Wild Wonderful Weekend

 Sometimes you get those moments when all is good & everything is rolling your way.  As Bruce Springsteen so wisely wrote, "Hard times come and hard times go; hard times come and hard times go, just to come again."  This was a week of blessings and a weekend where hard times go.  I know they will come again, but  if you don't celebrate the good times, what's the point of having them.
Before I go into the weekend, here's my Facebook post from Thursday:
I am blessed.
I work at an amazing place that CELEBRATED EXCELLENT WITH DISTINCTION today at a WHOLE district pep rally ~ in 80 degree sunshine (in Ohio, in October)
I got to watch both my boys perform on the football field with the best high school band in the land.
I got to tour the soon-to-be new middle school. (tried to pick my room & write my name on the wall, but couldn't find a sharpie)
I celebrated a FANTASTIC cross country season with an amazing group of 35 kids and their thoughtful & supportive families.
AND I came home to clean kitchen (you should have seen it when I walked out the door) I have a gem of a man for a husband.
Life is good.
And sometimes it just gets better.
Friday night we watched the last football game ~ ending Patrick's marching career, but it was in the rain...so I wasn't so sad!  Then we went to Cassidy's to hang with Le Jeder ~ Janice is a true groupie ~ as they spent the weekend performing in Geneva and Cassidy's house party.  Unfortunately, I had to miss the house party, because I had to travel to Pittsburgh to see BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN for the ninth time.  Kirsten & I sent off, shopped at Ikea, changed our clothes in a church parking lot {close to the hood} ~ really funny FUNNY story, but not one to share here ~ went to the Marriott to have a drink pre-show, and ran into an old friend from college.  Such a small world moment.  Then we go to the show.  I know our seats are behind the stage, but I don't care.  We sat there before & you can see everything & there are always screens to see what you can't.  I usually have to watch the screens wherever I am since we're most often pretty far away.  We walk in, hand our tickets to Robert (the friendly usher), who, instead of walking UP the rows, walks us DOWN the rows, and down the rows and down the rows to the FOURTH ROW behind the stage.  There were three rows, a gap of 10 feet & then the E Street Horn Section.  HOLY COW.  We could see the entire stage, the faces of everyone on the stage, their expressions, the interactions, EVERYTHING.  AMAZING VIEW of the show.  And, as always, it was an amazing show.  I will share the set list & some pictures (Taken with my new iPhone, which I quickly have fallen in love with)

1. Don't Look Back
2. Candy's Room
3. The Ties That Bind
4. Streets of Fire
5. Hungry Heart
6. We Take Care of Our Own
7. Wrecking Ball
8. Death to My Hometown
9. My City of Ruins
10. Spirit in the Night
11. Pretty Flamingo
12. Talk to Me
13. Adam Raised a Cain
14. Because the Night
15. She's the One
16. Working on the Highway
17. Shackled and Drawn
18. Waitin' on a Sunny Day
19. The Rising
20. Bandlands
21. Land of Hope and Dreams

Encore

1. Racing in the Street
2. Born to Run
3. Glory Days
4. Light of Day
5. Dancing in the Dark
6. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

My BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN History~ The Boss ~ I've seen him in concert at the Richfield Coliseum on the Born in the USA Tour July 9, 1984, The Tunnel of Love Express Tour March 14, 1988, The "Other Band" Lucky Town/Human Touch tour August 22, 1992; at The Gund Arena on the Reunion Tour November 14, 1999, The Rising Tour August 14, 2002; at The Wolstein Center (CSU) on the Devils and Dust Tour May 15, 2005, And at Quicken Loans Arena (same place as The Gund) on the Working on a Dream Tour November 10, 2009.  ~ where he played this song, just for me.  ~ at Quicken Loans Arena on the Wrecking Ball Tour April 12, 2012 (Best Show Ever) ~ at Consol Energy Arena, Pittsburgh, PA on the Wrecking Ball Tour October 27, 2012

Once again, an amazing show...

Then, Kirsten & I drove home (not an hour and a half...but two).  I was in bed just after 2:00 am.  Of course, with the way I've been {not} sleeping, I was up at 7:00.  The Barton Family Runners set off to Rabbit Run Theater for the second annual Rabbit Run.  A blustery, raining day, but not as cold as it was last year.  I did not repeat as second place female overall, but I did repeat as first place in my age group!  I ran it in 24:21  {details to follow when I find them on the internet}.  Patrick won for the family (22:34), followed by Jacob (22:38) & Mike (25.56) brought up the rear, making sure his whole family safely crossed the finish line.  AND, because costumes were encouraged {and I only need a slight reason} I ran in a pink tutu.  I felt like a running princess.

But the highlight of the weekend was the text Patrick got from his soccer coach:

"You've been named Academic All-State."

A positive ending to a roller-coaster season.