Milwaukee Symphony

Several months ago Cal called and asked us if we wanted to go with him, Maggie and her family to the Milwaukee Symphony the weekend after Thanksgiving.  As we were already going to be in the Midwest, I thought it was a great ideas, especially once I heard that the symphony would be playing the music to The Muppet Christmas Carol. It is a family favorite and I was very interested in hearing it.  I was also happy to be able to meet Maggie’s family.  

Cal picked us up at Meg’s on 11:15 a.m. this morning for the short trip to Milwaukee.  We arrived just before the Doyle family and had time to check out the public market.  It was filled with shops, restaurants and a lot of Christmas patrons.  We decided to find a table so that we could all eat lunch together and were happy to get one big enough for the seven of us.  

Maggie, her mother, father and brother arrived just after we sat down and we spent the next couple of minutes to get to know them.  They were extremely nice and personable.  It was great talking to them.  We had a lot of shared interests including movies, sports, Disney and raising children.  Once we finished eating, we walked back through the market enjoying the atmosphere.  We then decided to head to a local bar to hang out until our rooms were ready at the Pfister Hotel.  The bar was nice, the drinks were fun and everyone had a great time.

The Pfister was beautiful.  It was a turn of the century hotel that had been recently renovated. It was also gorgeously decorated for Christmas.  After we settled into our rooms, we met at the sports bar across the street to have a snack before heading to the theater.  Fortunately, the IU vs. Purdue game was on and we could catch the first quarter.  It looked as cold there as it did in Milwaukee, plus it was snowing.  I was glad to be watching it on television instead of in person, especially since we were handling the Boilermakers easily.

The symphony was in an old theater that was also beautiful.  Maggie’s cousin was the harpist, so they were all very excited to be there.  I wasn’t sure how it would be performed and was happy to see that they showed the movie while the symphony played.  It had been a few years since I had watched the beloved film all the way through and enjoyed it very much as the symphony really made it sound even better.  

We met the rest of Maggie’s family after the show and enjoyed hanging out with them for a few hours.  Her family seems to be very close and does a lot together.  It was neat to hear all about their lives.  Maggie’s cousin on the harp had gone to Julliard and her husband was a cellist as well.  It was definitely a different lifestyle than we were accustomed to and it was fun listening to their stories.  It was definitely a wonderful day for Doug and I, and we were thankful that Cal and Maggie had invited us.  

Lincoln Park Zoo Lights

Cal, Doug and I left for Chicago this morning.  Cal had a family party at Maggie’s and we were ready to head to our next adventure.  The trip was an easy one and we arrived shortly before Meg and Nick did.  They had stopped at the Brew to have coffee with Cameron before he left for Bloomington.  We ordered Portillo’s as soon as they arrived and enjoyed some down time this afternoon listening to vinyls, playing games and watching football.

Tonight, we had tickets to the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights.  When we first stepped out of the Lyft, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to make it.  The low temperature along with the winds were extremely cold.  Thankfully, they had hot chocolate that we could purchase near the entrance which made our one hour journey a lot easier.  I was very glad that we made the trip as the lights were beautiful and we all enjoyed them very much.  Afterward, Meg and Nick wanted us to try Paradise Park for dinner. We had never been and thoroughly enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.  They also had fun Christmas drinks to try which we all really liked.  It was a cold walk back to the apartment, but thankfully a short one.  The rest of the night was a lot of fun and a great way to start the Christmas holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving

It was a very non-traditional Thanksgiving for our family this year.  First, we held our Thanksgiving at Grandma Jane’s. I couldn't remember the last time that we had celebrated a holiday meal in their home.  The second change was lasagna for our main dish.  We had tried it many years ago, but Brett really liked turkey so Doug decided to stick with the traditional feast until this Thanksgiving.  Along with the pasta dish he added Caesar salad, corn, garlic bread and green bean casserole to the menu.  Those went very well with Grandma Jane’s desserts, making for the perfect meal.  Plus, Doug did put turkey sausage in the lasagna, so no one could really complain about missing their holiday bird.  

Although, I helped plan the menu and did the shopping for today, I really didn’t care what we ate.  I was just extremely happy that we were all together.  Meg and Nick were able to spend time with us before heading to the Yoder family Thanksgiving and we all enjoyed several games before they left.  Cal and Cameron watched the Lions vs. Bears football game which was an exciting match up for our family.  Everyone also got to open their Christmas gifts from Grandma and Grandpa as well.  Overall, it was a wonderful day and I was incredibly thankful when Brett called on his way back to Bloomington to let me know how much he loves being a part of our family.  I know that everyone else feels the same way and I felt incredibly blessed at the end of the day.  

