Burke and Jodi are coming so I watered the yard and crushed a grape with my chair and made jelly

In weather this morning, it has been three days in a row I was all set to water the yard. Three days in a row there was thunder, lightening, winds, and all the things that tell you to batten down the hatches, so I opted out of watering. Then it won't rain.

Well, I'm going out now to turn on the water. So you can be sure it is going to rain today.

It is some power to be able to control when it rains, and I am somewhat conflicted about using this power today, because Noah and I are to race track tonight, and Burke, Jodi and Keegan are coming up here today. But dang it, it is hard work keeping up with the neighbors and their yard.


In other developments this morning...I was eating grapes at the computer...

This just in. I finished typing the words, "...neighbors and their yard" and went down to turn on the sprinklers. Just as I typed, "...I was eating..." rain drops began hitting my window and lightening struck somewhere near the far pond. It is power I tell you. Power.

So, I was/am eating grapes this morning and happen to drop one. With Kid #2 and #3 around, we don't have the "3-second" rule, but that is mostly because Kid #3 will eat anything, anytime, anyway. I did drop one, though, and I wanted it, so I rolled the chair back so I could get the grape off of the ground. I rolled over the grape with the chair.


In sports this morning, Kid #2 is in flying form on her "bicycle." Her pink (giro, giro, giro) trike is being ridden to its fullest. It was just two weeks ago that she couldn't get over the hump in the driveway, but now she not only gets the thing over the hump, she also gets that thing going at about 120+rpms. She grits and bares her teeth, leans back to get more leverage with her arms, and gets after it. It is very obvious that she is enjoying the speed.

After a meeting this morning, I will pick her up from school and take her motorpacing.

In other sport's news, Kid #1 competed in the Divisional Championships of swimming yesterday. This is a big meet bringing in the top swimmers from around the Metroplex. According to the seeded times Noah had, he was placed in the first or second (of four or five) heats, with the supposed fastest seed/heats being the last.

He was bummed to learn that his times placed him in the bottom 1/3 or bottom 1/4. He responded by setting a PR in freestyle and placing 5th overall. He was DQ'd in the backstroke in a heartbreaker, since he was doing very well until the last stroke, when he turned over to touch the wall. His time was officially good enough to place him 8th overall, but the DQ negated that, of course. The other stroke in which he competed was the breast stroke, and he gave it his all in his small heat of three boys, but it wasn't quite good enough to put him in the top 8. It was a good meet overall, though I think Kid #1 was expecting higher placings based upon his placings at the regular meets throughout the season. But at Divisionals, the kids from the more serious swim programs show up, and that makes a difference. He just learned the meaning of "Big fish, little pond."

In the Strongest Man competition, Kid #3 competed in the tractor push yesterday. The John Deere Pedal Tractor is outfitted with Kid #1, who isn't allowed to pedal. the object is to push the tractor and Kid #1. That's all. Kid #3 did this on the driveway for about 15 minutes, which is a record not only in his age group, but also his size category. In fact, I'm still checking with the officials at the South African headquarters of the World Strongest Man Competition, but I think this is an outright record as well. Especially considering the shows are only 30 minutes long.

When I get back from motorpacing Kid #2, I'm going to take Kid #3 out back and have him push me and my truck across the pasture.

In health and living, Mama made some jalapeno/watermelon jelly. Yes, that's right. We picked the jalapenos from what we have growing here, and we would have used our homegrown watermelons, but they aren't ready yet. But the jelly is indeed 100% homemade even if only 40% homegrown. I've only had a couple sample tastings of this concoction, but my word, I dare say there hasn't even been anything better to spread upon cornbread.



Have a great day!