It involves a large ball of plastic wrap that is layered with all kinds of little treats. Players get in a circle and start passing the ball from one to another based on whether doubles come up as dice are repeatedly thrown. While in your possession, you wear mittens and madly try to rip off layers of plastic to get at the treats, which you can then keep. Sounds kind of dumb but it's infectious and great party fun.
Have you heard of this game?
Dakota brought it to our Christmas family get together at the house last night. I was in another room while they were playing and was blown away by the screaming and laughing.
It involves a large ball of plastic wrap that is layered with all kinds of little treats. Players get in a circle and start passing the ball from one to another based on whether doubles come up as dice are repeatedly thrown. While in your possession, you wear mittens and madly try to rip off layers of plastic to get at the treats, which you can then keep. Sounds kind of dumb but it's infectious and great party fun.
It involves a large ball of plastic wrap that is layered with all kinds of little treats. Players get in a circle and start passing the ball from one to another based on whether doubles come up as dice are repeatedly thrown. While in your possession, you wear mittens and madly try to rip off layers of plastic to get at the treats, which you can then keep. Sounds kind of dumb but it's infectious and great party fun.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
We Buffalo Bayers are without the Van Burens this Christmas Day. They are in Cancun celebrating with extended family so our traditional dinner get together on Christmas Eve has been postponed until Sunday. But the rest of us got together for drinks at the house followed by dinner at a favorite local restaurant. Real good time.
Here's a brief video we sent to the Van Burens through Snapchat.
Here's a brief video we sent to the Van Burens through Snapchat.
I'm not fully conversant in using it so thanks, Zann for instructing me.
All the best to Chicago family! Thinking of you.
Smile! You're on camera!
Seems like everywhere we go some surveillance camera catches our movements. Never bothered me. Indeed, long ago I started playing with them at home. I've now evolved to the best camera and recording options I've found---Wyze. Look for it on Amazon---25 bucks. I've got three, providing me with various views around our house, primarily of the outside. Android and ios apps give you access to the camera from anywhere.
Here's a sample of what you get. I pointed my front door camera into the living room and set it to record motion as Joyce and I work on the tree. Notice me waving after telling the camera to start detecting motion as the video starts. Then I told the camera to stop. Happy Christmas Season!
Here's a sample of what you get. I pointed my front door camera into the living room and set it to record motion as Joyce and I work on the tree. Notice me waving after telling the camera to start detecting motion as the video starts. Then I told the camera to stop. Happy Christmas Season!
Canisius In Chicago
My former employer (WooHoo! I now am a Professor Emeritus) sent the basketball team to my hometown, Chicago, last night to play UIC in Credit Union Arena. The team won big, 94-64, and number one fan Joyce Ann listened on the radio. Our family has two Canisius graduates (Zann and Amy) and two enrollees (Maddy and Grace) so I guess you could say we're a Canisius family. Dewey and Charlie are currently attending the high school of the same name. The Jesuits have a hold of this family.
I had never heard of the arena. It's near Little Italy. Looks like a very neat area of the city.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I had never heard of the arena. It's near Little Italy. Looks like a very neat area of the city.
Happy Thanksgiving!
A new family member.
Join me in welcoming Agnes to the Van Buren family. Another labradoodle. No surprise given how important a member of the family KatyBelle was. So far she's been pretty laid back but no telling how long that will last.
We're not ready for this.
Winter. We once looked forward to it. Skiing, you know. Well, that's long gone. Now we want to spend more of winter down south. Last year was one month in St. Augustine. This year another month there preceded by 2 weeks on Amelia Island. Snow in Chicago last week and snow forecast for us this week. Bah, humbug.
St. Augustine Amelia Island
St. Augustine Amelia Island
Daylight saving time?
So really, why do we need it? Seems to me it's better to get the hour of sun in the AM all year long. If you live closer to the equator, you don't need it and we in the north don't care much any more. Spring forward, fall back has seen its time.
Grace had another meet this past weekend and earned some recognition. There's a limit of four events for each swimmer, and she's always at the top. You go, girl!
Grace had another meet this past weekend and earned some recognition. There's a limit of four events for each swimmer, and she's always at the top. You go, girl!
Obama on the mark
I enjoy Halloween. I'm in charge of giving out candy. It will be windy, cold and rainy tonight. Bummer.
