As a child, I often dreamt of being able to fly...without a plane...I thought surly if I believed hard enough I would someday be blessed with the wonder of being able to just jump up and I'd take off to sore through the sky above everyone and everything. Looking back, I think I watched too much Flying Nun as a kid.
As I got older, reality set in and I had to come to terms with the fact that the only way I was going to get to fly was in a plane so that dream started to fade away. It was reborn one day when I was driving an RV through northern Iowa trying to avoid hitting the thousands of bike riders that were everywhere...that's it's own story...and I saw a sign advertising rides in a by-plane.
As soon as I had gotten "camp" set up for my team of bike riders, I started asking around to see who was willing to take this trip to a new level and go flying with me. I finally found one brave soul and several not so brave souls that were going to come along and watch. We jumped in the fan and took off for the airfield.
Standing in line for my turn, you would have thought I was a five-year-old kid that was about to pee their pants they were so excited! I didn't pee my pants, but I was super excited and couldn't hardly stand still or stop grinning from ear to ear.
When our turn finally came, I tried as hard as I could to act like an adult and climbed into the plane. Now if you're not sure what a by-plane is, it's one of those old open cockpit, red barren type planes.
We put our goggles on and tightened our seatbelts. As we started to roll down the grass runway, my stomach was doing flips and my eyes couldn't take in enough! Quickly we were in the air, circling the small Midwest town. I snapped a few photos but mostly just kept whipping my head around trying to see as much as I could. It felt amazing to feel the wind in my hair while I looked down at the fields, town, and people below. I never wanted it to end, but sadly it did way too soon.
Once on the ground again, I was still buzzing with excitement as we all climbed back in the van and head back for dinner. The trip was short, but the experience was amazing!
The next summer, my desire to fly struck again...
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Saturday, March 10, 2012
The Average Girl Says Too Much
As an average child, my mother taught me the lesson that "if
you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." When did I
suddenly unlearn that average lesson?! I've noticed over the past few years
I've become more of a gossip and being more critical of others (well vocally
anyhow, I use to just keep it to myself more). One minute I'm just sitting back
minding my own business and then next thing I know, I open my mouth and
criticisms just starts spewing out! I can't seem to stop myself! Is this a side
effect of be becoming a bitter young woman due to the lack of an exciting love
life? Or maybe it's just a matter of wanting to connect with others and so I
think they will except me more if I join in on the gossip about others? Or is
it just that I really am a bad person that is overly critical of others? I'm
really not all that fond of any of these options as I see myself as friendly,
helpful person and not as a "mean girl." Ok, wait, I think I might
have just figured it out; I am a friendly, helpful person that just needs to
get laid more! Ericka, I’ve solved my problem!
Hahaha, ok so maybe that’s not it, but what is it then?
Recently I decided I needed to make a change in my behaviors and
it just happened to be about the same time as the beginning of Lent. So this
year for Lent, I'm taking on the challenge of being less vocally critical of
others. I believe that it is human nature to be critical of others but it's up
to us in how we handle the situations that cause us to vent to others about our
coworkers, neighbors, loved ones, the guy in front of you in the checkout line
at the groceries store, the woman doing her makeup at the red light when it
turns green, or OH my favorite is the guy that calls you at work and tells you
how horrible you're doing your job when in reality its him that didn't do his
job right! ARRRGGGG! People are so dumb!!!!
A former coworker gave me (and several other people sitting near
us) a sign that says "Shhh...I'm hiding from stupid people." Google
search it, the image will make you laugh. But should I be laughing at this?
Hmmmm…
There are some people that just amaze me in how nice, positive and
unjudgmental they are. I asked one coworker the other day "how do you do
it?" She's by far one of the nicest people you will ever meet and I've
never once heard her say anything negative about anyone else. Her response was
"I have my faith." So simple, faith. Now, I have my own faith but I'm
not going to start preaching here. Instead, I challenge myself and you to think
about what makes us a better person. I know that I'm a better person when I
start doing things for others and feel that I have been helpful in some way. It
gives me a sense of good karma, that I've done something positive for someone
else that will hopefully come back to bless me later in life.
