The senior living community where I work has a garden club made up of 6 or 7 residents of our community who are in their 80's and 90's but who are passionate about gardening. They design, plant and maintain all of our gardens including a huge courtyard area. Because they are proud of their work and we want to help them show off, we host a Garden Club Luncheon and invite all the garden clubs in the county. Usually about 60 people RSVP and attend. This year we had a few issues.

 

We were having the roof re-shingled and they chose to strip off all the shingles the day before we had a huge rainstorm. With no tarp. Needless to say we had extensive damage to the dining room and lounge area with parts of the ceiling falling down. So we adapted and decided to have the luncheon on the garden level and eat in the screen porch; however, the weather did not cooperate and it was cold, windy and poured all day. So we moved everything to the Activity Room. We scrambled to set up tables and gather chairs, set the tables, place the centerpieces, etc. Then we started greeting our guests. About 52 people RSVP'd that they would attend...67 showed up. Keep in mind that we are also serving our 64 residents lunch too. And staff. It was overwhelming. We were aafraid we would run out of food but just like with the parable of the fishes and loaves, there was plenty to go around. We had gazpacho, crispy chinese chicken salad, warm rolls, and plates of brownies and cheesecake slices. The speaker was a young woman who runs a 30 acre organic garden and vineyard and is passionate about her work. Everyone loved her presentation. So even with all the issues, everyone still had a great time. It's just too bad they did not get to see our gardens!  

I just read a great blog about a newlywed's annoying husband. Click here. What a riot. Check out his bathrobe picture. No, I did not Google "annoying husband," the blog was on the AOL home page. :-)

The photographer, the amazing Eddie Quinones, sent me a couple pictures from Jana's wedding to keep me satisfied while he is working on the rest of them.

 

This is our son Kevin dancing with Jana and some of her girlfriends. Because Kevin is 9 years older than the girls, Jana's friends have had a crush on him since they were 10 years old. Now they are finally old enough that he might show interest in them.

 

Hank and Jana having their dance. It was a Jessica Simpson song but I don't remember the title. The lyrics said something to the effect of, you don't have to be afraid to let me go because you raised me right. I cried.

 

 

Jana tossing the bouquet. The white-haired lady in the blue dress right behind her is Alex's grandma...seconds before she slid across the dance floor to catch the bouquet.

 

More pics coming soon.

Hank and I went to dinner last night with our friend Patrick and Hank's friend Steve. We went to Kief's Reef in Burton's Bridge, IL. It is a great place...casual, lively, and fun. It is right on the Fox River and they have dock space so many diners arrive on their boats or PWC. Outside there is a tiki bar and live entertainment but that is not why we chose Kief's. On Saturday nights they have all you can eat barbecue ribs for $26.95 or all you can eat crab legs for $28.95 or the combo for $28.95. They aslo have a salad bar which you don't see much any more. I love, love, love their homemade bluecheese dressing. It is really the best I have ever had. Patrick and I get the combo, Hank gets the ribs and Steve (first time out with us) got the prime rib dinner.

 

The folks at Kief's are great; the food just keeps coming until you beg them to stop. I hate to admit it but I easily kept up with the boys! We have a strategy...we have one tiny slice of the homemade bread with a small salad (mine covered in bluecheese) then don't touch the potato and vegetable sides that come with the dinner. We start with 1/2 slab of the most delicious ribs ever. The sauce is tangy and not too sweet and there is just the right amount of char on the meat which is cooked to perfection...slightly chewy and nearly falling off the bones. Then Patrick and I dive into the crab legs. They are huge and piping hot! Some folks like to remove the meat from all their legs before taking a bite but we are the eat-as-you-go types. We squeeze some lemon into the cup of hot melted butter then dip the sweet crab into it and enjoy! After two rounds of crab, we are ready for another 1/2 slab of ribs. Then more crab. I am not sure how much we ate but it was alot - too much. It is a good thing we only do this once or twice a year. Oh another great thing about Kief's is the huge roll of very strong paper towels on each table - good to have when eating messy foods! Hank enjoys their PBR on tap but Patrick and I stick to Coke because we don't like beer!  

