Date nite

Rack em up chicago

Back to chicago

Oh are we sore....

Lunch break

And my legs are jelly

Morning kids! we are across the river from manhattan. call you soon.

Last row

Leaving chicago

Rain, rain go away! No, Really! Go AWAY

Man. This is one icky, sticky, wet August. You cannot even walk outside without instantly being attacked by hundreds of mosquitos. You should see my get-up when I take pup out at 3am! The only skin showing are my hands and a bit of my face.... and of course, those blood thirsty, winged beasts managed to land on my eyelid and lip last night....

Ack!

Yesterday, huge storms roared through... the tornado blew around trees and road signs across the street from mom's house! Wow! Oh, and here's something new..... more rain tonight.....

A picture of what our month has been like.... and keep in mind, those few sunny days we've had have been sticky, sticky, sticky.... blech, no fun at all....





They've canceled the same flight run this morning from Chicago. Hmmm, I wonder if we'll even be going to NJ this weekend?! Ah well, if we do take off, I'll be sure to bring back plenty of photos... and I'll post 'em this time!

Have a good one!

At least 10 per day

Photos that is. I must crop and resize at least 10 photos for upload from the Germany batch... otherwise I'll never get through the 1872 of them!

It's not work really.... rather fun and fond, fond memories!

....Aaaaaah...............

I'll just put the stories with the photos over at Flickr... that way, when I get a book together from their services, it'll include the memories!

Oh, and on a totally unrelated note... I'm now pecking at the keyboard after having my left index finger slammed into the van's sliding door. OH CRAP! That is some exquisite pain.... D*mn! Was completely my own fault.... not Calli's! ;) And yes, I did have my morning coffee.... sheesh. Not tired, no excuse, just carelessness... gah!

Now I have a fat finger complete with bruises and a big ol' gash.... Perfect for our upcoming weekend of mixed martial arts and kickboxing training.... NOT!

Dang, 'cause I was getting quite a killer hook punch, but now I don't know if I can use my left hand.......

Ah, it will be all better by Saturday, right? I'm a fast healer..... *snort*, ya, right! sigh...

Remembering Dad

10 years ago today, dad died.

He was only 58.

He managed to skew the stats of our family's history of bad hearts, by living 8 years longer than than the previous 3 generations of brother, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, who all died of heart attacks at age 50.

I'm the oldest living Hansen. *shudder* How's that for an award?!

Although I think our generation is a little more aware of this trend, and we've been agressively watching ourselves. My siblings and I are far more physically active than our forefathers, we go get our hearts checked, and eat healthier. Our Hansen cousins, on the other hand.....

I have no intention of obliging heredity! I have too many places to see, too many fun things on my 'to-do' list, and too many more people to meet.

So, how's that for a Monday morning?

Life's too painfully short. Go out and enjoy every day! If you don't see your name on the obituary page, get dressed and sieze the day! .... or don't get dressed.... heh!

Half a Century

My Superhero is 50 today! And just so you know, I went back over the title, to capitalize the 'H' because I know it drives you nuts otherwise, and I love you so, and besides... it's your happy day!

You are my superhero in so many ways. From the way you bring out the best in me, the way you share yourself with others - giving your confidence to them as they prepare for volleyball tryouts, to the good way you run your life!

You're a super dad, a super friend and my super love!

Happy 50th sweetheart!

I love you!

Frankfurt Flughafen

Frankfurt Flughafen
Originally uploaded by frau cowtown

Added 10 more pictures from the Germany trip. No my laptop is still not connecting to the internet, my external hard drive decided to crash as well..... I still have no Yahoo chat.... =(

But, on an up note... the puppy is sleeping through the night, and accidents are fewer and farther in between....

...and, looking at my Germany photos again is such a happy for me!
=)

Also Found

in the images section of a "Weird Food" search at Google! (You said I should post more...)

Found

in the German section of the international isle at the grocery store!

The real difference between him and I

Last week, 2AM, during a wild thunder storm there I am.... half asleep, clinging to keep my purple bathrobe around me in the whipping wind and rain, standing out by the pond, the rain beating down on me. My feet are wet, and I hobble across the soaked lawn because I've blown out my right flipflop..... "wasting away again in Margaritaville...."

"C'mon Kelda! Come! Potty Hurry!!" over and over I implore with her, shouting from the middle of the yard..... And she's huddled up by the front door thinking, "DUH, it's pouring lady....." And there we are, both trying to out-wait the other......

Now, fast forward to last night.... 2:34 AM. Tabi wakes up Kurt to inform him the puppy is in need of an outside break. He takes her out.... The skies are flashing white, the trees are really whipping, it's pouring again.... I get up for a potty hurry.... shuffle back to bed, toss and turn trying to find a cool spot on my pillow.... and Tabi and I both begin to wonder where papa is? I get up, go to the window searching for his form in the yard.... hmmm, nothing. I go downstairs and find him.

He's gone out the kids' wing door, to the covered porch, flipped open the hottub and is relaxing while he waits for the puppy to get up the nerve and go do her business!

Smart man.

I decide to join him. There we are 3AM, us in the hottub, Tabi on the porch, and the puppy in the rain.

7 August 07

080707
Originally uploaded by frau cowtown

Steamy summer days of August!

Does it get any better than this for a kid?!

I'm so enjoying tonight's cool air after days of sweltering heat and humidity. No, we don't have airconditioning. Normally, I do not like it, although, it would be a relief from the humidity, but... we get by. Besides, we have this big, refreshing pool in the yard. And, I quite enjoyed myself last night with the kids... flopping around, bouncing up and down in the center of the pool in unison with the kids, making huge waves with them, and, ahhh, generally, cooling off!

tearing down

bookshelves1
Originally uploaded by frau cowtown

...and moving up to the loft. We decided to pull down the library and TV center and do some rearranging, redesigning and repainting.

The bookshelves all cleared off....

...and seen from the loft.

...p.s.

And new colors because it's so hot and steamy in August in Chicago.... It's a bit disconcerting when every day my weather site says it will be 81 and it turns out to be over 91. Tomorrow they say it will be 89... you know what that translates to!

Whoa....

My first published photograph.... The Symphony Store.

Pretty fun! Now, if only I had waited until the extraneous person was out of the shot.... ah so, next time!