We're Having a Heat Wave

I spent a good portion of the day getting the Halloween decorations out.  It was so strange to be decorating for the fall season with the weather we were having today.  I went for a walk at 2 and it felt like the end of July.  It was hot and humid and I was completely drenched in sweat when I got back.  I noticed that when I was putting out squirrel corn there were a lot of leaves down in the backyard.  That made it even more strange as it looked like fall, but felt like summer.   Doug even mowed when he got home tonight.  My Mom told me that she remembered the weather being exactly like this when Granny and PawPaw moved back to Indiana almost twenty years ago.  She also said that it led to an early winter.  I do not wish for that, but I would be fine with a break from the heat.

Another Day, Another State

Even though we stayed until the end of the game and stopped at Mad Anthony's on the way home for dinner last night, we were all still able to get to bed by midnight.  We were thankful for that as this morning we up and out the door by 9:45 a.m. once again.  Today's road trip took us to the state of Illinois.  Doug had wanted to see his Dad before he left for Florida and this was the only weekend that we had available.

Our first stop was the Science & Industry Museum in Chicago.  We had bought a membership last December with the hope of returning with Cameron this fall.  Thus, we were glad to make it part of our trip today.  It was a little hectic getting to the parking garage due to the Chicago half marathon, but ten extra minutes and a long trek around the block put us in the museum only fifteen minutes after it opened.  We let Cam pick the exhibits that we toured today.  He said that felt weird as usually Brett, Meg or Cal led the way.  He did a nice job being the leader, however, as the three of us did enjoy all of the places that he choice to visit today including the U-505 submarine, the space center, the mirror maze and the extreme ice exhibit.  We spent about three hours in total touring the museum before leaving for dinner in Burr Ridge.

There was a Bears game at Soldier Field this afternoon which made traffic coming into the city a mess.  Thankfully, our trip out of Chicago was a quick one.  We were a half hour early to Giordano's, but weren't surprised to see Grandpa Heinisch and Marina already waiting on us.  Dan pulled in a few minutes behind us and soon we were all seated for a late lunch.  It took awhile to get our pizza, but no one seemed to mind.  There were plenty of football games to watch and a lot of conversation around the table.   It was great to see Dan as his big personality makes any event a lot of fun.  Carl and Marina were excited about their upcoming return to Florida and filled us in on all that they had going on before their trip.  We spent about two hours catching up with everyone before heading back home.  Doug was very appreciative of Cameron and I for making the trip.  We were glad to do it, loved the deep dish pizza and were thankful to be home a little earlier tonight.

Michigan State

For the past few months Doug and Cameron have talked about going to see the IU vs MSU game in East Lansing.  With tennis, our plans to meet Grandpa Heinisch in Chicago for dinner and the rest of the IU football schedule on our agenda we weren't sure that we would be able to make it work.  Thankfully, there were no conflicts and this morning at 9:45 a.m. the three of us were on our way to Michigan State.

Doug and I had been to MSU once before when Cal was in 7th grade and playing travel basketball.  We knew that the football stadium was on campus, but we weren't sure about the ease of tailgating and parking.  We arrived three hours early and there were a lot of tents already set up, but fortunately, they had plenty of room for us.  Our IU tent was definitely out of place among all of the green, but everyone that we met was extremely nice.  We made lunch of summer sausage, hummus, and bread while playing several games of washers.  It was quite a different atmosphere than tailgating at IU.  There were a lot of college students, but the amount of drinking was definitely quite a bit less.  Most of those in the fields were actually there to see the football game.

                               

The stadium was packed and the crowd was really involved in the game.  I hadn't sat through an entire college football game in quite some time.  I definitely picked the right one to do so.  It was back and forth from the first touchdown.  With two minutes left and the score tied at 31 - 31 it looked as though the game was heading to overtime.  Unfortunately for the small amount of Hoosier fans in attendance, Michigan State connected on a pass down field setting them up for a last second field goal to win the game.  We were disappointed in the outcome, but impressed with Penix's return to the field.  Cam was positive that #9windiana was a definite possibility.

                

The Start to the Weekend

I tried to take it easy today as I hadn’t felt the best this week.  l stuck with finishing some small projects around the house, hanging pictures and laundry.  I figured out that I could reach the chandelier in our entry way through the faux window in the extra bedroom.  We hadn’t take off the cork board down that we had put up several decades ago to detour the Heinisch children from trying to crawl out of it.  It was a little scary, but I got it cleaned and changed the burned out light bulb without plunging to my death!!

