August Already?!?

Long time since I last blogged and it's been a busy time. I can't believe we closed the month of July at work and we are in August already! Mike survived the comings and goings of the Hancock County District Fair. He is in the Farm Bureau and they had the meal for one of the nights so he was one of the grill masters there. The Farm Bureau also sponsored a display of sows farrowing at the fair which he got to be in charge of. I told him he didn't seem too busy with that and he said it was because the chair person delegates. Wise guy! The fair was very well attended this year despite the heat. There was a serious injury at the demo derby that involved one of our firefighters and as far as I know he is on the mend but I think it will be a long haul for him.

As of this past Tuesday, all of the men in my household are officially knights...Knights of Columbus that is. A First Degree swearing in (or whatever they call it...I am not allowed to know anything about it -- if I do they would have to kill me!) was held in Mason City on Tuesday evening and now my boys are Knights in shining armor!

When I went to work Monday I put out the question to my co-worker, Kim, "How about us heading back to Weight Watchers?" She agreed and we decided to start this week. We have one other hospital employee going with us and I think soon another will join. She had some things going on these first two weeks but would like to join and would like to have people to carpool with. So, Wednesday after work the three of us piled in the car and headed for Forest City to face the scale. Yikes! I know we can do this -- we've done it before. Luckily I don't have nearly as much to take off as last time if there is a bright side to this at all!

Earlier in the week I decided to go down to Des Moines to get my hair done on the weekend. In preparation for the boys being home on Saturday, I thought it would be a good idea if they would get their dinner ready. Micah is not much of a cook and I thought he needed to give it a go so I took on the task of teaching them to make lasagna. It is a very easy recipe -- you don't even have to cook the noodles. I use Italian sausage instead of hamburger and the spices -- well I just throw in a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Micah was in charge of the meat mixture and Reed was in charge of the cottage cheese mixture. We all took a turn at a layer of ingredients. I've got to say, Reed cooks like a pro!

On Saturday Mike and I took off for Des Moines at about 10:30 in the morning. We stopped off at Jimmy John's in Ankeny for lunch (I was starving! I only had yogurt and water thus far that day!) The really bad part was that this happened to be tax-free shopping day so the crowds were crazy. The only store we went to was Shoe Carnival. They were having a buy one-get one half price sale. Both of us scored some shoes there for the upcoming vacation.

Once we hit the road, we had a little time to kill before Bobby would be ready for me. I nixed the idea of going to any malls and suggested the Historic Valley Junction shops. I think Mike drove around the block six times before finally parking (probably in an attempt to avoid going in to too many shops!). We did go into one and browsed around a bit. By the time we were done there, we decided we needed to hit the road to find 'Bobby Hair', as I call it. We got there and she gave me the famous "protein treatment" and got rid of a lot of bulk in the hair. I'm lovin' it!

Once we got done visiting with Bobby, we bumped into an Earl May and I just had to go look. (I originally HAD to go to the bathroom and get a drink but I can hold it for this!) They had such nice looking perennials and flowers. I see all of these beauties and then it hits me...I can't haul these home in the car! Oh well, surely I can find something somewhere around here. We did end up finding my folks a bird bath that I think I will call their birthday present since both of them have birthdays coming up in September. Once the bird bath was picked out, I did hit the restroom and then Casey's for a drink. I have priorities ya know!

We finally decided it was time to head home but I was starting to get a little hungry. I suggested we stop at Ames for a big salad somewhere. We found Panera and were sitting there eating and I realized how close we were to our first apartment. After we were done, we went on a driving tour of old hangouts. We went to see what the apartment complex was like now, some 26 years later. It was a new apartment complex when we moved in. It looks like something has happened to the sliding door window but the building looks like it has been kept up well. We then went by an old friend, Dennis DiPietre's, house. Mike thought we should take a picture of that too so they could see their old digs. I then suggested we take a picture for them to see of the other place we all hung out together, St. Thomas Acquinas. After a drive thru campus, we hit traffic just right to slow down and take a picture of the front. Earlier in the year, Mike and I just thought maybe they hadn't gotten around to tending to their landscaping BUT Fr. Miller said that it looks that way by design. Yuck! Not real impressive to me.

Now that we are home and have survived the weekend, we have much to accomplish before next weekend. I need to get the house cleaned thoroughly, laundry done and packed for the vacation all while practicing for the wedding next Saturday. (BTW, if you're reading this Brenda, if something happens to me I bequeth my piano to you. Mike said that he was just going to open up the lid and store "stuff" in it and it would probably be a good idea for you to have it. No joke -- it's all here in writing and I am of sound mind and have not been drinking lately.) I played a bit tonight and an trying to discern whether it is me being out of practice or arthritis setting in...can't seem to do the runs as smoothly as I once did.

Here's to another busy week...at least I don't have to register kids for school anymore! I just have to do the college tuition thing!