70 Long Years...

It's not every day that you get to attend a 70th wedding anniversary, but when you do, you find yourself surrounded by seventy years of love and wonderful memories.

How did they get to where they are today? That is, of course, other than love, patience, and understanding?

It all started out with, well, popcorn. Yes, freshly popped corn, served by one of the town's prettiest girl's, Ernetta. Ernetta worked the popcorn stand in town for locals attending the show or just craving a snack. One local who had a salty tooth was Leonard. When asked how much he spent on popcorn that summer, he declined to comment.

In September of 1939, a year after Leonard worked up the courage to ask Ernetta out, the happy couple, along with Len's brother and wife headed to St. Louis. Not realizing that this weekend would be the weekend they embarked into a 70 year long journey, they found themselves in front of the justice of the peace saying, "I Do."

After getting married, Leonard was shipped off to fight in WWII. The war would keep him away from his bride for four years. While her husband was away, Ernetta took over Len's job at the Progress. Seven other women welded alongside Ernetta while their husbands were at war. Not only did these woman fill their husbands shoes, they helped the men in battle by welding gas cans for the army and navy.

Leonard returned home on the Queen Elizabeth in 1945. The couple lived next door to where they do today. In August of 1951 they welcomed a baby girl into their lives, Joyce Lynett. Ernetta had dreamed of having a little girl named Joyce Lynett. After twelve years of trying, her dream came true. This moment was described as the happiest for the couple in all seventy years. It was in 1953 that they began to build their current home together. After nine months, and weekly payments to the crew, Leonard was able to carry Ernetta across their new threshold.

The couple are definitely not strangers around town, some know Lenoard from his milk route in the 50's, some remember the drinks he poured as a bartender, some welded right along the side of him at the Progress where he would later retire after twenty-five years. Many have called upon Leonard's Carriage services for rides into town or the family doctor, but most know him from his friendly wave while coasting down Vine St. in his gray El Camino. The town knows Ernetta from her work at Ben Franklin, or The Villa for those 12 years of ward-robing customers. Others know her from her time volunteering at the Christian church or calling bingo at the nursing home.

Throughout the years, they have stayed true to their roots, to their town, and to their street, for that matter! It is today that Leonard, Ernetta, and the entire family would like to thank all of you for sharing in the seventy years of wonderful memories. Whether you have known them since they were married or just met them this year, you can tell that this is a couple where love, family, and friendships (with a side of stubbornness) comes first.

Happy Anniversary Grandma & Grandpa!

Group Fitness

This week I decided to change up my running routine a bit. The elitist athletic club has a kickboxing class at the same time as Ben's spin class on Mondays and on Wednesday there's a Zumba class. I decided those looked like a perfect match for what I was looking for.

Monday night I attended the kickboxing class, which was lead by the overweight annoying trainer that I try to avoid in the gym. Attending this class were about 8 others and myself. Because we are, after all, at the elitist athletic club, you can be assured that all the stereotypical participants were present; the super aerobicsizer, the new mom, on her first night back after four months and the sixty year old with a mound of makeup and enough plastic surgery to put MJ to shame. Two social bunnies were chatting it up in the corner and then there are the college girls that are a good 40 years younger than our prima donna.

Going into this I felt like if I can run 13 miles, I can do a silly kickboxing class. The one thing that I didn't expect from this was the amount of lunges and push ups that we would be doing. I thought you were supposed to kick and box in this class, not lunge around the room and drop for ten every two minutes! I'm pretty sure I did more push ups during this class than Ben does in his Crossfit workouts! I started out doing my push ups with some dignity (like a man) and then I noticed everyone else on their knees and some not even doing the full amount! Of course, our areobicsizer was right there on top of it, but if everyone else was waffling, so was I. What really got my goat was that the instructor (Ms. Fatty McFat) would drop to the ground with us and then lay there, didn't even ATTEMPT to do them. I have a strong feeling that's why she's not losing that flab. She can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk.

