Conversations with Smiths- Part 18

It is election season again here in Franklin County, Ohio. Voting here is a big deal. It should be a big deal everywhere, but it is particularly big here. Although, a little less so since this isn't a presidential election year. Thank goodness! We still get mailings and door signs and people knocking starting in September and oh the number of phone calls we get. I pretty much tune out everything candidate related until mid-October, then pick up the guide written up by the Ohio Women's League of Voters, do a little additional research, and THEN decide for whom I'm voting.

I do have some very definite opinions on the issues we get to vote on, though, so those I have decided well in advance. The other day I received a phone call that went like this:

Caller: Hello? Mrs. Smith? 

Me: This is she.

Caller: I was wondering if I could give you a little more information concerning issue #-.

Me: No, thanks. I'm already planning on voting for it.

Caller: Oh, that's wonderful! Would you like a yard sign to show your support?

Me: No. My husband is likely voting against it. This is usually the case, so we try to keep the yard a neutral zone.

Caller: I see. That sounds complicated.

Me: It's not bad.

Caller: Well, thanks for your vote, Mrs. Smith. 

Me: No problem. I'll try to trip my husband on the way out the door on election day.

Caller: We would certainly appreciate that, Ma'am.

Conversations with Smiths-Part 13

I have always claimed to know nothing about football. It's not a baseless claim, despite the fact that I was in marching band for 2 years of high school and therefore attended all the Friday night football games.

Also, despite the fact that I dated a football player (although, it was off-season). He was very nice about and I think even a little amused by my ignorance of the sport. I regularly referred to him as My Big Dumb Jock, and he was nice enough not to point out that in this particular area, I was the dumb one.

And then in college I was surrounded by other music majors. The majority of us had been in marching bands, but we didn't talk about football. Until I started dating a guy (also a music major) my sophomore year who was appalled at my lack of football knowledge. We started dating in November, and he almost immediately began trying to teach me about it. I was not an enthusiastic student. I did, however, agree to watch the SuperBowl that year. I brought homework to do and only really looked up during the commercials, such was my enthusiasm for the event. 

He managed to teach me one thing. I think we were at a diner when it finally sunk in. There may have been sugar packets involved in the explanation. But, the one piece of football knowledge I have retained is this: A sack is when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage. 

At the wedding of this ex-boyfriend, my husband actually thanked him for working so hard to teach me that one thing, because he wasn't getting anywhere with furthering my football knowledge.

That's it. That's all I know. I know the definition of a sack. It's like my party trick. I now live in a land obsessed with college football, and when accused of knowing nothing, I pull out my one piece of knowledge. (Also, I knew that this year OSU managed to do very well with their 3rd string quarterback. But you can't really live here and NOT know things like that.)

Or at least I THOUGHT that was all I knew. Until last night.

Benjamin: So, while I was sitting outside the trainer's icing, I heard this really weird thud come from the football field and there was our one shining hope for a decent football season. He's an incredible linebacker and now it looks like he's out for the season!

Me: Oh, no! What happened? 

Benjamin: They think his ankle is fractured. It was an incredibly hard sack.

Me: [getting all excited!] But that wasn't a sack. He's not the quarterback.

Benjamin: Yeah, but it doesn't always have to be the quarterback for it to be a sack.

Todd: [reading the definition of "sack" from my phone] "Sack-In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback (or another offensive player acting as a passer) is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass.

Me: Yes, but linebacker isn't an offensive position.

Benjamin: [glowers at me]

Me: Face it. I know more about football than you. [I totally don't, but it's fun to egg him on.]

Benjamin: You really don't, Mom.

Me: Apparently, today I do.

Benjamin: Okay, what's a wide receiver?

Me: Someone who catches the ball...you know, but far away from things.

Benjamin: I'm just not going to talk anymore.

At which point Todd and I high-fived and we continued with dinner. Also, it should be noted that I had NO IDEA that I knew what linebackers and wide-receivers were! They must put something in the water in Columbus....

"Nothing but blue skies!"

