It is Wednesday morning, and I am writing from another hotel room in Erie.  I am confident that “publishing” this entry will be smoother than the last two, now that I have learned the power of the “personal hotspot” (thank you Diana).  I have been based in Erie since Sunday evening and it has gone by quickly.

Monday I spent most of the morning writing and attempting to publish the previous entry.  Oh, how I struggled with the hotel wifi!  I did some FLG related work from my room, watched some game film of Old Westbury’s next opponent, Drew University, on Krossover, and got a decent workout in.  I went to dinner with Diana and her roommates, Courtney and Spencer.  We met at Smokey Bones, where I have eaten with Diana and others, several times before.  We were all hungry, the food was great but the conversation and visit, even better.  It occurred to me, after I had left them and gone back to the hotel, how much, each of them had grown up during their time at Mercyhurst.  They all discussed and were excited about their plans for life after graduation.  They are looking forward to the next chapter of their lives, but at the same time are not ready for the present chapter to end.  So, the longer I go on this journey, the more I am enjoying it.  But the more I feel that way, the more I dread, the ending of it.

Yesterday (Tuesday), I decided to go Snowboarding at Peek n Peak in Clymer, NY, which is about a 30 minute drive from Erie.  It had been two years since I last got out on a mountain, and as the day began I was definitely a bit rusty.  It is a small mountain, but it’s 26 trails offered just enough variety to keep me from being bored.  The conditions were pretty good with not much ice on the trails and by the end of the day, the sun was shining brightly and the snow was getting mushy.  As I got changed and headed to the car, I remembered how much I love Snowboarding and how much I have missed it.  

Peek n Peak, Clymer, NY – I am not good at taking “selfies”
I headed back to Mercyhurst, where I stopped at the bookstore to purchase a Mercyhurst Lacrosse Hat for my friend, Brian Hutwagner, who would be arriving shortly at the Erie International Airport.  Brian, is on his way to a climate change conference in Atlanta.  He decided to stop in Erie, to catch his first lacrosse game!  His plane (Portland, OR to Chicago to Erie) arrived early, but I was there early as well.  I presented him with the hat and we headed for the Marriott Bayfront Hotel.  We have been friends since Junior High School (that was what we called Middle School, back then) and last saw each other, last summer in Gering, Nebraska (that is a long and different story).  We had a great time over dinner at The BrewErie at Union Station (sound familiar?), before retiring for the night.

Brian and Bob in front of a frozen Lake Erie! – Still not good at “Selfies”

So, it is nearly noon and it is Gameday, again!  And this is a Big One!  The First Big Test for the 2019 Mercyhurst Lakers, as they take on LeMoyne.  I am as excited to see this game, as any I can remember.  Go get ’em ladies!