Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Goodness, a busy weekend, lots of activity. Friday night I had a night out with some friends. Saturday was errands, then park for some tennis, then off to the State Fair. Sunday was fairly relaxing in the morning, then more tennis followed by Mom's birthday party. So a pretty active weekend.
Weekend Recap
Friday night was fun, although not anywhere what I was expecting. I think it was a good get together, got a chance to just relax, with no agenda. And speak of things that we don't always touch on at our gaming sessions. So I think well worth the effort of coordinating.
Saturday I probably drove the kids a little crazy, they were probably expecting a relaxed day and instead we ran errands, then went to the park for some play and tennis. Then it was off to the library, followed by a little home time. Then Kim thought it might be a good idea to go to the State Fair that afternoon and evening. Which we did. It was actually a lot of fun, Emily's reaction to the animals alone was worth the trip. I captured some pictures which can be found here, using both the regular camera and the iPhone.
Sunday morning was actually far more relaxed, the kids got a real chance to sit around and play around the house. Which was nice on a kind of gloomy day. Kim went off to work on Connie's house, they are slowly rounding things into shape, but it's an uphill battle. Then in the afternoon it was back to the park for some more play time and tennis (yes my arm and wrist are a little sore). Then we ran to the car in the rain and drove to Mom's for her birthday party. Which was a nice little get together.
Football
I got home in time to catch the 2nd and 3rd quarters of the Broncos game, and I came away less than impressed. I don't think is is going to be a good season at all. It might start to come together at the end of the season but right now it looks like a train wreck. Here are some of my quick thoughts from Twitter:
>Just started watching the game, I guess the D hasn't been bad, of course the O isn't exactly great tonight either...
>Really? Two weeks in a row we allow a long two minute drive to end the half, gonna be a long season...
>Just a piss poor week for Colorado sports...
>Hey we at least have a great punter. I am so sick of listening to people trash us over Cutler, a diva QB not same as a diva WR
>One more drive then over to #MadMen...
(and from Facebook)
>This is just going to be a long season for the Donkeys, I think the coach is out of his league, and now it looks like if it wasn't for bad luck we'd have no luck at all..
I still stand by my stance that the franchise had no choice with Cutler, you can't just suspend a diva QB like we have done with Marshall. The QB is the one guy who a)needs to practice and b)cannot be expected to just sit on the bench. So once he decided to force his way out we were stuck. That being said I am not sure the offense will be all that productive with Orton. Although it's too early to tell with all of the injuries. Which is why I think the team might improve as the season goes along, as guys get healthy and get in some reps.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Happy Birthday Mom
Happy Birthday Mom
Here's wishing you the most wonderful of days on your birthday today, and all the days after. I can never thank you enough for all you have done and continue to do for me and my family, but I try as often as possible. You have been the most wonderful mother I can imagine, teaching and caring for all the right things that I needed in all the right balances. So here's to you.
Love you Mom
Here's wishing you the most wonderful of days on your birthday today, and all the days after. I can never thank you enough for all you have done and continue to do for me and my family, but I try as often as possible. You have been the most wonderful mother I can imagine, teaching and caring for all the right things that I needed in all the right balances. So here's to you.
Love you Mom
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Thursday Thoughts + Weekend Plans + Football Friday
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Kim's Project
I have spoken before about how selfless Kim can be. And that she gets this from her mother. Well let me tell you what Kim is doing now. Technically this is to help out her sister and her sister's kids. But the reality is it really is helping out Connie because if Kim doesn't do this it will be Connie who has to deal with the mess. Tammy has left a huge quantity of dirty clothes at her old house, accumulated over a long period of time. And while it is not unusual for a family of 5 to have a lot of clothes still this was pretty ridiculous. In the process of slowly moving out of her house and into Connie's Tammy had bagged up a large quantity of these dirty clothes and put them in a storage unit. And there were even more at her house still.
Kim has decided, on her own initiative, to take all of these clothes and wash them bag by bag. And at the same time sort them, throwing away the items that were just too ripped, torn or stained to be worn, tossing other items into a pile for charity, and then making a much smaller pile of clothes that could be given back to the kids and Tammy. Although even then they will mostly get returned to storage as they haven't needed most of these items in over a year now. Here is a picture of the bags on our porch to give you an idea how much work is involved:
Weekend Plans
So this weekend is getting a little busy. Saturday I have our normal trip to the library, plus now a trip to the park/tennis with Dad. Sunday I have tennis with Dad & Dave, the Mom's birthday party. And tonight I am getting together with some friends for drinks (not for me, for my friends). And in the midst of this there are some house projects I would like to get tackled. So I won't be able to just get up and do nothing all day around the house this Saturday, which I don't mind really. I have enjoyed the relaxing days the last couple of weeks, but I feel better at the end of the weekend if I can actually point to having done something.
Football Thoughts
Broncos:
Well if Brandon Marshall wants out of Denver he is taking the absolute worst way to do it. Sulking, complaining to the media, asking for more money and then being disruptive in practice are all excellent ways to make yourself less desirable on the trade market. Which means Denver won't trade him because they can't get reasonable compensation. My prediction is that when the regular season comes they will give him another chance, but a very short leash, and the minute he is disruptive it will become a real suspension, that costs him money. And in the interim the rest of the team will move on without him. Stupid move on his part. I understand that they could not do this with Cutler, things are different with a QB, but this tack will definitely work with a diva like WR. If he really wants that trade and big contract he needs to take the Anquan Boldin tack: play your heart out, even play hurt, prove that you are worth that big money.
Rams:
Well 2-1 in the preseason isn't bad. I think they have an improved team, although it is way to soon to tell with the offense since they have played minus their top QB, Center, and light duties for their top RB. But the defense seems improved. Will this translate to the regular season? Still too early to tell, but I am optimistic.
Kim's Project
I have spoken before about how selfless Kim can be. And that she gets this from her mother. Well let me tell you what Kim is doing now. Technically this is to help out her sister and her sister's kids. But the reality is it really is helping out Connie because if Kim doesn't do this it will be Connie who has to deal with the mess. Tammy has left a huge quantity of dirty clothes at her old house, accumulated over a long period of time. And while it is not unusual for a family of 5 to have a lot of clothes still this was pretty ridiculous. In the process of slowly moving out of her house and into Connie's Tammy had bagged up a large quantity of these dirty clothes and put them in a storage unit. And there were even more at her house still.
Kim has decided, on her own initiative, to take all of these clothes and wash them bag by bag. And at the same time sort them, throwing away the items that were just too ripped, torn or stained to be worn, tossing other items into a pile for charity, and then making a much smaller pile of clothes that could be given back to the kids and Tammy. Although even then they will mostly get returned to storage as they haven't needed most of these items in over a year now. Here is a picture of the bags on our porch to give you an idea how much work is involved:
Weekend Plans
So this weekend is getting a little busy. Saturday I have our normal trip to the library, plus now a trip to the park/tennis with Dad. Sunday I have tennis with Dad & Dave, the Mom's birthday party. And tonight I am getting together with some friends for drinks (not for me, for my friends). And in the midst of this there are some house projects I would like to get tackled. So I won't be able to just get up and do nothing all day around the house this Saturday, which I don't mind really. I have enjoyed the relaxing days the last couple of weeks, but I feel better at the end of the weekend if I can actually point to having done something.
Football Thoughts
Broncos:
Well if Brandon Marshall wants out of Denver he is taking the absolute worst way to do it. Sulking, complaining to the media, asking for more money and then being disruptive in practice are all excellent ways to make yourself less desirable on the trade market. Which means Denver won't trade him because they can't get reasonable compensation. My prediction is that when the regular season comes they will give him another chance, but a very short leash, and the minute he is disruptive it will become a real suspension, that costs him money. And in the interim the rest of the team will move on without him. Stupid move on his part. I understand that they could not do this with Cutler, things are different with a QB, but this tack will definitely work with a diva like WR. If he really wants that trade and big contract he needs to take the Anquan Boldin tack: play your heart out, even play hurt, prove that you are worth that big money.
Rams:
Well 2-1 in the preseason isn't bad. I think they have an improved team, although it is way to soon to tell with the offense since they have played minus their top QB, Center, and light duties for their top RB. But the defense seems improved. Will this translate to the regular season? Still too early to tell, but I am optimistic.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Mad Men and other thoughts
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Mad Men
Here are my tweets on watching this week's episode of Mad Men:
Anyone else notice the date of that wedding? Nov. 23,1963 day after the assassination #MadMen
The genius of Don Draper applies in all facets of life... #MadMen
OMG I just clued into seeing her smoking and drinking at what has to be 7 or 8 months, how classic and timely...
"You're not fat anymore..." Gotta love Mad Men,
Following up those thoughts. Poor Peggy, she's ahead of her time and has to cope with all the trappings of that: obnoxious close minded men who either ignore her being a woman or fumble their way through trying to accept her. And her odd attempts to grow into her own idea of what she should be: one of the boys, even if that means a shallow one night stand. Another classic 'this is the early 60's after all' moment when you notice Peggy Draper drinking and smoking while pregnant. Another great episode, better than the first one of the season in my opinion.
