Ending a Halloween Tradition

 Doug and I had decided several weeks ago that would not be handing out candy this year for Halloween.  We just didn't feel comfortable having hundreds of trick or treaters stopping by the house.  There were several suggestions in the news on how to participate safely in the Halloween tradition including a long tube from the second floor acting as a candy shute or leaving treats in a bowl on the porch.  I noticed that my neighbor treated the holiday like a parade throwing candy to the children walking by her house.  There were definitely a lot of families walking down our street, but a lot less than normal.  It was a beautiful night and I believe in a typical year we could have had a record number or trick or treaters especially since the holiday fell on a Saturday.  In the end we did not have anyone stop by our house.  I was a little surprised, but leaving the lights off and covering the front door windows must have been a big enough deterrent for anyone to even try.

We had asked Cameron to stay at home this Halloween as well.  He texted his friend during the trick or treat hours to tell her about the blanket covering the front door.  She told him that her family took it one step further putting a sign on the door that said, "Don't knock, we have COVID."  In the end Cameron had no problem giving up trick or treating as there was plenty of Big Ten football games to watch.  An IU victory over Rutgers was better than any candy he could have received.  

The rest of the Heinisch family had a low key Halloween as well.  Meg and Nick went hiking in Brown County and then watched movies.  Brett had to work this evening and had several interesting calls that seemed appropriate for the day.  He celebrated Halloween by finishing "13 Ghosts."  Cal had the most typical Halloween dressing up for Hannah-Marie's costume party.  They looked great in their Pulp Fiction costumes.  The pandemic may have changed some of our Halloween traditions, but in the end we were all ok with that.  We had made some wonderful memories in the 22 years of trick or treating at the Heinisch Home.  It had to end sometime.  

Repurposing the Basement

Cal found out a couple of weeks ago that he would be working remotely when his job started with Plante Moran in January.  We weren't surprised to hear that and encouraged Cal to email his contact to find out if he would still need to move to Chicago.  He was pleased to find out that he could live where he wanted.   They would send him his computer and all training would take place online.  He decided that he would prefer just to keep living in our basement.  It had worked out well for him this fall and would allow him to save quite a bit of money.  That was just fine with me and Doug was especially pleased to find out that he wouldn't have to move Cal to Chicago in the middle of winter.  

With Cal's change in plan, the added room in the basement from the removal of the air hockey table and Meg's upcoming return home for Thanksgiving break, Doug and I decided that we would take some time this weekend and reorganinze and clean out the basement.  I started on the main area of the basement this afternoon and before Doug got home with dinner from Bethany's fish fry I had gotten the majority of the reorganizing in the pool table room and the new basement living space done.  Doug then helped me move our big screen for the projector downstairs and finish up a few small cleaning projects before we headed into Cal's bedroom.  

Before we started, Doug suggested moving the bunk bed back over to my Mom's.  I hadn't really thought about it as I knew that would be a lot of work.  Since Cal really didn't know when he would move to Chicago, it would give Cal a lot more room with only one bed in his room.  Doug was able to get it done a lot more quickly than I would have imagined and soon we had enough space to fit both of Cal's dressers and his refridgerator in his room.  We also cleared out all of the gaming systems and old tvs freeing up a desk for him.  The futon and papasan had become part of the new living area which game Cal almost as much space as a studio apartment minus the kitchen.  Doug and I were both pleased with the new look.  The basement should be a lot more functional now and still have space to social distance when Meg comes home.  

Not A Lot of Visitors

Tonight there was a rare occurrence in our home - we had an overnight guest.  No, it wasn't one of the Heinisch children's friends nor even a family member.  It was Winston.  Cal had called me after work and said that he had had a hard time sleeping last night and was hoping to stay at home this evening.  He also had to get up early for his CPA test so he wanted to be somewhere where someone could make sure he was awake in time for it.  Cal wasn't sure if we would be ok with having Winston overnight as well.  I had no problem with it, but wanted to check with Doug first.  Doug readily agreed and soon Cal headed over with his biggest fan in tow.  

It was fun having Winston in our home.  He followed Cal around everywhere unless Cam was nearby.  The inner puppy came out in him everytime he saw the youngest Heinisch.  When Winston got tired of being in the basement watching football with Cal, he'd run upstairs to see what we were all up too.  Cal thought about taking him on a long walk, but they didn't make it far before the wind changed his mind.  Overall, it was nice to have a visitor in the home and an enjoyable distraction from our daily routine. 

Field Trip Wednesday - Butchering Chickens

 Since August, Bethany has followed their hybrid learning plan with students on campus Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  In doing so they have left Wednesdays open for e-learning assignments, opportunities for students to get remote help and time for field trips.  Up until now the sophomores had only used these days for asynchronous learning.  That changed today when Cam's biology teacher schedule a field trip for Merry Lea's farmstead to butcher chickens.  Several years ago the thought of Cameron participating in this activity would have freaked me out a little.  I don't even like to touch raw meat let alone kill a live animal.  I got over that when Cam took "meat" for interterm during eighth grade.  This year I was just happy that Cam was able to get out of the traditional classroom setting for a day of learning with his classmates.

When Amy first sent the email for to let us know about the field trip, Doug and I decided that it would be best if I drove Cameron to Merry Lea, especially with COVID outbreaks in our community at an all time high, .  It worked out well for us as it was closer than driving to Bethany.  The bus was a little bit late, but overall it was no problem dropping him off.   I could tell from his reaction that he was excited for the adventure.

