February is almost over and this is my first post of the month. The thought of missing an entire month was terribly bothersome, so I'm just sneaking this one in under the wire.
Just a warning: I'm going to just start writing and not worry too much about editing, punctuation, sentence structure, and the like. I find it so hard to find time to devote to writing in here that when I get the chance I just need to crank it out.
I'm sure everyone is desperate to know what's been going on with me the last month. Well, first of all, let me say I've enjoyed the Winter Olympics. I'm the kind of person who doesn't necessarily look forward to the Olympics, but once they start I surprise myself by how captivated I become by sports like bobsledding, curling, skiing, and even figure skating...sports I don't even THINK about any other time. My favorite, though, has to be hockey. I was captivated by the hockey in these Olympics. The first Canada/USA hockey game was quite possibly the most exciting hockey game I have ever seen. I didn't get a chance to see very much of today's Gold Medal game, but did see the majority of the third period and the overtime. Like most (if not all) of my fellow Americans, I was disappointed that the USA was not able to pull out the win, but it's hard to root against Canada. Had the Canadians lost that game and the Gold Medal, the national depression in the Great White North would have been terrible. Hockey means more to them than it does to us, so congratulations are in order for our Canuck friends.
Nice win by the MSU hoopsters today, men and women. I didn't think the men had a chance today on the road against Purdue, with or without Robbie Hummel, but happy that once again Tom Izzo and the guys proved me wrong. They still have a great shot at winning (or at least sharing) the Big Ten title. Happy to see the way the womens' basketball team has rebounded (no pun intended) after their mid-season swoon. Second place in the Big Ten is not too shabby.
Yesterday, we had a family birthday celebration for my sons Avery and Devon and myself. Devon turned five on Friday the 26th, and Avery was celebrating his half-birthday. (Since he was out of commission after his knee surgery in late August/early September, he never really had a chance for a proper birthday celebration. I turn 42 on Monday (though I am considering going the Jack Benny route and celebrating my 39th birthday every day from here on out).
I received some nice birthday gifts (I've finally gotten around to actually TELLING people what I want for my birthday, so I will actually receive....well, things that I WANT). I desperately needed clothes, so my wife Lynda and my in-laws came through with some nice shirts and a few pairs of pants. I have also never had a pair of winter boots since I was about 15 years old, and have worn hiking boots outside to shovel snow my entire adult life. I have recently reached the conclusion that hiking boots are definitely NOT proper attire for snow shoveling, or any other outdoor winter activity, and specifically requested boots. Thanks to my in-laws for finding some wonderful boots.
The one "toy" I received for my birthday is the Tragically Hip's concert DVD, "That Night in Toronto." That just about completes my Tragically Hip collection. One of these days, whenever I muster the inspiration, I'll have to write a blog post about my love of all things "Hip."
I could write a lot more, but think I'd better save it for a little later. Sorry I've been such a stranger!