Family Moments
So today was the first day for me to drop Emily off at Day Care then take the boys to school. I had given myself some leeway on time, and I have to say it worked like a charm. She was easy to pass off, and then it was a simple drive to the school, where we were actually kind of early. So my timing is right on target. Feels good to handle things like this so smoothly.
Emily apparently did quite well at Day Care yesterday, took a nap, ate her food, and had no problems with the other kids. All the things we could hope for. I would expect any problems she might have to come up this week, because after a week her routine should settle in. I really think this is a very good thing for her and the rest of the family as well. Because this way Connie and Tammy can really move on to getting settled with everything that has changed in their lives.
Mad Men
Here are my tweets on watching this week's episode of Mad Men:
Anyone else notice the date of that wedding? Nov. 23,1963 day after the assassination #MadMen
The genius of Don Draper applies in all facets of life... #MadMen
OMG I just clued into seeing her smoking and drinking at what has to be 7 or 8 months, how classic and timely...
"You're not fat anymore..." Gotta love Mad Men,
Following up those thoughts. Poor Peggy, she's ahead of her time and has to cope with all the trappings of that: obnoxious close minded men who either ignore her being a woman or fumble their way through trying to accept her. And her odd attempts to grow into her own idea of what she should be: one of the boys, even if that means a shallow one night stand. Another classic 'this is the early 60's after all' moment when you notice Peggy Draper drinking and smoking while pregnant. Another great episode, better than the first one of the season in my opinion.
Family Moments
So today was the first day for me to drop Emily off at Day Care then take the boys to school. I had given myself some leeway on time, and I have to say it worked like a charm. She was easy to pass off, and then it was a simple drive to the school, where we were actually kind of early. So my timing is right on target. Feels good to handle things like this so smoothly.
Emily apparently did quite well at Day Care yesterday, took a nap, ate her food, and had no problems with the other kids. All the things we could hope for. I would expect any problems she might have to come up this week, because after a week her routine should settle in. I really think this is a very good thing for her and the rest of the family as well. Because this way Connie and Tammy can really move on to getting settled with everything that has changed in their lives.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Weekend Recap
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Another enjoyable, and relaxing weekend is gone. Really took our time to relax and just do nothing this weekend. Especially on Saturday where my attempt to get the kids out of the house resulted in a James rebellion and my staying home. Sunday was more active with a morning walk in Red Rocks and an afternoon outing. But overall it was a good weekend, with plenty of chances to recharge the batteries.
Weekend Exercise
Friday night after dinner we walked down to West, let the kids play, and James got to ride. Saturday I didn't get any exercise in, just hung out at home like a slug. Then Sunday we got in the walk, then swimming with Daniel and Emily, which involves more walking than anything. But overall progress continues and habits are getting healthier.
Football
Saturday night I watched the Broncos game and enjoyed be able to Twitter my thoughts as they came up, here they are:
Defense starting, not impressing, so much for the f.a. DB
Alright how ya like Orton now?! That was the offense we expected to see...
Three and out was that defense? Plus I love that colorblind guy commercial
Uh oh what's that? 2 coverage sacks! We might have adefense after all...
Well that was just a weird way to end the drive but either way this looks like the offense that NE won 3 super bowls with...
Wow that was horrid 2 minute D, what a letdown for what was an otherwise decent half
Well this game could be a case of preseason jitters, or it could a long long year jury still out...
James flips the swtiches
James had a good time at his buddies birthday party on Sunday and had an interesting comment afterwards as we were driving home: 'he doesn't live that far away, I could ride to his house!'. And then later that afternoon he and his buddy wanted to ride down to West, and when he asked I just told him sure, as a matter of course. It's become a real matter of pride how independent he has become with the bike.
But just in case you think he has become completely the outdoorsy type the other thing that has clicked for him is reading. A week or so ago we took him to the library and got him some books that were at his level. And he has ripped through them. Setting him up with the lamp has really done the trick, he reads pretty much every night now. So overall two switches clicked for James in the matter of a month: bike riding and reading. And as a result he has really become a different kid almost over night. It is just a great feeling to witness.
Another enjoyable, and relaxing weekend is gone. Really took our time to relax and just do nothing this weekend. Especially on Saturday where my attempt to get the kids out of the house resulted in a James rebellion and my staying home. Sunday was more active with a morning walk in Red Rocks and an afternoon outing. But overall it was a good weekend, with plenty of chances to recharge the batteries.
Weekend Exercise
Friday night after dinner we walked down to West, let the kids play, and James got to ride. Saturday I didn't get any exercise in, just hung out at home like a slug. Then Sunday we got in the walk, then swimming with Daniel and Emily, which involves more walking than anything. But overall progress continues and habits are getting healthier.
Football
Saturday night I watched the Broncos game and enjoyed be able to Twitter my thoughts as they came up, here they are:
Defense starting, not impressing, so much for the f.a. DB
Alright how ya like Orton now?! That was the offense we expected to see...
Three and out was that defense? Plus I love that colorblind guy commercial
Uh oh what's that? 2 coverage sacks! We might have adefense after all...
Well that was just a weird way to end the drive but either way this looks like the offense that NE won 3 super bowls with...
Wow that was horrid 2 minute D, what a letdown for what was an otherwise decent half
Well this game could be a case of preseason jitters, or it could a long long year jury still out...
James flips the swtiches
James had a good time at his buddies birthday party on Sunday and had an interesting comment afterwards as we were driving home: 'he doesn't live that far away, I could ride to his house!'. And then later that afternoon he and his buddy wanted to ride down to West, and when he asked I just told him sure, as a matter of course. It's become a real matter of pride how independent he has become with the bike.
But just in case you think he has become completely the outdoorsy type the other thing that has clicked for him is reading. A week or so ago we took him to the library and got him some books that were at his level. And he has ripped through them. Setting him up with the lamp has really done the trick, he reads pretty much every night now. So overall two switches clicked for James in the matter of a month: bike riding and reading. And as a result he has really become a different kid almost over night. It is just a great feeling to witness.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday Thoughts
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Our Family and marriage
First some thoughts on the family. After some recent bad news from a couple of friends I got to thinking about what I think are the reasons we have kept oursleves together, despite some challenges and changes over the years. I think I would the reasons like this:
1. Prioritizing: we have both made sure that the family and family time comes first. That may not be the same thing to everyone in the family (to James family time means Mom & Dad doing something with him, not the other kids). But we have both made a point to focus on family. That has meant some sacrifice, from me especially as I have effectively given up 1 hobby for the sake of family time.
2. I love being a parent: Not the same thing as loving your kids. I think pretty much every parent loves their kids, it's pretty hard not to. But I love being a Dad, doing Dad things, taking kids on walks, to the park, playing games, taking them to sports and games, giving baths, teaching them, the whole 9 yards. Are there times when I tire of it? Sure, I am human after all. But overall I love everything that comes with being a father, and I think Kim feels the same about being a Mom.
3. Luck: We have been lucky, lucky to have generous and loving extended families. Lucky that nothing truly terrible has happened to us. Lucky that we haven't lost our jobs when we really need them (Kim's PD career notwithstanding).
4. Hard work: We have worked at things in our marriage. We weren't always great at communicating, or listening to each other. We have been known to harbor little grudges, and not express ourselves well. But we have worked at it and gotten to the point where we rarely let anything major get bigger and cause problems.
Are all of the above a guaranteed recipe for a long lasting marriage? No, I don't think there is a guaranteed recipe for that. But I would credit the above items as the reasons we have succeeded so far.
Health Care Reform
Yeah I am going to hammer away on this one. Despite my growing cynicism that the powers that be are doing their moneyed best to stop reform in it's tracks. I think that the tack that Congress and President have taken of trying to make it revenue neutral is wrong. I think that taxes on the top 1% do need to be raised to pay for it, along with corporate taxes. I think the problem with that is that those interests control the PR right now. And they are sending the same message that keeps people buying lottery tickets: 'Someday you too could be one of those top 1%, so those are your taxes that are being raised". Never mind the astronomical odds against that happening. Or the fact that this really will not affect 99% of this country beyond giving them access to something they don't currently have.
But I had another idea yesterday and developed this morning: pay for it with sin. Let's legalize some drugs (not all of them, there are some that just should not be accessed) and tax them. And let's legalize prostitution and tax it. And let's make gambling legal nationwide and impose a federal tax. Then combine those revenue streams to pay for national Health care. Like alcohol and tobacco taxes I think it would be easy to get people to accept taxing these other 'sins'. And it would also greatly reduce some law enforcement costs, which is savings that could be used to keep some local governments afloat in these difficult times. I think that is the kind of out of the box thinking this discussion needs.
Our Family and marriage
First some thoughts on the family. After some recent bad news from a couple of friends I got to thinking about what I think are the reasons we have kept oursleves together, despite some challenges and changes over the years. I think I would the reasons like this:
1. Prioritizing: we have both made sure that the family and family time comes first. That may not be the same thing to everyone in the family (to James family time means Mom & Dad doing something with him, not the other kids). But we have both made a point to focus on family. That has meant some sacrifice, from me especially as I have effectively given up 1 hobby for the sake of family time.
