Berger's Burgers

The Cub scouts had their blue and gold banquet last month and we were all in charge of decorating a cake. I wanted ours to be unique so I did something a little different, and thanks to bakerella, I was able to pull off unique. We won a prize and the kids loved being able to decorate their little 'burgers'.

One of the kids at the banquet said "Oh, I get it...Berger's Burgers." We thought that was pretty funny.


Not sure how I'm going to top this next year...

Flattered

Today I took our van in to have the windshield looked at. It had a leak at the top, so every time we went to the car wash the water would trickle in on the inside.

I handed the keys over to the man working the counter and I took a seat. There was an older man, sitting across from me. He had humongous glasses on, and he too was waiting for his vehicle to receive a new windshield.

He kept looking at me funny, which made me feel funny. After a few awkward minutes, he finally said "Do you have your picture taken for these people?" I kinda laughed and said "No." Then he said, "Look behind you." I looked behind me and there was a picture of a girl that looked similar to me. He said "You are model worthy, are you sure that isn't you?" Then another customer chimed in and agreed (A young woman with a little boy).

I assured them that the picture was NOT of me, and that I had never had anyone pay me to take my picture.

While I don't believe I am "model worthy", as he put it, it felt good that he thought that I looked like the beautiful girl up on the wall.

Made my day actually.

Thanks man with the humongous glasses. That was very kind of you. I'm flattered.

Open Letter Series - Part One

I have a few beefs. As such, I figure I might as well address them, and what better place than a blog for the world to read?

This one is for the motorist(s) that I pass on the road when I am riding my bike.

Dear Motorist,

Yeah, you in the four-wheeled car that has a dash and a windshield. You who are sitting on a cushioned seat, and being shielded by the body of your precious vehicle. I want to talk to you today.

Did you know that you share the road? Did you know that the right shoulder of the road might possibly have a cyclist on it? Of course we ride the shoulder so that you can zoom around us, leaving us to brace our bikes so as to not fall over.

Did you know that when you pull up to an intersection, say with a STOP sign that you just MIGHT want to look BOTH WAYS? Maybe your intersection doesn't have a stop sign. Maybe you are on a side street that connects with a straightaway. Do you think you could possibly SLOW DOWN and look to see if there is someone coming? Say a bicyclist?

Is your "I'm bigger" mentality such that when you do look to the left you think you can pull out in front of said cyclist? Maybe you think your 5 mph pull-out will be faster than the 20 mph that I am riding on the shoulder. Let me tell you, it isn't faster. You'd be right to hang out for the extra 30 seconds that it takes me/us to pass your vehicle. It would save your heart rate, and mine/ours. Slamming on the brakes on a skinny-tired, fast-moving bicycle is not only uncomfortable, is sometimes causes a crash, and let me tell you - that not only hurts, it takes a LONG time to heal - physically and emotionally.

So, Mr./Mrs. Motorist (Avon Lady), next time you take to the road, remember you're not the only one on it.

Be considerate.
Stop at the stop sign.
AND

LOOK BOTH WAYS!

Slow down in the residential areas.

Not only are there children at play, there are folks like me getting a ride in.

Thanks for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Bicylist

Coach

(This picture has nothing to do with this post)

Last night we took the kids swimming.

Sydney has been BEGGING us to go swimming for months. We finally got our passes so we went for Family Home Evening.

Sydney is fearless. She'll do anything in the water.

Ryan on the other hand is petrified of the deep end. I think he must think that the Loch Ness Monster is down there just waiting to grab his foot an pull him under.

I spent a little while holding Ryan close to the deep end. I whispered in his ear and tried to get him to relax a little bit.

Brett convinced Ryan to swim to the opposite end of the pool, where he could stand. Shortly after, Sydney and I joined them.

Then the coaching began.

Ryan began telling Sydney, the fearless one, how to swim. He would say "Sydney, you move your arms like this, or you kick like this." I stood there and listened, and laughed. Where did he get this from? Mr. Coach who can tell someone what to do, but doesn't do it himself.

Then, this morning I was wakened at 1:27am. I didn't get back to sleep until after 5am, so a I had a long time to think. It was sometime in the wee hours of the morning that it came to me.

He gets the coaching from ME!

I can tell you how to prevent injury while running. I can tell you how to have a better stroke swimming, and how to fuel your body for endurance events. I can tell you how to rehabilitate after being injured (I've paid a few house payments for some physical therapists). I KNOW all of the stuff. I just don't do it all. Who knew I could have such an influence on him?

Made me realize that I need to do a lot less coaching and a lot more doing.

A Dash of Perspective

This morning was a stereotypical Monday morning.

It started out well.

Sydney climbed in bed with me to snuggle for a bit before it was time to get ready for school.

She read a book to me.

I got up and we started getting ready for the day.

Then the powers that be, whomever they are, decided that our Monday was starting on the RIGHT foot.

The tears came.

My frustration level began to rise, and I couldn't wait to get them out the door.

I told Syd that I was NOT going to help in her classroom because her behavior was such that it didn't merit me coming. (more crying) I don't like being treated like all I do is try to make my family's lives miserable. It's not a fun feeling.

Once the kids left for school I did my ritual site checking. I checked our family site, read the blogs I follow, etc.

It was then that I got a little dash of perspective.

My cousin's daughter, who is in the hospital, threw a surprise party for her mom.

Then my tears came.

I sometimes forget how wonderful my life is. We all sleep in the same house. We get up every morning, have breakfast, get ready for the day, all as a family.

So, I got myself ready, and went to the school. Syd didn't see me enter the classroom for quite some time and I didn't say anything for a while.

Then she heard my voice and smiled.

As I left, she blew me a kiss.

Defining Moments

For weeks I have gone over this post in my mind.

I've picked up the pieces of people with a lack of commitment.

I've taken a good hard look at my own life and what I can change to make myself a better person.

I've read nutrition books, scoured web sites over and over.

I've made a plan in my mind. It is ready to be put on paper and followed.

I've attempted to pin point the moments in my life that have shaped me into who I am today.

I am still learning.

Today my thoughts and actions bringing me to this point hardly matter.

This morning, Ryan climbed in bed with me. He was awaiting the celebration that he knew I had planned for him. I hadn't planned anything. A gift awaited him in my closet, but a celebration, I had none.

As I lay in bed with his head snuggled against my chest, I realized that a defining moment in my life had come 9 years earlier on this day.

Nine years ago, I lay in a hospital bed, in pain and anemic. My own blood was being transfused back into my body to make up for the 36 oz of marrow that had been taken from my hip. I hadn't slept well. There were problems with the processing of the marrow and we were praying for a miracle.

Early in the morning of March 2, we received the good news. The transplant was going forward, and a chance at life was about to be given to our family.


(Here it is. What was left of 36 oz of marrow - 3 coke cans worth - it is a miracle. It sustains life.)


We didn't know what the future held. We just knew that for this small moment our lives were being defined. A shape was beginning to form.

I hope that I never come to a point in my life where I have a loss of gratitude for the blessing my Heavenly Father has given me. I look back to the time we spent at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and it seems like a world away, yet there are moments when it enters my mind and my heart with clarity.

So today as I observe the world around me, I again thank God for the many defining moments in my life. Especially this one.