Pulling Dandelions

The girls plucked more than 200 dandelions from the yard.
At Mt. Michael - before Dad was a student there - there used to be one day a year when all the students got a day away from classes.

There was probably a name for it (and it wasn't the vaunted "May Day" day of games and contests) but Dad doesn't know what it is. Regardless, it was the day when all the dandelions bloomed on the front lawn of The Mount. On that day, the monks would let the students out of class to pull the dandelions. As soon as they were gone, the students had the rest of the day off.

That was kind of how it went Wednesday after school. Dad asked the girls to pick as many dandelions as they could and we'd have a contest. The winner would get five YD dollars, second place was three YD dollars and third was two YD dollars.

Emily picked 69, Olivia picked 90-something and Lauren (pictured above) was the winner with more than a hundred. It was quite a sight to see all those little yellow flowers disappear from the yard. Emily and Julia also combined to mow the front yard, which was extremely nice.

Metro Conference Track Meet

Dad, Julia and Veronica headed out to Burke Stadium Tuesday to watch the girls' cousin, Josef, compete in the pole vault at the Metro Conference track meet.

The event started at 3:30 p.m. and we arrived around 4. The bar was going up, but not so high that Josef would already be out of the competition (or so we thought). We saw him sitting on the infield concentrating (or so we thought - again). So while we waited for him to get ready, we timed several of the running races going on.

Dad brought a stopwatch for each girl and taught them to watch for the smoke, instead of waiting for the sound of the starter's pistol. Julia was pretty good at it, while Veronica enjoyed swinging and climbing on the railings.

After about an hour of watching, the girls needed a drink. So we walked all the way around the track and up to the car. When we returned to the far side of the track to await Josef's attempts, a cover was being pulled over the pole vault mat. The event was finished. What had happened to Josef, we wondered.

It wasn't until later that we found out that he had missed on the opening height. That was unfortunate. But we still had fun watching everyone run and jump. (The girls were also fascinated by a dead bird that was lying on the sidewalk.)

What Is With This Weather?

When Dad's return flight to Omaha from Georgia was preparing to land, the captain informed everyone of the current weather conditions in Omaha:

"Mostly sunny, wind out of the north, 10-15 miles per hour, temperature of 35 degrees."

Thirty-five degrees? In late April? Are you kidding?

What happened to global warming? The trees are certainly not enjoying this cruel joke of a spring cold snap. Very few of them have leaves, only a few green buds. The grass is green and growing, though by this time, Dad would have cut it two or three times. It's probably ready to be mowed now.

The girls and Mom were excited to see Dad yesterday. Veronica gave him a big hug when Mom and Dad picked her up from Tante Frans, who had been watching her at Apples & More. The girls also loved their souvenirs: Team Type 1 water bottles. Dad brought Mom a T-shirt and some salt water taffy.

Dad Is Home

After 10 days away for the Tour de Georgia bicycle race, Dad is back home. Scroll down below to read some of his daily accounts from the trip.

For whatever reason, there were quite a few mascots along the route of this year's race. So whenever Dad came upon one, he snapped their picture. Check 'em out:

That's the Georgia Southern mascot on the left.
The guy in the photo on the left is Glen Chadwick of Team Type 1.

Dad Featured In ROAD Magazine Video

The ROAD magazine guys give some insight into what Dad does.

A Year Later... At The Tour de Georgia

A year ago at the finish in Stone Mountain, Dad was caught by the jokesters (Neil and Tim) at ROAD magazine sleeping before the stage finish (at left). So when Dad saw another rocking chair on hand at the finish of Stage 2 Tuesday at the Tour de Georgia in Augusta, he couldn't resist.

This time, Neil was behind the camera to take the photo on the right.

1:39 To YD (Whatever That Means)

Yet another video starring Dad at the Tour de Georgia.

Busy at the Beach

Dad poses on the pier with Shaun Assael, a reporter for ESPN The Magazine.
Sunday was a busy day for Dad, with quite a few media opportunities to fulfill before the start of the race.

