Sunday Morning Visitor

A turtle travels only when it sticks its neck out. ~~ Korean Proverb

I got my bicycle tuned up last month and decided to go out for a ride yesterday morning and this morning. Weather in the south is devine first thing in the morning. Of course, by afternoon, you can't breathe from the heat and humidity.

I saw a small turtle walking down our driveway as I was coasting out for my morning ride. I knew the girls would go crazy over it so I found an empty container to put him in. It was not difficult getting them out of bed to see my discovery.

It didn't take long for them to come up with a plan for making this turtle a permanent addition to our home. But, as I've explained many times before, if it can't clean up it's own poop or feed itself, then we don't have time for it in our family at this point in our lives. So, we'll allow them to keep him for today. They let him go again this evening. So, "Franklin" the turtle has been set free again.

Saturday Fun

It's good to be back home. You can't ask for a better reception than having two little munchkins nearly mow you over as they excitedly hug you. They told me all about their week and all about what Daddy did or didn't do. The toy room was a wreck; in particular the dress up clothes had been dumped on the floor in complete disarray. When I asked who made the mess, Anna quickly replied that, "Daddy did it and therefore should be responsible for cleaning up." When Jeff got home after work he explained that Anna had to have a princess dress on Friday for her "princess camp" and he had to dump it all out to quickly find what he needed while rushing off to work in the morning. I believe he was served up as the sacrificial lamb. Anna also reported at breakfast this morning that, "Daddy had given her Teddy Grahams for breakfast one morning." Something tells me that Daddy is going to put a kibosh on some things the next time Mommy is out of town. Particularly since it appears they are going to tattle and use him as a scapegoat.

The new Disney film, Wall-E, was released yesterday so we made plans to take the girls to see it today. However, prior to the movie, we had an appointment at Lowe's. Lowe's offers free workshops for children. Anna went to one earlier this year as a field trip with her class. This was the first time we've taken them as we tend to be gone most weekends when the classes are held.

Today, they made a wooden baseball game. I'm happy to report that all of us left with appendages still in tact.

Wall-E is a cute film. We all enjoyed it but I think Anna liked it the most. Now, she's hoping to see Wall-E at Disney World this coming week. I highly doubt we'll see that though. For some reason, Disney seems to be slow at changing/updating the attractions. One new item at MGM (or Hollywood Studios) is the new Toy Story ride...and Toy Story has been out for years. I'm still waiting on Disney to convert the speedway ride at the Magic Kingdom with characters from the Cars film.

The girls spent some time playing dress up this afternoon and I got a good shot of them that I had to share. Some day, I will use these as blackmail.

The rest of the weekend will be used to prep the RV for our trip to Orlando. I can't say that I expect Disney World to be the "Happiest Place on Earth" when I know it's going to be hot and crowded. But, we've been often enough that we know when to hit the parks to minimize the frustration for all concerned. It's actually quite comical if you look around while visiting. People spend thousands of dollars to go and usually you'll see the kids whining and crying and the parents look frazzled and ready to explode. We, too, have looked like that at times. But, now, we don't feel that need to "get it all in" while we are there. So, we go early, hit a few rides, and then return to our RV for lunch and some time at the pool and hot tub. Then, head back to the park later in the evening after the 5:00 parade. People are usually worn down by then and clear out somewhat. I can't wait to see the Independence Day fireworks. I'm sure they will be phenomenal.

To all our friends and family reading this post, we wish you all a happy and safe July 4th! May your Bar-B-Que be yummy and the mosquitoes be kind.

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. ~Erma Bombeck

Where has the time gone?

Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.~~ Richard Bach

Normally when I travel, I lock myself in my hotel room in the evenings and simply enjoy solitude. As any parent of young children can attest, peace is a rare blessing. So, I usually take advantage of the rare opportunity to watch something on T.V. besides Spongebob or read a book and enjoy the luxury of a long, hot bath without interruption. But, during this week’s business trip, I didn’t act like a hermit. The week was filled with visiting old friends. And, wow, what a walk down memory lane.

