Catch-up time

For the thousands out there who care, it's time to catch up on what's been going on since the last post on April 16. . . . . .

I survived the pneumonia. The little $15 pills worked their magic by the time the 10th and last pill went down my throat. The doctor checked again to be sure all the pneumonia was gone, and almost all of it was. I have to re-check on June 4. . . . . .

The eternal winter finally has come to an end. We missed last Friday's May blizzard here in the southeast corner of the state although we had a steady rain all day that day. This week it's up to 80 degrees, and I finally put the screens on the windows Sunday. Time to resume sleeping down in the basement where, come the dog days of August, it will be a relief to be down there where it's cool year-round. . . . . .

We had a wonderful but brief weekend in Rochester for granddaughter Olivia's sixth birthday on April 19. Uncle Ryan came down from Minneapolis, too, and his 32nd birthday was the next day. The following week was Dylan's week to be with his dad in Rapid City, but I went out to Chamberlain to pick him up on April 28, and it has been great to have him back. . . . . .

Heather has two finals down, two to go, and she'll be done with Year #2 of law school by Friday. She starts a summer job at a law firm in Sioux Falls on May 19. . . . . .

I'm still writing my column once monthly for the paper in Custer, my old stomping grounds. This Friday is my next deadline. My buddy out there, Jason Ferguson, asked this morning if I was inspired to write it this week. I said, "No, but that never stopped me before." I may have some news about going back to work right here in Vermintown in a couple of days, so stay tuned if you care. . . . . .

We just had a five-minute hailstorm pass through. Torrents of rain but hardly any wind, and now the sun is about to break through again. 'Tis the season! . . . . .

I couldn't get up to Grand Forks last Saturday for the wedding of Devin "Devo" Weingart (Riggs '02). I had promised him all along that I would be there, and I feel really bad and guilty that I didn't go. I'd like to get to Pierre for the final concerts before retirement for vocal director Will Hanson and band director Larry Johnson on Monday and Tuesday. Their programs meant so much to all four of my kids during their Riggs High days. I should also get to Pierre the following Saturday for the Matt Picchietti/Blair Simon wedding, and I'd like to be in Custer that same day for graduation. It was a year ago this week that I was moving back and forth across the state in car and U-Haul truck, and I haven't been back to Rapid City or Custer since. . . . . .

Almost time to pick up Dylan at USD daycare. Heather has a major final exam in the morning, so she is studying at the law school library this afternoon. . . . . .

Thanks for reading! I'll attempt to contribute something to this blog on a more regular basis from now on, including my Custer column whenever I get it done this week.