New Year's Eve Day/Night in Darien

Just got back from a walk with Cody and Beth has the croissants out and ready to eat and all are up except for Jill and Hayden.  I was the first up at 6:30, followed by Mitch, Drew, and Rami.  Then, Beth and Evie and Marisa and Halle, then Beth, the usual line up I think.  It's going to be a busy day, full of lots of preparation for tonight, playing with the grandkids, football, basketball, most likely a movie, lots of food, like a sushi lunch, a tenderloin dinner, so it looks like a good day ahead of us.  Also, it's pretty out, clear skies, a bit warmer, perhaps high in the 40's, so hopefully we can get everyone outside for a bit.  I am now surrounded by the girls, intent on devouring their croissants, so all is good.

Tyler and I had left over noodles and eggs for breakfast, my favorite, and the rest had croissants from William and Sonoma.  We are all alternating taking showers and Evie and Beth are working on dinner.  The girls are upstairs playing in Marisa's bedroom, something they seem to be able to do for hours without interruption.  They really get along well, which is fun to see and after their initial shyness, they are now good buddies.  It's amazing how kids can play for hours in their imagination, happy to be in the world of their minds, with a little help from the toys/animals/little creatures.

It's almost 4:00 and it feels like we just had dinner, as we sit around in Beth's sun room, after sushi, cheese and crackers, and dumplings steamed in collard greens.  After eating and we exchanged gifts with the Albarrans and Hayden and Jill.  Lots of good things for everyone and the kids all seemed happy with their choices.  Halle got an entire set up reading books from Beth and has been at them every since.  Hayden can't put down her book, either, and Marisa and Evie are working on various projects.  Not any interesting football on, though it seems like it has to be the background for a New Year's Eve day.  We need to get our energy and appetites back for the great dinner we'll  be having later.  Right now, all I want to do is go take another nap.  I think I need to go outside and take a walk to wake up.

The kids did play out in the snow for about an hour earlier in the day, with Drew and Evie, throwing snowballs, building a fort, and sledding.  The snow is pretty good for packing, and it's warm enough to really be out with a light jacket.  We are trying to decide if the kids should stay up till midnight.  I will leave it up to the parents.

Sitting at the kitchen table, watching Beth, Evie, and Jill  get thing ready; the boys are playing Wie, the girls have finished watching the movie Flipped, one we watched with Tommy in KC, and they loved it.  Now they are upstairs playing, waiting for their dinner.  It's been a good day of family together, everyone enjoying each other but also doing their own thing, the guys football, the girls talking and cooking, the little girls playing upstairs, the boys playing games.  The good life.

Quiet Morning in Darien--- Waiting for the Fun to Begin

It's 6:30 and Chello and me are the only two up, she getting ready to head off to Florida, me preparing for the day filled with the Albarrans and Bissells, the good life.  The girls slept in our room last night (actually Marisa's room), and they finally got to sleep around 10:00, but as far as I could tell, none stirred during the night.  They were strangely subdued yesterday, as they seemed to be adjusting to each other after having not seen one another since August. They seemed to be enjoying each other, however, just before bed time so I assume today will be a wild ride.

Lots of excitement this morning, unless you are Beth, as Chello's flight was cancelled so they had to find another flight and the only one they could find went to Ft. Lauderdale.  So, then, with the help of Jill and Evie, they found a car to drive her from there to Estero, for a tune of 250 bucks,  but it's cheaper than staying in a New York hotel for a night.  The last I heard she was on the plane so I hope her connection in Florida with the car works out as you is uptight enough about flying without all this other stress.

The girls are amazing, content to play up in Marisa's room for hours on end, with various sets of animals, dolls, and other munchkin type of things.  No fights, no quarrels, other than Halle sometimes getting the raw end of the deal because she is the youngest.  They did go outside and play in the snow for about an hour with Drew, Evie and the dogs, which was fun.  I took Drew on a tour of the beaches and some of the great homes, as this is his first time visiting the Albarrans in this house.  He has always been busy or deployed somewhere although he did live in northern CT at one time when he was in high school.

I am currently sitting in a Starbucks, waiting to meet up with Chris Galgano, one of my students from Reserve, who is currently a senior at UVA.  He has written an impressive paper on behavioral economics, which basically analyzes why many people seem to vote against their self interest.  He has become somewhat of a protege of Jonathan Haidt, the author of one of my favorite books, The Happiness Hypothesis.  He comes from Rye so it may take him awhile to get here, as traffic will be heavy unless he goes on the back roads.

A Yoga Morning in Darien

It's 7:00 and I have been up for about an hour, watching TV and reading my email.  Chello was up as well and is in the living room reading.  I am sure she wants her quiet time so I have stayed in the TV room.  Beth just got up because we are going to yoga at the Y and I couldn't resist a everything bagel.

Beth and I just got back from yoga at the Y which I thoroughly enjoyed because it was called 'gentle yoga',  led by a guy my age, Robert, who paid special attention to me, a result of my being such a rookie and his realizing that I needed help.  He had a really nice way about him, and his yoga style was to show you how just slight stretching and variations of the stress can be just as good a vigorous warrior pose like stuff.  This seemed the kind of yoga I would really enjoy and I think he caters to and older crowd as he kept talking about how this helps the older people avoid falling and getting hurt.  I think he was addressing this to me in particular but I could be paranoid.  He said he I like, he would send me some of the poses that he thinks would benefit me, especially those using the wall.  Beth's friend Nancy was also there, an aficionado like Beth, and we toured the facility.  The workout area is amazing, probably 50 or more treadmills and ellipticals,  all with a view of the ocean front.  Pretty amazing for a Y.

We then went to get coffee, then hit Palmers and the bookstore to pick up goodies for dinner, a couple of reading books for Halle.  It's about 11:00 and I'm eating my yoga, listening to Tyler complain about the fact that he has to give up his room to Jill and Drew (Mitch sits here smiling, knowing he gets to keep his room and Tyler doesn't).  Boys!

Took Tyler to the train so he could go work out at Fairfield with other members of his crew team.  Of course, he lost his ticket and had not money, so once again, Baba forked over some cash for the lost boy.  I then went and got my car washed, came home, walked Cody with Mitchell, and then Mitch, Marisa, Evie and I played out in the snow for an hour, just before dusk, thus the pictures.  Jill and Drew are not here yet and the last we heard, they were stuck on the New Jersey Turnpike.  I hope they are not delayed  long because they will also have trouble on their way to Darien.

Drew and Jill arrive about 4:00, a 7 1/2 hour drive, with lots of traffic and tolls.  The focus, of course, was the two dogs, Cody and Coco, and how they would get along.  Coco was the aggressor, and poor Cody had to put up with Coco's curiosity about a new friend.  At least they don't seem interested in fighting, and seem to put up with each other.

