Camp OBX, Day 5

New kittens!
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

Another up & down day. Lydia finally got her trike like Martin's. Only to have Martin's trike suffer a pedal casualty, so now camp still only has one favored trike.

The diving area of the fun pool was still closed, sharks and minnows was mildly popular and then the whole pool got closed because a bogus bolt of lightning was spotted. We say bogus because we never saw it or any more or heard any thunder.

Home for showers under duress and then off to Slice for dinner. Martin wanted absolutely no pizza and said Uncle Donald could have all of his, until we got there and he changed his mind. Donald was not buying any of the story until Martin piped up with a new line, 'I was just teasing about no pizza.' Uncle Donald liked that approach and gave Martin a thumbs up.

The pizza took a long time to cook and Lydia went shopping for itch lotion and found a new stuffed kitty.

Lights out was easy as Ninja Turtles was the movie of choice.

Camp OBX, Day 4

Mini Golf is a favorite!
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

Today was topsy-turvy. Everyone got up too early, USA lost their first game in the Olympics, and Terri had to go home. Things could be better, things could be worse.

We DID have Uncle Donald cinnamon buns for breakfast.

We did go to mini golf while Uncle Donald took Terri to the airport. We really like mini golf but it was hot and everyone had a melt down including Grandma.

Apologies without being prompted were a good thing for all to hear and Kill Devil's saved the day. Everyone was actually tired, thirsty and hungry.

Lydia likes the chicken wrap with only the wrap and the chicken. She even had a hot fudge sundae.

Uncle Donald got home right after we did and we are all settled in for a early evening of porch play and then a movie.

Camp OBX, Day 3

Where are the sharks?
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

Aquarium day! We watched the otters playing. We saw the divers in the shark tank and a six month old baby octopus.

Then we went to see the Elizabeth II. We helped raise the anchor and saw the games and beds. We visited the settlement and learned how to make things.

We were hungry. Grandpa met us for dinner at the Full Moon. Martin ate pizza and Lydia chicken. The corn chips were good too. And the pink lemonade.

We stopped to visit Becki and the girls and then Becki went with us to see the purple martins come in to roost on the old bridge. We got there at just the right time! The swarm was arriving!! They flew all around over our head catching just one more bug. Finally they were tired. A photographer with a cool camera let us see the birds settle into their roost under the middle of the bridge. It was too far to see unless you were in a boat. We were very lucky to get to see the flock come in for the night AND to get to see them through the special camera land on their wire.

We were very tired when we finally got home.

Camp OBX, Day 2

Building a sandcastle
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

It was a full day of fun. Martin & Lydia and Donald & Terri and Grandma went to the beach. Lewis & Jess came later and Jess's cousins too. Martin declared that it was his best day ever at the beach.

Next stop was the fun pool. The diving pool was closed but Martin and Lydia showed all of their swimming skills off in the deep water of the lap pool.

Then a stop at Kill Devil's for dinner where Lydia ate all the chicken out of 1 and 1/2 sandwiches.

And then it was off to Jurassic Putt. Martin got a hole-in-one.

Back home Jess & Lewis had cooked a wonderful dinner of fried shrimp, corn, slaw and hush puppies for the camp counselors. Jess made raspberry lemon. The campers retired to watch a video while the counselors ate their home cooked meal.

Another successful day at camp.

Camp OBX, First Day

Martin & Lydia
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

We met the kittens, we made a club house, we played in the ocean and we had dinner at Kill Devil's. Well actually Lydia got a slice of pizza from Slice and Martin got a hot dog at Kill Devil's. It was a good day.

July 4th on the OBX

Boom!
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

Donny & I decided to take in the fireworks displays from the monument hill. It is a pretty well kept secret on the OBX yet enough people show up to make it festive. We found the Jacobson's hanging out on the beach side of the hill and joined them.

I thought the KDH official display would be at Ocean Bay like it has been but this year it was at Avalon Pier. Too far away for the straight on effect but still spectacular. We got a great view of Nags Head Pier's fireworks, too. And if you slipped to the dark side of the monument you saw Manteo's.

The wind was blowing enough that bugs were not a problem.

And midway through the displays a gifted trumpeter played the national anthem. It was hauntingly perfect, there on such a historical hill, watching fireworks go off in every direction.

