Washburn Basketball Clinches the Regular Season Title

Team Celebrates MIAA Title

Another successful season for the Washburn basketball team this year. We clinched the regular season title with only one loss on the season, finishing with a 28-1 record. Wednesday night, the team cut down the nets and celebrated another win. It has been a fun journey, with still some work to do ahead. The MIAA Tournament starts this week, and Washburn plays on Thursday.

I made it to the majority of the games this season, though I did have to miss a few. With the newly renovated Lee Arena, it is a great place to be to watch Ichabod action. I considered making the trip to Kansas City for the MIAA Tournament, but with other events happening those days, I decided to watch from home instead. A friend of mine attends the tournament every year and makes a fun weekend out of staying in the area. It sounds like a great time, and I hope to do that one year.

Below are a few pictures I captured Wednesday night of the team celebrating the conference title and cutting down the nets.

I look forward to following the tournament starting this week and continuing to cheer on the Ichabods as they begin their postseason.

Go Bods!

Our YouTube TV Bill Keeps Climbing. Here’s Why We’re Still Subscribed

As many of you know, we have been a YouTube TV household for a few years now. I was trying to remember exactly when we signed up, and I think it was four or five years ago, though I do not recall for sure. We moved to YouTube TV after trying out other streaming options and have not paused or canceled our subscription since we first signed up. Overall, we enjoy the benefits YouTube TV provides, especially its viewing experience and DVR capabilities.

We have certainly seen price fluctuations since we first started using YouTube TV. I believe our bill when we first joined was around $50. We are now at $82.99 per month, and we also have HBO Max and NFL Sunday Ticket, so my monthly bill is around $145. I have NFL Sunday Ticket broken out to charge throughout the year so it does not hit all at once, which was a nice change made last season. Still, that is a lot to pay for watching TV. Plus, like many others, we have subscriptions to Netflix, Apple TV, Disney/ESPN, and more. We spend a significant amount of money each month on streaming entertainment.

Recently, with the MLB season starting and YouTube TV not carrying MLB games, I subscribed to Royals.TV. This also gives me access to watch games from around the league, or I can listen to games through their radio broadcasts. That added another lump sum of money just to watch MLB.

YouTube TV announced different tiers, although we have not seen them show up on our membership yet. They shared that they are gradually rolling them out to their user base, and I believe the full rollout is scheduled by the end of March.

• Sports Plan: $64.99 per month
• Sports and News Plan: $71.99 per month
• Entertainment Plan: $54.99 per month
• News, Entertainment, and Family Plan: $69.99 per month
• Base Plan with all options: $84.99 per month

Customers have been asking for different tiers for a few years. I do not think I will be changing plans, as I use many of the channels. I was hoping for more of a price break with the different packages. It will be interesting to see if they offer future options that allow customers to select individual channels for their package. I know some other streaming services offer this. YouTube TV has been resistant to providing options until recently.

The future looks promising as YouTube TV plans to include ESPN content that is currently streaming only. This will be really nice, as I currently pay separately for ESPN to watch games that are only available on ESPN Plus. From what I understand, once this is integrated into YouTube TV, it will be possible to watch directly within YouTube TV without having to switch to the ESPN app. It will also be possible to record games that previously aired only on ESPN Plus to the YouTube TV DVR. My hope is that once this is introduced, it will allow me to cancel a subscription that is currently billed through Disney and ESPN.

Happy streaming, and enjoy your weekend.

Seeing Our Community From a New Perspective

Ride Along with Officer Hoffman

The Leadership Greater Topeka (LGT) experience is going well. We are a number of classes along and not yet halfway through all of the meeting times. I am learning so much about my community. As part of LGT, Saturday I went on my first ever ride along with the Topeka Police Department. I was a bit nervous about going, but Officer Hoffman was great answering all of my questions. We did not have any crazy calls while I was on the ride along. Well, at least not crazy calls as compared to some of the other stories he shared with me.

I have wanted to do a ride along for a few years, but never had the energy to start the process. Thanks to the LGT, I was able to accomplish this goal. Officer Hoffman asked me about the LGT and what I get out of the process. I shared with him it is learning about our community, having us involved, and helping to lead in our community is the goal that I see from being involved in LGT. I further shared that doing the ride along is providing a better understanding of what our fellow citizens are doing to protect are city.

A few weeks ago at LGT, we did a tour of the Topeka Public Library where they shared the process of a book return to the library. Something most people do not see. What happens when a book is returned that does not belong to the library? Well, they have a process for that and it automatically drops into a bin to transport to the correct library. I also did not realize that they have years books for most schools in Topeka.

