Busiest Week of the Year

Saturday November 6th - Drive to Chicago, Fly to Tampa, Drive to Ocala

Sunday November 7th - Thoroughly explore Ocala

Monday November 8th - Drive to Gainesville, Visit University of Florida, Pick Up Doug in Ocala,  Drive                                           to Tampa

Tuesday November 9th - Fly to Chicago, Drive to Bethany, Unpack to Repack

Wednesday November 10th - Drive to Bloomington, Clean and Organize Brett's Apartment, Watch                                                              Anastasia

Thursday November 11th - Get Meg's Apartment Ready for the Carpet Cleaners, Drive Home, Attend                                                    Cameron's Band Concert

Friday November 12th - Unpack to Repack, Fit Dining Room Table in Pilot, Pick Up Cameron After                                                Bethany Girls' Game, Drive to Bloomington

Saturday November 13th - Tailgate, IU Football Game, Celebrate Birthday

Sunday November 14th - Drive Home, Rake Leaves 

This past week has been the craziest week of the year.  With all of the family time together, however, I wouldn't change a thing.

A Chilly Day for Football

 Doug and Cameron were out the door by 8:40 this morning to set up for the IU vs. Rutgers tailgate.  It was definitely a lot different than the Ohio State game.  By 8:30 that weekend almost all of the grass lots were filled.  Today, the lots never even reached capacity.  Doug and Cameron had fun nonetheless and soon had the tent and food ready for a Heinisch family tailgate.  

Meg, Nick and I were the next to arrive.  We walked over from the Wright parking lot and were there by 10 a.m.  Doug had made brats and Nick vowed to eat at least four this morning.  Shortly after we arrived, Pam called.  She was having a hard time finding the "C" lot, but soon joined our group as well.  Cal was the last one to find us.  He had been at Kilroy's breakfast club before arriving.  We all had fun catching up with one another and enjoyed Doug's food.  It was definitely chillier than our previous tailgates, but we were able to keep warm.

Doug, Cameron and I were the only ones interested in going to the game today.  Pam needed to leave so that she could see her sister before she flew home.  Cal had plans with HM at another tailgate.  Nick and Meg decided to warm up back at her apartment and watch a movie.  The first half of the game was a lot of fun.  Rutgers quickly scored, but IU still looked pretty good.  The game was freezing cold, but we had brought plenty of blankets.  Cameron and I also bought hot chocolate at the beginning of the second quarter which helped warm us up.  The guys in front of us were entertaining to listen to as they tried to encourage the football team.  The best part of the first half was the group of male IU students who united together in a top section of the stadium to cheer on the Hoosiers, shirtless.  The rest of us enjoyed their enthusiasm and cheered loudly for them when they finally made it on to the big screen.  Much like most of the student section, however, they left at halftime.  We stayed until the end of the third quarter, but once IU looked like they had totally given up, we figured that we might as well too.  

We spent the rest of the afternoon watching football at Brett's.  Nick joined us for awhile hoping Purdue would upset Ohio State, but it wasn't mean to be.  Once Meg and Brett got off of work tonight we celebrated my birthday with dinner at Bucceto's and opening of gifts afterward.  I really enjoyed the celebration as well as my presents.  Brett found a Jungle Boat candle for me that smelled like the Jungle Cruise ride.  Doug bought me a new pair of winter pajamas and two vinyl albums that Meg helped pick out - The Jagged Little Pill and Queen's Greatest Hits.  Cameron and Meg got me a new case for my Air Pods and a Guns N Roses shirt.  I absolutely loved all of my gifts, especially the throw back to the musical tastes of my younger years.  We ended the evening with a game of Germany Ticket to Ride.  It was a very fun evening (and a lot warmer than the football game!) 

A November Concert

I left Bloomington early yesterday afternoon in order to make it home to Cameron's band concert.  Originally, I was going to stay in Bloomington and pick Doug up at the airport, but once the date of the concert was changed we made different plans.  Brett offered to pick up Doug and I said that I would videotape the concert for him.  It was a lot of driving in a short period of time, but thankfully, all went well.

This was the first time that Bethany had held a concert in November for its high school music programs.  It made sense as they had changed the format of the December program, cutting the band performance down to one song.  The only issue was that the set had already been built for the fall play, so the chapel at school was not available.  Thankfully, the chapel at the Mennonite Church of Goshen College was available.  Grandpa, Grandma and I arrived early and we all enjoyed the music.  The concert band was obviously our favorite and we all left singing "America" from West Side Story in the end.

