Almost made the Christmas card...

Here are a couple other favorite pics that almost made our 2008 Christmas card!

New Coffee Table

Last weekend was a unique one in that we had no plans, no committments, no company and no home Husker game. We could hardly stand to be in the house for very long (it will be a long winter), so Saturday afternoon led to an impromptu shopping trip to Omaha. We had been passively looking at new coffee/end tables at furniture stores in the past few months. Previously, we had a quite large, glass coffee/end table. Whereas we've enjoyed it for the past 5 years (Mike married into it), I was tired of investing in Windex to keep it clean and it was taking up more space that we were willing to give. So, drum roll please, we purchased a new coffee/end table, which has certainly added a new look to our living room. As an interesting accent, we also came home with a unique accessory for the coffee table. Pictures attached.

Yabba Dabba Do!

Happy Halloween! One would think we've been scared off the blogspot the past two months. To those who actually check in on us, we promise to be better. During September and October, we spent more nights away from home than at home (for work and for fun). Work took me to Kansas City for a few days in September and Mike had back-to-back trips to St. Louis and Dallas in October. We've made it to nearly every Husker home game (with the exception of the first - we were in Branson) and managed to squeeze in a weekend trip to the exciting city of Ames, Iowa, to witness a 35-7 victory (yes, I do pay attention to the score, not just the band and cheerleaders). Over Labor Day weekend, we enjoyed a wonderful vacation with Mike's family to celebrate Howard & Donna's 40th wedding anniversary in Branson.

The following weekend, I took a trip to Minnesota to take part in Hadley's baptism.

In mid-September (a bye weekend for the Huskers, of course), we took advantage of some frequent flier miles and flew to Denver. We were able to see family, Fran and Nancy Lefler, and our good friends, Steve, Kathy, Drake and Darian Bytnar. We cheered on the CSU Rams and the Denver Broncos to wins that weekend.

We enjoyed having visitors when Ann, Derrick, Addeson, Hadley, Mom & Dad traveled from Minnesota to spend a weekend with us. We had great fun checking out the Omaha zoo.



Last weekend, we went to a costume Halloween party, posing as Fred Flintstone and Betty Rubble. Our trick-or-treaters were up in numbers this year - 47 of them (up from 24 last year)! Unfortunately, Evan wasn't feeling well, so we missed seeing his pumpkin outfit. We heard Hadley was planning to sport a pumpkin outfit of her own to go trick-or-treating with her big sister, Princess Addeson. Happy Halloween Birthday to my Mom today!!!

Husker Power

Yesterday, we were lucky enough to have tickets to BOTH volleyball and football games. Our seats in each venue were really good! We arrived to volleyball (my favorite of the day) in time to see 40 minutes of warm-ups. Upon finding our seats, I was quickly scolded by the lady sitting next to us (who went out of her way to mention she's been a season ticket holder for 15 years) that flash photography is not allowed as it could cause injury to a player. Yikes! What was I thinking!? We were far enough away that I don't believe I was putting anyone's life at risk, especially during warm-ups. I assured her our camera has an option to turn off the flash. Had to show it to her to prove it. Interesting, no announcement was ever made to let such a rule be known to the rest of the 2,700 people in attendence. I think she felt bad for being so cranky and tried to make "small talk" with Mike throughout the rest of the match!

The football game was equally as exciting (as least for Mike). We had a easy walk from the Colliseum to Memorial Stadium and watched 70 minutes of pre-game activities. There was not much of a breeze and our seating area was full of small looking wasp insects. They didn't seem harmful enough to sting, but they sure were a nuisance. There were a little old lady who sat down one row and to our right. One of these little bugs hovered in her hair - stayed there the entire game. I think he was trapped by hair spray. Not likely he'll be discovered until she goes in for her next beauty salon appointment next week.

In the first few minutes of the game, one of the "Scarlets" (dance team...pseudo cheerleaders) was feeling light-headed and caused quite a scene as an EMT tended to her. Gatorade did the trick and she was back in action by the next quarter. I think a cheeseburger would have proven a better remedy as she likely hadn't eaten since last Tuesday.

In the second half, Clarence Thomas was recognized on the field. Probably the closest I'll ever get to a Supreme Court judge. (I guess his wife is from Nebraska.)
Larry the Cable Guy was in attendence and kept the crowd fed as he threw out hot dogs from his suite!

