LORIpalooza

Had a fabulous weekend. Ran 6.2 miles on Saturday morning (ok, I walked part of it, but I still averaged a 12-minute mile, so hooray for me), and then got to spend the day with the awesome Jen and the rest of the fam.

I spent Friday morning setting up for the Cancer Challenge silent auction, had lunch with Krista, a work party, then dinner with Kelly.

Last night I had dinner followed by fro-yo with Lori B. I have a couple of more celebrations to come--including a Tulsa trip with Krista this weekend--then it's back to days on end that don't revolve around me. Any more than they usually do, that is.

So now I'm 38 and, amazingly, I still feel the same as I did at 37. Except I need to pop a lot more Aleve. But that could be related to the beating my poor body took Saturday morning. LORIpalooza is over. Bring it on, July!

Rest of the weekend pics are here.

10K on my Birthday

It's time for the rubber to meet the road. In a mere 34 hours, I'll be running my first 10K.

If you'll recall, I couldn't even run a mile at Christmastime. And now, three races, one new pair of shoes and hundreds of miles later, I'm upping my game. On my birthday.

I'm not sure what possessed me to awaken at dawn on my natal anniversary. A saner person would sleep in on the rare year that her birthday falls on a Saturday. But not this chick. I've paid 25 bucks to sweat like a hog and punish myself on the hills of Washington County.

Don't get me wrong... I know I'm physically capable of this. But mentally? I'm not so sure.

Even my boss gave me Gatorade today and prayed for my safety and willpower. He knows it's only by the grace of God that I'll run the whole thing without CPR.

I wanted to peter out and register for the 5K instead, but I figure even if I have to walk a mile or two, it's time for me to suck it up and meet the next challenge.

After all, it's for a good cause. So when I want to give up, I'll think of my mom and all of the other people living with cancer and I'll try to keep running.

It didn't really register for me how very far I'll be running until my aunt Kathy said, "That would be like running from Hartford to Midland." Indeed it will be. Wowzers.

Give me strength. But at least I get to carb up with Kelly tomorrow night.

6.2 miles, you will be defeated.

The best things in life aren't free

Yes we can, indeed. And if you drank the Obama Kool-aid, there's no need to read further.

I openly acknowledge my high maintenance lifestyle. I consider pedicures and massages to be necessities in my monthly budget. I don't color my own hair or mow my own lawn. I insist on nice hotels, great meals, and fabulous handbags.

In other words, my life ain't cheap.

Luckily, I went to college and despite all the partying, managed to graduate and go on to earn a master's degree. My job is stressful and often it's more than 40 hours a week. But I don't mind because I'm fortunate to have a job I love, and because I am well compensated for thinking about work 24/7.

With a nice salary comes some nice perks, like a nice home and a dependable (albeit recalled) vehicle, cosmetics from a department store counter, and the opportunity to travel. See, I'm obsessed with weekend shopping trips and concerts and nice dinners. I find myself planning months full of weekends to Dallas and Kansas City. Right now I'm saving to buy my nephew a laptop for his high school graduation. I have 20th row tickets to see Bon Jovi in Tulsa next month. I'm headed to Temple twice in April, once for a race and once just because I miss Jen. I'm currently trying to talk Scott and Alisa into Dallas in May to see Jimmy Buffett, and I want to schedule girls' weekend with Sorne, Kelly and Amanda to see SATC2 Memorial Day weekend.

Ruth's Chris for dinner? That's just a Wednesday night for me and my pal Lori B. And in December, Krista and I will be happily ensconced in our Times Square hotel suite in NYC.

If you're going somewhere, I want to go. If a great band is playing, I want to see the concert. I like stuff. I like places. I love spending time with my friends.

But often, I find myself having to stop planning things. Not only do my weekends fill, but I run out of funds. And when you don't have money, you have to stop spending it.

Unless you're Congress. Then you can continue to spend money you don't have on people who don't need it.

See, when I use credit to pay for things, I have to pay it back with interest. Where's my blank check?

But you know what? If someone gave me a beautiful new red patent leather Louis Vuitton bag with the understanding that it was totally free to me, but someday my niece and nephews would have to pay for it, I'd say no. Because I believe in paying for my lifestyle, even if it means doing without.

You listening, Nancy Pelosi?

Let's make plans for July, when I might be solvent again!

