Wordless Wednesday

This is what happens when you leave your coffee on the counter as you rush to work....

You would think I was treating a friend to coffee. Uh, no. These are both for me.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Timing: For Better or For Worse...

With all the momentum I have gathered for posting during this 31DBBB Challenge I cannot believe that I am about to say I may be taking a few days off!

I have a fantastic excuse though and if you were in my shoes, you would realize that it isn't really an excuse, it is something that just is.

I will be spending time with family and  relatives near and far for the next few days as we gather to celebrate 50 years of wedded bliss between my mother-in-law and father-in-law. I absolutely adore my in-laws and cannot relate to those that tell stories with a roll of the eye. That is not to say I don't chuckle at stories that I hear...but I know that I am in the camp of the lucky few.

I will be catching quick computer time here and there, but probably will not post until the weekend.

I am looking forward to sharing some great stories with you!

Going From "You Are Doing It!" to I Did It!

I was out of my saddle, dancing on the pedals. This was steep. My heart rate was not quite maxed, but it was close. I pass a woman wearing a visor walking along side her mountain bike. Her friend just a few feet in front of her was doing the same exact thing. As I turn the pedals over, huffing and puffing, I hear over my right shoulder as I go by, her words of encouragement: "You are doing it!" I think: you know, you are right. I am. I am about to crest a hill that has put the fear of god in me for years. In fact, I have only descended this snotty thing and continued down the road purposely to avoid having to turn around and go back up. I've never climbed it.

You want to know something corny? I cried. It wasn't as bad as I built it up to be. I mean, it wasn't easy, and I let out a gasping "Holy Sh@#!" when reaching the top, but I was really proud of conquering what I thought would be scary. Actually, what scared me was having to get off my bike and walk it up like "visor" lady. One, because I would have been mad at myself for doing so and second; it's really hard to walk in bike shoes with cleat clips on the bottom. 

I talked about the "granny" gear in a previous post and I have to admit, that I did pay her a visit to help me up the hill. I was totally fine with it. For today.

Today is Day 8 of my 31DBBB Challenge and many of the other bloggers that I have been reading and connecting with seem to share that same bit of excitement of making it through the first week. This has been a great opportunity to work through some of the fears and trepidations of being a "new" kid on the block with the help and words of encouragement from seasoned bloggers- who I must say are a wonderfully supportive group!

To the anonymous "visor" woman, who so freely gave me the little "push" through her perfectly timed words to keep going, Thank you.

To everyone reading and leaving comments,Thank you.

To my fellow blogging friends who are part of this fantastic challenge: It may get hard and it may get scary at times, but

We are doing it!

 

"Niche"-a-Whaa?

Day 3 & 4 of #31DBBB Challenge

Day 3 of my blog challenge through SITS was to expand how I market my blog posts. Since I mainly use Facebook and Twitter, I gave Technorati, Stumble Upon and Digg a try. I swam in the FAIL pond for a while; I just couldn't figure them out. Then, I happened to see a chat on the SITS community on Blog Frog discussing a site called Kirsty. Bingo! I linked my last post very easily and took a dip in the YAY pond. Whew! Challenge 3 complete.

Day 4 was asking us to study a blog in our "niche". Overwhelm much? Yeah, that task is like saying "go into a candy store and pick out something sweet." Honestly, I have no clue what "niche" I fit into. Sports? Mommy Blog? Humor? Parenting? All of them? So, I visited a few blogging friends that have been kind enough to leave a comment. All I can say is WOW. So many good sites out there-and I only scratched the surface! What I learned from this task is that I am still such a newbie in the techie world and I  think I need to do some upgrades to my blog. Maybe tabs at the top to organize different posts, create a Facebook fan page (gulp!), create a disclosure statement and a marketing plan. If I want some things off my Blog Bucket List, then I think these should be on my radar.

So what sites did I check out? Here are two that stand out:

Making it Work Mom : A mom like me.

Soldierette : One cool chick.

