Vaccine Appointments All Around

We found out several weeks ago that COVID-19 vaccines would be available for all Hoosiers aged 16 and up on March 31st.  None of us could believe it as it was only a few weeks ago that immunizations were available for those over forty.  When the announcement happened I started to research vaccination clinics in our area that had the Pfizer dose.  It was the only one that was approved for sixteen and seventeen year olds.  There were several close to us and Cameron and I agreed that we would drive an hour or more if it meant that he'd get a vaccine as soon as possible.  I also checked out the availability of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine as  Cal wanted the one and done shot.  Places were a little harder to find for him because he was only available on certain days of the week due to his work schedule and social life.  I did finally find something that I thought would work for him and made a list of dates and clinics for both he and Cam.  That way I'd be prepared when the immunizations schedules opened up for them.

My plans went out the window when the governor announced on Monday that those thirty and up could sign up for COVID vaccinations.  All of the places that I had checked earlier for Cameron had become full by Tuesday night and I wasn't sure what I was going to do.  Cam also had a few conflicts in April due to my plans to travel to Florida with Doug and his interterm and golf schedules.  We decided that if we had to we would delay our trip to Bloomington to get him an appointment.  Cal wasn't as much of an issue since he decided that he would go to the Indy Speedway to get his shot.  There were plenty of appointments available for those dates.  Last night I rechecked all of the clinics close to us with a Pfizer vaccine and wrote down the best case scenarios for Cam.  I even stayed up late just in case the website opened appointments at midnight last night.  Unfortunately, they did not.

This morning I got up early before school and tried to log on to the health department website with my phone, but the age groups still hadn't changed.  By the time I got my computer up and running the age had changed, but it was a 22 minute queue to sign up.  I started to worry that we would be late to school, but decided that Bethany would understand if Cam was tardy.  While I was waiting to schedule Cam's appointment, I was finally able to get on the website with my phone.  I hoped that I would be able to use that to schedule Cal shot or have it ready for Cam in case I got disconnected on my computer.

At 8:22 I was finally able to start looking through appointments.  I was glad that I had researched the site earlier as I could flip through the clinics a lot easier than if I had just started this morning.  I tried the Goshen clinic first but its first appointment was April 12th.  I hoped for something better with Elkhart, but they were already booked out until April 24th.  The next site I planned to try was the St. Joseph Clinic at Hedwig.  When I first clicked on it, I couldn't believe it.  They had an appointment today at 1:40 p.m.  I started cheering and then made sure that Cam was up to driving to South Bend this afternoon.  He was more than up for it and I set up the appointment.  It was only when I got to the end of the sign up process that I realized that I had clicked on the wrong St. Joseph and actually got the Regional Medical Center in Plymouth.  I couldn't believe my good luck as had I picked the correct St. Joseph, Cameron would not have gotten an appointment for today.  By the time Cam and I arrived at Bethany I also had secured an appointment for Cal on the date and time that he wanted.

I hurried home, exercised and showered before I had to be back to Goshen to pick up Cameron.  His friends were all impressed that he was getting the shot already.  I let him drive to Plymouth and he did a nice job even though our path took us on US 6 and US 31.  Right when we pulled into the parking lot of the medical center, Cameron's phone rang.  Our hearts sank.  Both he and I were a little nervous on the way over that we were going to the wrong site or that he couldn't really get vaccinated today.  It just all seemed too good to be true.  It was the health director from the center on the phone, but she was actually calling to confirm our appointment for tomorrow.  Cam looked at his text and verified with me that it was today.  She double checked as well and said that she was wrong and to come on into the facility.  She met us at the door to lead us through the sign in process.  Cam was the clinic's first and only under eighteen year old on the schedule today.  Once they made the changes to the registration process due to his age, we were off and running.  He got his shot by 1:00 p.m. and by 1:15 we were on our way to Arby's drive thru to celebrate. I told Cam that we could go home and sit out the rest of the day of school, but he wanted to go back to Bethany so he could share the good news with all of his friends before he had golf practice.  It was a lot of time in the van today, but definitely well worth it.  I smiled the rest of the night.  

A Walk Down Memory Lane

My downsizing project of this week was to sort through the three tubs of my childhood mementos stored in the basement.  I know that I had sifted through them ten plus years ago when I had my twenty year class reunion, but I figured that there would be more that I could part with now.  My hope was to get the three tubs down to one. 

It was actually a lot easier to downsize than I thought that it would be.  Several of the items from my early youth had yellowed and rusted and just weren't worth keeping.  I also decided that I didn't need every card given to me from high school graduation and only saved a few.  I found a goodbye card from my radio station days, however, that I thoroughly enjoyed reading and placed in the keep pile. As much as I was sure that I enjoyed being a library helper in 4th grade, I was positive that I could part with the certificate awarding me that honor as well as several others.  There were quite a few photo albums taking up a lot of room in the tubs.  Since so many of the pictures were duplicates it was easy to sort through them and ended up only saving a few.  There were a lot of articles, pictures and stats from my days on the golf team which I still held in high regard.  I couldn't take them out of the photo albums without tearing them, so I decided to cut the pages out to copy them later.  

I didn't get through all of the tubs, but made a good dent in them and was able to start the organization process.  I plan to put everything that I wanted to keep in manilla envelopes and then scan it later to make a memory book.  Even though I didn't finish the project, I did really enjoy working on it and am looking forward to completing it over spring break.

"We're Talking Basketball"

March Madness is the only way to describe the feeling in the state of Indiana right now.  Upsets have dominated the mens' NCAA basketball tournament this year and have made Indianapolis the talk of the basketball world.  The women's tourney is being played in San Antonio, Texas, but even that has drawn news to the Hoosier state.  The IU women's team earned a birth in the Elite Eight of their tournament for the first time in the school's history in an exciting upset of #3 NC State.  

To top all of the news of the mens' and women's tournaments, Indiana announced their choice as the next leader of the mens' basketball program.  Much to the surprise of many outside of the alumni circle, the Hoosiers hired former player, Mike Woodson, as their new coach.  Woodson was a second team all-American during his senior year on the 1980 IU squad.  Afterward he played in the NBA for eleven years and had continued coaching in the league once his playing days were over.  His lack of college coaching experience and age caused some to take to social media criticizing the pick.  What many did not realize was that IU had also hired Thad Matta, former Ohio State coach, as an assistant athletic director to help with the nuances of college basketball rules and regulations especially in recruiting.  Those outside of the IU alumni network also didn't realize that Woodson was still heavily involved in the Indianapolis area where he had the support of the business and basketball communities.  Former players and even former coach, Bobby Knight, gave their endorsement and support after hearing the news.  Current players let it be known that they were excited to be coached by someone who could help them develop their skills, especially those hoping for an NBA career after college.