Cody, Me, Suzzette

The last time I visited Marietta, I found out that a friend from high school, Suzzette, lived in Kennesaw which is only 10 minutes away. I contacted her during my last trip and we agreed that we would have dinner the next time I was in town. She and her husband invited me over for dinner at their lovely home. It was great catching up on things particularly since my 20-year high school reunion is this year. The last time I saw Suzzette was at our 10-year reunion. Today, she is a stay at home Mom to her 2.5 year old son, Cody. And, she operates a Pampered Chef business.

Me & Kerry (1991) Field Training

Then, there is my friend Kerry whom I met years ago while preparing for Field Training while I was a cadet in ROTC at Auburn. And, then we ended up going to Vandenberg AFB, CA, for six weeks of training during the summer of 1991. After that, we parted ways and I returned to Auburn and he returned to Georgia. We lost track of one another after that. Then, I received a business e-mail by chance last week from him where he replied to everyone not knowing that I was one of the recipients in the original courtesy copy list. I married a couple of years after I met Kerry so he would’ve never known how to find me on an e-mail list by my last name, particularly since we have to use our first name with e-mail addresses and he only knew me by my middle name. So, you can say, it was pure chance that we found one another again. As it turned out, he lives and works nearby to Marietta so we were able to connect again this week as well. Unlike my friend Shawn, Kerry had more hair than I remembered him having. Of course, we were at Field Training back then and most of the guys cut their hair extremely short. We ate lunch and caught up on life this week. He’s an accomplished pilot now and he owes me a flight on one of my next trips to Marietta!

Kerry also educated me about the “big chicken” in Marietta while trying to give me directions to the conference center where my business meeting was held this week. I couldn’t believe I had never heard of the “big chicken” before now. But, I found it so interesting that I snapped a shot of it. Over the years the "big chicken" structure created at the corner of Highway 120 and U. S. 41 has been used as a landmark for directions by a lot of the local people.

The "Big Chicken" in Marietta

Halloween 1990 (me in the Auburn football uniform and Shawn as a pirate)

My other friend that I haven’t seen in a long time is Shawn. I was his “little sister” at the Sigma Pi Fraternity at Auburn University. Shawn graduated in 1992 from Auburn and we lost touch with one another after that. Like others mentioned above, we also didn’t do a very good job of following up with one another and then I happened to run into him in downtown Atlanta last year. I was in Atlanta viewing office furniture at vendor show rooms when I happened to pass Shawn as I was walking to lunch. Unlike Kerry, Shawn had a little less hair than when I knew him. Shawn was bald to be exact. So, I almost didn’t recognize him as he walked by. Shawn was married last fall and I went to dinner with him and his wife. It was awesome catching up with Shawn and meeting his new bride. We ate dinner at Soho and the food was phenomenal! His wife knew the head chef and the chef hooked us up with some great appetizers and dessert. Boy, did I have a difficult time finding an old photo of us to share from college. In most, we were at the beach or at a fraternity party with alchohol in hand. Yes, I had my wild days too!

Colonel Butler and Me at my commissioning ceremony - June 1994

Additionally, the Colonel that pinned on my 2nd Lieutenant rank when I was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force was in the conference meeting that I attended this week. Colonel Butler retired a while back and is still doing work for the Air Force as a contractor. He even attended my wedding many moons ago. It is great to still be able to maintain contact with him as even today he is a great mentor.

Me and Colonel Butler (retired)

I feel so blessed to have known all of these people and to call them my friends. What a rush of memories this week! Where has the time gone? It seems like it was just yesterday that:

--Suzzette and I were graduating from high school.

--Kerry and I were riding home on a bus together after a grueling six weeks of boot camp

--Shawn and I were partying and drinking way too many beers as college students

--Colonel Butler was mentoring me as a cadet instead of working beside me as a fellow colleague

Life has a way of passing by too quickly and we lose touch with many people who were and are special in our life. Seeing them all this week reminded me of how important it is to stay connected with those that we love and care about. It is so easy to not do that as the business of life just seems to take over most of the time. So, my advice to anyone reading this is to make time in your life as much as possible to connect with friends and people who are important to you. And, appreciate them all for what they have brought to your life.

The Girls Are Back

It's great having Rachel and Anna back home. We've missed them so much.