Unfortunately, every fan in our row decided to come to the game. Unfortunate, because, not everyone fit the dimension of their alloted seat assignment. Got to be good friends with the guy sitting next to me. I've determined Nebraskan's are known to be the "greatest fans in America" because you might as well get along with the guy you're sitting on top of week by week!

Mike finds it interesting the things I remember about the game. I had to ask him what the score was before I could post it here. The Huskers were victorious, 38-7. GO BIG RED!!!!

Recent trip to Minnesota

We had such a fun time visiting everyone in Minnesota last weekend! On Friday night, we were able to meet our new niece, Hadley. She is every bit as cute as the pictures of her! Saturday was a great day in Lucan as we were able to spend time with my parents, Grandma Sally, Great Aunt Dolores, the Jenniges and the Webbs. Sunday included a trip to Minneapolis where we took in 6 innings of the Twins game. Then, we headed to Farmington to visit the Petsinger cousins and to help Logan celebrate his first birthday! From there, we drove to Chaska to watch Derrick play baseball in the state tournament. Although they didn't win, it was fun watching him pitch! We jumped in the car for the 2 hour drive home and pulled in the driveway at 1:05am. What a day! Ahhhh, needless-to-say, Mike and I were sound asleep before 10:00pm on Monday night before our work week officially started.

August Already?

The summer has been flying by! Here's a summary of our past week...
Sunday afternoon we went to see the movie Swing Vote in it's opening weekend. Although it's true that Kevin Costner never disappoints, this is probably one to wait to rent for those of you with interest in seeing it. A cute movie, but perhaps a bit predictable.
Monday evening we took in a Lincoln Saltdogs baseball game at Haymarket Park with some of the American Cancer Society staff. The shade from sitting in a suite sure helped keep us cool in spite of a near 100 degree day (still in the 90's that night). We witnessed 13 runs in an exciting second inning (9 of which were Saltdog runs). The Saltdogs beat the Wichita Wingnuts, 11-6.
Thursday started shortly after 5:00am for Mike as he headed to an early morning colon cancer research task force meeting in Omaha and his day ended in the press box at Memorial Stadium for a "Stay in the Game" event to kick-off a colon cancer awareness campaign with the Husker Sports Network.
Friday night we headed to Lincoln's annual Ribfest event in downtown Lincoln. We beat the crowd by arriving before 6:00pm. We chose to eat BBQ ribs/brisket/pork from an "Ausome Aussie" Australian-themed vendor. Mike managed to keep his shirt BBQ-free! (Unfortunately, he did not fare as with the ice cream he had on the way home.)

Fillmore County Relay For Life

We headed to Fairmont/Geneva to participate in the Fillmore County Relay for Life with Mike's parents on Saturday evening. Donna, Mike's Mom, is a 12-year breast cancer survivor. Despite the heat (near 100 degrees both days this weekend), the turnout was good, the speakers were motivational and the walking was enjoyable! The Relay raised $30,000 - impressive! Here's a few pictures from our evening...

Lincoln Relay For Life

We attended Lincoln's Relay For Life last night. Thankfully, the weather cooperated.

Opening ceremony included a check presentation of $10,000 from Wal-Mart to Tracy Harnly's team. She raised over $45,000. Her story is an amazing one. She is the mother of 2 young boys. She was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago - at the age of 30. It started in her breast, moved to her liver and has recently spread to her spine and ribs. Her passion to raise money for research is contagious. She is, again, undergoing chemotherapy and currently taking a drug that is keeping the cancer at bay. The drug is a result of a researcher funded by the American Cancer Society.

We stayed to watch the Miss Relay contest which included male cross-dressers (some of them in high heels!) who walked the track with their purses open to help raise additional monies. The highest dollar collector was "crowned" Miss Relay.

The luminary ceremony was very moving, as usual. Many of our family and friends were remembered/honored with decorated luminaria. They included: Neal & Maude Burmood, Delma Paul, Stanley Foster, Donna Lefler, Sally Petsinger and Joyce Piepenberg.

Welcome Hadley Ann Jenniges!

Derrick, Ann and Addeson welcomed Hadley Ann Jenniges into the world shortly before 9:00am. She was 7 lbs., 7 ozs. and has her big sister's eyes. We look forward to meeting her soon! Per the new daddy, both mommy and baby are doing well.

More D.C.

July 5, 2008 - PART III - We began our third day in Washington, D.C. with a trip to an All-American favorite, McDonalds, before heading to the Metro to get to Union Station.

