Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Most of the posts I have seen on Facebook and even an article in the paper today all have the sense of good riddance 2009, bad year, etc. And I just don't feel that way. Sure there were some bad things: employment worries for me during furloughs, pay cuts, layoffs. Kim's labor agreement worries took up a big chunk of the year. And those 2 things combined to keep us from taking any major vacations or making any huge changes. But here we are and I think we are better off now than we were a year ago, and like they always say: 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger'. And that's my view of this past year.
The family lost a good friend and family member in Manny this year. And there have been a lot of trials and tribulations, and some legal troubles. And that coupled with the economic woes have certainly cast a large shadow over the year.
On the positive side we made some adjustments in our personal lives, refinanced our house and learned how to better our spending habits. And as a result we find our economic positions improving. I would be remiss to not give a big huge, super gigantic thanks to Mom and Dad for helping out with the finances of child care so Daniel and Emily could be in preschool and Day care respectively. Thank you so very much for your help and assistance.
James had a banner year. Learned to ride a bike, read, gained independence, caught his first fly ball in baseball, made new friends, built lots of Lego. He just grows so fast and matures so fast some times it is a joy and a wonder to behold.
Daniel also grew by leaps and bounds. He has blossomed to an extent in his second year of preschool. His speech has improved, and it is clear that there is some deep thought going on in there some where. He enjoyed T-ball and soccer this year, although he clearly does not possess the same competitive streak that James has.
Emily continues to grow into my wonderful little princess. Her verbal skills have improved with the time in Day Care, and she is a joy every day. Of course she is 2 now and starting to hone those terrible two skills, with some truly wondrous fits, but that's just par for the course.
We added a new addition to the family in Spotty the puppy around Thanksgiving. This is the first true puppy I have had. So that means I have the opportunity to learn and apply my problem solving skills to puppy training, which is a new experience. But it has been fun for the whole family, and I look forward to the continued fun as we all learn about each other and develop.
Kim was her usual industrious self, building a solid niche at King Soopers, making herself indispensable through hard work and applied intelligence and common sense. We enjoyed some more outdoor activities over the summer, and finished some big projects around the house. My love for her and joy in our time together grows every year as well.
My attempts at weight reduction and improved fitness had some starts and stops, and misdirections. But I have gotten a better handle on things now, and hope to see that continue into the new year. I continued to read voraciously, with trips to the library every 2 to 3 weeks. My attempts to find hobby time have not been so successful, but teaching James to play Magic bodes well for future interests. Of course my role playing group has continued on, although we have not played as often as in years past due to the vagaries of life and scheduling.
Looking back at all that, it really was a good year. So many good things happened to us that we can't say it was all that bad. And on that note we can really look forward to the New Year, because if we can have such a good year when the world around us was seemingly falling apart then imagine what our lives will be like when the rest of the country catches up to us!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
What am I reading this week?
Title: Death masks : a novel of the Dresden files
Author: Jim Butcher
Synopsis: Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing wizard, is hired by a mysterious priest to find the stolen Shroud of Turin. But first, Harry must deal with the Red Court of Vampires' champion, professional hit men, and the return of his semi-vampire former girlfriend.
Why do I like it?
I got turned on to this series about a year ago, there are several books in this series. The best description is Phillip Marlowe meets Lord of the Rings. Harry Dresden is a practicing Wizard with all of the commensurate abilities etc. who works as a Private Investigator in Modern Day Chicago. Right away it has a few things that are in my wheelhouse interest wise: detectives, noir feel, Magic in a fantasy sense. Very cool series. And one of the better things about is that you can more or less pick up any book in the series and read it without feeling like you missed something without reading the earlier ones.
This one is pretty interesting so far, I haven't had a lot reading time recently so I am not exactly zipping through it. It pretty much fits in the overall feel and formula, with the usual supporting cast. But I'm not so deep into it that I can really say if it is better or worse than other books in the series.
I would recommend this series to anyone who likes detective novels, but is willing to cope with the inherently bizarre concepts surrounding the main character wielding magic and casting spells. Honestly, most of it reads just about like any other classic pulp detective novel, with plot twists, a protagonist who keeps getting beaten up as he slowly unravels the case(s). It just so happens this protagonist uses magic, instead of a gun, and his adversaries are often supernatural instead of petty criminals.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Author: Jim Butcher
Synopsis: Harry Dresden, Chicago's only practicing wizard, is hired by a mysterious priest to find the stolen Shroud of Turin. But first, Harry must deal with the Red Court of Vampires' champion, professional hit men, and the return of his semi-vampire former girlfriend.
Why do I like it?
