Shifting Gears   Baby Boomer…Member Life 2.0…Wife, Mother, Grammie…Bicyclist…GoldWinger…Mensan…Girl Scout…Reader…Knitter…Rotarian

When we met last week we realized that if we didn’t have lunch this week, we might not all be together for several weeks since Vickie leaves next week on vacation.  So even though we just had dinner recently, none of us minded having lunch together today.  After all, we can always find plenty of conversation topics.  We did get off on some work and Rotary related topics that would bore the general public (or maybe not!) but here’s the rest of our chat:

• Vickie recommended the Corporette blog which recently featured an article on “Ten Uses for Office Supplies in a Pinch” – where was this kind of good info when I needed it?
• Vickie lost the diamond in her engagement ring a month ago and found it yesterday in the bottom of her purse.  Chaz is off the hook for the replacement bling.
• Robin is the Queen of cute casual wear.
• Hannah is going on her first official date on Saturday night so Chaz created the “Rules for Dating My Daughter” – we all approved!  Her date must pick her up (no meeting at another site), he has to come to the door, meet her parents, he has to pay for the date or else they stay at Chaz and Vickie’s house and watch TV and his parents have to bring them home since he doesn’t have his license yet.  And – Chaz has to approve what she wears.  I like this guy! 
• When married people are friends with other married people of the opposite sex, why are their motives questioned?
• Robin dared Vickie to fake being sick and join us at my pool a couple of days ago – but Vickie is too honest and stayed at work instead. 
• Our phone went out recently during a storm – it took us 3 days to realize we hadn’t had any calls.  I was going to call the phone company and tell them to either fix it at no charge or disconnect it for good when it came back on.
• Robin did a shout-out to Jim – they had a problem with the hot water heater and he replaced the thermo coupler with an $8 part from Lowes.  Go Jim!
• Vickie did a shout-out to Chaz for coming up with great dating rules for Hannah.  When Hannah told her date about them, he had no problem with them.  Good kids.
• I did a shout-out to Burl for building the awesome deck next to our pool.
• Vickie enlightened us that according to Robert’s Rules of Order, you don’t have to have a quorum in a meeting to vote unless someone brings it up.  Who knew?

Vickie heads west next week for a long trip with the family so it may be a month or so before we all get together.  I’m already having withdrawals from my buddies………

Here it is friends – the last installment of my book review of “$20 Per Gallon” by Christopher Steiner.  If you missed the other entries, you’ll have to look in the blog archives.

$16 Per Gallon:  Steiner titles this chapter “The Food Web Deconstructed” so the entire focus is on our food chain.  Here’s what he predicts:

• Food will become more local.  Thanks to rising gas prices, Norwegian cod will no longer be caught in Norway, frozen, sent to China to be gutted, filleted and packaged and then sent ’round the world. 
• Forget about cheap sushi in Springfield – unless someone finds a way to make it from bass or crappie!  The cost of getting bluefin tuna to this locale will be prohibitive.
• But – the world’s supply of fish will get an opportunity to heal, repair and renew.
• American farms will go local – think 600 acres owned by a family instead of 60,000 acres run by a corporation.
• Our produce will be healthier – after all, it will be locally grown and we’ll have access to it within days of being picked.
• We’ll have to find other fertilizers than those made with fossil fuels.  Scientists are working on solutions now.

$18 Per Gallon:  Remember the subway systems at $12 per gallon?  Now that we’re up to $18 per gallon, the railroads are going to come to the forefront again.

• Federal funds (if there are any available at that time) will need to shift from building roads to building train networks.
• American trains will mimic those in Europe and Asia – sleeker, faster, designed for easy travel.
• We will WANT to use train travel – unless we have electric cars.
• The U.S. military will be forced to spend more on fuel and less on new planes, boats and missiles.
• High gas prices may pose a threat to national security.

$20 Per Gallon:  Now we’re at that magical figure – on that’s hard to imagine today when I can drive to Sam’s and fill up my little Honda at $2.48 a gallon with a total bill of about $35 if I’m really on empty.  In this chapter, Steiner didn’t look as much at lifestyle changes – he focused on the future of energy.

• Factories will generate alternative energy from their manufacturing processes.
• Recycled energy development (RED) will be prolific – a silicon factory in West Virginia is already experimenting with a proto-type that will hopefully become industry standard across our country long before gas prices reach this level.
• While scientists look for new sources of energy they will also look for what they call the low-hanging megawatts that are wasted daily.
• Human waste will become an energy supply – renamed “anaerobic digestion” to include human and organic waste products. 
• The future of energy lies in hydro-electic, wind generation and nuclear power with some coal, solar power and geothermal energy thrown in for good measure.

