36 days

until Opening Day!!!!!!!

The Cubs are 4 - 0 in spring training so far. I just hope they don't use it all up now and forget that the regular season is still coming....

Go Cubs Go!

Yes, spring training is in full swing! The first pre-season game is tomorrow. So, Cubs fans (ok, baseball fans...) here we go!

The Tourists - Part 1

First of all, I would like to make a disclaimer/correction regarding my previous post.... I am NOT encouraging you to play "tourist" during weather which may cause you to lose a limb/appendage to frostbite or to have a heat stroke. Pick a nice day! :)

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DD turned 5 yesterday - I can't believe it's been 5 years! Quiet birthday but her "bash" is Sunday....wish us luck!
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Last Sunday (and yes, it was a little chilly!), we visited Lincoln's home in Springfield Illinois. (This is us in his "backyard" - by the way, if you visit, check out the outhouse - the Lincolns had the "deluxe" model) The home has recently been refurbished and cleaned up. It was a very nice tour and we enjoyed seeing his "neighborhood" too. We learned after we were there that many sites are closed on Sunday - thank you FORMER Gov.... Many of the employees at the sites that were open, openly expressed their opinions on that situation. They seem rather upset that things aren't open on Sundays and the tourism is down considerably because of that. Think about it.... Anyway, we did visit the Lincoln Museum gift shop (there are penny smashers there). This photo of DS was taken there - it is his "audition" to be on the penny next... hope he does something great so they'll consider him. I was afraid he & I might get kicked out of the gift shop because he got me laughing about the "writing instruments" that they sell there (it was a pack of pencils). DH just walked away & I have no doubt he wouldn't have claimed to know us if we had gotten kicked out.
Thank you to the wonderful lady in our tour group who took this photo of all of us!
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On a non-touristy note.....our HS boys' basketball team was recognized on tonight's ABC World News Tonight's "People of the Week" - along with the team they played 2 weeks ago. DS said the high school has been a media circus this week but I'm glad to see it for something good!
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6926639
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Snow is on its way this weekend - hope you all have a great weekend!
HUGS!

Come on...

be a tourist!

Grab your camera and take a walk or a drive - even in your own town. It's fun!

Stay tuned for the adventures of "The Tourists" :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy 200th birthday, Mr. Lincoln!

Ahem....

Soap box time....

The Grammys

Can I ask when the Grammys became a 3 1/2 hour concert with a few awards stuck in there? And on top of that - a CRAPPY concert! There 3 performances all night that I enjoyed - out of the I don't even know how many... SERIOUSLY!!!!!

I enjoyed Paul McCartney, the Four Tops tribute (kudos to you 4 gentlemen!) and of course, Kenny Chesney. Other than that, I could have done without any of the rest.

While we're on that subject - WHO thought it was a good idea to pair the Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder? Are you kidding? Those jokes of "rock stars" with a legend. The Brothers KILLED what could have been a fantastic rendition of "Supersitition". Hey guys, here's a tip - if you don't know the words - DON'T SING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The outfits....

M.I.A. - I commend you for showing up and performing on your due date but do you have ANY idea how awful that outfit is if you're not pregnant?

Jennifer Hudson forgot to untuck her dinner napkin...yikes!

Katy Perry - ummmm....you forgot your Carmen Miranda fruit hat to go with your dress!

Sorry if I have offended anyone with my comments - but they're my comments.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming!

Churches!

Churches!
Originally uploaded by scrapperjen1

A mosaic for a flickr search of church exterior. Kudos to these photographers - they are gorgeous!

Come on spring...

You can do it!
It was GORGEOUS today! We took DD out for a walk/bike ride about 11 and it was sunny and 55. I can see the grass. :D It was really hard to go to work this afternoon with it being so nice outside.
The flu is passing through our house. KNOCK ON WOOD - there is only one of us who hasn't had it this week... Everyone seems to be on the mend. Thank goodness!
Tennis starts in a few weeks for DS - so hopefully the weather will get warmer real soon!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

More reviews

Yes, more... :)

Friday Night Knitting Club

by Kate Jacobs

I really enjoyed this book. There was wonderful story lines and very believable characters. So what happens when a group of very different women from very different backgrounds get together to share a common hobby?

You'll have to pick it up to find out.

Lucky Man

by Michael J Fox

His autobiography (2002) about his career, diagnosis of Parkinson's and how he & his family have dealt with it. This is an amazing read and I encourage you to read it! It helped put some "problems" in my life in persepective. He's so positive and encouraging.

Fearless - Taylor Swift

I enjoyed her debut CD and this one did not disappoint either. She is a very talented songwriter and singer.

Happy reading & listening!

Happy February!

May your last 6 weeks of winter be mild and quick!

My book reviews will be posted this week!

Daisy, daisy...

Daisy, daisy...
Originally uploaded by scrapperjen1

I'm wishing for spring.....

A springtime thought....

Cubs pitchers & catchers report to spring training in

13 DAYS!!!!!

Whoa!

If my horoscope isn't fitting to my life right now....

"Stop examining the group tension so closely -- and try to put it out of your mind."