My pictures are all hand held and still I love them. They're firework art!

Rock Star

It was quite a year, metal wise! Well, actually 18 months from start to finish, in this medal collection anyway. But all of the Heavy Medals were collected in the same year as part of the Elite Racing rules, ending with their big boy Rock Star!

At noon and going clockwise around the circle, first up (and my first ever competition) is the first OBX Earth Day Run 2006. It was an 8K and lots of fun. The medal is the small one with the dark ribbon. The goody bag all runners got was cloth and inside held Smart Wool socks. Awesome! I got first in my age group.

Then came the Nags Head Woods 5K Run 2006. I got second in my age group and a trophy. I repeated that in 2007. My two trophies are in the middle of the circle.

Third was a nasty 5K run in the sand at high tide in August. Still I was the only one in my age bracket and so brought home first place.

Fourth came our (my training partner Suzanne and I) first big run, 20,000+ runners at the Virginia Beach Elite Racing Rock n Roll 1/2 marathon 2006.

Donny offered to take me to San Jose for the next Elite Racing event which also happened to be an inagural race. Why not I thought? A trip to California and all I have to do is run 13.1 miles. We both competed and Donny, sans any training, was not that far behind me.

This brought me a 26.2 bonus medal for completing two Elite Racing R n R halves in the same year. That's all it took. I was completely hooked on medal collecting.

A quick 5K at home brought another gold into my brace of medals but only because not many women race after age 50.

Then came the reason I got into this whole marathon thing, the first ever OBX Marathon. It was grueling and I finished 4th in my age group but finish we did, Suzanne and I.

And then it was 2007 and my quest to be an Elite Racing Rock Star. This meant competing in all of their events (then five, now six). But you could pick between the whole or half marathon if it was offered. Not me. I had to sign up for every whole, of which there were three.

First off the block was Phoenix in January. It was freezing, literally. But I finished in 6:30ish. Sad but within the limits. And we got to visit nephew Adam and meet his wife, Kim and new daughter, Harlee.

Next was an open stretch until Nashville at the end of April so Suzanne and I did the inaugural Dismal Swamp Stomp 1/2 Marathon. We did an easy race at 2:40. And we were in the loo when the race started!

Nashville gave Donny and I a chance to visit Donald & Terri, and they were all sweet enough to meet me at the end and even run the last .2 beside me! Still clocking 6:30ish.

And I pick up my first 2007 bonus medal (all my bonus medals are toward the middle of the circle in the picture, save the Rock Star which has the place of honor in the very middle). I get a silver note for completing two R n R events in the same year.

San Diego was a short five weeks later. It was hot and I am STILL running a 6:30ish race. I am trying to finish without injuring myself so that I can be a Rock Star but still you would think my times would inch downward a bit. (This just in: The Kansas City Barbecue where the Top Gun bar scene was filmed burned completely June 27, 2008. Full story and photos on my LJ).

I pick up two bonus medals this time. The gold note for completing the Nashville full and San Diego in the same year. Plus the Triple Crown for finishing three R n R events in the same year.

September brings the Virginia Beach half and practically on it's heels the Philadelphia Distance Run. It is not an official R n R but is sponsored by Elite and if you do Virginia Beach and Philly you get a bonus medal. And new to 2007 if you finish any other Elite R n R in the same year plus Philly you get yet another bonus. So after Philly it's two more bonus medals for me!

And after Virginia Beach I pick up my next two Elite bonus medals. The Grand Slam, for completing any four R n R events in the same year. And a 39.3 for completing a whole and a half R n R marathon in the same year.

Last on the R n R circuit is San Jose. Donny will run this one again, as he takes on a half marathon just not a full. I have a gold/yellow Rock Star bib! How cool is that. I'm doing the halves in a slow time too, just under three, but I want to finish within the legal limits and not be limping across the finish. Finally it's done and I am a real honest to goodness Rock Star! One of just a few hundred of the thousands that ran these races. My name is in the archives and on the webpage. AND, I get a huge garish medal! Plus I get my last regular bonus medal of yet another 26.2 for completing two R n R half marathons in the same year.

