July 28, 2011 All That Hard Work....

is still paying off!

Remember all the meals I cooked for CB and Luke while I was in Colorado?

They didn't eat all that I made, so the freezer is still full.

That's important because Luke and I are headed to Liberal for the weekend.

CB will not go hungry.

Not even a little bit!

Note to self: next time I buy a deep freeze I will buy one that is frostless and that is upright. Standing on my head to see what's in the bottom of this damn thing is no fun. Oh, it's funny but no fun. If you get my drift.

The next 2 entries will be from the great southwest. You should be breathless with anticipation.

Breathless.

July 27, 2011 Paul Mintner Returns!

What a great day. Paul and I planned to have lunch together and Luke joined us.

I don't remember what Luke had said that made Paul laugh so big, but they cracked me up.

Paul borrowed our pickup to move to a new apartment. (Note: this evening he called to ask me if he could keep the truck another day because....wait for it.....it was RAINING!! and he couldn't get everything moved!)

Do you think the Powercat on Paul's shirt is big enough? If there were an award for Mr. K State, Paul Mintner would win, hands down.

When I am Queen of the World, I shall make Paul Mintner Mr. K State.

Luke? Why, Luke will be Prince of the World. He won't have time to be Mr. K State.

July 26, 2011 CB Goes Shopping

CB has a funeral to attend on Thursday. He needed a new dress shirt. So says his wife.

We went to Manhattan and got lots and lots of shirts.

CB got dress shirts, work shirts, golf shirts.

More and more shirts.

Shirts that were, fortunately, on sale.

He was such a good sport. He tried on every shirt. He let the saleswoman and I tell him what to do. (That was my favorite part.)

Then, CB paid for everything! (No, that was my favorite part.)

Then, we went for ice cream. CB paid.

THAT was my favorite part.

July 25, 2011 Mr. Science is at it Again!

This is what I came home to:

Pan of water boiling.

Beer bottle with a bit of water hanging by bailing wire in the boiling water. (Bailing wire? Seriously? Where does he come up with this stuff?)

Red Happy Birthday balloon on the beer bottle.

Luke's thought was that the boiling water (external water) would heat up the water in the bottle (internal water) up to boiling and the boiling water would blow up the balloon. Did you know that water boiling is actually a cooling process?

Or something.

He got the balloon to do this.

But, then he slapped his forehead and said "Blah. Blah. Pressure. Blah. Blah. Environment. Blah. Blah. Internal water won't boil so balloon won't inflate."

He was quite pleased with himself.

I did the dishes.

And thanked god I never, ever have to take a physics class.

Ever.

July 24, 2011 Mr. Science Lives at MY House

Luke is learning physics.

Luke brings physics home.

Luke likes to do experiments.

In my kitchen.


He heated up the can on the stove until it was really, really hot.

Then he took the really, really hot can (and I'm talkin' smokin' hot), flipped it over and put it into a pan of water.

Immediately, the can crushed itself.

This has something to do with atmospheric pressure and a vacuum.

All I know is that it was a cool experiment. It made me laugh and CB stand far away, all the while saying "I can see from here"!

July 23, 2011 Date Day with CB

Since I have been gone, CB and I decided to go to Topeka for lunch and a movie this afternoon. It was also because there was a golf tournament and CB couldn't play today!

A year ago, I had read an article in the Topeka Capital about a new state park that has walking trails and a ramp into the Kansas River.

After some searching, we found the park (Kaw River State Park).

It will be really pretty in the fall when the leaves are turning.

It will be really pretty in the winter when the snow is falling.

It will be really pretty any time other than when the temperature is 107 degrees.

Like today.

July 22, 2011 Headed Home!

Here is where I stayed in Boulder. My room was the one right above the first "N" - with the curtains open. It was a great hotel and I recommend it to anyone traveling through Boulder.

Before I left Boulder, I did some shopping on Pearle Street. As you can see, Pearle Street is pedestrian traffic only. On both sides of the "street" are wonderful mix of eclectic shops and restaurants/bars.



I helped the economy single handedly!