You know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see the TV

Turns out my treadmill obsession has resulted in two casualties. But when you consider I've walked about 1,000 miles on that thing in the past year, I suppose it was bound to happen. Why can't all of my thigh dimples have been lost in the cause?

Last night, during a bout of insomnia around 2 a.m., my bedroom television went bonkers. Thankfully by unplugging my TV and the cable box, I was able to reset the hard drive this afternoon and it resumed its usual clarity. For now. Knock on wood. I actually had heart palpitations when the picture went awry. Because if I can't watch Clinton and Stacy mock bad clothing choices whilst exercising like a hamster on a wheel, I surely will avoid exercise even more than I usually do.

I did, however, replace my running shoes today. (Which I use for walking. Shut up.) I figure those shoes are one of the few things in the entirety of my life that I've actually gotten my (or someone else's) money's worth out of. They still look good due to excessive indoor exposure, but the arches have broken down a bit and they're making my feet hurt. But I don't want to take any chances, so I'll be getting a pedicure tomorrow, just in case.

The one thing I avoid more than working out these days? Working. Number of hours I should have worked when I got home tonight = >2. Number of hours I actually worked when I got home tonight = 0. I did, however, leave the office after 6 p.m. But I also came in late, went shopping at lunch, and got a massage.

Tomorrow's the second Board meeting in less than a month and I'm not sure how to say anything different than I said three weeks ago. But since most of them were asleep during that riveting presentation, I suppose I could just regurgitate old info. And since I didn't get my PowerPoint or video done tonight, I guess it's an early morning.

But the good news is it's football season, the weather is gorgeous, and I'm in a happy mood. Plus, I'm super excited that my BFF Alisa will be in Rogers for three days next week and we are hitting the town for food and frivolity. And I (hopefully) get to stay with Kelly.

Life is awesome.

The ex files

Evidently I missed the memo. Someone obviously invited all the men who make me uncomfortable to descend upon my life this week.

Last weekend I ran into a college dalliance at the game. It's been nearly seven years since I laid eyes on this dude and suddenly there he was, calling my name. Chatting. The last time we saw each other it was really awkward. This time? Not so much. What was so weird is that it wasn't at all weird. I gave him a hug, asked him what was going on in his life, and moved along less worried about running into him again.

Tonight I hit an event after work with Kelly and ran into LB. Believe it or not, this is the first time ever I've randomly seen him. And yeah, there was a moment of panic, followed by resolution and retribution. He came over to chat. I gave him a hug, asked him what was going on in his life, and told him it was good to see him. And I meant it. But what was so good about it was the realization that so much of his perfection was in my head. Yeah, he's still a good guy. But he's not the guy for me.(Has he always been that corny?)

God is so amazing sometimes. I know without a doubt that if I'd had that encounter even a week ago, I wouldn't have been ready for it. But tonight I was able to be gracious. Friendly even. But not flirty. Just ready to move on.

This weekend? At least two more ex encounters. If we keep this up, I might unload all my neuroses by Monday.

Lookin' good

I'm happy to report that Hope survived her first day of Kindergarten and, more importantly, so did Mrs. Howard. I didn't learn much about her academic endeavors, but she happily described recess, her new friends, and what she wore. She is so much like her sister (and a little bit like her aunt).

It's been a great week of work. Tonight I joined Kelly for yoga at the gym (my goal is to look like her, but I don't think it's happening), and now we're hanging out at her place. I can't wait to move to Rogers and be her neighbor. I can see my office from my bedroom window here.

Tomorrow after work I'm headed to Tulsa to hang out with Joe and the Tullgrens all weekend. We've got major plans of lounging by the pool and taking naps.

It's a beautiful night... the weather is crisp, and football's on TV. All is well in my world. (And yeah, I met LB one year ago today, but who's counting? Enough!)

Forgiveness... even if you don't love me anymore

The past few days have run the gamut of emotion. So much sadness, yet joy in knowing how many people truly care. It's in times like this that I am humbled by who God is. I am overwhelmed by His grace and His mercy, and His character of compassion shown by so many of His children. I am unequivocally blessed.

After several days of lethargy, I finally trekked over to Rogers yesterday for a much-needed massage and dinner with my good friend Kelly. It's weird sometimes to think back to how people come into our lives. I know Kelly because of my good pal and former roommate Sorne, but I know without a doubt that God gave me Kelly because she is my Barnabus... my encouragement and someone I can always depend on.

