Tales From the Bleachers

Let's Crop!!

After numerous requests, Sweet Tooth and I'm so hoping, Reminisce, are teaming together for another crop.  While it won't be another Marathon crop (maybe this fall!) we are hoping it can be a Friday night/all day Saturday crop.  We are meeting next week to hammer out all the details and I will fill you in as soon as I can.  Please check out our Sweet Tooth Blog, too, for details.  Just click on the blog button and Volia, you're there!!  Make sure you put your name on the mailing list while you are there.  that way, you won't miss any updates.

I'm Cold!!!!

I'm cold and it's snowing AGAIN!!  I know I shouldn't complain, since Jim and I totally missed out on all the stuff two weeks ago, but I will.  After spending 10 days in sunny, WARM weather, this is so hard to take!!

We had a great time in Vegas and Florida. Vegas was awesome, once we got there!  Our plane didn't leave Cedar Rapids until 10:30-an hour and a half  late.  I guess the blizzard was an issue!!  Once in Vegas, we had the cab ride from HELL!!  The driver seriously scared me.  He kept yelling naughty words at every car that passed him.  and since he was only going about 45 mph, that was A LOT of cars for him to yell at.  I was ready to walk!  But we finally made it to our hotel and it was worth it.

  The strip really isn't Jim's thing-we stayed at a Marriott resort in North Vegas.  Nice, but too quiet for me!  I like the noise and action of the strip.  We did venture down almost every day so that was fine with me.  Had some great meals.  We ate most of them at the Venetian and then one at Bellagio and one at Ceasers.  They were all good and I didn't have to cook or stick anything in the microwave!!  We also had some fun in the Casinos.  I never ventured past the $1 slots and I think I came away about $20 ahead.  Woo Hoo for me.  Jim did well at the roulette wheel and it was fun to watch him.  We went to Freemont St. one afternoon, after taking the Dam Tour!  (Love to say that!  Immature, I know:)), We went into the Golden Nugget and Jim stuck a crumpled up $1 into the machine and we won some money!!  Too bad we had to use it for a plane ticket home a couple days later.  I made him cash out as soon as the machine stopped and off we went:)  My favorite part of the trip was seeing "O".  Awesome.  And Jim loved it.  His first Cirque show.

Molly got the flu while we were gone and made several middle of the night phone calls to us.  Said she needed to go to the hospital.  We told her she didn't.  Lond story short, she would up in the hospital.  I know.  I'm not winning Mother of the Year AGAIN!  She was so dehydrated that she needed lots of IV fluids.  They kept her for about 36 hours.  Also found out that she is quite anemic.  She's on the mend and feeling so much better.

We flew from Vegas to Orlando on a small cramped plane.  Yuck.  I made Jim sit in the middle this time.  Got to our room in Orlando.  What a difference from the room in Vegas.  Got up the next morning and Jim booked a flight home.  Molly needed someone besides grandma, who did a great job, but it's not like mom or dad.  I stayed-someone needed to be there for Katie and as it turns out, she really did need a shoulder to cry on. 

Iowa had two routines again, hip hop and jazz.  Neither made it into finals.  The girls were crushed to say the least.  Especially the three seniors.  I shed my own tears.  My last time seeing Katie dance in that type of situation.  I know it has to end, but I so enjoy watching my girls dance.  Can't describe the feeling, other than pure joy.

Here's a Katie and the other Seniors.  Beautiful girls, inside and out.

 

We had some fun, though, and got to watch Tenneessee win for a third time and boy, did they deserve it!!  AWESOME  routine!

Gotta get ready for work.  I'll add more pictures later.  I took a couple:)