I got turned on to this series about a year ago, there are several books in this series. The best description is Phillip Marlowe meets Lord of the Rings. Harry Dresden is a practicing Wizard with all of the commensurate abilities etc. who works as a Private Investigator in Modern Day Chicago. Right away it has a few things that are in my wheelhouse interest wise: detectives, noir feel, Magic in a fantasy sense. Very cool series. And one of the better things about is that you can more or less pick up any book in the series and read it without feeling like you missed something without reading the earlier ones.
This one is pretty interesting so far, I haven't had a lot reading time recently so I am not exactly zipping through it. It pretty much fits in the overall feel and formula, with the usual supporting cast. But I'm not so deep into it that I can really say if it is better or worse than other books in the series.
I would recommend this series to anyone who likes detective novels, but is willing to cope with the inherently bizarre concepts surrounding the main character wielding magic and casting spells. Honestly, most of it reads just about like any other classic pulp detective novel, with plot twists, a protagonist who keeps getting beaten up as he slowly unravels the case(s). It just so happens this protagonist uses magic, instead of a gun, and his adversaries are often supernatural instead of petty criminals.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Post Holiday Recap
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Sorry for the radio silence of the past week, it's just with so much going on, and my being home for 6 days I didn't take the time to write. I don't much like to write from home, as my desk setup isn't very ergonomic. We all had a good Christmas though. The kids got a lot of what they wanted, and what they didn't get they were able to buy with some post Christmas shopping (except for James desire for this Lego Set). Everyone seemed to have a good time at both of our gatherings, and we had a nice time at Dad's for my families short Christmas Eve gathering. I was able to avoid overindulging in televised football or bad foods (or at least to some extent). So this week we are easing back into the swing of things, not really settling into the real pattern for another 2 weeks though.
Christmas
First, I want to thank everyone for their good wishes and gifts. They are all greatly appreciated and enjoyed. And I will also say the same on behalf of the rest of the family. It was an emotional Christmas as it was the first without Manny, and there were a few teary eyed moments. But for the most part it was a nice, warm holiday, and the kids really enjoyed themselves, with all of that time with the parents.
Spotty
So we got another book on training the puppy and after taking the time to look at it we have a different outlook on what to do and how to train her. The first part is the housebreaking which I think we can get a better handle on once we establish a more concrete schedule. The second part is as much about training the kids how to deal with the puppy. Teaching Daniel and Emily to sit still when the puppy initially jumps on them, in order to get her to not take nips. And teaching all 3 of the kids to limit how they play and roughhouse with her, in order to avoid bad habits. Like I told the vet yesterday it is not just about training the puppy, it is training us as well.
Football
St. Louis Rams
S.O.S.R. Keeping their eyes on the prize that is the #1 pick in the draft. Of course they could blow that by beating the 49ers this week and having the Lions upset Chicago. And wouldn't it just be the perfect capper on this season for them to lose out on the pick to the Lions because that was one of the only 2 teams they beat?
Denver Broncos
It's hard to put a finger on what has happened to this team this year. I think it really boils down to talent, or lack of it. The quarterback is efficient but not inspiring, the offensive line is not very good at run blocking, the defensive line has trouble against power run games. I don't think it is coaching, although the offensive game plan could be more imaginative as far as getting the best players on the field the whole game. So if they finish at .500 for the season in retrospect I should be happy considering my expectations for the season in August. I am sure that even if they do make the playoffs it will be a 1 and done post season. So in that context it might almost be better to lose this week, except for the fact that they don't own their 1st round draft pick.
Sorry for the radio silence of the past week, it's just with so much going on, and my being home for 6 days I didn't take the time to write. I don't much like to write from home, as my desk setup isn't very ergonomic. We all had a good Christmas though. The kids got a lot of what they wanted, and what they didn't get they were able to buy with some post Christmas shopping (except for James desire for this Lego Set). Everyone seemed to have a good time at both of our gatherings, and we had a nice time at Dad's for my families short Christmas Eve gathering. I was able to avoid overindulging in televised football or bad foods (or at least to some extent). So this week we are easing back into the swing of things, not really settling into the real pattern for another 2 weeks though.
Christmas
First, I want to thank everyone for their good wishes and gifts. They are all greatly appreciated and enjoyed. And I will also say the same on behalf of the rest of the family. It was an emotional Christmas as it was the first without Manny, and there were a few teary eyed moments. But for the most part it was a nice, warm holiday, and the kids really enjoyed themselves, with all of that time with the parents.
Spotty
So we got another book on training the puppy and after taking the time to look at it we have a different outlook on what to do and how to train her. The first part is the housebreaking which I think we can get a better handle on once we establish a more concrete schedule. The second part is as much about training the kids how to deal with the puppy. Teaching Daniel and Emily to sit still when the puppy initially jumps on them, in order to get her to not take nips. And teaching all 3 of the kids to limit how they play and roughhouse with her, in order to avoid bad habits. Like I told the vet yesterday it is not just about training the puppy, it is training us as well.