2. I love being a parent: Not the same thing as loving your kids. I think pretty much every parent loves their kids, it's pretty hard not to. But I love being a Dad, doing Dad things, taking kids on walks, to the park, playing games, taking them to sports and games, giving baths, teaching them, the whole 9 yards. Are there times when I tire of it? Sure, I am human after all. But overall I love everything that comes with being a father, and I think Kim feels the same about being a Mom.
3. Luck: We have been lucky, lucky to have generous and loving extended families. Lucky that nothing truly terrible has happened to us. Lucky that we haven't lost our jobs when we really need them (Kim's PD career notwithstanding).
4. Hard work: We have worked at things in our marriage. We weren't always great at communicating, or listening to each other. We have been known to harbor little grudges, and not express ourselves well. But we have worked at it and gotten to the point where we rarely let anything major get bigger and cause problems.
Are all of the above a guaranteed recipe for a long lasting marriage? No, I don't think there is a guaranteed recipe for that. But I would credit the above items as the reasons we have succeeded so far.
Health Care Reform
Yeah I am going to hammer away on this one. Despite my growing cynicism that the powers that be are doing their moneyed best to stop reform in it's tracks. I think that the tack that Congress and President have taken of trying to make it revenue neutral is wrong. I think that taxes on the top 1% do need to be raised to pay for it, along with corporate taxes. I think the problem with that is that those interests control the PR right now. And they are sending the same message that keeps people buying lottery tickets: 'Someday you too could be one of those top 1%, so those are your taxes that are being raised". Never mind the astronomical odds against that happening. Or the fact that this really will not affect 99% of this country beyond giving them access to something they don't currently have.
But I had another idea yesterday and developed this morning: pay for it with sin. Let's legalize some drugs (not all of them, there are some that just should not be accessed) and tax them. And let's legalize prostitution and tax it. And let's make gambling legal nationwide and impose a federal tax. Then combine those revenue streams to pay for national Health care. Like alcohol and tobacco taxes I think it would be easy to get people to accept taxing these other 'sins'. And it would also greatly reduce some law enforcement costs, which is savings that could be used to keep some local governments afloat in these difficult times. I think that is the kind of out of the box thinking this discussion needs.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday Links
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Here are some links for ya:
A Mathematical model of the results of a Zombie attack
I think it is so cool and geeky that some people actually took the time to sit down and figure this out. I cannot even attempt to verify the math, but it's pretty cool that they tried to sit down and figure it all out.
Youth Sports Parents blog
I have linked to this site before but the top 2 articles caught my eye. The point about Yang winning a sport he didn't start playing until he was 19 is a good one. And the note about moderation is key as well I think. I was talking to some parents yesterday, whose son plays soccer with James, and the Dad coaches soccer. And they were talking about how they put their son in a soccer skills camp this summer. And yes that will mean he may be better than James this year, I tend to think James will get more long term playing multiple sports: soccer, baseball, and basketball, maybe football. My point is I don't see the need for him to join a travelling team yet, and the certainly doesn't need to be focusing on just 1 sport just yet.
Glenn Greenwald takes a long time to get to an important point
The point is that what we are witnessing with the Health care debate: the PR campaign from the Right, the passivity of the Blue Dogs, the seeming lack of resolve from the White House all stem from the biggest issue behind all of this: money. The big money is controlling this debate (and quite possibly the White House). And the people who really need this change, are not hearing that, they are instead hearing stuff like: "it's communism, socialist, what have you". There was an aside on Mad Men the other night when one of the guys was complaining that there was no sense in earning a certain amount of money because they would be taxed 69%. Oh for the good old days when people thought that was too much!
Just once I want Obama to answer the question that's always posed: how are you going to pay for it? With this response: "I'm going to pay for it by taxing the richest 1% of the country's population, people who can afford it, just a couple of percentage points more then they pay now." But he will never say that and we will never witness a response like that so long as that 1% controls our government. And to anyone who thinks that isn't the case, that the government isn't under the control of the richest people and the biggest corporations I give you this debate as a counter example. It is sickening and gut wrenching to watch and admit. But when the seemingly most progressive candidate in 30 years gets elected, and gets a filibuster proof majority in the Senate along with a vast majority in the House, and together they cannot pass legislation that the majority of this country wants, I submit that it is because those people in power are under the sway of rich individuals and corporations that have made it clear they do not want that legislation passed.
Here are some links for ya:
A Mathematical model of the results of a Zombie attack
I think it is so cool and geeky that some people actually took the time to sit down and figure this out. I cannot even attempt to verify the math, but it's pretty cool that they tried to sit down and figure it all out.
Youth Sports Parents blog
I have linked to this site before but the top 2 articles caught my eye. The point about Yang winning a sport he didn't start playing until he was 19 is a good one. And the note about moderation is key as well I think. I was talking to some parents yesterday, whose son plays soccer with James, and the Dad coaches soccer. And they were talking about how they put their son in a soccer skills camp this summer. And yes that will mean he may be better than James this year, I tend to think James will get more long term playing multiple sports: soccer, baseball, and basketball, maybe football. My point is I don't see the need for him to join a travelling team yet, and the certainly doesn't need to be focusing on just 1 sport just yet.
Glenn Greenwald takes a long time to get to an important point
The point is that what we are witnessing with the Health care debate: the PR campaign from the Right, the passivity of the Blue Dogs, the seeming lack of resolve from the White House all stem from the biggest issue behind all of this: money. The big money is controlling this debate (and quite possibly the White House). And the people who really need this change, are not hearing that, they are instead hearing stuff like: "it's communism, socialist, what have you". There was an aside on Mad Men the other night when one of the guys was complaining that there was no sense in earning a certain amount of money because they would be taxed 69%. Oh for the good old days when people thought that was too much!
Just once I want Obama to answer the question that's always posed: how are you going to pay for it? With this response: "I'm going to pay for it by taxing the richest 1% of the country's population, people who can afford it, just a couple of percentage points more then they pay now." But he will never say that and we will never witness a response like that so long as that 1% controls our government. And to anyone who thinks that isn't the case, that the government isn't under the control of the richest people and the biggest corporations I give you this debate as a counter example. It is sickening and gut wrenching to watch and admit. But when the seemingly most progressive candidate in 30 years gets elected, and gets a filibuster proof majority in the Senate along with a vast majority in the House, and together they cannot pass legislation that the majority of this country wants, I submit that it is because those people in power are under the sway of rich individuals and corporations that have made it clear they do not want that legislation passed.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Weekend Recap
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
So a very good 4 day weekend. I think the kids got all the parent/fun time they could have wanted. Had an excellent party and got some necessary clenaup while we were at it. And I got a new toy: replaced my phone with an iPhone, which meant I was tweeting like a madman, so I decided to capture the weekend based on thos tweets.
Saturday night:
Love new iPhone but must sleep now, way more tomorrow
Sunday:
Up early to get play time before prep work starts #fb
Ok food prep has begun menu 4 today: http://img508.yfrog.com/i/b8m.jpg/
Prep work done on veggie tray, deviled eggs. TV time, any f'ball on?
BBQ is going kids everywhere and folks playing games http://yfrog.com/06k83qj
Relaxing, playing real Farkle, great BBQ: http://yfrog.com/0fuzeuj
BBQ over all friends & fam gone. Great time today, thanks to all who came #fb
Monday:
Quiet morning, just me & Daniel awake so far, uploading pix, updating phone, etc. thinking about a walk or ride today #fb
Lunchtime argument: what fast food for everyone ? #fb
Grocery store getting cookies for kids school, then off meet & greet, see new school #fb
Watching season Premiere of Mad Men:
Pete Campbell dances and laughs just like the weasel he is #Madmen
Don is still a cheating liar but damn he's so smooth, minimize your exposure... Damn #Madmen
This looks like another stunning season, although if Christina Hendricks leaves I will be very sad #Madmen
Monday Morning:
Earlier start on first day of school has kids moving like slugs, nothing like a schedule change... #fb
First day of school drop off went smooth boys were no problem http://yfrog.com/0y7hobj #fb
So the first couple of my "days off" were spent mostly cleaning up the house and yard, and shed, so everything was ready for the barbecue. On Saturday we went and picked up my new phone. Then Sunday was devoted to the barbecue: food prep, last minute cleaning, then cooking and finally the barbecue itself. Which I thought went very well. The kids all had a good time, and there was a fun mingling of folks who might otherwise never meet and spend time with each other. Including the fun meeting of my nephew with an old teacher whose ids go to school with our boys.
Monday we relaxed a little in the morning then took Emily to the Day Care center to sign her up and let her visit. Which went quite well, I think she will be very happy there. We then went to the library then to the boys school for a pre-school beginning Meet & greet. So we could locate the classrooms, drop off supplies etc. Then we went home for supper, baths etc, and the beginning of the new bed time rituals for everyone. And then I got to get around to watching the season premiere of Mad Men, which I really enjoyed (see comments above).
So an excellent, refreshing and enjoyable 4 day weekend to end the summer for the kids. And a nice refresher for me as well. Life is changing for the family: boys are now both in school full time, and Emily will be in full time day care. Should make for an interesting month or so while the adjustments are made. But I am looking foward to life as this change gets made.
So a very good 4 day weekend. I think the kids got all the parent/fun time they could have wanted. Had an excellent party and got some necessary clenaup while we were at it. And I got a new toy: replaced my phone with an iPhone, which meant I was tweeting like a madman, so I decided to capture the weekend based on thos tweets.
