Life on the High Plains

Woohoo!!  Tomorrow is my last day in Wichita (for a while anyway).  I've been here for three weeks traveling back and forth every week.  I'm excited that my last commute home is tomorrow and I'm also excited that I have now accumulated 72,000 miles on United.  Hopefully Irv and I can use those miles to travel to Hawaii or back to Australia next year. So what am I doing in Wichita?  Since December 2008 I have spent five months here off an on working on the Next Generation Solution.  This is a new loan accounting system that "super" users are designing.  We basically sit in a room with programmers day after day designing how we want the system to work.  It may sound easy, but it's actually exhausting.  Making decision after decision about a system that not only affects you, but a thousand other users is a daunting task.  We hope we're making the right decisions.  The system was supposed to go into regression testing on Oct. 1st...

Did ya'll notice that I originally named this blog Falcons 16  Raiders 0?  Who the heck are the Falcons?  I meant Browns.  (Thanks JP for bringing this to my attention.) Since I'm editing this blog I'll go ahead and make a few comments about youth football.  When the police have to be called two weeks in a row because of parents that can't get along, there's a problem.  Mr. Beans told me he likes soccer....I agree with Mr. Beans. They won again on Saturday. One of the parents made a banner for them to run through. Here's a video of Shiloh playing defense.  He's #94.

Keira, the birthday girl on Sept. 17th.  We adopted Keira from the Humane Society.  We think she was there for a total of about 15 minutes between the time her previous owners dropped her off and we saw her.  They dropped her off at 6 months of age because she was "too active".  Imagine that, a lab puppy that is too active.  Who would have thought? This is my sweet boy, Cody a border collie.  A friend I used to work with couldn't keep him any longer so I took him in.  Imagine that, Ellen taking care of a critter in need. This is Lucy, or maybe we should rename her Lucky.  She has lost two buddies, one to a coyote and one to dogs.  Doc and Jasper grazing in the pasture.  Doc is the buckskin and Jasper is the gray.  Nothing is better than seeing them from the kitchen window or spending time with them in the barn.  They are just like big dogs.  Jasper is the boss, he bit or kicked Doc really bad la...

JP is hosting a bridal shower for her best friend, Megan, on Sunday.  JP has never done this before, nor have I, but I told her I'd help her as much as possible.  Thank goodness DP came to visit last weekend.  If she hadn't been here JP and I would still be wondering what we're going to do. DP picked out the decorations, gave us some food suggestions, game suggestions and favor suggestions.  We ventured to Hobby Lobby (one of my favorite stores as Irv will attest) and while there DP came up with a great idea for favors.  (Men don't seem to understand the idea of favors.  Basically it's a small thank you gift that each guest receives for coming to the shower or wedding.)  DP suggested we make personalized bars of soap for the favors.  My first response was to tell her that I had absolutely no idea how to make soap.  Luckily, Hobby Lobby has a complete selection of soap making supplies.  Basically, what you need to make soap is glyceri...

DP thinks I blog a lot.  Let's so take a look at her blog-- Dana of Oz...My Adventures Down Under . Please notice that her last blog entry was August 3rd.  Dana's blog entries are great, she is a wonderful writer.  But really, haven't you had more adventures in Oz than are posted on your blog? What about your sky diving experience? Or South Africa? (I blogged more about your trip than you did). Or New Zealand? Or your visits to HA's parents? Or all your trips to Sydney? If you want to see more of Dana's adventures in Oz, leave a comment on her blog and tell her so.  She has a long plane ride back to Oz next weekend so I think that should give you ample time to prepare some new entries. Love you Dana!

Woohoo!  The Browns got their first victory yesterday!  It was a great game, they made touchdowns running and passing.  According to their coach "It was a great day for football". The really cute statistician did a great job. Mr. Beans' cheering section was there with the exception of JP (she judged two horse shows this weekend).  DP was there with her new camera which is why we have some nice photos this week. Dana took this video when Mr. Beans was playing defense.  Mr. Beans is in there somewhere.  Unfortunately, the other team scored during this play. At one point during the game I thought the coach was going to become unglued when the ref made a questionable call.  (At least the police didn't have to be called like they were at the game that took place prior to this game.)  Despite all the screaming and yelling, the coach does teach them good sportsmanship.  Mr. Beans is at the front of the line shakin...

Today is Mr. Bean's second football game.  Remember, defeat is not an option (or as we found out last week--defeat IS an option).  This time Mr. Beans' cheering section is ready.  Last night Irv, JP, DP, and I made sure Mr. Beans knows he's out favorite footbal player. JP was the cutter. Irv was the presser... and the model. DP was the designer and photo taker and I just filled in where needed. Do you think Mr. Beans will be embarrassed?  I think we have to do these sorts of things now.  In a couple more years we won't be allowed to be seen with him. Go #94!!  GO BROWNS !!

