Mother Nature...

Yesterday it was decided that a couple of friends and I would head to a small lake in a county park in Iowa. It's only about 1/2 hour drive and the sun was shining brightly without a cloud in the sky. Perfect afternoon for kayaking. We arrive at the lake around three o'clock, launch and kayak around for a bit. A short while later, we see dark clouds pending. Ugh, rain? How can this be? The sky was beautiful and bright and now what?
So, we go to shore and decide we better pack up. While loading the kayaks, the sprinkles start to fall. But not for long, it started to rain....hard. We hadn't even secured the kayaks to the roof of my wonderful Element and we had to get inside. The rain was coming down fast and it was cold. Then, the hail fell. HAIL!?? So, with neither of the kayaks secured and the wind swirling, it wasn't long before my friend's kayak flew off the top of the car and landed next to us. Crazy times. I don't know why we even bother! Well, yeah I do, because it's FUN.
With the kayaks secure, we leave the park and head for home. The drive was nice, the sky was blue and beautiful. The sun was also shining brightly, no dark clouds to be seen.
Mother Nature can be a real bitch! Gotta love South Dakota/Iowa weather.
Notice the pending clouds in the first picture! Argh!

Sam's Smile

Nothing in the world can compare to the smile of my nephew. He had some work done on his chair yesterday and he was a little angel boy. He had a great time in the play room with his mommy and auntie. I am so proud of him!

who's visiting?

So, I added that there counter at the bottom of the page, scroll down to see it. I know people are stopping by, so leave me a comment so I know who my audience is! Is that so hard?
Thank you.

What's happened this week?
Saw 'Cars' on Friday night. Really cute. The only thing I have issue with is that Larry the Cable Guy is the voice of Mater. He's funny and adds to the flick, however then he adds a "Git 'r done." Can't stand this...partially ruined it for me. Bummer.
I went golfing on Saturday morning, the weather started out to be just fine, but by hole 9 it was sprinkling. The guy in the clubhouse said it was going to be a 30-second cell...he was wrong and we proceeded to play the next 9 holes in a steady rain-downpour. Ahh, the love of the game.
Saturday night I had dinner with my family at one of the best restaurants in SF. Ming Wah. Love it, if you don't that means you haven't been there or you've been there and gotten sick. Regardless of your experience, it's a family tradition. Then we hit up the Sculpture Walk...a wonderful addition to downtown SF. My family is fun!
Cooper was "locked up" for 7.5 hours today. I was so proud of the little guy. This makes me think he can go all day while I am at work. I hoped this would eventually be the case. I bought him a soccer ball, it was only $3 at Old Navy, tonight we played in the backyard until it got too dark. He liked it and has already chewed holes in it. He doesn't seem to understand the value of a dollar.
I have officially registered for the National Element Meet in St. Louis. What a dork I am. I look forward to meeting other people that are obsessed with their vehicles. Perhaps I need to 'get a life.' Anyway, I'll be heading to St. Louis in July...to sweat like a pig!
maybe something exciting will happen this weekend, who knows. I haven't gotten to kayak since I got back from the Hills. So hoping to get out there again soon.

Cooper's friend Kota

Watched my friend's golden retriever a little bit this past weekend. Cooper and Kota were at the dog park for about 2 hours on Sunday, then back to my house for some backyard play. They chased each other around and had a great time...few pics

babies, babies everywhere!!

Met some of my co-workers...wait...friends out for dinner this evening. 3 of them have had babies recently and one of the others is pregnant. There is something good to be said for sticking out like a sore thumb. Some of the conversations I was happy to not be a part of. For instance, hearing about labor, needles, and lots of breastfeeding isn't that much of a loss for me. I, at this point, have no interest in any of the aforementioned things. I am okay with this, thank you.
I do care about these people and the little people they have brought into this chaotic world, but sometimes I have a hard time relating to them.
I know some women talk about having difficulties relating to their friends after having kids or what-not, but I do have to say that being on the outskirts of labor/boobs/poop/bottles/feeding times/not sleeping etc, etc, is okay for me at this point.
Luckily, we had $2 margaritas that carried us all through. I guess good people and good friends can combat any differences.

Summer begins today...

Today, Saturday, is officially my first day of summer. My school year ended yesterday at 5:30 and I will start my summer hours at work on Monday. This means part-time throughout the summer. What a great idea. I think all jobs should be part-time in the summer.
I want to do a lot of things this summer. I want to motivate myself to clean my house, walk the dog more, go kayaking, see some movies, read a few books, travel, and much more. Today though, my summer vacation is plagued with rain, clouds and chilly temperatures. I guess there's always tomorrow.

I made it there...and back

Well, I made it home all safe and sound from my camping experience in the Black Hills of SD. The trip was very fun and we had excellent weather. I was sometimes whiny and a bit of a pessimist, but overall I think I was pretty fun! Our experiences varied from good ol' Wall Drug to Hill City on Friday, Saturday brought about Crazy Horse, Wind Cave National Park, wildlife and an afternoon of kayaking. 3 lakes in one afternoon! The whole group kayaked on Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park as that is where we camped. Then two of us ventured off to find another lake. We found and kayaked on Center Lake and had a brilliant idea to kayak a third. Our final lake was Bismarck also in Custer State Park. It was a lot of fun and I hope to keep finding kayak adventures. Then we headed out on Sunday and ventured through the Badlands for a couple of hours. It had been quite some time since I had last visited this part of the state and I love the scenery and history of the state! I have quite a few pictures and have only posted a few...I would be happy to email them out if you are interested let me know!

