Monday Bacon: Hidden Gems

Posted on July 22, 2013 by tosabarbell

I’ve been involved in sports for over forty years. Softball; swimming; a brief stint in soccer where I thankfully hurt my knee early enough to get out of the knee destroying sport; weightlifting and now Highland Games. There’s probably some in there I’m forgetting but you get the point. Lots of practices, lot’s of games, lots of events.  In all these games and events, some were more organized than others. Some had prizes, some didn’t (and you know how I LOVE prizes.) Some had sammiches, some didn’t. But the ONE thing Highland Games has over other sports I’ve been involved with? Athletic Directors.

 

While the AD’s job (understand that I have minimal experience here) is to put on the show, the amount of times they go above and beyond taking care of their athletes is innumerable. Drinks, sammiches, shade, the multitude of equipment (including the multitude of cabers needed), directions, hotel suggestions, t-shirts (that always go to the Oz man), great judges that are beyond helpful, and I’m sure tons of other things I’m not thinking of at the moment.

Our job as athletes? Show up. Yup, tough stuff.

 

Even though these hidden gems are busy with countless things I’ve already stated PLUS the behind  the scenes organizing we don’t see, I have yet to meet an AD who hasn’t given me some type of advice to make MY performance better. As thankful as I am that I can train and practice; work with some of the best in this sport here and there; and travel to these games-I almost assuredly owe many of my current PR’s to an AD’s quick coaching cue.

This past weekend in Minnesota, I had the benefit of throwing in the group with experienced AD and head judge, Jeff Bryan AND games AD and thrower Brian Hare. Now, if only I could get them at each of my games, I’d be good to go. Brian made sure our group stayed hydrated and had plenty of energy food (read: donuts) during the warm day and between he and Jeff and other judge Rich (who was our judge at the Minnesota Highland Games last May in Farmington), we flew through the events and I personally had a 5 PR day with their help. Elbow up, chest up, eyes, settle down, and I think there was a Mary Poppins comment in there somewhere too. (AD’s are also notorious for their smack talk. Truth.)

I’ve come to both appreciate and rely on the experience and expertise of the AD’s and I’ll always try to keep an ear open for a helpful comment (even if it’s to someone else.) OH! Back to the multitude of Cabers comment. This weekend, when one of our guys tossed the Caber it came down with the crack of thunder as loud as a respectable thunderstorm. Our AD, Brian Hare, finished it off with his toss and then proceeded to invent a new Caber toss event.

 

Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom exists in not exceeding the limit.

Albert Hubbard

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Friday Jams

Posted on July 19, 2013 by tosabarbell

Even though the BoDeans came out of the Milwaukee area, they still remind me of small town Minnesota. For the first six years of my Z’s lives, we lived in a very small Minnesota town filled with Lutherans and Finnlanders. This song was big there as were the Gear Daddies and later Martin Zeller and G.B. Leighton. But this song always brings me back.

There is a family of Cokato Finnlanders that I hold dear to my heart and their community is hurting right now at the sudden loss of a wonderful young man. I thought of my Finnlander friend, Matt, when I just watched this video and thought, ‘just keep moving, good things will come again.’ So for Matt and all of the wonderful people walking through dark days right now…

BoDeans. Good Things.

Enjoy the weekend.

Sometimes you just need someone to be there…so the dark isn’t quite so big.

Unknown

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Tank Tops and Tan Lines

Posted on July 18, 2013 by tosabarbell

This last year, I’ve hit two milestones as I begin to enter ‘old lady’ age. First off, tank tops.

See, I’ve never liked my arms. Even as a kid, I rarely wore tank tops. I had some type of upper arm blotchy redness that I thought was ugly. There was nothing I could do about it, but I didn’t like it.  People always said something about it as if it’s something I could make disappear. As I got older, the blotchy seemed to get better but I whenever I gained a few pounds, I would carry more fat in my arms. Yuckk.

For some reason, this last year I stopped caring. I wear tank tops pretty much every day, especially this week when my office is about 90 degrees with 100% humidity. It’s pretty warm and putting on a full t-shirt just isn’t happening. And I don’t care. Boom! Old(er) lady don’t care.

Next? Tan lines.

I’ve always enjoyed having some color from the sun, what can I say? I’m Hawaiian. I’m actually fairly light skinned, but thanks to my DNA I tan up pretty nice and rarely burn (unless I’m really trying.) I’ve gone to tan beds for years (skin cancer people hush up, I know it’s not good) in efforts to avoid tan lines.

I haven’t found a tan studio here in Wisconsin that I’m satisfied with and haven’t tanned for months. However; due to the new throwing routine, my outside time has increased enough to give me some pretty interesting tan lines which include: tank top lines (see above); knee sleeve lines (those are redunkulously cool); booty sock lines (tan ankles and white feet); and not to be outdone, right side wrist wrap lines. It’s pretty spectacular. I’ve also started cutting my t-shirts into a racerback style so I expect some sort of new tan lines there. Boom! Old(er) lady still don’t care!

It’s liberating and refreshing. I’m also closer to understanding why some old ladies leave the house in somewhat humorous outfits. Cuz, BOOM! They don’t care!!! Bring it.

When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened. It is sad to go to pieces like this but we all have to do it.

Mark Twain

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You Want Bacon with That?

Posted on July 17, 2013 by tosabarbell

A couple of months ago, I took a field trip with Bigg’s little sister to the East Side of Milwaukee. The East Side has the UW Milwaukee college campus, lots of great places to eat and drink; and shwank homes. Seriously shwank.

After Alli was done with her school stuff, we stopped at Five Guys Burger and Fries for some burgers. It’s a decent burger, greasy as hell, but that’s ok once in a great while. The sista got a grilled cheese sandwhich and when she ordered, I said, “You want bacon with that?” Cuz, who doesn’t? I guess Alli didn’t because she looked at me like I grew another head out of my arm pit.

And just last week when we were at Bastille days, we picked up a couple of sandwiches and our new friend Katy ordered a grilled cheese sammich. Again, ‘you want bacon with that?’ Nope. What is with these Wisconsin people? They’re so blinded by cheese consumption that they forget about the bacon????

WE know we can eat bacon anywhere, at any time, on any thing. Why don’t they?

Thirsty?

Need fresh knickers?

Final resting place?

Got a sweet tooth?

Or A la carte.

Just do the right thing. When someone asks, ‘you want bacon with that?’ The answer is, ‘of course!’

As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence.

Benjamin Franklin

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