Thankfully, I walked early in the afternoon, getting in my steps before the rain started.  Cam did not have practice tonight due to the torrential downpours.  Grandma picked him up so I could sign papers for Edwards Jones at 3:30.  I talked to Meg several times today.  She was happy to have received a package from Jackie and had a quiet evening planned studying.  Brett worked at Bell Trace this morning and the Union most of the rest of the day.  He talked to Meg about going shopping tomorrow.  Cal was proud to announce that KPMG had invited him to interview.  It has been fun to hear about his career search.

Doug dropped me off at Huntington Street tonight so that I could meet Mary, Paula, Wendy, Cherie and Betsy for dinner.  It was awesome to catch up with them as they had quite a bit of information to share.  I still don’t miss the workload of teaching, but I do miss seeming the five of them daily.

Adutling

We spent an hour this evening with Dave Sands talking about investment ideas for Cam’s 529 and my retirement fund from teaching.  The amount of money we were talking about wasn’t a lot, but we did gain a great deal of information from the meeting.  We opened Cam’s 529 with a plan to put in the full amount needed to earn the $1000 tax credit from the state of Indiana.  From our meeting we found out that we could do continue to do that through Cam's time in college and still keep earning the tax credit.  Thus, just like Meg, the state of Indiana would really pay for a $1000 of his education.

We also learned tonight that I will have to close out my 403b and put it in an IRA.  Doug and I were ready to do that as I do not plan to return to teaching.  The best news was that Dave also informed us that I could close my state teacher’s retirement fund and add that to my new IRA account.  We were both happy with that information.  Doug let my parents know later in the that he was glad to have that all settled.  Now when he “kicked me out to the curb," I’d at least have a little bit of money to take with me!!

Ready to Paint

I spent the majority of the day getting the extra bedroom upstairs ready to paint.  Doug said that he would be available to work on it next weekend, so I wanted to get everything out of it that was Cal, Brett or Meg's.  It was a bigger project than I thought it would be, especially since I wasn't feeling the best today.  Cal still had quite a bit of clothes in the closet and a lot of books on the shelves.  Brett didn't have much which made packing his milk crate for Bloomington very easy.  I left Meg's Prom dresses in the closet as hers doesn't have a spot to hang anything long.  The only other items I left in the room were clothes for Brett and Cal when they come home, their Wawasee middle school and high school year books, the bed and a bookcase.  Thankfully, Doug was willing to move everything downstairs tonight.

Our plan is to paint the room sage green and move some of Cameron's items into it, thus, giving him two bedrooms in reality.  I tried to talk him into taking the room as his own, but he really likes the one he has.  It is smaller, but it still has a lot of charm.  We will paint it once we get the extra room done.  It will take a little more time as he has quite a bit to organize and the painting will be challenging as we want to keep the trees on his wall.  Although these rooms will take some effort, they will be nothing like the projects that we conquered while getting ready for Meg's graduation.  I am extremely glad that there are no big Heinisch events this year to prepare the house for as it took all I could to finish it on time last Spring.

The Quiet Life

The quiet reality of only having one of the Heinisch children at home was never more apparent than today.  This morning I dropped Cam off at school at 7:20 a.m. and didn't see him again until after 9 p.m.  This wasn't the first time that I had a day to myself.  In fact with only one schedule to follow there has been a lot of down time this fall.

After the crazy schedule that we had last year, I am not complaining.  I miss the older three when they aren't here, but they are great about keeping in contact.  I talk to Meg every day and hear from Brett and Cal quite often via text.  I appreciate hearing from them and when they are busy, I use the extra time to work on projects around the house, walk or read.  Today I was able to finally clean out my jewelry chest and nightstand.  This had been on my to do list since last Spring, and it was nice to finally cross it off the project agenda.  While organizing I also ran across several pieces of jewelry that Jeanette had given us before she died.  I thoroughly enjoyed looking at them and can't wait to show Meg.

End of an Awesome Season

Tonight was the end to the JV tennis season.  As the three of us drove back from Cameron's victory at Fairfield, we had time to reflect on his first high school sports experience.  As neither Cal nor Meg played on the JV tennis teams we weren't sure what to expect when the season started.  We didn't know what the competition would be like or how he fit in on such a large team.  As there were only two freshmen on Bethany's roster we didn't know what that would mean as well.

In the end we were all thrilled with Cam's experience.  He had not only grown in skill on the tennis court, but most importantly in his mental game as well.  He had struggled at first in this aspect, but by the end of the season Cam was able to focus and stay confident even when he lost a tough point or was down a break.  This growth helped him to improve from number two JV singles to the top spot.  It also helped him to close out opponents and win challenging matches.  He finished the season 9-7 overall with a 5-2 record on the number one JV court.

