to be done with Mattie's blog for a bit. By now everyone knows Mattie has a family who loves her, was raised for a few months by the senior pug brothers (rest in peace boys) and is now learning even more skills from her fast and naughty brother Stevie Ray.
Spring fever has hit me and I must go....somewhere. soon.
BTW....
college girl had a very nice swim on Saturday. We'll be visiting Omaha in June 2012.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
How many
I'm looking into percentages for matters close to my heart......but I was wondering how many parents have the opportunity to see their college athlete compete at a conference championship in their own hometown. I'm thinking it's not very many. I am going to go to the different schools and see how many local girls/boys are on the Big XII swimming teams....lots of swimmers from Texas...but not very many from ATX.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
BREAK
Took a few days to clean up the clutter around my computer (work and home) found some lost things, gave my school babies an ISD required stupid math test (sorry test people...it is stupid because we don't care which box holds the nests which are one less than the birds in the first box). Found out Texas does do cold (1 inch)...but not like Missouri does cold (blizzard and 17 inches)....have to make up our snow day and now get to work into June too. Doggies are good. Mattie and Stevie have new bones from County Line....(last Saturday dinner...except we ate turkey and they give you free bones for the dogs if you ask).
Latest rowing accomplishment.....in the middle of the river being yelled at by Princeton rowers. They were here for a bit of warmer winter weather training. I kind of got in their way. This would be why I'm still in the beginner boats after 10 years. :)
February started with me having laser like focus on Feb. 22. I marked it on every calendar around.
Even cleaning clutter around the house and school rooms because of Feb. 22. Avoiding all appointments and meetings because Feb. 22 is so important. Mattie and Stevie don't do dates, but Feb. 22 is important to them too.
At noonish on Feb. 22 college girl w/ her Mizzou teammates fly into Austin for Big XII championships. Feb. 23 the meet begins and goes until Feb. 26. The tigers fly away on Sunday.
I took days off at work. I'm making substitute teacher plans today. That's how laser like focus works. Stevie didn't like my laser like focus. I found matted fur and pulled and now he has a teeny tiny hairless place by his nose. Mattie girl dog... has laser like focus so she knows about it and watches from a distance. I did notice her nails were too long. Laser like focus.
Lake house for summer vacation found. Includes...on the water dock, on part of Lake of the Ozarks that is closest to Columbia..it's a big big big big lake.....suitable sleeping arrangements for 8-10 who are coming, takes my most favorite dogs, has a very knowledgeable St. Louis owner and actually breaks the budget. I really didn't have a true budget anyway. So our summer family vaca is now on the books. The owner said there are woods for hiking and squirrels for Mattie.
Latest rowing accomplishment.....in the middle of the river being yelled at by Princeton rowers. They were here for a bit of warmer winter weather training. I kind of got in their way. This would be why I'm still in the beginner boats after 10 years. :)
February started with me having laser like focus on Feb. 22. I marked it on every calendar around.
Even cleaning clutter around the house and school rooms because of Feb. 22. Avoiding all appointments and meetings because Feb. 22 is so important. Mattie and Stevie don't do dates, but Feb. 22 is important to them too.
At noonish on Feb. 22 college girl w/ her Mizzou teammates fly into Austin for Big XII championships. Feb. 23 the meet begins and goes until Feb. 26. The tigers fly away on Sunday.
I took days off at work. I'm making substitute teacher plans today. That's how laser like focus works. Stevie didn't like my laser like focus. I found matted fur and pulled and now he has a teeny tiny hairless place by his nose. Mattie girl dog... has laser like focus so she knows about it and watches from a distance. I did notice her nails were too long. Laser like focus.
Lake house for summer vacation found. Includes...on the water dock, on part of Lake of the Ozarks that is closest to Columbia..it's a big big big big lake.....suitable sleeping arrangements for 8-10 who are coming, takes my most favorite dogs, has a very knowledgeable St. Louis owner and actually breaks the budget. I really didn't have a true budget anyway. So our summer family vaca is now on the books. The owner said there are woods for hiking and squirrels for Mattie.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
The grumpy growler vs Mattie
neon mattie
Originally uploaded by memyrcscunningham
Mattie is dog park perfection and Stevie is enthusiastic and off task frequently but neither have ever shown aggression towards anyone or any dog when out with us at the parks. Good jobs doggies.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
in a kayak
you are looking where you are going. Rowing..you have to look behind you every now and then and this would be my problem.
I was paired with another non type A personality. It seems we are in the minority. She asked me if I was like the dog in UP...."squirrel!" that dog..and I said yes and then off we went.
