And so it begins....

It was sunny and 65 today.

The boat called - it wanted to see the water. We obliged.


We didn't catch anything - except a little wind burn!

We'll try again tomorrow.

$10K for WHAT?

OK - I am not political person. So maybe that's why I don't understand.

A certain famous Texas politician was in Iowa today to support a local congressman.

If you wanted to have lunch, hear the rancher speak and support the candidate you forked over $250. If you wanted to have your picture taken with Jr. it would cost you $10K!

I don't know about you, but I can think of so many other ways to spend $10,000.

The Truth About Chepner's Disappearance

OK. I haven't been completely honest about where I have been.

Yes. I was in and out of the doctor.

Yes - our school had graduation (2 weeks ago) - which always keeps me busy.

Yes - we start a new term on Monday - which keeps me busier than graduation.

BUT - I must admit. I have a new obsession. Writermom has her Flickr - I have - the gym.

I must admit the blog lags will only get worse as fishing season arrives.

Please know that I am not ignoring you - in this case I am trying to put my health first (doctor strongly suggested) and I am taking it very seriously.

So anyway - that's where I am - trying to win the second round of the Biggest Loser contest at work.

Just wait - I'll probably end up pregnant and lose!

Nocturnal emotions....

When I was 10 years old I woke up in the middle of the night staring at a shadow of my Miniature Schanuzer and I was scared out of my wits because in the dream I just woke from my dog was 8 feet tall.

I had a similar feeling this morning, only I wasn't scared - I was PISSED.

I woke up thinking that I had been fired from the musical in which I was the star. Now mind you I have NEVER starred in a musical (unless you count the part I played in Writermom's music video in college set to the tune of Prince's - Let's Go Crazy) nor do I even work at a school that has a drama department. How I came to star in a musical where the Campus President was director I will never know. I do know that I haven't had that feeling when I woke up in years.

It's a good thing I don't sleep on the job!

Welcome Indiana to DST!

Yes. It's 11:14pm in Iowa.

I am suffering from Daylight Saving Time lag. Slept late. Not good.

So Hoosiers - how are you coping with your FIRST change in time?

I find it amusing that the Hoosier state decided to stay on Eastern time, when the 2 areas in the state that were already practicing DST were on Central.

OH yeah - and the White Sox are on their 3rdh hour of the weather delay. Mr. Chep is still up waiting to watch the end.

Proving Chepner's existence

According to the US Postal Service THIS is a suspicious letter.

This letter was from Writermom and inside were boxtops.

Now I don't have a PO box assigned to Chepner, nor do I have proof of "Chepner's" existence.

Two days ago I went to pick up my mail at the PO box and I had received a notice of mail being delivered to "Chepner's Boxtop Challenge" and for MY PROTECTION I had to come in to the post office, bring proof of identity (2 ID's) in order to receive my mail.

My question is this. How on earth do you prove the existence of a fictional person?

I went to the post office and explained to the nice man behind the counter what my intentions were - and he was more than willing to help.

WHEW!

For a minute I was afraid they were going to hunt down Writermom and arrest her for sending cereal box tops!

Guess Dental Dad should leave addressing the envelopes to WM!

Just kidding!

Sorry

Mama Chep Hates to Lose

In case you don't already know:

Mama Chep hates to lose.

Would you like an example?

Over Thanksgiving there was a contest for the homeroom to make as many words as you could out of "Happy Thanksgiving".

Most people had 150, 200, 300 words. How many did mom come up with? Over 1,000 words.
How did she do it? Well - she Asked Jeeves!

Anyway - there is another contest that runs through the month of April at school. She is collecting boxtops from cereal boxes to raise money for their low-income school.

This is a win-win situation.

The winning class wins: They get a healthy breakfast - paid for by the school

The school wins: They get 10 cents for every boxtop turned in.

So what do you get out of this? Well.....you get the good feeling of helping a school in need.

Over 50% of the school's population qualify for free lunches and 17% are on the reduced lunch program.

So what can you do to help?
SAVE THOSE BOXTOPS!

You say you don't use prepared foods?
Well lucky for you - they come on things like kleenex, paper towels, baggies - just visit their site http://boxtops4education.com/downloads/global/products.pdf for a list of all the participating products!

What do you do when you have a few?
Send them to:

Chepner's Boxtop Challenge
PO Box 9792
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Remember - it doesn't take a lot - to make a HUGE difference!