Only time will tell if this was a good choice or not.  The strategy of hiring a former player with a support system has worked well for college basketball this year as highlighted by the elite eight appearance of Juwan Howard's Michigan team this season.  Doug, Cam, Cal and I have decided to jump on the Woodson bandwagon.  Nothing could be worse than having Archie Miller as a coach and at least this time we will have someone to cheer for that we actually like.  

Enid, Lucille, Ceil - Doesn't Matter What You Call Her, She's Grandma to Me

I have been thinking about my Grandma a lot lately.  Between her birthday and the fun of the NCAA basketball tourney, March was always one of her favorite months of the year.  Yesterday she would have been 100 years old.  I would have loved to have celebrated with her.  She would have had quite a bit to say about this year's tournament and I am sure that her bracket would have beaten mine easily.  I know that she also would have had a lot of thoughts about the pandemic as well.  She was born after the Spanish flu of 1918, but I wondered if she remembered how it affected her family back then.  Recently, one of my aunt's friends remarked that I looked like my Grandma.  I had definitely noticed the resemblance as well and wondered if she would have noticed it too.  If I could still talk to her today, I would have loved to tell her about Doug's trips to Ocala and the company that he was working with there.  I know that she would have enjoyed that and listening to my parents recent adventures in Florida as well.  I wish that my children had gotten to spend more time with "Granny".  She would have loved to see what wonderful individuals that they have grown up to be.  They have memories of her and PawPaw, but it would have been fun to add more.   Mostly, I just miss my Grandma.  She loved me unconditionally and was one of my biggest supporters.  Not every child has a special connection with their grandparents.  I feel incredibly blessed that I did.  

Happy Birthday Grandpa Cutes

Today was Grandpa Cutes' 78th birthday and I believe that it was an enjoyable one for him.  He first got to play golf with his friends besting his age by 2.  He then was able to visit with Cameron and swap golf stories later in the day.  He opened gifts from Meg and Cam including a snake like flashlight with a magnetic tip to pick up anything that he drops while working including his teeth and a Grandpa journal to write down all of the memories and stories that he had collected over the years.  He also received texts and phone calls from Meg, Brett and Cal and had Texas cake for dessert.  

I couldn't imagine a more appropriate day to celebrate Grandpa Cutes than this one.  It was so different than last year when we were all shuttered away wondering when lockdown would be over.  The weather was miserable then and no one was sure if the golf course would even open last spring.  I don't know if the pandemic will make his memory book, but it definitely made for an interesting year.  No matter what stories or memories that Grandpa Cutes' chooses to write about, the Heinisch children have been looking forward to hearing them.  From growing up in Milford, to living in Chicago, to working at the radio station, to changing the wrong flat tire and finally almost driving his car into ten pond looking for fish worms, he has definitely lead a memorable life.  

Incredibly happy that we could celebrate with him today.  He is by far the youngest 78 year old that we know and we enjoy having him around even if it is just to poke fun at him when he wears two different shoes to work.  Happy Birthday Grandpa Cutes!  The Heinisch family loves you!

The End of Tax Season

I did our family's taxes when we first got married, but stopped once Doug became part owner of PVC Compounders.  I remember the long forms that we had to use and the booklet that explained all of the rules, had the salary charts and held the codes that we needed to complete the process.  Back then it usually took me several days to get them done.  

Even though PVC had dissolved years ago we still had someone else prepare our taxes for us.  I was teaching and didn't have as much time as I did in the past to devote to tax regulations.  Once I quit I decided to try doing them once again.  It would save us over a $100.  Plus both Brett and Cal needed someone to do theirs, so it made sense to see if I could just do everyone's.  

Preparing taxes had changed drastically in the ten years that I had stopped doing them.  Tax software had replaced the booklets and e-filing took care of all of the forms.  I tried several different sites and finally settled on FreeTaxUSA.  It gave me the most information and explained it well.  Some sites were completely free to file both federal and state tax returns, but they weren't as thorough.  There was no charge for the federal return on FreeTaxUSA, but I did have to pay around $12 for the state return.  I found it to be well worth it as it had saved me way more than that every tax season.

This year was no exception.  We all saved money through their maximum refund analyzer and complete review of our tax information.  I filed Cal, Meg and our's in February and we were extremely pleased with the money that we all got back this year.  The software also allowed me to prepare our taxes before the IRS even accepted returns making ours one of the first to get processed.  We all had our money back in our accounts well before March.  Meg used hers to help pay for a new pair of Birkenstocks, Cal saved his for his new apartment and we used ours to pay off Meg's new car.

Brett's taxes were a little more complicated this year as he had worked for four different companies.  I had started on his when I did ours, but once I realized that he would owe money this year, I decided to wait until closer to the deadline to finish them.  Even though the IRS had extended theirs until May 17th, Brett still wanted to have his taxes done by April.  He had the money saved in his checking account from his stimulus check already and Indiana hadn't extended their filing date.  Therefore, it made sense to get them done.  

I spent this morning working on Brett's taxes.  I rechecked everything that I had entered for him previously to make sure that there were any errors.  I was so thankful that I did.  His state W-2 from storage express was difficult to read and I hadn't recorded the correct local and state taxes when I first worked on his forms.  Once I fixed that error, Brett instantly recouped $200 on the total that was owed.  That was great news. but I really didn't think I'd find much else.   Thankfully, I was wrong.  This was the first year that Brett had worked as an independent contractor for an election reporting company.  He didn't make a lot of money, but since they didn't take out any taxes on his 1099-NEC, I thought he'd owe quite a bit of it.  I did a lot of research and realized that because he worked from home for them during that six month period, he could claim part of his rent and utilities as a business expense.  I called Doug to make sure that he that he agreed with the information that I was reading.  He definitely did and once I put in the changes Brett's taxes were cut by almost another $200.  I called Brett right away and he was thrilled to hear that instead of owing $598 he would only have to pay $218.  I was very excited for him and proud to have helped him with the the savings.  I always told Doug that I should have been an accountant instead of a teacher.  Maybe I was right!

Thomas The Tank Engine

Both Doug and I realize that it's early in the process, but in order to get our home ready to sell in the spring of 2023 we feel that we need to start cleaning it out now.  Although we have gotten rid of a lot over the years through donations, garage sales and outfitting college apartments, there's quite a bit left in our home to sort through.  I made a good dent in that project this winter by organizing all of the boxes stored in our furnace room and moving them over to my Mom's for her garage sale this summer.  Even with that accomplishment there's still plenty to do.  