Karma, I think that is where I’ll start. I’ve tried giving up
venting cold turkey and it actually made me more angry and hostile. I need to
find a way to put more good karma out into the world and hopefully with that, I
will start thinking more positively which will in turn make me less likely to
talk smack about others. Wish me luck and let me know if you have any
suggestions or good karma stories!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Life, Coming and Going
Recently my life and emotions have been on a total roller coaster. In the past week our team at work has buried an amazing man that taught us all how to live with such grace and today we celebrated the birth of such a precious bundle of bliss.
My coworker that passed way after a long battle with cancer is finally at peace and now we celebrate how incredible his life was. On first impressions, he was just and average man, living the average life of trying to find the right mix of work and family time. As I got to know him better I began to see how positive he always was even on the days that he struggled with his disease the most. I don’t recall ever hearing him utter a single negative word about anyone or anything. In his final days, I learned more about his family and his life before he joined our team. This man was anything but average, if he's average then I've got even higher hopes that there really is a lot of good in this world! Over 30 years ago he saved a life by running into a burning house and pulling a woman out. He spent the next 27 years a volunteer fire fighter. He worked long hours running a family business and became a prominent figure in the community. His heart was always into helping others without boasting or selfishness. We can all learn from this extraordinary man and do what we can to put more positivity and compassion into all that we do.
After the sorrow last week, it was a refreshing feeling to smile and coo over the birth of another coworker’s baby. We all felt like we were a part of this babies life already and all rejoiced like we were bonified aunts and uncles. At the hospital tonight, I held that little wonder tight in my arms and my heart warmed up so much. I have been feeling so blue lately that being reminded of the simple joys in life really was what I needed. Looking into those big eyes reminded me of how much love I have to give and how much pleasure I get in taking care of others.
Tonight I finally returned to my blog because a friend blogged about changes he's making in his life and the struggles he’s gone through to make the choices he has. I couldn't help but sigh a little when I read my last post about how I was ready to focus me and follow my career path. Here I am over a year later and I haven't gotten far...I'm still single and still in the same job. Granted, I have made strides in my life and worked on building my resume, but it feels like I still have a long ways to go.
It’s weeks like this that I really start evaluating my own life. Am I really where I want to be? Doing what I want to do? Being the person I can respect? With saying good bye to my coworker, I started realizing that I really need to start moving more on my goals again. It's time for me to find meaning in my life and find some way to be at least a little less...average!
My coworker that passed way after a long battle with cancer is finally at peace and now we celebrate how incredible his life was. On first impressions, he was just and average man, living the average life of trying to find the right mix of work and family time. As I got to know him better I began to see how positive he always was even on the days that he struggled with his disease the most. I don’t recall ever hearing him utter a single negative word about anyone or anything. In his final days, I learned more about his family and his life before he joined our team. This man was anything but average, if he's average then I've got even higher hopes that there really is a lot of good in this world! Over 30 years ago he saved a life by running into a burning house and pulling a woman out. He spent the next 27 years a volunteer fire fighter. He worked long hours running a family business and became a prominent figure in the community. His heart was always into helping others without boasting or selfishness. We can all learn from this extraordinary man and do what we can to put more positivity and compassion into all that we do.
After the sorrow last week, it was a refreshing feeling to smile and coo over the birth of another coworker’s baby. We all felt like we were a part of this babies life already and all rejoiced like we were bonified aunts and uncles. At the hospital tonight, I held that little wonder tight in my arms and my heart warmed up so much. I have been feeling so blue lately that being reminded of the simple joys in life really was what I needed. Looking into those big eyes reminded me of how much love I have to give and how much pleasure I get in taking care of others.
Tonight I finally returned to my blog because a friend blogged about changes he's making in his life and the struggles he’s gone through to make the choices he has. I couldn't help but sigh a little when I read my last post about how I was ready to focus me and follow my career path. Here I am over a year later and I haven't gotten far...I'm still single and still in the same job. Granted, I have made strides in my life and worked on building my resume, but it feels like I still have a long ways to go.
