Fantasy Football & Friends

Todd and I belong to a Fantasy Football League with our friends. The league has been active for 6 years, I think. As I stated in a previous post, last year's competition was tight so we had a party to antagonize each other face-to-face. This year we had another party. There were about 33 people here when it was at the largest attendance point. We got a group picture, but unfortunately I forgot to round everyone up when we were at the most people here. Todd remembered around 10:30 or 11. Several people had already left. I'm whining about that in case you can't tell. Also, we had several friends that were unable to make it due to work schedules, family commitments, their own illness, or a family member's illness. We are thankful for Deb who came after working (really running) for 12 hours at Kohl's and then started feeling ill in the evening. I don't know how retail employees maintain their energy level and their mental composure during the holiday season. God bless you all.Since this party had originated as a Fantasy Football party, Steve Buit brought league statistics. He has an amazing way with number compilation. Rob Buit made a hat. Well, I called it a 'hat' and got chastised for it. It was a Pierhead... A Michigan Pierhead to be exact. I think next year we make wearing a costume a mandatory admission requirement for all league members. No wait, I can't dress as that sexy Marauder that we have as our team avatar. Here are our team's names: Marauders; Wing-It; Martha Say, Michigan Pierheads, Selur Nagihcim (Michigan Rules spelled backwards); BUSCHMANators; Lunatic007; Colts_Rule; Cowboys1; and last but not least is Kickbuiesbutt. Deep Post Pattern has been a team for several years. He did not participate this year, but he was invited to the party anyway since we love him and his wife, and they are also good friends. We did try to make him sit on the porch and watch the party through the windows. Since he's not active in the league, we weren't going to allow him to be active at the party, but it was chilly and we let him in.

Kicking Buie's butt is really the objective of our league. Even though we all want to win every game, we also root for whichever team is playing Selur Nagihcim (Rob's older brother Steve). He is, by his own admission, the most competitive and arrogant member of our league. It is fun to see him lose and make jokes in his honor. It's all in good fun with lots of love, of course.

Balmy November day

It's that time of year again. Time for mistletoe and holly. Time for parties and food. Time to do our share to help stimulate the economy via our electric bill. Last weekend Todd and Cameron hung lights. Pher was inside, lying on the couch, not letting me baby him over his day old tonsillectomy.

It was a balmy mid-50 degree day, and we were not counting on having any more of them, so Saturday the 21st of November was the day to get it done. Todd hangs lights when it's nice with the understanding that lights will not be turned on until the day after Thanksgiving. The only exception to this rule is for a light check. Other than this reason, those lights better not be on. I'm good with that. I'd prefer to keep the electric bill as low as possible.

I have helped hang lights in previous years. It requires bending, and to be honest, a lot of bending still makes my mid-section ache. Todd and Cameron did a fine job hanging lights, and Emma did a fine job making my heart stop while she was running on the roof.

Black Friday

The morning after Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I am not out shopping. I've done it before, and I do not ever want to do it again. NOTHING is worth fighting the crowds and the waiting in the lines. NOTHING.

Tonight we are having friends over for a party. We had a Thanksgiving party last year also. We were requested to make it an annual event. Last year was pretty much our Fantasy Football League. We had a tight run in the league and thought it would be fun to get together and antagonize each other in person. This year we have expanded the list to include more friends. What was 20 last year is projected to be around 40 this year. We asked everyone (that isn't working today) to bring a snack to share and their adult beverage of choice. Even though we have several friends that work in retail, we decided to keep the party on Black Friday.

This year has a deeper meaning for me. I don't like thinking about it, and I like talking about it even less. I may not have been around for this holiday season if Todd had been working the night of February 7. The peritonitis could have killed me as I was lying on the bathroom floor unable to move. Our family and our friends mean more to me than I can possibly put into words. Since you are reading our blog, you are a family member or a friend. Consider yourself loved and please know that you mean the world to me.

More memories...

I was thinking about the warm jell-o and the homemade custard, and then I started thinking about bacon, eggs, pierogies, and golumbkis. These are Grandma Misterka memories. No one makes fried eggs like she did (sorry Dad, not even you). She would fry the bacon and then fry the eggs in the bacon fat. There were 6 of us grandkids who waited patiently for our eggs to be done. The edges would be crispy and the centers always perfect for dipping our toasted New York Bakery rye bread.

Pierogies (kind of like ravioli) and golumbkis (cabbage rolls) are Polish dishes. They would probably be considered peasant food to most, but they are delicacies to me. I can make golumbkies, and they are pretty good. I have tried to make pierogies, but my dough has never come out right. They fall apart during the boiling phase.