I had to be back at Merry Lea by 2:30.  Cam and his classmates were outside listening to someone from the farmstead when I arrived.  I watched them from afar.  I was impressed that everyone was engaged and wearing masks.  Once they were dismissed Cam headed to the car.  I noticed that two other parents had driven to the field trip as well.  Cam filled me in on his adventures on our ride home.  They were divided into groups according to their biology class.  He was pleased with his group.  They spent the morning working with the animals and mulching around the apple trees.  Cam got the bright idea to bury his feet in mulch, but other than that all went well.  Lunch included some class drama, but overall was fun.  Afterward they devoted time to butchering the chickens.  Cameron said that it was interesting as they spent a lot of time on dissecting their animal which he preferred.  Overall, it was the perfect field trip for Cameron. and I was extremely happy that his class were able to participate in this outdoor, hands-on, out of school learning experience.  

Living in a Pandemic vs. Life With a Toddler

 As the days and months have passed by since the beginning of the global pandemic we have developed a new normal here in the Heinisch home. Our daily routines have changed drastically since last February when we could come and go as we pleased.  For the most part I pretty much stay at home except for my daily walks, running Cameron to school, and a biweekly trip to the grocery store.  Currently, I never leave home without a mask, hand sanitizer, anti-bacterial wipes and a purpose. I don' mind that at all, but it does remind me a lot of what life was like when there were toddlers in our home.  I stayed  then home a lot then as well, made sure that we got outside everyday, and always had to pack a bag before we left the house.  Church, eating out, haircut appointments, the dentist, vacations and hanging out with friends were rare treats back then.  Now they have become almost non-existent.  As I watched a young mother in Menards this morning, I realized that the Heinisch home had almost forgotten what it was like to have a toddler in the family.  Who would have ever thought that our parenting days would have prepared us for life in a pandemic.

It's Not Halloween without the Great Pumpkin

 Although Cameron won't be able to go trick or treating this year and we won't be handing out candy on Halloween, we have still been able to enjoy some of our normal holiday activities.  We made our traditional visit to Fashion Farm earlier in the month.  On Friday Cameron carved pumpkins with a friend.  Last night we watched Halloween and still found it to be as scary as always.  Today I tried one the Heinisch children's favorite Halloween movies to watch with Grandma Heinisch - Halloweentown.  I had never seen it before and could totally understand why Jeanette liked it so much.  

Today we made the Halloween season complete by finishing our "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" puzzle.  I don't remember when we got the puzzle or where, but we have made it a priority for more Halloweens than I could count.  Every year that we start it, I am absolutely amazed that we are able to finish it.  It's definitely one of the more challenging ones, especially with the dark colors and lack of traditional edge pieces.  I was skeptical that we would get it done this year as Cal wasn't available to help, Doug had become busier at work and I just could not see the differences between the black and blue sky.  Thankfully, Doug had some time to help me tonight and before the end of the Bears game we had found the Great Pumpkin and kept the Heinisch family tradition alive.  

Walking the Dog

 The Lamles asked Cal if he could watch Winston for them while they were gone for a few days.  They hated putting him in a kennel and Cal was more than willing to help so it has worked out perfectly.  Cal has bounced back and forth between our home and theirs, sometimes stopping by to get food or clothes, other times just to talk football.  I was glad that they asked him as it has given Cal some independence from us.  We really don't bother him too much, but having alone time I am sure has become precious to him these past couple of months.  Plus, he really likes Winston.  Yesterday, they were able to take a long walk together in between NFL games and Cal's studying.  One day Cal will be on his own for real.  For now it is nice to know that he is just four miles away.

Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers

 Today was the day that Cameron had been waiting for since January - the start of the Big Ten Football season.  For awhile this fall it didn't look as if football would be a possibility this year.  The Big Ten presidents had voted against starting the season due to COVID cases around the country.  After protests from parents and a lot of research they reversed their vote and Big Ten football was back on television this weekend.  

Last night was a warm up to today's action as Wisconsin took on Illinois.  The spread for the game was nineteen points and Cam let us know before the game started that he was beating the house on Illinois.  Thankfully, he did not have the deed to our home or we would have been moving out at game's end.  Cameron's first prediction for today was a better one as he chose Rutgers over Michigan State.  None of us thought that was even possible but Rutgers easily won ending their twenty-one game Big Ten losing streak.

The most anticipated game of the day, at least in the Heinisch Home, started at 3:30 with IU hosting #8 ranked Penn State.  We would have loved to have been at the game in person, but one of the many restrictions put in place by the Big Ten eliminated fans from the stands.  Cameron was pretty high on IU's chances to win.  Even though there had been a lot of hype about the Hoosiers over the past few weeks, the rest of us were very skeptical about their chances at victory.  The errant fake punt of last year's game was still in our minds.

The game ended up being a lot better than we anticipated.  IU led at half time and held that lead until the end of the third quarter.  The two surprises that we noticed from the first 45 minutes of the game was the impressive play of IU's defense and the lackluster performance of their quarterback, Michael Pennix, Jr.  He had been injured for most of last season, but was extremely impressive in the Michigan State game that we watched in East Lansing last fall.  Whether it was nerves or as Cameron informed us from Twitter that Pennix's special powers had really been taken by the Space Jam monsters, either way, something was off.