Saturday night:
Love new iPhone but must sleep now, way more tomorrow
Sunday:
Up early to get play time before prep work starts #fb
Ok food prep has begun menu 4 today: http://img508.yfrog.com/i/b8m.jpg/
Prep work done on veggie tray, deviled eggs. TV time, any f'ball on?
BBQ is going kids everywhere and folks playing games http://yfrog.com/06k83qj
Relaxing, playing real Farkle, great BBQ: http://yfrog.com/0fuzeuj
BBQ over all friends & fam gone. Great time today, thanks to all who came #fb
Monday:
Quiet morning, just me & Daniel awake so far, uploading pix, updating phone, etc. thinking about a walk or ride today #fb
Lunchtime argument: what fast food for everyone ? #fb
Grocery store getting cookies for kids school, then off meet & greet, see new school #fb
Watching season Premiere of Mad Men:
Pete Campbell dances and laughs just like the weasel he is #Madmen
Don is still a cheating liar but damn he's so smooth, minimize your exposure... Damn #Madmen
This looks like another stunning season, although if Christina Hendricks leaves I will be very sad #Madmen
Monday Morning:
Earlier start on first day of school has kids moving like slugs, nothing like a schedule change... #fb
First day of school drop off went smooth boys were no problem http://yfrog.com/0y7hobj #fb
So the first couple of my "days off" were spent mostly cleaning up the house and yard, and shed, so everything was ready for the barbecue. On Saturday we went and picked up my new phone. Then Sunday was devoted to the barbecue: food prep, last minute cleaning, then cooking and finally the barbecue itself. Which I thought went very well. The kids all had a good time, and there was a fun mingling of folks who might otherwise never meet and spend time with each other. Including the fun meeting of my nephew with an old teacher whose ids go to school with our boys.
Monday we relaxed a little in the morning then took Emily to the Day Care center to sign her up and let her visit. Which went quite well, I think she will be very happy there. We then went to the library then to the boys school for a pre-school beginning Meet & greet. So we could locate the classrooms, drop off supplies etc. Then we went home for supper, baths etc, and the beginning of the new bed time rituals for everyone. And then I got to get around to watching the season premiere of Mad Men, which I really enjoyed (see comments above).
So an excellent, refreshing and enjoyable 4 day weekend to end the summer for the kids. And a nice refresher for me as well. Life is changing for the family: boys are now both in school full time, and Emily will be in full time day care. Should make for an interesting month or so while the adjustments are made. But I am looking foward to life as this change gets made.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Football Friday
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Instead of previewing my teams I am going to rant a little bit. And run the risk of alienating more than a few people but I will say what I think has to be said. People around the country are all upset that Michael Vick signed with the Eagles and will get a chance to play football again after serving 20 months in prison for organizing a dogfighting ring. I think it is time we gained a little perspective. There are 2 men in the NFL right now who have killed human beings while driving drunk. These men have, or will have, been 'forgiven' and allowed to play (or will be in a year). These men are Leonard Little and Donte Stallworth.
Yet I hazard a guess that far more coverage and indignation has been spent on Michael Vick than on these 2 killers. I am not minimizing what Vick did, but I think there is something terribly upside down in our culture when someone who organized a dog fighting ring where no human beings were hurt receives more coverage and condemnation than 2 men who knowingly stepped behind of the wheel of a car while drunk and killed 2 innocent human beings.
And these 2 men have together served (or will serve) 1/4 of the jail time that Vick has already served. And one of them has been allowed to earn millions of dollars since his action, while some people believe that Vick should not be given a chance to earn a living again doing the same thing.
All I ask is before you get all worked up about Michael Vick playing football again consider this: does he deserve more or less of a penalty and a chance of forgiveness than someone who has knowingly taken the life of another human being?
Instead of previewing my teams I am going to rant a little bit. And run the risk of alienating more than a few people but I will say what I think has to be said. People around the country are all upset that Michael Vick signed with the Eagles and will get a chance to play football again after serving 20 months in prison for organizing a dogfighting ring. I think it is time we gained a little perspective. There are 2 men in the NFL right now who have killed human beings while driving drunk. These men have, or will have, been 'forgiven' and allowed to play (or will be in a year). These men are Leonard Little and Donte Stallworth.
Yet I hazard a guess that far more coverage and indignation has been spent on Michael Vick than on these 2 killers. I am not minimizing what Vick did, but I think there is something terribly upside down in our culture when someone who organized a dog fighting ring where no human beings were hurt receives more coverage and condemnation than 2 men who knowingly stepped behind of the wheel of a car while drunk and killed 2 innocent human beings.
And these 2 men have together served (or will serve) 1/4 of the jail time that Vick has already served. And one of them has been allowed to earn millions of dollars since his action, while some people believe that Vick should not be given a chance to earn a living again doing the same thing.
All I ask is before you get all worked up about Michael Vick playing football again consider this: does he deserve more or less of a penalty and a chance of forgiveness than someone who has knowingly taken the life of another human being?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tales from Savage Shadows
Hi, this is Boo Radley and this is my story, such as it is. See I'm not much for putting pen to paper but I figgered I would do it now in case people want to know what happened to me.
See after escaping the dinosaurs we was hiding out in that cave and I kinda shut down, like Doc Tweak had done before. I seen and heard everything, I just couldn't respond or act, except walk. It was kinda like that PTSD stuff we was all told about after Gulf War 2.
So they was looking around in the cave, doing some digging for a way out, cause one of them dino's made itself at home right outside the cave. And then Red Shirt told us he fund a crack, and they could smell and feel fresh air coming out of it, just like some movie. Of course it was too small to see anything of course. We didn't have nothing to dig with either. Then Sparks got the bright idea of breaking up the grenades and turning them into an explosive. No one else had any better ideas ('cept me thinking why don't we just blow up them dino's, but I couldn't say nothing). So she went at it, all McGyver like. Took her a while but she put something together that blew a real good hole in the wall. Big enough for Doc Tweak to crawl through.
So we all followed him, crawled for a while actually. Then Doc freaks out when the tunnel opens up into a big room. Looking around the room was kinda funky shaped, with lots of writing on the walls. And there was this big stone in the middle with a dead guy laying on it, like some Indiana Jones movie tomb. They was all trying to figger out what to do next when the door opens and some shrimpy little guy ran in, closing the door after him. He was a funny looking guy, with green skin and pointy ears like Hudson, and he didn't speak english. But he sure babbled a lot in what Doc said was Latin.
Then something started banging on the door, clawing at it, eventually wriggling the door knob. They all took up ambush positions so when the door opened they wuz ready for action. Well they woulda been if it hadn't turned out to be fucking zombies! Crazy! Zombies, just like in the movies, they wuz real scary, freaked out Zim big time. But it turned out you can take 'em down the same as in movies: head shots. After the team cleared out the zombies the little guy, called hisself Caliban, led us to his peeps.
Turns out there was a bunch of them little guys, and they been fighting these zombies in what they called the Stronghold for a while. Tough fighting, cuz if you get hurt by one of 'em that it, you turn into a zombie too. Well he took us to this guy called the Prator, who took us to their Oracle. The Oracle laid out his story:
"Greeting strangers, welcome to our world. You are what we call Randoms, creatures or people from another land, space or time that have been popping up in our world for the past 50 years or so. Some are unaffected by their arrival, others change, such as your friend the elf or the mage there.
"Let me start at the beginning of the tale. I wasn't always the creature you see before you. I once was human like yourselves, about 12 years of age, about to begin my apprenticeship. Like most I didn't read or disbelieved the stories on the wire and video, stories of strange babies. People changing overnight, going to sleep sick and waking up transformed. I didn't believe such things could happen until it happened to me.
"By the end of that year the Awakening had transformed the face of the planet. Chaos threatened as the people pf the new races flocked together, flouting provincial and national boundaries. The Senate issued a proclamation stating the Awakened races were equal to humans, but it was too late in some cases. Fear and persecution led some groups to band together and flee for the outer provinces. Centurion Tiberius and I led this group to these mountains and built this stronghold. There were more of us in those days...
"It was a few years after the Awakening that the first reports of the Undead Scourge surfaced. It was almost too much to bear for our people. Some just gave up, killing themselves first or just allowing the zombies to take them. There was a lot of despair.
"The war itself was short really. The zombies were an unstoppable force, overrunning every city they came to. The Senate promoted the Emperor, who did all he could. Including making some frightful decisions about who should be saved and pulled into fortified headquarters. And in the end it was the seasons that saved us all. It turns out the Zombies do not like cold, and deprived of new food became dormant.
"Over that winter season the Emperor and other world leaders crafted new strategies, and trained new legions with new equipment. When the spring broke the Legions marched out of the north and their mountain fortresses, sweeping the zombies from their path. Using magic, and the new strategies and equipment the offensive successfully cleared the land of the zombies. In that war the so called Goblin races: Orks, Trolls and Goblins like us proved out worth in the new forms of combat.
"Now the land is reclaimed, but at a terrible cost. Most estimates placed the casualties at 60 to 70 percent of the worlds population gone. It's a new world, the great cities are mostly shells. Only those in the far north and the easily defensible ones survived mostly intact. The Emperor has opened the empty lands to settlers and homesteaders, hoping to repopulate the empty lands as quickly as possible.