My sister can make the dough. She makes it perfectly. Here's the kicker, she never really knew Grandma. She was young when Grandma got ill. She missed out on the real thing... or so I thought. See, one morning, Cathy woke up to Grandma yelling at her. Grandma was telling her that it was time to "Get up and make the pierogies." Grandma had passed away 8 years earlier, but her spirit guided Cathy's hands and her ingredients.

Two granddaughters were blessed to receive the ability to make foods that warm the tummies and souls of our families. Now that's something to be thankful for!

Warm memories

You know how some things from your childhood stick with you as you grow? Some memories are so special that make you smile when you remember them. You can be all alone, have the memory, and smile from ear to ear.

I have many of these memories but two that made me smile this weekend are warm jell-o and custard. I remember my mom making warm jell-o water for us when we were sick or playing outside in the snow (instead of hot chocolate). Warm jell-o is soothing and really warms you up. Warm strawberry banana is my favorite. I also remember Grandma Schrader making custard for me when I had Scarlet Fever. My whole family left me to go skiing in the mountains of New York, but Grandma was there for me, and she made me custard from scratch.

I made both warm jell-o and custard for Christopher over the weekend. He has had both before, and I have received little to no acknowledgement of his appreciation. When I asked if he wanted them Saturday, his eyes smiled and he said, "Yes!" If nothing else, I think I passed a couple of warm memories on to him. It would not surprise me if one day he makes these comfort foods for his children.

Sleepover for Emma

On Friday 11/20, Emma's school had Movie Night. The school does this once a year, and the kids love it. The cost is $2.50 and the movie is shown in the gym. They serve soda and popcorn. The kids get to wear pj's and bring a sleeping bag and pillow. For the second year, Emma was invited to a sleepover birthday party at Haven's after movie night.

Haven (2nd grade) and her big sister (4th grade) have birthdays very close together and both are coming up soon. Their parents treat the birthday party guests to movie night and then have a birthday party sleepover for both girls on the same night. When I called to R.S.V.P. for Emma, Haven's mom gave me some of the details. Haven invited 7 friends and her big sister invited 7 friends. They were going to have a 16 girl sleepover (I'm just now learning how to deal with 2 girls at the same time). This was the plan: Pick the girls up from movie night at 8:30; Pizza at 9; Presents and cake at 9:30; Nail, hair, make-up, and dancing from 10 until midnight; Lights out and a movie to start at midnight. I was amazed at her organization skills. She said it is both a blessing and a curse.

Here comes what I found to be the humorous part: When I dropped Emma off at movie night, Haven's dad (Daddy #1) was standing in the hall by the gym doors. He was collecting overnight bags and birthday gifts. He looked like he was in a daze. His eyes were glazed over and he wasn't really smiling, he was just 'kind of' smiling. One of the older girls' dads (Daddy #2) came up to him. They did not know that I was listening to their conversation.
Daddy #2: "So. How many girls are staying at your house tonight?"
Daddy #1: "16"
Daddy #2 (chuckling): "How'd you get roped into this?"
Daddy #1 (still dazed): "We're having birthday parties for both girls on the same night. It's easier than having two separate parties." (OK. This truly sounded like he was repeating what he was told by his wife.)
Daddy #2: "You know I'm here for you, man. If you need me just let me know. I can have an emergency and get you out of there."
Daddy #1 (smiling): "Sounds good!"

I don't know if Daddy #2 had an emergency and "rescued" Daddy #1. I just thought this was very, very funny for some reason.

Tonsillectomy

Christopher had his tonsils removed this morning. Todd brought him to the hospital at 5:30. I took Emma to the YMCA at 6:30 for before school care and then went to the hospital. We saw him before they took him to surgery. Pastor Van Gundy was kind enough to come to the hospital to sit with us. He asked Christopher how he was doing and Christopher's response was funny. He said, "Ya know, I think I might actually rather be at school right now!"

Surgery was scheduled for 7:30. They called us to the consultation room at 7:45. Nasty tonsils were already out. We got him home from the hospital around 11:15 or so. He claimed that the pain wasn't too bad. He took a shower, got a drink, and then fell asleep on the couch. Before falling asleep, the thanked us for taking him to get his tonsils out. This makes me wonder if they have been bothering him and he just hasn't been complaining about it. Regardless, they are out now.

