I've had a wicked case of bronchitis that caused me to fall behind in
everything - setting up the house, cleaning, playing wii, responding to e-mails
and, most importantly, talking to you guys.

So in the spirit of catching up, here's some things I've been meaning
to tell you:

- Mark's nephew, an Army infantryman, is on his way to Afghanistan. He
turned 23 last month and is engaged to be married when his deployment ends.

- Did you watch "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" last night? The
episode featured a soldier stationed at Fort Riley who was wounded in Iraq and
later survived a tornado by huddling in a closet with his family while their
house was destroyed around them. Of course, I cried.

- The old house we live in here on post has a built-in humidifier in the
basement. A neighbor warned me that we should check it for mold. Mark opened it
up yesterday and it was surprisingly clean. Except for the slimy black remains
of a dead bat.

- My friend and former colleague Ernest Hooper gave me a mixed CD as a going
away present when I left Florida. The first track is "I Will Survive"
by Gloria Gaynor. It also includes "Don't Stop Believin'" by
Journey and "I'm Every Woman" by Chaka Khan. On a bad day, I put
it in my car stereo and crank the volume. A surefire cure for the Kansas blues.

Happy Monday! Hope you're feeling better soon. Nothing worse than being sick. I'll keep Mark's nephew in my prayers. I didn't catch Extreme Makeover yesterday - but it always makes me cry too. Have a great week! p.s. - Ernest Hooper is one of my favorite parts of the paper!

Yes! I saw Home Makeover last night, and I thought of you when they said "Ft Riley." (By the way, I cried, too.)

Yes yes yes! I saw Extreme Home Makeover last night and bawled my eyes out... definitely thought of you. I hope you get to feeling better soon.

Had to laugh about the dead bat. We have the skeleton of a bat stuck on the side of our barn. Apparently the bat was trying to get into our barn and got stuck between two pieces of siding. It's up to high for anyone to remove so it just stays there! Probably well preserved with the arctic air we have had the last two weeks. Ella thought the skeleton was way cool but then again she knew it was up to high to "get" her. Last summer I found a dead mouse floating in our dehumidifier! My girlfriend has been sick for a week. Just can't shake it. Take care and try to get some rest.

I will include Mark's nephew to the list of military people I pray for. I saw Extreme Makeover last night and thought of you. Yes, I cried. I usually do when I watch this show. That sounds like a cool CD that Ernest made for you. He writes some of the funniest things.

So, I am going to get a chest x-ray tomorrow and then, hopefully, the doctor will give me some drugs! ... Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts for Mark's nephew ... As for the bat, maintenance is coming out tomorrow to check the humidifier more thoroughly ... And I totally forgot to link this post to Ernest Hooper's columns for the St. Pete Times. You can read his work at: http://www.tampabay.com/writers/article380222.ece .... Those of you who read my blog in Florida will remember that Ernest's grandma Ann Nixon Cooper was featured in Obama's acceptance speech when he was elected president.

Just found your blog and it's wonderful! On Fort Riley for two+ years, up on the Hill (enlisted). Hate the winters! Yuck! I'm killing the winter blues with Huey Lewis & the News and U2, and watching Scooby-Doo with my kids. Hope you feel better very soon! Take care!

Hi cdenson! I'm so glad you found us. Please feel free to send in any suggestions/ideas for future blog posts, questions, etc. Your comment gave me an idea to do one on songs to get us through the long cold Riley winters. Funny ... I am watching Scooby Doo with my daughter right now, too!!!