Spring Break In October

Earlier this week, we had frost every night.  However, we are now entering into a very mild stretch of weather with sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s (far above the average for this region at this time of the year). 

Unfortunately, I am not able to fully enjoy this wonderful weather environment.  I am stranded in my own home.  Earlier this morning, after my wife left for work, I heard and felt a thud in the house.  My initial assumption was that the beloved canine knocked something over.  I did some investigating and found a sleeping dog and no signs of mischief.

All was going as usual until I pressed the button for the garage door opener and nothing happened.  I pressed it again and still nothing.  Then I noticed that the spring that makes it possible to lift the door had snapped in two.  That was the thud I felt and heard earlier.  This has happened before.  The garage door is down and is not moving.  My car is inside and is not moving, either.

So, here I sit.  Fortunately, I am able to connect to the computer server at work and can accomplish quite a bit.  However, it is a strange feeling to know that I just cannot go get into the car and drive somewhere.  While I don't have to face such challenges very often, many people with disabilities face the challenge of being "stranded" at home every day of their lives.  They cannot come up with the idea of going to a movie and then just go.  They have to make arrangements to find transporation.  If transportation is available at all, it is often difficult to coordinate and is very expensive - even in the large university city where I live.

A Foxy Challenge

A friend that is a priest of St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, WI, was recently playing a bit of tennis for some exercise.  Lo and behold, his tennis match was "crashed" by one of the residents of the abbey property.  Father Andrew was able to snap a photo of the "crasher".