Sean YD Cafe

Steve Tilford, RIP

2017-04-05T10:02:00.001-05:00

Steve and his longtime girlfriend, Trudi, in a photo I snapped at nationals in 2008.

We all knew this day was coming. In fact, some of us thought Steve might not survive a high-speed crash last fall when he was sprinting in a group ride and crashed on his head – while not wearing a helmet.

But Steve survived that traumatic brain injury and was showing great signs of getting back to normal. Just a few days ago, he rode 100 miles on gravel in California. He was headed back to Topeka early Wednesday morning when a semi in front of him overturned. He and his good friend, Vincent Davis, crashed into it, but were not seriously hurt. They were out surveying the damage and the wreckage when a second semi came upon them and smashed into the first accident. Steve was killed.

Vincent posted a few photos of the accident:

This is the original accident scene, an overturned semi, blocking the road.

The overturned semi looks to be carrying electronics equipment.

The sprinter van that Steve and Vincent were in, with wreckage from the semi they struck.

That is Steve, at right, in the last photo snapped before his death.

I have known Steve since my early days of racing in the mid-80s. I got to know him even better while officiating many races in the Midwest, including the Tour of Kansas City, in the early 90s through to 2007. I often ran into him at races when I was working for the BMC Racing Team, which his longtime girlfriend and partner, Trudi, still works for as a soigneur.

One the legendary stories about Steve – that I had the pleasure of writing – happened in 2008 when he crashed into a frozen pond in 2006. The headline: "Tilford goes for a swim, comes back to win." I was officiating the race that day and saw it all happened. When I learned photographer Kurt Jambretz had photos, I called up Cyclingnews and VeloNews and told them I had a great story to share.

Steve was unlike any other the sport of cycling has ever seen. He had longevity, knowledge, strength, an uncanny sense of writing that made his blog so popular with so many. He was a bit of a gypsy, traveling around the country in his van, racing and riding his bike. And nearly always with a dog – either Bromont or lately, Tucker.

Mountain Bike Hall of Fame member, multi-time national champion in road racing and cyclocross, endurance athlete, ambassador for the sport, great man, super cyclist and good friend. You will be missed, Steve.

KDXU, News Talk 890: UHP reports two fatalities on I-70
Cyclingnews: Steve Tilford dies in car accident
VeloNews: Cycling world mourns Steve Tilford's death
Cyclocross Magazine: R.I.P. Steve Tilford
KSNT: Accident claims life of prominent bicyclist from Topeka
Bicycle Retailer: Veteran Pro Racer Steve Tilford Dies in Highway Accident

High School Basketball Begins!

2016-12-01T19:24:00.000-06:00

Omaha Central opened its season by playing Omaha South, the defending Class A state champion.

Not too many weeks after the football season came to a close, high school basketball got underway tonight with Omaha Central hosting defending Class A state boys basketball champion Omaha South.
This was also the debut of our Striv.TV regular season basketball broadcasts. Omaha South's girls beat the Eagles in the opener and the Central boys took the Packers to overtime and missed a potential game-winner in the final seconds.

I did myself a favor by buying a small, dry erase board. It worked well in passing along details to the announcers. And it will save on paper, sticky notes and index cards, many of which blew off the top of the press box during football season.

The new shirts for the broadcast crew, by the way, come via Dr. Keith Bigsby. Central's principal emeritus got the Central High Foundation to foot the bill for them. They are nice! And my new threads also gave some students a scare. I was using the restroom at halftime when a bunch of students came in with something not-so-good in mind. But before anything could go down, I heard one of them say to the others, "Guys, there's a teacher in here!"

From left: Julia (camera), Olivia (producer), Isaac (color) and Alec (play-by-play).

I am officially an Eagle now.

As Seen On SnapChat

2016-11-28T19:33:00.000-06:00

Emily must have been bored at work tonight.

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

2016-11-03T12:17:00.004-05:00

Some pretty fun newspaper front pages emerged after the game. I am not a baseball fan.

Anyone who has known me for any length of time can tell you that. When I worked in the newspaper business, I disguised my lack of knowledge of the teams, divisions and stadiums by saying, "the cycling season overlaps baseball so it is hard to follow both sports." It was really a way of saying, "I am too lazy to follow a sport that seems pretty lazy to begin with."

