Tomorrow is a huge day in the sports world.
Nora Robinson is making her T-ball debut at 9:00a.m. and Chris Robinson is coming out of competitive retirement to run in a 5K at 7:00a.m.
So far I am not sure who is more excited about Nora's T-ball game, her or me. My excitement will probably make me run faster so I can get to her game as quick as possible. I can hardly contain my excitement as I type. This is going to be a long day!
Nora and I have been working on her throwing and catching, (we will have another session tonight) and Robin has worked with her on her hitting. My little girl has a pretty good arm and I think she is trying to be a power hitter. She gets under the ball a bit. You can expect to see plenty of pictures from the game.
As for my little event. I will have been running for 2 months on race day, and it will be my first ever competitive run. So, I really do not know what to expect from myself. I am just going to get out there, have fun, and make sure I do not hurt myself. I am running with a friend of mine, Josh who is training for the Chicago marathon, so I will have someone there to help with my pace a bit. That is until he gets tired of waiting for me and takes off. Wish me luck!
Cheers
Friday, May 30, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
The Big Yard Sale Was A "Steal"!
Believe it or not we were victims of shoplifters at our yard sale yesterday. I would like to think that they spent hours in a dark smoky room with a map of Eureka with thumb tacks marking the sale locations on the wall planning the heist. "O.k. here is the plan, while I am acting like I cannot get something big into the car you two grab some little things. Carry them around a bit and then come to the car to help. Just casually toss the things in while you are there. The rubes will never suspect a thing." Upon agreeing the plan was good, they synchronized their watches an head out. Here is how the deal went "job" went down.
A family was interested in purchasing my old grill, but wanted to make sure that it would be able fit in their vehicle. During the "confusion" of trying to load it into the vehicle they picked up some little items and carried them down to the car and causally put them in. Both Karen, my Mother-in-law who was manning the money, and I saw what they were doing. They grabbed an old caller i.d. machine, a herb planter and nice serving bowl. We decided to call then out on the bowl and let the other items go.
They were laughing quietly among themselves. Must have been thinking they really pulled one over on us. I figured that if they needed items that were priced at under a dollar each that they felt the need to pilfer them, well...have at it. To me all a garage sale is is having people pay you to haul away items you do not want. Whatever was left was going to be donated at my expense. Besides, the thievery gave me good blog material...you cannot put a price on that.
Besides that the day was a great success. We got rid of some big items that were just taking up room, and made a little cash. Karen helped me with the sale since Robin was at the church doing a wedding. In twelve some years it was the most we have ever talked. Not that we avoid talking to each other by any means, but we just have never sat and talked that much before. It was nice. Made the day much more enjoyable.
In preparation for my upcoming 5k I ran that distance consecutively today as part of my 5 mile walk/run. It was good to know that I can run that distance without stopping. I am no where near a competitive pace, but I know I will be able to run the whole thing!
Enjoy your day!
Cheers
A family was interested in purchasing my old grill, but wanted to make sure that it would be able fit in their vehicle. During the "confusion" of trying to load it into the vehicle they picked up some little items and carried them down to the car and causally put them in. Both Karen, my Mother-in-law who was manning the money, and I saw what they were doing. They grabbed an old caller i.d. machine, a herb planter and nice serving bowl. We decided to call then out on the bowl and let the other items go.
They were laughing quietly among themselves. Must have been thinking they really pulled one over on us. I figured that if they needed items that were priced at under a dollar each that they felt the need to pilfer them, well...have at it. To me all a garage sale is is having people pay you to haul away items you do not want. Whatever was left was going to be donated at my expense. Besides, the thievery gave me good blog material...you cannot put a price on that.
Besides that the day was a great success. We got rid of some big items that were just taking up room, and made a little cash. Karen helped me with the sale since Robin was at the church doing a wedding. In twelve some years it was the most we have ever talked. Not that we avoid talking to each other by any means, but we just have never sat and talked that much before. It was nice. Made the day much more enjoyable.
In preparation for my upcoming 5k I ran that distance consecutively today as part of my 5 mile walk/run. It was good to know that I can run that distance without stopping. I am no where near a competitive pace, but I know I will be able to run the whole thing!