This week's project was a lot more fun than the previous one.  I started cleaning out the toy storage room and found the Thomas the Tank Engine set.  I knew that the set was something that we wanted to hold on to, so I decided to investigate the best way to clean the trains, tracks and buildings. Thankfully, Dawn soap was highly recommended and I had plenty of that.  Next, I also did some research concerning recalls of the trains.  I remembered that there was an issue with lead paint in some of the trains.  I had mentioned it to Brett before and knew that it was time to find out.  We were both relieved to see that the trains that had lead paint in the them were ones from 2005 to 2007.  The majority of our train sets were purchased well before then.

I printed a list of the recalled trains, buildings and accessories to show Brett.  He instantly said, "Oh no, Mom, Skarloey is on the list."  I was sad to hear that, but impressed that Brett recognized him immediately with the grainy digital picture that I had sent him.  I spent several days sorting through all that we had accumulated over the years.  It was a lot of fun reminiscing.  There were tons of memories in those tubs.  I called Brett multiple times to check on when we bought something and what he could remember from his youth.  Doug enjoyed the process as well, sorting through some of his favorite trains - S.C. Ruffy, Gordon train, Rheneas and more.  In the end we were all pleased to learn that only two items were on the recall list, the Musical Caboose and a cargo barrel.  Fortunately, we had purchased the majority of our red and yellow trains well before 2005 including Brett's beloved Skarloey and James.  After several days of enjoying our train set once again, everything was cleaned and put into tubs to save for the Heinisch family grandchildren.  Definitely not rushing that, but it will be something fun to have for them once they arrive. 

 

One of Those Days

 Today was one of those days where everything went wrong.  First, I had to run to Warsaw to pick up my contacts.  I decided to go grocery shopping while I was there.  I walked into Aldi's and was surprised to see that I was one of the few people wearing masks.  I hurried and bought my groceries, thankful that I had double masked for the stop.  Menards was definitely better, but they didn't have the guinea pig bedding that I was looking for which meant that I would have to stop at a third store on the way home.  Next, I picked up my contacts at Grossnickle.  Once I got them back to the van I realized that they were a different prescription that I had previously.  Since I wasn't 100% sure I decided to keep the contacts and check once I got home.  My last stop of the day was Walmart.  I still needed guinea pig bedding and was hoping that they would have some as Amazon was out of the kind we used.  I found what I needed and  picked up a couple of other items as well.  When I reached the self scan aisle I was generally tired of shopping. By the time I headed home I was in tears.  I  had spent two hours in Warsaw and was exhausted in general from all that I had been doing at home.  It was going to be a busy afternoon as well.  I had received a text from Cal.  He was coming home this evening and I needed to get back and pick up his bedroom.  I had been using it to sort through tubs that were housed in the toy storage room and I was overwhelmed with the thought of finishing that project a day earlier than I had planned.  

While I was unpacking groceries Meg called to give me an update on her day.  She was visiting Nick at Purdue to celebrate her birthday.  She also gave me a list of expenses that she had accumulated on her visit.  Some needed to come out of my budget, some out of hers.  After she hung up I started to log the purchases into my computer.  I quickly realized that there was no charge on my Discover from Walmart.  I thought that was odd as Aldi, Menards and the eye doctor were all recorded.  That's when it dawned on me.  I had walked out of Walmart without paying.  I remembered having someone ring up the alcohol on the self scan for me, but I did not remember even attempting to swipe my credit card.  I had been so preoccupied with everything else that I just blew it.

I wasn't quite sure what to do next, but thought it was best to call Walmart before they hunted me down.  Visions of Mrs. Greipentrog being arrested for actually stealing from the store kept going through my head.  The lady on the other end of the phone did say that they had an issue with an order today and asked for me to come in as soon as possible.  She wasn't very friendly and I was extremely worried that I would be arrested when I walked into the store.  I called my Mom bawling on the way over.  It had been such a terrible day.  I couldn't believe that this had also happened.  Thankfully, the woman at Walmart was very understanding and was able to find my receipt so that I could pay without penalty.  I was also able to come up with a solution for my contacts as well.  To help alleviate my stress my Mom dropped off my favorite candy - Good N Plenty - and Doug ordered pizza for us.  I appreciated both.  It definitely wasn't my favorite day, but at least I made it through and had an enjoyable evening.

Coaching Rumors

 Last week Cam texted our group chat to let us know that IU had fired Archie Miller as the head men's basketball coach.  Although all of us were happy with the move, we were a little surprised.  The buy out to his contract was over ten million dollars.  We later found out that one private donor offered to pay the entire amount if they got rid of Archie.  With that concern out of the picture we were all glad to be done with the "Miller Time" era.  He had never found success at IU especially offensively.  His teams performed poorly in the Big Ten tourney and never made the NCAA tournament.  More importantly to Hoosier alumni, however, was his lack of enthusiasm for the school and the program.  Brett had heard through the athletic department that no one like Archie Miller as he was an a@#hole.  It sured seemed that way watching him scowl on the sidelines.

With his departure there came a lot of rumors and speculation about who the next IU basketball coach would be.  Brad Stevens was the first and most prominent name thrown out.  It took almost a week, but Hoosier fans finally came to understand that he was not leaving the Boston Celtics for Bloomington.  Another name that kept creeping up was Rick Pitino as he had lead Iona to the Big Dance this year.  Doug stated instantly that he'd rather have Archie back if that was the case.  Pitino had left college basketball amid allegations of recruiting violations including paying prostitutes for recruits.  Doug wasn't the only alumni who did not want to see him at IU and that name was quickly squashed.  Next came the talk about Steve Alford coming home to coach.  Those rumors stemmed mostly from those who were not part of the Hoosier nation.  Everyone affiliated with IU realized that he had found little success in his college coaching career and wasn't the leader that the Hoosiers needed.

This week talk has swirled around Thad Matta, a former Ohio State coach.  Supposedly, he failed his physical and IU ended talks with him.  Cam said another rumor was that IU had interviewed Calbert Cheaney for the position.  That was most interesting to both Doug and I.  Cheaney graduated the same year as Doug and was easily our favorite college player.  He lead the Hoosiers to the Final Four in 1992, won the John Wooden award and was still the all time leading scorer in Big Ten history.  It was an interesting name to throw out as he was currently the assistant for the Pacers and had found success at St. Louis University several years ago.  He would bring definitely bring enthusiasm to the program for the IU alumni.  It had worked well for Juwan Howard to return to Michigan as a coach.  If IU also hired a more seasoned veteran as his assistant as the Wolverines had with Howard, maybe it would be just what the Hoosiers needed.  

