Labor Day Weekend

Finally, a rather uneventful weekend.  I've had one of those lingering migraines for most of the week so a weekend without a host of events is most welcome.  I say that and then as I look at what we have to do I guess it is more busy than it should be.

Saturday morning Christopher and I made the solar system.  Christopher definitely had a new appreciation for how difficult a task God had in getting earth in exactly the right spot for life to exist.  It kept getting tangled up in the other planets and ending up either too close or too far from the sun.  He kept reminding me that  we are at EXACTLY the right spot.  He's glad he's not God.  To be honest, so am I.  To be really honest, I am glad I'm not, either.  I would have things really screwed up.  I know this because even now sometimes I try to be God and it never works out.

Saturday night brings the Alabama-Clemson game.  ESPN's Gameday did a great job reminding us all morning how Clemson us is highly favored to win.  Keith and I are going.  This will be my first game since going to a Vanderbilt game the year after I graduated.  I will not mention how long that has been any case anyone has lost count, but it has been a very, very long time.  I am very excited, but now a bit anxious since Clemson is highly favored to win.  Should be fun and I am looking forward to having my true love with me at a game - I can't wait to see what he thinks of it.  Maybe, just maybe Lee Curso will be wrong.

The rest of the weekend promises to be fun, too.  Tomorrow James has another race.  My cousin, Lisa, and her family will be there, too.  Her son Nathan is racing.  They're from Alabama so it will be a treat to see them.  It's her blog that I have the link to.  She has 4 boys - Keith would have had to shoot me by now if we had 4 because I would be pulling each of my hairs out one by one.  She handles it with such grace.  Any way, Nathan is the Alabama state champ for his age group so we are very excited to see him race.

Later, my friend Molly is coming over to crop.  Only close friends and family know that I crop.  Only a smaller group knows about Molly dragging me to a cropping convention last summer.  I am NOT your typical scrapbooker.  This I knew before I went.  But how atypical was still a bit of a surprise.  (Not as a atypical I must admit as the goth scrapper we saw, but I digress.)  I believe Molly and I were the only working, blackberry toting, non-pink-wearing (whether paired with green or brown) ladies there.  We did have fun, though.  Maybe because we were amazed at our surroundings or maybe just because we weren't in the office.  (Or, truthfully because of all the jokes people in the office were sending us to make fun of us.)

Probably more fun than when she talked me into going on a 3-day 60-mile walk to raise money for breast cancer....just after I had Christopher.  It must have been crazy hormones that made me think that a mere 10 months after I had given birth I could do this thing.  Or, maybe it was that my dearest friend Molly had left out the part about tents and showers in trucks.  Or, maybe it was that I didn't really believe I would still be breastfeeding by then.  (I will only give you that I had a hand pump and there were bushes along the way.  You'll have to fill in the rest of that story.)  I'll give her credit that she didn't know that it was going to rain one night and get down to 40 the next.  This is one that she will never live down.

So why, I am now wondering, am I going to Chicago with her for a photography class in November to take pictures outside with 20 women I don't know who want to buy a gift for teachers of this seminar that I also don't know?  I think there have already been no less than 100 e-mails about this gift for these people I don't know for class I haven't had, yet.  These other 18 women may be getting on my nerves already - I can only hope I can show the same grace as my sweet cousin.  So, why do I continue to go along with these hairbrained ideas of my dearest friend that I have known since I was 5?  Because we always have stories, I usually learn something, and shhhh, don't tell anybody, I always have fun.

Txting

I am getting old.  It's official.  These kids are all into something I really don't even understand.  I thought I understood it until I was much closer to it.  Texting.  I am a self professed/confessed crackberry albeit somewhat rehabilitating.  For several years I  was never without it attached to my side and I was constantly checking my e-mails.  A 4- and 6-year-old Christopher and James would run and bring it to me should I happen to leave it on the counter and it buzzed.

I thought, then, that I understood the texting thing.  I typed messages and responded to them constantly.  They were just doing it on a phone.  Well, that was until we got James a phone to use when he went off to overnight camp or we went to Six Flags and let him go off on rides by himself.  It all seemed helpful and uneventful until we went to Nationals.  Fortunately, we had the foresight to have AT&T cut him off at 200 text messages each month.  They are very kind even to warn him when he reaches 150 messages.  (Of course, all this generosity comes for a small fee.  I'm sure it's much smaller than paying for all the texts that would likely be sent otherwise.)

