Good Grief!

The snow is gone and I am glad. Sure, it's exciting and beautiful when it's coming down, but it brings out the stupidity of people in many ways. I really like to think I am one of the smart ones. We received a fair amount of snow on Sunday, and Nick was eagerly anticipating that schools would be closed the next day. So Sunday evening I was looking at the school district's webpage "Delays/Closures" segment. It had a link to sign up for "Flash Alert" which would email and/or text message you any time there were delays or closures. What was a great idea! Nick and I both signed up. The next morning my alarm went off at 5:15 as usual, and about a minute later as I was still lying abed, I received a text message from Flash Alert saying "Greater Albany Closed". I did not even have to rise out of my bed or turn on the TV. I was able to just roll over and go peacfully back to sleep.

I slept in, still in need of a little medicinal sleep, and later in the day I enjoyed scrapbooking Nick's birth and early infanthood. In fact, I discovered that the newspaper birth announcement, listed under his was the granddaughter of my fellow secretary Helen! I smiled as I looked at a picture of cute little Eric and Craig with their mouths stuffed with M&Ms that someone had brought when they visited the hospital, and recalled that when Eric's preschool class went on a field trip to the hospital a year or so later, he inquired where they kept the M&Ms, because he believed that hospitals kept a supply of them to give to people!

Tuesday morning school started on time in spite of a bit of snow still on the ground. Sadly, the rest of the world doesn't seem to be acquainted with Flash Alert. The phone was ringing off the hook in the hour before school started with people calling to ask if there was really school. Today we had a two hour delay, which I also conveniently learned when my friend, Flash Alert, texted me. But the phone calls after I arrived at school were unbelievable. "Is it true there's a two hour delay?" I wanted to say, "Yes, that's why all the TV stations and radio stations have been reporting it for the last three hours. It really is true." But I just politely say, "Yes, it's true." And then they ask, "SO WHAT TIME DOES SCHOOL START?" I ask you, how hard is it to figure this out? After I was asked this many times, politely replying, "9:50" , I just snapped. I enunciated very slowly to the caller, "Well, since school normally start at 7:50, if you add two hours to that, what time would you think school would start? Yes, 9:50, very good." But I was pretty proud of my self control. I was rude to only that one person. I guess it's not their fault if they are unable to add 7 plus 2 equals 9. I need to feel compassion for them.

On another note, I am very worried. When I came home tonight, I found a big pile of hair in the downstairs bathroom garbage can. I fear that Eric shaved his head. It is not my favorite look for Eric. And just how ridiculous does a guy with a huge bushy beard look with a bald head? I will not be likely to post any pictures of such a disaster. I just texted him and he tells me no, he just cut his hair. He cut his own hair? That ought to look really good too. I hope it's not a mullet. One mullet in a month is enough for a family to endure. Craig cut himself a mullet earlier this month and shared ridiculous pictures of it, but fortunately he got rid of it after a few days. I believe he found that people don't take you seriously with such a haircut. I'm going to stop rambling now and get a good night's rest so I can be smarter than all the people I talk to on the phone tomorrow!

What is More Important, Meat or Good Manners?

As I previously mentioned, Will is away at a training in Baker City. After I read the following email which he sent me this evening, I immediately called and received his permission to share it here so you could all commiserate with his misfortunes.

Will wrote: "I went to the restaurant and ordered a Prime Rib, I even asked for an end cut. The waitress was very late getting to me and it appears there was some confusion about whose section I was in. The girl that drew the short straw most likely has not been working very long so when I asked for an end cut she asked me how I wanted it. Now that should have been a clue right there. I told her as best I could if a guy asks for an end cut he probably doesn’t want it rare. I did this in the most polite of ways because you people tell me I intimidate others.