Steiner concludes his book with a look at “sometime in the 21st century” – a mythical representation of a young adult living in New York in a world that incorporates all his predictions. 

How accurate is his crystal ball?  If you live long enough, you may know.

I’m still engrossed in Christopher Steiner’s “$20 Per Gallon” although I’ll admit I’m also reading a couple of other books right now too.  Steiner’s book tends to bog down a bit so there are parts I’m skipping but it’s still interesting, and futuristic, reading.  Here are more of his predictions:

$10 Per Gallon:  At this level our decades-long romance with vehicles will drop considerably and the idea of kids receiving a new set of wheels when they turn 16, will be a distant memory.  For the record, my girls did NOT get a car from their parents when they became Sweet Sixteen.  I’m sure they will be glad to share the criteria for getting a car at our house!  But I digress – here’s what to expect when gas takes an Alexander Hamilton for a measly gallon:

• UPS will be totally brown!  Already this business is looking for ways to save on fuel (all routes exclude left turns) and by time gas is at this level, their entire fleet will use something other than gas – mostly likely electricity but they are exploring other options in order to be ready.
• e-commerce will be more prominent – who wants to drive to the mall to shop at those gas prices?
• Plug-in hybrids will help sustain us as we move to an all-electic future.
• Alternatives to the all-electric car will emerge – stuff like the hydraulic hybrid drivetrain.  I don’t understand it, but apparently it’s going to help save us.
• Toll roads will be widespread.
• Bicycle lanes will become more prominent in communities.
• Gas-guzzling toys will become extinct – stuff like snowmobiles, jet skis, speedboats, ATVs.  Now we’ll be looking at kayaks, canoes, sailboats.
• We’ll start to see new kinds of ecofriendly plastics – the old stuff is made of petroleum-based substances.  Right now, in Iowa, companies are working on ways to turn corn into a strong, biodegradable plastic since the corn won’t be needed for ethanol.

$12 Per Gallon:  While this day seems far away, we need to get ready now and New York City is already ahead of the game.  Here are some possible scenarios:

• Subway systems will flourish – what better way to move people between places than with infrastructure that’s already in place.  Right now, NYC is spending $7 billion for one set of commuter train tubes but they have the demand.  New Yorkers have depended on the subway for years – not like other major cities that added theirs during the age of “romancing the auto”.
• New cities may arise – for instance New Songdo City is currently being built in South Korea.  It’s projected to be completed in 2015 and house 65,000 but over 300,000 people will work there.  Check it out – the advances in technology and energy-efficiency are astounding and this city may be a blueprint for more to follow.
• Americans will return from the suburbs to the cities.  People will need/want to be where they work – and they will want smaller dwelling places.  Cities offer jobs, apartments, less need for cars.
• Cities will regroup, renew and grow denser – no more urban sprawl.  Expect more renaissances like Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle have already experienced.  Places like St. Louis, Detroit and Cleveland need to get on board now.
• Zoning laws will be trashed.  Without zoning laws to hinder progress, buildings can be more densely packed.
• Look for a return to the neighborhood – complete with a small grocery store, bakery, dry cleaner – all within walking distance.

$14 Per Gallon: Building on all the premises of previous chapters, Steiner really lets lose on a big gun!

• Wal-Mart will fail!  Yep – you heard me.  Small towns will get revenge on the gay and steel-blue big box.  Where they have already been abandoned in favor or bigger and better Wally Worlds, they are known as “ghostboxes.”  Even now many of them are sitting empty without a buyer in sight. 
• Why will Wally fail?  First of all, people won’t get in the car and drive their to shop on the spur-of-the-moment.  Just think, no more peopleofwalmart.com to entertain us.  And second, Wal-Mart won’t be able to maintain their vast distribution network which works now thanks to cheap gas.
• Small towns will revert back to Main Street – smaller homes, neighborhoods, local stores – everything will be geared for the citizens who live there.  Even telecommuters will relish this easy-going life and will help support the local economy.
• The small towns that will flourish the most still have their downtown areas intact – the buildings may be empty but as long as they are still standing, they can be brought back to life.
• Railroads will deliver the goods – a real boon for the small towns that once depended on the iron horse to bring their products instead of the asphalt ribbon.
• We’ll stop sending our cash overseas for cheap merchandise – because at this rate, it may still be cheap but it won’t be inexpensive.
• If we quit importing so much stuff, manufacturing will see a revival in the USA.
• The earth will thank us – we’ll have less garbage, less stuff for the landfills.
• The effects of $14 per gallon will ripple to almost everything we use – carpet, roofing shingles, anything made of plastic, wood, metal – anything that is transported on rail, ship or road.  Raw materials like ore, oil, sugar, coal.
• Construction will use local materials – i.e. no more Douglas fir two-by-fours in the Midwest when they come from the Pacific Northwest.
• Overpackaging will be a distant memory.
• Newspapers will be web-based only – no more paper boy throwing your daily dose of news and comics at the crack of dawn.