Anyway, last night was Game 7 of the World Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland had once led the series 3-1 and was now hosting the game "for all the marbles." I was at a Nebraska Film Association meeting when the game started, which led to a memorable moment. Not too many minutes before the meeting wrapped, I heard a huge roar from the bar area. It turns out the Cubs had scored on a lead-off homer.

I ended up watching the extra-inning game from home. And that's good, because at one point I was so tired I was laying on the floor.

A few minutes after the game ended, Budweiser surprised everyone by airing a classic commercial from the 1980s. It features legendary Cubs announcer Harry Caray, one of the most beloved characters in the history of the team.

I also woke up to this two-minute video from Budweiser that uses old audio of Caray that has been edited together. It makes it sound like he is announcing the end of Game 7.

"Harry, they did it," the video description reads. "The impossible is possible. Hear the legend call one last game. Cubs, #ThisBudsForYou. #FlyTheW."

Here's a bunch of other front pages from newspapers around the nation.

This poor newspaper went to press before the extra-inning game concluded.

Another "Holy Cow" caption.

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Veronica!

2016-11-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

Olivia tried to help Veronica cut the frozen cake from Freddy's. Yep, the calendar says it is Nov. 1.

Not Sept. 19.

Veronica says at this rate, we will be celebrating Julia's birthday on Dec. 8.

Yes, we just might.

It's not easy to pay for a $19.99 cake when you are having money difficulties. So I really appreciated Veronica's patience and upbeat attitude.

By the way, the cake was good. And the Styrofoam base that we cut out with the first piece was, well, funny.

Back to the Future: Mid-City Bank

2016-10-25T20:57:00.000-05:00

There was plenty of goofiness going on as we shot our second "Back to the Future" location.

The old Mid-City Bank that once sat on the corner of Saddle Creek and Dodge for years was torn down earlier this year.

In its place will be a hotel for Nebraska Medicine patients and family.

We stopped by the site after shooting photos and video of the demolition of the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

We tried to use some existing landmarks to make sure the "after" photo matches.

Apparently, the hotel could be up to six stories tall.

The property has been a dirt lot since May, when the bank was demolished.

Ok, look closely at this one. I didn't see it until after the photo was taken.

The End of the Civic Auditorium

2016-10-25T17:57:00.002-05:00

Watch the final 30 seconds of the demolition of the Civic Auditorium.

We rushed from picking up Lauren from art club today to get our "Back to the Future" photo of the Omaha Civic Auditorium. Little did we know, we were under the gun to catch the final parts of the building being demolished.

Unfortunately, Lauren was not a willing participant in the shoot. While she moped and complained about not being able to work on her homework, I hustled the other four girls across the street. Then the fun began.

This was cute.

No Lauren in these photos, unfortunately.

We know there are photos like this from our "before" shoot. We just have to find them.

Check out Emily, trying to scale the fence.

David S. Pumpkins For President

2016-10-24T11:43:00.000-05:00

Here's the skit from Saturday Night Live featuring Tom Hanks.

He seemingly took America by storm more than a week before Halloween.

Tom Hanks introduced us to "David Pumpkins" in a cleverly-themed Halloween skit. Pumpkins is the star attraction to "100 Floors of Frights" at the fictional "Fright Nights" amusement park. With a pair of B-boy skeletons in tow, David Pumpkins is the featured attraction on 73 of the 100 floors.

Saturday Night Live reports the skit has already become one of the most popular in recent history. In fact, a costume of the character even sold out on both Spirit Halloween and Amazon.

With so much popularity, could "David S. Pumpkins for President" be a potential skit for the pre-election program this weekend?

Inside the Courtroom: A Day at the Garcia Murder Trial

2016-10-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

Anthony Garcia Murder Trial

Some of the exhibits entered as evidence during the proceedings.

I attended the Anthony Garcia murder trial Friday morning. I wanted to share some behind-the-scenes insight into the widely-covered trial that has captured the attention of producers from "Dateline NBC" and "48 Hours." The proceedings are expected to continue Monday for another couple of days.

