My Week that Was - March 29

$4.99 pancakes at Perkins. 3/22/25 dwm

 The opening weekend of the NCAA men's basketball tournament has been a tradition for years, going all the way back to when we lived in South Dakota. 

 It's not like a lot happen, I take time off and watch college basketball. There are 32 games Thursday and Friday, then 16 games Saturday and Sunday. At the end of the weekend the original field of 68 is down to 16 teams.

 On Sunday afternoon, I paid more attention to NCAA women's hockey, where the University of Wisconsin team was pursuing it's 8th National Championship. I can't say I'm a big fan but I do pay attention to how the season goes and follow their post-season. 

This year's game was against Ohio State, the third time in a row the teams met for the title. The Buckeyes scored first, Wisconsin tied it up. Ohio State got another score, and then tacked on another in the second period. The Badgers pulled within one during the second, but it was looking bleak as the game clock wound down.

Two penalties gave Wisconsin an opportunity for a penalty shot, one player trying to get the puck past the goalie. There was 18 seconds left when the Badger took the puck and with some deft stick-handling evened the score. After a break, Wisconsin came out strong in overtime, winning in short order, a devastating blow to the Buckeyes and a thrill for the team from Madison. It was a fun game to watch. 

Monday was the eighth pizza party of the year, that leaves three more on Oakwood's east campus. The events are opportunities to meet new residents and touch base with residents I don't often see. The question I get most about the parties is if I'm getting tired of pizza? That's a no, because I only eat one slice while focusing on getting food served and then share information.

This week we distributed invitations to the donor appreciation dessert receptions coming up in April. The receptions are primarily a social occasion to thank donors and share some of the many ways their gifts make an impact. 

I read a book this week, called Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. Yes, that's the woman who became known as Princess Leia. It's a quick read, just 157 pages, that describes her journey as a child of two Hollywood stars and growing up famous. Let's say that frequently the people we are tempted to envy are probably wishing they had our lives instead.

That gets me to six books for 2025. It's an eclectic bunch: John Grisham's The Racketeer; Matthew Perry's memoir Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing; Dolores Gordon-Smith's historic fiction Frankie's Letter; Chuck Offenberger's Iowa Boy; John Armbruster's moving Tailspin; and Wishful Drinking.

A few books are a product of borrowing e-books from the library, popular titles are easier to borrow in hardcover because the rights to e-books cost more. I'm not sure I get it, but in an effort to read books that jumped out at me, I needed to choose others that were available while waiting for the ones I wanted. There are still two books I placed 'on hold' January 18, 2025. I'm 35th in line, after starting in 47th, for the story behind the TV show West Wing called What's Next and 32nd in line, after starting 42nd, for Pulitzer Prize winner Max Boot's story Reagan. The Libby app tells me I still have months to wait.

Thursday we discovered we were missing donors who should get an invitation. We printed 60 envelopes, then stuffed the remaining invitations and RSVP card. It's a bit late but glad my administrative assistant was able to solve the puzzle so we could invite everyone qualified.

Friday was beautiful. A thunderstorm rolled through before 5 am then skies cleared and it warmed into the 70s with warm winds out of the south. It won't last, by Monday the high temp will be in the low 40s.

I hope your skies are sunny, thanks for reading!