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March 21, 2025

NCAA Tournament Weekend: Basketball Overload!

Today kicks off an action-packed weekend as I head to the NCAA tournament at Fiserv Forum! I’ll be watching four games today and returning on Sunday for two more—a full dose of March Madness.  

I’m going with Tom, Mick, and Andy, making it a family basketball outing. While I’m still rooting for the Badgers (who won yesterday!), I won’t see them today.  

Looking forward to some great matchups, buzzer-beaters, and maybe a few upsets. Let’s see how the madness unfolds!  Go Iowa, North Carolina, Kentucky and Illinois( Though now I think Xavier is going to whomp them).



March 02, 2025

Welcome to a tumultuous spring.

The quiet of a Sunday morning at the cottage. The stillness of a frozen lake has a way of resetting things. After a night of intense Azul battles, a peaceful view is just what's needed. It's fun watching people out on the ice, fishing. A reminder of how communities adapt and thrive, even when the familiar landscape shifts.

It's strange to feel the warmth returning so early.  Almost like a sudden, unexpected change in the established order. Just last week, the returning birds were a welcome sign of spring'st approach, a natural rhythm we've come to rely on. It makes you think about how fragile those rhythms are, and how important it is to protect the foundations that keep things in balance.

While enjoying the quiet here, it's hard to ignore the undercurrent of unease. There's a sense that things aren't quite as stable as they seem, that the very structures we depend on are being tested. It's a bit like seeing cracks in the ice, subtle at first, but potentially significant. 

We all have a role to play in reinforcing those structures, ensuring they can withstand the pressures they face. Just as we'd want to ensure the lake's ice is safe for those fishing, we need to be vigilant about the strength of our shared foundations. Every small action, every thoughtful consideration, contributes to the overall stability.

Make your calls!!!!!

www.5calls.org



February 26, 2025

March Plans, Plantar Fasciitis, and the Wait for Spring

As winter winds down (or at least pretends to), March plans are taking shape. At the end of March, I’ll be heading to Austin to visit my friends Pete and Dolores, while Kerry is making her way to Florida to see Archana and Tim. We’ll both be chasing a little warmth—though at this rate, we might not need to go far.  

In the meantime, I’m still dealing with this never-ending bout of plantar fasciitis. I stopped walking in January, hoping rest would help, but the pain keeps hanging around. My doctor tells me it could take up to seven months to fully heal. Seven months. Egads. While I wait for my foot to get its act together, I’ve started going to the gym—because if I can’t walk outside, I might as well try to raise that heart rate in other ways than walking.  

Things are warming up sooner than expected, but I’m not fooled. We’ll probably get one last storm just to remind us who’s really in charge. Until then, I’ll be resting my foot, counting down to my trip, and keeping an eye on the forecast.