It's a pain in the ...back

Thursday, a week ago, I went to my cardio/core/sculpting class at EP Fitness.  I'd worked with this teacher once before and I really liked her energy and her ab exercizes.  She's twentyish, hispanic (what are the odds:), and dresses like..hip hop? I don't really know.  This picture is something like, only she wears a cap instead of a scarf and her pants have all these black strings hanging off them and there are metal studs around the waistband. Anyway, she obviously doesn't have back problems and that's where my back pain comes in.

It wasn't exactly like this...

We were in the cardio/core portion and using a ball to make figure eights in front of us as we twisted and turned our waist. I twisted right and bent slightly over as I did so.  I felt something in my back give immediately and stopped.  I tried my usual back exercizes and kept going as best I could for the rest of the session and then went to a yoga class thinking that might help stretch it out. All that day I kept doing my McKenzie back exercizes and my back felt better the next morning.

Unfortunately I had to referee at a two day swim meet 45 minutes away.  The swim meet wouldn't have helped but the hour and a half drive each day was the worst part.

Michelle did well and I got to see her on the winner's blocks each time she swam.

I've been in pain for all of this week.  Monday I am scheduled for an epidural steroid injection.  Hopefully that will take care of it.  Meanwhile, I'm a pain in the back, officially.

Nutty Putty Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving we were short six people: two of our sons and their wives and two grandkids.  But, we gained four through a happy circumstance.  Matt's wife's sister is friends with two young men who are bicycling the width of the country from Huntington Beach, Virginia to San Diego, California, with two other friends.  It just so happened that their path led through El Paso and that they would arrive the afternoon before Thanksgiving.  We happily offered them rooms and Thanksgiving dinner with us.

I knew they would be interesting to talk to, but they surpassed my expectations.  Dan, Eric, Jon and Oliver are four of the nicest young men you could ever wish to meet.  They are all BYU students, but they have taken off a semester to do this ride for the adventure and for charity.  Dan's sister, Emily, was widowed a year ago yesterday when her husband was stuck upside down while exploring a cave and died.  She was left with a 13 month old daughter and pregnant.  Dan wanted to help his sister so that she could go back to school, but she told him people had already been so generous in helping her that she hoped he could help other widows with young children. So, they signed up with the Liz Logelin Foundation and they have raised over $7000 already.

They are called the Nutty Putty Cyclists because it was the Nutty Putty cave where Dan's brother-in-law died. They have a website at http://nuttyputtycyclers.com/. If you click on this link and then click on the word blog you can read about their adventures. There is also a map showing their trail and you can even donate to their worthy cause.

These guys had ridden across empty West Texas before arriving in El Paso and had ridden 110 miles the day before.  Yet, they got up early and ran in a Thanksgiving 5K race here in El Paso and one of them came in 2nd in their age group.  After they came home from that they went with Bill and Chelsea and helped clean up after the annual Thanksgiving parade which is what our stake does every year.

The next morning, since they were only going to Las Cruces and spend the night with some people there, they left at 11am and Bill and I rode with them.  We rode a little over 9 miles with them when Bill got a flat tire.  They fixed it for us, they're quite expert by this time, and although we had considered riding all the way to Cruces, I had talked to our kids and everyone had gathered again for left-overs so we decided to turn back and spend time with the family. 

Later we took Emma to see "Tangled" at the movies.

I hated to see those boys go.  They were so incredibly nice and helpful and polite and thoughtful.  It was a pleasure to be with them and I look forward to reading about their further adventures.

It's here!

The day we've been waiting for has finally arrived!
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD is available NOW at iTunes, AmazonMP3 & at our Official Online Store.  Or buy a physical copy of the EP at www.brickmanmedia.com/afterdaybreakstore  You can click on this link and it will take you there.  I've already downloaded the album and have been listening to it non-stop.  You won't be disappointed!  The voices of each of the three young men are beautiful and the harmonies they arranged are heavenly.  The three are such great musicians alone.  Together they are unbelievable!




Release Date:U.S. Release: November 9, 2010
Label:Bandhouse Music Group

Synopsis

Debut project from the classical crossover/pop trio: Drew Boushka, Daniel Fritch and David Beck.

.Track Listings

1 WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD

2 ADESTE FIDELES (O Come All Ye Faithful)

3 WORTH

4 O HOLY NIGHT (Cantique de Noël)

5 THE LORD'S PRAYER

6 DREAM ON

I can't decide which is my favorite.  But, "Worth" and "Dream On" are in my top three. That's Drew's voice at the beginning of "Worth" in case you can't tell.
 
Now, this what's really important.  Their next step, career-wise is getting on other labels. As their manager/producer put it: "I have been talking to several folks about licensing our next record (which will be the "Wonderful World" CD expanded to a full CD, but without the Christmas songs) with foreign labels. This is the next step we will be taking career-wise, to start working with labels outside the U.S. They will actually be promoting and marketing AFTER DAYBREAK in foreign territories, and setting up opportunities for career growth, radio and TV opportunities, and eventually, touring. Our sales numbers are VERY important for these labels...another reason why we MUST have a great first week. "
 
So, please, don't wait!  Buy the album for Christmas presents-because it's only six songs it's very inexpensive, but is an impressive gift.  The CD costs $8.50 and the download at iTunes is $5.94. Help us get the sales numbers for this first week up to numbers that will convince other labels to pick it up.  Thanks!
 
