My Favorite Hat is a Helmet!

Note: This is a revised and updated version of a post previously published on November 22, 2014, but it seems worth sharing again, while a lot of the US is in the midst of a snowy winter.

I hardly ever wear a hat

I like hats - but I look terrible in them.  Something about the shape of my head and my hair just means that they never fit right.  I rarely wear a hat.

But - - there is one exception.  My ski helmet!

I never wore a helmet when I was younger

When I learned to ski as a pre-teen, there was no such thing as a ski helmet.  About 20 years ago, you might have spotted a ski helmet worn in a ski resort terrain park; then parents gradually started buying them for their small children.  

An article published by the International Skiing Association, Ski Helmets, How We Got Here, states “from 1995 until 2010, helmet use increased from 5% to 76%. Over that period, the rate of serious head injuries dropped by about 65%.” That's a pretty impressive statistic!

Not exactly cute, but it makes you look smart when you wear one

Gradually, more and more skiers over the past few decades have begun to realize helmets are a good way to protect their brainpower.  I was finally one of them.

It took a bit of convincing - I actually bought several but returned them without ever wearing them. I just felt really ugly every time I tried them on.

Finally, I found one that really fit, and I conquered my vanity. It has adjustable air vents for temperature control, a removable (washable) liner, warm ear muffs, and (my favorite) a dial to loosen or tighten the fit.  (Giro calls this their “in-form fit system.”)

Helmets are available at a wide range of prices.  

Even the most expensive price tag would seem like pennies, however, compared to a hospital bill ...  or a casket. 

The very first time I wore my ski helmet, I became a convert.  

Right away, I realized there are three good reasons to wear a helmet

A Pleasant Stay at a Hotel in Houston

I received some compensation for writing this post, but it is an honest review and all opinions are my own.

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My family had a pleasant stay at the Crowne Plaza Houston River Oaks Hotel in Houston last week. Houston did not feel as "Texan" as I expected, perhaps because we spent most of our time at an event that could have occurred in many other places.

My husband, son, and I flew to Texas to watch my daughter and her college team compete in the Western Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championship meet.

Swim meets can be exhausting (whether you are a swimmer, coach, official, or spectator) and a good night's rest is important. Fortunately, our hotel was both quiet and comfortable.

We knew that if we all stayed at the same hotel, we might get a few extra minutes to spend with our daughter, who wouldn't have much free time. As soon as the team reserved at the Crowne Plaza Houston River Oaks, I booked a room for us there as well.

Our reservation was upgraded to a suite on the 18th (top) floor, as part of my compensation for writing this review. 

Our suite was huge and included: 

• a spacious sitting room with a desk and a pull-out couch, both of which were used by my son. The sleeper sofa was as comfortable as you can expect from that sort of bedding.
• a coffee bar/wet bar area with a fridge, coffee maker, and microwave.
•  a good-sized separate bedroom with a king-sized bed. 
• 2 flat-screen TVs and speedy Internet service. 
• a big bathroom with a hair dryer and a makeup mirror. The only entrance to the bathroom was through the main bedroom.

All the appliances and the Internet service worked well. The shower head in our bathroom had various settings, although the water pressure was not as forceful as I usually prefer. When I mentioned this to the staff, I was told that they "want all of their guests to be 100% satisfied" and a maintenance person was sent up to look at it.
The hotel provided dinners for the 40 athletes, 3 coaches, and the bus driver of my daughter's team, in a private eating area. My daughter said there was an ample amount of good food served to them each day, by very friendly staff. Overall, this was a very satisfactory hotel stay for the team.

I heard repeatedly from our athletes and family members how accommodating and friendly the staff were. I found this to be true as well. 

One person mentioned that their room was not very clean, but ours was satisfactory. When two women reported an issue with their bathroom, the hotel took their concerns seriously and moved them to a different room. 

I heard comments about how nice the pillows were, and how much someone liked the hair conditioner provided by the hotel. I loved the scent of the soap and the texture of the lotion.

Our room looked down on busy Houston highway traffic. Being from Montana, we found it entertaining to watch the huge volume of cars that were on the road all the time! At first, I was worried we would hear a lot of road noise, but (at least from the 18th floor) that was not the case at all. Our room was very quiet all of the time.

