(Hard to believe it could have been this long ago, but) In January of 2000, a coworker and I went to a CRM conference in Scottsdale, AZ. Noticing that there'd be a total lunar eclipse one evening, we decided to drive out to one of the area national monuments - it may have been Ironwood Forest; I seem to recall thinking how "unforesty" it was - to view the eclipse outside of the glow of the city. It was early enough in the evening that it wasn't too late to call my wife, two hours ahead of us - I think I used my coworker's phone, as mine didn't get a signal - to implore her to go outside and have a look, too. That way, even though we were 1800 miles apart, we could share the same experience. The thing is, the high in Scottsdale had been near 70°F that day, but there was snow on the ground back home, with a 0°F low forecast for that night. As you might imagine, mrs. tg respectfully but firmly declined my suggestion of remote moon-gazing! It was a very neat experience anyway, and has remained a treasured memory.
Even more so today. This morning, my coworker died of cancer. She's been battling against it for a couple years. She's free now . . .
Pray for us you've left behind, Melissa.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Great weekend, if a bit blurry
No, not blurry due to being obscured by alcohol. It was just jam-packed.
Saturday our marriage encounter group went up to a local lake where one of the couples has a house. Didn't get out on the boat much, as it was having technical difficulties, but still, we had a really wonderful time together.
Yesterday was the Wright Wride. I rode the century option, partly as a training ride for the Old Kentucky Home Tour in two weeks. KY will be my fifth state in which to ride a century. I was really hoping to knock out two more states this season, but that just hasn't panned out. We'll see how the fall shakes out; maybe I'll be able to get Illinois in, as well. Anyway, I love cycling around here. We ran into a guy who had water bottles from Maryland (from the city that hosts the MD century I rode three years ago), where we're both originally from. It prompted some great conversation. He recently moved here from NJ, and was amazed at how we could ride on roads early Sunday morning without seeing any traffic. He said in NJ he always felt lucky to get home alive! Anyway, it got pretty hot by end of the ride, but still and all, another really fabulous day, to make for a super weekend!
Capped it off with a really nice mass yesterday evening (the most important question of our lives: "Who do you say that I am?"), supper with our oldest grandson (I can't believe the boy is 11½ already!), then a visit with the rest of his family when we dropped him off at home.
(Contented sigh . . . )
Saturday our marriage encounter group went up to a local lake where one of the couples has a house. Didn't get out on the boat much, as it was having technical difficulties, but still, we had a really wonderful time together.
Yesterday was the Wright Wride. I rode the century option, partly as a training ride for the Old Kentucky Home Tour in two weeks. KY will be my fifth state in which to ride a century. I was really hoping to knock out two more states this season, but that just hasn't panned out. We'll see how the fall shakes out; maybe I'll be able to get Illinois in, as well. Anyway, I love cycling around here. We ran into a guy who had water bottles from Maryland (from the city that hosts the MD century I rode three years ago), where we're both originally from. It prompted some great conversation. He recently moved here from NJ, and was amazed at how we could ride on roads early Sunday morning without seeing any traffic. He said in NJ he always felt lucky to get home alive! Anyway, it got pretty hot by end of the ride, but still and all, another really fabulous day, to make for a super weekend!
Capped it off with a really nice mass yesterday evening (the most important question of our lives: "Who do you say that I am?"), supper with our oldest grandson (I can't believe the boy is 11½ already!), then a visit with the rest of his family when we dropped him off at home.
(Contented sigh . . . )
Thursday, August 14, 2008
The remains of the vacation
Saturday morning, mrs tg got together with a couple friends from high school with whom she has recently reconnected. I was planning on a lazy morning to myself, until we took breakfast on the back porch. It was simply too gorgeous to sit around in the house, so I got my bike and gear out of the van before she left. It was a short ride to the bike path, and I headed north, thinking I might drop in on her parents, who live within a few blocks of the path. But I'd promised to be home before she was, as I had the house key, and checking the time as I got into Glen Burnie, I figured I should head back. I needn't have, as it turned out; I was there an hour and a half before her. But that gave me plenty of time to cool down and shower, and at least I was there to help sister-in-law and her husband unpack the car when they arrived back from the beach.