Enjoy your day!
Cheers
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Big Day
I cannot wait for tomorrow morning. It is a very special day at Nora's school, donuts with Dad. To make it even better Nora is going to come to work with me in the morning. After the first few hours we will head off to her school for the donuts, and then some entertainment. Nora and her classmates are going to put on their class play for the dads. What a day! I am not sure who is more excited, Nora or me.
In addition to the already planned activities of the weekend I am hoping to get in a little brewing related activity. I would love to be able to bottle my latest brew, Beach Blonde. I am not too sure if that will fit in with everything else going. If I was really ambitious i would include brewing a vanilla porter, but that may be a stretch. We have been having unseasonably cool weather...perfect for brewing, and I do not want to miss it.
You know what else this weather is great for....running. It has been great getting out in these temps. I am sure I am one of a handful of people that like this weather. I went out for four miles today, walked a half mile and ran 3.5. It was my best run to date.
On to the word of the day...going to give you a double dose today as I missed one.
This week's theme: words related to beards.
Vandyke or Van Dyke or vandyke (van dyk) noun
A short, pointed beard.
[After painter Anthony Van Dyck or Vandyke (1599-1641) who painted
portraits of people having these v-shaped beards.]
bluebeard (BLOO-beerd) noun
A man who marries and kills one wife after another.
[After Bluebeard, the nickname of the main character Raoul in a fairy tale
by Charles Perrault (1628-1703). In the story, Bluebeard's wife finds the
bodies of his previous wives in a room she was forbidden to enter. Yes, he
did have a blue beard.]
That last one was news to me. I hope Robin does not want me to shave now.
Cheers
In addition to the already planned activities of the weekend I am hoping to get in a little brewing related activity. I would love to be able to bottle my latest brew, Beach Blonde. I am not too sure if that will fit in with everything else going. If I was really ambitious i would include brewing a vanilla porter, but that may be a stretch. We have been having unseasonably cool weather...perfect for brewing, and I do not want to miss it.
You know what else this weather is great for....running. It has been great getting out in these temps. I am sure I am one of a handful of people that like this weather. I went out for four miles today, walked a half mile and ran 3.5. It was my best run to date.
On to the word of the day...going to give you a double dose today as I missed one.
This week's theme: words related to beards.
Vandyke or Van Dyke or vandyke (van dyk) noun
A short, pointed beard.
[After painter Anthony Van Dyck or Vandyke (1599-1641) who painted
portraits of people having these v-shaped beards.]
bluebeard (BLOO-beerd) noun
A man who marries and kills one wife after another.
[After Bluebeard, the nickname of the main character Raoul in a fairy tale
by Charles Perrault (1628-1703). In the story, Bluebeard's wife finds the
bodies of his previous wives in a room she was forbidden to enter. Yes, he
did have a blue beard.]
That last one was news to me. I hope Robin does not want me to shave now.
Cheers
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Oh Beans
I am glad to say dinner was much less adventurous tonight, no hail. Just rice and beans at Nora and Nigel's request. Robin is at choir practice and then a potluck, so it is just the kids and I. We are dining in front of the T.V. while being entertained by Spider-man, the cartoon. If my guess is right we will follow it with an Iron Man episode. Life is good.
We have a big weekend coming up. It is the annual Eureka city wide garage sale. We will proudly display our goods and ware in hopes of making a mint. That may be a bit of a stretch. Maybe I should back my hopes down to just getting rid of some unwanted items. In addition to the sale Robin has another wedding to coordinate so I will man the sale for a while. No Worries, I am up for the challenge.
On to the word of the day...
This week's theme: words related to beards.
dundrearies (dun-DREER-eez) noun
Long flowing sideburns.
[After the bushy sideburns worn by actor Edward A. Sothern who played the
part of Lord Dundreary in the play Our American Cousin (1858), written by
Tom Taylor (1817-1880). This was the play being performed at Ford's Theatre
in Washington DC during which Abraham Lincoln was shot.]