Although it was a lot of fun watching him play, the best part of the season was witnessing the team's support of one another.  From their "Let's Go" rally cries to their bandana wearing hairdos, the boys were all vested in their team and teammates.  There was no division between varsity and junior varsity.  Each member was valued for his skills and encouraged to succeed.  As a parent I couldn't have asked for a better experience than that.

Just What Makes That Ceiling Fan Hum

One advantage of having me quit teaching and staying home was that I have had time to solve problems that I normally wouldn't have.  None of these have been earth shattering, but I have made a difference in the Heinisch Home.  It started last fall when I decided to help with a couple of technology issues that we were having.  Patience and research payed off and I was able to solve several problems and actually make our scanner/printer useful once again.

Since that time I have become more confident in my ability to fix things around the home that I hadn't even been able to attempt in the past.  Along with the gains in technology knowledge I had also done some plumbing work over the year and learned how to put in overhead ceiling lights.  I thought that the recent success of putting in a new ceiling fan with my Dad several weeks ago was the pinnacle of my capabilities, but it actually may have been today's project.

The ceiling fan in Meg's room had always made a humming sound.  The noise had increased to a point that she just couldn't really use the it much at all especially when she was trying to sleep.  My goal was to fix or replace it by the time she came home from IU.  As she had a visit planned on the 3rd of October, I knew I couldn't wait.  I had researched ideas on what the problem could be and decided to try a few different suggestions before I gave up and bought her a new one.  I really wasn't looking forward to putting up a new ceiling fan as I knew how much work it was with Cam's.  As I checked everything listed in one of the articles I read, it became clear to me that the humming was not actually coming from the motor or the blades, but instead from the light fixture attached to the fan.  I had hoped by changing the weight that I would stop the noise, but unfortunately that didn't work.

Today I talked Doug into helping me take the light off.  I knew that I couldn't do that on my own as the fixture was heavy and awkward to remove.  He agreed and soon we had the fixture down.  As we looked through it to find any loose screws or abnormalities that would make noise, it became clear to me that the electric box in it was not stable.  It didn't look anything like the one in Cam's fan and I was positive it was the problem.  Doug thought it was likely as well and helped to stabilize it before rehanging the light.  It took some work to get the fixture back up, but it was well worth.  I turned the switched on and lo and behold, no obnoxious humming noise - what a relief.

Fremont Invitational

Doug and I spent the day in Fremont, Indiana as Cam had a JV tennis tournament there.  It started on time which we appreciated, but since there were only six courts and six teams, it took quite some time to complete.  Cam was positioned at #1 singles and played against Angola first.  He started slow with quite a few unforced errors.  At the change over he and his coach Andrew talked and from that point on Cam came up with a different game plan.  He worked on being consistent and was happy with the outcome as he won the next seven out of eight games closing out the match at 8-5.

While Cam had a break I took a walk and Doug caught up with a longtime friend from Group Dekko.   He gave Doug a lot of local tennis information.  We found out that Cam's next opponent would be a tough one to play.  He had varsity experience and took year round lessons.  We were impressed that Cam held his own against him.  Cam's plan was to hit the ball deep to keep his opponent away from the net.  His strategy didn't win him the match, but it got him three games in an 8-3 loss.  Cam was happy with his play and the experience against someone from a 4A school.

It was at least an hour before Cam was scheduled to play again.  Since he had finished 1 and 1 in pool play, he would be competing for third place.  While we waited Cam had Subway for lunch and Doug and I ate leftover pizza from last night's meal.  We also spent time reading and watching other Bethany matches.  By the time the third rounds started, four of Cam's teammates were also vying for third place with number one doubles in the championship match.

Cam's last match of the day was by far our favorite.  He started off slow once again and soon found himself down 0-2.  He once again decided to focus on accuracy and consistency.  It was a winning strategy that gave Cam the third place victory at 8-3.  Cam was excited about his match afterward and we were proud of his play today.  The three of us also agreed that this was the most entertaining round of the day.  His opponent was extremely animated and spent time in between points berating himself for his play.  He threw his racket once and sent the ball sailing over the fence as well.

There were still two Bethany courts to play when we left at 4 p.m. It had been a long, hot day and Doug and I were ready for a break from the sun.  We stopped at Kohl's in Angola where we each bought some new fall shirts.  My Dad texted us while we were there to let us know that he'd be available to pick up Cam, so we headed to Fort Wayne after shopping.  It had been quite awhile since we had eaten at Chops Wine Bar and we both appreciated the opportunity.  The food and the drinks were wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed a quiet evening out together.  Cam was home by the time we arrived.  He and Grandpa had eaten at Lux Cafe and then stopped by the golf course to find out that Grandpa had won the Fall Finale.  Both were thrilled with their tournament success today.

