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.
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