March Madness, Part Three

I return to what I believe is good for me. Blogging, who would have thought it? Much has happened the last two weeks. My son's basketball team went the furthest in the state tournament in school history. I was quite happy for Patrick and his team-mates. They deserved what they accomplished. Seven seniors, four of which have played together for at least six years, worked as a TEAM and defended well. The Hilltoppers ended up in the Sweet Sixteen! Everytime I say that I smile. The kids should raise their heads high and understand they were one of the best teams in the state for 2006-7 season.
Within twelve hours after the last game, my daughter Lauren and I caught a flight to Florida to be with my terminally ill mother. It was a great visit. Mom ralleyed and we spent many good hours together. Unfortunately, her cancer is aggressively taking over her throat and the end will not be pretty. She's coughing a great deal and I'm sure a traecheomtry(sp) will be necessary. Her pain is manageable, but she's is getting more and more fatigued from her battle. My dad is slowly breaking down as well. His emotional pain and daily stress is causing small 'mini-strokes' that scare the hell out of me. It's like living in California and waiting for the 'Big One.' On the positive side, Dad and I spent over five hours talking about the future. My goal is to respect his wishes and manage his legacy to the best of my ability. March Madness, you can say that again. My life will change significantly when my folks depart. I hope I am up to the challenge.
With Faith, Friends, and Family I will endure to the best of my ability. Running and blogging will help as well. Speaking of running, I'm getting back at it. My weight is down about six from my 2007 peak and I'm signed up for the 30th running of the Chicago Marathon. I'm psyched to train hard and be ready to finish stronger than Whistlestop and Nashville. Time to close. Out.
Ricky