Todd went to bed. His body didn't care that he had the night off work. He was still up most of the night and his internal clock wants him to sleep today. I get to baby my man-child.

Oh... the picture up above. I took it before surgery. He wouldn't look at me. He said that he does not support the family blog. And yes, under the surgical cap you do see orange. He lightened several of his dreadlocks (that wasn't bad) but then he colored one blue and one orange. The blue dreadlock isn't visible in this picture because the cap is blue. I tried not to blow up over the blue and orange. I started too. I felt my blood pressure surge. Then I got to thinking; the color will wash out and I remember a time that I had peach hair. I turned out ok. Didn't I? MOM... MOM... you still there or did you fall on the floor?!

Emma's observation

Emma just said, "Mommy it's weird how your birthday and Daddy's birthday are both on the 6th. My birthday and Cameron's birthday are both on the 20th. Christopher's birthday is on a different day because he's different than us."

Hhmmm.......

New Do

Cameron got his hair cut probably two weeks ago. Today he asked for another haircut. He said he wanted to get it cut short... It is a different look for him. His sides and back are short, but the top is a little longer and kind of spikey. Here's a good shot of that beautiful brace-less smile also!

Comparing schools

Both Beloit and Knox have a student:prof ratio of about 12:1. Each college has both international and domestic study programs. Both colleges offer over 100 organizations and encourage the creation of new organizations. Both colleges support the community with service projects and expect their students to participate. Each of these colleges challenges their students to question their professors and converse/debate in an intellectual and respectul manner. Tuition for the colleges is about the same. Beloit offers a FYI (First Year Initiative) program. The incoming new students are divided into groups of about 15 students. The professor for this class is also their academic advisor. It seems like a great way to encourage, guide, and assist students with breaking into college life and study habits. Their sophmore program encourages students to take a wide variety of classes. They encourage students to mix it up with taking Physics and Theater together or taking Calculus and Music. A Beloit student can double-major in Political Science and Dance. Academics are customized and not pre-determined by the administration. Knox has an open class, multi-discpline policy also. Larger colleges expect that their students will focus in one direction only. These colleges encourage their students to diversify their studies. It is really refreshing compared to traditional college education. The freedom to choose is perfect for Christopher. He will be a student that takes Chemistry and Astronomy along with Art and Music.

From Beloit, he could take a bus to O'Hare airport, take a city train or bus to Union Station, and then take the Amtrak to Waterloo (just north of Fort Wayne). Galesburg has an Amtrak station in town. He could take the train from Galesburg to Chicago and then to Waterloo.

He has visited Ball State University and does not appreciate the focus on fraternity life. Beloit and Knox each have fraternities, but Greek life is not as dominant as it is on larger campuses. He has visited Kalamazoo College only on a brief basis taking Zeke's cousin back up to school. He visited both Hiram and The College of Wooster. I did not go with him on these tours, so I can't offer any details. All I have on those schools is the Hiram's campus felt more comfortable, but Wooster's academics seemed more challenging. I want to take him to Earlham for a visit. Maybe we can do that in December on a Saturday.

I think the decision will boil down to who accepts him and what they offer in scholarships. It's up to him now. Interviews at Beloit and Knox went well. Now he has to write his essay and submit the applications. After these steps are complete... we wait.

November 10, 2009

We visited Knox College on Tuesday the 10th. This is also a nice campus, but I did not have the immediate warmth that I got at Beloit. After the tour and talking to students, I got the warmth that I was looking for. It was really the students that emanated the feeling I was hoping to find. Every student that I spoke with is passionate about Knox College. They appreciate the history of the campus, the small class size, they respect the faculty, and they REALLY like the 3 & 3 program. The school year is divided into 3 terms and each student takes 3 classes per term. EVERY student that I talked to appreciated this format. They were able to truly focus on the class and learn. When students take 5 or 6 classes they end up focusing on which project is due for which class and and study enough to pass the exams. I don't know if Pher understands the benefits of this format. He just wants to break out of high school and learn at an advanced level.
The capmus was the location of the Lincoln-Douglas presidential debate in 1858.The building that has these plaques also houses a chair in which Lincoln sat. We were all invited to sit in it. Zeke seemed to absorb the most history through his fanny.
The architecture is a blend of old and new. The library was great. They have a 3-story, climate controlled library with rare books, journals, and maps. I would be afraid to touch these priceless treasures. The boys would have immediately started exploring the shelves if our guide would have granted them permission.The campus has a bike share program. Bikes can be checked out of the Bike Shed and students use them to get around campus and Galesburg.Anyone who knows Christopher well knows that he is prefers curves and arches to right angles. He says they are more comfortable. Right angles are abrupt. This is the inside of the Admissions Building.The brick wall to the right is curved and encloses the theater. The theater is designed for "Theater in the Round" performances. The white wall straight ahead is actually part of a large circle that showcases art created by the students. Look up. You see the circle lights. They were very interesting.