All of that changed in the last two minutes of the game, however.  IU down 21-20 let Penn State score quickly in the hope to get the ball back to even the score.  It was a smart coaching move, but we weren't sure how IU's offense would perform under pressure.  The Pennix of old returned and led the Hoosiers to a 28-28 tie at the end of regulation complete with a two point conversion.  Penn State won the toss and scored in their first drive of overtime.  Pennix made a fantastic pass to my favorite football Hoosier, Whop Philyor, who made an equally impressive catch to move the score to 34-35.  Tom Allen called for the two point conversion once again in order to go for the win instead of the tie.  We were all extremely nervous.  As there was no one open in the endzone, Pennix decided to run.  With a Penn State player on his tail he made a long dive for the endzone just touching the pylon before landing out of bounds.  It took awhile for the referees to review the play, but in the end the call on the field stood and IU won.  It was the first time that they had beaten a top ten opponent since 1987 - my freshmen year.  Doug and Cam screams said it all.

A "Break" from Our Fall Break Routine

 For the past several years our fall break plans have revolved around IU's homecoming game and a trip to Walt Disney World.  Last year was the first year that I could remember in almost a decade where we did not enjoy both trips during Cameron's fall break.  Although we definitely made it to Bloomington for IU's first homecoming victory in years with a win over Rutgers, we postponed our Disney trip to January so that all six of us could go.  

This year's fall break plans were completely different from our normal routine.  Attending an IU football game was out of the question due to COVID restrictions.  Disney only had limited attendance at it's parks with a smaller Food and Wine festival than in the past and shorter park hours.  Plus, our favorite hotel, The Boardwalk Inn, still hadn't even opened and park hopping wasn't allowed.  We wouldn't have gone to Florida this year because of the pandemic anyway, but with all of the changes we didn't even consider it.

Even with all of the changes and restrictions, we did make the most of Cameron's fall break.  We traveled to Bloomington for four days and enjoyed ordering out, hanging out with Meg, Brett, Cal and HM, watching scary movies, playing games and participating in multiple outdoor activities.  At home Cameron completed several lessons on his driver's ed class and spent some quality time with me working on his driving hours.  He played tennis with his friends from Bethany and mulched leaves at Grandma Jane's.  This afternoon Cam was even able to carve pumpkins with Bailee before watching Wisconsin destroy Illinois in the opener of the Big Ten football season.  It may have not been the most exciting fall break, but I know that Cameron really enjoyed it.  It seemed to fit his personality perfectly.

Meg's CR-V

We did a lot of research before we purchased Meg's CR-V a month ago.  We first found out that the 2013 and 2014 CR-V were identical as Honda drive's had really liked the 2013 model so the company didn't change anything the following year.  We also figured out that we would prefer a front wheel drive to an all wheel drive.  Meg wouldn't be driving through a lot of snow, so she wouldn't need the all wheel drive.  We also realized that repairs on that type of drivetrain would be more than on a front wheel drive.  Doug requested that the car be free of accidents with only one or two drivers.  He preferred to buy one from a car dealer as well. Our hope was that the CR-V that we purchased would last Meg the next four years allowing her to graduate college and get a job before she would need to buy a car on her own.  

It took some time but we finally found two different CR-Vs that we liked for Meg.  Doug called both to check on price, availability and a warranty.  The first one he was interested in was from a Honda dealer near Carmel.  Doug really liked it, but they would not give us any type of warranty.  If we wanted one, it would cost $1500 otherwise we would be buying the car as is.  Doug was extremely uncomfortable with that.  Thus, he decided that he would go with his second choice.  They were willing to cut a deal with us on price and throw in a four month, 4000 mile warranty as well.  The only draw back was that it was from an auto dealer that Doug had never heard of in South Bend.  I did a lot of research on Omari Auto Sales and checked all of their reviews.  They had been in business for thirty years and had a ton of positives posted on Google.  In the end we decided to give them a try and we couldn't be more pleased with our choice.  

Doug drove Meg's car for three weeks to make sure that it ran well and would be ready for her on October 16th when we brought it down.  There was absolutely no problems with it until he got to Indy last Friday night.  While driving the car surged briefly and three of the dashboard lights popped on immediately.  It still ran fine, but we weren't comfortable giving it to Meg without it being looked at.  Doug and I ran it to Firestone in Bloomington last Saturday morning as we had had good luck with them in the past.  Unfortunately, it was beyond their scope of expertise, so we had to take it to the Honda dealer where Brett bought his car on Monday.  

The news from them was the worst case scenario - the timing chain had to be replaced costing over $2000.  We instantly thought of our warranty which my Mom was able to get us pictures of via iPhone.  Doug spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Goldstar and Andy Mohr Honda this week and it paid off.  The warranty did not cover everything but in the end we would only have to pay twenty-five percent of the original estimate.  Once everyone agreed on the price the work started immediately and tomorrow by this time Meg should be able to drive to work.  She was thrilled to hear that as it would make her trips to Bell Trace shorter, allow her to go to 9 p.m. mass on Sunday nights and get her to the grocery store.  What a relief!

