Wow! Alot of news from Denver. The largest demographic for new motorcycle riders is the over 50 crowd. David really doesn't fit into that, but you do, Michele! I guess you won't have to get Harley duds if its a BMW. Thank God, I don't know if I could handle that.

We had a very nice weekend with Bridget. She finished up her midterms last week and needed some R and R, so she came home. We went shopping Saturday and picked up a few necessities, then hung out at the Grand Geneva health club for a few hours and had dinner at a sushi restaurant in Delavan. She visited an East Troy friend later Sat. night and again on Sunday, in between doing laundry and baking. Madison has had an outbreak of norovirus, starting in Sellery and spreading to alot of the sororities and the Evans House. No word as to whether or not Colin succumbed. Bridget was anxious to get out of there.

I planted a hundred or so bulbs in between baking and watching the Packers annihilate the Bears at Lambeau-about time. Our downstairs furnace went out, so Jay was trying to figure out what happened. The end result is that he has to call in the HVAC people so hopefully we can get that taken care of quickly and without spending a fortune. Always something!

I have three interviews-for the same job-over the next few weeks. I am applying for a Manager of Physician Integration for the South Region, which means hand holding physician recruits from their first encounter with Aurora and beyond. I have done it for all the folks we have hired in the last two years and it may be a good opportunity for me to get out of Behavioral Health. I've been at this stage with other positions and have been aced out, so who knows, but its interesting to try. I know and work with alot of the folks who will be interviewing me, so that makes it maybe more possible. It is a management position with no one reporting to it, at a higher pay grade. All of that sounds good, also. Things are much better where I am, so if I have to stay it will be OK, and of course I have Dec. off recovering from surgery, so I hope to have a new lease on life on Jan. 1 no matter what.

With all that is happening, I am not going to have a party for Jay for his birthday. We will be doing Thanksgiving dinner and will celebrate then with whoever joins us. We may go up to Madison next weekend and have dinner or brunch with B and C if this week isn't too nuts. Jay's getting alot of his long overdue medical work done and getting ready to go back to H&R if none of his other job leads come thru, so the next couple of months will be very crazy for him.

Hope everyone is well. I'm not sure where the Cruise Boat is now, but I am sure it is in a wonderful place. Have a great week! Love, Susan

hello everyone--another 60 degree day in denver. i joined our neighbors for a bronco chili party at their house--and they actually won today!
david is in SD this weekend--from thursday till late today--pheasant hunting with about 16 clients, cat and wagner people. he will be home either in the middle fo the night, or tomorrow morning. no doubt they had a great time--although it was probably cold and windy. i baatched it, and ran the dogs a couple of times, went to a christmas bizarre, got my face exfoliated, and baked brownies! the dogs are now totally out to lunch, and snoring. and i am putting together some insurance paperwork.
it will be pretty quiet here for turkey day this year. we're not even sure that shelly is coming. i have another set of neck shots scheduled for wither that week or the next, so i'll be laying kindof low anyway.
the big news at our house, is that after about a year of "shopping" david bought a 2001 BMW adventureer type motorcycle. i don't know what model it is , but it is a very nice road bike. it has all the bells and whistles, and he got a great deal on it. many of you know that i have put my foot down on a road bike for him, but he has worn me down, and he now has this one. he is quite excited about it, and i trust that he will be very cool in his use of it.
there is room for me, and i'm sure i'll get a helmet and ride with him. the dogs don't fit in the saddle bags, though.
so, that is his christmas present for about the next 10 years!
sound like the 26th is the christmas feast--and we'll be sure to call you all that day!
take care everyone--we love you--michele

I added one incorrect file, but Mom's party one is one here. Sorry-can't figure out how to remove it.

Faith and Begorra!

More YouTube fun--Drew Hardy and the Nancy Boys singing, "There's No One as Irish as Barack Obama." I especially like the t-shirt they show that says, "O'bama--Vote Irish!"

sheboygan

Hi gang.  Just got back from a cross Wisconsin bike ride this week.  I figured as long as I've got some weekday time available I'd try to make some use of it.  I didn't have a chance to do a big ride this summer so decided to try to squeeze it in.  

I sent off a bunch of resumes Tuesday morning and Susan took me down to the AMTRAK station In Milwaukee and I took the late afternoon train up to La Crosse.  Put my bike back together in the station in LaCrosse while the ticket counter guy called around to find the cheapest motel room in the city.  

Set out on a very cold Wednesday morning with frozen toes but thawed by Sparta. Very spongy trail from Sparta to Elroy and then down 400 Trail to Reedsburg for another cheap motel. Called Maura and Tim to see if they'd be up for eats in Reedsburg but Maura was down for the count already and Tim wasn't feeling great but got a good pep talk out of the phone call with Tim. (Thanks again Tim) 

Thursday was warm and beautiful and after a later start got all the way to Fond Du Lac before third cheap motel.  

Easy ride in on Friday morning and home in time to be the older of the two Men In Black with Finn for trick or treating.  

3 bald eagles, 3 deer, (lots of dead ones), lots of fresh roadkill- mice, squirrels, coons, possums, 1 porcupine, 1 coyote.  0 farm dog attacks but ready with the pepper spray anyway

Laying low this weekend,  Susan is doing a boatload of cooking and baking downstairs and I'm back to sending out resumes.  More later

KAMATE KAMATE TORA TORA A-HOOKAH A-HOOKAH VASSAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just wanted everyone to know that Sunday was the Quidditch World Cup, and the Vassar Butterbeer Brewers took SECOND out of TWELVE teams!!! I’m very, very happy and proud!!! We only lost to Middebury, and the final score was 70-40, which is quite respectable. Plus we caught the snitch. Just call us Bulgaria. 
I’ve attached some awesome pictures so that you can feel like you were there experiencing the magic, too!

You're toast!

Capri was toast for Hal- low- een. Really.