For dinner, we had Beth's chicken thighs  stuffed with goat cheese, noodles and salad...yum.  The girls ate pretty well and though Rami did not arrive till late, it was a fun dinner.  We sat around the table when Rami arrived and had dinner, and the girls went upstairs to play in Marisa's bedroom.  Mitch and Tyler played games on the TV and the adults ended up watching TV in the living room before heading off to bed around 10:30, as Rami had to work tomorrow, Chello was heading home early, and everyone was whooped from the day.

We Hit the Road for Darien

It's strange waking up in an empty house in Bristow, no little mice around to keep you hopping, just a TV, computer, and a cup of coffee.  I am still not sure of how the Interstate up north will be; I assume it will be slower but clear.  I just hope the traffic will be normal, not more than usual, especially as I go through the major cities of DC, Baltimore, and NYC.  We plan on leaving around 9:00, hoping to avoid the gridlock around DC.

We had a nice dinner with Ellen and Wally last night, making our stay here in Bristow much more fun.  We went to a recommended restaurant, the Asian Garden, and it was quite good.  They came late afternoon and we went to an early dinner, though we are not 'early birders' yet, and they headed  back to Hearndon by 7:45 because both have to work today.  They had a great holiday having the kids home though they ended up having Christmas at home as the Lange's all had strep throat.  It's been fun seeing them and it makes coming to visit Jill and Drew all the more special.

We finally arrived in Darien, two hours later than the GPS suggested our arrival would be; the roads were very crowded, once we got on the the New Jersey pike and at times, we were in a stand still.  The other side, however, seemed to hardly move, for what reasons, I am not sure, but I am glad we were heading north rather than south.  It cost us close to thirty dollars in tolls to get here, along with gas and food, not a cheap drive. It surprised me as I have never been on these roads before.  The irony, too, was as we got out of NYC, into CT traffic slowed down and it took us forever to get to Darien, through Greenwich and Stamford.  It  took us seven hours, leaving at 9:00, arriving around 4:00, about 315 miles.  With a less crowded highway, we could make it in six, perhaps less

Beth had dinner all set, salmon and spinach, our favorite and though the boys and Rami were not there, because of skiing, we had a good time.  They arrived just after we finished eating, with a bag full of Chipotle's wraps, so they were happy.

It was nice to see Chello again, as it had been awhile since we have last seen each other.  She was supposed to head back to Florida on Monday but because of bad weather, she has to wait till Thursday.  So, she seems a bit itchy to get back to her home and dog  Lettie was also here last night, and as usual, Bella became my friend.  She has been here almost a week, too, and couldn't get back to NYC because of the snow as well.  She had a car pick her up last night, around 8:00, as it would have been difficult with her dogs to make it via the subway.

We were all tired and went to bed around 10:00 though Tyler's friend was here, waiting for his parents to come and pick him up.

Stranded in Bristow, Virginia (sort of)

We have hardly any snow in Bristow but we are probably putting off our trip to Darien until tomorrow, as the roads in New Jersey, NYC, and CT are pretty bad, lots of snow, winds, drifts, and they won't open up until later in the day.  Drew is off to the DMV to register his car, Hayden's still sleeping, Halle's engrossed in her game, Evie's making breakfast, and Jill's taking a shower.

I talked to Beth early and they have over a foot of snow and its very windy though its supposed to get better later in the day.  Chello's flight to Florida has been put off till Thursday, so if Jill and Drew drive north on Wednesday, as planned, we will have a full house to the night. I have the feeling we could leave today if we went in the early afternoon but it does not seem worth the chance, when tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and clear up the entire coast.  And Evie already has scoped out where the nearest TJ is so we will have something to do today...shop. We will explore the area and see what's around here, as we haven't really had time before.

Jill and Drew and the girls have left for Lexington, to visit Drew's parents.  We are at sixes and sevens, kind of worn out and wondering what, if anything, to do with ourselves. Fortunately, Patsi emailed me and they are willing to drive out this way and we will get together for dinner at the Asian Garden, supposedly the best restaurant around here.  We will head to Darien tomorrow and hope for the best.

Overall, a lazy day, like the air was let our of our balloon.  Neither one of us felt like doing much and just laid around the living room, watching TV or surfing the net.  I did go for a brief walk about it was so windy I didn't enjoy it much.

Waiting for the Blizzard to Hit or Miss

Sunday morning, the day after Christmas, and all is amiss, as the weatherman sings of storms to come, travel plans ruined, airports crowded with stranded passengers, and we sit here warm and happy, not needing to go anywhere till the storms over.  I hope I can be patient enough not to venture north till the storm passes but who knows, I don't like to wait around.  I want to hit the road again, keep  going, get to the next city, stop, rarely happy to stay in one place for long, as long as there is another place to arrive on the itinerary.  Why can't I just enjoy where I am at, as the mantra says:  To travel is better than to arrive.

It's 9:00, Drew and I have been up since 7:00, Halle 7:30, Evie around 8:00.  The other two lazy bums are still sleeping, including Coco whose preferred home in the morning is Jill's bed.  He hates to lounge around with us early risers when he can be in a warm, comfy bed.  Halle did bring Coco down when she got up but he soon found a gap in the kitchen door and raced upstairs.  I cannot say I miss him!  I didn't say that girls.

It looks like, if the weather mavens are correct, we will put off our trip for a day, heading to Darien on Tuesday rather than Monday, at least that's the way the weather seems to suggest.  Drew and Jill will head off tomorrow for his parents' house and we will stay here one more night, then head off, weather permitting on Tuesday, alas, most likely, missing a brief visit with Eric Gustavson and family on the way.  I guess this is the benefit of retiring; you don't have to be anywhere tomorrow, just in your head.

A few flurries and it's already 6:00 in the evening, so we are not going to get a blizzard in this area, just an inch or so, though I could eat my words tomorrow morning.  I think it gets worst the more you head north, especially in NYC, CT, and north of there.  Beth was just getting some snow around three though they were expecting much more  tonight and tomorrow morning.  We'll just have to wait and see what the night brings.  Spent the  afternoon watching the Browns lose, as the girls had friends over, and Drew and Jill went off to do some errands.

Christmas in Bristow, VA, with the Bissells

It's 9:00 and Christmas is over for the girls; the presents are opened, the various games/clothes/gadgets are spread all over the house and everyone seems happy with their morning.  The girls were amazing, excited over every gift they opened, as if it was just what they wanted.  Hayden's Ipod touch was the big gift for her, along with an Ipod station, various 'real girl' clothes, books, and pillow pets.  Halle's big present was a DS game/gadget, along with clothes, a Squinky, and a pillow pet.  She, too, is really excited about everything.  Drew's big gift to Jill was a Nikon camera; he got various shirts, jackets, books, things like that.

