Two A Days

Meg started two a days this week and although it's been tough getting up at 7 a.m. so far it has been going well.  Today they ran the mile and she was happy with her time and her 7th place finish.  She and Doug had a lot to talk about as he could commiserate with two a days and the toll that they took on the body.  Fortunately, for Meg she only has a week of it.

Last night was the parent meeting for soccer.  We will have to be more involved this year as there are only two seniors on the team.  I was able to meet with the team Mom and the other senior parent.  We discussed banners, meals and senior night.  Last year we knew no one, so it was nice to feel part of a group that appreciated Meg.

Only one more week until school starts.  Tomorrow Meg can start her applications for college.  Senior year is getting real.

Back to the Orthodontist

I called the orthodontist first thing this morning as Cameron had another bracket slide off his front teeth.  After looking in his mouth I wasn't surprised that it came off as that tooth was well behind the others.  They were able to get him in this afternoon which worked well as the golf course was closed until 5:30 for the Conrad Open, so he wouldn't have been playing anyway.  The orthodontist decided to leave the bracket off of the tooth that was pushed back and put a spring between the two teeth covering it.  He looked even more liked Jaws from James Bond when they were done.  They did explain what they were doing to Cameron, but he said that all he heard was "your teeth are unfixable."  Fortunately, they will end up straight and in place.  It will just take some time.

On the way home I talked Cam into stopping at Shoe Carnival.  His toe was starting to come out of his Nikes and I thought a new pair of shoes for school was a great idea.  He wasn't that interested at first as he really liked his current ones.  We were able to find something similar and with the BOGO half off offer he ended up with two pairs of Nikes.  By the time we got home he had come up with a schedule for wearing them to school and even a day for wearing a red one and a blue one together.  Thus, in the end his trip to the orthodontist wasn't so bad after all.

A Day at Home

Doug and I were up early and home by noon.  I was glad that we decided to do so as Cal met us at the door with a handful of items that he had cleaned out of his room.  He was ready to mark them for the garage sale and take them over to Grandma's.  He and I spent a good portion of today working on that project.  By then end we had three boxes of items for him to set up.

While Cal and I were working, Parce stopped by.  He was in Nappanee for the weekend for his 50th class reunion.  It sounded like he had had a great time.  He has opted out of coming back for Jeannette's pool party next weekend as he had to switch apartments in Bloomington before August 8th.  We gave him back his microwave that Brett had been using this past school year.  Cal doesn't need one anymore, so Brett will use our old one.

Meg spent the day reading Devil in the White City.  She hung out with friends most of yesterday and had some catching up to do.  She has found the architecture part of the book boring, but the story of H.H. Holmes has been interesting.  Cam was golfing when we got home, but was back well before dinner.  Doug was able to finish the mowing and grill dinner for everyone.  My parents joined us as well along with a game of corn hole or two.  It was a nice way to end a wonderful weekend.

I Would Move Here in a Heartbeat

Doug and I were up early this morning.  We talked about going to the Farmer's Market, but as we didn't need anything, so we decided to go to the winery instead.  It was definitely the perfect day for a walk around the pond and to enjoy some wine tasting.  We were glad that we went early as it was packed by the time we left.

The shops on College, Kirkwood and Walnut were next on our agenda.  The game and kitchen stores had some unique items as always.  We found a new place as well, Global Gifts.  It was better than any craft fair that I had attended.  There were so many items that I would have loved to purchase - jewelry, wooden wind chimes, bird houses and more.  I settled on a silver ring which was priced right.  We stopped for lunch during our walk at The Tap Room.  We hadn't been there in awhile and really enjoyed it.

We drove to TIS next and I bought a new soccer chair.  Ours were over twenty years old and I was ready for a new one.  We headed to the college mall afterward as Yankee candle had its fall scents in and I was in need of a few.  Our last stop was Barnes & Noble.  I found a book Cal had talked about and a new planner for me.   Since I won't be teaching this year, I was able to downgrade to a smaller one.  That felt great!

I was excited to take Doug to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the Wells-Metz Theater, a smaller venue behind the auditorium.  It was just as funny as I remembered and the wonderful way to spend an evening.  He liked it as much as I did, especially the vice-principal's character.  It was by far the funniest musical I had even seen.  We ended the evening with Doug's favorite - breadsticks from Pizza Express.  It truly was a wonderful day in Bloomington.

On the Road Again

Tonight Doug and I left for Bloomington.  We had decided earlier in the summer that we would go down this weekend.  We had a couple of items to bring back including Parce's microwave.  We also wanted to see a musical put on by IU's summer theater program.  We had invited the Heinisch children, but they opted to stay home.

It didn't take me all day to pack since we were staying at Brett's.  Therefore, I had time to spend with Cam, Meg and Cal.  The younger two had piano, which we went to right after lunch.  Meg had plans with a friend from Bethany afterward, so Cam asked if he could get $1 crab cakes at Long John Silver's for lunch.  He hasn't been able to eat a lot with his new braces, but these went down easy.  Cal picked on him the rest of the day for eating there, but Cam really liked it.  I know that I did when I was his age as well.  Cal had a fire going when we got home.  He had finished taking the rest of the boards off of the pier and wanted to get rid of them.  Cam used the opportunity to burn his least favorite piece of luggage.  I had promised him when we bought a new carryon he could get rid of the one with a missing wheel that he always got stuck pulling through the airport.  He threw it on top of Cal's fire and it was gone in an instant.  We were floored with how fast it burned.  Meg joined the party by burning her precalculus book too.

