Homer is my homeboy...

Odyssey 

 /ˈɒdəsi/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [od-uh-see]
–noun, plural -seys for 2.
1.

an epic poem attributed to Homer, describing Odysseus's adventures in his ten-year attempt to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
2.
a long series of wanderings or adventures, esp. when filled with notable experiences, hardships, etc.

So, the family has returned from our great southwestern trek...scarred yet unbending. 5116 miles of automobile family fun. It was an amazing adventure, but not one I'm willing to replay. Too much time in close spaces reveals things that maybe should be left hidden. Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri. 14 days. Seven states...some of them twice.

I'm more convinced than ever that warmer climes are in my future. Arizona in March is just about ideal, to my way of thinking, and I'm willing to trade the three months of unbearably hot summer for the three months of unbearably cold winter here in Illinois.

odds, ends, random thoughts

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing." (tip of the Texas Rangers Cap to George Bernard Shaw)

So, as I made the long drive across Texas, I was struck by the recurrence of man's folly. The failed campground in the middle of the oil fields, 60 miles from anywhere. The ramshackle trailers, unoccupied for years. The gas station without a roof, with nothing inside except the ghosts of failed dreams and rodents. Upon arriving here in Phoenix, the evidence of the real estate crisis leaps out on virtually every corner. I began to wonder what the thought process was...why did it seem like a great idea at the time? Where are the people who put their lifes' blood into these enterprises that seem so foolhardy in retrospect? Of course there's no way of ever knowing how they came out,but I have to give them their props for trying....

We've been busy doing nothing since we arrived. Wedding is today..then tomorrow its off to points west.

It's over...it's all over

Farewell to thee! but not farewell To all my fondest thoughts of thee:Within my heart they still shall dwell;And they shall cheer and comfort me (tip of the Tarheels cap to Charlotte Bronte)

Basketball season has ended, and I'm ambivalent. I won't miss the long road trips, the too many games or the loss of free time, but I will miss hanging out with the ten young men who comprised the team and with the other coaches, who realized that these are ten year olds, and the most important thing is to have fun. I don't suppose I've ever seen, nor shall I see again, another coach laughing so hard he was crying while losing a game by 15 points!

Ten ten year olds, who each made me laugh out loud at some point in the season; who frustrated me to no end at others. I enjoyed the ride, and I owe each of them and their parents a profound debt of gratitude.

Time change has me all fouled up. I was up at 4:15 this morning, so I lifted for 20 minutes. Then tonight I took cookie to the outdoor court so I could run suicides while he practiced shooting. He and I then played two games of pig...with the loser running sprints. I prevailed! Of course I ran with him...his misery loves company, and my fat needs the work.

Four and a wakeup before we set out on the BFA (big family adventure)