Even as nice as she was she didn't act like she knew me when I finally decided to look behind me and noticed two boats of 8 and their coach yelling at me to pull right which would make my boat go left and then they could continue their training. I don't know how long they were there? Did I stop/slow their workout? Princeton crew I am kind of sorry. You were described to me as the truck drivers of the river...not very nice and extremely aggressive. I don't think our nice coach was saying it to make me feel better...a double was flooded with water by these guys. So, I'm kind of sorry...won't wear the blue shirt next time in case someone noticed and I might disguise my pony tail and Mizzou hat with something different.
And what I know: water and quick is not what I do. I guess I could if I thought it was important. Same with swimming. Water and fast is an oxymoron...for me. There was a tree covered in beautiful white birds today, and a fascinating noise under the train track...and some yelling from out of town boats.
I was paired with another non type A personality. It seems we are in the minority. She asked me if I was like the dog in UP...."squirrel!" that dog..and I said yes and then off we went.
Even as nice as she was she didn't act like she knew me when I finally decided to look behind me and noticed two boats of 8 and their coach yelling at me to pull right which would make my boat go left and then they could continue their training. I don't know how long they were there? Did I stop/slow their workout? Princeton crew I am kind of sorry. You were described to me as the truck drivers of the river...not very nice and extremely aggressive. I don't think our nice coach was saying it to make me feel better...a double was flooded with water by these guys. So, I'm kind of sorry...won't wear the blue shirt next time in case someone noticed and I might disguise my pony tail and Mizzou hat with something different.
And what I know: water and quick is not what I do. I guess I could if I thought it was important. Same with swimming. Water and fast is an oxymoron...for me. There was a tree covered in beautiful white birds today, and a fascinating noise under the train track...and some yelling from out of town boats.
Met up with Stevie and Mattie and after the dog park went to Redbud. Stevie wanted to swim and Mattie had to keep an eye out. Stevie seemed to aggravate the locals today. Lots of flashing teeth and growls. Mattie likes to wait until needed and I think Stevie would like a little more immediate intervention on his behalf.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Cowboy Steve...Stevie Ray rides again.....Steve wants to play....Oklahoma Steve
Very few people know how much money I actually spent on the purchase of this magnificent creature. Thank you Katy, Cassie, Rory, Glenda for keeping my secret even if I never said it was a secret...the amount was wrong on so many levels it is information that should be held close to your belt. I was mourning the loss of my sensitive and beloved Bart. Money was not going to keep me from getting the future dog of my dreams, even if I secretly knew no dog would ever live up to Bart. I liked the white paws, the white chin...he had character. We gave him a name with character and also the name of the neighbor pastor (just by accident) but humorous when you go outside and tell Steve "potty outside"..."potty outside" in angry voice because he just decided to pee in the kitchen and notice the neighbor pastor/wife is out in their backyard. (that was puppy Steve) Big boy Steve doesn't do that.
Much documented is Stevie's love for RC. I am slowly coming to accept that it was better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. Stevie is not bringing sensitive love my way anytime soon....but he likes me a lot. Stevie is his own man. He's Cowboy Steve from Oklahoma. He wants fun. He's resting up beside me now because soon this morning sock and shoe Olympics with RC will commence. That's where the human tries to put on socks and shoes while Stevie grabs the toes and tries to rip/bite/pull the sock off the foot. Most people put their socked foot on the ground while tending to the other foot. Stevie believes toes should be seen and wants the sock.
If sock Olympics don't go as planned, next up will be snack race, or toy chase, or bite the big girl's paw, jump on the big girl's back, or chomp the big girl's ankle from under her belly so she can't reach me and bite back or just the traditional pug race where the pug races wildly around without a point. Bart was a quiet, sensitive, thankful guy with big seal eyes and he loved.
Stevie loves.....he loves everyone and everything
He sleeps hard...then starts his loving all over again.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Baby Boat Rower
I want to talk about it and the blog says Mattie and friends and while I'm not DADDY...I think I am part of the "and friends".
I have about 10 years in the baby boats. Real rowers or (cough cough) scullers or crew people or whatever they call themselves don't spend 10 years in the baby boats.
Baby boats are wider and not as long as the others. They don't call them baby boats...just label them with neon green names like Coco and Sparky. I made up Sparky. Coco is my boat. Not mine...but the one I like to use.