Doug arrived at the tail end of Cal's bonfire.  He was able to see everyone for a brief time before we packed the Pilot for our road trip.  The drive down was an easy one as traffic was light.  It was nice to see that they had made progress on the I-69/37 project.  Once in Bloomington we first stopped at Cal's old house to pick up Mom's Bissell that he left a couple of weeks ago.  We were all glad to know this was our last stop there.  Next, we unpacked at Brett's and then walked to Mother Bear's.  There was no one on campus as summer school ended today.  Thus, we had no problem getting in.  It was a fun evening in Bloomington.  I was glad that we were able to make the trip.

The End of a Summer Staple

Tonight was Meg's last night of 7 v 7 for the summer and for her high school career.  She started playing in middle school when Doug was coaching the Wawasee team making this her sixth summer of Thursday night games.  When they first started teams were beating them 20 to 0.  It took some time, but Doug's team became more competitive.  I don't know how Wawasee faired this summer, but Meg's Bethany team definitely improved from their games in June with stronger defense and more accurate passing.  In fact Meg and two of her teammates had a fantastic run tonight that ended with Meg putting one of the best shots of the summer into the back of the net.  It was a fantastic way to end her summer soccer career.

I had talked Cam into going with me to Meg's games with the caveat of going to Buffalo Wild Wings afterward.  At first he declined.  He had to have a bond on his braces repaired this afternoon and his mouth was still sore.  He wasn't sure that he'd find anything that he could eat.  In the end he was happy with naked tenders and buffalo chips.  It took him awhile to finish his meal, but he was glad in the end that he came with me.

Copacabana

It was another busy day in the Heinisch home.  Cam had an early morning tournament once again,  his last of the year.  He played well, but the greens at Maple Crest were pretty challenging.  Thus, he didn't score as well as yesterday.  He was happy with his round, however, especially his birdie on the last hole.

Once I got home from the tourney Meg and I headed to Mrs. Kaiser's for "a day on the lake" get together.  It was nice of her to host everyone and to take the staff's children tubing.  While everyone was on the lake Meg and I visited with Mrs. Busse, Mrs. Speicher and Mr. Casey.  It was a nice end to my teaching days at Milford school.

Cal and Doug spent the evening golfing at Maxwelton.  They had a great time and stories to tell once they got home.  While they were out Meg, Mom, Dad, Cam and I went to the musical production of Copacabana at the Round Barn theater.  I thought it would be a musical filled with Barry Manilow songs, but it actually only had the one.  This was the first time we have gone  early in a production as opening night was yesterday.  There was definitely some errors and several wardrobe malfunctions.  It was a fun storyline, however, and we enjoyed it.

A Great Round

This morning Cam, Mom and I were up well before 6 a.m. for his golf tournament at Zollner Golf Course in Angola.  I wasn't sure if Cam would want to play in it since he had gotten his braces yesterday and was still catching up on his sleep from camp.  He was excited about it, however, especially since he played well yesterday.  I was glad that he made the trip as it was the best I have seen him play in a tournament all year.  His drives were on target and he putted well.  He finished the round at 86 which left him tied for 7th place.  Mom and I were proud of him.  He had not broken 90 in an Indiana Junior Tournament this year.

While we were at the golf tournament Cal and my Dad worked on the pier.  They had 100 boards to take off and replace.  They got about 36 done before my Dad decided to play golf.  We got a laugh out of that.  Cal was at home trying to burn the boards when we arrived.  He had played golf yesterday with my Dad and his friends at Chestnut Hills.  He played very well, but was ok taking a break today.  My parents came up later in the evening and my Dad was able to get the fire started.  By the time Doug got home from his church meeting the first half of the pier was ash.

We didn't see Meg until later in the evening.  Today was a busy one for her.  She led soccer conditioning this morning, visited with Liam in the afternoon, went to basketball open gym and then had dinner at Hacienda.  She was wiped out when she got home, but in a good mood.  We checked in with her for a little while before she headed to bed.  That was ok with me as Cam had an early morning tee time scheduled again for tomorrow, so I was not planning on staying up late either.

Worth the Pain

Metal mouth, shark boy . . . Cam's already heard them all thanks to his siblings.  Thus, he will be more than prepared for the ribbing he will get from his friends while sporting his brand new braces this fall.  In fact that along with new glasses this summer, Cam thought that maybe no one would recognize him at Bethany.

All kidding aside, however, I realize that it wasn't the most exciting day for Cam, but he is one step closer to the straight teeth that he would prefer.  The appointment took longer than I thought it would, but the two hours went by fairly quickly.  He does have to return twice this fall - once to remove his expander and the second one to pull a baby tooth that refuses to come out.  The overall process should take about a year and a half, but Cam seemed alright with that.  For now his mouth hurt enough today that his diet consisted of mashed potatoes and ice cream.  That should subside in about three days.  Then he will just have to get used to the bite guard behind his front teeth.  Time will pass soon enough and all of this will be a memory.  Until then we'll keep the freezer stalked with ice cream and the new nicknames flowing.

Laundry Machine is Getting a Work Out

Since Friday my laundry machine has constantly been running.  Between our vacation, the soccer downpour and Cam's return from camp there has been plenty of items to wash.  I was thankful that we had the second dryer in the basement as well.  That helped me complete two cycles at once and by 5 p.m. today I had everything washed, dried, folded and put away.  I smiled when I realized that I would be taking a break from the washer and dryer tomorrow.