Returning to the day I just had and the ride along, I found it interesting learning the process of the officer for which I was riding with today. The view of traffic stops and how to deescalate an issue was interesting to hear how he goes through the process. How he enters a situation can directly impact the outcome. I often times think of this as I go into different situations whether those be personal or work. Sometimes I do not go in with the right attitude and the issue escalates needlessly. 

Thank you for the ride along Saturday, Office Hoffman, and the Topeka Police Department. It was shared with me that ride alongs happen throughout the week and they are booked out weeks in advance.

From Flowers to Final Scores A Valentine’s Weekend

Happy Valentine’s Day. We had a low key weekend to kick off the holiday. I sent some flowers to Carrie at work and got them to her on Thursday. She brought them home from work on Friday so we could enjoy them together. They look pretty and smell really good. Friday night, we went out to White Linen, which is a fancy place here in Topeka. They were offering Valentine’s dinners all week, and it was fantastic.

Saturday was a day of basketball, with Washburn playing at home. The women tipped off at 1 and the men at 3, and Carrie and I made plans to go to both games. We had a fun time cheering on the Ichabods. For the women’s game, we sat in the comfy chairs, had a few drinks, and talked with some friends. For the men’s game, we moved to our season seats to watch. Both the women and men won their games.

The games were broadcast on WIBW Channel 13 out of Topeka and were also shown in Kansas City, Lawrence, and Wichita. I was hoping for a sold out crowd, but it was still a good turnout.

Saturday night we watched movies. There was not a lot planned for the rest of the evening or for Sunday. We needed a quiet weekend, so it was good to relax by watching basketball during the day and movies at night. I am hoping to get some reading in on Sunday and finish another book. I still need to read two books a month to meet my goal for the reading challenge.

Winding down for a Valentine’s Day Saturday. I hope you had a good Valentine’s Day and an enjoyable weekend.

A Better Week for Oliver

Oliver Sleeping in my Lap

Last week I shared an update on Oliver, and I wanted to provide another one since many people have been asking about him. He does seem to be doing better overall. His enlarged heart, heart murmur, and coughing will obviously be ongoing issues, but there has been noticeable improvement.

He still has coughing fits, but they are no longer happening throughout the night. He is currently on three different medications and will be for at least another week. Two of them help with his coughing, and the third is a liquid medication for his enlarged heart.

His spirits are much better, and he has been wanting to play even more than before. He enjoys every walk we take him on, even though walking can sometimes trigger a coughing fit. Despite that, he seems better rested. Evenings are still the most challenging time, as he often coughs then, and he will sometimes wake us up during the night with a coughing fit. Overall, he truly seems to be doing much better.

We are enjoying having him feel more like himself again and are grateful for this time with him. Even if he needs to be on medication for the rest of his life, we are thankful to see him feeling better. We recently took him on a trip with us, and he had a great time. With everything going on, including his cough and the number of medications he takes, we are not able to leave him with anyone, so he travels with us.

I have really enjoyed taking him on walks, letting him sniff out new spots, and going on new adventures together.

When Your Dog’s Heart Needs Extra Care

Static Hair After
Playing in the Blankets

The Saturday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Oliver started hacking and coughing out of the blue. Since that Saturday afternoon, he has continued to cough throughout the day. As reported in my January 18 post, he has had that awful sound happening. We took him to the vet twice the following week, had x-rays done, and he has been on medication since. He is currently taking three medications. He was diagnosed with a heart murmur and an enlarged heart.

Oliver will be 15 in June 2026. It is hard to believe, as I can still remember him as a little puppy and having to take him out in the middle of the night to do his bathroom duties. We have been fortunate that he has not had any major health issues. He did lose most of his teeth over the years, which is common in the Japanese Chin breed and in smaller dogs, but he has had no other major issues since we have had him.

It has been tough watching him struggle with breathing over the past few weeks. There is no cure for congestive heart disease, but the medication is supposed to help slow the progression. He sounds pitiful with his hacking, coughing, and the small whimpers he makes when he cannot breathe. If I put my head against his body, I can hear the heart murmur.

I am hopeful that we can get the coughing under control, and if we do, we may have more time with him. He continues to be interested in food, treats, and water, just as he has since this started. He keeps me up during the night, and in turn, he is up through the night as well. I know he is exhausted from the hacking and coughing. Some nights are better than others, where he, and we, are able to sleep most of the night.