Although the hotel is older and some people said the carpets should be updated, the lobby is very pretty and has lots of sitting areas. I especially liked the decorative lighting.

The hotel had a well-stocked gift shop and a popular bar area, which was crowded for several nights with guests visiting for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

We enjoyed the full-service/buffet breakfast (an add-on price to room rates) in the on-site restaurant, which provided hot and cold breakfast foods. I am a coffee snob - so we skipped the Folgers coffee and made a stop at Starbucks most mornings on the way to the pool.

For an additional fee, guests can park in the hotel garage, and there is an option for valet parking. We never had any trouble finding a spot in the garage.

The hotel has an outdoor pool, business center, and fitness room.

The Crowne Plaza Houston River Oaks is about four miles from downtown, but this was not really an issue for us. The swim meet was held at the University of Houston Natatorium, and it typically took us 20 minutes to drive there from the hotel.

I was told that Houston has been nicknamed "the cement city." While I could find no facts to back this up, the name does fit. The maze of highways and ring roads is mind-boggling, and driving in the traffic is not for the faint of heart! We had to allow extra time to arrive and park on the campus Friday afternoon, as it was also the location of the Republican Presidential debate that day.

I'd never visited Houston before, except when switching planes at the airport. Unfortunately, we didn't have much time to explore the city as the swim meet consumed most of the four days we were there. 

Houston has a very metropolitan feel, with a population of over 2 million people. The days were mostly sunny and warm during our stay. Of course, most of our time was spent in a natatorium that was quite warm, as all pool facilities are!

Despite being in a huge and urban city, we did see a couple things that felt quite Texan, such as several cowboy boot sculptures and lots of "Lone Star" decorations. Twice we had to stop our car and wait for a parade of horses and chuck wagons from the Livestock Show and Rodeo to pass by.

My son wanted some good Texas barbeque, and our lunches at Goode Company Barbeque and Gatlin's BBQ were both excellent.

Taking advantage of the ethnic opportunities of being in a big city, we went to the Blue Nile Ethiopian Restaurant one night and had an amazing meal.

After the final event of the meet, the team and families gathered at El Tiempo Cantina to celebrate the hard work and achievements at the meet. We enjoyed Tex-Mex cuisine in a large party room; paid tribute to the athletes, coaches, and seniors; and began thinking about gathering again next year.

It is still to be determined where the WAC 2017 Swimming and Diving Championship meet will be - but if it is at the University of Houston, I would not be surprised if the team considers staying at the Crowne Plaza Houston River Oaks hotel again.

It was a fun trip to Texas, and now I am counting the days until we see our daughter again!

 Have you ever been to Texas?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

It is Magic When a Group of Players Become a Team

As any parent knows, there is nothing better than knowing that your kids are happy.

We have just experienced two amazing days of soccer. Both our high school teams (boys and girls) won their first two games in the State Championship Soccer Games. Teammates and families have draw even closer together than we have been all season.

It has been fun, and we all are going into the final Championship games today with high aspirations and hopeful feelings.

Sometimes I hate sports, because someone always has to lose. But, win or lose, nothing can take away the good that happens along the way.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend - and that our teams do too!

Win or Lose: It's Always a Life Lesson

This time last year I shared an essay I wrote about the abrupt end to my son's high school soccer season. Going into the playoff game, his team was in second place in their Division, but then they lost to the last place team. This knocked them out of the competition, and suddenly all of our plans to watch them try to win the State Championship evaporated. Hotel reservations had to be cancelled, and players, coaches, parents and fans all felt quite bereft.

This year, the Montana State High School Association changed the rules. The top two teams from the season get an automatic berth at the Montana State Championship meet - so we were able to avoid the trauma of a play-off game.

Everyone is excited, and despite a few injuries, our entire Varsity squad is hoping to be in good enough shape to play. My own son (a senior this year) broke a bone in his hand during practice last week. He has to

Week #10: My List of Fabulous Finds

Montana is once again hot and dry, with several fires burning across the state.  

The flames from a fire in Eastern Washington were licking the westbound lane of the Interstate when we drove home from vacation this past week. I'm not sure what started it - it could have been a spark from a chain being dragged by a semi-truck, a still-lit cigarette tossed from a car window, or numerous other causes. Lightening this time of year is risk factor enough - humans need to be careful not to add to the potential causes of these fires.