About half way through, the instructor put up action stations for us to go through (ie. duck-n- under section, squat area, push ups, box jumps, jump rope, etc). I was breathing slightly heavily and sweating at this point, but it's really only from the zillion push ups and the squats we had done, not from the kickboxing. This actually looked promising. Wrong. I somehow managed to get stuck behind the two social bunnies who would actually stop in the middle of their phase to talk and gossip. I was getting very annoyed and wasn't sure if it would be in poor taste to blatantly pass them on the floor or just breath heavily down their necks. We finished up the class with some push ups, sitting squats, and stretching. I did notice the instructor sweating, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't from the kicking, boxing, or push ups.

All in all, I don't think I will be attending that class again. Besides being annoyed with the aerobicsizer showing off, the social bunnies talking the entire time, and the instructor being completely worthless, I was bored. I keep myself more entertained running on a treadmill.

Wednesday night was Zumba. I've heard a lot about Zumba and in college we had a hip hop aerobics class. It was always crowded with sorority chicks working on their weekend dance moves with frat boy's faces planted on the glass 'observing' the class. I opted out of that one. My mother-in-law bought a Zumba DVD to practice up before trying out her first class and my husband's grandma has been encouraging us to dance more, so I thought this class would be a good first step back into choreographed routines.

There were more participants in this class (which was a good sign) including one male. He was wearing a bike jersey so I'm pretty sure he was a Landis that got lost heading up to the spin class. The instructor was a young girl, wearing a super tight tank bedazzled with, "Join the PARTY" and some cute over sized cargo pants. Reminded me a bit of "So You Think You Can Dance?" She cranked the music up. Enough so that I'm sure the yoga class on the other side of the building was disturbed. She asked if it was any one's first time in class. I raised my hand along with, well, no one else. Not even the Landis! She tells me (personally, in front of the class) it usually takes 5-6 classes to get the hang of it so not to get discouraged. I shake my head approvingly and am immediately worried. I was confident before, not so much now.

We danced about twelve routines, all about five minutes each. Some harder than others. We danced to rap, salsa, the Samba, a little Elvis, and some folk music. It was a lot of fun, and I really didn't embarrass myself too much. I held my own and I think surprised the instructor a bit. I will say that dancing in tennis shoes, a running shirt and shorts doesn't look as sexy as dancing in a tank and cargo pants. I felt a lot like Julia Styles in Save the Last Dance, teaching a ballerina to dance hip hop. If you haven't tried Zumba, it's basically shaking your hips until you can't shake them anymore. That's how I felt today when I woke up.

Zumba is definitely on the schedule as a keeper. My attempt at group fitness classes was a 50/50 win/lose. I was really looking for another activity to break up my running routine and give my knees a break, so maybe it's back to swimming. Maybe Zumba will help with my lack of coordination in the pool. Or maybe not.

Neighborhood Block Party

This weekend was the annual neighborhood block party. While our neighborhood doesn't exactly have an HOA, they do collect money from everyone for the block party, neighborhood rummage sale, and holiday luminaries. I have reason to believe that the majority of this money is spent on the block party, between the beer tent and the industrial grill.

Every year the event starts with a parade. Our parade consists of the Grand Marshal (some random punk kid) and our local 5-0. Following them are about 30 kids on bikes with balloons and streamers. Trailing behind is the four year old who thought he could ride the three and a half blocks on his own and is now walking his bike with the local fire department's 2000 gallon tanker nipping at his training wheels.

Ben and I have learned from the past few years not to show up right when it starts. You gotta show up about thirty minutes after the food line opens. If you wait long enough, your neighbors are already drunk and gossiping while the food line has diminished.

This year's entertainment, besides the DJ and the organized games that the HOA president/SUPER mom has coordinated, was our neighbor from across the street. She was piss drunk, and it was 6:00pm. Like the friendly neighbors we are, we approached the clique of women to say our hellos and the next thing we know she's telling us she's already drank an entire bottle of wine and her husband is home sick. Her husband, that she swears loves her more than she loves him, and after 24 years of marriage he still takes such good care of her, and her oldest son is heading off to college next year, and so on and yadda yadda yadda. We were also enlightened by her story of another neighbor who's on his fourth wife, the current one he's actually married twice. So I guess that would be four marriages and three wives. Wow, I think our community could have it's own version of Desperate Housewives of Orange County.

