One More Day!!!

Just a quick note that I'm very excited about leaving for The Great EsSkate tomorrow!  I am in love with the idea of being about to get out and skate in the middle of winter, but I know that when I get back, I will be mad that I have to wait 2 months for spring to get here!   I'm starting to wonder if this whole inline thing is just a passion of mine... or an obsession! 

At least this year I might have company on the trail... Elizabeth!  At the end of the summer we worked with her on using her brakes so that she wouldn't be afraid of crashing if she got going too fast.  Now I just need to work with her on staying on the right side of the bike path and paying attention to where she is going!

The Great EsSkate 2009

Two and a half weeks till The Great EsSakte 2009 in South Beach Miami!!!  63 miles of inline skating over 3 days!  I don't know which I am more excited about - 1) getting out on my new Speed Machine blades that I got for Christmas, 2) actually getting out and skating for the first time in months, or 3) escaping this cold weather (even if it's just 50 degrees down there, it's going to feel like a heat wave!)!!! 

http://www.thegreatesskate.com/

As a side note, http://www.limainline.com/  is now up and running!  It's not the best, but it's a start.  I'm still in the process of adding links and other information as I get time.

Lima Inline - The ball is rolling!

Ever since I strapped on my inline skates a few years ago after a 5+ year hiatous, I've been bound and determined to fully embrace this wonderful form of exersize when ever possible!  I dealt with weight gain in the years that I took a break and it never occured to me to get the skates out and start using them.  Inlines have given me back confidence and a body that I thought were gone forever (especially after two kids)! 

After my "injury" last February, I was devistated that I wouldn't be able to skate for years.  Once I was cleared (after only 2 1/2 months), I decided to really do something with my love for this sport!   Wow, who would have guessed that they have inline marathons?! I found out that they also have inline festivals - a weekend full of organized skates around the host city. My new quest, to train and attend both - an inline weekend and to finish a marathon, all within a year!  

The problem - no one to skate with, let alone any one to train with.  Not that I expect some one to have the same desire and goals that I do, but it would be nice to have some one to skate with occasionally.  A few years ago I found a group - the Columbus Inline Club.  This is a great group of people who get together to skate different trails in and around Columbus.  Needless to say that I'm jealous that I don't have the time to make it to any of their events.  Why can't we have a group like that locally?

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/limainline

Now we do!  My goal is to set up a weekly skate at a time convienent for most members to attend.  I realize that people are busy and won't be able to attend every one, but it would be nice to meet others in the area. 

I am working on a website that would have information for beginners through experienced skaters, along with links and articles on trails, skate buying guides, and events.  If any one has anything they would like to see on there, please email me - blading_oh@yahoo.com

Home Safely

DJ made it home safe after a 9 month tour overseas! Jim and Theresa allowed me the pleasure of being there at his welcome home ceremony. The weather was HORRIBLE, but nothing was going to stop us from making the hour plus trip to Heidleburg college to get DJ! One thing I love about Jim and Theresa and their kids is that they always have a smile on their face, no matter what life throws their way! Always joking around with a smile on their face! The ride home was so much fun, I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time! Thanks guys - I love ya!

I have to say that the highlight of the trip was stopping at Burger King to grab a sandwhich on the way home. The place was practically empty - a couple of older guys in the far corner and a couple women with a little boy and a little girl who were around 7 or 8 years old at the other end of the room. After the kids finished eating their lunch, they went over to a little table that had coloring pages and crayons. DJ pulled some coins out of his pocket that were from Ireland that he had got while overseas, then walked over and sat at the table with them. I'm not sure what all he told them, but they were in awe at him! They were estatic when he gave them each a coin!!! Of all the times for me not to have my camera with me! At least I was able to grab Jim's phone and get a few pictures with that - hey, better than nothing! On our way out to leave, the kids came running over to him and said "Thank you Mr. Soldier, Merry Christmas!!!"

Mom happy to have her son home...

SnapTotes Sale!!!

Yea!!! You've got to love Christmas time and all of the sales companies run! I just recieved an email that the Bucket Bags are buy one get one 50% off!!! This offer ends on December 9th. The cut off date for Christmas delivery is the 9th also, but they also have a deadline of December 12th for express shipping.

Chance Meetings

It's funny how you come in contact with some one then run into them again down the road!

I started taking a cake decorating class at the beginning of the month, even though I had to miss the first class due to a wedding. My mom and I have been wanting to do this for a long time, but the timing to take it was never really there. We finally got into one, it was my mom, me, my SIL, and a stranger - Mary. At the first class that I was able to attend, Mary tells me that I look familiar but she couldn't place where from. We spent just about the whole class trying to figure this out. I went through a few different jobs that I had as to where it could have been. I swore she looked familiar from Girl Scouts, but since her girls were at least 7 years older than me, that couldn't have been it. After we left, I remembered that I didn't mention the photo lab that I worked at.

At the next class as soon as she walked in, I told her that I worked at the photo lab and immediately she said that was it! The instructor also remembered me from there also! She then tells me about the time that we processed film of her granddaughter after she was born. This was over 5 years ago and I don't remember hearing all of the story because I wasn't working the counter that day because I was printing. As she was telling me, it came back to me though.

Like most one hour labs, we process 2 rolls a film an hour, and additional rolls are 1/2 hour each. She was one of the few exceptions where we tried to process them as fast as we could! Her granddaughter was born on a Wednesday and she took a few rolls in and had us process them a few days later. That Saturday they had to rush the baby to a different hospital because of heart issues. On Sunday she came in with many rolls. Since they weren't sure how long they had with her, they wanted to take as many pictures as they could since they were expecting the worse.

When she brought the film in, she explained to us why these rolls were important to her and why she was going to stand there and wait (on pins & needles) till they were all done. She couldn't relax until she knew that these images were safely processed.

We were very busy but we pushed those rolls through as fast as we could. At that time, I never could have imagined how she could about that film because I never had kids.

Now I know. I've been very blessed that my girls were healthy. I really feel for parents who have children that don't live long enough to bring them home from the hospital. I heard about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, but wasn't sure that I would be able to handle doing that. After listinging to an interview with the founding photographer and going to her seminar, I knew that was a perfect way for me to give back. This non-profit group of photographers go to hospitals to photograph still borns and babies who have very little prognosis for life. They don't have a baby to take home, but they now have something more than just memories.

I just found out today (5 days after Mary reminding me of her situation) that I have been accepted to NILMDTS! Not quite sure what happened that my first application went through, but my second one finally did!

Complimentary Session

Wow, I am so excited about all of the techniques and posing ideas from the Bellies & Babies seminar last night! Where to start, where to start?!?! Oh yeah, I need models first!!! Where are the friends and family who are expecting or have little ones when you need them?! That is why I am reaching out... For any one who mentions this blog post (or email that I sent out) I will waive the $50 session fee and give a print credit for allowing me to use you as a guinea pig!

If you are interested please email me and I can send you more information on the next step. braun720@watchtv.net

Over the next week or so, I will be revisiting my ideas for my "first year plan" and rolling that out! How cute would it be to have a custom designed album of your child's first year?!