The day was not a total "wash out," however.  I did get to watch Tiger finish in the top ten at the British Open with Cal, take a walk around the neighborhood, give Doug and Cam haircuts, listen to Meg' adventures at the fair with the senior class and to enjoy Doug's dinner on the grill.  It was nice of him to cookout as he had to work half a day this morning and I was sure that he was tired.  My parents and Hannah-Marie joined us for the evening and as soon as the table was cleared another game of Euchre broke out.

It was an early night for everyone in the Heinisch home.  Meg had to get ready to lead 8 a.m. soccer conditioning.  Cam and I had to get up early for the orthodontist tomorrow and Cal had made plans to go golfing in Fort Wayne with Grandpa and several of his friends first thing.  Doug did call it a night before the rest of us, but not before we finished an episode of Law & Order.  That seems to be the show of choice this summer and a great way to unwind together at the end of the day.

An Awesome Week at Camp

While Doug made the soccer girls pancakes and helped them get ready for their trip back to Bethany this morning, I picked up Cameron form camp at 9 a.m.  It was still raining so getting his luggage took a little longer than normal.  I didn't mind as that gave me even more time to listen to his camp stories.  He agreed with Meg - teen camp was a lot more fun than main camp.  He liked his cabin mates for the most part and enjoyed his counselors as well.  He struggled with wake boarding, but was happy that he got to try it.  He picked archery and paddle boarding as his other two activities and found more success with those.  He lost his Winnie the Pooh towel, which I predicted, but he did find it on the beach before he packed to come home.  He appreciated the cards and flashlight that I sent him.  They played endless games of Euchre and he learned a few new card games as well.  The food was excellent, especially the chicken nuggets, grilled cheese and macaroni and cheese.  They grilled out more than in the past, which Cameron appreciated.  Overall, except for being exhausted, he thoroughly loved Camp Crosley and will definitely go back again next year.

Once we unloaded the car,  the rest of the day was spent at home watching the British Open, doing laundry and resting.  This was supposed to be Cal's last day at Tippy, but they called off his shift due to the rain.  Cal didn't mind at all.  He saw Tiger perform well at the Open and took Hannah-Marie to Oakwood instead.  Liam came over for the afternoon to visit Meg.  He had family coming in for the night, so he didn't stay long.  We let Cameron pick the dinner spot, so at 5:30 he, Meg, Doug and I headed to Buffalo Wild Wings in Goshen.  We ended the evening back here playing Euchre and Hearts with Grandma and Grandpa.  Although, Doug and my Dad were the big winners, no one seemed to mind.

Soccer Sleepover

I spent today cleaning and getting ready for the soccer party at our house this evening.  Overall, it was in pretty good shape and this time I agreed with Meg that I really was Danny Tanner - cleaning an already clean home.  Meg and I then bought food for tonight and groceries for the weekend.  Cal was supposed to work, but they cancelled his day as it was supposed to rain.  He hung out with Grandpa's watching the British Open.

We debated all day on whether Meg’s scrimmage with Wawasee would be cancelled or not because of the weather, but in the end they played.  Mom, Dad, Doug and I sat in a downpour and watched Bethany win.  Meg played very well and had several opportunities to score. She was pleased that her penalty kick landed in the right corner as planned.

The girls were soaked when they arrived.  Thankfully we had plenty of towels and a lot of room on the porch to dry out their shoes and socks.  We ordered pizza for everyone which they all appreciated.  The girls spent the rest of the evening, singing karaoke, playing Just Dance, prank calling their friends and watching movies.  We thoroughly enjoyed having them all here.  Meg was an awesome host.  It's hard to believe after watching her with her teammates that she only joined Bethany a year ago.

One Last Day

Breakfast was not served until 9 a.m., so we had a chance to sleep in this morning.  That felt great after several days of traveling and sight seeing.  The meal was delicious and we enjoyed the conversation of the couple sitting with us.  They had traveled the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan and were heading back to Arkansas though Michigan.

As it was a four hours drive home we decided to split the trip by stopping in Holland and Saugatuck.  New Holland Brewing Company had the pepperoni pinwheels that Doug loved and Saugatuck had many of my favorite shops.  I found a sweatshirt for me, a shirt for Meg and several items in the Butler’s Pantry.  It was the perfect way to spend the last day of our 25th wedding anniversary trip to Michigan.

We headed home around 3:45.  Doug wanted to catch Meg’s 7 v 7 game in Elkhart.  We arrived in plenty of time for both games.  The first one was rough as they played Elkhart Central.  Their game against Goshen’s JV was a better match, however.  While we were there, I was also able to finish my 10,000 steps.  

We talked to Meg briefly after the game.  She had made plans to go to Steak N Shake with Emma and Cassie.  We stopped for dinner as well at Constant Springs before finally heading home.  Cal was still at work when we got there.  We had a couple of minutes to visit with him before falling into bed.  

Traverse City

 


We left Petoskey this morning after breakfast on the porch of our hotel.  It was hard to leave as it was such a beautiful place.  The next stop on our trip was Horton Bay.  We took pictures at the General Store that Hemingway frequented often and also of the home where he celebrated his first marriage.  We tried to find the cottage that he summered in, but it was a private residence and well protected by an abundance of foliage.

