Almost
2007-02-23, 3:59 p.m.

Day 915

For the first time since the second week of bowling season, our team actually took all 8 points in a match last night. Wish I could say I contributed, but 7 splits (none converted either) will kind of put a damper on the scores. The left handed brother (yes, it IS easier from that side) had a monster night. His low game was a 238. He shot 279, 238, 257 or some nonsense like that. If we ever crawl out of the basement this season, it�ll be his fault. Besides my 7 splits? I had only 1 other open frame all night � the very first frame no less. Other than that, I covered my spares quite well. And the shots that resulted in splits? I can honestly say 4 of them were actually pretty darn good shots, I just got bad breaks (ie � I was screwed royally).

Zach & Jill returned from a 3 day visit to her parents. Zach had to work and Jill had some CPR training to go to later in the day. When Z-man got out of work, he took Jill out to her class, then swung by the bowling alley to hang with the guys. Mostly because he didn�t want to be home alone with his mother. Turns out that by 4:30 or so she was noticeably drunk to Zach. This bothered him enough that he�d rather watch a bunch of middle aged guys struggle at bowling than go home and hide in his room until it was time to pick up Jill. Yes � I�ve pointed out the availability of Al Anon to him, made him aware that he�s always free to go. To attend or not is always his choice. My influence ends at making him aware.

Anyhow. The �almost� referred to in the title. Almost realized one of my fears last night. Got home from bowling. Noticed a bright red streak down the right side of Cindy�s head, running roughly from her temple down to her upper cheek area. Very straight, almost perfectly vertical line, with a little spreading of the red. Looked like an abrasion from a distance. Cindy seemed to not know it was there, or thought it wasn�t visible. I had gotten close enough to get a decent look at it, and asked her what she�d done to the side of her head. She of course responded that she�d done nothing. But at least she looked in a mirror. Seemed to not want to look in the right spot at first. While she was getting lined up in the mirror, I got a much better look at the �abrasion�. In the center, there was a very straight, shallow depression that was oozing blood. The initial streak I saw was the blood welling up in the depression, with a little smearing & dripping. I asked Cindy if maybe she scratched herself with a fingernail while doing something (girl can grow some wicked nails). She latched onto that as an excuse right quick. Even repeated it to Zach later in the evening.

Later in the evening, while we were headed out to Caf� East to pick up dinner (yummy Chinese take out), Zach & I compared notes. We both agreed that the �fingernail� explanation was bull. We both saw the straightness in the initial wound. That was NOT from a fingernail. It was from a shelf edge, door edge, something very straight and very rigid. My best guesses? She took a tumble down the cellar stairs again while fetching load of laundry and whacked her head against the bookcase at the bottom of the stairs, or after having a smoke out in the garage, she stumbled up the steps into the house again and whacked her head against the edge of the storm door. The latter one is my personal favorite, if only due to the verticality of the dent. It just seems to fit. Of course, there�s precedents for both �trips�, but this is the first time she�s actually drawn blood. Even though she wiped out a case of (empty) Mason jars in one cellar trip. Lucky, lucky girl. How�s that one saying go - �God watches out for drunks, fools & sailors.�, isn�t it? Well, she�s got 2 out of 3 covered. Must feel she needs the extra protection.

It�s been a fear of mine that she�d do something like this one day, only I�d enter the house to find her unconscious or dead at the bottom of the stairs. She was lucky it was only the relatively light storm door leading to the garage. Even so, I�m not sure how she got the right side of her head. The way the door opens, the left side would be more likely to get hit. Unless she was headed out and hit her head on the big inner wood door. Hmmmmm. Ah well- - her head, her headache.

I think this evening we�ll be debunking the fingernail excuse when the bruise shows up. She bruises so easy anyhow, I�m surprised it didn�t show last night. Being on coumadin on top of that, I�m REALLY surprised it wasn�t visible. Of course, I wasn�t offered that many opportunities to look at it (like zero) after pointing it out.

But after having time to think about it, maybe I shouldn�t bring it up period. All mentioning it up will do is embarrass her and put her on the defensive. Maybe I can kid her some. Tease her about having to tell her co-workers that she ran into a door. Then they�ll all think I beat her. That will go SO well with her thinking I�m having an affair. Maybe I�ll just shut up about it entirely. Every scenario I come up with goes badly. Lordy � I went from concerned husband to cheating wife beater in half a paragraph. And here I can�t bring myself to raise a hand against a woman, ever. I can�t raise my hand against a guy either, come to think about it. Last person I hit in anger was a younger brother (not the bowling ones) and that was over 30 years ago. Brother fights don�t count, do they?

Guess what was in our weather forecast for last night. Did you guess snow? Good for you. Guess what�s in the forecast for 6 of the next 7 days? I bet you guessed snow again. If you did, you might be able to be a weather forecaster for upstate New York for at least January & February. It�s really a pretty easy job. You just have to �predict� 2 � 6 inches of snow overnight and an additional 2 � 6 inches through the day � of course with the worst to hit around rush hour. If you were to predict that for the entire month of February, you�d be right nearly 50% of the time. That ain�t bad for a weather person.

Kinda sorta did spinning this morning. Got in a little late for the class (story of my freakin life), so I decided to use one of the stationary bikes out in the �cardio theater� rather than disrupt the class with my tardy ass. Ugh. The saddles are not so hot (I was going to mention a particular numbness, but decided against it), the pedal resistance is anything but smooth at the higher settings, and calorie calculation can�t be right. Other than that, it was fine. Worked up a great sweat, kept the heart rate at a reasonable level (mostly in the 130�s the whole time � low for what I�m used to , but a good working rate none the less),went through a quart or so of water and got to watch the local news all in closed caption. No weights this morning though. That snow I mentioned? Yeah. Driving was kinda fun this morning, so I opted to leave the gym a little early and TRY to get to work early.

Now I�m in for a full round of weights in the morning along with a spin class. Julie usually makes the spin classes pretty interesting too. Always has new ideas to test out on us. Then, maybe, just maybe I can do Sunday�s class too. Different instructor, might find I like it better than Saturdays class. Been rather slacking in the sweat department lately. Taking way too many days off (3 off days a week!!) and not getting the weight work in. I�ll never get down to 180 at this rate. That IS still the target. Maybe when the weather turns, getting out on some longer bike ride will help. Race season will start too � more intense training maybe?

Do I need to declare for the Rochester Marathon then start a training regimen for that? Of course, I�d only run the half marathon, but still - parallel goals are kinda nice . . .

Oh � one comment � I have no concerns about my own memory. At least not yet. I kid about it, but that�s just a mechanism to help deal with Bob�s condition. Makes him feel better too, if he thinks he�s not the only one with CRS (Can�t Remember Shit) syndrome. Other stuff I have problems with. Drunk spouse, numb spot in my foot, lack of 6-pack abs, beer snobiness, driveway�s got snow in it again � those are problems. Memory? Gah. Wish I could forget all my problems.

Enough rambling. Time to post this then head for home. Only benefit to getting in early � leaving early too. On a Friday no less. Sweeeet.

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