Tales of the Ordinary Days

Mother's Day activity Mother's Day was most enjoyable. Although I wasn't able to spend it with all of my sons or my own mother, I did have a fun afternoon with Zach. The oldest. Number one child and son. The reason I was able to first celebrate this holiday in 1994. Garrett and I met Zach in Downtown Denver with no set plans other than to find some new adventures. Brunch was as at an Irish bar and grille. We gave it high marks for both atmosphere and food quality. The Bloody Mary was pretty good too. Our tour of downtown included a stroll through Union Station and then on to pool play and beer tasting at Wynkoop Brewery. I was gifted a t-shirt that reads "I Love Beer" with the word love replaced with a heart filled with the Colorado logo. Also in the goody bag was a Wynkoop beer glass. Next stop was the flagship REI store on Platte Street. With visions of Reese Witherspoon's hiking performance in Wild, I looked at the extreme hiking gear with g...

The Christmas hand-off (in a bowling alley parking lot) On the twelfth Day of Christmas.... We took a road trip to surprise my oldest son. 85.7 miles from our home in Denver to Zach's home of Fort Collins, Colorado. My Partner in crime, Larry (a.k.a. father-in-law) accompanied me. I drove the first leg northward and he drove the last leg southbound. We have definitely become accustomed to our road trips together. Until about noon on Sunday, this trip was unplanned. But as I have often found in life, it's the spontaneous, random acts that ultimately carry the most meaning. Feelings from the heart are many times unplanned. Spurred by a word, memory, or observation while going through the daily motions of life, the gut and the heart are rarely wrong. It's just the practicality of the head that sometimes gets in the way. As part of our Christmas weekend with the Denver kids, we enjoyed a Broadway show, along with dinner celebrations and gift openings. And althou...

My panoramic view from my middle seat vantage point Well, we are done. Road trip completed and a success. Zach has his gun equipment. Delivered and set-up, his shop is almost opened for business. The two drivers and their sidekick (me) are now cozy in the warmth of our Denver home. Christmas decorations are up. Simmering chili with freshly made cornbread are in the kitchen. And Stanford and Notre Dame are playing some pretty good football on the screen in front of us. We collectively drove 1,070 miles over two travel days. Adding a one-way flight at the beginning and a one-night hotel stay at the end, the comforts of home are feeling pretty good right now. Our 26 foot truck did the job. Carrying 4,000+ pounds of gun machining equipment, we named our diesel-loving and dependable rental, the Heifer. She was a bit stubborn going up hills and wanted a nap rather than a start at a truck stop in Iowa. But in the end, she faithfully did her job before we returned her to the Penske...

And so I sit on our back patio, sipping hot coffee and watching golfers enjoy a beautiful morning in Denver. Amid the chaos of everyday life, I find my Outlook calendar and travel schedule has me in Colorado this weekend. It's been a month since I've spent any time outside of Nebraska, so a refreshing reprieve in all of it's mountainous glory. I have also been quickly reminded that it is my birthday weekend, with birthday hitting tomorrow. A Sunday. A weekend birthday deems it a birthday weekend. At least that's my rule. With Labor Day feeling like yesterday, I really hadn't a clue that my mid-month birthday was this soon. Wednesday night I received a text from a friend and co-worker in the midst of a work interchange. "What are you doing for your b-day this weekend? Knocking something off your bucket list?" Birthday? This weekend? With computer on my lap, I pulled up my Outlook calendar. Sure enough she was correct. Birthday on Sunday with gree...

Mom, Aunt Joan, Ben, and Zach enjoy a quiet moment after the winning bid Our piano has a long and loving history with my family.   It began at the Elmer Pick home in the early 1950's. This piano was handpicked by my Grandpa Elmer's sister, Sister Aiden. And, yes, she really was a 'sister' under both meanings.  Four of Grandpa's sisters chose a life of service as a nun as their vocation . The story, as I have been told, is that the musically gifted Sister Aiden went with Grandpa to the piano store and carefully played each piano until she choose the perfect one for her brother's home.                 The Pick "Sisters" This same piano now sits in my living room.   My mom and her eight siblings were taught on this piano at their childhood home in Remsen, Iowa. It then traveled to the farm as my grandpa retired from his life as a vet to begin his life as a farmer.   The piano ultimately followed...

Zach and Nick displaying their citations received on our hike outside Denver Recently in the middle of some light conversation, my oldest son, Zach, brought up my blog topics. He was quick to point out his perception of my favoritism toward his younger brothers. Although the banter was all in fun, I had to defend myself. His interpretation was obviously inaccurate. But my 'fly below radar' eldest doesn't miss a beat. I accepted the fact that if we were to count, he would not win as the featured son in blog posts. A funny correlation since Zach is probably is the son I see the most of these days. This resulted in me pointing out that he has the most picture posts on FaceBook and Instagram with all of our Denver outings of recent months. "Good Lord, Mother, I really don't care" was his response. Although in jest, the conversation did get me to think about my oldest and our time together. Over the last nine months, I have been able to spend time with ...