The egg casserole is in the oven; we are all hungry campers so we are just going to have to wait.  I don't think the girls care but Jill is hungry, as usual.  Hayden's upstairs with Evie, putting stickers we gave her on her walls, actual mirrors that you can place as you wish.  She is excited.

From The Writer's Almanac:

There's been a lot of advice from writers about Christmas. As for gifts, former Ladies' Home Journal editor Lenore Hershey advised: "Do give books — religious or otherwise — for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal."


Novelist Oren Arnold (books by this author) had the following Christmas gift suggestions: "To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect."


Journalist W. C. Jones wrote, "The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas."
Agnes Pharo said that Christmas is "tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace."


American writer Washington Irving (books by this author) famously said: "Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart."


And it was 19th-century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (books by this author) who wrote:


"I heard the bells, on Christmas Day,
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

We actually have had some snow flakes this morning, though none have stuck on the ground.  The excitement level has mellowed and the girls are now playing with their games or Barbies.  Hayden laid out all of her new clothes on her bed before deciding which to wear for the day; then, she put everything away in its place, as here room is always immaculate, a bit different from Halle's though she, too, is getting more conscious of keeping her room picked up.  I wonder who this comes from?  Jill? Drew? Granny?  Certainly not Baba!

Relaxing afternoon, with the  girls spending time on their gadjets, downloading music and taking pictures, and watching UP, a Disney movie on Netflix.  Now I'm watching the Lakers and Heat, as the prime rib smells fill the room.  Just cut the brussell sprouts off the three foot stalk, Evie's got the popover mix ready to go, and all will be done around 6:15.  It's been mostly cloudy all day, though my walk was invigorating, a bit cold but it felt good and there was little wind.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

A great dinner, especially the popovers, some after dinner conversation (my new strategy), some Apples to Apples, to please Hayden, then off to bed for the kiddies.  I hope we have the energy to watch a movie but I doubt it.  

Baking Cookies All Day Long

Today, Christmas Eve, is Drew's cookie day, so both he and Evie started about 9:00 and didn't finish till about 3:30 with their baking.  Then, we had to begin dinner, our favorite, lemon/oregano chicken, with creamed spinach and rice. So, it's not been much of a day of rest and recovery, rather one of getting organized for tomorrow.  The cookies were as follows: peanut butter with a reese's cup in the middle; butter almond crisps, peanut butter cookie, pecan bars, chocolate chip, banana walnut cookies, and ginger molasses cookies.  After they were all made, Drew wrapped them up, put a Christmas card on each, with the girls' picture, and drove off to deliver them, as Jill stayed home awrapping with Evie.  I, of course, took a walk, read, and helped out with dishes as needed.  Before dinner we are going to listen to John Henry Falk's 'A Christmas Story,' a NPR radio broadcast from the early 80's that I loved, about a boy who cherishes a Christmas because he received an orange.  A good story and available online if you just google it.

The  girls' needless to say, are excited about tonight; in a moment of candor, Halle told me  that she saw a Barbie and Pet Shop present in our closet.  She must have looked through the wrapping because they were all wrapped.  I told her that if you sneak a peak ahead of time, you often don't get the presents, which shut her up pretty quick, and she began explaining how she's not sure what she saw.  What a  kid.

Listening to the story was a failure, as it was too difficult for the kids to follow and, I think, they are not used to listening carefully to a story unless it's accompanied by visuals.  I know my students at Reserve had a hard time just listening to an audio recording; they had to really concentrate to follow it although I remember them vividly laughing to NPR's story Squirrel Cop.  I wonder if the kids would like it.  I don't think so.  Anyways, it's time for lemon chicken and the works; the  girls did open a present before dinner, matching Xmas pj's from Old Navy.  They loved them, of course, and had to immediately put them on, though Hayden excused himself to change in her room.

Last Night's Dinner with the Bottiny Family

Well, we had a great night at Jill and Drew's, as all the Bottiny's managed to make it, since Julia was home from school and Brooks works in this area.  It was great to see everyone, especially the kids, as they are often too busy to come to the lake or Cleveland.  Julia looks great and seems to love school, though it sounds grueling, especially during exams.  It's nice for her to have some time off before heading back.  And Brooks keeps moving up at Best Buy and has become their expert on home theaters, high end types of combos.  He now has his own apartment in Alexandria, the cool part of the city, so he really enjoys the area and having his own place.  They both seem so grown up, no longer kids or coeds, but the working class (though Julia is back in school).  It's hard to believe that little baby who helped us celebrate our new Chautauqua home is now thirty one years old. Of course, it's just as hard to believe I'm 67 and Patsi's almost sixty.

Walt took the day off and he looks the same, putting all of us to shame with his self discipline and workout schedule.  He and Drew have lots in common, having run the Marine marathon in the fall and keeping in great shape.  Patsi, as usual, was her thoughtful self, bringing the girls  beanie babies, which they loved, and proceeded to take upstairs and put on their beds.  And she brought us a purple martin gourd house, something we have been wanting.  Patsi always seems to know what's just right.  We did get a crappy gift for Brooks and Julia, some chocolate blue berries from Trader Joes!  Big deal, right, but the thought was sort of there.  I figured they already had an Ipad.

We had Jill's recipe for crostini for appetizers, along with some brie, and dinner was a spiral ham, with scalloped potatoes, green beans, and Evie's rolls.  Pumpkind pie and Christmas cookies finished off the night.  It was fun for Jill and Drew to have everyone over to see their house and celebrate in their dining room with a great dinner.  They are great hosts.

And it was fun for Jill and Drew to get to know the Bottiny's as I don't think they had seen each other since the wedding, eleven years ago.  Perhaps Jill has seen Ellen and Walt  but Drew has always been busy with the Army and has rarely been around in the summers.  All the Bottiny's were surprised at how grown up Halle and Hayden were, no longer little babies.  Julia seemed to really connect with Halle  Unfortunately, Hayden wasn't feeling well so she spent most of the night upstairs in bed.  O, I forgot that rascal, Coco, the new puppy, who was his usual annoying (but lovable) self, barking, getting in to the presents under the Christmas tree, driving her parents nuts.  More reasons why I don't want a dog.

We talked quite a bit about both Brook's and Julia's lives and Walt and I talked about changes in his department, how the budget seems to be effecting part of the IRS, his corner,  but not others.  He has an interesting job, working with multi national companies on their taxes, both negotiating and prescribing. It's a very different part of the IRS from what most people know but it serves an important purpose: bringing tax dollars to the government that might otherwise be lost.

Patsi and family are going to Bob and Carol Lange's for Christmas, as Thanksgiving was at the Bottiny's.  It will be nice for them to Jill and Drew around as well, to get together occasionally, though it sounds like Jill and Drew were talking about hitting some of the hot spots with Brooks and Julia.

It was a good night, one of many more to come we all hope.