Today I went to a birthday party for a friend, then met Kelly and one of her friends for church. Tonight was communion and really an awesome service. I usually go on Sunday mornings, but have no doubt I was meant to be there this evening. (For more about that, visit the other blog.)

Earlier in the week I got a sympathy card from someone whom I've wronged, and it humbled me. It also made me start thinking about forgiveness. It takes so much energy to be angry. So I realized that sometimes forgiveness isn't about the forgiven so much as it's about the forgiver. It's easy to forgive someone who deserves it, but much more difficult and character-building to forgive someone who does not.

But if we really want to be more like Christ, isn't that what we should do? He forgave Judas. Not because of anything Judas had done, but because of who He is. I don't earn His forgiveness for my sin, either, but He gives it freely because that's God.

So I've decided to stop being mad. And yeah, LB doesn't deserve my forgiveness. He was a jerk. He hasn't been a good friend to me when I needed him most. But if I'm ever going to put some feet to this faith, I've got to live it when it's hard.

Olive branch extended. Dinner tomorrow. Much prayer needed.

Weekend update

First of all, Happy belated Mother's Day to all of the special women in my life. Yesterday was a sad day for me because I've really, really been missing my Mom lately. Mostly when I need to vent. Or when I need someone to tell me I'm really special, even if I don't feel special. So yesterday I was bummed because I miss Mom, but I was also grateful for all of the outstanding women God's given me to pick up the slack. My grandmother, who tells me to take care of myself (and makes me crazy). My aunt Kathy, who tells me what to do, but only when I ask. My surrogate Mom Estella, who teaches me how to cook and gives me work advice. Even friends like Sorne, Kelly, Alisa and Shauna, who are loyal to me, even when I'm a jerk. I am supremely blessed!

LB and I haven't kissed, but we did make up. We're making our way back to being really good friends and figuring out what that means for us. He's really an amazing, wonderful person and I'm lucky to have him in my life in any capacity. I mean that. (Of course, that doesn't mean I'm ready to go to his wedding, but I'll get there.) If nothing else, this past week has proven to me how much I mean to him, which is flattering.

Work continues to be a big struggle, but I'm trying to learn my lessons. I've made a lot of mistakes these past few months and some of the things I've had to do haven't been easy. But sometimes you have to speak out, even if it's hard. Sometimes you have to be silent, even when you don't want to be. And sometimes you have to take the blame for things that aren't your fault. I suppose that's part of being an adult.

Ugh. I can't believe it's Monday. Long week ahead! And five days of more rain is really gonna suck.

My bowl runneth over

Next week is spring break which generally means nothing to those of us on college campuses who are not on faculty, but they've decided to bury the phone, internet and electrical lines that lead to our office next week, which means several days with no computer network or phones. But thankfully, due to the miracle of technology, I can work from home. Yes, I will still have to get up early, but at least I won't have to shower or change out of my PJs.

It could just be a coincidence, but they have already started digging trenches to our office, and yesterday we had a little flood. It started in my bathroom right after I left for a doctor's appointment, and continued for more than two hours before anyone discovered it. So the poor night crew had to clear out my shelves, my storage closet, and anything else near the floor to clean up the mess. Gross.

Tomorrow I have to be in Rogers at 6 a.m. for a breakfast, but thankfully my sweet friend Kelly is allowing me to crash at her house for the second Thursday evening in a row. Now I'll just have to get up at 5 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. The good news is that I'm taking some time off tomorrow afternoon to prepare for the big birthday surprise party extravaganza tomorrow night. What kind of person starts a party at 9 p.m.?

Probably a better kind of person than the kind who tells the guest of honor about said event. Oops! He's promised to act surprised. (In my defense, he wasn't buying the story and wasn't going to dinner at all. I'm not that big of a jerk. Plus, I didn't want him to believe the hype that this hoopla is of my doing. Laid-back dinner = my idea. Party for 25 people he barely knows = not my idea.)

Not to get philosophical, but I've been thinking a lot today about my friend/crush, the birthday boy. My morning quiet time was about Romans 8:28, which I know was not a coincidence. I'm trying to be open to God's plan in all of this. Then, this afternoon, my pal Estella sent me an email that said, "God doesn't give you the people you want, He gives you the people you NEED - To help you, to hurt you, to leave you, to love you and to make you into the person you were meant to be."