Heather, from Making it Work Mom actually emailed me (she got a head start on task 5!) and asked if I would link a post for her. When I opened that email, I thought 'why didn't I think of that?!' I read her post and fell in love with her writing style and was quick to become a follower. We seem to have a lot in common; we are both working moms outside the home, have a hectic family life and seem to have the same "battles" with our teenage daughters! I would say that the only thing we may not have in common (yet) is the love of a hockey rink. I spend 3 days a week, 7 months out of the year in a hockey rink for speedskating and she is on the cusp of being a "Hockey Mom".  She will learn to love them too. I am so glad that Heather contacted me. Come to find out, she is now following my blog too! Thanks Heather!

Day 5 is today and we are to "email a blog reader." This will be fun! Are you a reader? Do you follow my blog? If yes, welcome and thanks!! If no, why not? What are you waiting for?! Join in on the fun!

Off to emails!

My Blog Bucket List

Day 2 of the SITS, ProBlogger & Blog Frog '31 Days to Build a Better Blog' Challenge:

Today's task: "Write a list post."

Write a list?  I have a confession to make:

My name is Kelly, and I am a LIST-aholic.

If I can find a piece of paper, envelope, napkin, heck anything to write on, and can make columns of things to check or cross off, I am on it! Wish lists, chore list, grocery list, Christmas list. I even make a list of what I am going to pack in a suitcase so I can check it off as it goes in my bag. To write this post, I made a LIST!

As I began writing, I realized that the one list that I have not created (yet) is a 'Bucket List'. Can you believe it? I can't. I mulled that over and thought how can I tie that into this task. The reason this is created is so that you can make a list of all the things you want to do, see or experience before you 'kick the bucket'.

I am not wishing the demise of my blog, quite the opposite; but why not make a Blog Bucket List? Using the same principle, create a list of goals that I would like to accomplish with my blog. Start out with a few and as with any list, I can add or change as things are crossed off.

Here goes:

1. Grow Readership & Followers- My goal is to have 500 followers. I don't know why I picked this number, but it seems like a good one. To have my blog grow in this way, well, would be great.

2. Increase Comments: Have folks get to know eachother on my blog by sharing discussions.

3. Find a Sponsor/Advertiser

4. Get Paid to Write- Working off number 3...

**Dreaming Lottery Dreams Here**

5. Travel because of my blog- To cover sporting events? How cool would that be to write about the Tour de France (even one stage) IN France? Specialized, Trek, Cannondale, Nike, are you listening?

I'm sure if I sat here long enough, I could think of more, but this is a good start.

What would be on your Blog Bucket List?

Let me know!

Going UP!

I have signed up with hundreds of other bloggers to take part in the 31-Day ProBlogger and The Secret is in the Sauce Build a Better Blog Challenge. 31 daily tasks to complete. Today is Day 1.

I am always up for a challenge...but this one is really making my head hurt! I even poured myself a glass of wine and it is STILL sitting next to me...not even touched.

My assignment for today? Write an "Elevator Pitch". I thought it would be easy to do, but guess what?

It is not.

It doesn't help that I am totally distracted watching the Tour de France...Andy Schleck just popped his chain and Alberto Contodor just attacked. I already know the outcome of today's stage, but to watch it unfold on the road, well, is just...just not right. Karma can really suck AC, so watch out. AS is now marking you. He likes the color yellow and he wants it back.

One thing I did learn while preparing my pitch...I am more than "just a mom blog", I am a mom blog that showcases the love of sports and how to balance the active family life with every day life.

Hmmm, I think I may be on to something here....

Wordless Wednesday ::Coffee Talk

Only a few more days until I am back with my coffee buddy,

Kim.

I miss her every day.

Learning the Ropes

This weekend my husband and I planned a family outing to the Adirondack Mountains for a little climbing-only not by way of our normal hiking trails, but rather in the trees! That’s right; we went ‘Extreme’, Adirondack style and enjoyed a day full of thrills at the ADK Extreme Adventures, located in Bolton Landing, NY.