The Holidays Begin

Doug flew into Indianapolis last night.  He had arrived at the Orlando airport three hours early expecting it to be crowded.  Instead, there was only one person in line in front of him at security.  He didn't mind waiting and landed in Indy just before Brett arrived.  They drove up together listening to some of their favorite music including the soundtrack to The Last of the Mohicans.  I was definitely very happy to see both of them and enjoyed visiting before we all headed to bed.  

Today, we had some business to take care before we could enjoy the start to the Thanksgiving holiday.  Doug and I had an appointment at Key Bank first thing in the morning to open a new checking account. Once that was finished, we returned back to Grandma Jane's so that I could cut both Doug and Brett's hair.  

While we were busy, Cameron went to meet Avery for lunch in Goshen.  He had fun catching up with him and made it back in time to watch the IU basketball game.  The team was playing in a tournament in the Bahamas and he had a friend that was attending the games.  Unfortunately, the Hoosiers didn't play the best and lost their second game of the week.  We didn't let that get us down, however, and headed over to Goshen Brewing Company as soon as it was over.  It had been months since we had been there, and we all really enjoyed the food and the beer.  

A game of Oh Hell was on the agenda once we returned to Grandma's.  It was a close one and a lot of fun.  Once it was over, we watched one of our favorite episodes of WKRP, "Turkey Trot" followed by A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.  Both were just as funny as always.  Cal arrived just after we finished.  It was great to see him and we all looked forward to tomorrow's festivities.  

Happy Birthday Grandma Jane

Today, Cameron and I were able to celebrate Grandma Jane's 81st birthday with her.  It was an added bonus to arriving in Syracuse before Thanksgiving.  We let her pick the dinner spot and were happy with her choice of Chubbie's as it was Tenderloin Tuesday.  I had not been there since the summer and enjoyed the meal very much.  We also ran into Moose and Donna Klotz and loved hearing all of Moose's stories.  

Grandma opened her gifts as soon as we got back to her house.  Cameron's turtles and chocolate covered cherries from Olympia were a big hit as was the photo album that I made her of Meg's wedding. We spent the rest of the evening playing Euchre.  I was actually winning for the first time ever, but Grandpa took the crown tonight.  We probably should have let Grandma win today but decided that even on one's birthday there is no mercy when playing cards.  

Hanging Out

Cameron and I have spent the past two days hanging out with each other and with friends from the area.  Saturday night after the IU football game, I went to see the Barnhart family.  They were a lot of fun and a great distraction after our loss.  Yesterday, Cameron and I both stayed close to Syracuse.  He was exhausted from his trip to Columbus as he had spent fourteen hours in the van from Friday afternoon to last night at 10 p.m.  Cameron also wanted to watch the Lions vs. Colts game and catch up on homework.

Today, Cameron and I spent a majority of the afternoon in Goshen.  We first went to Ignition Records where we found some great buys.  There was a lot to choose from, but I finally settled on a Christmas gift for Doug.  Cameron had been looking for a Smoky Robinson vinyl for the past six months.  He was thrilled that Ignition had it.  He also purchased a few others and a couple of Christmas gifts as well.  We stopped at a few different shops downtown as well.  Cameron found guitar strings at the music shop and also got a birthday gift for Grandma Jane at Olympia.

Before Cameron and I headed to Walmart to buy the groceries for Thanksgiving, we went to Hacienda for lunch.  I hadn't been there in quite some time.  We both laughed when his friend texted him to see what we were doing and he said, "Eating at the fakest Mexican restaurant ever."  He was probably right, but we both did really enjoy our meal and the time together.

This afternoon, I went to Amanda's for a haircut.  Cameron left just before I did to hang out with Samuel.  I called him on the way there to let him know that Chubbie's had half price pizza and bowling in case he was looking forward to something to do tonight.  While he was busy with friends, Jen came over to take me to dinner.  There wasn't a lot open as it was a Monday night, so I suggested Louie's.  She had never been, and we both had a great experience.  The food was good, the drinks were nice, and we had an awesome time catching from our last visit this summer.  I arrived home just before Cameron did.  He was excited about his night as they decided that Chubbie's was the best place to go to this evening and enjoyed three games of bowling and a pizza before Samuel headed back to Goshen.  It was a great way to end our two days of hanging out.   

