more iowa photos

here are a few more cool pictures:

IOWA 2007

Good to be home

We have returned after an eventful week in Iowa. Here is a gallery of my 20th high school reunion:

20th reunion

Hope to get some more of the vacation posted by the end of the weekend. Had lot of fun with nephew Patrick. I could go back and be nine anytime.

why moms rule

I make it a point never to rip people on my blog. But in this case, it's family and the story is a little funny.

Sunday evening my mom calls. I figure she wants to find out what is going on this week; we are headed back to Iowa to see family for vacation. Instead she is frantic about my sister's whereabouts. The conversation goes something like this:

Mom: "Have you talked to you older sister."
HB: "Uh, left her a message today, she hasn't called back."
Mom: "I have been trying to get her since Thursday and she hasn't called me back."
HB: "Did you leave a message?"
Mom: "Bridget knows I don't leave messages. She has that caller thing (that's ID in mom language)."
HB: "How many times did you call?"
Mom: "About a bazillion."

Wow. That's a lot. The conversation continues and I suggest Bridget might be gone for the weekend, her cellphone out of range, etc. My mother isn't buying any of this. We hang up, I leave a couple of messages with Bridget, home and cell, and tell her that Mom is worried. Then, I proceed to worry. By the time I went to bed Sunday, I was working over every theory for the Maxwell family's demise in my mind.

By the time I am driving to the dentist on Monday morning, we still haven't heard from Bridget. I call my mom, who now remembers: "I think you are right, she might be camping with some family from hockey."

Really? Last night that sounded like a less-than-pausible reason for the Maxwell family's disappearance. I thought they had been eaten or stabbed or shot.

Lo and behold Bridget calls about noon, just into cell phone range after a weekend in the woods. Gracie caught fish, Pat went swimming, etc.

Bridget also called mom, who has yet to call me back to let me know the Maxwells are safe.



Praise God, they are alive.

Contract unfulfilled

My nephew Patrick was supposed to read four books by the Fourth of July to fulfill his contractual obligations for his summer reading program. He got two done so we are renegotiating the prize if he reads at least six books.

Here is the second report for "How to Train Your Dragon"

The book is about a boy about 10-12 years of age named Hiccup who had to take
a test to become a viking but, his dragon got him and other kids trying
to get into the viking tribe into exile and get band from the Isle of Burke
for as long as they live.

The next day they woke up at about 5 o'clock in the morning to see a gigantic
Sea dragon. Making a long story short, they tried every thing to get the dragon
off the island but it did not work. So when the vikings tried to think of a good
plan the kids all followed Hiccup and at the end of the story Hiccup had
led the kids to kill the dragon and for killing the dragon the viking leader
made exception and nobody went to exile.

Excellent report.

sassy at 60

Erin's parents were up this weekend to celebrate Erin's mom's birthday. She turned 60 with grace and style.

Here are a few of the festivities:



the party

















the birthday girl


















fruity bouquet


















lots o' loot

my brush with fame

Remember when I went to that women's sports media conference?

Well, recently retired Texas women's basketball coach Jody Conradt was the keynote speaker. She was great and I talked to her afterward about retirement. She said she just knew it was time. I think it is time. Can I retire?

To make you undertand just how cool she is, here are a few accomplishments:

*First women's basketball collegiate coach to reach 700 career victories
*Coached first NCAA Division I women's basketball team to an undefeated season and a the 1986 national title
*Ninety nine percent graduation rate for the individuals on her teams
*38 seasons, 900-306 record

So, here we are. As I told her, it's women like her that women like me admire and try to make proud.

Some call it clutter, I call it memorabilia

My brother lives in Poland. It is far. So to show him how we live in the United States, I took a few photos of our sports bar.

Also included, a few of Katie the cat.

Click on Katie, view the gallery.

sports bar

Ain't that America

Is this the only place in the world where you can commit treason and have your jail time commuted? Go GW, you rule the world. And on this Fourth of July doesn't our President make you proud to be an American?

One set of rules for George's buddies, another set for the rest of us.