Up Watching the 'Wizards of Waverly Place' with the Girls

Nothing is worst then the junk on TV for kids, like this show and Hannah Montana, but I guess the girls like it.  It's strange to see these shows once or twice a year, when we visit, and the girls want to watch these in the morning rather than the news.  I have to admit the news is just about as boring.  Both Evie and Jill are still sleeping, I've taken the dog out for a brief walk, and we are sitting here surfing the channels looking for the next show.  It's definitely colder and windier today, as the weather may be changing, with a rumored front coming in over the weekend.  Ellen and Wally and family will be coming for dinner and the girls are excited to see their cousins.  I am not sure they have ever seen each other since Jill and Drew have been quite a distance for most of the  girls' lives.  They were expecting kids their age I am afraid and are surprised they are 'grown ups'.  Halle wants to know if Brooks has a girl friend so I told her to ask him when he arrives. She's begging me to go down and wake Evie but I want to let her sleep in a bit, as she has had busy days.  Coco heads to Petsmart this morning for a grooming so he looks nice for Xmas.  The girls colds seem better this morning, though Hayden still has a cough.

Skipping School for the Kiddies

Both girls are up, neither feeling up to snuff, with coughs, so they are staying home, the good life.  Both are sitting on the couch now, bugging Evie to do this or that, as Jill and I sit here surfing the internet on our computers.  It looks like a partly cloudy day, filled with little girls, cookie making, getting ready for the Bottinys and no doubt the trip to the store for something you forget to get yesterday.  Halle is way to peppy this morning, Hayden a bit more subdued.

It's late afternoon and Hayden's still on the couch, under a blanket, feeling blah though she still wants to go out tonight and look at lights, with hot chocolate and popcorn.  Drew came home early again, and Jill is still taking a nap, after our rough afternoon of sushi and shopping.  Life can be tough this time of the year.  It's actually been a fairly nice day, with the sun coming out most of the afternoon and it's not as cold.  However, it looks like an Easterner may be heading our way for Xmas and the weekend, making travel difficult for those in the air and on the roads.  Let's hope it misses the Washington to New York corridor so we are able to head north on Monday, the 27th.

Chicken barbecue for dinner, with coleslaw, then off to look at lights with the kids, with hot chocolate and Coco.  Now it's time to settle them down and get them to bed as both are tired and still not feeling great.  Good luck.

Winter Solstice Celebrated in Virginia

Some thoughts on winter which I find invigorating, from this morning's The Writer's Almanac:

Poets over the ages have proffered plenty of advice for the coming months. Poet Pietro Aretino, born in the 15th century, said, "Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius." William Blake wrote, "In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy." There's a Japanese proverb that says, "One kind word can warm three winter months."

Emily Dickinson wrote, "There's a certain Slant of light, Winter Afternoons — That oppresses, like the Heft Of Cathedral Tunes." Existentialist Albert Camus wrote, "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." Victor Hugo once said, "Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart."

Well, it's 7:30   and the girls are up, noisy and happy despite some coughs, as they have school parties today.  Outside, the sky's clear, and as I look through the bare trees and over the pines, I can see a bit of pink  but mostly a sky tinged with blue...a clear, crisp, cold morning  And I forgot, Coco is up, frisky and happy, driving us all nuts. Jill has volunteered to help in Halle's class today and Evie's going as well, taking most of the morning. 


Girls made it to school, though neither one is feeling chipper.  Evie and Jill are showering, then going to wrap a few  presents, before heading off to help with the school parties.  I have been reading the papers, catching up on email, and now I'm going for a walk, one of my vows for this vacation, to get some exercise in each day.  So far, so good.

I am sitting in Caribou coffee now, a couple of miles from Jill's home, in a small shopping center with a Safeway, fairly new I think.  I walked close to an hour, exploring her neighborhood, the various configurations of homes and streets, took a shower, and came here because Evie and Jill were off to the girls' school to help with parties.  This is a densely populated areas, with huge tracks of homes built probably close to ten years ago, obviously a boom area, as the schools are too small and a couple of new ones are being built. There are a couple of main roads, and them in both directions are housing clusters, depending on the size of the development and shape of the land.  In Jill's area, for example, there are steep drops, off towards a creek, and homes follow this meandering waterway.  Lots of pipe stems, as they are called here, lead off of auxiliary roadways.  Towards the end of her street, our apartments as well, giving you the sense of being part of a larger community of homes and apartments, with little space in between to take advantage of the land's development potential.  As far as I can see, there are little if any open spaces in the residential area.  Near the school is a large recreational complex for the development, with tennis courts, play grounds, and a large outdoor swimming pool, the focus of summers for many residents, as many if not most kids are involved in the swim program.

We picked the girls up from school at 3:30, though we had a heck of a time capturing the dog to put a leash on him.  He's pretty good at avoiding our grasp but I finally got him with a treat.  Picking up the girls is like plucking them off a long, winding line of munchkins, all on their way home, with assorted bags and back packs.  Some parents, like us, were waiting for them at the stop sign, other kids, mostly boys ran home, playing along the way.  The girls then played outside till dark, for about an hour, and now we are getting ready to grill burgers, Juicy Lucy's, outside. 

Hectic School Morning in Bristow

The girls got up a bit late, though they are up and eating breakfast now.  Halle sat with me and we looked at pictures from 2007, some of all of us in Florida at Christmas, many of Halle when she was a baby, and some of Christmas at Tom's in 2008, I think, when Jill and Drew were at Leavenworth.  Hayden tried to play the 'I am too sick to go to school game', but Granny was able to get her out of her mood and start laughing so it looks as though it's all go this morning for school.  We'll see.  It's partly cloudy outside, in the high 20's, and the snow still covers the ground though all the sidewalks and streets are clear.

We finally convinced Hayden to go to school, though we all thought she was not feeling up to snuff.  She seemed happy enough once she got going but I thought she looked pale.  Not much on the agenda today, other than Jill manning the welcome desk at school, and Evie will be going with her, to keep her company and see the girls in their school setting.  I think I will explore the area a bit, as I have no idea of the lay of the land here in Bristow other than there's a mall about three miles away.  I don't think there's much here, like most surburbia, other than shopping centers and older strip malls, no town centers.

Evie and Jill are at the girls' school and I am at the local shopping center, sitting at a Starbucks, staring out the window at Uno Pizza, Adoba Mexican Grill, The Bungalow Alehouse, Coldstone, and Papa
Johns...I could be anywhere in the US because right around the corner are all the big chain stores, the Best Buy, Target, Lowe's et al.  The shopping center is packed, making me wonder, once again, if anyone works anymore.  Most, myself included, just seem to spend money on non necessities, like a Venti at Starbucks, $2.21 including tax, I think.  No wonder I don't go to Starbuck anymore except on the rare occasion when I have on vacation.  There seems to be an older crowd at this Starbucks, or it's the time of the day.  Gosh, there are a few people older than me!  Better hit the road soon as Coco will need to taken for a walk soon...dogs, the bane of my vacationing life!