A quick tour of Union Station and we were off to meet our Trolly for our citywide tour. Our Old Town Trolly Tour took us by the U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, Library of Congress and Smithsonian Museums before we got off at the Jefferson Memorial.

We enjojed great views and dodged a few raindrops but saw the Jefferson Memorial before walking to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. A really neat place with waterfalls and his famous sayings displayed.

From there, we hopped back on the Trolly which dropped us off at the Lincoln Memorial. There, we saw the wonderful tribute to President Lincoln and Lisa and I agreed, it was the best of all the memorials. While in the area, we also saw the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.

Back on the Trolly for another leg of the tour and we rode to the heart of downtown where we found the Hard Rock Cafe and had a great lunch. After the brief stop, we were back on the road and went just down the street to see the outside of Ford's Theatre (closed for renovation...bummer) but we were able to get in the house where Lincoln died right across the street.

Back on the Trolly again, we then explored the northern route of the city where we were able to see the National Cathedral, Georgetown and Embassy Row. We got off the Trolly at Layfayette Park, just across the street from the White House. We were able to see a wonderful view of George and Laura's place and got some good pictures.

We then made our way back to the hotel to freshen up before meeting Lisa's friend, Lisa Doyle and her husband Kelly for dinner at Baily's near our hotel. What a wonderful visit and wonderful surprise to see friends while we're on vacation so far from home. We had a nice visit and will have to go back east to see them again soon.

That marked the end of another busy day. Just one more full day left so be sure to check back soon for the fourth and final part of our Washington, D.C. trip series.

Anniversary Arrangement

Flamingos and Flowers

Happy 2nd Anniversary to us! Ahhh, another year of wedded bliss. Hard to believe all the changes in the past year...sold a home, bought a home, quit our jobs, accepted positions with new employers, moved from Colorado to Nebraska...closer to our families! My husband surprised me with a unique, beautiful arrangement of flowers today. So unique that I can't possibly do them justice by attempting to describe them in words. The camera is going with me to work tomorrow and I'll have a picture to post on the blogspot by the end of the day. We celebrated our anniversary with an evening out at one of our favorite Lincoln restaurants - Fireworks. Mike even agreed to share his dessert with me...he must be in love!

Other updates...
Last night, upon completion of loading the dishwasher to the brim, I attempted to turn it on. But alas, I heard the groan of the motor as though it was unable to successfully pump in water. So, back to the days of the pioneers, I unloaded every last item and washed and dryed them by hand. My mom has always said she never needed a dishloader (appliance, that is) because she has my dad (dish washer - two words - as in manual labor). I wonder if my dad would be willing to come spend a week or so with us?!?

We woke up this morning to an interesting discovery in our front yard. We had been "flocked" by an American Cancer Society - Relay for Life team. Our yard contained a bright display of pink flamingos. A small donation and 4 hours later, the culprits came to pick up these lovely birds and migrated them to the yard of our choosing! Our parents are lucky they do not live in city limits or they would have been next!!!

Wrapping up our summer landscaping project

The retaining walls were finished the end of June, so it was time to get them filled. We picked out a nice assortment of shrubs and planted them this afternoon. The retaining wall in the back yard has turned into Mike's garden - he planted watermelon, pumpkins and beans. It has turned into quite a treat for a wild rabbit in our neighborhood.

Independence Day in Washington, D.C.

PART II - July 4, 2008 - We began our first full day in Washington, D.C. with a hearty breakfast at our hotel's breakfast buffet. Followed by a short Metro ride downtown, we went straight to the National Mall, where all the action would take place that day. Everyone entering the Mall had to pass through security that day. We must have been searched six times.

We immediately ran into a group of Marines marching to start our Fourth of July off on a festive note.

With nearly two hours to pass before the parade began, we started sightseeing at the Museum of Natural History. There, we saw dinosaurs, elephants and other animals, early plant and animal life, as well as the Hope Diamond.

From there, we decided to stake out a good spot to watch the July 4th parade and ended up at 12th and Constitution, right in the middle of the route. The parade was filled with bands, balloons and military personnel...Lisa LOVED it (and I liked it a lot too). We visited with a couple from Kentucky and took in more than an hour of the parade before we decided we needed to start making our way to our tour at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

As one of our most anticipated stops on our vacation, the Holocaust Museum did not disappoint. We spent nearly three hours in the building and learned more about the Holocaust than we could have possibly asked for. If you're a history buff at all, we highly recommend this stop.

