Speck of the Minds Eye

A camping we will go

Yes, I know what you are thinking.  That when you think of Mark and myself, you think poster children for camping.  And indeed we are.  We spent this past weekend in the great wilderness.  No McDonald's for a good 10 feet.  No seafood restaurants for blocks and lastly no comfy hotels to spend our first night in right around the corner.  Logan loved the camping we did eventually end up doing.  And to Mark's credit he did sleep two nights in a tent.  Logan got to see the great wide ocean and for once realized that the lake in Wisconsin is really not that big at all.  In fact, had we taken Logan to the ocean earlier, we would have saved a bundle.  She informed us it was more fun than Disney World.  Wouldn't Micky be appalled?  More camping photos in the Gallery.

Happy birthday!

Here's a Birthday toast from the happy campers!

Ah the ocean

I forget how much I love the ocean, from my balcony vs. A cold tent.

The World is coming to an end

Anyone get the feeling that despite some people crying over their ducks (see photo) that we have bigger issues at hand?  Okay I admit when I am really hungry if someone tried to take away my quarter pounder with cheese, I would probably bawl like a baby.  First there is the Avian Flu spreading across Asia, um... why Indonesia was against handing over H5N1 samples is quite frightening, does anyone realize that rapid response is the biggest defense against fighting a Pandemic?  I guess so, after a bunch of pressure from the world forum it does appear that Indonesia is playing nice again.  Speaking of which, what about Myanmar and not allowing aid workers in?  I understand there is military tension there but you have 100,000 dead.  That's a lot of disease and contamination to deal with.  At least the first plane full of aid arrived frm the U.S. there.  So it is trickling almost a week later.  I guess better late then never.  Think the U.S. is immune to the rage of nature?  Oh no wait, there is flooding.  Flooding all over the place - from the latest rains that have hit throughout the U.S. and the Tornados hitting everywhere to say the least.  And almost unnoticed, the severe outbreak of hand, foot, and mouth disease in China.  Can I just tell you, I have seen full blown hand, foot, and mouth disease and it ain't pretty.  Lastly, today, the 7.8 earthquake that took place overnight in China.  Deaths could reach in the thousands from that alone (7,000 currently reported). 

But yet do I really care that David Archuleta's dad has been banned from the Idol set?  Maybe there is more to this.  Basically I can't stand David Archuleta to begin with.  I don't personally know him, but already I hate the whole stage dad persona and basically the fact that Idol is fixed.  David is a choir boy of perfection but is he or idol?  Really?  I am more interested in seeing the Plague of Locusts that must be coming next our way.  I'm not saying that David Archuleta has anything to do with the recent amount of natural disasters that are occuring or for that matter, that he can be equated to a plague of locusts (thought don't bet your house on that one) - but you can jump to your own conclusion on that one.  Actually, what interests me more is the plague of locusts that could chase after Ryan Seacrest - now that is good t.v. and you had a bad day?

A few friends pay us a visit

Yep that's right.  Mark leaves town.  I figure, I so have this covered.  No sweat!  First I bribe the little one into submission.  Yes - Mommy is best!  Mommy is great.  So is going to be a cake walk.  I do teeball practice standing on my head.  Yes Coach Donna rocks.  I am heavin' the heavy stuff around on the field, dragging bases, drawing lines.  I got it going on.  I get home, collapse - I rock.  Friday, I pick the child up early from school.  I am getting major points on that one.  Daddy who?  I am feeling pretty tired, a bit run down but I can do it after all I am super mom.  Saturday okay, when is he getting back home?  Bad day.  Logan talks to me like she is 16.  Can't have that.  Fight ensues.  I win only to feel progessively worse as the day drags on.  I drag on.  It is then I notice, out of the corner of my eye from across the room (and at a neighbor's house to boot) a small little bug crawling down Logan's face.  Everything comes together.  Wednesday a note had come home about a lice outbreak, but of course, in typical Speckhard fashion, I disregard because my kid has super uber Gebhard genes in her.  Lice!  I wanted to cry.  I think I did.  A series of rather comedic events ensue.  There's the trip to the store with Logan in tow.  Me trying to explain what RID is to someone who cannot speak English.  There is the washing of the hair, the combing of the hair (world's smallest comb vs. head of wavy blond locks).  Aftwards I disinfect everything.  My head itches - I cry myself to sleep curled in a fetal position.  Lice watch day two, I am convinced I killed two off my own head.  I beg neighbor to RID my head.  No lice.  The saga continues as I am told for the next 2-3 weeks this is now my life.  Wash, comb, disinfect.  I sit in meetings the rest of the week convinced I have lice.  I feel the little feet scurry across my scalp only to find nothing later on.