Today's Tip: The Heat is On

[Cindy]

Jeff wrote:
"Lucy,
Next time let it blow off I will return it to you and meet you face to face."

And if something from Kalamazoo blows too fast by you Jeff, I'll grab it before it gets to Lake Erie .

And to all of you warm weather friends...shivering burns calories. And shovelling is good exercise.

[Jeff]

Hey Cindy,

It sound like the next windstorm we get we should all stand out in the front yard and blow into town for a get together. Or maybe just get in the car and drive. By the way I refer to shoveling, scraping and shivering as winter aerobics it is a well kept secret for staying in shape.
Jeff

[jcorbett]

Chicago

How far are all you guys from Chicago? 4 hours for me. Maybe sometime we could have a midwest convention or informal get together. We (family) always try to get to the big city for some R & R a couple times a year. My family would have the car loaded and packed before I got the words out of my mouth!

[Lucy]

Chi is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours for me. I would likely take the train. I usually go shopping there just before Xmas on a day bus trip. Not this year.

[Jeff]

Chicago

It"s about the same for me.

[Cindy]

Next stop Chi-town

Chicago is 5 hours from me. I think I would do what Luce says. Take the train. Hop the train in Ann Arbor, maybe pick up Jeff on the way, then Lucy in Kazoo and then on to Chicago . I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[Lucy]

Brrrrrrrrrrr

News says low temperature in the TEENS tonight. Two weeks ago, it was 70.

[dianat]

Five hours for me, but we still manage to get the kids there now and again. They've been several times. We need to keep their notion of what a real skyskraper looks like. Factor me into the midwest convention. Flights from here to there are quite cheap also. It's the windy city, though, so it'll be goggle time for sure.

[Lucy]

Chicago would be a very good place for a meeting. You can get around without a car pretty well. Or, if you drove, could park the car (somewhere) and walk. I know the layout of the Magnificent Mile and downtown. My next best/fave place would be Vegas. After Tampa, though we'll be broke for awhile. Chicago would be better in the spring. It's awfully hot there in the summer.

PS> Diana-------you're really a Good Time Charley, arent you? Ready for anything on a dime. Of course you can be brave and adventurous, you're 9 months pregnant! I hope your bundle comes soon.

[jcorbett]

Chicago

Chicago would be best spring or fall. We'd have lots of people driving, so it would probably be best to avoid the possibility of a snowstorm. And summer is so hard with vacations and other stuff.
I am supposed to be there right now, as hubby is there for a convention, put hurt my back and can't walk or drive easily, so had to cancel. Darn. But will be going sometime in December to catch a Bulls game.
But if any of you are traveling that way....let us know. You never know who else might be in Chicago the same time!

[Dotanne]

Summer is nearly here in NZ

After reading all your weather reports...... I have to chip in and suggest you need a holiday in New Zealand!! We are having wonderful spring weather - it feels like summer already (over 20 deg C most days) - the kids are swimming - our lot were playing waterslides on a sheet of polythene on a hill most of the afternoon- the sky is clear blue most days (but showers are forcast for tomorrow afternoon - respite for the dry eyes) and generally our humidity is above average with all that sea around us! Great BBQ and boating weather, lots of daylight and lots of Christmas functions/parades etc coming up. And our 24 yr old son is going to Canada(Montreal, Toronto etc) next month (he is mad on ice hockey - is a goal tender)!!!! What a contrast in weather!! His Christmas will sure be different!
Let me know when you are coming this way!
Dot

PS All the best Diana for the big event! Hope all goes well!

[dianat]

D -

Thanks for the good wishes. Any time now. Hey, you wouldn't have to talk me into NZ...I'd love it. It's farther than I'd expect to go for eye talk, but what a stunningly beautiful place it must be. Sounds like the perfect time of year. Enjoy! How unusual to celebrate Christmas with springlike temperatures.

Diana

[Lucy]

OT hockey

And our 24 yr old son is going to Canada(Montreal, Toronto etc) next month (he is mad on ice hockey - is a goal tender)!!!! What a contrast in weather!! His Christmas will sure be different!

Dotanne, is your son with a team, or looking? I can't help you there (lol). Was just wondering though. I live in Michigan, as does Cindy (and others) and hockey is a top sport here. I go to hockey games locally every chance I get. Our local team was IHL, then downsized to UHL, but I enjoy hockey at any level. I can also attend local college hockey games, which are very good. Actually, the "peewee" leagues are the best. Little duffers 5,6 and 7 years old out their playing their little hearts out. They are the best. Hockey is the only sport I enjoy watching, either live or on tv. Maybe championship boxing every so often if my husband has it on. It's my fantasy to attend a Detroit Red Wings game. The price of tickets is totally insane.

Hope your son gets on a team to his liking!

[Dotanne]

Hockey

Hi Lucy
Our son plays for Auckland University Ice Hockey team and he also coaches peewees. Two of his team mates are from Canada and they are going home for Christmas so he is going too and is looking forward to taking in as much hockey and anything to do with hockey whilst in Canada! He also plays in-line hockey. I wish we could see more ice hockey on our TV. We sometimes get some games on SKY TV. Rugby and our awesome All Blacks are the big thing here. Our netball team is really good too. AND one of the two girls in the NZ Olympic Rowing womens pairs team that tipped out in the heats last year grew up in our little country town. They came 6th in the Olympics and won gold at the World Cup this year. Our NZ population is arount the 4 million mark so we don't do too bad. Mind you - with a country like ours - we love the outdoors and sport!!!

Watch out for 2 more NZ made movies too. "The World's Fastest Indian" is said to be really good.(Based on a true story of a NZ speed demon. It's just out in NZ. The other one is "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". Some of it was filmed near our eldest son's home near Auckland.
Dot

[Dotanne]

Had to mention one more NZ film - premiered today in New York - "KING KONG" - produced by Peter Jackson ('Lord of the Rings' fame). It has a 5 star rating here. It will have its NZ premier later this week.
Dot