"We had come here shortly before the panic began. The Centurion taught us to fight and defend ourselves. He helped us defend the stronghold and seal it off. So we have lived here for a generation, feeling safe. Until recently, when new attacks came from the depths, the newest parts of the stronghold. We were ready to defend ourselves from outside attack, but not from within.
"I prayed for answers: where did these attackers come from? Why were they different, seemingly guided to attack us at our most vulnerable points and times. Not anything like the mindless zombies from before. Then the answer came to me, these creatures were somehow brought here from the land of Aztlan. They were brought here by an evil dark magic, summoned initially, and guided by warlocks from that land. I can only assume our stronghold is a test of their capabilities before a full scale invasion.
"We have lost our access to the wire and all ability to communicate with the outside world. We barely have enough people to defend what we have, and most of our trained fighters have fallen. We need you strangers to take our message and tale to the outside world. I have recorded all that we know about these warlocks and their servants on this datacube. Take it to Bermuda City and give it to the Legion Commander. The Praetor will provide you with maps and directions out and to Bermuda City. Be wary of the Warlocks on y0ur way out, try to avoid any fights with him so you can escape safely without detection.
"Good luck and Gods speed."
After that we had no choice but to take the data cube, get some supplies and make this run for it. It was kinda crazy. Most of the time we double timed it when we could, jogging as much as we could. The zombies did find us eventually. We slipped one of their attacks once, but we did have to fight eventually. The first fight was pretty simple, them zombies are slow, and by now the team knew how to take 'em down. But after that fight, even when we started trying to double time it we still ran into 'em at the exit.
At first it looked like we could just take 'em down. But Zim realized that they weren't stopping this time, it wasn't just a small group like the other attacks. So we had to shoot our way past 'em. Which we did, and managed to get out to the sun and close the door behind us. So here we are, back in the sun, in a real dry place. And all we got to do is follow this 20 year old road atlas with funny latin names on it to this Bermuda City, and give the boss man this little cube.
See after escaping the dinosaurs we was hiding out in that cave and I kinda shut down, like Doc Tweak had done before. I seen and heard everything, I just couldn't respond or act, except walk. It was kinda like that PTSD stuff we was all told about after Gulf War 2.
So they was looking around in the cave, doing some digging for a way out, cause one of them dino's made itself at home right outside the cave. And then Red Shirt told us he fund a crack, and they could smell and feel fresh air coming out of it, just like some movie. Of course it was too small to see anything of course. We didn't have nothing to dig with either. Then Sparks got the bright idea of breaking up the grenades and turning them into an explosive. No one else had any better ideas ('cept me thinking why don't we just blow up them dino's, but I couldn't say nothing). So she went at it, all McGyver like. Took her a while but she put something together that blew a real good hole in the wall. Big enough for Doc Tweak to crawl through.
So we all followed him, crawled for a while actually. Then Doc freaks out when the tunnel opens up into a big room. Looking around the room was kinda funky shaped, with lots of writing on the walls. And there was this big stone in the middle with a dead guy laying on it, like some Indiana Jones movie tomb. They was all trying to figger out what to do next when the door opens and some shrimpy little guy ran in, closing the door after him. He was a funny looking guy, with green skin and pointy ears like Hudson, and he didn't speak english. But he sure babbled a lot in what Doc said was Latin.
Then something started banging on the door, clawing at it, eventually wriggling the door knob. They all took up ambush positions so when the door opened they wuz ready for action. Well they woulda been if it hadn't turned out to be fucking zombies! Crazy! Zombies, just like in the movies, they wuz real scary, freaked out Zim big time. But it turned out you can take 'em down the same as in movies: head shots. After the team cleared out the zombies the little guy, called hisself Caliban, led us to his peeps.
Turns out there was a bunch of them little guys, and they been fighting these zombies in what they called the Stronghold for a while. Tough fighting, cuz if you get hurt by one of 'em that it, you turn into a zombie too. Well he took us to this guy called the Prator, who took us to their Oracle. The Oracle laid out his story:
"Greeting strangers, welcome to our world. You are what we call Randoms, creatures or people from another land, space or time that have been popping up in our world for the past 50 years or so. Some are unaffected by their arrival, others change, such as your friend the elf or the mage there.
"Let me start at the beginning of the tale. I wasn't always the creature you see before you. I once was human like yourselves, about 12 years of age, about to begin my apprenticeship. Like most I didn't read or disbelieved the stories on the wire and video, stories of strange babies. People changing overnight, going to sleep sick and waking up transformed. I didn't believe such things could happen until it happened to me.
"By the end of that year the Awakening had transformed the face of the planet. Chaos threatened as the people pf the new races flocked together, flouting provincial and national boundaries. The Senate issued a proclamation stating the Awakened races were equal to humans, but it was too late in some cases. Fear and persecution led some groups to band together and flee for the outer provinces. Centurion Tiberius and I led this group to these mountains and built this stronghold. There were more of us in those days...
"It was a few years after the Awakening that the first reports of the Undead Scourge surfaced. It was almost too much to bear for our people. Some just gave up, killing themselves first or just allowing the zombies to take them. There was a lot of despair.
"The war itself was short really. The zombies were an unstoppable force, overrunning every city they came to. The Senate promoted the Emperor, who did all he could. Including making some frightful decisions about who should be saved and pulled into fortified headquarters. And in the end it was the seasons that saved us all. It turns out the Zombies do not like cold, and deprived of new food became dormant.
"Over that winter season the Emperor and other world leaders crafted new strategies, and trained new legions with new equipment. When the spring broke the Legions marched out of the north and their mountain fortresses, sweeping the zombies from their path. Using magic, and the new strategies and equipment the offensive successfully cleared the land of the zombies. In that war the so called Goblin races: Orks, Trolls and Goblins like us proved out worth in the new forms of combat.
"Now the land is reclaimed, but at a terrible cost. Most estimates placed the casualties at 60 to 70 percent of the worlds population gone. It's a new world, the great cities are mostly shells. Only those in the far north and the easily defensible ones survived mostly intact. The Emperor has opened the empty lands to settlers and homesteaders, hoping to repopulate the empty lands as quickly as possible.
"We had come here shortly before the panic began. The Centurion taught us to fight and defend ourselves. He helped us defend the stronghold and seal it off. So we have lived here for a generation, feeling safe. Until recently, when new attacks came from the depths, the newest parts of the stronghold. We were ready to defend ourselves from outside attack, but not from within.
"I prayed for answers: where did these attackers come from? Why were they different, seemingly guided to attack us at our most vulnerable points and times. Not anything like the mindless zombies from before. Then the answer came to me, these creatures were somehow brought here from the land of Aztlan. They were brought here by an evil dark magic, summoned initially, and guided by warlocks from that land. I can only assume our stronghold is a test of their capabilities before a full scale invasion.
"We have lost our access to the wire and all ability to communicate with the outside world. We barely have enough people to defend what we have, and most of our trained fighters have fallen. We need you strangers to take our message and tale to the outside world. I have recorded all that we know about these warlocks and their servants on this datacube. Take it to Bermuda City and give it to the Legion Commander. The Praetor will provide you with maps and directions out and to Bermuda City. Be wary of the Warlocks on y0ur way out, try to avoid any fights with him so you can escape safely without detection.
"Good luck and Gods speed."
After that we had no choice but to take the data cube, get some supplies and make this run for it. It was kinda crazy. Most of the time we double timed it when we could, jogging as much as we could. The zombies did find us eventually. We slipped one of their attacks once, but we did have to fight eventually. The first fight was pretty simple, them zombies are slow, and by now the team knew how to take 'em down. But after that fight, even when we started trying to double time it we still ran into 'em at the exit.
At first it looked like we could just take 'em down. But Zim realized that they weren't stopping this time, it wasn't just a small group like the other attacks. So we had to shoot our way past 'em. Which we did, and managed to get out to the sun and close the door behind us. So here we are, back in the sun, in a real dry place. And all we got to do is follow this 20 year old road atlas with funny latin names on it to this Bermuda City, and give the boss man this little cube.
Wednesday Links
Dear James, Daniel and Emily
Bill Simmon's on baseball and steroids
He has some good points, most of which I agree with (although the fact that his 2007 Red Sox crushed my Rockies changes my attitude a little). I have written in the past about my feeling that the drug policies for professional sports are foolish. And I still think that. Yes, the people who take the PED's (Performance Enhancing Drugs for those of you not familiar with the sportswriter parlance) are technically cheating. But I think that is a moral position that will eventually fall by the wayside. The other day I was talking about football with some friends and raised the point that only someone who is seriously naive can believe that a human being, no matter how fit, can bounce back from knee surgery in 4 weeks without the help of some outside forces. And that no one can put on 30 pounds of muscle in 3 months. I think that is where my stance as a football fan first makes it easier to not freak out about the baseball issues. The players still have to play the game, and you still need an insane amount of skill (and luck) to become a 'great' player. And when the stakes and money get raise as high as they are in modern professional sports, of course anyone who is that dedicated and competitive to reach that level will continue to search for that little edge. You want to make pro sports 'pure' again: take away the money (and I mean all money, because I don't consider major college football and basketball to be all that pure either).
