The guys are getting all revved up about the Superbowl on Sunday -- and it starts at 4pm, I think, so it will end just at bedtime. I might let the guys stay up if it goes into overtime, but I don't know. It is bound to be pretty loud. If nothing else, it should be fun. Ron is leaving for Colorado that evening - his flight leaves at 8pm, so he won't get to see the second half of the game, though I know he is looking forward to the first half.

In other news, I am trying desperately to get back into working out regularly. This has been hard since I pretty much flamed out during December and only went to spin -- no swimming or rides outside (well, maybe one or two). Getting back on my bike has been way more difficult than I wanted it to be. The second and third weeks of January, I committed (publicly) to doing two hours of riding per day -- and I did do that, but it was a combination of outside and inside riding on the trainer. It was terrible to ride inside -- had to resort to watching The Biggest Loser one night, just to keep going. That is all done and I have managed to make it out on my bike twice last week, and it will be twice this week too, unless I get overcome by the urge to ride and go out this afternoon. I finally returned to the pool yesterday too. I was ready to go back and swim and then I got that horrendous infection in my eyes and the doctor said no swimming. She still says no swimming, but tough rocks -- the season is approaching and I have to get back into the water. Besides, the bromine in the pool will kill virtually anything.

It has been cold here. Not like back East, but still pretty cold. Yesterday, when I headed out to the pool (which is outside), it was only 30 degrees. The Tanque Verde valley is a micro-climate and is a little cooler than the city of Tucson, and a little more damp too - and you can really tell! I have made the adjustment to being a desert-dweller I guess, because I am COLD. I am cold all the time these days. It is about 60 during the day, and I am still cold. Yesterday when I went out on my bike, it was 40 degrees when I left and I was really cold. This usually passes by the time I hit about two miles, but yesterday I stayed cold. Getting in the shower when I got home was great. I am getting tired of this being cold all the time stuff, so I have made an appointment with my acupuncturist for Monday. He took care of this issue awhile ago, and I guess it is time for my chi to be rearranged a little. I am really looking forward to this! I will finally be warm again!

The guys are doing very well these days. James has a cold that he cannot seem to shake though and sounds horrible. He is very snotty and spends a lot of time whining and crying. It is not good. He is doing it at school too, I found out yesterday. I had assumed that once he got to school he pulled himself together. Not so. I hope this passes quickly. Andy is doing great things these days and is getting ready to do yet another book report. I hate these things. This one may not be so bad because it is a poster with a timeline on it. However, he does have to come up with some kind of math problem for the book. I don't get how this is to be done, so I hope he understands how to do it. Benjamin is great -- looking forward to baseball and swimming starting in April, and enjoying his schoolwork. He has to do a report on a desert animal (due 18 February), that has to be 5 paragraphs long and be accompanied by a MODEL of this animal. I am dreading it already. I hope Brigid is ready to go on this one -- she is great with this kind of stuff. Elias is loving kindergarten and I think he is getting close to reading, but it hasn't quite clicked yet.

Today, I have to report in at the school at 9am to help grade the spelling bee papers. Yes, you read that correctly, I actually said that I would come to the school to VOLUNTEER to do something. I think this could be a first. However, there is no student contact, and it is just grading spelling tests -- how bad could it be? heh heh heh... keep your eyes here to find out....