The latest medication he was prescribed includes a syringe that we fill with liquid and give to him by mouth. He hates it. He snaps at us and actually got me pretty good on Saturday morning when I was giving him the medication. We give this one, along with another medication, every twelve hours. On Saturday night, I tried putting the liquid on a spoon, and he ate it with no problem. That will now be the new way we administer the liquid medication.

The average lifespan of a Japanese Chin is 12-14 years, so I know we are getting bonus time with a very special little guy. It is strange how this started so suddenly. My hope is that we are able to have him in our lives for another year. Other than the coughing and occasional shortness of breath, I do not believe he is in pain. When he is not having breathing issues, he wants to play, rub his head in the blankets, or run around in the backyard, even when it is freezing cold outside. We will rely on our vet to guide us and make sure he is not suffering.

We love him so much, and it pains us to watch him struggle to breathe. I am praying that the cough goes away and that we are able to keep him in our lives for a while longer.

Simple Thoughts from a Snow‑Covered Weekend

Carrie and me at the
Washburn Game Wednesday

A snowy weekend here in Topeka. The weather forecast for most of last week warned that a big storm was coming, and it arrived Friday night, snowing throughout Saturday. The sun is out today, but it is still cold and will be for the rest of this week. We have been lucky here in Topeka, as this is our first big snow of the year, and it was not that long ago that temperatures were in the 60s.

Not a lot has been happening for us this weekend with the weather. We have stayed inside and only went out once Saturday morning so I could get a haircut. I have done a lot of reading over the weekend, which is good, and I hope to get more reading done throughout the day today.

Oliver continues to have his nagging cough even though we are giving him medicine every eight hours. On Monday, a new medicine is arriving that should help his heart, and the vet said we could stop giving the other medication once we start him on the new one. Hopefully it helps and suppresses his cough, as he still wakes me up throughout the night. He is such a pitiful little guy when the medication wears off. He whimpers as the cough starts to build. Sometimes I can get him to stop coughing by rubbing his ears or the side of his face, as it almost seems to make him forget for a moment that his throat is hurting. Poor guy.

Another not-so-long post for a Sunday, but I wanted to make sure to get something written this week. Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week.

Secret Santa Whiskey and the Case of the Coughing Dog

Whiskey Exchange Bottles
Sampled on Friday Night

I am in a Secret Santa whiskey exchange with some friends and have been part of it for about four years now. It’s a fun tradition that lets me sample new whiskeys. The first two years, the friends who originally invited me to the group happened to draw my name. The past two years, though, the people who drew me were folks I didn’t know—and both times I didn’t receive my gift until well after the holiday season.

On Friday night, a few of us got together to meet, share, and talk about whiskey. It was a great time!

I took a Lyft to and from the event. When we did the gathering two years ago, Carrie was my designated driver. I told her I could easily take Lyft this year so she didn’t need to go. It worked out great—I had a fun time and got to connect with friends through a social activity I really enjoy.

Haverty Cousins in
Kansas City for Dinner

Last Thursday, Carrie and I traveled to Kansas City to meet up with some Haverty cousins. My brother was there too. We met at a new spot for us called J. Alexander’s Restaurant. It was really good! I’d definitely like to go back and try some other dishes. It’s a chain with locations in different cities, and I’d recommend it if you have the chance to visit one.

It’s a long weekend with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday. I’m spending the weekend watching sports, reading, and knocking out a few things around the house. I watched Washburn basketball on Saturday afternoon, where they won and moved to 17–0 on the season. I also caught some of the NFL games, even though my Chiefs are no longer playing.

Oliver Coughing

Oliver hasn’t been feeling well since Saturday afternoon. Out of the blue, he started coughing, hacking—just something nasty sounding. He’d been perfectly fine before that. He kept Carrie and me up all night with the coughing. We’re not sure what to do since it’s very similar to what he had about two years ago. When I took him to the vet back then, they said there wasn’t much they could do. It seems like he’s trying to get something out of his throat.

He’s still drinking water, eating, and asking for snacks, but the cough is rough. We were supposed to head to Lawrence to meet Erin and Greg for lunch, but we canceled so we could stay with Oliver.

After being up most of the night with him, I fully plan to take a nap or two today—possibly during the afternoon football game, which will make for good background noise while I snooze.

Another short and choppy update this week, but that’s how things go sometimes. I hope you have a great week!

Sunday Ramblings: Goals, Sports, and BBQ

Nothing specific to talk about in this week’s post, so this will be a bit of a meandering of topics and discussion as I begin writing on Sunday morning. We’ll see where it takes us and try not to go on too long on any one topic. Here we go...