From Horton Bay we headed west toward Traverse City.  We passed a marker that stated that we were at the halfway spot between the North Pole and the Equator.  We found that impressive.  Our first stop was the Right Brain Brewery. The decor was definitely interesting with Homer Simpson hanging on the ceiling, but Doug was glad to have tried the beers.  One was even made with asparagus.  Next, we walked through the shops at The Village at Traverse City.  It was an insane asylum that had been renovated.  We both found it fascinating.

As we couldn't check into our bed and breakfast until 4, we decided to next tour the peninsula.  There were several wineries that were recommended on Trip Advisor along our drive.  They were as good as the reviews and we enjoyed stopping at all three of them.  The views were gorgeous and the wine was delicious.  We were able to make it to the Old Mission Lighthouse which was at the tip of the peninsula before it closed.  It was a beautiful spot to walk along the beach.

I had booked our bed and breakfast online and the Wellington Inn was a wonderful find.  It was a turn of the century home with large rooms and a lot of antiques.  Our bedroom was decorated in purple which I loved.  For our evening entertainment we walked to Front Street.  It was the main strip for shopping and dining.  We enjoyed our walk, found a local bar to eat at, and a few shops to browse through, but our favorite was a food truck court complete with a covered bar.  By the end of the evening we felt that Traverse City was more touristy than the other towns that we have visited in Michigan.   Because of that I don't think that we would return unless we wanted to drive the peninsula again.  It was nice to visit, however, as several friends had recommended it and it was on our way home from Petoskey.

Petoskey, Michigan and Hemingway

 


I have wanted to visited Petoskey, Michigan ever since I first read the Nick Adams stories when I was pregnant with Cal.  Although not a huge fan of Hemingway's writing style in his later works, I loved the short stories of adventure from his youth while hiking through northern Michigan to his family vacation home on Walloon Lake.  In addition to reading his stories of that time period I also read multiple biographies about Hemingway focusing mainly on his life leading up to World War I and his first marriage.

Over the past twenty years I had mentioned to Doug several times that I would really like to tour Hemingway's Michigan.  I had researched the area especially around Petoskey as it seemed to have the most places to visit.  We had evened booked several vacations to the area, but had to cancel due to Heinisch children commitments or Doug's work schedule.  As of last week we weren't even sure that we would be able to make it today because of a conflict, but in the end we finally took our trip and I was so incredibly glad.

We started our day at the Little Traverse Historical Museum which had an exhibit on the author's time at Walloon Lake as well as a walking map of the Petoskey area.  On our tour we found the boarding house that Ernest stayed in after he was injured in World War I, the barbershop that he frequented often, and the bar that he played billiards in and had a beer or two.  My favorite site was the Stafford Perry hotel as Hemingway lodged there on one of his trips North.  It was the only hotel still in operation from that time period and I was so happy that we had booked a room there for the night.  The cost was a little more than the 75 cents that he paid in 1916, but so worth the expense.  We had a gorgeous room with a balcony overlooking Lake Michigan.  We were able to have a drink on our patio while watching the sunset at the end of our day.

When I originally planned our trip to Petoskey, I focused mostly on the Hemingway sites.  Petoskey not only had all of the history I had been looking for, but so much more.  Doug and I were pleased with all that there was to do in the quaint little town.  After the museum this morning we had lunch at Petoskey Brewing Company which was also in existence at the turn of the century.  We drove to the bay and enjoyed a beautiful walk on the beach.  Our hotel was only a couple of blocks from the downtown area which was filled with restaurants, wine tasting, shopping and a lovely park.  This trip not only helped me to put a checkmark on my bucket list of places that I wanted to visit, but it also was the perfect way to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.

Packing Once Again

I spent the day packing once again.  This summer will be remembered as one in which we took a multitude of three day trips.  I am not complaining, however, as I love to visit new places, and Doug and I had this trip planned several times over the years.  I was happy to finally be able to take it.

Because of Doug's work schedule and meetings today we weren't able to leave until 5 p.m.  I used the time to get a few things done around the house.  Meg's soccer team will be having a team party at our house Friday night and I will only have one day to get ready for it when I return.  Thus, I got Meg, Cam and Cal's laundry done and picked up the house.  I did have time to watch Throw Down with Bobby Flay with Cal.  We both liked the episode that featured Cuban sandwiches.  I didn't see Meg much at all before I left.  She ate lunch at Grandma's and then went to Michigan to visit Liam before soccer team camp.  She did have time to give me a hug before she headed out.  It was strange thinking of leaving her and Cal at home while we were gone.  I don't remember that ever happening before.  The last item on my agenda before I left today was to get a package to Cameron.  Since Camp Crosley no longer allows snacks in the cabins, I had to be clever in what I bought for him.  It took some time, but I finally found a couple of items that he should be able to use.  I dropped it for him off at the welcome center and then met my parents at my house.  They agreed to take me to Goshen to meet Doug which saved him quite a bit of time.

Our trip was an easy one once we got through Bristol.  We decided to stop at Founder's Brewery in Grand Rapids first.  It was crowded for a Tuesday night, but we found seats and were served quickly.  The hummus was delicious and Doug was able to try a few beers as well.  From there we traveled on to Cadillac, Michigan.  It was the perfect stopping point and we got a great deal from Hampton on our hotel.  Tomorrow the real adventure begins.  I am really looking forward to it.