Saturday it was cold, ice particles on the dock Sandra wore the wrong shoes cold. I fell down the ramp and except for the slightly yellowish, bluish color of my swollen pinkie, I'm good and I wasn't carrying a boat. PARTICIPANTS accept ALL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH............AND IF YOU BREAK THE BOAT.........OR HIT THE BRIDGE.....YOU GIVE US MONEY. I like the baby boats. But the rower people....not really so much....except for the nice woman who keeps trying to coach me into a racer type baby boat rower. Nicely I've told her that I'm not really that type. I race for coffee. I race to get Stevie outside first thing in the morning. I would even race to go get Mattie (been there done that in my pajamas, in the dark on day two of being her mom). I race to get to the cafeteria on days I'm late with my class. I don't have the "I'm gonna beat you" type A personality. That would be college girl (who will be swimming locally at the BIG XII champs in 4 weeks)wipe the tears of joy aside!
Back to boats. I like the water, the swans, the silence, and maybe on Saturday I liked the mist coming off the water which for a moment blocked my view of the bridge I was terrified of hitting. I feel slightly on the edge of disaster every time I go out on the water. Have run my boat aground, bumped the bridge going slowed down speed after I executed a phenomenal emergency stop which left me wondering . (I didn't do all this recently...but over time as a baby boat rower.) I get distracted by the things around me. \
The dock I'm giving my monthly dues is the least competitive of the three docks on our water way. I started at the most competitive almost 10 years ago. They talk in port, bow, starboard, and I need front, back, left, right.
It's subtle class warfare. I have strong legs and a lovely stroke she said Saturday and to not let that girl go by me...as I slowed and watched the girl go by. then the swans....and the boat of 8.....and the ripples from the coach's launch who was disgusted with the "RECREATIONAL ROWERS".
It was cold and I wore 4 pair of socks, two pair of tights, 3 shirts, a hat and some gloves and some odd little things called pogies which fit over both the oar and your hand at the same time. I threw mine in the bottom of the boat because they were odd and confusing...and I needed more coffee and it was 26 degrees.
Next Saturday it won't be so cold...and I'll be back in the baby boats trying to appear confident and assured....until the swans go by or someone yells "you're on the wrong side". Traffic rules for all boats coming soon.
I have about 10 years in the baby boats. Real rowers or (cough cough) scullers or crew people or whatever they call themselves don't spend 10 years in the baby boats.
Baby boats are wider and not as long as the others. They don't call them baby boats...just label them with neon green names like Coco and Sparky. I made up Sparky. Coco is my boat. Not mine...but the one I like to use.
Saturday it was cold, ice particles on the dock Sandra wore the wrong shoes cold. I fell down the ramp and except for the slightly yellowish, bluish color of my swollen pinkie, I'm good and I wasn't carrying a boat. PARTICIPANTS accept ALL RISK ASSOCIATED WITH AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH............AND IF YOU BREAK THE BOAT.........OR HIT THE BRIDGE.....YOU GIVE US MONEY. I like the baby boats. But the rower people....not really so much....except for the nice woman who keeps trying to coach me into a racer type baby boat rower. Nicely I've told her that I'm not really that type. I race for coffee. I race to get Stevie outside first thing in the morning. I would even race to go get Mattie (been there done that in my pajamas, in the dark on day two of being her mom). I race to get to the cafeteria on days I'm late with my class. I don't have the "I'm gonna beat you" type A personality. That would be college girl (who will be swimming locally at the BIG XII champs in 4 weeks)wipe the tears of joy aside!
Back to boats. I like the water, the swans, the silence, and maybe on Saturday I liked the mist coming off the water which for a moment blocked my view of the bridge I was terrified of hitting. I feel slightly on the edge of disaster every time I go out on the water. Have run my boat aground, bumped the bridge going slowed down speed after I executed a phenomenal emergency stop which left me wondering . (I didn't do all this recently...but over time as a baby boat rower.) I get distracted by the things around me. \
The dock I'm giving my monthly dues is the least competitive of the three docks on our water way. I started at the most competitive almost 10 years ago. They talk in port, bow, starboard, and I need front, back, left, right.
It's subtle class warfare. I have strong legs and a lovely stroke she said Saturday and to not let that girl go by me...as I slowed and watched the girl go by. then the swans....and the boat of 8.....and the ripples from the coach's launch who was disgusted with the "RECREATIONAL ROWERS".
It was cold and I wore 4 pair of socks, two pair of tights, 3 shirts, a hat and some gloves and some odd little things called pogies which fit over both the oar and your hand at the same time. I threw mine in the bottom of the boat because they were odd and confusing...and I needed more coffee and it was 26 degrees.
Next Saturday it won't be so cold...and I'll be back in the baby boats trying to appear confident and assured....until the swans go by or someone yells "you're on the wrong side". Traffic rules for all boats coming soon.
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