So last night ended up being a late night and this morning was an early one. I suffer from "not being able to fall back asleep" syndrome. That's what you call it when you wake up and, regardless of when you went to bed the night before, you're unable to go back to sleep. Oh well, at least it gave me some time to take care of some Number Nine Software business (which is still capturing sales, just not as many as I'd like to see).
With Rudy back in the hospital, we decided to make a visit today, not only to see him, but also to provide support to mom. I'm sure it's hard on her being in the hospital with him pretty much 24/7 while he's there. Since D's knee is still bothersome, I dropped her and the kids off and met them inside. After parking the car, I met them and we headed up to his room. The kids made him some Halloween decorations to (hopefully) brighten his room and they appear to have done the trick.
After a visit with him, we made our way to the cafeteria before I realized that the long walk probably wasn't the best thing for D's knee, so we turned around and went to the snack shop. However, by the time we got back there, the snack shop had closed so the kids and I made the trek down to the cafeteria and brought food back for D and mom. After we ate, we stopped back in to say goodbye to Rudy and made our way back home. Dave was coming over for dinner and we needed to get home to get ready for that.
Our visit with Dave was a good one. Not only did he help the kids carve a pumpkin, he got schooled in memory by N (who just happens to be really good at memory!). After dinner he showed us some of the pictures he took while in Iraq. Seeing the country in a personal way such as these pictures really brought home that what's being done over there is a good thing. While I don't think a culture a thousand years in the making can be changed overnight, with time progress can be made and good things will come.
During our visit I had the football games on in the background and was excited to see that I was doing pretty good in my game. Of course, seeing the Redskins go down 52-7 didn't help me as a fan, but it did help me win my game (I have the Pats DST).
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Day 249 - 10/27/2007
The kids' games were rained out. Well, not really rained out as it had stopped raining by game time, but the rains we got this week really put a damper on the fields (no pun intended). With that in mind, we had the day to ourselves. We started carving pumpkins as I had promised the kids we'd do that this weekend (they wanted to do it earlier, but with the warm weather we've been having, they'd be rotten by Halloween!). This year I picked up a pumpkin carving kit so that we could get a little fancy with our pumpkins (vs. the ordinary Jack-o-Lanterns of yore). N picked out a pirate ship and M picked out a cat in the window. We were only able to get N's done today as it took longer than I thought it would.
We finished just in time to get cleaned up for Mass. We decided to go this evening (vs. tomorrow) as D and I are heading to a Halloween Party tonight and I don't know how late the night will be. Before leaving for Mass, however, we got word that Rudy is back in the hospital. He's been stabilized, but they're not sure when he'll be able to be discharged. One of the things he's suffering from is limited kidney functions (~15% last time they checked). His doctors want to start dialysis, but given his overall condition, it'll be a few months before he'll be strong enough to start. That being said, he was in our prayers during intentions.
After Mass, we stopped off and got some dinner for the kids (we'd eat at the party) and went home to get our costumes on.
We teamed up with our neighbors to go as members of High School Musical. D and I went as Sharpay and Ryan (respectively) and Molly and Ted went as Gabriella and Troy. By ourselves (with the exception of Ted), you couldn't tell who we were supposed to be, but as a group it became obvious. I'll let you judge for yourselves after I add a picture.
As it turned out, the evening did get rather late. We ended up heading home around 1230a or so (and we were some of the first to leave). Like last year, most of the people went all out and put a lot of thought into their costumes. There was a potted plant and a bee, Susie Who and the Grinch, Michael Vick and his dog (actually there were two of these), a couple guys came with their dicks in a box (separately, not together, which made it even funnier), a pregnant woman came dressed as a bun in the oven, a couple came as a traveling Tiki Bar and of course there were the superheroes and cheerleaders.
I can't wait until next year to see how people are able to top themselves.
We finished just in time to get cleaned up for Mass. We decided to go this evening (vs. tomorrow) as D and I are heading to a Halloween Party tonight and I don't know how late the night will be. Before leaving for Mass, however, we got word that Rudy is back in the hospital. He's been stabilized, but they're not sure when he'll be able to be discharged. One of the things he's suffering from is limited kidney functions (~15% last time they checked). His doctors want to start dialysis, but given his overall condition, it'll be a few months before he'll be strong enough to start. That being said, he was in our prayers during intentions.
After Mass, we stopped off and got some dinner for the kids (we'd eat at the party) and went home to get our costumes on.
We teamed up with our neighbors to go as members of High School Musical. D and I went as Sharpay and Ryan (respectively) and Molly and Ted went as Gabriella and Troy. By ourselves (with the exception of Ted), you couldn't tell who we were supposed to be, but as a group it became obvious. I'll let you judge for yourselves after I add a picture.
As it turned out, the evening did get rather late. We ended up heading home around 1230a or so (and we were some of the first to leave). Like last year, most of the people went all out and put a lot of thought into their costumes. There was a potted plant and a bee, Susie Who and the Grinch, Michael Vick and his dog (actually there were two of these), a couple guys came with their dicks in a box (separately, not together, which made it even funnier), a pregnant woman came dressed as a bun in the oven, a couple came as a traveling Tiki Bar and of course there were the superheroes and cheerleaders.
I can't wait until next year to see how people are able to top themselves.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Day 248 - 10/26/2007
So after a late night last night, I planned on taking it easy and getting to bed early. That didn't happen, however as when we sat down for dinner, my mom called asking for a ride home. She ran into a pot hole and got two flat tires on her way home. Being the good son that I am, I packed the kids into the van (not only to give them some time with their grandmother and Rudy, but also to give D some alone time) and away we went.
When we got there mom was inside the gas station (where she had parked the car) chatting up someone on the cell phone. Rudy was in the car and he looked pretty tired. After transferring him into the van, we chatted briefly before he started asking the kids questions about school. Ten minutes later we're still in the car and she's still on the phone (we later found out she was coordinating with the towing company). She finally got everything wrapped up with the call and we started the process of transferring in the important things from her car to the van. Stuff like Splenda packets, maps, old receipts; you know, pretty much what you wouldn't want sitting in your unlocked car for the few hours it would take for the tow truck to arrive.