This ominous sign stands next to the
metal detector outside the courtroom.

Courtroom 316 at the Douglas Country Courthouse is not hard to miss. Looking up or down from the rotunda, it is the only one to feature a metal detector (besides the one you must pass through at the front doors). If you have attended the trial of Anthony Garcia on any of the previous eight days, you are already "on the list" and simply have to give your name to one of the two Douglas County Sheriff's deputies manning the metal detector. But if you are like me, and have not been here in one of the first nine days of the trial, you must present your driver's license, which is recorded on a two-page log sheet.

A large sign outside the courtroom says cell phones and pagers must be turned off and put away while in the courtroom. But I already know this order is not being enforced. Reporters from several Omaha TV stations and the Omaha World-Herald have been tweeting the proceedings, along with some relatives of the victims and casual courtroom observers. So my cell phone stays on as I enter 10 minutes before the scheduled 9 a.m. start.

Entering Judge Gary Randall's courtroom is like walking into a church. The floor is carpeted and the seating for those not part of the prosecution, the defense or the jury resembles church pews – sans the kneelers. But that is where the similarities end. A large TV screen hangs to the left of the judge and another is suspended above the jury box. Sheriff's deputies – three in all, one of them armed with a portable metal detector – enter the courtroom with Garcia. Reporters with laptops and notebooks in hand take their seats in the second row that is reserved for them. Others find it less crowded to take a seat on the long bench in the back of the courtroom. But beware sitting so far back. You are likely to miss some of the softer-spoken testimony or exchanges and your view might be blocked by one of several white pillars in the room that seats about 100 people comfortably.

In a trial that has been three years in the making, I had expected more people to be in attendance. It is quite possible that the first week of testimony – which included graphic crime scene photos – featured a larger turnout. But the audience today only numbers close to 70.

Minutes before the scheduled start, Garcia's three defense attorneys enter first. The prosecution team follows about a minute later. Even Judge Randall's boyfriend is here, seated in the back row with a friend. I took a seat where I could see the judge, Garcia and the big screen TV near the judge. But my view of the jury is limited to three of the six jurors in the front row. I am also accompanied by a friend, Dave, who sits to my right. His wife, Sonya, is Judge Randall's court reporter. Wearing a bright red top, she is seated to his left, a few feet from the jury box. I am anxious to watch her in action and see what a challenge it can be to record courtroom questions and testimony that sometimes comes fast and furious.

Today, Garcia is dressed in a suit and black-and-white striped, long-sleeved shirt. The shirt is almost reminiscent of old-fashioned prison garb, only the stripes are narrower. A blue box of tissues sits to his right. Those tissues were the source of interest a few days ago when a deputy originally denied Garcia an entire box of them after asking for more than what he was originally given. Garcia's inquiry about getting the entire box of tissues is reportedly one of the few times he has spoken in court in three years.

Much like the past two or three days of the trial, it is clear things will not be starting on time. The judge summons the defense and the prosecution teams to his chambers while Garcia sits alone, meticulously removing his glasses and using two tissues to wipe them off. Nearly 20 minutes after the scheduled start, the attorneys and judge are still out of sight and the jury has not yet arrived. Finally, at 9:23, counsel returns. Two minutes later, we "all rise" and Judge Randall enters. A minute later, the jury enters and we rise again. This time, we stand for more than a minute as the 12 jurors and four alternates enter through a side door next to the jury box. Judge Randall reminds them that they are not to be contacted by anyone about the case. It appears clear that someone has tried to contact a juror about the case. His admonishment to them as a group could well indicate more than one person has been contacted.

Omaha World-Herald reporter Henry Cordes typed away
in the back of the courtroom.

As the first witness is called to the stand, a glance around the courtroom reveals who is live tweeting or taking down testimony on their own. Veteran Omaha World-Herald reporter Henry Cordes is seated in the second row with a mini-laptop. His colleague, Todd Cooper, is in the back row corner, laptop on his lap. Seated next to him is KETV's David Earl. A third Omaha World-Herald reporter, Alia Conley, sits on the right side of the courtroom, closer to the jury box and begins tweeting. (The newspaper regularly touts on social media that it has the most reporters covering the trial). WOWT's media representative, Erin Murray, sported a black WOWT jacket when she entered the courtroom. Like Cordes, she is also seated in the left side pews, closer to Garcia.