Football
St. Louis Rams
S.O.S.R. Keeping their eyes on the prize that is the #1 pick in the draft. Of course they could blow that by beating the 49ers this week and having the Lions upset Chicago. And wouldn't it just be the perfect capper on this season for them to lose out on the pick to the Lions because that was one of the only 2 teams they beat?
Denver Broncos
It's hard to put a finger on what has happened to this team this year. I think it really boils down to talent, or lack of it. The quarterback is efficient but not inspiring, the offensive line is not very good at run blocking, the defensive line has trouble against power run games. I don't think it is coaching, although the offensive game plan could be more imaginative as far as getting the best players on the field the whole game. So if they finish at .500 for the season in retrospect I should be happy considering my expectations for the season in August. I am sure that even if they do make the playoffs it will be a 1 and done post season. So in that context it might almost be better to lose this week, except for the fact that they don't own their 1st round draft pick.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday Thoughts
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Wheel of Time
Finished the book this weekend. I have to admit I enjoyed it, and I wasn't sure if I would. I slipped right back into the characters with very little trouble. I think Sanderson did a remarkable job of maintaining the whole tone of the writing, it reads just like the other 11 books. The nice part is that it appears to be building to an actual climax, slowly (very slowly in some cases) but surely. The only real draw back is now I have to wait for the next book to be released! I am now looking forward to the next books so this series can finally finish.
Labor News
It appears that Kim at least is finally safe from lock out/strike. The Kings workers accepted the contract offer, although the Safeway workers did not. As far as I can tell that means the Kings workers will keep working. Which is a huge huge weight off our shoulders, the last thing we want the week before Christmas was a lockout.
Flickr
So I added an account on Flickr this week. It's another picture site, like Picasa. I'm not dropping Picasa, I will primarily use this one for non-family pictures, projects etc. Picasa will be where I continue to post family pictures. My Flickr account is FreeRangeGeek for those who want to add it. I will add a link on here to that site as well, so people can continue to jump around from this location.
New Project
So Kim & I have been puzzling on how to arrange the living room for Christmas. Where do we put the tree? Can we rearrange any of the furniture? So last night I was struck with an idea? Couldn't we just swap the sectional from the basement for the upstairs couches? We measured it out and it did work. So we just went ahead and did it: moving 4 couches (one of them a hide-a-bed) and 1 chair. The basement isn't organized yet, but the living room is at least semi-done. And I for one like the new configuration. We'll see how it all comes together with the tree and all.
Wheel of Time
Finished the book this weekend. I have to admit I enjoyed it, and I wasn't sure if I would. I slipped right back into the characters with very little trouble. I think Sanderson did a remarkable job of maintaining the whole tone of the writing, it reads just like the other 11 books. The nice part is that it appears to be building to an actual climax, slowly (very slowly in some cases) but surely. The only real draw back is now I have to wait for the next book to be released! I am now looking forward to the next books so this series can finally finish.
Labor News
It appears that Kim at least is finally safe from lock out/strike. The Kings workers accepted the contract offer, although the Safeway workers did not. As far as I can tell that means the Kings workers will keep working. Which is a huge huge weight off our shoulders, the last thing we want the week before Christmas was a lockout.
Flickr
So I added an account on Flickr this week. It's another picture site, like Picasa. I'm not dropping Picasa, I will primarily use this one for non-family pictures, projects etc. Picasa will be where I continue to post family pictures. My Flickr account is FreeRangeGeek for those who want to add it. I will add a link on here to that site as well, so people can continue to jump around from this location.
New Project
So Kim & I have been puzzling on how to arrange the living room for Christmas. Where do we put the tree? Can we rearrange any of the furniture? So last night I was struck with an idea? Couldn't we just swap the sectional from the basement for the upstairs couches? We measured it out and it did work. So we just went ahead and did it: moving 4 couches (one of them a hide-a-bed) and 1 chair. The basement isn't organized yet, but the living room is at least semi-done. And I for one like the new configuration. We'll see how it all comes together with the tree and all.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Weekend Recap + Football thoughts
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
All in all a good weekend. Had a quiet Saturday with the kids after a nice breakfast with my mom and cousin's family. Sunday was quite busy, cleaning the house, then big family gathering, which went quite well. Football was a mixed bag, but I survived.
Daddy Hours
Well, despite the quiet time didn't do as much as I might have liked. It's just hard to zero in on Daniel when James is there. James and I did get a couple of games of Magic in, he is quite taken with the game and was building decks like crazy. I almost think that I need to change things up, maybe get Daniel away from the house for our time together. We'll see, just need to keep working on it.
