New song on Daniel's site

Occasionally I check my son Daniel's MySpace for new songs. He and his friend Daniel have an acoustic duo named Daniel. A new song, "Free to Fly (Ellie's Song)," has been put up, and it's a good one. I don't know who the Ellie in the song is, but then, that doesn't keep me from enjoying the music. My son does none of the singing (I wish he would), and Daniel Isaak is a sweet guy who does okay with singing, but all of his songs sound too similar to me. If anyone out there is interested, it's http://www.myspace/thisframe/ (another song is called "This Frame").

I had my eye check-up today. Dr. Henry, a very pretty young ophthalmologist who is perhaps 20 years younger than I am, has been my eye doctor for about 5 or 6 years. I see her once a year. Today she came in and kept staring at me. Finally she said, "Something about you has changed." I told her I'd lost weight. Maybe by the time I see her next year, I'll be as slender as she is. I'd love to have her energy. Happily, she found my eyes to be healthy, but I need a new prescription. My right eye has continued to get more far-sighted as I've aged. I've been thinking of getting new frames anyway, but that will have to wait until we're back from Louisiana.

Other than that, it's been a quiet day. I'm washing clothes so I'll have enough to bring with me on the trip. The weather isn't going to be especially cooperative, but we're committed now, so it's onward and upward. I'll enjoy myself once we're there, but I am truly not looking forward to flying. Today's local news station reported a small plane making a belly landing in Detroit.

Of course, if the news is any indication, I have more to fear from my relatives than I do from the flight down to see them. Yet another nutjob has killed off all his family and then shot himself. I hate to sound unsympathetic to what is probably a severe mental illness, but wouldn't it be more efficient for the person to just kill himself first and not burn down his mother's house with her in it, then shoot a bunch of other relatives before doing himself in?

The local news also reported a Grand Valley student found dead in his apartment. "No foul play is suspected," goes the report. Suicide? Accidental overdose? Or could it be a student like one of mine, who has three different heart problems and has already suffered more than one cardiac arrest?

I am unable to post a blog that does not include a weather update, it seems, so before I sign off until I get back from Louisiana, I'll mention that it's extremely windy, quite cold, and snowing. The snow is blowing sideways. The windchill is 5 degrees. Traffic lights are swaying dangerously, and the roof blew off a local Pizza Hut. I'm ready for spring.