Various September Sunday Ramblings on a Holiday Weekend About Saturdays, Fun, Routines, Sports, and Anything Else that Comes to Mind

We made an effort to try and make this a camping weekend. We (i.e. Carrie) searched for camp sites and while we found them, the weather was the issue with not going. She checked camp sites all over the state, but everywhere had rain Friday and Saturday, so we decided not to go camping. We will try again later this month and we have already selected dates in October to go camping. Of course, today being Sunday, the weather is beautiful at 74 degrees with sunshine and cool breeze. Makes us want for being by a lake camping with our dog.

That’s how it goes sometimes and we are still early in our camping experience, so I am sure we will have many more like this in the years to come. We feel the pull of nice weather and wanting to camp but as the time approaches, we have to adjust schedule to another weekend or possibly camp in the rain. As you may recall, our first camping experience (see Camping Eisenhower State Park) where we did camp in the rain and cold, it was not bad but not something we want to plan on doing if we can help it. If it it happens when we are camping where weather comes up, that is fine, but if we can avoid camping in rain/cold, that will be our choice to pick a clear weekend… as you would expect. Still, the pull from wanting to camp when it is nice is heavy. I can relate it to when I was playing golf when the weather would be nice and I would want to go golfing so bad I could not focus on anything else; the feeling of good weather and wanting to camp is similar for me.

Instead of a camping weekend, we met Greg and Erin for breakfast, ran some errands, and then had a late lunch at Boomers’ Steakhouse, Grill and Catering on Saturday. We have been having fun the past few Saturdays as we have met up just about every Saturday to have fun. Our weekend get together Saturday have included Topeka Farmer’s Market, visiting a winery, various lunches or dinner locations, and enjoying some beers at local establishments.

Next weekend, we will be going to a concert which will be fun. Eddie bought the tickets and we are making an evening of it. More on this next week. It will be fun to go to a concert as I do not recall the last one I attended… I am thinking it would have been in 2019, but I am not positive. Regardless, it will be fun to be out with others, listen to live music, and have a good time. We will be safe and cautious while we are out and keeping an eye on the venue for requirements for masks. We have all been vaccinated, but still have to be careful just as I am at work where masks are required.

This next week kicks off the NFL season. It is hard to believe as it seems like we just watched the Super Bowl. Not a game we want to remember, so maybe that’s why it seems like it was just yesterday. The Chiefs start their season on Sunday, September 12. I have two fantasy football leagues I am playing this year and I finished my last draft this past Friday. Ready for another season and ready to cheer the Chiefs to another fun season. 

Speaking of football, Washburn Ichabod football team won their first game of the season Thursday night 76 - 12 over Lincoln University of Missouri. The Kansas Jayhawks football team won their first game of the season with a new coach 17 - 14 over South Dakota. A positive start for local college sports and then we look forward to watching professional sports start up this week.

That is all for now, so have a wonderful holiday weekend and watch for a holiday post on here tomorrow. Until next week, have a great week!

Freakout Control Diminishes As I Get Older... My Experience on a Swing

Following a nice lunch at Cafe Holiday in Topeka with Carrie, brother-in-law Greg, Erin, and then new friends Francie and Jamie, we all decided to head over to the park across the street to get on the swings. Well, a few of us decided to do so anyway....

I am not sure I remember the last time I got on a swing and actually went all out on the swing.  Although the picture to the left does not show it, I was going very high.  It was only a reminder that I am getting older because I was kind of freaked out as I was swinging and not sure how to stop.

I have heard from others that use to love roller coasters that now they cannot go on roller coasters when they are older because of the changes that happen in "older" people.  Yes, I am older at 43 years old.  This was the first time I have felt that feeling... a feeling I really cannot describe... but it felt as though I was out of control and going to get hurt.  I had the feeling I could not stop the swing or control what I was doing.

Now, maybe it is because I am older I do not recall feeling this on a swing when I was young, but this felt like a brand new experience for me.  An experience I did not like too much, so I did some searches and found that it was likely a form of motion sickness.  Or, at least the start of motion sickness anyway.

When I was young, I loved roller coasters, riding anything at the amusement park whether it was a roller coaster or not.  I still think that I would like roller coasters, but this certainly had me wondering if I would be able to handle the roller coasters if I ever make it to an amusement park again.  The feeling I had on the swing was not something I want to have happen again.  Sure, it was fun to start on the swing, but once I got going, I was freaking out inside.  Look at my face in the picture and you can see that there is a little bit of freaking out on my face!

All this makes me wonder if maybe I had the feeling on the swing simply because it had been so long since I had been on a swing.  If I start swinging daily, would I eventually get use to that sensation or would I always feel freaked out about feeling out of control, flying off of the swing, etc.  It makes me wonder about if I am ever on a roller coaster in the future... Could I ever get use to the the thrills, movement, and fast motion of a roller coaster?  It makes me want to at least go out and try a roller coaster this summer.  If it makes me feel like I did on the swing, then I doubt I will ride the coaster more than once.

So, along with needing reading glasses (or bifocals), I also get to experience freaking out on swings, amusement park rides, and unknown future experiences that happen as I age.  Fun!