The Guitar

Cameron told me during his senior year in high school that he wanted to learn to play the guitar.  I asked him if he wanted to use the one that I had gotten for Christmas my sophomore year of high school.  He loved the idea and began learning chords on YouTube.  He put a lot of time into it this summer and we were impressed with all that he had learned including the song Wild Things.  

This fall Cameron signed up to take guitar through the Jacobs School of Music and his skills have grown immensely since beginning the class. He brought the guitar back to Syracuse this weekend, and I loved hearing the Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd pieces that he had mastered.  My favorite one that he learned this semester, however, was Good Riddance.  

I wasn't too surprised to hear that Cameron had played his guitar so much over the past six months that he had worn out the several of the strings.  His instructor encouraged him to learn to restring it on his own.  Cameron found a tutorial online and planned on purchasing a new set on our visit to Goshen tomorrow.  I am pleased that he has spent so much time on his new music interest this year.  He has learned a lot, and it has given him a break from the demands of Kelley's Business School.  He even got to attend several different guitar concerts this year as well. Overall, it has been an awesome experience, and I can't wait to hear what he plays next.  

Tough Day for Hoosier Football Fans

Today was a big one for Hoosier football fans.  IU was ranked #5 in the nation, but there was a lot of talk about their strength of schedule.  As Ohio State was number 2 in the polls, everyone was speculating on what a win or big loss would do for the Hoosiers.  I was nervous but also excited.  Cameron really thought that they would have a chance against the Buckeyes, and I had learned to listen to what he had to say.  For the first quarter it looked as though he was going to be correct.  IU looked fantastic in the first fifteen minutes of the game and were leading 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.  Unfortunately, the rain and cold winds started toward the end of the half.  IU's punter dropped a snap in the red zone and Ohio State took a 14-7 point lead into the locker room.  The third quarter didn't go much better and soon we were down 28-7 at the end of it.  I stopped being nervous at that point and just enjoyed the fact that we were the talk of the weekend. IU did rally a bit in the fourth quarter but still took the loss at 38-10.  The announcers pointed out that two errors by our punt return team cost us 14 points, and that the rest of our squad did look really good.  Cignetti took the blame for not being prepared for the noise in the stadium.  They were both correct, and I couldn't complain as it had been a lot of fun being the biggest sports story this fall season.

I talked to both Cal and Cameron after the game.  They took the loss very well.  Cal said that it had been such an awesome morning.  They met a few Ohio State donors at the bars that were a lot of fun, and for the first twenty-minutes of the game, he was on top of the world.  Cameron didn't meet any OSU donors, but he did feel the exact same that Cal did.  He had had an awesome twenty-four hours and was glad to be a part of the excitement.  He and Keagan walked through campus after the game, and Cameron bought an Ohio State sweatshirt before they left.  I was very happy for both of my boys and was completely impressed with Cameron's commitment to the football team.  He bought three tickets in August expecting this to be a big game and he was 100% correct.  Hopefully, IU remains in the CFP hunt.  It would be a lot of fun to go to a playoff game this December.  

Thanksgiving Break

I left early this morning for Indiana to meet Cameron.  He was on his way to Syracuse grateful for a weeklong Thanksgiving break.  Once Cameron arrived, we headed to Portillo's for lunch.  I hadn't been in quite some time and was glad to see that there was one within ten minutes of the airport.  Cameron talked a lot about IU football on our way to Grandma's.  He was extremely excited about tomorrow's game at Ohio State.  After dropping me off and finishing homework this afternoon, he planned on picking Keagan up and traveling to Columbus tonight.  I had booked them a room within a half hour of campus, and they were both looking forward to the game.  They weren't the only ones from our family going to tomorrow's game.  Cal, Jayce, Cameron Adams and Harrison were already in Ohio by the time we made it to Northern Indiana. 

While Cameron was traveling tonight, I spent time on my computer.  Once we landed in Indiana, I noticed that someone had made a fraudulent charge on our Key Bank checking account.  I was completely shocked as I had never had a problem with an account there.  After speaking with several people at the bank, I realized that I had no choice but to close my account.  I was bummed as I had had that checking account number for almost thirty years.  Since I couldn't open a new account until Doug arrived on Wednesday, I decided to move all of our automatic payments over to South State Bank.  It made more sense anyway since the bank was only a little over a mile from our home in Ocala.  It took a long time to switch all eighteen accounts, but by the end of the night I only had two left.  They would have to wait as both required a small deposit in them first.  Overall, it was a huge pain, but at least I did not lose any money.  After last night's talk about frauds and scams, that was definitely a relief to find out.

