Snow & a Football Game to Forget

Slept in later than I really wanted. Didn't find my way downstairs until 750am. Mindy didn't budge and I didn't wake her. Looked cold outside. Just a dusting of additional accumulation after our shoveling exercise from the night before. Started a pot of Starbucks then played on my PC while waiting. Checked work email too. Happily, there was nothing begging my attention.

Enjoyed coffee and internet until 9am when I stretched then headed out for a run. It was cold, alright, only 21 degrees. Footing wasn't too bad at all. The roads still coated but after a plowing. Still, I was careful running more vertical and with a shortened gait. I ran the usual weekend mileage, just three. When I got back home I saw that I missed a call from Ashley. Gave her a call back around 945am. Said she had some good news to share. I wondered (worried) that she might tell me that she was pregnant. Nope, that wasn't it. Instead, she shared that Steven proposed marriage Friday night. I asked if she accepted. She did. I was genuinely happy for her. Said she wants to be a princess for a day. We talked for a few minutes about marriage in general, me sharing advice on how important it is to learn how to problem solve. Of course I added how poor her mother and I were at it. :) The thing I added was the fact that I was disappointed that Steven failed to ask my permission.

Mindy was still asleep. I decided to head upstairs to wake her. I took her coffee, too. She wasn't her usual jovial self. When asked, she wasn't sure what the deal was. I told her about Ashley's news. That made her smile.

We planned to go skiing but not before making Jacob's first basketball game at 1pm on the way. We wouldn't need to leave the house until 1230pm or so. Between 930am and then, we slowly tinkered around the house. I decided to load the skis into the Pilot before a shower. As it was, we had the Pilot parked in the garage. And because I hadn't yet moved the BM'er into its winter position (ever closer to the east garage wall), there was next to no room to open the Pilot's driver's door. I took the BM'er keys out with me. Dammit! The battery was completely dead. I just ran it a couple weeks ago. Walking around back I noticed that I hadn't fully closed the trunk and the light must've run the battery down. I didn't feel like fooling with it then. I squeezed into the Pilot then backed it into the driveway so I could load our ski gear. Loaded by 11am.

Got a shower around 1130am. Took our time packing a cooler. Not sure what we did with the next hour. We left for Jacob's basketball game near 1230pm. I almost forgot to pack our ski poles. I remembered last second. Easy drive to the school. Jimaken, Molly, and the kids were already there. We stood around with them until it was time to head to the auxiliary gymnasium down the hall and to the right. Don't know about you, but my junior HS didn't have two gyms. Hmm?

Game started about 5 minutes late. Technical difficulties with the scoring equipment (unplugged). Jacob's team took an early lead. The game went incredibly fast with four, 6 minutes quarters. The lead something like 28-2 at halftime. Jacob and another kid on his team were doing pretty much all the scoring. The game was so lopsided that they stopped crediting Jacob's team with their baskets. The final score read 46-7 (really 52-7). It was 150pm. We walked out to our cars together, said goodbye to the kids then headed up Cosgray to 161 to route 33 to MRM.

We pulled in the MRM lot at 230pm and got a premo spot just outside the lodge. There was a bigger crowd than either day the weekend before. Ran into former work peep, Mike in the ticket office/ski shop. Then, we ran into Bob Cubra just heading back out to the slopes after a break. Said he hadn't yet seen Bob & Mary Ann. Also shared that the conditions weren't nearly as nice as last weekend - icy and thin spots. That said, we're all appreciative of being able to ski at all so early in the season, not to mention last week's rain and 60+ degree temps. While we were getting in line for our first ride up, Mindy shared that she forgot her knee brace. Talked briefly about driving all the way home to get it. But after a couple cautious runs she said her knee felt good. No need to get the brace.

Bob was right. It was icy underneath about an inch of loose powdery snow. Skied a couple runs with Bob C and son Cameron. Eventually saw Bob & Mary Ann skiing with Bob C.'s wife, Tina. Took a few runs before we all met up. Got my ski legs in a hurry. Fast, fast surface. I was mindful, however, of the hard, icy surface and worked hard to dig my edges into each and every turn. I reminded Mindy more than once to take it easy with her knee.

We didn't have a solid plan for departure time. Instead, we left it open ended. Like most, we wanted to watch the Buckeye game slated to kick-off at 820pm, but we didn't want to let that rule the day either. If push came to shove. we could watch the game at MRM in the lodge. It was cold - about 20 degrees. And when the sun went down around 5pm, even colder. We took a break around 510pm about the time that the Cubra's bailed for home. They'd been there all day since around 915am. Even their kids were tired and ready to call it a day.

Mindy & Mary Ann sipped a couple bloody Mary's in the lodge. I had them fetch me a plain Coke. Of course, I spiked it with the Jack Daniels in my pocket flask. Bob enjoyed just one beer. After about an hour's break, the four of us headed back to the slopes for round #2. By then the crowd was gone - no lines. We skied hard and fast, though still under control. Admittedly, there were a few runs when I worried that I might be going a little too fast for the conditions. But it was hard not to tear it up. By the time the four of declared it last run, it was 15 degrees. I'm thinking it was 720pm. If we hustled, we still be able to make it home in time for the opening kick-off.

By the time we were out of our ski gear and in the Pilot for home it was 740pm. We listened to the pregame hype during the drive home. Arrived home at 816pm, just as the game was kicking off. We missed the first three or four plays while carry in our gear. By the time we had the TV on and could watch, Mich St was driving and down near our 35 yard line. Bottom line, they drew first blood, but had to settle for a field goal. As good as the Spartan's looked on their opening drive, the Buckeyes were out of synch from jump. And unless I'm mistaken, it was our first 3 and out on an opening game drive all season. Not good.

Things didn't change much well into the 2nd quarter, In fact, with 6 minutes to go in the 1st half, we trailed 17-0. Looked like an ass kickin' in the offing. No, please! But then seemingly out of nowhere, the Buckeyes emerged from their funk and ripped off 10 quick points to make it 17-10 at halftime. Sure, we were still behind, but that score sounded a whole lot better than 17 zip. And perhaps even better, we would get the ball to start the 2nd half.

During halftime, I made one of my favorite snacks: Triscuits, cheese, summer sausage, and hot pepper rings. Yum! With them, I also enjoyed a couple pints of St Nick's. I'm sure like many, the football game had me on edge. Win or lose, it certainly wasn't one of our better games. OSU took tied and then took the lead in the 3rd quarter, but couldn't hold on. We lost. :( Game over! We actually turned the TV off with two minutes to go and headed to bed. I didn't think I could fall readily to sleep but after Mindy started scratching my head I very easily fell asleep.