Celebrating Cameron's 21st

Doug and I had a wonderful day in Bloomington.  We started our morning shopping for National Championship merchandise with Maggie.  Cal was busy working and everyone else had plans, so we really appreciated her spending time with us.  We didn't buy a lot, but Maggie and I each got a shot glass commemorating the win, and she and Doug picked up free posters at Upstairs Pub just missing out on the shirts that they were giving away.  We ended the morning by giving Maggie a driving tour of our favorite places on campus.

Cal had just finished working when we got back to the hotel and we were glad to hear that he was able to join us for lunch at Nick's.  Brett and Karen arrived right as we were seated and the six of us had a lot of fun talking and watching the National Championship ceremony on television.  We thought about going, but the cold weather and the fact that it was being held outdoors at Memorial Stadium was a huge deterrent.  In the end, we really enjoyed the atmosphere at the alumni bar while the program was playing, and we were glad that we had chosen to watch it there.  

After lunch, Cora, Cameron, Meg and Nick met us at Oliver Winery to begin our official family celebration of Cameron's 21st birthday.  It was cold on the back patio, but it was enclosed which did help quite a bit. We were all impressed to hear that Cameron and Cora had watched the football team's celebration outdoors at the stadium and enjoyed hearing about it from them.  Before everyone started wine tasting, Cameron opened his gifts.  They were all alcohol themed and Maggie even created a drinking around the world at Epcot gift that highlighted each of the countries with a small bottle.  It was really cute.  Besides bringing a gift from her and Nick, Meg had gotten decorations and dessert for the party and which we appreciated very much.

The snow started to fall on our way back into town.  Meg and Nick decided to take a break at their hotel, but everyone else went to Heartworks Brewing Company.  It was new and Cameron really wanted to try it. Those who ordered a beer really enjoyed them and the atmosphere was a lot of fun.  It reminded us of Infinite Ale Works before they added food.  From there, we traveled to the hotel to regroup before going out tonight.  The snow had definitely increased, and we knew that whatever we did, we would have to Uber.

Meg and Nick had a living room attached to their hotel room, so we decided to meet there at 6:30 this evening.  Several restaurants and bars had closed due to the impending storm, but that didn't change too much for us.  Doug and Cameron walked to Pizza Express to get pizza and breadsticks, and Nick and Brett went to Big Red Liquors for drinks.  We had fun a lot of fun eating dinner and playing games with everyone for the next few hours.  

Thankfully, the two bars that Cameron wanted to go to were within walking distance of Meg's hotel.  It was cold and snowy, but we weren't outside very long.  The first one, Kilroy's, was packed so Cameron decided that Upstairs Pub made a lot more sense.  We had fun hanging out there for several hours while Cameron's siblings bought him a few drinks.  Cal talked several in our group into trying a Malort shot.  It was made famous by the bartenders in Chicago and everyone who tried it agreed that it wasn't terrible but definitely wasn't a favorite either.  There were several football players celebrating at Upstairs as well.  That didn't surprise us as many of the seniors were enjoying their last weekend in Bloomington since most graduated in December. We all enjoyed singing along to the song Fernando in their honor.

Cameron, Cal, Maggie, Cora and Nick wanted to go to Brother's Bar next.  Doug and I decided to opt out as it was already after ten.  We had enjoyed the night out with our children but realized that we weren't quite the college bar crowd anymore.  No one seemed to mind that we were leaving, and we enjoyed hanging out with Meg for a little bit longer before catching a ride back to our hotel.  Brett and Karen also decided to skip out on Brother's and beat us back to the Hilton.  Overall, it was a wonderful day, and I was incredibly happy to spend it together as a family.  

Let the Party Begin

I spent the morning at my parents helping them where I could, packing a few items that I still had stored in my closet upstairs and coloring my hair.  I was glad for the extra time to visit as I wasn't sure that I would be able to return to Indiana until the end of March at the earliest.  Doug and I both had surgeries scheduled in February and Cameron was going to be visiting in March for his spring break.  I wish I could do more, but for now I will just be happy that I was able to visit and do a few things for them such as setting up a Ring camera for their front door.

I left early as I as I wasn't sure what the roads would be like on the way to the Indianapolis airport.  Thankfully, they were extremely clear and since there wasn't any traffic to speak of, I went ahead and drove all the way to Bloomington.  That way, I could get settled at the hotel and buy a few groceries before picking up Doug.  I couldn't believe all of the people at Kroger.  I shouldn't have been surprised as the news of this weekend's Winter Storm Fern was everywhere.  I hoped that it wouldn't be as bad as the meteorologists were predicting but made sure to have food and water just in case.