Garcia has shifted himself to the far end of the defense table and is seated directly facing the jury. He has his glasses on, is taking notes and is using a headphone pressed to his left ear to enhance the courtroom audio. At least for now he is paying attention.

The testimony by retired Clark County, Illinois, Deputy sheriff Kurt Callahan begins with the lead prosecutor, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, thanking him for his public service. Then the first piece of evidence from the prosecution today goes up on the court monitors. It is an aerial view of an interstate interchange in Indiana, not far from Terre Haute. Marked with a yellow tag as Exhibit No. 1727, it shows the location of where part of a gun was found that is believed to have been involved in the shooting death of Dr. Roger Brumback, who was murdered along with his wife, Mary, at their home in May of 2013.

The gun, packaged in a plastic bag, is examined by the defense team and entrusted into evidence "with no objection." Kleine says it appears to have been taken apart and enters five additional photos of it as additional pieces of evidence as to its condition when it was found. I notice that there is a proliferation of PCs in play in the court. The prosecution team's attorneys, the court's own computer system and the laptops used by Cooper, Cordes and Earl. Only the defense team has a Macintosh – a silver MacBook sporting the familiar Apple logo.

When the defense begins its cross examination of Callahan, Attorney Robert Motta Jr. asks who called 911 to report finding the gun, whether Callahan picked it up, whether this is a common area of the interstate for truckers to pull over and take a rest break. Through it all, Garcia is watching and listening to the questioning with a slight smirk on his face. As the morning wears on, I will come to learn that the smirk seems to be more of a permanent expression than a random one.

The first sign of levity in all the seriousness comes when Callahan is asked by Motta Jr. if he immediately put the gun into an evidence bag and whether he ran the gun through the NCIC database. After some back and forth between the two, Callahan leans forward into the microphone in front of him and tells Motta Jr. in a southern drawl, "I don't know what you are trying to get me to say." The quip draws laughter from the audience, the prosecution and even some of the jurors.

When it is time for Kleine to question Callahan again, I begin to notice a pattern. He and his colleagues on the prosecution team have a tendency to stand when questioning a witness while Motta Jr. and the defense remain seated, some of them even rocking back and forth in their chairs. This habit becomes even more apparent when the prosecution's next witness, Omaha Police Detective Derek Mois, enters the courtroom.

In reading previous coverage of the trial, it is clear there is little love lost between Mois and Motta Jr. Mois was at the Brumback murder scene and is now being questioned by the only female on the prosecution team, Brenda Beadle, who also stands while questioning Mois. The defense says photos Beadle wants to enter into evidence "have never been seen before" and a "sidebar" between the prosecution, the defense and Judge Randall ensues.

A cell phone and tablet recovered from Garcia's car.

For those of you who recall the O.J. Simpson trial, these sidebars are actually private conversations that happen out of earshot of the jury and everyone else in the courtroom. To ensure nothing can be heard, white noise – the kind some people sleep to – is piped through the courtroom speakers. The court reporter, Kennedy, puts in ear phones to take transcription with the help of a microphone strategically placed at the front of the judge's bench.

When the sidebar ends and testimony resumes, the defense objects nearly immediately to the photos again, which results in another sidebar. Finally, Exhibit 1741 is admitted into evidence as "a demonstrative aid for the jury," Beadle says. The photos are computer-generated illustrations showing the possible trajectory of bullets which struck Dr. Brumback as he stood in the entryway of his West Omaha home.

As Detective Mois pivots in his chair and directly faces the jury box to his left during his testimony, Garcia is now slumped back in his chair. He is no longer writing. But any chances that he will nod off – as he has done in the first eight days of the trial – are put aside as Judge Randall calls for the morning break at 10:22 a.m. As nearly everyone files out of the courtroom, Cordes uses the break to move to the back and pound away on his mini laptop. Dave and I head to the front of the courtroom to check in with his wife, who describes how difficult it can be when two people are talking at once. "If two people are talking at once and the judge starts talking, I only listen to what the judge is saying," she tells us. She also says all the courtroom proceedings are captured on audio, which she can later refer to. "But it is rare that I have to do that," she said.