While she was doing that, Rudy started complaining about his chest and just not feeling well. He's approaching 90 and has been in the hospital a couple times in the past month or so. He mentioned that he was just tired all the time and didn't know how much more he could take. It sounded to me that he was tossing in the towel. Not being sure what to say, I tried to lighten the tone a little bit, but I don't think that worked. When mom finally got in the car, she asked him whether he was praying (I couldn't tell what he was doing as he was in the back seat).
I took them home and got them (and their automobile treasures) inside before heading back home. After putting the kids to bed, I shared with D the events of the evening, including Rudy's comment. Hopefully it was just the result of him being frustrated with his health issues and not a sign that he's giving up. After tonight I better understand the lyrics from The Who's "My Generation" where Roger Daltrey "hope[s he] dies before [he] get[s] old."
When we got there mom was inside the gas station (where she had parked the car) chatting up someone on the cell phone. Rudy was in the car and he looked pretty tired. After transferring him into the van, we chatted briefly before he started asking the kids questions about school. Ten minutes later we're still in the car and she's still on the phone (we later found out she was coordinating with the towing company). She finally got everything wrapped up with the call and we started the process of transferring in the important things from her car to the van. Stuff like Splenda packets, maps, old receipts; you know, pretty much what you wouldn't want sitting in your unlocked car for the few hours it would take for the tow truck to arrive.
While she was doing that, Rudy started complaining about his chest and just not feeling well. He's approaching 90 and has been in the hospital a couple times in the past month or so. He mentioned that he was just tired all the time and didn't know how much more he could take. It sounded to me that he was tossing in the towel. Not being sure what to say, I tried to lighten the tone a little bit, but I don't think that worked. When mom finally got in the car, she asked him whether he was praying (I couldn't tell what he was doing as he was in the back seat).
I took them home and got them (and their automobile treasures) inside before heading back home. After putting the kids to bed, I shared with D the events of the evening, including Rudy's comment. Hopefully it was just the result of him being frustrated with his health issues and not a sign that he's giving up. After tonight I better understand the lyrics from The Who's "My Generation" where Roger Daltrey "hope[s he] dies before [he] get[s] old."
Friday, October 26, 2007
Day 247 - 10/25/2007
N was supposed to have his field trip today, but it was rained out (he was supposed to go to Cox Farm). Hopefully they'll be able to reschedule (for his sake), but since I'm covering D in the chaperone department, I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't able to be rescheduled.
So, instead of spending a day at Cox Farm, it was spent watching the rain come down. Rain is something we're in short supply of in these parts. We've had drought conditions the better part of the year (I think we're about 10" below normal as of this month) and we desperately need the rain. Some of us in the neighborhood have been keeping our lawns healthy by watering them, but even that's not enough (I've been watering the yard every few days because I'm too cheap and/or lazy to water it every night.)
After work I hit the gym and then headed over to Bungalow's for happy hour. There was nothing to celebrate, other than it being a Thursday. When I got there I immediately joined the pool queue and ended up going 4-0 before we decided to call it quits.
One thing I like about happy hour at Bungalow's is the large Guinness. Sure, they're $8 each, but they go down smooth and easy.
An old colleague was there and it appears he may be coming back. His new job isn't all it's cracked up to be (I guess he didn't believe the old adage about grass and the other side of the fence). Unfortunately he won't be coming back to our group, but to another one. At least he'll be able to put his product knowledge to work out in the line organizations.
So, instead of spending a day at Cox Farm, it was spent watching the rain come down. Rain is something we're in short supply of in these parts. We've had drought conditions the better part of the year (I think we're about 10" below normal as of this month) and we desperately need the rain. Some of us in the neighborhood have been keeping our lawns healthy by watering them, but even that's not enough (I've been watering the yard every few days because I'm too cheap and/or lazy to water it every night.)
After work I hit the gym and then headed over to Bungalow's for happy hour. There was nothing to celebrate, other than it being a Thursday. When I got there I immediately joined the pool queue and ended up going 4-0 before we decided to call it quits.
One thing I like about happy hour at Bungalow's is the large Guinness. Sure, they're $8 each, but they go down smooth and easy.
An old colleague was there and it appears he may be coming back. His new job isn't all it's cracked up to be (I guess he didn't believe the old adage about grass and the other side of the fence). Unfortunately he won't be coming back to our group, but to another one. At least he'll be able to put his product knowledge to work out in the line organizations.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Day 246 - 10/24/2007
Another uneventful day in Northern Virginia with nothing exciting to report.
Well, nothing exciting other than picking up Smokey from the vet. He's now been fixed and his claws have been removed. Hopefully this will have a positive impact on the relationship between him and Butterfly. if not, it's $500 down the drain. At least he won't claw up the furniture anymore!
Well, nothing exciting other than picking up Smokey from the vet. He's now been fixed and his claws have been removed. Hopefully this will have a positive impact on the relationship between him and Butterfly. if not, it's $500 down the drain. At least he won't claw up the furniture anymore!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Day 245 - 10/23/2007
I met Dad for lunch today and was happy to see he brought along Dave as a surprise guest. He surprised me when I went to get in the front seat and there he was. We enjoyed the extra company at lunch (Preet Palace in Centreville vs. Sho Chiku for sushi -- Sho Chiku is getting a facelift and will [hopefully] continue to provide excellent sushi at reasonable prices. For the better part of the hour, Dave filled us in on what's going on in Iraq (as well as catching us up on his family). It was good to see him; I'm looking forward to having him over for dinner on Sunday to continue catching up.
One thing I don't like about Preet is the smell that persists after you leave. I'm pretty sure it's the grease that's hanging in the air as when we go elsewhere for Indian food, we leave without any lingering odors on our clothes (unless, of course, we spill on said clothes).
All day long it was threatening to rain. I'm sure I wasn't alone in hoping for rain, but it was not to be: the weather didn't cooperate so the kids had practice. I was hoping it was going to rain as I wasn't looking forward to N's practice. However, after all was said and done, I'm glad we did have it as it was pretty productive. We did some fielding work before scrimmaging against each other. It turned out one group of kids had hats and the other ones didn't so they were labeled the "hats" vs. "no hats" (which the liked).
One thing I don't like about Preet is the smell that persists after you leave. I'm pretty sure it's the grease that's hanging in the air as when we go elsewhere for Indian food, we leave without any lingering odors on our clothes (unless, of course, we spill on said clothes).