ADK Extreme is a place nestled in the woods just off exit 24 on the Northway providing those who travel here a chance to get a “monkey” –eyed view of the forest by completing a set of obstacles tethered high in the trees by cables. They offer five different “rope” courses, each becoming progressively higher off the ground and more difficult to maneuver. It is a great place to test your will, strength and determination all in a safe and structured environment with guides constantly at the ready to either talk you through your fear, or if need be, help you back to the ground.

Reservations are strongly recommended and after showing up for our scheduled 9:00am start time, I soon began to see why. This place was hopping! It also was a major plus that their website offered two coupons; one could be used first thing in the morning and one at a twilight session. We chose the morning session saving $10.00 per person - a BIG savings. The catch with this coupon deal-it is only good for the 8:30 or 9:00am time slot. We are early risers, so that was not an issue.

Soon after we received  harnesses our group moved over to the first course so the guides could “teach us the ropes” so to speak. We learned how to safely clip ourselves to the safety cable, how to move from each obstacle to the platform surrounding the trees, learned how to set up and use our zip-line contraption and heard their strict warning policy. If you are caught not clipped correctly, you receive a warning. If caught again, they take you out of the trees and you are done for the day. If you go beyond your comfort level and need to be “rescued”, meaning helped back to the ground, well then you are done for the day as well. After this briefing, we were sent to what I thought was the practice course to try out our new skills. You are set off to the practice course but what they don’t tell you is that this is the beginning of course one.

Did I mention that I can be paralyzed in my tracks due to my fear of heights? Can you see the terror in my eyes??

I learned quickly to focus on what was ahead of me and not to look down trying to follow that saying people say "Whatever you do, don't look down!" My son was the first to go through and he made it look easy. Then my daughter went and again, walked through the first course like a pro. Then came my turn; it took a little bit to find my footing on the moving log that was a first in a series of 8 that I needed to traverse. With my core engaged 150% trying to keep my balance, coupled with being so far off the ground (ok, I admit, I cheated and looked down) I was sweating buckets! I made it to the next platform and my husband would come up behind me and say “you are doing awesome, honey!” He could see the fear on my face.

I made it through course one.

Course two was a little more challenging. I found that my fear was turning more to focus and I began to feel a little more confident with wooden slat “bridges” that would move side to side with each step. The moving obstacles were challenging, but I felt comfortable doing them. That was until I came to what they called the “Tarzan Swing”, which was a rope that you had to swing across into a big net. For some reason, this is where my knees started to shake and I looked at my husband and said “I don’t know if I can do this.” He replied “Yes. You can.” I took a deep breath and leapt to what I was sure would be my doom. I grabbed the net and channeled my inner “Jack Black” the pirate and scaled it with ease.

I took another deep breath, this one drawn and exhaled with relief. The prize for my bravery? To clip in and ride a super long zip-line to the last obstacle of course two. This was the best (and my favorite) part of the course.

I felt a little apprehension to begin course three. At first I said no, that I was done, but after seeing my family ready to clip into another zip-line, I threw caution to the wind and yelled “wait up! I changed my mind. I’m going to do it.” With “Yay, Mom” still drifting in the air, I clipped into the zip-line and off I went. This course was higher and was full of moving logs, bridges and obstacles that sent me way out of my comfort zone. The last set of moving logs pulled something in my side and with each movement of trying to keep my balance it would send a message loud and clear “Hey! This hurts you know!” Thank goodness I was at the end and only a set of log poles to the finish.

When my feet were safely planted on the ground, I said “okay, now I’m done!” My husband and kids made their way to course four and up they went. I was so proud of them! They worked through the course with relative ease, however when finished, my daughter then said “okay, now I’m done!”

The boys decided that yes, they were going to attempt course number five, the hardest and most difficult. We wished them good luck and decided that we were going to go hit the cooler for a much needed drink and some lunch. We waited for about 45 minutes to an hour and finally heard  “Hi Guys!” We looked up and saw that my husband and son were getting ready to race on the last zip-line.