The official press conference was in Savannah and Dad accidentally left his phone sitting on a table in the lobby. He didn't discover its absence until he was leaving Kinko's about 25 minutes later. To his surprise - and relief - it was still sitting on the table, right where he left it.

The days are long at these races, but Dad did find time to entertain a reporter by walking out on a pier on Tybee Island. It was windy and a bit chilly, but otherwise pretty neat. Someday, it will be nice to take the girls to see the ocean. Just a couple months ago, Dad was on the shores of the Pacific. Now it's the Atlantic.

The Team Arrives

Eric Jellum and Dad had breakfast with an oceanside view.
The camper will be Dad's home for the next three nights.
Dad drove the car on the left from Atlanta to Tybee Island.

As Far East As You Can Go

Part of the brochure for the hotel where Dad is staying.
Five hours after he got to Atlanta - and 12 hours after he left Omaha - Dad arrived in Tybee Island, Georgia.

Probably the best way to describe this ocean-front community is that it reminds you of the movie "Aquamarine" (one that Olivia can watch over and over and over). In fact, Dad saw two girls riding their bicycles down a side street featuring house after house adorned with white Christmas-style lights. It reminded him of the girls from that movie.

Tybee Island is home to one of the largest lighthouses around (154 feet) and its light can be seen for 20 miles. The island itself was first discovered in 1520 by Francisco Fordillo, a Spanish explorer. Some historians believe that Tybee Island is really the place where Blackbeard the Pirate buried his treasure. Hmmm... That would help pay off the Discover bill.

The drive from Atlanta to Tybee Island was LONG. About five hours in all. It's always strange driving that distance when you are away from familiar surroundings, though, since you don't really know how much farther you have to go.

Booger Hollow?

Can you guess where this picture was taken?

A Day at the Farm

The YD girls went to visit Papa at the farm today! They were having a Family Day and got to partake in many unusual activities.
They were able to look directly at the sun through special glasses and two different telescopes.


The employees at the farm have created an Outdoor Education Area to help the children learn more about the farm.


We also got to spend a few minutes with a falcon and learned a lot about our fine-feathered friends.

A good time was had by all!

The Phone Call

When we last left off in the story of how Dad and Mom met, Dad had just about run over Mom in the parking lot of Kinko's after she got her resume typset.

So, with Dad having failed to make a noticeable impression on Mom - and having been told by his guardian angel that she was his future wife - it was time for Dad to act again.

Following his daily bike ride, Dad returned to Kinko's to catch up on some work (sounds familiar, doesn't it?). To put things in perspective, in 1991, it was all about the bike for Dad. He had his own team, Kinko's Copies, and part of its sponsor relations was putting on bike safety demonstrations at local schools.

So when he pulled Mom's phone number off her resume to give her a call, that was the excuse he used for the call.

The conversation went something like this:

Dad: "Hello, Danielle."

Mom: "Yes"

Dad: "This is Sean from Kinko's. You were in here to pick up your resume today."

Mom: "Yes"

Dad: "I have a bike racing team that does bike safety seminars in schools and I was wondering if you know who I could contact at Grace Abbott (the school where Mom was teaching at the time) to put one on."

As Mom relates now, her reply was "Duh. Call the principal." But Dad remembers her kindly telling him the name of the prinicipal, which led to a conversation about the her teaching, her work as the "Kool-Aid Man" and other things related to her.

What should have been a two-minute conversation turned into two hours on the phone and a "date" at the ice cream shop (TCBY) across the street from Kinko's. Mark it down as one of the few times (if not the only time Dad took an afternoon off from training.

So there you have it. The story of how Mom and Dad met. There was no hitting Dad with the car (like in "Back to the Future") or a magical night at the prom. But the chance meeting that brought them together paved the way for the merging of two wonderful families and five beautiful girls.

It's 40 years and counting for Grandma & Grandpa YD.

How It All Began

Together in 2008. Can you tell it was St. Patrick's Day?
The story has been told many times. Dad can just hear the girls, "Yeah, yeah, we know. You met at Kinko's..."