1st Kayaking Experience of the summer

Took the kayak on it's maiden voyage on the Big Sioux River. Beautiful day, great company, some wildlife, family along the shoreline--very shallow water though. Got high-centered a few times. Looking forward to the weekend in the Hills and kayaking on a lake.

Oh, no. What now??

Yep, this is my new kayak. I decided that I needed my own. It's somewhat silly since I have only kayaked one time in my life**. I am jumping on the bandwagon as a few of my close friends all have their own. I didn't want to be left out and have to borrow a kayak. So, today...I find myself a kayak owner. It's a beginner's kayak and it's pretty stable. I am going to load 'er up and take 'er to the Hills next week too. I am excited.
Wow, I such an outdoorsy wannabe!!
**post edit: I have now kayaked 2 times. Today (Monday) hit the river again! I love it!

The Cooper and Iris show

Anticipation...and a little anxiety

A week from tomorrow I will be heading across the state on an adventure. Some friends and I are going camping in the Black Hills. Now, this causes me a little anxiety for a few reasons. The first being that I have only camped one other time in my life. Last August (with the same great folk) I ventured to Yankton and spent one night in a friend's tent. My couple friends are big campers and have everything one would need to camp, or so I am told. This is probably what made the experience fun, that and the weather was as close to perfect as South Dakota weather gets! The people I am heading west with are the type of people you want to do new things with. They are fun and easy-going. I don't have to worry about what they think or feeling stupid in any way. They are good people.
My next reason for feeling anxiety is that it's across the state. What if the weather turns to shit, what if I decide that I am a prissy little whiny brat and want to go to a hotel? Also, the bathroom thingy seems like it's kind of far from the campsites.
The last thing making me feel anxious is that there are going to be about 8 people. That's a lot of people to organize and manage. You see, I am a bit of a control freak and in situations that are new to me I kind of get uptight. I am not really an uptight person, but I have those tendancies. So I pray for patience and the ability to soak it all in.
I am so excited though too. It's been a long time since I have been to the Black Hills and there is so much to do. We are planning on kayaking, doing the Crazy Horse Volksmarch, going out for dinner, and mostly hanging out by the campfire with a beer. I know I'll have fun...I just have to keep telling myself that.
Say a pray for me....and for my parents, they are watching Cooper!!
The pictures are of the campsites we have reserved at the Sylvan Lake Campground in Custer State Park.

Spring into summer

Yesterday, for the first time in about three years, I went golfing. First off, I am satisfied that I didn't injure myself or fall down. I also made contact most of the time, that's right, I said most of the time. I did indeed whiff. Hole #2, I was expecting to hit into the water, but that didn't happen and I whiffed instead. Oh, well.
The weather was cold and windy, it turned to rain and about three hours after we finished hole #9, the sun was out and it was beautiful. Figures, South Dakota weather.
In the later afternoon, I mowed the yard and took a picture of my lilac bush/tree. It's beautiful for a short time.
On Saturday, I also took this picture of Cooper in his polo, it looks like PJ's but it's a polo T.

I suck...

at cleaning. I really do. I live my life, day to day, as a complete and utter slob. My house isn't ever clean enough to invite friends over (I do have a few). I feel terrible. I have a nice little house with a great deck and yard, yet I can't seem to convince myself that it is important enough to keep it presentable. I guess presentable is all I really want.
Two weeks ago, my sister showed up. Out of the blue. I hate that. I swore at her and only allowed her to walk through to the deck. I am embarrassed of the pit I live in. Everyone and anyone that knows me, knows this is how I am so I shouldn't think it's that big of a deal. But I do.
I always feel better after my mother lays a good guilt trip on me and comes over and "helps" me clean and sort through all of the shit I have accumulated. I always say, "I'll never let it get this bad again." And I do. I am lazy. I would much rather spend 3 hours at the dog park, watch TV, read a book, cruise the iTunes music store...basically anything other than clean my damn house.
I wish I were motivated to clean as I go. Some people (probably most) tidy up on a day to day basis so it doesn't get to the point that you dread the doorbell ringing.

Animals...

Here are a couple random shots of my animals as of late. They are a handful...

A little late but...