 

If you are ever in the neighborhood, be sure to stop in at Kief's. They make a great Bloody Mary (nice and spicy with lots of olives) and fantastic burgers and pizza too. If you go on Saturday night, get there at 5pm to avoid the crowd!

 

I better start a diet today. 

Hank and I try to get away from home on the weekends when he is not scheduled to work to enjoy a little togetherness and have some fun. Remember, his 90 year old mother lives with us so we have very  little  time alone at home (none, actually). This past weekend we went to one of our favorite day-trip spots, Port Washington, WI. This is a charming little town on the shores of Lake Michigan about 30 miles north of Milwaukee. It is less than a 2 hour drive from our home.

 

We packed a cooler with some bottled water, soda and even a few "adult" beverages and some snacks and headed North. It is a pleasant drive and it is good just to be alone and have nice conversations after missing each other for most of the prior week. (H works nights and I work days and we usually do not see each other between his days off). On Saturdays Port Washington has a Farmer's Market and that is where we went first. I bought some sweet and juicy peaches and a loaf of homemade zucchini/pineapple/coconut bread. Thee were beautiful bouquets of flowers and many fruits and vegetables for sale but I was afraid they would not survive in the hot car all day so that was all I bought.

 

Next we wandered over to the marina to check out the Maritime Heritage Festival. There were tall ships to tour, a craft fair, food tents, carnival rides and games, and live music! Forgetting about the food we packed, we had the combination plate at a stall selling Afican food. Hank is not usually adventurous when it comes to food so I was a bit surprised when he agreed (enthuiastically!) to try it. There was safron rice, roasted pork, a variety of vegetables in a tomato sauce, and fried plantains. We loved it! After walking around for a while we headed to the beach.

 

The beach in Port Washington is a somewhat hidden treasure. To get there, you have to walk around the water treatment plant and, yes, sometimes there is an unpleasant odor. But once past the plant, there is a lovely sandy beach buffeted by high cliffs that is friendly to families, teens and dog lovers! We spent some time just relaxing, reading and people watching. After a time, we decided to go for a walk along the shore. The water in Lake Michigan is very cold! We walked a long way enjoying watching the dogs frolicking in the surf, kids spashing, people playing Frisbee and folks just enjoying the beautiful weather and setting.

 

Later we packed up our thngs (we did eat some snacks and drink the adult beverages) and headed back to the festival. We wandered around some more and stopped to listen to the music for a while. By now it was dinner time so we ate at a barbecue style restaurant where I had a spicy chicken sandwich with tons of grilled veggies and Hank had the steak sandwich with grilled veggies. They were messy but delicious!  We had a full day and got home around 8:30pm.

 

I will be sad to see summer come to an end soon. 

I recently discovered a fascinating website called Africam.com. From the home page you can access several live streaming video cams set up to capture wildlife in Africa. Because I do not have the time or patience to just sit and wait for wildlife to appear, I often go to the recorded highlights; however, there is one camera at Tembe Elephant Park where you can almost always see a herd of elephants at the watering hole. Although I have not gotten into it, the site also offers chat options where you can talk with other watchers from around the world. I wish it were possible (and I knew how) to place the video directly on my blog - you would love it. So please click on the links to see for yourself. 

 

Other live web cams that I visit:

 

 

Enjoy!

This is a really busy week for me and my team at work. We are hosting an event for the seniors of our community on Wednesday that includes a health and wellness fair, business expo with 70 vendors, free lunch, all day bingo and three different musical entertainers including an  orchestra! This is the 10th year for the fair ( my 6th time running it) and we expect about 1,500 attendees. It is one of my favorite work days of the year. We have the same vendors come back each year with a few new ones thrown in so it is fun to see old friends and make new ones. It takes about 50 staff and volunteers to pull it off and everyone works really hard. My 13 year old newphew, Jake, is volunteering for the third consecutive year. Once people get involved with the fair it is hard to stay away!