The 6 kids that were at Nationals texted constantly.  They texted each other and texted kids back in Atlanta.  (We were in California if you're just joining in.)  They texted someone in Atlanta after midnight and got a response.  When I started researching what all these non-stop texts were about, I was amazed.  "Wat r u doing?"  "Eating."  "When r we leaving?"  "5 min"  "What socks r u wearing?" "Don't no, u?"  The most amazing thing?  They were often sitting side by side?!

Last week, James sent an text and AT&T kindly responded that they would not forward that one because it exceeded his 200 limit for the month.  Whew.  You can say a lot of nothing in a lot of non-words.  And to think I thought I understood.  ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing) at myself.  

St. George Island

Our almost annual trip to the beach was last week.  It was probably one of my most eventful trips ever.  It started out as part of a bribe of Christopher not to try out for All Stars earlier this summer.  Part of the negotiation was a trip to the beach, the choice of beach and the choice of house at the beach.    There were some extras (see Six Flags discussion).  Not a bad negotiator for a 7-year-old.  (Now, before I proceed, just a couple of comments.  I know the pictures don't match the verbiage.  I started out making it match, but after an hour of having pictures disappear and letters suddenly becoming 10x the size they are supposed to be, you are stuck with just some pictures.  Deal with it.  When I become a master blogger you will be able to expect more.  Also, I don't normally put pictures of myself, but my dad liked this picture and it was at the beginning of the download so this one is for him.)

We were supposed to leave for St. George Island on Sunday to stay at Cut Bait.  We stayed in this house in 2004 - it has some wicked metal steps up to the roof, which Christopher was terrified of then.  He has been been on a kick this year of conquering his fears.  I think that had a lot to do with his choice.  That and the fact that it has a private pool.  My parents had  gone with us before and they decided they wanted to go with us.  Well.....on Friday night, we got an e-mail that the electricity on the island was "intermittent" and going was at "our own risk."  Now, what in the world did that mean?  It was virtually impossible to get additional information.  Furthermore, Fay was beginning to bear down on the coast.  It looked like she would landfall close to us around Tuesday.  We didn't know what to do.  Christopher really wanted to go to  Cut Bait so he prayed we would have  electricity and that we wouldn't be in a hurricane.

We had electricity and beautiful weather until Tuesday or so when a park ranger sighted a water spout just off the island and a tornado warning was issued.  We ushered the kids down into the stair area and waited it out for a few minutes.  That quick thunderstorm blew over and the next day we were back to beautiful skies.  Wednesday we had some great waves, but James and I also met up with a jellyfish.  In 43 years of playing in the Gulf I had never met one that close and personal and I hope to never do it again.  (I'm not sure which was worse, that jellyfish or the seemingly millions of mosquitoes.)  Honestly, it was probably time to go in any way.  Keith and I were trying to hold onto the boys to help them catch waves, but were getting the snot knocked out of us.

As we went into Thursday we began to see that Fay would eventually get to us with a lot of rain.  We didn't want to get back late Sunday and had already started talking about leaving Saturday.  If it were going to be raining any way, maybe we should go ahead a leave.  Then, as the rain began piling up, we got a little concerned about getting stuck there so we left Friday when it started to rain.  I have to say, though, God heard Christopher's sweet prayers.  We had power the entire week and we had great weather until Friday.

We stayed with my parents 2 nights trying to avoid the tornadoes and torrential rains - they had over 6 inches in the roughly 36 hours we were with them.  My sister and I ran to Wal-Mart and saw cart corrals blowing across the parking lot.  Very weird.  Finally, Sunday morning we decided to head back to Atlanta.  Not 20 miles out of Troy, our engine light came on.  Long story short....we made it to Opelika where my brother facilitated a repair.

All in all, we had fun in the waves, at the beach, in the pool, visiting with my parents, staying up well past midnight watching the Olympics, going on at least one very long walk, riding bikes, playing tennis - now I need a VACATION!!

Nationals - the Road Race

We wrapped up the week on Friday with the road race.  As it was on the other days, it was very, very hot.  The course was 4.72 miles and the guys had to do 2 laps.  This event had a field of 50 - 2 didn't start and one was disqualified because he didn't have junior gearing.  (Kids 18 and under must use special gearing so they don't below out their knees.  There is a special review called a rollout for each race, which one of the kids, the one who won the Crit, failed for this race.)  Another didn't finish.  I am convinced that the 2 who didn't start went to look at the course before the race.

