Happy "Going Into Labor" Day?

OH, HOW I WISH!!! I am SO VERY ready to have this baby! I will give you one last belly shot later this week, as well as a look at some of our sweet baby goodies.

Yesterday we went to the mall and did some shopping. The HOFFER took Little Bit to Build-a-Bear to spend birthday money from Grandma, and I went to the maternity store to get some must-have nursing items. And now that I have THAT out of the way, Baby Bit can come anytime she wants!!! I must admit I am a bit torn: while I am anxious to be done and have Baby Bit here, I also like the stability of knowing exactly when/where/who for my C-section on September 9th. If she decides to come before then (and I don't yet have any indication that she will), everything will have to be taken care of spontaneously and there will be some questions: will my doctor or a fill-in be there; can I get WonderDog into the kennel right now; did I pack everything I need, etc. If I can hang on for EIGHT MORE DAYS for my scheduled C-section, everything is a known factor and falls easily into place. So you understand my dilemma.

While we were at the mall yesterday, we ran into some friends of ours who were shopping for a mutual BMX buddy who is turning 40 this week. They decided, as did most of us, to get him a gag gift, and they chose a book titled "Sex After 40". Opening the book, you find a bunch of blank pages. These friends showed the book to their daughter, who is a freshman in college. She took one look at the title, and a look of abject fear at the prospect of looking inside the book spread quickly across her face! It was priceless! And yes, she took a chance and peeked inside. You could see the relief engulf her. :-)

After the mall, we headed to the Birthday Boy's house for a surprise party. When he opened his "Sex After 40" book, I was able to raise my hand and "debunk that myth!" The HOFFER raised his arms as if in victory. :-) It was a fun time but a long evening, and I was glad to get home. Today is a day to stay home, relax and do some "quiet" things, like write thank-you notes, finish some school items with Little Bit, take a much-needed nap, and of course, write the obligatory blog post. I had a pretty long post rolling around in my head early this morning as I tried to go back to sleep, but much of it has gone the way of the Dodo bird. Alas, Pregnant Brain strikes again! So it's back to bed I go for yet another nap...or perhaps to the kitchen for something to eat! More later this week!

If You Blinked, You Missed It

Didja' see any of the BMX coverage from the Olympics? Wowee...what coverage. I'm overwhelmed. I'm sorry, but plain and simple, IT SUCKED. Bob Costas, on the air, states that BMX "is a sport I know nothing about." Oh, silly me, I THOUGHT IT WAS YOUR JOB TO KNOW THIS STUFF. ISN'T THAT WHAT YOU GET PAID TO DO????? Nicely done, genius.

Oh, did I just write that out loud?

Because it rained in Beijing, BMX got rained out for a day, as the track was an outdoor track. (Yes, some tracks are indoors.) The good thing about that is our buddy Kyle Bennett had wrecked and dislocated his shoulder in one of his qualifying races, and that rain delay gave him an extra day to recover. The bad thing was it knocked most of the races off your TV screen, so BMX didn't get the coverage we had hoped to see. So in case you missed it, Latvia won the gold, and the US brought home the silver and bronze. Our friend Donny Robinson was the bronze medal winner! WOO HOO!!! Congrats!!!

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Hang on...WonderDog needs a bathroom break, and I don't really want him using my carpet as his toilet.

Okay...thanks for waiting. I'm back.

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School started up again for us last Thursday. I used to think this was a stupid idea, starting school with only a couple of days left in a week, but my mind has since been changed. The nice thing is it lets the kids, parents, teachers, etc., ease into the new school year. This way the getting up early for the first time in literally months isn't quite as painful, because only a couple of days later you get the weekend off to recoup from the initial shock. Little Bit LOOOOOOVES her 4th grade teacher, but school in general, and homework specifically, is definitely not her favorite thing. That should come as no surprise...neither the HOFFER nor I were that fond of school, so we get it. It's the vocalization of those dislikes that has become the issue at hand. Little Bit is not one of these people that gets things done in a hurry when assigned a task she dislikes. She draaaaaaaaaags it out, procrastinating in the hopes that she can get out of whatever task it might be, complaining the entire way, and generally making life miserable for anyone within earshot. And believe me, she does not give in easily. While I appreciate her dedication to her cause, there's always a point where she just needs to give in, suck it up and deal with it. Unfortunately, she hasn't figured that out yet.

