Greetings Sports Fans

Over the past three weeks, it’s been really crazy around here. Lots of activity involving cross country plans for both Maui Jim and the AEC events, both of which as everyone knows by now I help my Mom run. (Actually, at the risk of sounding a tad grandiose, I prefer to regard myself as the “Power Behind The Throne.”)

It‘s turned cold enough that Mom didn’t mow for a while.. I thought with this development, there would be many more cookies for MOI because she’d be home more. Boy, was I mistaken! She ran around like a maniac getting the guest rooms ready for the Cross Country designers, Ritch and Jon, who were due to get in town two days after Mom’s birthday.

Before I go any further, I have a very embarrassing incident to report. Bearing in mind that dachshunds in general are quite literal, but not too well versed in the literary arts, I had heard Mom refer frequently to the “Course Designers,” and I assumed, that she was referring to their manners or lack of same. It was only after I had the difference between “coarse” and “course” explained to me by my doltish half brother Bruiser (who fancies himself quite the grammarian) did I become aware of my mistake. For God’s sake, how’s a fellow to know? Both words sound the same!

So, on to the meat of the blog. The visit from the Course Designers went very well, but it wore me out. All that meeting and greeting. I managed to pay very close attention to their many conversations about the courses, though, and I’ll report what bits and pieces I can understand and remember. Ritch, Jon, Dan, (who builds the jumps, and who I don’t think likes me), and Mom spent three evenings sitting around the kitchen table talking about what had been done out on the course all day with Mom mostly listening and bitching about all the money they were planning to spend. She said that’s what organizers do best so I guess I have to believe her. (What is a budget? I asked Bruiser and even he didn’t know for sure. His best guess was that it was some kind of a small house bird. I never ask Sluggers anything because he’s dumb as a box of rocks).

Anyway, it seems that the designers want Dan to build about 16 portable jumps for Maui Jim and 20 or so more for the AEC’s. That’s going to be a lot of work! In the meantime, Dan, the guy who doesn’t like me, (an opinion based on the number of cookies he’s fed me – ZIP), is going to be clearing out a lot of dead brush and stuff from the tree lines in the Forest Preserve so all the spectators which Mom says they’re going to get for both events will have good views of the jumps. He’s going to be doing this right up until the time that the weather breaks. Chicago usually gets snow by mid November so I guess he’s living on borrowed time.

Ritch, Mean Dan, and Jon

On the second day that they were working on the courses, we had the wildest thunder, lightening and rainstorm. Mom had to go out for a while, and when she came home, she said there had been whitecaps on the roads because of the wind. I don’t know exactly what whitecaps are, but she said they don’t belong on roads and are scary. The guys looked like drowned rats when they came home. It was pretty funny actually! They had all planned to go out, but decided to have pizza instead. (Mean Dan drove through the storm to get it. Serves him right for not liking me). I did manage to con some pizza crusts from Jon, and they were really good. I wonder if they make pizza flavored cookies? Mom says I can’t have too much pizza or I’ll look like Anna Nicole Smith before she toned up. That’s pretty damned insulting even though ANS is kind of a Babe.

It’s been quiet since they’ve gone. Mom has decided not to mow at all anymore until the spring and is busy working in her office and worrying about paying for all the jumps. Bruiser, Sluggers and I help her by being very good and not bothering her too much unless of course there is a raccoon outside that just HAS to be chased away. Yesterday, I caught a mouse in my yard and brought it to Mom. She said “Yuk” and threw it away. Didn’t even thank me! So much for gratitude.

The Bears just won their ninth football game of the season, and that’s really cool!

Have a good Thanksgiving, and I’ll write again when the action heats up. Remember who likes cookies and where he lives!

Lots of love

Gobi