Say What?

Tammy, Rachel and I made it out to the state fair yesterday. I was hoping to get out and ride before we went so as to create a calorie deficit so I could eat to my heart's content but I didn't make it. I'll have to put in a more serious effort tomorrow. Rachel had planned to bring a couple of friends but neither of them could make it so it was just the three of us. Tammy and I sort of figured it would only the two of us going but Rachel still wanted to come with us. We were glad. We don't get to spend enough time with her these days as her friends consume so much of her time. She made the comment on the way to the fair that she can't remember a time this summer when she felt like she was sitting around wasting the day. She said she's had a full summer. I'm not sure that means she's ready for school to begin but more to the point that she has no regrets about how she managed her break. I didn't eat much before getting to the fair so the first stop...

Some of Rachel's friends arranged a surprise birthday party for her last night even though they weren't very good at the surprise part of it. She saw them hiding in the bushes around the house ahead of time so the gig was up. I miss the days when I played a vital roll in her birthday parties but I do admit that the preparation is much easier for me now that she's older. Sometimes I was simply one of the drivers to help transport all the kids to Chuck E Cheese as we did for her 10th birthday . But other times I was the headline act as was the case when I played a clown, Squawky Potatochips, for one of her birthdays. Sorry, no photo or video. You can't be a clown without some magic tricks so I spent quite a few hours ahead of time trying to learn to juggle in addition to learning some magic: the floating dollar bill, cups with vanishing ball and a couple of other gimmicky tricks with coins and cards. The party was a success even though I stumbled right out of the star...

Rachel and I stayed behind while Tammy took a road trip to Babbitt this weekend. Her mother and sister were setting up a booth at the craft fair in Embarrass and she wanted to be there to help them with it. Sales weren't as good as they'd hoped for but they had a fun time. Maybe it was the trip to the casino in Fortune Bay they were referring to when they mentioned the word 'fun'. One of the vendors was selling some fleece blankets. Tammy didn't see Dogs on Velvet Playing Poker but she did eye a loud and proud marijuana leaf blanket with a complimentary Confederate flag. Tammy mentioned to the guy that this was a family-oriented craft fair and did he need to display his marijuana blanket so prominently? He told her it was his best seller. This is his best seller? He's got to aim higher. Rachel turns 17 today. She told me this morning that in one year she will be legal to make decisions for herself. Then she said, "But I don't want to...I don...

First off: happy 36th wedding anniversary to my brother Bryan and his bride, Sue! I went over 4000 miles on the road for 2008 with my ride today . I'm around 1000 miles behind where I was last year at this time but I'm okay with that as it's all a part of the plan to take a more conservative approach to my riding. I'm giving some serious consideration to buying a pair of inline skates and picking up that activity again. I used to do a lot of rollerblading a dozen years ago but quit in favor of my bike. I'm ready to make room for it in my schedule again but I need some new blades. With the reduced mileage, I'm still maintaining my fitness. I had my FAA physical yesterday (the FAA's birthday present to me) and while I was laying on the table having my EKG taken, the tech said to me that my heartbeat was 37 beats per minute. I like the sound of that. My niece, Lindsay , was married last Saturday. Lindsay is Keith's daughter. She and Joe asked me to v...

Rachel came back from Guatemala late last night. Tammy picked her up at the airport just before midnight. I stayed home in favor of getting to bed early as I had to be up before the sun. When she got home she peeked her head inside my bedroom to tell me she was home and that it was an incredible trip. She was so excited and I was happy for her. I got out of bed and wandered downstairs to the biggest hug she's ever given me. Tammy and I sat and listened for an hour as she told us about her trip. She had so many stories to tell and from time to time her eyes would fill with tears as she recounted some very personal moments. The box of Kleenex on the counter behind her came in handy. She told about the children she worked with and how they were so poor but they didn't know it. They were happy, giggling, laughing kids who lived in a very simple world. But their world is a difficult one where very few of them attend school beyond the 6th grade and where many of the young girls be...

It must be Thursday in the suburbs. I was walking our pups this morning and SUV after SUV came driving by with its lone occupant; usually a woman in search of the next garage sale around the bend. Garage Sale Thursday. Garage sales serve a useful purpose and we've hosted our own in the past but I have one request for those in search of bargains. Please show more concern for other motorists and pedestrians who you're sharing the road with than for what may be for sale in somebody's driveway. I thank you in advance. Let's hear it for Area 5 at Minneapolis Center! We've reached a milestone of 1000 error-free days. Let me qualify that. As an Air Traffic Controller, we have to get it right all the time with respect to separating aircraft. That's not to say that we don't make errors because we do; we're only human. The key is in catching and correcting a mistake before it becomes a problem. It's what we're paid to do. But that doesn't mean a litt...

Rachel leaves with her mission group for Guatemala in a few hours. She has to be at the airport by 3:00 AM for a 5:30 departure. It would be nice if she could get some sleep before she has to leave but as pumped up as she is I'm not sure she'll sleep much. Hopefully she'll nod off on the plane. There was a meeting last night for all the kids attending the trip and their parents. It gave everyone a chance to get answers to any last-minute questions and send the kids off with a heavy dose of prayer. They also hooked up a skype connection with the people already in Guatemala who are heading the project on that end. The project they're working on is the building of a home for a missionary couple who are leading a church there. We got Rachel a new digital camera since her other one died recently. She should be able to get some nice photos. she'll also be able to recharge her camera as they use the same voltage and electrical connections as we do. The kids put toge...