Perhaps for the first time all summer, the weather this week has been what is usually expected for this time of year. Hot.

My son's high school soccer team will begin official practices today, and before we know it it will be time for the first day of school.

I would like to know how to make time stand still for a bit!

Just a reminder of the reason for this series:

 There is a lot of really helpful, captivating, and entertaining information available on the Internet. It can take a lot of time however, to sift through and find the

It's Never “Mostly Flat with a Bit of Downhill” in Montana!

"It should be mostly flat, with quite a bit of downhill." This is how my husband described a hike he wanted me to do with him. It may not have been intentional, but he lied.

There was a time when I was up for any hike my family wanted to do. But over time, my husband and kids have become more adventurous, and I have become more cautious. Recently, I've left the taller, more rugged peaks to them.

My family, on our way up to the top of Casey Peak (elev. 8512'),  June 2013

I was a little concerned that we would be starting a ten-plus mile hike when it was already late morning and storms were forecast for later in the afternoon, but it sounded doable. I agreed enthusiastically to go. I should have known better though. Where in Montana can you go down - but not up?

We got to the trailhead (a 25-minute drive from our house) about 11 am and parked the car just off the dirt road in a convenient pull-out spot. The beginning of the hike was my idea of perfect. The sun was beating down and it was hot, but there was a nice smooth dirt trail which was quite flat. The scenery was beautiful.  

Had I given it any thought, I would have realized sooner that the terrain between us and our destination was far from flat ... mountainous describes it much better.  

We reached the first creek we had to cross. Rather than wade through it, my husband convinced me to walk across a fallen tree (with a 6-foot drop into the cold water on either side) to a better part of the bank. He might as well have asked me to tight-rope walk, as I have always had a bit of an irrational phobia about balancing acts. I was chanting, "I can't do this" most of the way across  - but I did it! 

I was feeling really pleased with myself until we realized that there was still another log that we would have to walk on to get across the water. Another tree had fallen across it so that we would have had to dodge underneath its branches part way out above the stream. Even my husband decided this would not be wise. So, back across the first log ... and we walked through the stream.

Flat gave way to a steep grassy hill. Finally, some cloud cover made the trek much more bearable.  

Dirt trails were then traded for an uphill rocky mountain trail, and we were more than partway up the mountain.  I was convinced my husband had tricked me and were headed for the summit! 

A brief rest and a delicious nectarine did a lot to restore my good mood, and we were on our way again.

My husband normally hikes a lot faster than I do. For the most part, on this particular hike he matched his pace to mine. He did get out of earshot for a bit on the steepest part of the ascent, but as he was carrying our only can of bear spray I caught up and insisted he slow down! 

As it turned out,  there were no bear sightings on this hike ... the only wild animal that gave me a momentary jolt was a friendly little garter snake. (He disappeared far too quickly to even think of taking a photo of him.)

Those previously welcomed clouds became an ominous black and we suspected we might get wet. Worse yet, the distant thunder which we finally acknowledged seemed to be becoming louder and more frequent.  

Fortunately, right about that time, the trail began to descend and we made our way down quickly, getting just a little damp from a shower. 

I began peppering my husband with questions and studying the map. From the next trailhead we were approaching, we were not exactly sure how long the rest of the "loop" back to our car would be, or over what sort of terrain. All we knew, was that it would be at least two more miles and the mountainous topography obscured any view of our destination.

I was concerned about the stormy weather, potential lightning strikes, and the unknowns ahead of us. We made the decision that if our son would pick us up at the end of this trail, we would stop there. If we couldn't reach him, we'd have no choice but to hike the rest of the way back to the car and hope the weather improved. Fortunately, we were back in cell range, and our son answered when we called.

The tables had turned. For so many years, I have set aside my own plans and dropped everything to provide transportation for my kids. Today, my son did it for us! He was waiting at the trailhead when we arrived and drove us back to pick up our car.

I was feeling a little cowardly and disappointed for suggesting that we not complete the entire ten-plus mile loop as planned. When I got home though, reading the description of the hike in our book about local trails helped to make me feel a little better. According to the article, hikers should expect the 8.5-mile version of the hike (the part that we completed) to take between four and six hours. I felt a little less wimpy knowing we completed it in under four-and-a-half hours.

