My Favorite...

I have a favorite lottery ticket. I don't play often, but every once in a while I will...and I have discovered a ticket in which there is NO WAY I'll ever lose. It's a MN Lottery game called Border Battles ($5). The ticket features several ways to win but the whole idea is a based on each ticket being an individual Packer/Viking Game. Since it is a MN lottery thing, you scratch as if you were a Viking...but...I still love it because:

1. Either I win money

OR

2. I lose the money, but the ticket says the PACKERS WIN. When the Packers win, I can't lose! So yeah. Way to go MN! Being a lottery ticket, more often than not, the Pack wins...according to the officials at MN state lottery. Maybe they didn't really think that one through...but I'm loving it.

Now...off to school. Christmas Concert tonight. (I am lucky to work in a school that still EXPECTS Christmas music at the Christmas concert!) I know there is a Packer game on but I'll only miss roughly the first half, so not too bad. I'll write again really soon about the Harley Christmas party we went to last night.

What do band students do...

...to get out of rehearsing?

2 of them decided to tell me at the start of rehearsal that they needed to leave the last 15 minutes or so for yearbook. I'm thinking they are getting ready to start sales at lunch time.

Rehearsal progresses. It's going well but I've got a migraine. The room is really warm and dry. Lots of kids have been sick lately. Now one kid has to use the bathroom urgently. She's a good kid. I trust her. Another kid asks for a drink of water. She's been ill. We were all actually told to let her go when she needs it. And she's a good kid. I trust her. Then a third. He needs water too. I'm getting cranky but we need to get on with it. My head is splitting and I just want to get through. We started the next song without those kids. It was "The Grinch" and on our run through I had to start again because the trombones missed their entrance. Apparently they forgot to count for themselves when their section leader left for yearbook. It's OK. They nailed it the second time.

We weren't more than 30 measures or so into the piece when all of those that had gone missing came pounding through the door again. It is no longer any wonder why the seniors were giggly all day. They parade in with cake and juice. Apparently the fact that we have a concert in only 2 more rehearsals doesn't matter...they've decided to throw a party. How they managed to keep it a secret is beyond me. Secrets aren't easy in little ol' Spring Grove.




How could I argue? The cake said Happy Anniversary (really? What HS kids do THAT for a teacher, they are strange...but you gotta love them!)...and we had already gotten through the songs that really needed it. What goofy kids. They were pretty bummed that Duane couldn't make it, they DID invite him but he was working at Best Buy so he couldn't stop in. Don't feel bad for him though...they sent leftovers home.

I'm sorry

I know it's been a long while, and I've really been thinking about posting...I just haven't had the time. It's been busy at school and both Duane and I are working second jobs. Life is good though and we very much enjoy the time we DO get to spend together in the evenings which is why I haven't been spending it blogging.

So let's see...this blog will be totally random, but it's all I've got right now (although I do have a list of "off the beaten path" topics I can post about when life settles down a bit.

Random thought #1: Tonight, I'm doing laundry. Exciting. I know. Duane left for a couple of hours to help a friend hook up their entertainment system. He also spent a large chunk of the day pouring concrete as the foundation for our shed. He has been a VERY hardworking man lately. We are also sitting around playing MARIO BROTHERS on our Wii...WOO HOO...WHAT FUN!!! He is currently playing without me because I played without him while he was gone. Once he has played a while we can play together...it looks like you can play up to 4 people at the same time...so it will be fun. One of these days we're going to set up a Wii night with the sisters and their beaus (and mom and her beau if they are available that night...since she now stays in LaCrosse during the week).


Random thought #2: Thanksgiving is coming. I'm excited...and not. It's a short week at school. That's good because I'm still pretty beat from the long weeks and late nights for the musical (which was AWESOME by the way). I work the 3am-1pm shift on Black Friday. Whew...I mean...I know I asked for the early shift (so I didn't have to stick around to help clean up at the end of the night)...but GEEZ... Oh well. Duane works Thanksgiving Day. He also works black Friday at both the sheriff's office and at best buy...so he's got the rougher end of the deal. Guess I'll have to rub his back when he gets home.

Random thought #3: We just celebrated our first anniversary! Yeah Us! The year-old-cake that you traditionally save...um...well...the frosting wasn't great at all...but the chocolate was good. Brandi took care of the frosting for us so it worked out.