Say Yes/Say No

 In July it was announced that the Wawasee school board would be asking for an increase in property taxes to help fund their school system.  They did not have specific needs for this money, but were focused more on the fact that our district had one of the lowest assessed property tax values for public schools in the state.  I read the article to Doug and he quickly did the math.  The increased 28.5 cents per $100 assessed property value would end up costing us over $600 a year more.  Since we only paid $1200 currently for both the lot and our home that seemed outrageous.  I had been watching every since the initial referendum was announced in the paper for feedback, but there really wasn't that much about it, even in the comment section.

All of that changed this past week, however.  We had noticed that a few "Yes for Wawasee" signs had popped up in yards around our neighborhood.  That didn't surprise us as we had quite a few administrators, board members and teachers living close to us.  I thought it was misleading that the signs said "yes for Wawasee" as if voting against the referendum was a no against the school system.  I hoped that voters would realize that it was really about voting to raise property taxes or not.  

The days went on and the signs increased.  It didn't seem like it anyone was really that worked up about the tax hike until we got back from Bloomington.  All of a sudden our neighborhood and those around us were inundated with "No for Wawasee" signs everywhere.  Doug and I were pleased to see that someone had decided to take action against the referendum.  As we still had friends that taught in the school system and liked several of the board members and administrators personally, we didn't want to say much.  We had just planned on quietly voting no and encouraging Cal and Meg to do the same.  My parents felt the same way.  None of us had been impressed with the quality of education that the Heinisch children had received at Wawasee and didn't believe that throwing more money at the problem would solve anything.  Thankfully, from the looks around town it seems like a lot of others have agreed with us and we're all hopeful that the "no's" win.  

Heading Home

 Brett had today off as well as he calls Monday and Tuesday his weekend now.  We stayed in Bloomington long enough to play a couple of games of Ticket to Ride and order lunch from Noodles and Company before starting for home.  I wasn't ready to leave, but knew that Doug needed to get back to work tomorrow and that Cameron was ready for a break from all of the family time.  It had been a wonderful four day reprieve from the reality of living in Northern Indiana with the high COVID positivity rates and the constant barrage of political debating.  

Before we left, we made plans for Thanksgiving with COVID testing involved and social distancing encouraged.  Brett will have to work on Thanksgiving day, so we hope to get together the Sunday before the holiday.  He would then have his "weekend to spend in Syracuse.  I was stressed thinking about it all before this weekend, but after I saw how responsible the Heinisch children have been about the coronavirus, I felt a lot better.  As I have told them multiple times, worst comes to worst we celebrate another time or wear masks in the house.  They were all ok with that.

Rainy Days and Mondays . . .

 Even though it rained quite a bit today, we still enjoyed our day in Bloomington.  All of us slept in as we stayed up late last night.  We played several games of Ticket to Ride, ate lunch under the big open tent at Big Woods and enjoyed some time at Oliver Winery.  Meg joined the four of us on in the afternoon for a quick shopping trip to Hobby Lobby, an evening of Wii and dinner from Upland.  We were able to finish Scream and once Meg headed back to her apartment to study, Brett and Cameron picked Terror Train for our slasher movie night.  Overall, it was an awesome day for us and a relaxing day off for Brett.  Maybe if the Carpenters hung out in Bloomington more "Rainy Days and Mondays would never get them down."

Another Fun Day in B-Town

 Doug and Cam were up early to play nine holes at Cascades before lunch.  They had fun even if their scores were a little higher than in the summer.  Brett and I used the time they were gone to fix his Key Bank app, cut his hair and get out his Halloween decorations.  By the time the guys got back we were ready for a game of Ticket to Ride Italy which Cameron won easily.  Brett left for work shortly afterward.  Meg then arrived just after her shift at Bell Trace ended.  Cam had picked Moe's for lunch and we had a Homewrecker burrito waiting for her.  She had time to finish some homework while Doug and Cam watched the Bears defeat the Panthers.

As soon as the game ended we headed straight for Brown County State Park.  We were afraid that rain would cancel our plans to hike, but it ended up being a wonderful afternoon for it.  We pulled up to our traditional hiking spot and were surprised to see how incredibly packed it was.  Thankfully, Meg and Nick had been there several times in the past few months and Meg could lead us to another less traveled path that we ended up liking a lot better.  It was definitely more challenging than our trek through Chain of Lakes in August, but we enjoyed it just the same.  Cam and I made several references to the movie, The Blair Witch Project, while on our hike as it was fresh in our minds.  We even found a bundle of sticks and a pile of rocks that were a little eerie looking.  In the end it took us about an hour and a half to make the three mile hike.  It was tiring but worth it to see all of the beautiful views.   

We were wiped out after our trip so we headed back to Brett's to watch Monsters Inc and play Ticket to Ride before Meg and Doug went to 9 p.m. mass.  While they were gone Cam and I enjoyed several episodes of Impractical Jokers and games on the Wii.  Doug arrived just before Brett with breadsticks for all.  He had thoroughly enjoyed mass, especially since Father Daniel referrenced Monty Python's Life of Brian during the service. We played a couple of rounds of the original Ticket to Ride before starting the movie Scream.  We were too tired to finish it, but enjoyed introducing it to Cameron.  

