Yo, blog! Sup?? Long time, no write here! I’ve neglected you and my 17 readers, and for that I do apologize. But yet, a hiatus (wow, finally had a chance to use that word!) was needed.
As we looked through our June schedule, we found we have 5 days, 5 DAYS of free time. No fairs, no events, no parades, no appointments, no PD, no nothing.
#WTH
So, my writing has suffered because of this. Last week, in Dubuque, the KPAC conference, a gathering of the best and brightest in region is going on. I’d love to go, but couldn’t get myself to sign up. Why? Very few teachers from our building go anymore, and that disappoints me. I love the sessions, I love (kind of – introvert here) meeting new people, but I just couldn’t go. That and I knew there was so much other stuff scheduled.
#Ugh
We went to the University of Iowa for two days of orientation in preparation for our daughter’s arrival! She met her roommate (a 5’10” version of herself – scary), signed up for classes, and tried to figure out what “pre-business” means. Our hope, that some of what they were told sunk into her brain. This is an expensive place to find yourself, and if she’s not lazered in her goals, she’ll distracted by everything around her.
#pleasefindaquietplacetostudy
We went to our first show over Father’s Day weekend, a small fair to our north. We took our three heifers up Friday afternoon and brought them back Sunday afternoon. In between, they were washed, clipped, fed, and shown with temperatures in the mid-90s and a heat index well over 100 on Saturday. Hot, sweaty, sometimes gross work, but we got to hang out with our showing friends, and there’s not anything wrong with that. Sunday night, we kind of collapsed in a heap! π
#airconditioninghasspoiledus
And finally, tomorrow, we spend four days away from home for the National Brown Swiss Convention, being held in Coralville, Iowa. Normally, I wouldn’t have too much of an issue with this since we go to the State Fair and do the same thing, but this is June, my “gotta catch my breath” month. And I haven’t. Since the only things we’ve ever done that’s remotely close to this is the state fair, we have no idea what to expect. Some of these national conventions have crews who are on the clock 24/7, cleaning up after animals, others, you get to hang out with your animal like any other fair. We are hoping for option one, but guessing we’ll get option two. Four days away from home where we don’t get to do anything fun.
Our local farmer said “sure, I’ll help you get your heifers down to Coralville” which turned into “did you talk to the other guy from our area to get your heifers moved?” At this point, I’d love to cancel and say screw it. The weather is going to be ridiculously hot again, and there’s never AC in these places, so hot, sweaty, and gross is the name of the day.
*sarcasm on* Whoopie!! *sarcasm off*
However, it’s the farewell tour. I really don’t think our daughter will want to come back and show next summer. She may be Brown Swiss Princess again (no girls her age are in our association, and she’s enjoying it so far), and if we do show, it may be just showing a cow, which means we come in one day, show the next, then leave. I could deal with that. I’ve come to accept that these are the last time through many of these events, with people we’ve come to enjoy and look forward to seeing. Older parents just drift away, and I can see that in our future, and it’s not a bad thing.
Besides, we’ve got some pretty awesome years ahead of us as well. 47, finally feeling healthy again, and no kids at home. Our first trip in September is up toΒ Minneapolis and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. We’ve wanted to get up there for years, but between cross country and swimming, weekends were pretty well booked. No more. We’ve got tickets to two Iowa games this season, so visiting Iowa City will become more common. I need to see about Iowa State tickets, because while I’m no ISU fan, it’s a pretty campus for sure!
I’ve worked on this dang blog for a week, never quite getting down, adding to it, deleting other stuff, so if this my only blog of June, to the educators out there: Happy Summer Break (though it feels like it’s all slipping away)! π
June 26, 2018 at 10:59 pm
Wow, you have had a busy month. Taking a child off to college is hard work, emotionally as well as physically. (My husband cried when we did that.) And showing cows at the fairs? Reminded my of my childhood 4-H fair days — we didn’t show our goats, but we did enter giant cucumbers and a tuna casserole. And teaching as well. No wonder you haven’t had time to blog.
