Care Packages & Top 10 Lists....
Two weeks ago, the Big Guy's youngest cousin, M, left western Wisconsin and headed to Cleveland to attend Case Western Reserve University. M applied to many colleges and had quite the decision to make.

But when you're offered a full ride, 4 year, academic scholarship....the decision becomes a lot easier!

Going to college is not only a right of passage, but is also scary. Anyone who has ever gone away to college knows that. I asked M for her address and wanted to send her a little care package.

Who doesn't like a college care package?!?

Here is what I sent her....




Isn't that fun? I mean who doesn't like Hostess cakes and pop tarts?

It did get me thinking about what I wish people would have told me before I went off to college. So I made my own list.

The Top 12 Things I Wish I Was Told Before I Went Off to College.....

12. It is OK to tell your roommate, "No, Cute Boy cannot stay over." and "No, I won't sleep in the lounge just so Cute Boy can stay over" and "I don't care, I live here, too."

11. When you come home from college, your mom will want to spoil you rotten and do your laundry. Let her do this. In fact, be prepared because every time she comes to visit you--or you visit her--she'll do your laundry and fold your underwear. It happens. Even in your 30's.

10. You may have been on the honor roll in high school, but when you earn your first "B" or "C" on a paper or assignment, be prepared for the professor to say, "I'm sorry....but your work is not "A" quality." I'm also sorry to say that the Chair of the Department of the Dean of the School don't care either.

9. I don't care how responsible you think you are..you don't need a credit card. Even if you get a free t-shirt, 2 liter bottle of soda or even tickets to some concert. PUT DOWN THE CREDIT CARD APPLICATION.

8. Ramen may taste good at 2:00 a.m. after you've been out all night drinking. But it's because of the 2:00 a.m. ramen binge that you won't be able to eat the stuff when you're out of college. Regardless of how cheap it is.

7. Always, always, always, go to a campus sporting event--even if you don't like the sport.

6. I don't care what your advisor says: don't take an 8:00 class. There IS another offering later in the day. Trust me.

5. You might feel safe on campus during the day, but at night, always call a guy friend to come meet you and walk you across campus. Shout out to Cody who would always do that for me, even at 2:00 a.m.. Thanks, buddy!

4. Pulling an all nighter is over rated.

3. Parties at fraternity houses may be fun at the time, but honestly, you don't want to be known as the girl who passed out in the men's bathroom with your pants down around your ankles. This is a story for another time.

2. Walking into your residence hall at 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night with your hair done, makeup on and looking nicer than you do for class, with a back pack over your shoulder does not scream "I was just at the library." It says, "I have booze in my backpack."

1. No matter how sneaky you think you are, cramming 20 people into a residence hall room, with clinking bottles and saying "SHHHHHH!!!!" gives it away that you're having a party. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

What about you? What would you add to the list of "I Wish I Would Have Known" list?

Couch to 5K to Couch Again....
I know what you're thinking.

Hey, Kelley. How's that Couch to 5K going for you?

Ummmm. Yeah.
It's not.

Wait? Why? I thought you were all about getting off your duff and running a 5K?

Well, yes. Yes I was.
And like a crazy woman I exclaimed it here on the blog.
You see....I have knee issues. Terrible knee issues. And running isn't helping them. At all. And because of that, this whole "running to lose weight and look like a skinny woman" thing, hasn't been going so well.

So.
I'm not running.
I'm not walking.

Instead?
Meet my new personal trainer....


And she's kicking my ass.

2010 3-Day, by the Numbers....
It's done.
The 2010 Susan G Komen Breast Cancer 3-day for the Cure is in the books.

Last year, I crewed for the first time and had a blast as a sweep van driver. This year, I knew more people on the team would walk, but I knew I couldn't do the walk again as a walker. I don't do well in the heat, and the training alone blows out your weekends. With a wedding, high school reunion and a reception within the last 5 months, I knew walking was out.

So, I crewed again and asked my college friend Angi to join me.

Let's just say it's a miracle that we're still friends because I can be a tish on the cranky-crabby-why-aren't-you-doing-it-my-way side.

