March Madness
Blog#5
Saturday, March 21- Josie’s Birthday
Our youngest turned 19 years old today. While she’d rather be celebrating with friends in New Orleans, her mom and I are happy to have her home. She was born on a Thursday after Meegan went into labor a couple days earlier than the scheduled C-section. I got a call at work- “Come home, now”. Mac and Lyda were 4 and 3 and we did not have anyone lined to watch them. So we called Elliott Darvik, a 15 year boy who had previoulsy babysat for them. He didn’t know he’d be at our house until around Midnight. The hospital happened to be backed up with spring birthings and there were no waiting rooms so Meegan and I waited with others in a hallway. We did not know if “it” would be a boy or a girl. We had names picked out for either. Meegan did a great job and when she was born we decided to name her Josephine Jane. As I was leaving the hospital, I rode the elevator down with elderly couple. They asked what “we” had. I told them her name and said, “We’re going to call her Joe”. The lady responded, “ I love it! A baby girl named Joe!”. When I got home Elliot’s mom was at our house. She had relieved him since it was a school night. Mac and Lyda were asleep, oblivious to the new sibling they had gained while Mom and Dad were gone. The next day I took the kids to preschool and the teachers and other moms asked Mac and Lyda what their new sibling’s name was. They didn’t know as I had forgot to tell them. Patty arrived that afternoon and while Meegan recovered in the hospital she took care of Mac and Lyda. The next day Meegan came home with Josie and she met Grandma, Mac, Lyda and Seamus. We had a small “welcome home” party, the kids ate cake and tried to crawl all over Meegan, Grandma held Josie, and Seamus looked me with an expression that said, “What the hell? Another one of these little buggers?” Elliott Darvik ended up going to Wash U. He is now back in Detroit working as regional manager for Lyft. He’s married with a wife and small kids.
Today’s Playlist is for Josie. Kick It.
- “Cigarette Daydreams”- Cage the Elephant
- “Team”- Lourde
- “Candy”- Paolo Nutini
- “Fireworks” -First Aid Kit
- “Comeback Story”- Kings of Leon
- “Burndt Jam”- Weezer (Live 7–26–2002)
- “Immigrant”-Alysha Brilla
Quote of the Day:
“I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues that are in all the other museums.” — Steven Wright, Comedian
Workout of the Day: Do a 2 mile Trail Run (or hike)
Family / Friends News of the Day:
Today I was scheduled The All Thrills, No Frills Trail run in a county park near our house. I have done this run for years and this year it was a little different. Due to the ban on large groups getting together, the race promotors allowed people to show up at whatever time worked for their personal schedule and run the trail which they had already marked with orange flags so people would not get lost. It’s the same trail every year and a lot of the same people, like me, do the this run as a spring ritual. Today it was 26 degrees and windy. There have been years where the trail is still hard pack snow/ ice and some years where shorts and T-shirt suffice. There is something about the start of a race that I like (as much as the running part). I like how at the beginning of the run, as people surge across the starting line, a wave rolls through the group as people jockey for position and the bodies of the people in front of me bob up and down as they stride along. There was none of that today. I started the race by myself and ran the whole race without seeing another person. By the end of the first mile I was feeling pretty good, my muscles were finally warm and I’d blown all the effluence out of my nasal cavity. I was alone in the woods running. I had time to think. I thought about:Josie on her birthday and Lyda and Mac and Meegan, And work , And when does the Explorer need an oil change?, And am I going to get ticketed since I don’t have a county parks pass?, And did Meegan order a cake for Josie’s birthday?
Just about that time as I was debating what kind of cake Meegan would typically procure for Josie, I saw him… The race photographer. I decided I had better pick up the pace a little, wipe the snot from chin and really show my stuff. Then I thought, “F — it”. I had been enjoying my pace, the snot on my chin was fine. I decided to amble on by the photographer like he wasn’t even there. As I passed him, he piped up, “You’re the only guy out here so far. You got the whole race to yourself.” “ Just how I like it!” I responded and a few seconds later, I asked, “Uhh, did you get my picture? I’d like to have it since I’m gonna come in 1st place.”
Yesterday’s Trivia question: “What 1980’s hit single song references Spuds MacKenzie and Alex from Strohs? ANSWER: ‘Funky Cold Medina’ by Tone Loc on his classic album, ‘Loc’ed After Dark. www.toneloc.com
- Congratulations to Kelly McNett for answering yesterdays answer correctly. She wins a pack of Ahskha Mahya Weenahs.
- Scott McNett won the previous days question correctly that VW owns Porsche, Bugatti, Lamborghini, etc. He wins a new VW Passat. (Scott, think of it as an entry level Porsche)
- No One got that Pittsburgh has 2nd highest # of Irish.
Today’s Trivia Question: What country consumes the most Chocolate per capita?
