I Don't Know How She Does It

Movie Day! Went to the Rave with Jan and Diane Z. The movie was very much fun - just some relaxing and entertaining fluff. Sarah Jessica Parker is beginning to show her age - I was surprised. Also, for a spokesperson for hair products, her hair was remarkably messy. In one elevator scene her hair looked silky and shiny, but just in one scene. Now I'm thinking that I might be a tad too picky! It's a cute movie and I enjoyed it.

Afterwards we went to Red Robin for dinner and had a great visit - it's always nice to reconnect with people.

Byline:Jana

Our daughter Jana is an excellent writer. (She gets it from me!!!) Recently she was irritated by a interview which she heard on NPR. Not content with just expressing her viewpoint to those around her, she wrote this essay to submit to NPR. It's a marvelous essay, if I do say so myself!

By Jana Steiger, world class essayist:

On Sept. 14, I listened with gritted teeth as NPR's Melissa Block
interviewed Taylor Branch, the author of an article alleging that the
NCAA is a cartel which exploits student athletes, and that amateur
status has 'the whiff of the plantation.'

Saturday, I had a reminder of why this idea offends me so much as I
attended a football game at my alma mater the University of Michigan
-- with the largest football stadium and most numerous alumni in the
country, surely one of Branch's major cotton fields of student
exploitation.

Before kickoff, Michigan honored its other varsity teams that have
achieved division or national championships this year. I suppose
Branch would have yawned and fidgeted as swimmers and divers, gymnasts
and the softball and hockey teams ran out through the tunnel and
leaped to touch the M Club's Go Blue banner. But we in the stands
cheered for our champions, many of whom compete before scant crowds of
parents and roommates when they are lucky.

These student athletes work just as hard as those in the money-making
sports. They have pushed themselves -- without benefit of TV cameras
or record-breaking crowds -- to make it to the peak of their sport.
And their programs and coaches, facilities and uniforms, travel and
lodging and scholarships are all made possible by football profits.

In fact, a quick Google shows that Michigan currently has 765
scholarship athletes, 365 of whom are women, in 26 varsity sports. For
some, this is their ticket to an education they could otherwise never
afford; for others, it's the pride of the letter jacket and passion
both for the sport and their school that keeps them pouring everything
they have into cross country or field hockey, wrestling or rowing.
Certainly most of them never expect to be professional athletes. Even
at Michigan, which produces more pro athletes than any other school in
the country, in 2009 the number of Michigan alumni pros in the 5 major
leagues was a whopping 68 out of the thousands of student athletes who
had graduated in the previous 15 years or so.

So, if we pay student athletes, for the vast majority of them it will
be the only time in their lives they are being paid to play their
sport.

Later in Saturday's game, during a TV time out, our women's gymnastics
NCAA all-around champion Kylee Botterman bashfully stood in the end
zone as the loudspeaker resounded her achievements. 110,000 fans
stood and cheered, thrusting our fists into the air as we sang The
Victors just for her. I wonder how much Branch would pay Botterman.
Do you pay her for what she has achieved (and what dollar figure do
you put on that?), or do you say sorry Kylee, we only pay those
athletes whose sports generate millions in ticket and concession sales
and lucrative TV deals?

Even if you limit the discussion to football, I counted on the
sidelines Saturday nearly 100 suited-up players, the vast majority of
whom have no realistic NFL dreams. In fact, many of these players
never really hope to get in a game, on a team as deep and competitive
as Michigan. These guys practice just as hard as the first string
players, and suit up every game. They do it for the opportunity to
wear the maize and blue, and because what they learn on the field
about teamwork and collaboration, about discipline, and
sportsmanship, and about themselves, will serve them as much in their
future careers as what they are learning in Michigan classrooms.

In the interview, Branch dismissed this kind of thinking as
"romantic." What he doesn't understand is, the players are not there
for our benefit. They are students. They are learning, and we are
watching them learn and cheering them on. Amateur status makes this
clear -- students, you are here to learn and train and raise the bar for
yourself and your sport. Your school is here to teach and coach and
inspire you to greater levels of excellence. Those people in the
stands? They are here to support you and live vicariously through
you, because of the shared love you all have for your school. Those
people at home cussing at their TVs? Who cares. They have no place
in your education. You owe them nothing.