One of the stores specialized in goods from Britain. In the back, where the food was kept, were these cans of spotted dick. Proof that it does exist.

I headed for Kansas around 1:00 or so.

And drove.

And drove.

And drove.

Then I saw this sign:

And knew that I was not even half way home yet.

Then I saw this sign:
And knew that I was just about there.

Just. About. There.

During the trip home, I stopped one time (had to get gas, or I wouldn't have stopped at all), set the cruise control at 85, plugged in my iPod and got down the road.

There are benefits to travelling alone!

July 21,2011 Beautiful Day

Here are some pictures from my walk along Boulder Creek to the Pearle Street Mall. The creek was less a creek and more a river. There were places where it was out of its bank and other places where the water was nearly up to the pathway.

The courthouse lawn is adjacent to the Pearle Street mall so people who are tired of walking can just relax on the grass.

The mountains above Boulder are called the flat irons. They are quite dramatic.

The hotel has beautiful flowers throughout the grounds. It has a big area called the gardens which has grass like green velvet and planters filled with colorful flowers. There are also tables and chairs where you can relax with a picnic or a drink. Not to mention the 2 pools, a hot tub, and a big fountain and pond. And a million tennis courts. One. Million.

The conference has been really good.

Although spending 3 days in a room filled with lawyers is very nearly a fate worse than death. I'm just sayin'.

July 20, 2011 London's On My Mind

After a long day of sitting in meetings (which were wonderful, by the way), Curt and I went to the Pearle Street Mall for dinner.

While we were strolling along, I saw this sign post and it made me smile.

So, my friends in London, we are, right this moment, only four thousand six hundred and eighty six miles apart.

That's nothing!

Except a lot of frequent flyer miles.

July 19, 2011 Today I Had Adventures

Saw this pizza box in the trash this morning in Manitou. Who knew Manhattan and Manitou had so much in common?

So, I headed to Boulder the back way. Taking I-25 straight north would have been too easy and would have made me crazy driving through Denver. My driving experiences in Kansas City have taught me that big city driving is not my favorite thing to do. I'm on vacation, so I don't want to do anything un-fun.

On the way north from Woodland, there was evidence of a forest fire and it reminded me of a moonscape. It looked so bare.

There I was driving along, minding my own business, admiring the scenery and loving the sound of the creek I seemed to be following. The sun was shining and it was a good day. A very good day.

But then it happened. I saw a sign that struck fear deep inside me.

The sign said "Pavement Ends". PAVEMENT ENDS? Are you frickin' kidding me? Seriously? In the middle of absolutely NOWHERE, the pavement ends? Whose bright idea is this?

According to the map the pavement doesn't end. It keeps going. All the way to the town where I was headed.

The sign trumped the map. The pavement did indeed end. I had no choice but to keep churning along. The no longer paved pavement turned into a dirt road that was wet, like driving on a washboard and nearly straight up. Straight. Up. My heart was pounding and I was not having much fun. Driving through Denver sounded pretty good.

Three miles later, we had pavement!

I met my friend, Curt, for lunch when I arrived outside of Denver. We picked up where we left off about 20 years ago. Great friends can do that.

Then I headed to Boulder. I did NOT take the Denver-Boulder turnpike either. Oh no. Not me. I took the Peak to Peak scenic byway. It was amazing. The mountains were beautiful. I rolled my window down and listened to the water rushing by. It was a wonderful trip.

The day ended with the welcome reception where I met a number of wonderful student legal services attorneys. They are a great group and I'm looking forward to the next few days.

I may have to hunt for a daily picture....but I'll get one. Everyday. I promise!

July 18, 2011 It's A Good Day

I went shopping in Old Colorado City this morning. Old Colorado City is 3 blocks of eclectic shops, restaurants and pubs. I got there at 10:00 which is when everything opened so there weren't tons of people there yet.

When it was time for lunch, I went to a BBQ joint that had been recommended to me. Even though I am on vacation, I ordered a salad and since there are those who would not believe me, here's a picture. Not shown: the gigantic brisket sandwich I had as well.