I've heard that silversmiths can tell when a piece of metal is ready when they can see their reflection in it. I'm far from a great reflection of Christ, but hopefully I'm open to the polishing.

Springing forward

I don't know about you guys, but I am NOT happy about this spring forward business. Granted, I know I'll love it once I get used to it. I do dig it being light outside until 8 o'clock. But I hate it being dark when I wake up an hour earlier than usual.

Today was filled with doing reports, going to meetings, and playing catch up. The best part was that my pal Kelly came through Siloam, so I got to see her for a few minutes for coffee and to visit (Hi, Kel... sorry about all the boy talk!).

Where's the Ben Gay?

I am an old, old woman. Jen and I agreed to run a 5K together in Texas in April, so I've started training. I'm sure Jen has been running 20 miles a day while doing surgery and making a gourmet meal, but it's killing me. And I'm only doing about a mile a day. At less than 4 mph. At this rate, I should finish the 3 miles in about 12 hours.

The bad news is that, other than the joint pain, I can't stop eating. I ran out of Weight Watcher points about two hours ago, and I'm still munching on whatever I can find. Luckily my house is absent of anything really bad for me, and it hurts to get out of bed, so a trip to the kitchen is out of the question.

This weekend was pretty restful, although I did go to dinner with Amanda and Kelly and to see "Bride Wars" on Friday night. Great movie! Sunday was Mason's birthday, so I met the fam in Rogers on Saturday for pizza and gifts, then we went to the Razorback game. Obviously I'm bad luck. I haven't been to a game in over a decade and the first one I walk into they lose big time.

So I guess I'll just lie here in bed and ache.

Under pressure

Well I suppose today was a bit better than yesterday considering nobody tried to put any body part in a vice, but it was still filled with a lot of pressure. The metaphoric kind, not the literal kind.

So I had a stinky morning and came home for lunch to feel sorry for myself. It was tough considering I'm on day two of my 48-hour fruit fast, but alas, I did not succumb to chocolate. I did, however, succumb to a long talk with God, during which He told me to get over myself. (That's just how God rolls, I'm convinced. I don't think He always talks to us in KJV lingo.)

My afternoon was much better. Less talking, more action. But also more meetings.

Tonight I'm doing laundry, ironing and packing to hit the road again. I'm relying on the hospitality of friends for the next four nights. Tomorrow I have LBC, then speaking at a board meeting, then back to LBC in the afternoon. Tomorrow night I'm driving to the Fort for a Chamber dinner with Ashley. I'll be crashing at Vance and Sorne's.

On Friday I'm driving to the Rock to have lunch with Ann, then Brent and I are going to Cold Stone to celebrate his natal anniversary. That night Joe's meeting Estella and I for dinner, and we'll be getting up early on Saturday to walk in the Race for the Cure in Little Rock. I've always wanted to do the Race and never have. I hear it's indescribable and I'm very excited.

Saturday afternoon/night I'll be driving to Nebo to stay with Scott and Alisa. On Sunday afternoon my ol' Tech friends are coming up for gumbo and good times. Then, late Sunday evening, I'll be driving to Rogers to stay with Kelly so that I can be at a 7 a.m. meeting on Monday.

Good grief. When did my life become so crazy? But I love it. And I'm grateful to have good friends (with spare bedrooms) to share it all with.

Friday preview

Wow. I just realized I haven't updated you all on the exciting happenings of my life.

There is much to say but little to share, so for now, please review what I've learned this week:
1. There are many, many people in the world who are less fortunate than me. Many of them live nearby.
2. It is 36 miles from Siloam Springs to Rogers. The distance increases exponentially when you've driven it five times in six days.
3. No matter how old they get, boys are still really, really hard to figure out. Anyone have a manual I can borrow?
4. Most people talk a lot and say very little worth remembering (i.e., this post).
5. Exercise may get easier in time, but it never gets enjoyable.
6. Sometimes life gives you lemons. Sometimes life gives lemons to your friends. And a lot of times life just isn't fair.
7. Girls who love football are destined to date men who don't. What a waste.
8. Chick-fil-A never gets old.

Guess that's all my wisdom for now. I'm off to Rogers (again) to have dinner with Kelly and Amanda to celebrate Kel's birthday. It was yesterday, but given all the sadness of 9/11, we picked today to party.

