Big day today – the kids and grandkids arrive. Plus two more grandmothers for the boys. Quite a crowd.

They’re arriving amid a big weekend rainstorm, the cold Pacific rain that people back east just don’t understand. Those storms make me colder than any day in the snow.

Their arrival has triggered the Jewish mother response in me. I’m cooking…a lot. A from-scratch basque cheesecake. Clay pot chicken, one of my specialties. Braised short ribs, another specialty. Tamales for one meal, something new I’m trying. Spaghetti and meatballs as an emergency meal any time folks are hungry and we need something fast. For a guy who doesn’t eat much lately, this is a lot. But with eight mouths to feed 2-3 times per day, plus a couple of guests for Easter dinner, I figure it’ll be just right.

When we planned all this, I thought we’d be glued to the TV watching UK make their way to the Final Four. Didn’t happen. Now all I have to root for is that Duke loses their next game.