It’s weeks like this that I really start evaluating my own life. Am I really where I want to be? Doing what I want to do? Being the person I can respect? With saying good bye to my coworker, I started realizing that I really need to start moving more on my goals again. It's time for me to find meaning in my life and find some way to be at least a little less...average!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
When you least expect it
So I've been attempting the wide world of online dating again for the last few months. I went out with a couple guys, but none of them was what I was looking for. I finally gave up again and decided to focus on me and my goals.
Just over a week ago, I ran into an old friend. I shared with her that I was so excited that I finally have career goals and a clear path how I want to get there. It took me 31 years to have goals other than finding a husband and starting a family. I'm growing up at last! The next day, Saturday to be exact, I was driving around town running some errands and I remember thinking about dating and that I really wasn't interested anymore with trying to find someone and that it was me time. I was finally ok with it all and truly meant it. I've never felt that way before, truly ok with where my life is going, it was a huge revelation in my life!
But as always, God has a funny sense of humor! My next errand was to get my oil changed so I pull into Jiffy Lube and found a spot in the waiting room to do just that, wait. After I had sat there for quite awhile and I was hoping my car was about done, a guy walks in and starts up a conversation with me. It all started because I was wearing a Templeton Rye tshirt! At first, I kind of tried to blow him off because I'm not a big fan of waiting room chit chat. He wouldn't give up though and kept talking. Finally about 15 minutes later my car was finally done and I was headed out the door. I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but before I left, I handed the guy my card and told him to call or email me sometime! I then went to meet up with some co-workers and I told them as I walked in the door, "I think I met a guy at Jiffy Lube!"
Now, just over a week, three dates later and all my friends telling me, "I told you so," I finally get what they were talking about when they said it would happen when you least expect it! And I'm so glad it did! I'm so excited to see where this will all go...
Stay tuned!
Just over a week ago, I ran into an old friend. I shared with her that I was so excited that I finally have career goals and a clear path how I want to get there. It took me 31 years to have goals other than finding a husband and starting a family. I'm growing up at last! The next day, Saturday to be exact, I was driving around town running some errands and I remember thinking about dating and that I really wasn't interested anymore with trying to find someone and that it was me time. I was finally ok with it all and truly meant it. I've never felt that way before, truly ok with where my life is going, it was a huge revelation in my life!
But as always, God has a funny sense of humor! My next errand was to get my oil changed so I pull into Jiffy Lube and found a spot in the waiting room to do just that, wait. After I had sat there for quite awhile and I was hoping my car was about done, a guy walks in and starts up a conversation with me. It all started because I was wearing a Templeton Rye tshirt! At first, I kind of tried to blow him off because I'm not a big fan of waiting room chit chat. He wouldn't give up though and kept talking. Finally about 15 minutes later my car was finally done and I was headed out the door. I'm not sure what possessed me to do it, but before I left, I handed the guy my card and told him to call or email me sometime! I then went to meet up with some co-workers and I told them as I walked in the door, "I think I met a guy at Jiffy Lube!"
Now, just over a week, three dates later and all my friends telling me, "I told you so," I finally get what they were talking about when they said it would happen when you least expect it! And I'm so glad it did! I'm so excited to see where this will all go...
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Average Girl Gives Online Dating Another Try
This isn't my first venture down this road of online dating, but this time I'm hoping to explore more of the scenery and see what else is out there. I first tried online dating and met one guy that I dated briefly...several times... I gave it another try a year ago and went on 3 dates in one week that all turned out to be total duds. This time I'm hoping for something a step better than the last 2 trys!
I'm convinced there are only 3 types of guys out there on these sites and it's a tough job sorting through them all! I would wager that about 75% of the men are only looking for a quicky, 14% are crazies and 1% is actually one of the good guys! I've been propositioned so many times now that I half wonder if I just shouldn't start my own phone-sex line or become a professional sexter. With the number of guys out there looking for sex, I really might make some good money!
I'm going to tackle this self imposed challenge head on! So far, I've sent 23 messages to men on one site in the past week. Of those 23, I've gotten only three responses. That percentage isn't so good... I have gotten several IMs from guys that either wanted a "fun time" or were total crazies. The craziest was the guy that offered to be my personal slave! I very quickly scrambled to find the block button!
So lets see where this goes. I'll keep sending messages, IMing and trying new free sites and see if anything comes of it.
