A Perfect Day to Get Out of Bed.

It was an insanely, wonderfully, busy three day weekend and I'll be playing catch-up all week long. So, here it is in pictures. The roller derby girl who is autographing her coloring book page is our collective girl crush.

I hope you all had as much fun as I did this weekend and feel free to leave your roller derby name in the comments.
The Guy riding up Snake Alley in Burlington. He went up one of the crookedest Streets in the country at least 11 times that day. Oy!



Bry photo bombing the two roller derby teams with his picture of our girl crush.
me with the coloring book page and The Guy giving me the bunny ears. Pretty sneaky.


This is in the Muscatine Aquatic center. The bike races were postponed for a bout two hours while storms passed through.


On Monday, The Guy rode a criterium in Rock Island, Illinois. The weather was hot and windy, but there weren't any storms.

Dream Up, Dream Up

Heidi cat has been thoroughly nipped here.

So, hey. It's not only the weekend, but we get THREE WHOLE DAYS! Hurray!

I'm sure this weekend will be just as busy as ever, but I'm soooo excited for it.

Tonight I will go running after work, then make black bean chili, corn bread and guacamole. Then hopefully, watch a movie before we fall asleep. Coadster got a ride to the Quad Cities with a friend this afternoon. We were going to leave an hour early for The Guy's race, in order to get Coadster to her boyfriend's house, but now we don't have to.

On Saturday, we'll go to Burlington Iowa to watch The Guy race his bike up Snake Alley. Then we'll get pizza at Napoli and come home and nap and then garden and I might run or whatever else. In the evening we're going to see some roller derby and I am REALLY excited about that.

The Guy has another bike race on Sunday. This time it's in Muscatine. On the way home, we're going to try and stop at West Branch, where my first bike race will take place. We'll at least drive the course, so I can see how hard it is.

On Monday, The Guy has a criterium in Rock Island. We'll get Coadster on the way home and hopefully do the Monday night ride that weekend.

I hope everyone out there is blog land has a nice extended weekend as well.

Kiss Me Now That I'm Older

Me on RAGBRAI in 2006.

Soooooo. People have been asking if I really love to ride that many miles on my bike, or if it's something to do as a way to spend time with The Guy. Well, let me tell you about my cycling history then:

I first started riding bicycles with my brother, before I ever got into running. He got a really nice ten speed from his Big Brother (he was in the Big Brother/Big Sister program) and I rode my 1 speed red, white and blue Liberty Bell bike with the banana seat. We would get bored and ride our bikes for hours out through the alfalfa fields and orange tree groves of Mesa, Az. and I loved it.

Then we moved to Chicago and I rode a bike to commute through junior high and high school. Running took over as my favorite drug. Running was the perfect poor girl sport. With biking there were all those gadgets and gee gaws to buy and maintain and I know I've mentioned several times that I have no mechanical skillz whatsoever.

Here's me taking a break from the bike ride and "Havinfun".

When I got to college, my brother spent the first half of one Summer fixing up an old 60's 3-speed called a Hiawatha Flyer for me for my birthday. I rode it everywhere. I again went on long rides with my brother and my best friend Mark and I loved it.

Once I had kids, my riding days were over except for commuting. I didn't have the time to go on long bike rides and couldn't really afford even an inner tube for a blown tire. I could get a hell of a work-out while running for an hour as opposed to biking an hour

In the last couple of years, I've had more time and went on a lot of bike rides by myself. Now, that I'm with The Guy, my girls are older and don't necessarily want me around much, I have help with the mechanical part of biking, and someone to ride with so I'm not out by myself for hours on deserted country roads, I am able to bike on really long rides again and I love it.

So, in answer to the question: Yes. I love to bike AND it's a great way to spend time with The Guy.

'Cause I Need to Feel the Stars Sleep By at Night

Here is Iowa on a beautiful Spring day.

Tonight was another Monday Night Ride and the weather couldn't have been any better...Of course, the bugs couldn't have been any worse either, but this is Iowa in the Spring after all and that means you get lots of lots of protein riding your bike at night here. Gross!

I actually made myself get up early and run before work this morning and I'm so glad I did. It makes my whole day that much better. Tonight I am mowing that woman's lawn after work, so I'm glad I got a good run in already.

The weather has been amazing the last two days. I wonder if Iowa was sorry for this weekend's storms and wanted to make up for it. Then again, it's supposed to storm again tomorrow, so maybe Iowa is just a temperamental bitch like that....

And They're Stepping Lightly. Hang Each Night in Rapture

Oh, but the weekends keep getting crazier and crazier and more and more wonderful.

This one started out kind of bad. I had to get two cavities filled on either side of my mouth. I hadn't had a cavity in forever, and I've never had two at once. It wasn't fun, but it's over now.