But if you have not heard how Dad and Mom met, sit back and take it all in.

On April 22, Mom brought her resume in to Kinko's to get it "re-typset" as they used to say. Dad was in a rush to get out the door and on his daily bike ride so he pretty much brushed her off that day. But he wasn't completely disinterested in her that day.

You see, he had noticed her from pretty much the moment she walked into the store. She stopped off at a display called "The Recycling Tree" - which showed off the latest in recycled paper (the hot item at the time).

A little voice (later determined to be his guardian angel) told him that the girl standing by the display - snappily dressed with long, flowing hair that you only see on maidens in Robin Hood movies - would someday be his wife.

Yes, it's sappy. But it is the truth. But the courtship would have to wait for another day.

What Mom didn't know that despite being brushed off that afternoon, Dad was solely focused on doing the best job possible on her resume. He returned to the store that night (probably around 8:30 or so) and cranked it out. As an added touch to making her credentials look even more impressive, he included little apples as bullet points. (She's a teacher, after all.)

The next afternoon, Mom returned to pick up her resume - again, just around the time Dad was getting ready to bolt out the door. When she walked in, he was assisting a regular customer, Rick Anderson, of Anderson Amoco. He excused himself and grabbed her resume, proudly handing it off to her and inviting her to look it over carefully.

She seemed mildly impressed, thanked him and made her way over to the counter to get copies made. Sensing his opportunity to make an impression - any impression at all - was slipping away, he knew he had to get in front of her one more time.

So - dashing out the back door at 4:30 to get to his daily bike ride - he wheeled his gray Ford Escort around the building and nearly ran down Mom in the parking lot. Rolling down his window (and not knowing exactly how he was going to get from just meeting her to trying to ask her out), Dad asked, "What kind of paper did you get it put on?"

"What?" Mom asked.

"What kind of paper did you get your resume copied onto," Dad asked.

"White linen," Mom replied.

"Good choice," Dad said.

And that was it. She walked off. And Dad drove away. But there's more to it than that. But that's a story for another day. Stay tuned.

It's 50 years and counting for Grandma Bep and Papa.

Seventeen Short Years Ago Today

It was 17 years ago on this date, April 22, that Dad and Mom first met.

Dad was working at Kinko's Copies near 114th & West Dodge Road. Mom was a paraprofessional, teaching at Grace Abbott Elementary.

She came in at 4:28 p.m. to get her resume done. Dad was leaving at 4:30 to go on his daily bike ride. When she approached his desk area, he practically snatched her old resume out of her hands.

"Come back tomorrow around this time and it'll be ready," Dad said.

Mom thought it was something gruff treatment.

How that first encounter got to today is a story for tomorrow. Stay tuned.

From The Archives

Some of the girls ... back in 2006.

Not What You Want To See

Lauren said it looked like a smiley face.

Dad thought it looked like Mickey Mouse.

No matter how you look at it, it wasn't a pretty sight.

We're talking about the water that was flooding the kitchen floor (again) this morning. It was raining like a dickens and a good share of the water was dripping from the ceiling light. So Lauren and Dad put down some bowls.

UGH.

Mom even went to the trouble of crawling around in the attic and couldn't determine the source of the leak. Heck, I don't know if you can characterize it so much as a leak. More like turning on a faucet and letting the sink overflow onto the floor.

A New Benchmark In YD Dollars

Julia ran around the house last night to deliver the news:

She has earned more than 100 YD dollars. One-hundred and two, to be exact.

Wow!

It appears that Julia found a stash of YD dollars that she had tucked away and forgotten about. Nevertheless, that's the most YD dollars that anyone has ever had in their possession at one time.

We'll keep you posted as to what she decides to spent them on at the next garage sale.

Uh-Oh

Remember this post about getting our leaky skylight removed?

Well, the problem that we thought had been fixed is still around.

Lauren came down to the kitchen this morning to find the floor covered with water. Apparently, the water is leaking through the ceiling, then seeping onto the light and dripping down to the floor.

Not helping the matter is the steady rainfall (see radar at right) that is expected to continue throughout the day.

