Holidays in Ohio

It's really no surprise to anyone in Ohio to experience heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures after Thanksgiving and then head outside for a sunny 78-degree day after Christmas. Who knows what New Years will bring? Our front closet is full of every type of outerwear imaginable.

Personally, I spent the sunny day golfing in an effort to test out my still-ailing foot and hamstring. I know it sounds crazy, but after walking around a golf course for 3 hours, I swear my foot and thigh actually felt better. Maybe the exercise loosened up the muscles? Who knows. At this point it has been a full month since both injuries and pain still plagues both legs. Fortunately I make my living as writer, in which legs are optional.

The Blue Jackets won an impressive game this weekend. I try to make an effort to read the follow-up stories in the Dispatch, only because the mood of the city seems so well-coordinated with the efforts of the team. Eight years after conception, we still have never made the playoffs, and a steady stream of letters pours in to the paper to assess the level of ruin that this reflects. I like reading the stories to absorb the emotion of the moment...or week, I suppose. The Jackets go on a three-game losing streak...we are terrible, there is no hope. The Jackets beat a superior team on the road....we are finally on our way to achieving respectability. It's like reading the financial page and hearing the comments from the stock brokers after the Dow moves up or down. Each time assessing it as some sort of permanent trend. At least until the new trend emerges four days later.

This was the first Christmas in a while in which *I* was chomping at the bit to open some presents, since I knew one of the boxes contained a Wii. After we finally unearthed that treasure, we spent much of the holiday swinging electronic tennis rackets and baseball bats. I'll say one thing: the Wii version of video games definitely burns more calories than the traditional ones. It may still not be impressive, but it IS progress.

Today I head to the eye surgeon to check out laser eye surgery. I have finally run into enough people who've had it and proclaim its miracle that I am seriously looking into it. In preparation, I've been wearing my glasses (instead of contacts) for two weeks now. I haven't worn glasses for more than half a day in 15 years. It hasn't been as bad as I had feared, but I'll be eager to get rid of them again as soon as possible. My doctor assures me that I should enjoy at least 5 good years before I then have to start using bifocals to see up close. Fantastic.