It was another cold day at the Heinisch Home. We woke up to -20 degree air temperature with close to -40 degree windchills. Thankfully, we never lost power and besides going a little stir crazy we weathered the Polar Vortex pretty well. Cal and Brett's windchill warning lifted this morning, so they were able to return to class. It was a cold walk, but Brett said that long underwear, two pairs of gloves and a scarf really helped. Cal was fortunate enough to catch the bus. Ours warning was still in effect until 2 p.m., but the weather never really got above zero degrees until late in the evening.
We did get out of the house a little bit today. I made it to Amanda's to get my hair trimmed. It was nice as always to visit with her and her clients. Doug ran to get a big pop this afternoon and afterward agreed that we could go to Sleepy Owl for dinner. He wasn't up for anyone traveling out of town, however, and did not let Meg go to practice. Since it was not an elearning day, Meg, Cam and I were able to catch up on some Wii Party playing time.
We went to dinner early. There weren't a lot of people out. By the time we got home we had heard that Bethany had called a two hour delay. The icy roads and predicted snow caused many schools to follow suit. No one here was disappointed with that news.
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Never Left the House
In all of our years of living at our home this was the first day that Doug had ever spent the entirety of it inside. That was what he reported to me at ten o'clock tonight. He didn't even go out in the garage. I knew he was serious about bunkering down when he told me to buy a two liter of Diet Coke yesterday as he didn't plan on making any big pop runs until at least Thursday.
If there had to be a day to completely stay inside, this was it. The windchills fell to over -40 degrees below zero and the actual temperature hovered at -19 degrees. I don't remember a colder day since we moved to Syracuse over twenty years ago. We were fortunate as we had plenty of time to prepare for the frigid temperatures. We had plenty of food and I bought extra water just in case. We turned the fireplace on last night and kept it running so we would have a source of heat if we lost power. Thankfully, that never happened here.
Cam and Meg spent their morning and early afternoon working on their elearning assignments. Doug was able to dial into work and kept in contact with everyone that way. I finally had time to list all of the valuable Sports Illustrated magazines on Ebay. We were thrilled to find out by the end of the night that we already had bids or offers on five of them totaling $86. With a day at home we also had time to finish the Peter Pan puzzle, play Wii and watch IU lose to Rutgers. I do not love winter, but today worked out well. We spent quality time together and accomplished a lot as well.
If there had to be a day to completely stay inside, this was it. The windchills fell to over -40 degrees below zero and the actual temperature hovered at -19 degrees. I don't remember a colder day since we moved to Syracuse over twenty years ago. We were fortunate as we had plenty of time to prepare for the frigid temperatures. We had plenty of food and I bought extra water just in case. We turned the fireplace on last night and kept it running so we would have a source of heat if we lost power. Thankfully, that never happened here.
Cam and Meg spent their morning and early afternoon working on their elearning assignments. Doug was able to dial into work and kept in contact with everyone that way. I finally had time to list all of the valuable Sports Illustrated magazines on Ebay. We were thrilled to find out by the end of the night that we already had bids or offers on five of them totaling $86. With a day at home we also had time to finish the Peter Pan puzzle, play Wii and watch IU lose to Rutgers. I do not love winter, but today worked out well. We spent quality time together and accomplished a lot as well.
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Old Man Winter Hits Hard
The predicted record low temperatures rolled in earlier than expected today. I was thankful that I got up early and made it to the grocery store and library before it became unbearable. I was even able to get the end of the drive shoveled out from the massive mound that the snowplow left us while I was out. Cam and Meg had an elearning day and spent the morning working on homework. I had let them chose a place for me to pick up lunch as I knew that we wouldn't be going anywhere tomorrow. They decided on Penguin Point and by noon I was prepared for a quiet day at home.
The rest of the day was spent working on the Sports Illustrated magazines, playing Balance Boat with Cameron and catching up on Gotham. Doug left work at 5 tonight. Champion opted to close tomorrow and Thursday due to the cold. They were one of many companies that made that choice. He said that the roads had started to drift and the last half of the trip was a tough one. Thankfully, he made it home without incident. After he exercised and made dinner, we worked on the Peter Pan puzzle and watched Silver Linings. Although it was about mental illness in a dysfunctional family, we both really enjoyed it.
We talked to Cal and Brett this evening. There had been a big debate on Twitter all day about the Bloomington campus closing tomorrow. IU finally followed the rest of the state and cancelled classes for Wednesday. I was glad to read that. Cal planned to spend the day off studying and reading Game of Thrones. Brett was thankful to be able to work in his pajamas. He was still able to usher for Rent tonight. He wasn't a fan of the show, but was happy for the opportunity. He said that it was a cold walk home and was glad that the SRC was open so he could warm up half way there.
