Follow Up

In January of this year, Genius Golfer finally got in to see the dermatologist about a spot on the top of his head. Of course, when we made the appointment for him the spot was still there. When he actually got to go, it was undetectable. I convinced him to go ahead and talk to the Dr. Derm about it, just in case.

This is what he looked like when he came home.



GG had about 26 pre-cancerous sports removed from his face, and two big divots dug out of his back. Apparently all the golfing can lead to sun damage the rest of us do not notice.

Fast forward to now, the spots are healed and really unnoticeable now. But he has some 55 SPF he had to wear when he is out in the sun, though he was advised to look out for 100 SPF. (I didn't know they made it that strong.) And the baseball cap is to be worn, as per doctor's orders.

BLAST!

I woke up to a winter wonderland, again. Six inches, they say we got through the night and most of the morning. If I get my hands on that wretched little groundhog, I am going to give him more than a piece of my mind--it'll be a boot to the head!

When is the official first day of spring?! Whenever it is, it isn't soon enough.

Reschedule

After my crazy day yesterday, I am trying to get back on schedule today.

I think part of my scheduling trouble comes from having Thursday reopened to other things. When my Thursday was reserved for time with Dear Friend Tammy, I was a pretty well ordered girl. Since her passing, that order on Thursdays is gone.

Nothing is guaranteed but change; isn't that what they say?

The other trouble today, specifically, is the kids are out of school tomorrow for a district vacation day. So it feels like a Friday, but I have things to do having nothing to do with Friday. I think I am rambling now too.

Happy Thursday, or is it Friday?!

Later that Day

It is nearly bedtime, and here I am finally sitting down to write. What a day.

I got Genius Golfer off to an out of state work assignment this morning. Actually he got up early and rive himself to the airport while I was too tired to get out of bed to do yoga, much less drive to the airport. Bad wife...

Then I drove kids to school. And without even a shower, yet. Yikes!

I don't remember what I did all morning. I am sure it was important. Geez, it took all morning.

I finally got a shower about 11 AM, and then I put on my walking shoes and headed out to a ceramics class about 25-30 minutes away, uphill from here. It has been a while since I have been out to run/walk/jog/pretend. I was winded much sooner than I expected. A couple of friends stopped me, as they were driving home, to make sure I hadn't hit my head so hard at some point today that I had lost my car someplace. Good friends.

With a cheerful friend, we got 7 ceramic temples cleaned and ready to fire--we make these for our young women who finish their YW Personal Progress goals. We have 15 to do. So we are halfway done with the first step.

Lucky for me, my cheerful friend drove me home, by way of a small errand at Walgreens. I was pooped.

Then I did some other very important stuff until the kids came home from school. Just don't know what it was. I told you, I was pooped.

Then we were off again, this time to the elementary school where The Boy volunteered at the Space Center, and The Girl is helping with rehearsals for the school play, and I got to listen to and judge about 6 kids perform their "Storytelling" pieces as we select a handful for their Storytelling assembly coming up soon.

Then came home and got dinner going, and some other very important stuff, to be sure, and then picked up The Girl--she took longer than we did--and finished dinner and got everyone to tonight's Young Women and Scout activities.

Whew. Some days are like this. And some days like this make me want to go to bed early.

Something in the Air

Genius Golfer has removed most the Christmas lights and trees from the yard. Not all, but most.

In my recent outing to admire the revealed, winter-seasoned dead grass, I noticed in my flower bed the sprouting of tulip leaves, and some allium leaves have also popped up. Spring is in the air.

My attitude is lifting as well, as it is bound to do as the sun appears. I would make a really satisfied snow-bird old lady. Give me a warm day with bright sunshine pouring down and I am pretty happy person.

Yet, my natural cynicism reminds me not to wash the car yet as that is a sure way to put the kibosh on my springtime plans and bring back the snow. *shudder* Not that.

National Mumble

Did you happen to see the Canadian pairs skaters, the ones who won the gold medal? On the medal podium they sang their hearts out as "Oh, Canada!" rang through the arena. For that matter, the audience sang along with gusto! It was very cool to watch.

I noticed, in contrast, that the Americans who won gold didn't seem that enthusiastic about singing our national anthem. I wonder why that is!? There were plenty of Americans in the audience, yet the audience didn't sing along like the Canadians either.

As I have watched plenty of Olympics in my day, I can't recall the vigorous singing of the national anthem even when the games were held in the USA. What makes the difference?

Is our anthem too difficult to sing? I don't think so. There are plenty of singers--talented and not-talented--who believe they can sing it. And when you sing in a group, like at the medals ceremony, the volume should counteract the pitch problems.

Is our national anthem uninspiring? Uh, no. That song is filled with musicality and emotion.

Are Americans just too timid to sing it? Timidity is not usually the problem with Americans on an international stage. Generally, Americans are over the top the other way--too boisterous, too bold, too obnoxious.

Are Americans embarrassed with our country? That could be it, but I think in elite sports there is little room for politics or social agendas. But everyone is entitled to their opinions. So, that could be, but then why would the athlete want to compete "for their country"? I'm not sure about this theory.

I have no answers to this dilemma. But I sure wish the patriotism could speak up when the national anthem plays. That is one thing I loved about our local high school football season. The audience sang that song with zest and fervor at the beginning of each game. I would have loved to see that on the Olympic stage.

Not Quite Video Sunday

Yesterday I was catching up on some Olympics I couldn't stay awake to see and got to see a special--must have been almost 30 minutes worth--from Tom Brokaw on the city of Gander, Newfoundland. I hadn't heard this story before. I am sure I am not alone in that.

CBC News - Canada - Brokaw hunts down Gander 9/11 story

This little town of 10,000 people nearly doubled on Sept. 11th when American airspace was closed and the planes en route from Europe were diverted to this little place that is home to an old WW2 airstrip and the Canadian version of the FFA.

The town opened it's arms, heart, and homes to complete strangers and showed these stranded passengers the exact opposite feelings that the terrorists showed that fateful day.

Now, seeing that this special was part of the afternoon Olympic coverage, I am not surprised that I was nearly weeping when he was through. I do wish I could find the link to it, never minding the length. I hope it is shown again. The story told is worth telling, regularly.

It made me feel a little bit more neighborly to our friends in the Great White North. And hopeful that should something like that happen where we can be of service, we would do it as well as Gander.