Tales of the Ordinary Days

Sunrise picture I took on my way to Skutt with Grant this morning I toyed around with calling this blog Positivity and then went with my gut and called it Happiness. No one can take that away from me. I own that feeling. Today I read a post from a perceptive young man on FaceBook. He asked the question "What does it take for someone to be happy?" I loved it. Perfect timing. I spent the day battling the devil. In small ways and in big ways. The deadly sins of greed, envy, pride, and manipulation with selfish motive (my self-proclaimed 8th) are abound. Such is life. I have choices to make. Dance with the devil and get pulled into the crap. Or rise above it? I chose #2. On the drive to drop Grant off at school this morning, I was enthralled with God's beauty in the rising sun. Grant rolled his eyes as I snapped pictures at the stoplight next to school. "Mom!! Stop" was his pleading. But then he smiled. Just two nights prior, he pointed out the ...

Garrett, Ben and I assembling the dorm room Yesterday was moving day to UNL for Big Bad Ben. It was a good day. No tears. No angst. Just time for change and a rite of passage. Good for Ben and good for Mom. Earlier in the week, I worried of the pending fire drill that seemed imminent. As is typical for my middle child, little planning or packing had occurred in advance. Although Ben assured me he had it handled, I projected chaos on our scheduled 4:00 p.m. Friday move into Harper Hall. My organized self decided to follow Ben's blind lead and kick in Plan B, if necessary; make sure he took clean underwear and his backpack and then make a second trip to Lincoln later with all the things he forgot. I'm officially thankful for the short 40 mile commute. But Ben surprised me. With his dad's lead on Thursday night, he cleaned out his room and packed Home #1 for school. Based on Ben's hoarding ways, this was an unbelievable achievement to complete in just a night. Pick...

My view at departure from my last Jays game of the season This Sunday we were in Lincoln during a Creighton home game. It felt wrong. Completely wrong. I had convinced myself that missing a occasional game of my beloved Bluejays wasn't a big deal. My head had thoughts of exploring the new Pinnacle arena and yelling a post-football season "Go Big Red". My heart didn't bite. I tried to be excited, but I only felt like I was missing something. Do note that the new Husker home court is very nice with an enthusiastic and fun crowd. Also note that no alcohol is served and the crowd was not my blue and white comrades. The familiar faces and surroundings that I have come to love at the Century Link were absent. The final tally of the day? Two wins. The Husker game was a blow-out and the Bluejays, a nail-biter. Garrett and I had planned some time back to attend the Lincoln venue this past weekend. His Alma mater of Purdue was taking on their Big Ten rival in Nebras...

There are a lot of difficult topics swirling in my brain today. I will save the heavier thoughts for tomorrow. Today I choose light. And as far as the other topics, I choose right. Battle garb necessary? Absolutely. But for tonight, a Jays win and smiles with my crazy kids lead the Top Ten List. Sandy's Top Ten List: 1/28/14 10)  As I typed the title to this blog, I noticed that I used a 2013 date. <pause>. Hmmm...I was pretty sure I had done this before. When I went back to blog posts for this new year, eight out of nine 2014 posts had "2013" title dates. Oops. I have now corrected. Pretty typical of my haste in posting and later finding errors in my ways. Seldom are my oblivious oversights in proofreading pointed out to me. Thank-you to those who read for being kind and forgiving. I will try to be more conscientious of writing accuracy in future posts. To err is human and this imperfection; a perfect #10 for the day. 9)   Did I mention my new comfy jammi...

Although I write about ordinary days, I am beginning to think there is no such thing. And I mean that in a good way. The way it should be; a life full of the extraordinary. Since it really is what you make of it, the definition of extraordinary lies with each individual. Today was busy. The kids, finally back to school. A trip to Mexico, booked. A connection with an old friend, refreshed. And two work meetings were cancelled, leaving a day open for new opportunities. Tomorrow my husband flies back into town. Strange to refer to Garrett as my husband, but at the same time, those words feel very comfortable. Tonight has been full of simple pleasures. After catching up with old work friends, I reflected on the conversations of the day with new work friends. Relationships built and relationships maintained. Steady and true. Grant took it upon himself to run (literally) over to Lifetime to meet buddies. Knowing that my kids stay active and can entertain themselves, outside of elect...