And, in a couple of weeks, we'll be on our next RV trip to Fort Wilderness to celebrate Independence Day. We are all anxious to begin traveling in our RV again.

I found this article in Chicken Soup for the Soul; Celebrating Mothers and Daughters that I wanted to share:

Ten Thousand Miles in Blue Streak

As a child raised by a single mother, my experience in the 1970s was different from that of my friends. I was a latchkey kid with more responsibilities than other children my age. But Mom worked hard, saved every penny, and made a comfortable life for us--one that included her passion for travel. She purchased a 1973 Midas motor home and named it "Blue Streak."
During a ten-year span, we traveled forty-seven states. In my late teens, we pulled a horse trailer and competed in shows throughout Wisconsin and as far away as Ohio, Texas, and even Washington. I'll never forget the summer after I got my driver's license. We crossed the Continental Divide with me sitting in the driver's seat. I wondered how many sixteen-year-olds had ever done that.
Recently Mom was reminiscing about our earliest travels. "Remember when we visited Graceland and toured Elvis's home?" she asked. "And, wasn't it great overlooking Niagara Falls?" My blank response frustrated her--the only destinations I remembered before age ten were those she kept in photo scrapbooks. "I took you to all those places and you don't remember a thing, " she complained. I felt guilty--she was right. Then I contemplated my memory.
"No, Mom, I don't remember all the places we went," I said. "I don't recall this statue, or that museum, or even the lobster we ate in Maine. "What I do remember, though, is that you were always there. It was just you and me for thousands of miles. I remember the orange shag carpet and the faded yellow curtains. I remember the RV water that smelled and the oven that didn't work because mice made a nest in the insulation. I remember reading the map for you and you figuring out how many miles before the next rest stop.
"And, I remember how you drove late into the night, while I fell asleep in the bunk above. You sang songs that started with each letter of the alphabet: 'Are You Lonesome Tonight,' 'Band of Gold,' 'Chances Are,' ' Don't be Cruel'....
"I remember listening to your 'should have been famous' voice. That was my lullaby."
Now, over thirty years after my first trip with my mom, I've started traveling with my own daughter. I ask her to pick the destination, but she doesn't seem to care where we go. "I just want us to go together," she says.
Where you're going doesn't matter as much as who's with you on the journey.
~~Kelly Curtis

Our Children Miss Us Terribly

Look at them, all sad and pathetic. They even appear to have lost weight. I'm sure they aren't eating because they miss us so much.

Actually, they are doing wonderfully...which means Jeff and I need to plan a trip to Disney World next weekend before they return just to torment them.

We've been able to communicate via the webcam. That's been great for staying connected while they are gone.

We miss our girls but we've enjoyed the peace here at home too. Taking a nap if the mood strikes us. Staying up late and sleeping in on the weekends. Eating dinner at restaurants that we wouldn't dare go to with them.

So, yes, we are whithering on the vine too.

Our 14th Wedding Anniversary

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love. ~Author Unknown

Our 14th wedding anniversary is almost here. June 11th is the date but since that is during a weekday this year, we plan to celebrate our anniversary early next weekend.

It's hard to believe that it has been almost 14 years since we married and over 16 years since we met one another. I guess it's true what they say...time does fly when you're having fun.

I'll never forget our first date. I was sharing a townhouse with two other people that year in college. Jeff rang the door bell and for some reason I chose to let my room mate answer the door. Meanwhile, I hid in my room mate's bedroom doorway (which was directly off of the entry hall and you passed it as you entered) and I jumped out and scared Jeff as he walked by. I guess you could say that it helped break the ice. To this day, we still scare one another when the perfect opportunity presents itself. I think Rita Rudner once said, "It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life." And, I think we both learned that day that we had found that special someone that we wanted to annoy.

Usually, we are perfectly content playing jokes on others but what fun would our home life be without targeting one another as well. I think my all time favorite is one of Jeff's pranks on me that backfired. I wrote a post about it because the results were truly priceless.

I've enjoyed the last 14 years. I look forward to many more years of annoying (errr, I mean, loving) one another!


By the way....did I mention that Rachel and Anna are with their grandparents for the next three weeks? Whatever shall we do with ourselves?