Please mail by: 4/24/06
But if you can't get them in the mail - that's OK - they never expire I will continue to collect as long as she teaches!

Once, twice - Three times....

Had some blood work done today.

I am starting to lose hope in the medical field after the last few weeks.

I had to fast for 12+ hours. So when I show up this morning at 9:10 I am hungry and ready to be done.

Have I mentioned I am not fond of needles?

Well anyway - she pokes me once...not too bad. Blood starts to run. Then STOPS. GRRR....she wiggles the needle...taps the vial and determines it's a bad tube. Puts on a new tube.

Blood starts to run again. Then stops AGAIN! Now I am irritated. So she taps the bottle. She wiggles the needle. What next? Try the other arm? OH NO - she JAMS the needle up my arm. I wince in pain. Have I mentioned I don't like needles?

So by this time (hungry, thirsty and violated with a needle) I am starting to get a wee bit - faint. So she tells me she isn't comfortable continuing.

SCREW THAT. You are getting what you came for lady. Do what you have to do. Get that damn blood. I am NOT doing this again next week.

So she moves me to a room with a bed.

Pokes me again - and the blood starts to run. THEN STOPS AGAIN.

By this time I have had about all I can take. Get it over with. Get what you can.

So she wiggles the needle - pokes me again (I think) and gets enough.

It's been a long day.

Urgh.

Where or where has Chepner gone????

In and out of the doctor....much fun.

I have come to realize that some doctors have the bedside manner of a bull in a china shop. (That's a Mama Chep phrase!)

Why - I ask does a PhD in medicine allow you to approach everything with absolutely no feeling? I have spent the last few weeks trying to overcome the visits to the doctor and find a way to digest the information with a positive spin. Needless to say - it's taking time.

I am sorry that I have been neglecting all of you.

I appreciate all of your kind words and your concerns. I just haven't had the mindset to put anything "on screen" if you will.

This has been a very long and hard road - and it could take awhile for me to get "back in the groove" but I will - I promise.

In the meantime - thanks for checking in on me - I'll be back with more soon.

OH and in the meantime - be sure to save your Boxtops!

When you have some to send please send them to:

Chepner's Boxtop Challenge
PO Box 9792
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404

Olympic Clowns?

As I sit and watch the final ceremonies for the Winter 2006 Olympics I find myself a little "creeped out.

Don't get me wrong - the Games final ceremony was fun, beautiful and full of the spirit of the Olympics.

But I have to ask? Why all the clowns?

A Birthday Wish

Today one of my best friends turns 32!

Happy Birthday WriterMom!

Since we couldn't be with you on your special day I thought I would share some of my favorite photos of our times together.

What a beautiful bride!
Beer? Not us!
The only person who has gotten me this close to horse since I was 8.
Damn I miss the Lion. Don't you?
Girls night out!

I miss and love you!

Chep

How do you irritate the dog?

Go on vacation. Leave her at her friend's house.

Don't get me wrong - the dog LOVES to go to Uncle E's. I mention his name and she perks right up. Uncle E has 10 dogs (currently has 18 at the house because of the 8 Aussie Puppies.) He allows my dog to sleep on the bed with him and one of his favorite Yorkies.

She came home last night. Tired. And pissed - at me of course. I took her to Uncle E's so of course I am to blame.

Tonight she is loving on me as I watch the Olympics (yeah that's what has been distracting me) so I apologize....I'll be back soon. Promise.

Well who knew I should write??

I stole this from Writer Mom....

You scored as Journalism. You are an aspiring journalist, and you should major in journalism! Like me, you are passionate about writing and expressing yourself, and you want the world to understand your beliefs through writing. Journalism 92% Mathematics 75% Sociology 67% Theater 67% Psychology 67% Philosophy 58% Anthropology 58% Linguistics 58% Engineering 50% English 50% Biology 50% Art 42% Dance 33% Chemistry 17% What is your Perfect Major? (PLEASE RATE ME!!<3) created with QuizFarm.com

Did you Know....

That December 18, 1985 was Mary Lou Retton Day in the town of Lowell? You didn't? Well then let me share the story.

Have I mentioned that Mama Chep is the competitive type?

If you need proof; visit some of these previous posts: Boxtop Challenge, Formation of a Princess, Homemade Halloween and The Cardboard and Duct Tape King.