All day long it was threatening to rain. I'm sure I wasn't alone in hoping for rain, but it was not to be: the weather didn't cooperate so the kids had practice. I was hoping it was going to rain as I wasn't looking forward to N's practice. However, after all was said and done, I'm glad we did have it as it was pretty productive. We did some fielding work before scrimmaging against each other. It turned out one group of kids had hats and the other ones didn't so they were labeled the "hats" vs. "no hats" (which the liked).
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Day 244 - 10/22/2007
I dropped off Smokey this morning to get him declawed and fixed. He wasn't too happy when I put him in his porter (the way it was rocking and being pushed all over the hallway, it looked as if we had captured a rabid raccoon or something!). When I got him to the vet, the receptionist asked me if we could weigh him. I suggested they wait until he was sedated before attempting that. Or at least wait until after his claws have been removed. Hopefully this will cause him to tone it down a little and not be such a spaz.
I went to the gym after work and added a new machine to my routine. I think I overdid it as when I got home and got ready for bed, my shoulders were beginning to ache. I popped a few Advil, but am guessing I'll need more in the coming days (at least until I hit the gym again).
As for Peyton scoring 36, that didn't quite happen. I ended up losing 75-62. Unfortunately, the waiver wire is full of slim pickings so I'll have to rely on what I have so far. If only I had picked up the Giants defense (instead of the Chiefs). And Randy Moss. And a decent running back. That's alright, the season's only half over before the playoffs start. If I can go 4-1 over the course of the next five weeks I should be able to make the playoffs. (Heck, even if I go 3-2, I should still be able to make it...depending on the other folks, of course!)
I went to the gym after work and added a new machine to my routine. I think I overdid it as when I got home and got ready for bed, my shoulders were beginning to ache. I popped a few Advil, but am guessing I'll need more in the coming days (at least until I hit the gym again).
As for Peyton scoring 36, that didn't quite happen. I ended up losing 75-62. Unfortunately, the waiver wire is full of slim pickings so I'll have to rely on what I have so far. If only I had picked up the Giants defense (instead of the Chiefs). And Randy Moss. And a decent running back. That's alright, the season's only half over before the playoffs start. If I can go 4-1 over the course of the next five weeks I should be able to make the playoffs. (Heck, even if I go 3-2, I should still be able to make it...depending on the other folks, of course!)
Day 242 - 10/20/2007
We had back to back games again this morning. N's was at 10a and M's was at noon. Both of them did alright, but you can tell they're also looking forward to the season being over. I guess that makes three of us. While I enjoy helping out, it just seems as if the season just drags on forever. If they were both excited about their games and practices that'd be one thing, but both of them try and get out of going. I guess their enthusiasm is contagious.
I went of a run this afternoon and my knees are continuing to feel good. This time I hit the trail for a run in the woods and made my way over to the Visitor's Center. I was planning on heading back to the North Trail Loop, but I decided to cut it short and head home instead. I was coming up on 20 minutes at the Visitor's Center and wanted to be back in 30-35 minutes. I headed through Walney Park to a cut-through back over to our neighborhood that I've heard about but, as it turns out, the cut-through was not to be. The new owner removed the walkway and put up landscaping (and No Trespassing signs) to prevent people from walking through their yard. The previous owner had no problems allowing people to walk between the two streets and wondered aloud why there wasn't a sidewalk put in to allow access. I don't blame the new owner for not wanting strangers beating a path through their yard, but I needed to get home. I was overheated and ready to call it quits, so I found another way. Other than that, the run was a good one. This is the second run I've had this week and hopefully I'll be able to keep this up next week as well.
Tonight was our bowling league's costume party. We decided to dress up as walking wounded as a show of support for D. She's not sure whether it's our way of supporting her or mocking her, but we all had a good laugh out of it. Actually, the four of us represented only one of the four teams that dressed up (out of 28 teams). It seems the fun times had by all in previous seasons is waning.
The other team wasn't there, so we had to bowl blind. Add that to having D out and our games flew by. Had we not stopped for 30 minutes between the second and third games, we could've been out of there by 9p.
I went of a run this afternoon and my knees are continuing to feel good. This time I hit the trail for a run in the woods and made my way over to the Visitor's Center. I was planning on heading back to the North Trail Loop, but I decided to cut it short and head home instead. I was coming up on 20 minutes at the Visitor's Center and wanted to be back in 30-35 minutes. I headed through Walney Park to a cut-through back over to our neighborhood that I've heard about but, as it turns out, the cut-through was not to be. The new owner removed the walkway and put up landscaping (and No Trespassing signs) to prevent people from walking through their yard. The previous owner had no problems allowing people to walk between the two streets and wondered aloud why there wasn't a sidewalk put in to allow access. I don't blame the new owner for not wanting strangers beating a path through their yard, but I needed to get home. I was overheated and ready to call it quits, so I found another way. Other than that, the run was a good one. This is the second run I've had this week and hopefully I'll be able to keep this up next week as well.
Tonight was our bowling league's costume party. We decided to dress up as walking wounded as a show of support for D. She's not sure whether it's our way of supporting her or mocking her, but we all had a good laugh out of it. Actually, the four of us represented only one of the four teams that dressed up (out of 28 teams). It seems the fun times had by all in previous seasons is waning.
The other team wasn't there, so we had to bowl blind. Add that to having D out and our games flew by. Had we not stopped for 30 minutes between the second and third games, we could've been out of there by 9p.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Day 241 - 10/19/2007
I went out in the community today: I volunteered to help plant trees at Ellanor C. Lawrence park through our Service Days initiative at work. We met at the visitor's center and hiked back to the clearing where we'd be planting the trees. All in all, there were about 25 of us (with about 5 from my immediate office park) and we were able to plant about 100 trees (at least). It rained off and on throughout the morning, which felt pretty good since it cooled us off a bit.
Afterwards, I met Frank over at Willard's for lunch (after stopping by the house to change). I hadn't been there in a while and enjoyed every bit of it. We caught up on stuff and went our separate ways: he back to the office and I headed back home.
After a few hours working from home, I drove D to the doctor's office for a follow up for her knee. It's been a week since she had her fall and every day it seems to be a little better than before. I know it's going to take a while for it to return to normal, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. I'd hate for her to be still nursing it once the weather turns and winter arrives.
Afterwards, I met Frank over at Willard's for lunch (after stopping by the house to change). I hadn't been there in a while and enjoyed every bit of it. We caught up on stuff and went our separate ways: he back to the office and I headed back home.