We have a big weekend coming up. It is the annual Eureka city wide garage sale. We will proudly display our goods and ware in hopes of making a mint. That may be a bit of a stretch. Maybe I should back my hopes down to just getting rid of some unwanted items. In addition to the sale Robin has another wedding to coordinate so I will man the sale for a while. No Worries, I am up for the challenge.
On to the word of the day...
This week's theme: words related to beards.
dundrearies (dun-DREER-eez) noun
Long flowing sideburns.
[After the bushy sideburns worn by actor Edward A. Sothern who played the
part of Lord Dundreary in the play Our American Cousin (1858), written by
Tom Taylor (1817-1880). This was the play being performed at Ford's Theatre
in Washington DC during which Abraham Lincoln was shot.]
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
What The Hail!
I have been bound and determined to grill some burgers since Sunday, but situations have conspired against me. Sunday, the ground beef was still frozen. Monday, the evening got away from us and it would have been too late once the grill heated up. Tonight the weather was not looking too good. Heavy rain and thunderstorms in the forecast. However, my desire for burgers outweighed my desire not to get rained on. Robin and I checked the weather and the radar and decided we had a small window of time.
So, I fired up the grill and hit the shower while it heated up. The skies were overcast with patches of blue when I started. By the time I got out, it was black as night. But, no rain yet. Nora and I took out the burgers and put them on the grill. All was looking well and I was optimistic that I may stay dry. Unfortunately that was not to be the case. Seconds later the skies opened up, and the rain came pouring down. To make matters worse I heard a clanging sound. I looked out the window and marble sized hail had joined the party.
Now I have grilled in the rain, the wind and snow, but never in hail. Thank goodness for golf umbrellas! Call me crazy, but I think the burgers tasted even better due to the peril I face while preparing them.
My running is still going well. I have bumped up the distance I am running without walking breaks. Today I felt great. I could have gone longer between breaks, but I am still taking it slowly. I am really looking forward to the 5k in a few weeks.
Cheers!
P.S. It's Back...The Word of the Day!
Over the years we have featured weeks of words about words, we have had
words about birds, and now it's time for, well, words about beards, a topic that is near and dear to my face!
This week we'll see words having to do with facial hair. They are pure
beard words as the week starts out, and like beards growing slender at the
bottom, as the week ends the connection becomes slender too.
sideburns (SYDE-burnz) plural noun
Hair grown on the sides of a man's face, when worn with an unbearded chin.
So, I fired up the grill and hit the shower while it heated up. The skies were overcast with patches of blue when I started. By the time I got out, it was black as night. But, no rain yet. Nora and I took out the burgers and put them on the grill. All was looking well and I was optimistic that I may stay dry. Unfortunately that was not to be the case. Seconds later the skies opened up, and the rain came pouring down. To make matters worse I heard a clanging sound. I looked out the window and marble sized hail had joined the party.
Now I have grilled in the rain, the wind and snow, but never in hail. Thank goodness for golf umbrellas! Call me crazy, but I think the burgers tasted even better due to the peril I face while preparing them.
My running is still going well. I have bumped up the distance I am running without walking breaks. Today I felt great. I could have gone longer between breaks, but I am still taking it slowly. I am really looking forward to the 5k in a few weeks.
Cheers!
P.S. It's Back...The Word of the Day!
Over the years we have featured weeks of words about words, we have had
words about birds, and now it's time for, well, words about beards, a topic that is near and dear to my face!
This week we'll see words having to do with facial hair. They are pure
beard words as the week starts out, and like beards growing slender at the
bottom, as the week ends the connection becomes slender too.
sideburns (SYDE-burnz) plural noun
Hair grown on the sides of a man's face, when worn with an unbearded chin.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Found
My keys were only lost for a day! Yahoo! Unfortunately the night supervisor locked them in my office, and did not leave any of the interior doors open I had asked him. Even though I was able to get into the building could not get to the forklifts or into the office area were the spare keys are. We tried everything to get into my office, even tried to take the door off its hinges. No luck. I had to wait until one of the office personnel came in and open the doors. A bit irritating, but the day did go on.