Ben and Alex Kramer celebrating their state championship win with the crowd I am just the mom. Ben shakes his head when I confuse football positions and show weakness on the "X's and O's". He believes I don't know much about the game. In all actuality, I know a lot. While I continue to broaden my tactical understanding, I am in tune to the truly important aspects of football. Never underestimate the observations of an intuitive mother. What I see are life lessons. I'm a storyteller by nature. So I am going to tell the story of two young men with two very different football experiences. The stories are deeper than football with valuable lessons that extend beyond the field. Both players have just finished their high school careers. But their experiences were markedly different. Although their goals to excel seemed aligned, the deeper goals were not. Boy #1: This boy chased his dream of being a football star. He was told at a young age that he wou...

My Creighton comrades Last night was my first Creighton game of the season. And it felt just like a warm glove. Maybe this analogy struck me since it was the first cold night of the season. But regardless, that's how it felt; comfortable, warm, inviting. My day was generally chaotic. With an evening meeting that ran over, I sped to the Century Link. My thoughts weren't on Creighton basketball, but on whether I remembered my ticket and the almost single temp showing on my dash. It wasn't until I walked came up the escalator and saw familiar faces at ticket scanning that I remembered how much I love Creighton game nights. I breathed an instant sigh of relief and relaxation. Right at home. I completely forgot what this experience felt like. Missing tip off, I proceeded to the wrist band station. I immediately spotted my favorite beer girl, Terri, under the Irish Pub sign by my seats. Last season they moved her to another location. She was now strategically back where s...

Notice my blogging companion to my left I haven't been very consistent in my writing as of late. Although I had convinced myself that daily writing wasn't necessary and I didn't need the pressure, it has caused me to have a couple of "aha" moments. My first "aha" thought is that a deadline and an expectation, even if self-set, is a good thing. In order to hold ourselves accountable, we need goals. And doing things we love on a consistent basis is nothing short of free therapy. When you enjoy something, you find the time. A friend constantly tells me there are only 24 hours in a day. Knowing that sleep is important, that brings available hours to 17 with eyes open. I don't watch TV. I don't like to chat on the phone. And I don't look down my nose at those who do. How I like to fill my time outside of work and obligations is spending time with family and building relationships. And I like to write. That's what I do in my spare tim...

I received an unanticipated message on FaceBook a couple of weeks back. It was a cute note from a friend's nephew. I hadn't seen him since he was in footie pajamas; looking out the window at the home of my future in-laws. He is now twenty-eight. Five years older than the age of his uncle when he died. He gave me some nice feedback on my blogs. I was shocked, yet pleased, that he read them. And then my young friend asked if I would be interested in meeting sometime. I quickly realized that Darek shared the same sense of humor as his uncle. After asking if I wanted to join him for a coffee, he admitted to hating coffee. Beer was much better. Just like B.L., he made me laugh. The connection made my day. Our current FaceBook friendship didn't come out of our acquaintance during with his footie pajama years. He remembers all the Lane's, but not really me. We became friends two years ago after I posted a blog about his very loved uncle who died way too young. BL blog p...

Zach carpooled to the tailgate and game with another Skutt alum, sister to the QB  It probably is sounding like I am turning into an obsessed high school football mom. Wondering this myself, I've given it some thought. My conclusion is that I'm not. Definitely excited and having fun, but not obsessed. It's so much more than a football game. I think of it like a whole ball of happy events, relationships, and circumstances; all thrown together on a Friday night. I'm actually a pretty simple gal. Those who know me, know this. Those who don't, are looking for something more complicated. They're not going to find it. Vanilla. Maybe vanilla bean with sprinkles on a good day, but I'm definitely a simple vanilla at the core. Everything about our Friday night football nights encompasses the simple pleasures in life. The people. I have a huge affinity for my fellow senior parents. We are an eclectic, but tight group. And our circle is not closed. It is ver...