I spent today getting ready for our trip back to Bloomington for another IU football weekend.  I was very glad that I didn't have too much on my agenda as I was able to rest this morning.  I had been on the go since last Saturday and it felt good to get some extra sleep.  I picked Cameron up after the girls basketball game tonight.  My mom rode along so that we could leave as soon as it was over.  Fortunately, the game was a quick one and Cameron and I were on the road by 7:20 p.m.  The trip down was an easy one as there wasn't a lot of traffic on the road.  It did snow at first, but ended soon after we left.  We arrived at Brett's at 10:40.  Doug was impressed that I had gotten the dining room table into the Pilot.  I was too and appreciated my parents' help with that as well.  It fit perfectly in Brett's apartment and looked great on his new laminate flooring.  We were all exhausted by the time we got it set up, but we did make time to enjoy some breadsticks before turning in for the night.  

Remodel & Reorganizing

Last winter Brett found out that his apartment was to be remodeled.  I thought that the news sounded great as he would get an updated kitchen, bathroom and flooring.  Brett was concerned about the extra $100 in rent that he would be required to pay.  I knew that he could afford that.  I was more worried about all that he would have to do to get ready for the remodel to happen.

Woodbridge had originally said that his apartment would be done by July of 2021.  With Meg living there in May, we had talked about what would happen if she was there when the remodel occurred.  Fortunately, that never happened.  Next, Brett and I were worried that the remodel would happen during our Disney trip.  With all that he had to move in his apartment, we knew that would be challenging.  We were thankful to hear that the actual date of his remodel would be November 9th.  In the end that was the perfect date as I would be there on the 10th to help him get everything cleaned up and back in order.

Last week Brett had to empty out his kitchen and bathroom plus move everything from the floors of three closets, his dining room, the windows and the area in front of his fireplace for the remodel to occur.  He found the process stressful, but in the end it was well worth it.  I arrived yesterday and was completely impressed with all that had been changed.  There was new laminate flooring in the entryway, hallway, dining room and kitchen.  There were new cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom plus new granite countertops.  The sinks had been replaced and there were new stainless steel appliances.  

Brett had started cleaning Tuesday night.  He was amazed at all of the dust that the remodel kicked up.  He had also put everything back in the kitchen cabinets before I arrived.  We decided that the best use of my time on Wednesday afternoon was to first go with Brett to Walmart.  When they remodeled the bathroom they exchanged the medicine cabinet for a mirror.  As there were no other cabinet space in the tiny bathroom besides under the sink, we decided that an above the toilet rack would be perfect.  We found one at Walmart and I was impressed that we were able to get it together relatively easily.  It fit in the bathroom perfectly.  While we were shopping, Brett also purchased a new microwave.  He was still using one from the early 2000s.  It took forever to heat anything up and was hard to clean.  He was pleased with what he found.  The last few items that he got for the apartment were new pots and pans and a shower rack.  All were items that he needed.

Brett and I only had time to go shopping, set up the new rack, dust, vacuum, move the tv stand, dining room table and desk before we left for Anastasia last night.  The desk was by far the hardest to maneuver as the base kept coming apart, but we got it.  We were both too tired after the musical to do anything but eat breadsticks and watch an episode of The Love Boat.  Once Brett left for work and Meg went to class, I returned to his apartment to help out a little bit more before I had to leave for home.  I was able to finish organizing the bathroom, linen closet and desk before my 1 p.m end goal.  All that was left on Brett's to-do list was cleaning his bedroom and vacuuming it along with the guest room.  Overall I was extremely impressed with his new apartment.  It was a whirlwind of activity, but it looked so much better.

Anastasia

For Christmas of 2019 I had bought Brett and Meg tickets to see Anastasia.  Both had said that it was the Broadway musical that they most wanted to see and I was happy to have been able to find tickets for  a May 2020 performance in Indianapolis.  I had purchased pairs of tickets for both and said that I would definitely go with them if their friends were unavailable.

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic all Broadway performances were cancelled in the spring of 2020.  Brett and Meg were disappointed, but were hopeful that they would still be able to see it one day.  None of us realized at the time that Broadway shows would be put on hold for over a year.  Thankfully, when musicals resumed, IU Auditorium announced that Anastasia would be part of their line up for the 2021-2022 season.  As a priority member I was able to buy tickets last summer and today Brett and Meg were finally able to see one of their favorite animated movies come to life on the stage.  As an added bonus Meg's friend, Carson, and I were able to join them.

The four of us arrived well before the 7:30 p.m. start time tonight as I was concerned about parking and getting to the auditorium on time.  Fortunately, there were no issues and we were in the balcony area before the doors even opened.  Meg had remembered that I picked four seats together in a row by itself directly in the middle of the auditorium.  They were perfect for tonight's performance.