An admitted geek lists things her kids do better than her
While this is an interesting exercise it is not one I can get my heart into. For a couple of reasons:
1. Who thinks it's a good idea to be that competitive with your kid? If I truly want my child to excel than I want them to be better than me or at least as good. And I don't think that getting competitive about it will really help.
2. The world changes. There are a lot of things that kids can do now that I couldn't even imagine doing when I was their age. Of course my son is better at video games, it is not something I had when I was little, and never developed an interest in later on. My kid can program in Linux (which James cannot, and neither can I for that matter)? Again, when I was 8 the only programming that was around was machine language and some other older computer languages, and the only computers available were huge mainframes the size of my house and with less power than I have in my desktop today. There is just a different range of possibilities and skills available today then I had, and as a result I didn't pick them up until later.
3. Note the last point where the parent is still better: endurance on long hikes. Of course the parent has better endurance, based on the list of things the kids are good at, they probably never leave the house. I would be far more excited if my 8 year old could beat me at tennis or soccer, than their ability to program a computer.
Bill Simmon's on baseball and steroids
He has some good points, most of which I agree with (although the fact that his 2007 Red Sox crushed my Rockies changes my attitude a little). I have written in the past about my feeling that the drug policies for professional sports are foolish. And I still think that. Yes, the people who take the PED's (Performance Enhancing Drugs for those of you not familiar with the sportswriter parlance) are technically cheating. But I think that is a moral position that will eventually fall by the wayside. The other day I was talking about football with some friends and raised the point that only someone who is seriously naive can believe that a human being, no matter how fit, can bounce back from knee surgery in 4 weeks without the help of some outside forces. And that no one can put on 30 pounds of muscle in 3 months. I think that is where my stance as a football fan first makes it easier to not freak out about the baseball issues. The players still have to play the game, and you still need an insane amount of skill (and luck) to become a 'great' player. And when the stakes and money get raise as high as they are in modern professional sports, of course anyone who is that dedicated and competitive to reach that level will continue to search for that little edge. You want to make pro sports 'pure' again: take away the money (and I mean all money, because I don't consider major college football and basketball to be all that pure either).
An admitted geek lists things her kids do better than her
While this is an interesting exercise it is not one I can get my heart into. For a couple of reasons:
1. Who thinks it's a good idea to be that competitive with your kid? If I truly want my child to excel than I want them to be better than me or at least as good. And I don't think that getting competitive about it will really help.
2. The world changes. There are a lot of things that kids can do now that I couldn't even imagine doing when I was their age. Of course my son is better at video games, it is not something I had when I was little, and never developed an interest in later on. My kid can program in Linux (which James cannot, and neither can I for that matter)? Again, when I was 8 the only programming that was around was machine language and some other older computer languages, and the only computers available were huge mainframes the size of my house and with less power than I have in my desktop today. There is just a different range of possibilities and skills available today then I had, and as a result I didn't pick them up until later.
3. Note the last point where the parent is still better: endurance on long hikes. Of course the parent has better endurance, based on the list of things the kids are good at, they probably never leave the house. I would be far more excited if my 8 year old could beat me at tennis or soccer, than their ability to program a computer.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Twitter Tuesday
Dear James, Daniel and Emily
markmortord: Bacon-flavored lip balm. For making out with self-hating vegans. http://bit.ly/QwPjz
freerangekids: Sleepovers: Fun or riskier than a playdate in prison? http://tinyurl.com/6qudot
freerangekids: KIDS DOOMED IF YOU LET THEM DO ANYTHING! -- NOT. Great piece on child safety odds (and my take on it): http://tinyurl.com/6qudo
sportsguy33: Fell asleep last nite watching the 1979 classic "Penitentiary." There needs to be an all-prison movie channel called "Barz."
rules_unbornson: I told you so. flip flops can kill you http://tiny.cc/4v44x
wilw: Fiction WIP: "Jenny had a way of making all the other kids feel bad no matter what they were doing. I guess that was her special gift."
dmastin: who needs a holster? http://tinyurl.com/n7sjtj
wilw: This is an actual @ I received a little bit ago, in reference to one of my Tweets: "dats da dumbes thang i heard 2day" I weep for the future
markmortord: Bacon-flavored lip balm. For making out with self-hating vegans. http://bit.ly/QwPjz
freerangekids: Sleepovers: Fun or riskier than a playdate in prison? http://tinyurl.com/6qudot
freerangekids: KIDS DOOMED IF YOU LET THEM DO ANYTHING! -- NOT. Great piece on child safety odds (and my take on it): http://tinyurl.com/6qudo
sportsguy33: Fell asleep last nite watching the 1979 classic "Penitentiary." There needs to be an all-prison movie channel called "Barz."
rules_unbornson: I told you so. flip flops can kill you http://tiny.cc/4v44x
wilw: Fiction WIP: "Jenny had a way of making all the other kids feel bad no matter what they were doing. I guess that was her special gift."
dmastin: who needs a holster? http://tinyurl.com/n7sjtj
wilw: This is an actual @ I received a little bit ago, in reference to one of my Tweets: "dats da dumbes thang i heard 2day" I weep for the future
Monday, August 10, 2009
Weekend Recap
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Gosh, another fun weekend. Watched numerous movies at home, got in some decent exercise, ran some errands. Did some 'fun' shopping. Had some family fun with a walk and picnic at the park. And finally watched a little live football in HD!
We had some more family time this weekend. Watched a couple of movies together. Ran some errands, including haircuts all around for the kids for school. Did some 'fun' shopping for movies, video games toys etc. Then we did a good walk to the park. James still didn't feel that we had the time he wanted, but I don't think he fully realizes that his definition of family time is not the same as ours.
Sunday we did something a little different. We drove one van, with changes of clothes, and a picnic lunch down to America the Beautiful park. Then drove back and walked down there from our house, taking the Midland Trail. James did well, Daniel did not do so well. I worry a little about his legs sometimes. I am not sure if it is just endurance or if there is a problem there, because he just cannot walk for any real length of time. Although that was a mile and a half walk, although he probably only walked about half of that.
Then we had a picnic lunch and the kids played in the fountain, Emily really enjoyed that. Then we had some time in the playground before returning home. Where I collapsed in front of the TV, watching a movie and some football to occupy the rest of my day.
James had Jon come over and he got in some good bike practice, just riding up and down the street, he is starting to gain some control over what he is doing out there. In fact at one point I was going to walk up to the corner and grab some dinner, and he wanted to just stay and keep riding. Which I did, after making sure he knew which house to go to if he hurt himself. I think he has reached a point where if we take an easy trail he can ride with us while we pull the trailer with the other kids.
Overall another good weekend, with some milestones accomplished. And kept pace with my eating and exercise plan. I think James and Daniel are sort of ready for school to start next weekend. This is their last week of freedom, although I am not certain Daniel gets that as much as James does. I am pleased that this is a short week for me (taking Friday off).
Gosh, another fun weekend. Watched numerous movies at home, got in some decent exercise, ran some errands. Did some 'fun' shopping. Had some family fun with a walk and picnic at the park. And finally watched a little live football in HD!
We had some more family time this weekend. Watched a couple of movies together. Ran some errands, including haircuts all around for the kids for school. Did some 'fun' shopping for movies, video games toys etc. Then we did a good walk to the park. James still didn't feel that we had the time he wanted, but I don't think he fully realizes that his definition of family time is not the same as ours.
Sunday we did something a little different. We drove one van, with changes of clothes, and a picnic lunch down to America the Beautiful park. Then drove back and walked down there from our house, taking the Midland Trail. James did well, Daniel did not do so well. I worry a little about his legs sometimes. I am not sure if it is just endurance or if there is a problem there, because he just cannot walk for any real length of time. Although that was a mile and a half walk, although he probably only walked about half of that.
Then we had a picnic lunch and the kids played in the fountain, Emily really enjoyed that. Then we had some time in the playground before returning home. Where I collapsed in front of the TV, watching a movie and some football to occupy the rest of my day.
James had Jon come over and he got in some good bike practice, just riding up and down the street, he is starting to gain some control over what he is doing out there. In fact at one point I was going to walk up to the corner and grab some dinner, and he wanted to just stay and keep riding. Which I did, after making sure he knew which house to go to if he hurt himself. I think he has reached a point where if we take an easy trail he can ride with us while we pull the trailer with the other kids.
Overall another good weekend, with some milestones accomplished. And kept pace with my eating and exercise plan. I think James and Daniel are sort of ready for school to start next weekend. This is their last week of freedom, although I am not certain Daniel gets that as much as James does. I am pleased that this is a short week for me (taking Friday off).
Friday, August 7, 2009
Football Friday
Dear James, Daniel and Emily
There's not much football news to report this week. The games are close enough to taste, but not close enough for meaningful news. Just training camp or pre-camp news to digest.
Colorado Buffaloes
Just started Fall practice today. No news, except it looks like the full team will be in practice, including the hotshot incoming receivers that are being counted on to fill the weakest link on the offense. I did read some positive in the web site that our new offensive coordinator is declaring that the offense is going to be more NFL style than the gimmick spread offenses in vogue now, which I think is a good thing. I think the best thing an incoming coach could do now would be to throw all the best athletes on the defense, and on offense go full on power run game. Slow down the games and take advantage of the smaller defenses that have developed to defend the spread.