Twenty minutes later, everyone is back in the courtroom and the jury is seated again. Jurors sit in three rows of six. Three blue boxes of tissues – identical to the one Garcia has in front of him – sit on each level of the jury box. Each juror wears an identification badge sporting "JUROR" in large, bold lettering. Earlier, while I was hanging up my coat in the back of the room, I noticed about 40 juror badges on the top of the coat rack. One of these could potentially get you into some secured areas of the courthouse, so it seems odd that they would just be laying around for the taking.

As the trial resumes, Detective Mois matter-of-factly describes his investigative process of Garcia and what led police to track down the 40-year-old former Indiana doctor who was fired from Creighton University's residency program in 2001. The testimony is less-than-riveting for now. And despite the recent break, many in the courtroom are no longer listening as intently as before. The audience of observers is a bit of an eclectic mix, much like you would see at a Sunday church service. A few people in their 20s, several elderly couples – some relatives and friends of the victims. The media representatives. The TV producers taking notes for possible "large-scale" network pieces. Two Douglas Country sheriff's deputies, one of them a woman who keeps taking her jacket on and off. "I'm getting hot and cold flashes," she tells me.

Garcia's eyes are nearly shut as Detective Mois describes what a Louisiana license plate looked like from 2005 to 2008. Witnesses in a Dundee neighborhood that was home to the murders of 11-year-old Thomas Hunter and a housekeeper, Shirlee Sherman, have described the suspect vehicle as a Honda CRV with an out-of-state plate. Judge Randall occasionally strokes his chin and takes notes as he listens intently. But two jurors in the front row of the jury box are not so attentive and appear to have nodded off themselves. It is only when Detective Mois says an incoming call to Garcia's cell phone was received near Atlantic, Iowa – a town "west of Omaha" that many in the courtroom finally perk up. "East of Omaha," a few mutter, prompting the prosecution to correct him.

Minutes later, the droll of testimony about phone calls and possible motel stays in West Des Moines have even Judge Randall struggling to pay attention. No longer taking notes, no longer stroking his chin – as he is prone to do when listening to testimony – the white-haired judge appears to either be very deep in thought or very tired. When Beadle asks Detective Mois why Garcia's purchase of a gun in March of 13 was "so significant," the defense immediately objects. Judge Randall seems startled by the sound. He jerks his head forward, much like someone who has suddenly been awakened, then stares blankly ahead as he appears to gather his thoughts and process what has just happened. After a few seconds of silence, he summons the prosecution and defense teams to his bench for a sidebar. Was Judge Randall really listening? Or had he nodded off? We will never know, absent the presence of cameras in the courtrooms, which are prohibited by state law.

As the prosecution continues its questioning, the phrase "Why is this significant," becomes a common tactic for Beadle to attract the attention of the jury, which appears to be wondering if the lunch break is approaching. It is only when she approaches some large maps of Omaha – resting on easels near the jury box – that every member of the jury appears to be engaged and attentive.

As Detective Mois goes on to explain how the Omaha Police Department created two task forces to investigate Garcia, I begin my sixth page of meticulous note-taking. I am learning about the NCIC database, about cell phone "pinging" (to identify a mobile phone's location) and even how long it takes to drive from the Wingstop near 72nd and Pacific to the Brumback's home (less than five minutes). As the prosecution ends its questioning of Mois, it is clear the most interesting portion of the day's testimony is still to come. But at precisely 11:55 a.m., Judge Randall announces a break for lunch, with special instructions to the jury not to discuss the case with anyone, even among themselves. For me, there will be plenty of discussion in the coming days of what I have witnessed, what I believe will weigh in Garcia's favor, and how the prosecution will go about tying him to the scene of the two double murders.

The gun recovered from the shoulder of an interstate off-ramp.

As Seen On Snapchat: Emily

2016-09-29T12:57:00.000-05:00

If you drove through the Cass Street Crane Coffee shop today, you might have seen this.

The End Is Near For The Civic Auditorium

2016-09-14T23:48:00.000-05:00

Demolition started Aug. 17 with the razing of the Music Hall.