Family gathering
Kim's family has a nice tradition of getting together and baking Christmas cookies and treats. That was what we did yesterday (conveniently spanning the Broncos & Cowboys games). It was a good time, with Kim & Megan doing most of the work with the cookies. The kids generally enjoy the chance to make and decorate the cookies. And despite Emily fighting some bug that had her throwing up multiple time Saturday night and Sunday morning everything else went well.
Football
St. Louis Rams
S.O.S.R. The Rams continued to zero in with laser like focus on getting the first pick in the draft next year. Where hopefully they will either get that franchise quarterback or yet another defensive prospect.
Denver Broncos
Well the defense probably started a little too loose in the first quarter. But after spotting the Colts a 21 point lead they played quite well the rest of the way. And put a decent scare into the best team in the AFC. I was wrong in thinking that a Wide Out could carry his team to victory, despite having a record setting game, here's hoping that was the kind of performance that gives him the contract extension he deserves.
And the Chargers showed their talent and mental toughness in winning a game on the road, and securing the division. Which means the Broncos are destined for a wild card slot in the playoffs. Which is as good as we could have expected coming into the season to be honest. And with the Bears falling apart, the Broncos should have a good draft coming up, allowing them to continue their arc upwards.
Health
So I have missed out on my daily walks, what with taking lunches at home to let the dog out. But the side benefit is that I have been more disciplined in my eating habits. So as a result I had to cut another notch in my belt this morning, and continue to slowly drop weight. I am hoping to change things up come January as far as taking the dog for actual walks, and maybe carving a space out for the Total gym and start using that again. The overall goal of improved health and fitness is still there.
All in all a good weekend. Had a quiet Saturday with the kids after a nice breakfast with my mom and cousin's family. Sunday was quite busy, cleaning the house, then big family gathering, which went quite well. Football was a mixed bag, but I survived.
Daddy Hours
Well, despite the quiet time didn't do as much as I might have liked. It's just hard to zero in on Daniel when James is there. James and I did get a couple of games of Magic in, he is quite taken with the game and was building decks like crazy. I almost think that I need to change things up, maybe get Daniel away from the house for our time together. We'll see, just need to keep working on it.
Family gathering
Kim's family has a nice tradition of getting together and baking Christmas cookies and treats. That was what we did yesterday (conveniently spanning the Broncos & Cowboys games). It was a good time, with Kim & Megan doing most of the work with the cookies. The kids generally enjoy the chance to make and decorate the cookies. And despite Emily fighting some bug that had her throwing up multiple time Saturday night and Sunday morning everything else went well.
Football
St. Louis Rams
S.O.S.R. The Rams continued to zero in with laser like focus on getting the first pick in the draft next year. Where hopefully they will either get that franchise quarterback or yet another defensive prospect.
Denver Broncos
Well the defense probably started a little too loose in the first quarter. But after spotting the Colts a 21 point lead they played quite well the rest of the way. And put a decent scare into the best team in the AFC. I was wrong in thinking that a Wide Out could carry his team to victory, despite having a record setting game, here's hoping that was the kind of performance that gives him the contract extension he deserves.
And the Chargers showed their talent and mental toughness in winning a game on the road, and securing the division. Which means the Broncos are destined for a wild card slot in the playoffs. Which is as good as we could have expected coming into the season to be honest. And with the Bears falling apart, the Broncos should have a good draft coming up, allowing them to continue their arc upwards.
Health
So I have missed out on my daily walks, what with taking lunches at home to let the dog out. But the side benefit is that I have been more disciplined in my eating habits. So as a result I had to cut another notch in my belt this morning, and continue to slowly drop weight. I am hoping to change things up come January as far as taking the dog for actual walks, and maybe carving a space out for the Total gym and start using that again. The overall goal of improved health and fitness is still there.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Weekend Plans + Football Friday
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
You can tell it is getting close to the holidays because the weekends are filling up at a rapid pace. Saturday we are having lunch with some relatives, Sunday is the big family holiday baking day. Next weekend is a birthday party, then holiday party (if we can combine them). Then of course all of the planning etc. that comes with getting ready for the holiday. Might make it a little tougher to get in my Daddy Hours. Of course along with the holidays comes the winding down of the football season, which I am ready for this year.
Daddy Hours
Last week I introduced a new game, this week I will probably return to Magic, just to minimize setup time and teaching time. The after Christmas maybe take a little more time to work on some new games.