Camp Crosley Week

Today we dropped Cameron off for his ninth summer of camp.  He sure had changed since his first year, but his enthusiasm for Camp Crosley had not waned.  I still remember picking him up after his first year at mini camp.  He was not ready to leave.  Three days just wasn't enough. This year he was assigned to teen camp.  I was nervous about it, but Meg reminded me that she liked it better than main camp.  His cabin was filled with boys by the time we arrived.  He picked a top bunk in the direct path of the air conditioner.  He did not know anyone in his cabin this year, but that was alright with him.  He signed up for wake boarding which will be a new experience for him.  He wasn't sure what other activities he would choose.  In the past he had enjoyed archery and paddle boarding.    I told Meg that it was always easier for me to leave her than it was for me to leave Cam.  He has always been quieter and I worried about him meeting other boys.  It has never been a problem, however, and won't be this year either.  I can't wait to hear all about his adventures when he returns next weekend.

After we dropped Cam off, Meg, Doug and I drove to Mishawaka for Matthew's graduation open house.  It was hot, but there was shade and the children had a pool to cool off in.  We stayed for an hour or so visiting with Jan, Jackie and Jennifer before heading to Grape Road.  Meg needed cleats for soccer and Doug wanted a new belt.  Doug found success at Kohl's, but Meg struck out at Dick's Sporting Goods.  She was able to try on sizes, which helped when we ordered them later.  We then had dinner at Papa Vino's.  Doug and I were glad to see that they had a lighter menu which gave us several options.  Cal even thought it was delicious when he finished my leftovers later.  Meg enjoyed her lasagna and made sure to let Cal know that he was not allowed to eat any of it.  They were still in a disagreement over who ate the missing chicken wing from Buffalo Wild Wings last night.

Love the Weekends

Meg arrived this afternoon from Bluffton.  She was very happy with how it went.  They lost two games and tied one, but Meg said that she played well at forward.  There were only fifteen girls on the trip so she was in the majority of the games which gave her plenty of playing time.  While in Ohio the team stayed together at a church which Meg really enjoyed, although they didn't make it to bed until after midnight.  Needless to say the soccer and late night left her exhausted.  That didn't stop her, however, from meeting up with her camp friend, Kaelin, as soon as she got home.

Joey had to go home last night, but Breece spent the night.  He and Cam played video games until the early morning hours, and Doug was surprised to see them when he left for work this morning.  Cam did finally head up to bed at 7 a.m.  Breece then slept on the couch til Cal came up to watch Wimbledon.  Instead of going upstairs he decided to lie down on the shoe bench.  By the time I checked on him he was sound asleep.  It was a first for the Heinisch family.

Cam wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner since he would be leaving for a week of camp tomorrow.  We had a lot of fun with him.  Doug started a bonfire when we got home.  Grandma and Grandpa stopped by to check in with everyone.  Cal got back from work shortly after they arrived.  It was the perfect way to enjoy a Saturday night.

Golf, Friends & More

Cal got home last night when Cam and I were at soccer.  He was happy with the progress he made on the old house, but wasn't excited about working today.  This should be his last week at Tippy.  Hopefully, it will go well for him.  Meg had 7 v 7 last night.  She felt it went well.  She spent this morning packing for their soccer tournament in Bluffton, Ohio.  She was excited for the trip.

Dad and I spent the majority of our day at the Round Barn golf course in Rochester watching Cam play in an Indiana Juniors tournament.  It was a tough course with tight fairways and lots of trees.  The creek running through it made it challenging as well.  Cam played sixteen holes very well.  Number one and ten were difficult for him leaving him with quadruple bogies on both.  He wasn't too upset about it and felt his 95 was solid.  Dad and I thought so too.

Meg had left by the time we got home.  She texted later to say that everything was going well.   Cam had invited Joey and Breece over for the evening.  They had a fun evening filled with nerf gun wars, basketball, soccer and some video game time.  Doug joined in for the sporting events and built a bonfire for the boys.  With everyone busy it was the perfect time for me to go to dinner with Jen.  We had a great time catching up.  I have appreciated her friendship so much over the years.  Some awesome memories, honest conversation and a lot of laughter, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Change of Plans

Doug and I had planned to go to Michigan next week to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  I had always wanted to visit Petoskey as it was the summer home of Ernest Hemmingway and the basis for his Nick Adams stories.  Doug was more than willing to go with me as Traverse City had been recommended to us several times for its wineries and it was less than an hour from Petoskey.   Earlier in the week it looked like we were going to have to cancel our plans.  Doug had a project due at work that he needed to finish before he left and an important meeting on Monday.  Today, however, Doug let me know that he was able to complete all that he needed to and the only change we would need to make would be to leave Monday night and return Thursday instead of the original Sunday to Wednesday plan.

Thus, while Meg and Cam were at piano and soccer today I worked on cancelling reservations and making new ones.  I was happy with our change in itinerary in the end as we could keep our room at the Stafford Perry Hotel which was in existence when Hemingway vacationed on Walloon Lake.  I also found a turn of the century bed and breakfast in Traverse City that was within walking distance of the shops and restaurants on front street.  Our Monday night stay would now be a Hampton Inn that I paid for using points from our DC trip.  It should be a great adventure and a wonderful way to celebrate twenty-five years of road trips together.

