What's happened to the art of waiting in this country?
There is very little we can't control and schedule these days. Smart phones keep us connected at all times and tie us down by synching our work with our home with our friends' calendars. You can buy a plane ticket at the spur of the moment and fly anywhere on earth you want. Many of us can work whenever from wherever we please. You can even choose your baby's birth date.
Here, you're expected to be prompt, or at least to call ahead if you can't make it on time. This is probably the reason why several days BEFORE her due date, people started continually asked me "did you have the baby yet?"!
I'm officially three days overdue and get daily questions about why I'm "still around". It's super-sweet and I'm glad people are excited about the baby, but I can't help but wonder why everyone is so perplexed that she hasn't arrived on a phantom, magical date based solely on a formula set-up to be the average gestation time for billions of mothers.
It's both frustrating and refreshing to realize that we, as humans, don't really have control over every aspect of nature. This is a lesson you'll learn if you travel to more laid-back countries like Spain or Tanzania. They understand the famous bumper sticker from Forrest Gump, and go about their daily lives knowing that people and events will come and go on their own time. No use rigidly scheduling your entire life because "sh*t happens".
I love the fact that the best surprises of my life have come up without being planned and scheduled. I never planned to go work in Tanzania, but was just in the right place at the right time. When I started dating Nathan, he was going to be a boring engineer (like me!) and suddenly did a complete 360, taking us on an amazing adventure, living in National Parks and introducing me to the joys of 16-mile day hikes through unspoiled wilderness. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do with my life, but these surprises have only enriched it and in many ways have shaped my view of what I want in the future. At the same time they've made me realize that my most important asset is my flexibility and adaptability.
So, I ask society, what's the rush? Why should I feel like this baby will "never" arrive if she's one day late? It's a day, a week, it's not the end of the world. Why should I be rushed to schedule an induction based on a date that is at best a wild guess? I trust nature, she'll get here, and I like knowing the "when" is a surprise.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Getting Closer
Anyone want to guess when our little critter will arrive? I am expecting her tomorrow based on the fortune cookie we got back on 5/11 that said "Remember three months from now, good things will happen".
Stick a fork in me, I'm done!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
To Salina and Back
"Can you pull over so I can walk around for a couple seconds?"
Ah yes, traveling while pregnant is fun, so we haven't gone anywhere really exotic this summer. However, yesterday Nathan and I did take what will probably be the last road trip we take just the two of us for a while: we drove two hours away to Salina, KS!
Not only is this our nearest "big city", which boasts such luxuries as a Kohl's, Target, and the Kenwood Cove Waterpark, it's the home of my Aunt Jeanine, Uncle Allan, and cousins Jocelyn and Ciarra! We were pretty excited to see everyone and get some errands done at the same time.
They took us to a great Italian restaurant for lunch, Martinelli's, which was exciting given the fact that there are zero Italian restaurants within a 1.5 hour radius of our new house. We were warned that this was "Kansas Italian", so even though it didn't compare to the amazing "pizze" in Italy, it was quite good for the US - even Kansas. We also got the Tour d'Salina, which culminated in Salina's most exciting and exotic attraction: the yellow submarine bench!
I insisted on visiting the Kenwood Cove Waterpark in the afternoon, seeing as I've gotten no use out of my maternity swimsuit yet. It's better than your average pool, with several water slides, a wave pool, lazy river, and separate lap pool. Weeeeeelllll, the lap pool was closed (due to some cloudy chemical in the water that I'm sure was added because some kid peed -or worse- in the pool), and I was not allowed to ride the water slides. I thought I'd be fine floating the lazy river and enjoying the wave pool only, until I found out the wave pool, which my cousin Jocelyn warned me was more of a ripple pool, really was just shallow, crowded, and lame. After briefly considering explaining to the slide bouncer that I wasn't pregnant, just fat, we left to go run some errands at Hobby Lobby and Kohl's.
We stayed for dinner and had some delicious steak burgers and custard at a place called Freddy's, which is the Kansas equivalent of a Culver's. Even though I am Wisconsin-breed just like Culver's I have to admit Freddy's had better custard, but NOT a better burger.
