John and I are really riding our bicycles a lot! Saturday we did a short breakfast ride (16.5 miles) and Sunday we rode in the Bluebonnet Express (65 miles). We began in Hempstead and rode a lot of FM roads, saw a lot of bluebonnets and various Texas wildflowers, saw a whole bunch of road kill in various stages of havoc and decomposition (some we could identify and some we could not), and were pretty tired by the time we arrived home. I had made Elizabeth's posted Beef Stew with barley on Saturday, put it in the crock pot while we rode, and ate it when we got back. As soon as I had showered and eaten, I swiftly feel asleep on the couch @ 5:00 p.m. John woke me up to go to bed at 8:30 and then I woke up at 1:00 a.m. , rested and ready to get up for the day. Upon realizing it was only 1:00 a.m., I lay there and, gratefully, was able to go back to sleep. I woke up again at 5:00! Twelve hours! Well, I never! Only three more weeks to go. We're going to Bastrop on Saturday and practice the hills that are part of the MS150...I HATE HILLS.
Rita said I should post this on my blog. If he is embarrassed for me to have done so, I extend my heartfelt apologies. I think he can handle it. Anyway, on Wednesday, Matthew was doing his homework at the dining room table and called me in to tell me something. He said, "Mom, I got kicked out of Physics class today." I said, "Why?" Here is what he told me:
Mrs. Dragoset (handing out a quiz to the students who were all talking/cutting up): "Okay, turn it off."
All boys immediately were silent and the room was quiet.
Unknown Student: "Wow that really worked! I wonder if the opposite will work."
Matthew, with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye: "Turn it on!"
The teacher expelled Matthew from the class. He went to see the Dean
of Students who, Matthew said, didn't seem upset at all. Before Matthew
could be allowed to attend her class, I had to call and talk to the teacher,
which I did yesterday and he's back in class today. (He wanted me to
wait until today to call because he wanted to miss class again.) Well, he's really getting bored (not an excuse; just an explanation). He's ready to be shipped off to college, wouldn't you say?
She's Going to Texas A&M: Courtney has finally decided that she wants to attend Texas A&M. She wants to major in Biomedical Engineering and then go on to be a PA. She attended an Engineering Conference at A&M in February and I think the experience of driving up all by herself, staying with a friend (male!) in his dorm room, and being Miss Independence for a whole week-end helped influence her decision. She has accepted the admission, applied for housing, and has registered for the mandatory New Student Conference (which I must attend, too.) I am delighted with her choice and, knowing Courtney, I think it is a good fit for her personality. I know she will miss not being close to E/D/J and J/S (because for the last three years she's talked about how neat that would be when she would be at UT), but I guess they'll have to see each other at our family gatherings.
John & I rode 64 miles yesterday on our bicycles as part of our training for the MS150 in April. We were so tired last night! I fell asleep at 7:15 and slept until 7:00 this morning!!!! It was a really neat ride. We began at a park in Baytown, crossed the Fred Hartman Bridge, a pretty suspension bridge (first we struggled up and then we flew down), came to the first rest stop, and then got on the Lynchberg Ferry and continued on the other side, rode past the San Jacinto Monument and the Battleship Texas. We rode with three other people from Mustang who are all signed up for the MS150.