After a few hours working from home, I drove D to the doctor's office for a follow up for her knee. It's been a week since she had her fall and every day it seems to be a little better than before. I know it's going to take a while for it to return to normal, but hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. I'd hate for her to be still nursing it once the weather turns and winter arrives.
Day 240 - 10/18/2007
This morning, for the first time in I don't know how long, I went for a run. Even though it was only 5k+, it still felt great.
M went on a field trip to Williamsburg and was being picked up at 620a so I got up with her and got her out the door. Afterwards, I headed out the door myself. I didn't get that much of a warmup in before starting my run, so I thought my knee would remain tight, but I made pretty good time. (I wasn't trying for anything in particular, just to feel good.)
Hopefully this will be the start of something somewhat regular. I'd love to be able to run 3-4x per week, but I'm in no hurry. I don't have any race plans on the horizon, so what I'm doing now (along with the gym) should help to keep me at somewhat healthy level.
As it turned out, Josh was in Williamsburg today as well. When M got home I asked her if she saw him, but their paths didn't cross. Oh well, maybe some other time.
M went on a field trip to Williamsburg and was being picked up at 620a so I got up with her and got her out the door. Afterwards, I headed out the door myself. I didn't get that much of a warmup in before starting my run, so I thought my knee would remain tight, but I made pretty good time. (I wasn't trying for anything in particular, just to feel good.)
Hopefully this will be the start of something somewhat regular. I'd love to be able to run 3-4x per week, but I'm in no hurry. I don't have any race plans on the horizon, so what I'm doing now (along with the gym) should help to keep me at somewhat healthy level.
As it turned out, Josh was in Williamsburg today as well. When M got home I asked her if she saw him, but their paths didn't cross. Oh well, maybe some other time.
Day 239 - 10/17/2007
Try as I might, I can't come up with anything interesting that happened today, so I won't try and pretend something did just to bore you with the details.
Let's just leave it at mundane, shall we?
Let's just leave it at mundane, shall we?
Day 238 - 10/16/2007
I dropped the kids off early since I had a doctor's appointment this morning. Well, I tried anyway. As it turned out, I was right on time.
I talked with Dr. Carter about everything and then had my blood checked. As it turned out, my cholesterol is still outside the recommended range (108 vs. <100), but it's still lower than it was when I first started getting it monitored. As long as I can continue this downward trend, I should be able to stay off the cholesterol meds.
At lunch I headed over for my guitar lesson. After a while of waiting for the instructor to get the CD player ready, I had all of 15 minutes before it was time to head out. Gary let the lesson overrun though, since he started late (and, like I said, had a hard time getting the CD player working). Once he got that going, however, we started jamming. I was actually able to play "Lookin' Out My Back Door" along with him (and CCR). In addition to getting down the chords, I was successful in playing with the capo. (I'll need to get another one that's easier to use.) After I got home I showed off my newly discovered skills to D and the kids. They weren't as impressed as I was, but that's alright (I don't blame them!).
We had a game tonight, but N was acting out and I made the executive decision to keep him home. I don't think he cared about it anyway. Instead, I made him come with me to M's softball practice. I'm sure he didn't like that, but that's alright, he wasn't going to stay at home either.
I talked with Dr. Carter about everything and then had my blood checked. As it turned out, my cholesterol is still outside the recommended range (108 vs. <100), but it's still lower than it was when I first started getting it monitored. As long as I can continue this downward trend, I should be able to stay off the cholesterol meds.
At lunch I headed over for my guitar lesson. After a while of waiting for the instructor to get the CD player ready, I had all of 15 minutes before it was time to head out. Gary let the lesson overrun though, since he started late (and, like I said, had a hard time getting the CD player working). Once he got that going, however, we started jamming. I was actually able to play "Lookin' Out My Back Door" along with him (and CCR). In addition to getting down the chords, I was successful in playing with the capo. (I'll need to get another one that's easier to use.) After I got home I showed off my newly discovered skills to D and the kids. They weren't as impressed as I was, but that's alright (I don't blame them!).
We had a game tonight, but N was acting out and I made the executive decision to keep him home. I don't think he cared about it anyway. Instead, I made him come with me to M's softball practice. I'm sure he didn't like that, but that's alright, he wasn't going to stay at home either.
Day 243 - 10/21/2007
M had a Girl Scout outing in the morning, so we went to 530p Mass. After she returned from her outing, I took the kids up to the school to work on their hitting. Both of them need help and since we had a few hours, I figured we might as well get some hitting practice while the weather's still nice.
When we got there, Tim and Julia were up there as well so they joined us on the diamond. Tim's son Sam is on N's team and Julia's just about M's age (and also plays softball). Although N never got a hit, he did get to work on his swing a bit. M hit a few of the baseballs, but missed all the softballs. I'm not sure how that happened as the size difference is pretty substantial.
Since we were heading to Mass at 530p, we went ahead and ate early before heading to church.
After church, I checked my score and wasn't happy to see that I was down by 35. I still have Peyton playing tomorrow night, but he'd have to score 36 (and my opposing team's member wouldn't have to score anything). It's possible, but not promising. It looks like I'm going to slip another game back and finish the week at 4-3. I guess time will tell.
When we got there, Tim and Julia were up there as well so they joined us on the diamond. Tim's son Sam is on N's team and Julia's just about M's age (and also plays softball). Although N never got a hit, he did get to work on his swing a bit. M hit a few of the baseballs, but missed all the softballs. I'm not sure how that happened as the size difference is pretty substantial.
Since we were heading to Mass at 530p, we went ahead and ate early before heading to church.
After church, I checked my score and wasn't happy to see that I was down by 35. I still have Peyton playing tomorrow night, but he'd have to score 36 (and my opposing team's member wouldn't have to score anything). It's possible, but not promising. It looks like I'm going to slip another game back and finish the week at 4-3. I guess time will tell.
Day 237 - 10/15/2007
As it turned out, I did end up losing. I wonder if I can learn from my mistakes this year (e.g., drafting a quarterback vs. a running back in the first round) or whether I'll continue to jump at the chance to get a top-notch quarterback.
Not that Peyton has been lighting it up this year like he's done in years past. I should have picked up Brady instead, but at this point, that's neither here nor there.