Lions, tigers and camels, OH MY!

It's been a busy couple of days. Last night Amanda, Kelly and I went to dinner at PF Chang's and to see "Mamma Mia." It was corny and I loved it.

This afternoon we saw "The Dark Knight" then went to Gentry to the Wild Wilderness Safari. It was a bit scary when an ostrich charged the car. I took lots of pics that I'll post tomorrow. In the meantime, feel free to read Amanda's account of the zoo trip.

Buon compleanno, Amanda!

This afternoon, after work, Kelly and I trekked over to Tulsa to meet Amanda and her friend Sarah for dinner to celebrate Nanner's birthday. We ate at Macaroni Grill (which I love) and I had the pasta milano (which I love more) and for dessert, the cute waiter brought out some chocolate cake and sang "Happy Birthday" in Italian. Così romantico!

I want to go to Italy and find a cute boy to sing to me. Even when it's not my birthday.

Happy birthday to me

I am in official birthday countdown mode (it's a mere five hours for those of you who still need to overnight my presents).

I love any day when others realize that the world revolves around me. All kidding aside, I don't need presents. I just demand that everyone acknowledge my natal anniversary. I've already gotten five birthday cards (thank you Granny, Memaw Kat, Estella, Paige and Kelly), and that makes me so happy.

Tomorrow three guys from work are taking me to lunch. Granted, I dropped hints for about a week to get a lunch invite, but still... there will be frivolity and hopefully some singing. Then Dad and Vickie are meeting me in Fayetteville for dinner. This weekend I'm headed up to Mount Nebo to spend a couple of nights with Scott and Alisa, so I'm managing to stretch this birthday into several days.

Only 366 more days 'til the next one.

The other half

I come from modest beginnings. I grew up in a town of 700 people. My childhood was filled with love and friends, but eating out usually consisted of KFC (known back then as the politically-incorrect Kentucky Fried Chicken) on Sundays and Western Sizzlin on special occasions. We stayed in motels where you could park outside your door and enjoy a vibrating bed if you had enough quarters.

I'm lucky enough now to have a job that requires a lot of time in nice restaurants and moderately nice hotels. But this weekend proved to me, once again, that I was meant to be treated well.

Kelly and I arrived in Tulsa around 7 Friday night and were given the key to our room on the gold-status floor (Kelly travels a lot with her job)... a floor that you had to insert your room key in the elevator to gain access to. Our room had a sweeping view of one of Tulsa's nicest neighborhoods. Our beds were plush. Our morning meal was served in an exclusive lounge on our exclusive floor, where a nice lady brought me juice when I was thirsty and kleenex when I sneezed. I could definitely get used to being pampered.

After Sorne and Amanda joined us at the hotel Friday night, we drove to Cheesecake Factory for dinner, where I enjoyed a delicious ahi tuna salad, followed by decadent lemon raspberry cheesecake. And, since we were celebrating Sorne's birthday, our waitress was nice enough to bring her dessert (apple crisp) to the table with a special message and a song.



Sorne and me



Amanda and Kelly



After dinner we headed to the theatre, where we stood in line with hundreds of other women, many of them overdressed in really tacky clothes, to see the 10:30 p.m. showing of "Sex and the City." I must say, as a huge fan of the TV show, I was not at all disappointed. It was 160 minutes that I didn't want to end. I know the reviews have been mixed, but I thought it was fabulous. And Sorne, who's never seen a single episode, loved it, too.

So we got back to the hotel around 2 a.m., when Amanda stopped at the front desk to ask for her doubletree chocolate chip cookie. We rehashed the movie and Kelly's love life until around 3, when we finally all went to sleep.

After breakfast and showers, we all headed to the mall for some serious shopping (and a 10-minute massage for Kelly and me), after which we ate a late lunch at Macaroni Grill. It was my favorite meal of pasta and heavy cream, and given that I'd eaten raw veggies and fruit all week, I paid for it all the way home and all night last night. There weren't enough Tums in the world.

I was in bed around 8 last night, and after waking up with a stomachache at 2 a.m. and a hail storm at 5 a.m., I finally crawled out of bed at 8 this morning and got ready for church. I took a 2-hour nap this afternoon, then went to the theatre here in town by myself (something I've never done) to watch a movie twice in 48 hours (another thing I've never done).

