¾ of a million people can’t be wrong, Top Gun and ChiliFest

I realize my weekly wrap up is running a bit late this week.  So many things to wrap my head around! I have some pretty exciting news as I write this but you’re going to have to wait until the end because I’m an OCD girl that’s all about chronological order. 

You know those friends that you don’t get to see often enough? You’ve been through everything together over the last 20 years including college, boys, friendships, hardships, deaths, laughter and some of the best memories in the world.  And then life happens.  People move, get married, have babies, careers, you name it.  But it doesn’t matter if you see each other once a year or once a week.  They will always be a VIP in your heart.  Friday night I was blessed to have dinner with two of my “oldies but goodies” and a new addition.  It wasn’t the O.P. on the hill in Cedar Falls but I did get to meet up with Molly and Sara at Saints Jordan Creek.  As well as Sara’s beautiful daughter Ava.  I mean, seriously, how cute is this kid? She melted my cold, black heart all over the place.  I could’ve spent hours watching  her and dancing with my little pumpkin. Please ignore my wrinkles and focus on the ponytailed darling on my lap. 

 Saturday was a straight riot. I don’t have any better words for it than that.  Volley’s hosted an 80’s themed sand volleyball tournament.  Although I wasn’t released by the doctor to play, I was there watching, cheering as “Coach Hollywood”.  Oh yes, our team went as Top Gun.  Wife beaters, cutoff jeans, aviators, dog tags and all.  Even though we didn’t take 1^st place, it was a great day with Viper, Slider, Maverick, Iceman, Goose and Charlie, AKA Mel, Lukas, Drew, Brian, Tom and Misty.  We scored extra points when we serenaded the bar manager with an epic rendition of "You've lost that loving feeling". After the tourney we were joined by more friends and had a wonderful BBQ at Lukas’s casa.  I laughed, I cried, I’m proud that I didn’t hurl after 20 hours of partying with the BeaverCrew.  You know it’s an epic night when your BFF is trying to climb into your attic at 4 in the morning because he’s SURE there is a hobo living up there.  What the hell, right?

Needless to say Sunday was pretty much a total loss of productivity.  But I did cap off the night grilling and chilling around the firepit with Ben after he made me dinner.  Does anyone else go into what I like to call the “fire trance”? I swear when I’m staring at a fire I lose all functions and just sit there in a trance, possibly drooling and sleeping with my eyes open.  It was relaxation at its finest to end my weekend. 

Tuesday night was the first edition of BeaverCrew Chili Fest 2016. The name pretty much speaks for itself.  Chili with all the fixings with Mel, Misty, Lukas, Ryan, Brian, Summer and Ben.  Recipes for the baked grill cheese and chili bar can be found on my Testing Trendy 1, 2, 3 blog.  We stuffed our faces, partook in some adult beverages and played Cards Against Humanity.    

Speaking of that other little blog I write…let me start with my day. I would say it’s safe to say my face at work today was reminiscent of the now famous Michael Phelps picture from the Olympics.  99% of the time I love my job.  Today was not one of those days. I had to keep reminding myself to stop scowling or I was going to get more wrinkles. 

I was cleared to go back to training tonight which was wonderful! It was so great to sweat with Trainer Ben and Molly.  Well, Trainer Ben couldn’t do much with us as he flipped his bike Sunday night and has something like 36 stitches all over his body.  Dudes a champ though. I would still be in the fetal position on the trail crying.  Anyway, I get home from training after working out some much needed aggression and frustration and see that Testing Trendy has hit a major milestone.  This blog I started awhile back with Pinterest Experiments hit 750,000 VIEWS TONIGHT! That’s right, people.  Three quarter of a MILLION views. Not gonna lie, I teared up a bit with pride at the accomplishment of this labor of love and passion of mine.  I want to give a very special and heartfelt thank you to anyone that has followed the blog, put up with tasting my experiments and supported my crazy ideas. I realize that Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray are not shaking in their boots fearing I’m going to take over their world but for a lady from small town Iowa that just loves to write and cook and share with friends, it’s a pretty big deal to me.  Next stop? A cool ONE MILLION (said in a terrible Austin Powers voice).  #fearless40

 

Please keep your hands inside the ride at all times

It has been one helluva week! Life sometimes resembles a scary yet thrilling rollercoaster and I rode that beast all week long. 

Monday night Molly and I started back with our personal training.  That was very scary after a few years without having someone boss me around for workouts.  And it wasn’t Scott we were training with which also led to some fear.  But I am happy to report that it was awesome and we love our new trainer, Ben.  There’s nothing quite like the endorphins of a great sweat fest.  I’m looking forward to my Monday and Thursday nights in the gym with Ben and Molly the next 25 weeks.  Like we always say, Motivate, Dominate, Destroy! MDD, baby!