Not that Peyton has been lighting it up this year like he's done in years past. I should have picked up Brady instead, but at this point, that's neither here nor there.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Day 236 - 10/14/2007
Even though we left on time, I was still late to Evan's baptism. I dropped D and the kids off and parked the car. I stopped by the bathroom before heading into the church and found the ceremony already starting. (I thought it was for 1145a vs. right after 1030a Mass). Fortunately I didn't miss much. Evan was pretty good during the ceremony. Well, until he got hungry and started exercising his lungs asking for a bottle. Afterwards, we went over to The Sunken Well for lunch.
The Sunken Well is a place near Stephen and Stacey's house that they frequent quite a bit. The nice thing about it is that it's within walking distance from their house (five minutes, tops), so it appears it's become a neighborhood hangout. That's a nice amenity to have and one thing I don't like about living in suburbia. Sure, there's community built within the confines of the neighborhood, but there's really nothing within walking distance. I could ride my bike, but most people simply get in their car and drive. If there was something within walking distance, it would allow people to get out into the streetscape and provide them with the opportunity to meet their neighbors vs. stuck inside 2000+ pounds of steel while driving from point to point.
Oh well, as we discussed with Peg and Michael (Evan's Godparents), there's a lot of quality in our lives from the choices we've made. They're right, we're fortunate to have the life we do. I wouldn't call it lucky as it didn't just fall into our laps, we worked hard to get where we are, giving up on some other things in order to obtain what we feel is important.
After lunch we headed over to Doug and Nancy's house for her to pack before we headed back home. D asked Nancy to come up for a few days until she was back on her feet in order to help her out around the house while I'm at work. We hit the road and were greeted with a backup on Route 3 in order to get on 95. Traffic was at a standstill heading south, but even northbound appeared to be stopped. With that in mind, we headed up 17 to 29 to take the back way.
I checked out my Fantasy Football team when I got home expecting to see some great points, but I was disappointed. I had high hopes after seeing Brett Favre play a terrible game against the 'Skins (scoring only 5 points) and hoping Kurt Warner tossing the ball about would prove my coaching genius (I had started Warner over Favre). As I said, I was disappointed. Warner was injured in the second series of the game and scored -1 points. It also looks like he's out for the season. I also lost Sammy Morris and Ron Dayne to injuries. Oh well, at least my decision on which kicker to start paid off (11 points with Ramsey vs. 8 with Graham). That being said, my other decision (to pick up Dayne vs. Wright) cost me 12 points. That wouldn't have won the game for me anyway as the Drew Brees of last year showed up to play against Seattle and pretty cemented the outcome. Unless Plaxico Burress has a phenomenal game Monday night, the game is all but lost. Oh well, at least I'm still above .500 and my starting QB (Peyton) is back next week (in addition to the Pats D playing the Dolphins). Hopefully I'll start a new winning streak next Sunday.
After dinner and getting the kids to bed, I hit the basement to play guitar. I haven't gotten as much playing time as I had hoped over the past week due to one reason or another, but I was able to figure out "Lookin' Out My Back Door" after only 20 minutes of trying. I still need to figure out the bridge between the third and fourth verse, but if I skip over that, I'm golden! (And it actually sounds right!)
The Sunken Well is a place near Stephen and Stacey's house that they frequent quite a bit. The nice thing about it is that it's within walking distance from their house (five minutes, tops), so it appears it's become a neighborhood hangout. That's a nice amenity to have and one thing I don't like about living in suburbia. Sure, there's community built within the confines of the neighborhood, but there's really nothing within walking distance. I could ride my bike, but most people simply get in their car and drive. If there was something within walking distance, it would allow people to get out into the streetscape and provide them with the opportunity to meet their neighbors vs. stuck inside 2000+ pounds of steel while driving from point to point.
Oh well, as we discussed with Peg and Michael (Evan's Godparents), there's a lot of quality in our lives from the choices we've made. They're right, we're fortunate to have the life we do. I wouldn't call it lucky as it didn't just fall into our laps, we worked hard to get where we are, giving up on some other things in order to obtain what we feel is important.
After lunch we headed over to Doug and Nancy's house for her to pack before we headed back home. D asked Nancy to come up for a few days until she was back on her feet in order to help her out around the house while I'm at work. We hit the road and were greeted with a backup on Route 3 in order to get on 95. Traffic was at a standstill heading south, but even northbound appeared to be stopped. With that in mind, we headed up 17 to 29 to take the back way.
I checked out my Fantasy Football team when I got home expecting to see some great points, but I was disappointed. I had high hopes after seeing Brett Favre play a terrible game against the 'Skins (scoring only 5 points) and hoping Kurt Warner tossing the ball about would prove my coaching genius (I had started Warner over Favre). As I said, I was disappointed. Warner was injured in the second series of the game and scored -1 points. It also looks like he's out for the season. I also lost Sammy Morris and Ron Dayne to injuries. Oh well, at least my decision on which kicker to start paid off (11 points with Ramsey vs. 8 with Graham). That being said, my other decision (to pick up Dayne vs. Wright) cost me 12 points. That wouldn't have won the game for me anyway as the Drew Brees of last year showed up to play against Seattle and pretty cemented the outcome. Unless Plaxico Burress has a phenomenal game Monday night, the game is all but lost. Oh well, at least I'm still above .500 and my starting QB (Peyton) is back next week (in addition to the Pats D playing the Dolphins). Hopefully I'll start a new winning streak next Sunday.
After dinner and getting the kids to bed, I hit the basement to play guitar. I haven't gotten as much playing time as I had hoped over the past week due to one reason or another, but I was able to figure out "Lookin' Out My Back Door" after only 20 minutes of trying. I still need to figure out the bridge between the third and fourth verse, but if I skip over that, I'm golden! (And it actually sounds right!)
Day 235 - 10/13/2007
D's leg is still in bad shape, although it's a little better than yesterday. (I emphasize little as she says it's a little better and I would imagine it is. That doesn't mean she's still not in pain whenever she moves it or it's bumped though.)
So, with her stuck at home (I took the van so she couldn't be tempted to leave the house -- there's no way she'd be able to operate the clutch on the Altima without extreme pain), I took the kids to their games. N's was at 10a and M's was at noon. Heather picked M up from N's game and then after his game, we went to her game to see the rest of her game. She ended up getting a hit (yay!) and went on to score the winning run (again, yay!). After the game, she went over to Riley's house and N and I headed home.