Went to Las Vegas with my friend from college over a month ago now, but I am lazy and never got around to post about the trip. We left Thursday and returned to town on a very early Sunday morning flight. We traveled with my mom because she has "connections."
Erica and I got to stay at a very nice hotel that we could never afford on our own. We stayed at the Bellagio and ate great food and watched the fountains whenever we wanted! Cramming a lot of sightseeing and beer drinking in makes girls a bit tired, but we managed to stay out until the wee hours of the next day each night.
We say the Volcano at the Mirage, the Venetian and it's extraordinary canals, a big fat Elvis at Barbary Coast, and the pirate show at TI all in one evening. Of course we managed to walk to shoppes at Caesar's too with our 1/2 yard margaritas in hand.
The next day we went through Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden, the Paris and then headed to the Hofbrau Haus of Las Vegas. The bier and pretzels were great!
Friday evening we headed downtown to witness the Fremont Experience. More margaritas and penny slots consumed our evening. On Saturday we were ready to enjoy the pools at the Bellagio and take it easy. Later in the evening we went to the MGM Grand to see Billy Joel in concert. He was great, I sat next to a lady that smelled like old perfume though.
Then we hit New York New York before going back to the room and awaiting our early morning cab ride to the airport. It was a great time, a whirlwind, but so much fun. The weather was perfect and the company was even better. Thanks E!

Roadtrip

Took a roadtrip this weekend to Rochester, MN. This was a long-awaited trip to meet the newborn daughter of my best friend. A baby. I can't believe my friend from way back when is a mom now. Today is Mothers' Day. Her first of many of course.
It seems like only yesterday I was hanging out on her trampoline, we would jump for minutes, then lay down, laugh, tell stories (gossip), jump a few more minutes and repeat. We used to stay up late, we made home movies, watched movies and ate popcorn. We were good kids. This weekend we had this very discussion. Our parents were lucky to have us! We were lucky to have them too.
We didn't sneak out or sneak beer. We just had fun. Good 'ol fashioned girly fun.
Congratulations to my best friend, a new mom. She's a good one, I know already.

It's been awhile...

Here's an update on my last few weeks:
I absolutely love my Element. It's great. I have joined this online club completely dedicated to the Element. Dorky huh? Yeah, well I never denied my dorkiness. I am one through and through. It's been fun to post about mine and read about other people's all over the country. They even have a national meet....St. Louis this summer! I am considering it!
Let's see...Work is going well. I have been very busy with the various things I do. This is fine, I'd rather be busy. I am looking forward to summer though where I'll work part-time hours.
2 weekends ago I headed to Milan to meet up with my cousin. She is going through some rough stuff and I was so happy that I was able to be there to hug and support her. I have faith in her strength to deal with all the shit she is going through. My aunt and uncle live along a river and surrounded by fields...which sets a great scene for a good dog chase. Yes, Cooper TOOK OFF and ran for about 1 mile down the country roads. My pudgy body chased him until I lost sight of him. I thought he was gone forever, I thought for a brief moment what life would be like without a pooch. Luckily, he came shooting out of a grove of trees and my uncle scooped in for the collar-grab. I wasn't too happy...but really happy he came back.
Then last week I went to Vegas Baby! I traveled with my great friend from college and my wonderful mother. We were treated well and packed full 2 1/2 days with casinos, margaritas, attractions, some beer, a lot of sun and great food. I love the crazy feel of Vegas and am glad I got to experience it with such a close friend and my mom. Then it's back to the reality of work. Blech.
I am ready for a four day weekend to fully recover from the trip though!
We'll have to wait and see what the next few weeks have for me! The past few have been a whirlwind!
Sorry to leave you all hanging for such a long time, I'll try harder to post more. I'll get some Cooper pictures up soon too!

StELla!!

Well, I did it. She's mine. I would like to say it was an impulse buy, but honestly I have been researching this vehicle for quite some time. The Element has been mine since Thursday and I am very happy with it so far. Yesterday at the dog park my friend and his dog climbed in and we explored all of the features in the car. He's jealous, he told me so! I am excited about the car. I have accessories on order, which will alter the look just a little bit. I am going to have a roof rack, door visors and splash guards installed in a week or so. StELla is great! You oughta meet her!

MallWalk '06

For the last few years my family and Sam's friends have formed a team and participated in the Children's Care Hospital and School (CCHS) MallWalk. The point is to raise money for the hospital and school, however we just mooch enough money to get a shirt. It's fun to be part of this event that celebrates special children. The energy that fills the mall is really contagious. Sam utilizes some of the services at CCHS, he goes swimming most every week. He loves the water. The event is also a time that brings the Bennetts and the Horstmeyers together to support Sam and his friends.

He's growing up

I haven't posted about Cooper in a little while. He's doing so well, I really think he's growing up. These are a couple of the reasons why I think this:
1. He sleeps more. We'll have only been awake for about 2 hours and he'll want to nap.
2. Today, he had a pen in his mouth and I said, "Cooper, No. Drop it." He did. He dropped it!
3. He doesn't run around like a freak-show with no destination anymore. He seems to have reason for his movements.
4. He hasn't launched himself at my face with his 'devil dog face' in about a month.
5. Free roam of the house isn't a problem, he doesn't come out of the bedroom with undies in his mouth or kleenex from the bathroom garbage.
6. When he's outside, I only have to call his name about 8 times until he comes running in. I used to have to drag him in.

Anyway, each day he's becoming more of a dog and less of a puppy. I told my mom last night that I love him more now than I did when he was 3 mos. old.

I am anxious for spring though, we want to go to the park!