Catching Up with the Whirlwind Weekend....

It is is a rainy Sunday, a rare weekend post for me for sure....After 2 nearly perfect late November days, sunshine and in the 60s, things will be wet for the next few, then the bottom is slated to drop out, with highs hovering in the 30s and near 40 for the foreseeable future beginning Wednesday.

The Grandson Arrives_____

Kasyn Timothy Houseworth came along late Thanksgiving night, via C-Section...it wasn't planned that way, but having a mind of his own, it was the best for both him and Lisa....Hal held up, the grandparents, the first grandchild for both sets, survived as well.  As I mentioned on the last blog, he was 7 pounds 12 oz and just under 21 inches long...not as big as we or the doctors had predicted, and his head, average size, compared to the Houseworth melons...he does however have big hands, fingers, feet and toes.  My guess is, he will be someday in his dad's size body, which is somewhere around 6' 4" and about 250-260 pounds, but time enough to watch him grow...for now we are just glad he and mom are safe and healthy.  They will head home from the Kettering Medical Center today and Kasyn will begin his life in the Condo in Centerville....our plans are to take a belated Thanksgiving meal down late this evening, return the dogs, Kam and Avery, who we have been sitting with, and let the new parents and family, including dogs, get a chance to know and enjoy each other.

Football and Basketball _____

Friday we headed back down to the Medical Center, Hal and Lisa had requested we stop at LaRosa's and pick up Pizza for them....neither being thrilled with Hospital Food....we got a couple of large, one with just cheese and one with sausage and pepperoni, along with some cheese sticks, and ate lunch with them, and Aunt Anissa, since with Lisa having four bothers, Kasyn will have a total of 5 Uncles but just one Aunt.

We didn't stay long and headed home for some needed sleep...I was in bed by 7:30, but the dogs got me up several times, so my 10 hours in bed{rising around 5:30} did not net me 10 hours sleep...I ate breakfast and headed to Delphos for a Junior High scrimmage at 9am....the teams wanted done, so all could get home for the Ohio State vs Michigan game....if you don't live in this area, you no doubt really don't know how big this game is, regardless of records, in both states.  In a high scoring affair, scUM, as we OSU fans, call them, broke it's 7 game losing streak to the Buckeyes by a 40-34 score...it appears Urban Meyer will soon be named the new coach at Ohio State. 

On a side note, Michigan, not knows for it's high school football, usually has to raid Ohio for talent and coaches, this year was no exception...21 players from Ohio dot the Michigan roster, while only one from Ohio is on the scUM roster.  In addition, first year head coach Brady Hoke, is from Kettering, Ohio, where first grandson Kasyn was born on Michigan/Ohio State week.

On the high school scene...two Mercer County teams made the State Finals next week....no surprise in that they were usual powers, Coldwater in division 5, and Marion Local in D6.  In the Marion game, they had to face league rival and defending state champions, Delphos St. John.  St. Johns Blue Jays had defeated Marion Local in the regular season, but the Flyers turned the tables 21-14 in the State Semis.  Down 14-13 with less than 90 seconds left, Marion recovered a fumble on their own 23...and in 5 quick plays scored the go ahead touchdown and 2 point conversion to seal the win.

Delphos had entered the game with heavy hearts...their starting center, a 16 year old Junior, had committed suicide on Wednesday evening....making a silly game of football seem somehow even more meaningless.  You just shake your head, wondering why someone with talent and a good student would choose to end their lives during the football playoffs,  which he was such an integral part?  Only God knows....

The week ahead____

This will be a busy week, but compared to the past holiday weekend, not nearly so much.  The regular basketball season kicks off, at least for the girls.  I have Junior High games at Wayne Trace Monday and Tuesday, then following a rules meeting Wednesday I will be at Eldia on Thursday, Friday off and Saturday Morning I will officiate a Boys JV double header at Crestview in the Van Wert Country Tip-Off Classic....that will be the slow week, after this, most weeks will see me working as few as 7 or as many as 10 games, if you include Middle School double headers....only Christmas week and New Years will provide some respite, between now and February.  

It's going to be a long winter season....today I will relax watching the Bengals bounce the Browns, before heading south one more time......


back later>>>>


Photos-top Me and first grandson Kasyn on his day one...and right below that almost 33 years ago in February 1979, me and first child, Anissa on her day one...don't think I've aged at all....Grandma Patricia and Kasyn, and Kasyn sacked out....