We had originally planned on going to Oktoberfest at Hard Bargain Farm, but with D's leg (and Evan's Christening tomorrow), plans were changed. Instead we went to Mass at 530p. The three of us (M, N and I) were barely able to make it through the Mass without closing our eyes. N did fall asleep at one point. I'm not sure why, but we were all out of it. Maybe it had something to do with the change in weather that brought low humidity and dehydrated us. Or maybe because we were tired.
After Mass, we stopped by Baja Fresh for some take-out. Heather and I were talking about food during the game and this was one of the places we touched upon. I opted for the grilled veggie burrito vs. the fish tacos, which is what I usually get, and N got a chicken quesadilla. I was expecting him to give pushback once we got home about eating that, but with enough ketchup, even a chicken quesadilla tastes good to his discriminating palate. (M, on the other hand, has no problems eating food from Baja Fresh. She loves Mexican food.)
After dinner (and after putting the kids to bed), D and I hung on the couch and watched "The Office" on Tivo before calling it quits. We have to get up early tomorrow and hit the road in time to get down to Fred for Evan's Baptism (tentatively scheduled to start shortly after the 1030a Mass).
So, with her stuck at home (I took the van so she couldn't be tempted to leave the house -- there's no way she'd be able to operate the clutch on the Altima without extreme pain), I took the kids to their games. N's was at 10a and M's was at noon. Heather picked M up from N's game and then after his game, we went to her game to see the rest of her game. She ended up getting a hit (yay!) and went on to score the winning run (again, yay!). After the game, she went over to Riley's house and N and I headed home.
We had originally planned on going to Oktoberfest at Hard Bargain Farm, but with D's leg (and Evan's Christening tomorrow), plans were changed. Instead we went to Mass at 530p. The three of us (M, N and I) were barely able to make it through the Mass without closing our eyes. N did fall asleep at one point. I'm not sure why, but we were all out of it. Maybe it had something to do with the change in weather that brought low humidity and dehydrated us. Or maybe because we were tired.
After Mass, we stopped by Baja Fresh for some take-out. Heather and I were talking about food during the game and this was one of the places we touched upon. I opted for the grilled veggie burrito vs. the fish tacos, which is what I usually get, and N got a chicken quesadilla. I was expecting him to give pushback once we got home about eating that, but with enough ketchup, even a chicken quesadilla tastes good to his discriminating palate. (M, on the other hand, has no problems eating food from Baja Fresh. She loves Mexican food.)
After dinner (and after putting the kids to bed), D and I hung on the couch and watched "The Office" on Tivo before calling it quits. We have to get up early tomorrow and hit the road in time to get down to Fred for Evan's Baptism (tentatively scheduled to start shortly after the 1030a Mass).
Day 234 - 10/12/2007
D fell in the bathroom this morning and either sprained her left knee really, really bad or tore her left MCL.
She was rudely awoken at 5a by Butterfly, who was beginning to wretch. Since Butterfly sleeps above D's head, D grabbed her and headed to the bathroom so that she'd get sick in there instead. She was successful in that endeavor, however, that was also the cause of her fall. Butterfly let if fly as they entered the bathroom and D stepped right in it, causing her to go down hard.
I took her to Dr. Aguiar's office later on and she was relieved to hear that surgery is probably out of the question (the MRI will be the final determination). He gave her a knee brace and crutches, but for the time being, she's going to have to stay off of it.
That night I took the kids to movie night at the school. D was going to take them but given her condition, she opted to stay home (as if she had a choice!). This year they showed "A Night at the Museum." It was alright, although the kids seemed to enjoy it. (Well, at least while they were watching it. A lot of time was spent running around the gym vs. watching the movie.)
She was rudely awoken at 5a by Butterfly, who was beginning to wretch. Since Butterfly sleeps above D's head, D grabbed her and headed to the bathroom so that she'd get sick in there instead. She was successful in that endeavor, however, that was also the cause of her fall. Butterfly let if fly as they entered the bathroom and D stepped right in it, causing her to go down hard.
I took her to Dr. Aguiar's office later on and she was relieved to hear that surgery is probably out of the question (the MRI will be the final determination). He gave her a knee brace and crutches, but for the time being, she's going to have to stay off of it.
That night I took the kids to movie night at the school. D was going to take them but given her condition, she opted to stay home (as if she had a choice!). This year they showed "A Night at the Museum." It was alright, although the kids seemed to enjoy it. (Well, at least while they were watching it. A lot of time was spent running around the gym vs. watching the movie.)
Day 233 - 10/11/2007
Yay. I'm finally back to feeling like myself. I got a good night's rest last night and am ready to face the day. Of course, this feeling was short lived as I then went to Happy Hour for a going away party for a colleague.
After getting the kids processed and put to bed, I wasn't ready for that myself so I headed to the basement for a little guitar. The latest song I'm trying to learn "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (another CCR tune). I spent all of five minutes on it before I gave up and started focusing on "Proud Mary". I'm still struggling on the transition between the G and the F in the intro, but it's getting better. I also need to work on the A to Bm transition during the chorus, as well as the solo. Both should come with time with enough practice.
Which reminds me of the old joke about the tourist lost in New York, trying to find Carnegie Hall.
"Uh, excuse me sir," he says to a man on the street, "how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
"Practice, practice, practice," the man replied.
Even that couldn't keep me going and after a while, I gave up and went upstairs to see if D wanted to watch "The Office" on Tivo. I was too late: She was done and we both hit the land of Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod.
After getting the kids processed and put to bed, I wasn't ready for that myself so I headed to the basement for a little guitar. The latest song I'm trying to learn "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (another CCR tune). I spent all of five minutes on it before I gave up and started focusing on "Proud Mary". I'm still struggling on the transition between the G and the F in the intro, but it's getting better. I also need to work on the A to Bm transition during the chorus, as well as the solo. Both should come with time with enough practice.
Which reminds me of the old joke about the tourist lost in New York, trying to find Carnegie Hall.
"Uh, excuse me sir," he says to a man on the street, "how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"
"Practice, practice, practice," the man replied.
Even that couldn't keep me going and after a while, I gave up and went upstairs to see if D wanted to watch "The Office" on Tivo. I was too late: She was done and we both hit the land of Winkin', Blinkin' and Nod.