It seems I can't come to Wichita without experiencing at least one storm.  There was one heck of a hail storm last night.  They think this hail stone may break a state record. I'm sure glad my rental car was in the covered parking garage. I can't wait to get home tonight...and DP is coming to visit!

We recently purchased a quarter of beef and on Sunday night we grilled a couple New York strips. Yum, what could be better than a steak, potato, asparagus, baguette, and a glass of one of my favorite wines? Sutter Home Chenin Blanc And of course the company was great too (except for the loser Kansas City Chiefs cap).  G O B- R -O- N -C- O -S ! I love you, darlin!

Where the deer and the antelope play. Here's one more reason to live on the prairie.

or Day of Remembrance, I'm not really sure what the correct name of it is.  All I know is that it's a day that changed our lives.  Think of how your life has been impacted sine 9/11/01... ...Next week I start my weekly treks back and forth to Wichita.  I automatically strip down, pull my laptop out of its case, remove my shoes, and pull out my one quart size baggie filled with 3 oz. or less liquids when I go through aiport security. ...If 9/11 had never happened, what kind of job would Irv have? ...We wouldn't have crazy pastors who want to lead their flock by burning Qurans. ...Brian wouldn't be in Iraq. This year we became season ticket holders for the Air Force football games.  They played BYU yesterday (and beat them 35-21) and all during the game they had tributes to American heroes who in one way or another had been impacted by 9/11.  They brought in a firefighter from NYC who like his brothers had joined the NYFD.  On 9/11 he lo...

Defeat IS an option. They lost by a couple touchdowns, but Mr. Beans (#94) played exceptionally well.  His grammy couldn't see anything that he did wrong.  He plays on defense, right guard or something (I don't really know any positions other than quarterback).  Isn't he cute in his ready position?  (Excuse me, I didn't mean cute, I meant tough and manly.) This guy on the sidelines holding the marker was the cute one. There was lots of screaming and yelling by the dads on the sidelines...it kind of intrigued me. Unfortunately, we didn't get any good video of the game, but it's kind of fun to listen to the men yell at the boys.  (Sorry about the poor quality of the video, the sun was shining right in my face.) Mr. Beans had his own cheering section. Then the sun went down over Pikes Peak and it got really cold. Don't you think it's cool they named the whole team after my favorite grandson, Mr. Beans Brow...

Mr. Beans has his first tackle football game tomorrow evening at 5:00.  The team's coach is very hard core.  For a couple weeks he has been telling the boys that "defeat is not an option".  The team they're playing tomorrow is coached by his nemesis--the man who used to be his assistant coach.  He apparently has something to prove to this coach.  If the boys are unlucky enough to lose the game, they're going to have to run the entire practice on Monday.  However, if they win the coaches are going to do the running while the boys watch and eat popcorn. Keep your fingers crossed and say a little prayer that Mr. Beans' team, the Browns, is victorious.  (We're also hoping that crazy grandma lady doesn't show up.  Football has certainly been an eye opener and once again I thank God for giving me three daughters.) Go B-R-O-W-N-S!!!!!

Do you ever have a moment in life that makes you thing "wow, that was weird"?  I had one of those tonight.  I went into my closet to hang up some clothes and there laying on the floor were these two pictures.  Both are old...20 years...and I haven't seen them in ages. This one was taken in 1989 before the girls and I left for Germany (Irv was already there).  We're at my Uncle Frank and Aunt Lois' ranch in Idaho. Don't you love the hair?  Look how little JP is, and how young DP and MP are. My mom and Uncle Frank aren't with us anymore, makes me miss them. This is a holiday shot and it had to be before Heather and Jillian joined the family--I'd say about 1984.  Wow, we're all so young (and the hair is still 80's crazy). It was seven years ago that I got to spend the final days with my mom.  September is always hard for me since I lost her, but I don't think anyone but her and I know that.  Maybe she put these pictures in...

You may remember the " man trip " back in May when Irv and Mr. Beans took a road trip to deliver DP's car in Phoenix.  They had a lot of adventures on the way there--the Grand Canyon, swimming, airplane rides, museums, hiking, etc.  This afternoon JP and I returned from our Wisconsin road trip.    We got up at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday to go to the airport.  Our flights were on time and Brian's mom was there to meet us.  Surprisingly, it was COLD in Wisconsin.  We weren't at all prepared for COLD and luckily Brian's mom took pity on us and turned the heater on in the house. We got to meet Abbey and Stella, Brian's two sweet Golden Retriever sisters. We had a really nice visit with Brian's mom and his sister, Sara.  Sara is a graphic artist and is doing JP's and Brian's wedding invitations.  She had several proofs for JP to look at and they were all wonderful.  JP made her choice and I can't wait for you all to see them w...