Random thought #4: I have a new TV series I like a lot. NCIS. I started watching it because I didn't realize my dad was a movie star. But I swear...both looks and personality...the lead character dude is my dad. Then I watched it enough to actually really like the show itself too. Check out these pics and tell me I'm wrong, I dare you!



Random thought #5: I bought myself a present. If you're ever looking for gift idea...Barnes and Noble gift cards would be great. I can use them to build my library.


Random thought #6: Go PACK! We're at least as good as last year by record! Woo Hoo. Hopefully we hold together without Harris and Kampman. But you can at least all help feed the state. www.chunky.com We're still undefeated there!

Ok...laundry's ready...and all of Duane's little Mario guys died. Guess that means I'm done for tonight!

More Food

I know...that's a lot of food from people who are trying to DROP weight...but hey, it's good food...and good for you, mostly.

So why? In school this semester, there is a food's class. They cook. Everyday. They are cooking their way around the world and making a cookbook. They are discussing healthy foods and how recipes can vary by region. Many good things come from that class. They frequently need to get rid of leftovers. I love the fact that I have band students in that class that often offer me a taste test. Yum. The apple pie was awesome. So was the empanada. The bread...was good for a first shot. So...I decided I needed to give it a shot too...

This weekend is MEA Convention (teachers' conferences). That means public schools in MN do not hold classes on Thursday and Friday so that teachers that are going to the convention do not have to take time off school. I'm not going. I stayed home and gave the bread a shot.

Pumpkin Bread (with chocolate chips!)



Yup, it's good.



Amish White Bread



It's isn't pretty, but it tastes pretty good. I'll keep practicing.



Brandi. Helping lick the pumpkin mix bowl clean. She did a great job.



And for good measure...supper. Grilled Chicken and Asparagus. Lightly seasoned.



All in all...I've had a pretty successful weekend...and it's only Friday!

I'm just sayin'

Holy YUM!!!

Appetizers A La Andrea

This was an awesome combination. Completely on a whim, what I was really after as an appetizer wasn't available (but I'm sure will be added to my list of weekend to do list!) It got Duane and I eating fresh tomatoes (thanks to good neighbor Vivian!). Try it. The spice on the triscuit was mellowed just a hair by the fresh tomato...and the cheese blended the whole thing together. Yup. I'll be doing this often.

I Never Knew...and purple too

I never knew a silly little quiz could turn out so accurate...

Andrea completed the quiz "THE INNER NATIONALITY QUIZ: WHAT ARE YOU REALLY?" with the result You are German.

You are precise yet romantic, efficient yet dreamy, friendly yet somewhat suspicious of others. You rarely smile, but when you do it's very meaningful. You like it best when there is a group consensus, and yet you are easily annoyed by the slowness and/or stupidity of others. Sometimes you think that if only you could live on an island or move to some wonderful place far away, everything would be better, and if you can't realize this dream you often lose yourself in books/vacations/recipes/sports -- anything for an escape! All in all, however, you make your peace with life, and have many old friends.

So yeah. The "rarely smile" is off, although I do realize that sometimes the smile is just for effect because it's what's expected of me...I can wipe it off my face just as fast. Stupidity in others CAN really annoy me. Island living with my hubby WOULD be wonderful...but since it's out of reach I DO read, plan vacations, cook, etc...in fact...speaking of cooking, I created an "appetizer a la Andrea" tonight that was AWESOME. I'll share more tomorrow when I get the picture off my camera. I also have a new adventure planned for this weekend. I'll make sure to fill you in if it's not a disaster. Did I mention that I really do have German heritage?

Now, wanna see something that wipes a smile off my face? It's ANIMAL ABUSE!

Pa thought she liked it...and color aside, they ARE cute!


Really she thought "Play with me for making me do this!"


"I'm not amused, but I'm cute!"


"Protect me Andrea, get this off me!"


"Ooo...Maybe I should play dead...like the team I'm forced to represent...I don't care if we lose, I HATE Purple PA!"


Hehehe...since Duane doesn't blog, I was able to put MY spin on these pic's...they were too cute not to show but Brandi's true feelings needed to be known.

Smiling

I'm smiling. Yup. Rare occurance, I know.