Day 232 - 10/10/2007
N is still sick today so we skipped practice. Unfortunately, practice was changed from on the field to a facility called Frozen Ropes that just opened up in Chantilly. It would've been great for him to go as they provide better instruction in hitting than his coaches (e.g., the dads who volunteered and who may or may not have any baseball experience, and even if they do have experience, that doesn't mean it will translate into good coaching skills).
That worked fine for me anyway as it gave the the chance to continue recovering from the weekend. Yes, I'm still tired. This getting old thing sure takes the fun out of burning the candle at both ends over the weekend.
That worked fine for me anyway as it gave the the chance to continue recovering from the weekend. Yes, I'm still tired. This getting old thing sure takes the fun out of burning the candle at both ends over the weekend.
Day 231 - 10/09/2007
Is it 9p yet? Wow, I really burned the candle at both ends this weekend. I struggled to get out of bed and struggled even more to stay awake during the day. I'm really looking forward to get back to bed. It will be nice and comfy.
N's practice was postponed until tomorrow, which means he won't miss it. He's still running a low-grade fever from his ear infection and cough he had over the weekend. In addition to the ear infection, he's probably got something viral that just needs to run its course. Hopefully he'll be back to normal tomorrow.
So, instead of practice, I mowed the yard. I love doing yard work. It's such an easy job, yet when done well, it gives you a good feeling once it's over. The yard is nice and neat, the edges along the sidewalk straight and the clippings swept off the driveway. The hour or so it takes to mow the yard also provides me with some time to think. Sometimes I'll think about what things I need to get done for iTriTracker or Melon, other times I plan out dinner or hold a conversation I need to have with someone. Regardless, it's quality alone time. My ears are plugged up to reduce the noise from the mower and it's just me in my own little world.
I'd love to give it all up and mow lawns for a living, but I don't think I'd be able to support our lifestyle on a gardener's salary.
N's practice was postponed until tomorrow, which means he won't miss it. He's still running a low-grade fever from his ear infection and cough he had over the weekend. In addition to the ear infection, he's probably got something viral that just needs to run its course. Hopefully he'll be back to normal tomorrow.
So, instead of practice, I mowed the yard. I love doing yard work. It's such an easy job, yet when done well, it gives you a good feeling once it's over. The yard is nice and neat, the edges along the sidewalk straight and the clippings swept off the driveway. The hour or so it takes to mow the yard also provides me with some time to think. Sometimes I'll think about what things I need to get done for iTriTracker or Melon, other times I plan out dinner or hold a conversation I need to have with someone. Regardless, it's quality alone time. My ears are plugged up to reduce the noise from the mower and it's just me in my own little world.
I'd love to give it all up and mow lawns for a living, but I don't think I'd be able to support our lifestyle on a gardener's salary.
Day 230 - 10/08/2007
The weekend is over and the drive home began. Unfortunately, there were lapses in communication and it took us longer to get home than I had hoped. We had to stop by Fred to pick up the kids (N was feeling better, but not by much) and then stop by Spur Road to drop off Caroline.
When we finally got home, we got settled in and got the kids to bed. Tomorrow is going to be tough getting the kids back on schedule so we tried to get them to bed early.
I hit the basement to catch up on football and was pleasantly surprised to see that Romo wasn't doing anything close to what he's done thus far this year. That's good for me as even up by 47 points I didn't think I had the game in the bag. Fortunately he tossed up five pickles (two of which were returned for TDs) and couldn't generate any offense to speak of. I guess it was just meant to be that I was going to win this weekend.
When we finally got home, we got settled in and got the kids to bed. Tomorrow is going to be tough getting the kids back on schedule so we tried to get them to bed early.
I hit the basement to catch up on football and was pleasantly surprised to see that Romo wasn't doing anything close to what he's done thus far this year. That's good for me as even up by 47 points I didn't think I had the game in the bag. Fortunately he tossed up five pickles (two of which were returned for TDs) and couldn't generate any offense to speak of. I guess it was just meant to be that I was going to win this weekend.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Day 229 - 10/07/2007
Sunday morning was a lazy one. We all slept in (well, at least some of us did) before heading out to the kayak trip. I read about the tour in a Washington Post article back in the Spring and as soon as I read it, I knew it should be something we did during the weekend.
We arrived a little early (I was hoping there would be more of an area to explore on our own, but it didn't meet expectations) and Dave (our guide) was a little late. There was a communication breakdown between him and his staff: he thought we were meeting on the main road vs. down by the water.
After a brief lesson on the basics of kayaking, we hit the water, most of us paddling slowly as we got the hang of the boats. (I was in a tipsy boat that I swear had a rudder causing me to turn left regardless of which side I paddled on. It wasn't until we were heading back to the car that I found the secret to paddling properly and actually started making headway!) We arrived at the winery (taking our time getting there) and left the kayaks on the shore while we walked to the warehouse type building that made up the winery facility. After a quick tasting of the five varietals, we packed up and were about to head back to the water to paddle over to Rabbit Island to enjoy the wine when D suggested we hit the patio instead. There were a few chairs in the shade overlooking the winery and we stayed in that spot for the next two bottles of wine, chatting about all sorts of topics and enjoying the afternoon.
Instead of enjoying the third on on the porch, I suggested we head to the island for the last bottle, so back to the water we went. For some reason everything went much smoother and everyone was more relaxed. Maybe it had something to do with the wine.
On shore D and I wandered around the acre sized island, exploring here and there and looking for birds. I never found a bird, but I did find the toilet!
After circumnavigating the island, I found myself back where we landed and, after snapping a few group shots, we headed back to the car for the trip back to town.
Overall it was a great weekend. For the most part we all got along and (I hope) all had a great time. However, there were times when personalities clashed and tensions were escalated. I guess that goes without saying when different personality types are together 24/7 for days at a time. Although the scheduled down time this morning would have allowed everyone to get some time alone and apart from the group, I guess it didn't work out as I had hoped. Maybe next year will be different. I doubt it, but I can only hope.
We arrived a little early (I was hoping there would be more of an area to explore on our own, but it didn't meet expectations) and Dave (our guide) was a little late. There was a communication breakdown between him and his staff: he thought we were meeting on the main road vs. down by the water.