By Friday, James was exhausted.  On Thursday night at dinner, he sat there in a zone.  We would have to repeat questions a few times to get a response.  In looking at the results, we have noticed that several of the 10-year-olds didn't attempt all 3 events.  Probably not a bad strategy since they were all 3 so brutal.  Any way, we were up early on Friday and getting him to drink constantly.  It was so dry and hot we wanted to be sure he didn't get dehydrated.

As it turns out, it was a tough race indeed.  The field was very strung out and James finished 32nd.  Again, respectable given his age and he was ahead of quite a few.    All in all, he had a very successful trip.  He learned a lot...how to deal with his nerves, some strategy and just what nationals is all about.  We think he is well-positioned for next year.

We especially appreciated Joel and Stacy making the effort to come from San Francisco to see him race.  He was a little disappointed that he didn't finish better for them, but I think they understand.  They have been such great supporters of his ever since his first triathlon 2 years ago.

The end of the races marked the beginning of the amusement parks for Christopher.  He had been looking forward to those for days.  We hit DisneyLand right after the race and then Legoland on Saturday.  He conquered his fear of roller coasters and even rode one twice.  The highlight of the entire trip was finally finding a real wool fedora just like the one Indiana Jones wears.  He tried on every single one in the shop and spent over a month's worth of allowance (after a subsidy from me for his being so good and patient).  Once I've had a chance to get a proper picture, we'll get that posted.

All said and done, it was a good trip.  It was a long trip and a lot of work, but we enjoyed it.  Who knows?  If James works hard, we may be back next year.

Nationals - the Criterium

Well, we're slowly getting back into the swing of things.  School started today at the Todd household.  That's pretty cruel and unusual punishment to start school the day after suffering the California time change, but, hey...they don't have to walk 10 miles uphill in the snow to school since they just walk downstairs.  To make you really feel sorry for them or James at least, he's starting out his school year with Algebra.  (I think I studied that under Dot Green in 8th grade - he's in 5th grade.)

Enough digression.  (Why should my blog be any different than a conversation with me?!)  Thursday last week was the Criterium.  For all you cycling novices, which included me only a few months ago, a criterium is a race based on total time.  The race officials typically determine the number of laps the racers will do once they see how fast the riders are racing each lap.  This one was slightly different in that we knew the race would be 9 laps or 15k (roughly 9.3 miles) from the beginning.  The course was "flat, fast, and technical consisting of seven turns, long straight-aways, and a finish that is a straight 300 meters from the final turn."  In other words, it was crash prone.

It was also in the Anaheim Angel parking lot.  Very cool.  The route took them right under the "Big A."  James's goal for this day was to not get pulled.  Because you do lots of loops, the leaders tend to lap the slowest riders.  Typically, the officials allow this to happen and take the lost lap into account when figuring the results.  However, because of the importance of this race and the sheer number of riders (48 were starting), officials would pull riders who were about to be lapped.  Last year, the team had at least one rider pulled from the race.  James's dream was to be able to stay with the main pack for the sprint at the end.  

The race started and he had a difficult time clipping in so he was very near the back of the field.  I went to back of the course so I could take better pictures.  (If I were to ever do a secret blog, it would have some scrapbooking theme.  Maybe Molly and I could have a Dauber's Duo theme.)  Ok, back to cycling.  On the second lap, no James.  I couldn't believe he had already been pulled.  It was going to be a very long day.  As it turns out, there were only about 6-7 10-year-old riders total at Nationals and not all of them raced all 3 races so we spent a lot of time trying to put his performance in perspective.  I stayed at my post so I could get good pictures of his friend, Phillip who had won the National Time Trial title the day before.  He was doing great.

Next thing I know, James is in the main pack on the 3rd lap.  I couldn't figure out how it happened - how I missed him - but he was there.  He was at the back of it holding on for dear life, but he was there.  I guessed there were about 25 riders in that pack.  I kept hoping that he could hold on for half the race.  There were basically two rules for the first 4 laps:  1) if you crashed and went to the wheel pit with a mechanical issue, you got a free lap, and 2) if you got pulled after the halfway point they still marked you as finishing the race.  I so wanted him to get credit for finishing.  On the 4th lap, he was still there.  And the 5th, and the 6th, etc. all the way through the 9th.  He made it with the pack until the sprint!  Even better he ended up 22nd.  We were so proud of him. (He's in the blue and black kit, or outfit, here.) 

Keith had been positioned at the opposite end of the course to try to give a head's up should there be any attacks from behind in the far corner.  Little did  I know that the reason I hadn't seen James on the second lap was that a rider had gone down right in front of him causing him to crash.  Someone behind him ran over him and left chain bruises on his back.  He jumped back on his bike, went to the wheel pit, got his free lap and stayed with the pack the rest of the race.  Very head's up.  Keith got some of the crash and a lot of James hanging out drinking water in the wheel pit on tape.  I'm not sure I would have had the discipline to stop during a race for crying out loud!

