Closing

As I write this, the closing of the sale of my father's house is taking place. Our attorney is representing us, so we needn't be there. We've had tremendous support from our attorney, the real estate agent, Mike and his crew, neighbors, and friends.

So, the house where I grew up (to the extent that I grew up) is now owned by another family. A number of years ago, I was talking with some people at work and learned that I was the only one of the group who'd spent all 12 years of elementary and high school in the same school system. There were very few changes in the neighborhood. Don's family moved there when we were in the third or fourth grade; that's the only family with kids that moved in or out.

Sandra and I went through the house on Saturday, making one last check of the place. Both of us felt some sadness stir up. We remembered where and how my father lived during his last years and days. We admired the work that was done in the renovations. We left a note to the new owners, hoping that they love their new home.

I wonder how long it'll be before we'll want or need to ride down that road again.

A touch of family

This morning, I received a call from my aunt, my mother's older sister. My aunt is 90. Her voice is strong and her mind clear. This was, probably, the only time that she called me directly. Previously, she called when my mother was living with us and then only if she hadn't heard from my mother in a while.

My aunt was eager to talk about her life at this time. She's in a Finnish-American nursing home in Florida, run by Karelians (people from what had been the southeast corner of Finland; Karelia was seized by the Soviet Union as a part of the settlement of the Winter War). She asked if I've been in contact with my cousins who live in Florida and asked that I ask them to give her a call.

Dilbert on hobbies

In just about every first encounter with doctors, therapists, and even real people, they'll ask me about my hobbies.

I do have real friends, for whom I am deeply grateful.

This week's miscellaneous links

• BELOIT COLLEGE'S MINDSET LIST® FOR THE CLASS OF 2011 ( Sunday, Feb 03 at 02:22 AM )

• Teach your brain to stretch time - being-human - 04 February 2006 - New Scientist ( Friday, Feb 01 at 09:17 PM )

  "Until the biomedical people can make us live forever, the closest thing we have is to stretch the moment."

• How Do I Choose A Sauna? ~ Tech News Watch ( Friday, Feb 01 at 08:56 PM )

  After establishing a budget decide where in the house the sauna is to go. The size of the sauna is in direct relation to the size of your budget. Sizes range from 3×5 (ft.) to a typical bedroom size. It is entirely possible to purchase a do-it-yourself k

• Catholics Asked Not To Celebrate St. Patrick's Day On March 17 - Entertainment News Story - WEWS Cleveland ( Friday, Feb 01 at 06:19 AM )

  Let's see: Holy Week vs. Green Beer.

• Ice Sauna - The Snow Room Anti-Sauna ( Thursday, Jan 31 at 10:46 PM )

  The room will be offered to those hotel guests who have had enough of the blazing sun and unbearable heat, and are looking for a way to cool down - at minus ten degrees the Snow Room will be just the place.

• Lazy Productivity: 10 Simple Ways to Do Only Three Things Today | LifeRemix Blog ( Wednesday, Jan 30 at 08:28 PM )

This week's Roaster Boy's playlist

• Curtis Mayfield - Move on up ( Monday, Feb 04 at 08:02 PM )

  There are so many things right about this tune - the beat, the lyrics, the singing. -- Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com Drink from the well and yield your place to another. - Jose Ortega y Gasset

• Happy 60th Birthday, Vince Furnier, aka Alice Cooper ( Monday, Feb 04 at 06:48 PM )

  Also, Happy Almost 18th Birthday, MFH. This song, written and delivered quite a while ago, still tells the story of eighteen years old better than any other song I know: I'm Eighteen

• YouTube - Step Right Up (Tom Waits) ( Monday, Feb 04 at 10:27 AM )

  With a voice like rocks in a metal bucket, Tom Waits 'splains our As Seen on TV world : Step Right Up . The large print giveth while the small print taketh away.

• Rolling Stones - You can't always what you want ( Saturday, Feb 02 at 03:31 PM )

  -- Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com Drink from the well and yield your place to another. - Jose Ortega y Gasset

• YouTube - Talking Heads - Life During Wartime ( Thursday, Jan 31 at 03:28 PM )

  YouTube - Talking Heads - Life During Wartime

• YouTube - Dave Brubeck - Take Five ( Thursday, Jan 31 at 11:35 AM )

  You'd be hard pressed to find a more nerdly-looking bunch, but this tune, nearly 50 years old and with its iconic 5/4 time, still defines cool: YouTube - Dave Brubeck - Take Five

• Fleetwood Mac - Oh, Well (Live at the Boston Tea Party) ( Wednesday, Jan 30 at 08:36 PM )

  The Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac shows off its stuff in this somewhat-hard-to-find recording from 1969.

• January 30, 1969: The Beatles make their last public appearance with a free rooftop concert. "Get Back." ( Wednesday, Jan 30 at 12:33 PM )

  FARK.com: Fark YouTube Player (3363759) January 30, 1969: The Beatles make their last public appearance with a free rooftop concert. "Get Back."

• Fred Neil- The Dolphins ( Wednesday, Jan 30 at 11:29 AM )

  Another old folkie gem - YouTube - The Dolphins . We mostly know Fred Neil from Everybody's Talkin' , popularized by Harry Nilsson as a part of the soundtrack for Midnight Cowboy.

• The music in our heads ( Tuesday, Jan 29 at 09:04 PM )

  From time to time, we all have songs stuck in our heads. The folks in this story (NPR: Hearing Things: When Sounds Come Unbidden) , however, get music delivered through their own, bored auditory systems.

The sky is the color that Bellicheck's sweatshirt should have been

We went to a dandy Super Bowl party at Mike and Lynn's last night. They've put a fantastic entertainment room above the garage. We ate well, enjoyed the crowd, and stayed for the first half. The high-def big screen was just what the game called for.

Of course, what was really called for was the Patriots team that played the first 18 games of the season. There was plenty of suck to go around last night - the coach, for not going for the field goal, Brady, for throwing bad passes, the offensive line, defensive backs, just about everyone.

The theme in the NFL for the last 20 or so years is that, on any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team. The quality of all of the teams is so high that it only takes a slight shift of skill, luck, or energy to raise up the low or knock down the mighty. The value of a team is what they bring to each and every game. Last night, the Patriots played as though they were confused and tired. In the past, their desire has overcome their confusion and tiredness. Last night, it didn't.

It wasn't a great game. Neither team showed great stuff. The Giants just played well enough to win.

So, now, we wait. The Red Sox equipment van leaves Boston for spring training next week.

And what the heck was the deal with that red sweatshirt?