That relationship between the school and the athlete and the fans gets
turned on its head if the students become paid employees, which I
think is Branch's real goal. I don't believe Branch is bothered by
exploitation, I think he's fine with it as long as students get a cut
of the profits he believes it is their purpose to generate. If Branch
were really upset about exploitative athletic programs, perhaps he
would work to prevent bloodsucking parasites from lining their pockets
by turning amateur athletics into a multi-billion-dollar industry
where profits come before the needs of the sport and the students.

Branch is confusing college stadiums with box offices, where revenues
are driven by star power. In college football -- at Michigan, anyway
-- that's not what people are paying for. Sure, we like to see our
stars make great plays with fancy moves and lots of razzle dazzle. But
nothing chokes us up so much as seeing a 4th-string senior finally get
in for just one play. We cheer ourselves hoarse when this happens,
out of respect for that player's persistence and love of the game.

I guess that's because we're romantics. I think Branch could use a
healthy dose of romance.

Brunch at Weber's

What a pleasant day this was. Once again the predicted rain never materialized, and we had perfect weather.

We met James, Tara and Lauren along with Leslie and Rose at Weber's at 10:30.



They do a very nice brunch, and we all filled our plates.




I haven't seen Leslie and Tara for years, and it's true that old friends are the best. We all share many, many memories from the seventies when the girls were growing up. It's such fun to remember everything. Their daughters are so enjoyable - polite and interesting. We all had a great time.

After brunch we all went to Wasem's Fruit Farm. Perfect early fall day for cider - and yes, we bought doughnuts for breakfast!

Jana' Birthday Game

At first, rain was predicted, but for once they were wrong! It turned out to be the perfect football day - moderate temps and blue skies.

The traffic was horrific on the way to the stadium. This year in a kerfuffle over who will pay for what, the University and the City of Ann Arbor have changed the traffic control on game days. Before the game, incoming traffic is controlled by traffic lights only - nobody directing traffic. This results in 30-40 minute back-ups on the freeway while we're all waiting for the light to change.
It's really awful, and I hope they resolve this issue soon.

We loved the game and its outcome, but Jana especially enjoyed all of the sidelights. The band played Bullwinkle - twice - they also did the pony thing, and sang Don't Stop Believin' and Sweet Caroline. The students started the wave, and post-game, the band played the alma mater. She got a chance to participate in all of her favorites. It was a real birthday treat.

This from mgoblue:

Robinson, Michigan Rush Past San Diego State in Non-Conference Finale

Sept. 24, 2011

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: Michigan 28, San Diego State 7
Records: U-M (4-0), SDSU (3-1)
Attendance: 110,707
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Oct. 1 -- vs. Minnesota (Michigan Stadium), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior quarterback Denard Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) and the University of Michigan football team (No. 22 AP/No. 21 USA Today Coaches) rushed out to a fast start against San Diego State in a 28-7 victory Saturday (Sept. 24) at Michigan Stadium.

After the game, Alice and Kim came over to say hi - we don't sit together any more, sadly. It was fun to chat with them.



Amazingly, Carol from our gym in T.C. also came to say hi. I don't know how she found us in that stadium full of 110,000 people! We were so surprised we forgot to take a picture!

Birthday girl after the game:

Odette's Funeral

A sincere and moving service. The most memorable part for me was the reading of Proverbs 31:27:
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness." It is the perfect Bible verse to describe Odette.

The service was followed by a lovely luncheon in the church parlor. It was nice to have a chance to wind down from the emotional service and focus on Odette's life and influence by talking with friends and family.

ODETTE'S EULOGY:

Odette Steiger was born September 5th, 1929 in Jackson, Michigan to Yoel Pera and Fahima Mirza and she died September 18, 2011 in Troy, Michigan. Odette’s family were Assyrians who had fled their historically Christian community in Mosul, Persia, following persecution for their faith. After a brief time in Baghdad, the family immigrated to Michigan. Odette had an older sister, Yvette, and a younger sister, Annette. In her quiet way, Odette was the peacemaker in the family. As a young woman, Odette entered Michigan State Universitywhere she studied industrial psychology. It was there that she met Doug, and apparently she accepted his request for a date because she felt sorry for him. The two would do their homework together and Odette found Doug to be quite helpful with her math. Also, neither of them was a dancer, so they often found themselves being wallflowers together. And, as they say, the rest is history. The two were married for fifty nine years. They had three children together: Susan, David, and Roger. Doug had a job with Chrysler and the family moved several times in those early years, living in Highland Park, Royal Oak, and New Orleans, before settling in Rochester Hills in 1968.