Mr. Chep and I were discussing getting rid of the VCR in the bedroom. He mentioned he hasn't watched a VCR tape in over a year. I agreed with that - but I did mention that I had some things on VHS that I needed to covert to DVD before we removed it all together. He asked "Like what?"

I turned about 3 shades of red and said "The Mary Lou Retton Tape". Of course after this response Mr. Chep needs to see this tape. I produce it. His first question was "Do you think this thing still works? It's like 21 years old"

YIKES. Hadn't thought of that. So we put it in.

OK - here's the background information.

As you may or may not know (some may be too young to remember) the 1984 Olympics was held in Los Angeles, CA. A young woman, by the name of Mary Lou Retton (age 15) scored TWO perfect 10's in the floor exercise and the vault.

After the Olympics - EVERY GIRL in America (or at least in my town) wanted to be a gymnast.

In 1985 the company that produced "Get in Shape Girl" products held a contest. You earned points for every product of theirs that you bought OR you could send in postcard to earn points. Mama Chep heard about this and started a frenzie. She got our entire school to participate. All Mama Chep wanted was 2nd prize. Gymnasitic equipment for her PE classes. Well....the school went a little TOO far. We won the grand prize.

December 18th, 1985 Mary Lou Retton came to visit St. Edwards Catholic School in Lowell, Indiana.

She got the royal treatment - the tape captured EVERYTHING. From her arrival at the town fire station, the 3 mile ride in my grandfather's 1927 Packard CONVERTIBLE (did I mention it was December 18th in Northwest Indiana?), the ornament contest where she hung them on our tree in the gymnasium, to the individual classroom visits. If only I had the energy to capture some of those images from that tape. I do however have one from my classroom visit. Classic 110 cameras didn't take the best pictures - but this is the best one I could find. I'm the tall redhead in the back (yeah I was the same height then as I am now!)

So now you know. Mary Lou Retton visited our little town all because Mama Chep's got spunk!

Our first date!

Yes Olive Garden and As Good As It Gets.

Mr. Chep came to the door all dressed up. He went out and purchased some dress clothes (on his college budget that was a big deal) and brought me roses.

Up to this point most of our outings were inexpensive. We watched movies at my apartment or we hung out at Purdue. This was the first time we "went out". But then again - it had only been 2 weeks since we had our first outing (NYE didn't count).

It was this night (2/13/98) that I realized that Mr. Chep was "the one." How you might ask?

Well late that evening I got a phone call from a former "boyfriend" - Bill. Bill and I had dated the summer after I graduated college. He and I had a special relationship that ended when he went back to school for months after he left I was heartbroken. The night he leftI told him that he would call one day after he realized he had made a mistake - and it would be too late.

Well Valentine's Day Eve 1998 was that night. When he asked if I was dating anyone - I answered "Yes". He asked if it was serious. I answered "Yes". He asked if I thought he was "the one". Without even thinking - I said "Yes". I told him I had to go - I never heard from Bill again.

It never even crossed my mind to go back to Bill. I had waited for a long time for that call - and when it came - it didn't matter. I had found my soulmate.

The Boxtop Challenge Update

Well I have received my VERY FIRST installment of boxtops!

WOO HOO!

Zilla was the first to respond with a whopping 61 boxtops!

So the results are:

Zilla: 61

Chepner: 36

YOU: ?

Just remember every top gives 10 cents to Lake Ridge Middle School in Gary, Indiana.

For more information about the challenge please visit my previous post.

Zilla's Birthday Cheer Spreads through the state....

YUP!

The entire state of Iowa says Happy Birthday Zilla!

Check it out!

The People of Iowa Say...

Happy Birthday Zilla!

Bunnies, Cigars and Wings....

Jamoker had a great post where he put it all on the table. To defend her husband's honor Writer Mom came back with her Jamoker Exposed post.

I had one great one - it embarasses us all. Me, Mama and Papa Chep and my kid sister K.

Now I DO have a good photo of Kelscraggly more FUNNY than embarrassing. I am frightened of what she might post but I am going to take a chance and throw it up anyway. It's not that bad - in fact we commonly referred to it as "The Lewinski Pic".

But by far the best picture I have is of my sister K sporting our favorite hair of the '80's. Don't hate me K - at least it's not the crib pic!

Can't forget the dog....

OK - one more.

That's all folks!!!