Music on the Lawn

Since Cameron had started attending Bethany four years ago, we had heard about Music on the Lawn, but had never attended.  We found out this fall that it was a fund raiser for the high school music programs.  We weren't sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised at how well the orchestra, band and choir performed.  Cam participated in both the jazz band and concert band.  He had an awesome solo part in the song Yesterday.  I was impressed with how well he did.  Although I enjoyed all of the songs that the two bands played, my favorite was "Evermore" from Beauty and the Beast.  

As much as we enjoyed the music portion of the program tonight, the dinner wasn't quite aimed toward our family.  It featured pulled pork sandwiches, which none of us preferred.  As soon as we got home we ordered pizzas since no one ate very much.  As the money for the dinner was aimed toward music field trips, I didn't mind buying the tickets, however.  Listening to the music was more than worth the cost of the dinner.

Long Night, Short Match

Cameron played at Elkhart Central tonight in what turned out to be a very quick match for him.  We weren't sure how it would turn out when they were first introduced as Cam's opponent was a senior.  Cam started off strong, however, and didn't let down.  He served well and hit consistant shots in what turned out to be a thirty minute 6-1 victory.  I was glad that we arrived early as we would have missed it otherwise.

Cam stayed with his team to watch the varsity team play.  My parents had ridden with me.  Once we got to the Chief, they took the van back so Doug and I could go to dinner while we were waiting for Cam.  We picked Hacienda since it was close.  We were surprised when we realized that we had finished eating and that Cam hadn't texted that he was on his way back to Bethany yet.  Thinking that maybe he forgot, I checked Find My Phone and confirmed that he was still at Elkhart Central.  Shortly after that we heard from Cam that two of the varsity courts had gone to third sets.  Thus, we went ahead and ordered another drink and continued to wait in Goshen.  It was close to 8:30 by the time Cam got into the Pilot.  We found out that Bethany won 4-1.  Cam was happy about that and with how he played.  We were very glad to hear that.

Lunch Date

I told Cameron that I was going to meet his Dad for lunch this morning.  He responded immediately with, "Hmmm, a lunch date??"  Technically he was correct.  Doug and I had made plans several days ago to spend his lunch hour together this afternoon.  I met him at his office close to noon and helped him dig his favorite mug out of his closest before we left - "Dad is #2" made by Cameron a dozen years ago.  We ate at Bacon Hill Kitchen & Pub.  Doug had been there before, but I never had.  We each ordered different chicken sandwiches and were not disappointed.  They had opened the patio for us and we appreciated the time outside.  It was very nice to see Doug during the day.  Besides talking to him briefly when he runs out to get a pop daily, I really don't get much time with him until dinner which can be anywhere between 7 and 8:30 p.m.

Doug and I went our separate ways after lunch.  He headed back into work, while I went to the car wash.  Once I cleaned out the Pilot, I stopped at Woldruff's.  They were having a sale and I needed a new pair of Birkenstocks as I had worn my out.  They had exactly what I wanted and I was in and on my way quickly.  I had just enough time to unload my groceries and get gas before stopping at my parents to watch "America Says."

Tonight Doug and I ate outside once again.  He had made chicken curry after exercising and getting a haircut.  Cam finally told him that he really didn't enjoy Doug's staple dish.  Thus, Doug threw a frozen pizza in for him and he laughed as he said, "Well, it's a first.  Meg actually likes something that Cam and Cal do not."  While Doug and I enjoyed dinner together he mentioned that he had never seen me as relaxed as I had been these past two weeks.  I was surprised by his comment, but in thinking about it realized that I had been a lot less anxious lately.  He asked me if I knew why.  I honestly did not.  I wondered out loud if it was because Meg was settle at IU and felt positive about her situation.  Last year had been a tough one for her and she felt a lot better now.  Brett was also happier about his current situation than he had been during the long nights of studying last year.  The calls home were now more orientated toward favorite movies or dinners out with friends.  Cal had started the job search process this fall, but had already found success leaving not much to worry about.  I could tell Doug for sure that it was a lot easier to take care of the house with only the three of us at home and just Cameron's schedule to follow.  Without a graduation party to get ready for, I not only had less projects and cleaning to do, but I also had more time to walk.  In all honesty, I also realized that my lower anxiety level could be due to a change in hormones or the fact that when I did not feel good, I gave myself permission to rest.  Whatever the reason, I knew that Doug was correct and I was more relaxed which was fine with me.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

After senior night at tennis this evening, Doug and I flipped through the television channels to see if there was anything on that we wanted to watch.  He stopped on TCM as they were just getting ready to start one of his favorite movies, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."  As it had been several years since I had seen it and it had Sidney Poitier in it, I agreed to watching it with him.  I remembered the premise of the movie, but as the story unfolded there were key details that I had forgotten.  The longer we watched, the more I realized that the racial divide that the movie was famous for was no longer my focus.  It was nice to know that we have come a long way since the 1960s and the concern about inter-racial marriage definitely was not a big issue for our generation or our children's.  Instead all I kept saying to myself was "she's only 23, he's 37, they're getting married, moving to Geneva and they just met ten days ago."  The parent in me wanted to tell Kathryn Hepburn and Spencer Tracy's characters to pull the plug on the whole idea and encourage their daughter to wait.  His race wasn't the issue.  It was the fact that they barely knew one another.

