Sneak peek at Spring
Saturday was fun, but Mother Nature played a cruel trick on us. First, we went to Spokane, where I had booked a couple of rooms at the Marriot Residence Inn. Nice place! The rooms were nice, with nearly full kitchens (only thing missing was an oven). Daughter and her family were in one room, we were in the other. The plan was that The Spouse, Oldest Son, Daughter-in-law, Oldest Granddaughter, and I would go to the Gonzaga vs. Memphis game, which started at 3, then to dinner afterward (this was our Christmas/birthday present from OS and his wife), while Daughter, Son-in-law, and grandkids would go hang out at the mall for a bit, then come back to the hotel to play in the pool. The next day we were all going to Oldest Granddaughter's championship AAU basketball game. The cruel trick? It was 60 degrees in Spokane on Saturday! We figured that Punxutawny Phil was right for once. Winter was over.
The Gonzaga game was amazing! They really were not expected to win, especially since Josh Heytvelt wasn't playing (see news article), but the Zags took the game into overtime, and very nearly beat the Tigers. It was one of the best Gonzaga games I've ever seen. We had dinner reservations at a really great restaurant afterward, and had a really wonderful dinner at C.I. Shenanigans. I had Chilean Sea Bass, which was served with the tastiest mashed potatoes in the world and perfectly cooked fresh green beans. Before dinner, Daughter-in-law and I shared a bowl of crab bisque that was to die for. The Spouse and OS had the most amazing braised pork shank, which they called Osso Bucco (osso bucco is usually veal, but it just translates as "hollow bone", so could be anything), served with the same great potatoes and green beans, and DIL had a rib-eye steak. We had a terrific time. When we left the restaurant, it was still 58 degrees. Unbelievable, really. February 17th and it's shirt sleeve weather. When we got back to the hotel, the grandkids were all playing in the pool. We sat and watched for a bit, but The Spouse was battling a horrible cold, sore throat, and watery eyes, so we headed for bed kind of early.
Sunday we all got up and enjoyed the wonderful, free buffet breakfast at the hotel. The Spouse was feeling better. We headed to our cars for a short trip to the mall. That's when we realized we'd been had. It was nearly 15 degrees cooler - and windy. The weather forecaster had warned of impending winter storms, which were due to continue all week. So far, it was sunny, just cold and windy. We still held out hope.
We wandered over to the mall (just down the street), where the grandkids got a few new clothes (they have this habit of outgrowing things), then headed to the game. Oldest Granddaughter's team was undefeated this season. The team they played for the title had lost once - to them. We thought it might be close, but it was a blowout. These girls are heads and shoulders above all the other 7th grade girls. It's pretty amazing.
After trophies were handed out, the obligatory photos taken, and congratulations offered, it was time to head for home. Now it was really cold and windy. And the sky was threatening. We made a quick stop at Best Buy, where I bought the new laptop, then high-tailed it home. The sky to the north was growing gloomier by the second. Daughter called when we were halfway home to tell us it was pouring at home, and really windy. So long Spring. Today, it's snowing. I am so disappointed. On Friday, I walked 2 miles during half an hour of my lunch break with our new security person, and was looking forward to doing that regularly. Bummer. I guess it's back to Uggs and turtlenecks, for this week anyway.