Nora had a great time on her field trip. She was still buzzing when I got home. I was not able to get too many details because we had a very busy night last evening. I got home late from work, Robin had choir practice and then we had cooks night out at the church. It was a go go go kind of an evening. I plan on getting more details tonight.
Have a good Thursday.
Cheers
Nora had a great time on her field trip. She was still buzzing when I got home. I was not able to get too many details because we had a very busy night last evening. I got home late from work, Robin had choir practice and then we had cooks night out at the church. It was a go go go kind of an evening. I plan on getting more details tonight.
Have a good Thursday.
Cheers
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Lost
I have managed to loose my work keys. This is very frustrating. I remember the last time I used them, however I have no idea what happened after that. On the positive side I have safe guards in place in the event something like this happens. Getting into the building will not be a problem, finding my keys will still be an issue.
Today is a big day for Nora. It is her first ever field trip. The kindergarten classes are going to the children's museum in Bloomington. She gets to take her first lunch to school, her first school bus ride, and it will be her longest day at school, 3:10 p.m. To say she is excited would be an understatement. Robin and I are very excited for her as well. I cannot wait to get home and have her tell me all about the big day.
My training is going well. I moved up the distance I am running to .75mi vs. .25mi walking for a total distance of 4 miles. I am managing a pace just under 10 minutes a mile. I have three more weeks until my first 5k, so I still have work to do before I am ready. I have no doubts that I will be fine.
Have a great day.
Cheers
Today is a big day for Nora. It is her first ever field trip. The kindergarten classes are going to the children's museum in Bloomington. She gets to take her first lunch to school, her first school bus ride, and it will be her longest day at school, 3:10 p.m. To say she is excited would be an understatement. Robin and I are very excited for her as well. I cannot wait to get home and have her tell me all about the big day.
My training is going well. I moved up the distance I am running to .75mi vs. .25mi walking for a total distance of 4 miles. I am managing a pace just under 10 minutes a mile. I have three more weeks until my first 5k, so I still have work to do before I am ready. I have no doubts that I will be fine.
Have a great day.
Cheers
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Blow Up
As I am getting more adventurous in my brewing I am discovering new...let's call them "challenges".
In my latest batch, a blonde ale with a hint of lemon, I used more grains than I have in the past. Between the all the grains and malt extract there were more sugars than usual. More sugars means more food for the yeast. So, the fermenting process was a bit more lively than usual. I found my brewing bucket in the morning whistling and beer bubbling out of the air lock. As I was on my way to work I did not have time to really deal with it. All I did was push my lock back in and and make sure the seal was still tight. The plan was to fix it when I got home. No way I could wait that long. I called Robin and had her check on it. What I thought was my temporary fix turned out to be a permanent fix. The water in my air lock had been replaced by beer, but it was bubbling happily away. Life is good, beer is good.
How is this for a name for the afore mentioned brew..."Beach Blond Ale".
Have a good Tuesday.
Cheers
In my latest batch, a blonde ale with a hint of lemon, I used more grains than I have in the past. Between the all the grains and malt extract there were more sugars than usual. More sugars means more food for the yeast. So, the fermenting process was a bit more lively than usual. I found my brewing bucket in the morning whistling and beer bubbling out of the air lock. As I was on my way to work I did not have time to really deal with it. All I did was push my lock back in and and make sure the seal was still tight. The plan was to fix it when I got home. No way I could wait that long. I called Robin and had her check on it. What I thought was my temporary fix turned out to be a permanent fix. The water in my air lock had been replaced by beer, but it was bubbling happily away. Life is good, beer is good.
How is this for a name for the afore mentioned brew..."Beach Blond Ale".
Have a good Tuesday.
Cheers
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Six Word Bios
At long last I am finally posting the six word bios submitted by some of the Chrisophiles. I would still love to have more. Maybe ready these will give the rest of you a jump start. Thank you to those who took the time to write these up. I love them and I think the rest of you will as well.