Recipe for:

 

Italian Sausage Casserole

Serves about 6

 

1 package sweet Italian sausage

1 package hot Italian sausage

4 - 6 medium potatoes,

1 large sweet onion

1 large red pepper

1 large green pepper

1 small eggplant

1 medium zucchini

10 - 12 large mushrooms

3 - 4 cloves of garlic, minced

Italian seasoning

Salt & Pepper

1 large can crushed or diced tomatoes

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut sauusage and all veggies into chunks. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan or a large casserole with non-stick cooking spray. Toss veggies into pan in no order. Sprinkle liberally with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Layer the chunks of sausage on top. Cover with the can of tomatoes. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil and bake and additional 15 minutes. Serve with crusty Italian bread and some sangria. Enjoy! Note: Leave out any veggies that you do not like and add more of the ones you do like. This is one of those recipes that adapts well. After baking for 1.25 hours the top of my casserole was nicely browned but the potatoes were a but hard so I would pre-cook them in the morcowave next time. 

 

I have a very special female friend named Yvonne. We met about 10 years ago when she came to work as a temp in the department where I was working. I tried to be friendly toward her but at first she was not receptive and declined my efforts. I am not sure why but I would not give up and I continued to invite her to  lunch or just chatted with her on break. I must have worn her down (she probably just wanted to shut me up) because eventually she started having lunch with me. We learned that although we were from different backgrounds, we had a lot in comon. Over those lunch periods, we became close friends and were soon seeing each other outside the work place. Today I consider her my closest and dearest friend, Yvonne and I now work at different jobs and we live about 30 miles apart so we don't get together as often as we would like. When the time between visits gets to be too long, we really start to miss each other. Chatting on the phone or in emails is fine but there is nothing like some "girlfriend time" to set the world right again.

 

Today was our day for girlfriend time. We met at Panera for a light lunch where we talked for 2 hours on every subject from Jana's wedding to food, my mom, her mom, my son, her son, food, my husband, her ex, tv shows, books, movies, a recent funeral we both attended, food, our jobs, personal hygiene issues, and theology. We talk fast! Did I mention we talk about food? After the gabfest, we went to see the movie Julie and Julia. (Loved it!) It was a full day that just continued to prove to me how important our girlfriends are to us. When I am with Yvonne I know with certainty that there is nothing I could say to her that would offend or shock or make her feel badly about me. We accept each other unconditionally and with a wide open heart. After spending time with her, I feel like I am wrapped in a blanket of love and acceptance and I can face whatever comes my way.

 

Aahh, it is going to be a good week. 

 

Hank, me and Yvonne at Jana's wedding shower.

If you scroll down you will see a picture of my daughter and son in law cutting a cake, not their cake, but a cake. Throughout the wedding planning process Jana made lots of compromises to suit other people; however, the one thing she refused to compromise on was the cake. She wanted a fun, funky cake so she ordered a three tiered zebra stripe cake with hot pink ribbons. Each layer was a different kind of cake and each had a different filling (carrot cake with cream cheese, red velvet with cherry, and yellow cake with fudge). They were supposed to do the cake cutting immediately after their entrance in to the reception; however, just before that time, the banquet manager whispered in my ear, "We have a major problem." The person delivering Jana's very unique cake had to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident. Her cake went flying through the car and was totally destroyed! I have to give the banquet manager a lot of credit. He started calling his bakers (on a Saturday night at 5pm) and found someone who had a cake on hand and agreed to decorate it (traditionally) for our wedding. Jana was unhappy that she did not get the cake she wanted but she understood that it was no one's fault. The banquet manager plans to have "her" cake made for her 1 year anniversary, at no charge, of course.

 

This is not exactly a picture of the cake she ordered but it is similar. Jana's was round and tiered.

I just realized that my blog entry prior to the one about my daughter's wedding was from Dec 2007. Why is that? When I first began this blog I was so gung ho and eager to share with the world and I met many wonderful people. For a while I was spending more time networking here and less time with the people in my day to day life. I loved my blog world! Then a guy I met here and became friends with in the real world passed away and it was hard to blog without him. I also joined an online weight loss community that took up even more of my time. So, eventually I wrote here less and less. I am hoping to get back to it, renew some old friendships and create new ones. So what has been happening in my world?