I had a couple of pretty serious days with major back issues and my husband shined like a rock star. He went so far as to help me get dressed when I couldn't reach my own feet for lack of being able to bend and hung out with me while I was home from school. It was his day off, but we chatted and bantered about football a lot, no game related injuries to report.

After my Dr's appointment (which turned out pretty useless with the exception of the meds) I needed to make a sandwhich to eat with the meds to avoid stomach problems. As I was ready to mix tuna I realized we didn't have any mayo...he VOLUNTEERED to go get some without me even asking. What a sweetie. I was so excited that I also told him go ahead and pick up a pizza for dinner tonight (he also said he was cooking for me). He picked up a pizza, chips, dip, garlic toast...everything but mayo. Silly guy. But still, it was one heck of an effort.

I went back to school today. I'm still pretty sore but functioning better. Duane is pretty much hired at Best Buy for the holidays, assuming of course that he passes his drug test, lol. Now, my baby has gone out to pick up a movie for us to watch together tonight. Wonder if he'll rub MY back...(doubtful, I'm sure it'll be the other way around).

Now he's home...so it's time to go. He's ready to be spoiled. He's earned it.

Sorry no pics...NS for the boring,rambling update, but hey, it's "Our Story" :-)

Ouch

Where did I leave off? Ok, so I apparently did tell you about Duane raiding his Christmas gift list and buying a Wii for us...we do love it! But, I didn't tell you that I'm re-reading the Kathy Reichs series of books. She is the author that inspired and produces the show "Bones" on TV. The books are similar to that kind of storyline. However, in the books there is a different cast of characters around "Tempe Brennan" and her personal character development is a bit different as well as her back story...but the differences from the book to the TV make better TV and the books make better books so it's all good. Anyway, I'm on book 7 of 10 out in paperback. I thought it'd be fun to read them in order this time. I was right.

Other than that...hmm....made it through Homecoming Week...8 performances (the 9th was rained out). The kids did a really nice job adjusting times and places for the changing weather and from Tuesday night on had a GREAT homecoming week.

Also at school...all of the issues that tortured me last year (and starting this year) seem to be falling into place in a good way. I've had some really good conversations with "the powers that be" and I'm confident that all will work out right for the community, the students, and me. Life at school is smiling again.

Well, Ok, not smiling today. I'm not going today. I tweaked my back yesterday. It was fine when I went to bed Friday night and not at all fine Saturday morning. It got worse throughout the day. By the end, I was having great difficulty moving on my own. Overnight last night, it seemed to loosen a little bit since I was able to sit up in bed this morning (couldn't do that last night) but about the middle of my shower, another spasm brought me to my knees. After grabbing my phone off the bathroom counter, I called my principal (to tell her I wasn't coming in) from the bathtub while trying to figure out how to stand back up. (I HAD turned the water off and did NOT tell her where I was calling from!). I've managed to get on scrubby clothes and am sitting on the couch with Brandi but I think sprawling out flat on the floor is calling my name since sitting is causing spasms. It should be an interesting day. If it doesn't subside a bit I'll have to consider going in for it...I just can't afford the bill since the insurance deductible is now $1850. Ugh. On the bright side...I should get some reading in today!

Oops...

You missed us, didn't you?!? It's been forever, I know...but school started so it's been a bit chaotic for me. So...here's the skinny on us...

1. Duane IS getting skinny. I don't know what motivated this streak of commitment but he's demanding veggies at supper and really looking out for himself. We're talking 15 lbs and counting...woo hoo!
On the same lines, Brandi has also lost weight...about 5 pounds, and I've finally managed another 4. We're not moving as fast as Duane but we figure he'll level out to normal loss...and we're just happy we're all moving in the right direction!

2. School started. It's a love/hate relationship. The kids are motivated and the senior leadership is outstanding (here's one of them dressed like me for "teacher day" this homecoming week).

(Note the Green Bay badge, Anti-Viking hat, and stunner of a ring on her finger...)

So far there's only been one hitch in my new leadership program for them and after a rather strong discussion about my disappointment things are very much back on track. That aside, the stresses of the foreseeable future are adding up...hosting an honor band, pep band tournament games, music booster craziness, and leadership training for next year...ugh. Nothing but headaches right now.

