Vegas it is! Feb.18-21! YES! YES! YES! With the Sanford 'rents joining us.

Here's a little diddy I threw together this morning as I got to "proctor" a test. Yes, proctors are what they call us! That word creeps me too.

1985

There was a time when the four of us were so small and we loved playing at a huge BGSU English Department building. The vast wood floored hallway colored our imagination with games, forts, Star Wars sword fights, other toys, and competitions.

Tron cycles, He-man, a wiffle or Nerf ball: these were just a few of the toys we loved. But the best part was spending the day with our dad the professor.

"Who wants to go to school with me?!", my dad would announce.

"I do, I do, I do!" And we'd all pack ourselves into a red station wagon off to an all day adventure in an office building.

At 8 years old you tend to think the world is humongous, and a university office and classroom building was the next biggest thing.

We'd spend hours playing and playing in those old chalk boarded classrooms and huge main, 2nd floor, hallway. Dad's Keith Green tapes or records were soundtracked through the desolate Sunday afternoons with his desk drawer doubling as our toy bin.

The brothers Matt, Justin, and I would play Nerf baseball or running and sliding competitions through the hall, while our littlest brother Mike would be lolly gagging around dad's office, or perhaps at home with mom.

Occasionally we'd stop in to our organizing and working dad to say hi to him and Mikey, but also to look at, and even add onto, our drawings displayed on the wall.

I remember trying to reorganize dad's office furniture. And one day we came home proud to say we made a little library of bookcases in the back of his office. What fun!

After a long day "at the office", it was time to head home to refuel on PB & J with cheetos, and a side of milk.

Mom would be at home getting her much deserved rest and relaxation, before she knew it we were trotting back home in and out, up and down, through and through the 1040 and all over the village.

It was treasured time in our family, and to forget little treasures like this would be a sad, sad shame.