I’m down to the last few chapters – stay tuned for the final edition in a few days.

A few weeks ago I noticed the banners at the Meyer Center advertising the “Girls Just Wanna Run” 5K Run/Walk – the t-shirts were cute, you got a great goodie bag and I had nothing on the calendar for this morning – so I paid my registration fee which then obligated me to start some training!

I gave up any ambitions for an Olympic running career a long time ago and my left knee let me know in no uncertain terms that a marathon is NOT in my future.  Good thing – the whole thought of running for many, many hours doesn’t excite me at all.  But every once in a while I need to get in the groove and push myself with a goal.  That’s one of the ways I’m trying to keep the old-age truck from running over me.

My running shoes hadn’t seen much use since I did a mini-tri last fall so I laced them up and started training.  There aren’t many flat places to run where we live so I stuck to the track at the gym.  Over the last few weeks I managed to run 2 miles without stopping (a major feat for me) – then I’d walk a lap and finish off another mile of running before cooling off.  I calculated that running outside with some inclines and in high humidity would drop my time so my goals were 1) to have fun; 2) look good; 3) finish the event in under 42:00.

The having fun part is always easy – anytime you have a crowd of several hundred women, fun is a sure thing.  I made new friends as we waited in the porta-potty line and at the start – and I saw some of my buddies who were also participating in the event.  I scored a great new workout skort and matching top at TJ Maxx so I had the looking good part down – plus they were black so all my fat in the middle didn’t show as much.

But best of all, my stopwatch showed a finish of 39:25.  I have no idea how anyone else in my old-age group did and I really don’t care.  I’m competitive with myself and like to exceed my goals.  Considering the humidity was almost unbearable and there wasn’t any water until about the 2.5 mile mark (I took a few sips and then poured it over me), I was just glad to see the finish line.  And yes, I did walk part of the route – probably at a faster pace than when I ran.

Now I just need to get some miles on my bike this week…………next Saturday is the MS150 Pancake Ride.  Yum!

When I find the perfect gift for someone, I usually buy it and keep it for that occasion.  But when I found the perfect Christmas gift for fellow Women of Substance, I knew I couldn’t wait – plus, if either of them found this gift, they would have bought it and scooped me!  For full disclosure, I had a tip from gal pal Lori who emailed me with the idea and where she saw it.  Thanks again, Lori.

Vickie was so excited about the whole Christmas in July idea that she declared that from now on, we will celebrate in July instead of December. 

The real Women of Substance - with a book by the same name!

Henceforth, we shall either be fashionably late or trend-setting early in our Christmas gift-giving.  Whatever you call it, it works for us!

We dined last night on the patio at Touch and enjoyed a light meal of tapas – then adjourned to Orange Leaf just a few blocks away to introduce Robin to the pleasures of the new frozen yogurt serve-yourself place Vickie and I love.  A perfect summer evening to sit and discuss everything and everybody, including ourselves!  And here’s what we can share with the world:

