Lake Vacation - Getting There

First, let me say how much I missed my little blog. I know that three or four of my faithful readers were on vacation with me and I hope that my other two readers didn't miss my daily rantings too much! Let me fill you in on the fun we had last week! We headed out last Friday afternoon to Houston to see the Astros play the Cardinals. My big boys did a special batting practice with the Astros that got them down on the field and up close and personal with the team.

They got to stand down on the field by the hitting screen. Quite a thrill for a fourteen year old and his dear old baseball loving dad.

Big hitters for the Astros.

Lance Berkman.

The Cardinals were out on the field too.

Hunter Pence was extraordinarily friendly and personable. He is Harold and Hubby's new most favorite Astro. He signed some hats for them and chatted for several minutes.

It was Friday firework night and they put on quite a show. Me and Chip left the game in the top of the ninth and walked across the street to our hotel. The view of the fireworks was pretty good even from our hotel room.

The next day we got on the road to head to Alabama. This is how Harold rode a significant amount of the time. That can't be safe or comfortable.

We didn't have to be at the lake until 3:00 on Sunday so we decided to visit the Tabasco Factory on Avery Island. I am so glad that we did. When we first pulled into Avery Island there was a little toll booth occupied by a gentleman. He opened the window and we told him we were heading to the factory tour. It was $1 to get onto Avery Island, but the best part was that he reached out to our car with a big long pole with a clothespin fastened to the end. You put your $1 in the clothespin and he pulled it back in. We got a kick out of that! Ingenious way to stay in the air conditioner!

The tour was free and consisted of a short movie about the history of Tabasco and a little museum of Tabasco nostalgia. We got to walk by a portion of the bottling line, but it wasn't running because it was a weekend. Did you know that it takes three years from harvest to bottling to make Tabasco Sauce. They age it in oak barrels they buy from the Jack Daniels distillery.

The Tabasco Country store was right outside the factory and they had everything Tabasco you could think of. Even a tasting bar, with different sauces, ice cream and soda that contained Tabasco.

Here are my three yahoos with their free sample bottles! I used it for Bloody Mary's at the lake! Also on Avery Island is Jungle Gardens! It was the highlight of our trip to Avery Island. It is a drive through garden with tons of plants and animals.

Moss hanging off all the trees.

Swamps full of alligators. Lots and lots of alligators everywhere. Like, wouldn't get out of my car for love or money. They were in the water with just their little beady eyes sticking up, or swimming with that long tail swishing back and forth. YIKES - they were freaky!

Or walking right up to your car. Kids screaming. So exciting!

They have a huge bird sanctuary in Jungle Gardens that was originally created to save the snowy egret. They have been saved and are plentiful now!

They apparently nest here year after year. There was a huge Buda garden and tons of gorgeous plants. They say that in the spring the Azalea blooms are amazing. I would love to see that one day.

After leaving Avery Island we headed up the interstate to Mississippi.

Had dinner at a nice Ruby Tuesday and then crashed. We left about six hours of driving to do on Sunday so we could make it to the lake about the same time as everyone else. It was a very relaxing day of driving and touring. Good start to our vacation!

If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now

Yesterday on our morning bike ride me and the girls were chatting about how just about every female you have ever met has a love/hate relationship with her body. Most of us are dissatisfied with one part or another or maybe it is the top/bottom, or arms/legs, hair, toes, something. Oh, it is tiresome. I am for sure guilty of that and I could probably answer all of the above to the parts that give me grief.

I told my friends that if I knew then what I know now that I would have just stayed naked from like 17 years old to 24 years old. Wouldn't you so much more appreciate that young body now that everything is so different in this 40 something year old body? Even then, during my late teens and early twenties there were parts of my body that I really thought were major trouble spot. WHO KNEW?? That was just the tip of the iceberg young lady. Trouble spots can take over your entire body. Living proof right here.

Is it possible that when I am 80 I am going to look back at this 40 something body and say the same thing? That's scary.

Hotdogs, Fireworks, Apple Pie and Swimming Pools

Wow, how is it that it is already July 7th and I haven't blogged about July 4th! Let's see what kind of festivities the family enjoyed over the lovely long weekend.

Saturday we got a little exercise in the morning, did some shopping, went out to eat, yard work, basic Saturday festivities.

