Dacri’s Closet

Here’s the photos that go with the last post!

So this is going to be my catch-up post for the past week!  lol  Get ready, it’s going to be a long one!

Last weekend was the BP-MS150.  Day 1 was cancelled as previously reported.  We spent Saturday waiting around for instructions and then carting a team to Schulenburg where they were staying.  After that, Jack and I took a side trip to Waelder to see M&S’s new place out in the middle of nowhere!  lol  Sorry, M… it really is!

Day 2 was interesting, fun, stressful and everything you can imagine!  If you’re reading this and you rode in that ride, I’m going to say the same thing I said inside the van to other cyclists… We try REALLY hard not to hit you guys, but some of you are just nuts and make it really difficult!  I mean, riding on the wrong side of the yellow line?  C’mon people!!  Anyway, I didn’t hit anyone, and I only got yelled at by one cyclist and one DPS officer!  A good day!  lol  The coolest part of the day was after the last rest stop.  At that point, if they’ve made it that far, they’re making it to the finish.  Well we picked up one very emotional lady who was devastated when her bike had a catastrophic failure.  She’d worked so hard, and this was her first 150.  Well Jack and I broke all the rules and a couple of barricades and got her to the finish line where she was able to walk her broken bike across the finish line!  THAT was a very cool feeling!

The Monday after the MS150 was Cyclists in Suits day.  A lobbying day at the Texas Capitol for bike safety laws.  We visited the House and Senate chambers, then went off to visit our lawmakers.  I had appointments scheduled with both our Senator and our Representative.  Our Senator didn’t bother to show up that day.  I still have issues with that, and the fact that he didn’t show up for the vote on the bike legislation, but that’s another issue for another day.  Our Representative however… his office was awesome, and he even came off the House floor to meet us and hear what we had to say.  I was TOTALLY impressed with him!

We came back home, and I was in super solder mode to get a bulk custom order done by Friday for an event.  In the midst of that we had the Rest Stop captain training for the DFW Sam’s Club MS150, which is this next weekend!  It’s already here believe it or not!!

Jack and I both had doctor appointments this week.  He’s lost about 60 pounds as a result of his surgery, which is fantastic!!  I’m so proud of him!  He rode in the Muenster Metric Century bike ride this weekend.  He did the 65k route, which is about 40 miles.  And he’s been riding to work everyday when the weather or wind isn’t nasty.  He’s my studmuffin cyclist! :o)

Friday we had a bit of a scare.  I was letting the dogs out when Angel stumbled, fell and then had a seizure.  We took her to the veterinarian, who did bloodwork and reported that she has autoimmune hemoglobin anemia.  Basically her body is attacking her red blood cells.  We’re starting her on some steroids this week, which will compromise her immune system, which means no more dog park for her.  I’m going to call the vet and see if it’s ok to still take Spaz, or do we have to worry that he’ll bring something home.  He’d be devastated if he couldn’t go to the park anymore!

So it’s been pretty eventful around here.  We’re getting ready for the Sam’s Club MS150 this weekend… Jack is a HAM operator in a SAG van again… I’m helping with rest stops on Day 1, and captaining a rest stop on Day 2 (If you want to come help… I need the help!  Sunday from 8am until around 2:30 pm… you get a shirt, and I’m really desperate!!).  I’ve got to do some charms for that, and we have the last committee meeting this week.  Plus I’ve got a couple of events that I’m working on, so it’s going to be a busy, busy week!!

I’ll post some photos soon!

~Heather

This weekend is the BP MS150.  It’s a cycling event that raises money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  A 150 mile bike ride from Houston, TX to Austin, TX.  Day 1 is about 75 miles to LaGrange, then Day 2 is about 80 miles from LaGrange to Austin.

Jack and I volunteered to drive a SAG van in support of the riders.  Basically if someone has a problem and needs to be driven to the next break point, that’s what we do.  We cruise back and forth between break points picking up riders who need help.

So this morning we dropped Spaz at the vet’s for the weekend, and took off for the BP MS 150.  First stop, Austin to pick up our van. 

We had just passed Waco when the rain started.  And it never stopped.  It poured so hard that at times we were only going 30 miles per hour on the freeway!  We finally made it to Austin, got the van, got everything transferred from our car to the van, dropped our car at the hotel parking lot, and headed for Houston. I didn’t think it could get any worse… oh but it did!

It was raining so hard, and so constantly that by the time we got to Houston my arms were sore!  As we drove through LaGrange we saw mile after mile of flooded fields.  At times, the highway was even starting to get covered by water, flooded over from the drainage ditches.  The Colorado River was swollen.  As we drove through seeing all of this, Jack and I looked at each other and said “uh oh!”

See, LaGrange is the overnight location.  LaGrange is where 13,000 riders are supposed to camp (yes, CAMP) and spend the night Saturday night.  13,000 cyclists were supposed to ride in on those roads that were being covered by water!

