free chocolate that did not agree with me. Serves me right.

Our baby robins appear to have left the nest while we were gone. There is one fat one still perched in the nest but the others have flown. Or have been fledged? Is that how you say it? It's a miracle that they grow so fast. We'll miss these babies but there's probably time for another crop.

I was afraid my poppies would bloom while I was gone but they didn't. They were probably afraid it would snow on them.

I have to go and attempt to gather my road trip brains so I can go to work tomorrow. Ugh.

today in la la land

I went to the fitness center after school where a nice lady tried to murder me with something called an elliptical. That is some torture device. My goal is to make it to five minutes without collapsing. I learned that I have crappy balance. When the nice lady said, now try that standing on one leg, I laughed. When she told me to walk on the tread mill without hanging on, I said I was sure I would fly off the end.

Regis smoked the pork shoulders today and they smell wonderful. He smoked a turkey breast, too, so I have some leaner meat to eat. If we get stranded anywhere along the route tomorrow, we'll eat well.

Reggie was here when I got home and Peter came shortly after. That was the end of my productivity. We sat on the patio until almost dark, watching the baby robins, keeping an eye on the neighborhood, and giving advice to the chef. It was just a beautiful evening.

We're leaving tomorrow about 9 for Ottertail Lake. See you Sunday!

rode my bike to school

I rode my bike to school today. I had to go to an interview at the high school so I had to ride my bike over there and back. Then home. I figure it's about nine miles total. I have an odometer but I don't know how to read it so I have to guess at the mileage. Wonderful ride but I'm pooped tonight.

I'm sitting in my purple robe, my new exercise shoes, and my new Duluth Trading Post solar weave booney hat. I have the hat buttoned up on the side so I think I look like I'm going on safari. Peter says it's not a look I'm pulling off very well and he hopes none of his friends come to the door.

Regis is gearing up for the pork butt smoking tomorrow. He has to get up early to get it on the grill. He's taking care of the whole works...the dry rub recipe, the mop, and the grill. I just get to come home and smell it while I sit on the patio.

Well, I'm going to bed to read Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Check out the reviews.

the nicest day ever

Today was one of those perfect days. No humidity, a blue sky, perfect temperature. We picked Ella up after school and did a few errands in Mankato. She is so entertaining. Regis got some popcorn at Grizzly's and asked her if she could have some. She has food allergies and she usually knows what she can have and not have. She was chowing on the popcorn and said, "This is fantastic. So much better than the allergy popcorn." Uh oh. Call to mom. No more popcorn. We called her dad on the way home so she could say goodnight. After he hung up, she said, "Bob's nothing but an animal." Where did she get that??? Regis laughed so hard, I thought he was going to have to pull over.

We're watching Ghostbusters on AMC. We both remember it well from when our kids were small and loved it. Guess how many years ago it first came out? 25! How can that be?

We're getting ready for the Saum reunion at Ottertail lake this weekend. I will be out of pocket from Friday to Sunday night. No blog posts and no cell phone. I did see kids sending text messages last year but that takes me so long, I might as well drive into Battle Lake and use the pay phone. I just checked the weather forecast...50's during the day and 40's at night. Better get out the thermals again.

Regis is smoking a couple pork butts (ha ha ha) for pulled pork sandwiches Friday night. Tiffany is bringing hot dogs to cook on the fire Saturday night. Mom is bringing stuff for smores. That's the extent of what I know has been planned. I couldn't get Peter to sign on...he said people would ask him questions. I said it was a good thing he was avoiding that since he works for the secret service and wouldn't want to reveal things like where he works and when he will be done with school. When he was in high school, he thought asking what he had for lunch was a personal question.

Tom is on a road trip to Idaho with his brother. They plan to camp and fish along the way. It sounds like something from a novel and I can see why Betty decided to stay home and enjoy the pleasures of AC and a warm bed.

I talked to Jane today and our trip to Iowa in July is a go. She said that's the weekend of Heritage Days in Mt. Vernon. They'll be selling beer on the street corners, don't you know. I won't be partaking but I'll enjoy the ambience.

When I lived in Iowa, the next tiny town over built a new fire station. The first time they had a fire, all the firemen showed up but nobody had the key to the fire station. How good is that? Unless you were the one waiting for them, I guess.

I loved living in Iowa and have some great stories about my tour of duty there.

well, i'm still alive so they didn't kill me yet

Excuse me, I have to brag. I went to the fitness center this morning, walked on a treadmill for 20 minutes, then participated in a strength training class. I was not the most fit person there and I had to stop a few times before we got to pumping iron for 20 reps but I made it the whole half hour. Ta da! Then tonight, Regis and I rode our bikes down to Bob's and he stayed there while I went to a Zumba class. Now, if I had looked this up in the internet before I went, I never would have gone but I'm trying hard to free myself of the old mental constraints of I can't do this or that.

This was described to me as a "Mexican dance class". You can imagine the image I had. What it is is (I did that on purpose) Latin hip hop aerobic exercise. This was an hour class taught by a willowy but muscular blonde who moved like she was made of rubber. I tried to find a youtube video that was more like my class (not wanting to offend the other people there, I will leave you to your own imagination) but I guess they don't publish those. This will give you an idea.



I have to say that even though I had to stop after 20 minutes, it was really fun and I'll go back. What a hoot! What a hoot! What a damn hoot!

here i go

I'm up early and ready to go to the fitness center. I've never belonged to a fitness anything in my life. I feel like I'm joining a coven of witches or an alien separatist group. I'm nervous. Will they be able to tell I've led a sedentary life, so far?