Trip to Wisconsin!!

Well, we made it to Wisconsin and back.  I'll try to remember and relay the trip for you.  Turned out the truck had a cracked heater block($1,300) and it wasn't going to be fixed until the week after we left.  So, we thought about what to do, checked into renting a vehicle and getting a car top carrier, but as it turned out we were able to fit everything into our little civic.  We were packed though!

We got what we could packed Thursday and Friday night.  Jeremy went thru his hunting stuff Thursday and figured it wasn't that much.  Friday night we got his stuff in the car, I dropped both cats at my friend, Margo's.  We attempted to leave Kitty with her, but with a warning Kitty doesn't like change so if she was too much, Margo could bring her back to the house and look after her from there.  Jeremy then headed to hockey and I headed to my athletic therapist appointment with Victoria to straighten out my foot one more time.  Boy, does that always feel so good.  So, we left Saturday morning after a short run.  We had some audio books with us and got thru 3 of them the first day.  We stopped in Lancing, MI(went the south route to avoid a freezing rain storm along Hwy 17 by Sault St Marie).  Our book ended just before we pulled into the hotel.  Sunday, we headed out and made a stop in Gary, IN at the Cabela's store.  Jeremy found a few hunting things and we found some nice camo canoe chairs.  We continued on and just as we were pulling in a few blocks from my parents, out next audio book ended - what good timing!  It seemed so unreal to be "home". 

Later that night when we were sitting around the dinning room table, Jeremy noticed a box of legos and got excited.  My dad had a VW camper van.  The trip got even better!  We spent the next few days working on it - quite the puzzle.  My mom, Jeremy and I were parts people looking for the right parts while my dad assembled. 

We also hit the local bakery Monday morning for "senior" day(ie free donut for seniors) and met with some of my parent's/family friends.  We also met two of them Wednesday morning for strawberry pancakes at the local Sheboygan restaurant.  Thursday morning, Jeremy got himself ready and headed up north to the cabin.  Meanwhile, my childhood friend, Lily came by for a run.  We took Hayde out for 4 miles.  Friday, my parents had a birthday party with some other family friends.  I ended up going too.  It was quite entertaining listening to them all talk(as I was warned) about getting old, falling apart and "senior" living.  My checks hurt a few times from laughing.  It was good to see people though.  Saturday, I headed out early to meet a high school friend I ran cross country and played in band with.  Of course I took Hayde and we ended up doing 5.5 miles.  We had some really nice warmer weather too so that was really nice.  After I got home, we headed to Milwaukee.  I had some shopping in mind and plans to meet a friend I know from Madison.  Everything worked out well, and I got what I was looking for (new pair of minimal trail running shoes for the winter) and we had a nice time catching up with my friend Mark, his new wife and his daughter.  I bet Hayde was happy to have some quiet time to rest - she was starting to look tired.

Sunday afternoon, another high school friend Betty, her sister and son came over for a visit.  I hadn't seen her in 6 years maybe so it was nice to catch up with them.  Her son really enjoyed playing with Hayde and wore her out so she ended up moving away from him to lay down. Monday, I was able to make a trip up to Manitowoc to meet another good running friend, Heather, from high school.  She drove down from Green Bay.  Her husband is also in the nuclear field working at a plant by Green Bay, but they're shutting the plant down next spring so it was interesting talking to her.  Of course we talked running too.  Tuesday, I was up early again to meet my friend, Lisa.  I met her in college at River Falls and she ended up moving to the Sheboygan area when her husband got a job there.  It was really nice catching up with her.  I sometimes miss seeing her when I'm back because she visits her family for holidays when I'm back visiting mine.  We also went out to Lily's new restaurant for dinner - what a nice place!  Wednesday, I met Lily again, but at her house.  I had Hayde with me to meet her dogs.  Her younger one and Hayde got along well and we took them for another 4 mile run.  Her dog hadn't done that so was really tired out by the end.  They had a good time though.  Later that evening, my friend, Christine, and her husband and I went out for dinner.  I met her in high school and then we both ended up going to River Falls for college.

Thursday(Thanksgiving), my parents and I did the Doug Opel's Run for the Kids.  We all did the 2-mile run.  My dad cruised on ahead and I stayed with my mom.  They both did well.  My mom finished in 21 minutes which was super great, coming in 1st in her female age group!  My dad finished in just under 18 min missing 1st in the male age group, but only by 26 seconds.  By the time we got home, my friend, Christine, had gotten their with her daughter, Simone.  We took Hayde out for a walk.  Later, one of my parents/family friend's came over to celebrate Thanksgiving with us.  We did the whole meal - yum.  It was funny, because by Tues I think Hayde was getting tired out and would look at me right after dinner asking to go to bed.  She'd climb the three stairs to the landing and look at me so I'd say "okay" you can go to bed.  A few times, she keep staring at me so I'd have to go with her upstairs to the bedroom and "tuck her in".  We ran everyday and with all the other activities and not getting her 8 hour usual nap, she was tired! 

Friday morning, I had everything packed and ready to go waiting for Jeremy's call.  It turned out I did get to see one more person I had really hoped to see - Joanie.  She's my high school friend's(Jen) and my last roomate's(Annie) mom.  She only had a few minutes, but it was really nice to see her.  It wasn't too long after she left that Jeremy called so I took Hayde out for a few minutes to play in the yard and then we got the car packed up with my many things to head to Green Bay to meet Jeremy.  I was a bit worried that all this wasn't going to fit in the little car.  Somehow, we managed to get it all in.  Poor Hayde had a smaller portion of the back seat on the way back.  She was really good and scrunched herself into a small ball to sleep.  We made it to Sault St Marie, but ended up hitting some bad snow from Escanaba on.  At least we could see a bit further than the headlights, but having the rumble strip in the center helped to make sure we were on our side of the road.  Thankfully, this stretch is not well traveled and the snow wasn't too thick.  It sure was windy though(and over the last night turned really cold)!  Saturday's drive back wasn't bad.  The roads were clear and the wind died down slightly and there were some breaks in the clouds.  We only had the odd snow flake come down.  We made good time and got in just after 5pm.

I got to go to running club Sunday morning.  We met at the local campground and ran thru there and the golf course on base.  Annalisa had her new dog with too and Charm and Hayde had a great time running with us.  They also got along really well.  Hayde sure needed that after being cramped in the car for 2 days!  I also picked up the cats and got a good report that they behaved themselves.  Later we got our hunting stuff back out and thrown in the Jeep to go out to our duck hunting spot.  We hoped to get a few hours in, but when we got there, the river was mostly frozen.  So much for that! 

So, we're back at work, we have snow on the ground(from yesterday) and it's cold out.  Winter is here.  Jeremy had to go to Ottawa this morning for a root canal, but it sounds like it went well.  I think he's in his winter sleeping mode.  Well, I better end this so I don't write your "ear off" and get some pictures added.  I'm up early to get my run in so I can meet some work people for dinner.  I'm hoping to have a "little" more free time(minus two more weeks of grouse hunting) so hopefully I can stay on top of this, but then again, we won't have as much going on to write about - maybe. 

Sorry - I finished typing this, then went to post my pictures and it turns out I've hit my limit of photots!  Oh NO!  So, I'm going to have to post without pictures and try to figure something out.