At the age of 32, around the time of Roger’s birth, Odette was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a condition which she lived with for fifty years. Her son Roger said of her: “I never saw her run or jump or raise her arms or complain about any of that.”

Odette was a person of great faith and strong values. Her mother was Roman Catholic and her father was Presbyterian. Odette’s grandfather was actually a Presbyterian minister. So Odette grew up with an ecumenical view of things. Her parents never argued about matters of religion, and Odette grew up knowing Christ, reading the Bible, and attending church. Odette told her children that the church was her home. Sometimes you don’t like this hymn or that sermon, but it is your home. It is your family.

Odette was fundamentally a thankful person, and I believe that she was one of those people for whom suffering only brings them closer to God. She would pray with her children before bed. They said the Lord’s Prayer together, and then they would ask God to bless all the people in their life. One of the children began to add, “And God, please make mommy’s hands feel better.” Soon the other children were praying this too, and then her niewces began also to pray for this every night. Odette’s daughter Susan once asked, “Mom, what did you think when those prayers were never answered?” Odette replied, “Those prayers were answered; I was blessed.” For Odette, the cup was not half empty, and not even half full. Her cup ran over. Recently I visited Odette and afterward she spoke with Susan and said how nice it was that I spent a whole hour with her, but then she said, “Susan, I feel badly that she spent a whole hour with me; there are sick people in the church that need to be visited!”

Odette is survived by sister, Annette, her husband Doug, and three children: Susan married to John, David, and Roger married to Megan, and Odette also had five beloved grandchildren, Kristen, Molly, Jackson, Fay, and Lauren, and many nieces and nephews. Family was very important to Odette. She would always say that she did not want gifts, she just wanted to have her family with her. And the family was always centered around the children. The family joked that Odette’s interior decorating style was “pictures of grandchildren."

She lived the life that she wanted to live and it was a life of abundant happiness. She and Doug were deeply devoted to one another and had great joy in each day together. After Doug retired they were able to travel together to Europe several times, and this was the first time Odette was willing to spend money on her self. As her health declined, they toured the US together. She lived life to its fullest and she enjoyed each moment.

As I think of Odette, I think of this passage of Proverbs: “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious thanjewels. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”

Odette was the ideal woman described in Scripture. The Scripture says, “She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.” Odette did many works of charity through the Meadowbrook Woman's Club and PEO. Odette was a servant in the church, always doing what needed to be done, not a person to seek her own glory or even push for her own way, but a person seeking to help wherever help was needed. She and Doug would go through the church and refill the pencils and envelopes in the pews, straightening things up. The Scripture says, “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” She was a quiet person most of the time, but when she said something, people listened. If you watched closely you noticed that nobody pushed her around. Proverbs says, “She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Of Odette’s care for her family I will say only this: she served Christmas dinner every year for the entire family often over twenty five people and no one was allowed to help. She maintained that she did not want any help, she would say, “I have my lists, I do a little bit every day, and the doctor says it’s good for me.” This past Christmas she did make a big concession; due to her health, she allowed paper plates. Proverbs says, “She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong.” Odette was a tiny person who could not open jars by herself. Yet we will all remember Odette as a person of colossal strength. The Scripture says, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” Odette was nothing if not dignified, and she had no fear of death and did not worry about the future. Looking at such a life I can only conclude, based on the Scripture, that Odette was the ideal woman of God. Where did such a gift come to all of us? From the hand of God. Odette loved God, and honored God in all she did.

The Scripture says that “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.” Life is fleeting; we have learned that all too well this week. Life is fleeting, but God is steadfast. Odette’s faith in God was steadfast. Her commitment to Christ was steadfast. Her daily life of honoring God through loving others was steadfast. And now God is steadfast in his love of Odette. Now Odette is basking in that love in all its fullness, and she is lifting her arms high, opening perfect hands in praise. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Rev. Marianne Grano
University Presbyterian Church
1385 S. Adams Rd.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
Office: 248-375-0400 x 204
Cell: 313-585-1211
Reflections on life: www.the-sermonator.blogspot.com

Tom left from the church back to Metro for his flight. Laurie and Jana came back with us to Ann Arbor. Laurie is leaving tomorrow, and Jana is staying for the weekend as previously planned. In the evening we ordered pizza and had birthday cake for Dick. Today is Dick's birthday. Both Jana and Dick will have no trouble remembering their birthdays this year.

