On a Cyclone High!

Wow! What a weekend! Got to admit, I was really not looking forward to this year's game with great anticipation. All my Hawkeye friends and family are just constantly on their high horses about how the Cyclones just don't stand a chance, are you ready to get your asses kicked, etc.... This year, I just kind of kept under the radar and really did not feed into the frenzy that is the intrastate rivalry. I DID watch the game on television wearing my Cyclone apparel and cheered them on. I refrained from texting a certain Hawkeye fan (Fr. Huber) until the second overtime and then once again the end. What a game!!! It was great to see a football game that was so well played by both teams and they both dug in their heels until the bitter end (well -- it wasn't a bitter end for me!). It may be a couple of days before we come back to earth after that!

Work tended to be a little chaotic as each day brought something new in the way of how much extra I needed to pick up due to Kim's mom being in the hospital. Her Tuesday procedure was postponed since the hospital gave her aspirin on Sunday so she had the biopsy on Wednesday. Mary came through it fine so Kim was back at work on Thursday. Kim's sister found over the phone from the doctor that the biopsy was malignant and the social worker also was trying to coordinate her discharge. Kim ended up leaving work on Friday and going to Iowa City for a consult. They discharged her and got her settled in a skilled care facility in Waterloo where she can get physical and speech therapy. Kim called and told me they reported it as a stage IV brain tumor and hopefully they can get her closer to home so she can receive her chemotherapy and whatever else she needs nearer to her family.

My sister, Cyndi, came to visit the folks this weekend as it was Dad's birthday on Sunday. We gathered at Mom and Dad's Sunday afternoon to visit and people just keep poppin' in. My dad's brother, Harry, and his wife, Pearl stopped in to say hello and "happy birthday". They stayed and had a piece of apple pie and visited. Deb made some taco dip and that was our supper tonight. My niece, Marty, and her family dropped in for a quick visit. On Saturday my dad's other brother, Kenny, stopped in to visit with them. They've had quite the busy weekend and my mom's birthday is next week so it will all go on again then! Mike had the brilliant idea of getting Dad a small refrigerator and putting it in his shop and stocking it with some water, beer and pop. Dad went out to the farm this morning and saw it and Mom said he was just tickled when he came home. He said, "I got a birthday present already!" Now maybe Mom will worry less about him when he's out there. I know he gets thirsty when he is out there mowing and tinkering around in that shop. It's just hard to figure out what an 86 year old man needs! Good thinking, Mike!

We went to the open house of the fire station (gotta show support for the fire chief!). They had a complete meal of burgers, beans and chips. I wasn't expecting to have a meal and wasn't hungry. They did a fire extinguisher demonstration and set off an air bag and had a jaws of life demonstration. I think it kind of brings out the big kid in all guys.



I might actually have to work a five day week BUT we're kind of kicking around the idea of going to the Clay County fair one day....we'll see.