A Wonderful Day with the Heinisch Children

 When Doug and I decided to come down this weekend, we had three items on our to-do list that we really wanted to accomplish.  The first was to bring Meg her CRV which we did last night.  She was excited to drive it back to her apartment.  The second goal was to help Brett purchase a new car.  He had gotten a lot of use out of the Civic, but was ready for something newer, a little bit bigger and with air conditioning that actually worked.   He and Doug were able to check that off our list this morning as Brett found a 2016 CR-V that he really liked.  They were able to take it for a test drive, work out the financing and have it all wrapped up before Brett had to be at work at 1:30.

Thankfully, Cal tested negative for COVID and made the trip down to Bloomington last night.  He was excited to announce that he "had USA flowing through his blood."  This allowed us to take care of the last priority on our list which was to finally take Cal's graduation pictures.  I had brought down his cap and gown that had been tucked away since early May in the hope that we would one day get to take his pictures in it on campus.  It was a little anti-climatic for him, but he was more than happy to meet us and pose by the wishing well.  The back drop made for some wonderful pictures and Cameron was available to take a picture of all three of us which I really appreciated.

Since we accomplished everything that we needed to before 1 p.m. we had the rest of the day to enjoy with our family.  We went shopping for some family favorite Wii games to play at Brett's.  We ate lunch at Oliver Winery with Cameron, Hannah-Marie and Cal.  We walked up and down Kirkwood and through IU with Cameron and Meg.  We saw three deer while on campus and also did a little shopping buying Ticket to Ride Japan/Italy and a new sweatshirt for Cam.  We ate dinner on Kirkwood at Cafe Pizzeria.  It was a little cool outside, but we were the only patrons, so we didn't have to worry about social distancing. We brought Brett back a personal pizza and enjoyed playing our new game with he and Cam.  Overall, it was an awesome day with the Heinisch children.  Looking forward to another one tomorrow.

Day One in B-Town

 I arrived in Bloomington at 1:15 this afternoon after a hectic morning of getting Cameron to Bethany, picking up the house and packing the last minute items.  When I arrived Meg had just gotten out of class and ordered us lunch from the Union.  I met her there and we drove out towards Brett's to get a Polar Pop and look for a place to picnic.  Thankfully, the property adjacent to Woodbridge had a spot so we were able to eat and catch up outside.  It was very nice to see Meg as it had been two months since she left for school. The food was also delicious.  Once we finished eating, we headed to Fountain Park for our tour.  We both liked the apartment complex a lot.  It was near Brett's so if Meg lived there she could walk or take a bus to campus and also walk to Bell Trace.  It was newer than Brett's, but smaller.  Meg had also requested information from Woodbridge so next week she and Yatsiri will make their decision and start the application process.

After our tour we went to the College Mall.  Brett had told me that Yankee Candle was open and Meg and I wanted to check it out.  He was right and we enjoyed picking out a few candles, plug-ins and accessories.  After our small shopping spree, Meg got ready for work.  While she was gone I did some unpacking and went grocery shopping.  She arrived back to Brett's apartment just before Doug and Cameron made it into town.  While she took her ECON quiz, we ordered Mother Bears.  Meg stayed for dinner and watched Disney + with us before going back to her apartment.  Brett then rushed home from work, happy to see us and ready for a  game of Ticket to Ride Africa.  It was definitely a wonderful first day in Bloomington.  

Packing and Cleaning

 I spent the day packing and cleaning so that we could leave for Bloomington tomorrow.  The plan was for me to leave head out thing Friday morning so that Meg and I could tour Fountain Park before she had to work. Doug would then pick Cam up from Bethany at 3:30 and make the trip in Meg's car.  We hadn't traveled anywhere since July and I had forgot how long it took to get ready.  I also wanted to get the house cleaned before we left since next week was fall break for Cameron and I didn't want to clean then. 

I didn't mind spending the day getting ready and cleaning as we were all really looking forward to our "mini - vacation."  Brett had spent last weekend social distanincg and got tested for COVID on Monday.   Thankfully, that had been negative.  Meg had been tested each week since she had arrived at IU, so we weren't overally concerned about her test result which was due tomorrow.  Cal decided that he would also like to spend the weekend in Bloomington.  He hadn't been feeling well which we were sure was just allergies, but he decided to get tested as well.  As long as that was negative he planned on leaving Friday after work as well.  I was glad that everyone was willing to take precautions so that we could visit one another this weekend.  One more day until a four day weekend - can't wait!

Rizzo's Vacation

 Since we were planning on taking Meg's CRV to Bloomington this weekend we asked Grandma Jane if she could "pig sit" for us.  She said that would be fine and agreed to take him after we cleaned his cage out on Sunday.  So far it has been a real vacation for him.  He has gotten outside several days and enjoyed all of the grass that he could stomach.  He has also been treated to green peppers at 2 a.m in the morning when Grandma couldn't sleep.  She thought that a snack would help him to go back to bed as well.   Meg has loved the pictures that have been sent and appreciates all of the attention that he has been getting.  It has been strange having him gone and once or twice I was sure that I heard him begging for carrots in the mudroom.  Even Cameron came down to feed him before he went to bed one night forgetting that he was not here.  We appreciate the good care that he has been getting and we know that he has liked being pampered.  

Hey Mom, is this a sign of COVID?