Just happy to be together no matter what:


Odette had the ability to make everyone feel special. She would concentrate on you and give you her full attention as if you were the most important person around. In reality, she was the special one. For the past forty years she lived with pain, stiffness and discomfort, and never ever complained. She put herself out at every opportunity to be helpful. She created many traditions for her family year after year. It was hard to understand how she could accomplish what she did with her limitations. Christmas dinner for more than 20 people every year! She would say, "Oh I just do a little at a time - just do a little something every day." But the cooking and serving on Christmas Day must have been a huge effort for her. She was a terrific role model, and an inspiration to everybody. We are all better for having known her.

Steiger, Odette
Steiger Odette Age 82, September 18, 2011 of Rochester Hills. Loving wife of Douglas. Dearest mother of Susan (John) Lichtenberg, David Steiger and Roger (Megan) Steiger. Proud grandmother of Kristen, Molly, Jackson, Fay, and Lauren. Also survived by her sister Annette (Bruce) Chambers. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, September 22, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the University Presbyterian Church, 1385 S. Adams Rd., Rochester Hills, MI 48309. Memorial Visitation will be from 5:00 pm until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the Pixley Funeral Home, 322 W. University Dr., Rochester, MI 48307. Memorial contributions are suggested to the University Presbyterian Church - Memorial Gifts Fund.

Remembering Odette

Loaded with suits and black socks, we headed back to Ann Arbor. Not such nice weather today, but traffic was light. The kids have convinced us to stay in Rochester overnight tonight, so we all have rooms reserved at the Spartan Inn. Odette would have loved it!

At the Memorial gathering this evening, we had a chance to see Odette's side of the family - Annette and Bruce along with their children Steve and Chris - Jackie, and "Baby" Annette. We have only seen them at weddings before. We all had some good memories to share.

Doug and Odette's family were all able to be welcoming and appreciative - I was very proud of them - Susan, David, and Roger were terrific hosts. Doug was a little overwhelmed at seeing all of his friends and acquaintances from so many years all in one place! We hadn't seen Kristen and Molly for ages, and it was pleasant to reconnect with them. Jackson, Fay and Lauren were just as delightful as always, and it was nice to have them there. Barb and Jim came from T.C. and Sharon and John from Lansing. It's always wonderful to have friendly faces around you in sad times.

Of course we were very glad to see our three kids arrive, and it was lovely to be together again, if only it hadn't been for such a sad reason. We had just seen the Steiger half of the family at GenFest, but it was wonderful to be able to give many hugs and messages of support. There were so many people to talk to, and the time passed quickly.

At eight o'clock, the five of us were ready for a late dinner. Roger suggested Kruse and Muer on Main Street, and we had a very nice late night dinner. It was a great suggestion. It was kind of a birthday dinner for Jana - today is her birthday.

Funeral Attire

Our football game outfits just might not be quite the right thing for a funeral, so we're driving up to T.C. to get more formal attire. It's a nice day for a drive and it will be nice to be home even for one night, but we need a lot of hand-holding to get through this.

Today we found out what kind of kids we have raised. All three are flying in for Odette's memorial and funeral - Tom from San Diego, Laurie from South Florida, and Jana from D.C. We never suggested that they do this, we just provided them with the info and updates, and all of a sudden we were getting emails with flight information. It's a tribute to Odette and how much they valued her influence during their lives.

Dear Odie

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we go to Briarwood at 9 a.m. Dick does the U of M Geezer Workout and I use my walker and circumnavigate the mall. During one of my rest stops, I checked my phone for messages. I heard Dave's voice telling me that his Mom had passed away the night before. This was not totally unexpected - Odette has been fighting multiple problems for several weeks now - problems involving surgery, hospital stays, nursing home, therapy, in-home help and so on. Still - we had hopes that she would recover. It had been a relief to hear that she had been able to go home. Consequently, it was still quite a shock to hear of her passing.

I went over to the Geezer workout area and signaled Dick to come talk to me, and I broke the news. We left immediately.