Ultimately, none of really know what will happen with the basketball program.  Although it was nice to get rid of Miller, it will take some time to rebuild after his departure.  Several current players have entered the transfer portal since he was fired.  That may or may not hurt the team.  When Tom Crean was let go, there was mixed feelings on the decision.  This time, one thing was certain. Everyone following IU basketball was ready for a change.  

Happy Birthday Miss Meg

Meg had a wonderful time celebrating her twentieth birthday today.  She started her day by taking a walk with Brett.  He gave her his present - a copy of the movie Song of the South on DVD which she was extremely pleased to receive.  She studied at the Union in the afternoon while reading many well wishes on Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook.  She made time to talk with Grandma Jane, Grandpa Cutes and Grandpa Heinisch as well.  Yatsiri met her for dinner before she headed back to her apartment to watch Hair Spray and finish studying for a global business test scheduled for tomorrow.  

Every time I talked to Meg today she was extremely happy.  It was a beautiful day in Bloomington and she thoroughly enjoyed it.  I was so glad for her.  Meg's 19th birthday was very low key as lockdown had just started and we couldn't have anyone over to help celebrate.  We did make the best of it with presents, a homemade cake and her favorite dinner, but it was a scary time in our lives and we weren't sure what was gone to happen with the pandemic.  Thankfully, life did return to a new kind of normal for Meg which made this year's celebration even better.  None of us thought that we would still be talking about coronavirus a year later, but at least this year Meg was able to be on her own again and to be with her friends for her birthday.  

Meg also made plans to go to Purdue tomorrow to celebrate with Nick.   He even offered to make her another homemade cake.  We will be down Easter weekend and plan another celebration then as well.  Since I couldn't be with her today, I decided to look through some photos from her graduation slide show.  There were so many good ones and I posted a few on Facebook in honor of the day.  Meg enjoyed them as well and could remember every moment from each of them.  Although I really got a kick out of the one in which she was mad about getting pasta salad for Christmas, my favorite was one in which Doug was holding her at Grant's Farm.  It was such a fun trip and the expressions on their faces reminded me of Jeanette.  I wished she could have been her today to receive a phone call from her eldest granddaughter.  I know that she would have been so proud of Meg, just as we all are.  

Thank You to Whomever Ordered This Beautiful Weather

Just in time for the first day of spring, the weather started warming up on Friday with highs near fifty degrees during the day.  It was windy, but we were still able to have a bonfire and enjoy the evening outside.  The temperatures only increased as the weekend continued.  Yesterday Doug was able to plant grass and get out the furniture for the backyard.  We took an hour long walk through Oakwood and along the WACF trail.  It was gorgeous.

Today Cameron spent a good portion his time outside.  Maxwelton opened for the season this morning  and Cameron got in his first round of nine holes there before lunch time.  Bailee drove over for the afternoon.  They took advantage of the warm temperatures by getting out the IU corn hole boards and playing basketball in the driveway before watching the Wisconsin game.  I was even able to take Rizzo outside for a little while.  He wasn't quite as excited about it as I was, but it was fun just the same (except when he got his nose stuck in the bars).  Afterward Doug and I took another long walk, this time closer to home, before he grilled out for dinner.

The next few days look just as nice with highs reaching close to seventy degrees.  I definitely plan to take multiple walks and enjoy the sunshine as much as possible.  I realize that this won't last through the entire spring, but after the February we had, I sure do appreciate this beautiful weather.  

Maskless

Last November we decided as a family that we would have to start wearing masks in the common areas of our home if we were going to have our traditional Thanksgiving celebration .  Both Meg and Cal had had close friends test positive for Covid-19, Elkhart County had exploded to a 30% positivity rate, Bethany had reduced to two days a week for in person classes and both Cal and Doug had people at work quarantining for the coronavirus.  None of us liked it, but it seemed the best way for us all to still get together and stay safe.

Fast forward to the beginning of February and we were still in the same boat.  Coronavirus had exploded in our area and local hospitals were overwhelmed.  Thankfully, Brett and Meg had been vaccinated, but that didn't stop them from being carriers.  As much as we hated wearing masks in our own home and on car trips, we all couldn't argue with the fact that it had saved all of us from getting Covid when Cal tested positive in early January.  

Fortunately, Indiana saw an increase in fully vaccinated Hoosiers and a drastic drop in positive tests by the end of February.  Cal had moved to Chicago, so Doug and I talked about dropping the masks in our home with he, Cameron and I.  Since Doug had to travel to Florida for ten days at the beginning of March, we decided that the best course of action was to wait until the two weeks after he returned.  It was what the CDC recommended and we knew that since we had made it this long, we could survive two more weeks.  To make it more fun for Cameron, I got out the Advent calendar once Doug returned and started a fourteen day count down complete with daily prizes for him.  We really had appreciated him helping to keep us healthy at home.  

All of that was planned before we found out that both Doug and I could be vaccinated in early March.  The science behind the first dose immunity from our shots was beginning to surface and the CDC changed the suggestion of fourteen days of quarantining after traveling to ten days.  All of this data gave us the exact reason we needed to stop our at home mask wearing yesterday.  We were all thrilled and I told Cam that he could even continue opening his prizes through the fourteenth day even though we had gone maskless before then.  He was glad to hear that and equally pleased to pull out a ticket for a "dessert of his choice" which he planned on using for a shamrock shake.  It was a nice way to stat the weekend.  

March Madness

 After a year hiatus due to Covid-19, March Madness finally returned.   Last year, the illness of Nebraska's coach at the Big Ten tourney along with a positive Covid test from a prominent NBA player cut the season short.  Even though IU did not make the tournament this year, it was so nice to have basketball games to watch in March once again.  

I started watching at lunchtime today and was glad to find some close matches to begin the tournament.  I texted Cameron right away to see if he had the Arkansas vs. Colgate on as the had the Raiders had the lead for most of the first half.  He wasn't following that one, but had the Florida game on instead.  It went to overtime before the Gators were able to pull out the win.  Doug made it home from work in time to watch the Ohio State game.  Much as the Hoosiers had the entire season, the #2 seed Buckeyes went flat during the last ten minutes of the game and lost on a missed three point attempt at the end.