Once we stopped watching for the night, I spent quite a bit of time wondering what Doug and I would do in a situation such as that one.  In the end I realized that if Meg, Brett or Cal came home with the same scenario, I would only be able to make suggestions.  They have all reached adulthood and whom they chose to marry would be completely out of our control.  My hope would be that we have modeled for  them our beliefs on what makes a good marriage - love, compromise, communication, honesty and trust.  In addition I would pray that their newfound spouse would enjoy the company of our family as much as we do.   If all of this were true, who would I be to say that the Heinisch children could not find the perfect mate in ten days.

Toxic Friendships

Several years ago Cal jokingly told me that if I lowered my expectations that I would never be disappointed.  I laughed when he said it and then reminded him that his new philosophy did not get him out of studying for his calculus test.  I thought a lot about his statement yesterday, not in relation to academics, but in my current experiences with friendships.  Lowering my expectations would definitely have helped me to endure toxic relationships, but instead after this past weekend, I decided that I would rather learn from these situations instead.

I realize that not all friendships last forever.  Drifting a part due to changes in environment, familial situations or a physical move definitely can put a stain on even the best of friends.  Having someone completely stop talking to you, avoid you at all costs and then leave you out of important moments in their lives unexpectedly, however, is a head scratcher.  Thinking of Cal's quote today, made me realize that it was not lowering expectations that I needed, but to view the situation more realistically.  Just as I didn't expect Cal to get a 100% on his calculus test when past performance showed that an 85% would be more than acceptable, I should have seen the signs of a toxic friendship long before I did.  The "friend" that now seemed to completely hate our family had treated us poorly before.   I felt from the first month of meeting her, that she would never be supportive of us and that more than likely we would end up on her gossip list.  Her toxic behavior spilled over into how her family treated the Heinisch family.  I had realized right away that she wasn't well liked by many of my true friends, but instead of ending the relationship, I limped along, encouraging my family and friends to be patient with her and her family even though it was clear that we should have ended this friendship long ago.  All I can now say is lesson learned and when Meg called yesterday to explain the frustrations with someone she had just met, I could use my experience to encourage her to move on.  I had learned that it is truly rare for a leopard to change its spots.  Thus, if she could see the warning signs already, it was best for her to get out of the friendship as soon as possible.

In stating the above, I realize that this is a lot harder with family.  When a family member stops communicating with you or changes the dynamics of your relationship it becomes extremely complicated. Those situations are more frustrating to me than any toxic friendship ever could be.  Avoiding family or ending a relationship hurts more than just the two people involved.  It causes hurt feelings that rarely can be repaired.  It crushes spirits and can cause familial divide.  This is especially  true when one of those involved doesn't take the time to just be honest with the other, let them know what the issues is or how it can be resolved.  Positive communication with one another is extremely important for all families to succeed, especially when the children grow and have families of their own.  It isn't always easy to be honest and open with one another, but it truly solves more problem than it creates.  I hope that the lessons that I have learned this week will be a positive influence on my children as they continue to grow in their own relationships with their friends and with one another.

A Quiet Sunday

Cal was busy working and studying this morning, but Meg met us for lunch.  She was supposed to meet her group for Business Presentations, but they all baled on her.  She was annoyed, but glad to have been able to join us.  She grabbed a burrito from Chipotle and the rest of us tried Potbelly Sandwich Shop. It was the perfect day to eat outside as the weather was just gorgeous.  We talked for quite awhile.  Doug was impressed with how well Meg had adjusted to college.  She already had a group to do things with and was taking her classes seriously.  She and Brett made plans to have lunch together on Friday afternoon and might get together Saturday night as well.

The trip home was a quick one.  I was glad for that as traffic on 31 has been stopped at times due to construction.  Cameron texted Bailee most of the ride, trying to make plans for next Sunday.  Doug started mowing as soon as we unpacked the van.  It took me quite awhile to put everything away, but I didn't mind as I needed the steps.  I took a walk when I finished, while Doug did the elliptical.  He and I went to dinner at Oakwood which was extremely relaxing.  My parents came up afterward to play Oh Hell.  Cam opted out so that he could FaceTime Bailee.  Mom and Dad were happy to announce that they finished third in the Big Cup mixed scramble today.  That took the sting out of Doug taking the "w" in cards.  