Family needs to be notified and updated, and so we called or texted all of the kids, and emailed Barb and Sharon, talked to Dave and Sue on the phone, and waited for the details of funeral arrangements.

47th Annual Kanitz Reunion

We picked up a chocolate cake and some ham at Meijer, and headed off for the Tri-County Sportsman's League in Saline. When we arrived, the cousins were setting up extra tables because more people showed up than were expected. Last year there were 110 folks who came, and the final count this year was 147!

Cousin Jack, whose family was in charge, was just ecstatic, and so proud to have such a turn out. There was so much food that for the first time in my memory, the desserts were displaced by dinner items, and they came up with a new location for desserts. The tables were groaning!

Dick and I sat at one of the newly set up tables, and as it turned out, we sat alone for the whole deal. I kept expecting late arrivals to show up and sit with us, but it didn't happen. Joyce was scandalized that we were sitting alone, but to be honest, it was kind of nice to have a little solitude in the midst of the multitude!

I enjoyed talking to Jack, Joyce, Wayne, Dawn and others of course. It's always fun to see all of the new babies - there were many this year. One of the little boy babies is seven months old, and his daddy proudly stated that the U of M has won every football game for his son's whole life!

Wolverine Warriors

Michigan played Eastern Michigan today, and we invited Heather and Justin, the Wolverine Warriors, to sit with us. It turned out to be a great day weatherwise, and they are always good company.

Eastern played way too well at first, and made our team look a little silly at times, but then the sleeping giant woke up, and our team took control of the rest of the game.

This from mgoblue:

Big Rushing Day, Stout D Carry Michigan Past EMU

Sept. 17, 2011
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: Michigan 31, Eastern Michigan 3
Records: U-M (3-0), Eastern Michigan (2-1)
Attendance: 110,343
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Sept. 24 -- vs. San Diego State (Michigan Stadium), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior quarterback Denard Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) and junior running back Vincent Smith (Pahokee, Fla./Pahokee) each eclipsed 100 yards rushing as the University of Michigan football team ran over Eastern Michigan, 31-3, on Saturday (Sept. 17) at Michigan Stadium. Robinson neared his career high in rushing attempts with 26, amassing 198 yards and a touchdown, while Smith ran the ball nine times for 118 yards.
*************

You might say that this was the perfect football day.

September Monthly S.E. MiGO Meet & Eat

This event takes place over in Southfield usually at the same time as rush hour. Not wanting to fight the rush hour traffic on the freeways,we left early and took surface streets over in that direction, and cached our way to the event at Panera Bread on Southfield Road.

Laura of LightPeople


TopKat, Cyclops, Basswood Bend - doesn't get much better than that!


Crowd shot - looks like a very serious crowd!


OK, Melissa P. keeps coming up with ideas for new challenges (a new geocaching opportunity). This one was to eat a sweet treat - so of course we both complied!




It was very enjoyable - a nice day and many new and different caches to explore. Including the event, I think we logged 10 caches for the day - most of them in very nice Southfield parks.

How Much Fun Is This???

The Maize and Blue faithful will appreciate this. Somebody had the great idea of dubbing a Bob Ufer broadcast over the last play of last Saturday's Notre Dame game. Fun fun fun!

Sweet 9/11 Tribute

Ann Arbor Precis

Dick just wrote a letter to our nieces and it's a good summary of our time in Ann Arbor so far.  

Greetings from Ann Arbor. With the exception of a few minor glitches,
we are having a great time. To summarize our trip so far, here's what
we have been up to,

1) Games;
Wow! The first one, Western, started so hot that a woman up behind us
had collapsed and needed medical attention before it even started. The
heat got to Nancy and she left to find shade at the end of the first
quarter was over. She went back to the car to sit in the air
conditioning. Tom and I stayed to the end which was late in the 3rd
quarter when it was called off due to the weather.(Lightning) A
first! That has never happened before. It rained so hard that we were
drenched. The game was stopped, then restarted and then stopped again.
I told Dylan that I might have gotten wetter if I just jumped in the
pool with my clothes on but I'm not sure.