The wife and I then headed out for a get-together with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and family friends. It was so nice to be able to spend time with them; usually we only get to see a couple of them each trip. Though the few hours we had together were too short, they were full of wonderful reminiscences. Then a stop by mrs tg's folks' place for a short visit and quick swim, and supper back at the sister-in-law's house. (Now, just out of curiosity, should the plural possessive of that be "sisters-in-law's," as in "we'd had dinner at both sisters-in-law's condos"? Or am I wrong about the singular possessive, too?) Then the two sisters went out to a movie while we husbands finished watching the ball game (O's win!) and played some backgammon.
Sunday brought an early rise to finish getting the car packed - not too much of a chore because we packed so well before leaving the ocean, so we hadn't had to unload much for these last two nights, plus I'd gotten the bike loaded back in the night before. Then we went to mass in Glen Burnie and had breakfast with mrs tg's parents before hitting the road to return home. I was refreshed by the vacation, but absolutely not ready to come back; I suppose that means we planned things just right, and managed not to overdo or overstay. It was a beautiful day for driving, with a nice mixture of clouds and sun, and we were amazed at how temperate things were for mid-August. Arriving home, we quickly unloaded the van and went to pick up our dog, who sure seemed glad to see us again!
(btw, my mother-in-law's surgery seems to have gone very well. Thanks, God!)
The wife and I then headed out for a get-together with my aunt, uncle, cousins, and family friends. It was so nice to be able to spend time with them; usually we only get to see a couple of them each trip. Though the few hours we had together were too short, they were full of wonderful reminiscences. Then a stop by mrs tg's folks' place for a short visit and quick swim, and supper back at the sister-in-law's house. (Now, just out of curiosity, should the plural possessive of that be "sisters-in-law's," as in "we'd had dinner at both sisters-in-law's condos"? Or am I wrong about the singular possessive, too?) Then the two sisters went out to a movie while we husbands finished watching the ball game (O's win!) and played some backgammon.
Sunday brought an early rise to finish getting the car packed - not too much of a chore because we packed so well before leaving the ocean, so we hadn't had to unload much for these last two nights, plus I'd gotten the bike loaded back in the night before. Then we went to mass in Glen Burnie and had breakfast with mrs tg's parents before hitting the road to return home. I was refreshed by the vacation, but absolutely not ready to come back; I suppose that means we planned things just right, and managed not to overdo or overstay. It was a beautiful day for driving, with a nice mixture of clouds and sun, and we were amazed at how temperate things were for mid-August. Arriving home, we quickly unloaded the van and went to pick up our dog, who sure seemed glad to see us again!
(btw, my mother-in-law's surgery seems to have gone very well. Thanks, God!)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Beachin'
We took our bikes with us, as I was determined to get in at least two rides while we were in MD. So on Wednesday morning I arose fairly early, ate and took my wife's stuff down to the beach, snapping a few pictures while there. Then I got my gear on and headed my bike north to Rehoboth Beach. Just a few miles short of the 50-miler I'd planned, it was a nice ride on a beautiful day, with a pleasant assist from a bit of unexpected tailwind on the way back.
Not much beach time on Wednesday, but instead a brief afternoon nap, until hunger overwhelmed my tiredness - I always eat a lot after a long ride. Dinner was tacos at the other sister's place. The corn salsa and guac we'd planned on making during the trip fit right in. It was our 3rd batch of corn salsa in a week and a half, so we abandoned the leftovers, which one of our nephews gladly took along with him when he left to spend the rest of the weekend with friends. Some more Catch Phrase and some Wii Bowling (Wii bowls wobble . . . ) finished out the night.