My earliest memories of the Omaha Civic Auditorium came from Creighton University men's basketball games. Parking in the adjacent covered garage, walking up the wide ramps, seeing the sun shine in during Saturday afternoon games, the "Fanta" advertisements on the concession stands – all fond memories of my childhood.

The arena seated up to 9,300 people for sporting events and up to 10,960 for concerts. The arena was home to the Creighton men's basketball. women's basketball and volleyball. The University of Nebraska at Omaha hockey team sold out every game it played there and even the Kansas City-Omaha Kings NBA basketball team called it home for at least one season. The Omaha Beef indoor football team played its games there from 1999 to 2012. I even remember covering the Big Eight volleyball tournament there for the Lincoln Journal Star.

Now, the once venerable arena is coming down.


Construction of the Civic Auditorium began in 1953. (Photo courtesy of KETV.)

It has stood empty since June of 2014.

For the first eight seasons of the Omaha Beef, I was the team's lead statistician.

Creighton volleyball games were played there, along with Bluejay men's and women's basketball.

Most of the large Omaha high schools conducted graduations there.

What the auditorium looked like shortly before property was put up for auction.

And The Winner Is...

2016-04-17T13:13:00.000-05:00

Julia helped tally the NCAA brackets (about two weeks after the title game).

It seemed a "dumpster fire" had broken out on everyone's NCAA Tournament brackets due to a host of first round upsets.

But, as you can see from our scoring system, it is the games near the end that really matter and help you pile up the points:

First round win: 1 point
Second round win: 2 points
Sweet 16 win: 4 points
Elite Eight win: 8 points
Final Four win: 16 points
Correctly picking the champion: 32 points

Julia helped tally up the points today and it was pretty close between Cole, Julia and me. In the end, I won with 165 points, with Julia in second (152), followed by Cole (140. Julia said I only won because, "Dad cheated. He copied off of me!"

Anyway, enjoy these final photos – and this year's "One Shining Moment" video.

Here's the final point totals from each round.

There were more brackets to tally this year.

The winning bracket.

Nice Gifts From Notre Dame

2015-12-30T10:43:00.000-06:00

Aunt Jean shows off a few of her nice gifts from Notre Dame University.

The Showtime series, "A Season with Notre Dame," provided an incredible, behind-the-scenes look into how the Fighting Irish went after a national championship on the football field this year.

I watched a few episodes and immediately knew that Aunt Jean would appreciate the show as well. So I took my iPad down to her a few months ago and she took it in as well. Unfortunately, the season did not go as well as Notre Dame had hoped and the Irish fell short of being one of the top four in the nation and making the playoff.

But along the way, I wrote an email of appreciation to Senior Associate Athletics Director John Heisler. I thanked him for opening up the school's football program to a documentary crew. To my surprise, he wrote back and later wrote back again, asking if Aunt Jean would like something from the school. ("Of course," I wrote back.)

So that led to a surprise package showing up recently for Aunt Jean. She was treated to a variety of very cool keepsake items, including the "Play like a champion" towel and pennant pictured above. What an amazing – and totally unexpected – surprise. Go Irish!

More Snow!

2015-12-28T09:37:00.000-06:00

At 9 o'clock, the sidewalk had already been plowed ... and snowed over again.

Omaha schools are closed for the holiday break. This means today's snow event (officially known as "Snowmageddon" or the "Snowpocalypse") is not as significant for students. It has already made its mark, though, with shoppers clamoring for bread and milk at the grocery stores Sunday, in anticipation of a forecast that called for at least eight inches of snow.

But Omahans woke up to scaled-back predictions of four to six inches of "dry" snow. But combined with strong winds, it is still going to make for difficult driving conditions and more shoveling and plowing on the heels of last Thursday's Christmas Eve snowfall.

Christmas Is Here!

2015-12-27T17:38:00.000-06:00

The girls show off their presents.

Lauren Got Her Wish...

2015-12-25T11:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, it was a "White Christmas."

Under The Tree

2015-12-25T05:44:00.000-06:00

Santa delivered some nice things.