I should probably listen to this one today. :D

Ok, winter...

You can leave now!!!!!!

It's not supposed to be above freezing all week....it snowed a little last night...
I am tired of the cold and the dirty, yucky snow!!!!!

I am ready for flowers, sunshine and warm (I would even take 40 right now!)

Sigh.....

A week in quick recap

DS - finished his finals; started 2nd semester and drivers ed; got asked to prom
DD - has cabin fever (I wish it would warm up!); had last day at daycare & preschool screening for district's pre-k program
DH & I - same as usual...we're pretty boring!

I finished a book (I'll add my review soon); got a little knitting done; did some writing. Yeah, that's about it!

Hope you had a great weekend and your week is going well!

Will Rogers' Wisdom

Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Enjoy the following:
1. Never slap a man who's chewing tobacco.
2. Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
3. There are 2 theories to arguing with a woman...neither works.
4. Never miss a good chance to shut up.
5. Always drink upstream from the herd.
6. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
7. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
8. There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.
9. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
10. If you're riding' ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it's still there.
11. Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier'n puttin' it back.
12. After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him. The moral: When you're full of bull, keep your mouth shut.
ABOUT GROWING OLDER...
First ~ Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it. Second ~ The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for. Third ~ Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way. I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved. Fourth ~ When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra. Fifth ~ You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks. Sixth ~ I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top. Seventh ~ One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it is such a nice change from being young. Eighth ~ One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been. Ninth ~ Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable. Tenth ~ Long ago when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf. And finally ~ If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you are old.

Hope you enjoyed and are having a good weekend!

A Tuesday night misc. post

Hello! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Very uneventful here!

Disclosure: this post will be random things, no real rhyme or reason.

First, Welcome to the White House President & Mrs. Obama. I don't usually get real involved with politics but "big" events like this require a mention. May you have a successful 4 years...I don't envy you! I will say, however, that I have enjoyed watching those 2 little girls be little girls - they seem awestruck by celebrities but can be calm and collected in front of a huge crowd. (photo from Yahoo)

Second, I added a tenth of a mile to my distance on the treadmill. I've been doing 32 minutes for the past week and last night, I broke the mile and a half mark. One small step, I know, but it felt good to me.

Third, if you like guitar music - you have to check out Brad Paisley's PLAY CD. It is FANTASTIC! He is an amazing guitar player and the songs are easy to listen to. He is joined by B.B. King, Andy Griffith, Keith Urban and others on a few of them. It is a rockabilly music style - just so you are warned. (cover picture from cduniverse.com)

Fourth - it appears as though the Cubs have entered a game of chess. They traded Felix Pie (no real loss there) to Baltimore for Olsen (pitcher - never heard of him) and a minor leaguer. Why you ask???? Because San Diego has shown interest in Olsen, and since the Cubs want Peavy - they know have another piece to play with. Sigh.... If we end up with Peavy - he better be GOLDEN!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously!

Fifth, I did some knitting practice stitches over the weekend. I found one I really like and it's turning out nicely. (I'll post a picture when I get it done) Now I have to decide what I want to make with it.

I hope you're having a great week and things go well!

Another book review

Squeeze Play

by Kate Angell

If you like humorous romances - you should check out this book. I snickered and smiled my way through most of this book. The baseball references are lots of fun - Ms. Angell knows her baseball! Her characters are lovable and pretty believable (remember, we're talking about a romance novel here). The story was predictable but fun to read, none the less. (cover art from amazon.com)

When did I sign up for this????

Do you ever wonder that? I don't usually - but today was a strange day for me (especially for a Friday)....

I have a co-worker who jumps on my last nerve. Today was a "silent treatment" day. I have no idea what I did but decided that I would just smile and realized it was better that way than when she has her "other" days....

Then, I walked to my desk this afternoon, where one of the guys was talking to a client and Mrs. Client asked if I had a piece of candy and I told her to help herself to the candy jar. Mrs. C said "No, in your mouth. Do you have one?" Me: "No I don't." Mrs C: "You must just have chubby cheeks." I know my jaw dropped for a second, then my hands balled into fists at which time I just sat down in my chair and pretended to do something on my computer. If I had opened my mouth, it would not have been pretty. When they left, the VP apologized and I just said "You didn't make her say it." She will have a long road to travel with me for that....

On a good note - we almost made it out of negative temps today. It sounds like maybe tomorrow - but snow. It's been a brutally cold week and I am ready for some warm and melting snow!!!!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Two days....

I've been on the treadmill 2 days this week. It's amazingly sad how out of shape I am....ugh! I did it Sunday and last nights. I went 1 1/2 miles in about 32 minutes. I'd like to start trimming some time off that. My hope is to get on the 'mill every other day for a couple of weeks and then up it another day a week and build from there.

Other than that - winter is back with a vengance! The snow is getting deeper - the winds have been bitter and today isn't going to be nice at all.... The cold - I don't even know how to describe that! The high for tomorrow is supposed to be -3F. Yes, that is a minus sign in front of the three.... I'm thinking palm trees, sun and 75 - maybe it will work!

I hope you're having a good week!