AnneLyze

When I started hiking, I joined the Adirondack Mountain Hiking Club, Albany Chapter. Going to the new membership meeting, I was excited to meet new people and learn about hiking.  Since then I have hiked about ten times with different leaders and groups, met some very interesting people and had some positive experiences. My hope was to find my niche and hike regularly with like minded and physically compatible people.  But, I'm still searching. The last three hikes are perfect examples of what I'm talking about.  Three weeks ago I did an A+ hike with a group led by a thin, quiet sixty something leader.  It was a brutal,  3 high peaks and a pace that was too fast for my enjoyment.  I found myself jogging in some stretches and if the group took a break, I kept going at my slower pace knowing they would catch up.  While I was physically capable to hike with this group, I did not enjoy myself and found little in common with anyone.  It made for a lo...

Senior night was last Thursday.  It was the last time Ben would play a home game at Bleaker Stadium.  The rest of the games this season are either away or at the St Rose College Field. For me it's the beginning of the end of twelve long, joyous years.  My role as a soccer Mom has become finite. Both boys started playing fall sports as seventh graders, Sam in Cross Country and Ben with soccer.  For twelve years I have stood or sat in every type of weather, in every local town, using bathrooms where ever I could find one, seen the inside of every McDonald's Restaurant, and yelled endless words of wisdom and encouragement.  I have also attended the same fall sports parent meeting, listened to the same speech, seen the same video and sat in the same auditorium twelve times.  And yet I can say with 100% honesty, I have loved every minute of it. Twelve years may not seem like a long time with a large family, but with only two boys, I was lucky enough to...