Ole Miss Rebels
No news, I don't spend as much time on the Ole Miss web site, so probably no news until the games start.
St. Louis Rams
The consensus amongst the reports who have covered the Rams camp is they are on the right track now. They tend to agree that the talent level may not be good enough to have a miracle run a la Miami or Atlanta. But they are on the right track. I still think that if the chips fall right they could make more noise than people expect.
Denver Broncos
I have to admit a creeping sense of unease. Moreno is still not in camp. Starting to sound like McDaniel is in over his head. I am trying to remain positive, but I still feel uneasy, like it might not be the season we hoped.
Overall though, this weekend is the Hall of Fame Game, the first game of the preseason, which means one thing: Baseball season is over... I am only half joking, this road trip has been brutal for the Rockies, and I really don't care about any other teams at this point. So yeah, to some extent what little attention I had on baseball will start to wane considerably now.
There's not much football news to report this week. The games are close enough to taste, but not close enough for meaningful news. Just training camp or pre-camp news to digest.
Colorado Buffaloes
Just started Fall practice today. No news, except it looks like the full team will be in practice, including the hotshot incoming receivers that are being counted on to fill the weakest link on the offense. I did read some positive in the web site that our new offensive coordinator is declaring that the offense is going to be more NFL style than the gimmick spread offenses in vogue now, which I think is a good thing. I think the best thing an incoming coach could do now would be to throw all the best athletes on the defense, and on offense go full on power run game. Slow down the games and take advantage of the smaller defenses that have developed to defend the spread.
Ole Miss Rebels
No news, I don't spend as much time on the Ole Miss web site, so probably no news until the games start.
St. Louis Rams
The consensus amongst the reports who have covered the Rams camp is they are on the right track now. They tend to agree that the talent level may not be good enough to have a miracle run a la Miami or Atlanta. But they are on the right track. I still think that if the chips fall right they could make more noise than people expect.
Denver Broncos
I have to admit a creeping sense of unease. Moreno is still not in camp. Starting to sound like McDaniel is in over his head. I am trying to remain positive, but I still feel uneasy, like it might not be the season we hoped.
Overall though, this weekend is the Hall of Fame Game, the first game of the preseason, which means one thing: Baseball season is over... I am only half joking, this road trip has been brutal for the Rockies, and I really don't care about any other teams at this point. So yeah, to some extent what little attention I had on baseball will start to wane considerably now.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Thursday Thoughts
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Just a couple today
Personal Well Being
About a month ago I had some major stomach problems. After a couple of days of a liquid diet, or just really light eating the stomach issues passed. Since that time however I have been developing much better eating habits. Just eating more meals, but making certain they are light meals, instead of my normal habits of 3 huge meals a day, plus the occasional snack. Well that change has made a big difference. I have dropped about 10 pounds, and my energy level has really improved. Rarely do I have an evening when I get home and just want to pass out on the couch after dinner. Instead I have the energy to actually do something, even if it is just a small project like helping Kim move some furniture in the boys room. I just have to keep this up, avoid falling back into the old bad ways. And then maybe find some ways to get some better snacks, and heavier exercise to get myself really fit. But all of this has made a world of difference in my attitude recently, it's pretty amazing.
Where's our Huey Long?
Just read an interesting blog about this Pittsburgh shooter where the writer tries to make a point that this guy is a symptom of a greater class rage that is slowly developing in this country. I am not entirely convinced, But it does make me wonder, we have more than our share of Father Coughlin equivalents: Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly etc. But where is the Huey Long? Where is the voice of the little people crying out for more government? Who essentially advocates class war? Who comes out and says: "You know what, you're damn right we are talking about taxing the rich. Tax them and the huge corporations. It is time they paid their fair share. And if they won't pay, up against the wall with them!"
I have a friend who volunteers with poor people and he has stated that he is surprised there isn't a revolution in this country. And to be honest I agree. I know that a lot of people have made their share of mistakes to get themselves in economic messes. But when the cost of college education keeps going up, the cost of basic health care goes up. And the gap between the low paying jobs and the good jobs gets wider it does make you wonder. The rich and the wealthy have done an excellent job of handling the message in the past couple of decades. But as more and more forms of communication come out I wonder how soon it will be until some charismatic leader figures out that the real message isn't just about reform, it needs to be Revolution. I am not certain it needs to get there, but it might take someone leading that charge to throw the scare into the powers that be to allow real reform.
Just a couple today
Personal Well Being
About a month ago I had some major stomach problems. After a couple of days of a liquid diet, or just really light eating the stomach issues passed. Since that time however I have been developing much better eating habits. Just eating more meals, but making certain they are light meals, instead of my normal habits of 3 huge meals a day, plus the occasional snack. Well that change has made a big difference. I have dropped about 10 pounds, and my energy level has really improved. Rarely do I have an evening when I get home and just want to pass out on the couch after dinner. Instead I have the energy to actually do something, even if it is just a small project like helping Kim move some furniture in the boys room. I just have to keep this up, avoid falling back into the old bad ways. And then maybe find some ways to get some better snacks, and heavier exercise to get myself really fit. But all of this has made a world of difference in my attitude recently, it's pretty amazing.
Where's our Huey Long?
Just read an interesting blog about this Pittsburgh shooter where the writer tries to make a point that this guy is a symptom of a greater class rage that is slowly developing in this country. I am not entirely convinced, But it does make me wonder, we have more than our share of Father Coughlin equivalents: Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly etc. But where is the Huey Long? Where is the voice of the little people crying out for more government? Who essentially advocates class war? Who comes out and says: "You know what, you're damn right we are talking about taxing the rich. Tax them and the huge corporations. It is time they paid their fair share. And if they won't pay, up against the wall with them!"
I have a friend who volunteers with poor people and he has stated that he is surprised there isn't a revolution in this country. And to be honest I agree. I know that a lot of people have made their share of mistakes to get themselves in economic messes. But when the cost of college education keeps going up, the cost of basic health care goes up. And the gap between the low paying jobs and the good jobs gets wider it does make you wonder. The rich and the wealthy have done an excellent job of handling the message in the past couple of decades. But as more and more forms of communication come out I wonder how soon it will be until some charismatic leader figures out that the real message isn't just about reform, it needs to be Revolution. I am not certain it needs to get there, but it might take someone leading that charge to throw the scare into the powers that be to allow real reform.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday Links
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Just some links from this week that I wanted to discuss:
A Guide to the Birther movement and hot to attempt to refute it.
I find this whole 'Birther' movement to be so completely ridiculous. The only group that I can think is worse is Holocaust Deniers. (Unfortunately it is likely that if you drew a Venn Diagram of the Birthers and Holocaust Deniers the intersecting space would be larger than you would think, or hope). And the best point in this article is that conspiracy theorists rarely listen to reason, that even if you debunk each of their points one by one, they will often still cling to their theory like a shipwreck victim surrounded by hungry sharks clings to their life raft.
Last night was National Night out, hope you met and talked to at least 1 neighbor.
We always enjoy this night. Our neighbors are the neighborhood watch captains and host this event every year. And it's usually a fun night. As the kids get older it is fun to give them a chance to see each other and really race around. For example there are 2 girls the same age as Daniel and Emily just across the street and we rarely see them. Hopefully last night's visit will encourage more interaction with them. And as always the food was excellent, there are some really good cooks in our neighborhood (including my mothers peanut butter cookies of course). Part of the Free Range credo as it were is to encourage kids to meet the neighbors, not just the kids. Fostering that sense of community that welcomes kids running around the neighborhood playing instead of hiding in their homes and private back yards.
This link about sums up the brilliant thinking of those who oppose Health Care Reform
I am still in despair of any real reform, I think the only way to guarantee reform would be to mandate that no one currently in Congress can run for re-election, thereby nullifying the effect of the Health Care lobbyists. That being said this clip where Arthur Laffer, the man behind the Laffer curve, godfather of supply side economics states:
is an example of the many arguments being made to oppose reform. Of course the fact that Medicare and Medicaid are government programs apparently doesn't mean much to people like this. And I think Paul Krugman said it best regarding the DMV and Post office:
I for one would much rather have to deal with the DMV or Post Office than try and get something changed by a credit card company at this point, or a bank, or the cable company (and I worked for the cable industry for 4 years).
Yet another example of 'responsible' gun ownership
A clearly deranged man is able to legally purchase 3 handguns, then after making it clear what he intends to do in an online diary, goes out and kills 4 defenseless people. How many more times does crap like this have to happen before our country wakes up and realizes that handguns are not what the founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the Second Amendment?
Just some links from this week that I wanted to discuss:
A Guide to the Birther movement and hot to attempt to refute it.
I find this whole 'Birther' movement to be so completely ridiculous. The only group that I can think is worse is Holocaust Deniers. (Unfortunately it is likely that if you drew a Venn Diagram of the Birthers and Holocaust Deniers the intersecting space would be larger than you would think, or hope). And the best point in this article is that conspiracy theorists rarely listen to reason, that even if you debunk each of their points one by one, they will often still cling to their theory like a shipwreck victim surrounded by hungry sharks clings to their life raft.
