A Cheesehead's Struggle to Cope

#4. Brett Favre. Retired.

I am in shock.

I feel like my childhood is over. (Ok, yes, I'm 18, my childhood IS over, but you know what I mean).

Favre has been the Packer's QB since as long as my family's been watching football. I admit that I used to HATE football, and by extension Brett Favre, but I've become quite the fan(atic) over the years, in part because Favre is so much fun to watch!

Favre was my first celebrity crush. I still hero-worship him.

The Packers just aren't gonna be the same. Oh, they'll still be my team, I still love them, but things are gonna be SO different!!!

I'm kinda totally freaked out. The world is a bleak, unfriendly place right now. Where is the cheery green-and-gold #4 to light the way?

Next year is gonna be rough.

Billy Joe Toliver, anyone?

A quick note from AZ

Safe and sound in our March home at Western Way RV Resort.

A neighbor helped me get set up with a wireless connection this evening, so here goes!

Weather great. Three great driving days.

Spent yesterday with the Vandermillens at Madera Canyon. Some birds. Good hiking. Picnic lunch--under sunny blue skies. Stopped at their March
rental house for a few minutes before returning to
Tucson.

Will read what Casey and Susan wrote tomorrow; saw the monkey picture and will both enjoy it carefully tomorrow. Grandma has already gone to bed.


More in a day or two. Love and prayers, Gma & Gpa

How well I remember those ear infection days! Sorry to hear that Freya got two for one! Hopefully she is better already. I am glad to hear she has left the comb behind. The monkey looked awfully cute around Finn's neck and we all remember Sweet Pea.

By now you probably have heard Wisconsin's big news. It far outshadows the primary elections in this area. I haven't had a chance to get Jay's take on it, but I think he was ready for Brett to retire. I tried to find some election coverage, found the news on Channel 12, but its a feature show "Farewell to Favre". Not what I was looking for.

I didn't get the jobs I was interviewing for and found out last week. There are jobs posted on line all the time, so I will continue my search and get some outside advice on how to punch up my resume so it doesn't look so slanted toward Mental Health. I am underutilized in this job, so I should have some time to get more organized.

We are starting to have a few moments of warmth and sunshine, helping us to believe that spring may come. I hope that the golf courses are open in Denver around Easter and that there is snow in the mountains.

Congrats to Declan on your many opportunites. Its nice to have choices and I am sure you will make the right one.

Well, I have a few chores to finish before the rest of clan gets home. Colin will be home this weekend to work the Golf Show for Alpine and then home again on the 15th for a week. We will leave him home alone while we go to Denver so he has to find his way back to Madison. Thanks for another book tip, Casey, and enjoy Santa Barbara. Sounds wonderful right now! Mark, I enjoyed the Butterfly and the Bell Jar alot and Jay is enjoying "Who Moved my Cheese?" I am getting ready to dig into Rick Steve's books on Europe. More later, Love, Susan

All Right, Already!

Mark, it's not that we don't love you--but I'm tired of looking at that Antarctica post! Speaking of cold climes, Matt and I both highly recommend the book, "The Terror" by Dan Somebody (I just went to look at the author's name and can't find the book on our shelf). It is a fictionalized account of the Franklin Expedition to find the Northwest Passage in the 1840s. The real expedition disappeared and many, many rescue expeditions tried to find it but ultimately found very little clue to its passing. The Terror presents this author's somewhat mystical view of what got 'em out there on the ice. Anyway, literature aside, things are going pretty well in Idaho. Unless you're Freya, that is. She's had a bit of a cold for the last few days, but kind of crashed yesterday afternoon and slept for a really long time and woke up with a fever. This morning she had dried fluid around her ear and we took her in to the pediatrician who diagnosed her with a double ear infection. Poor kidlet. She's on antibiotics now and hopefully they'll knock the crud out. We're getting ready for a spring break trip to Santa Barbara. My grandmother lived in that area for 40 years, and my Aunt Sandy is still there. I'm really looking forward to seeing her and enjoying the Danish food from the nearby tourist trap/burg of Solvang. Anyone else here ever ate an aebleskiver? I can't recommend them enough! They're a round Danish pancake and sooo tasty. Matt is working on the next edition of the game warden magazine. I'm just doing the usual thing at work--nothing too exciting to report there. The job I keep talking about applying for still hasn't come out for applications yet, so I haven't got any news on that front to share. As Matt mentioned, Susan & Finn's monkey has been a huge hit with Freya. She sleeps with it every night and has taken it on a few outings, including to the zoo yesterday. I'm very glad something has replaced the fifty-nine cent Walgreens black plastic comb she'd been sleeping with (I am not making this up). The monkey is much more cuddly. Here's a picture of her relaxed with it--sorry it is a little fuzzy. Love to all! Casey, Matt and Freya