• Even though the waitresses at Touch wear short shorts that say “I like it dirty” (referring to their martinis we think), Vickie would still let Hannah work there.  Nix on her being employed at Hooters.
• Robin likes prunes – wants to know if dates taste anything like them?
• When Vickie said “farty bars” it sounded like “party barge” – trust me, you had to be there to find humor in that remark.
• I told Robin and Vickie that if I waited until December to give them their gifts, I may forget where I put them.
• We know one of the 417 Magazine 10 Most Beautiful Women – her hubby shared that she’s a finalist.
• Hannah got her driver’s license – and Vickie let her drive for over an hour as they came home from St. Louis on Sunday – practicing for their trip out west in a couple of weeks.
• The Touch salad is Robin’s new favorite – if they would add beets to it, it would be un-beet-able.  (Ok Tammy, stop groaning now!)
• Vickie recently saw that a movie was rated R for “male rear nudity”.
• Women of Substance are trend setters.
• Hannah just ended a totally texting relationship with a guy who’s related to Willie Nelson.  Robin and I aren’t sure how that can really be a “relationship”.
• Robin thinks Hannah needs a boyfriend at her high school – I think there’s safety in long distance right now.
• Robin saw Lady Gaga on the “Today Show” and said she was phenomenal.  She allegedly has more FB friends than Obama – Lady Gaga, this is, not Robin.
• Jim and Robin went to the Toby Keith restaurant twice the last time they were in Vegas – the food was crap but they loved the music and the atmosphere.
• Robin said Jim accused her of having “white trash nails” because her fake nails have grown out and the new growth shows at the base.  Vickie thinks white trash nails are ones that are chipped.
• If Jim has his dad’s belly in 20 years, Robin said he’ll be sleeping in the garage.
• We appreciate all our fat – it keeps away and wrinkles and gives us extra to lose if we ever have major surgery.
• Robin’s dream home is a Cape Cod style house on Catalina Island or in La Jolla.  Dream on!
• The dock at Jim and Robin’s lake home is now green – Jim put in solar panels on the dock roof and they now power the lights and the boat lift.
• Vickie got a free flashlight at Harbor Freight but was disappointed it wasn’t larger.  However, it came in handy on Sunday night when they lost power during the storm.
• Vickie and I have a problem with the Presbyterian Church allowing gay ministers – Robin approved.
• We all hate it when other people refuse to follow the scripts we have mentally written for them.
• Hannah is now flirting with some poor choices per her mom – but she has to make mistakes to grow and learn.
• On Vickie’s vacation they will spend 7 days in a cabin in the Grand Tetons without internet or cell phone access.
• None of us have made a final decision on the 7th district congressional race – but even though we’re “fed up”, we all know one candidate who won’t get our vote.
• Michelle Obama wore blue nail polish on the 4th of July – guess I’ll have to find a new signature color for summer.
• In households with two incomes, 25% of the women out-earn their husbands.
• The Food Network is porn for fat people.
• Great name for a tattoo removal business – On Second Thought.
• Robin’s dad got her excused from PE in high school because she was a cheerleader – he wanted her to take something meaningful like chemistry.
• The best thing to do with a Japanese beetle trap bag is to put it in your neighbor’s yard.
• Vickie is time-zone challenged.

And that, my friends, is all she wrote………..

Women of Substance pal Vickie suggested the book “$20 Per Gallon” by Christopher Steiner a few months ago and I knew immediately that I’d enjoy reading it.  After all, I’m an economics junkie and this book throws in all kinds of sociological predictions to go along with the economics of increased gas prices so it’s right up my alley.

In a few places I’ve gotten a bit bogged down with the minutia so I’ll admit to doing some skimming – plus I’ve also read a couple of novels along with this book to keep from getting too immersed in something so intellectual!  After all, my gray matter needs some candy in the form of lighter reading.

In case you plan to read this book, you can quit reading now because I’m about to do a recap of the first few chapters!  More will follow as I finish the book!  Just remember that all of these predictions are cumulative as the price of gas rises – and the author only focuses on the price at the pump.  We all rely on a myriad of products daily that use oil and the changes from those price increases aren’t included.

$4 Per Gallon – In 2008 we came precariously close to the $4 per gallon mark in Springfield – and when we were traveling in California in June, 2008, we actually paid $6 per gallon in Big Sur.  That was a day when we gave thanks for being on a motorcycle.  We also became acutely aware as we rode through the western US that gas taxes play a big part in the price paid at the pump.

I remember in 2008 when the price in Springfield was over $3.50 per gallon that I planned my trips more carefully, coasted on hills and drove at a lower speed – all those things I should do routinely but unless it hits my bank account, old habits are hard to break.  But the gas prices plummeted and I reverted to how I’d driven for years.

According to Steiner, here’s what we can expect when gas hits (and stays) at $4 per gallon:

• Americans will drive fewer miles – case in point, in 2008, we drove 100 billion fewer miles than in 2007.
• The costs of all energy will climb as oil prices climb – creating opportunities for innovation for some.
• We will rethink hybrid cars, smaller cars and other forms of transportation.
• Families cut back on vacations
• SUVs stayed in the garage and the compact cars and sedans were driven more often
• But the changes won’t be too dramatic at $4 a gallon as we’ve already seen.