 

I still work for the same not for profit organization as the director of marketing and fundraising. As an organization we provide a long term care community for seniors with options for independent living, assisted living, nursing care, short term rehabilitation and Alzheimer's dementia care. We also have a childcare center that provides early childhood education to more than 100 children.  I absolutely love my job, the work we do and the people with whom I am priviledged to work. Recent;y we moved our corporate office from a huge house that was almost 100 years old. It was nice working there and being on the same campus where we provide our services but there were issues too like bats, bugs, mold, and the need for a complete remodel. Instead, we moved to off-campus office space that is partly donated by our bank. The offices are new and clean and wonderful! The move was a challenge and we were without phones for nearly a month! Our phone vendor had quite a time getting the newly installed phone system working but as of Wednesday, we had phones.

 

Hank and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary this year and we are happier today than we have ever been. Our life is mostly one happy, care-free day after another but when we have challenges we know we face them together as we did over the course of  this past year. Our daughter faced a medical issue that was quite serious and very, very frightening but in the end, after many tests and countless doctor visists she has been put on medication and will be fine. Throughout that ordeal she was working full time, going to school full time, buying a house and planning her wedding. Her energy, tenacity and stamina never cease to amaze me. Our son is also going through a tough time right now. After being married for 4.5 years he and his wife have seperated and will finalize the divorce in a few months. He was very conflicted but decided that he was unable to remain in that marriage for a variety of reasons that I will not share here. He is lonely and misses being married but is starting to renew friendships and is dating some. I know after all this he will be a stronger person.

 

Hank's mom still lives with us. She celebrated her 90th birthday this year and is, thankfully,  healthy both physically and mentally. She has been with us for 8 years and each day is a challenge but one we would not change. Having another adult in your home changes the family dynamics. Hank and I have not been alone in our house EVER in 8 years. Everything we do, ever thing we discuss is obsrvered (and commented on) by his mother. She is outspoken and critical but we take it in stride.

 

I just realized what time it is! I am attending the Leadership Summit at Willow Creek Church today so I need to get going. More later... 

 

    

We had a busy weekend. Today was the Christmas Brunch for my Bunco Club. Click on the word Bunco to go to the description. We are a group of 8 women ranging in age from early 30's to mid 60's. We have been playing together, 8 times per year, for three years. I was in a roll off for third place but lost it so I did not come home with a prize. We did a grab bag though and I got something I really like. Have you seen the St. Nicholas Square ceramic village at Kohl's? I have many of the homes and buildings that go with the Village. We set them up after Thanksgiving and take them down at the end of January. Each year, Kohl's offers new/different buildings. This year I saw that they had a Winery! I put that on my suggestion list for the grab bag and that's what I got! It is really cute. I think it will go right between the pie shop and the general store. At the end of the year last year,. we bought the fire station, police station and town hall. The table we used to display them looked a little empty so I added a movie theater and post office. I know it is a little cheesy but we have fun collecting the buildings and accessories. We are always on the llok out for ethnic ceramic people to add to our little town. We have lots of caucasion people, a few African Americans but no other ethnicities. Is this not important to other people? Do Hispanic and Asian people not shop at Kohl's and buy the ceramic villages? I would think there would be a market for that kind of thing. Afterall, they sell lots of wthnic Barbies and American Girl dolls.

 

Yesterday we went to a party at a couple's home that are two of our best friends. They are in their 70's but they are the most vibrant and alive people that we know. We always have a fun and interesting time with them. There were a total of 7 people at the party. We started in the living room with snacks. I was in charge of bringing a special drink so I brought the ingredients for Mochatinis. That is 1.5 oz of Starbucks Coffee Liqueur, 1 oz Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, 1.5 oz Vanilla Vodka, and 1.5 oz of 1/2 & 1/2. You put them in a martini shaker with ice, shake vigorously, and strain into martini glasses. They were really expensive to make (about $4.50 per ddrink) but oh so good! They are creamy and smooth and go down very easily. Too easily. I had two large glasses before dinner. Then we had chianti with dinner and another martini following dinner. I am not a good drinker. I got a little tipsy. I was reading a Christmas Carol Quiz with the group and they were laughing at me because I was slurring and mixing up my words. Dinner was a lovely Mediteranean meal that was 4 courses. Oh yeah, we had eggnog with brandy at some point too. It was fun but I did have trouble sleeping because the room was spinning.