Another Weekend, Another IU Football Game

We left Goshen last night around 7:30 and had an easy trip down to Bloomington.  Cameron slept the majority of it, exhausted from his match.  Doug and I watched the movie Conspiracy Theory on HBO now.  It had been quite some time since we had seen it and it made the drive more enjoyable.  We arrived at Brett's close to 11:30.  He had picked up breadsticks for us and headed to bed, so we didn't see him until this morning.

Today was a repeat of last weekend, only our day started three hours earlier as IU vs Ohio State was slated for a noon start.  We arrived at the grassy lots at 9:15 and were floored with how many tailgaters were already set up.  We got a prime spot once again and soon had our tent, table and food ready to go.  Cal and his friends were the first ones to stop by our location.  Doug had come through on the promise to have Italian beef for everyone and the boys enjoyed several sandwiches along with donuts and mimosas.  Cameron Adams had come up from Tennessee for the weekend and it was nice to see him as well.

  

Shortly after the guys left, Meg and her friends arrived.  It was fun to meet the girls on her floor.  She's spent a lot of time with them these past few weeks and it was nice to put faces to names.  Meg was happy to see that Doug had added homemade pasta salad to the menu.  She and her friends played washers after they ate.  Cam had given up on the game as Brett beat him last time and this week I took him out.  Doug and Cam left for the game at 11:30 a.m.   The girls hung around for about an hour afterward, talking and sharing stories.  When they decided to leave for a trip to Petco, I thought it would be a good time to pack up.  The three girls were a big help with the tent and table and we had everything in the Pilot in no time at all.

 

The game was 7-3 when I arrived at the start of the second quarter.  That soon changed with OSU scoring before I even found a seat.  There were so many Buckeye fans in attendance that I actually thought it was IU's touchdown from the loud cheering.  The rest of the game was pretty frustrating as IU's defense really struggled.  The Hoosiers did finally score on a nice trick play.  Even with the TD we ended up leaving at the start of the fourth quarter.  It was hot, we were down 52-10 and we had had enough of OSU fans.

We met Brett back at his apartment where we played a game of Ticket to Ride after a quick trip to Target.  Bowling was next on the agenda.  Cal and HM joined us.  It was a lot of fun, even though Brett took an early lead an never looked back.  We picked Meg up afterward.  She had skipped out on bowling in order to study.  We tried to go to King Dough for dinner, but it was a long wait.  Grazie's was next door, but it too was packed.  Brett suggested Cafe Pizzeria and not only did we get seated right away, we also enjoyed the food very much.  The conversations around the table were a lot of fun as well.  We dropped Cal and HM off at her apartment afterward and Meg back at the dorm.  The four of us then decided to play one more game of Ticket to Ride before several rounds of The Donner Party.  Although Cam vowed to never talk to Brett again as he ratted him out as a cannibal in the first round, I was pretty sure that he would quickly change his mind.  No matter who won, it was a great way to end a wonderful day.

 

An Awesome Win!

Tonight Cameron played his second match at number one singles for the junior varsity team.  It was by far his best match of the season.  His first serve was fantastic and the most consistent that we have seen him hit.  The match was an intense back and forth set with most games ending in deuce.  When the score reached 5-4 in his opponents favor, Matt reminded Cam that he had stated at practice that his best weapon was his accuracy.  He encouraged him to reach deep and rely on accurate shots to win points.  He also told Cam not to worry about the score, but to focus on the point at hand.  The words of wisdom helped Cameron to finally overcome the one block that he had struggled with all season - winning big points.  With renewed energy he put shots away and hit some awesome winners during the next three games, finally beating the Northwood senior 7-5.  We were all extremely proud of him.  Cam had worked hard this season to improve his game and it definitely showed tonight.

Knock, Knock . . .

For the past five years I have had a recurring dream.  Although I can never remember the details, it always ends with someone knocking.  When I first started having these dreams, the knocking always came from our front door.  I would jump out of bed, sure that someone was there.  No one ever was.  I thought that these dreams had something to do with leaving the front door open for Cal when he would go out with his friends.  I figured that my subconscious must have been telling me that he was home and that I could lock the door.

Years went by, Cal left for college, and the dreams continued.  The knocking would wake me up as usual, but I noticed that the sound wouldn't always come from the front door.  Sometimes it would be from our bedroom door and other times it would be the wall above the bed.  Last night was a first, the knocking was just as loud, but it was on the side of the mattress.