When I got home after the cavity filling, I ran and then got things ready for dinner. We made shrimp kabobs and grilled asparagus with it. So very nice. Then we watched The Fighter with Coadster.

We got up on Saturday and it was raining. We originally planned to do a 100 mile bike ride, but we waited until the rain stopped and didn't get started until 9:45. The Guy and I rode out past Lake MacBride to Solon and at lunch at Jonesy's restaurant, then headed back to the resevoir and down Dubuque Street to North Liberty where we met Bry and Timmer for the start of the Bud ride.

Here we are preparing to be raptured.

We rode from there to Oxford Iowa, where we had a beer and ate some food and rode on to a little town called, Tiffin and a bar named Slims. We were there for the Rapture that ruptured, and stayed after shooting pool and hoops and playing a NASCAR video game. We also talked about our first concerts, what our dream concerts would be and what our favorite concerts were.

Here we toasted the fact that we were left on earth with the other heathens and free to drink beer.

We finally rode home and Got there at around 9:30. We watched an Andy Griffith episode, ate pizza and talked with Coadster until we went to bed. I was exhausted.

This hail was originally golf ball sized, but I found it a while after it fell and it melted in my hand some.

Sunday The Guy and I woke up and met Bry for another ride. We headed out to a town called Wellman. the winds were a total bitch going out. We had to peddle hard just to go downhill. But we stopped and ate at the diner there and headed home to a nice tailwind. By the time we made it home, the sirens were going off. Both my girls were at the mall, so The Guy and I weathered the storm at home with the cats. With all the hail and tornado sightings, I was glad to be home.

In the evening, The Guy asked if he could take all of us out for sushi. The girls and i were all for it. It was nice to all hang out for dinner.

If You Act As You Think

My girls during Stinky's prom pics. Coadster had been moving all day and Stinky had been primping all day.

last night was lovely. The Guy rode his bike after work and I went running. We got home around the same time and started making dinner. Both of the girls took off for a while and that was the first time in a couple of weeks that they were both gone at the same time. it was nice to finally have a few hours of alone time with The Guy. We made dinner and drank wine and got to actually listen to the kind of music we like. Weird.

Stinky said her date was fine, but she isn't interested in going out with him again. She said he comes from a lot of money and had serious entitlement and jealous/possessive issues. She also said he wouldn't stop texting other people the whole time he was with Stinky and she thought that was really rude. I had to agree with her. NEXT!

I Seem to Lean On Old Familiar Ways

Here are my lilacs.

I keep hoping for a little relaxation, and that's what I get...Just a little relaxation. Of course, it's mostly my fault. There are so many things I want to do and train for, I create a world for me that holds way too much to do. I suppose, that must mean it's the kind of world I want to live in then, huh?

Here are the flowers Thr Guy bought me for Mother's Day. I love flowers.

Last night I rode home as quickly as possible and drove over the that woman's house to mow her lawn. Then zipped back home. When I got there, The Guy was already raking the backyard and was starting on cleaning up the garden. I called for pizza and then mowed our front yard until the pizza guy came. We ate and watched 2 Andy Griffith episodes with Coadster. We did go out on the porch for about a half hour, but then Stinky called, wanting a ride home from work and I bought some groceries while I was there.

So, while it was only a little relaxing, at least we were able to work it in.

Just Like Children Sleepin'. We Could Dream This Night Away

Sure, the cold rain can suck for humans, but it sure makes the world look pretty.

So, we went on our Monday Night Ride last night and it was lovely. It was a bit chilly on the way back, but the almost full moon more than made up for it.

Tonight I will mow lawns again, but then I hope to do some porch sittin', full moon lookin' at and take in an Andy Griffith episode or two. I figure I need to give myself some relaxation time after last weekend...

It's the Thought That Moves You Upwards

The Guy and I giving Bry some birthday love.

So, Blogger was an asshole and wouldn't let me post for a couple of days. Which means, this will be as brief a post as I can write, with as much stuff as I have to fill it with...

Okay. Another whirlwind weekend. Friday I worked a half day. I ran when I got off and then it rained and rained. The girls and I went and bought garden stuff, but didn't have time to plant it all. The Guy and I made dinner and went out for a couple of drinks for our friend Bry's birthday, but were home and in bed by 10:30.

We got up and got ready on Saturday morning and headed to a small town called Farrar for a bike race. It was a cold, rainy day, but it was an interesting race. Then we had to tear home.

We got home in time for The Guy to get some stuff from the store and me to clean and us both to cook, before Bry, his girlfriend and our friend Timmer came over for a birthday BBQ. Bry's girlfriend brought steak and pasta salad and this strawberry shortcake thing with homemade whipped cream that was amazing. We grilled salmon and made salad and friend potatoes.

