Dyngus Day and a Trip to College

Buzz's friends have been celebrating Dyngus Day since the early 1990s, when they were in college. It is an actual holiday, a Polish Easter holiday. Near Purdue University, there is a large Polish community. Since Buzz and his friends never pass up an opportunity to gather and drink a few beers, it has become a tradition that continues to this day.

Since we were in the area for Easter this year, we decided to join the gang. We drove in just before lunch and were in time to join everyone for pulled pork. After lunch the group was gathered for the traditional game of Royal Croquet.

After the games, we had the chance to enjoy more good food prepared by King Dyngus (Joe). This time we ate brats, soaked in beer and then grilled.

It was a lot of fun to see the entire gang. The last time I saw everyone was at our wedding, 1 1/2 years ago. However, this time there was a new addition to the group. King Dyngus had a second child, a beautiful baby girl.

We left the gathering before it got too late, and drove to the hotel. The next day Buzz was going to give me the grand tour of Purdue.

Easter

This year for Easter we took the car and drove North to spend the weekend with Buzz's family. On the way up we made the trip in one day...only accomplished if you leave very, very early in the morning - which I really, REALLY love doing... We arrived safe and sound late into the evening.

The next day, we took Grandma out to lunch and ran a few errands in preparation for Easter. That evening, we went to Maundy Thursday service at the church. I had never been to that particular service, and I learned that Maundy meant Holy. As we arrived at the service, I was greeted by several people, all wondering who the new visitor was. As I announced that I was Buzz's wife, the reply came, "Buzz is here, where?" It seems that everyone still remembers him and is always eager to say hello when he gets home.

For Good Friday we cooked a large casserole and prepared for an evening of fun and games with family and friends. All total, we had 13 for dinner that night. The guests of honor were the Erickson's, long time family friends. As usual, the night was filled with joy and lots of laughter. Mrs. Erickson is best known for her sense of humor and baking skills. She once baked a sponge cake made of actual sponges.

Playing Perfection.

Saturday was the great Easter egg dying party. In addition to coloring the eggs, the eggs could also be glittered. That was a first for all. At the end of the day, we had glittered eggs, polka dot eggs, striped eggs, and lots of bright colored eggs.



Easter Sunday began with the early service. We picked up Grandma and headed to the church. At the end of the service, Buzz and his Mom joined the choir for the Hallelujah chorus. After that, we headed to IHOP for a large breakfast. The special was green eggs and ham, in honor of Dr. Seuss. Since we had just seen the movie, we thought that was especially funny. Sunday dinner was wonderful. We had a ham with all the special sides.


Overall, it was a wonderful visit.

Six Flags

A few weeks back Buzz and I spent a Saturday at Six Flags. We got up bright and early and headed out, eating breakfast at a local diner on the way. By the time the park was open, we had parked and were walking in the front gate. At 10 am there was almost no one in the park. As we headed to our first ride, we were able to snag a picture with Elmer, Tweety, and Bugs.

Within the first hour, we had ridden the Titan twice and the Texas Giant once. By lunch time we had also ridden Batman the Ride and Mr. Freeze. After sharing a turkey leg, we were ready for more rides.


The first ride after lunch were the swings, my favorite childhood ride. Buzz decided not to ride in circles over and over again right after lunch. He stood on the ground and took pictures.


Despite Buzz's fear of heights, we rode the parachute...straight up into the air with only a small bar holding you in the seat. From the top we took some great pictures of the entire park.



On our way to one of the roller coasters, we were greeted by the Attack Geese! At first you think, "Oh, isn't this neat! Look how close they are to us." Then as you walk by, WAM! The geese are trying to eat you! And they are doing so very aggressively! Once we made it past the geese, we just laughed at each person who was caught off guard by their "friendliness."


The scariest ride for me was the Rock N Rocket. Not only were you swung back and forth like a pendulum, you were swung upside down. Now, I realize that you are only upside down for seconds, but it felt like minutes.


For Buzz the scariest ride was the carousel, but he survived!


We finally left the park at 7 after riding almost every ride in the park. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, it felt like we had ridden every ride in the park! We were both sore! Not quite like going when you are a teenager...

Softball season has begun

Since we are back home, Buzz is able to play softball for the first time in four years. The team has gained a few new members since he last played, but is largely the same.

To prepare for the season, we've been going to the batting cages for the past few weeks. In an effort to learn to play softball, I've been practicing also. While Buzz is doing great, I'm still learning. However, I am hitting more and more balls.

This week I decided to learn to catch. Since Buzz was pitching in his first game this season and needed to practice, I bought myself a glove and was ready to play catch. Well, after 15 minutes and unable to walk without a limp, we called it quits. Apparently, blocking the ball with your body really hurts! It seems like I have a ways to go, but the season isn't over yet and I still have time to learn.

Despite the short practice session, Buzz did great in the game. He pitched a great game and also scored a few runs.

We were winning...if only for a few minutes.