Doug's flight was on time, and we were back in Bloomington by 8:30 p.m.  Cameron had plans with his roommates tonight, so I was glad that Meg and Nick were interested in joining us at Upland Brewing Company for dinner.  We made the mistake of walking the six blocks to the restaurant.  It was absolutely freezing and my eyes hurt really bad when we arrived.  Thankfully, it was warm at Upland, and we had a great time with Meg and Nick.  He took us back to our hotel and we hung out with them in the lobby bar until 11:30 or so.  We all got a kick out of a guy sitting at the bar.  When we arrived, he told us that they had just closed a minute earlier.  I looked surprised and said that we had checked with the bartender before we left for dinner and that she had told us that the bar closed at 11 p.m. and it was only 10:04.  The guy at the bar got extremely embarrassed and said that they were just customers and he had read online that it closed at 10.  We laughed about it most of the night and the guy ended up buying three of our drinks because he felt bad. He didn't have to do that, but it made for a great way to end a fun evening.

A Visit to Syracuse

I watched Chicago Fire with my parents last night and caught up on how they have been doing since my mom broke her hip and my dad started radiation.  They both looked very tired and their situation seemed overwhelming, especially since none of us were close by to help.  I didn't sleep very well thinking about them last night as I wasn't sure where they could get consistent daily help or even if they would except it.  I was afraid that my dad would wear out driving to and from Warsaw every day for treatment along with taking care of my mom.  I also wasn't sure how long it would take for her to recover.  

Getting out of the house today for a haircut at Amanda's and visiting with Harlan when he stopped by to check in on my parents helped me feel a little better.  I knew that they were two people that we could count on to lend a hand or look for help if my parents needed it.  I also realized that there were others as well.  No one could be there constantly but maybe could help until my parents decided what they wanted to do long-term.  I know that they really like living in their home, but I am not sure that will always be possible.  I guess time will tell and for now all I can do is pray for them and trust in God's plan.  

Happy 21st Birthday Cameron

I flew out this morning for a few days in Indiana.  My plane arrived on time and there was a van waiting for me when I got to the Indianapolis Airport.  My first priority was to take a suitcase full of items to Brett and Karen's that they had left at our place over the holidays as they did not have room for them.  I was glad to help, and we all agreed that next time they would have to bring an extra suitcase in anticipation of the gifts that they would receive.  I didn't get to see Brett as he was at work but spent some time with Karen before leaving for Bloomington.

My main goal in arriving today was taking Cameron out for a late lunch/early dinner for his 21st birthday and buying him his first legal beer in the United States.  He was done with class early, so we were able to catch up before picking Cora up and heading to Buffalouie's.  This was the first time in quite a while that I had walked into the restaurant without their being a long line to order food.  We sat upstairs and talked a lot about Cameron turning 21 and their time at the National Championship game.  Cora and Cameron were two of the few that returned yesterday as a lot of their friends had to wait until Wednesday to fly out.  I had a great time with the two of them and was very glad that I was able to spend the afternoon with Cameron on his momentous birthday.

After dinner, I dropped everyone off at their apartments and started my drive to Syracuse.  The temperature remained in the 40s and the roads were clear, so it was a very easy drive.  I also listened to a Netflix series called His and Hers that Meg recommended.  It was a small-town thriller and kept my attention the entire three-hour drive.  This morning at 5 a.m. I wasn't sure that I would be able to make it to Syracuse tonight but arrived around 9 p.m. glad to be able to sleep in tomorrow.  

One More Piece of the Puzzle Answered

It was a hectic morning getting out the door as I had to finish packing and also wait for our security company to arrive to fix our monitoring system.  It had gone out yesterday morning, and I really wanted it to be fixed before I left for the rest of the week.  Thankfully, they were able to repair the system and replace all of the batteries in the smoke alarms before I left for Orlando.