Well she came back with a steak and told me they didn’t have end cuts for that kind of meat, and then asked me if I wanted any steak sauce. Oh boy do you suppose there is going to be something wrong with the order. I told her in the most polite way I could I didn’t think many people use steak sauce on prime rib. Then she told me she thought I ordered a rib eye. I am beginning to forget the polite ways to tell waitresses that I have never heard a person ask for an end cut on a rib eye. I didn’t fall for the temptation however. I just stared at her like she must have been raised in a vacuum and never allowed to get out.

Well you would be proud of me, my politeness paid off. I didn’t get thrown out of the restaurant and got 20% off the meal. She told me it was not her night. No kidding it was not her night. It is still snowing and I still haven’t had prime rib, but I am full and warm and dry. What else could matter? I wonder if I could have gotten the steak for free if I had intimidated and shouted and made a scene. "

Well, when I read this I got to laughing pretty hard. I'm still recovering from severe bronchial congestion, so laughing leads to some very peculiar wheezing sounds. Eric and Nick laugh at me every time I laugh. Well, this time the wheezing sounds I was making were so funny I just couldn't stop laughing. I'm just glad no one recorded the strange wheezing, shrieking laughing that I just couldn't stop for a long time! But I have wiped my eyes and am all better now. When I called Will he thought my cough still sounded bad. I had to tell him I was only coughing as a result of laughing so much.

I miss you Will, but I'm glad you're not here right now to see the huge scrapbooking mess I have already made! I better go tidy up a bit....

...Now I'm back. I went downstairs and Nick said he'd hadn't heard me laugh for awhile. I let out a nearly soundless wheezing laugh that went on and on, and he got to laughing so hard he fell to the floor. We had another good long laugh. My stomach hurts and my cough is worse. I have to avoid Nick and not read any more emails from Will if I want to get better!

Basketball

I was just getting rid of some low quality photos and decided I had to share a little bit about Nick's basketball season this year. His last game was Monday night, where I took these photos. It wasn't a winning season, but the boys had a good time and Nick managed to score in the neighborhood of 20 points in the majority of the games. Although one would wonder how, looking at all the defenders blocking his shot below!

Things often got a little aggressive, going down to the floor in the fight for the ball. It kind of looks like Nick is grabbing his opponents' shoulders but surely not. It's always even more fun to play your friends. I learned after the game that this particular friend was adding an unusual type of defense with some particularly odiferous flatulence for Nick's benefit.

This almost looks like Nick is trying to intimidate #33, but I'm sure it was just some friendly chatting among friends. I'm sure Nick would never do any trash talking....

I will miss going to basketball games and shouting encouraging words to my son. One night Will and I decided we were being too polite and it was time to act like the other parents and call out things that might embarrass our boy. Nick had the nerve to point us out to a ref and tell him we should be removed because he didn't know us and we were harassing him! The ref knew better. Good times!

Abnormal Days

Two days in a row, at home in bed past noon. What could cause such an unusual event? Hideous coughing and serious sinus issues for starters. I thought I was better and planned to go to work this morning - but was overcome by a very strange feeling in the bathroom and found myself lying across the countertop. I stood up, and felt myself crash to the floor! Fortunately I was uninjured. Unfortunately, I dislodged a shower door from its track, and Will got to take some time out of his morning to fix it. Strangely enough, he seemed less than sad that he was heading out of town for a couple of days of training.

Nick is hosting a video game party tonight, with separate systems set up in three rooms. The one at the dining room table seems to be the most popular. There is much laughing and shouting going on, and at least one loud crash, but I'm sure it will all be fine. I'm not sure how many times Nick will hit his head on the chandelier right above him since the table is pushed back - every time he stands up I assume. But with all that hair he probably barely feels it. Hopefully the chandelier will survive. I'm hanging out in my room, with occasional forays down into the testosterone jungle.

Hopefully tomorrow I will feel like doing something useful with my life. I am about tired of lying around!

Monday at the Oregon Coast

Monday was a holiday (MLK Jr. Day) for we public employees. Although there was a weather alert warning of extreme temperatures in Western Oregon, we braved the elements and rode comfortably in Will's Duramax pickup truck out to the coast. We had an early lunch at Mo's in Newport, with our choice of window seats. Then we headed south, enjoying the gorgeous sunshine and deep blue of the sea.