A Wonderful Summer Day

We all took advantage of this beautiful summer day.  Cal worked on cleaning out his house in Bloomington.  He was pleased to report that he put his couches out on the side of the yard on Monday and today they were gone.  He couldn't believe it as he felt they were disgusting.  If he thought that then I was sure that I would totally agree.  Either way, we were all happy to have that checked off his list. After cleaning he spent time dog sitting Winston as Hannah-Marie and her parents were in town for orientation.

Cam went golfing with Grandma Jane while Meg met several of her friends at the Chief for ice cream.  I used that time to thoroughly clean out the van.  It wasn't my favorite job of the summer, but it sure needed it.  Once they got back the three of us went to play miniature golf at Paige's Crossing.  Cam and I had never been there.  Meg went with her class in middle school.  We all had a lot of fun and for the first time ever Meg almost beat us.

Tonight Meg, Aaron and Preston went swimming at Grandma's.  They then came back to our house for awhile.  Doug worked until almost 7 p.m.  When he got home we went to dinner and then he and Cam kicked around the soccer ball.  I finally talked Cam into new shin guards which should work well for him this season.  The weather forecast was for hot and humid weather again this weekend, but today was beautiful and we all made the most of it.

As Meg would say, "I'm Done!"

The past twenty four hours have done a number on my nerves.  First, Cal left yesterday morning for Bloomington.  He had planned to spend the week there cleaning his house and setting up his new one.    He took the Civic down since it had air conditioning.  I reminded him several times to watch his speed especially since the car drives faster than the truck.  He wasn't worried about it, however,  and in all honesty I should have been either as he hdsn't had a ticket since he first started driving.  Around 2 p.m. my Mom called me to see if I had read Cal's Twitter post.  This was what I saw:

I called him right away and he said that he was on I-465 and just wasn't paying attention to his speed. I was relieved that the police office let him go and that Cal said he learned a valuable lesson.  He did eventually make it to Bloomington without further incident.

Later in the evening, Meg and I sat down in the living room to check in with Doug.  She had soccer questions for him and I was impressed that he actually had the remote.  Normally, Cal or Cameron had taken over the television by that time of the day.  As we were talking he flipped it to one of his favorite channels - Starz Westerns.  They were featuring a 1971 spaghetti western that he had not seen before.  Unfortunately, within a couple of minutes of viewing the western both Meg and I were in shock.  The scene Doug stumbled upon had three naked sixty year old men in a wagon.  Since they were covered we didn't think much of it until the main villain shot the cart and it went down a small hill.  All three men flew out and I was not sure that Meg and I would ever recover from what we witnessed next.  Fortunately, Doug was fast with the remote and flipped it to another channel before we were too scarred!

Lastly, this morning I went out to put a new ear of corn on our squirrel feeder.  I happened to glance at Cal and Cameron's golf net and noticed a chipmunk was under it.  When I investigated further I realized that somehow the poor creature had hung himself in the net.  I believe that I screamed more at that sight of the strangled chipmunk then I did at the old naked men incident, but it was close.  Cam did try to get the animal out, but it was completely embedded in the netting.  I appreciated greatly that my mom was able to help "bury" him after their golf round.  By then, however, my nerves were done for the day and I was thankful that the rest of the day was a quiet one.  

Twenty Down, Fourteen More to Go!

One of the reasons that I decided to quit teaching was to focus on my health.  In fact the plan was to make that my number one priority.  I had gained weight this year and the swelling in my feet had risen into my legs.  I was also having intense pain in my left leg and back.  I knew that if I didn't do something these problems would only get worse.  Thus, as soon as we got back from Bloomington in early June I laid out an plan.  I would work daily on strengthening my legs and back which included setting a goal of 10,000 steps a day on my FitBit.  Lastly, I joined Weight Watchers to start eating healthy.  

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started my quest on June 3rd.  I had had success on Weight Watchers years ago, but was younger and could exercise more intensely.  With the broken ankle and the arthritis in my knee I was restricted by the rheumatologist in what I was physically able to do.  I  didn't let that stop me and went into my health adventure with a positive attitude fueled by the new Weight Watchers points menu.  Chicken, fish, eggs, vegetables and fruit were now zero point foods.  Carbohydrates and sugars were valued at a much higher point value then they were years ago, but that didn't bother me as I liked so many of the other foods on the low point list.  

Doug decided that he would also start a healthy eating plan as well which meant that it would be even easier for me to follow.  Today was the five week mark and I was thrilled this morning when I weighed in. I had officially lost twenty pounds.  Since I started this new lifestyle I had stayed within my smart points and gotten in 10,000 steps or more every day even when we were on vacation.  I felt better and the swelling in my legs and feet were gone.  I had set my goal at thirty-four pounds and wasn't sure in the beginning if that was realistic.  I know it may not come as quick as the first twenty, but I feel confident that I can make it happen.  

Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom

The fifth Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom came out several weeks ago and I really wanted to see it.  We had seen the previous one multiple times as Cameron was really into Jurassic World when it came out two years ago.  He also bought the original three Jurassic Park movies on DVD, built several dinosaur Legos as well, and even read the books that the series was based upon.  In fact our last visit to the Chicago Field Museum was made during that time period so that he could see the dinosaur exhibits as well as Sue the T-Rex.

Cam's interest in dinosaurs has slowed over the past three years, but he was still up for going to the movie with me.  Doug and my Dad joined in our group for today's viewing.  The movie plot was the same as those in the past, but we all found it enjoyable.  There was a villain trying to profit from the genetically altered beasts and there were plenty of people who found themselves dinosaur food.  The hero and heroine saved the day once again and fond their relationship rekindled along the way.  There was one surprise scene with the Tyrannosaurus Rex that made me jump out of my seat, otherwise I kept my eyes closed as normal during the intense scenes.