From there, we decided to pass on waiting in a long line at the National Archives and, instead grabbed hot dogs and a pretzel from a local vendor. We ate them at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden dodging rain the entire time.

We then headed to the National Air & Space Museum. We weren't the only ones with this idea as the place was PACKED! We spent less than an hour walking through the museum before deciding to give our feet a break and wait out the rain by going to two IMAX shows, one on fighter pilots and the other, a 3D movie on the sun.

When leaving the building, we quickly noticed that we were the only people who did not have an umbrella. We didn't realize that a 30 percent chance of rain meant a torrential downpour. We walked for a few blocks before hiding under a tree (already drenched, I might add). When the coast seemed clear and the rain appeared to be done, we tried to get to the Lincoln Memorial to watch the evening's fireworks, only to find the path had been blocked off. We decided to watch the display from just east of the Washington Monument, which proved to be a good spot.

The fireworks were spectacular but we quickly realized that we were going to have to compete with 500,000 people to get to a train to get back to the hotel (thanks to Casey for that tip) so we packed up early and headed towards the Metro station only to find that we weren't the only ones with that idea. We waited for an hour before we even got to the escalator to go down to the station.

Finally, we arrived back at the ol' Marriott across the river in Virginia and I decided I was hungry and couldn't wait till' morning so we set out to find food. After a LONG wait at our hotel, we finally ate and ended our fun (and exhausting) day in Washington, D.C.

Check back for July 5th highlights soon and enjoy the video of the 4th!

Back From Washington, D.C.

Well, we're back from our trip to Washington, D.C. and we had a fantastic time! Lisa has already called it her favorite vacation. We were on the go constantly and the time absolutely FLEW by. I can't believe we were actually gone for four and a half days.

Anyway, we want to share our entire trip but we did so much, that we need to break it up a little. Below, is the blog and video of Part I. We hope you enjoy:

PART I - Thursday, July 3, 2008 After a 3 a.m. wake up call in Nebraska to catch our early flight out of Lincoln and a short layover in Chicago, we arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport just before noon. We were greeted by our driver, Tracy, at baggage claim with a sign that read "Lefler". We felt pretty important.

It took a 45 minute drive to reach the Marriott Crystal City where we quickly checked in and went looking for lunch. We went just a block away to Baily's Pub and Grille, a neat little sports bar in Crystal City.

After lunch, we took the Metro (the subway system in Washington, D.C.) to Arlington National Cemetary. There, we saw the gravesite of John F. Kennedy, the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington House and the gravesites of many U.S. servicemen and women. We even saw a gravesite service being held that day and were surprised to find out that 25-30 people are still being buried at Arlington each day. Arlington offers what may be the best views of Washington so be sure to check them out in our video.

After returning to our hotel that night, we went to Crystal Drive to eat out at Ted's Montana Grill. Their burgers were really good. After the long day, we were both ready to turn in and refresh ourselves for the upcoming Fourth of July in Washington, D.C.

Below is PART I of our video series that captures the first day of our trip...enjoy!!! More videos will be coming shortly and be sure to keep checking for our next video showing July 4th in D.C. -ML-

False Alarms

Aside from routine annual check-ups, I had not been to the doctor for the past 12 years. I am every insurance company's dream come true. Every sore throat, ear ache, runny nose, fever, cough, ache and pain has been successfully self-medicated with a regimen of Tylenol, Nyquil and rest. However, for the past two months, I have been battling pain in my right foot, just below the ankle bone. It is a very strange, sharp, shooting pain, that primarily strikes when I have my foot elevated, most notably when I am sleeping (well, trying to sleep). One would think it would hurt when I put weight on it, run, walk up steps, stand on one leg, etc., yet no, the pain occurs when the foot is at rest. Mulling over this pain for several weeks, I had convinced myself that something quite serious was wrong - gout? a blood clot? Concerned the blood clot would soon travel to my heart, I decided a trip to the doctor was inevitable. (My husband thinks I read too many freak health stories on the internet, and my other downfall is that I come from a long line of worriers - yes, mom, you know it's true.) So, yesterday, I broke down and went to a doctor. The prognosis...inflamed cartilage (what's left of it) in the point of the foot where several little bones come together. This is common in the foot of a runner (or a previous runner, now I am more accurately referred to as a jogger) where the cartilage in the joint has experienced a lot of pressure. The doctor kindly advised this is likely the onset of arthritis in the ankle joint. Yikes, I thought I just hit my 30th birthday? The prescription: rest.