A Halle Morning

Up around 7:00 and sat down with Drew, to watch Sports Center and cruise the Internet when Halle came bouncing down, jumped on the couch next to me with two books, and we were off.  First, we read JACK AND JILL AND BIG DOG,  then BISCUIT GOES TO SCHOOL.  Both are quite fun and even though she has them memorized, we are getting her to pay more attention to sounding out words and thinking about what she is reading rather than just memorizing.  She is afraid to think about it, just lets her memory speak rather than trying to read, typical of this age, I think.  She is getting better and she was able to spell out all sorts of words that rhymed with hill, like pill, dill, till, ill, and mill.  She is getting the idea.  Then, she ran up and got her Barbie computer and we figured out how to get some games working, one that spells out a word in Spanish, then shows a picture of the word, like horse.  We tried some of the math games but they seemed too difficult, as she still has some trouble were her numbers, especially those over ten.  I can remember the last time we visited and Evie worked really hard with her on ten through twenty but she still needs to work on them. She is a doll and is sitting on Evie's lap working on her spelling.  She is happy to work at her skills all day, with a smile.

I have to get some exercise in this vacation, my vow, so let's see how long it's takes for me to break it.  Not long I imagine as I feel lazy already and it's only 8:30.  Coco just came down, after sleeping upstairs with Jill, so I imagine she'll be up soon.  Time to start thinking about doing something other than sitting on the couch and reading or writing.  Trouble, as Hayden just came down, having slept in late for her, despite her alarm going off at 7:00.  She wants the dog and the fun begins, as he'is sitting on Halle's lap.  Let's play 'who gets Coco.'

Just ate dinner, and we are all filled up with junk food from Burger King because Chick Filet closes on Sundays because the founder vowed that his employees would never have to work on Sunday.   I suspect.  Jill and Drew went to a movie, then dinner, so they won't be home till later.  Earlier in the day, Drew added some lights to his attempt to be Clark Griswold and wouldn't you know it, after they left, the lights came on momentarily then the lights in the house went out.  I checked the circuits and one was sprung, so I reset it; the lights went off again, just like at the Griswolds, so I went out side and pulled some plugs, reset the breaker again and we have not had a problem.  Drew's sister's children, Caleb and Carly came over and decorated Christmas cookies for a couple of hours, a couple of cute kids, one is Halle's age, and Caleb is seven.  We are sitting watching Toy Story, though we want to get the kids ready for bed soon as they have school tomorrow and with these two, it takes quite awhile, after all the preparations, the stories, the talks, karate, and all. Coco has jumped up on my lap and snuggled between my arm and computer.  He can be cute when he's not biting or humping your leg.  Ahh, the beauty of a puppy.

Morning with the Bissells

I slept in till 7:30 and Drew was already up.  We sat watching CNN and had our computers but talked mostly about the sad state of affairs in our political, governmental, and military world, how they are seem bloated and wasteful, though it's almost impossible to change them, as everyone, as Drew said, is worried about keep their 'rice bowls' full.  Hayden got up, followed shortly by Halle, and they came and sat with me as we looked at photos from the summer and Thanksgiving.  Evie then got up and joined us, then Jill, so it was time to start breakfast.  Everyone wanted pancakes, so Evie and the girls got cooking.  It looks like a sunny day, thought there is still snow on the ground.  Jill and Drew are planning a shopping day, followed by dinner and a movie, so we get the girls for the day.  I forgot to mention Coco, the ball of white fur.  It took awhile for him to adjust to us, but now he jumps on my lap and falls asleep,  The girls love him, obviously, and he enjoys them, even if they carry him around.  He does seem to be Jill's baby, however, as she is the preferred lap.

Jill and I took Coco out for a short walk before she and Drew went off to the store.  Evie and the girls decorated Christmas cookies while I watched Kansas eke out another home victory.  Jill and Drew returned and decide to stay home and have pizza with us rather than going out for dinner and a movie.  They may go tomorrow depending on how energetic they feel.  They took off again to return some stuff to Pottery Barn and order a couple of new chairs.  Evie ended up playing hide and seek, while I looked at photos again with Hayden.  Kind of a lazy day after our drive yesterday and the girls seem content to just hang out in the house.  O, yea, I took a brief nap with Coco laying on my chest sleeping, legs up in the air, completely oblivious.  What can I say, dogs just like me.

On The Road Again and Again: Ashville to Bristow

We left about 7:15, to light snow, and it snowed until we hit Interstate 80 in PA, though the roads seemed fine and the traffic was light through Warren, Ridgeville, and Pen.  Once we hit #220 down to the PA turnpike it was fine, and from then on, we had sun most of the way, arriving at Jill's about 2:15, just about seven hours exactly.  When we arrived in Bristow, there was snow on the ground and the girls were out sledding in the side yard, and the sun was out, a perfect day.

Just finished dinner, tacos and the fixings, and now the two  girls are dancing to disco tunes, much to our delight.  Hayden's a bit self conscious but Halle could care less.  She just dances, oblivious to the surroundings, groovin to the tunes.  In between dances, they hug their puppy Coco, as Drew and I sit here with our computers.  We are bores, no doubt.

Packing is Hard to Do

We leave for the Bissell's tomorrow morning, so today's the day we really get organized.  I leave for breakfast with the guys in 15 minutes, then when I return, we head off to Lakewood, to finish our shopping and get a few items from Wegman's.  Fortunately, Evie finished wrapping everything yesterday, so today it's a matter of getting all that we will need for our trip in one place, then packed, then put into the car for our early departure tomorrow morning.  My only worry is the roads; I think I will stick to the Interstate rather than going back roads through PA, which means we have to head back to Erie, down to Pittsburgh, then take the turnpike to Breezewood, where we then head south to Bristow.  It looks like Jill and family will have some snow today, but the weather tomorrow seems pretty good, once we get out of the Chautauqua/Erie area, inshallah.

It's still cold, 16 degrees, the lake is covered with snow and the snow flakes continue to fall, though only an inch or two fell over night.  It would be nice to see the sun but we will have to wait till tomorrow, when we are on the road.  I am off to breakfast at the Bemus Point Inn.

The sun is beginning to set, yes, the sun, and the far hills are still bathed in late afternoon light.  It's such a relief to have sunshine; it makes the day so enjoyable, even if you are just out shopping. It actually  seemed warm out side though it's only 21 degrees right now, but there's not wind, which makes a big difference.  We hope to get the car mostly packed before dark, so we will be ready to go tomorrow.  Just heard from Jill that the girls had a snow day, though tomorrow it's supposed to warm up.