If WE don't figure this out, this is going to be a very...long...year.

On a lighter note, if you haven't read Jenster's posts about her kids starting school, it's a riot!!! Here's "Ye Olde Tale" and "Ye Olde Tale, Part II". Quick, go read them, then pop back here. I'll wait.

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Oh, back already? That Jenster is a hoot, isn't she???

So I'm just a couple of weeks away from my scheduled C-section, and let me tell you just how excited I am about it. I can't wait for someone else to hold this very precious yet very wiggly baby girl. Things continue to progress as they should, and I've noticed a few contractions here and there. Nothing very strong...yet...but contractions nonetheless. After all, my body doesn't care if I'm having a C-section or not. We are just about prepared for her arrival. I have a few nursing items still to buy, but that should be an easy thing to get done. I frequently get asked if the nursery is ready, and the answer is no. Perhaps I should have taken care of that during my second trimester when I had the energy, but I figured she's not going to be sleeping in there any time soon, so I wasn't too worried about it. The problem that has arisen, however, is where I put all her STUFF: clothes, toys, etc. So I'm having to make room in my room for everything. Not too big a deal, but some of my wonderfully generous friends have given us clothes for several months down the road. I hope I don't sound ungrateful...I'm not. I just planned poorly. Oh well...it will all work out...somehow.

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I should probably add something else here, but I got nothing. So I'll stop here for now.

More BMX...And More Baby

Thanks to everyone who has participated in the BMX Hall of Fame voting! If you haven't voted yet, you need to do it soon. The deadline for voting is September 4th, so go make your voice heard! The three nominees suggested by The HOFFER (see last post) are very deserving, and voting takes a quick 60 seconds, so hop to it!!!

If you've never seen an actual BMX race, your big chance is this week while watching the Olympics! This was posted last week on the American Bicycle Association BMX website (www.ababmx.com):

"The 2008 Olympics are well underway in Beijing, China and BMX racings' debut is just a week away. The excitement is building within the industry and fans with the anticipation for BMX racing hitting the world stage. Below are the airdates and times listed by NBC. We just wanted everyone to be aware of the dates and times so they don't miss out. Please forward this on to all your friends and family to spread the BMX word. GO TEAM USA!!

Aug. 19th 8:00-9:00pm, Primetime, Live ET/CT

Men's BMX Cycling

Aug. 20th 12:30-2:00am

Men's BMX Cycling Quarterfinals

Aug. 20th 2:00-5:00am

Men's BMX Cycling, Primetime Replay

Aug. 20th 8:00-10:00pm, Primetime, Live ET/CT

Mens and Womens BMX Cycling Finals

Aug. 21st 2:00-5:00am

Mens and Womens BMX Cycling Finals, Primetime Replay"


Be sure to set your DVR/Tivo/VCR/whatever you use to record TV shows for TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY to see some of BMX's finest giving their all. While watching, be sure to cheer on a couple of The HOFFER's buddies who are riding for Team USA: Kyle Bennett and Donny Robinson. WOO HOO!!!

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More baby stuff to come. Assuming she doesn't come early, we are three weeks away (as of August 19th) from welcoming Tiny Bit into the family. I'm feeling fine, although a bit panicky because I feel like I still have so much to do before she gets here. I was able to cross several big ones off my list this past weekend, after Little Bit's birthday and family leaving town. I had a huge burst of energy Sunday and got quite a bit done trying to return some semblance of order to my house and my laundry load! Yes, I know that is often a sign that the baby's coming soon. But hey, three weeks IS soon, so I'm counting on that!!! School starts on Thursday, so I will give you birthday party details and baby stuff at that time.

