It Must be November

On today's Twitter feed:

A slight chance of sleet/snow late tonight but our #4WARN Weather Alert is for late Sun.night/Mon. morning. pic.twitter.com/iqC4WyZ03y
— 4WARN Weather (@WSMVweather) November 15, 2014

Yes, snow. It gets a little chilly, and BOOM, the snow talk begins. It must be November.

I know I haven't been on this blog in a year, but I feel the need to say something today, but I don't know what. It must be November, my favorite month of the year, that causes it. November is our birthday month, Monica's on the 4th, mine on the 24th, Susan's on the 29th. November is when it's OK to start whistling Christmas songs and thinking about the holidays. November is when it gets cold and all the trees are turned. Football on TV in the snow (Ohio State vs. Minnesota). I love November.

I think what's got me going this morning is birthdays. Susan turns 30 this month. Incredible. And even more incredible, I'll be 59. Now, when you think of an age that makes you say "Wow, that's old" what is it? 60. Next year, that's me. But it's not really bothering me, at least I don't think so, although I do think of it often. "Age is just a number" everyone says, but I think this is different. I'm amazingly lucky that I don't FEEL 59, and I'm vain enough to mention that I'm told that I don't LOOK 59. Both Mom and Dad are still kicking, Mom at 86 or so, and Dad about to turn 83, and both doing well actually for their age. Dad's COPD and the resulting lack of oxygen has caused him some physical issues the last couple of years, but the brain's still as good as ever, and Mom still does all her own stuff along with taking care of Dad. So that's some pretty good genes to have, especially when you add the fact that both of my grandmothers made it to 89. (We won't mention that both grandfathers died in their 60s).

The holidays are known for making you look back and see where you are and where you're going, hence the stream of consciousness-type writing here. And I think we're in a pretty good place. Monica got a very good Classroom Observation the other day, things at work continue to perk along, the girls are moving along in their careers, and the boys are surviving school, DJ at UT-Chattanooga (3rd year), Ricky at Tennessee Tech (2nd), and Joshua at MLK High School (freshman). I expect to see them all over the holidays, and maybe even all at the same time!

Uh, oh!

Scoreboard update, at half of the early games: Ohio State 17, Minnesota 14 GT 9, Clemson 3 Duke 10, VT 7 Florida 10, So. Carolina 10
— SI College Football (@si_ncaafb) November 15, 2014

Better get back to the games! BIG GAME later in Tuscaloosa!

RTR!