THE 1980 MIRACLE

So…..the cold and snow I’ve been writing about for the last 2 weeks is still here and going strong.  Which means we haven’t been doing much.  Been watching a bunch of TV.

Saw an ad on TV this week for a new Netflix documentary titled “Miracle:  The Boys of 80”.  Major sports fans know immediately what this title is referring too.  And boy, did the ad unleash a boatload of memories for me. 

If you are not aware, in less than a week the Winter Olympics begin.  I have been a major Olympics fan for as long as I can remember.  Growing up in a sports orientated family sort of demands that addiction.  Have attended the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics and the 2002 Salt Lake Winter Olympics.   I always feel bad for my poor husband, Pete, since he is not as obsessed as I am (if at all) and he must suffer through 2 solid weeks of nothing but Olympics on the TV.

So, the ad brought back the memory of watching that 1980 US Hockey team beat the Russians in Lake Placid, NY on TV.  I was bouncing all over my apartment at the time, could not sit down at all as the game progressed.  And was screaming at the top of my lungs when the “Miracle” happened.  The US team was crushed earlier in the year by the Russians during an exhibit game prior to the Olympics.  No one thought the USA could beat the 4 times defending gold medalists.  But they did!!! 

A second memory was a few years later, driving to see my friend Diane in Maine.  During the drive up I spent the night in Lake Placid.  After dinner that night I saw a flyer for a hockey game and decided to go, having nothing else to do to kill the evening.  I have no memory of who was playing that night, but I found my way to the arena, bought a ticket, realized this was the same arena where the “Miracle” game was played, enjoyed the game and then was a little confused.  Everyone was getting up and leaving. 

I must admit, I didn’t know much about hockey, thought it was 4 quarters, rather than what was actually going on, the game is played to 3 periods.  It was over and I had no idea that it was time to leave!!!  Just a little embarrassing to admit. 

Today Pete and I watched the Netflix show and I have to say, in my opinion, it is an excellent documentary.  It shows the team members as they are today and did a great job retelling the story.  Both Pete and I had tissues for our eyes.  It is still a very emotional story. 

If you remember this 1980 victory, I guarantee you will love the show.  Have fun!!!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!!!!

It’s very rare for me to complain about the cold.  Having survived -60 in Fairbanks, it has to get really cold here in Ohio….but today….

For the past two weeks the only local news we’ve heard on TV is about this approaching storm and today, it arrives.  So, let’s see what happens.

Tonight (Saturday, 1/24) the snow is supposed to start falling and accumulate to maybe 8-10 inches by Monday morning.  If that happens, that is a very significant amount of snow for the Ohio Valley. 

We have prepared.  This past summer we purchased a Honda generator for the house.  Granted, the last time we needed a generator was in 2008 when Hurricane Ike roared through the Ohio Valley.  We lost power for 4 days and that was a royal pain.  We have a friend who brought his portable generator over every other day to keep our refrigerator cold.  No need for one since then.

But last night Pete went out and checked the battery on the used generator we bought from his brother, and that battery was dead.  So this AM we went out and purchased a new one.  The generator is now ready to go.

We bought a few groceries, but our house is pretty well stocked, so I’m not worried about the food situation. 

We have 2 neighbors with the equipment needed to clear the driveway, not that we’ll be able to go anywhere, but that’s nice to know.

So now we just sit and wait.  I’ve got two good books handy, so I’m good that way.  Tablet and phone are fully charged, so I’m good there. 

My last task for the day is to go out and feed the birds.  With that done, I’ll be all set to sit back and watch it snow. 

Don’t ya just love winter!!!!!

IN A HEARTBEAT

Had a pleasant, little Sunday morning surprise this morning.  Phone rang around 12 Noon and it was my friend Karen calling from Phoenix, AZ.

I’ve written about Karen and her husband Jack before.  Originally met them when I lived in Fairbanks.  Jack passed a few years ago and Karen and I have stayed in touch via a couple of phone calls each year, primarily by her calling me.  I need to get better about staying in touch.

We spent 50 minutes on the phone and after we hung up I spent a few minutes, just thinking about times long gone, by 50+ years.  So many memories.  

Memories of times I spent at their bush camp on the Tozitna River.  It’s those memories that not many folks get to have.  Being in the bush, totally removed from any civilization, a time before cell phones, the internet, all that stuff.  It was the best of my times in Alaska. 

There was the time we were walking a trail after dark and came across a headless rabbit.  That was a little freaky.  Fishing for our dinner.  Flying in from Fairbanks and landing on a gravel bar.  Bringing my Dad out for a visit and watching him just thrive in that environment.  Remembering when their son Robin was born in their 12x12 cabin on their kitchen table. 

Karen still has that land and it is now in the ownership of their son, and she’s watching their granddaughter roofing new buildings out there, along with many other activities that most 18-year-old girls don’t have as they head off to college. 

I’m pretty sure I’ll never travel that far north again, but if the opportunity should happen to come along, I’ll be there in a heartbeat!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2026 came in rather quietly for us.  As usual we planned an early dinner out.  Pete wanted to go out to a high-end restaurant, but I just couldn’t pay $80 for a piece of meat!!!  Especially when I rarely eat steak, etc.  Weird, I know, for a kid who grew up in a meat market, but I guess I just saw too much of the behind the scenes when I was 10 years old.  Anyway, we went to one of our favorite bar restaurants.  We got drinks and dinner for way less than that $80 hunk of red meat!!!

Made it home in time to turn on the Miami/OSU Cotton Bowl game.  We watched about half of the first quarter but had to give up.  Don’t know who it was calling the game…. but he was absolutely terrible!!!  I mean the worst ever!!  So bad that we couldn’t continue watching a game we both wanted to watch.

So, then I turned to playing my favorite game on my tablet and Pete was watching “American Pickers”.  Now, you have to understand, typically we are in bed by 9 PM.  Pete watches TV while I read my current book.  Usually, lights are out by 10 PM.  Last night I was determined to stay up to watch the Ball drop on Time Square.  That would typically be very tough for me to do, given my usual schedule, but I had had a couple of Rum & Cokes.  Being particularly sensitive to the caffeine in Coke, I knew I would stay awake.  Pete made it until about 9:30, and then headed for the bedroom.  Our usual New Year’s Eve tradition is, I stay up, a few minutes before midnight I wake him up, hand him a glass of champagne and when the ball drops, we kiss, drink our champagne and then he goes right back to sleep. 

Well, this year, for the first time ever, about 11:50, he comes out of the bedroom, gets his glass of champagne, and sits down beside me.  FIRST TIME EVER!!!

It was still 2:30 or so before I got to sleep due to all the Coke.  But this morning when I woke up, the first thought on my mind was, “It’s only 22 years until I turn 100 years old!”  Where the hell did that thought come from????