On the subject of rest, which was my intention this evening, here is how our evening actually turned out:
An acquaintence of Mike's (Nick) has been building a retaining brick wall in both the front and back yards. Today, as per the Nick's instruction, we had 3 yards of black dirt delivered to our driveway. I had no idea how much 3 yards of dirt would amount to. Nick come over and worked from 5:00pm -8:00pm and moved what looked like a mere dent in the pile of dirt. We checked out the weather forecast and to our surprise, found a line of rain showers potentially headed our way. Hummm, what happens to a pile of dirt when saturated with rain?...our greatest fear, a big block of mud!!! So, at 8:15pm we headed outside to finish off the pile. At 10:15pm, when we could barely see the end of our noses, we finished with the final load. We headed inside, showered and settled in to watch the news - just in time to see the weather forecast. Interestly, the storm cells had headed south. Just our luck! We'll post some landscaping pictures over the weekend to show off our work.

Relay For Life and Balls and Strikes

Often times during the summer, we find ourselves getting so busy, that we need to have a weekend to recover from our weekend. This weekend was one of those.

Friday night, we both attended the Waverly Relay For Life, an event that took in more than $32,000 for research, education, advocacy and research for the American Cancer Society. Having recently purchased a new video camera, I took it upon myself to shoot some footage and create a short video on the event and will do so at all Relays that I will attend for the rest of the summer. Below you'll see a "rough draft" of the video.

Saturday was a cleaning day for Lisa while I attended another Relay For Life, this time in Omaha at Millard West High School. It's Nebraska's largest RFL and was goaled at $475,000 (no word what was actually raised yet).

On Sunday, we made the trek to the College World Series in Omaha. We suffered through seven innings of a blowout game with Fresno State dropping Rice 17-5. Even though it wasn't much of a game, we really enjoyed the atmosphere. It's great to have such a unique event so close to home. Believe it or not, no silly questions from Lisa during the game like "Why do they keep itching and spitting?". However, she was rooting for Rice because (and I quote) "Mmmm, I like rice" although I think she's getting this baseball thing down pretty well. :)

Stormy Night!

With the addition of a new video camera in the Lefler family, we were just in time to bring you footage of the severe weather that hit Lincoln. Some eerie clouds looming to our west. Tornados were spotted all over southeast Nebraska but no reports of damage as of 10 p.m. Wednesday night.

Weekend Guests

We had a fun-filled weekend as mom and dad come from Minnesota to visit. On Saturday evening, Mike's parents, Marcia Casey and Evan were all able to join us. As an early Father's Day activity, we took my dad to the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland (NE) on Sunday afternoon.

Nifty Nephews

May has been a busy month for us, but most notably, I want to blog about news of our nephews, both of which we are quite proud!
On May 11th (Mother's Day), we attended Evan's dedication to First Christian Church here in Lincoln. Evan was all smiles during the dedication and even shared a few giggles and baby babble as we surrounded him with prayer. We enjoyed spending the afternoon with both the Lefler and Foster families!