November 8-9, 2009

We left at 1:00 Sunday afternoon and headed for Beloit, WI. On the way, I realized that I have never been to Wisconsin before. The campus of Beloit College was within walking distance to the Illinois state line, but I made it to WI for the first time in my 43 years of living!

The campus of Beloit College is beautiful. I felt a comfort similar to that of when I drive through the gate of Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College. It is a peaceful, quiet, contemplative campus.The campus has art sporadically placed throughout the grounds.
Gazebo for one Anarchist, Emma Goldman. I can see Pher sitting in there and reading or thinking.Some sort of cool looking bird sculpture.Indian mounds that cover treasures. The college has hosted archaeological digs, but the mounds are now protected. Artifacts are displayed in the Logan Museum on campus.Beautiful architecture also reminded me of SMWC.The campus has beautiful old buildings and it also has an impressive brand new LEED certified (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Science Building. If accepted, I see Pher spending much time in this building.The picure above shows an outdoor study area. On nice days a class may choose to meet outside in the circle and surrounding benches. The landscaping allows rain water to run off the hill and water marsh-friendly plant-life at the bottom of the hill and built into the wooden patio. One of the best things about this college is a statement made by the Director of Admissions during his Sunday night talk. He was giving a synopsis of what type of student thrives at Beloit College. He stated that a student that, "Enjoys challenging teachers...is the right student for Beloit College." We all know and love Pher for his ability to debate and challenge. OK... maybe I don't "love" that so much, but I sure do respect his ability to stand up for what he believes to be true. I'm grateful that Beloit embraces this type of student. Carroll High School discourages and squashes any kind of intellectual debate. I think that's one reason he is on their radar and frequently targeted as a "trouble-maker."
I'm too tired tonight tp post about Knox College. Sorry to leave you hanging, but it will have to wait until Saturday. Todd and I have plans for Friday night. I won't have the time or energy to post by the time we will get home on Friday. One disadvantage of aging is the lethargy that is setting in.

On the road

Didn't get to posting on Saturday. I will try again soon. Promise. Right now we are getting ready to hit the road. Beloit College and then Knox College. Please wish me luck!

Too tired to post

It took all of my energy to gather all of those photos for the new header. Holy cow! We have much to be thankful for. I'll post more on Saturday. Friday night at 9:39 and I am going to bed!

Wooster, Hiram, Beloit, Knox...

The evening of Thursday the 29th Pher, his friend Zeke, and Zeke's dad took off for Wooster, Ohio. This was an overnight visit at The College of Wooster. Friday the 30th they spent on campus. Friday evening they went to Hiram, OH to visit Hiram College's campus on the 31st.

I was looking forward to talking to him about the visits. What did he think of the colleges? How about their academics? Social life? Surrounding area? Saturday night Pher and Zeke blew in just fast enough to grab a guitar amp. I asked them each separately what their impressions were. Pher liked both of the colleges. Seemed more impressed with Wooster. That was all I got from him. He was on a musical mission and didn't have time to answer questions.

Zeke was trapped in the car and gave up more information. He also liked both colleges. He did not like the idea of the writing intense first year at Wooster. This school puts their freshman into groups of about 15 students. They all take a writing intensive class together and their professor is their academic advisor. He thought it would be a good idea to go to Hiram for freshman year and then transfer to Wooster. HUH? I pointed out the obvious. IF a student does not attend the writing class at Wooster, the student will not have the necessary insight as to the writing and research expectations of the professors. IF the student does not participate in the class designed specifically to develop the research and writing skills that the college expects, the student is setting himself up for what will be a challenging remaing 3 years of college. I think he got it after I spelled it out. He is a really bright young man. Sometimes I think that boys/men just don't think things through.

On Sunday the 8th, Pher, Zeke, Zeke's mom, and I all leave for Beloit, WI. The boys will be spending the night on campus at Beloit College on Sunday. Monday will be a day to explore campus, have an admissions interview, and hopefully sit in on a class. After we are done at Beloit, we will be heading to Galesburg, IL to visit Knox College. Zeke's mom and I are along for the ride and to offer as much guidance as our sons will accept. Wish us luck!