Sunday was a dreary day in Denver. Rain, cold, wind. Almost snow. We were moving at a slow pace and I was to catch a flight home to Omaha. I would rather hang with Garrett, watching the Broncos game, or sit in my own comfy living room with the warmth of my dog and fireplace. Instead I would be hanging with TSA. After a gloomy drive to the airport, I received a text indicating my flight was delayed. As flight times typically wander back and forth from later, back to earlier; we decided to stick with the original drop off time. Airport delay time was anticipated. I had a choice. Albeit, not a very big choice. But a choice, nonetheless. I could choose to be annoyed with my less than desirable situation or I could make the most of it. I chose the latter. Note that I'm not pounding my chest or pointing out a superior quality. A good friend and mentor continues to remind me that happiness is a choice. Which would lead to the alternative presumption; that unhappiness is a choice ...

Date night conversation Thursday night was date night. On this particular evening, Garrett and I chose sushi with a little wine for me and beer for him. As always, date night was our time to talk about anything and everything with no interruptions. No kids. No guests to entertain and no agenda. An open forum to enjoy each other's company. We have solved many of life's problems out to dinner alone or on a long road trip. The topics vary and we never lack for conversation. Just as it should be. Although we talked about many things on our most recent date, the topic that stuck with me was centered on happiness. What makes us happy? How do we gauge our own happiness? A recent article I read on the subject brought some good thoughts to our discussion. I asked Garrett to tell me, at that moment his happiness factor. And then on a scale from one to ten, I asked him to estimate mine. The conversation that followed revolved around what impacted this factor. An honest conversat...

Where do you swim? I am reverting  backwards in time with this blog post. Last week, on the same day that we had a jubilant day with a wrecking ball and signed contracts, I got a disturbing e-mail that same night. In the big picture, the e-mail was irrelevant. I tried to discount it with a response that would make my mother proud. I took the high road. But it still bothered me. Although the topic was borderline silly, the persistent anger from the woman sending it was both irrational and sad. The tone took me back to some dark days I had myself. I could actually relate as I had been there; swimming in circles at the bottom of the ocean. A bottom feeder. Let me regress. I am divorced. Going through the divorce was not easy. It was hard. People sympathized with me and initially, I gladly accepted the sympathy. The easy and feel-good way was to play victim. And I played it very well. For the short term, kind of like feeding a hungry heart with binge-eating, it felt good. But...

We thought we would end our road trip with a quiet day in Chicago. We were wrong. 40,000 runners flocked the city to complete the 36th annual marathon. Note that this number doesn't count those who came as onlookers or volunteers. And we hadn't a clue when we booked our trip. The tip came at the airport. As we waited for luggage, Garrett started up a conversation with a luggage attendant. The question posed was whether we were in town to run the marathon. Hmmmm... Obviously that was a bigger deal than the Husker game. After contemplating how to best change our Sunday plans to accommodate this new found news, we chose to take the L into the city and park between the airport and Downtown. Thank-you to the luggage attendant. Our rerouted road trip worked out perfectly. We made the two hour trek from West Layfayette and then after a short subway ride, we found ourselves in the heart of Chicago. And all while in the midst the mobs participating or enjoying the marathon. The...

The word for the day is integrity. It has come up several times today; in my words, on my mind and in a motivational e-mail I received. Thus I have proclaimed it the word for the day. The exert below is from my friend's daily post: "The definition of integrity - Your words and your life should match up. What we do in the dark comes into the light. We need to be the same person no matter where you are.There aren't a lot of people that fit that definition, at least not 100% of the time. But it is so important. People are always watching. They notice when our actions do not align with our words. It is not missed. We have to make sure we are people of integrity all the time.  You have to earn a title. People will respect you if you are consistent and honest." Not only do we need to carry ourselves in this manner, but we should expect the same of those who circle around us. It's easy to say we only work with people of integrity; in our jobs and with those we ...