But I bought her dinner at Good Earth on Sunday.
As well as a cookie.
So all is well.

Here is my recap of the 2010 3-day....by the numbers!

2400: Number of walkers who participated in the Twin Cities walk.

400: Number of crew members who participated in the Twin Cities walk.

9: Number of team members for our team, Amy's Angels! We had 6 walkers and 3 crew.


3: Number of team members who were new to Amy's Angels! Welcome to Shonta, Debbie and Angi. We were excited to have you join us!

8: Number of PB&J Graham Cracker Sandwiches that I ate during the weekend. DAMN those things are crack in a wrapper.

10: The number of pounds I gained from eating the PB&J Grahams, potato chips and candy. Lots and lots of candy. (we gave the 3-day staff cleaning out the van our left overs. I can't have that crap in my house!)

25: Number of wrong turns I took in the van--even with a GPS. Thank goodness for the fact that I drove this same route last year to know when the GPS was wrong.


10: The number of advil PM I took this weekend to have a good nights sleep.

13: Number of mosquito bites I have after sleeping in a tent.

36: Number of times Angi asked me to pull over because she needed to use the Porta Potty.

4: Number of silly things we saw on the route. Including:
Geese that wouldn't get out of the road:



A restaurant sign next to a large pile of dirt (wonder how their business is doing?)



The name of the building outside of our 5th pit stop on day 2.



A kid on a unicycle.



2: Number of rolls of tape that we burned through to keep our Monopoly signs attached to our van. Morning dew and traveling at 60 miles an hour down Hwy 61 doesn't help.

5: Number of crew members who returned to drive sweep vans....including the girls who last year had the awesome face paint!! I adore these girls!


83: The age of the oldest walker this year. Yes. 83. Think you can't do the walk? Tell that to Margaret who was the spunky woman who did this walk. She rode in our van a few times this weekend, and she always had a smile on her face.

15: Number of times we saw Becky. A woman who is currently a stage 4 cancer patient who is fighting for her life right now. She was hurting, nauseous, and still got out and walked. We kept in touch with her last year and was so excited to see her again. Seems like every time I turned around she was there. I'm keeping my thoughts positive to be able to see her next year at the walk again.


0: the number of walkers who did NOT throw up in my van! WHOOOO! 2 for 2! We were close though. We got a call to pick up a walker who was throwing up at a Grab-n-go. We tried to find where to pick them up and in the time it took us to find it, someone else came by. WHEW!!


Next year, we'll be back, I know. There is talk that our team wants to work a Pit stop location. I don't know if I could do a Pit stop, but I'll still be a part in some capacity!

Thanks for all of your support!

You Know What They Say....
It's true. You really do see everything on the 3-day walk. Odd costumes, people coming out to support, funny signs. Even people who don't know about the 3-day who drive past you and say "What the F*$@?"

And then you see this.



A kid on a unicycle.
Proof that the 3-day brings out the unusual!

I'm currently editing my photos, so I'll have a better update on Wednesday. But this photo? CRACKS ME UP.

Today.....
Today, while you're sitting at your desk drinking coffee and reading a blog, I'll be here.



Today, while you're talking on the phone, I'll be here.


Today, while you're having lunch, I'll be here.


Today, while you're catching up on e-mail, I'll be here, going over my maps for the next day.

Today, while you're preparing dinner, I'll be here, watching this.

And tonight, while you're brushing your teeth and getting ready for bed, I'll be retiring here.

And hopefully not cleaning up a van from sick walkers. ewww.

Today is the first day of the Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3-day, 60 mile walk. For the 3rd year, Amy's Angels is participating in this event! Our team consists of walkers & crew and we have currently raised over $15,000, bringing our total over the last 3 years to over $55,000.

We're sorta proud of that.

If you want to keep tabs on the event, I am twittering (Lord help me...). You can read my tweets by clicking here: https://twitter.com/kelleymcclure and if you're Facebook friends with me, you'll see my tweets in your newsfeed.

Snazzy!!

Keep us in your thoughts!

Updates on Monday. Oh my word...will there be updates.