$6 Per Gallon - this book was published in mid-2009 but I’m betting most of it was written by the end of 2008 which is probably why the author predicts gas at $7 per gallon as early as 2010.  We still have six months to go to see if we hit that mark but I’m betting/hoping we fall short.  But at this price, Americans will be truly shocked and deeply affected – we may not be able to convince ourselves that gas in the <$3 per gallon range will be available again.  Now we’ll really have to make some changes.  Such as:

• More cars will come off the roads and the majority of those will be SUVs – a model that will virtually die.
• Americans will embrace diesel fuel at the $6 per gallon level
• Fewer lives will be lost – we’ll be driving fewer miles = fewer accidents = fewer deaths – especially when you take the SUVs off the roads since they have the highest number of deaths per million miles driven.
• We may get skinnier – using public transportation will introduce an element of walking to the access points – or people may depend more on bicycles.
• Fewer gas emissions will clean up our air and help our lungs
• Sustaining our infrastructure will become more difficult – the gas tax that supports our roadways is based on a per gallon rate and not a % of the cost – fewer gallons consumed means less tax revenue to repair and maintain our roads and bridges.  The result could be an increase in toll roads.
• School districts won’t be able to maintain their busing policies – the cost of transporting students will be far beyond what school boards can afford.  The choice will be busing the students to schools – or having teachers for them when they get there.
• Youth in sports teams will travel less – they will revert to the days of playing opponents in their own backyard instead of across the state – or even the country.
• Law enforcement will return to foot patrol to save on costs which bodes well for better police protection.

$8 Per Gallon – now our economy is really going to see some major changes!

• The skies will empty!  The major airlines stand to lose the most in the world of $8 per gallon gas.  They already have heavy debt loads and many of them have been through bankruptcy.  According to one expert, the major US airline with the best chance of survival is Continental.  Smaller airlines such as Southwest and Jet Blue should also stay in business.
• Foreign countries will lose their national carriers with international routes being covered by Continental, Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, and All Nippon Airways.
• Fewer airlines = fewer planes = fewer routes = increased fares.
• The downturn in the airline industry will be felt in manufacturing as well and will include massive job losses in building, maintaining and running the planes and airlines.
• Families will concentrate in one region – no more flying home to see the family over the holidays or summer vacation – and driving costs will be prohibitive too.
• College-bound students will look for schools closer to home.
• Resort towns may become ghost towns.
• Las Vegas could go bust.  Statistics show that few visitors to Vegas actually drive so while it’s unlikely people will quit gambling, they will do it closer to home and not in Vegas. 

I’m now on the chapter where gas goes to $10 per gallon – stay tuned and see what predictions there are for our lives at that price point.  Unless you’re already out the door pricing hybrid or electric cars and thinking of where to unload your SUV or gas guzzling pickup truck.

My baby girl is 40 today – and I now understand what my dad meant when I said I’d always be his “baby”.  Tammy frequently says that I should have realized when I had perfection in a daughter and just left well enough alone – but she would have been spoiled and bored as an only child!  As the second daughters – and the babies of the family – Ralph and I contend that sometimes it takes two tries to get it right!

We spent the weekend in Des Moines helping Ralph and Blair celebrate with a “4 Score” party since Blair turned 40 on June 30th.  It was a fun event held at friends’ photography studio in downtown Des Moines and we had a great time not only helping to get ready for the event but also being there to see their friends.  My favorite job of the weekend was yesterday afternoon when I got enlisted to take the girls to the swimming pool – it was a tough job, but someone had to do it!

My baby, Ralph, and me at her 40th birthday party

I’m doubly blessed with daughters so here’s my tribute to Ralph today – 40 wonderful reasons I’m proud to be her mother.  And if some of the items listed below are duplicates of my 44 Reasons I posted for Tammy recently, well, DUH – they are sisters after all!

1. She doubled my joy of being a mother
2.  Julia and Lydia – she has blessed me with a pair of delightful granddaughters
3. Blair – whom Tammy and I were sure would see the light and call off the wedding but thank goodness, he didn’t! (Just joking Ralph)
   