Cam missed the OSU game as he had golf practice, but made it home in time to watch the Boilermakers lose their first game as well.  We heard from Cal and Meg during that game.  They were both enjoying giving grief to their Purdue friends after that one.   I didn't quite remember a first day having as many upsets as today's round did.  By the end of night everyone in Cal's pool was texting about their bracket being busted including Grandpa Cutes.  Win, lose or draw - none of that really mattered to me today.  I considered the entire day a success as just having the tournament was a win to me.  

Stimulus Check #3

Yesterday Brett and Cal received their third stimulus checks of the pandemic.  Cal texted me early this morning to tell me how excited he was to get the $1400.  He planned to put half of it in savings and the other half in his TD Ameritrade account.  Brett was a lot more low key about the check.  He did have plans for it.  He was going to put $1000 in his savings and split the rest between his taxes and car payment.  Overall, however, he was really concerned about the upcoming reports of high inflation this summer and how that would affect his finances.

Doug and I were more on the same page as Brett.  Although the excess government spending on the Covid Relief Bill wasn't all to blame, I had listened this week to a financial report that outlined the increase in taxes that the Biden administration would have to pass to help fund the bill.  The increased amount on utility companies would be passed directly on to consumers.  That, along with the proposed tax hike on gasoline, would cost the average American family an extra $2000 a year.  Doug wasn't as concerned about the tax increases as he was about the predicted shortage in the labor market and supplies for products.  He knew from experience that those two issues would only drive prices up directly affecting inflation rates. 

 Hopefully, this will be the end of any type of "Covid Relief" as well as the extra unemployment benefits that only encouraged workers to stay home.  The economic recovery of our country should rely on opening businesses and getting people back to work, not government handouts.  The old Chinese proverb below says it best.  I wish those in charge would take it to heart.

St. Patrick's Day

                                            

Doug and I stopped going to the bars to celebrate St. Patrick's Day long ago opting instead to take the Heinisch family to the Knights of Columbus party.  The pandemic ended our participation in that activity last year as we chose to celebrate the holiday at home in 2020.  We enjoyed it so much that we decided to do the same thing this year as well.  

. 

We started with a dinner of corn beef and cabbage complete with green beer.  We realized that it wasn't the dinner of choice by the citizens of the Emerald Isle, but one that most Irish Americans had adopted as the perfect meal to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  We all really enjoyed it.  Since Cameron couldn't participate in the drinking of green beer, I had green candy and cupcakes for him to indulge in tonight.  After dinner Doug and I then watched the movie, The Quiet Man, which has easily my favorite John Wayne film.  The relationship between he and Maureen O'Hara's has always reminded Doug and I of our life together, plus its depiction of life in Ireland in the 1940s was the perfect backdrop for our St. Patrick's Day celebration.  Cam opted out of the movie to shoot baskets which wasn't surprising with the beautiful weather we had today and March Madness right around the corner.  Even though our night was quieter then in years past and our St. Patrick's Day traditions had definitely changed over the years, we still had a wonderful day.  

58 Years and Counting

 Today my parents celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary.  My Dad posted a nice sentiment on Facebook in honor of the day.  In it he stated that he wasn't sure that he could make it another fifty-eight years.  I thought that was funny as the Heinisch children have always said that they thought that my Dad would outlive us all.  

Whether they do make it another 58 years or not, it is an impressive feat to have been married almost six decades.  I know there have been many ups and downs in their lifetime together as with all marriages.  The death of my brother was obviously a tough time for our family.  It is impressive that they weathered the storm as over 2/3 of all marriages in which a child dies end in divorce.  

I wonder if in all of their fifty-eight years together that they've ever had one like this past year.  The pandemic was just at the beginning when they celebrated their 57th year together last March.  Who would have thought that a year later they would have witnessed 365 days filled with lockdowns, political strife, riots, and a deadly unknown virus?  Back then who would have thought that they would still have to wear masks in stores and social distance for an entire year.  The COVID-19 vaccine was just being talked about last spring and now they have both been vaccinated, ready for life to return to normal.  

It's definitely been a crazy, unpredictable year.  I am thankful that they got to spend two months of it in Florida and more importantly that they avoided becoming infected with the coronavirus.  It may not be the year they dreamed of last March, but I know that they are both happy to have made it through to the other side.  Hoping for a more peaceful year to come.   

Spring Forward, Fall Back - Please Just Make a Choice

 Yesterday was everyone's least favorite day of the year - the dreaded spring forward into Daylight Savings Time where we lose an hour of sleep for no apparent reason.  I have never quite understood the time change and how it applies to modern life, but someone must feel that it's still relevant as the tradition continued again this year.  Having it happen on a Sunday in theory makes sense as it gives the body a day to adjust, but honestly it usually takes a week or so to get used to the new time change and make up for the loss of sleep.  Cameron saw a statistic that read that it was the number one suicide day of the year.  I would believe that and so did Cal.  He said that as soon as midnight hit on Saturday, he instantly felt depressed.  Brett had to skip Sunday morning mass to try and adjust his sleep schedule.  Meg totally forgot about "springing forward" and stayed up extremely late Saturday night, therefore, screwing up her entire schedule on Sunday.  Doug and I must be feeling our age as we both made it through Sunday, but were instead completely wiped out this morning.  

If anyone wanted my opinion on how to improve Daylight Savings Time, I would suggest getting rid of it all together.  Living in Indiana I would totally stay in the current time zone.  I love the extra hour of daylight at the end of the day.  That allows for additional time outside playing golf, doing yard work, taking a walk or anything else that summer weather allows.  If we absolutely have to have Daylight Savings Time, then I would change when it happens.  How about 4 p.m. on a Wednesday? Then, everyone would get off of work an hour early and enjoy the break.  Or if the work week didn't make sense, then how about Friday night instead.  That would at least give my body several days to adjust to the change.  It didn't work in 2018, but maybe this time someone will listen to Marco Rubio as he reintroduced a bill in the Senate to get rid of falling back in November and keep states on Daylight Savings Time going forward.  I'd definitely vote for that.  Until that happens I'll just mutter through and complain about the time change to whoever will listen.

A Surprise Visitor

 Cal called me this afternoon to check in on our weekend.  He had spent his helping Cameron Adams and his girlfriend move out of her apartment in Chicago to a house in Crown Pointe.  It wasn't all work as they made time for a going away party last night.  Cal decided after the move that he would head home for the night.  I was happy to hear that.  Even though he had only moved out three weeks ago, it felt a lot longer than that.  