If you have any suggestions of good sites to try, please let me know. But be forewarned, don't try sending me to a site that is not good quality or for people only looking for "activity partners;" I want quality sites that something serious actually might be possible!
What happened to the day when men were men and women were swept off their feet? Have we really fallen so far that we have to resort to sifting through post after post, photo after photo, profile after profile to find the few non-sex addicts or totally crazies that are out there? The answer...apparently so...sad...
I'm convinced there are only 3 types of guys out there on these sites and it's a tough job sorting through them all! I would wager that about 75% of the men are only looking for a quicky, 14% are crazies and 1% is actually one of the good guys! I've been propositioned so many times now that I half wonder if I just shouldn't start my own phone-sex line or become a professional sexter. With the number of guys out there looking for sex, I really might make some good money!
I'm going to tackle this self imposed challenge head on! So far, I've sent 23 messages to men on one site in the past week. Of those 23, I've gotten only three responses. That percentage isn't so good... I have gotten several IMs from guys that either wanted a "fun time" or were total crazies. The craziest was the guy that offered to be my personal slave! I very quickly scrambled to find the block button!
So lets see where this goes. I'll keep sending messages, IMing and trying new free sites and see if anything comes of it.
If you have any suggestions of good sites to try, please let me know. But be forewarned, don't try sending me to a site that is not good quality or for people only looking for "activity partners;" I want quality sites that something serious actually might be possible!
What happened to the day when men were men and women were swept off their feet? Have we really fallen so far that we have to resort to sifting through post after post, photo after photo, profile after profile to find the few non-sex addicts or totally crazies that are out there? The answer...apparently so...sad...
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Average Girl is on the hurt for the Good Guys
I had hoped that over the past couple of months, I would have written more about the good guys in my life which actually I have, I just forgot to post my writings! Sadly though I have recently taken a turn for the worse in the search for the good guys and it is hard for me now to focus on them right now. All my mind wants to think about is how my trust in good guys was pummeled by a guy that I thought really was a good guy…wow, I think I was way off base on that one! I may need to get my good guy radar looked at.
But let’s not dwell on that, at least not tonight. I need happy thoughts so let’s get back to the good guys…
There are many good guys that have come and gone throughout the years and though my previous post may appear that I had a male issue when I was younger, I did not. I simply was not friends with many guys and never really took the time to get to know them and vise versa. Growing up I was a total girly girl and all my friends were the girls from my scout troop and the one other girl that lived next door until she moved away when I was in second grade. The boys in my neighborhood picked on me as much as my brother and one even decapitated my favorite Barbie doll…that was a traumatizing day… Though there have been “meanies” in my life, none have made me a man hater by any means! I’m just the girl that got shy around boys for longer in life than most girls. And let’s face it; around guys I really like, I still turn into a shy girl rather than the social butterfly I normally am!
So who are the good guys? How can we tell when we have met them? They are all the guys in my grown up life that have been a friend, love interest or brief encounter that when I think back about them, I can’t help but smile! They are the guys that remind me to keep hoping that I will some day find a guy like them that will realize that I’m one of the good girls and that we are meant to share our lives. They are the good guys that have the big muscles to help me move; the wonderful arms that wrap around me when I’ve had a bad day or trying to avoid someone else; the strong voices that provide words of wisdom when I need it or stand up for me to the not-so-good guys that try to hurt me. They are my brothers from another mother!
What makes a good guy? I really wish I knew because then I would go out and search for them everywhere and hopefully have better luck in finding them. The good guys I have know all have a few characteristics in common though. They all have a good heart, believe in love, are willing to put themselves out there for others, I can always call any of them and they won’t ask why I need them, they will just say “I’m on my way.” Take My Car Husband for instance; he has been there for me in my darkest hours. He’s given me free access to his home when I felt that I had nowhere else to go. He’s give me car advice every time I’ve called and sadly sometimes that’s the only reason I call him lately… He even gave me his truck one week while my car was in his buddies shop getting fixed and carpooled to work with his wife though they didn’t work on the same schedule most days. He’s a big guy that could scare about anyone if he wanted to, but to those that know him, he’s a huge teddy bear that will do anything for those that he loves.
