28 Years Ago

Tamara asked me for a picture of Kyle, Blake, and me sometime before his first birthday to go in a picture cube she has for the baby's room.  Although Kyle and I may look a little younger, I vote for Blake as most changed.  

Fair Week

It's fair week in Clay County and although we don't have a 4-Her anymore, it is fun to go to the fair and watch the other kids.  You can tell who actually has been at the fairgrounds all day, and those like us who breezed in for the hog show.  The morning started out with a wet check-in and progressed to steaminess, so those who spent the day at the fair tended to look a little limp.

But first things first, we ate at the food stand.  There is a fantastic food stand at the fair with more offerings than most.  I had the taco in a bag, Kyle had a taco salad, and Abby had the grilled fajita wratp.  I used to be able to eat my way through the fair during the week, but I probably won't spend enough time down there this year to do that. 

Then Kyle bought a funnel cake on the way to the arena to watch the hog show.  Some of the kids really know what they are doing, and some actually run, which is not a recommended show technique, to keep up with their hog.  Kyle and Abby tried to pick the first and second from each weight class, betting a $1 for each, and Abby only came up $2 short.  Good luck collecting, Kyle!

Then we had a guests after the show at the house, one works with Kyle and has kids exhibiting hogs, while the other is from Nebraska, is on the radio every day, and had sold the hogs to the family.  Then the Nebraska chap and his daughter were on their way to Pratt to watch the hog show there at 8 am.  Good grief, that was an early departure that I missed.

Fair week isn't about sleeping.

Celebration

Woohoo!!  The last half of our master's class group presented their portfolios yesterday, then we met at Coco Bolo's in Aggieville to celebrate.  The two guys, Jennifer C., and Tami whose due date was yesterday were the only ones not there.  After meeting for four hours every Wednesday night, we know each other pretty well.  There were about seven of us that then went to Kite's to eat, but instead decided to go over to So Long Saloon to eat.  I briefly stopped by Blake and Tamara's and they said, "Mom, were you bar-hopping?"  I said, "Yes we were, I guess."  Anyway, a great time with a great bunch of people.  I won't miss going to the classes, but I will miss the people in the class. 

Working Girl and a Shower

I have a new working gig for July, answering the telephone and other assorted tasks at the radio station.  I am job sharing this which is the best!  So for now, I am at the office on Monday and Thursday, and 1/2 days on Friday.  I don't know much, but my right hand man, Chelsie, is just a shout away. 

This Saturday was the last shower for Baby Bauer.  It was at the Leadership Building on the KSU campus and was hosted by co-workers and friends of Tamara.  She again got many lovely gifts.

We had another ice cream cake at the shower which is my absolute favorite.   It was a two course shower with the first one being chips and salsa, fruit, and the best sushi I have ever eaten.  It was homemade by Candy who works with Tamara and she uses her grandmother's rice recipe.  She had salmon and cream cheese, asparagus and crab meat, and avocado and shrimp sushi. 

The moms got together for a picture before it is all about Larry in the pictures.

And the aunts with Tamara.  Abby was coaching softball on Saturday, so she missed that shower.

Five weeks from today is the due date.  Exciting!!

Blake came back for a friend's birthday party, and we went with him to the lake on Sunday.  The lake is really high, but we could get in at the military arena.  No pics.  Just fun to spend time with Blake.

Fourth of July Weekend

We had a busy Fourth of July weekend.  Friday night, Kyle noticed I had blueberries that needed to be used up, and I only had one pie crust in the freezer and didn't want to make the mess, so I used the extra to make stars for a holiday theme.  Blueberry pie is Kyle's favorite, so there isn't much left now!

I have been wanting to go to Junction City to their parade, so off we went on Saturday.  Abby went with us, but she commandeered the camera (that is military talk for JC) because I wasn't doing a good enough job.  Here are some of her pictures which are probably about as interesting as a dolphin show unless you are in it.

I wish they are worn their formal attire, but they did shout out interesting cadences.

Horses and red shirts for you know who.  I might send this in to PW for her next patriotic picture contest.  McDonald's, the flag, and men on horses in red shirts - All American for sure.

Abby's BF isn't really in Florida.

She took this while I was over at the McD's going to the bathroom.  We did buy fruit smoothies there, so it wasn't like we just used the facilities.

This is for all the Republican out there.  The little boy in the harness got a lot of attention from the parade walkers.  We can do that in a few years with Larry.

Abby's BF got the end of the route as a hot dog, donned the Papa John's suit, and made it through the parade route again.