Scams & Frauds

Tonight, the theme at our CCW meeting was scams and frauds.  The guest speaker was a longtime deputy in the Ocala sheriff's department and his information was extremely interesting.  He informed us that Marion county's 352 area code is one of the most sought after by scammers because of the large number of senior citizens living in this part of Florida.  I wasn't surprised to hear that but was definitely shocked by the number way that people get scammed.  He said that it was online dating.  The facts that he gave stated that 75% of people on those sights were just trying to commit fraud.  He also gave us ways to recognize situations that scream scam.  The most important one to note was the sense of urgency in the caller's voice - have to pay now, need the money immediately, can't hang up, etc.  He gave tips on what to say to them including just hanging up or putting them on hold and fact checking their information online.  I felt really good about the information when the meeting was over as I knew that I followed most of his tips already.

On the drive home, I thought a lot about the online dating scams.  Brett had tried online dating with several different websites.  Even though all were legitimate, there were some women that he could tell right away were just catfishing him for information or money.  He usually got out of those right away or called to see what I thought. He did have a long-term relationship with one person he met online and also found his fiancé Karen on Catholic Match, so he definitely had some success with it as well.  Cal used online dating, but he never worried about scams as he usually asked to meet for coffee soon after he started talking to someone.  That worked well with Maggie, and they have been together ever since that first date.

One other person I know met their future wife online and even though this person wasn't catfishing him, I still felt like it was a scam relationship.  She maneuvered her way into his finances and has manipulated him into shutting out his family.  It has been sad to watch, because the person doesn't understand that his wife is creating chaos.  He also doesn't want to listen to anyone who tries to tell him the truth.  Thus, I have found it a lot easier just to stay out of the mess altogether.  It doesn't affect me, so I don't really want to get involved.  It also goes to prove that some people take up online dating to help themselves financially even if they don't specifically ask for money.  Either way, I am glad that my boys have navigated the online dating scene well and were smart enough to recognize any red flags.  Their relationships have been a positive part of their lives, and we have really enjoyed getting to know their girlfriends a lot better over the past year.  

Adult Children

I absolutely love having adult children.  They are so much fun to do things with and I enjoy listening to their memories about growing up in the Heinisch home.  Because I do not have adult siblings of my own, however, I do not always understand their relationship with one another and our roles as parents in it.  Today, I said something to Meg that hurt her feelings, but definitely wasn’t trying to do so.  I realized afterward that I was wrong, and felt terrible about it. 

Not having siblings to argue with has made it hard for me to understand that you can be really mad at someone, but that doesn’t mean that you stop loving them.  In fact, I have witnessed hurt feelings and big arguments in our family before and was surprised how fast everyone got over it.  Because of that, I decided long ago to never get involved in their disagreements or take sides.  Given time, they always figure it out.  I am ever impressed with their honesty with one another and the support that they show to one another.  Of all of their accomplishments in life, it is what I am most proud of as a mother.

Baldwin Park

I took Meg and Nick to Baldwin Park after Bible study today.  Doug and I had visited the area when he first started with S.I. Goldman.  It is rated as the top place to live for young couples in Orlando.  I had toured apartments there in October and after my reviews, they wanted to see it all for themselves.  They liked it just as much as I did.  The apartments were very nice and the downtown had a lot to offer with coffee shops, a CVS, Publix, various restaurants and several speciality stores.  Within a ten minute drive, there was a Target, Hobby Lobby and more.  They liked how close everything was to the apartment complexes, how nice it all looked and how it was to drive to different places.  It was a lot different than their current situation in Chicago. Their townhome is very nice, but the only parking is on the street and driving isn’t always easy.

After touring Baldwin Park we headed to Universal City Walk as it was only twenty minutes away.  I was surprised to hear that it was $32 to park just to visit the shops and restaurants.  It was free at Disney Springs, so I didn’t expect that.  Instead we headed to the Orlando outlet malls.  Meg really liked the Old Navy, but otherwise it wasn’t our favorite mall.  It was still nice to check out, however.  I then dropped Meg and Nick at the airport.  They wanted to eat dinner there before Meg flew back to Chicago and Nick went to his hotel.  He had to fly out tomorrow to North Carolina for work.  I was sad to see them go, but happy that they had visited. 

A Day in Ocala

Meg had to work today and I was extremely thankful for a day in Ocala.  I was absolutely exhausted from our fun weekend and just wanted to relax and hang out at home today.  I found time to finish painting the sink in the garage.  Some of the paint had bubbled up and I was worried about how I was going to cover it.  A couple of caulk strips, a little bit of sanding and a few brushes of cabinet paint worked perfectly, and it looked very nice in the end.  I was also able to get a few loads of laundry done and water all of the plants.  Nick used the time to work on something for his pilot class.  