Goggle Wave
So I got my invite and actually got to use it a little this week and am impressed by the potential for the tool. I can see it has real potential for people who are all wired to the internet and want to have a kind of virtual meeting or party. We are trying to get it implemented as a tool here at work, plus I am trying to get some old friends to get on it so we can have a virtual reunion. And I thought it would be an absolutely fabulous tool for running a fantasy football draft. It's not like Facebook, something you can just set up and only drop in from time to time, or twitter, it is something that requires dedicated online time to utilize, but if you have a far flung group of people or people tied to their desks, but they want to to do something collaborative and have access to the Net it is a very cool tool.
Wheel of Time
So I started reading this series a long time ago, like 19 years ago in fact. And it had reached it's 11th book when the original author passed away. And I was admittedly frustrated with the direction at that point as it appeared that there would be no end in sight. So when the new book came out, with the plan for 2 more to finish up the series I had mixed emotions. I was ready to not like it. Which is why I got it from the library instead of purchasing it. But dammit all I am really liking it, it is like putting on an old, comfortable shoe that you hadn't worn for a while. Which of course means I will want to read the other 2 (and wait for them, hoping the new writer does not die too), and eventually own the books, ugh, reading a fiction series should not be this overwhelming and hard work.
Football
St. Louis Rams
S. O. S. R. no expectations of victory this week, expectations of the other team running up major points and yards. Is it draft time yet?
Denver Broncos
The Broncos can really play loose and tough this week. No one expects them to win a road game against the Colts. And in order to have a chance at the upset they just need to approach the game with a more 'Devil may care' than usual, throw caution to the wind. I think it is possible for them to win, but I have no expectation of victory, I just want them to make it competitive and not lose it, make the Colts and Manning work for the victory.
You can tell it is getting close to the holidays because the weekends are filling up at a rapid pace. Saturday we are having lunch with some relatives, Sunday is the big family holiday baking day. Next weekend is a birthday party, then holiday party (if we can combine them). Then of course all of the planning etc. that comes with getting ready for the holiday. Might make it a little tougher to get in my Daddy Hours. Of course along with the holidays comes the winding down of the football season, which I am ready for this year.
Daddy Hours
Last week I introduced a new game, this week I will probably return to Magic, just to minimize setup time and teaching time. The after Christmas maybe take a little more time to work on some new games.
Goggle Wave
So I got my invite and actually got to use it a little this week and am impressed by the potential for the tool. I can see it has real potential for people who are all wired to the internet and want to have a kind of virtual meeting or party. We are trying to get it implemented as a tool here at work, plus I am trying to get some old friends to get on it so we can have a virtual reunion. And I thought it would be an absolutely fabulous tool for running a fantasy football draft. It's not like Facebook, something you can just set up and only drop in from time to time, or twitter, it is something that requires dedicated online time to utilize, but if you have a far flung group of people or people tied to their desks, but they want to to do something collaborative and have access to the Net it is a very cool tool.
Wheel of Time
So I started reading this series a long time ago, like 19 years ago in fact. And it had reached it's 11th book when the original author passed away. And I was admittedly frustrated with the direction at that point as it appeared that there would be no end in sight. So when the new book came out, with the plan for 2 more to finish up the series I had mixed emotions. I was ready to not like it. Which is why I got it from the library instead of purchasing it. But dammit all I am really liking it, it is like putting on an old, comfortable shoe that you hadn't worn for a while. Which of course means I will want to read the other 2 (and wait for them, hoping the new writer does not die too), and eventually own the books, ugh, reading a fiction series should not be this overwhelming and hard work.
Football
St. Louis Rams
S. O. S. R. no expectations of victory this week, expectations of the other team running up major points and yards. Is it draft time yet?
Denver Broncos
The Broncos can really play loose and tough this week. No one expects them to win a road game against the Colts. And in order to have a chance at the upset they just need to approach the game with a more 'Devil may care' than usual, throw caution to the wind. I think it is possible for them to win, but I have no expectation of victory, I just want them to make it competitive and not lose it, make the Colts and Manning work for the victory.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Weekend Recap + Football thoughts
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
It was a good, albeit quiet weekend, with the family spending most of the time quietly inside due to the weather. My change to the media habits went over alright, with me having the most challenges to be honest. It was a mostly good football weekend.
Changing Habits
Kim was receptive to the idea of changing the family viewing habits, reducing TV and video game time. And we actually did alright for large chunks of the weekend. Saturday we (the boys & I) held on until about 1:00, at which point I sent the boys downstairs to watch cartoons while I watched football. But in the morning we played some games, they all played with the puppy outdoors (enjoying the brief moments of nice weather). Sunday afternoon We all took a break for a little while while I read and the kids played. So it was a nice change, I look forward to more time like it.