But wait I am not finished running. Since we are in California anyway I have signed on for the Nike Women's Marathon the weekend following San Jose. The medal is a Tiffany charm on a necklace. It shows a runner and has the date on the back. These are given to finishers by cool dudes in tuxedos. I have since learned that this very popular race is now limited to lottery only. I am so glad I did it when I did. At that it took both Donny and I several attempts to get my registration completed and that was on the day that registration opened.

Nike also had a virtual half marathon option for this race using their chip as validation of your run. Since I had a Nike chip I signed on for the virtual race and so got that nifty Spanish leather key chain tag too. It is stamped with the date.

My penultimate race in my marathon of marathons was the Raleigh City of Oaks newly reinstated marathon. It was a nice race but I felt bad and would have quit except at that point I was in the woods and no where near a good bailout point. The ick cleared up and I finished in my usual 6:30 time frame.

My last marathon for awhile was back home for the 2nd OBX the week following Raleigh. I was pretty tired but actually felt stronger although my time was no better.

For now I am resting on my laurels, polishing my medals and getting lots of pedicures for my 276 official racing miles later weary feet. I am still training though and will pick up the thread again before long!

It is quite an impressive display I must say.

Happy Birthday, Suzanne

Friend Suzanne celebrated her birthday yesterday. After exercise classes we journeyed off to have a pedicure at our favorite spa, Diva's, where we pretty much learned that former local caterer, Petrozza, does win Hell's Kitchen (next week will tell for complete sure).

Then it was off to Good Life for lunch and after that I thought a stop at the monument would be fun since this was day one of the reopening of the edifice, for climbing the interior to the top that is.

We who are fairly fit but have just worked out and eaten, trudge, yes really trudge, up the hill in the 90 degree heat to find the door, locked! We take a picture anyway. On our way back to the car we meet a ranger and quiz him about the opening. After all, I have heard it on the radio and am pretty famous for mixing things up. Yup, he replies it was open but you just missed it.

We look puzzled. Seems that a woman fainted inside and it took so long to get her out, that they decided to close it again and only have it open for a few hours in the morning once a week.

But it's her birthday I protest to no avail. Oh well we tried. He was funny and nice. I recognize you he says to me. That is because I am the runner that is always stopping to take pictures. I'll use any excuse at all to stop for a moment.

Suzanne is the real runner. She runs early in the morning and fast. With a couple of guys around six am he asks. Usually is her reply. Okay I've seen you too! You can't hide on the OBX.

After our chat we go our separate ways to meet again at 4 for track work with Ari. It is my first day to finally fit this in. Suzanne has been working with Ari for over a year.

Ari has forgotten her shoes so we do minimal jogging but at that I do not keep up. We do a gazillion abs and leg lifts and other forms of torture which are actually very good, when you are finished.

So hopefully it was a fun birthday for Suzanne!

btw For you three people that actually read this blog with any regularity, take a travel to The Other Me, as I am starting to post again there now too. Live Journal has an awesome photo uploader. It only takes seconds. BlogSpot is still pretty s-l-o-w although I love the formats on BlogSpot more than LJ.

AJ"s Baby Shower

Babies, babies, we're having lots of babies. Our grand baby fold is doubling, from two to four. Baby Ball #2 and grand baby #4 is due in two months and party queen Laurie, aunt to new baby Edward, threw a wonderful party for Andrew & Jenn to celebrate.

Amazingly too everyone from the Ball clan, sans Marty, could make the date.

I picked up Mom on Friday so she could be at the shower and also for her photo opt with great-grand #4, for her, Edward.

Jenn's Mom got to arrange her schedule to be at the party and it was delightful catching up with her. We'll meet again in August.

The kids got a lot of really nice gifts. And as Donny says enough baby clothes to cover a day at least.

Two Week Birthday

Edward
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

Happy Birthday, Edward. Two weeks old!

We had a really nice visit and everyone except Stephen even got a nap. Sarah got the best one yet, she declared. It was a comfort to her to know that Stephen had ready back-up in case he needed an extra pair of arms or legs to walk the baby and so she settled in for a one hour nap.

I loved it when Edward slouched himself sideways in my arms and tucked up his little feet into that cute fetal position and promptly went to sleep. He was doing some unwinding most likely. On he slept and I gave him to Donny after a good while and still he slept. He is most relaxed, like his parents.