Then there is Mr Perfect. He’s not perfect, because lets face it, none of are, but he’s pretty darn close. He is smart, adventurous, attractive, not willing to change who he is for anyone, and willing to help just about anyone in need. He is the guy that I have literally called to do the craziest things for me and he’s never said no. He’s helped me move a friend that he personally didn’t care for, but did because I asked. He came to my rescue when the guy I was crushing on was coming over to my house for “movie night” and I needed at least one other guy there since it was just going to be me, the crush and a girl friend and it just seemed like it was going to be awkward. I called Mr Perfect in hysterics and he just said “fine, I’m on my way.” He’s also stayed by my side when the latest guy in my life showed up at an event and I did not want to see him since we had recently had a harsh break up. Mr Perfect just sat by my side and kept me talking and even found ways for me to get away when I needed to. He’d be the prefect boyfriend if only we were into each other that way…I wonder why I don’t like him like that…hmmm…
Oh, and I have to tell you about Puppy! Now this one is amusing. Puppy is 11 years younger than me and like the little brother I never had. We call him Puppy because he has a tendency to fall into puppy love with girls. He also has a thing for cougars but that has nothing to do with why he’s on the good guys list. He’s on the list because he has a huge heart and puts it out there for everyone to see. He is always there for me with a hug, kind word, or threats to beat up any guy that may hurt me. He’s a hopeless romantic that I find myself envying and pitying all in the same breath. In some ways he’s more of a girl than me when it comes for the endless quest for love. I wish he could find a good girl his own age that would let him dote on her the way he wants to dote on all girls. I will make a good prince charming for some girl some day when he grows up. Right now, he needs to focus on college rather than his crush that I fear will only break his heart over and over again.
I could go on and on with all the good guys I’ve known but I fear you will be bored with all my babbling. I just want to make sure we all take a minute to remember that not everyone out there will break our hearts. I personally need to be reminded of this regularly or else I am very likely to become a bitter young woman and none of us wants that!
As a good, yet cynical friend recently told me; all men can be a jerk, but then again so can us girls. Stop, look, listen…there is something good there in all of us.
But let’s not dwell on that, at least not tonight. I need happy thoughts so let’s get back to the good guys…
There are many good guys that have come and gone throughout the years and though my previous post may appear that I had a male issue when I was younger, I did not. I simply was not friends with many guys and never really took the time to get to know them and vise versa. Growing up I was a total girly girl and all my friends were the girls from my scout troop and the one other girl that lived next door until she moved away when I was in second grade. The boys in my neighborhood picked on me as much as my brother and one even decapitated my favorite Barbie doll…that was a traumatizing day… Though there have been “meanies” in my life, none have made me a man hater by any means! I’m just the girl that got shy around boys for longer in life than most girls. And let’s face it; around guys I really like, I still turn into a shy girl rather than the social butterfly I normally am!
So who are the good guys? How can we tell when we have met them? They are all the guys in my grown up life that have been a friend, love interest or brief encounter that when I think back about them, I can’t help but smile! They are the guys that remind me to keep hoping that I will some day find a guy like them that will realize that I’m one of the good girls and that we are meant to share our lives. They are the good guys that have the big muscles to help me move; the wonderful arms that wrap around me when I’ve had a bad day or trying to avoid someone else; the strong voices that provide words of wisdom when I need it or stand up for me to the not-so-good guys that try to hurt me. They are my brothers from another mother!
What makes a good guy? I really wish I knew because then I would go out and search for them everywhere and hopefully have better luck in finding them. The good guys I have know all have a few characteristics in common though. They all have a good heart, believe in love, are willing to put themselves out there for others, I can always call any of them and they won’t ask why I need them, they will just say “I’m on my way.” Take My Car Husband for instance; he has been there for me in my darkest hours. He’s given me free access to his home when I felt that I had nowhere else to go. He’s give me car advice every time I’ve called and sadly sometimes that’s the only reason I call him lately… He even gave me his truck one week while my car was in his buddies shop getting fixed and carpooled to work with his wife though they didn’t work on the same schedule most days. He’s a big guy that could scare about anyone if he wanted to, but to those that know him, he’s a huge teddy bear that will do anything for those that he loves.