Left over chicken tonight, early to bed, so we can head off before 7:00 tomorrow.  After conferring with my new breakfast buddies, we are going the back way through Warren, PA, down to Altoona, then on the the pike before heading south again on  back roads to Virginia.

December Winds

As SUNDIAL OF THE SEASONS suggests, there are no breezes in the winter.  The storm systems move faster and the cold air of the winter is actually heavier than the warm air of summer, thus exerting more pressure when it blows, thus the howling I suppose.  And there's no leaves to slow it down, as it passes freely through the bare trees, adding to its power.  Fortunately, it calmed down a bit last night, so I was not awakened by its howling, the house groaning from its strength.  But it's picked up a bit this morning, creating small snow squalls out over the lake, as the dawn takes away the dark.  It's 18 degrees at 7:00, a few degrees warmer than yesterday.  It looks like we got another six inches last night and more to come today.  It's not supposed to calm down till Friday, the day we head off for the Bissell's in Virginia.

We went to Ron and Linda's last night, for designer pizzas, both really good.  And we had no trouble getting there or returning as we managed to pick times when there were no snow squalls, making visibility quite good,  It's amazing how few cars there are on the roads, especially after dark, compared to the summer months.  We can drive to Ron and Linda's and see only a couple of cars.  My favorite pizza was squash, Gorgonzola, pine nuts, and Italian ham, though the more traditional sausage was also good.  I think pizza and hamburgers are my two favorite meals, something I can go back to often and happily.  We had given them a few gifts last week, so they returned the favors,  giving Evie a neat stoneware basket for heating bread in the oven and a fish bottle opener for me.  They obviously know my interests.

We are roasting a chicken for dinner, with potatoes and brussell sprouts, my favorite.  Evie has spent the day finishing off the baking of cookies for the kids to decorate and she finally finished the wrapping of the presents.  Now all we have to do is pack for our trip and were off on Friday morning, weather permitting.

12 Degrees in the Cold

A howling wind kept us company during the night, moving branches, filling our yard with another six inches of snow. I was up at 5:00, listening to it pound the house, and I couldn't get back to sleep so I am up, catching up on my email and reading. It's pitch black, obviously, the fire is lit, coffee's hot, and I am cosy in my cocoon of snow. Our drive was cleared last night, so we should be able to work our way out this morning, though I am sure we will have to shovel the snow that fell overnight. We have a lake effect snow advisory until tomorrow morning, so we could still get quite a bit more snow.  They are suggesting that Chautauqua country will get up to two feet of snow in some areas.   At least we don't have to be on the road till this evening when we are going over to Ron and Linda's for dinner, weather permitting. Just heard the snowplow out clearing our road at 6:15, so he's up early as well.

As dawn emerges, the lake appears, a gray soup of chunks of ice and hundreds of both ducks and geese and two swans, all bobbing for vegetation, their last meal before the lake freezes over.  When the wind blows, the snow obscures their shapes, leaving just a hint of shadows on the water.

It's almost 3:00 in the afternoon and it's still only 17 degrees outside and snowing, as it has for the last six hours.  The lake has finally frozen up and all the wild life have disappeared, either to other parts of the lake where there maybe open water or they are heading south to warmer weather.  Evie's been making cookies, creating photo albums, and wrapping presents.  I have gone out three times to clear the walk, make a path to the car, and sweep the snow off the car.  Right now, the wind is whipping up the snow on the lake, like a sand storm on the desert, except this is snow.  It's hard to believe this is the same lake we boat, fish and swim on in the summer.

A Wild, Windy Day in Euclid

It’s 7:30, and I’m the only one up at Holzheimers, as the wind howls, the waves on Lake Erie break, like I am living on the ocean. One big white cap after another rolls in on a gray stormy lake (sea today), as I sip my coffee and get warm next to the fireplace. I thought there were no birds of any kind on the lake, especially today, but I just saw a few sea gulls struggling towards the East.

Evie and I drove in yesterday, Sunday, afternoon, an easy drive through drizzle and a few snow flurries, nothing serious. All the family managed to come over at one time or another, as Richie’s family was going to see Billy Elliott, though we got to see them before and after the show, and Jim came by around 9:30, after work. As usual, it was a riotous afternoon, with all the grandchildren in one room or another. They love coming over and get along with each so well. Some were in the basement playing games, others hung out with the adults in the living room, and the older boys were watching Akron U win the NCAA soccer title in the family room. The only real trauma occurred when we tried to take a family picture of the kids in front of the fireplace. For some reason, Owen rebelled, was made fun of my Colin (perhaps), and Owen angrily ran over to Colin and sucker punched him in the stomach. Colin burst into tears, Owen was upset, and everyone tried to calm the two boys to no avail. Some pictures were eventually taken but as always, trying to take a family picture often ends ups torturous and unpredictable

Dinner was great as always; Linda makes it look effortless, like my Mom, but I am sure it isn’t. Evie and I had talked the other day about how ham sounded good to us, and that’s what we had, with cornbread, scalloped potatoes, and coleslaw. We made pigs of ourselves, the only two going back for seconds.

It was fun to see all the family again; we hadn’t seen them since summer, if then. Both Jack and Claire were home from college, looking good and happy. They look so grown up it’s scary. It was Sophie and Vince’s birthday, so we had cake and ice cream. Kirsten’s kids always seem to have sprouted since the last time we saw them. Connor is well over six feet, playing soccer goalie for the St. Joe varsity and Danny is playing baseball, and Emily is her gangly, shy, and enduring self. The boys are all jocks, JP and Richie, leading the pack, playing hockey and basketball and soccer, with Vince and Danny not far behind. The girls are involved, too, with Sophie swimming (she had won four races that morning), Grace played volleyball for Forest Park and Emily playing volleyball for her mom. Both Emily and Shay hung out together, calling me Santa Claus and giggling.

The highlight, of course, was Evie hauling out the treasure chest. Though it’s filled with junk, the kids still love it, no matter what age, and they talked Evie into getting three gifts because it was Christmas. The funniest was Vince, who picked out a grass skirt and wore it, and Shay, who picked out a pack of trick cards, and she went around performing her ‘name the card trick’ for who ever would participate.

Days like this make us miss our own children and grandchildren, and wish they were closer and easier to visit. I guess we each have our own way of enjoying our kids, Linda and Rich in short spurts, we in intense visits of a week. They get the kids for a couple of hours, a couple of times a week, we get ours 24 hours for a week or so. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, I guess. You take what you are given.

It’s now 6:00 in the evening, having arrived home in a heavy snowstorm, after visiting a dentist in Erie till 4:00. It was actually a light snow when we left Erie, so we thought it would not be too bad the last 45 minutes. But when we hit # 86, it started snowing harder and harder, the road was difficult to see, and the wind was blowing so hard that it often blew snow across the road obscuring our view. We ended up in a line of cars, all with their emergency lights on, moving slowly towards our exit. We were very excited to get home safe, secure, in our warm house, fire going, food in the oven. We have at least 10 new inches of snow with more to come, and the snow is dancing wildly in our front spotlight.