Daddy Hours
I opened up my game teaching time to both boys, until Daniel grew bored. I taught James a new game, one of my quasi-football board games. It was fun, it's a pretty basic game, and James got the hang of it pretty quick. I just had the inspiration that I could probably do a miniature game session with both boys over the holiday break and both of them might enjoy pushing some guys around the board more. Daniel is just not cerebral yet, he needs that tactile "these are my guys" approach to games. So that might be more fun for him. We'll see how it goes.
Football
College Football
Well I was mildly disappointed in Florida's loss to Alabama. I really like and admire Tebow and was hoping for him to have another big game on the big stage. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that the best college football player in America is Suh from Nebraska (which is painful to admit). He is just an amazing player, and I don't think I can recall the last time I saw a Defensive Tackle dominate a football game quite like the game on Saturday night, I think Colt McCoy is still seeing number 93 coming at him.
Denver Broncos
Wow, what a great game, that was huge, to go into Arrowhead in December and just dominate the game in such a convincing fashion. Yes there were some mistakes, and I harbor no illusions about the Broncos ability to go into Indianapolis on Sunday and beat the Colts, but for now I can take this. I will accept that we have a much tougher team than we did last year, and that teams will have legitimate reasons to fear us in the future. And we might even get that 'team no one wants to play' tag in the playoffs this year.
St. Louis Rams
S.O.S.R. that's all I can say. (same Old Sorry Rams)
It was a good, albeit quiet weekend, with the family spending most of the time quietly inside due to the weather. My change to the media habits went over alright, with me having the most challenges to be honest. It was a mostly good football weekend.
Changing Habits
Kim was receptive to the idea of changing the family viewing habits, reducing TV and video game time. And we actually did alright for large chunks of the weekend. Saturday we (the boys & I) held on until about 1:00, at which point I sent the boys downstairs to watch cartoons while I watched football. But in the morning we played some games, they all played with the puppy outdoors (enjoying the brief moments of nice weather). Sunday afternoon We all took a break for a little while while I read and the kids played. So it was a nice change, I look forward to more time like it.
Daddy Hours
I opened up my game teaching time to both boys, until Daniel grew bored. I taught James a new game, one of my quasi-football board games. It was fun, it's a pretty basic game, and James got the hang of it pretty quick. I just had the inspiration that I could probably do a miniature game session with both boys over the holiday break and both of them might enjoy pushing some guys around the board more. Daniel is just not cerebral yet, he needs that tactile "these are my guys" approach to games. So that might be more fun for him. We'll see how it goes.
Football
College Football
Well I was mildly disappointed in Florida's loss to Alabama. I really like and admire Tebow and was hoping for him to have another big game on the big stage. That being said, there is no doubt in my mind that the best college football player in America is Suh from Nebraska (which is painful to admit). He is just an amazing player, and I don't think I can recall the last time I saw a Defensive Tackle dominate a football game quite like the game on Saturday night, I think Colt McCoy is still seeing number 93 coming at him.
Denver Broncos
Wow, what a great game, that was huge, to go into Arrowhead in December and just dominate the game in such a convincing fashion. Yes there were some mistakes, and I harbor no illusions about the Broncos ability to go into Indianapolis on Sunday and beat the Colts, but for now I can take this. I will accept that we have a much tougher team than we did last year, and that teams will have legitimate reasons to fear us in the future. And we might even get that 'team no one wants to play' tag in the playoffs this year.
St. Louis Rams
S.O.S.R. that's all I can say. (same Old Sorry Rams)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Friday Ideas
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Starting this Thursday night for a change, because the idea that is spinning in my head right now is stuck and needs to be put into words. Lately I have been pondering television, specifically how much of it we watch as a family. I know that the coldest week of the year is maybe not the ideal time to ponder shutting down the TV, but the more I think about Daniel's Playstation habit the more I am forced to look at all of our electronic media habits.
Luddite Response?
Point One
All of us could do with a little less time in front of the TV. With the introduction of the puppy and my losing my lunchtime walk I am forced to think about how to get some exercise time. And to be honest it would not kill me to fine tune and reduce my TV time. And I think Kim wouldn't mind either if we just turned off the TV at night and either exercised or played games.
Point Two
James has a decent handle on the TV and video game playing, but it's a close run thing. Daniel is clearly a Lego Star Wars junkie. Emily could give or take the TV, but she does get a serious daze sometimes when we turn on cartoons. It has been convenient for us (me especially) to just let the boys turn on cartoons/Playstation in the mornings and all day on weekends sometimes. And that is my bad, mea culpa for allowing that to happen.
Point Three
What do I do then on Weekday mornings and Saturdays until basketball starts? That's the question. I think we (me & the boys) can turn it around and survive but I need to ponder how to do it, and prepare strategies in advance. That's it for tonight, I'll talk to Kim about this more tonight and over the weekend, start thinking about how I want to handle it and what restraints I actually want to put in place for TV, Playstation, computer games etc.