After that, we stopped down at George's to have exactly one beer and say happy birthday to our friend, D. I was super exhausted, so I had to go home.

I went running, early on Sunday morning. Then The Guy went out and bought bagels. It was Coadster's 19th birthday, so her boyfriend was here all weekend. We gave her her birthday gifts and then The Guy and I headed to Des Moines for a criterium at the state fairgrounds, I had never seen him race a crit before, and it was pretty damn cool. When he was done, we headed back home again and got ready for Coadster's birthday dinner.

Coadster loves Red Lobster, so that's where we went. We all ate a ridiculous amount of food, then Stinky went to her youth group, Coadster spent time with her boyfriend before he went back home, The Guy went to play pool with Bry and I rode my bike for a quick hour. I went down a hilly route and tried to work on getting faster uphills. I think I'll need to keep working....

She Is Like a Cat in the Dark and Then She is the Darkness

Here is a weird, covered staircase on the side of a building in Riverside. Ia.

So, last night was very warm. I mowed that woman's lawn and then came home and mowed my own lawn. I came into the house all stinky and sweaty (sexy....Or not) and The Guy and I made tuna melts and salad for dinner and sat around the table talking with Coadster.

I picked up Stinky from work and then The Guy and I sat out on the screened-in porch and drank beer and talked for almost two hours. Sure, I had laundry and chores and whatever else I could be doing, but there was nothing else I would rather do.

There was a nice breeze, and the cats came out and sat with us and we had a great talk...And guess what? That's right. All that other stuff was still waiting for me when I came in the house. I'm sure I'll feel like taking care of it tonight...

This Heat has Got Right Out of Hand

It is supposed to get up to 90 degrees here in Iowa. I love hot weather, so I'm saying, "Finally!" I have (get) to mow a lawn or two after work, so ask me later if I'm still saying that...

We had our first Monday Night Ride and it was a lot of fun. It went a lot later than normal and The Guy and I were both pretty beat by the time we got home. Tonight, we're making a huge point to stay home and relax. Ahhhhh.


The swarmer termites are back in our house. Coadster texted me, freaking out and said they were everywhere and Archie was eating them. Lovely. Well, at least he's getting his protein. I put a call into the pest control people but haven't heard back yet. It's a damn good thing I'm persistent.

Hoilday! Celebrate!

Woo hoo! Prom is over. (this photo of Stinky and her friends is stolen from our local newspaper)

Coadster with a friend on one of her last days of living in a dorm.

Oh lord, but every weekend seems to be getting busier and busier.

On Friday, The Guy's friend, Jen came to visit. Stinky suggested we have dinner at Blackstone where Stinky's friend works and we did and it was nice. Her friend comped us dessert even. We got home around 10 and went to bed.

The church where we rode to in Holcomb, Ia.

On Saturday we woke up early. I went to Ames to pick Coadster up from college, The Guy went to a bike race, Stinky went to decorate for prom and Jen went to her grandparent's house in another town. Coadster was pretty prepared, so it didn't take long to get her out of her dorm and head back to Iowa City.

When I got home, The Guy had sushi and flowers for me (early Mother's Day) and had our bikes all ready to go on a ride. How great is that? We rode about 40 miles and then made it back for me to take Stinky's prom pictures. All the kids cleaned-up so nicely.

Coadster and I got home and we ate a pizza and watched Sunshine Cleaning. I really like that movie.

On Sunday. The Guy and I got up early again and his friend Jen came back for a morning bike ride. We did another 30 miles and she was really impressed with how beautiful the countryside was where we rode. We got back around noon.

Stinky was getting home just as we were putting our bikes away. She said she felt awake enough to go to a late lunch with us.

So, The Guy and my girls took The Guy's mom to a nice brunch in Oxford Iowa. Stinky started to fade during her steak and eggs, so Coadster had a great time poking her and waking her up from time to time. Yes, we are all easily amused.


We got back from brunch and went for a nice long walk with The Guy's mom. Stinky went upstairs to bed, but the rest of us followed the bike path behind our house for 3 1/2 miles.

Then The Guy took his mom home and went with his friend Bry to play pool, Stinky went to her youth group meeting and Coadster and I stayed home and watched Black Swan. Nothing like that movie to make me seem like the perfect mom.

I hope you all had a happy Mother's Day...No matter what kind of mutha you are.

I Know This Much is True

Here is something that appeared under our back staircase at work yesterday. It's still there today. I'm curious to see how long it "sticks" around.

So, last night turned out very, very well. I stopped at the Co-op on my way home and then got home and went running. The Guy did a little hanging out on the back porch with the cats, then he came in and tidied up the kitchen and cleaned the bathroom.