   Ralph and Blair - the birthday kids

4. She’s a gourmet cook
5. Her daughters may only be 4 and 7 but they know the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup.
6. She has a wicked brand of sarcastic humor – wonder where she got that
7.   She’s a nurse
8. She never stops giving me reasons to wear my “Proud Mom” look
9. She’s a very loyal friend – she’s had the same best friend since kindergarten
10.  Her sister is her best friend
11. She takes personal responsibility
12. She sends hand-written thank-you notes
13. She loves to read
14. She is forgiving
15. She has an excellent vocabulary
16. She uses impeccable grammar – and insists that her kids do too
17. She looks years younger than 40
18. She often can’t wear size 0 jeans – they are too big
19. She’s beautiful….
20. ….inside and out!
21. She will readily share her opinion
22. She’s very smart
23. We both survived her teen years…
24. …and some rough times in her Terrible 20s too!
25. She’s a left-brain with a compassionate heart – accountant turned nurse
26. We have tons of fun together
27. She trusts me with her kids when she wants to take a trip – even after Lydia put a bead in her nose!
28. She can tell me off when I need it – or as her Nana would say, “she knows how to call a spade an effin’ shovel”
29. She can accomplish anything she really wants to do.
30. She admits her mistakes
31. She uses good common sense
32. She’s also an introvert – just like Tammy and me
33. She knows what she wants and she goes for it – i.e. Blair, her nursing degree, her home
34. She knows how to delegate in the kitchen…
35. …and taught me the correct way to use a knife this weekend.
36. She’s a darned good golfer
37. She loves to travel…..
38. …and she makes a wonderful travel companion
39. Did I mention that she gave me Julia and Lydia?
40. Because she’s Ralph – and I love her more than life and wish her the happiest birthday ever.

Here’s to more fun years ahead for us, Ralph – thanks for all our experiences together.  I wouldn’t have missed a one of them (well maybe a couple, but hey, they just made the good times even better!)

Greetings to my 3 loyal readers!  That would be daughter Tammy and the Women of Substance!  Lest you think I’ve decided to live in the pool all summer, such is not the case – although it’s tempting!  Let’s just say that the last week has been pretty darned busy at Chez Brown and the peace and quiet I’m enjoying today is well-deserved!

Last Tuesday Len and Alex arrived back in Springfield from their trip to Disney World.  Alex immediately left with his other grandparents for their cabin at Lake Pomme de Terre and Len stayed with us.  In no time at all, he was in his work-uns (Brown name for work clothes!) and ready to help Burl tackle our pool deck project.  Earlier this spring I decided I could no longer stand the ugly brown rocks and weed-ridden landscaping near the pool – so I started digging it all up!  I had no idea where I was going with this de-construction but I knew if I didn’t start somewhere, nothing would change! 

Ugly landscaping!

As this photo shows, there are plenty of weeds and some ugly brown decorative (really?) rocks plus a few non-strategically placed plants and tons of monkey grass which even I can’t kill!  And scattered among the rocks are pine needles from our large pine trees and there’s no way to clean it all up. 

On Mother’s Day Cindy gave me the creative gift of a backyard plan!  My limited landscaping brain was thinking paver stones but she had a better idea – a low deck a step or two off the concrete.  Her dad grimaced but was up for the challenge – he loves to build!  So he got out his graph paper and laid it all out and we were off and running! 

About 10 days ago I dug a dozen post holes 18″ deep in the rock and clay – talk about an upper body workout!  Burl set the posts and on Tuesday, he and Len started laying out the framing and making numerous trips to the lumber yard.  I gave them a break Tuesday evening so we could celebrate Tammy’s belated birthday with homemade Mexican Villa tacos and strawberry pretzel salad/dessert.

Stacey arrived on Wednesday from her conference in Florida and while the guys golfed, Stacey, Cindy and I had lunch together and stopped by The Harem for the launching of their new bath and body products line.  Check out Tammy’s blog if you want to know more!  Fabulous stuff and of course I had to buy some goodies for myself – I can attest that the shea butter hand cream is divine!

Wednesday night I left the others on their own for dinner and a movie while I attended the installation banquet for Sunrise Rotary.  Even got to perform my first official Assistant Governor job by installing their officers!  And just to make sure I got plenty of Rotary meetings in last week, I went to the installation luncheon for my own club on Thursday and then to Rock ‘n Ribs board meeting on Friday!

Thursday afternoon we were all in the backyard once again. 

Burl, Len and Corey work on the deck framing

Grandson Corey joined the group and we had 3 generations working together on the project.  I was beginning to see how it will look when finished and was already arranging furniture on it!

Just to be sure we didn’t interfere, Cindy, Stacey and I relaxed in the pool! 

Mulligan supervises the pool floaters!

The water was cool, the books were steamy and the drinks were plentiful!  Mulligan and his toy provided entertainment.