June 27, 2018 at 11:36 pm
First, thanks for stopping by and commenting! I so appreciate you taking that time!
We have two daughters, so this is the second one (and last) one to send off. There were tears shed with our oldest and I’d imagine there will be with this daughter too. But the difference, after those tears, there might be wine and celebrating too! π
I’ll miss the heifers and their calls of “come pet me and love me”. I won’t miss hot barns or the chores in the winter. All though I’d love to have a couple at our house, I’m not sure if I can make that happen!
Thanks again for the comment! π
June 26, 2018 at 10:59 pm
This sounds like a really busy summer for you! But you are wise to enjoy it, because when they become young adults, you will miss it (a teeny bit anyway!)
June 27, 2018 at 11:38 pm
I will miss the heifers, the feeling of family when surrounded by other dairy people at the fair. I won’t miss smelling like cows for DAYS after the fair or the 100 degree heat that always seems to come on fair week. I’ll enjoy coming up, spending my dollar for a shake, walking through to visit, and being done! π
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! π
June 27, 2018 at 6:59 am
There you are…Good Morning! You have had a very busy summer so far with more activities to come. Sounds like you are embracing the future Empty Nest with a positive outlook. π We felt like we were dating all over again with all the things we were able to do…and still do. Hope you enjoy the rest of the summer and find some down time to ‘chill out’ (LOL) and relax!
June 27, 2018 at 11:40 pm
LOL
I look at the empty nest as just that, a second chance to get to learn about my wife. We’ve spent so much time and energy on daughter #2, that it will be nice to be able to talk and do things again that WE want! π
June 28, 2018 at 5:17 pm
I liked the way you phrased that as a Second Chance. So much time and energy does get spent on our kids, that we do take each other for granted. It will be fun dating all over again. π
June 27, 2018 at 8:17 am
#takeabreath
Wow! Nonstop busyness! Don’t worry about collecting dust on the old blog space, it will be waiting patiently, as well as your readers. Enjoy the last times and stay hydrated. What happened to easing into summer? These temps are dog days of August not June!
June 27, 2018 at 8:42 am
Have a wonderful time π
June 28, 2018 at 6:25 am
We will try to do just that! π Thanks for stopping by!
June 27, 2018 at 9:22 am
One day at a time. It is so crazy how the summer starts and feels like this marathon of time, but it slowly runs away from you, because that’s what days do. Glad you wrote, even if you only get to it once this month. You’ll look back one day, hopefully in less busy times, and think, “How did I do all that?” and then, hopefully, you’ll go take a lazy nap. π Happy summer to you too.
June 28, 2018 at 6:27 am
Good morning and happy summer! It’s funny you say “take a lazy nap” as my wife has her “summer off” for the first time in 12 years. I’ve gotten off pretty easy during those years, because she’s been a task master! I told her she’d need to get a job or learn to enjoy her summer because this isn’t work camp!
She didn’t like that too much! LOL!!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! π
June 27, 2018 at 11:56 am
Great to hear your voice again. I love reading your slices because your life is so different from mine (in terms of location, etc.) but then I always see commonality too (the too busy). Sounds like you are preparing wisely for your empty nest days. I just left my son’s after a week and I know it will likely be a year until I see him again- hard, but as it should be!
Happy summer!
June 27, 2018 at 2:01 pm
ISU is my alma mater. It does have a pretty campus. π
Enjoy what little break you can! I understand and deeply relate to all of the hecticness and no time to actually decompress, so I hope you are able to find some space for yourself in all the busyness. Best of luck to your daughter. That first year can be rough.
June 27, 2018 at 11:29 pm
You learn something new each day!! What brought you to ISU? My oldest is a software engineer, and knew as a freshman in HS that was where she would end up. I’m hoping to find a little time, but would imagine those “off days” may get eaten up with the mundane stuff! Either way, it will be an advenutre! π
June 28, 2018 at 11:10 pm
Graduate school. π