3. Speaking of headaches. I've got them. Bad. EVERYDAY. No, Not the kind of headache a wife gets to make her husband go away. I never get that kind ;-) These are real ones. Apparently I had/have an eye infection. It's in control and no big deal, just eye drops a couple of times daily. The headache comes from having to wear my glasses all the time. No contacts allowed. My glasses are just a little pair meant for an hour of TV occasionally at night. Not for daily use. The prescription hasn't been updated in a while. Turns out, they're too strong. My eyes are going nuts. So is my head. Next appointment...October 16. Wish me luck.

4. We've made an investment. It became apparent that this particular investment would be a brilliant idea after a day where our puppy, Brandi, was not feeling so well and left us a few surprises. ICK. It also comes with 2 years of having a dog that sheds in the house. There is only so much a vacuum can do.



This thing works GREAT...and the guy working did it without me asking, he's pretty great to!

5. FOOTBALL TIME!!!! Brandi and I are ready!

(Like the jersey? Duane bought it for me to ease the pain the day of the betrayal)
Football season also means chunky time. Go to www.chunky.com daily and vote Packers. It's the easiest charity work you'll ever do.

Did I tell you about Wii yet? It stems from violated holiday lists... How about the book series I'm reading? Shoot...guess I DO have more to say. But not right now. I'm tired. I need to slice veggies for the slow cooker tomorrow. We're in the middle of 9 performances in 5 days...and all the other "things" that go with homecoming week. Maybe after Sunday's parade, I can get back to normal life. I'll try and write soon!

In Love

I know I've been slacking lately but it's been busy. Those that read this can understand. I don't have pictures today either because my camera is MIA (I think it's at the school). So, update...

Duane came back from Sturgis and I will post another picture or two from his huge file shortly, I promise...and I also promise it won't be one of the panties and chaps shots that guys seem to like to take.

Duane has gotten motivated lately and although I haven't lost anything more than the 12 pounds yet this summer...he has lost about 10 pounds. Brandi has lost a couple of pounds too. We're working at getting skinny. It will work. Brandi is loving more walks. Duane is jogging a few nights a week. School is starting for me (which means fewer hours at JCP...and less mall food for lunch!)

We are now the proud owners of a Wii system. Wii fit is on the way. Duane did it. When he got home from Sturgis to surprise me early...his Christmas list was sitting on the coffee table. He decided not to wait. Turd. BUT...we did have fun boxing last night...I beat him, KO. Ha!

I'm reading a lot. I've decided to start re-reading the Kathy Reichs books in order this time. She is the author that the TV series "Bones" is based on. Her books feature the same leading lady although the cast of characters and settings are a bit different.

I went shopping. We had two days where our JCP discount was worth 35% instead of 20...and I had $150 in customer service awards to spend from the summer. For the first time, I have a truly professional wardrobe. No more black pants with the school t-shirts or the few nice shirts I had. I now have blacks, grays, browns, and khakis that aren't cargos...and a slew of shirts to match those AND jeans. I even got $150 worth of new socks and etc... I spent $300, but with the discount and the awards, that was more than $1000 worth of wardrobe. I saved for that this summer. It was my present to myself for working full time on my summer vacation.

Band Camp has come and gone. As unhappy as I was with the results of last year, I can honestly say I'm ready to go back. Even I am surprised at that. I think it's the change in pace that I'm looking forward to. I also think that it's because I have an outstanding group of seniors that I will be able to call upon this year. I expect great things. Our final concert is already planned with a recall of all the favorite tune from the last few years. It should be a doozy!

I guess that's it for now. All I can think of anyway. I'm in Love. In love with my husband (even though Duane can be a turd sometimes.....) In love with my job, my career, and life in general right now. I find myself grinning for no good reason on a regular basis and realize that I'm just plain happy. I hope the best for all of you as well. For now, I'm off to work.

Betrayed

A hero no more. I expected better from you. Break a leg in MN Mr. Favre. I'm not being poetic or theatrical. I mean it from the bottom of my frost-bitten heart. Break a leg.

Ruined

Saturday night I got a text from Duane. This is odd because Duane doesn't have a text plan and it costs him to use it. It asked what shift I worked on Sunday. I answered him via text and asked why he wanted to know. I figured he was expecting a UPS package and was wondering if I'd be around. He didn't reply.

Sunday, on my way home from work, I get thinking "How wonderful it would be if my husband were home. I miss him and more than likely won't see him until Tuesday (sigh)".

When I got home, there was a puppy in the window...yeah Brandi! Wait, was that a shadow? Yea, right.