He is really strong and can hold his head steady with no problem. S&S say he even turns it from side to side and lifts it easily. He is also quite the diaper man and we got a steady baby fashion show as he whizzed through set after set.

We visited all afternoon and then slipped away to meet with Lance to pick up the washer and dryer from the apartment. The same set that saved Emily & Marty from the laundromat after Martin was born. The apartment they were in at the time had no hook up and so we got the portable kind from Sears. Next the set went to college with Lewis and now it is headed home to do beach laundry duty.

After our apartment stop, we make a run through Trader Joe's for dinner supplies and also Whole Foods where we found local grass feed thick cut rib eye steaks.

Back at babyland Sarah was just arising from her refreshing nap that extended from one hour to about three. We prepped the steaks and corn headed for the spiffy grill that Stephen got for his birthday from Orren & Pat.

We tossed the ready mix Asian salad, sliced the Havarti cheese and bagette. And put the wild Maine blueberry pie in the oven to warm.

The grilling was quick and we sat down to our hearty meal that we polished off with the pie and vanilla ice cream. Edward slept. He missed his party entirely.

We got home around 1am and are ready to go again!

Happy Birthday E.D.

Mr & Mrs Reynolds

Adam & Kim
Originally uploaded by wellingtonrabbit

It was a perfect day (we writers always say that, but it was)! Threats of thunderstorms held off until evening (but did the sky ever open up then with a huge downpour, hail and power outages) and so the beach was in its glory. Just enough surf added the ideal backdrop to the pictures.

The ceremony was held on Mom's private beach and the use of neighboring stone steps to reach the sand provided the perfect entrance for a barefoot bride and groom.

David did a stellar job on the gals hair giving the casual wedding just the right touch of elegance.

Adam & Kim's two year old daughter, Harlee, was the cutest attendant in her long Hawaiian print dress. She is definitely a beach gal seizing every opportunity throughout the weekend to get there, although that sand in her shoes is a complete annoyance.

The buffet tent that Grady & Diana got at BJ's was right on the money too, adding a special sparkle. That coupled with the cloth covered tables decorated with lilies and glass pebbles of blue hues made for a comfortable and relaxing lawn reception.

Congratulations to the bride and groom actually renewing vows from their Las Vegas wedding on Kim's birthday two years ago.

My favorite part? I loved it all, but Kim bringing the beautiful cake that she baked and decorated the night before to the reception tent was the best of the casual chic day.

Welcome Edward!

Edward Dyott Ball named for his maternal great-grandfather, sharing his middle name with Dad, Stephen, joined us in this world May 29 at 3:44pm. They picked the name knowing that oodles of nicknames come with the territory. My favorites so far are CubED from Donny and IncrEDible from a friend. He is adorableness packaged to go. He is adjusting well to his new surroundings not minding a bit being held and cooed over.

"He doesn't look like a newborn," was Great-Aunt Beth's comment. Sarah and I agree. He is not the least bit wrinkly or squashed looking. He is absolute perfection.

He weighed 7lb8oz and is 20" long. He has reddish hair and long piano playing fingers.

After Stephen found out that visiting hours for newborns did not exist, we hopped in the car and arrived in at Durham Regional about 11pm. It took a few minutes for us to find the night entrance, aka Emergency, and then our floor but we finally negotiated the maze. We had a really nice visit and left for home shortly after midnight, our choice, as we dropped everything to zip to Durham and thus left much undone on the Bayside School Services front. AJ offered accommodations at their home and S&S told us to go crash at their place. Sweet kids.

More cuteness and fun comments on Stephen's blog.

I'm ready for another visit already!

Baby Ball

Here he is! No name yet. Labor relatively easy. Born a little before 4. Details later!

Movin' On

The wall is coming down. The wall with my fun sketch of water birds painted in a flash to cover up a ratty looking wall. Much more delightful than plain paint. We'll try to preserve the birds but if not, c'est la vie. Dorrie and Nemo that I painted were sacrificed when Martin's wall was the access point to bathroom repairs.

The Coke machine is now in the pub and it looks awesome. Andrew found the very one we have online and so maybe we can actually locate a key and get it going again.

