...another rebus story

I don't get to spend nearly enough time with my sonHe works in from late June to late October (missing both of our birthdays).

When we get together we have a great time talking about and playing lots ofHe beats me nine out of ten times.

When he is home he spends a lot of time with

who is doing very well after being hit by a car while crossing a

this winter.

He has recently gotten into and thinks I should try it. I'm not so sure. He also plays indoor and I

you
!!!

...a rebus story

My daughter

is a busy girl. She is a atand is working towards a degree that will alllow her to work with To help pay her share of the rent on she works at a pub as a She also volunteers as a

and makes time to hang out with

who is anwaiting for the

that he illustrated to be published.

I

you !!!!

...laughter

We went to our favorite little place on Hawthorne Street,ate delicious happy hour food (sweet potato fries, yum!),met Zachary,walked along the street admiring the beautiful flowers,and laughed.

...the up escalator

(No, of course this wasn't a camera malfunction....it's art! haha)

...a road trip haiku or two

Stop, Sue, stop! Smoke is

coming from the back. Oh no!

Another flat tire?Why am I wearing

white shorts when I have to crawl
under the truck, huh?

With wind in our hair,

beautiful, older women.

But no one stopped. Hmm.

(Home again, safe and sound, travel worn, white shorts came clean, another adventure, great fun in Portland once we got there!)

...some sister time

My sister Arlene is here from Boise. We're headed to Portland for the weekend, with plans to go to Trader Joe's, Penzey's Spices, and Saturday Market. We get to hang out with Katie, and meet the new man in her life. :-)

Arlene is the cook in the family. Hands down, no doubt about it, she can cook. I, on the other hand, go for simple fair. I always get a tad nervous about what to fix when she comes to my house. This is what we had tonight. Pico de gallo (avocado, onion, cilantro, tomato, and lime juice), and black beans with onions and pepper jack cheese. No need to be nervous--Arlene agreed, it was delish.

After dinner we sat at the computer and looked at maps of southern France and Italy. We are going in 2012! We used to say "someday we'll travel to Europe together." We finally realized that "someday" would never come unless we started putting money aside. Three years ago we opened a savings account together and have faithfully put a little in each month. It's amazing how just a little grows when it's left alone.

I am so excited to see Katie. It's been toooo long! But she's out of school now and only working two jobs, so she has some time off. Nate, on the other hand, got a call that he was leaving for Alaska earlier than expected. He flew out this morning. :-( He thought he wasn't leaving until Saturday and would get to spend some time with us too. I am going to miss that kid. He won't be back until late October.

So...a road trip with my big sister...just like the good ol' days when our kids were young. Except now we can go where WE want to go and not worry about entertaining anyone else!

...youth

Tonight was going to be the night that I hung on to the fast pace line. It was going to happen. And it did--until the first hill. Then I found myself in no man's land--a place I tend to hang out-- ahead of the slow group, waaay behind the fast group. But tonight I had company. A young woman visiting from Russia was riding with us. There I was, huffing and puffing and grumbling to myself that I got dropped again when Veronica came up behind me. Her friend had told her to stay behind someone so she could "drift" off them. (As an ESL teacher I love little misspeaks.) She was riding a borrowed bike and wearing running shorts and tennis shoes. I said something about how well she was doing and she said, "Oh, this is only my second time on the bike. I want to give it my all!" And she did. I had to work hard to keep up with her. Ah, youth!!

...cleaning

I keep my place fairly liveable using the Flylady system but every now and then I look around and realize that the spiders are winning and clutter is creeping back in. So the last two days have been taken up with vacuuming, dusting, rearranging and tossing (why am I keeping this??).

The piano bench is full of books, dishes, and miscellaneous stuff that need to be returned to their rightful owners, posted on Freecycle or taken to Goodwill. The downstairs is finished (Ah!) and the upstairs is just about licked...but...oops...got bogged down and sidetracked in the sewing/computer room (time out to blog..hehe). This room and the garage seem to take the worst abuse--things get tossed in to be dealt with later. I've taken breaks here and there (obviously), remembered to drink my water, but haven't allowed myself to read "just for a few minutes." I know myself too well--those few minutes would turn into hours and then I'd come back to reality and wonder why the vacuum cleaner was in the middle of the room.