In spite of the freezing temperatures, not to mention the deadly wind chill which had to put the temperature at least in the 20s, we left the warmth of the truck and followed a trail along the hillside at Cape Perpetua. I had hoped to walk on the beach, but the wind being what it was, this was a much better alternative.

As we were leaving, we noticed a campground on the other side of the highway. We went to check it out and found that it was closed, but we headed on up the hill to the day use area. What a great place for a picnic if only it was warmer! There were some more trails to walk. The signs said you could see 70 miles up and down the coast and 35 miles out to sea.

And what a wonderful stone shelter! Look at the handsome man I found inside!

He wanted a picture of me.

He made me get back in the truck and travel on down the road. Here is the Heceta Head Lighthouse. It looks a lot better on my full computer screen.
When we were discussing how to spend our day off, I suggested either painting our bedroom or going to the coast. Will wisely pointed out that we hadn't yet decided what color to paint the bedroom. I'm so glad he was able to eliminate that option! The peanut butter pie I had at Mo's in Florence before we headed back was a fabulous finale to a gorgeous day at the coast!

Birthdays

We have been celebrating birthdays all week. Linda's birthday was first. Apparently last week she mentioned to Galen that she would like to have her birthday party at his house this year. (It was at mine last year!) Galen and Carol were happy to host it. She was obviously very pleased to have it there. (I really need to have a personal assistant check my hair before I am photographed.)

As usual, Eric dressed up for the ocasion.

Will's birthday was also acknowledged, but for some reason his card from Galen and Carol mentioned celebrating retirement, not a birthday! (Do they know something I don't?!) Will had a golden birthday, with his age matching his year of birth. (How good is your math?( We celebrated all week of course, out to Pings on his birthday with Nick and then to Joes where he picked out his gift, a chrome deflector for his pickup. Eric was working on the birthday, so we had steak birthday dinner here today with all of us! Craig finally reached him today on his third try for a birthday call, so I think we are finally done celebrating!

As always, Linda went around and thanked us for coming to her party as she was leaving. She is a sweetheart and she is now 55 years old!

Cute Great-Niece & Nephew Pictures

I feel the need to share a few more pictures from the holidays!

At our Troyer Christmas, Brenden was hiding behind a chair. "I'm being a bad guy," he told me. This bad guy still lines up cars and trucks very neatly!
At Bunco night, Lucy seemed to think Will was holding out a cup of juice just for her.

Lucy spotted my camera and said, "Take a picture of me!" She smiled, a few people chuckled, and she covered her face just as I snapped it!
Isn't Jenna just the cutest! Grandma is gazing at her fondly....

Family get-togethers would not be nearly as fun without children! Mine were really cute when they were little too. Really!

Holiday Highlights

"Winter Break" is officially over for me, as I went back to work today. Here are some picture of my favorite times from the holidays.

I hosted a family Bunco party last week. I love Bunco for mixed age groups, because the old and young can play it together, and the people you are playing with change continually. My great-niece Tavin from Hermiston really enjoyed it.

I thought her little brother Simon might like it too, but he preferred to sit and chat with Uncle Will while eating many, many cookies. When Will and Simon were up at the food counter together, Simon was very surprised when Will asked him if he could have a cookie. "I'm not the boss of you!" was his reply!

Here's two of the three tables, and the food!

Linda has a good time playing Bunco also.
Dawn and Nick discovered a cousinly bond of competitiveness!

Then Sunday was our big family Christmas get together at my parents house. We were at the end of the line, so we got the best seats. It's not very often that Eric looks this short!
We are a very close family.
Very close indeed. Anisa and Jody must not have heard that secrets in public aren't true!

Chavon and Jenna wanted to look at the 80th birthday scrapbook with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma!
Happy New Year Nick!

And Happy New Year to all of you too!