 

I bought a pair of Ralph Lauren jeans to wear to the party (on sale, of ourse). I think they must run big because I went down atwo whole sizes and I really have not lost anything in the last 5 weeks. Whatever, it made me feel good!

 

It is very cold here but no more snow expected until Tuesday! We have gotten at least 8 inches in the last few days. I am sick of it already. Read my previous post about driving in the snow.

I think I have mentioned my phobia about driving in the snow. I absolutely panic when the road is wet from snow or ice. Even rain bothers me. Last night we got 6" and it continued to snow today. Since I do not yet have my remote access set up at work, I tried to go in. I was fine for the first 1/2 of my commute but then I saw two overturned cars. Two! Completely on their roofs. Yikes! I went into full panic mode and had to come back home. My heart was racing and my head felt like it would explode. Not fun. I need to work on this.

 

Since I felt guilty about missing work I decided to put up our Christmas tree. We use an artificial one because Jana is alergic to pine. Our tree is about 10 years old but still very lovely. It is not one of the new prelit ones. I assembled it and fluffed all the branches then added all the strands of lights. When I was almost finished the plastic stand cracked and a piece broke off. It toppled over! I was so upset. I really thought I would have to take all the lights off and put the tree in the trash. But Hank rigged up some supports and fishing line in the back and it is standing straight, at least for the moment. I am going to make sure it is still standing tomorrow before I add any ornaments! 

 

I cleaned up around here AND wrapped some Christmas gifts. Of course I checked my office voicemail and email Gee, I should have just gone on to work. During the summer we went to a huge flea market in Cedarburg, WI. I found a great old Flexible Flyer sled with runners. I had no intention of using the sled for it's intended purpose. I added a pretty ribbon and some huge jingle bells and it is now sitting by my front door. Very welcoming and homey!

 

My daughter Jana moved into her first apartment that she shares with her boyfriend. It has been about 6 months and they are doing very well. They go to the local college for their classes every day and they work together at Domino's Pizza. (That's a lot of togetherness). Their apartment is cute and much nicer than my first place! It is small but they can seat 7 people. We have 7 in our immediate family. So, Jana is hosting Christmas! We will go there Christmas morning. She is serving a Continental Breakfast with bagels, muffins and champagne with tangerine juice and coffee. I am so excited. This will be the first time in 28 years that I have not hosted Christmas!  Of course, we will all come back to our house and the entire extended family will come over in the afternoon.

 

My shopping is complete except for a grab bag gift and something for my employees. Now I need to get back to wrapping!

 

 

I am sorry I have been away so long! Lots happening in my life, as usual.

 

My boss left our organization and I received a promotion and took on almost all her job responsibilities. The only problem is, they are not filling MY position so I am doing both jobs. It is stressful but fun and challenging too. I am now the Director of Marketing and Fundraising. I have two people reporting to me and one open part-time slot to fill. A few moths ago I was also asked to take over as the Technical Liason for our organization. That means I am responsible for all telcom issues, the computer system, cell phones, and merchant services. Yikes, I guess I am doing the work of three people! So far I have saved us thousands of dollars by renegotiating cell phone contracts, reviewing invoices/over charges, and renegotiating our credit card provider services. Lots to do! I will keep you posted on how it all goes.

 

I have been exercising. Yep. Me. Exercising. For real. I do 30 - 45 minutes on the eliptical at least five times per week. I also do a series of floor stretches and strengthening exercises at least once per day. And I started running. Outside. I have been doing this since mid June. I have lost 25 pounds and many inches. I am down 1 clothing size and close two moving down one more size. I am eating healthy too. I feel so much better and have lots more energy. I have absolutely no back or joint pain any more!

 

Jana moved out. Did I mention that in a previous blog? I would have preferred that she move in with a group of girlfriends but that was not to be. She is living with her boyfriend. They have a really cute apartment and things seem to be going well. She is finally dating a guy that we like. He is so normal compared to so many of the others. He is rather "preppy" and is going to college in the Fire Safety program to be a firefighter. Jana goes to the same community college and wants to be a parole officer. They get along great and seem to be handling things very responsibly.