Garage Sale!

Olivia (right) purchased a new pair of sunglasses.
One of the incentives for good behavior around the YD household are "YD dollars." These little pieces of fake currency are rewarded to the girls and can later be used to make purchases at a weekly "garage sale."

It's been awhile since we have had a garage sale (and it's been awhile since the girls have been consistently earning YD dollars) so they were pretty excited when Mom pulled out the prize bag last week.

Earning YD dollars one and two at a time means that making purchases of "big ticket" items doesn't come easily. (Just like the real world!) The most prized items up for grabs - like a Webkinz toy - come with price tags higher than 50 YD dollars.

Being the good shopper that she is, Mom finds just the right things that each girl would covet. For instance, Olivia had her eyes on a pair of sunglasses from the moment they were unveiled.

Lauren, though, was having an awful time deciding on what she was going to purchase. In the end, she donated 20 YD dollars to the community pot that will earn the girls a summer vacation trip. Oh, and she did not purchase anything. That left her in tears - and she stayed sad until bedtime.

Look at all the items up for grabs in the garage sale.
Julia purchased some Webkinz trading cards.
Veronica bought "lipa-lipa" that she proceeded to eat.

Spring Cleaning

The girls enjoy some much-needed kitchen workspace.
Mom had an unusual day off from the girls (and school) Monday and she did her best to make the best use of it.

She cleaned and organized several parts of the house - most noticeably the computer room desk and the large table in the kitchen. Things look fantastic in those areas and the girls and Dad are being more productive (and keeping those areas clean).

Photos From Afar

The new YD mobile, with one of its proud owners, Aunt Mara.
It's always nice to hear from our relatives who really aren't so far away anymore. Uncle Paul and Aunt Mara sent us some photos of cousins Declan and Ronan. As you can see from the photo below, they are really growing up fast.

Ronan (pictured at right) is also known as "Sparticus." Declan is a size larger than Ronan. But apparently, Ronan is the brains behind the operation - plotting things that Declan can execute. It sounds a lot like something Dad had going with Uncle Paul in their childhood.

Apparently, they also have a "twin talk" code language that keeps their parents in the dark when it comes to these schemes. (I guess we should be glad that Veronica is speaking in 16-word sentences that do not involve any code words.)

The YDs have also upgraded from two sedans to a Lexus (pictured above). Congratulations!

These guys have "backseat drivers" written all over them.

Windy Walk

Lauren and Julia actually shared the roller blades.
Tuesday's weather forecast identically matched the actual conditions: warm and windy. Very windy.

We went for a walk and bike ride down to Aunt Dee-Dee and Uncle Jon's house last night and it was quite an adventure.

First, there was much debate as to who was going to ride which bicycle. By the time the final decisions had been made, Dad had pumped up the tires on eight different bicycles (that's 16 tires, if you are keeping track).

As it turned out, Julia got about 25 feet out of the driveway when she hit a rock and flatted her back tire. The tire had nearly no tread left on it anyway, so it wasn't much of a surprise.

What was a surprise, though, was Olivia's idea to ride a Big Wheel instead of a real bike. Combine that with her flip-flops and she had a heck of a time pedaling or going anywhere fast.

On the return trip home - which is nearly all uphill - Aunt Dee-Dee came to the rescue, driving Olivia, Veronica and Julia home. That left Emily and Lauren to ride their bikes and Mom and Dad to push the stroller.

Is Spring Finally Around The Corner?

After a weekend of bitterly cold temperatures and even some sleet and snow, it appears the spring-like temperatures we have so eagerly awaited are finally here.

Tuesday's forecast calls for very warm temperatures, but with wind gusts of more than 35 miles an hour. UGH. Not exactly the greatest conditions for playing tennis or riding a bike.

A Landline Is Your Lifeline

Here's something you don't see every day - or hardly at all.

This pay phone sits in Pioneers Park in Lincoln, near the Pine Bowl amphitheater. It's a "Windstream" brand (think AT&T or Northwestern Bell). On one side of it, a slick graphic reads, "a Windstream landline is your lifeline."

