District Pinewood Derby

For the record, Brian took his pinewood derby car to the district races yesterday. Although he didn't come away with a trophy, he did have fun. Grandma and Grandpa braved the crowd at Wasilla High School (Yes, you are right! The Alma mater of both Sarah Palin and Levi Johnson!) to watch with us for a couple of hours.

Bri's car was in the local newspaper, The Frontiersman, today. Here's the photo: You'll see Brian's car, "The Eagle". It's the blue one with silver detailing, 6th from the right, in the middle row.

They had other fun activities, including a human-powered Ferris wheel made of logs, a water-balloon launcher, and some carnival games. A good time was had by all.

It was fun to see all the squirrely boys, running around in their uniforms, acting just a little wild and having a great time. It seems like there are not many opportunities for boys to be boys these days, in a somewhat structured environment, and without risk of someone getting out of control.

Thank goodness for Scout Leaders!

Random Notes

(photo detail of peonies, from my front yard, July 2008)

Did anyone see the new episode of "The Office" this week? I watched it on Hulu, and found myself smiling at the end of the show. It really made me happy. Dorky, I know.



I got blisters on my wimpy hands this week. I was raking the yard for a couple of hours, clearing off a long winter's worth of debris. Thanks, in part, to the over-zealous snow plow that cleared much of the road scum into our lawn. So, when the season's snow melted, we were left with a bunch of rocks, sticks, trash, and gravel.



Driving with the girls the other day, the following conversation took place:

Me: What is Mom really good at?

Casey: You're good at sewing.

Abby: Kickboxing!

Me: (silently) Yes! I've got them fooled.



I have been loving the torture provided by a new kickboxing instructor this month. Also, have been proud of myself for increasing the weights I use for another class. After bragging that I was up to 8# free weights, I was brought back down to reality after hearing from a friend this little conversation, from a backyard bonfire at their house:

My friend: Brian, hand me that other log, please.

Brian: It's pretty heavy.

My friend: I can handle it, I think.

(Brian loads her up with another log of wood, which she easily carries to the fire.)

Brian: Wow! You are really powerful! My mom can only lift 8 pounds!



The best news of the week: The geese are back. Honestly, it brings tears to my eyes to see (and hear) their V's travelling through the sky and landing in the nearby hay fields. They carry fresh hope for Spring and an eventual Summer...



And, finally, speaking of Spring, we have a few inches of Bleeding Heart starts showing above ground. I dug out the detritus atop the Peonies and found red shoots there, too. And the "could-survive-a-nuclear-holocaust" rhubarb is up, too. Unfortunately they are calling for snow this weekend. Hopefully it won't damage any of the new growth.



Here's hoping all is well with you, wherever you are. Sorry for the randomness of this post. I'll find my camera soon, I hope, and have lots of visuals to share then.

Finally

OK. I finally saw Twilight.

I may have been one of the last people to do so. It being such a popular story, and all.

I gotta say, it wasn't my favorite.

An interesting story, yes. But I think some of the major messages are a bit disturbing.

Ideas such as: You know the very thing that makes you human? Fall in love with some kid in your science class and do your best to give it to him. Don't resist, just do it. And, when he warns you that he is dangerous and has tendencies to harm you, tell him that you aren't scared and that you trust him. Hmm... Taken literally, are these messages that I want my daughters to take in?

I'm sure the books are well-written, and I know stories are not always full of positive instruction for young minds, but this one seems like it just glamorizes too much risky behaviour.

Thoughts? I know you've read the books. Or seen the movie. Or at least heard about it. Am I being too stick-in-the-mud on this one?

Here are a couple of other movies I've seen recently that I did like:

Thank you, NetFlix!

I wish

I downloaded this MP3 today.

Watching the video, listening to the music (on repeat). I wish I could play an instrument like this. My fingers ache to be able to make such beautiful sounds.

Have you ever heard of Jon Schmidt?

Georgia on my mind

Chris' Science Olympiad team won the State Tournament.



He's been a coach for the middle school he was at for the past few years. This year he's at a high school again. They didn't have a Science O team before, so Chris and a colleague stepped in to coach. At the State tournament, they came away with the big trophy as well as the Spirit of Science Award (sportsmanship sort of thing).

So, he's going be shepherding a team of 15 high school students to Augusta, Georgia in a few weeks. They might get to go see the King Tut exhibit that's touring locally there while they are in town.

Good job, team.

Easter

Happy Easter to friends and loved ones, far and near. I hope you have had a beautiful day. Our church services today were thoughtful and happy. During Junior Primary, we noticed that nearly half the kids (almost all the girls) were wearing pink, pink, pink. So sweet.

Then, it snowed again.

House Update

Just FYI, here's the lowdown on our house...

It's been on the market for almost 2 weeks, and we've shown it nearly every day. So far, the feedback has been positive, and we are hopeful that it'll not be much longer before we have a contract to sell it.

We are planning on building a new home this summer. We hope to build in Palmer, our current hometown. We are planning on building on an acre or so.

With Chris off for the summer, and the kids home too, we are hoping to do a lot of the building ourselves. We'll see how it all pans out, but are looking forward to helping clear the lot, painting, putting down laminate flooring, roofing, and the electrical work. Brian's job is to help keep the builders happy... Keep the work site tidy, and be sure they have water and cookies when they need them.

I'm sure our path will have some twists and turns, but that's the plan for now. More info as it becomes available...

Zapped

Whilst running (okay, jogging) this week, listening to my iPod, I suddenly heard a "ssssss-snick!" and felt a sharp jolt in my left ear.

Apparently, due to the bit of sweat that was dripping down my hairline (too much information?), I shorted out the earbud.

It's been a couple of days and my ear is still a little zapped feeling. And now my earbuds don't work. :(

Chris, tender and caring as he is, wonders if my hearing is permanently damaged. I doubt it. Mostly, I'm looking for advice from anyone out there...

Any experience with exercise while using earbuds? Any specific ones that you can recommend?