Thursday was another early rise for a run along the beach. My first run of the year, actually, and just a mile-and-a-half along the beach, but that was plenty. The walk back seemed like forever! After getting back and cleaning up, mrs tg and I decided to ride our bikes to the boardwalk for a few hours, where I bought my first bucket hat. After walking around a while and having lunch (pizza by the slice, including a really great slice of mushroom pizza!) we headed back to the motel. She was pleasantly surprised by how well she did on the ride.
Thursday afternoon completed my mini-triathlon for the day as I did some more ocean swimming. Then pasta for supper, and the guys and kids went and putt-putted while the sisters went out by themselves for a while. Some more Wii after everyone was back, and another wonderful day was complete. It was our last night in OC (no, not the OC, but we called it that long before the show).
Friday morning I got up early to take in the sunrise and grab some more pics, then headed back to bed. Next time I've got to remember to do that before the day we have to check out of our room! Still, we hung out all day, giving me a chance to catch a nap on my sister-in-law's sofa while everyone was out. A nice dinner out with the mrs. and last bit of souvenir shopping rounded out the trip. We headed back to sister-in-law's house for the night. End of the beach, but not the end of the trip yet!
Not much beach time on Wednesday, but instead a brief afternoon nap, until hunger overwhelmed my tiredness - I always eat a lot after a long ride. Dinner was tacos at the other sister's place. The corn salsa and guac we'd planned on making during the trip fit right in. It was our 3rd batch of corn salsa in a week and a half, so we abandoned the leftovers, which one of our nephews gladly took along with him when he left to spend the rest of the weekend with friends. Some more Catch Phrase and some Wii Bowling (Wii bowls wobble . . . ) finished out the night.
Thursday was another early rise for a run along the beach. My first run of the year, actually, and just a mile-and-a-half along the beach, but that was plenty. The walk back seemed like forever! After getting back and cleaning up, mrs tg and I decided to ride our bikes to the boardwalk for a few hours, where I bought my first bucket hat. After walking around a while and having lunch (pizza by the slice, including a really great slice of mushroom pizza!) we headed back to the motel. She was pleasantly surprised by how well she did on the ride.
Thursday afternoon completed my mini-triathlon for the day as I did some more ocean swimming. Then pasta for supper, and the guys and kids went and putt-putted while the sisters went out by themselves for a while. Some more Wii after everyone was back, and another wonderful day was complete. It was our last night in OC (no, not the OC, but we called it that long before the show).
Friday morning I got up early to take in the sunrise and grab some more pics, then headed back to bed. Next time I've got to remember to do that before the day we have to check out of our room! Still, we hung out all day, giving me a chance to catch a nap on my sister-in-law's sofa while everyone was out. A nice dinner out with the mrs. and last bit of souvenir shopping rounded out the trip. We headed back to sister-in-law's house for the night. End of the beach, but not the end of the trip yet!
A (first) day at the beach
So, we made sure we were mostly packed for the trip on Saturday, as we knew Sunday's schedule was brutal. 7:00 am bike ride, 10:30 mass (9:45 arrival for musicians), brunch at a friend's house, followed by our granddaughter's b-day party, and finally, delivering the dog to the friends who are watching him for the week. (It turns out he probably could've stayed at home, but instead he hung out with his sister; they hadn't seen each other since she left the litter in January of '04; we got him a couple weeks later. The sister belongs to one coworker, both parents to another.) And Saturday I didn't end up getting the grass cut, so I had to squeeze that in between mass and brunch, on a pretty hot day. Despite all the activity scheduled on the day before we left, it ended up being a fairly stress-free and thoroughly enjoyable day for us.
Monday we got out a little later than we usually like, but the 5-year-old bypass around downtown Columbus kept that from being the traffic nightmare it would have been before. We arrived at my wife's parents' house in plenty of time to help with dinner. It was a pretty nice evening with them. The only minor glitch we had was realizing we should have packed a separate bag for this night, but we just fished what we needed out of our suitcases rather than dragging everything in, with a resolution to pack smarter before leaving Ocean City.