Meanwhile, Christopher suffered through day #2 of racing like a trooper.  He was over the racing and like the day before found other things to do.  He never complained even though it was very hot and very long.  He was counting down the hours until DisneyLand and Legoland.  

Drink lots and get well-hydrated before we get to the road race tomorrow.  

Nationals - the Time Trial

Last week was the long-awaited Junior Cycling Nationals.  We flew out Monday to meet the team in Manhattan Beach, CA where James and Keith did an easy ride with the team to keep everyone's legs in shape in anticipation of the races on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  On Tuesday  we headed to Anaheim for packet pick-up and a preview of the time trial course.  It was a tough one.

It was in Santiago Canyon (a rather  remote area I must say) - one of the canyons that was mostly consumed by fire last summer.  (For anyone interested in random trivia, the official parking was in the parking lot of Saddleback Church on Purpose Way, pastored (and maybe founded) by Rick Warren of Purpose Driven fame.)  There was an 800 foot elevation climb in a very hot and dry environment - it was brutal just watching.  James went off at 3:02 and finished the 6.7 miles in 27:55 minutes, which was 26 out of a field of 44.  He was initially disappointed, but his coaches were very pleased.  After he found out less than a dozen 10 year olds even tried it and he beat most of those, he felt better.  Our team came away with the 10-12 year-old male and the 13-14 year-old national champs.  We also had the third place in the 10-12 year-old female group.  Not bad for only 5 riders that day. 

All in all, it wasn't a bad day considering that when we started it, his goal was just to finish the time trial.  Stay tuned for the criterium and road race updates.  

Here is  the link to the time trial results.  My mom has done all kind of analytics to figure out exactly how many 10 year-olds there are and whether they are from the west coast (and accustomed to that terrain and climate :)   http://www.usacycling.org/results/index.php?year=2008&id=1391&info_id=14215

Six Flags

Well, I'm looking for anything to do but straighten up around my desk.  I need to start packing, I need to clean up and I am literally years behind on my scrapbooking.  So, what am I doing?  I am going to tell you about Six Flags.

If you haven't been to Six Flags lately, you have missed quite a slice of Americana.  It's certainly a slice that I don't come into contact with every day.  I don't think I have ever seen so many tattoos or signs that say wearing swimsuits is not allowed.  However, if you want big roller coasters you have to go to Six Flags.  

This trip has a history.  We had a very difficult negotiation with Christopher at the beginning of the summer.  Exactly what would it take for him not to try out for [baseball] All Stars?  He had been asked, but he had grown very tired of the season.  There were tears and pleadings before every game by the end.  All Stars can draw out until the middle of July - we know because we've been there.  There's not much summer when All Stars goes until mid-July.  He wanted to try out, sort of.  We were so afraid that he would be so burned out and hate it before it was over.

So, back to our negotiations.  We knew that James had tough negotiating skills, but Christopher took us quite by surprise.  He walked away with a promise for a week at the beach of his choosing at the house of his choosing, a day at Six Flags (in addition to the homeschool day that was already in the works) and a day at Wild Adventures in Valdosta.  I asked myself how that happened.  I tell grown men "no" all the time.  I must have really hated that long All Star season.  Even Keith, who is usually all over the boundaries, let him rack up.

We paid off the Six Flags part of the debt on Monday.  It's a day of juggling for us.  James loves all the big coasters.  Christopher does not.  James loves to get wet.  Christopher not so much.  Christopher likes the shows.  James could care less.  It's a day of divide and conquer.  Fortunately, we have grown to trust James enough to let him ride alone.  I rode the Mindbender with him, which required a next day trip to the chiropractor, and Keith rode Superman.  Other than that, he's a man on a mission.  (There was that one interesting girl that chased us down after riding the Georgia Scorcher just so she could tell him goodbye.  Still don't think I have the full story on that one.)

I won't get into the incident at the Log Jamboree, which I was sure would get us onto the nightly news for child abuse when we MADE Christopher get into that danged log.  He did end up wanting to ride it again, but not before screaming bloody murder the first time.  Boy, did those operators did give us some very ugly looks.

Monday we're off to California.  That means two more theme parks - more divide and conquer but hopefully, no more log incidents. We should have lots of bike, theme park and just general people stories next week.  It's never a dull moment for the Todd household.