The last week has been pretty busy, as "end-of-school" weeks tend to be. School was released for summer later than ever before this year, so I was able to spend my birthday with my students for the first time. It was a fun day. The last day of school for students was June 4. In another "first time ever" situation, Ed and I took off the last day of school in order to attend the Golf Sectional to watch Mac play for BNL. BNL won the tournament—on a tiebreaker! It was a nail-biter to the end. The next day, Ed, Mom, Dad, and I attended Take Steps in Indianapolis. Take Steps is an annual fundraiser for CCFA. This year, Team Croonin' for Crohn's was the top fundraising team in Indiana. Mom kept us all in stitches while we waited for the walk. You can check out pics of the event in this slideshow. Finally, Monday was the last teacher day. Ed and I were honored to play a few songs for the retiring BMS teachers. I selected the song "To Sir With Love" for George Simmerman, a retiring math teacher who I had in junior high, and to whom I promised to sing that very song when he retired. It was a neat moment. Now, my whole classroom is in boxes on the second floor of BMS. I'm a seventh grade teacher now!

In addition to gigs and the Mini, we had other fun happenings in May. Abbi attended one of Mac's golf tournaments, I helped my cousin Lauren prepare for Senior Prom, Mom hung out with her buddy Rowdie, Ed and I spent time together, and Mom and I enjoyed wearing silly crowns while watching Miss USA. Two days of school left!

I've been honored to be a part of several fun shows over the last three weekends—some with Forever Gold, and some with the Little Nashville Express. FG played in Corydon and Bedford, and LNE traveled to Bedford. Though it was tiring, the shows were some of the best performances of which I've been honored to be part. I posted tons of pics, both on the Forever Gold web site and on the JoKai.net Slideshows page. Check out all the fun! Thanks to Mom for being a great photographer and CD saleswoman! Now, I only have nine more days to teach until SUMMER VACATION!

What a Mini! Just like in 2009, I had a gig the night before the 2010 Mini. However, the gig before *this* Mini was in Corydon, Indiana, close to the Indiana/Kentucky state line. Mom and I drove from Corydon to Greenwood Friday night, where we stayed at my aunt's house. After about three hours of sleep, we awoke, got ready, and headed to Indy for the race. It was in the 40°s, and the wind gusts were at 40 mph. If it wouldn't have been for my excitement about the impending race, I would've been miserable. Mom gave me a throw-away raincoat to shed. The first mile was tough as I dodged everyone's throw-away clothes. After that, I got into a 9:45 rhythm that I didn't break until the 10th mile. I can honestly say that running the first nine miles was not difficult. I just kept focused and enjoyed running in my favorite race. Not even the track bothered me this year! I started to feel the miles around 15K. However, after turning west onto 10th Street (just short of Mile Marker 10), I got a second wind, literally! The wind at my back gave me newfound energy. I was proud that my first five-mile split was 48:53, and the second five-mile split was 48:47! Pretty consistent! I cruised to the finish line in 2:08:48, a 7-minute PR. Because of the unseasonably cold weather, my muscles tightened pretty quickly after the race. It's interesting that the most miserable I was all day was walking back to the car. Overall, it was a great day, and my favorite race of all-time. Additionally, Dad finished the 5K in 48:35! The BMS 5K was the day before the Mini Check out pics of both races at Gotta Run....

I love Springtime! There are pretty things to see and fun things to do. This week, we enjoyed "May The Fourth Be With You," and this weekend is full of fun activities. I'm singing with Forever Gold in Corydon on Friday night, running the Mini on Saturday morning, and singing the Anthem at Victory Field on Saturday night. Good times!

Spring has been going swimmingly for the Cobbs. Mac, Sam, and Ed have still been enjoying golf; Ed and I have been enjoying music; and I've been enjoying running more and more miles per week. I did my longest run thus far, 12 miles, on Saturday. I think the Mini on May 8 is going to be a blast. Mac got his own dose of fitness in the BNL Bike Rally a week ago Friday. He and several other students biked from the downtown area to the high school. It was a neat thing to see.