There are many wonderful things about living in Columbus, Ohio.  It is a fantastic place to raise a family.  Housing is affordable, our town is delightful, we have great infrastructure, nearly everything is family friendly, and the ice cream is amazing.  That being said, there is a major draw back.  I've mentioned it before.  For roughly 5 months out of the year, we barely see the sun.  It's there, trying so hard shine a little feeble light on us through the clouds.  But generally, our skies look like the above picture.  A cement gray for the entire winter.  It wears on the soul after awhile.

My daughter, who was born here and has never lived anywhere else, accepts that this is as it should be.  Of COURSE you're not supposed to see the sun in the winter!  Silly Mom for thinking otherwise!  I didn't realize how much this was a part of her life until she started crying in the car today when we were driving home, "Mom!  Where are the clouds?? Why are all the clouds gone?? Why is the sky only blue??"

I wanted to cry, too, that my girl thinks of a bright blue sky in the winter as "wrong".   

For me it is a gift.  A reminder that spring will come again.  The cement gray skies will be mostly banished until next November and I'll need to drink up all the vitamin D I possibly can.  I know Lilyanna will be happy when it comes, too, but for right now it's freaking the poor girl out.

Pre-crying over the blue sky.

Proof that it's possible, though not likely, to see a blue sky in Columbus in February.

The Plague

Remember when a few days ago I rolled out my cleaning goals for Monday and said something silly like "unless we get H1N1..."?

Well, that's what I get, I guess. Our elementary school has had absence rates of 35% and 39% most recently. The "good" news is that they're not all H1N1. Some of them are whooping cough. So far it's just Nathaniel and Todd with the plague. Yesterday, Nathaniel had an appointment with his pediatric GI for an annual liver check up. She lives in our town and had heard about how badly our particular school had been hit. Her response to Nathaniel being so sick was, "He has H1N1. We're not testing. Go home. Be sick. Get better. Call me if he turns yellow. Here's a mask."

(Incidentally, the appointment was at the children's hospital which was so packed that we had to park in the staff parking lot because the parking garages were full to bursting. We walked past the ER, which was a room full of people wearing masks. It's not just our school. Columbus is hit HARD right now with this.)

Happily, my goofy kids, even while sick, do not lose their sense of humor. Here is what Nathaniel did with his dinner last night.

This picture is so pitiful to me. Poor kid.

Of course, three of the six people in our house are in the high risk category for H1N1. Two of them have it. I'm the high risk hold out right now, but judging by the response from the specialists of the other two, I don't particularly expect the doctors to care all that much if I do come down with it. It seems that the scary things being said by the CDC and the response of the doctors are rather at odds with each other. That being said, I appreciate the very level headed reactions by all of our doctors.

(According to the CDC, neither Todd nor I should have been within six feet of Nathaniel who should have been quarantined in his room away from everyone else and wearing a mask basically before he started showing symptoms. Yeah. I get the idea behind the recommendations, but I'm not about to let my son be sick without touching him. Sorry.)

Oh, did I mention that it was spread all over the school BEFORE the vaccine arrived in Columbus? And that the vaccine isn't even available yet to the general public?

I don't think the good people of Worthington will be needing that so much now, thanks.

A Day in Columbus

We were trying to go to the Santa Maria. But it was closed. So we went to the Main Public library which is AWESOME and totally worth a trip. Walking from Battelle Park to the library though takes a very long time when three boys must take advantage of EVERY SINGLE REVOLVING DOOR along the way. Seriously! Who knew there were so many revolving doors in downtown Columbus?!

Taking COTA downtown and back was the most exciting adventure. On the way home, though, we only got as far as Graceland before I had to call Todd to come pick us up. We were a pitiful sight by then.

To Google Transit I say:
You still got bugs, baby.

To the snarky bus driver I say:
Had there not been a sleeping four year old in my arms, I would have snapped in a z formation at you, dude. Don't you mess with a Mama bear and her cubs!

To my husband I say:
I love you.

To my kids I say:
Isn't life an adventure?!

Waiting and waiting and waiting for the bus. (Google Transit, I'm looking your way...)
The Santa Maria
Chillin' in Battelle Park
The Big City ;)
Our man Chris (Columbus)
This statue was apparently a gift from the people of Genoa, Italy to the city of Columbus.