Football
College football
Mercifully over for the Buffs, and just the Cotton Bowl for the Rebs, so this drag on my weekends is slowly disappearing. It's weird, I try hard every year to reduce the stranglehold of football, and every year I do a little better, but it is still there, wiping out my down time every weekend. I know it is a process, and I don't want to just cut myself off cold turkey, but I know I could do something better with all that time.
St. Louis Rams
Same old sorry Rams, this week facing one of their last, best chances for a win. Not that I think they will, what little hope they had for an end of season resurrection went away when Bulger got hurt. Now it is just a matter of continuing the season long training camp for the rookies & free agents, and angling for better draft picks. Sigh, well maybe my prediction that I made that the Rams will be back in LA in 5 years will come true, along with an improved team.
Denver Broncos
Really could have picked a better weekend for that road game against the Chiefs. Considering we are 1-16 against the Chiefs in December in KC, not a good way to maintain the momentum of that Giants win. Maybe things will be different with the new coaching staff, if there is any way for them to show that this would be it. I am seriously hoping it works out.
Starting this Thursday night for a change, because the idea that is spinning in my head right now is stuck and needs to be put into words. Lately I have been pondering television, specifically how much of it we watch as a family. I know that the coldest week of the year is maybe not the ideal time to ponder shutting down the TV, but the more I think about Daniel's Playstation habit the more I am forced to look at all of our electronic media habits.
Luddite Response?
Point One
All of us could do with a little less time in front of the TV. With the introduction of the puppy and my losing my lunchtime walk I am forced to think about how to get some exercise time. And to be honest it would not kill me to fine tune and reduce my TV time. And I think Kim wouldn't mind either if we just turned off the TV at night and either exercised or played games.
Point Two
James has a decent handle on the TV and video game playing, but it's a close run thing. Daniel is clearly a Lego Star Wars junkie. Emily could give or take the TV, but she does get a serious daze sometimes when we turn on cartoons. It has been convenient for us (me especially) to just let the boys turn on cartoons/Playstation in the mornings and all day on weekends sometimes. And that is my bad, mea culpa for allowing that to happen.
Point Three
What do I do then on Weekday mornings and Saturdays until basketball starts? That's the question. I think we (me & the boys) can turn it around and survive but I need to ponder how to do it, and prepare strategies in advance. That's it for tonight, I'll talk to Kim about this more tonight and over the weekend, start thinking about how I want to handle it and what restraints I actually want to put in place for TV, Playstation, computer games etc.
Football
College football
Mercifully over for the Buffs, and just the Cotton Bowl for the Rebs, so this drag on my weekends is slowly disappearing. It's weird, I try hard every year to reduce the stranglehold of football, and every year I do a little better, but it is still there, wiping out my down time every weekend. I know it is a process, and I don't want to just cut myself off cold turkey, but I know I could do something better with all that time.
St. Louis Rams
Same old sorry Rams, this week facing one of their last, best chances for a win. Not that I think they will, what little hope they had for an end of season resurrection went away when Bulger got hurt. Now it is just a matter of continuing the season long training camp for the rookies & free agents, and angling for better draft picks. Sigh, well maybe my prediction that I made that the Rams will be back in LA in 5 years will come true, along with an improved team.
Denver Broncos
Really could have picked a better weekend for that road game against the Chiefs. Considering we are 1-16 against the Chiefs in December in KC, not a good way to maintain the momentum of that Giants win. Maybe things will be different with the new coaching staff, if there is any way for them to show that this would be it. I am seriously hoping it works out.
Thursday Thoughts
Dear James, Daniel and Emily,
Crazy Thursday morning, all of the customers must have woken up today and decided to call in. Which makes me very ready for the upcoming weekend already, kind of a shame when the long weekend effect doesn't last more than 4 days. I'll catch up on the puppy here, plus some general thoughts.
Spotty
So the plan was for us to put the puppy in the laundry room with her crate and food and water during the days while we were at work. And that's what we did, however we did not count on the resourcefulness of Houdini dog. In a way this is good because when the weather gets nice we need to be prepared for when we put her outside without anyone watching for long periods of time. At first the plan was to leave the door open and just put up the baby gate (per my crate training guide this is recommended for younger puppies during the training who are used to more open spaces). We determined this wasn't going to work on Monday when Kim found out that she (Spotty) could climb over said baby gate. So on Tuesday I just closed the door to the laundry room (which doesn't latch BTW), with a cover over the cat door (which was never used by the cat). Well Houdini dog figured out how to latch on to the cover of said cat door and pull the door open. So yesterday I thought I would double up with the door and baby gate, no go. So I put a latch on the door, only to have her chew off the cover and go through the cat door. So finally this morning I latched the door and put up the baby gate (after first making sure there wasn't enough wiggle room for her to put her head through). We'll see if that finally keeps her in.
