An $11.50 Double Date and a Request

Yesterday I took the boys to the Hurricanes hockey fan appreciation day.  We went last year and had a blast on jumpy things of all configurations, food trucks, bands, and give aways. *Note to Ben who insisted we wait in a long line for 20 minutes so he could spin a wheel to get some realtor-marketed crap. You are your father's son and a marketer's wet dream.

This year it seemed even more popular/crowded and included a hockey game with the players teamed against each other.  For $11.50 the boys ate 5 dollar hotdogs and split a large ice cream as well as dined on their 2 bags of free popcorn.  Did I mention that they ate me out of all money I had with me?

We actually stayed through the entire game even with a squirmy Ian Vinson who wanted to be up in your business.  He is in this stage of wanting  to pull down your pants or lift up your skirt to be funny.

In public it not funny. Not funny at all. We did have a good time screaming for the team and being silly on a gorgeous fall day.

The rest of the weekend was filled with laundry, errands, grading and planning for another week. Friday night we did date night that involved us splitting up and dividing up our tasks.  It was much needed productive, not romantic date. But it allowed us to kick back on Saturday night and not work.

Last night I had just gotten the kids to bed and my phone was going off.  I ignored it with the plans that I was trying to wrap up some grading and then head to bed.  It was notice of a 6:50 am  faculty meeting about the passing of one of our teachers.

Knowing that Michelle M. celebrated her 35th birthday on Friday, but passed peacefully in her sleep after a year-long battle with breast cancer yesterday seems all kind of cruel.  It has never been my news to share, as she was more of a friend of a friend. In these last weeks knowing she was likely at the end, I stopped by mutual friends in her department at school to ask how she was and how they were doing as well. I offered to cover their classes when the time came, so that the department could go together to her funeral.  Michelle was a great mom and spouse. She was loved by her family, friends, and her students whom she treated as extended family.

If ever there is a reason to remember what is really, really worth it at the end of the day or for what days we have, this is it.

Good thoughts and prayers for Morrell family in the time ahead.