Slight Detour: Tuesday This and That

I love this picture of my son Willie.

Photographer Jason Duchow does a wonderful job of catching not only the action but the color at Sandpoint High athletic events.

This photo was taken at last Friday's "Battle of the Paddle" event at SHS. I've read that Sandpoint came very close to winning, but Lakeland took home the prize for another year.

Always next year!

Tonight Willie's girls varsity squad travels to Timberlake High School to play yet another tough team, the Timberlake Tigers.

The Tigers currently rank first in their state division with a 15-1 record.

It would be really neat if Willie's young team could pull off an upset.

Good luck, Bulldogs.

A member of the Sandpoint chapter of the Seinfeld Gang has come home to practice medicine.

The best part: he's in the same medical practice (Internal Medicine Associates) where I go to see my provider.

How neat it is to see your former student, now practicing as a medical doctor back in his home town.

Dr. Garrett Strizich and his family recently returned home to Sandpoint after finishing his medical studies at Dartmouth University.

For several years, I've referred to him a member of the Seinfeld gang because that's what we all called him and his friends while they were going through Sandpoint High School.

Smart, smart kids who liked to do quirky, slightly impish things. For some unknown reason, I seemed to have earned a spot on their roster of "victims."

I use the term "victim" lightly because there was usually humor associated with their sudden appearances at our home at all hours of the day and night.

One morning around 4:30 a.m. when I went to get the paper, they met me at the end of our long driveway and asked why I was up so early.

I may have asked them the same and why they were at my house at that time of day.

They also came one day and videoed me while I was mowing the lawn.

Eventually, upon retiring, I was given a copy of their video, which included some of their other other zany interludes with me and my family.

I also remember Garrett as a gifted writer. Always loved reading his essays.

Yesterday, Dr. Strizich came into an exam room to say hello.

It was a great and proud moment and a fun visit.

BTW: Garrett and Luke Mayville co-founded Reclaim Idaho.

Welcome home, Garrett.

The Sandpoint area is lucky to have you.

It looks as if the rest of January will continue to be unlike January's of past years.

My phone's 10-day weather forecast shows six days with full suns and the rest with just clouds.

We'll have fairly cold days and nights, but nothing extreme.

And so, we'll continue Mother Nature's gift of providing us mostly bare ground and the ability to get out of the house. Also, no snow plowing or shoveling.

It's great, especially for those of us who have always considered January our least favorite month.

Happy Tuesday.