Sunday, started out the same. Got a little exercise, but then met the V Family at the neighborhood pool for some fun in the sun. While there we started talking about the Hotdog Eating contest on ESPN. We were talking about how those folks look so miserable and how stuff sometimes comes out of their nose. They dip their hotdogs and buns in water and other drinks to soak them down so they can shove in more. Last years winner at 68 hotdogs in 10 minutes. Disgusting. So when it was time for lunch we were all like "How about a hotdog?" We headed out to a local hotdog joint ready to try a Chicago style hotdog, but the place was closed. Dang. We ended up at a new restaurant in town called Homefield Grill - it was more of a burger joint, but it was good.



Back at our house, we all gathered around the boob tube to watch.....



The hotdog eating contest that Harold had recorded. It was every bit as disgusting as I imagined. So glad we didn't eat hotdogs for lunch. BLEAHHH!

We hit the local fireworks stand to get our entertainment for the night. The boys are all getting the big booming artillery shells and I am gathering sparklers and fountains.

Our lovely friends Cindy and Max hosted us in their driveway this year.

Food and drink were plentiful. Company was spectacular.

Look at this precious cookies that Ashley made. So patriotic!

The kids were raring to go once it got dark. This is the younger set.

This is the whole gang.

These are the dads that were supervising the explosives. Not sure where their fire extinguishers are and they look a little too relaxed for my taste.

Everyone brought their fireworks and honestly there were so many that I thought we would never get them all fired off. The kids worked hard though and in about two hours we were down to sparklers and fountains. All the nice, gentle stuff I wanted to get was the stuff that was left. Go figure.

The boys spent a lot of time destroying this Barbie in a box. This poor girl had every explosive in the arsenal trapped in this box with her. It was kind of disturbing, but the kids loved it.

This is them huddling up to see what else they can blow up in the box. What else can Barbie endure. I tell you, she was almost indestructible.

The fire finally got her. She was a hero in my eyes. I think the boys are already plotting what they can blow up next year. Why do boys like fireworks so much? I was a nervous wreck by the time we left. Everyone made it out alive with all their parts. I just need to drink more next year so I can relax and enjoy the show. It was a late night and we all slept hard.

The good news is that when we woke up on Monday we still had another day to play!!! YEAH! Love the three day weekend.

Started off with some exercise and then we had a super extra special treat! My good friend Connie was out of town and we were pool sitting!!! What that basically means is that my awesome friends with pools know that we are the Clampetts and we love living like the rich and famous in their backyard oasis. Oh, this was a wonderful oasis too!

It was a tropical paradise and we were loving it! Connie rocks!!

The V Family joined us and the kids floated, jumped, played basketball.

And then the adults ramped up the fun a couple of notches with some challenges of their own. Look at this picture I got of Hubby about to fall off the back of the pool. It was quite a drop too! He didn't fall, but it was close. What he is doing is trying to position an inner tube for Peggy to jump into. The challenge was to land your bottom in the tube while catching the beach ball.

If she tried once, she tried 25 times. That girl loves a challenge and she was absolutely determined to make it. I won't tell you how many times it took, but she eventually nailed it. She had some pretty brutal spills along the way.

Then Hubby has to prove he can do it. It was a lot harder than it looked.

Then JV couldn't stand it and he had to give it a try. By this time of course the kids are starting to gather around. What are ya'll doing? Can we try?

They lined up and tried several times to conquer this challenge.

Chip finally nailed it.

So then they made it harder. JV slammed the noodle down and Hubby was moving the tire and they had to time their jump to not get whacked by the noodle and land in the tub. Super, duper hard, but they could not get enough of trying. CV has a good attempt here.

Then they added more challenges. Run across this raft and dive through the tube.

Harry gets it done.

Then we moved on to chair float rowing relays. We were there for four hours. Way longer than we intended, but just so much fun that time flew by. The kids did not want to leave, so we agreed to just dry out for while and then meet back to close down the three day weekend with a final night swim.

I used my drying out time to FINALLY make that apple pie I have been yacking about! It was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. There are surprisingly very few ingredients in a crust and apple pie. My kitchen was a complete disaster area when I was done, but the pie was pretty!

I took it to the pool for a little sweet treat and the V Family brought the ice cream. It was warm and yummy! I will most definitely make it again! I got to mark the second thing off of my 50 Things To Do Before I Am 50 List! Two down and forty-eight more to go!

We wrapped up the weekend tired and a little sunburned, but it was exactly what a long weekend should be! Hope you enjoyed yours as much as I enjoyed mine!

Health Update

It is time for my weekly report of exercise done this week. If you could care less, please back arrow out of this page, pick another of your Favorites to view or simply X out of the window and wipe this screen from your memory.