After lunch, I was fortified enough to shop in Manitou. I walked past many shops, some old (i.e. there when I was a kid) and some new. One of the old shops was Patsy's. It has salt water taffy and the best popcorn anywhere.

Outside of Patsy's is an arcade which I remember as a child and I took Luke there when he was a little guy.

This rock was climbed on by both Luke and I. And, no, I did not climb on it today. My hands were full of packages. That's why.
The Skeeball place has been here forever. As a kid, I was kind of afraid of the Skeeball place. Who knows why.

Here's the stream that goes through Manitou.
Elements that made today a good day:

Shopping

BBQ

Popcorn

Nap

July 17, 2011 Can't Go Back

I left Dodge City this morning for the mountains. When I was a kid, my family vacationed in Green Mountain Falls every summer - during the first 2 weeks of August. Every year. Without exception. I never gave it much thought until now. Yesterday it was 110 degrees in Dodge. The forecast for the next week is the same. Everyday in double digits and no relief in sight. No rain in the forecast and I overheard a man say that they haven't had any measurable precipitation in 5 months. My dad wanted to get the hell out of the heat. That's why we vacationed in August!

However, the trip from Dodge to Colorado Springs is not an easy one. Especially alone. Fortunately, I discovered I could plug my iPod into my phone jack which meant that I did not have to listen to country western music or jesus nuts on the radio. Or static - which was more likely.

I want to share my trip with you, so here's what you need to do. Look at each picture for 2.75 hours. Do not get up and walk around. Do not stretch your legs. Do not have any contact with any other human being - except the weird man at the gas station in Eads. Do not go to the bathroom unless you are close to the gas station in Eads then you can take a break and go there.

Start now:

Keep watching:
Don't stop now:
(Those are NOT mountains in the distance and yes, I am the only car on this highway. For 70 miles.)

But then it happened. All my hard work paid off:
I can see the mountains. I CAN SEE THE MOUNTAINS! The first thought in my mind was that I couldn't believe that Kansas gave this up.

I couldn't check into my hotel room yet, so I drove to Green Mountain and Woodland Park.
It's true. You can't go back. Woodland is big with lots of traffic and a ginormous Walmart store (I HATE WALMART) and a Walgreens. Traffic was crazy; buses, vans, motorcycles, SUVs all driving like they owned the road. It is not the town I remember from my youth.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that my youth was a long, long, long time ago. But, damn.

Green Mountain is nothing like it used to be. Grandma and Grandpa's cabin - where I went every summer since the year I was born doesn't even look like the same place.

I'm a crier from way back, but I must admit that I didn't even get a lump in my throat while driving around GMF. It is not the same place. I no longer have the desire to bring CB to Green Mountain to show him where I vacationed as a kid. It's nothing to write home about.

So, during the past several days I've returned to my hometown and to the place I vacationed until I graduated from high school. I was disappointed by both. I will choose to remember those towns as they used to be instead of as they are now.

Bright spot of the day? There were 2. First I watched a little girl play in the stream in GMF with her grandparents which made me smile and reflect on all the hours I spent in that stream. (although there is less water - it's only about half as wide)

Second, there is an outdoor pool and hot tub at my hotel which no one seems to know about except me!

July 16, 2011 Dateline: Dodge City, Kansas

I'm in Dodge City for the funeral of my very favorite teacher. After the funeral, I did a bit of a wander around.

Although I had been at the cemetery for Mrs. Dunn's burial, I went back to put some flowers at the graves of Dad and Hid.

While I was there having a bit of a chat, the wind blowing (imagine that. The wind blowing in Dodge City),  and I thought back to the day in January when we had the burial service for some of Dad's ashes. It was cold and the wind was howling on that day too.

Today was a bit warmer.

That's right boys and girls. ONE HUNDRED AND TEN DEGREES. IN THE SHADE.
You can't tell from this picture, but the highway goes on forever. For. Ever. And. Ever. To. Nowhere.

Dodge City is not the end of the world. But you can see it from here.

July 15, 2011 The One with the Photo

How did I get these two pictures side by side? I don't know and I don't to try to figure it out. Operator error, I'm afraid.