Then there is Mr Perfect. He’s not perfect, because lets face it, none of are, but he’s pretty darn close. He is smart, adventurous, attractive, not willing to change who he is for anyone, and willing to help just about anyone in need. He is the guy that I have literally called to do the craziest things for me and he’s never said no. He’s helped me move a friend that he personally didn’t care for, but did because I asked. He came to my rescue when the guy I was crushing on was coming over to my house for “movie night” and I needed at least one other guy there since it was just going to be me, the crush and a girl friend and it just seemed like it was going to be awkward. I called Mr Perfect in hysterics and he just said “fine, I’m on my way.” He’s also stayed by my side when the latest guy in my life showed up at an event and I did not want to see him since we had recently had a harsh break up. Mr Perfect just sat by my side and kept me talking and even found ways for me to get away when I needed to. He’d be the prefect boyfriend if only we were into each other that way…I wonder why I don’t like him like that…hmmm…
Oh, and I have to tell you about Puppy! Now this one is amusing. Puppy is 11 years younger than me and like the little brother I never had. We call him Puppy because he has a tendency to fall into puppy love with girls. He also has a thing for cougars but that has nothing to do with why he’s on the good guys list. He’s on the list because he has a huge heart and puts it out there for everyone to see. He is always there for me with a hug, kind word, or threats to beat up any guy that may hurt me. He’s a hopeless romantic that I find myself envying and pitying all in the same breath. In some ways he’s more of a girl than me when it comes for the endless quest for love. I wish he could find a good girl his own age that would let him dote on her the way he wants to dote on all girls. I will make a good prince charming for some girl some day when he grows up. Right now, he needs to focus on college rather than his crush that I fear will only break his heart over and over again.
I could go on and on with all the good guys I’ve known but I fear you will be bored with all my babbling. I just want to make sure we all take a minute to remember that not everyone out there will break our hearts. I personally need to be reminded of this regularly or else I am very likely to become a bitter young woman and none of us wants that!
As a good, yet cynical friend recently told me; all men can be a jerk, but then again so can us girls. Stop, look, listen…there is something good there in all of us.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
This one time, when life was so not average!
This one time, when I finally figured out how to golf…
This one time, when I had race cars come at me from all different directions...
This one time, when I really thought a tornado was going to get me…
This one time when I finally got to taste bootleg rye whiskey…
This one time, when our hotel flooded…
This one time, when my life was so not average!
The weekend started out in a relatively average way with movie night with some co-workers. Saturday morning came early but it was still an average drive to the golf course in an average little Iowa town 3 hours away. The golf tournament was also pretty average until a friend started giving me tips, suddenly it wasn’t average anymore! I learned years ago the sure fire way to hit the ball straight almost every time, but now I can hit it straighter and further with a lot more consistency. I also improved my short game and may finally be able to resemble a real golfer! When I join the Women’s PGA, I’m bring B along as my coach!
After golfing we hopped in the car and headed off to an even more average, smaller Iowa town to the figure 8 races which are run by the local chapter of the young professionals group I belong to. I have never been to a race before and I had no idea what I was about to experience! As visiting State Board members, we were immediately escorted out onto the platform in the middle of the track to watch the races. If you have never been to a figure 8 race, you’re probably wondering how this could be all that big of an experience. Well let me draw you a picture. The track itself is really not that big, the width of the lane is about the size of a small gravel road or a bit wider than a regular single lane of an interstate. The entire track is mud, this time it was pretty packed down and kind of dryish, but I was told it is usually really muddy and slippery. From one end of the figure 8 to the other is a quarter mile and the distance is a half mile per lap. During each race, there are 8 cars on the track I believe, don’t quote me on that though! They are slipping and sliding all over the place as they speed around this mess. When the first race started, my eyes had to have been the size of dinner plates! I didn’t know which way to look; I couldn’t take it all in fast enough! All I keep thinking was, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! I was sure they would slam into each other any second or one would go up off the track and take out our little wooden platform that I stood in the middle of turning in circles trying to see everything at once. It was a total sensory overload!