Last night was National Night out, hope you met and talked to at least 1 neighbor.
We always enjoy this night. Our neighbors are the neighborhood watch captains and host this event every year. And it's usually a fun night. As the kids get older it is fun to give them a chance to see each other and really race around. For example there are 2 girls the same age as Daniel and Emily just across the street and we rarely see them. Hopefully last night's visit will encourage more interaction with them. And as always the food was excellent, there are some really good cooks in our neighborhood (including my mothers peanut butter cookies of course). Part of the Free Range credo as it were is to encourage kids to meet the neighbors, not just the kids. Fostering that sense of community that welcomes kids running around the neighborhood playing instead of hiding in their homes and private back yards.
This link about sums up the brilliant thinking of those who oppose Health Care Reform
I am still in despair of any real reform, I think the only way to guarantee reform would be to mandate that no one currently in Congress can run for re-election, thereby nullifying the effect of the Health Care lobbyists. That being said this clip where Arthur Laffer, the man behind the Laffer curve, godfather of supply side economics states:
If you like the Post Office and the Department of Motor Vehicles and you think they're run well, just wait till you see Medicare, Medicaid and health care done by the government.
is an example of the many arguments being made to oppose reform. Of course the fact that Medicare and Medicaid are government programs apparently doesn't mean much to people like this. And I think Paul Krugman said it best regarding the DMV and Post office:
I don’t find the Post Office a terrible experience — no worse than Fedex or UPS. (Full disclosure: I worked as a temp mailman when in college.) And nobody likes going to the DMV, but the one on Rt. 1 I go to always seems fairly well managed.
And in general: is dealing with these government agencies any worse than, say, dealing with the cable company?
The prejudice against government seems to have become free-floating, unattached to any actual experience.
I for one would much rather have to deal with the DMV or Post Office than try and get something changed by a credit card company at this point, or a bank, or the cable company (and I worked for the cable industry for 4 years).
Yet another example of 'responsible' gun ownership
A clearly deranged man is able to legally purchase 3 handguns, then after making it clear what he intends to do in an online diary, goes out and kills 4 defenseless people. How many more times does crap like this have to happen before our country wakes up and realizes that handguns are not what the founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the Second Amendment?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Twitter Tuesday
Dear James, Daniel and Emily
So here's how this will work, as I come across good 'Tweets' over the period of the week I will compile them and post them here. These are normally from the people I Follow, but some are re-tweets from the people I follow. In some cases the tweets are just cool links to go to. In others just funny comments. This is a fun exercise, as well as an example of how fun Twitter is.
GreatDismal: Deep in the forest http://englishrussia.com/?p=1670 FTW?
GreatDismal: Juxtapositional billboards http://tinyurl.com/lgudmf via Mrs. GreatDismal
GammaCounter: Bookstore window t-shirt: "Don't judge a book by its movie."
GreatDismal: Help back @trixiebedlam's 50 States project http://tinyurl.com/nbyxes Go Trixie.
SportsGuy33: FYI: The color guy for the Animal Planet Dog Championships might have the greatest lisp in modern TV history. Wait, why am I watching this?
SportsGuy33: How many times could you jokingly call Tommy John "The Surgery" or "Surge" at a dinner party before he finally snapped? I say less than 10.
FreeRangeKids: Very cool! Site where you click on a zip code and it shows forests, trails, biking & hiking nearby. Take the kids! http://bit.ly/11tfHa
So here's how this will work, as I come across good 'Tweets' over the period of the week I will compile them and post them here. These are normally from the people I Follow, but some are re-tweets from the people I follow. In some cases the tweets are just cool links to go to. In others just funny comments. This is a fun exercise, as well as an example of how fun Twitter is.
GreatDismal: Deep in the forest http://englishrussia.com/?p=1670 FTW?
GreatDismal: Juxtapositional billboards http://tinyurl.com/lgudmf via Mrs. GreatDismal
GammaCounter: Bookstore window t-shirt: "Don't judge a book by its movie."
GreatDismal: Help back @trixiebedlam's 50 States project http://tinyurl.com/nbyxes Go Trixie.
SportsGuy33: FYI: The color guy for the Animal Planet Dog Championships might have the greatest lisp in modern TV history. Wait, why am I watching this?
SportsGuy33: How many times could you jokingly call Tommy John "The Surgery" or "Surge" at a dinner party before he finally snapped? I say less than 10.
FreeRangeKids: Very cool! Site where you click on a zip code and it shows forests, trails, biking & hiking nearby. Take the kids! http://bit.ly/11tfHa
Monday, August 3, 2009
Weekend Recap
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Wow! Another great weekend! If this keeps up I am going to get spoiled. Had a good game Friday night, my plans went well. Saturday I got to rest some in the morning, then off to the park for some fun, later some swimming at the Y and a nice dinner. Sunday had a nice walk in the park followed by some bike practice for James, then I got my bike out and did a little riding. Overall just a nice relaxing weekend.
Saturday I took the kids to the park, along the way stopped and bought some tennis balls. When we got to the park I took James to the tennis court and tried hitting some balls with him. For simplicity sake I gave him one of our racquetball rackets. He did a pretty good job for his first time out. It wasn't easy for me to take something off my shots, I am so out of practice I am just used to slamming the ball every chance I get. James got some some good shots in though, I think it could be a regular thing for him to do moving forward (which I know his Grandpa Pete will love).
When got home on Saturday we asked the kids what they wanted to do and Daniel said he wanted to go swimming. Sow we took the kids to the Y for some swimming. Emily wasn't exactly happy at first, but she got used to it after a while. And it is time for Daniel to ditch his swim floats. But it was a good time overall. James is slowly getting better as a swimmer in general. We followed that up with a nice dinner out, then watched a movie at home (Hancock, which was a nice little movie with a cool twist thrown in).
Sunday morning we went for a walk in Monument Valley Park. It was a nice little walk, not too stressful, but enough to get the blood flowing. Then we got James bike out and had him practice. He actually did better than I thought he would. He has the hang of it, he just needs practice and get in the habit of looking up and not focusing on the little things, it tends to distract him and cause him to get wobbly. But I think that if he gets a little more practice we can get to a point where we can do some family bike rides, with the little ones in the bike trailer.
Which motivated us to get our bikes out and try and air them up. I was able to get mine aired up and working just fine. Kim's bikes didn't work so well. But she did get the Diamondback aired up enough for her to ride over to her Mom's house. I took a short ride, enough to show me that my muscles are not ready for a any century rides right now, but it felt good none the less.
So a good weekend, lots of exercise and some relaxation time. Lots of fun for kids, at least outdoor play in the sun fun. We keep this stuff up and we might be in danger of all getting fit and in good shape! It took a little longer than I might have wanted to gain this momentum, but we have it now, and the key is to keep it going. One thing I am not doing is focusing on a specific goal like we all hike Barr Trail or something like that, instead my focus is on slowly changing our habits so we develop better ones.
Wow! Another great weekend! If this keeps up I am going to get spoiled. Had a good game Friday night, my plans went well. Saturday I got to rest some in the morning, then off to the park for some fun, later some swimming at the Y and a nice dinner. Sunday had a nice walk in the park followed by some bike practice for James, then I got my bike out and did a little riding. Overall just a nice relaxing weekend.
Saturday I took the kids to the park, along the way stopped and bought some tennis balls. When we got to the park I took James to the tennis court and tried hitting some balls with him. For simplicity sake I gave him one of our racquetball rackets. He did a pretty good job for his first time out. It wasn't easy for me to take something off my shots, I am so out of practice I am just used to slamming the ball every chance I get. James got some some good shots in though, I think it could be a regular thing for him to do moving forward (which I know his Grandpa Pete will love).
When got home on Saturday we asked the kids what they wanted to do and Daniel said he wanted to go swimming. Sow we took the kids to the Y for some swimming. Emily wasn't exactly happy at first, but she got used to it after a while. And it is time for Daniel to ditch his swim floats. But it was a good time overall. James is slowly getting better as a swimmer in general. We followed that up with a nice dinner out, then watched a movie at home (Hancock, which was a nice little movie with a cool twist thrown in).
Sunday morning we went for a walk in Monument Valley Park. It was a nice little walk, not too stressful, but enough to get the blood flowing. Then we got James bike out and had him practice. He actually did better than I thought he would. He has the hang of it, he just needs practice and get in the habit of looking up and not focusing on the little things, it tends to distract him and cause him to get wobbly. But I think that if he gets a little more practice we can get to a point where we can do some family bike rides, with the little ones in the bike trailer.
Which motivated us to get our bikes out and try and air them up. I was able to get mine aired up and working just fine. Kim's bikes didn't work so well. But she did get the Diamondback aired up enough for her to ride over to her Mom's house. I took a short ride, enough to show me that my muscles are not ready for a any century rides right now, but it felt good none the less.
So a good weekend, lots of exercise and some relaxation time. Lots of fun for kids, at least outdoor play in the sun fun. We keep this stuff up and we might be in danger of all getting fit and in good shape! It took a little longer than I might have wanted to gain this momentum, but we have it now, and the key is to keep it going. One thing I am not doing is focusing on a specific goal like we all hike Barr Trail or something like that, instead my focus is on slowly changing our habits so we develop better ones.
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