Even Ann Coulter praised Obama for his comments on "woke." Me, I wish he were still president, But I guess I can live with him being able to impact our discourse.
Even Ann Coulter praised Obama for his comments on "woke." Me, I wish he were still president, But I guess I can live with him being able to impact our discourse.
An eventful weekend
Zann is reuniting with college friends in Chicago and Grace's first college swim meet, against the University of Rochester, was last night. Zann is planning fun things like the architectural tour on the Chicago River and taking tomorrow to visit with family in Tinley.
Canisius walked (swam?) away with an easy victory and Grace won both her individual and medley races. Very exciting.
She's in lane 4
We're jealous of Zann and hope she takes and shares a lot of pictures.
Canisius walked (swam?) away with an easy victory and Grace won both her individual and medley races. Very exciting.
She's in lane 4
We're jealous of Zann and hope she takes and shares a lot of pictures.
Our Catskills visit
We planned on 6 nights but returned after 3 because our friends Ralph Vastola and Katie Martin died. We are mourning two old friends but celebrating their lives.
The Catskills only needed 3 nights anyway. Great to see, no rush to return. Unpopulated, winding roads, very small towns, but definitely worth a must-see if only for the scenery. The Grossingers of past years are long gone, replaced by the "fly fishing capital of the world" (Roscoe, NY) Here are our few pics.
Catskills 2019
Next up, Amy's birthday party on Sunday.
The Catskills only needed 3 nights anyway. Great to see, no rush to return. Unpopulated, winding roads, very small towns, but definitely worth a must-see if only for the scenery. The Grossingers of past years are long gone, replaced by the "fly fishing capital of the world" (Roscoe, NY) Here are our few pics.
Catskills 2019
Next up, Amy's birthday party on Sunday.
Remembering sisters
Frannie died 4 years ago tomorrow, Joaners 9 years ago in January of this year. They aren't gone if we remember them and I for one do that a lot. My beautiful sisters.
They've aged well.
Marc turns 48 today, Peter turned 47 on the 8th, so we had a combined party yesterday to celebrate. I think they look pretty good, don't you?
The pool is still open but unheated so it's got to be in the 60s. Dew couldn't resist a last swim--and he stayed in for almost a half hour. He is our water lover.
The pool is still open but unheated so it's got to be in the 60s. Dew couldn't resist a last swim--and he stayed in for almost a half hour. He is our water lover.
Say it ain't so!
We learned tonight that the Anchor Bar, home of the Buffalo chicken wing, is declaring bankruptcy. It was a major site whenever we had out of town visitors, almost up there with the Falls. (Well, perhaps that's an overstatement.) In reality, theirs weren't the best wings in town. I even had better at a bar in San Diego.
So, bye-bye Anchor. We won't miss ye.
So, bye-bye Anchor. We won't miss ye.
Visiting the Catskills
Soon we'll be heading to a cabin in the Catskills for a week. We felt that a fall trip was called for and while we've been numerous times to the Adirondacks, never the Catskills. Found a cabin in Clarysville that looks nice. Clarysville cabin Won't do any trout fishing ourselves but we've tried to talk the Van Burens and Bayers into joining us.
Save rodents!
Leaving church we found the fire department trying to help an animal stranded in a tree. Joyce walked over to learn that they and the SPCA thought there was a nest of baby squirrels whose mother had been run over by a car. None were found. I'm not a squirrel fan (they're chewing on my plastic shed) so was happy that they found nothing. To me it's like trying to save a nest of rats. Interesting how most people wouldn't agree.
Joe Bayer Pictures
My sister, Meg, texted an old picture of our father at a social event, probably a wedding celebration. Dad was incredibly adept socially and the picture shows that. He was Irish, you know. 😁
That prompted me to go looking in old prints from 50 years ago. I found a couple on the occasion of daughter Suzanne’s baptism. We were still in Arkansas and my main prof, Jack Marr, attended our party. Here’s one with dad holding court. Marr was sitting on the floor. We rented a cute little house with very limited space. Dad died in 1974 at the young age of 55.
2019-2020 School Year
This year we have three in college (Dakota, Maddy, and Grace), two in high school (Dewey and Charlie), and one in grammar school (Joe). Dakota attends Buffalo State (where Marc is a librarian), Maddy and Grace are at Canisius College (where I am a Professor Emeritus), Dewey and Charlie are at Canisius High School, and Joe is in 7th grade at Sts. Peter and Paul.
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