Our hike is marked in red. The black dotted portion between The McClellan Creek TH and Willard Creek TH is the part of the loop we did not do.

In fact, I want to do the trail again. Except next time, we'll get an earlier start and complete the entire loop.

Had I taken the time to read the hiking book before we set out, I would have seen that rather than flat, this hike includes a 1900-ft elevation change (not downhill!) But if I had known that fact before we set out, then perhaps I might not have gone. That would have been a shame.

Do you like to hike?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Seattle Rock'n'Roll - Running, Walking, and Reuniting

Just about a year ago, after meeting a blogging friend in person for the first time, I wrote an article called Neither of Us was a Catfish! 

The term "catfish" refers to a person who pretends on a form of social media to be someone whom they are not. I had always cautioned my children about the dangers that lurk online - - and then found myself meeting Lana (who blogs at Two Teens and Their Mama) for lunch!

Seattle is not too far from Lana's hometown, so when I was there for my son's soccer tournament a year ago, she and I agreed to meet at a restaurant for lunch. Before we met, the only thing I knew about Lana was what I had read about her on her blog; yet I was sure we would be friends. My instincts were right. We had a wonderful afternoon together, and have been good friends since.

I was so lucky that the 2015 Seattle Rock'nRoll Race provided an opportunity to meet up with Lana again this past Saturday.

Lana and I,  just before we walked the 8K of the Seattle Rock'n'Roll Race last weekend.

We decided to walk the 8K of the Seattle Rock'n'Roll together, as her son and my daughter

How to Email Your Videos to Friends and Family.

I am not very technologically savvy.  In fact, it is a challenge for me to keep this website running smoothly.  You may have noticed that for the past few days the background of this blog was black. (!!!) I have been corresponding on the Blogger Help forum to try to figure out how to fix it . . . but I still don't have it repaired quite right yet!

My technological ignorance is not just limited to web pages.  For years, I have wanted to email the videos I've taken at my children’s events to far-away family, but I could never figure out how.  

In the past, whenever I tried to email a video of a sporting event or musical performance, I have met with frustration. It seemed the videos files were too large, and therefore could not be sent.  Does this sound like a familiar problem?

This photo of a video is from my phone. Without using Google Drive, I would have no idea how to share this with anyone!

My options for sharing videos long-distance used to be:

• uploading the video to Facebook or Youtube (not something I have always wanted to do!)  
• burning them to a CD and sending it through the mail.
• waiting for an opportunity to show them in person. 

Recently though, I discovered a way to successfully email a video to friends and family! 

Though far from being an expert in these matters, I am sharing what I know here today - with the hope

Still Soccer Weather, But Now I'm Watching Track

A year ago, I wrote a post about spring soccer weather. In it, I provided a link to an article I wrote about things a spectator should take to a soccer game. 

Fifty-two weekends after publishing that post, I found myself at a track meet instead of on a soccer field. The sport was different, but the weather was much the same - variable with part of the day quite grey and wet.

The rain held off for most of the day of the track meet.

This is the first spring in many years that my son has not played soccer. He still loves the game, but decided to take a break to try some different things.  It is his first year as a member of the high school track team, and my first year as a high-school-track parent. 

I have no advice to give - just a lot to learn.

It's your turn: 

What information can you give a first-time high school track parent?

Grieving for a Pool

Places, like people, become important in our lives.  Yesterday, I published a post about how I have been feeling homesick for a hotel. Today, I am in mourning. Not for the first time, but much more profoundly than before, I am lamenting the loss of a pool. I know that every parent who's ever had a child on a swim team is certain to understand why I am grieving.

My children were born in Ohio, and their early years were spent there.  We belonged to a club with an outdoor pool, where we spent a multitude of happy summer hours.  Although there were some earlier swimming lessons at a YMCA, it is this pool my daughter remembers as the place she began to love to swim.

On a visit to Ohio years later, we stopped in to “see the pool.” To our horror, we found the club to be in disrepair.  There were broken-down buildings and many symptoms indicating that it had not been used for recreation for quite some time.  

The pool was fenced - but beyond the padlocked gate it was visible with brackish sludge and a foundation that was clearly cracked. Despite the fact that there were no longer any reasons for us to ever swim in that pool, I felt sad. My daughter cried.

This past Monday, even before I saw it on Facebook, I learned of a major disappointment. (Bad news travels fast.)

