it's snowing Memorial Day weekend

5-24-2008

Wow. I cannot believe it's been 6 months since I made
an entry here. A lot has happened in that time, so I'll
recap what's important (to me, at least).

This weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and I am in
Crested Butte South, Colorado. It was a last minute
decision to drive up here, but we have the place booked
for the next 2 months, and it was a good idea to get up
here before that, to make sure things are ready for the
guests, etc. Also, there is some work we want to have
done up here, so it's better to meet the people in person
than to do it all over the phone.

It's not yet summer up here, and each day I've been
here it has snowed. Big wet flakes of snow, that may
stay around awhile, but ultimately melt since the ground
is warmer, and the temperature warms up during the
day as well. Well, warms up to the 40's, perhaps 50's.
It is due to get even warmer the next few days. But
being that I enjoy cooler weather and snow, I'm fine with
it the way it is, knowing it's been in the 80's and 90's back
home. I'll get plenty of 90's and 100's days soon enough
back in Oklahoma.

Crested Butte area had more snow than usual, the most
in years. That was great for their ski season. However,
now as it melts, it has to go somewhere, so there is always
a chance of flooding throughout the lower areas, and on
downstream. No chance of our house flooding though, so
that's a good thing. The river below it is about as high as
I've seen it, and running quite rapidly.

Over the last 6 months I did get more done on the lake
house, though it's still not finished. I had to put things on
hold for awhile, due to spending more on it than was
originally budgeted, etc. Most of what is left to be done is
landscaping, as the garage, driveway, rooms over the garage,
etc. are done. I still have not got the beds to put in the new
bedrooms, but that will happen soon as well. Now I need to
do some Spring Cleaning up there, as some things have
accumulated that need to go, etc.

As previously noted, we closed KAL's restaurant. As of
mid December, we opened up the SUNSET Bar & Grill in
the same space, in London Square. It's more informal,
more economical, more family friendly, and we have live
music most nights. If you've not been in there, give us a
try. Great burgers, salads, appetizers, desserts and of
course, drinks. There are daily food specials, and every
Wednesday night is Ladies Night. Monday night is a jam
night for musicians, open to anyone that wants to join in.
Lunch Monday - Friday, Dinner Monday - Saturday. We
are closed Sundays. It is all non-smoking. With warmer
weather approaching, the patio will be open out front.

Work at my regular job has been very busy. We started
picking up 3 - 4 years ago, and it's still going great guns.
We've added some more shop workers, and our crew in
the office and in the shop have been great at keeping up
with work, and getting orders ready to ship on time, etc.
We recently had our Spring Picnic at the Perryman Ranch,
and once again had awesome weather for it. They keep
adding more improvements at the Perryman Ranch, and
with the addition of air conditioning in the Pavillion, it's
now more useable during the summers, etc.

The cats are doing fine, and all are at home this week
while I'm in Colorado. Travis, Tamara, Tootsie and Aggie
are all around 16 now, so I guess they will all be wanting
their driver's licenses. heheh. They still run the house,
of course, and they let me know it. Fortunately I have
a great cat-sitter for when I'm gone like this week.

Sports wise, Oklahoma State Cowboys football team won
their bowl game against Indiana. Coach Mike Gundy has
the offense high-powered and ready to score. However,
the defense was not as ready, and it cost us some games.
Next year it appears the defense will be improved, so
hopefully the win / loss record will improve beyond .500
for the regular season. We did have an incredible win
over Nebraska this year, though NU had a down year, it
was still memorable.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys men's basketball team had
a winning season, and played a game in the NIT, though
we lost it and were eliminated. It was the third year in a
row to go to the NIT instead of the NCAA, and to be beat
in the first game and ousted. Still, it's better than not
going to any post-season tournament.

