A couple of weekends ago, we loaded up the motor home and hit the road to enjoy some fall camping. It was also the weekend of the big game between Michigan and Michigan State...and the weekend for HUGE winds. We parked sideways on our site to help block some of the wind. The guys created a nice cozy set-up with a canopy draped in tarps and hooked up a big TV for the big game...only to find it wasn't on any local stations. Ugh! So, we listened to the game while we all carved pumpkins and stayed warm by the campfire. We were a camp that was divided. Our friends that camped with us are Michigan State fans...the goofy people...and were sure to annoy me with their fight song on the iPod. Matt and I were decked out in our maize and blue (well, Matt grudgingly wore those colors for a photo op and then he changed colors for his beloved WMU Broncos). Even Cyrus wore his Michigan jersey...but unfortunately that didn't help Michigan beat State. Oh well. We enjoyed some good-natured bantering with our State friends and yummy football snacks. I found it so odd that (and for some reason that I just can't explain) their State camp chairs kept getting blown over while my Michigan chair valiantly remained upright all day. ;-)
Last weekend, Matt and I enjoyed some quality time at home (our first weekend home in a month) and did some pretty exciting things like cleaning out the attic, breaking down boxes and filling up the vehicle with recycling. Whoo-hoo!! It really was nice to purge. Since Sunday was absolutely beautiful, Matt and I hit the bike trails in Kalamazoo and rode 13.4 miles. Yep, my decimal point is in the right place. 13.4 Thirteen.Four. THIRTEEN POINT FOUR. With hills. BIG HILLS. I'm not quite sure what we were thinking. I've never ridden more than five miles at one time in my life. Ever. So, I was expecting some pain. I was mentally ready for it. I dreaded opening my eyes on Monday morning. When I did open my eyes on Monday morning, I patiently waited for the first wave of pain to envelop me. There was nothing. My first thought was that my body was protecting me from the pain and temporarily paralyzed me. But, I was able to wiggle my toes, then move my legs. I rolled out of bed and, hallelujah, I could stand. Even more amazing was that I wasn't in any pain. It was a miracle! I think Matt was prepared for my screams of agony and then my screams blaming him for making me ride so far. I then found out I actually could walk without any pain. I was a little stiff, but really not sore. Once I got moving around, I loosened up and was actually able to climb the stairs. Another miracle! I actually felt so good that I switched around the closets and drawers yesterday to make room for winter stuff. That involved about a dozen trips up and down the stairs...trips unbelievably without any pain or self-medication. I'm not telling Matt how good I felt though because, knowing Matt, he'll want to ride up to Grand Rapids and back this weekend.
Speaking of Grand Rapids, we enjoyed a date night on Friday up there. Our first stop was a bar to play some pinball. Then we enjoyed a nice seafood dinner at a local restaurant and hit another bar for more pinball after dinner. Matt was thrilled to discover that the bar had three more pinball machines than it did last month. He's anxious to get a pinball machine and scours the ads online and in the paper a few times a week - always on the lookout for a really good deal. I think he'll be asking Santa for a pinball machine this year!