The UMC bus.  One arm waving out windows that don't open more than that.  The Southern Baptists one-upped them by handing out water a couple of groups ahead.  The bus was decorated nicely.

This shot gets included because it shows my hair after it got sprinkled on a few times.

What is a Fourth of July parade without a blow up Statue of Liberty?

For some odd reason, these kids were with a car collecting group.  

On Sunday we went to Wichita to a shower for Tamara and the baby, then out to her parent's house.  Some of the younger people got in the pool, but it rained off and on all day.  It was a fun time visiting with her family and their friends. 

Good Read

     Tamara loaned this book to Abby and Paige, then I read it too.  The KSU freshmen all received a copy at orientation in June.  They are supposed to read it and then the professors will refer to it in classes this coming year.  It was a good book about the US after the present government is no longer in existence.  Nominees are sent from each region to the capitol to participate in televised games where the contestants use brawn and brains to fight to the death until one contestant remains.  The heroine in the novel takes the place of her younger sister to participate for her district.  It is a fast, easy read but very thought-provoking.  I commend the selection as something most students would read and there are many social and cultural aspects that would make for good discussions.

Tamara has the second book in the series, Catching Fire, and the third, Mockingjay, is to come out August 24.  She said the second book was as good as the first. 

Tag

So I have been tagged by two people!!  Is it freeze tag, TV tag, flush the stool tag?  I am busy, busy, busy at my July part time job.  Hint- I am in the same place as my husband. 

1.   What’s your staple meal (ie. what meal do you cook most often when you can’t be bothered to be adventurous)?

I would have to say our go-to meal is  spaghetti with meat sauce and green beans.  I always have the ingredients and it is super easy.  In fact, I need to make it soon.  Once upon a time, my go-to meal was tuna noodle casserole.  When we got married, I discovered the joy of it's deliciousness.  My mom never made it, guess my dad didn't like it, I really don't know.  Anyway, I made it so much, Kyle finally had to mention we were having it too often.  Now we don't have it often enough.  I guess I have my meals for the week planned.
 
2.  What do you want to be when you grow up?
 
I think I have mentioned this before, but I wanted to work at Dairy Queen.  Life in CC hasn't been the same since we lost our DQ.  Somehow I figured you got all the free ice cream you wanted if you worked at DQ, but I have no idea if that is right.  Back in the day, the DQ in Pratt was a walk up window and only sold treats.  We got to stop after swimming lessons - Hog Heaven!!! 
 
3.   What book are you reading at the moment (if any)?
 
I am currently between books, but may not be by this afternoon when I come back from lunch to my job.  It has some "down time" in it and being the cerebral sort, I need to keep my mind busy on important stuff.  The book I just finished was The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  I wouldn't have ever picked this book up in the library, but Abby checked it out and didn't like it, so I read it.  It is written from the dog's point of view, and was a fast read. 

4.  How do you relax?

My favorite is to relax on a float in a swimming pool this time of year.  We have some great friends who help make this possible in a private, relaxing way as opposed to thinking I would be relaxed on a floaty in the public pool.  The kids keep lobbying for a pool at our house, but alas, so far are not anteing up any money.  I might have to do it myself.  I also like to play games on the computer or do Soduko puzzles.  Keeps the mind sharp.

5.   What color are the interior walls of your home?

I think I have addressed this too.  I have four main colors - Trusty is what the girls call the brown/tan color in my bedroom, part of downstairs, and office.  Paige and Tam (they kept playing with colors until they came up with this)  is the berry color in the downstairs, my bathroom, and now my kitchen.  There is a pale yellow in my 1/2 bath and laundry room, and a color called Ostrich Egg in the kitchen, hallway, and upstairs bedroom.  The only other color is a sage green in another upstairs bedroom which is complements of copying a color from a couple of friends.  Oh yes, Abby's bedroom is orange.  See girls, I am not boring.

6.  What is your guiltiest pleasure?


Vanilla ice cream with butterscotch topping. See number 2.

7.  What time is bedtime and getting up time?

We usually go to bed pretty close to 10pm summer and winter.  My alarm goes off at 5:45 during the school year, and at 6am in the summer.  I just don't roll out quite as quickly.

8.  How long do you spend reading blogs (per day or per week)?


Probably too much, maybe a half hour a day, oh really truthfully, it is probably more.  Especially when I am writing these missals for your reading pleasure.

Now I am supposed to tag other people, so I will try Kris at Going Against the Grain and Bridgette at The Rankins.  Now I must really get back to work.  I changed the roll of toilet paper in the ladies bathroom and thought that might merit a raise, but the boss says no.