Merry Christmas to everyone here. I'm just getting out of bed (7:45).
We had an interesting Christmas Eve at my mom and dad's last night. Right as we started eating, the power went out (there's 1, 2, 3 "rule" - if the power comes back on twice and goes out a third time, there's a 99% chance it's going to be out for awhile - the substation only tries to kick it on twice). We watched it come back on the second time and held our breath. It came back on, then went out the third time. My dad, who worked for the power company, Ohio Edison, for many years, went outside to see what was going on. There was a firetruck 2 houses down the street and a police car about 3 houses down. I went outside just in time to see a fireworks display followed by an explosion, then nothing. My dad told me there was a wire arcing and that either the wire hit the ground or a transformer blew. There was also a third wire on a tree branch and the branch was glowing red. Those people still had power, at least for another 20 minutes or so. Wow, what an awesome sight. The power came back on 10 minutes before I went home. It will be a Christmas Eve to remember.
It was nice to see my nephew again. Still hard to believe he's in college. My niece asked what a Buckeye was and I told her it was a worthless nut. My nephew didn't think it was too funny.

He's a little overwhelmed (not gradewise) because he says there is just so much involved in civil engineering. We were talking about how much fun it would be to design roller coasters. We both love them (he's come a long way from the little boy I took on a wooden coaster, who screamed "hold me, Aunt Tammy"). However, if you ever looked into it, you'd see that most roller coasters are designed in countries like Sweden.
Bumper's hip is healing. The muscles on that side are atrophied from him not putting full pressure on his leg but he's limping less and less. Maybe one of these days, all the fur they shaved will grow back too.
We're lucky. For now. We both have jobs. We can still pay our mortgage and afford our prescriptions. They are doing layoffs at my husband's company so we don't know what the future holds. Our dogs are happy and healthy.
Our familes are doing well. My parents have their aches and pains but they're alive. My mother-in-law is still alive at 81 years old and doing well for her age.
We finally have a full time reverand for our church (we used to have a different once every Sunday - they rotated). I am partly sad about this and partly happy. I really enjoyed Reverand Parr. He was basically a baptist minister preaching at a Presby church but his sermons had so much passion (enjoy your Steelers, Tiger Woods and your golf game, Rev. Parr). He was my first choice if they chose a full time minister but the one we chose was my second. I felt awful saying goodbye to Rev. Parr. Good luck to him.
We have a Vikings team that I feel is not yet Super Bowl material but is improving each season so watch out for them in the next couple of years.
It's rough all over. Our familes just bought presents for the kids, not the adults. I just shelled out a fortune for a hip operation for my dog. But I'd do it again if I had to. As a result, we've had to cut back, often eating things out of a can for dinner but as I look at that precious little life snoozing in my lap as I type this, I know it was worth every penny. Sacrifices are being made for the greater good. Bumper is worth every penny we spend on him, as are the Maggie and Toby.
Well, I had better get moving. May God bless you all and keep you safe.
Merry Christmas.
Love,
Tammy, Karl, Bumper, Maggie & Toby