I will not cry. I will not be sad. I will Boiler up.

This is the picture I used nearly 18 years ago to introduce Alison to friends I hadn't seen in a while.

I think the subject line of that email was "What I've been up to lately" or something like that.






Here's the latest announcement I have for that little climber.  →→→→

At least two of the people who will be most thrilled about this news were on that email of August 2001.

Andy Seiwert, a diehard Boilermaker, is one of Jeff's oldest friends. They play basketball and softball together. I love Andy like a foul-mouthed brother, but we don't often talk on the phone.

Last night when I saw his name on my phone, I panicked a bit because he and Jeff were playing basketball. Possibly the last time Andy called me on a basketball night, he was calling to say Jeff had thrown his back out.

But last night, all I heard was "Hail Purdue."

It's hard to believe we're at this point, but yesterday I picked up her cap and gown for her high school graduation, so it's really happening. Graduation is the evening of May 22 -- a Wednesday -- at Old National Centre downtown.  We're still working through plans for a larger celebration. She has her birthday ahead of this.

A short retrospective: