like baseball

The week is like a baseball game with Monday being the top of the first inning. Baseball of course is on my mind as the Brewers are going to the playoffs! Yeah! I'm disappointed in the Packers, but at least we have one Wisconsin team to cheer about today! Busy, busy time ahead in the office. Spent the weekend getting caught up on work and home stuff, so at least I'm entering the week at pace (not totally behind!). Here we go!

Founders Day

The campus will celebrate Founders Day with a special morning prayer service followed by CAKE! I hear the Crusader is on the loose and there is some contest to find him... hmmm... The Student Alumni Association are excited about the plans for the day and have worked hard to make this a fun event that students notice. For those of you who keep track of these things...this would have been Convention weekend. Even without convention, my anxiety remains high during the fall. It will be better after HCwest, Annual Meeting, Homecoming, Inauguration and Family weekend are over... smile.

web

It was on my radar, but it happened quickly. Last week the Guild had its web design updated to complement the University's pages. It looks good and I'm especially pleased with the CWC page. The next step there is to get the CWC e-mail template ready so we can send a mass e-mail out as a Save the Date. No save the date postcard this year, but frankly I don't think it is necessary. AlumniNews included a tidbit about the conference which goes to every alumni household - male and female. Maybe some spouses of alumni will attend. Got together with a good friend, Jenn, after work. It was good to catch up!

And, we're back

The flooding is down, but it has been a crazy week in NW Indiana. I'm thankful that my biggest inconvenience was having to find a new route to work. My house didn't blow up, my house isn't two stories under water, my car is working.

Yesterday I had the honor of taking my father-in-law to his 69th high school reunion. A great gang. They are planning the 70th!

We're saddened by the Packers performance. Rick was at the game. He'll be home late tonight and I can get the play by play.

There is a Guild gathering in Lake Co. tonight...maybe. As of Friday only two were planning to attend so it might be canceled. Lots to do today to plan for the inauguration. The "convention" nightmares have already started...but it is about the inauguration. Saturday night the dream included rain, a power outage and a public "shushing" because I was talking while the speaker, the president, was wanting to speak. Thank goodness it was only a dream!

And it rained

The rain didn't bother me for the first 72 hours. It gave me the motivation to get things done around the house - which I did. My goals were to take out all of the recycling (87% complete and the bin is full with newspapers, mags and kitchen garbage), do all the laundry including bedding, towels and clothing (90% complete - unfortunately we keep wearing clothes...so this is a losing battle), and wash all the dishes (95% complete but same as the laundry we keep cooking and eating). After an indoor weekend, I feel mostly caught up.

We had some fun, too. I took Robby to a concert at Schuba's in Chicago, we got some ice cream, came home to watch Pinocchio. Robby was content to watch his two new favorite shows - Sid the Science Guy and Imagination Movers - over and over again. We conducted two experiments: what to do with a coconut and froze fruit in water to learn about change. (thanks, Sid for this idea).

We wake on Monday to learn that due to flooding, Valparaiso schools - and therefore Hilltop - are closed. Therefore it is yet another stay at home day, but now it includes balancing getting some work done. Who would expect a "snow day" in September?

When we were at Target on Saturday they were already putting out Christmas stuff. I wanted to yell: technically summer isn't even over!!! I was wearing shorts. It felt strange to pass the aisle of Christmas cards. So, perhaps a school closing shouldn't alarm me.

We are mostly dry with just a little typical seepage in the basement. South of here there is record flooding and Valpo received nearly 9 inches of rain. I'm anxious to learn how the University buildings weathered Ike.

Sept 11

The weather is so similar today as it was seven years ago when we were all rocked by the events of September 11. Today's freshmen were 11 or 12, soon college students will not have any vivid recollection of that day. Flags fly lower, we feel lower. Somethings you can't forget.

car doctor

Had to take the car in for a repair today. At least it is under warranty. Going to the car doctor - as Robby and I call it - is one of my least favorite things to do. Unfortunately I have to do it more often than most because of the miles I put on my car. At least I have a nice rental. I'll have lunch today with KZ. The day is otherwise meeting free, so I hope to chip away at the to dos - including putting the final touches on the video to be shown at the annual meeting and prep for Homecoming/Annual Meeting/Board Meeting/National Fundraiser/CWC/Inauguration. Whew.