So that was the saga of the crate/potty training during work hours. At nights, after the first 2 nights of sleeping with us James asked if she could sleep with him & Daniel, which Kim agreed to. It still meant that we had to get up and take her out when she started whining. Which has sort of worked, we have both slept a little better. Although I had not counted on this part of having a puppy, kind of like having a baby again. Of course last night Daniel woke up wanting Spotty to sleep with him, which meant he did not sleep well, plus he can't get over the baby gate we put up in their door so she won't roam the house. It's a learning and training process, not helped by the fact that she is a tiny little thing who does not like the cold when we have to take her outside.
Overall though it has been a good experience, and James for sure has been really good this week about doing his part with the dog, and really enjoys just playing chase with her. Daniel basically enjoys the dog, but he's not 100% comfortable with the biting/nipping that puppies do. And Emily loves to watch the puppy and the boys, but wants nothing to do with the puppy chasing her and jumping on her. The only real drawback for me has been my losing out on my lunchtime walks since I am going home and eating and letting her out. I just have to find a new time when I get in that exercise, which will come with time.
Daddy Hours
James knows exactly what he wants to do this week: build a Magic Deck. My focus however will be on Daniel. I really need to buckle down with him and find something we can do together that doesn't involve James. James now has the puppy and lots of other things to do when I am not focused on him, Daniel does not have the other resources, his default is pretty much always "can I play Playstation?" And while I don't mind him playing occasionally I want him to develop some alternatives. So after a couple of weeks of the Daddy Hours that is where I stand: James is good, has discovered a new game, and Daniel is still locked in on the Playstation, progress but not as much as I want.
Crazy Thursday morning, all of the customers must have woken up today and decided to call in. Which makes me very ready for the upcoming weekend already, kind of a shame when the long weekend effect doesn't last more than 4 days. I'll catch up on the puppy here, plus some general thoughts.
Spotty
So the plan was for us to put the puppy in the laundry room with her crate and food and water during the days while we were at work. And that's what we did, however we did not count on the resourcefulness of Houdini dog. In a way this is good because when the weather gets nice we need to be prepared for when we put her outside without anyone watching for long periods of time. At first the plan was to leave the door open and just put up the baby gate (per my crate training guide this is recommended for younger puppies during the training who are used to more open spaces). We determined this wasn't going to work on Monday when Kim found out that she (Spotty) could climb over said baby gate. So on Tuesday I just closed the door to the laundry room (which doesn't latch BTW), with a cover over the cat door (which was never used by the cat). Well Houdini dog figured out how to latch on to the cover of said cat door and pull the door open. So yesterday I thought I would double up with the door and baby gate, no go. So I put a latch on the door, only to have her chew off the cover and go through the cat door. So finally this morning I latched the door and put up the baby gate (after first making sure there wasn't enough wiggle room for her to put her head through). We'll see if that finally keeps her in.
So that was the saga of the crate/potty training during work hours. At nights, after the first 2 nights of sleeping with us James asked if she could sleep with him & Daniel, which Kim agreed to. It still meant that we had to get up and take her out when she started whining. Which has sort of worked, we have both slept a little better. Although I had not counted on this part of having a puppy, kind of like having a baby again. Of course last night Daniel woke up wanting Spotty to sleep with him, which meant he did not sleep well, plus he can't get over the baby gate we put up in their door so she won't roam the house. It's a learning and training process, not helped by the fact that she is a tiny little thing who does not like the cold when we have to take her outside.
Overall though it has been a good experience, and James for sure has been really good this week about doing his part with the dog, and really enjoys just playing chase with her. Daniel basically enjoys the dog, but he's not 100% comfortable with the biting/nipping that puppies do. And Emily loves to watch the puppy and the boys, but wants nothing to do with the puppy chasing her and jumping on her. The only real drawback for me has been my losing out on my lunchtime walks since I am going home and eating and letting her out. I just have to find a new time when I get in that exercise, which will come with time.
Daddy Hours
James knows exactly what he wants to do this week: build a Magic Deck. My focus however will be on Daniel. I really need to buckle down with him and find something we can do together that doesn't involve James. James now has the puppy and lots of other things to do when I am not focused on him, Daniel does not have the other resources, his default is pretty much always "can I play Playstation?" And while I don't mind him playing occasionally I want him to develop some alternatives. So after a couple of weeks of the Daddy Hours that is where I stand: James is good, has discovered a new game, and Daniel is still locked in on the Playstation, progress but not as much as I want.
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