The Flakes Just Keep On Coming

We've had many chances to enjoy our new x-c ski equipment.

Sometimes we ski in the rear of the Romeo house as Kathy is here.

And we've been to Stony Creek Metropark on their groomed ski trails.  We will stay on the easy ones for a while until we get better and more comfortable.

We restrict our skiing to temperatures above about 20 degrees, perhaps lower if sunny.  Our snowfall total for January is near a record.  And for the season we have had over 62 inches--last season the total was about 69 inches--according to one neighbor who measures each snowfall before he clears his driveway.

Hoping to get out this weekend... 

Inauguration 2009

A while back, when Obama won the Democratic Party nomination, young people seemed excited by his nomination, and motivated to be actively involved in his election  At that time I thought it quite likely he would be elected.  Deja vu, the commitment by many young people in 1960 propelled  John F. Kennedy to the presidency.  And so it happened again.

A change has come.  And I hope Obama and our congress are successful solving our most pressing problems.  Two wars and a crippled economy require the efforts, wisdom, and attention of us all.  

A Bunch of Boring Bowls

Couldn't get excited about too many of the bowl games.  Perhaps it was because the Big Ten teams did not do well, but perhaps also it was because the BCS Championship game has minimized interest in even the big bowl games, namely Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl.  The others have little meaning to all but their fans.

Until the BCS championship ten years ago or so, multiple bowl games were of great interest because they contributed to determining the national champion.  The 1997 bowl season exemplifies the importance and excitement of the old system.  Michigan and Nebraska were the only undefeated teams during the regular season and both won their bowl games.  #1 UM beat #8 Washington State in the Rose Bowl while #2 Nebraska defeated #3 Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.  The final polls gave a split national champion and generated spirited conversation about which one was correct.  AP poll ranked University of Michigan number 1 and Nebraska second while the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll had them reversed.   Some considered Nebraska's victory "better" than UM's.   More interesting would have been UM and Neb both losing.  Then Tenn might have been voted national champion (one loss and the big win over Neb) or WSU (one loss and a bowl win over UM); in addition #4 Florida would also have had some claim because they had only one loss and defeated Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl.  Three bowl games kept our interests back then because each contributed something to the mythical national champion.  The interest was intense, the talk interesting.

Now there is only one game that gets discussed for the national champion.  No more what-ifs before the bowl season, no more lively comparisons of schedules, no more who beat who and by how much, no more this bowl win was better than that one.

A lot of the fun of the bowl season is gone.  And a playoff will not bring the fun back.

BRRRR...

Below zero the last three nights, but warmer weather over the weekend.

We went to Evart for a funeral Friday in the new Envoy and were pleased the temperature was uniform and constant while the outside temps began at 8 below and increased to 10 above.  The Envoy has manual climate control whereas Kathy's car and the old Expedition each are  automatic so learning the settings will take some time.

Am also trying out a new winter coat I got a few weeks ago at Columbia outlet; it's working very well in this weather.  The coat has a waterproof and breathable shell and fleece  liner, a new design for me.  I like the flexibility of removing the liner and using the shell by itself over other layers while x-c skiing and snow removing or inserting it for bitter cold and less active outdoor work.

Hope to get out this weekend for a couple skis if the temps and winds permit.

Some Works of The Masters

A special exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts features works from Monet to Dali on tour from the Cleveland Museum of Art.  And we went Saturday to stand in line with hundreds of our new found friends to see the special exhibition of over 80 pieces including paintings by Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse, Cezanne, Degas, Renoir, and Dali and sculptures of Rodin.   

I am awed that I can see works in person which I have read or heard about secondhand in books and magazines or heard described on TV.

In addition we saw much of the rest of the DIA including an impressive collection of chess sets including a Faberge creation and one depicting France vs Great Britain.  I was impressed by the carving of ivory into artful chess pieces.  Check mate.

Have I Got A Deal For You!

A perfect storm for car buying.  After a couple postcards and a recorded phone message from the auto dealer where we got Kathy's car , including a 40% off sticker "teaser", I went to look over their inventory.  

You see, we were nearing the end of owning the Expedition.  We put money into the Expedition last spring just to keep it running and safe.  And we were sure we would need to put in more.  So it seemed a good time to trade for something newer.  And auto dealers were offering what seemed to be unbeatable deals, both domestic and foreign.

After meeting with our salesman at Serra Cadillac-Buick-GMC-Pontiac, I came home with the 40% news.  Available were 5 of the same model GMC Envoy, a size we were looking at since it is a bit smaller than the Expedition, in four colors I could live with.  Kathy looked at the colors on the Internet and made her first and second choices, then called the Casey with our choice.  The next morning we met with Casey, took the vehicle for a test drive, decided to buy it and trade in the Expedition, signed the papers, and drove it home.  We now have a new workhorse vehicle and can keep Kathy's Caddy for "pleasure".

So for 10 years the maroon Expedition was our workhorse.  It hauled 4 x 8 sheets of drywall and rolls of insulation for finishing the garage and basement, groceries and softener salts from Sam's Club, bags of fertilizer and plants for our gardens,  hundreds of day lilies from Don and Marietta,  and friends and relatives downtown for theater, concerts, and sports.  It took us up north with our tools and supplies, west to MC when James and Amy were there with Spencer (who loved "Grandpa's Car"), to airports and train stations with our luggage and travel plans, and around the state for consulting work.  And for a short time it took me to work during my last months before retirement.