Warming Up For A Day

It's actually raining outside, the temperature is 35 degrees, and its supposed to be like this most of the day, though by tonight, its to turn to ice, sleet, then snow, and lake effect snow is forecast from tonight till Tuesday.  Of course, we are heading in to Euclid, for dinner with the Holzs, and we may have to fight our way back tomorrow, depending on the severity of the lake effect snow.  It could be no problem or it could be like last week, which is why I might consider heading up tonight, not tomorrow, just to make sure we miss the worst of the snow.  Ah, uncertainty, the bane of our lives...if only I could be certain, about anything, like there is a God!  I am slowly reading a book called SPIRITUAL ENVY, a book by a dorm mate of mine from Ohio University, Michael Krasny.  He is a well known radio talk host called Forum, that has become national on Sirius for the last five years.  I did email if quite awhile ago, and he wrote me back a nice email, remembering me, suggesting we get together if I am ever on the West Coast.  This book is an exploration of agnosticism, some one who lives not believing in God but also not saying its impossible.  He is  constantly seeking, exploring, and learning, never saying NO to anything unless there is proof, data, hard facts to support it.  His writing, his journey, so far parallels my own thinking.  I like his quotation from Julian Barnes book that traces a similar quest: "I don't believe in God but I miss him."  O, the beauty of certainty that the faithful evidence (I think).  He likens faith to that feeling one had as a child, when your world seemed simple and secure---your parents took care of you, there was a God, and Santa Claus answered your list.  Ah childhood.

A Touch of Pink

The usual Saturday morning, listening first to Car Talk, then Only a Game, then Saturday Edition on NPR.  Not much changes in my morning routines, as this has been going on for years, listening to these three every Saturday at Chautauqua. It's 22 degrees out, with a touch of pink on the horizon but its mostly a gray blue.  The lake is a checkerboard of irregular patches of snow, ice and further out, water with birds still floating, perhaps awaiting the final freeze before heading south.

We had Ron and Linda over last night, a good night of good food and talk.  They had had a tough week, with Ron's procedure on Monday but they seemed happy to finally be at the lake where they could relax a bit and take it easy.  During dinner, Marlena called last night to tell Evie she had tried two new foods, mozzarella sticks and plain pizza!  What a cutie...she was so excited because Evie had been trying to get her to just try things and she did it.

We are off shopping today, to hopefully finish most of our shopping.  Yippee.

A Partly Frozen Lake

Patches of ice, reaching out at least a hundred feet, form a patchwork of open water and ice, with mostly sea gulls and buffle heads floating in the open waters, but not for long.  It's 22 degrees, getting warmer today, though little snow is forecast.  Ron and Linda are coming over for dinner; we are having Ninette's chicken tikka massala, or butter chicken would be a closer translation.  It's partly cloudy though not as overcast as usual.  Maybe we will have some sun.

Dinner is almost done, it's almost 11:00 and we are heading over to CI to workout.  The lake is filled with wild fowl, geese, sea gulls, ducks, and even crows  It's bizarre to see them floating, then walking on the ice, as it's frozen out to the middle, then open.  I am not sure why there are so many today other than the fact that at least part of the lake is still not frozen, so they can still float and dive for food.

We worked out from 11:30 to 1:00  though I spent a good deal of my time shooting hoops or rather I should say shooting the b-ball breeze with Pete, a 70 year old retired banker, who still plays ball in a league in Jamestown and participates in 3 on 3 tournaments all over the US.  He's about my size, played for Syracuse, and loves basketball.  He is a talker and every time I try to bring up something about my basketball experiences or my family, he's off talking about something revolving around him.  I think I must attract this kind of person.  Anyways, we must have shot and talked for 45 minutes before he had to leave and I went and put about 15 more minutes in on the rowing machine before we left, stopped at the library and I picked up three more Jack Reacher novels for our trip, unless I end up reading them all first.

Evie has spent most of the afternoon getting things ready for our dinner with Ron and Linda tonight; it's amazing how much time it takes to get things ready and she started doing things last night.

There Is A Sun

Unbelievably, the eastern sky is pink, with gray blue clouds, but it's the first morning since we returned where a partly sunny sky was evident.  As a result, I think, it's also much colder this morning, 17 degrees, the coldest its been this month.  I am off to the breakfast club at 8:00l, my first time with four guys who all used to work for CI.  When I return, Evie is off to the mall, to get her hair done and shop, both grocery and presents, so she won't be back till mid afternoon.  I am very happy to be staying home!  I would go crazy and drive her crazy as well.  Sunrise is at 7:32 today.

It's 11:30, the house is quiet, as Evie's off getting her hair done and shopping and I am busy getting caught up on email and things like that.  Breakfast was quite tasty, my favorite, corn beef hash with two poached eggs and toast.  Everyone was there, so it was fun to see Dick, Charlie, and Stan, and meet Joe Johnson, another CI executive who, unfortunately, is about to start a prostate radiation.  So, much of our time was spent talking about our illnesses, advising Joe, as Stan had already had an operation and Dick's wife may have leukemia, though it's not clear how serious it is.  So, not the most fun but I think I will fit in and they are all good guys.  They have the common interest and knowledge of everything to do with the CI and its residents, so I am at a bit of a loss when they talk about it.  Still, we are meeting next Thursday before many of us take off for the holidays

The pictures were taken at sunrise because its the first morning of sun since we returned from Tommy's house in KC two weeks ago.  Quite a span of gray skies, cold and snow.

It's 4:00 and Evie, having left at 9:00, has not come home yet, so shopping hard, I hope, so most of it will be done!  I have been on the phone with Apple for close to an hour, trying to get my apple email account working.  The helper tried everything and eventually closed down my account and reopened it and it finally works.  He also helped with some other simple things that I was having trouble with, like sending more than ten photos in an email.  It's been partly sunny all day, with no a trace of snow, a relief but most likely not for long.  Another storm is coming this Sunday, just as we head in to Linda and Rich's for the dinner and an overnight.

Still Snowing

Stay gray, still snowing, and we expect another 5-8 inches over the next 12 hours.  Welcome to Chautauqua Lake weather.  It was bit cold this morning, so we turned on the fireplace, making it cosy.  We had pork cutlets last night but the Rotmos, a Swedish specialty were tasted last Saturday at Peterson's Farm was the success, basically a combination of two pounds of rutabaga to one pound of potatoes.  Cook the rutabaga for 30 minutes, the potatoes, for 20 or til tender, and add milk and butter.  The authentic version cooks the rutabaga in a ham hock stock.  It was still good without it though we did use some chicken stock.