 

Lots of other stuff but all of it good or getting better. I won't bore you with the details. I need to get back to work! I will check in with my friends' blogs soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I think I will put away the cooled food and read for a while (read is code for taking a nap!).   

I feel absolutely great today. No back pain all day! The exercising is really helping. Don't tell Hank but I am secretly in love with both my chiropractor (Mike) and my physical therapist (Matt). Ok, so maybe that is an exageration but they are great guys who have helped me tremendously. Mike has been doing electrical stimulation and adjustments twice a week. He even took me when the office was closed because I called to say I was hurting. He stretches me and is very encouraging. Matt massages my lower (very low!) back/hip then stretches me and gets me moving. We do all kinds of exercises. He lets me move at my own pace to a point then he challenges me to go a little further. Both are gregarious, talkative and fun - my kind of guys. Of course, Mike is 10 years younger than me and Matt is 24 years younger (my son's age!) so I guess Hank doesn't have anything to worry about. 

 

I think I mentioned that I recently hosted a big fundraiser (read one of my previous posts for details). That was on a Wednesday. I don't know what I was thinking but I had invited 4 friends for dinner the following Saturday. I was beyond exhausted! I really could not get into it. I managed to clean but left almost all the rest up to Hank. He really came through. He remembered one of my best appetizer recipes and suggested I make it because it is simple and very easy and quick. He then grilled steaks,salmon, and asparagus on the grill and made some rice pilaf. I made a simple salad and used bottled dressings. For dessert I topped store-bought pound cake with fresh berries and whipped cream. It was so easy and I really got to enjoy our guests! See why I love him?

 

We went out to breakfast with Jana and her bf on Sunday. It was nice. They are adjusting to school and really enjoying their apartment.

 

I got an i-Pod for my birthday in July. I feel so cool and hip saying "my i-Pod." It really is a great little gadget and the sound quality is incredible. I have already copied about 30 cds to it with plenty of free space left. My kids got me lots of neat accessories to go with it. Who knew I needed all that stuff! LOL

 

I hope all of you are doing well out there in blog land.

Hi, Everyone,

 

I am sorry it has been so long since I posted. I am still seeing the chiropractor at least twice a week and I go to physical therapy twice a week too. My back is a lot better. Especially since I am doing all the exercises at home every day. I am also working out on the eliptical. So, with more than 10 hours per week devoted to getting my back better, I do not have the time or energy to write too much. It is still hard for me to sit for very long so I have been avoiding the computer.

 

I also have a bit of a confession. I have been cheating on you guys.   I have started a mini blog on a dieting web site. I am in a group with a bunch of women over 50 years old who are all working to eat healthier, exercise more, get in shape and lose weight. We really encourage each other. I was doing really well until things got really stressful at work and I fell off the wagon a bit. I have lost about 13 pounds in 9 weeks. But better than that, I have lost 3 whole inches in my bust, waist, and hips (each!).

 

At work I just completed my second big funddraising event for the year. It is an annual fair for seniors that includes a business expo with over 100 exhibitors, all day Bingo with prizes, health and wellness screenings, big band music and dancing and free lunch. It is quite a lot to put together. We hosted more than 2,000 seniors in 5 hours. By the end of the day I was tired!

 

All is well at home. Jana started college and moved to an apartment near the college with her new boyfriend. Well, she has known him for a long time because they have gone to school together since 4th grade. For more than a year she worked with him at the pizza place before they started dating. Now they have been together for at least 6 months. It will be a good "life experience" for her to live with a guy. So far, they are very happy and having a ball. Their apartment is cute and surprisingly neat and clean.

 

I got "rear-ended" on Friday. No one was hurt and there is very little damage to my car. Just a nice scratch on my bumper. The funny thing is when I mentioned it to a coworker, she said, "In your car?" What kind of rear-ending was she thinking of???

 

I will pop on here ocaassionally to check in. Once my back is in good shape I will be back for good. Please feel free to email me if you want to get in touch!   