Exercise Plans

In an earlier post, I mentioned plans for exercise. Well, here we are almost two weeks into 2026, and I still haven’t started my exercise plan. I intended to begin last week, which was my first full week back at work after the break, but it turned out to be tough to get going. So, I’m planning to start a routine this week. My first night at the gym will be Tuesday, January 13. I’ll be going to the gym at work where we have a free membership, something I should have taken advantage of all these years, but that hasn’t happened. I’ll report back in a month or so on progress in this area.

Reading Goals

My reading goal for 2026 is to read twenty-five books throughout the year. This means I need to read at least two books each month. I’m off to a good start for January. I’m currently reading three books, two of which I expect to finish before the end of the month, meeting my goal for January. Of course, this will get more difficult as the year goes on, but I’m feeling good so far. I read whenever I can: over lunch, some evenings after work, and every night before bed.

Washburn Basketball

We only have six home games left for Washburn basketball. The season seems to be flying by, but the team is doing great! We’re 16-0 and ranked #1 in NCAA Division II nationally. I’ve had to miss a few home games, but I’m hoping I won’t miss any of the remaining six. I’ve watched all of their away games and usually catch other teams in the league when they play, just to stay on top of things. It’s been fun!

Chiefs Season Recap

Closing out the NFL season for the Chiefs, it was a frustrating year to be a fan after a decade of dominance. The Chiefs finished 6-11. We couldn’t win the close games as we had in previous years, and then Mahomes was injured and is now recovering in the offseason. We’re still waiting to hear whether Travis Kelce will return. My hunch is that he’ll want to finish on a strong note, but that’s just a guess.

Kansas Jayhawks Update

Meanwhile, the Kansas Jayhawks are having some struggles. We’re 11-5 on the season. The talent is there, but getting it to gel during games has been tough. We had a surprise come-from-behind win last week that we probably should have lost, and then we dropped a game on Saturday that we could have won. Unless something changes, it’s going to be a short postseason.

BBQ Tour Follow-Up

I shared that we went on a BBQ tour in Kansas City the day after Christmas. I still owe you the winner of each category! The group of us hasn’t had a chance to meet, discuss, and compile the overall ratings yet. I should have those posted in the next week or two after we connect. We had scoring sheets, and each person (six of us total) ranked and recorded comments on why each place was the winner. I’m excited to see the overall report and reconnect with the group.

Political Environment

The political environment continues to be of interest to me, as it has been the past few years. I try to read and watch stories from both sides of the aisle. A year into the current administration, the tension from both sides still feels thick.

Closing Thoughts

Closing out this rambling Sunday post, I hope you have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week! What goals are you working on for 2026? Any book recommendations or favorite BBQ spots? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear from you.

From Autobiographies to Fiction: My Year in Books

The year 2025 has concluded, and 2026 is already a few days into the new year. Every year, I participate in the Goodreads Reading Challenge, and I’m happy to report that I met my goal of 20 books for 2025. In fact, I read one additional book, bringing my total to 21. As of November, I was three books behind and unsure if I would meet my goal, but I powered through November and December and got it done.

I discovered that I really enjoy reading autobiographies and memoirs. I read a total of five in that category this past year. I expect I’ll read about the same number in 2026, along with other fiction I enjoy. Today, I want to highlight a few books from my 2025 list that I particularly liked and would recommend.

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

One book that had been recommended to me many years ago by my Uncle Michael was The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. I finished it early in the year. It was one of my longer reads, but I enjoyed the story. It’s one of those books where, as you read, you can vividly picture the events unfolding like a movie.

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen was a book I discovered through Amazon’s First Reads program. I liked it so much that I bought the second book in the series and finished it over the summer. The story follows a retired spy trying to enjoy a peaceful retirement, only to be pulled back into the world of espionage when a murder occurs next door. It was a fun, fast-paced read.

The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Another book I picked up through Amazon First Reads was The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb. I enjoyed both the story and the writing style, and I’ve already placed a hold for another one of his books.

Autobiographies and Memoirs

I started diving into autobiographies during the summer, beginning with 107 Days by Kamala Harris. I enjoyed it so much that I moved on to Becoming by Michelle Obama. From there, I read Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance, followed by Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. I finished out the year with a quick read by Carrie Fisher called Wishful Drinking.

Those are the highlights from my 2025 reading, and I’m looking forward to the 2026 challenge. I’ve increased my goal from 20 to 25 books this year. To meet that goal, I’ll need to read about two books each month. It might be tough, but I’m excited for the challenge.

What were your favorite books in 2025? What are you planning to read in 2026? Feel free to share your list in the comments—I’d love to discuss them with you.

Have a great week, and I hope 2026 is off to a fantastic start for you!