Friday brought more pool time for the girls and work time for the guys.  I picked fresh green beans from the garden for dinner to go with pulled pork and Tammy and Steve joined us for a feast!  We were stuffed to the gills but that didn’t stop us from a dessert run!  Cindy, Stacey and I had discovered a new place near Republic Road and Fremont on Wednesday – it’s called Orange Leaf (I know, strange name) and features a gazillion flavors of yogurt (non-fat and low-fat varieties) plus tons of different toppings.  You create your own tasty treat and then pay by the ounce!   I predict it’s going to rival Andy’s for our summertime treats.

Saturday we all attended the Marshfield 4th of July parade which I always love – especially when the high school band goes marching by and this year they were playing a snappy rendition of  “You’re A Grand Old Flag”.  Burl’s motorcycle unit from the Shrine participates in the parade every year and he had a great time riding his little cruiser. 

Big boys with little toys

As soon as the parade was over, we headed to Lake Pomme de Terre to spend the rest of the day with Len’s parents and his sister and her family.  The kids had a great time swimming and the adults had a great time drinking margaritas and visiting lakeside.  Len’s dad, Leonard, fired up the grill and we were joined by others in their cove for a fantastic potluck picnic.  The original plan was to drive over to the dam to watch fireworks but once the kids and their parents got busy with their own display in the backyard, we all settled in with another drink and decided to stay put!  I was just happy that Burl was driving me home later that evening.

Len and Stacey stayed at the lake for the rest of the weekend and we enjoyed another leisurely day on Sunday.  I even agreed to go out to breakfast with Burl after church – it’s his favorite meal to eat out and I hate it but since I found out I can get fresh fruit at IHOP, I figured I’d be nice to my deck-builder. 

Sunday evening we went to Cindy’s for a neighborhood picnic and to watch more fireworks – great group of people and the firework displays we saw from her backyard were fantastic.  We had hoped to make it home to see the displays from the I Love America event and Hickory Hills but didn’t even miss them.

Stacey left yesterday morning and the guys were once again on the links while I sweated through a 2-mile run and a 25-mile bike ride – fueled with visions of relaxing in the pool which I did for an hour or so!  Then it was time to put MY workuns on and start staining the deck boards. 

44 boards later.......

44 boards and about 5 hours after I started, I was done – literally!  Burl had Shrine motorcycle practice and I figure since it’s “my” project, I can help a little so I’m in charge of staining boards!  I was determined to finish them last evening and by 8:30 I was more than happy to see the last board.  I took a shower, fixed a sandwich and was practically asleep at the kitchen table when he got home around 9:30. 

The guys left about 6:30 this morning to meet some buddies for breakfast and play golf at Old Kinderhook in Camdenton so I got to sit on the deck, read the paper, drink coffee and admire my work from yesterday!  As soon as they return, they get to start laying out the boards and screwing them onto the framing – yee haw!

Alex comes back for this second session of Camp Grandparents with us later today so we’re gearing up for another couple of full days………and then we leave for Des Moines for more family fun!

When we had lunch a few weeks ago there didn’t appear to be an open date for us until July.  I was leaving on a trip, Vickie was going to Memphis and then to DC, and then I was having company.  In fact I was thinking earlier today about how much I missed Robin and Vickie and then I got an email from Vickie saying she was having withdrawals from us!  A flurry of emails ensued and within an hour we all decided to meet for dinner tonight at Galloway Station – on the patio since they allow smoking inside!

I picked Robin up on my way and she announced that no matter what I had to discuss, tonight was all about her!  She needed our input on a very important matter so we were more than happy to oblige.  One thing about us – we can always muster an opinion!!!  We even went so far as to threaten to kick her butt or have her committed if she pursued one option – and of course she listened.

We did save a little time for publishable conversation so here it is:

• Robin was once again sporting her Farah Fawcett hair style – we reminded her it’s the one-year anniversary of her death.
• Vickie got home from a conference and had to tackle over 100 emails.
• City Council is doing a first reading on the smoking ban tonight.  Jim is against it as an invasion of civil rights.  Vickie has no opinion on the matter.  Robin and I think smoking should be banned in indoor public places.  I said it won’t pass City Council – they wimped on the issue 7 years ago and they will wimp again.  (NOTE:  At the meeting tonight, they pulled the ban proposal.  Seems they were trying to make all kinds of exceptions to the ban which is what got them to where they are now.  Jeez!  Wish I could vote but don’t live in the city limits.)
• Whenever something happens that seems to be a coincidence, Vickie says “It’s not odd, it’s God.”  Love that saying – and it’s so true.
• Vickie’s book club at work is reading “Small Giants” – about companies that chose to stay small and provide a better culture for their employees.
• Hannah saw a film of a live birth today in her summer school class.  She came home and announced she will go to Africa and adopt before she’ll give birth.  I say that film is good birth control for teens!
• Why do men (specifically, husbands) always think they need to “fix” things for us?  Sometimes we just want them to listen so we can vent – we don’t want them to solve everything.
• At the recent Gift of Time awards, one honoree tried to steal another winner to come to work for her.  Tacky!
• Delta Airlines is at the top of Vickie’s “fecal scroll”.  Last week coming home from DC she got to the airport 2 1/2 hours early and then found they had just changed her flights and she would have 16 minutes between planes in Memphis.  Of course she didn’t make it – the flight to Memphis was delayed in the air – and she had to spend the night at the Memphis Airport Radisson which was a huge step down from the Hyatt in DC where her convention-rate room was $250 a night.
• While in DC, Vickie ate at a restaurant where everything had chocolate in it.  Yum!
• Burl and I are going to volunteer to be guardians for an Ozarks Honor Flight to DC for the WWII veterans.
• My first official duty as Rotary Assistant Governor will be to install the officers at Sunrise Rotary on Wednesday night.  Vickie booked me to install her as president of her club next year.
• J. Parrino’s is closing on Wednesday – and Tuscan Grill has been sold to Gilardi’s.
• The president of the local Anheuser-Busch distributor bought my beer tonight – he knew I ordered a Bud Light Lime.  Thanks, Jeff.
• Hannah got her first kiss!  Her summer goal was to get 5 kisses – all from different guys.  1 down, 4 to go.
• Vickie chaperoned 40 kids on a mission trip to Memphis recently.  Even the expected troublemaker behaved and the kids excelled at doing service work. 
• Robin picked up Hannah at summer school last Friday – it was her first time in the car line at Kickapoo High School.
• Vickie learned the definition of a law firm at her recent conference – it’s a loose association of independent contractors.  Huh?
• I saw some friends on the way out of Galloway Station and got accused of being the Elvis of Springfield.  Since they are really Tammy’s friends I think she should get the Elvis credit.
• We would have kept talking longer but the smokers at the next table got to us – and we were outside!

That’s it for another rousing session of Women of Substance.  We’ll be back in a couple of weeks with more scintillating conversation to share – or not!

Today is the 44th birthday of my firstborn daughter, Tammy.  I could wax poetic for pages on how wonderful she is but thought I’d do something different – so here are 44 reasons she’s so wonderful – written in no particular order:

1. She taught me the true meaning of love when I first held her in my arms
2. Her wicked sense of humor
3. Steve
4. She’s the family Fashionista
5. She’s a very creative writer
6. Her blog – proof of how creative her writing is
7. She’s a loving and fun aunt to Julia and Lydia
8. Her right brain – blows my mind how artistic she is
9. She’s given me so many unforgettable reasons to wear my “Proud Mom” look
10. We both lived through her teen years!
11. Her loyalty to her friends
12. Her sister is her best friend – finally!
13. She loves cats – and tolerates Mulligan
14. Her shoe collection
15. Her determination and hard work to reach her goals
16. How much fun we can have together
17. She can tell me off when I need to be told off!
18. She knows how to forgive
19. She admits her mistakes
20. She’s smart
21. She loves to read
22. She has good common sense
23. Her grammar is impeccable
24. She thinks of others – even when it’s not really convenient
25. She is prompt with written “thank you” notes
26. She’s the Elvis of Springfield
27. She is gracious when mistaken for me
28. She’s awesome at puns
29. And Tom Swifties
30. She’s one damned fine metalsmith
31. She’s a walking encyclopedia on music, lyrics, songwriters, authors, TV shows, movies
32. She accepts personal responsibility
33. No way does she look like she’s 44
34. She can do anything she puts her mind to doing
35. She’s beautiful….
36. Inside and out!
37. Her sarcastic wit
38. She has a great singing voice
39. And plays the piano quite well too
40. She’s not shy about sharing her opinion on anything
41. She taught me the tricks to Trism
42. She has an excellent vocabulary
43. She’s a closet introvert – just like me
44. She’s Tammy – and I love her more than life and wish her the very best birthday ever!

So Happy Birthday Tammy.  I doubt that I see you today since you and Steve have plans but we’ll celebrate on Tuesday night when I fix your favorites – Mexican Villa tacos and strawberry pretzel salad. 

I love you very much.