Hello Everyone,

 

I have injured my back (not sure how - just stood up and pain shot through it). I am seeing a chiropractor and spent a day in the hospital for IV drugs. Until it heals, I will be away from the pc. It hurts to sit and to lift my arms to keyboard level to type. Also, I am heavily medicated and probably won't make much sense. I'll be back soon, I hope.

 

Deb  

Hello, Blogland!

 

I am back from our annual Girls Get A Way Weekend, aka "Margaritaville Weekend," feeling relaxed and refreshed but very, very tired.

 

On Thursday five of my local "girl" friends (the same ones who play Bunco and go to dinner together) drove 2 1/2 hours to Wisconsin Dells, WI. We were joined on Friday by a friend from Milwaukee and her sister from Minneapolis. I was hoping my sister would come too but she did not.

 

Wisconsin Dells is like an older, shabbier version of Myrtle Beach. But it is very pretty there and does not get as hot. There is a strip that has tourist attractions (Ripley's Believe it or Not, etc) and lots of souvenir and fudge shops. Wisconsin Dells is famous for their "Duck" rides. A duck is a vehicle that goes from land to water. I have never actually done the Ducks but I have seen them. They are also famous for indoor and outdoor water parks. My guess is that there are more in this small town than anywhere in the world. None of that matters because we hardly ever leave our resort and go into town.

 

We stay at a family friendly resort with a huge indoor/outdoor water park. Again, it doesn't matter because we rarely use any of the facilities. We get a gigantic two story suite that sleeps 8 very comfortably. Because we are "regulars" we pay only $199 per night when the regular rate is $369. That sounds like a lot but it includes 8 passes for the water park. The place is crawling with kids but the rooms are well insulated and we never hear them. When at the pool, we get chairs away from the crowd and the kids do not bother us.

 

We have some rules about the trip. 1. Pack lightly...there is not much room and we do not need anything fancy! 2. Bring your choice of beverage and a snack to share. 3. Leave your stress at home - this weekend is about fun and relaxation.

 

Although in our younger days the trip involved a lot of drinking, in recent years we have toned that down considerably.

 

I have not mentioned it here butI have been on a fitness program since June 17. I am working out every day on our new eliptical and I have been watching what I eat. I have lost 10 pounds already and several inches. I was slightly worried that this trip would throw me off track but I was determined to not let that happen. I brought rum (no carbs) and diet coke (no calories), sugar free gum and tootsie pops for snacking.

 

On Thursday when we arrived, we settled in and relaxed for a while before heading to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Buffalo Phils is new and just beyond the parking lot of our hotel. We walked over and ordered huge salads and some chips and salsa to share. I ate the salad with grilled chicken and a few chips. So far, so good. Afterwards we went bowling! I have not bowled more than 3 times in the last 30 years! It was a new alley with laser lights, video screens, and loud music. We had a ball. The first game my score was in the high 90's and I was safely in the middle of the pack. We all improved during the second game and I scored 112 or something thereabout. We had fun cheering each other on and laughing the whole time.

 

I scrapbook the pictures from each of our trips and keep them in albums. We went back to the room and reviewed all the old pictures and then I showed them the pages from our last trip. Everyone loved them. We relaxed, talked, and laughed for the rest of the evening.

 

The next morning and the all of the mornings we were there, I went to the fitness center and worked out for an hour. Me! Working out! It felt good and I was not too sore. I also encouraged the gang to walk everywhere we went. We went out to breakfast where I ordered from the kids menu and had a healthy breakfast. Later we walked around the new outlet mall. It was fun but I did not want to buy clothes when I will continue to lose weight. We spent the afternoon reading poolside and working on our tans. Gee, exciting.

 

Friday afternoon the other girls joined us and we spent time catching up. Friday night we went to a local restaurant for a fish fry. Now the Dells is not known for good food but this place was particularly bad. They were not crowded (we should have seen this as a clue) but the service was awful. We waited more than an hour for our food and when it came it was ice cold. We were starving so we ate it but later told the manager. She was nice and took 20% off the bill. We all would have rather had good hot food!

 

Tomorrow I will tell you about our wild Saturday night and explain those crazy photos!