And another reason this is a special day is that our youngest child is 11 today!  Happy birthday litttle caboose. You're growing up too fast!

Why is (techno-)life so hard? Or, here are the halloween pictures, finally.

I couldn't find the cord to connect my camera to the computer to download the pictures from Halloween.  I took my office apart (and there it remains) looking for it, but still couldn't find it.  I finally stop at Radio Shack and buy a universal cord, now my camera has died and it must have power to download the pictures.  I can't find the battery charger that plugs into the wall.  Again, tear apart the office.  No charger.  I remember I took it on the last trip and it's in a little zippered bag somewhere, but can't find that.  Meanwhile, Emme shows me the little slot in the front of my laptop where I can put the SD memory card and get the pictures off my camera, so I finally am able to download the pictures.  This morning I find the bag with the battery charger.  Hurray!  Wait...where is the battery in the twice-torn apart office?  I-don't-know! Uggggggg!!!!!

Gardner with the Red Queen

Anyway, here are the pictures:

Garden Sprite




Watering the garden

 


  

Beautiful Garden

         




Ketchup eating a hot dog



Do you get it?  Michelle was the garden sprite, Chelsea the garden and Emma the gardner, who later changed into a ketchup costume.  Now, the precious grandchildren:



Cheerleader with her Doctor Daddy



Wolverine

Captain Moroni

Luigi





Crazy Days

Because it's Homecoming Week at the High School everyday is dress up day for the high-school age girls. The Senior girl dressed like someone from the 80's. She borrowed clothes from the mother of a friend and jewelry and make-up from me. The freshman was supposed to dress from the 50's but she was too tired last night to look for the poodle skirt we have in the dress-up box. Too bad. She would have made a cute teeny-bopper.

At the elementary school where our ten year old goes to school, it was crazy hair day.  Last year this is what we did with a water bottle and hair bands:

But, today, the ten year old remembered about Crazy Hair Day just as we were leaving the house. Great. She grabbed several hair bands and an empty water bottle and we hurried to school. We carpool and although it wouldn't bother me too much to be late, I can't make someone else's child late. So, once we dropped him off we turned our attention to her hair. It's a lot shorter than it was a year ago and I didn't think the bottle trick would work again. Plus, I found out she didn't bring a brush or any hairspray, both of which we needed. I tried to think of what I had in the car that we could use. Duct tape?...Nah, that might be painful. Hmm. I have that phone that I need to take back to Radio Shack because it doesn't work. Maybe...yeah!

 The day was saved!  Panic is the mother of ...well, something.

What a Wonderful World by After Daybreak (Official Music Video)

I'm a proud mom, I know; but this is something so special. The story is moving and the music is heavenly. Drew, you and the group have done something wonderful. I can't wait until the CD comes out in a month. I hope it takes off like a rocket!

Hello, again!

I don't usually respond to challenges to answer questions about myself , but I couldn't turn down my favorite Canadian daughter-in-law.

1. What's your favourite day of the week and why?
Sunday would be my favorite day. Since we make it a practice not to work on the Sabbath I have a legitimate reason to not do any housework and laundry.  And then a lot of our family come over after church for dinner and discussions and fun!  Today Matt and Mir made supper (so delicious!) and Emme made an incredible cake (Wow!).  It was delicious and we all had such fun just talking and joking around.  Hayley surprised everyone by coming into town early so that made it extra special.  After all the dishes were done and the kitchen clean, Matt and Mir left to put their kids to bed.  Mike and Emme stayed and after scripture study we played a game.  It was a great day!


2. Recount an embarassing moment.
There are SOOOO many to choose from.  My favorite one takes too long to tell.  So, I'll just choose the three times I've asked someone when their baby was due only to have them tell me they weren't pregnant.  I don't ask now even if they are in labor.

3. What was your favourite toy or game as a child?
My parents, in fact my whole family, roller skated when I was a child.  We went to a skating rink every week and I loved that. I started skating when I was eighteen months old and my mother said I could skate better than I could walk.  But I remember when I was really little that I liked to sit on my dad's skate at home and roll around in the house.  I was so little and his skate seemed so big and it was like a little scooter.


4. What does your name mean?
Well, Courtney, Elaine is Greek and a variant of Helen, or French and it means "light" or "shining light". And, though you didn't ask, I've always liked my name a lot. Thanks, Mom.

5. If you could have any occupation (and you had no limitations of obtaining that occupation), what would it be?
Hmmm.  This one took a while.  I think when I was younger my secret dream was to be a country/western back-up singer.  I would love to speak multiple languages fluently and be a translator.  Anything that took me traveling around the world.  But, honestly, I'm just happy doing what I'm doing: nurturing, loving my family and trying to make our home a beautiful, clean, safe, loving environment for the most important people in the world.  I feel lucky.


6. What is your guilty pleasure?

Candy, specifically: chocolate caramel pecan candy, pralines, divinity, and fudge.  I don't get to satisfy that pleasure too often anymore. I've been dreaming of making pecan pralines.  Maybe Christmas.

7. If you could change anything about your appearance what would it be?
I would love to change my teeth and hope to do so in the next year or so.


8. If you could raise awareness about one topic (education, poverty, AIDS, etc.) what would it be?
Child abuse.  Every child is so innocent and vunerable and deserve all the love and tenderness their parents can give them.  It breaks my heart to see children treated unkindly or to hear of abuse in any form.  Parents need more support and training.