Well, since you asked:

*My weekend started during Friday's FirstNews with the annual Red Friday street corner celebration. I was down by the Broadway Bridge all decked out in my 20 year old Chief's T-shirt, foam Arrow-Head and shorts. Now, most of my physical presence varies between pathetic and repulsive but I do have nice legs. There, I said it and I'm proud. If you just look at my calves, I appear to be in my 20s. Sadly, when you get above the knees, it all goes to pot. Anyway, I was joined by three sisters, all of whom work at Hallmark, and their brother, out bright and early to sell the Red Friday magazine which benefits Chiefs Children's Charities. Former Texan and Chief, Bobby Ply, also showed up, as he does every year. And, a couple of very energetic Chiefs Cheerleaders. Well, I know what some of you male readers might be thinking..."OOOOHHHH Cheerleaders!" At my age, with my gray hair, chunky middle and multiple chins, they treat me like an elderly great uncle. "Watch your step, sir, there's a curb there." If I could have just got them to stare directly at my calves!

*Sunday morning was the 14th Annual Heartland Run at English Landing Park in Parkville. It was a beautiful morning and hundreds of folks showed up to walk and run, raising money for the kids of Clay and Platte counties. The mayor of Parkville told me that the day before, Saturday, they had 500 dogs in the park for a big walk and adopt-a-pet event. (The Prince of Parkville, Bill Grigsby, was there, too, on Saturday. Several asked to adopt him.) If you picked up after your furry friend, you got free entry into a prize drawing. It worked! They all must have been super-duper-pooper-scoopers. The park was in great shape and didn't require any of the runners or walkers to add the long-jump to their physical activity. Thanks to everyone who came out and, especially, the women of the Assistance League who work hard all year long to make life better for the young ones up north.

So, that was Friday morning and Sunday morning. What happened in between? I watched football. The UW Badgers won. KU won. MU won. The Packers won. The Chiefs won. I ate too many chocolate chip cookies and cheese and crackers and ice cream cake. I did get off the sofa long enough to walk the dog. Meanwhile, while I was becoming a big bowl of nothing, the kids were all over the place.

Our daughter, I believe her name is Samantha, was not around much. She went from a volleyball team overnighter to an all-day debate tournament to another friend's house for a sleep-over, followed by a movie. Taylor, her big brother, was at a friend's house for most of Friday evening then at debate. He was home on Sunday. At least I think he was because I could hear his guitar. Harrison was outside almost all weekend. Playing football...then helping write a rule book for their back-yard football league. They needed to do that or the parents in the neighborhood probably would've had to intercede. It was getting pretty fast and furious out there. He and his pals also built a fort out of branches and tree limbs. He'd be out for hours then magically appear in the kitchen, a ball of sweat in shorts and a t-shirt, gulp some milk and Oreos and then be gone. Basically, all the kids were a blur all weekend long.

My wife was also busy, busy, busy. She exercised and ran and shopped and exercised and then ran some more, then shopped some more. She ran in the Heartland Run up north and then worked on stuff for her pre-school class on Monday. She made a birthday cake and wrapped presents. She helped Taylor grill his birthday steaks on the grill. (Taylor's actual birthday is today, Monday. He is annoyingly well-behaved, bright and funny.) She, too, was a bit of a blur.

I keep saying they were all a "blur." Part of that is because they were in perpetual motion while I became permanently affixed to the couch. But, part of that is also because my glasses have finally reached the point where they are little or no help at all. For awhile, I could read with these glasses and see okay far away. Then I could no longer read with them but could still see the TV. After a time, I had to perch the glasses precariously on my nose to make any distance remotely clear. Now, I have turn them upside down, stand on my head and whistle the theme from Dallas to get any identifiable image at all. Yes, I have a prescription for my bifocals, but I just haven't gotten around to getting them. So, I just sit on the couch or in the rocking chair, holding the newspaper in my toes and looking at the photographs and illustrations.

But, I digress. Frankly, if it wasn't for my digressions, I wouldn't have gotten any exercise at all this weekend.