So now I'm shutting my door and walking to the house and a big, white SUV pulls in the driveway. Huh? Who's that? It took me a moment to let the visor she was wearing register in my head...so...I ran to the house.

"Honey, the Pizza Hut girl spoiled your surprise!!!!"

My baby is home! YEA!!!!!!

Pictures to come.

A message from Duane

Duane sent an email today in order to share some of his vacation with us. I miss him and look forward to maybe making the trip with him next year. I'm sure the following shots need little explanation so I'll just post them now and let him fill us all in with more details and pics when he gets the chance.

Brief update

Duane is apparently doing very well in Sturgis. He called this morning to say Good Morning. Plans for the day included Devil's Tower. I'm jealous. Here I am keeping the house clean and waiting for shifts at work. Humpfh.

I went to the school this morning to mail band letters. That was fun. Or not. No big deal, just had to be done. When I got home I took Brandi out today. We went to Pettibone and walked the wooded trail and of course let the girl go swimming and walk the beach route back. We had much fun.

So yeah. That's about it. I have Brandi pics I could post for you, but you've seen so many dogs I figured I'd let you off the hook with that. Instead, I'm posting a pic from when Wendy came to visit. I always meant to ask...

Duane (Sr.), how did you like the Kohlrabi?

While Pa's Away...the Puppy will Play!

Duane is in Sturgis. He promises pictures when he gets home. He MUST be having a great time because he's already talking about next year. I miss him terribly, and Brandi goes nuts every time she hears a cycle go by the house thinking it's him. So...with Sunday and Monday off work, I took Brandi on a mini puppy vacation.

She got to ride in the car all the way to Tomah (that's a big deal for her) and play with her "cousins" for a day. We left around noon Sunday after doing some chores at home and got there just in time to enjoy the heat of the day. Brandi hasn't figured out that she won't pant and drool so much if she saves her running for the cooler evening...so she was pooped in no time. Meet...the "cousins".

This is Leo. Full name: Fuzzy Leonard Chubaca (ask Elizabeth, she did it...)

Meet Blue. He's the newest of the clan. He used to live down the hill but was adopted by our family when his had to move and couldn't take him. Essentially, he was adopted to live with his friends.

This is IA (eye-uh). He's named after me. Again, ask Elizabeth. He came with the house. Was found on the side of the road as a puppy, no one claimed him and he became our boy. He's the patriarch pooch.

I tried to get action shots with all of them but that didn't work out so well. Brandi and Blue were TOO spastic to catch in the same frame and IA and Leo were just into being lazy and getting their bellies rubbed. I did catch a couple of cute moments when they finally sat down to chill though. Here are just a few good ones.




Brandi is not the only one that enjoyed her mini-vacation. I took my puzzles and a book (two actually) intending to do little other than sit on the porch, pet dogs, maybe throw them a few balls, and read. It didn't happen that way. I did sit and do puzzles and read...but come the evening hours and the end of the Brewer game I got into conversation with Matty, another "adopted child". (Ok, not really, but he does live there). It wasn't long before he asked if I'd ever played the Wii (no, couldn't figure out how to turn it on!)...and off we went. Kristen (the last "adopted child") joined us and before you know it...it was after 3 am. The evening also included some impromptu trumpet and piano playing (and Blue singing). It was 4:15 when I finally crashed. It's been a long time since I've stayed up like that. Thanks guys, lets do it again sometime. The only picture I have is of Matty and Kristen...otherwise I was too busy trying to golf, bowl, and play tennis.


And now...it's time for bed...early...yes...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A Legend Grovels for Forgiveness (in MY world)

Ok, so this blog has mostly been put together for some time. The intention was to post it when a former hero went totally postal and donned purple. I thought I'd still include it now that the saga is (supposedly) at end. The difference is that instead of crying about the betrayal and telling my dad not to bother leaving a certain autographed football to me 40 years from now, I get to say "YEAH, I will one day have an autographed football from a legend. He was a legend. He was a hero. He was MENTAL IN THE HEAD for a couple of years and tried hard to tarnish his image...but in the end, he NEVER SANK LOW ENOUGH to wear purple". That does A LITTLE to make me feel better about his attitude. Perhaps several years from now, I'll forget the incident entirely. Anyway...I thought this collection was cute. Enjoy.






http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/231843/june-24-2009/sport-report---soccer--tennis---brett-favre

The good part of this clip starts about 3 1/2 minutes in...