Christmas Eve Snowfall

2015-12-24T10:23:00.000-06:00

What it looked like three hours after it began to snow.
It is always a nice surprise when you wake up to snow that was not expected. That was precisely the situation on Christmas Eve here in Omaha.

Almost as bizarre? A strange flash of light that occurred about six hours before the first flakes began falling.

By 9 a.m., there was already an inch. And up to six more were still to come.

Last Trip To Piccolo Pete's

2015-12-22T14:35:00.000-06:00

We lunched at Piccolo Pete's a week before it was to close its doors.

Christmas Letter Time!

2015-12-19T16:19:00.000-06:00

Veronica decided to "decorate" someone's face...

Things came together rather quickly when we got down to business on this year's Christmas letter. From Friday night to Saturday afternoon, we finished everyone's text portion, got the letters printed at CopyMax, addressed more than 140 envelopes and stuffed and mailed them off. Emily, Julia and Veronica were the biggest of helpers, with Olivia chipping in and Lauren ... well, being Lauren.

Thanks to a trip to the main post office, we expect the letters to start arriving in the Omaha area on Monday and faraway places after that. The only regret this year? That I did not have time to write a personal message on each one of them. Sorry!

Veronica (right) handled stamps and return address labels this year.

How Emily addressed envelopes while wearing my glasses is beyond me...

Bell Ringing Fun

2015-12-15T21:37:00.000-06:00

Veronica (far right) was one of several students collection donations outside Hy-Vee on Tuesday.

As part of Veronica's election to student council, she earned the opportunity to be a Salvation Army bell ringer this week.

Her half-hour shift began at 4:15 p.m. at the Hy-Vee at 50th & Center. So we had really had to hustle to be there on time. Fortunately, traffic was light once we escaped the maze that is the area around the school.

Sporting a Santa's hat (borrowed from Aunt Bridget), Veronica had a great time taking shifts ringing the bell. Fortunately, the weather was on the mild side.

Another nice aspect of the volunteer work was watching the generosity of people young and old. There was a near constant stream of people stuffing cash into the red kettle. And each time, Veronica and her classmates thanked the people who were kind enough to donate.

Veronica was all the more cuter, thanks to her Santa hat.

Basketball Begins

2015-12-11T22:02:00.000-06:00

Julia got some help getting started from former Central High principal, Dr. Keith Bigsby.

Julia continued her help behind the scenes with the Central High athletic teams tonight, assisting on the striv.tv broadcast of the girls basketball game.

She is a bit busier with this sport. In volleyball, she got the broadcast to commercial during timeouts. In basketball, she is still doing this, plus keeping the score and running the clock. It's a lot of work for a freshman, but she is a master multi-tasker and pulled it off with flying colors.

I pitched in to help the broadcast team on the stats. It was a bit of a shock to the system, but after awhile, it all came back to me. I was only wishing I still had my stat forms. (They are probably tucked away in a box somewhere or on a floppy disk!)

A (Long) Season of Joy

2015-12-11T12:19:00.000-06:00

"As seen on SnapChat," Veronica was in the front row during the chorus performance.

For the first time in years, I was able to attend Veronica's holiday music program. Two performances were on offer today and I chose the morning one.

The cover of the program.

I was particularly looking forward to this event because I got to attend a music class during a "parent's day" at the school last month. It was quite an eye-opening experience, considering music classes were typically out of control when I was in grade school. (Mostly because the students acted up and didn't respect the teacher.)

But what I didn't know was how ambitious this program would be. That is, until I opened the program. Wow. This was going to be a show of shows. As it turned out, the first three songs took 15 minutes and, after 65 minutes of performances, there were still 10 songs still to go.

Here's a sampling of Veronica's performances (three songs in one video) and a few photos.

I usually figure three minutes per song. This was shaping up to be a long show.

The chorus sang four songs in the morning performance but only three in the afternoon.

Yes, Veronica, we wish you were, too!

Veronica's New Look, Part II

2015-12-10T11:55:00.000-06:00

Veronica sent over a few more photos of her "new do."

Uh Oh.

2015-12-09T16:28:00.000-06:00

Julia spotted this. She said she could hear sirens as the buses were pulling away from school.