A great weekend

Friday I headed down to Denver (Littleton) to help Keri with her annual pi mile (you know 3.1415926535897 etc, etc) run/walk to raise money for the Chatfield HS math department to give scholarships to exceptional math students. This is the fifth year. On the way down I stopped in Cheyenne to visit my mother. My brother, whom I hadn't seen since we visited him in Arizona, was also there so the timing couldn't have been better.
Friday night we bought supplies for the run/walk. Later that evening my wife who had been visiting her mother and brother in Minnesota and her sister in Iowa arrived at Keri's. Saturday morning I went for a walk. There is a large pond a couple blocks from her house and the pond is inhabited by a few ducks and a ton of geese (be careful where you walk). It's part of a park that is across the highway from the Chatfield Recreation area. We were there one time when they had a huge balloon expo. The next morning several balloons went up and the wind shifted and while we were watching almost blew one into aforementioned pond. It landed on the bank to the relief of the chase crew. I think down deep (I'm ashamed to admit it) I was hoping-just a little bit-that it would land in the pond and I could see how a balloon is rescued when it lands in water. One balloon went a few streets over and was giving rides to some of the neighborhood kids. I have great memories of things like that.
Saturday afternoon wife and daughter made the quilt/fabric store run which took only a few hours. I was left home to watch baseball on TV. I have to concede that Keri and Eric's 60" high def TV (nicknamed Big Thunder) has the best picture I have ever seen. Life could have been worse for me.
Saturday evening we went to supper and then stopped a Dairy Queen to pick up gift card prizes for the winner in each age group. She need 24 total at $5 each. The kid behind the cash register wondered aloud how much 5 times 24 is. Keri and I instantly and simultaneously replied "120". The kid's mouth opened. He couldn't believe a calculator was being replaced by humans. He ran it up on the register and it turned out we were right. Imagine that.
Eric flew home Saturday night. We always enjoy seeing him but sometimes his schedule doesn't work out. Another pilot friend of theirs was also in town so he joined us the next morning.
It had rained continuously Saturday night. Sunday morning the sun and clouds mixed appearances. It was in the 40's when Keri and I arrived at the race site. It was held in Ken Caryl Valley, a very nice subdivision west of Littleton. The first runners (high school students) arrived a little after 8:00. "What time does the race start?" Answer-9:30. "Well 'So and So' said it started at 8:30." So and So's name was soon besmirched. The next group arrive around 8:30. "This person told us it started at 9:00." This person's" name was also besmirched.
The race went well. Keri ran out of T-shirts which meant there was even a bigger crowd. The weather was in the 50's and everyone enjoyed it.
After the race/walk the five of us went out for lunch. I headed north to Cheyenne to help my mother celebrate her 93rd birthday that day. I recently lost my Aunt Betty so mom means even more to me. Then it was back to Casper. What a great weekend!
This is a follow-up to a blog I did last week. It dealt with the different choice of names for kids and the differences in name spellings when compared to my generation. I'll list this week's and then let it go for good. Here is this week's from the Casper Star-Trib: boy-Kayden; boy-Brycen; boy-Tyson; boy-Seth; boy-Ezekiel; girl-Camri; girl-Jazzmyn; girl-Remmy; girl-Mia; boy-Kasen; girl-Kolbe; girl-Lily; boy-Aiden; boy-Marquis; boy-Gavin; girl-Lanaya; girl-Paili; girl-Madison; girl-Kyra; girl-Reagen.