Tuesday night Ben and I went to the I-Cubs game to enjoy some baseball.  It was so hot I thought my face was gonna melt off.  Although they got their butts handed to them by OKC, the company was great and it was nice to be outside enjoying some baseball. 

Wednesday I found out my celebrity love, Eric Church, will be doing a show in Des Moines in January.  Can you say so excited I almost piddled my pants? Also on Wednesday, my new tripod and remote came in for my ipad.  I can't wait to start filming some videos! 

Monday and Tuesday were the top of the rollercoaster.  What goes up, must come down.  And that it did.  Thursday morning I was at the office talking to Ashley when suddenly it felt like a Paul Bunyon size lumberjack had just buried an ax into my back.  I’ve never felt pain like that.  I thought if I could catch my breath it the pain would stop shooting down my body in a few moments.  But it did not. The pain continued to surge from my shoulder blades to my lower back.  It was terrible and terrifying.  I was trying to keep calm and wish the pain away but it was only getting worse.  Through my tears I told Ashley I needed help.  My amazing co-workers jumped into action and soon I was surrounded by Principal security, EMT’s and firefighters.  My blood pressure, which is usually perfect had seared to 180/120. The pain wasn’t subsiding. They strapped me to a gurney and took me out.  I have never been so embarrassed in my life as my friends and people in my department watched the drama unfold.  This was to be my first ambulance ride.  And hopefully my last!! The first EMT tried putting in an IV and blew right through the vein in my left arm.  The second EMT came through like a champ.  Soon I was being poked, prodded, covered in stickers and cords and shot full of pain killers.  Even through my pain killer fog, panic started setting in at the hospital as the doctor, nurses and EMT’s were using phrases like heart attack, blood clot, collapsed lung…

They drew more blood. Did an EKG. Chest x-rays.  Took more blood.  I was hooked up to more machines with stickers and human jumper cables.  More pain meds.  I couldn’t stop crying.  The pain was unbearable and I was scared out of my mind.  Soon Ashley and my leader Lucy showed up in my room. It helped calm me down to see their faces.  They were a wonderful distraction.  Bob and Ben came as well. Even in a hospital gown with tears streaming down my face and drugs racing through my veins, I was grateful for my absolutely amazing support system.  I simply could not ask for better people in my life.  Even my EMT buddy stopped by to check on me and give me a fist bump. 

I am happy to report that it was not a heart attack, stroke, blood clot or collapsed lung.  They aren’t sure what caused three hours of the pain in my back but at least we ruled out the scary words.  Eventually they released me from the hospital high on flexoral and hydrocodone.  I could hardly keep my eyes open as Bob drove me to get prescriptions, lunch and then took me home to rest.  I slept for nearly 20 hours off and on.  I don’t know if it was exhaustion or the drugs but my bed was my best friend until Friday afternoon. 

Friday, August 12^th.  Every year the 12^th is an emotional day for me and my family.  The anniversary of Kirk’s death. Hard to believe it’s been seven years.  I still think about him almost every day.  

I had made plans to go to dinner with my aunt, uncle, cousin and some friends that night.  We were going to my favorite restaurant, O’Hanas.  I knew that it was right where I needed to be on a day like this.  And the best part was that Brian had returned to Des Moines.  It’s hard to go a month without seeing your best friend.  He joined us for dinner and all was right in the world again as we caught up on the last few weeks and his trip to Alaska. 

 Saturday I skipped my plans to go to Lake Rathbun. Wasn’t sure I should be two hours from home with how I had been feeling the last few days.  Instead, I hungout with Ben and a buddy of his that was visiting from out of town.  We watched the cubs, enjoyed some OP pizza, talked and laughed for hours.  Brian joined us and we all relaxed in the hot tub.  Should I have gone to bed before the sun came up? Of course.  Does my body do well on three hours of sleep? Not so much.  Was it worth it? Absolutely. 

This morning was brunch with the Beavercrew on a patio in the sunshine. I can’t think of a better way to wrap up the week than laughing with those hooligans.  

To everyone that called, text or messaged me their prayers and concern, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  I am one lucky girl to have so much love around me.  #fearless40 #inittowinit #IVsarethedevil #whydoibruiselikethis? 

The little things

It would be easy in this current environment and society to become bleak and bitter.  I don’t even turn on the news anymore and my social media feeds are clogged with political agendas and arguments on whose lives matter.  Just my humble opinion but ALL lives matter, no more or no less than any others.  Maybe it’s a pipe dream but I want to live in a world full of love and peace.  I don’t think it’s that crazy to believe it’s possible.  I may not be a big church goer but I do believe in basic commandments of loving and respecting each other.  Get it together, humanity!