 Hey Mom, is fatigue a sign of COVID?  Hey Mom, I have a sore throat, should I get tested?  Hey Mom, someone I work with was exposed, do you think I should be worried?  Hey Mom, if I have a cough, can I stay home from school?  These have become routine questions in the Heinisch home as of late.  It's strange when I think about the fact that less than a year ago we had never even heard of the coronavirus.  Because of all of the questions and uncertainty, I try to keep up on the scientific data put out by the CDC and other reputable sources to make sure that we are aware of the symptoms and know how and when to get tested.  

Sometimes keeping on top of the facts gets a little daunting.  There is a lot of information about COVID and not all of it is accurate.  Our area has once again become a hot bed and reading about that can become extremely overwhelming.  Thankfully, I have been able to answer all of the above questions without becoming too anxious.  I now this will end sometime and these questions will be a mute point.  Until then we will do our best to stay healthy. 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

 I had received the book The Hunchback of Notre Dame from Brett several Christmas' ago.  He knew how much I had enjoyed reading Les Miserables, so he thought that I would like reading this Victor Hugo classic as well.  I had a couple of other books on my reading list to finish first, but finally got a chance to start The Hunchback this fall.  I knew nothing about the book and assumed that it was the feel good story of hero Quasimodo saving the life of beloved gypsy Esmerelda as portrayed in the animated Disney movie of the 1990s.  Wow, was I ever wrong.

As I started The Hunchback of Notre Dame I was incredibly glad that I had read Les Miserable first.  Even though it was written thirty years before, Hugo used the same style of writing in both books.  Brett had told me that  the author was part of the realist movement which was why I so enjoyed his descriptive scenes and historical views of his time period.  When I read Les Miserable I felt as though I was traveling back to  nineteenth century Paris.  The Hunchback was even more interesting historically as it told a story from the late 1400s while also referencing Paris of the 1860s.  In the beginning there was a thirty page chapter describing the view of Paris from the rooftop of Notre Dame including the intricate details of the streets of the city.  Meg asked me how I could stand reading that much detail.  I reminded her that I was actually a history major in college, so I found learning about the architecture of the time period fascinating.  It also set up the rest of the story as I could envision the characters movements throughout the streets of Paris, along the Seine river and through the cathedral without Hugo having to describe them once again later in the story.  If it had been Ernest Hemingway describing a mountain in Spain or Joseph Conrad detailing the leaves of the trees along the Congo, that would be a different story.  Hugo's descriptions had purpose.  Theirs was just to show off their literary talents while boring the reader to tears.

Once the scene was set and the characters were introduced, the story started to unfold.  I was surprised by how little the Hunchback actually appeared in the first 3/4 of the book.  I was even more shocked with how dark the book was.  I texted Brett several times during the past month "They made a Disney movie out of this??"  An Archdeacon obsessed with a young gypsy woman, a cavalier captain willing to through the gypsy's life away for a secret randevu, a mad woman yearning for her long lost daughter, a poet who was willing to save the life of a goat instead of his wife, a king that dismissed the cries of his people and a drunken college student who squandered his family's money to the point of vagrancy.  All of these characters were given more time in the book than Quasimodo, the namesake of the novel.  The Hunchback also wasn't the insecure, loveable, empathic character that he was in Disney's version.  He was more monster than man, caring for very little except for the Archdeacon, Esmerelda and his beloved bells.  In the end I told Brett that it reminded me more of Phantom of the Opera with its dark, evil and sinister plot line.  Even though it was drastically different from what I thought it was, I absolutely loved it. 

Keeping Busy

 Cameron greeted me this morning with "I am too busy to play golf today."  Once I asked him what he had on his agenda, he filled me in on the Spanish assignment that he was working on, the Bible sermon that he had to memorize, the guinea pig's cage that he needed to clean, the leaves that need to be raked and the Driver's Ed he wanted to complete.  This was all after he had already driven with Doug for an hour this morning and helped him take the air hockey table apart so that they could move it out of the basement.  

I definitely couldn't argue with Cameron as he did have a busy day planned.  I also realized that he had had fun playing golf yesterday with Grandma and Grandpa, but wasn't as devoted to the sport as he was in the spring and summer.  That made sense to me as fall tended to be the time that he changed his focus to something else.  Some years it had been chess, but this year it definitely has been tennis.  He and his teammates played everyday after school last week and hope to do so next week as well.  Overall, I was just happy to realize that life had pretty much returned to normal for Cameron with classwork, driver's education, interaction with friends and sports to participate in this fall.  I hope that continues into the winter months as well.  

An Exhausting Week of Midterms

 This was midterm week for Meg and she was absolutely spent by tonight at dinner time.  She had four finished really challenging tests in Macroeconomics, Accounting, Law and Government by Friday night.  Several times during the week she had questioned her decision to be a part of the business school.  She was frustrated with online learning realizing that in person would have suited her a lot better especially with her eye issues.  She had several migraines while studying due to the amount of time she had to be on the computer.  The blue screens really helped as did getting out of her apartment for awhile either to walk or go to the Union.  She also met friends throughout the week for lunch or for other social activities including painting pumpkins.  She even had time to work a shift at Bell Trace during all of the craziness.  Meg said that was a nice study break as well.  Overall, by the time the week was over she was feeling a lot better about her decision to be an accountant and was happy with her estimated midterm GPA of 3.2.  She celebrated tonight by taking a walk through campus and getting dinner at Chipotle.  She was thrilled to have finished her week and thankful for the alone time.  She should have time tomorrow to regroup and relax. We were glad to hear that and enjoyed her craft skills.