Wordless Wednesday (kinda sorta)....




By far, one of my favorite photos from the reunion and makes me laugh every time I see it.
Gee. I wonder why?

Reunion Recap.....
I had a blast.

How's that for a recap?


Here are the highlights (and one low light)....

MOST HEARD COMMENT: Thank you. I was told "thank you for planning this" by a number of students and spouses/guests. I was lucky to be a part of the planning group!

FUNNIEST COMMENT SAID TO ME: "Thank God you're filling out a name tag, because I have no idea who you are!" My reply: "Honey, don't feel bad...I don't remember half of the people in this place. Name tags are a must!"

FUN PHOTO OPS: Photos from the event included:

The buffet table before the class arrived.

The reunion committee



The girls who played in the Orchestra


Random groups who asked me to take their photo



Photos with friends like Lisa.....



and Amy......

MISSED PHOTO OP: A photo with a classmate who wore the same shirt I did, but in pink rather than green. Here she is with her husband.




BEST COMPLIMENT OF THE NIGHT: Jane is a classmate who, in high school, was a tom boy. The reality is, Jane is a lesbian. Probably one of the only people in our class who is gay. Jane came to the reunion with her wife, Teresa. Teresa thanked me for being open, accepting and encouraging because Jane was concerned about how the class would react. From the looks of it, our class was comfortable with it, because Jane and Teresa were talking, laughing, socializing with everyone!

BEST STORY OF THE NIGHT: Bill and his wife adopted a baby from Korea about a year and a half ago. Six months ago, Bill and his wife received a phone call that his son's birth parents were pregnant again and wanted to put that baby up for adoption, too. They gave that first opportunity to Bill and his wife and in 6 weeks they fly to Korea again to pick up their son's 100% biological brother. How cool is that?!?!


And now....

THE LOW POINT: A classmate who complained because we had the reunion in our hometown rather than the Twin Cities. My reply: "we graduated from Faribault, not somewhere in the cities.....and besides a number of our classmates live in the area!" Her reply: rolled eyes and "why do people still live here?" You know what? If you don't like it....don't come and don't bring the rest of us down. Needless to say, she didn't stay long.


Now it's time to switch gears and move on to the 3-day this weekend. Please keep us in your thoughts and if you have any influence on the weather, we're asking for comfortable temps, low humidity, and cool weather for sleeping.

And no throwing up in the van!

Irony, Anyone?
This weekend, is my 20 year high school reunion. I've been working on the committee for this reunion since January and am excited to be a part of this event. While I wasn't a popular girl in high school, I did have a nice group of friends and felt that I was treated well by everyone in my class.

I'm nervous and excited all at the same time.

So, last weekend while out running errands, I decided to go to Kohls and go shopping for a new shirt or dress or something.

I know....I know....I took a pledge to not spend money on anything new for 2010. But I wasn't happy with what was in my closet and since I have actually been sticking to this thing pretty well, I thought I'd bend the rules a little bit.

I told myself, "Clearance racks only". The Big Guy and I happened to be there the weekend before to look over our registry and there were some great sales going on, so I was bound to find something.

I scoured the clearance racks and came across this cute top....

I normally stay away from these types of tunic tops because they make me look pregnant. When you carry your weight in your tummy, the tunic doesn't help you. At all.

So, I look at the price tag and check this out....

The ironic part?
I graduated in 1990 and I got this for 90% off.
Our school colors? Green and white.

It's meant to be, I think.

Now let's just hope I don't revert back to being 17 and stumble over my words when talking to my high school crush, or get the jitters talking to the "cool kids".

Looking Forward to Seeing You....
We got an RSVP card in the mail the other day.

Clearly, I'm going to have to make sure I pay close attention to the spelling of the attendees name so that I spell their place card correctly!

Who knew filling out an RSVP card was so difficult!

***EDITED TO ADD: We got another one in the mail last night. Seriously!! They're all from the St Cloud area, so it makes it hard to narrow down as that is about 2/3 of our guest list.