After the races were shut down abruptly due to a storm coming in, we got off the track to find out that it wasn’t just a severe thunderstorm but rather a tornado warning. We didn’t notice, but off in the distance the sky was as dark as midnight and the wind started picking up fast. We decided to head over to the hotel to check in and see what was going on. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, the police officer that was directing traffic was shouting at the top of his lungs “TAKE COVER!” We sped up and raced down the road to the hotel and around back and came to a stop in the middle of the parking lot. My friend tells us to get out and as I get out of the car, the dust from the parking lot is blowing up into my face, I turn to my friend and tell her to get out of the car. There may have been a few explicit words in there too as my panic set in and I didn't want to leave my friend behind to park the car. I fear what I may have seen if I had looked up at that moment. We ran into the hotel and straight down the stairs to the basement. I was sure the windows were going to blow in any second and we were all going to be taken off to Oz with Toto. I tried desperately to call my brother so that someone would know where I was at since really no one, except those I was with, knew that I was in this little town in the middle of no where! After an hour or so of some intense storms we sat back and breathed finally feeling safe that we weren’t going to meet the Lollipop Gang any time too soon.
As we sat in the basement of the hotel, the owners were handing out beers and we all were starting to relax and getting to know the other guests. One of my friends, not a beer drinker, passed on the beers they keep offering and when they asked what she drank, she casually mentioned that her drink of choice was Templeton Rye (a rye whiskey made in rural Iowa). Awhile later one of the owner’s comes over to us and asks who the Templeton drinkers are and we both step forward. He lead us into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Captain Morgan. At first I was wondering what he was doing; maybe he’d already had a few too many beers? He proceeded to pour both of us a glass and handed it over, I casually sniffed the amber liquid in my glass and smiled when I realized this really was Templeton, but not just any Templeton, it was the kind I had never had but heard legends of. The reason the owner kept this particular Templeton in a Captain bottle was because it was never meant to be sold, it’s the bootleg stuff that you only get if you know the right person! This is the kind of stuff that you would have once upon a time, had to have known the secret knock to get any.
After the highs and lows of a long day, I finally hit the hay around 12:30am only to be woken up an hour later by the sounds of frantic movements in the room next door and in the hallway. I got up to see what was going on and found the owner and one of my friends grabbing buckets and starting to bail out the furnace room. Before long, water was seeping into the basement from all the outside walls. A guest room at one end of the basement had water coming out from under the door and when we finally woke up the occupants, the room had over 2 inches of water in it! We helped the owners bail water, hall what we could up stairs or piled it up high and did everything we could to save what we could. There were several moments of “oh god, what’s the point;” but we kept going. Finally around 4am we made a make shift bed for ourselves on the floor of the lobby and got a few hours of much needed sleep. In the morning, we were glad to find that the owners and their family had gotten a little sleep as well and that the basement was free of standing water! We were all so happy we had been there to help them save their property!
Later that day, when I finally got home, I crashed quickly and slept for nearly 14 hours! We had been through so much with such little time to decompress. Oh how I loved my bed that night!
I can now say though, that my life became a lot less average after this past weekend! Oh holy buckets! If I ever say that my life is dull again, please remind me of this particular 24 hour time period; yeah that wasn’t dull or boring at all!!!!
This one time, when I had race cars come at me from all different directions...
This one time, when I really thought a tornado was going to get me…
This one time when I finally got to taste bootleg rye whiskey…
This one time, when our hotel flooded…
This one time, when my life was so not average!
The weekend started out in a relatively average way with movie night with some co-workers. Saturday morning came early but it was still an average drive to the golf course in an average little Iowa town 3 hours away. The golf tournament was also pretty average until a friend started giving me tips, suddenly it wasn’t average anymore! I learned years ago the sure fire way to hit the ball straight almost every time, but now I can hit it straighter and further with a lot more consistency. I also improved my short game and may finally be able to resemble a real golfer! When I join the Women’s PGA, I’m bring B along as my coach!