The drive across the Chesapeake and to the ocean on Tuesday was uneventful. A much later start than we planned, but the mrs. didn't sleep well the night before so made up for it a bit in the morning. What the hey - we were on vacation. If we got to the beach a little later, it might just mean we could check in when we got there. As usual, the wife was nervous going over the Bay Bridge, and then her bladder insisted on a short break in Salisbury, but as it turned out, our room was indeed ready for us to check into when we got there. And we were within a block of each sister's condo.
Even with the later-than-planned arrival, we had most of the afternoon at the beach. I swam in the ocean, eventually tiring and walking the few blocks back. It's been entirely too long since I last swam. In the evening we had a wonderful dinner prepared by our nephew's girlfriend. The highlight had to be the just-spicy-enough gazpacho with a cantaloupe base, roasted corn, and sweet red pepper. Then we pulled out Catch Phrase, the guys increasingly amused and the wives more frustrated over what became an embarrassingly one-sided scoresheet: 9 games to none, and it's been a really long time since I've been called a certain noun that starts with "f" and ends in "ers," but nobody wanted to quit until the individual games began growing one-sided at the end. The ladies would regain a measure of satisfaction the following night with a 2-2 draw.
As we settled into bed that night, the mrs. said that she'd already had a wonderful time, regardless of how the rest of the trip went. I pretty much had to agree.
Monday we got out a little later than we usually like, but the 5-year-old bypass around downtown Columbus kept that from being the traffic nightmare it would have been before. We arrived at my wife's parents' house in plenty of time to help with dinner. It was a pretty nice evening with them. The only minor glitch we had was realizing we should have packed a separate bag for this night, but we just fished what we needed out of our suitcases rather than dragging everything in, with a resolution to pack smarter before leaving Ocean City.
The drive across the Chesapeake and to the ocean on Tuesday was uneventful. A much later start than we planned, but the mrs. didn't sleep well the night before so made up for it a bit in the morning. What the hey - we were on vacation. If we got to the beach a little later, it might just mean we could check in when we got there. As usual, the wife was nervous going over the Bay Bridge, and then her bladder insisted on a short break in Salisbury, but as it turned out, our room was indeed ready for us to check into when we got there. And we were within a block of each sister's condo.
Even with the later-than-planned arrival, we had most of the afternoon at the beach. I swam in the ocean, eventually tiring and walking the few blocks back. It's been entirely too long since I last swam. In the evening we had a wonderful dinner prepared by our nephew's girlfriend. The highlight had to be the just-spicy-enough gazpacho with a cantaloupe base, roasted corn, and sweet red pepper. Then we pulled out Catch Phrase, the guys increasingly amused and the wives more frustrated over what became an embarrassingly one-sided scoresheet: 9 games to none, and it's been a really long time since I've been called a certain noun that starts with "f" and ends in "ers," but nobody wanted to quit until the individual games began growing one-sided at the end. The ladies would regain a measure of satisfaction the following night with a 2-2 draw.
As we settled into bed that night, the mrs. said that she'd already had a wonderful time, regardless of how the rest of the trip went. I pretty much had to agree.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Prelude to a vacation
Second day back from a really wonderful week away. First, some background.
We really hadn't planned on going to MD at all this summer, with gas prices so high and the money we wanted to spend on the house. But with my uncle sick and my wife needing a break, we went for an extended weekend over Memorial Day, which ended up being a really nice little getaway for us. Since then, my wife's mom has been diagnosed with cancer, which we now know started in her colon (over 50's, don't fear the colonoscopy; it's a life saver, and mom's doc apparently didn't believe in them) and has spread to her lung and liver. (Surgery tomorrow; prayers, please, if you're thus inclined.) Also, wife's full-time gig as a grandma grows increasingly frustrating (read on for an example), and she really needed a break. (Mind you, we're not complaining about the grandchildren. They're a joy to be around, and we're glad we're able to be with them.)