Heaven in a Styrofoam Cup.....
This weekend the BFF and her husband have their annual Lawn Olympics. For the last 7 years, they have a party at their house with lawn games, grilling, drinks and friendship. I never get a chance to make it, but this year, I stopped by for just a little bit.

I got to spend time with the cutest 3 year old and her 10 month old brother.
I got to see the BFF's parents--who I just ADORE.
I got to spend a little time with the BFF.

It was lovely.

As I headed back to my neck of the woods, something caught my eye on I-494 heading west.


Oh yes, my friends. SONIC is in the Twin Cities.
And not just one....FIVE Sonic's. FIVE!!

You have no idea how happy this makes me. I have fond memories of going to Sonic while I lived in Kentucky, specifically for Happy Hour. And when you make only $400 a month and only get paid once a month, you count every penny at least twice. Sonic is quite the deal!

So today, my friends, I got my old favorite:

A large Cherry Limeaid.



It was just as good as I remember. Crushed ice. Lime wedges. Cherry at the bottom.
You can't get much more "summer" than Sonic.

I will need to go back soon because the cherry at the bottom is the best part of the Limeaid. Sadly, as I was trying to pour it out of the cup, it spilled out, into the kitchen sink, and into a pan that was soaking.

An Oldie, but a Goodie....

I love, love, love the comic strip Calvin & Hobbes. It goes back to my college days, actually, when a girl on my floor had one of the comic books. I borrowed it, read it, laughed until I cried and was hooked.

In fact, when I worked at Girl Scout Camp, they made us have a "camp name"--this is really just a code name that you use all summer. I chose Hobbes.

Go figure.

I was looking through some of my books the other day and came upon these and thought I'd share.

For the record....Calvin in the Onion Suit still makes me laugh.
And possibly even snort.

But you can't prove that

Images from Google Images

And of course, if you've had a rough week.....

Have a good weekend!

You're Going to Blog About This, Aren't You....

Why yes.
Yes I am.

Yesterday I took a day off work to spend the day with 4 of my cousins on my mom's side. I am the oldest grandchild and since I'm also an only child, my cousins have always been like my siblings. We all get along very, very well and I can't believe how lucky I am to have them as a part of my family.

So, when my "little" cousin, Karla, asked me if I wanted to go with her and a few of the cousins to Valleyfair--the amusement park in Minnesota--I said, "HELL YEAH!!"

Well, it was probably more like, "Sure! Count me in!", but in my head I was definitely saying "HELL YEAH!!!"

We met.
We rode rides.
We had lunch.
We rode more rides.
We went to the waterpark.

It was FABULOUS.

And it was at the amusement park when I took photos that my cousins all said, "you're going to blog about this aren't you?" Duh. Of course I am.

We have decided that every year, from here forward, we are doing a Cousin's Only trip. Next year, we have talked about doing a lazy tube float down one of the many rivers. Whatever it is, I am excited to be able to do it.

Here are some photos from our day as well as a little video.
I'm off to go put some Noxema on my sunburned cheeks and nose.
Thankfully that is the only part of me that got sunburned.

What do you expect when the temp was 96 degrees and the heat index was 102?

The Riptide. The middle section rotates while you're splashed with water.

I opted out of that ride.

Me and my "little cousin" Savanna.

She's 17 and beautiful.

Even if she says she looks terrible in the photo.

After the waterpark, Savanna and I got mini-donuts.

I ate mine in exactly 2.75 seconds. I'm a sucker for mini-donuts.

Karla, Robert, Spencer & Savanna on Power Tower.

You know the ride....the raise you up slowly and drop the bottom out?

Robert didn't want to go.

They made him.

I'll give you one guess on what Robert thought about this ride.

(this was taken as the ride ended).

This is Steele Venom.

I agreed to take a big girl pill and go on this ride.

Looks innocent enough, right?

Here we are in line for Steel Venom.

Notice everyone is barefoot.

This should be a BIG SIGN that this is not your average ride.

Check out the video clip below.

This is from YouTube where someone took video on the ride.

You go from zero to 60 MPH in less than 3 seconds.

Let's just say I screamed like a little girl.

But I LOVED IT and would do it again.