(Here is Allison's toothpick bridge that was able to hold up 80 lbs before exploding into a million pieces! )



Contrary to popular belief, Saturday was a Great Football Day! However, most of us here in Baltimore don't think our delicate systems can take too much of the creative plays of the Baltimore Ravens!


I was not too excited that Tom ended up inviting a few neighbors over to watch the game on Saturday at our house(he decided Friday night after no one else stepped up to host a football party). Tom prefers to watch our big tv from the comfort of our own couch anyway.  So it was back to cleaning, grocery shopping and cooking for me on Saturday. Not how I planned on spending the day.  Fortunately the house was not too messy since we had just completed a massive cleaning the weekend before with our White Elephant party. And Tom preordered pizza so I did not have to do a lot of cooking. I did make a batch of Buffalo Chicken Dip and had SCott make a few batches of Hershey kisses peanut butter blossom cookies. And the game lasted forever-4 1/2 hours! The neighbors arrived at 4 and did not go home until 9pm.  So I did not get too much done the rest of the day. But since the RAvens beat the Broncos, they will be playing again next week(MLK holiday weekend), and the neighbors were kind enough to host the next round. Actually several neighbors have volunteered to host the game.

So while I was getting ready for the football party,  Tom was busy undecorating the outside of house. Our neighbor was concerned that Tom would be standing out in the freezing cold pulling lights off bushes, but the weather was very cooperative and we have been having quite mild days. I had asked Tom to wait one more weekend, past the Feast of the Epiphany to take down the lights since I wanted some decorations up while we were hosting the White Elephant party. Now we both have to rearrange the attic and clean out the garage. We have an awful lot of camping gear and Christmas decorations to haul up the tiny ladder to the garage attic(it kills my hip every time!). No sooner will I have everything put away then I will be dragging something down again! In the meantime, Tom is trying to rebuild our Weber grill. Our grill gets used a lot year round since our weather is pretty mild most of the time. I got him a new rotisierre for Christmas, but he wants to hold out for a Weber model(sturdier for those heavy turkeys). He also needs to change out the starter(so I can light the grill when he is not at home). And the burners needed cleaned out to avoid hot spots. Looks like we can at least use it to grill steaks for dinner tonight though!

I was also busy this weekend helping Scott with some homework assignments. He had a very busy school workload last week-lots of tests and a big lab report. He also had just two days to memorize the provinces and major cities in Canada(he did very well). And he started back to his swim lessons. He missed the tryouts this year for swim team at the Y or any other place in the area with his broken arm. So we thought he should keep up with practice. We are also looking into a Fitness Class starting in Feb. He could use the workout, especially since he missed sign ups this fall for any sports and he is looking to work on his Boy Scout Personal Fitness badge too.

He officially started his new troop and already it is a lot less crazy and more organized than the last group(bigger Troop). We are looking forward to some of the outings scheduled in the upcoming months for Scott to attend. He also finally met up with a Merit Badge counselor to review his Dog Care Badge that he finished last year. The last counselor had quit from his troop before Scott could review the work. And Friday I was busy dropping off his scout shirt to have all the new patches put on at the laundromat.

I also had to take the cat in to the vet on Friday for her "Old Cat Check up". Pika is 13 yrs old and considered a senior. So far she has passed with flying colors:good blood pressure and even gained a half pound! Wow-she is up to 7.5lbs. I think it is because she keeps eating but sleeps more. She has even started snuggling with Allison rather than just me(I think because the dog gets in the way and demands my attention too). I also spent part of the day on the phone making appointments for the kids yearly check ups. The flu has really spread to Maryland and neither one of the kids had vaccinations this year. Tom spent a day at home sick on the couch after throwing up in the morning. I think he had a stomach virus that is going around, but it could have been the flu since he was not vaccinated. I always get a vaccination since I am around lots of old and sick people. I don't want the flu and I don't want to share germs with my family. Right now my nursing home and the Assisted Living facility are under quarantine for stomach virus and respiratory problems like bronchitis and pneumonia. So the sick residents are not supposed to go anywhere, but we still have to work around them. So far I just feel like I have a small cold myself but that is about it.

Allison however is hanging around lots of little kids that get sick at school and the kids at the rollerblade sports club. So far this year her Kindergarten teacher supervisor has had Strep Throat and Shingles over the holiday break. Allison just seems to have caught a bad cold herself. I hope that is all she gets. Especially since she has mid term exams coming up this week. And she did not get much rest last week either. She had several tests last week in preparation for midterms, as well as turning in her toothpick bridge project for Physics. Her and her partner's bridge was able to support 80lbs! And it had a limit on how much it could weigh. They were under the weight limit and over the resistance. Now she just had to get through her tests. And she was very busy working at the skating rink this weekend too. She had a double shift and had to work a Girl Scout event. Sadly the GS parents weren't very nice and would not listen to Allison. She should have given them the lecture about being "A sister to every Girl SCout."   And after work this Sunday, she had Indoor Field Hockey. Then there was piano on Friday night. Tom and I are so glad she can drive herself! I think she will be looking forward to a break at college! We just officially accepted her admission to Salisbury University. At least we did not have to squeeze in a choir workshop as it was cancelled due to low attendance.

And Tom and I skipped my work party on Saturday night(Tom hates the loud music and preferred to stay at home to watch the football game). They have a yearly holiday party at one of our large convention halls in Baltimore with good food, but it is not Tom's idea of a good time. He was much happier on the couch cheering on the Ravens. Which is what we will be doing again next weekend!