What a great weekend! I feel really lucky to have such great friends. Friends who appreciate fine dining, good entertainment, great shopping, and fantastic conversation.

Happy birthday, Sorne!

Thursday update

Those of you who were worried about me (Dad, Kelly) will be glad to know that I ate real food today. I had fruit for breakfast, but salmon and bread for lunch (yum) and an Arby's roast beef sandwich for dinner. But still no Diet Coke. Hooray! And the detox resulted in an 8-pound weight loss overall. Not too shabby.

I left my house at 7:30 a.m. and drove to Little Rock for lunch and three job interviews, then I drove back home. And now I'm tired. The bone-weary kind of tired. Poor Lola got a $53 fill-up and 420 miles on her today.

Tomorrow's another vacay day, although I do have to do a lunch interview and have a meeting with my boss. But other than that, no work. Really. Well, probably. And then Kelly and I are off to T-town to meet Sorne and Amanda. I am so excited! I'm really craving Cheesecake Factory, so that's my dinner vote. And then it's the premiere of SATC at 10:30. I hope I'm still awake by then. I'll probably have to take a disco nap tomorrow afternoon.

Much ado about nothing

Boy, I've really been neglecting the ol' blog. I'm not quite sure why I never make the time to update this thing anymore, except that my life is really dull and there's not much to say.

I am excited about the three-day weekend, although I was under the weather yesterday, so I played hooky from a wedding I was supposed to attend. I have enjoyed multiple does of Nyquil, three naps, eight romantic comedies, five episodes of "Friends" and two magazines in the past 48 hours. This afternoon I started feeling better, so I managed to complete some tasks I've been avoiding, like polishing my silver and taking stuff up in the attic. I also cleaned my bathroom (ick) and washed my sheets and rugs.

See... told you my life was dull. But at least I've been a little productive. Hopefully tomorrow I can finish cleaning the casa and get some more rest. Only three days of work, then it's another three-day weekend. Woo-hoo! Amanda, Sorne, Kelly and I are headed to Tulsa on Friday to catch the SATC premiere and dinner and celebrate Sorne's birthday.

Guten tag!

Life continues to be a series of good news/bad news and good days/bad days or, as Paula Abdul would say, "all the many shades of all my favorite colors" (would someone please check her medicine cabinet?). But I digress.

My weekends have been lifesavers these past few weeks because they not only allow me to catch up on my sleep, but to be lazy and watch TV and not have to think. Or stress. I'm so happy that I had a week off between jobs to get my house settled, because quite frankly, I've done next to nothing to it since. My project for today is to get my office set up so that I will only have one messy and disorganized room left in my house.

I left work an hour early on Friday because, frankly, it all became too much and I wanted to run away and hide under the covers. I know we all have days like that, but I generally figure out a way to make that happen.

Back to the good news... turns out '08 may be the "Year of Lori" after all. This looks to be the year that I cross yet another thing off my life list. It's all very unscheduled and not at all a done deal, but it appears that I have a need to obtain a passport before the end of the year. I do so love to travel and I've never been outside of the U.S., so the possibility is thrilling. Now I need to learn some conversational German. I'll keep ya posted.

Last night I went over to "The Corridor" to shop at Target and meet my friends Kelly and Amanda for dinner and a movie. Our waiter at Carrabba's was a total tool (he mocked us because we didn't know Italian... I'm sure lots of folks in Rogers do), but the food was pretty tasty. I managed to not completely ruin the diet with my entree, but the three or four or eight pieces of bread weren't so healthy.

And you know how I love me a romantic comedy, and we saw one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, Definitely, Maybe. The critics hated it, but I thought it was wonderful. Even better than 27 Dresses.

I got into bed at 2 a.m. Now I need a nap.

This should be a very short week since I'm only in the office for three days, then I'm on the road for a week. But I found a cool hotel in Eureka Springs with a big bed and no Internet. I bought two books last night at Target so that I can simply relax and read while I'm there. Then I'm off to Mountain Home to hang out with Chris and Estella, where I will get a massage and have gourmet cooking lessons.

All things considered, I have a pretty good life.

P.S. Congrats to my wonderful nephew, Taylor, and his Hackett Hornets, who won their 28th game in a row on their way to a regional basketball tournament victory. On to state!