We arrived in Houston with much anticipation of how this weekend was going to pan out.  We arrived around 4:30 pm and it wasn’t long before rumors started to fly.  “Cancelled?  The weekend?  Just the day?  Are you riding anyway? It can’t be that bad. They just don’t want to get wet! How do we get home?  Where are we going to stay?”  We heard it all… in the lobby of the hotel, at the bike shop we ran to, on twitter, the SAG yahoo group…

Then the official word came via the event website.  Route is dangerous.  Day 1 cancelled.  Day 2 will start as planned.

Which brings on a whole new set of issues… What about those who were dropped in Houston from out of town and don’t have transportation?  How are they going to get to LaGrange? What about the next line of storms coming tonight and tomorrow that are as bad as the ones today?

There is a lot left to be determined (or from what I’m finding out… communicated).  So we shall see what happens.  All I know for sure right now is that Jack and I report at noon with our van to the park & ride we were supposed to be at 5am, so at least we get to sleep in.  But we’re going to need that sleep for the (expected) chaos that will be Saturday, April 18th.

Goodnight, y’all!!
~Heather

Yeah, I know.  Strange title!  But that was our Easter weekend!

On Saturday we had our big family Easter Egg Hunt at my parents’ house.  We had a lot of fun, both hiding and finding the eggs.  I’ve posted some photos from the day.

My parents live near a creek and there are several trails along the creek.  They’d been seeing some “suspicious” activity, so we took a walk to investigate.  And what did we find? Someone had been planting marijuana in the woods!  We found a hole dug out with potting soil and several plants.  Then further along the trail was a plant pot, with (no pun intended) pot planted! In a neighboring mesquite tree was a shovel and gallon jug of water.  Very interesting!  We called the police and they came out, took photos, etc. Unfortunately the cops got there in the middle of the Easter Egg Hunt dinner.  Mom was slightly embarrassed that there were two police cars parked in front of her house! lol

Anyway, here’s some photos from the weekend.  I’m getting used to a new version of WordPress, so I hope this works.  You should be able to click on the photo to make it larger.

~Heather

As promised, here’s some pics.  they really do make the blog prettier and more interesting, huh? :o)

Grandpa’s 97th Birthday.  This is the cake I made.  The top was chocolate and fondant (the brim was fondant), and the bottom was lemon with buttercream icing.  My grandfather doesn’t leave home without his hat!  He’s had it for as long as I can remember.  It’s a little old, a little worn, but hey… so is Grandpa!  I really need to get a new camera because mine was not happy in the low light when I took this photo of grandma & grandpa.  But I know I will treasure it forever, faults and all!

And here’s some pics from the Tour of Dallas this past weekend.  My studly, cycling hubby! :o)

I’ve decided that I’m not going to call it “busy” anymore… just active! lol

Last weekend was the celebration of my grandfather’s 97th birthday.  I made him a cake that looked like his cowboy hat that he wears to church every Sunday.  I’ll post a photo soon.  Most of our extended family came up for it, so it was a great time of visiting and catching up with everyone!

This past weekend Jack rode in the Tour of Dallas bike ride.  20 miles!  I’m so proud of him!  I’ll post photos later once I get them off the camera.  I was supposed to ride too, but had some mechanical issues.  Instead I was his personal SAG vehicle. :o)

Later that day we took the dogs to the off-leash dog park (which is becoming a daily thing), and since I didn’t ride that morning I decided to walk them to the park!  It’s 2.05 miles… gulp!  Cool thing though, I bought the Nike+ sensor thing that you can put in your tennis shoes and it feeds information about your walk to you iPod.  I don’t have the Nike shoes, but there’s all kinds of ways to use it with other shoes too.  When I plug my iPod into the computer it uploads my walk/run information and keeps track of it online.  Cool, huh?  Even cooler is the little avatar thing that I can put on my blog so that YOU can see how far/fast/etc. I’ve walked/ran and keep me accountable!  Right now she’s on the right sidebar, down towards the bottom.  Check her out, my mini me is pretty rockin’!

This month is going to be super, super ACTIVE!!  Next weekend is Easter and we’ve got family egg hunts, and more.  The next weekend we travel to Houston and Austin to drive a SAG van in the BP MS 150 bike ride.  Monday, April 20th we’ll also be in Austin for the Cyclists in Suits lobbying day at the Capital.  Then there’s a soldering class I’m helping out with.  Then the next weekend (the first weekend in May) is the Sam’s Club MS 150 in Dallas/Fort Worth where Jack is HAM’ing, and I’m helping with the rest stops!  Whew!  So basically, if you don’t see me, don’t get responses to emails, etc. during the month of April, don’t send out a search party just yet!  lol

Today, I’m chilling out at Panera Bread, taking advantage of their free wi-fi while waiting to go to my doctor’s appointment, then heading to the office after that.  Also working on a new website for Jack, but more on that later.

Lots of stuff for “later!”  So I’ll definitely be posting again real soon!
~Heather