Cameron's train was a few minutes late, but I didn't mind.  It gave me time to look at all of the reels from last night's victory.  I still couldn't believe that IU won the football national championship.  Watching all of the Hoosier fans walk out of the Brightline terminal helped it to sink in a little bit more.  Cameron was definitely tired from his whirlwind trip to Miami, but extremely happy.  He had brought Doug and I a program from the game which we really appreciated.  He also showed me all of the other souvenirs that he was taking home.  I loved listening to his stories from yesterday.  He had definitely enjoyed the experience of a lifetime.  We had just enough time to eat lunch from Panda Express before he headed to TSA.  I waited with him and talked some more during his half hour wait.  Between the football travelers and vacationers from President's Day weekend, it was definitely a packed airport.  Thankfully, Cameron made it through without any issue and was well on his way to Indianapolis by 4:45 this afternoon.  

After Cameron left, I was able to sit in on a virtual appointment that Doug had with his neuropsychiatrist late this afternoon.  She went through all of the testing that he had done (700 questions) and talked about the pictures that Doug had to provide a detailed story for. I think that was the part that Doug found most interesting.  The good news was that the questions and pictures pegged Doug's personality 100% and let us know that he sees life as a man and woman coming together to solve a problem.  That didn't surprise me at all as that is the way we have always lived our life.  The doctor's report also told us that Doug's tremor was not psychosomatic.  Neither one of us were surprised to hear that either.  At this point neither Doug nor I believe that we will ever know what officially caused the tremor, but at least today's visit did help us answer one more piece of the puzzle.

The National Championship Game - Unbelieveable

If you would have told me that IU football would win a National Championship, I would have never believed it.  Even after we finished 10-2 and made it to the CFP last year, I wasn't sure that we would ever make it back.  At the beginning of this season, I would have just been happy to make it to a bowl game.  Tonight, however, the Hoosier football team that Doug and I had followed for the last forty years made the impossible happen beating Miami in one of the hardest fought games of the season finishing perfect at 16-0 and this year's National Champions.  Even as I watched the confetti fall and the trophy presentation happen, I still couldn't believe it.

While Cameron was sitting in the front row of Hard Rock Stadium, Doug and I were seated in our living room glued to our television.  Neither one of us were bummed to miss the game in person as we were both too nervous to watch it anywhere else.  We weren't the only ones watching the game on the edge of our seats as Meg, Cal, Maggie and Karen were all home as well.  Nick had to fly to Miami but arrived in time to catch the game from his hotel bar.  Only Brett opted out of watching from start to finish as he practiced piano for a good portion of the game secretly hoping that Coach Cignetti could pull off the improbable victory.

Although I hoped that the game would be as easy as the previous two with IU taking control early and winning by a large margin, in my heart, I knew that would not be the case.  Miami had several players on their defensive line that were first round NFL draft prospects, and they were playing at home.  In the end, I was correct as the game was challenging from start to finish.  Even when we took more than a one score lead, Miami would answer with a nice play on offense keeping the game close throughout.  Thankfully, an unbelievable touchdown run from Mendoza, a blocked punt that led to a touchdown and a perfectly timed interception in the last minute of the game put IU on top making this a season that none of the IU faithful and maybe even the rest of the college football world will ever forget.  

Da Bears

We spent the morning and afternoon with Cameron before he caught the train to Miami.  He was excited about the trip and I was extremely glad that he was able to go albeit a little nervous since none of us had spent much time in South Florida.  The nice part was that Aunt Jan was staying close to where his hotel was and I knew that she could help if anything went wrong.  Cameron was also meeting twelve other SAB members tonight which made me feel even better.

Before the three of us left for the train station, Cameron had time to exercise and do some homework while Doug and I ran to the store to get him some snacks for the trip. We also met Meg at Rock N Brews by the airport for lunch before leaving for the Brightline.  Neither Doug nor I had ever been to the station before and were extremely impressed with it.  It was easy to find and security was a lot quicker than the airport.  We headed home once Cameron made it to his gate.

Doug and I spent this evening watching the Bears game.  They had won their first playoff game in fifteen years last weekend and we were hoping for another victory tonight.  Cal called before he left with Maggie and his friends to a local restaurant for a watch party.  He was nervous and excited.  The entire town of Chicago was lit up orange and blue all week in anticipation of tonight.  Both Doug and Cal were hopeful that the Bears would win but nervous as the Rams with Stanford at Quarterback were very good.  It was a close game throughout and went into overtime on an outstanding play by Caleb Williams.  Unfortunately, a slow run by the tight end led to an interception ending the Bears storybook season.  The best part was that there was now hope for future seasons as the Bears were young and their quarterback had lived up to the hype surrounding his selection in the draft.