Even harder to spot these days are phone booths. Keep your eyes out for them. And if you are at the Henry Doorly Zoo, see if you can spot this one.

Day At The Races

Dad loaded up the girls Saturday morning for yet another weekend of bike race officiating.

This time, it was off to Branched Oak Lake state recreation area for the first day of the Spring Cycling Classic. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't very spring-like, with temperatures in the low 40s and a bone-chilling wind that pushed the wind chill down to 31.

Julia (pictured at right with Dad) was a big hit with her Rock Racing gear. Unlike Norfolk two weeks ago, the people at this race knew all about the team.

The girls accompanied Dad in one of the officials cars during the race. We watched the cyclists battle the wind and cold, then returned to the finish line to await their arrival. The girls enjoyed sack lunches and they made funny signs that they hung in the front windshield. They also watched cyclists choose not to use the "real" facilities:

"Dad! Look at that guy running down by the tree! Now he's running back up here."

It was also a fun trip since Uncle Neil was also along to officiate. We stopped at Dairy Queen and Arby's - and McDonald's on the way home. (Did we mention it was sleeting?)

Thanks to John Peterson of JohnPetersonphotography.com for the nice photo of Julia and Dad.

The Weirdest Hotel Ever

Dad has seen his share of hotels the past two years of traveling with professional bike racing teams. But the one where he stayed Sunday night takes the cake. It's called the "Custom Hotel" and it's near the Los Angeles airport.

Probably the best way to describe it is that it looks like something out of the movie, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" (photo from movie at left).

Hanging over the desk was a red neon script sign that read "Notic somnus nobis Nox" (when was the last time you went into a hotel with a Latin greeting?). The walls were painted black. About the lobby were replicas of sheep covered in thick, shaggy wool, which, I think, were functional as stools. The front desk was starkly bare.

The desk clerk wore what I estimated to be a $3,000 suit and had an afro that was fashionably tall. He had that two day stubble that you see in high fashion magazines.

The elevators (pictured at right) are just plain weird. First, there are huge photos of people's faces in them. Then, when you get in and the door closes, you hear voices. (It reminded me of the whispering on "Lost.") One traveler on TripAdvisor.com wrote that they understood the mechanical voice to say something in French about the corruption of the world and the weariness of people who inhabit it.

The corridors are very dark (I was even a little spooked) and on my floor there was a very interestingly-lit area with vending machines.

Inside the room, the door to the bathroom was frosted glass and the bathroom light was on. It was red. There was another light you could turn on in the bathroom, which was green. Weird. The hang tag on the back of the door didn't say "make up room" and "do not disturb." Nope. Try "Good time" and "Bad time."

I can't speak to the comfort of the bed because my head never hit the pillow. Instead, I pulled an all-nighter in the lobby, working to finish my work. The security guy did wake me up once when I nodded off. He said, "Boss. You can't sleep here." I thanked him for waking me up and told him I'd be catching a flight out of LAX at 5:30 a.m.

Here are a few other comments from TripAdvisor.com:

"It's quite unique and quirky too which makes it quite fun."

"As soon as we drove up to the hotel we were confronted with the fact that you must valet your car for $22 a night! With the price that we paid for our small room they should have greeted us with roses!"

"I think I am to old and uncool to stay here. Everything was too modern for my taste. Dog comforter, rooster side table, sheep in the lobby. Just strange."

"The hotel is painted a flat black with very strange purple lighting in the parking lot. This does create a sense of being in the Twilight Zone."

(I'll save the story about the team's soigneur and I getting stopped by the police for speeding for another time.)

March Winds Bring April Snow Showers

You can barely see them, but there are snowflakes falling.
The calendar says it is April 11.

It feels more like February. Didn't the groundhog say it would be spring in six weeks about 10 weeks ago? It is supposed to snow today. The weather guessers said the same thing yesterday, yet the first part of the storm petered out before it reached Omaha. Now we're seeing snowflakes and it could amount to at least an inch or two of snow by this afternoon. Good grief.