Croonin' for Crohn's raised over $3,000 for CCFA! Ed and I were so thrilled with the outcome of the show. The music was great, and the cause was greater. I made a slideshow of pics to share, and I will add a video to that page in the coming weeks. In other news, my CD is now for sale at JoAnnaKaiCobb.com. Several folks bought the CD at C4C, which I appreciated. Mom and I are headed to Kentucky for a gig tomorrow. Also tomorrow is the BNL Bike Rally in which Mac is participating. It's timely, because next week, he gets his driver's license!

It's Croonin' for Crohn's night! Ed and I are looking forward to tonight's show. There's been a lot of work completed by a lot of people to make C4C happen. Hope you can come enjoy the show. In other news, Cobb Springtime has been full of excitement. Mac began his golf season with the BNL Stars last weekend, where they earned a win in some cold rain at the Seymour Invitational. He's playing in the Top 5 this year. It's awesome to see how far he has come in just a year. He gets his driver's license this week! Sam also played in his first tournament of the season this week, but his tournament was in 90° weather in Tennessee. His former BNL teammate, Andy Webb, played in the same tournament for Valpo. Ed was able to go watch Sam. I've been preparing for the show, training for the Mini (finished the 15K in 1:28:55 with Bob Warnick's help), sunning (sometimes with Abbi,) singing, and cataloging my CDs. Yes, they're HERE! I'll have a sale link on JoAnnaKaiCobb.com soon.

The art for my album is complete! While Ed and I were in Virginia, I received an email with the images for the CD. I think they look awesome. Ed did the photography for the cover and the back, and Kevin Hudson of Hudson's Photography shot the inside image. Click on the thumbnails to the right to see larger images. On the inside image, you can read the text with the thank-you and the musician credits. The CD goes on sale on April 10 at Croonin' for Crohn's. It has 13 tracks of mostly classic country music with a modern sound. Hope to see you at C4C where you can pick up your own copy. I'll be on the radio on Thursday, April 8, at 9:00 A.M., giving away C4C tickets and a CD. However, there is a lot to do before the concert. Tomorrow, Mac has his first BNL golf match of the season. The Stars will travel to Seymour for their opening meet. Concurrently, I will be running the Let's Go 15K. Tomorrow night, I'm performing at the Ross Country Jamboree in Scottsburg. Sunday brings Easter. On Monday and Tuesday, Sam will be performing in his first college meet for the Evansville Aces. It's in Tennessee, so he'll have a long way to travel. Go Team Cobb!

Last week, Ed and I took a 74-hour trip to Virginia where we visited Williamsburg, Yorktown, Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Fort Eustis. I was able to sun, relax, and run on the beach. We saw lots of cool stuff, including Mom's eagles that she watches on the Norfolk Botanical Garden web cam. Also, we saw my roommate from Indiana's Junior Miss, Amy Smith Mize, who now lives in Newport News. It was a quick trip, but lots of fun! Check out the pics in the slideshow I made. In web site news, I archived the Winter 2010 What's Up posts, and there is a link to them at the bottom of this page.

Last week on Mac's 16th birthday, his grandparents had a family party for him. It was nice to see everyone, and it was especially nice to celebrate Mac. He gets his license in less than a month! This week, we'll get to enjoy some time off work with our annual Spring Break. Ed and I have some fun stuff planned including a mini vacation and finishing our taxes. :o) Last night, I did an impersonation show at the Corydon Jamboree and had a great time. In other singing news, last week, my CD was sent to the duplicator to be pressed. The CDs should be available for purchase in about three weeks. Also in three weeks is Croonin' for Crohn's. Yesterday, Ed and I worked on delivering tickets, making posters, and placing yard signs around town. This year's concert features Dame's Rocket, Forever Gold, Fort Worth, and The Nostalgia Band. Make plans now to attend!