Okay, so anyway here are 2 pictures that didn't get posted yesterday. Luke being Luke. he'll kill me for putting this on my blog, but that's a chance I'm willing to take. Could be worse. I had a camera the whole time he was growing up. The. Whole. Time.





The other picture, I'm embarrassed to say, is of maps of Kansas and Colorado. I've only been to Colorado 10,000 times, but I thought I should get out the maps and make sure I knew where I was going.

The names of the towns were familiar and the route quickly returned to me. But, I'm still going to have the maps close by. I think when I get to Eads, Colorado, I'll have it made, but you never know. I could end up in Tucson.

July 15, 2011 Overzealous Packing

I am ready to be gone for a week. Three hotels, 3 cities, a gazillion miles in the car.

Spent today packing and wrapping up cooking and freezing meals for CB and Luke for next week.

Got so excited packing that I packed the cord that runs from my camera to my computer.

I am not about to dig through my suitcase to find it in order to post a picture today.

My resolution was to TAKE a picture each day. I took the damn picture. I just can't put it on my blog until tomorrow.

My trip is going to be awesome. You will be speechless when you read about all the things I am doing. Most of the stuff I'll be doing alone, which is new for me.

Check back on this entry because tomorrow there will be a photo and I'm sure I'll write something very clever.

Don't I always?

July 14, 2011 I've Been Busy!

The worst thing about going on a trip is getting ready for the trip.

Initially, I planned to leave on Sunday morning for Colorado. I'm attending a conference in Boulder that starts on Tuesday and for the few days prior to that I'm going to hang out around Green Mountain Falls.

However, I am headed to Dodge early on Saturday morning to attend Mrs. Dunn's funeral. After that, I'll head west and see where I end up. Sunday will find me in Manitou Springs.

Anyway, because CB is working such crazy hours...he's been getting home every night this week between 9 and 9:30...I decided that I better get some meals in the freezer.

Every night this week I've been cooking and freezing. It's been like a diner around here! Lasagna, hamburger casserole, goulash, enchiladas and smothered steak are all in the freezer.

I made an instruction sheet for each day so Luke can take the appropriate meal out of the freezer. By the time CB gets home, it will be thawed and ready to pop in the microwave.

Doing all this work has guaranteed one thing: as I am sitting in the mountains, enjoying the cool mountain air, I will not spend even one moment wondering if the boys are fed. Nor will I spend one moment feeling guilty about being on vacation without them.

For a change, this woman's work is done!

July 13, 2011 My Heart is Heavy

I've had a lot of teachers in my life. When a person spends 20 years in school (grade school, high school, college and law school), they can't help but have a whole lot of teachers. Growing up in Dodge City, I was blessed with some really, really good teachers. Fort Hays State University provided some great professors. And Washburn Law School? Those teachers toughened me up for every judge I've ever appeared in front of.

But there's one teacher, Mrs. Dunn, who rises above all of them. She was the best. She exemplified every single quality that a teacher should have, like patience, kindness, discipline, sternness and creativity. Also, she was beautiful. I can still picture her smile, her eyes and her Christmas ball earrings. That woman was ahead of her time as far as fashion went!

She and her husband went to Hawaii (in 1964!) and brought back little packages of macadamia nuts. I made a promise that I would go to Hawaii someday, too. (I did, but had to settle for large jars of macadamia nuts!)

There are three things about Mrs. Dunn that I'll never forget and I shared these with her when she retired.

First, she taught me that change is good. One day I arrived at Central School to my second grade classroom (in 1964 - I am not kidding. I'm that old.) thinking that this would be a regular school day, little did I know that Mrs. Dunn had big plans for our classroom. She moved her desk to the back of the room. THE BACK OF THE ROOM. I could not believe it. The teacher's desk belonged at the front of the room. Everyone knew that. Even the desk in my pretend classroom at home was at the front of the room. I wasn't sure about this big change. But, you know what? It worked. By 3:30, it was as if that desk had always been at the back of the classroom. Change is good.