Tellers Meeting

The Tellers meeting took only 3 hours! A huge relief considering the nightmare we had in 2006 where we were there for 7 hours and didn't finish! Boy, the lessons we have learned. Our nine tellers from the Chicagoland area did a great job. The results will be public after the Guild Board verifies the report at their Oct meeting. Stay tuned for the results that will be announced at the annual meeting on Oct 10 at 2 pm in the Duesenberg Recital Hall! (Oh, we had about 400 votes - over 50% of members. Isn't that GREAT!)

Foot

It has almost been six months and we're still working on the plantar wart. Today the doctor suggested that we could cut it out, however I'd have a hole in my foot that could take 3 weeks to heal. Since I'm serious about getting some exercise and September is a comfortable month to exercise inside or out, I'm going to put off that step. I figure that by November I'll need to put my feet up! And, then, if we're still trying to fix it I can get the "dig out" as a 2008 insurance claim. It hurts less, but is ever present. I'm more ready for the Dr. appointments to stop.

Going to see the Brewers Saturday, then working with the Tellers on Sunday. We have a great group and I just hope all goes better again this year. 2006 tellering was a nightmare that I hope never occurs again.

Have you been goodsearching and goodshopping?

Raining

After days and days without rain, it looks like we're in for a soaker today. This may help the last of my zucchini up at the WI farm grow. All summer my father-in-law and I have a running joke about the zucchini. It is not his favorite, but is seems to be the one thing that we grow best. So far I have kept up with the supply - freezing casseroles, making zucchini brownies and zucchini crisp. This weekend I'll make a good supply of bread that we can freeze to enjoy over the winter. A friend let me know that if I shred it, I'll be able to freeze it. There are still some zucchini pancakes to make.

Tonight I've arranged a babysitter for Robby so I can work late and get caught up. Realistically, I will not get fully caught up, but I expect I will be able to push a few more rocks forward. Look for an e-update later today. There is some good content this month (hopefully, as always!).

on the right

You'll see that I added a new feature on the right ---> that gives Valparaiso University headlines. Thought that could be fun. I registered for Homecoming West and Homecoming yesterday. Homecoming will be pretty awesome with musician Mark O'Connor playing. Rick and I have scheduled a date night! I wasn't planning to attend Homecoming West in San Diego, but I'm glad that I am. I'll leave after work on Friday and return Sunday morning - so it will be a whirlwind.

Today I'm updating my Position Description (stale from 2004!), write a couple reports, and will prep the e-update. I took some of this work home to do last night but 4 loads of laundry, dinner, grocery, bathing the boy, and watching a little of the RNC took my time. At 9:30 I wasn't up to logging on, so now I have to go full force today!

Gustav

I'm tracking Rebecca's (Guild member and good friend) spontaneous roadtrip to Memphis after Gustav came to visit her hometown. Glad she is safe!

We hired a marketing intern yesterday named Ashley. I thought we'd be without one this semester, but glad that a talented student surfaced. Looking at her projects, she will be busy!

A lot of time is being consumed with Inauguration planning and report writing and fundraiser support.

Robby and Rick had fun yesterday. They got to go to the beach.

We Begin. We Begin Again.

This post's title is how the President started his Opening Convocation speech. These words echo as each day we begin. We begin again. Robby's illness was short lived, so the weekend plans went forth. I think it may be a new tooth? He is in a significant growth spurt and has complained more than once that his legs hurt.

The details for the Tellers meeting are in place: Schaumburg, IL at 1 pm on Sept 7.

Sunday was the 150th Campus Kick-off. Several years of planning done in hours. All - and there were lots - seemed to enjoy it. The dunk tank was popular (even the new president agreed to be dunked which certainly won him points with the students). The 150th. We begin. We begin again.