Hi, I've just r tried to catch up on all for a coupla months. We are quiet and uneventful here. Over 8 new inches of snow yesteryday and more now. Alex was sent home early as Wally world was dead- folks couldn't make it up the steep incline into the parking lot. At least when I spent 3+ hours shoveling and wrestling with the snow blower, it was bright and warm , didn't need jacket or gloves. Snow was lovely soft powder, and perfect for doggy soccer. We spent lots of time playing. Both of them guard and dribble well, but its no fun if I don't steal it and boot it out for a long pass. Watching lots of March madness instead of God movies.And mush-ers.

Turn off Jeffry Hunter, Mark, and switch to Iditarod on Versus ( Bike/ Tour de France channel).

Sounds like all the kids are making progress on college/school plans ( ITALY!) Sorry, girls, no Johnny Depp. They spent several days last week filming in Columbus and near Lancaster. All we saw was a brief , head down frontal shot and a back shot on local news. Columbus has been eating it up tho. CCheck the NBC15 Madison site for a bit more. B'oo lost out altogether. They did the local extras casting that awful snowstorm day in Madison. several MATC film kids got in. Some news snippets of the extras in period hair and costumes. Local car collectors had fun.

SStephen spent his spring break in Milw with Maureen, is working on prep for a huge test and got one of two program assistant positions for next year. He'll be doing court ordered alcohol and other drug evaluations and reports. Alex is preparing for long jury duty- he's part of a Sauk County panel being picked for a nasty Wood County trial for a week-long sequestered stay up there. Hopes he gets picked, but our local Public Defender office is doing the standard background check stuff and "Mom's a lawyer- for us" is along side his name.

Tim is having a long tough winter. Rarely even gets outside. The heirs of the Charles Ringling Mansion, the big yellow house kitty-corner from us, held a neighborhood open house this week to lobby for a zoning change for some $$ flow uses for the home. I got to see the inside for the first time, and heard about the friendly ghost. As much as Tim has always wanted to tour the house, he didn't make it. There's a library with fabulous stained glass windows and cabinet doors, with yellow roses , with a huge full wall repeat of that theme on the main stair landing windows. Gorgeous. Killer butler's pantry.

I have some very ugly jury trials coming up and another county has added me to their judge appointment list. But we got a chilling e-mail from the state office- all the money they had won to avoid another budget shortfall is gone because of the budget crisis. At some point in 2009 they will ,again, just stop paying us. We are the only group of independent contractors who face this. Our local office was going to get another full time staff attorney, but that too has been cancelled.

Gliff is now getting out of the wire cage regularly and sneaking into our bedroom in the middle of the night. When Tim wired the door shut, Gliff bypassed it: he managed to unclip the entire front panel, pull it into his cage, and squeeze around it. Then there is this "the Grudge" black blob flowing across the bedroom floor....

We are enjoying the warm weather news, the Freya stuff, it is so cool to be able to hear her voice! and all the children's (okay- the young adults' ) plans. Bros- I keep missing Progect Runway but caught the finale this am- FIERCE. I get to re-read some nasty police reports before i wrap it up.

Happy Easter and think spring. Before the 8+ inches hit, I had tulips coming up!