Cal arrived at dinner time and we enjoyed catching up with him.  He had had a tough week with Hannah Marie's illness and an increased workload at Plante Moran.  He was definitely ready to watch the end of the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA Sunday Selection show.  Once we found out that both Illinois and Michigan were given #1 seeds in the tournament Cal headed to Grandma and Grandpa's.  Neither he nor I had told them that he was coming home and they were definitely surprised to see him.  They had talked to him quite a bit these past few months, but hadn't seen him in person since December.  Cal came home afterward with a new Toucan golf shirt that they bought him in Florida, his Easter gift and a box of Oreo candy canes to try.  He enjoyed his visit and gifts as well as a much needed relaxing night at home.

The End of Indoor Tennis

 Today was the last day for Cameron's indoor tennis season and he finished it with a tournament at Eastlake Athletic Club.  He played well, but lost a grueling tiebreak in the first set of his first match which led to a quick end to the second set as well.  Cameron wasn't too disappointed when he got home for a break before his second match of the night.  He and Doug arrived early to the second round.  Fortunately, the court was open so the match was under way well before the 8 p.m. start time.  

Doug didn't stay too long as it was crowded in the viewing area.  Instead he used the time to work as Champion's office was only three miles away.  Cam's second opponent was tougher than his first one.  Cameron won several games, but lost in two sets in the consolation round.  Even though Cam didn't find the success in this tournament as he had in others this winter, we were all glad that he played.  In November we weren't even sure that Cam would be able to play at all because of the pandemic.  Weekly lessons, three Bethany matches and three tournaments later provided him an avenue to work during the off season to improve his tennis skills and it definitely showed.  

One and Done

Doug was in Florida when the state of Indiana opened up vaccinations for those aged 50 and up.  As soon as I scheduled my appointment I scoured through vaccination sights looking to get something set up for Doug.  It was more challenging to get him scheduled because the second shot had to be either before he left for his next work trip or right afterward.  I tried my best and somehow got him signed up for two different times on Friday March 12th.  One of the immunizations was with Moderna and another one with Pfizer.  We thought that as the date drew closer we would decided whether the first one that needed to be given four weeks apart or the second that was due at the end of three weeks made more sense.

Shortly after I got my vaccination, I noticed that the Goshen Walmart was offering the newly approved Johnson & Johnson shot.  The efficacy rate was lower than the other two, but it had a huge advantage for Doug.  It was a one and done immunization.  I called "211" to cancel his other appointments and to schedule the new one right away.  Thankfully, they had a 10:20 a.m. time open for the 12th, so all we had to do now was wait for the date to arrive.

This morning Doug worked from home so he could go to Walmart's pharmacy before heading into the office.  He arrived early and was surprised at how few people were in line ahead or behind him.  The vaccination process was easy and by 10:15 he was in an assigned chair waiting the fifteen minutes required before leaving.  He had no issues with the shot except that it hurt more than usual.  He called on his way to work to thank me for setting it up for him.  I was so happy that it went well.  He was still surprised at the fact that there was only one other person that received their vaccination during that entire time he was there.  I wasn't as shocked as the news had said that only 37% of Hoosiers in the 50 to 59 age bracket had either been immunized or had signed up for the shot.  Hopefully, more will do so, but for the time being we were just both glad that he was done.  It would take four weeks for immunity to build up with the Johnson & Johnson shot, which would mean that he would not have to worry on his next trip to Ocala.  Later in the evening we heard that Michigan would be lowering its vaccination age group to 16 and up on April 5th.  We knew that meant that soon Indiana would do so as well.  It has been a long year, but one more month and things should return to normal in the Heinisch home.

He's Home

After ten days in Florida Doug returned late last night.  He had planned on getting back today, but since he had finished what he needed to get done, he was able to move his flight up a day.  The trip back was easy except for the last five minutes which was full of turbulence.  Doug said that everyone cheered when he landed.

I was ready to cheer once Doug got home.  This was the longest that he had been gone for work since 1997 when he worked for Crowe Chizek and was stranded in Nebraska for two weeks.  Although I was really dreading the time apart, overall it went well.  Cam and I adjusted pretty well.  It was definitely quiet in our house at night and a couple of evenings felt fairly long, but we kept busy which really helped.  I was impressed with our eating habits as we cooked as healthy as Doug does when he's home and only ordered out for three meals.  

Doug's time in Ocala was productive from a work stand point.  There will be a lot to do in the upcoming months, but he did get a good jump on several projects.  Unlike us he did have to order out a lot as that was most convenient for him.  Subway was the staple, but he did get to try Popeye's and a couple of pizza places as well.  While he was gone he found time to tour Ocala and get to know it a little better and to visit his Dad which was a wonderful benefit to his time away from home.  The best news while he was away was the opening of vaccinations and knowing that when he got back that I would already have my first shot and he would be in line to get his.  That will make his next trip a lot safer.  I am not looking forward to April 5th when he leaves again, but for now I am extremely thankful to have him home for the next three weeks.

An End to Our Wednesday Tradition

 One of the best parts about the pandemic was the change in Cameron's school schedule.  From the beginning of the school year Bethany had decided to only have on campus learning for four days a week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.  Wednesday were left open for asynchronous learning.  Assignments were given, but could be completed at the students own pace at home.  Teachers were available virtually from 1-3 to anyone who needed help.  Since Cameron was always on top of his homework and rarely had any questions, Wednesdays in general had become free days for he and I.  We would fill them with tennis lessons, ordering lunch at Moe's or Panda Express, board games, and other leisurely activities.  It was a nice midweek break for both of us.

Today, however, was the last of our Wednesdays at home.  Bethany had decided to return to five day a week in person learning.  I was sad when I first read the email, but was also glad as I realized that it was one more step toward normalcy.  Today, Cam and I spent our morning much as we had for the past four months with Cameron's tennis lesson and my weekly shopping trip to Martin's and Menards.  Cameron picked his favorite Moe's Southwest Grill to order lunch. This afternoon was the perfect send off to our last free Wednesday as the weather was more than warm enough for Cameron to play golf with Grandpa Cutes at Wawasee Golf Club and for me to take a one hour walk along the lake on Eli Lilly road while he was busy.  

Life definitely has its bittersweet moments and today was one of them for me.  I have loved all of the extra time with Cameron, but I know that he is more than ready to have his pre-pandemic life back.  Thankfully, we are getting a lot closer to that.  

The Death of Stalin

 Brett rented The Death of Stalin last night and really wanted me to watch it.  I was a little hesitant as the last movie he recommended was The Lighthouse and it was just awful.  I didn't have a lot going on and was a little bit tired from all of the activity this past week, so I thought I'd at least give it a try.  