I always wanted to go to Antarctica

Not so much anymore...

Hi all, I've just realized I haven't posted here since before the Ice Age, so I thought I'd post some random frozen thoughts. I'm working at home today, and watching all the orange dump trucks with their loads of snow driving down into the park to the little clearing where the city dumps its snow. Can't imagine that they still have any room for more... I think this weekend I'm going to hike down there with the kids to see if it's possible to climb the peaks!

Congrats to Declan on the acceptance and scholarhips, and Susan good luck with the interviews! I'm happy that the writers' strike is over and I can get back into the swing of things. One unexpected benefit of the strike is that I'm now in touch with Neil Gaiman, author of some very wonderful fantasy books... yesterday, I asked him for some advice for Capri on her fantasy writing, and he sent back this advice: make it believable! Capri was pretty thrilled to get writing advice from an author whose work she truly loves. Unlike advice from, say, me... :)

Cheers, everyone!

Good Morning Everyone

Thought it was time to update the news from New Jersey. Declan has been accepted to Music School. He auditioned at The University of the Arts, which is a small school in Philadelphia, on January 19th, came out with a smile on his face, and found out he was accepted a week ago. He was also awarded The UArts Promising Artist Scholarship in recognition of his "potential for outstanding achievement in the arts". All that noodling around in the basement has paid off!

His last audition is at Rutgers tomorrow. New School University-School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC was last Thursday. Dec has also submitted recordings to William Paterson U in NJ and SUNY-Purchase College, but hasn't heard back from either yet.

Philly is probably his first choice, so this acceptance and recognition was all the sweeter.

Magda is spending Junior Year Here- a new concept- and is preparing for a 5 college dance performance and spring rowing.
She danced with a guest choreographer during January term. Two semesters more and she will be student teaching, probably in one of the stressed-out urban districts near Mt Holyoke.

Lyn and I are now contemplating our transition to empty nesters. Amazing!

Thanks for the great update, Domi! Everything sounds like great fun out there. If we could send you some of this snow and horrible driving conditions, I would! The snow is great, but the ice, freeze-thaw cycles and the tornadoes and blizzard conditions every couple of days could stop anytime. Bridget has gotten alot of bad weather driving experience and none of us have ended up in the ditch!

Colin was home for the weekend to work at Alpine. Bridget had 25 friends over for a pot luck dinner on Sat. which was alot of fun. She wore Mom's red satin bridesmaid's dress for Aunt Ann's wedding, which still looks very good. The last time it was worn was in the 80's when I wore it for a retro dance. I didn't bother trying it on again when I saw it on her! Jay is working alot of hours at H&R Block but doesn't think he'll do it again next year. The clientele is worse than the clinic and they all want the high interest refund loans which are a pain to process.

I just had my third interview for the positions in the Oconomowoc area. I should know something in a couple of weeks. They would be more intense jobs which would be a longer commute and more hours, and I would have to learn my fourth job in 3 years. Nicer people, though, which could make it all worthwhile. If I get Alzeimers, I am going to be very upset after all this intense brain stimulation.

Well, time to call it a night. 5:30 comes quickly and we are supposed to have more snow tonight. Hope everyone is staying warm and dry! Love, Susan