The rest of the day was spent working on the Sports Illustrated magazines, playing Balance Boat with Cameron and catching up on Gotham. Doug left work at 5 tonight. Champion opted to close tomorrow and Thursday due to the cold. They were one of many companies that made that choice. He said that the roads had started to drift and the last half of the trip was a tough one. Thankfully, he made it home without incident. After he exercised and made dinner, we worked on the Peter Pan puzzle and watched Silver Linings. Although it was about mental illness in a dysfunctional family, we both really enjoyed it.
We talked to Cal and Brett this evening. There had been a big debate on Twitter all day about the Bloomington campus closing tomorrow. IU finally followed the rest of the state and cancelled classes for Wednesday. I was glad to read that. Cal planned to spend the day off studying and reading Game of Thrones. Brett was thankful to be able to work in his pajamas. He was still able to usher for Rent tonight. He wasn't a fan of the show, but was happy for the opportunity. He said that it was a cold walk home and was glad that the SRC was open so he could warm up half way there.
Monday, January 28, 2019
An Awful Day All Around
This morning we woke up to the snow that was forecasted all week. I was surprised that when I saw that Bethany didn't have a delay. I then noticed that no one in Elkhart County did, which seemed odd since everyone south of US 6 had delayed or cancelled. I called Doug to see what he thought of the roads. He said that they weren't too bad when he left for work at 6 a.m., especially the trip to Bethany.
Thus, we decided that I would take Cam and Meg. At first it didn't seem too bad, but as we got within three miles of Bethany the roads became almost impassable. It took us almost fifteen minutes to make the trip from CR 29 to Bethany on State Road 15. Normally, we would make that in two minutes. Not only were the roads horrible, but Meg was really mad about having to go. As Wawasee cancelled, Cam and Meg technically did not have to go to school today. They were late, but we made it safely. I thought the day would get better after that, but it didn't.
The trip home was worse as the snow began to drift. I was relieved to pull in the garage. I did have to go back out for physical therapy. There was an accident in the middle of town, but at least their roads had been plowed. The county hadn't touched ours. Once I got back I decided that I had better start shoveling the driveway. The snow was wet and once I finished a few rows, I realized that it was going to take a lot longer than I originally thought.
The rest of the day was a tough one. I spent over three hours in total today on our driveway. While I was out there, Doug called to let me know that Bethany was releasing early. I was surprised as it was actually better than when they went in to school. I left to pick up Cam. The roads were still awful, but we made it without incident. I was glad that Cam was home to help me finish the heavy parts of the shoveling.
Doug picked Meg up at 4 from practice. Her day had gone from bad to worse. I was sad to hear that. I wished that I could have started the day over and let her stay home, but since we couldn't do that we did our best to made the most of the evening. By 9 p.m. she felt a lot better. I think it helped to learn that Bethany had cancelled school for the next two days due to snow and cold temperatures. Nothing wipes away the blues better than a snow day!
Thus, we decided that I would take Cam and Meg. At first it didn't seem too bad, but as we got within three miles of Bethany the roads became almost impassable. It took us almost fifteen minutes to make the trip from CR 29 to Bethany on State Road 15. Normally, we would make that in two minutes. Not only were the roads horrible, but Meg was really mad about having to go. As Wawasee cancelled, Cam and Meg technically did not have to go to school today. They were late, but we made it safely. I thought the day would get better after that, but it didn't.
The trip home was worse as the snow began to drift. I was relieved to pull in the garage. I did have to go back out for physical therapy. There was an accident in the middle of town, but at least their roads had been plowed. The county hadn't touched ours. Once I got back I decided that I had better start shoveling the driveway. The snow was wet and once I finished a few rows, I realized that it was going to take a lot longer than I originally thought.
The rest of the day was a tough one. I spent over three hours in total today on our driveway. While I was out there, Doug called to let me know that Bethany was releasing early. I was surprised as it was actually better than when they went in to school. I left to pick up Cam. The roads were still awful, but we made it without incident. I was glad that Cam was home to help me finish the heavy parts of the shoveling.
Doug picked Meg up at 4 from practice. Her day had gone from bad to worse. I was sad to hear that. I wished that I could have started the day over and let her stay home, but since we couldn't do that we did our best to made the most of the evening. By 9 p.m. she felt a lot better. I think it helped to learn that Bethany had cancelled school for the next two days due to snow and cold temperatures. Nothing wipes away the blues better than a snow day!
Sunday, January 27, 2019
One Tough Week of Winter
The reality of the upcoming week started to sink in this afternoon. The four inches of snow that we received last night was just the tip of the iceberg. Tomorrow we are forecasted to have four to six more inches followed by bitterly cold temperatures the rest of the week. In fact the current prediction stated that our temperatures would drop to the coldest ever recorded.
Because of the impending doom, today felt like the calm before the storm. The roads were clear enough for us to go to mass and buy groceries. The rest of the afternoon was a relaxing one for all. Nick was over to visit Meg, and Cam spent his time watching basketball and playing Madden. Doug and I finished another movie that I had rented from the library and worked on the Peter Pan puzzle. It's been tough spending so much time indoors already this January. I am hopeful that this will come to an end soon.