On the way home, we got sidetracked at dusk and ended up wandering into Cheyenne Bottoms, an amazing rehabilitated wetlands area close to Great Bend. We didn't see the Night Heron Nathan was looking for, but we did catch a gorgeous sunset instead.
Perfect end to my vacationing days without kids. Just now I realized this would have been just as fun and probably more fun with the kiddo, so I'm pretty happy to include another person in our future expeditions into the unknown. Bring it on!
Ah yes, traveling while pregnant is fun, so we haven't gone anywhere really exotic this summer. However, yesterday Nathan and I did take what will probably be the last road trip we take just the two of us for a while: we drove two hours away to Salina, KS!
Not only is this our nearest "big city", which boasts such luxuries as a Kohl's, Target, and the Kenwood Cove Waterpark, it's the home of my Aunt Jeanine, Uncle Allan, and cousins Jocelyn and Ciarra! We were pretty excited to see everyone and get some errands done at the same time.
They took us to a great Italian restaurant for lunch, Martinelli's, which was exciting given the fact that there are zero Italian restaurants within a 1.5 hour radius of our new house. We were warned that this was "Kansas Italian", so even though it didn't compare to the amazing "pizze" in Italy, it was quite good for the US - even Kansas. We also got the Tour d'Salina, which culminated in Salina's most exciting and exotic attraction: the yellow submarine bench!
We don't live in this.
I insisted on visiting the Kenwood Cove Waterpark in the afternoon, seeing as I've gotten no use out of my maternity swimsuit yet. It's better than your average pool, with several water slides, a wave pool, lazy river, and separate lap pool. Weeeeeelllll, the lap pool was closed (due to some cloudy chemical in the water that I'm sure was added because some kid peed -or worse- in the pool), and I was not allowed to ride the water slides. I thought I'd be fine floating the lazy river and enjoying the wave pool only, until I found out the wave pool, which my cousin Jocelyn warned me was more of a ripple pool, really was just shallow, crowded, and lame. After briefly considering explaining to the slide bouncer that I wasn't pregnant, just fat, we left to go run some errands at Hobby Lobby and Kohl's.
We stayed for dinner and had some delicious steak burgers and custard at a place called Freddy's, which is the Kansas equivalent of a Culver's. Even though I am Wisconsin-breed just like Culver's I have to admit Freddy's had better custard, but NOT a better burger.
On the way home, we got sidetracked at dusk and ended up wandering into Cheyenne Bottoms, an amazing rehabilitated wetlands area close to Great Bend. We didn't see the Night Heron Nathan was looking for, but we did catch a gorgeous sunset instead.
Almost looks like the ocean, doesn't it?
Good night, Sunflower State
Perfect end to my vacationing days without kids. Just now I realized this would have been just as fun and probably more fun with the kiddo, so I'm pretty happy to include another person in our future expeditions into the unknown. Bring it on!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Ranch Rodeo
The Pawnee County Fair arrived and despite blistering temperatures, we had to go check it out. It's a cute little fair and far more in touch with its roots than the Olmsted County Fair in Rochester, MN. You won't find any rides (OK, there were a few inflatable jumpy things) or deep-fried spam curds here, just an exhibit hall (with crops, Republican candidate booths, & 4H crafts on display), a livestock pavillion, and the rodeo ring.
The special weekend events were a Ranch Rodeo and Demolition Derby. I enjoyed the Greeley Stampede so much last year that heading the three blocks over to see the rodeo was a no-brainer. We did, however, skip some of the other events, such as the Carcass Show at the end of the fair (although I'm still wondering if that's exactly what it sounds like).
It's really easy to see how the Ranch Rodeo concept got started. You've got some neighbors. You're all ranchers. Someone throws out "I bet I can rope that calf faster than you". You've got yourself a Ranch Rodeo!