However, the athletic director at OSU decided it was time
to make a coaching change, and Head Coach Sean Sutton
resigned, though obviously under pressure to do so. He
had a winning record, and brought a great legacy to the
position, plus had been a star player for OSU at point guard.
He seemed to be entrenched as a very loyal coach that
would stay forever, given the chance. Part of the reason for
a so-so season this past year was not his fault, as we lost
one player late to the NBA, and another transfered to a
school closer to home. Having those two players this past
season would have produced a better record for sure, but
still may not have been enough to save Sean Sutton's job.
It seems the AD was determined to make a change, no
matter what the record, etc. Will it be for the better for
OSU ? Only time will tell.

The AD brought in Travis Ford, and he seems to be quite
a good guy. So far he's taken some programs on different
levels and improved their teams and records. Each of
those times, he took teams that were in a losing rut, and
brought about a winning change. At OSU, he inherits a
team that is good, but not great, but not a losing team
either. He'll be coaching Coach Sutton's players at first,
so it will be difficult to know for awhile how much his
coaching makes a difference over Sutton's, etc. But I
believe he will be a good coach, and hopefully a great one.
Only time will tell.

There's obviously something good about a guy named
Travis....... just ask my cat Travis.

OSU's women's basketball team had an awesome year.
They soundly defeated bedlam rival OU in Stillwater,
and made a great run during the Big 12 season, the Big
12 tournament, and during the NCAA tournament. They
added a spark to the OSU sports scene that was needed.
They drew the largest crowd ever to watch a women's
basketball game in the state when they beat OU at home.
They had more games on TV then previously, and many
OSU fans chose to watch the women's season rather than
the men's, when there was a conflict. Go Pokes !

OSU's baseball team is having a great season, and ranked
in the Top Ten. They are in the Big 12 Tournament this
week in Oklahoma City, and playing against Nebraska as
I type this. Can't wait to give my buddy from Lincoln a
hard time after we beat them today. Well, if we do. NU
has a good team as well. Nothing is for sure, of course,
so I hope the team can back up my words. hehehe.

Kansas City Chiefs season never really got off the ground.
They did not end up with a good record, nor make the
post season. They did end up with more draft spots than
any other team, and it appears they made good choices
with those picks. Time will tell, of course. I'll still go to
some of the home games, of course, and especially now
with a former OSU player on the team. Dantrell Savage
was just recently signed as a free agent, so hopefully
he will have a great off-season, and stay with the team.

Health wise I'm doing alright. I had several rounds with
sinus infections in the left ear this winter. While it seemed
they were all cleared up, I'm now wondering. My latest
installment of growing older occurred a few weeks ago, when
my hearing in my left ear suddenly changed. One morning
I woke up, did my time on the stationary bike, and sometime
after that, suddenly noticed my left ear's hearing was not
normal. It was suddenly impaired, with a constant buzzing
and windy sound in it. It was never sore during all this, and
going to doctors confirmed it was not wax, not an infection,
and that they saw no fluid trapped anywhere, etc. It kept
feeling like, if I could just yawn really big, and stretch the
mouth enough, that it would all clear up, like can happen
after flying, etc. However, that was not to be. 3 weeks
later, and it's still not back to normal. I've been through
high doses of Sudafed, plus a round of steroids (not the muscle
head type), and no real difference. I was hoping the difference
in altitude might help, but again, no real difference.

In short, while I've been hoping it was only temporary, I am
beginning to fear that it may not be. The Docs have still not
been able to give me a definite answer on that, and I do go
back again in a few weeks for more testing, evaluation, etc.
I realize I am getting older, and that hearing can be one of
the things that is effected, especially if around loud noises,
etc. However, this came on so suddenly, that I had high
hopes it was an infection, or fluid, or something that would
clear up. Since that appears to not be the case, I may be
in the market for a hearing aid in the near future. If that's
the case, I'm fine with that, as long as it can help with this
ringing and whistling noise in my ear. That's getting old.

Enough for now. More later. Hopefully before 6 months !!

Wally