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Sport Report - Soccer, Tennis & Brett Favre
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Tasers

And the final link...you'll note in this story that the team he names first should be the one he pays his true respects to...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4362093

After nearly three months of what he described as intense and often emotional soul-searching, Brett Favre decided to remain retired from the NFL rather than become the Minnesota Vikings' starting quarterback.

Favre told ESPN's Ed Werder that the decision not to play for the Vikings was incredibly difficult, and in the process he indicated that he is unlikely to ever considering playing again in the NFL.

"It was the hardest decision I've ever made," Favre said. "I didn't feel like physically I could play at a level that was acceptable. I would like to thank everyone, including the Packers, Jets and Vikings -- but, most importantly, the fans."

A Tale of 5 Dives

Who: Me, and 7 other people...6 from my class
What: Basic Scuba Diving Certification
When: July 11, 12 2009
Where: Lake Wazee, Black River Falls
Why: I have NO idea. Ok, not true. On our Honeymoon...I went snorkeling. Duane went diving. I enjoyed snorkeling so much that I got jealous of him being able to swim through the reefs I was floating above. So, I decided to get certified.

Dive 1

Lake Wazee has wooden, underwater decks (dive platforms) to use for diver training. These are marked in the water by floating buoys attached to them above the water. The purpose is so that Divers can go to the bottom and stand on the platform instead of stirring up silt while doing their training. It helps maintain visibility...and gives you something to hold onto as you work to control your buoyancy. The first dive was to one of these platforms, approx. 20-25 feet down.

The only serious issue was that my "buddy" was a gal named Jen who was attempting her openwater certification for the 3rd time. She was the one who hadn't been in our class at the pool because she had done that previously. We snorkeled out to the marker...and she panicked. She couldn't breathe through her snorkel and couldn't equalize her ears when she tried descending. In the end, she turned around and went back to shore. She never really off the surface which called a quick end to her 3rd attempt on the first dive. That left me "buddy-less"...which meant the dive instructors got to pair up with me. Lucky them! We descended down a line, worked on equalizing our ears, and worked on some basic skills (you can see the log of them if you're really interested in knowing which skills). For my part, the dive was eventless. The skills that we did were no problem. I was an expert at clearing my mask because I can't help but to smile or laugh at quirky fish, so I was constantly breaking the seal on my mask and having to clear it often. Good thing that's easy to do! Oh what fun...

Dive 2

After lunch we started this dive on our dive platform again to do some more skills but this time we didn't stay there. After our skills we took a "tour" of the area. Although we didn't go far because we were still really working on buoyancy control, we did get to do some actual diving (vs. dropping and staying in the same spot like we'd done previously). This was awesome. Our instructor found it particularly delightful to play around the thermocline at 26 feet. First a little above it, then a little below it...then swim right on it so you can feel the warm and the cold water at the same time. Much fun! All too soon, this dive was over.



Dive 3

Occurred after shedding all our gear except our snorkeling equipment. This dive lasted 5 minutes, and you did not need the scuba tanks for it. It was a simple "swim to me, skin dive, object recovery" thing. I picked up a rock. Oooooo...

End Day One, Start Day Two

Dive 4

The second day of diving was to start with our "deep dive". We were heading below the 2nd thermocline to about 60 feet. The water would be about 34 degrees. We weren't going to camp there for too long, but we were going to do it. The five of us started out (2 instructors, 3 students) and it wasn't too long before I had fin trouble. The clip popped open. Yup, lost a fin underwater. Fixed it. No sweat. Easy at 15 feet.

At the cliff edge we saw Casper the ghost and some underwater garden gnomes that were smiling at us while we began our decent. Yup...I'm just starting to make the decent (down a curved slope so still swimming while descending) when I lost my fin again. This time I wasn't quite as calm. See...I was trying to equalize ears, control the air in my BC, follow my instructor, deal with a chilly thermocline, and put a fin back on (while descending) all at the same time. I did it. Could do it again...but it took me a minute to gain proper control of my slightly panicked breathing. (My breath panicked unwittingly, I didn't...I knew which way was up!) Either way, I sucked A LOT of air fast.