Early this morning I went off to get some gravel for our road, where potholes have appeared, a result of the cold weather, the water, and the snow plow that has come in over the past few days.  I hope it makes a difference because it is a hassle to get into our house.

Just got back from a long walk, over an hour, through the campground and houses beyond, walking in 18-24 inches of snow at times, as it was snowing the entire way, a beautiful walk, especially through the woods in the campground.  I fell as went made our way through a large drift, much to Evie's delight, and it was hard to get up until I got my feet around and pointed them down hill.  Then I could push myself up.  This is the type of day we love, little if any wind, constant snow falling, a warm house, fire, a good dinner already made, and the possibility of a couple of Manhattans, in fact, I would say that was a certainty after our workout today.  Picking your feet up and wading through 18 inches of snow is a good work out, on all parts of your party, especially if my soreness is an indication  It's almost 2:00 and I am going to have pork cutlets sandwiches for lunch and dip back into my third or fourth Jack Reacher novel.  He's the man, as Patsi says.

Late afternoon, more tundra swans and lots of geese until the Marshall got out her gun and fired at them, scattering them.  It's snowed most of the afternoon; I have been out at least three times, shoveling the walk and cleaning off the car.  I cannot remember having so much snow, day after day, but last winter was our first and supposedly a mild one.  This year, so the veterans say, it's supposed to be much worst though I am not sure what that means.  More snow?  Rain and snow?  Cold, then warm, then cold and slushy?  We'll see,  One thing I noticed: ice is begging to form, at first on the edges but now their are large sections out in the lake, with floating ice or slush, not yet completely solid but getting there

Snowed In--- Almost

We have had snow now for 24 straight hours, with more expected today.  At least a foot has fallen if not more, though the howling wind has died, at least this morning.  I was awake at 4:30, got up about 5:15 to utter darkness.  It's now a few minutes before 7:00 and the eastern sky is just beginning to lighten, though off towards Bemus it's threatening.  SUNDIAL OF THE SEASONS entry was about the chickadee, the most numerous bird at our feeder.  They weigh less than a half an ounce and their heart beats up to 700 times a minute, a buzz if you were to listen to them, and they eat their weight each day during the winter to keep their body heat at 105 degrees.  Interesting facts about the chickadee, a small gray bird, with a black cap, white face.

Depending on the weather, we hope to drive over to Long Point and snowshoe through the park, as it would be virgin snow, no snowmobilers yet, just us and occasional hikers, most likely people walking their dogs.  Last night we experimented with a deep dish pizza, from King Arthur Flour, and it turned out really good, thought the directions were vague and not much help.  As usual, the dough did not rise much, perhaps it's too cold, but it did not seem to make a difference in the pizza.  You bake the crust for about ten minutes before pulling it out, layering the mozzarella, then the sauce, then sausage and mushrooms, then grated Parmesan before putting it back in the oven for about 25 minutes.  You let it sit for 15 minutes, to consolidate, then eat.  We ate only half, so it will make a great second dinner, or a couple of lunches.

Just got back from snow shoeing over at Long Point.  We forced ourselves to do it, as we were feeling lazy, but it was worth it to get outside and in the woods.  It snowed a bit but was mostly just cloudy and  gray, though even that has a beauty of its own, especially at dusk.  A few had been on the path, mostly cross country skiers, but we were basically alone.

We also saw a few more tundra swans just out in front of our house, dipping and diving, looking for weeds, as they head south.  Because they were closer to house, it was easier to see how big they actually are.  Three were a dull gray, I assume the young, but they could have been females, too.

Blizzard Monday

We have gotten close to 12 inches over night, with the possibility of another 12 or more over the next two or three days.  In fact, snow is forecast for the next seven days.  Winter seems to have arrived in the past twenty four hours.  We did head off this morning to get our teeth cleaned, with Wally, our new dentist who plays country music on his boom box as he works on our teeth.  Evie liked but I am not sure.  We will just have to see.  We then worked out at the gym for an hour, as I shot baskets as well.

Last night we went to the Mc Kibben's Christmas party; they live just outside the Institute and they both have a house in South Euclid.  It was a nice party, about 20 people I would say, most of them part of Evie's Ladies of the Night group, so she knew most of the wives but not the husbands.  I can tell right off that our politics are not going to agree, as they were talking about taxes, unions, things like that.  And the democratic candidate, who lost recently lost for a seat in the state house, was invited, though the host had to qualify her coming by saying even though she's a democrat, he has worked with her on various committees and likes her.  Like you have to explain to me why you like a democrat.  I think I made it clear, however, that I voted for her, so I think most people get the idea; we are liberal atheists and they are all Christian republicans.  Just before dinner, we all held hands and Anne Jackson's father, Stan's father in law, said grace, as he's a retired minister  I liked them all and I don't think politics or religion should get in the way of our friendships.  I especially like the Heinz's, Wendy and Charlie, she's a minister and he works for the Institute though he's retiring soon.  He invited me to there breakfast club on Thursday mornings at 8:00 in Bemus.  Four guys, all who used to work for the Institute get together and shoot the breeze.  Stan is one of them, as is Dick Redington, who I have known for 25 years, as his kids went to Reserve.  He's a good guy and we had them over for dinner last spring.  Stan's going to pick me up at 8:00 and we'll head over to Bemus.  I am beginning to feel like a retiree, going out for breakfast seems so typical.

I just got a phone call from Faruk Cagan, one of my BJK teammates, from Istanbul.  He wanted to say he loved the article in the NBA magazine, that he's still a playboy, which is how I described him in the article.  He also mentioned that one of my best friends, Ates, is recovering from prostate cancer and asked me to not tell anyone, as no on is supposed to know.  I suppose it's something that most male Turks do not want to have others aware of this problem.  He wants to know when we are returning, he wants to plan a program for southern Turkey. I am ready.

It's 3:30, Evie has the deep dish pizza dough and fixings ready to go for tonight, so we are relaxing until dinner, watching the wind blow snow around.  Our front windows have six or eight inches of snow on them, a result of the blowing snow.  It has hardly let up all day.

We went out for a walk up the hill around 5:00, in the dark, and swirling snow.  It wasn't pretty because it was so dark but at the same time, exhilarating to be out with the wind whipping your face with snow and you are the only ones out in this weather.  We are sick!  But there is a strange beauty in a snowstorm as long as you have a warm, cosy house to come home to.  The plow came by for the second time today, to clear our road and parking area...Shane must be counting his money.  I don't blame him as it's the first real snow storm of the year in the Chautauqua area.  Early in the day, Joe Bergen, our neighbor was up  briefly as he often has work here, and he lives in Buffalo.  He said this past weekend, his yard was totally green, from the  grass, yet six miles away people had more than 24 inches of snow and parts of Buffalo are still bailing out from the huge mounds of snow created by plows.