This year, 15 teams of four people signed up to participate, each named for the ranch they worked on. There were four events: Team Branding, Team Doctoring, Double Mugging, and Trailer Loading. Everything except Trailer Loading was some variation of Team Roping, where two members need to rope a calf's head and back legs, then do something (either rope three legs together, stick a chalk mark on its head (symbolizing it's been "doctored"), or brand it - also using chalk). My favorite event was the Trailer Loading simply because some teams were assigned uber-stubborn calves and it was really fun to watch them struggle through the motions. Here's an example of a team that does it right:
The night was suppose to start off with Muttin Bustin - my favorite event (see the Greeley Stampede post for details), but it was too hot, so for the sake of the kids and sheep it was canceled. Instead, half time was marked by an equally entertaining event: The Calf Scramble. It goes like this:
It was a pretty fun time. Not at all like the Greeley Stampede where roping took mere seconds, this was for fun and despite minutes wondering if they would EVER rope that calf, we did have a lot of fun.
The special weekend events were a Ranch Rodeo and Demolition Derby. I enjoyed the Greeley Stampede so much last year that heading the three blocks over to see the rodeo was a no-brainer. We did, however, skip some of the other events, such as the Carcass Show at the end of the fair (although I'm still wondering if that's exactly what it sounds like).
It's really easy to see how the Ranch Rodeo concept got started. You've got some neighbors. You're all ranchers. Someone throws out "I bet I can rope that calf faster than you". You've got yourself a Ranch Rodeo!
This year, 15 teams of four people signed up to participate, each named for the ranch they worked on. There were four events: Team Branding, Team Doctoring, Double Mugging, and Trailer Loading. Everything except Trailer Loading was some variation of Team Roping, where two members need to rope a calf's head and back legs, then do something (either rope three legs together, stick a chalk mark on its head (symbolizing it's been "doctored"), or brand it - also using chalk). My favorite event was the Trailer Loading simply because some teams were assigned uber-stubborn calves and it was really fun to watch them struggle through the motions. Here's an example of a team that does it right:
The night was suppose to start off with Muttin Bustin - my favorite event (see the Greeley Stampede post for details), but it was too hot, so for the sake of the kids and sheep it was canceled. Instead, half time was marked by an equally entertaining event: The Calf Scramble. It goes like this:
- Gather up hundreds of kids.
- Tie a ribbon on a dozen calves' tails.
- Release the kids, offering a prize for anyone that can retrieve the ribbon.
- Chaos ensues in what can only be described as a hookworm epidemic waiting to happen.
It was a pretty fun time. Not at all like the Greeley Stampede where roping took mere seconds, this was for fun and despite minutes wondering if they would EVER rope that calf, we did have a lot of fun.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Santa Fe Trail Ruts
Have I convinced you to come visit us in Kansas, yet? If not, I'm sure this will get you here: we've got ruts!
Not far from Fort Larned National Historic Site is a plot of land run by the Park Service that has not been plowed over a million times. There, you can climb up on a platform and view the actual wagon ruts of the Santa Fe trail and imagine what it would have been like to sit in a rickety wagon for 1,200 miles for the express purpose of bringing gold and other goodies back from the New Mexico territory.
Larned has its own chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association whose chapter meeting I'm missing today due to transportation issues and the 500-degree heat. Rest-assured that if you come to town for the next meeting day, you will be enthusiastically invited to join the group by Professor Clapsaddle himself. I sure hope to someday be another Santa Fe Trail enthusiast, but for now, I just enjoy the serenity of this 40 acre swath of preserved ruts and hope I don't step on a rattlesnake as I walk to the viewing platform.
Photo Credit: santafetrailresearch.com
Not far from Fort Larned National Historic Site is a plot of land run by the Park Service that has not been plowed over a million times. There, you can climb up on a platform and view the actual wagon ruts of the Santa Fe trail and imagine what it would have been like to sit in a rickety wagon for 1,200 miles for the express purpose of bringing gold and other goodies back from the New Mexico territory.
Ruts shown horizontally just over halfway up the photo
What can I say? I'm in a rut.
Larned has its own chapter of the Santa Fe Trail Association whose chapter meeting I'm missing today due to transportation issues and the 500-degree heat. Rest-assured that if you come to town for the next meeting day, you will be enthusiastically invited to join the group by Professor Clapsaddle himself. I sure hope to someday be another Santa Fe Trail enthusiast, but for now, I just enjoy the serenity of this 40 acre swath of preserved ruts and hope I don't step on a rattlesnake as I walk to the viewing platform.
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