As knocking on a mattress wouldn't actually make much of a sound, I decided to finally explore what this type of dream meant.  The internet popped up dozens of websites, each with an opening paragraph stating, "If you hear knocking in your dream, it's possible your subconscious is trying to get your attention."  I wasn't sure what my mind wanted me to know, but it made sense to me.  Before I clicked off of the search engine, however, I noticed one small blurb giving a slightly different explanation for my dream.  In the 1920s it was widely accepted that knocking in a dream was a sign that someone from the dead was trying to reach you.  Hmmm . . . it might not be the most accepted interpratation now, but it definitely made my dreams a little more interesting, especially since this was Friday the 13th.

Never Forget

There were so many posts on Facebook about the tragedy that occurred eighteen years ago today that has simply been remembered as 9/11.  There were stories of those who lost their lives, there were memes reminding readers to never forget, videos from that day and pictures of memorials built since that time period.  It was hard for me to fathom that it had actually been eighteen years since the tragedy.  Meg and her fellow freshmen at IU were just babies on that day.  They had no memory of the event.  

This was the first year in a long time that I did not follow all of the stories of that day.  When I taught we always spent a portion of class studying the facts of 9/11 and the after effects.  Today, I noticed that instead of thinking about the tragedy of years ago, I spent more time reflecting on the sadness that my cousin felt on 9/10 several years ago.  It was the day that she had to give birth to her twin daughters that had passed away in utero.  Although I thought about her and sent her words of encouragement during that challenging time period, I knew that words would not ease the pain.  It was a tragedy in her family that they would have to endure.  

Yesterday she posted a picture of her two boys at the memorials of their older sisters.  Although the siblings would never meet in this lifetime, it was such a joy to see them all together today.  I texted her last night just to let her know that I was thinking of her as I often do.  I know that the boys will never replace the love that she feels for her little girls, but it sure brought happiness to such a devastating situation.  It gives me hope that all those who lost loved ones on 9/11 found a little bit of happiness in their lives as well.  

Back on the Court

Cam was back on the court tonight after a weekend off.  He had texted me this afternoon to let me know that he would be playing #1 JV singles in this evening's match.  I was happy for him.  Cam had been working hard these past few weeks, and it was nice that his effort was being rewarded.  It was a tough match to be slotted in the #1 spot, but Cam said that he was up for the challenge.  His Westview opponent had played #3 singles on the varsity squad last year.  Knowing this helped Cam to focus on his game and not worry about the score of the match.  Even though he lost 8-1, Cameron played as well as we had seen him this season.  Almost all of the games went to deuce, he scored several nice winners, he had a plan when he came to the net and he improved his service game.   He was proud of himself for playing well and instantly started talking about what he wanted to work on next.

Westview was not only challenging for Cameron, but for the team as a whole.  There were several close matches, but in the end the Bruins lost 0-5 on Varsity and 3-5 JV.  The boys and their coaches felt great about the match and Doug was happy to serve them all pizza afterward.  Overall, tonight was my favorite match of the season.  It was the perfect reminder of how sports should be in high school and it was incredibly nice to be part of such a positive program.  

               

Always Missed

My absolute favorite place to visit as a child was my grandparents house.  I loved playing with all of the toys in their laundry room, especially the Dating Game.  The television was in the front room, although I rarely watched it while I was there as there was so much else to do.  I'd sit at my grandparents rounded bar in the kitchen watching my Grandmother make pies or some other type of dessert.  I learned to peal apples there as well as grind cranberries.  They had a breezeway with an extra refrigerator.  It was in that room that I realized that I would rather deal with flies than hang fly paper.  I avoided their cellar at all costs as the dirt floor and small space scared me.  I didn't spend a lot of time upstairs, where there were four bedrooms and a bathroom, solely because most of the action happened on the main level of the house.  I never went out front as they lived on a busy street, but spent quite a bit of time in the backyard and in the garden even though I got my first bee sting there.

Although I enjoyed exploring all of the areas of my grandparents' home, my absolute favorite place to be was the garage.  It wasn't the tools or the squirrel feeder that attracted me, it was the man tinkering in the garage that I loved visiting.  From my earliest memories, my Grandfather was my hero.  In my mind he could fix or build anything.  He had survived service in World War II and came home with the best stories to tell.  He married my Grandma when she was single with four young children.  He cared for them as his own and I never once thought of him as a step grandfather.  He was "CrapPa", the person whom I knew loved me unconditionally.  

When they moved to Florida, I was devastated.  My parents and I no longer lived in Nappanee, so my opportunity to ride my bike to his house had ended years before.  That saying, a twenty minute car ride was not quite as daunting as a twenty hour one.  Thankfully, we visited Florida often and my grandparents stayed at our home every summer.  The bond between granddaughter and grandfather never strained due to distance.  In fact, I think that it may have grown stronger.