We met them in the lodge to return their harnesses. My son gave me a hug and said “I had to be rescued!” The boy who shows no fear got a big dose of it and repelled to safety after the first obstacle. My husband said that he did not know how he managed to get through the course and that we were wise to stop when we did. That was good to hear that my "Spidey Senses" were working for me to keep me on the ground and stop while I was ahead.

If you are looking for something fun and different to do with the family, I would highly recommend ADK Extreme Adventure. We all agreed that this was a blast and it was great to share encouragement and high five’s for a job well done.

We will definitely make a trip back.

Check it out!

ADK Extreme Adventure

** Plan on a full day. We started at 9:00am and pulled out of the parking lot around 2:00pm; a little under an hour for each course. Pack a lunch and sit in the great little picnic area, or on the spacious deck off the lodge. There is a small snack bar inside that sells the typical fare along with cameras if you forget yours.**

Le Tour de France, Revisited

I am going to share one of my favorite old posts. Believe it or not, this was written one year ago- to the day. It's Tour de France time again and I have been so caught up in all the crashes, that I have not had time to peel away from the tube to write about it! I have never seen so many riders "on the floor" as they say. It's crazy!

I love this time of year!

The following was written on July 9, 2009:

There is one month out of the whole year that my husband and I will agree on something to watch on TV. We enjoy a few series shows here and there, but for the most part don’t really watch the same shows. The exception comes as the calendar moves to the month of July.

The excitement in our house is palatable…an autographed water bottle from US Postal makes its way onto our mantel. An autographed Coors Light cycling team shirt drapes nearby. Outside, my garden is teeming with a variety of sunflowers ready to bloom their bright yellow heads and face the daily sun. It is time for the TV pilgrimage to France and a 3 week bike race that has us sitting on the edges of our seats and routing for our favorite riders as they race in the le Tour de France.

As I had mentioned in a previous post, I love sports. I have loved them for as long as I can remember. As a young girl I was fascinated by Ruffian and watched her tragic match race with Seattle Slew. I read everything I possibly could on how she was healing and I cried when she didn’t make it. I kept a huge poster of Secretariat, another great race horse above my bed. It was an awesome thing that looked like a headboard that went to the ceiling. This is what I looked at every night before going to bed- the muscles on this animal just amazed me.

I watched the Steelers or Cowboys play every Sunday. I watched Billy Jean King on the tennis courts. I even watched a little bit of the Indy 500. But my favorite time in front of the TV, barring Sunday night with Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and then the Wonderful World of Disney (I’m really dating myself here) was ABC Wide World of Sports. I loved whatever they were covering- it didn’t matter- skiing, tennis, track, boxing, weightlifting- all of it. Maybe it was hearing Howard Cosell’s voice or possibly the way Jim McKay always made you feel like he was sharing the athlete’s story with just you. I couldn’t get enough. Then one Sunday as a special broadcast, they covered the Tour de France. It was 3-weeks of the entire race combined into one hour of coverage. Basically, the highlights of the tour; however, it was still exciting to watch these guys flying on their bicycles through the little towns in France. I was hooked.

Then cable arrived. Coverage of the racing started to encompass more than just a day. If you were lucky to find an obscure channel, you might have been able to catch a week’s worth of racing. But then came OLN, or now called Versus. They not only cover every stage of the race, but they cover the entire stage with commentary! That is a good 2-3 hours of bike racing! And if you missed something, they repeat the coverage 2-3 times over the course of the day! We will be able to see great feats of athleticism like that of Secretariat or Ruffian and learn a new story of a cyclist that will break away from the group and race until their legs feel like rocks and their lungs feel as though they will burn out of their body at any moment.

So, I welcome July with the anticipation of watching greatness unfold on the roads in France, in the Pyrenees and Alps and ending in Paris. I will sit with butterflies in my stomach wondering how do they go through the throngs of crazy roadside spectators and will scream “will you get out of the way already?!” at the Viking helmet clad moron that is trying to run with the cyclist-OK, maybe living in a Winnebago on the side of a mountain for 3 days with nothing else to do but drink enables one to wear the helmet, but cheer standing still!

