If Tomorrow It All Fell to Pieces...

Written on 3-11-16.

    It’s 7:16 PM, and Belinda is driving toward Walsenburg.  We are heading to Colorado Springs to hang with the Lamberts tonight and tomorrow morning.  Emily is flying back to Prescott after brunch, but their entire family will be together for a short time.  Then we will head to Mom and Dad’s for the rest of the weekend, because…we can.  Dad is having digestive issues, and he had two procedures this past week to figure it all out.  Hopefully, we can help out in some ways while we are there.  We will also get to see Joe, and as a special bonus, my high school English teacher, Becky Porter, on Monday before heading home.  She was the one who put me on my path to becoming a teacher.  I am so looking forward to seeing her and having Belinda meet her, too.

    In other news, it’s highly likely I have...

First Class Carlsbad

Written on 10-27-15.

    Belinda and I were overwhelmed with happiness after visiting the Carlsbad Caverns.  It’s an experience I know I will never forget, and it was so unique that it was well worth the trip way down south.  It started two nights ago when we arrived after our visit with the children.  The timing worked out so perfectly.  We got to the Caverns just before dusk, the time when the bats come out of the main cave’s entrance.  There was a time change issue, too, so we thought we were going to miss it, but after coming out of Texas, we gained back one hour, so we had plenty of time to not only see the bats as they made their exit, but listen to and learn from a knowledgeable park ranger moments before that.
    The ranger stood at the bottom of the auditorium, where the seats were all made from stones.  Belinda and I chose to stand up at the top, glad to have a break from sitting.  Behind the ranger was...

25th Anniversary Trip, My Tweaky Back, and the First of Five Birdies

Written on 10-27-15.

    Belinda and I are about 41 minutes outside of Ruidoso.  We’re headed home after our 25th anniversary vacation/trip to the Carlsbad Caverns.  On the way down there, we also stopped to ride the tram up to Sandia Peak and stayed at Danielle’s place and visited the kids in Las Cruces, too.  It’s been an amazing trip so far, and it’s hard to resist the temptation to say it’s over since we are on our way back home today.  Our plan is to stop to see Mike Speck and get my Time to Teach books back.
    I have five birdies to write about, and I also want to relay the stories about Carlsbad and our vacation, so I’ll get right to the birdies and mix in other details as I go along. 

Aztec Municipal Golf Course-Hole #11-Birdie #36 of 2015

    I am going to count this one.  A birdie is a birdie no matter how small.  On the final day of The First Tee for the Par group, we played three holes of golf with the participants.  I took Lily and Garret in my group.  We played hole #12 first.  Then we walked over to #10, and we finished up on #11, which worked out well to finish right next to the pro shop.  C.J. and I decided before playing that we should let this group play from the ladies’ tees since they were the advanced group.  It was his idea, and it was an excellent one.  I wouldn’t have to put up temporary teeing grounds, and this group would be up for the increased challenge of the “longer” holes. 
    This is the first birdie with my tweaked back.  My back gave out on me while working on my presentation for Time to Teach for Koogler.  It was caused by many hours of cramped airplane seating, golf in Virginia, stress, and too many slight bends forward while sitting and testing Response Cards for the training. 
    That’s when I got...

Guy's 50th Birthday Surprise Weekend Details

Written on 10-12-15.

    I am on United Flight 1968, flying back to Denver after surprising Guy for his 50th birthday.  It was a swell visit, a real blast!  We surprised him on Friday night when we first arrived at their home.  Annmarie ended up being the one who picked us up.  He appeared underwhelmed, but hey, that’s Guy for you.  He said he thought something was amiss when Annmarie went out at night to get a compress for her eye.  She has a stye, poor thing, but Guy said she never goes out at night, so that was weird.  Also, she was doing quite a bit of house cleaning before the weekend, and she asked him to take off Monday, too. 
    I am going to stop for a minute because the drink cart is here.  I want to avoid any spills if I can.
    Okay, drink break is over.  So, he wasn’t really surprised, but Guy is not overly dramatic in any way either, so I hope he was at least mildly surprised.  On Saturday, Annmarie sent us off on...

The "Great Eight"

Written on 9-5-15.

    I am in “my spot” on the deck up at the cabin home.  “My spot” is around the corner of the deck on the far side of the homestead where the deck is narrow.  Oh, What a Beautiful Morning is playing on my iPod, and it’s so appropriate.  Misty is with me.  She’s whining and wandering back and forth around the corner.  I just asked her to come lie down beside me, and she did. 
    It’s cloudy today, more cloudy than clear, but the blue is peeking out over my left shoulder.  It’s so pleasant, because it’s not too hot or too cool.  I am wearing my oversized, slightly faded, grape purple sweater.  It protects me from the occasional brisk breeze.  So happy with “my spot,” my laptop, and my coffee. 
    Belinda and Amanda are here with me, and Eric is coming up later this afternoon to join us for dinner.  Danielle is here this Labor Day weekend due to a...