The second one, Notre Dame was the first night game and set a new
national attendance record, 114,804. Nancy decided she wasn't ready to
go back to the stadium and so I took some old coaching buddies. In the
last 1 1/2 minutes, we scored to win, they scored to win, and then we
scored with 2 seconds on the clock to win for real. What a roller
coaster! 3TD's in just over a minute! My pals said they thought I was
having a heart attack. I'm not sure what time we got home but I was so
wired that I was still up reading the early comments in the papers at
2:30 in the morning.
In the afternoon we had a chance to watch the Spartans and they are
definitely impressive. I hope they kick some more Irish butt this
week.

2)Social;
We have gone out for breakfast, lunch, dinner coffee and a tailgate
with old friends. At the teacher retiree breakfast, someone was nice
enough to point out that Nan and I were the oldest ones there. You can
sure tell that we are all getting old when the topics most discussed
are grand children and medical conditions. We did a coffee with local
geocachers. One of the most fun events was a tailgate. Some of Tom's
HS buddies claim we turned them on to tailgating when we took them to
games and tailgated 30 years ago. They bought a house near the stadium
which they rent out to students except for the basement and the back
yard on home game days. They have named it the Wolverine Den. It has
its own web page which you can google. On Saturday they had a pig
roast which we attended along with over 250 others. Steve, the guy who
started it said that 50 - 60 don't go to the game, they stay and watch
it on one of the TVs. I met a number of former students and their
kids.

3)The downside;
We are not happy with our unit. The development we stayed the past 3
years was well maintained and convenient, a 10 minute drive straight
to our stadium parking. This one is 30 - 45 in heavy Interstate
traffic. This development is poorly maintained. It's called Village
Green, Nancy says the name comes from the green mold on the outside of
all the buildings. When we moved in, the kitchen faucet leaked and
they had just placed a towel on the shelf under the sink. We thought
that the oven needed cleaning but but they say "it is just corrosion".
The kitchen contains one dishtowel, one fry pan, one sauce pan and one
other pot. Oh well, we'll just go to Meijer and pick up some stuff. It
is what it is.

All in all we are having a good time. Next to Traverse City, Ann Arbor
is our favorite town.

If all goes well. on Wednesday we are driving to Rochester to see
Odette and Doug. We were scheduled to go last Thursday but their
Medical problems wouldn't permit a visit then.

Under the Lights

Robinson Finds Roundtree with Two Ticks Left, Michigan Overtakes Irish

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	Roy Roundtree

Sept. 10, 2011

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31
Records: U-M (2-0), Notre Dame (0-2)
Attendance: 114,804
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Sept. 17 -- vs. Eastern Michigan (Michigan Stadium), Noon

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- For the third straight season, the University of Michigan football team overtook Notre Dame in the final 30 seconds, as junior quarterback Denard Robinson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach) completed a 16-yard pass to senior/junior wide receiver Roy Roundtree (Trotwood, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) with two seconds remaining to give the Wolverines a 35-31 comeback victory in the Under the Lights contest on Saturday (Sept. 10) inside Michigan Stadium. In front of a record crowd of 114,804 fans, the Wolverines clawed their way back into the game from a 14-0 deficit in the first quarter, tallying 28 fourth-quarter points.

Retiree's Breakfast

Oh Boy, we got to go to the Bomber! It's in the rundown section of Michigan Ave. in Ypsi. The food is good, the servers are friendly and efficient, regardless of the purple hair :)

We had a great time - it really is a blast to see all of the former faculty members - some of them are getting really old. Come to think of it, I believe that Dick and I are now the oldest of the old at this point.

I especially enjoyed talking to Jan, Bill, Kay, John, Dan, Cindy, Diann and Linda. Diann and Jan and I plan to go see "Contagion" next week.

We gave Notre Dame game tickets to Dan and Bill for Saturday's game. The guys are going to the Wolverine Den for a pig roast before the game! Should be quite a time!

Phooning. Phooning?

We ran into Melissa P. at Meijer, and she said, "Are you coming tonight?" Huh? Seems the South Lyon Trekkers Meet and Greet is tonight in South Lyon - we had thought it was tomorrow.

We made it over there, and I had so much fun talking to the kids who came - it was their first day of school, and I loved hearing all about it from the kids' perspectives! Daniel (1st grade) showed me his broken thumb - it's a little crooked. He said he broke his thumb in the Thumb! Then he said, "It was a day of irony."

I also enjoyed talking to andrew.r.brown and his son Jason (3rd grade) - such nice people!