Wordless Wednesday

Only Two More Days Until The Weekend.....

Baseball and Kidneys?

Last week we enjoyed a night out with the kids and some dear friends. We decided to meet and take in a baseball game of our local farm team. I love going to baseball games...the atmosphere is fun and you just can't beat the sound of the bat cracking the ball out into center field!

The friends that joined us have been our amigos for about 20+ years and whenever we get together, it is always a great time....laughs, stories and more laughs. Tonight would be no exception.

Our seats were past the 1st base line...primo spots for foul balls. I started off the evening by saying "I'm listening, even though I may not be looking at you." because I would carefully watch each pitch thrown across the plate. I will say that it was a wise move on my part. As the night progressed, I witnessed a person catch a ball -(with their bare hand mind you!) that came whizzing past our heads. By the sound of the smack, I'm sure his palm stung for a while. I also saw the guy behind me take one straight to the gut. Good thing he had a lot of cushion (it was $1.00 hot dog night after all) because it just made a "thud" and rolled off.  There were plenty of other close calls but I lost count after 10.

Soon it was time for the Mascots to take to the field between each inning. We had the mayors of local towns race...the team Mascots raced kids around the bases..."Ketchup", "Relish" and "Mustard" raced down the baseline, "Mustard" being the winner that night. Remember, it was hot dog night! Then came the litte cars tossing out t-shirts to the crowd. We all stood up waving our hands....and two shirts were thrown our way...one landed in my hand and bounced behind my seat before I could close my grip. The next second, another was flying over my head and I could see our son out of the corner of my eye grabbing it out of the air. When I looked behind my seat, I could see my husand with one end of the t-shirt, playing tug-of-war with a little girl. He let go and said "Oh, you can have it" with a smile.

The best part came as my son unrolled his prize....expecting a t-shirt with the home team logo, we were all surprised to see that it instead read...
"Kidney Walk".....AND it was from 2009! This threw us all in a fit of laughter...are you kidding me? You couldn't spare a team t-shirt? The jokes started flying..."don't wear that on the black market, cuz they will walk!", "are you sure it doesn't have dotted lines on the back?" "why am I sitting in a tub full of ice?" all playing on those wild internet stories that people email to you. These jokes are off color and are not meant to offend anyone...(I have friends, yes plural, friends that have had transplants..so I am very aware of the serious nature and cause behind the shirt-they would have laughed too.)

It was a fun night and we look forward to our next game.

Maybe next time, we will change our seats.

Weddings, Weddings, Weddings....

My friend Alison got married a few weeks ago to a really great guy. She was an absolutely stunning bride and had that happy glow that seems to accompany a woman on her wedding day. I don't think I have ever seen her so relaxed and well, happy! Congrats my friend!

My cousin Olivia recently tied the knot in Vegas. This girl knows how to party...not only did she have a beautiful ceremony in Sin City, she also had a family party AND has another upcoming shin-dig to celebrate with those of us that couldn't make it to the ceremony. Again..another beautiful bride!

In a few weeks, I will be celebrating yet another wedding...only this one occured 50 years ago... two of my favorite people: my Mother-in-law and Father-in-law. I adore my inlaws and cannot wait to share this special milestone with them!

See what I mean? Another beauty, inside and out!

Goin' In Circles

Good morning!

I have been waiting for my laptop to figure itself out. What do I mean by that? Well, for almost a week now, I have tried to sign on to blog and read other blogs, but my friend just kept going in circles trying to connect itself...this morning it decided to join the party, so I am going to write as much as I can while it is in a good mood.

I went for a run this morning to help clear my head and for some reason it just didn't work. Too much going on upstairs, which is making things cloudy. In fact, while striding up a hill on mile 3, I couldn't even focus on a 'To-Do" list. All I could think about was why is it so freaking hot at 6:30 in the morning?

Hopefully, after my second cup of coffee (which I am savoring as I type), things will be a little less muddled and I can get some things done today.

Enjoy your July 4th...we have a hot one in my neck of the woods....