Back to normal?

Geogal is back in school.  So is Geoana. 

No back-to-reality for me.  I've worked steadily throughout the holidays, being home only on Christmas Day and New Years Day. 

But things now do have a secure sameness to them.  Even though Geogal is still 80 miles away during the week both Geoana and I have our daily routine and the adjustment we had to make during the early days of September is paying off now. 

I'm enjoying a relaxing evening at home for the first time in several days.  Yesterday was BB gun practice, the day before that we were taking Geogal back to Colby, the day prior was an all-day basketball tournament for Geoana and when I got home that early evening I felt I had been beat up six days from Sunday. 

And by the way, I learned the hard way that I cannot sit through several hours of kid's basketball without aggravating my back. 

Uh-huh, when I got home I could feel the inflammation in the same old place.  Reminded me of the bed rest I had to undergo after the doc "cut on my back," as my supervisor puts it. 

But fear not, family members.  I may have had a small setback but I've taken things easy for the past two days and the pain seems to be lessening.  Ice and ibuprofen also help.  Geoana has (possibly) another tournament coming up on January 19.  I've got to figure something out in the meantime.  No way am I sitting that long on a relatively hard surface again. 

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Other thoughts: 

Black Monday was indeed that way for several NFL head coaches.  Some of those I saw coming, some I didn't. 

And Andy Reid will bid "goodbye" to Philly cheesesteaks and say "hello" to BBQ. 

A story I saw (but did not read) on yesterday morning's ESPN main page.  "10 Reasons The Irish Will Win The BCS Championship."  Not surprisingly, that piece is nowhere to be found today. 

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I will NOT be going to the RV show in Wichita this weekend, much as I want to. 

Probably a good thing, too. 

Maybe next year. 

Happy New Year 2013

Covering two cultures today. 

On my stove, all day long, are two stockpots simmering.  One has posole (that's hominy stew seasoned with red chile, for those of you not in the know), the other has black-eyed-peas.

Posole is a traditional New Year's Day dish in northern New Mexico, eat it for good luck.  Same for black-eyed-peas in the South.  Since both sides of my family hail from Texas I was raised with the belief that one eats black-eyed-peas for good fortune in the new year.

Yes, I'm hedging my bets.

And they both taste good on this cool January day.  It snowed again yesterday and dumped a couple of inches, enough to make things look pristine once again.  These dishes cooking simultaneously also make for a rather pleasant smelling domicile on this first day of 2013.

Just for good measure I also roasted up some green chiles I bought a few days ago.  Now this place really smells like a restaurant in Las Cruces, New Mexico.