I wasn't the only one having problems though. By the time we got down there, it was just me and one instructor. We didn't swim any farther, just hung out at the bottom waiting for the others to catch us. After about 5 minutes in the 34 degree water, I noticed that I would need to start ascent soon because of all the extra air I had sucked. So...I signaled my instructor and we began back tracking. We did find the others, the gal had lost her weight belt and she had been unable to descend. They went to the surface and corrected the problem. They still needed to do their decent so I got back to shore and had some extra time to bake in the sun during lunch. I also worked on the fin problem (had something caught in the buckle so it was grasping tightly).



Dive 5

This dive was back to our trusty platform to do the last of our skills. It only took a few minutes to complete what we had left. Then...we went on a big tour. We were allowed to go with our buddy...so it was our second instructor that went with me. This was actually a big bonus because Todd knew the area and knew what would be fun to see. We played around the first thermocline again (which felt like nothing after the deep dive earlier!) and went around a corner into some vegetation. There were fish everywhere, including some really grumpy looking trout that just stared us down only a few feet from our masks (here comes the giddy flooding problem again!. After swimming around the this area for a while we headed back in but instead of going to the surface and snorkeling in, we decided to weave around the fish cribs for a while. There were some really ugly one there, certainly not the colors of the Caribbean fish, but MAN was it fun. All the dives had been great, but this one was the best...



I'm still waiting for my dive card in the mail (which is why this post was so long in coming) but I do have the log book and the certificate. I still think I'll be nervous when diving, but only because it's still new. If I remember to take it slow, then there shouldn't be an issue and I'll get more and more comfortable. If you've ever thought about doing it, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's so unique and incredible.

Birthdays and Tattoos

Another from the promised list...

My two sisters have birthdays near each other. Emily is June 29 and Elizabeth is July 12. As a family tradition, on or near our birthdays the family gathers at Dad and Mary's house for a birthday dinner and cake. Since Emily was on a cruise for her 20somethingth birthday (yes, she is a younger sister...despite what our ushers all thought at the wedding!)...the closest available Sunday (also a tradition) to celebrate happened to fall on Elizabeth's 18th birthday. So...we had a two-fer.

I was finishing my scuba certification in Black River Falls that day (more on that to come)and Duane got off work early to golf a few holes with Dad (Dad beat him...way to go Dad, gotta keep that son-in-law in line...even if it is the ONLY time he's golfed this summer...and way to go Duane for doing so well!). Grandma and Grandpa came to town and all the sisters with boyfriends (and Husband!) descended on Dad and Mary's house for a VERY yummy meal. (The leftovers were great too, Mary!)

Anyway...here is the "family" picture. I actually think it turned out well. For your information, the predominance of orange shirts is just a coincidence, we didn't try to match.



That would be Duane and I in the back. The front is Bryant, Elizabeth, Emily, and Dan...for those of you who don't know us all! So that's it...a birthday bash.

Oh yeah...what do "Vieth" girls do for the 18th birthdays? Get tattoos...I got mine near my birthday (and now only remember it when someone else points it out!), Emily got hers a few days after her 18th, and Elizabeth got hers ON her 18th...



Huh, Imagine that! (that's the inside arch of her foot, where she can hide it when needed...we all have them "hide-able") Ok...now that's it...for now anyway.

Rudy's Bike Night

This was why I didn't get the chance to post yesterday even though I only had a short shift at work. After I got home and made dinner, Kurt and Cheryl stopped by and the 4 of us went to Bike Night at Rudy's Drive In. It was fun. There were some really neat looking bikes there...and some really...er...interesting? bikes. I only took a couple of pics, but that's an improvement over normal. Enjoy.

Pedicures

OK. So. Wendy came to visit (this is a very good thing!) and on that visit she had asked me to set up pedicures for the two of us. When I first got the email that suggested it, I just looked at Duane and said "pedicures?" He laughed. See...neither Wendy nor I are fans of having our feet touched. Big time. Stay away, or you just may get kicked. Hard. And with no remorse for any damage done. After all, you were the one that decided to touch the feet. Yeah. So, pedicures?



Yup! And they were awesome! I got started a little before Wendy because her previous appointment ran a bit long. We enjoyed visiting with each other and were amused when we picked the same color. She wasn't in the room when I made my selection, and she randomly picked the same shade later after it had been returned to the lineup. Great minds think alike! And yes, it is something we'll have to do again...care to join us?