This, to us, looked like the perfect place for Ben and I to plant ourselves for the evening. We knew we would be assured an eventful night with her in our sights. After the pie eating contest, the clique decided to break out pudding shots. Yes, it's the suburban version of the frat house jello shot. It was actually very good, chocolate pudding, Kahlua and chocolate vodka. I'm hoping Ben's cousin takes note for next year's Easter celebration.

Once the games had finished the DJ cranked up the music, turned the disco lights on and got the party staaarrrrtttteed! This is when Miss Wino (and I'm not talking about myself) decided to heat up the dance floor. Her poor daughter sat with her teenage friends on a nearby lawn totally embarrassed. A few even came up and danced next to her while friends took pictures with their iPhones. In the darkness there was a solid glow of light coming from the lawn with frantic texts going out about Sally's mom. Poor lady, the whole community will know about her state in about .5 seconds. The highlight of the night was when Miss Wino was headed back to the party after getting her bottle of Bourbon. She wiped out in the middle of the cul-de-sac... now you see her, now you don't. Priceless! The best part? She caught her ice cubes that fell out of her glass and was so proud of herself for saving what was important. How would she have ever managed to drink her bourbon without those ice cubes?!?

We wrapped up the night by asking if we could walk her the 1/2 block home (note: it was 10pm) but she insisted she was fine. Meanwhile another neighbor was feeding her food and a diet coke. Her husband is not going to let her attend the block party on her own ever again. We, on the other hand, have next year's marked on the calendar already!

The fall line up

And no, I'm not referring to the Bears starting line up, I'm talking about something much more important, my fall TV line up. It's a good thing we own a DVR because it will getting a workout for sure on Thursday nights. Everyone, please make note of the TV schedule and plan any and all calls around that (unless its an emergency, we can always pause the show) let's not be too ridiculous.

Monday
House - FOX - 8PM 9/21

Tuesday
Biggest Loser - NBC - 8PM 9/15

Wednesday
Glee - FOX - 9PM 9/9

Thursday
Survivor - CBS - 8PM 9/17
Flash Forward - ABC - 8PM 9/24
Office - NBC - 9PM 9/17
Community - NBC - 9:30PM 9/17
Mentalist - CBS - 10PM 9/24
Sunny P - FX - 10PM 9/17

Friday
Dollhouse - FOX - 9PM 9/18

Sunday
Amazing Race - CBS - 8PM 9/27

Still pending is American Idol and The Bachelor, I believe those start up in January. I'm starting to get slightly stressed, but nothing I can't handle. Can't wait until next week when all chores and productivity come to a stand still!

Labor Day Weekend

This weekend Ben and I made the trip to Nashville to visit Paul and Elaine. It had been two years since I'd last been down, so I was well over due. We had an awesome time! Paul was a great host, he even made Ben a birthday cake! Here are some of the highlights:

Attended a Lord T & Eloise rap concert, like a white girl

Loved the rap concert, gonna go gangsta

Played pool like a shark, drank like a fish

Burned the candle at both ends, wished the candle was longer

Drank my weight in beer, consequently lost a few pounds

Lost those few pounds back home, in the first ten minutes

Played an elitist golf course for free, spent what I saved on beer

Drove a golf cart with GPS, still lost eleven balls

Drank enough beers on the back nine to straighten out my slice, which turned into a hook

Beat Ben at golf, by two huge strokes

Competed in our own longest drive contest, grunted like a man

Ate corn on the cob without butter, and a sandwich without mayo

Attended a Catholic mass which was led by a Southern Baptist priest, can I get an Amen?

Consumed a trillion calories at the Krispy Kreme breakfast buffet, and by buffet I mean conveyor belt

Jealous customers walked by Paul's 50" plasma purchase, and smirked at the extreme efforts it took to get it in the car

Spent 2K of Paul's money, could have spent more

Dominated at Dance Dance Revolution, watch out Cheryl Burke

Dominated Guitar hero, and by dominate I mean was booed off stage