Launch (or Re-Launch)

August 27, 2010

I can read the date and know today is an Odd Friday, but I woke up not feeling well this morning and took a slow start to the day. Next Friday is also an Odd Friday, but my soccer team has a tournament in Dallas the next day, and I probably need to make the three-hour drive on Friday afternoon/evening instead of driving like a crazy woman way early Saturday morning.

Interpretation: Give me a chance to re-group on Lanyard Workshops. I will launch the new season with the Let's Get Back To It! Odd Friday Lanyard Workshop at my house on Friday September 17.

I hate to put off the start to the fall lanyard season because I have so much good news about how lanyards have gone this summer: new schools, new venues, new lanyard wearers, new lanyards makers! Still, I think we can all use a break today. A lot of folks have barely survived the first week of school and several of us face that hill next week.

If you don't know what to do with yourself, come help us out a the NB Fun Run in Cypress tomorrow morning.

Say HMMMM

August 17, 2010

I pulled up to a red light on Saturday morning, next to an extended-cab Ford F-150 on my left and a relatively new Toyota Camry on my right. The light lasted a long while, so I entertained myself by looking around. The driver of the truck held something up to his nose, then passed it over to the front-seat passenger who took a deep sniff and handed it to the guys in the back seat who did the same thing. I admit, I stared at them until I figured out what they were doing: taking turns smelling a stick of deodorant. I turned away, trying to process whether they had confused the new drug known as Spice (K2, a blend of herbs, spices and synthetic cannabis) with the product the Old Spice guy has been hawking. When I looked to the right, all five of the people in the Camry, including the driver, had their phones raised in front of their faces, texting as fast as Miss Jane on the Beverly Hillbillies could type.

The light turned green, and all I could do as I drove away was to say Hmmmm.

You may have noticed that I have not contributed to The Davhee Repore that regularly this summer. Now that he is a college graduate and moving 1000 miles away, it borders on weird for me to write a blog about him. I am going to try mothballing his site for a while and if I have something to say, include it here. If I end up having more to say than I think I will, I'll write over there.

Here is a video that we made of his last few minutes at home. Don't expect too much in terms of content or videography.

Chase

August 10, 2010

My cup runneth over, and I feel grateful that I have the health and the energy to do so much each day. Lanyards, soccer, a little community organizing, helping with the NB Fun Run, getting Davis ready for grad school. Willie and Teddy make sure that I start each day right, with what used to be a brisk 25 minute walk around the lake. These days, it takes more like 45 minutes because we have to stalk the new temptress, seductress, harlot of the homestead, whore of Leisure Lake. That's right Mrs. Bun or, more likely, one of her tart-y daughters or granddaughters has taken up residence in the bamboo grove across from our house.

I can't really tell who it is because I walk when it is just getting light (and besides, it is pre-first cup of coffee in the morning). All I can see is her pouty lips smeared in "jungle red" or "red sinner" shades of lipstick and fake eyelashes batting coquettishly at the dogs when they run out to the yard. Whoever she is has her bodice laced tight enough to mimic the effect of a high-dollar push up bra. Apparently, she is a thief as well as a slut. As the dogs make the corner and head to the front yard, they inevitably find her purloining fallen pears. This send them into a frenzy. . . but clever girl she is, she bolts to the cover of the bamboo, where Willie can't easily pass and we are forced to spend the next twenty minutes sniffing the ground trying to pick up the scent of "White Shoulders" or whatever it is she wears.

Ah well. If I didn't have a forced slow start to the day, I would probably be worn out by this time of day and unable to blog effectively.

Anyway, the reason I logged on this evening was to let you know that I can not have the previously scheduled Last Chance, Back-to-School Lanyard Workshop this week. Davis leaves for Ohio State on Friday, and he is using much of the available space in the house to stage all his belongings for transport. Since we are having a large group over to meet with Chet on Saturday afternoon, I just don't have time to recover from Davis's packing, have lanyards, and get the house swell and clean by the next day. I know you will understand.

Here's what I suggest instead. On Friday, pour yourself a beverage of choice. Put your feet up, and start brain storming what we can do during the month of September with our lanyards to build awareness (Remember September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month). Maybe you want to host a workshop or take some lanyards to show around your workplace or your kids' schools. Maybe you want to host a bead drive. Maybe you want to think of something quite novel. Anyway, that's your assignment, if you choose to accept!

BUT if you have the itch to bead, you can stop by and get supplies this week. Call before you come.

P.S. Let me know if I owe you a lanyard! My workspace is a mess, and while I think I have mailed everything I was supposed to, I may have slipped up.

Sweat

August 8, 2010

The off-season came to a screeching halt on Friday and the cool New Mexican mountain air that I breathed only last Wednesday became a faded memory. Soccer resumed on Friday. Truth be told, it resumed last Monday, but I slacked and enjoyed vacation while the girls had their first practice of the fall season with their new trainer Wally Crittendon. We had our first friendlies yesterday, and I am almost certain that most of the girls wish they had spent less time with facebook and their smart phones during the last two month and more time away from their couch. Frankly, I am thinking the same thing about the way I Spent My Summer Vacation. August promises to be a painful month--not just hot but dedicated to turning those soft, gone-to-pot muscles back into something useful.

It will be torture, but I can not think of a greater group of young women to torture myself for than

Megan

Sydni

Emily

JJ

Sydney

Alyssa

Lindsey

Tori

Ariel

Bailey

Keaton

Regan

Kiley

Lexi

I'm also hoping Kimberly makes it back on the pitch from her season ending knee injury last May and really wish Sam would reconsider her need to take a season off.

We are going to do fantastic things together this year!