I started cooking when I got home from running. I made spicy peanut noodles, and roasted garlic and Miso soup and The Guy made salad and we had sour dough bread from the Co-op. G. and our friend Sara came over and we laughed our asses off and flipped each other shit for a few hours before we remembered it was a school night and had to go to bed.


We have a cubicle at work that we made our "happy place". We can go there when we need a time-out. We put up a tropical beach scene poster and one of the students brought in this dancing hula girl. Nice.

Tonight, I'm supposed to meet my friend E. to run. I'm a little on the migrainey side, so we'll see how that goes. I just took my meds and I'm waiting for them to kick-in. I haven't had a bad mirgraine in quite some time, so I've been happy about that. Apparently, I can't go forever, though.

You Can't Always Get What You Want

Here are some things that look like hay rolls, but aren't.

So, today it is finally nice out. Which is good, it just makes me antsy to be outside. There are so many different ways I could be playing today. Instead, I'll have to wait until after work and make up for lost time then. Sigh, sigh, sigh.

Don't worry about me. I'll just be sitting here, pining for my bicycle.

I Thought That I Heard You Sing

I found a morel mushroom in my backyard last night. it's not anywhere near is big as the one I found last year, but they say it will be a bad year for them here because the ground isn't quite warm enough. I'll definitely take what I can get though. I love morels.

Just two things today.

1.) The Guy asked Stinky if I burst into flames when I walked into the church for my nephew's First Communion. Then they both had a good laugh. Har har har har har...

Bad, Archie. Bad. Bad,

2.) So, I had a little talk with Coadster about how things will be when she comes back for the Summer. She gets upset if anything changes - unless she's the one who changes them. I just wanted to prepare her for how things will be when she lives in my house as an adult after she's been gone for a year. You know?

I don't really care what time she comes home at night, I'd just like her to let me know where she is for the most part. I told her that I wouldn't be chauffering her around, unless it was convenient for me. She was welcome to ask me for a ride, but not to expect it. She still doesn't have her driver's license. I also told her to put what she wanted on the grocery list, and I'd be happy to get her stuff. She should also feel free to eat whatever I'm making for dinner. However, if she doesn't like or want it, I will not be making a special meal for her. She can just fend for herself. Most importantly, I told her she wouldn't be watching her trashy TV shows in the living room. We'll get cable set up in her bedroom for that, but I really can't take the squawking from the real housewives or the New Jersey Whatevas. At first she tried to protest that, but then her boyfriend stepped in and said, "Thank you. I totally agree, She tries to watch them in my dorm room and they make me crazy." So, Coadster was outvoted, and she agreed to all my other conditions. We'll see how it goes, but I feel like everything runs more smoothly when expectations are known from the git go.

Tides That I Tried to Swim Against

I had a very busy weekend. So, I am giving you a mostly photo post, with me using my words in the simplest way possible.

I got off at noon on Friday and did very many things - like running 6 miles, taking my car to Jiffy Lube and doing some bank business. After The Guy got home, I put the mower together (with some help from The Guy) and mowed the lawn, while he worked on his bike. We made a dinner and I finally tried my hand at making the perfect margarita. It wasn't quite perfect, but it was close.

On Saturday, I drove Stinky to work, then The Guy and I went back to Sharon Center for another bike race. It was good and it was fun. It was also cold, so during the half hour or so it took the guy to circle around, I sat in the car and read Arabian Nights - which is a pretty rough read, unless you're really into violence against women.

Here is my niece, who is going to be who she's going to be...Even with Jesus looking over her shoulder.

Our friend Bry showed up in the afternoon to watch The Guy's last time trial and then he talked us into going to another small town for a beer on our way home.

We went home, ordered a pizza and watched Andy Griffith. During the second episode, we found ourselves both asleep and propped-up against each other on the couch. We decided it was time to go to bed, about fifteen minutes before 9 pm. Once again, we are very, very young. Ahem.

On Sunday morning, I hit the ground running. Stinky and I left the house around 7'ish and made it to my nephew's 1st communion only 5 minutes late. Hey, that's good for me! We didn't have time to go to the brunch after, and headed back to Iowa City. The Guy had another bike race, which I wasn't able to attend.

I got home and dropped Stinky off at her work crew and then headed back on the road toward Ames.

I got to Coadster's last choir concert of the year with 15 minutes to spare. They performed Handel's Messiah. It was beautiful, if not a bit long. I sat with Coadster's boyfriend and had a good talk. I really like him.

After the show, I took Coadster and her boyfriend out for dinner. Then we stopped by her dorm room and carried out a bunch of clothes. She comes home for the Summer next weekend.

After 8 hours of driving and 14 hours away from home, I finally made it back around 9 o'clock. The Guy was out playing pool with Bry and Stinky was at a youth group meeting. It was nice to have an hour or so to myself, before everyone else got home and we all got caught up on each others' days.