On May 23rd, Brandon graduated from Wabasso Public High School. He was selected by school faculty as a scholarship recipient. One of Brandon's teachers wrote an amazing recommendation which I must share...
"I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Brandon Baune for the past six years. As junior high art instructor, I had Brandon in my art classes both his seventh and eighth grade years. In addition, I am the senior high English instructor and Brandon has been in my college-bound language arts classes both his junior and senior years. What a very fine young man he is! Wabasso Public School is a kindergarten through twelfth grade facility, so all of the students are integrated in many shared spaces throughout the day. Given this situation, I was aware of Brandon long before I actually knew him as a student of mine. Even as a very young child, he gave me reason to be impressed by his determination. Wearing braces and moving with effort through the hallways, Brandon carried himself with a dignity not typical of one so young, but certainly characteristic of one who has faced challenges early on and decided they would not govern his life. He did not then, nor has he since, allowed his disability to determine who he was, who he is, and who he will become. If you want a role model for students to emulate, if you want an adolescent to show an older generation the quality of the young, if you want a hero for anyone in anytime from anywhere; then, I give you Brandon Baune. What strength, what personal courage this young man possesses. When even walking was a challenge for him, Brandon pursued every sport he could. Football, basketball, baseball - these were sports his father had participated in and loved, so Brandon followed in his father's footsteps even if his own feet needed a set of braces to carry him. So unassuming in the face of such physical adversity, Brandon never even seems aware that he has any disadvantage whatsoever. He expects no special treatment; he proceeds as usual; he would be genuinely surprised if anyone expected him to behave otherwise. My admiration for him is literally boundless. Given the affliction of spina bifida, most of us would respond with a certain amount of self-pity and carry a harder edge in our sympathies because, after all, why should we feel compassion for others when we are thus burdened ourselves? Not so with Brandon. He is one of the kindest, most sympathic and compassionate of young men. If I were in trouble and in need of help, I would hope Brandon were close by because I would be assured of "rescue" from my predicament. He is dependable, resourceful, gracious - such stuff as heroes are made. You don't have to ride a white horse to be a knight in shining armor; sometimes, you just have to spend a childhood standing on your own two feet in leg braces. Without any disability at all, Brandon would be worthy of a financial scholarship. He has always been a conscientious student whose hard work and preparation mark him as an asset in any classroom. Cooperative and mature, Brandon handles all classroom environments with ease and a kind of grace borne of adversity, which makes him well-liked and accepted by all. He would be any teacher's choice as a scholarship recipient well within his own right. But that is not quite the case here, for Brandon is not only all the things a valuable student should be; Brandon is all things a valuable human being should be. Despite pain, despite physical impediment, despite the permanent punishment of a body that will not always do what he wants it to, despite all of this, Brandon has pursued excellence. He has taken what by rights should be a crippling disability and used it to become a young man of principles standing heads taller than most of us mere ordinary beings who certainly have not even walked around the block, let alone a mile, in his shoes. For all that he already is, be a part of his future and help him in all that he will surely become."

The game that never ends!

This past week has been a busy one for us! On Monday night, we took care of Evan. I snuck out to go to a neighbor's Pampered Chef party, while Mike worked his magic and rocked Evan to sleep. Our neighbors, who live DIRECTLY across the street from us, put up an "It's a Boy" sign in their yard in January. One would think that Mike and I might have noticed she was expecting a baby, but nope, we had no idea. New Year's resolution item #26: Get to know the neighbors. On Tuesday night, Mike trained a group of Relay for Life volunteers on 'telling their ACS story'. Wednesday brought 275 miles to the new Malibu as I had a customer appointment in Kearney. On Thursday night, we went to Marcia and Casey's church to attend their annual event called "Tacos and Talent". Marcia pulled off a wonderful surprise during the talent show as she sang (while accompanying herself on the piano) Martina McBride's "There You Are" for Casey in honor of their 5-year wedding anniversary. Even Mike got involved as he was recruited to play the United States President in one of the skits (pictured above). To round out the week, we got tickets from a friend to the Husker baseball game on Friday night. We made it to the ballpark shortly after 6:00pm and 3 hot dogs, 1 Pepsi, 1 hot chocolate, 387 sunflower seeds, 9 runs and 16 (yes, I said SIXTEEN) innings later, we headed home at midnight. Thank goodness it was cold and rainy today, so I could sleep in and not feel guilty about another weekend of no progress on the landscaping front!

New Car

Mike and I have been car searching this past week. From the start, I was set on getting a GM vehicle, so I could redeem the "reward dollars" built up through use of my GM card. As luck would have it, a local dealership (of which, is a bank customer of mine!) made a dealer trade for a 2008 Malibu LS on Tuesday. It was on the lot about 3 hours before I purchased it. The trade-in offer for my Grand Am was above Kelley Blue Book price. Mike said they must not know what our garage floor looks like!! My car has been leaking coolant for the past few months and was getting to the point where a repair was inevitable. Time to trade! I've been enjoying air conditioning again and a crack-free windshield. It does feel as though every car near me is following ENTIRELY too closely!

New Patio Set

After some rainy days late last week, this weekend sure was a change for the better. The temperature was near 80 degrees in Lincoln today! Having a strong case of "spring fever" on Saturday afternoon, Mike and I purchased a patio set for our back patio. The first chair only took Mike 45 minutes to put together. Thank goodness he picked up the pace from there or we would have been grilling in the dark. After construction was complete, we relaxed in our chairs and had a beer together. No sign of mosquitos yet. I hope they know not to cross the Minnesota border. Aside from patio set shopping, Mike found time to get in his first round of golf this season. He fared well with an 88. Hope everyone had a nice weekend. Off to the work week!