The first act of the musical was Brett, Meg and Carson's favorite part of the show.  It followed the movie almost exactly, thankfully leaving off our least favorite characters, Rasputin and his bat, Bartok.  The three of them knew the words to every song.  I even had to "remind" Brett with an elbow to the arm not to sing along.  We all got a laugh out of that.  The first half was also the most historically accurate which added to their enjoyment.  The second act was my favorite part as it was a little more lighthearted.  I had always found the story of the Romanov family depressing, so it was nice to have levity in a sad story.  Overall, the musical was exactly what we had hoped for and we were extremely glad to have finally gotten a chance to see it in person.   Brett had been to several shows this fall and Meg had attended a concert this summer, but for me it was the first live performance since we saw Book of Mormon in 2019.  It was a wonderful feeling to be back in the theater. 

Back in Indiana

After our visit to the University of Florida yesterday, Cameron and I did a little more exploring in Florida.  On the way back to Ocala we first drove by the Tom Petty home and then I talked him into stopping at the Florida Citrus Center.  We had seen several signs for the shop on I-75 and I thought it'd be fun to check it out.  Cameron was hesitant, especially when he saw that it was really just a BP gas station.  In the end, however, we had a lot of fun looking through all of the souvenirs including coconut head banks, alligator tooth necklaces and Florida t-shirts.  Although we didn't buy anything, we enjoyed listening to another customer talk about the $200 she was going to spend on wind chimes and other Florida nicknacks to decorate her home in Wisconsin.  We told Doug all about our adventures at U of F, in Gainesville and at the Welcome Center on our way to Tampa last night.  I had found a Mellow Mushroom Restaurant north of the city where we enjoyed pizza for dinner.  

Our hotel was right next to the airport which made for an easy trip in the morning.  No one enjoyed getting up at 4:00 a.m. but taking the first flight of the morning got us back to Chicago before 9 a.m. Indiana time.  Cameron was able to make it to school in time for AP English and to the band rehearsal at the Mennonite Church at Goshen College for Thursday night's concert.  

While Cameron was at school I spent the day unpacking and doing laundry.  I also had to repack for my trip to Bloomington tomorrow.  I was extremely tired, but made it up until Cameron got home from girls' basketball game at Jimtown.  I appreciated Grandma Jane meeting us at Bethany earlier in the day to drop off the van as I would have had a hard time driving back at night to get him.  I asked Cameron if he was as tired as I was.  He answered with a quick "No."  He was energized by a good day at school and the fact that he had won a two liter of A & W Creme Soda at the basketball game when he hit a three point shot at a halftime contest.  He was proud of that and glad to be back in his own home tonight.  

University of Florida College Visit

When I was in Gainesville this summer, I spent some time at the University of Florida.  It wasn't an official tour of the campus, but the parts that I did see were impressive.  I told Cameron about my experience and he decided to look more into the college.  The more he researched, the more he liked it, and decided that it would be worth an official visit.  

We started our visit today in the UF welcome center where we watched a slideshow of the university and listened to a presentation from the head of admissions.  The stats that were given were impressive.  The University of Florida was recently ranked #5 in public universities in the nation and 30th overall.  The time and money that they put toward research was incredible.  Gatorade had just donated $950,000 million toward that endeavor.  I was a little intimidated by the woman from the admission's department.  Until today I hadn't really thought about how hard it would be to get into the university.  They only except 36% of applicants which was half of IU's recent acceptance rate.  They were also extremely strict about deadlines which was really good for us to know this early.

Our walking tour was with a University of Florida senior.  We visited the library, chem building, and dorm on our tour.  The guide was knowledgeable about UF and gave us some unique information including the first Gatorade flavor developed in their research labs - coffee.  Cameron was impressed with the tour and the amount of students studying outside in the beautiful sunshine.  We both liked the common outdoor green space where students and faculty gathered throughout the day and food carts were brought in for lunch.  The official tour ended at "The Swamp", home to the Florida Gator football team.  The stadium was massive with 1/3 of it reserved for the student section during football games.  

After the official tour Cameron and I walked through campus for a little while longer, taking pictures and revisiting some of the highlights of the tour.  We also stopped at the campus bookstore for some Florida gator merchandise.  I found a top ten list of restaurants near campus.  Cameron read through them and picked "The Relish" for lunch.  It was directly across from the university and we both really enjoyed our burgers.  

On the way back to Ocala we drove past the Tom Petty childhood home.  I told Cameron that if he attended Florida that he would have to learn the words to "I Won't Back Down" as the students section sings the Tom Petty hit in between the third and fourth quarter of each home football game.  He said that wouldn't be a problem as he had heard it enough during his childhood.  Cameron definitely was impressed by his first college visit and could see himself becoming a member of the Gator nation.  He did have other schools in mind that he wanted to visit as well.  We made plans to see those soon.  What an exciting time in Cameron's life.  I was glad to be a part of it.