Till then, GO TEAM USA!!!!!!

Hall of Fame Voting Commences!

Wow...I haven't posted in weeks and now I have two posts in less than 24 hours??? What's up with that???

When I first began blogging, my very first post was about last year's ABA BMX Hall of Fame vote. Well guess what, sports fans? It's that time of year again! Anyone can vote, and all you need is a valid email address. So take about 60 seconds and cast your vote! Here's the email that The HOFFER sent out recently about how to vote and who he voted for:

One of the great honors of my life was to be inducted into the ABA BMX Hall of Fame. My time in bmx was meaningful to me as a kid and then again later as an adult. Many of you were helpful in submitting votes on my behalf, and I am still so thankful for that support.

The 2008 Hall of Fame is upon us and I would appreciate if you would take a moment now and vote for some very worthy nominees. It just takes a moment and it helps a very worthy cause.

Here is how I am voting this year:

Early BMX Pioneer: Danny Oakley. Danny was on the Mongoose Team during my own time there and was instrumental in so much about bmx, it is really hard to figure out how he isn't already in the HOF. He helped numerous companies get off the ground, was a bmx inventor, and most importantly, was a GREAT champion of bmx racing. Danny was one of the few guys to have a custom bike made in his honor by the legendary Mongoose Factory and to this day, he is one of the most respected racers and innovators in the history of BMX. Oh yea, he grew up to be an actual ROCKET SCIENTIST!

BMX Racer: Tim Judge: Tim Judge was one of the few riders from the East Coast to get excellent magazine coverage in the early days. Tim won numerous titles including a World Championship in the early 80's. Tim had perhaps the most dramatic style of any racer of his era, and frequently you would see kids imitating him "doing a Judge" over a jump. The BMX HOF has overlooked many east coast riders and the vote for Tim Judge is very worthy for that and many other reasons. Tim went on to be a Jet Ski champion and is to this day regarded as one of the finest racing talents of any sport.

BMX Industry: Roger Berg: Roger Berg was the inventor of the UNI Seat that stormed the US and the world during the 80's. His constant innovation in bmx was fueled by his experience at GM where he invented the square headlight and was near the development team of the famous Corvette. Roger was one of the first to use wind tunnel technology in the invention of bmx equipment. His products are some of the most copied to this day and his induction into the bmx hall of fame is just recognition for all he has done.

The link to vote is this: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=voeEegM28gVFX_2bOq56seqw_3d_3d

Please take a moment to vote now as the voting ends soon. Thank you for participating in bmx, one of the greatest sports for kids! BMX is in the Olympics this year as well so stay tuned on August 19 for some awesome racing! Thanks again! Oh, and if you have some friends who would like to help make history, please feel free to forward this to your address book! Anyone with a valid email can vote. You can vote from any valid email address! Have fun!!!

A HOF-er Thanksgiving

So I'm a little late. I have never been accused of being timely.

If you check out Cash's blog, you'll find his post about our Thanksgiving trip to Tulsa. He gave the "Cliff Notes" version; I'm filling you in on the details and providing photographic proof that we actually went!

He mentioned that we stayed at the Radisson Hotel with Sleep Number beds. What he didn’t tell you about was the indoor waterpark. It was mostly for small children—the water was three feet at its deepest—but Little Bit had a great time, even though she’s not such the small child anymore. There were a couple of slides, a fake palm tree with water flowing out the top, water cannons and fountains of water squirting up everywhere. I never did have access to the camera while at the pool, so here are a couple of pictures from Radisson’s website:

It was pretty nifty, but those fountains made it really loud. Not pictured is the hot tub, which TOTALLY rocked! I took Little Bit down to play every evening till close. Needless to say, she slept very well.