Even though the movie was predictable I was glad that we went.  It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  We don't go to movies as much as we used to, so it is enjoyable when we do no matter what is on the big screen.

Heinisch Family Tennis Match

Doug invited everyone to participate in a family tennis match this summer.  We had had an informal one in Bloomington last year and he wanted to keep the tradition alive.  He was pleased that Cal, Meg, Cam and Hannah-Marie were keen on the idea as well.  Today was the date agreed upon and this afternoon everyone met up at the newly renovated Wawasee Middle School courts.  As HM arrived a little later than the rest of us the match started as rotating doubles teams between Cal, Cam, Doug and Meg.  Cal had a healthy lead when Hannah-Marie arrived and continued to earn points when the teams were shuffled once again.

I could no longer play tennis, but had a lot of fun watching them.  Cal hadn't played in awhile, but looked just like he did before.  He was impressed with how well Meg and Cam could return his serves.  Of course he never said that during the match as he was too busy trashing talking everyone.  Meg, Cam and Doug held their own on the courts making Cal work for his points.  HM did not play tennis in high school, but definitely would have made a great doubles partner.  We celebrated with dinner afterward at Mad Anthony's.  Doug was happy that everyone took time out of their busy weekend to play tennis with him.  I just enjoyed listening to everyone all together.  

Piano

Mrs. Meek recovered from her surgery this winter, but it took her longer than she wanted.  She was finally well enough last month to have Cam and Meg return to piano lessons.  They enjoyed playing again and both picked song books to work out of that I have enjoyed listening to when they practice at home.  In May Cam started on the Imperial March from Star Wars and has almost mastered it as well as a few other songs from the movies.  Meg has been focused on Never Enough from The Greatest Showman.  It has been one of the more difficult pieces that she has worked on and it was really coming along today.  Mrs. Meek has enjoyed that song as well and plans to play it herself.

The piano has been in use in our home for over fifteen years with Meg spending the most time practicing.  Her play list has featured several of my favorites including Beauty and the Beast and Somewhere Over the Rainbow.  The boys have all spent their fair share of time using it as well, but for Meg it has been a wonderful way to relax at the end of a stressful day and I love listening to her play.  I know there will come a day when the piano will stand quiet, but for now I will enjoy listening to it all that I can.

A Day with Friends

While we were in DC, Avery texted Cam to see if he wanted to go to Lake Michigan today with him, Joey and Sam.  Cam was definitely all in and they left this morning at 9:30 a.m. for Warren Dunes.   I heard from Avery's mom several times today.  She said that the boys had a lot of fun especially out exploring.  It was the perfect day to be at the beach as the weather was still hot and humid.  Cam made it back home with some sun on his face and some great stories to share.  He had found a flavor to replace garlic as his favorite - pepper.  Needless to say the salt and pepper chips were a hit.

Meg spent the afternoon and evening with Preston.  They took a walk, went to dinner at Hacienda, watched movies and laughed a lot.  There were a lot of stories told from their younger school years and both remarked that they couldn't believe that they were seniors.  It hasn't dawned on me yet that they will soon start their last year of high school.  When they get together I still see them as the two sixth graders stopping by the FACS room at lunch.

Cal had to work this morning.  He was pretty tired from hanging out all night and soon fell asleep on the couch after lunch.  With everyone busy and Doug working I decided that it would be the perfect day to clean.  I started at 10:40 and spent the next seven hours scrubbing down the kitchen and bathrooms.  Between that, grocery shopping and putting the laundry away I had my 10,000 steps in just before Doug and I left for dinner.

Happy Birthday Doug!!

Today we celebrated our favorite American's birthday with a quiet day at home.  It was a little different than our previous two as we were in DC last year watching the fireworks over the Washington Monument.  In 2016 we were at the wreath laying ceremony at the home of Calvin Coolidge on the 4th.  None of us minded staying at home this year, however.  We were able to play corn hole and badminton as well as have a ping pong tournament.  Cal decided that the birthday boy would not be the winner of the day and defeated Doug in two highly competitive games.

My parents and Hannah-Marie came up for a cook out featuring something for everyone - steak, chicken and fish.  My Mom brought the desserts and even I tried a small piece of cake.  Doug appreciated all of his gifts.  I wasn't sure if he would still want the Germany World Cup jersey since they lost in the first round of the tournament.  He liked it, however, stating that now no one could call him a front runner.  Cal and HM left early to hang out with friends.  My parents stayed long enough for Cam and Grandpa Cutes to get beat on a last second toss by Doug and I in corn hole.

Brett texted us to say that he made it to the music concert at the Capitol.  He was excited as John Stamos was hosting it and musical acts included The Beach Boys, Andy Grammar and Jimmy Buffet.    He loved the patriotism displayed and the fireworks show.  We ended our evening by watching it all unfold on PBS glad that he had the opportunity to attend the program.

Hate to Leave

Brett had to work this morning, so we decided to start our journey back home.  It was hard to leave as we had had a great three days, but it was time to go.  We decided to get up early for our journey and were on the road by 7 a.m.  Traffic was light on our way out and by 8:30 we had already passed through the state of Maryland.