 

One Down, Three to Go

 Cal texted us at the end of his work day to give let us know that he had passed the first of his CPA tests.  We were extremely happy for him and even more impressed when he said that his score was an 83.  He had even bested Doug's top score of 81 when he took the test almost thirty years ago.  Cal still has three more tests to take, but getting the toughest one behind him was a relief.  He has scheduled the next one for the end of October.  He said that he had a different plan for studying and because of that he was hoping to get in all four tests before he started at Plante Moran in January.  It was wonderful news to start the weekend and we were glad that he had made plans to spend the next couple of days in Chicago with Jayce and Mark.  Since Mark had also just passed the first round of the CPA, we knew that they would have a wonderful time celebrating their accomplishment.

My Brother's Birthday

 Today would have been my brother's 57th birthday.  Our family honored the occasion much as we had in the past by giving my parents a gift.  This year we chose mums for their front porch to accent their pumpkins well once they bloom.  I enjoy picking out gifts in Bunk's memory as I can't give him anything in real life anymore.  It gives me time to reflect on his impact on my life and the times that we shared together.  I know that my parents appreciate the thought as well as my Mom posted pictures on Facebook this morning of the many gifts that we had given her over the years.   

My Mom had told me earlier in the week that Bunk's birthday this year had been harder on her than in years past.  I totally understood that as the last seven months have been extremely challenging to deal with as a whole.  In never occurred to me when the pandemic started that it would cause so much unrest in our country.  I knew that there would be a health crisis, but riots, protests, political unrest, and arguments about civil liberties never crossed my mind.  There has been so much negativity recently that at times it definitely does get overwhelming.

I learned several life lessons from losing my brother at such a young age.   They ranged from not taking anything for granted to learning that life can change on a dime.  The most important life lesson that I learned, however, was compassion.  As a legacy to my brother's memory I am proud to have passed that lesson on to the Heinisch children.  They have all demonstrated this important character trait during these difficult times.  I just wish that more people would come to realize that showing concern and empathy for others would be the best way to move forward during this tumultuous time period and leave the hate behind.   

Fall Tradition

 Today was the day that Cameron and I set aside to make our annual Heinisch family trip to Fashion Farm.  He didn't have to go to Bethany today as Wednesdays have been set aside for asynchronous learning and the weather was also beautiful which made the decision even easier.  I was surprised to find out from my Facebook memories that we had actually visited Fashion Farm on this exact date the past two years, so I was even happier that I suggested today.

When Cameron and I first talked about going I really only mentioned picking out pumpkins.  Fashion Farm has always had a nice selection to chose from so Cameron agreed to that right away.  I didn't ask him until today if he'd go through "Pumpkin Fantasy Land" with me as well.  I would have respected a no decision, but was glad that he agreed.  We hadn't missed tats section of Fashion Farm in years and I hated to give up the tradition just yet.   This year's theme was "Mother Goose on the Loose" and we enjoyed looking at the displays and finding the seven "hidden" geese.  We got  a few pictures of the decorated pumpkins and the annual height check photo at the end.  

After our tour we headed to the old county jail to see who was "locked up" this year, which happened to be the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker.  Cameron decided to give the grass maze one more try.  Last year he was taller than the grass.  It had grown quite a bit this season so once he got into it I could no longer see him.  He did say that it was still just a circle, but was glad that he checked it out. On our way to pay for our pumpkins and gourds we saw bags of pumpkin donuts.  Neither of us could resist and we brought home a half dozen for the four of us.  All in all it was a lot of fun visiting Fashion Farm this year.  It has been a family tradition for several decades now and I was thankful that we could continue it even if it was the only the two of us.  

A Late Night Times Two

 Both yesterday and today Cam stayed after school to play tennis with his teammates.  It wasn't an official practice as the season had ended a week ago, but they did get about five guys to show up and work on some drills.  Cam said that there are eight of them that have committed to work this winter to improve their tennis skills.  We thought that was impressive.

After tennis some of the boys, including Cameron, stayed to watch the volleyball matches.  The team had to take a two week hiatus in September once on of their players tested positive for COVID.  Thus, they were trying to make up as many of their missed competitions as possible this week.  The girls were glad to be back in school and on the court after a long break of quarantining and played well both nights even though they were not victorious in either match.  Cam said that he had a lot of fun at the games.  Several of his friends were in attendance as well which kept him busy in between sets.  Doug and I were glad that he was able to practice tennis and go to the volleyball matches.  It was a late night for him both evenings, but Cam didn't mind as it got him out of the house.  He's definitely seen too much of that these past seven months.

A Spin Around Town

 Over the weekend Doug and Cameron were able to get two hours of driving in around town.  It was the first time that Cameron had ever driven and he was pretty excited to give it a try.  Just like the rest of the Heinisch children he started at Wawasee High School.  Once Cameron felt comfortable, they went out on the main road, traveled through Kern's Crossing and back home via Woodland Acres.  Yesterday Doug thought that it would be best to drive during the morning hours as there would be less people on the road at 10 a.m. on a Sunday.  He was correct and they were able to drive through town, out by both golf courses and around the lakes.  Cameron said that he felt pretty good about his driving.  We talked more about it today on the way to school this morning.   He thought the toughest part for him was maintaining the correct speed limit and staying in the extreme center.  I gave him tips for both.  I know that he will do well as he had a lot of experience watching his siblings learn to drive.  