I am so excited about the revamp of my tiny website, SandyBands. It is definitely a work in progress. Selling this type of product online is pretty much a non-event so I decided to create a joyous website and let the muses take it where they will.

I sit here in what Donny's calls my Chinese office. Clutter (organized of course!) surrounds me. But for the moment I really cannot do much, so I look at it like the figure changing stages of pregnancy when your body is not your own and there is not a thing you can do about it, or would want to. So you enjoy the watermelon look with the ass wider than that, eat what you want, and beam knowing the end result is pretty cool.

Happy 100 Years Mother's Day

Anna Jarvis would be proud of my day today, nary a gift in sight. Just personal contact of one sort or the other all around from Twitter to talk. And that is exactly what Anna proposed when she started the movement a hundred years ago in 1908. But in no time it seems her simple plan had sprouted into an annual gift giving responsibility. She cringed and pouted and even protested one Mother's Day celebration to the point of being thrown in jail. That girl had spunk. How dare they ruin her beautiful idea of honoring mothers with maybe one white carnation and definitely a hand written letter of thanks. Period.

We get it, Anna. In this family, we get it. No frills and no stuff, just a chat and a smile.

Smiles across the miles.

My smile lasted the entire trip to Springfield midweek. Right before I left Em called to report that Lydia had gotten up early (for her) and dressed and gone downstairs. Martin found her sitting and looking out the front window wearing her birthday crown from her recent party at school (summer kids get a party before school is out). He asked her what she was doing. "Waiting for Grandma," came the reply.

I was not due until early evening.

And more smiles the next day from Mr Martin. We had a great time playing board games betwixt Lydia's bedtime and his to the point of overstepping his bedtime. I kept telling him he was going to get me in huge trouble as we sailed past the official time and into later. He promised to not be grumpy in the morning and Em later told me he actually did pretty well, for Martin. Then as I prepped for the trip home Em tells me that he asked her if I would be there when he got in from school. "I need to play with Grandma more," he explained.

Miles of smiles...all the way home

Love In

This quilt, actually more a coverlet, was not lost among the many things that have been found in the great clean-up (like the poignant book that Andrew gave Donny for his 50th birthday, I'll Love You Forever). I keep this, love you forever, coverlet where I can see it. My grandmother made it for me and just one glance will tell you that it was used and used and used. It has outlived its usefulness. Still I do not part with it. Mother Leigh (so named by me because while Mom & Dad were both working I lived with my grandparents and they became Mother Leigh and Other Dad) made it for me on her treadle sewing machine and at least once she mended, by hand, the many thread weary seams.

This coverlet is my grandmother in my life, now, today. Happiness!

I am so smitten with Twitter. It is such a simple way to drop a line to followers and to read a quick clip from those you follow. I am so hooked, I need more friends to follow! Feed my fix and join...please.

I have the BeTwittered gadget on my iGoggle page and am constantly getting to read snippets from Dooce and Finslippy and Miranda as they travel though their day. It is just like a neighbor waving hello. But you don't have to be a high power blogger to Tweet. Just sign-up. The text box is right there for you to jot your own note to your followers. No logging in necessary. Very, very cool!

For the record, I beat Donald in Scrabulous. I did not cheat either.

Simple Things

I went to pick strawberries yesterday and even going early I was late. The field was packed with pickers and it took some simple ingenuity to find a bucket of berries. The farm is just over the bridge into Currituck County and we have been casual acquaintances with the owners for years. Stephen and Andrew were in school together with strawberry son, Lee, who is now finished with the NC bar and ready to hang out his shingle. Yesterday he was helping Mom and Dad and he walked with me to the car as we caught up. He was not at all surprised to hear that Andrew was teaching math. We both agreed that Andrew has what it takes to write a world changing scholarly paper some day.

Lee added to this vision with a story about how Andrew had written a formula for him to better his chances at a shooting competition he was facing. I am sure it was thorough down the the nth point. Lee said he used the formula and hit his mark dead center every time. He never got a chance to tell Andrew because they all graduated and scattered. When I told this story to friend Becki (Mom to Katelyn) last evening she replied that an ad in a NRA publication would bring Andrew a lot of business!

And now for your viewing pleasure I present, Simply.