My friend,Cindy, and I are in Vail. You could call it a girls' trip. We are calling it a retreat. We flew in yesterday and will be retreating until Wednesday morning. Sunday night's festivities involved Cindy picking me up at the Eagle airport and then a wine and seafood dinner at Beaver Creek Resort. Our retreat participants, as of now, consist of just Cindy and me. We are open to adding more in future years. This is the inaugural kick-off. Our plans are pretty much to hike, drink wine, and solve all of life's problems. That is what a proper retreat is all about. The hike today was great; both challenging and beautiful. We climbed 3,054 feet and hiked a total of eleven miles. Although our feet were feeling it after we concluded at 5:00, the accomplishment and conversation were top notch. A great first day. After a well needed shower and phone catch-up, we proceeded to Beaver Creek Village to continue the evening festivities of our retreat. We chose pizza and bee...

Note Ben's image in the window I know that one shouldn't brag, but I just can't resist. I get ready really fast. I would approximate that I get ready faster than 95% of the female population. Prior to the picture taken above, I got ready in seven minutes (the boys timed me). Eight minutes before walking out the door, Cookie and I were lounging. My clothes were casual and hair pulled back. As I realized that Angel Flight start time was creeping up, I made an executive decision. Ben would drop me off and I would walk the mile route home. Ben agreed, but gave me a short window of time as he and pals had their own important plans. "No worries," I told them. "I get ready really fast." Dress and jewelry decision? No problem. Lots to choose from. Shoes? Found a really cool pair with sparkles in my closet (forgot I had). Hair? Quick choice of an iron and throw in some curls. Lipstick? Nah. Maybe when I'm 47. Add mascara with a little eye liner and sh...

I have my jersey on...Manning. Ready to go. Tonight is Monday Night Football. The boys are both home from their own football practices. Dinner is done. The dishwasher humming in the background. Time for football. I do like Peyton Manning. Not only is he a good football player, but he's funny. Any commercial or You Tube clip featuring Peyton and/or brother, Eli, makes me laugh. He plays smart on the field and doesn't take himself too seriously off the field. No embarrassing Tiger-ish failings in moral judgment. Just a good guy. I tell my kids that watching Peyton is like watching Tom Hanks play football. They don't get it. I actually don't think anyone does. But me. An old (in football years) and affable Peyton shouting out "hurry, hurry" on the field while running his offense is heartwarming. Kind of like a light-haired Tom Hanks playing football. Grant just asked if I was blogging about Peyton. "You are not going to say he is like Tom Hanks, are...

Cookie out for an Omaha drive Is there such a thing as normal or is normal just what you get used to? I think it's the latter. I am now almost used to (and enjoying) having a dog back in the house, a boyfriend here on weekdays, more trips to the airport and less trips on the airplane. The new normal. My life is full of enjoying the final ride of a senior son and the new ride a business adventure. As I look at pictures from the past few years, I note that my hair is longer and midriff larger (need to work on that). Kids have grown (a lot) and my new normal is way different from my old normal of years past. And it's all okay. We adapt and survive. And when we do it right, we thrive. I often wonder about the secret to thriving and surviving. I really think it is all about making lemonade. There are plenty of lemons thrown at us; day in and day out. But they all can be made into lemonade. My new mantra: normal (whatever that is) always has to include some lemonade. ...

Today was a day of firsts and seconds. The older I get, the more I am reminded of things I have never done. I don't typically think about the big things like climbing the Himalayas or swimming the English Channel. I think about the smaller things. For instance, I've never had a massage and I've never shot a gun. I don't know why. Neither were deliberate decisions. Either the opportunity never came up or I was never asked. I have also never bought or smoked a cigarette. Until today. No need to panic. I will keep up my streak of smokeless days, but I did purchase these tobacco wrappers for a friend. Walking into a gas station, I presented the friend's last box (now empty) and said "I need to buy some of these." The young man behind the counter burst out laughing. Man: "That's the funniest sh_ _ I've heard all day." Me: "Sorry. I've never bought cigarettes before. I'll take two." Man: "Ma'am, I just stop...