If you are the tiny weeniest bit interested in what I have been up to for exercise, here it is! Biggest celebration this week is that I have kept my consecutive days of exercise streak going at 17 days in a row. Woo Hoo! Last Friday was a close call, but a 8:00 p.m. walk with Hubby saved the day!

Here is how it went down this week!

Monday - Walked with Martha for an hour.
Tuesday - Walked with Martha for an hour.
Wednesday - Biked with Cindy for an hour (we went about 9 miles)
Thursday - Walked with Martha for an hour.
Friday - Walked with Hubby for 2.5 miles
Saturday - Ran/Walked (5 intervals) for 3.8 miles with Hubby
Sunday - Ran/Walked (8 intervals) for 6.3 miles with Hubby and Peggy; Recreational Swimming

The addition of the short little runs during our walks have made my legs really sore. That is good right? Sore equals progress. God, please tell me that sore equals progress.

Already, today on this lovely holiday Monday, me and Hubby went for a 3.5 mile walk and are heading to the pool to swim.

Hubby said something today during our walk that is really staying with me. I was talking about my problem with the scale and how whether it is good or bad, I turn it into a celebration or discouragement that somehow ends up with me eating. Either "Yeah, I lost a couple of pounds I can eat something" or "Dang, all that work and I didn't lose anything I may as well eat."

He said "Maybe you don't need it to only be about you. Maybe if you think about the boys and sticking around for a really long time to watch them grow and be there for them as long as you can, it would make it easier. Make it more about your overall health than the scale." He said "That's what I do. I wouldn't necessarily be out here doing all this exercise if I wasn't trying to be around for them. I want to be an old man in a wheelchair when they are middle aged."

Geez. I guess, in my mind I am always trying to be healthy, but choosing to eat a cookie or a hamburger over chicken or a salad, usually results in me being disappointed in myself. But as I have mulled his statement over a little more this morning I can totally see how it could be a totally different kind of motivation. I am a mother, of course I would do anything for my kids. Would I eat a salad for them instead of a hamburger. Um yeah. No problem. If I knew exercising every day would give them a better life would I do it. Um yeah. No problem. Easy. Consider it done.

So maybe that is a secret weapon of motivation that I haven't really tapped into. It is not about my weight or the size of my clothes, but that I am making choices every day that provide a good example to my kids and also to know that I have done what is necessary to live a healthy life so that I can be around for a long, long time.

I could obviously get hit by a bus tomorrow or be diagnosed with a disease that is out of my control. And I will likely eat another chocolate chip cookie or two in my life, but if I can use this motivation to make more good choices than bad it is doing my best to live my best life. I like that.

Here's to a good week ahead of making more good choices than bad and doing my best to live my best life!

Run? We are supposed to be walking!!!

This morning, none of my girls were walking so Hubby said he would go with me for my 3 Day training walk. UPDATE TO YESTERDAY: We also went for a quick 2 1/2 mile walk on Friday night, so my exercise streak is alive and well! So, we head out on our walk and Hubby is synchronizing his watch and GPS, telling me our average pace and when we will complete our planned mileage. Unexpectedly, a little white car pulled us over and asked for some directions. The lady was really sweet and we had her on pointed in the right direction in just a few minutes. As she is pulling off, Hubby says "Dang, she messed up our average." I laughingly said "We could always run to regain our lost time."

Keep in mind, I don't give a crap what our average pace, mph, stride length...I mean it is not humanly possible for me to care any less than I do.

He says "Let's do it."

Oh no.

I haven't run in so long. It has been years. Mentally, I just have a thing about running. That thing I have is not good. I can walk all day long, but the minute I start running I start breathing weird, everything hurts, head wants to blow up. It is so stupid.

Hubby says, "This is a downhill, let's just run a 10th of a mile." We did. I didn't die. He picked some other nice downhills for us to run and we did five or so intervals. I didn't die. I thought I might on the last one, but I didn't. We made up our time and came in at some average that wasn't terrible and was a big improvement over my previous times. I kept waiting for him to get exasperated with me and say "Good Lord girl, just run. Quit panting, breathing weird, stopping, etc." He didn't. It took all the will power he had I think. After we got home, he turned right around and did another run and did double the distance in the same time. Butt head.

And for those of you who don't run and are reading this thinking that running a 10th of a mile is no big deal....I double dog dare you to get out and give it a try. It is not easy.