Then we were told that we had to Phoon, and this is the result:

Fooning Fools (proving that you don't have to be young to be foolish.)




@ Biggby Coffee
22729 Pontiac Trail
South Lyon, MI 48178
N 42° 26.913 W 083° 39.059
This is a challenge for those geocachers who attend our twice monthly coffee shop event. To complete this challenge, have your picture taken while phooning in front of this coffee shop. (Don't know what phooning is? Check here: http://www.phoons.com/ ) The picture must be of your entire body (so we can see proper form of the phoon). Each person who claims credit must upload a picture of him or herself phooning at this location. Make sure the coffee shop is recognizable. Have fun!

Sweet Sunday

Almost a whole day with Tom! Hooray!

We slept in and just foraged for breakfast. Then we took a drive around North Campus and some old haunts.

Zingerman's Roadhouse is the perfect spot for Sunday lunch, and that's where we headed. I had wonderful mac and cheese. Tom had an oyster poorboy, which I guess was not that wonderful.

Back to the apartment for rest and relaxation and conversation - holy cow - we even talked about Beth! I guess Beth and Lani's husband both work for the DNR, or DEQ or whatever it is now.

Dropped Tom at the airport in timely fashion. A nice hug and a wave, and he's gone again.

This is Football Weather?

The Gimper approaching Section 37:

Sept. 3, 2011

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Michigan Stadium)
Score: Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10 (declared final with 1:27 left in third quarter due to weather)
Records: U-M (1-0), Western Michigan (0-1)
Attendance: 110,506
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Sept. 10 -- vs. Notre Dame - Under the Lights (Michigan Stadium), 8 p.m. (TV: ESPN)

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior weakside linebacker Brandon Herron (Stafford, Texas/Dulles) became the first Wolverine in school history to post two defensive scores in a single contest, helping lead the University of Michigan football to a 34-10 win over Western Michigan in the 2011 season opener, which was declared final with 1:27 in the third quarter due to weather on Saturday (Sept. 3) inside Michigan Stadium. The victory is head coach Brady Hoke's first at the helm of the Michigan program.

Although the opening kickoff featured 90-degree heat and sunny skies, storms from the southwest rolled over Michigan Stadium in the second half. The game was suspended twice in the third quarter after lightning was spotted within six miles of the stadium. The first suspension resulted in only a 30-minute delay, but the bleak outlook of the second suspension forced Michigan and Western Michigan officials to call the game with 1:27 left in the third quarter and declare the Wolverines the winner. This is the first Michigan football game to end due to weather before all 60 minutes of regulation have been played.

The game with Western was quite the experience. It was amazingly hot, hot, hot followed by amazingly wet, wet, wet and windy.

The rains came (and thunder and lightning!):



The students didn't want to leave!



At least it cooled off by 10 degrees or so. Tom and Dick hung in there until the end...I left after the first quarter - just couldn't handle the heat and no shade. Wimpy wimpy wimpy. During the storm, the thermometer in the car said 84.

When we got back to the apartment there were trees and branches down everywhere. What a storm. We ordered pizza and the delivery person actually found our apt.

We had a great time with Tom - he loved the game and had a good time, weather notwithstanding. He wanted the game to continue, claiming that 8 year old girls play soccer in the snow!

Speaking of Tom, our plans have changed and we're not going to Tom's in Dec. Chip has made Captain and will be flying reserve - most likely will have to fly on Christmas Day, and will not be as able to adjust his time off for a while. We're all going to Florida again, and we figure that we'll have Christmas on whatever day he can be home.

Our First Full AA Day

What a mad social whirl (for us!)



We met Dennis and Chris at Zukey Lake Tavern in Pinckney for lunch. They are leaving Sunday for two months in Australia! We always enjoy their company, and love listening to their stories. They are now the grandparents of two, a girl and a boy.

The new baby is named Tiberius James - which we thought was interesting and unusual. Later, Tom pointed out that on the TV show Star Trek, William Shatner's character is named James Tiberius Kirk. Chris' son must be a Trekkie!

Then, after a lovely lunch, we went out to dinner with Sniders and Grignons at Carrabba's in Canton. Good food, good friends, good conversation, and anticipation of picking Tom up at the airport after dinner. What a nice time!





We picked Tom up without incident, and now we're all ready for tomorrow's game!