Allison Robinson (My Mom, do not judge her counting ability)
wife, mother, teacher, grandmother, tour leader, loner
John Murray (My Cousins Hubby)
father, husband, coach, loves all sports
energetic, hardworking, enthusiastic, proud, easy going
outdoorsman, winter lover, passionate beer connoisseur
Jeremy Tuke (My Cousin)
Father of Teenagers getting gray
Locomotive driving tie pounding train freak
River lovin' golf cart driving daddy
Karen Fyke (My Mother-In-Law)
Delighted wife, exhilarated grandmother, laughing friend
Kris Murray (My Cousin)
mother, wife, animal lover, horse trainer
sensative, emotional, outspoken even to a fault
proud, happy, blessed by the Lord
Robin Robinson (My Wife)
skinny smart yarnie with a neckache
not yet rich, but already eccentric
spends too much time inside head
Chris Robinson (Me)
Hubby Superdad Brew Meister Meister Brewer
Laid-back goofy getting fit magnetic
Easily angered by repetitively stupid people
Enjoy!
Allison Robinson (My Mom, do not judge her counting ability)
wife, mother, teacher, grandmother, tour leader, loner
John Murray (My Cousins Hubby)
father, husband, coach, loves all sports
energetic, hardworking, enthusiastic, proud, easy going
outdoorsman, winter lover, passionate beer connoisseur
Jeremy Tuke (My Cousin)
Father of Teenagers getting gray
Locomotive driving tie pounding train freak
River lovin' golf cart driving daddy
Karen Fyke (My Mother-In-Law)
Delighted wife, exhilarated grandmother, laughing friend
Kris Murray (My Cousin)
mother, wife, animal lover, horse trainer
sensative, emotional, outspoken even to a fault
proud, happy, blessed by the Lord
Robin Robinson (My Wife)
skinny smart yarnie with a neckache
not yet rich, but already eccentric
spends too much time inside head
Chris Robinson (Me)
Hubby Superdad Brew Meister Meister Brewer
Laid-back goofy getting fit magnetic
Easily angered by repetitively stupid people
Enjoy!
A First
On Saturday May 31st at 7 a.m. Washington, IL is hosting the first annual Washington Cherry festival 5k run. On Saturday May 31st at 7 a.m. I am running in my first 5k. Guess where. I am excited. This will be my first run in preparation for the Morton Pumpkin Festival 10k. I have no illusions of actually competing in the run, but it is going to be a blast participating. In exchange for my entry fee the race officials are going to provide me with a performance t-shirt and a ticket for the pancake and sausage breakfast.
Overall the training is going very well. I am sticking to my program and progressing well. I am up to 14 miles a week of a run/walk mix. Today was a 5 mile outing that consisted of .25mi walks alternated with .50mi runs. Robin is putting my runs to good use as well. This morning she had me pick up some items from the grocery store on the way home.
The weather here is pretty nice and fairly cool. Perfect for brewing. I am not one to pass up good brewing weather. I made a citrus blonde today. This is the second brew I have made from a recipe instead of a kit, and the first that I have actually remembered to write down the recipe. That way if it is a success like my stout and New Moon, I have a chance of replicating it. Next up is a Vanilla Porter.
Yesterday was the movie event of the decade. Iron Man!! Robin and I sent the kids off for a sleep over with Grandma and Grandpa Robinson and off we went. The movie blew away our expectations. I am a huge Batman and Superman fan, but this movie was the best superhero film to date. Go see it now.
Cheers
Cheers.
Overall the training is going very well. I am sticking to my program and progressing well. I am up to 14 miles a week of a run/walk mix. Today was a 5 mile outing that consisted of .25mi walks alternated with .50mi runs. Robin is putting my runs to good use as well. This morning she had me pick up some items from the grocery store on the way home.
The weather here is pretty nice and fairly cool. Perfect for brewing. I am not one to pass up good brewing weather. I made a citrus blonde today. This is the second brew I have made from a recipe instead of a kit, and the first that I have actually remembered to write down the recipe. That way if it is a success like my stout and New Moon, I have a chance of replicating it. Next up is a Vanilla Porter.
Yesterday was the movie event of the decade. Iron Man!! Robin and I sent the kids off for a sleep over with Grandma and Grandpa Robinson and off we went. The movie blew away our expectations. I am a huge Batman and Superman fan, but this movie was the best superhero film to date. Go see it now.
Cheers
Cheers.
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