Second, she taught me that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence. While I consider myself a quiet, unassuming, by the book kind of person, apparently there was a time, in the 2nd grade, when I asserted myself. Imagine that. When it was story time, the boys "got" to sit on the floor and the girls "got" to sit in chairs while Mrs. Dunn read to us. How was that fair? Shouldn't the girls get to sit on the floor just like the boys? (Keep in mind this was during the time when girls wore dresses to school. Not jeans. Not slacks. Not shorts. Dresses. Skirts. Jumpers.) I raised the point with Mrs. Dunn who agreed. So on that day, the girls got to sit on the floor. I'm here to tell you that the floor was cold and hard and uncomfortable. The chairs were much nicer. I try to remember that experience when I am jealous of what someone else has.

Third, Mrs. Dunn taught me that no task is too big. Even when it is. For the Christmas program, in 1964, Mrs. Dunn's second graders memorized the Christmas story from the Book of Luke, in the Bible.

Memorized it. By heart. No cue cards.

We all brought Bibles to school...mine was an old one, full of "thees" and "thous" and I really couldn't understand it.

(This was NOT the Bible I used....it's the Bible I could find tonight!)

We practiced day after day and we learned that story. We memorized those verses. All of us about 7 years old. It was hard. I am sure we complained. But, Mrs. Dunn said we were going to recite that story at the Christmas program. That was that. We did it. I remember feeling so proud to have accomplished that task. It was a long story and the words were not familiar to my 7 year old ears. But Mrs. Dunn knew that we could do it. For me, that's all it took. If Mrs. Dunn said I could do something, that's all I needed to hear. When I was a single parent, in law school, working 2 jobs, every now and then I'd think to myself "And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed..." and I knew that if I could memorize that story, I could do anything.

For the record, I still know the Christmas story by heart. Forty seven years later.

Mrs. Dunn died this morning. But the lessons she taught me so many years ago have stayed with me. I like to think she would have been proud of me and my successes.

I was lucky to have had the best teacher in the world lead me through the second grade and impact my life forever.

July 12, 2011 Weather.

This morning the sun was shining and it was on it's way to being one hot day. It's July. In Kansas. Hot is where it's at.

Went to lunch with Luke (Oh. Oh. Oh. Funny story about that....as we were leaving an old guy with a walker came in to the restaurant. Instead of a basket on the front of his walker he had a...wait for it.....wait for it.......an empty Cheez-It box! Seriously! Taped to the front of his walker. Luke and I talked about how to get a picture, but we couldn't figure out how to do it without causing a scene.) and the sun was shining and we were deep into one hot day. It's July. In Kansas.

Left the office at 5:00 and, what the hell?, the sky was gray and there was thunder rumbling overhead.

By the time I was out of Manhattan, about 10 minutes, it was pouring down rain. Like a cow pissing on a flat rock.

I had to use my super wipers AND slow down!

It's July. In Kansas.

You never know what you're going to get!

July 11, 2011 Backyard Update

What you are not seeing in this picture are the horrible, awful, messy, nasty fruit trees that have been the bane of our existence for the last 7 years. Our backyard looks amazing! And it will be so easy to mow.

Ease of mowing is a big deal right now because CB has started a project that involves 4 hours of travel each day and 14 hour days. He won't be home in time to mow so Luke and I will pick up that task.

For the first time ever there is no rotting fruit littering our backyard.

It's a great day in the neighborhood!

Poison Ivy Update:

I believe I'm winning.

July 10, 2011 Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today would have been my dad's 86th birthday! WOW. That is hard to believe. What's even harder to believe is that Dad's been dead for nearly 10 years.

I wanted to post a picture(s) today that would represent my dad. But what would I take a picture of? The courthouse? He was after all a lawyer, judge and legislator. A Kansas sunset? He would drive to the edge of Dodge sometimes and photograph the gorgeous western Kansas sunsets. My walking shoes? All his life, Dad walked everywhere he could. To work, to the courthouse, around the block during halftime of various ballgames. And he encouraged his kids to walk as well.

After giving it much thought, this is what I chose:

The NewtRat mug was a gift to Dad from Evelyn and Al Steimel, fellow Democrats in Dodge. There weren't too many Democrats around, so those who were publicly liberal stuck together. Dad loved that crazy mug. Just as much as he hated Newt Gingrich. If he knew Newt was trying to make a come back, it would kill him. (Pause for groans....)

