About My Break . . .

Me and Brett at Phog Allen Field House

The bad thing about a long break from work or school is, well, it ends--you have to go back. Tonight is the eve of that day. Our last day of work was Tuesday, December 23, and tomorrow is Monday, January 5. That is a long break in the working world. So what did I do for those 12 days?

It all started with some Minnesota-family time, meaning Dad, Mom, Cara and her husband Marco, and their two children, Eli (six) and Benjamin (almost three). A Christmas Eve dinner in downtown St. Paul and Christmas Day at the parents filled the first two days of the long break. I made two pies from scratch, a pumpkin and a blackberry, for the Christmas Day festivities. They were delicious, as were all the tasty treats. The presents were fun too. Most of all, though, it was the good, clean family fun that stands out. I'm lucky to have a family that doesn't suck.

Friday, December 26 I hopped in my car and headed to my home state of Missouri, stopping in Springfield briefly to have dinner with some friends, then it was on to Lamar, Missouri, home of my paternal grandmother and many other family--many more than I saw, even though I saw probably three dozen. It was all very lovely and kind of warm weather-wise the first two days. It was mostly what you'd expect--food, family, football, and gifts, all of it most welcome. I watered the cows, too, but that was the extent of my farming. We did split some wood, if that counts. I stayed in Lamar until the afternoon of Monday, December 29. 

Columbia, Missouri was my next stop. Yes, I'm allergic to Columbia and the university that sits there, but family trumps all, so I gladly stepped foot there to visit my maternal grandmother, my uncle (mom's brother) and aunt, their children (one who resides in Northern California and the other in Austin, Texas), and their children. Grandma is in an assisted living home now, so we visited with her and visited each other elsewhere, and I was not arrested for being a Jayhawk while in Columbia. 

Alas, it was time to cleanse my soul. So onward I went Tuesday, December 30 to Lawrence, Kansas, where Jayhawks such as myself reign supreme. I stayed in a hotel where a bar, sandwich shop, and a Kinko's sat during my time at KU. First, though, that night I met up with college friend Brett. Our first stop was The Wheel, a bar as close to on-campus as exists there, and it is also the first bar I ever went to in Lawrence way back in 1987. When I got a beer there last week, I commented, "The streak continues. I've still never been carded at The Wheel." True story. Then the highlight, a KU basketball game at Allen Field House. I've been to the field house once since I left school, and it was during the summer--I did not see a game. So, this was my first game at Allen since 1992, specifically since March 8 of that year, when KU beat Mizzou in double overtime despite Mizzou's Anthony Peeler just going off (likely one of the top-ten individual athletic performances I've seen in person). I believe though am not certain that clinched the Big 8 title for the Jayhawks, too. Anyway, we went to Florida for spring break directly from the field house. Good times. Last week's game was great. KU won, though Kent State played a solid game. The place was packed per usual. The best thing? Well, 98% of the music in the joint is played by the band--like, actual instruments--and not by a blaring sound system. They even play the same songs now that they did back in my day. Loved it. After the game, we went to another old haunt of ours, in downtown Lawrence. It was interesting, and we spent some time talking with a few current students and several recent grads. The more things change the more they stay the same, it sometimes seems.

I love that campus so spent some time the next morning wandering about, buying a couple things at the bookstore for good measure. I then hopped in my car and headed back to the Twin Cities, on New Year's Eve. I was asleep by 11:30. New Year's Day saw some more family time, then after that I had a cold--so it's pretty much been all football and food (cooking) at home these last three days. 

All that totals 12 days--12 rather simple but super satisfying days. Now, it's completely freezing (-4) as I type this, and work beckons tomorrow. I run a few times a week, and I'm always happy when I get to the back half of my run. Well, we're at the back half of the fall-winter (crappy) season here, so that's absolutely a wonderful thing. A busy week awaits me, so it's time to tuck in this break and get back to one day at a time. Here we go. . . .