Brett said that it was a historical comedy, so I expected Mel Brooks.  Thankfully, the movie was nothing like it.  There was some humor, but never over the top.  Brett and Doug know a lot more about Russian history than I do, so I was more interested in that than anything else.  The film definitely filled me in on all that happened to bring Nikita Khrushchev to power and end the tyranny of Stalin's rule without a lot of violence.  I appreciated that.  Before I started watching the movie, Brett had raved about Steve Buscemi portrayal of Khrushchev and I couldn't have agreed with him more.  I called Brett today to ask him about the historical gaps that the movie didn't cover.  He was able to catch me up pretty quickly.  We also reviewed his top 100 movie list that Doug and Cal had been encouraging him to make.  At the end of the conversation I let him know how much I enjoyed The Death of Stalin.  He had finally made up for The Lighthouse recommendation to me.  Doug still wasn't quite sure about that.  

Golf Season Unofficially Begins

Today was absolutely gorgeous for the first week of March.  The temperature climbed to the mid 60s and the sun was out the entire day.  I took a long walk before I picked up Cameron and it was so nice not to have to be bundled up.  It was windy, but that didn't change how wonderful it felt outside.

Once I got home from my walk I called Wawasee Golf Club and found out that they were open this afternoon.  I texted Cam while he was at school to see if he wanted to play once he got out.  He was more than ready to get back on the course, so we went straight there from Bethany.  While he was playing Cam's coach texted the parents to let them know that the golf team would be picking up sticks at Black Squirrel tomorrow after school.  By the time I picked Cameron back up he had already texted his coach to let him know that he was available.

Cam filled me in on his unofficial first practice of the year while we were driving to Grandma's to pick up sugar cookies.  He gave Grandpa the highs and lows of his round once we arrived.  Grandpa had played at Heron Creek this afternoon so he had some of his own stories to share as well.  I know that the weather won't stay this nice for the rest of spring, but it sure was beautiful today.  I was glad that Cam and I both made time to enjoy it.

What a Fun Day!

This afternoon Cam and I headed down to my parents.  Since none of the local courses had opened yet, Cam and my Dad had been playing backyard golf these past few days.  The competitiveness of their games had increased to the point that Grandpa had even dug holes for each cup.  While they had been playing their games I had taken advantage of the sunshine with a walk.  Today was no different and I started toward Oakwood as I heard a golf ball ricochet off of the recycling can.  

I called Doug as I walked to check in on his afternoon.  He had taken a break from working to check out several areas of Ocala.  One place was extremely interesting as it reminded Doug of Jefferson Pointe in Fort Wayne.  While I was listening to Doug's day a car slowly pulled up beside me.  I was used to that on my walks by the high school as our neighbor, Roger, stopped me almost everyday while I was out getting some exercise "to see if I wanted some candy."  I was pleasantly surprised this time to see that it was actually Paula.  She and Mary were meeting at Oakwood to take a walk and asked me to join them.  I wasn't able to travel as far as they had planned because I had to get back to Cameron, but I did spend close to a half hour walking and talking with them.  It was so wonderful to catch up on all that they had been doing.  I hadn't talked to either one since January.  As I split off from them we promised to get together soon.  It was incredibly nice to think that we would be able to have small gatherings again.  

I was later then usual getting back to Cam.  He and Grandpa had already finished their game when I arrived with Cam wining in a four hole playoff.  Cam said that he didn't mind waiting as they talked about golf and basketball.  As we drove home I couldn't help but smile.  This was one of the most normal days that we had had in quite some time.  What a nice feeling.

A Year and A Half Later

Today Doug was finally able to visit his Dad.  He had thought going to DeKalb several times over the summer and early last fall before Carl and Marina left for Florida, but the spread of COVID was just too great to risk it.  With Ocala's close proximity to Lake Placid and the cases of COVID on the decline, Doug was able to spend the majority of the day catching up with his Dad at their home in Florida.  It was the end of September 2019 when Cam, Doug and I last saw Carl and Marina.  We had had dinner with them and Dan at Giordano's in the suburbs of Chicago after a day at Science & Industry.  Although Doug had talked to his Dad weekly since that time period, it was a lot more special to be together in person.  Carl drove him around his complex showing him where my parents stayed along with other sites including the friendly family of sand cranes.  They visited with Aunt Marg and Uncle Jim as well and enjoyed lunch at a local Mexican restaurant that Carl had eaten at several times with my parents while they were staying in Lake Placid.  It was fun to hear Doug talk about all of the same places that my Mom and Dad told me about not too long ago.  Carl, Marina, Marg and Jim told Doug that they enjoyed having my parents living so close and hoped that they would return next year.  Doug even got to look at the infamous spreadsheets before he left assuring Cal and Meg that they were still being put to good use.  

As an added bonus to his day trip Doug was also able to stop by Disney Springs on his way back to Ocala.  It was a lot different than he remembered with more parking garages, stores and restaurants.  He took a few pictures to send back to all of us.  Meg and I were definitely a little jealous.  He checked out a few of the beers before he left impressed with the transition from Downtown Disney to Disney Springs.  Overall, it was the perfect day for Doug and I was incredibly happy for him.  

One Down, One To Go

Today was the day that I had been waiting for this entire year.  I got my first COVID-19 vaccination and couldn't be happier.  My appointment was at the Noble County Library in Albion.  I wasn't sure what to expect especially as there was someone directing traffic when I first arrived.  It was definitely more crowded then I thought it would be, but overall it was easy to social distance except at the registration area.  Between that and the volunteers with masks below their noses, I was thankful for the plastic bearer and the quick process.  

As excited as I was about getting my shot, I was still definitely nervous.  The media had focused a lot on the rare cases of those that had extreme reactions to the immunization.  With all of the allergic reactions that I had had over the years, I was a little bit afraid of being in the minuscule amount that had problems.  Thankfully, I had an epipen.  The nurse who gave me the vaccination was also concerned since I was allergic to bee stings.  He told me to wait thirty minutes before I left instead of fifteen to make sure that I did not have any adverse reactions.  Even the gentleman who showed me where to sit while I waited went over the symptoms that would be most concerning.  I knew from what I read that reactions almost always occurred within two minutes.  Therefore, my anxiety went way down after that time period.  Before I left the  library, they scheduled me for my second vaccination on April 5th.  

