#2 & #4 Hard at Work

Big Dawg is about 85% recovered, at least well enough to put in a few hours at Woofables with Peanut. 

Rather Be At The Dentist

Well, this happened. The man-child caught a summer virus, and with all his summer running, he became very dehydrated. Ike got so dehydrayed that his eloctrolytes got all out of whack. 

The combination of a fever (as much as 103), and lack of fluids led to total blackout. After a 919 call and a visit from paramedics, we took the fateful trip to the ER where he was examined and checked in for observation.

All tests came back negative, so he was released less than 24 hours later. He needs to push the fluids and eat, eat, eat. All's well that ends well... so far. There is a lot of summer left. 

Graduations

Big Dawg walks away from West High School with highest honors. He'll run cross country and track for Luther College, and he'll play violin. Hopefully he'll find time to take a class or two.

He's following in the footsteps of one of his older sisters, The Peanut (pictured here). She too is celebrating a graduation. After she left Luther, she did a tour with The Peace Corps, then returned to complete a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago. 

There are few words to describe the pride a parent can have and express about their kids. What ever they are (those words, not the kids), I have them in multiples. 

Book 'em Danno

We went to Kalona, IA to score some plants at the local nursery, and then we went into town to score some fresh baked artesian goods. We god the goods (goodies?) And saw a few charming shops during our "adventure". 

Not Much of a Prom

Ike, like many HS Seniors, got gipped out of stupid/memorable Senior activities and events. He missed two homecomings and at least one prom., but not this year.  West High opened up the Football field for a social gathering that was an informal prom.  Students did not take it too seriously, but intended to make it fun.  So here we see, Big Dawg in his prom attire.

Irreverent is the operative word. 

A Tree Blooms in Bertram

Spring is always welcomed in the upper Midwest. The long winters make this seasonal change so inviting. Sadly, an Iowa Spring is also a very unpredictable season with mercurial temps and weather - 70 degrees one day, sleet, and frost warnings the following day. 

As the days grow longer, the sunlight is welcomed, but deceptive. More than once we'll blast out the front door anticipating a comfortable stroll to the mailbox, only to be greeted with the bone chilling reality that we left our winter coats in the closet. The price of optimistic thinking, I suppose. 

These are not like the lovely waves of Spring I remember from my days in the Carolinas with Azaleas, Box Woods, and Redbuds in a cacophony of warmth and color.  

But in the very least, gone are the mounts of snow to be replace by a blooming pear tree, an albeit brief harbinger for the scorching summer ahead.  I'll take it this in all it's glory, and await the arrival of the Orioles, Blue Birds, and Grosbeaks. 

Comma Day!!!

Well, I gotta say a tiny punctuation mark isn't quite as rewarding until it sits between a 1 and three 0s.  Last Saturday I got to insert that comma where it has been earned.

        1,000 Consecutive Days - Running at least two miles! 

            

800, A Painful Distance

Two times around a track is a hard distance. For a 400 you plan to start at 90% and finish at 93-94% (assuming 100% is an all-out sprint). An 800 is different. Start at about 85% and guage the competition and how you feel. Stay with the lead if you can, and/or hold back just a bit to take prisoners and finish strong. 

Tonight was not Ike's best (2:03), but he left it on the track, and he continues to improve his racing intelligence and maturity. As he grows into his body and gets the next level of coaching and competition, he'll be a beast. I'm very proud of him.  

Find a Penny

I wonder

See a penny...

Pick it up?

Good luck?

Bad luck?

Heads up.

Tails down.

"Like a bad penny"

Do you stick around?

I do.

And you know what?

Today, I'm a penny richer.

How 'bout you?

Carbo Loading

Athlete of the week for the track team. Ran a great 800, but was pinched-out from a break away finish. You'd think a half mile event would spread out, but not in this heat. Proud that Big Dawg is figuring out pace and timing for a half mile race, AND he's stepping into his game. He's just going to get better.

Golf

Crowded at Altmaier Disc golf course today. Actually, it looked busier than Brown Deer Golf Course.  This got me wondering... do you scream "FORE!" If your disc drifts out of the fareway... or do you scream "INCOMING!"?