After golfing we hopped in the car and headed off to an even more average, smaller Iowa town to the figure 8 races which are run by the local chapter of the young professionals group I belong to. I have never been to a race before and I had no idea what I was about to experience! As visiting State Board members, we were immediately escorted out onto the platform in the middle of the track to watch the races. If you have never been to a figure 8 race, you’re probably wondering how this could be all that big of an experience. Well let me draw you a picture. The track itself is really not that big, the width of the lane is about the size of a small gravel road or a bit wider than a regular single lane of an interstate. The entire track is mud, this time it was pretty packed down and kind of dryish, but I was told it is usually really muddy and slippery. From one end of the figure 8 to the other is a quarter mile and the distance is a half mile per lap. During each race, there are 8 cars on the track I believe, don’t quote me on that though! They are slipping and sliding all over the place as they speed around this mess. When the first race started, my eyes had to have been the size of dinner plates! I didn’t know which way to look; I couldn’t take it all in fast enough! All I keep thinking was, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD! I was sure they would slam into each other any second or one would go up off the track and take out our little wooden platform that I stood in the middle of turning in circles trying to see everything at once. It was a total sensory overload!
After the races were shut down abruptly due to a storm coming in, we got off the track to find out that it wasn’t just a severe thunderstorm but rather a tornado warning. We didn’t notice, but off in the distance the sky was as dark as midnight and the wind started picking up fast. We decided to head over to the hotel to check in and see what was going on. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, the police officer that was directing traffic was shouting at the top of his lungs “TAKE COVER!” We sped up and raced down the road to the hotel and around back and came to a stop in the middle of the parking lot. My friend tells us to get out and as I get out of the car, the dust from the parking lot is blowing up into my face, I turn to my friend and tell her to get out of the car. There may have been a few explicit words in there too as my panic set in and I didn't want to leave my friend behind to park the car. I fear what I may have seen if I had looked up at that moment. We ran into the hotel and straight down the stairs to the basement. I was sure the windows were going to blow in any second and we were all going to be taken off to Oz with Toto. I tried desperately to call my brother so that someone would know where I was at since really no one, except those I was with, knew that I was in this little town in the middle of no where! After an hour or so of some intense storms we sat back and breathed finally feeling safe that we weren’t going to meet the Lollipop Gang any time too soon.
As we sat in the basement of the hotel, the owners were handing out beers and we all were starting to relax and getting to know the other guests. One of my friends, not a beer drinker, passed on the beers they keep offering and when they asked what she drank, she casually mentioned that her drink of choice was Templeton Rye (a rye whiskey made in rural Iowa). Awhile later one of the owner’s comes over to us and asks who the Templeton drinkers are and we both step forward. He lead us into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of Captain Morgan. At first I was wondering what he was doing; maybe he’d already had a few too many beers? He proceeded to pour both of us a glass and handed it over, I casually sniffed the amber liquid in my glass and smiled when I realized this really was Templeton, but not just any Templeton, it was the kind I had never had but heard legends of. The reason the owner kept this particular Templeton in a Captain bottle was because it was never meant to be sold, it’s the bootleg stuff that you only get if you know the right person! This is the kind of stuff that you would have once upon a time, had to have known the secret knock to get any.
After the highs and lows of a long day, I finally hit the hay around 12:30am only to be woken up an hour later by the sounds of frantic movements in the room next door and in the hallway. I got up to see what was going on and found the owner and one of my friends grabbing buckets and starting to bail out the furnace room. Before long, water was seeping into the basement from all the outside walls. A guest room at one end of the basement had water coming out from under the door and when we finally woke up the occupants, the room had over 2 inches of water in it! We helped the owners bail water, hall what we could up stairs or piled it up high and did everything we could to save what we could. There were several moments of “oh god, what’s the point;” but we kept going. Finally around 4am we made a make shift bed for ourselves on the floor of the lobby and got a few hours of much needed sleep. In the morning, we were glad to find that the owners and their family had gotten a little sleep as well and that the basement was free of standing water! We were all so happy we had been there to help them save their property!
Later that day, when I finally got home, I crashed quickly and slept for nearly 14 hours! We had been through so much with such little time to decompress. Oh how I loved my bed that night!
I can now say though, that my life became a lot less average after this past weekend! Oh holy buckets! If I ever say that my life is dull again, please remind me of this particular 24 hour time period; yeah that wasn’t dull or boring at all!!!!
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