yeah - its been a while!

It's Saturday night in Woodland Park, and all is well. It's snowing still, and we were supposed to go to a benefit auction tonight but I just couldn't bring myself to go. I've not felt terrific all day, mostly because of my back, but sometimes it just gets so bad I want to just sit....

We're working hard on the new house project (see: http://www.uppertwinrockshome.blogspot.com/)

and it's coming along well.

Dane is doing well in school, and getting ready for baseball season to start. Overall, he's 12, that should be enough said......

My business is picking up, but it's picking up from so far down that it still has a while to go to become 'good'. It'll come though, I'm confident. If not, the construction keeps us going. George has another 'looker' (that's somebody who stops by a work in progress, admires it, and says they'll call ...... yeah, sure you will......) that called and wants him to build their home. I guess when you build a better mousetrap.....

My back issue is about the same. It seems to show signs of improvement, then I have days like today. It's been going on for so long that I was thinking I would have to learn to live with it. Then it got so back that I didn't think I could. I went to the doc (Crystal was the prodding for that one) who took x-rays and showed me my smushed disc - which is no doubt the technical term. (see below - the one right above my hip bone) We don't know if it's ruptured or otherwise damaged without an expensive MRI, but the 'smushed' part is pretty obvious. It's also obvious what my pain is from. He suggested an inversion table, which is probably the coolest thing since disposable diapers. I hang upside down for less than a minute and I can feel this little 'pop' in my lower back, and then I can walk upright for a few hours without pain. Yay.

Tax season is winding down, and I've put together my extension list, finished up most of the ones underway, and will give the late folks a few more days before they get an automatic extension. Do you suppose sitting in my chair in front of the computer screen all day helps my back..? ha ha ha ha ha

George and I are planning a trip to the western slope next week to look at a different boat. We love our cabin cruiser, but are looking for one just a little bit newer and maybe a foot or so bigger. If we get too big we can't drag it down the road. The shopping process is quite lengthy, and we're just starting, but we thought we'd start with the close-by boats, and save the ones in Minnesota, Missouri, and Texas for later. We searched for one that met our description within 500 miles of our home, and there was one. One. Can you believe it? Anyway... that's the one we will go to see. I'll keep you posted on that one.

Otherwise, our number one grandson is doing fabulous, and our number one granddaughter is nearly done cooking! Yay! Here is Morgan at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo last week. The hippos were his favorite part!

and here's Crystal and Joe with our number one granddaughter last week at their house (so far she is: Baby One - an interesting, yet unique name). Joe still has her on the run belly-wise, but I'll bet she catches him real soon!

I am so excited for Crystal and Joe! I caught part of 'Cheaper by the Dozen - Part 2' this afternoon, when the daughter had her baby, and I just sat and bawled. I can only imagine... I'll try not to embarrass anybody, but no promises. It's just such a big deal.

Well, I will sign off for now. Talk to you later!