Since the total time driving was over nine hours we decided to stop on the way home.  We had already been to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and no one wanted to go to a zoo, so I did a search for attractions in Pittsburg.  There weren't a lot of them, but we found one of interest - The J. Heinz Historical Museum.  As we had just toured the former congressman's grandfather's home at Greenfield Village we thought we'd give it a try.

The museum was larger than expected and was filled with local history.  The sports area was large and covered not only the Pittsburg Steelers and Pirates but Oakmont and Arnold Palmer as well.  There was a Heinz exhibit that showcased the family's company and the condiments that they were known for producing.  I enjoyed the set of Mr. Rogers.  The same puppets that creeped me out on the show were still as scary looking as I remembered from my childhood.  Cam and Meg had never seen the show as it stopped airing in 2001, so they weren't as impressed with it.

The museum took us about an hour to walk through.  From there we headed up the block to a local restaurant for lunch.  Cam was excited to see that it had been featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives."  The sandwiches were great and the service was quick which put us back on the road before 1 p.m.  Ohio was a long state to drive through and the heavy rain seemed to make it even longer.  Thankfully, we had World Cup to watch along the way.  Overall our trip was an easy one and we were home by 6:30 p.m. thankful that the tire held up and that everyone had had a wonderful time.

A Fantastic Tour Guide

Today we started our day at the US Capitol with our favorite intern as our guide.  It was hard to believe that Brett was now just like one of those interns that we toured with twelve years ago on my first trip to DC. We started in Congressman Larry Bucshon's office meeting the other interns that Brett worked with.  We then walked through the Longworth building to a tunnel that took us to the inside of the Capitol.  Along the way we saw the student artwork that was chosen to represent each of the Congressmen's districts in the United States.  We also learned that limestone from Bedford was used to make the columns inside Brett's office building.

We were impressed by Brett's knowledge as he gave us a fabulous tour of the nation's capital building.  There was so much to see including Indiana's statues, the portrait gallery, the original Supreme Court gallery, the old Senate room, Mike Pence's office door and so much more.  It was great having Brett give the tour as it was only the four of us and we could ask all of the questions that we wanted.  We spent well over an hour walking through the Capitol and learned interesting facts such as John Quincy Adams dropped dead on the House floor.  Brett definitely had the knowledge and delivery to give us the best information possible.  We all appreciated the opportunity to see him in his work environment.

Our tour led to lunch time and Doug found a bar down the street from Brett's apartment called Bullfeathers, named after Teddy Roosevelt.  It was fun to eat there.  Next we went to the National Archives to view the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  It was very hot today with an actual temperature near 100 degrees, so we decided to next cool off at the hotel.  After taking a break we walked to our favorite souvenir shop near Ford's Theater.  We didn't buy very much, but found a few small items.

Our hotel had a free happy hour which we all took advantage of after shopping.  It was still hot out, but it had cooled off enough that everyone felt ready to walk to Jefferson's Memorial.  The view from it was just as fantastic as before.  We then made a stop at the World War II Memorial.  I appreciated walking the Pacific side and taking pictures of Brett, Cam and Meg at the Indiana pillar.  I remembered talking about it with Paw Paw after my first visit twelve years ago.  He knew that he would never make it to see it, but was appreciative of the pictures I brought back.  

Our last stop of the night was The White House.  They were setting up for the fourth of July party on the lawn.  Once we were done sightseeing we took Brett back to his house.  It was perfectly located within two blocks of his office and in a nice neighborhood.  He appreciated our visit and we were all glad to have had spent the past three days with him even though they seemed to fly by.  

Three Presidents - One Day

On each of our trips to Washington DC we had talked about visiting Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.  Doug had toured it years ago when he went with his family, but we were never sure how to fit it in as it was a five hour round trip commitment from Brett's.  When we started planing this summer's trip we realized that we had visited the majority of the sites in DC, so we thought this would be the year to try it.  While researching Monticello I found out that both James Madison and James Monroe had homes within a twenty mile radius of Jefferson's which we decided to add to our itinerary.

Today we set out early in the morning with the goal of touring Montpelier James Madison's plantation, James Monroe's Highlands, and Monticello.  All sites lived up to the expectations with Jefferson's being the most spectacular.  Madison's home was larger than we would have expected, but it had the least amount of furniture from the family.  Dolley Madison's son had squandered the majority of their money leaving her to sell the home after James died.  Six other families owned the property before it was returned to the state of Virginia in the 1980's.  Thus, it was a nice tour, but the least informative.

Monroe's home no longer stood on Highland, but their guest home was still on the property.  Inside of it were furniture and items that the Monroe's had collected during their travels as an ambassador to France and Spain.  Our guide provided a wealth of information on the Monroe family as well as his Presidency.  Brett and I were definitely intrigued by the bust that Napoleon gave Monroe after his coronation in France.  It seemed over the top as a gift and we tried to envision doing that ourselves.  

The last stop was Monticello which was adjacent to Highland.  It was by far the most fascinating of the Presidential homes that we visited this weekend.  Jefferson spent forty years renovating his home.  He lived on the property and collected many scientific inventions such as the first odometer.  His bedroom was interesting with an alcove bed much as they had in France.  His relationship with a slave that produced six children was discussed and an emphasis on the slaves that helped make Monticello operate was abundant.  We were only allowed to visit the main level of the home, but the view of the University of Virginia through a carved out hole in his trees was awe inspiring and we each appreciated our visit.  It was an exhausting day, but a rewarding one as well.