Garrett completed his 12th Triple Bypass this afternoon. 120 miles with 11,000 feet of climbing. Last year was the first year he missed (due to an unnamed someone in Omaha who had plans that didn't include Colorado). So today was all about Garrett. His day. A streak to be continued (minus a minor blip in 2013). And my kids were right by my side in this sentiment. Without hesitation, Zach and Grant bypassed a sleep-in-Saturday. They happily accompanied me to Vail to cheer Garrett on at the ride finish line. There wasn't a single word questioning the need for their attendance or complaints on better use of their time. In years past, this positive response from my boys wouldn't have given me a second thought. I would have expected nothing less. That's how they were raised and the kind of boys they are; ones open for an adventure and not questioning the keen skills of their parents in navigating the master calendar. I have since learned that not all kids are wi...

Zach and me atop Mount Evans We are closing on Day Two of our three day weekend in Denver. The days have been full of mountains and scenic splendor. Zach has his first out-of-town visitor this weekend with long-time friend, Nick. As nature's playground surrounds our Denver home, we had to take in some sites that were even new to me (at about 5 years into my Denver co-residency, I no longer consider myself a newbie). Our weekend in the Rockies has been fun, but I have to admit that I'm getting a little exhausted. Although I have grown used to the drastic elevation changes, 14,000 feet is always a long ways up. Today we drove to the top of Mount Evans and then hiked up its rocky terrain. We reached the elevation of 14,265. The views were stunning. Yesterday we hiked Evergreen Mountain with the Brucker kids. Zach and Nick joined another friend in Colorado Springs to take on The Incline. This hike was not for the faint of heart; 2,000 vertical feet in a mile span. Basical...

We had an unexpected surprise this morning. And not in a good way. Zach was the victim of a hit-and-run. Not something we expected as we hustled out the door in the wee hours for Lily's track meet. This morning was an exercise in family divide-and-conquer. Garrett and Jake to rugby as Zach, Lily and I simultaneously loaded up for track. As I tried to open the passenger door, I was surprised with resistance. It wouldn't open. Upon further review I saw a bashed-in front quarter panel. The look on Zach's face, following my revelation, was one of shock and complete disappointment. Since we needed to get Lily across town, I proceeded to pour myself next to Lily into the back seat. A non-functioning front door turned Zach into our chauffeur. It didn't seem to bother Zach, as his main concern was figuring out where and when the incident happened and how he was going to fix it. Not his best of mornings. I spent the drive doing my typical explaining of how "it coul...

Tonight we had tickets to The Fray. The outdoor concert was to be at Red Rocks Amphitheater. This much-anticipated event would have been Jake's first concert and Zach's first Red Rocks experience. Garrett's friend, Gustavo, was in town from DC and was to join us as well. But it wasn't meant to be. Gustavo evacuated early and the kids are instead watching Harry Potter in the basement. Our visions of a beautiful June night in the Rockies were rained on. In fact, they were poured on. The term "rain, rain, go away" couldn't be more prevalent in my life right now. I think the black clouds are following me. We were rained out from Red Rocks tonight. Working backwards, we were rained in to Chicago last Monday with storms closing the Omaha airport. And Mexico was more rain and clouds than the anticipated vacation sunshine. But such is life. And life is still sunny, regardless of the rain. Zach has comfortably moved into his new Colorado home. He and h...

Tonight I sit in my backyard; enjoying the sound of rough-housing young adult boys. Note that although Ben is not in the picture above, he was among the frenzy earlier. He exited play prematurely due to a ball taken in the face. I guess my new soccer ball purchase still poses a danger, even post-adolescence. Three boys. With three birthdays now past. 21, 18, 14. All golden years. Tonight I am enjoying some golden times that will soon be a memory. I have about three weeks left, to be exact. Ben is in his final stretch of high school. Grant has less than two weeks left of grade school. For Zach, it's all about planning his move to Denver. So tonight there is loud laughter from the combined trio. But by fall, my backyard will be silent. Last Wednesday on Zach's 21st birthday, I played a little hooky to have a small celebration with my eldest. I felt pressure from all ends of my professional life. Frankly, I had no time for a mid-afternoon escapade. But my heart told me ot...

A feast with the oldest child I do have an oldest child. An older brother to Ben and to Grant. That would be Zachary Scott; the first born. I don't blog as much about him. Not intentional, just out of sight sometimes means out of mind. And Zach is perfectly fine with that. Where Ben is a peacock, Zach is very comfortable flying below radar. Always quick with wit and never one to miss a party, but also not wanting to be the center of attention. Zach has a milestone coming up. His Big 2-1 is this Wednesday. True to his reliable 20 year old self, he came over to help me out tonight. After work, he ran his youngest brother to an orthodontist appointment and then shopping for confirmation attire. Following an impressive mow job on my overgrown grass, I treated Zach to dinner and a tank of gas. Tonight we dined on pizza and wings while watching the hockey playoff games at Oscar's. As a well-schooled mom of boys, I've got this venue licked. Two days shy of 21, Zach stu...

