So it goes...

I went XC skiing today. I actually went for the first time all year last night. It was beautiful with the snow covered trees and the silence of the woods. A few hairy moments on the hills when I fell out of the tracks that were pre -formed and blazed my own trail. Not recommended, by the way. So today I went out determined to do more and get a real workout. As I set out with great zeal, life was good. I had my new Ipod going, the trails were fast (and visible), and I felt invincible. I passed a couple and a family trying to look like the Olympian I never was. Now I thought I had a decent understanding of the trail system at Minooka Park. It's a County park near us and while it is impossible to get lost, it seems they've added a few miles of trail since I last skiied it. I kept taking the "long" trail because, as I mentioned, I was invincible. Well, as time wore on and I began to tire, I thought " Hmmm ...where am I anyways?" I took a path that I thought ...

I stayed home from work today, sick with a head cold. Ben was sick with a stomach thing too, so it was a boys "Ferris Bueller's day off" today. I HATE getting sick. I don't expect anyone likes it much. Last night as I was walking home from another forgetful day at work, I came across a stranded Carroll College motorist who's car was dead in the middle of a busy street. A woman had stopped to help, but both of them were just standing in the street looking at each other like God was going to magically jump the kid's battery without provocation. When I joined the deer-in-the-headlights party I suggested we PUSH the dead car out of the intersection into a nearby lot. Let's move everyone out of harm's way shall we? So this student finally comes to and says "Yeah, I guess we could". Yeah let's, I think. So he gets in and steers while this poor woman and I push. Evidently he's never seen the open-the- door-and-push-and-steer method, but pre...

Ah, the famous quote from the Grinch movie. (The Jim Carrey grinch). Speaking of grinch, I did my Christmas shopping today. It was as bad as expected. A beautiful snowfall ruined by traffic and frantic shoppers. I tell ya, it's insanity. Everyone and their father Mitch was out today. You'd think Christmas was next week or something. Criminy sakes. And don't even get me started about the parking thing. I would have been better off parking at home and walking the 6 miles to the mall, I kid you not. I'm not one for the mall anyway. I don't like them. I start hyperventilating looking for a parking spot, especially this time of year. I end up abandoning my vehicle in a distant snowbank thinking, "Yeah, this'll do." Nevermind that it's usually a 20 minute walk to the mall. Hey, as long as I can see the store logo, I'll find my way. It's snowing again. It's been snowing all day. All month really. If it keeps up, I'm going to have to get a ...

A holiday hiatus it was. I missed blogging, but had a good break nonetheless. Thanksgiving is gone and done with for another year. A successful trip to the polar ice cap known as MN. Cousins played together nicely with no incidents of not. Well, maybe one. When Ben returned from an overnight stay at his cousin's house, he whispered to me, "Dad, Hunter shot me in the ear with his pellet gun." When I expressed my surprise and shock at the statement, he added "…but it didn't hurt as much as when he shot me in my side." Horrified, I thought this needs addressing. Until I realized he was smiling and was adamant that both incidents were accidents and that he was OK. He also mentioned that the gun had been taken away and that he didn't want Hunter to get in any more trouble. I shrugged it off as a boys-being-boys moment and told him to be careful and not get hurt. I can't say I never shot my brother with a projectile before. I had Ben's third grade teac...