I can't even imagine being able to run a mile without stopping, but I think I am going to try. Then I am going to try for two. You know, in all the months that I trained for a half marathon in 2005 I can only recall getting the "runner's high" ONE TIME! Beth and I got it on the same day and we could have run forever. That isn't very much hope to hold out for. It would be a lot better incentive to get it at least every other time you run or something. Oh well, even without the runner's high after just a couple hours today I felt pretty good.

Here's to the small glimmer of hope that I am not ultra sore in the morning so I can get out there and try again!

Ten Totally Random Tidbits

1. It has been raining all darn day today! I feel like it has been raining for a month. When it rains, the kids play indoor hide and seek. I don't like indoor hide and seek. There is all the running and screaming, the up and down the stairs, the inevitable arguing "You're it!", "No you're it!", "NOOOOOO, I got you. You are it." Painful and loud.

2. Planning is underway for the first ever family lake trip. We have had to switch our plans from the beach to a lake because of the stupid oil spill. Anyway, the entertainment planner (that would be me!) is coming up with a Amazing Race night and a "Minute to Win It" Olympics. I am way more excited than a grown woman should be about it! Hope the kids have fun too!

3. Question asked to me the other night - "Mom, can I give Harold's butt CPR?" How exactly do you answer that? What is the appropriate response? I just told him to stay away from his brother's butt. I think that is the right answer. I hope Harold's butt wasn't having a heart attack and in need of CPR.

4. Harold is reading Catcher in the Rye off of his freshman summer reading list. Goodness me, the language in that book. He tries to summarize if for me and every other sentence he says he has to insert a "beep". He is getting an education alright!

5. This miserable rain started late yesterday afternoon. About 7:00 last night, Chip tears through the house yelling "Mark it off the list - we are going to play in the rain." And they did. Had a great time. The Summer Fun list has got lots of new check marks on it!

6. I love getting comments on my blog! My best commenter is Liz and it just makes me happy when I see something from her! I want my other four loyal readers to leave comments! Maybe I should give you some incentive to leave a comment. Let's see if you guys are really reading this mumbo jumbo! In the comments, tell me your favorite number. I will use the numbers I get to play the lottery and if I win, we will split it!

7. I think something is up with our water softener. I think I have been saying that for about six weeks. Wonder when I am actually going to do something about it.

8. I am going to make an apple pie from scratch this weekend. It will be the first official thing I can mark off of my 50 Things to do Before I am 50 list. Gone With The Wind has been ordered online and is also on the way to my door. That will probably be number two.

9. I didn't exercise today. I slept in until 7:10. I won't lie - I enjoyed it. Tomorrow I am supposed to walk 6 miles. That is far.

10. I went for a bike ride on Wednesday morning with my friend Cindy. We had a great time, with the exception of this huge swarm of gnats we ran into. I literally had to pull over and dig one out of my eye. We ate some, had them stuck to our faces, our shirts, our pants. In our hair. It was disgusting. Can't wait to do it again next Wednesday!!

Happy Friday ya'll! Hope your three day weekend is awesome!

Sock VooDoo

The other day I was folding a load of clothes and had the weirdest experience. Lately, because I am old and don't like to bend over much, I grab all the clothes out of the dryer and throw them up on top of the dryer to sort and fold. I used to bend over and grab out every individual piece. In hindsight that is so stupid, unless you still do yourself and in that case we can just call it good exercise. Really, it is just crazy and I am probably the only person in America who did that. Why didn't someone tell me there was a better way?

Anyway, as I was folding this load of whites I started to notice that the sock pairs were all right next to each other. I grabbed the first couple of socks and its match was right next to it. I thought, wow that is lucky. Usually, I have to dig and search to find a sock's mate in the pile. As I kept folding, every single pair of socks in that load had its match laying right next to it. I mean, there were 10 or 15 pairs of socks and EVERY single one had its mate right next to it.

After five or so matches I was thinking to myself, "Geez what are the odds?" As I got to 10 matches I was getting a little spooked out, it was like some Sock Magic or Sock VooDoo. I wanted to stir up the clothes to mess them up because it was freaking me out a little bit. I tried to not to think about it too and just embrace it as the one in a billion chance that it had to be. It was weird enough that I still think about it whenever I fold a load a whites. I am always a bit relieved when the socks are all in their own individual zones and not remotely close to the mate they went in there with. The sock that lost its mate somewhere between the washing machine and dryer - doesn't bother me a bit. Makes me feel like all is right in the world.