I must say I was not impressed with the Sleep Number beds. I like to sleep on a soft mattress, so my sleep number was around 30. Basically, I just deflated my side of the bed, which kept Cash rolling onto my side of the bed throughout the night. And since I am one of those people who needs plenty of space while sleeping, it was not good. It was nice, however, to be able to try it without having to extract that large number of dollars from my wallet.

Wednesday was the Hall of Fame banquet, and it was wonderful. Cash was MC for the event and put together a great slide presentation for the three new inductees. The first inductee was someone who made an impact in BMX through industry (that could be bikes, magazines, technology, etc.), and that was Elaine Holt-Osmond. (No relation!)

I didn't get to spend much time with Elaine, but let me tell you what I already know about her: she has to be one of the SWEETEST humans to EVER grace this earth. I wish she didn’t live all the way over in sunny California so I could get to know her better in person (although it does give me an excuse to travel!!!). Elaine coined the term BMX and started a magazine called “Bicycle Motocross News”. She was involved for only four years, but her impact on the sport is still being felt today. She didn’t even know she had been nominated and wouldn’t have found out if Cash hadn’t tracked her down! Wouldn’t THAT be a cool phone call to get?

The second inductee to the BMX Hall of Fame was Dennis Dain.

From the ABA BMX website:

"Best known as the “Red Baron”, this Western Sports-A-Rama local was pilot of the world’s greatest side-hack team. During the hack era of the 70’s, Dain & Ruiz were on top, practically undefeated between the years 1975 to 1979. He was one of the original bike testers for Elaine Holt’s Bicycle Motocross News (the sport’s first newspaper). Dain was one of the first racers to be sponsored by GT, and even had his own Dain replica frame. He also rode for Redline and was a longtime racer for ABA BMX Hall of Famer “Big Daddy” Ralph throughout most of his career. Dain was a founding member of PRO. Dennis still lives in California and works for UPS."

I got to meet Dennis and his wife Sauni, and they were kind enough to let us hang out with them for much of the weekend. They were so genuine and fun, and I really enjoyed getting to know them. Little Bit was more impressed that they live five minutes from and have season passes to Disneyland than she was about anything else. She also thought it was cool that Dennis is a fan of both Hannah Montana and Kim Possible! Instant street cred in the eyes of an eight-year-old!

The third and final inductee was Nebraska’s own Greg Grubbs.

Once again, from the ABA BMX website, because they can explain it better than I can:

"Greg was the first racer from Nebraska to make a name for his self on the national circuit. Not only was he fast, he was the hero to many racers that wore glasses and he was well known for his sense of humor. Greg started racing in 1976, turned Pro at age 15 in 1980, then won the ABA Cornhusker National in the 16 expert class, back when you could race Pro and expert in the same day. In 1981, he won 12 ABA single A races, while riding for SE Racing in the summer. He won the Jag World Championships in A Pro and Pro Open in 1981. In 1982, he was picked up by Redline and won his first race for his new sponsor in Orlando , Florida as AA Pro. He was featured on the December ‘82 BMX ACTION cover. He finished the ‘82 season as the #3 Pro behind the Patterson Bros. In 1983, Greg was dropped from Redline and began wearing a jersey that stated “FREE AGENT”. In the summer of ‘83, he was the first instructor/counselor at the Woodward Training Center along with Mike Miranda, Mike Poulson and Joe Baumert. He briefly rode for JAG BMX. He rode for Hyper BMX from mid-1984 to end of 1985, until owner Billy Farrell was killed in an auto accident. He retired in 1986. From ‘86 to ’90, he attended the University of Nebraska , where he received his B.A. in Anthropology. He made a comeback in 1990 by winning first race back as A Pro at the Mid-West Nationals. In 1991, he blew out his knee at the Mile High Nationals and retired permanently. He was the on-camera talent for the ABA BMX TV Show “Pump”. Greg currently lives in Los Angeles where he works on commercial production and works for the TV show Motocross Files."