The pool where my family (and countless others) spent ten-thousand-plus swim team-related hours is now closed.  Permanently. Reading the news was like reading the obituary of an old friend.  This time, it was not just my daughter who shed some tears.

I'll Get the Next One

“I'll get the next one.” This sentence is a quote from a paragraph my daughter wrote last weekend on an Instagram post. Just typing it caused my eyes to fill with tears, as it summarizes who my daughter is - and how we should all strive to live life.

“I'll get the next one.” Sometimes we don't have to say it. Sometimes life allows us to achieve our goals. Sometimes we can celebrate or even just take our life successes for granted.

There are other times, however, when circumstances get in the way and our goals are not met. These missed goals can be of any sort one can imagine - from a grade on a test, a job opportunity, a weight loss goal, a scheduled flight connection, or even a failed recipe. Responses to these disappointments can be varied, and it is easy to give up. But, a lesson both my kids seem to have learned (and that I am learning from them) - the very best response is, “I'll get the next one.”

Swimming is an unkind sport. It is unrelenting in its demands. A competitive swimmer is no stranger to early (very early!) morning practices, cold pools, chlorine-ravaged hair and skin, and races determined by sometimes a one-hundredth of a second. The higher the level of competition, the greater the demand. In college swimming, it all comes down to a few races at the end of the season. Nothing else up to that point really matters that much. There is a lot of pressure to be at your very best on the days of the championship races.

When it comes to swimming, my daughter has had to tell herself often that she will “get the next one.” A year-round swimmer for many years, she has had seasons cut short by pneumonia, appendicitis, injuries and other illnesses. Quitting the sport she loves never entered her mind. Wallowing in her disappointment (as I sometimes have done for her) has never been her style. Although her swimming career has sometimes seemed like a series of one-step-forward and two-back; instead of quitting she just keeps working until she can finally leap ahead in a three-giant-steps stride. Watching her has been a wonderful example of how to live life.

I was in San Antonio, TX last week to watch my daughter and her team compete in their college championship meet. Her teammates broke many school records and had some terrific swims. My daughter’s first race ended on a bad note, when she snagged and ripped her brand new (expensive!) racing suit while climbing out of the pool. Whether it was related to the influences of wearing a ripped suit, nerves, or other circumstances is unclear, but her subsequent middle-distance swims were not as fast as she had hoped. Still, she and her coaches remained excited and optimistic for the mile, her best event.

Her mile swim started off with swimmers taking their marks, like any other race. And then, it happened. Immediately on impact, after diving into the water, my daughter’s goggles broke at the nose piece. Snapped and flew off her face - still caught in her cap but dangling, useless, behind her neck.

As soon as she surfaced from her dive, it was apparent that something was wrong.

She surfaced from her dive and began to swim with her head well above the water, screaming to her teammates on the pool deck to get her new goggles. They sprang into action. Goggles were offered and passed hand-to-hand, until her coach met her with them at the end of the lane as she finished the 75th yard of this 1,650 yard race. Treading water, without touching the bottom or lane lines, she caught the goggles as they were thrown to her. She whipped off her broken ones, settled the new lenses over her eyes, and resumed the race. By this point the rest of the swimmers were easily a length or so ahead of her.

I can't describe how sad I felt for her. All that work, obliterated by the snap of a thin piece of plastic. I watched her continue to swim, and imagined an increase in the salinity of the pool. I was sure her tears were leaking from the borrowed goggles (which could not possibly fit as well as her own) and mingling with the chlorine. To keep myself from crying for her, I began to watch and cheer on her teammate, who I also hoped would swim well.

After a few laps, I focused again on my daughter. The gap was closing between her and the other swimmers. I just stared at her for a while, unable to dare hope that instead of being lapped, she was actually gaining on the field of swimmers. Instead of giving up, her pace was steady. Not only did finish a race that from the start seemed impossible; she did not come in last. Her time was not what she had hoped for or even a personal best - but it was such a courageous swim that she gained the respect of everyone at the pool.

Yes. My daughter will keep this promise to her team and to herself, and she will “get the next one.” But she “got this one” too. Sometimes the victories in life are not the ones we seek.


Having goggles break is just one obstacle life can throw at us.  How do you deal with challenges and disappointments?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!