Break is over--Time to get back to it.

...baiku

Farm truck, you would slow

for a tractor or stray dog.

So why not for me?

...turkey dinner and a hug

No, I'm not planning for Thanksgiving. This is a different kind of bird story. Several years ago when my kids were young we would spend a lot of time down at the nature trails (when they wild and overgrown and mysterious--not groomed and tidy and park-like). There were many different birds living in the brambles and trees but one that tickled us the most sang out, "Tuuuurkey DINner" on a regular basis. Years flew by, kids grew up, and we went to the nature trails less and less. I had forgotten all about the "turkey dinner" bird. Until today. As I rode out of town on my bike, I heard it: Tuuuuuurkey DINner! A bugs-in-the-teeth smile spread from ear to ear. I was going too fast on a main road to stop and try to figure out which bird was sending me a message of love from the past--a red-wing blackbird? A plain ol' blackbird? Doesn't matter. The turkey dinner bird was just what I needed today.

And a hug: Last October the group that I ride with surprised me with this jersey for my 50th birthday. I had been drooling over it in the shop but just couldn't bring myself to shell out the bucks. So they all went together and bought it for me. It touched me that a group of people I hadn't known for very long would do such a generous thing for me. The jersey is so soft and comfortable--like a hug. Also what I needed today--so that's what I wore.

...Jadyn, of course

"Farmer Joe" came to see if I was awake in the morning... then crawled in to cuddle for a bit.
Chasse looks so beautiful with a necklace on her head!

A little tease didn't want me to make the bed.

With her "Gamma"

Giving mommy big hugs.

I love this one--all smiles!

...hair loss, helmets, and a leg that was just along for the ride

Hair loss and helmets...
1. I have fine, slippery hair so anything I put on my head tends to move around.
2. While it's true that I'm hard-headed, it's also true that I'm rather attached to the contents of my noggin.
3. Because of #2 above, I wear a helmet while cycling.
4. Because of #1 above, I have a hard time getting my helmet adjusted so it will do its job if my melon happens to come in contact with the ground.
5. On the century ride with Gonzo a few weeks ago I discovered the hard way that tightening the knob at the back of the helmet too tight causes a painful bump to form on the forehead.
6. On Friday I gasped when I discovered that what was once a bump now is a bald spot. It looks like I shaved a spot out of my bangs! My sister also gasped when I showed it to her. Vanity prevents me from sharing a photo with a wider audience. (I think I'll be asking for thicker bangs on my next visit to the hairdresser.)

So now the wondering and waiting begins. Why did it take so long for the hair to fall out? Will it grow back in? Is this why I see some women carefully tilt their helmets back so so their bangs don't get mussed? Does it matter if my helmet wobbles a bit on my head?

And a leg that was just along for the ride...
On Saturday Bob and I met up at the starting point for the century at 6:30 a.m. as planned. It was cool and drizzly but still looked like a good day to ride. We were sprinkled on a bit, but were fortunate to miss the downpour that drenched some poor folks who were behind us. I was mostly keeping up with Bob--he didn't set a grueling pace and the course was fairly flat (well, except for the 12% dowgrade!). But after about 25 miles it became apparent that my left leg was just along for the ride. It didn't seem to want to do any of the hard work--it just sat there, cranky and stiff, and not doing its share. I tried stretching at the rest stops, concentrating on my pedaling, and promised it bananas each time we stopped. Nothing seemed to help. I guess we all have days like that. (I'm hoping that a few soaks in the hot tub here at my folks will make it want to be part of the team again.)

...getting out of Dodge

It's time for a road trip. I'm headed to Boise to stay with my favorite big sister and hopefully get to see my favorite great-niece.

On Saturday I'll be doing this century: Bob LeBow Bike Tour with Bob from our local group.

Sunday will be spent hanging out, relaxing, and eating great food. (Arlene is the best cook. I know she will feed me well.)

On Monday I'll be headed to Cove to spend some time with more of my favorite people. Mowing lawns, weeding flower beds, coffee on the back porch, a beautiful valley to ride...and this job: helping dad with the woodpile.

Ahhhh summer!