Bring on the Scary Movies

 In my opinion this is the best time of the year to watch scary movies.  It's not just that October is the month for Halloween, but something about the cooler weather, the change in leaves and the earlier sunsets just make it perfect for a few horror movie flicks.  This weekend Doug, Cam and I were able to watch The Shinning.  We had all seen if a few times, but it was a good one to kick start a month of scary movie viewings.  The Exorcist was scheduled right after it, but we passed on that one.  Doug and I had both seen it once and that was plenty.  We told Cam that he could watch it if he wanted, but it was definitely the scariest movie that we had ever watched.  He decided to pass on it as well.  

Last night the three of us picked the movie "Get Out."  It was as good as Doug and I remembered.  Cam summed it up best when he said, "I am not sure that I would classify this as a horror movie, but the characters in it are so bizarre and creepy that they make it scary."  Afterward Doug gave me a list of upcoming "Halloween" movies on TNT that I plan to tape for us to watch in the near future including one of my all-time favorites, "Creature From the Black Lagoon."  I can't wait for all of the jump scares.  I've decided that the best way to forget all about the pandemic is to watch other people be frightened by the "boogeyman."

A Day for Birthdays

 Today was definitely a popular day for birthdays as both Parce and HM celebrated theirs.  Cam told us that even his friend Samuel was celebrating his 16th as well.  In a normal October some or all of us would have attended celebrations for the three of them.  In the past Sam had always had a party of some sort in October and we had always attended Parce's tailgate which he and Chokey hosted in honor of their shared birthday month.  

Those celebrations weren't meant to be, however, as COVID had changed everyone's party plans this year.  Thankfully, Cal was still able to go to Bloomington to kick off Hannah-Marie's 21st birthday weekend celebration.  There weren't as many bars open in B-Town as there were when Cal turned 21, but they did get to have a drink or two at both Brother's and The Upstairs Pub.  Cal said that even with the limitations they still had a wonderful time and HM really appreciated the gifts that she received from our family especially the Baby Yoda from him.  There will be a lot of changes in upcoming celebrations this year, especially with the holidays.  None of us ever thought that when the stay at home order went into place in March that we would still be dealing with the coronavirus in October.  As frustrating as the pandemic can make life at times, overall, we are just extremely thankful that we have all stayed healthy thus far.  

"Hey Mom, What Happens if President Trump Gets COVID?"

Yesterday after work Cal was filling me in on his day and his thoughts on a lot of different topics ranging from the NFL to the NBA to the presidential debate.  He showed me a couple of memes that we both thought were funny, although none topped the one that Cameron sent out.  

At the end of our conversation Cal casually said to me, "Hey Mom, what happens if President Trump gets COVID?"  We both speculated what would occur in a situation like that but neither of us even dreamed that it would be a possibility.  Thus, when the news hit last night at 1:30 a.m. that President Trump had tweeted that both he and his wife, Melania, had tested positive, Cal and I bth thought that it was a hoax at first.  

As time marched on today we realized that what we had speculated about just a day before had actually come to fruition.  Cal called me at lunch to see if I had heard any more of the news, but nothing had really come out at that point.  As he drove to Bloomington later that evening I could call and give him a more significant update.  The president had been flown by helicopter to Walter Reed Hospital and had received an antibody treatment that had just finished it's phase three trials.  There were also reports of other key Republican politicians that had tested positive as well as the president of Notre Dame .  All had attended the nomination of the new supreme court justice together this past weekend.  

I spent the evening  almost overwhelmed by the news of Trump's positive test.  The media focused on how his campaign would survive the next few weeks.  I focused more on the health aspect of it all.  I did not  wish that Trump would take a turn for the worst, but what if he did.  What if one of the other Republicans died?  What if Mike Pence tested positive?   As these questions floated around in my head, I wondered most of all if this would finally change the thought process of the anti-maskers.  Would they finally realize that there was a way to stop the virus and that it was a relatively easy one?  Would all of those in our area showing up at tennis matches, church gatherings and local government meetings without a mask change their opinions?  Doug told me not to get my hopes up.  I knew that he was probably right, but I still wished an increase in mask wearers in our area would be the one positive out of this entire situation.

Working Remotely

 Cal got an email from Plante Moran that told him that his start date there had stayed the same, January 4th, but that he would actually be working remotely.  He was happy to know that he still had a job, but was a little surprised about the change in how he worked.  He had been planning on moving to Chicago in December, but now wondered if he should just stay here.  That would save him quite a bit of money and keep him out of the Windy City in the heart of the winter months.  He said he would email them this weekend to get an idea of whether or not he could just work from home.  He thought that even if he had to go in once a week or so he could just commute for that day or get an Airbnb for the night. 

Doug and I talked about the change in Cal's circumstance several times this evening.  We thought that it would work well for him to stay here at least until Plante Moran starts working in the office again.  We might have to change a few things in the rooms that he lives in as we get closer to Thanksgiving.  Meg will be home for two and a half months and will need access to the basement as well.  That could change, however, as she has talked about finishing out the semester in Bloomington living at Brett's apartment.  Then she could continue to work at Bell Trace and study for finals. Either way we will figure it all out when the time comes.  Ultimately, we were just happy to hear that Cal still had his position as an auditor.