So what can one human do? Simply love and respect the people around them.  And appreciate the little things.  That was my theme for the week. Little things that bring me joy.  Cheering on my friends at sand volleyball and feeling the warm sun upon my face.  Remembering how much I love the sport.  Sharing laughs on a patio with people I cherish.  Pictures of my nephews being goofy.  A dinner with friends, old and new, that turned into a full night of shenanigans, margaritas, dancing with the wait staff and entertaining the people at tables around us with our contagious energy.  Dancing with a stranger to a country song.  Facing my fear of pushing my limits and signing up for personal training again with Molly for the first time in 3 years with a new trainer at a different gym.  Sitting in a driveway staring at the stars and getting to know someone as the aroma of ribeye wafts off the grill.  Making dinner for my friends on a Saturday night.  Taking a day off of work to do nothing but focus on me.

Do you get the theme here? Laughter.  Good people. Small moments that make beautiful memories.  This is what life should be about, in my opinion.  If people spent half their energy focusing on themselves and happiness and less about what Joe Bob down the street is doing or saying, maybe we all could find a little more peace at night.  I know I’ve been going to bed with a smile on my face. 

That’s enough for my soap box.  Another great week in the books.  I must admit this #fearless40 thing is right up my alley. Of course we will see how #fearless I feel after my first night back at training which starts in about an hour.  Gulp.  I kid.  Although slightly terrified, I’m excited for another step towards my goals and making myself a better person today than I was yesterday.  That’s really all we can do. Be better.  Be happy.  Every day.   

What. A. Week.

This week was crazy and busy, but so wonderful.  Tuesday night I got to meet up with some of my favorite ladies for dinner.  Kara, Melody, Caitlyn and I went to Jethroni Pepperoni in Altoona.  The pizza (we tried the Meatza Pizza) was delicious.  The company was amazing. I love laughing with those ladies. 

Wednesday night was Bob’s birthday and we celebrated with dinner at Chicago Speakeasy.  It was a blast.  Although I’m not sure the other customers had as much fun as we did.  We got some strange looks but that’s pretty normal for our group. 

Friday my friend Dawn and I roadtripped to Sioux City for the Brandy Clark and Chris Stapleton concert.  Wow! It’s very rare that you hear someone in concert sound just as good or better than they do on the radio.  What a musician! If you have a chance to see him, do not hesitate to do it! I could listen to him for hours.  Mindblown.

Saturday was the annual pool party at Katie and Jamie’s.  Those ladies know how to throw amazing get togethers.  Everyone had a blast. And I even got the DJ to play some Eric Church.  Winning.  Unfortunately, I lost my keys in the madness of the evening.  Waiting for a call back from Uber to see if I left them in the car by chance.  Fingers crossed. 

Today was a BBQ with the BeaverCrew.  Needless to say this week rocked but holy cow am I exhausted.  I’m gonna pull a senior citizen and go to bed shortly.  Yes, the suns still out.  No, I don’t care.

Puppies and play-doh

I may be an old lady but I still feel like I learn something new every day.  Today’s lesson? Onions can be very dangerous for puppies.  I knew you were supposed to keep chocolate away from dogs.  But I had no idea that grapes, raisins, garlic and onions were bad news too.  This is Bart. 

Bart is my cousin Nicole’s 12 week old puppy which they lovingly refer to as the “piranha puppy” because he eats everything in sight.  Today he got into the garden while I was visiting and chowed down an onion.  Bad, Bart.  Nicole took him to the pet vet ER and I stayed with her 5 and 8 year old daughters.   For a creative type, I’m not very good with play-doh. This was my design, while they made lattice pies and pyramids, I stuck to basic shapes.  Sadly, art was never my thing.  Although I did use one of the animal design cutters to make a polar bear and send a picture to BK in honor of his current Alaskan adventure.  He thought it was a coca-cola bear…

It’s a pretty awesome Saturday when you get to snuggle with this face and the girls make you cards to tell you they love you and wish you could live with them.  Such cutie pies.  

I have to admit it was nice to have a weekend where I wasn't flying or driving anywhere.  June 3rd was my last free weekend.  October 1st is my next one.  Maybe my nickname should be changed from Lucy to Gone Girl...

I was able to move some of my projects from to-do to the "doing" and "done" columns.  Weekend at home for the win!!! 

Family, fun and fireworks

Saturday was another great day at the lake.  Only downfall is that my back looks like I have chicken pox from the mosquito bites.  We went into the woods to show Sissy an old foundation and saw mill and the mosquitos swarmed and attacked.  For whatever reason, those little jerks love me.  Probably because I’m so sweet…

We took Grandma on a boat and gator ride.  Grandpa was busy fishing most of the day. Broke out the paddle boat and kayak.  

And of course, there was four wheeling.

For dinner we feasted on fish and followed that up with some fireworks. 

It’s always hard to drive away from that little slice of heaven in Wisconsin but I was happy to get home to my bed last night!