When my grandparents moved back to Indiana in the fall of 2000, there was no one happier than me.  I made sure I was at my parents' house when he and Parce pulled up in the moving van late one night.  I knew that the change in proximity would ensure that my own children would have a relationship with him, and they definitely did.  I remembered how terrible I felt when he told me that he had inoperable cancer.  I visited him every day that spring, summer and fall wishing beyond hope that a miracle would happen.  He put up a good fight those five months and I cherish every new memory that we created during that time period - war stories that I had never heard before, fixing the chainsaw in Aunt Bebe's kitchen, his last haircut and his refusal to open popsicles unless the Heinisch children said, "Snip, please."  I sobbed like a baby when my Mom called to tell me that he had died.  I was so thankful that I had spent his last few hours with he and my Grandma.  He may not have been able to tell me stories anymore, but I know that he could hear the ones that my Grandma was sharing with me.

Today as I thought back about his life and our relationship, I cried once again.  He had lived a good life and I had gained so much from being his granddaughter.  Even though I had all of the those wonderful memories to think about on his birthday, I just wanted one more day, one more hour, just one more story.  That will have to wait, however.  One day we'll meet again and I know that the smiles on our faces on my wedding day will be just as big and genuine.  Until we meet again, Paw Paw, keep the beer cold and the salt shaker handy.

Back Home Again

We all slept in this morning as it had been a busy yesterday.  We decided to play one more game of Ticket to Ride before leaving for lunch.  It must have been my weekend as I won again.  Afterward we packed the Pilot and then picked up Meg for lunch.  Brett had dropped his car off at the parking lot by work and walked up to Cafe Pizzeria to meet us.  Cal called around the same time to let us know that our lunch choice did not open until 4.  He and Brett suggested Opie Taylor and we met them there instead.  We all enjoyed lunch together and made plans for next week's tailgate.  Besides deciding on a menu, we also all agreed that we needed a table that would actually fit in the van.  No one wanted to be squished by our current one again.

Cam and I decided that we wanted to stop and play mini golf on the way home.  Unfortunately, our usual spot, Ben & Ari's, had closed in April.  Thankfully, there was another course even closer to our route home that was open for business.  Although Cam and Doug were disappointed that I beat them at another game yet again this weekend, we all had fun at this new found course.  The break also made the trip home seem quicker.

                  

First Home Game of the Season

Today was the first IU home game of the season and we were there to enjoy all of the festivities.  It had been several years since we had tailgated in the grass lots and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  There was plenty of room to set up our IU tent and still have space to throw around the football and frisbee during the afternoon.  Doug had gotten up early to put the brats and hot dogs in the crockpot.  We were pleased that the electric generator that we had bought kept the crockpot warm over the two and a half hours that we were tailgating.  We were also happy that we had made plenty of food.  Brett, Meg and Cam joined us from the beginning and were able to eat their fill before Cal and his friends showed up.  They all appreciated the pasta salad, carrots with ranch, chips, Snickerdoodles, brownies to go along with the brats and hot dogs.  We had fun meeting Cal's friends and enjoyed hanging out with Brett before he had to work at the Union.  Meg made contact with Mark so that she would now be able to text him for help with Finite.  By the time we left for the IU vs. Eastern Illinois game everyone had had a wonderful afternoon together and Cam accepted his defeat at washers by Brett pretty well.  His only complaint was that David had "forced" him into being a Lions fan for the next couple of weeks.

                           
  

                             


  

 

It was a lot of fun going to a game.  I hadn't been in years and enjoyed the band and entertainment during the timeouts.  EIU wasn't quite up to the challenge of playing the Hoosiers.  Therefore, it was completely lopsided.  I left at the half when the score was 35-0.  My back had had enough of the bleachers and I was pretty sure that IU would hold on for a victory.  I walked back to Brett's old apartment at Hepburn.  He had parked his car there earlier in the afternoon and given me the extra key in case I needed it.  Brett had gotten the windshield fixed this week and it made a big difference while I was driving it.  Meg and I used it to do some shopping as she needed a couple of items from Target.  By the time we picked up her dinner at Chick Fil A and returned to Brett's apartment, Doug and Cam were back, happy with IU's 49-0 win.

Doug, Cam and I spent the rest of the evening ordering pizza, bowling and walking through campus.  I was thrilled with my bowling score.  I rolled a 154 which was the highest I could ever remember.  Meg skipped out on our plan's for the night and went back to the dorm to study.  Cam and I met her outside Read at 10 p.m. waiting for Doug to get back with breadsticks.  We then picked Brett up from work.  It had been a long night and he was happy to be done.  We spent the rest of the evening playing Ticket to Ride before heading to bed.  It had been a wonderful day in Bloomington.