Anyway, every single morning, Dad drank his coffee from the NewtRat mug. It had to be clean and sitting on the counter next to the coffee pot. No other mug would do. He had a zillion coffee cups, but he had only one favorite. Somehow, some way, I fell into the same habit. My coffee mug was one with president's photos on it. I have no idea where it came from but it became "my" mug. Dad and I could have lived with only 2 coffee mugs!

All his life, Dad was a creature of habit. He always walked to work and home. No matter where his office was or where he lived in relation to that office, he walked. I could wait for him at the corner and he'd arrive at the same time every evening. Saturday mornings were the same week after week: post office, office, coffee, errands. After he retired, Dad would take a drive at 10:00 a.m., on the same route. Every day. He'd do the same thing in the afternoon, although he had a different route. Every. Day.

I must confess that even now in the morning when I grab a coffee cup and it's one of these two, I consider my day off to a great start.

Tomatoes. Tomatoes make me think of my dad. He loved to be outside. He loved to garden. Dad had tomato plants every year. He'd try all different things to make them grow. Egg shells. Coffee grounds. Yelling. Full sun. Half sun. Quarter sun. He had the soil tested. He'd read articles about tomatoes and what plants would be best in southwest Kansas (and this was before the internet).

Towards the end of his life, he couldn't get to the plants to pick the tomatoes because he was a bit unsteady on his feet. But, by god, he had tomato plants! And he'd eat his crop of tomatoes at every meal.

If Dad had a choice, he'd be outside. Didn't matter if he was working in the yard or the garden, or sitting on the patio listening to the Royals, or turning a jump rope or shooting baskets. He was an outside kind of guy.

But, he was a voracious reader and very, very wise. My dad knew something about everything and a lot about many things. He forgot more about the law than I'll ever know.

I am who I am and what I am because of that man who had a favorite coffee mug and loved to grow tomatoes.

But he was so much more.

And he was my dad.

July 9, 2011 Kansas City

CB and I spent the day in Kansas City. There was a women's golf tournament (those silly women think they can use the golf course, too.) today, so all the men had to find something else to do. CB decided to spend the day with me!

We went to City Market and bought fresh veggies and fruits....we took 4 shopping bags and filled them all up! I took a picture of one of the vendors whose pick-up truck was completely filled with corn on the cob. It was unbelievable. The bed of the truck was overflowing with corn. Unfortunately, I took that picture with my phone and not my camera.

Here's a question to ask....why did I take that picture with my phone? I don't take pictures with my phone. Shit, I barely talk on my phone, much less take photos with it. If I can figure out how to upload that picture to this blog, I will do it. Please do not hold your breath.

After City Market, we went to the zoo.

It was a wonderful sunny day but a little on the hot side. In order to feel cooler, we spent some time watching the polar bear swim his laps.


I could have watched this guy swim and dive all day long. He'd swim right up to the glass, then push off with his massive paws and dive away from the crowd. He wouldn't stay gone for long, though. He'd swim around a gigantic boulder in the water and come right back to the glass again. Over and over and over again.

After the zoo it was clearly time for lunch. We went to Five Guys burger joint. It was sooooo good. President Obama likes to eat at Five Guys and if it's good enough for my president, it's good enough for me!

By mistake I ordered large fries which could have fed everyone in the place. Next time, I'll be more careful! But, CB and I did our damnedest to eat everything on our plates!
After lunch, we went to CB's sister's house where both his sisters were waiting for us. We had a good chat then went to Sam's Club to shop.

As you know, I HATE Walmart and do NOT shop there. But, I made an exception today. CB and I went a little crazy and bought a lot of stuff. I told myself that we were saving money in the long run. Right?

Then we went to dinner and had steaks that were really, really good along with a twice baked potato that was as bit as my head. MY HEAD, I tell you. Heaven.

We got home about 11:30, exhausted but smiling.

Every now and then, CB and I get our money's worth out of a day. Today was one of those days.