Too, my aunt had a family get-together planned for Saturday, which may be the last chance we have to all hang out with my uncle while he's still able to enjoy our company. Finally, two of my wife's sisters' families have established a tradition of going to Ocean City together for a week each summer. My wife has wanted to join them for several years, but it had never worked out for us; they had their condos reserved for last week.
All-in-all, it looked like a good time to head east again, spend a few days at the ocean and a couple more visiting family on "our" side of the Bay. Our conviction on this was strengthened when our daughter refused to make her own alternate child care arrangements, even though we'd provided phone numbers for willing helpers. If she'd been dealing with me rather than my wife, she'd have been out of luck, because I absolutely wouldn't have done it for her - where does she think she gets her stubbornness from, anyway? Our primary relationship with two of our daughters seems to have become free child care provider, and that's going to change.
Adding to our frustration was some conflict with our oldest, who was on the outs with the youngest over a petty issue, and evidently was not too pleased with us, either, at one point accusing us of playing favorites.
With our youngest granddaughter's 3rd birthday party scheduled for the 3rd (oldest's family not present; "I think I may have a heart attack and die from 'not surprise'!"), we decided to forego the preceeding weekend and just head out on Monday, spend the night in her folks' spare room - thereby giving us a chance to cook supper for them - before 4 days/3 nights at the ocean, with our last two nights at my wife's oldest sister's house, partly so we wouldn't burden her mom. Even though we're well able to take care of ourselves, if I were in her position my time to myself would be really important to me.
We really hadn't planned on going to MD at all this summer, with gas prices so high and the money we wanted to spend on the house. But with my uncle sick and my wife needing a break, we went for an extended weekend over Memorial Day, which ended up being a really nice little getaway for us. Since then, my wife's mom has been diagnosed with cancer, which we now know started in her colon (over 50's, don't fear the colonoscopy; it's a life saver, and mom's doc apparently didn't believe in them) and has spread to her lung and liver. (Surgery tomorrow; prayers, please, if you're thus inclined.) Also, wife's full-time gig as a grandma grows increasingly frustrating (read on for an example), and she really needed a break. (Mind you, we're not complaining about the grandchildren. They're a joy to be around, and we're glad we're able to be with them.)
Too, my aunt had a family get-together planned for Saturday, which may be the last chance we have to all hang out with my uncle while he's still able to enjoy our company. Finally, two of my wife's sisters' families have established a tradition of going to Ocean City together for a week each summer. My wife has wanted to join them for several years, but it had never worked out for us; they had their condos reserved for last week.
All-in-all, it looked like a good time to head east again, spend a few days at the ocean and a couple more visiting family on "our" side of the Bay. Our conviction on this was strengthened when our daughter refused to make her own alternate child care arrangements, even though we'd provided phone numbers for willing helpers. If she'd been dealing with me rather than my wife, she'd have been out of luck, because I absolutely wouldn't have done it for her - where does she think she gets her stubbornness from, anyway? Our primary relationship with two of our daughters seems to have become free child care provider, and that's going to change.
Adding to our frustration was some conflict with our oldest, who was on the outs with the youngest over a petty issue, and evidently was not too pleased with us, either, at one point accusing us of playing favorites.
With our youngest granddaughter's 3rd birthday party scheduled for the 3rd (oldest's family not present; "I think I may have a heart attack and die from 'not surprise'!"), we decided to forego the preceeding weekend and just head out on Monday, spend the night in her folks' spare room - thereby giving us a chance to cook supper for them - before 4 days/3 nights at the ocean, with our last two nights at my wife's oldest sister's house, partly so we wouldn't burden her mom. Even though we're well able to take care of ourselves, if I were in her position my time to myself would be really important to me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)