I had texted Cal, Cam, Doug, Brett and my Mom while I was waiting to let them know that it went well.  Meg was driving to West Lafayette while I was at the library so I called her on my drive home.  She was just as happy as I was that we had made it to this point.  Once I got home, Cam and I kept talking about how ironic it was that we had just talked earlier in the week about me getting closer to being vaccinated and now I already had my first shot.  I wasn't able to call Doug on my drive home, but touched base with him after work.  Not only was I ecstatic to tell him about my vaccination, I was also thrilled to let him know that he had an appointment to get the Johnson & Johnson one and done shot on March 12th.  

The light at the end of the tunnel is definitely close.  I am incredibly proud of our entire family for taking the steps to keep Doug and I safe during this pandemic.  Five more weeks and our life will return to some semblance of normalcy.  I can't wait.

We Bare Bears

 Meg had been asking me all week to watch an episode of Drake and Josh.  She had been binge watching the show on Hulu and found it to be just as hilarious as she remembered from her younger days.  Tonight Cam and I turned on Theater Thugs and enjoyed it.  We could see where Drake and Josh reminded her of Brett and Cal with Megan being Meg the younger sister.

Afterward we decided to turn on We Bare Bears.  We had watched an episode or two when Meg was home and wanted to try a few more.  We started with the jean jacket episode and then moved on to "The Rooms."  I had forgotten how much I had really liked the show.  I remembered Cameron's obsession with Pandas in 5th grade after watching it the show with Kaleb.  Meg had labeled Cam as Pan Pan with her as Grizz and Cal as Ice Bear.  Back then Brett said that he identified with Pan Pan more than any other, but conceded that Cameron was perfect for the role of a gentle, yet somewhat cowardly and insecure brother.  

As we watched tonight I realized that times had changed in the Heinisch Home.  Meg was still Grizz the bubbly, hyperactive, loud, and talkative one, but Brett could now take on the role of Pan Pan.  Cam had moved on to Ice Bear, the quiet, slightly intense brother.  That left Cal as the crazy Bigfoot character that visited once in awhile and ate everyone's food.  Life seems to be changing for all of us, even in a cartoon world.  

Exciting News

 Today the state of Indiana opened up COVID-19 vaccines for Hoosiers aged 50 and up.  As soon as I found out I got on the "our shot" website and secured a vaccine for Friday.  I couldn't believe it.  As I was sitting in the Bethany parking lot when the news broke, I only had time to get my spot reserved.  Once I got home I signed Doug up for the Friday after he returns from Florida.  

As soon as I was done I called Meg and texted Brett and Cal.  This was the first step back to normalcy and we were all excited that it was beginning.  I didn't get to talk to Doug until the evening as he was working when I made his appointment.  He couldn't believe it either.  When Indiana moved the age to 55 we thought that it would be at least two weeks and possibly the end of March before we'd get our vaccinations.  Yesterday Cameron had just asked me my thoughts on how soon I'd be able to get my shot.  I was thrilled today to give him an answer today after school.

Tonight I looked back at my blog posts from March and April of 2020.  I remembered how scary that time period was.  None of us thought that the year would unfold the way it did.  It was nice to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Our Life Changes Today

Today Doug started a new chapter at work as Champion bought another dialysis chair company in Ocala, Florida.  He will now be the CFO of both companies and will travel back and forth between the two for the foreseeable future.  He left last night for a ten day trip and had a great first day.  He and Champion's president were introduced to their new employees and toured the facilities.  Doug was also able to get a little bit of time in on learning their financial software and data collection.  He was tired when he called to check in yesterday as he had a late night flight into Orlando and an early morning meeting at Winco, but overall was extremely happy.  They had been working on the sale since last fall and he was excited to get started.

I was ecstatic for Doug.  This would be a new challenge for him professionally and I knew that he wanted that after this past year.  In the short term it will take some adjusting for our family as he will most likely  be in Florida monthly.  Cam and I were prepared for that and spent yesterday looking over meals that we could try cooking and television shows that we could watch in Doug's absence.  In the long term this company will provide an avenue for Doug and I to hopefully have a place in Florida one day.  We had talked a lot during the pandemic about life after Cameron's graduation.  We both wanted some place warmer than Northern Indiana to live in for part of the year and Ocala would definitely provide that.  The Heinisch children were just as excited as I was about the possibility of winters in Florida.  Brett and Meg started sharing ideas they had for what they would do when they would visit.  Cam joined in once he realized that he would now be able to go to University of Florida and Florida State football games or maybe even an IU bowl game in the future.  Cal had always wanted to live in Florida, so he had no problems with Doug traveling back and forth.  

It's amazing how God's plan for us was the same as one that we have chosen for ourselves.  I wonder if He was preparing us for it all along with our recent interest in the Sunshine state or if He was listening to our late night conversations at the bonfire pit.  Either way, today was a life changer.  Can't wait to see where this path leads us.

One Step Closer

 Cameron moved one step closer to getting his driver's license today by passing the driving portion of the test.  Even getting home twenty minutes late due to a train in Goshen didn't dampen his mood.  He was extremely happy with his accomplishment and I was proud of him for how hard he had worked these past few months to improve his driving skills.  He still has to wait until April 21st to head to the BMV, but it was nice to finish the toughest portion of the process early.  

Cameron's driving experience was drastically different than Brett, Cal and Meg.  Since Bethany had eliminated their driver's education program this year, we decided to enroll Cam in Premier Driving School in Goshen.  Almost all of his friends used the same service and it had the added benefit of picking Cameron up at our home.  He also had the luxury of only spending an hour and fifteen minutes in the car as he was the sole driver for the majority of the six times that he drove.  Cal, Meg, and Brett spent eighteen hours behind the wheel just to get their required six hours of driving.  Cal had to drive at 6:30 a.m. during the summer.  Cam's earliest time was 8 a.m.  The testing process was a lot easier for Cameron as well.  He could complete it with his instructor instead of testing at the BMV.   It wasn't quite as intense as the Wawasee program, but Cam and I made up for that with countless hours in the van before he even started driving with Ed, a fellow Hoosier supporter.

It was sad to Meg and I thatCameron never got to experience driver's education with Cayle Woodard,  but overall I was glad that we chose Premier .  It fit into Cam's schedule well.  He still has two hours of night driving to complete before the 21st, but that should be easy to do.  I've enjoyed my time as passenger with Cameron.  We've had a lot of great conversations and thanks to our daily drives to Bethany and back, I also feel a lot more confident with him behind the wheel.  Cameron's more than ready for some additional freedom.  I remember that feeling and am happy that he's almost there.