Grandpa Jim and Zach My oldest son, Zach, was in need of a side job. With the resourceful assistance of my Aunt Kathy, we quickly filled his plate. Mounds of photo albums and stacked photographs that have been neglected in my basement were in desperate need of scanning and organizing. Kathy and I laid out a plan to conquer the project. And Zach? Definitely at the right place at the right time. After getting past the mother/son work-together-rub with Kathy's careful intervention, Zach hit the ground running. And although we have barely skimmed the ice berg, the result so far has already brought on many smiles. I have been the family historian; capturing our collective lives in picture taking, written journals, scrapbooks, saved treasures, and now a blog. My basement is full of these collected memorabilia. Taking a walk down memory lane by viewing these mementos always brings a smile. On his first attempt at super-scanning, Zach successfully scanned 287 photos spanning the ...

Zach working courtesy services I surprised Zach today. He was working downtown at Prairie Life Fitness. Zach had let me in on a little secret. I could go to any Prairie Life location at no cost. I thought I was just a member of the PLF out west. This benefit of membership had never occurred to me. So with this new found knowledge, I trekked over to 31th and Farnam for a visit. I had been told this new facility was the cat's meow; state of the art design and equipment. It didn't disappoint. The facility is spacious and full of natural light. The view onto Farnam is nice too. After walking in the door, I gave the young man at the front desk my member number. His response was that I must be a visiting member. My number lacked the extra digit of his more recent member adds. Upon reflection, I pointed out to him first that I was the mother of Zach Lane, courtesy services employee. Then I told him that my membership preceded my pregnancy with Zach. That would make me a memb...

On this very windy November Sunday, I remembered this old blog post and thought it worthy of a repeat... As I walked into work this morning and shared "good morning" pleasantries with a co-worker, the comment came out of my mouth, "What a blustery Pooh Bear day".  Anyone who lives in Omaha can relate to my blustery comment as the wind shook all of our houses in the wee hours as we lay in bed.  And anyone who has raised children can relate to the Pooh Bear comment as most, like me, spent many hours during our kids' toddler years reading Winnie the Pooh books, watching countless videos, and tucking in our babes with the Pooh and Friends variety of stuffed animals.  I hadn't thought about my poor forgotten friend, Pooh, in years.  Yet this blustery Omaha morning, the visions of Pooh holding the hand of his dear friend, Piglet, quickly invaded my memory. Now the Pooh days are a distant memory with the only memento left in my house; a Pooh picture fr...

Did I ever mention that I wanted to be an art major? I was offered a scholarship to an art school and declined for the more reliable accounting route (Sandy's version). An art school offered me a small scholarship comparative to their outrageous tuition in an attempt to lure a bright-eyed seventeen year old to their school (Dad's version). "What are you going to do with an art major?" was my dad's common question my senior year. How could he not understand that I would draw and paint for a living? duh! Needless to say, after the intervention of a kind-hearted high school guidance counselor, I became an accountant. Fast forward eight years. As a practicing accountant, my creative energy erupted under my new role; mom. And I subsequently was appointed the official Halloween designer and costumer to the Lane boys. At age two, Zach was in awe and wonderment of everything Thomas the Tank Engine. Zach watched Thomas video tapes for hours while pushing the m...

There are so many throwbacks in this picture...not sure where to start Throwback Thursday Entry: Taken Easter of 1995. Definitely a throwback. Zach was almost two and I was twenty-seven. Let's start with me... off-white hose - I had an entire drawer filled with these nylon leggings. My favored shades were tan (looked like the real thing...not), off white, and light black. A common unplanned store run, along with milk and diapers, was replacement pantyhose. The legwear I am sporting in this picture appear to be a special shiny silky line. I think I began my bare-legged run in about 2002. I have shown my true legs with confidence since and have never looked back. big hair - I used hot rollers, would "pick" out, and then tip my head for volume while generously spraying smelly hair spray. My favored mini-bangs were curled under with a conventional curling iron. It took a lot of shampoo and time to start fresh the next morning. jewelry - go bold or go home. Descr...

A favorite dress...with my royal baby, Zachary I have never been one to follow celebrities, reality shows, or the royalty; but I do have a declaration contrary to this statement. I like Kate Middleton. I like this princess (technically duchess?) a lot. I can't tell you much about her personal life, other than she has a similarly pretty sister and dated the prince for years. I can tell you that her genuine smile and warm and friendly way of interacting with commoners is commendable. But where Kate has really won me over is with her recent clothing choices. Princess Kate first caught my attention as she exited the hospital showing her new baby to the world. Her dress of choice was clearly maternity wear and her post-baby-bump, both obvious and worn with pride. The press responding by continuously commenting on Kate's protruding tummy instead of the glow of her new motherhood. There was no attempt by Kate in hiding her post-baby changed figure. The young princess appropr...