It wasn’t all work today.  Meg and I went to Belk’s on her lunch break.  I found some pants and sweaters that will be perfect for our week in Indiana for Thanksgiving.  Meg bought a new sweater and pants as well.  We picked up PDQ to take back home for lunch.  Once Meg got off of work, we went to Kohl’s, Old Navy, Marshalls and DSW to do a little more shopping. I didn’t buy anything, but Meg found a few cute items to add to her wardrobe.  

Once Doug got back from work, we all went to Tijuana Flats for dinner.  That is one of Meg’s favorite places to eat in Ocala.  Doug had to work for Champion tonight, so Meg, Nick and I watched a new game show called The Floor.  It was really good and we had a hard time turning it off.  Nick and Meg also worked on the Great Pumpkin puzzle.  It isn’t quite finished, but is definitely a lot closer than before.  Overall, it was a wonderful day in Ocala.  

Tampa

Cameron had a late afternoon flight out of Tampa, so we decided to have lunch at Rock N Brews and play miniature golf before dropping him at the airport.  Lunch took a little bit longer than normal, but we all enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.  They had a giant Tom Pettey mural that I would love to hang in my garage.  Meg and Nick checked out the stores near the restaurant before we left for Congo Mini golf.  Normally, we would all be annoyed with a flight delay, but today it worked out well as we wouldn't have had time to play if Cameron's flight left on time.  

Miniature golf was a lot of fun.  It was also the worst that I had ever played.  Everyone else had great rounds, however, with Cameron beating Nick and Doug by one, and Meg topping me by three.  We still had an hour before Cameron needed to be at the airport, so we looked for a beach close to us.  There was a park five minutes from the airport that we had never been to, so we headed there next.  It was small, but had some really cool bluffs and a disc golf course.  The park was packed with families taking pictures.  It was a nice place to check out and a lovely view of the bay.  

We left Cameron at the airport and headed back to Ocala.  Besides the delay, the flight went well and he was back at his apartment well before midnight.  We went to Crazy Cucumber for dinner.  It was a little chilly sitting outside, but all us enjoyed our meal and a quiet night at home afterward.  

A Day in Ocala

It was a wonderful day in Ocala.  We ate lunch at Mellow Mushroom, bought some candy at Grandpa Joe's and then checked out Infinite Ale Works.  We spent the rest of the afternoon at home, watching football, playing pickleball and enjoying game night.  Phil joined us in the evening for Donner Party and Chameleon.  We also got a chance to sample some of the beer that Doug and Phil made last month.  I thought it was the best so far and asked them to make some more for Christmas.  

There was one sad part about today, at least for Cameron.  He told Doug that he had an interview next week for a summer internship.  Doug gave him the bad news that he would need to shave his moustache for it.  Cameron was a little bummed but took it pretty well.  I wasn't too sad to hear it as I have never really been that big of a fan of facial hair.  I did feel bad that Cameron was disappointed, but it was nice to see him clean shaven again.  It was almost like getting another birthday present.  

My 56th Birthday

Cameron arrived late last night, and we were all glad to see him. He, Meg and I took a walk around Art of Animation and watched some Mickey Mouse shorts before heading to bed.  Doug had to work this morning, but the rest of us were able to catch up on some sleep.  Meg and Nick went to Magic Kingdom while Cameron and I took the Skyliner to Epcot.  We walked through the countries from France to Mexico trying the different foods from the Food & Wine Festival.  Cameron really enjoyed all of them, especially the Brazilian cheese bread.  Meg and Nick met us at the pavilion by Test Track where they tried the peanut butter wings and pickle shake.  Next on our agenda was the Three Caballeros ride and Figment.  Doug got off work early and joined us at Moana before we walked through the countries once more.  We each tried different foods and drinks for dinner and then listened to Smash Mouth sing All Star before doing some shopping on the way out.  Cameron found an awesome Figment shirt and Meg got a Minnie plush.  

Our trip home was filled with a lot of traffic, but we made it back before 8 p.m.  Doug picked up Marco's for dinner and I opened up my birthday gifts.  I loved the green Tinkerbell Disneyland shirt and guinea pig socks from Meg and Nick.  Cameron got me a Curt Cignetti biography that I am looking forward to reading after I finish my book from Bible study.  Overall, it was a wonderful 56th birthday celebration.