Because of the impending doom, today felt like the calm before the storm. The roads were clear enough for us to go to mass and buy groceries. The rest of the afternoon was a relaxing one for all. Nick was over to visit Meg, and Cam spent his time watching basketball and playing Madden. Doug and I finished another movie that I had rented from the library and worked on the Peter Pan puzzle. It's been tough spending so much time indoors already this January. I am hopeful that this will come to an end soon.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
State Chess Tournament
Today was Cameron's individual state chess tournament. We were happy that they had chosen Elkhart Central to host the event this year. For the past few years, the tournament has been in Indianapolis. It made for a nice weekend in Bloomington for Meg and I, but a long Saturday for Doug and Cam.
Cameron started the morning with his most difficult match of the day. It was a two hour round in which the clocks were brought out. It was extremely close, but one that Cam came out on the losing side. He wasn't disappointed in the loss, but the round seemed to mentally drain him. It took him awhile to recover and cost him a loss in the second game of the day. In the end Cameron finished ninth overall. We were extremely proud of his effort.
Doug spent the day in Elkhart as well, checking in on Cam after each match. His office was only two minutes away and he was able to work while Cam was playing. He also finished Meg's FAFSA and ran to the grocery store as well. When Cam started his fourth round he came back to Syracuse to get Meg and I. We had made plans to take Cam to Antonio's after his tournament ended. The snow picked up on our way there and we missed the trophy presentation. Cam didn't mind. He was glad to have finished his ten hour day of chess and ready for pasta. Dinner was delicious and we enjoyed Meg and Cam's conversation. Cal and Brett were at Mother Bear's with the Lamle's tonight and texted while we were eating. It almost felt like we were all together.
The drive home was the only stressful part of the day. The snow continued to fall while we were eating and the roads were covered. Thankfully, traffic was light and Doug drove slowly. I heard him exhale when we reached Syracuse. He said that it was definitely the most treacherous drive of the season.
Cameron started the morning with his most difficult match of the day. It was a two hour round in which the clocks were brought out. It was extremely close, but one that Cam came out on the losing side. He wasn't disappointed in the loss, but the round seemed to mentally drain him. It took him awhile to recover and cost him a loss in the second game of the day. In the end Cameron finished ninth overall. We were extremely proud of his effort.
Doug spent the day in Elkhart as well, checking in on Cam after each match. His office was only two minutes away and he was able to work while Cam was playing. He also finished Meg's FAFSA and ran to the grocery store as well. When Cam started his fourth round he came back to Syracuse to get Meg and I. We had made plans to take Cam to Antonio's after his tournament ended. The snow picked up on our way there and we missed the trophy presentation. Cam didn't mind. He was glad to have finished his ten hour day of chess and ready for pasta. Dinner was delicious and we enjoyed Meg and Cam's conversation. Cal and Brett were at Mother Bear's with the Lamle's tonight and texted while we were eating. It almost felt like we were all together.
The drive home was the only stressful part of the day. The snow continued to fall while we were eating and the roads were covered. Thankfully, traffic was light and Doug drove slowly. I heard him exhale when we reached Syracuse. He said that it was definitely the most treacherous drive of the season.
Friday, January 25, 2019
A Quiet Start to the Weekend
It was a cold day today, but the weather didn't change any of our plans. Several of the schools in our area had delays due to low windchills, but none in Elkhart County were on the list. Thus, Meg and Cam were out the door early as usual. I spent the day cleaning and finished just as Meg and Cam pulled in from school.
Meg was glad for a night off from practice. She and Nick made plans to go to Buffalo Wild Wings to start the weekend. Cam spent his time preparing for the IU vs. Michigan game. Doug was home early as well, so he and I had time to go dinner before the game started. Huntington Street was filled with a loud crowd this evening as others must have decided to get an even earlier start on their Friday night activities. Service was fast, however, and we were able to make it back before tip-off. The first half was horribly boring as IU played awful. They didn't even score for the first ten minutes. It did get better, but IU still lost by more than twenty points.
Once the game ended we broke out the "Oh Hell" game. I finally redeemed myself from the horrible hands of Euchre I had played all week. We talked about playing Pass the Pigs afterward, but Cam and Meg challenged each other to a round of Wii Party. It was a great night for all.
Meg was glad for a night off from practice. She and Nick made plans to go to Buffalo Wild Wings to start the weekend. Cam spent his time preparing for the IU vs. Michigan game. Doug was home early as well, so he and I had time to go dinner before the game started. Huntington Street was filled with a loud crowd this evening as others must have decided to get an even earlier start on their Friday night activities. Service was fast, however, and we were able to make it back before tip-off. The first half was horribly boring as IU played awful. They didn't even score for the first ten minutes. It did get better, but IU still lost by more than twenty points.
Once the game ended we broke out the "Oh Hell" game. I finally redeemed myself from the horrible hands of Euchre I had played all week. We talked about playing Pass the Pigs afterward, but Cam and Meg challenged each other to a round of Wii Party. It was a great night for all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)