Having worn glasses myself since the third grade, I can understand why he was such a hero to the bespectacled set! In addition to commercial production, he apparently has been working hard on his golf game. I've been told he is a single-digit handicap golfer. In case you don't know much about golf, that's REALLY REALLY good!!!

Here’s a picture after the banquet was over. Elaine, unfortunately, had to leave early, so I didn’t get a picture of her with the other HOF-ers. Good job, Cash!!! You were awesome!!!

Here’s Little Bit--isn't she just so sweet??--at the coliseum on Thanksgiving Day during practice for the races that started Friday. Dang, she has great hair. Little Bit and I sat in the stands playing with her pink Nintendo while Cash and the guys checked things out around the Grands.

Cash took this picture that same day, also at the coliseum during practice. The guy on the far left is our friend Alex from Arkansas, but his nickname is Elvis. Elvis is one of the funniest humans I’ve ever met, and he has an amazing story. Earlier this year he had a heart attack and died—yes, DIED—at work. He was revived at his desk and twice more on the way to the hospital. He now has a pacemaker to keep his heart going, and guess what he did that weekend: HE RACED! Elvis, you rock. Between Dennis & Greg is Joe Baumert, Greg’s best friend. They raced together in Nebraska when they were kids and were always ranked #1 and #2 in the state.

We had a great time in Tulsa. I loved meeting all of this year's inductees and spending the weekend with them, as well as some of our BMX teammates! Congratulations to this year's inductees and here's to next year!

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Okay, I've finally done it. I've taken the plunge into the Blogosphere--with much encouragement from others--and put together a meager blog. Well, meager for now, anyway.

My first post isn't about me or my thoughts, but isn't that a good incentive to participate? My husband is a Hall of Fame BMXer (you'll hear more about him in future posts) and loves to do what he can to promote the sport. If you're not sure what BMX is, BMX stands for "bicycle motocross". Have you ever seen those motorcycle races where the racers are flying over mounds of dirt like salmon swimming upstream? That's what BMX is, but on a bicycle instead of a motorcycle. And no, my husband doesn't jump like that...anymore...but I digress. Sports Illustrated for Kids is having a vote for who to put on an upcoming cover of the magazine, and our BMX community is trying to vote a BMXer in. Here's the link to the poll:

http://www.sikids.com/2007/sifk/09/24/youthaoy.voting/index.html

Brock Heffron is the BMXer we'd like to see on the cover of SI for Kids. The voting is really close, so Brock could use all the nods he can get.


The other place you can check out BMX stuff is at the American Bicycle Association website. The ABA is one of the sanctioning organizations for BMX, and they are the ones that put together the BMX Hall of Fame. My husband was inducted into the Hall of Fame last fall (again, more on this later), which, I must admit, is really cool in and of itself. But again, I digress.

This is the email he sent out recently about this year's Hall of Fame voting:

Last year, it was one of the greatest moments in my life to be inducted into the ABA BMX Hall of Fame. This year, the voting has begun on the ABA website. If you aren't familiar with the nominees, I would like to share my thoughts for your consideration. Last year, your vote meant everything, and this year it will too!

• Dennis Dain (Pioneer Category) Was one of the most consistent, considerate, and helpful riders in the sport. He won everywhere he went, was on Factory Redline (our co-sponsor) and is truly deserving.

• Greg Grubbs(Racer Category) A skinny kid who took on the top name pros and won. Greg is from Nebraska and was part of the Midwest crowd (like me!) who dared challenge the big dogs and win! Greg was one of the first non-California riders to really dominate the sport with big wins at big races.

• Elaine Holt (Industry) Elaine Started BMX News, which spawned BMX Action. She helped move the bmx movement forward, and without her the sport would have suffered. Her work is the most worthy of all the Hall of Fame nominees in any category.

I hope you will take the time to vote at www.ababmx.com

So there you have it! You think your vote doesn't count? Well, in these two places, it does!!! Hall of Fame voting is open to anyone, one vote per person. So jump on in to the fray and let your voice be heard!