After a brief lesson on the basics of kayaking, we hit the water, most of us paddling slowly as we got the hang of the boats. (I was in a tipsy boat that I swear had a rudder causing me to turn left regardless of which side I paddled on. It wasn't until we were heading back to the car that I found the secret to paddling properly and actually started making headway!) We arrived at the winery (taking our time getting there) and left the kayaks on the shore while we walked to the warehouse type building that made up the winery facility. After a quick tasting of the five varietals, we packed up and were about to head back to the water to paddle over to Rabbit Island to enjoy the wine when D suggested we hit the patio instead. There were a few chairs in the shade overlooking the winery and we stayed in that spot for the next two bottles of wine, chatting about all sorts of topics and enjoying the afternoon.
Instead of enjoying the third on on the porch, I suggested we head to the island for the last bottle, so back to the water we went. For some reason everything went much smoother and everyone was more relaxed. Maybe it had something to do with the wine.
On shore D and I wandered around the acre sized island, exploring here and there and looking for birds. I never found a bird, but I did find the toilet!
After circumnavigating the island, I found myself back where we landed and, after snapping a few group shots, we headed back to the car for the trip back to town.Overall it was a great weekend. For the most part we all got along and (I hope) all had a great time. However, there were times when personalities clashed and tensions were escalated. I guess that goes without saying when different personality types are together 24/7 for days at a time. Although the scheduled down time this morning would have allowed everyone to get some time alone and apart from the group, I guess it didn't work out as I had hoped. Maybe next year will be different. I doubt it, but I can only hope.
Day 228 - 10/06/2007
This morning we had the Run for the Birds 5k race. We left the house about 845a and were at the race at 9a, giving us plenty of time to change into our costumes and warm up for the race. Once we were ready, we headed over to the staging area where we got all kinds of looks from the other spectators. I'm not really sure why they were gawking, maybe it was because they felt embarrassed that they forgot to wear their costumes. Or was it us who were out of place? Take a look at the picture below and decide for yourself (that's Senator Nick Rerras in the middle of the flock, by the way):
As you can see, we dressed for the part. Fortunately, the plumage didn't cause any of us to slow down too much (the heat and the soft ground did that). I ended up getting first in my age group and Caroline got second in hers. D did great running in her first 5k (and, as she said, probably her only 5k!), finishing strong to beat out some guy thinking he was going to pull a fast one and pass her at the finish line...yeah right!
After the race, we hung out and spotted a couple of birds. In amongst the trees was the sign from an old motel servicing the ferry terminal. I was quite surprised to see it, but it was neat to see none-the-less. As you can see for yourself, it looks pretty old:
I guess now-a-days the sign would say "Free HBO" or something of the sort.
Our next event was Talons: A Birds of Prey Experience, led by Lorrie Schumacher, Master Class Falconer. (Who knew there was such a thing? I wonder what she things of SNL's The Falconer?) Actually (aside from the crazy bird lady image she projected), the show was pretty cool...and informative. I played a mighty oak and had a Harris' hawk brush up against me as it went from station to station looking for food (in the form of cut up frozen mice).
The night we went to dinner and then drinks at Kelly's Gingernut Pub where we were lucky enough to hear Karl Werne and Eddie Williams play. I couldn't believe my ears when this guy started playing. At first I didn't really pay attention as it looked like it was a local jazz combo, but I soon found out that we were in for a treat once they started playing.
Werne is a local sure enough (well, local to Virginia Beach anyway), and an amazing guitarist to boot. His fingers were flying up and down the fretboard as he and saxophonist Eddie Williams put their personal markings on a variety of songs. It was an amazing experience, but one we cut short as we were all pretty beat from the long day.
As you can see, we dressed for the part. Fortunately, the plumage didn't cause any of us to slow down too much (the heat and the soft ground did that). I ended up getting first in my age group and Caroline got second in hers. D did great running in her first 5k (and, as she said, probably her only 5k!), finishing strong to beat out some guy thinking he was going to pull a fast one and pass her at the finish line...yeah right!
After the race, we hung out and spotted a couple of birds. In amongst the trees was the sign from an old motel servicing the ferry terminal. I was quite surprised to see it, but it was neat to see none-the-less. As you can see for yourself, it looks pretty old:
I guess now-a-days the sign would say "Free HBO" or something of the sort.
Our next event was Talons: A Birds of Prey Experience, led by Lorrie Schumacher, Master Class Falconer. (Who knew there was such a thing? I wonder what she things of SNL's The Falconer?) Actually (aside from the crazy bird lady image she projected), the show was pretty cool...and informative. I played a mighty oak and had a Harris' hawk brush up against me as it went from station to station looking for food (in the form of cut up frozen mice).
The night we went to dinner and then drinks at Kelly's Gingernut Pub where we were lucky enough to hear Karl Werne and Eddie Williams play. I couldn't believe my ears when this guy started playing. At first I didn't really pay attention as it looked like it was a local jazz combo, but I soon found out that we were in for a treat once they started playing.
Werne is a local sure enough (well, local to Virginia Beach anyway), and an amazing guitarist to boot. His fingers were flying up and down the fretboard as he and saxophonist Eddie Williams put their personal markings on a variety of songs. It was an amazing experience, but one we cut short as we were all pretty beat from the long day.
Day 227 - 10/05/2007
We were up bright and early and ready to hit the road for our sibling weekend. I dropped the kids off at school and we were out of the house around 9a. After a quick stop at Starbucks for coffee, we were on the road.
Our first event is at 130p, so we were cutting it short and it didn't appear that we'd have much time to stop for lunch. After hearing from Nina that they were late getting out of the house and wouldn't make it to the first event, we decided not to kill ourselves getting there and stopped by Pierce's for lunch. As I've said before (or, if I haven't, I'll say it now), Pierce's is a must-stop place if you're driving on I-64 in Williamsburg. Their barbecue is tops and the sauce has just the right amount of kick to it. Even better (IMO) are the green beans. People who haven't tried them before are taken aback at them, but once you taste them, you too will be converted.
We finally arrived in Cape Charles about 3p. We stopped by the festival headquarters and then by the hotel to get the house keys. We unloaded and waited for the rest of the crew to arrive, which they finally did around 4p. They announced their arrival by dropping the lasagna dish on the ground, whereupon it shattered and infused dinner with tiny shards of glass. Fortunately the lasagna was frozen so the glass was easily brushed off. Well, maybe not easily, but it was salvageable none-the-less.
After dinner we played some games before calling it quits for the night. We have to get up early tomorrow to get to the Run for the Birds 5k race.
Our first event is at 130p, so we were cutting it short and it didn't appear that we'd have much time to stop for lunch. After hearing from Nina that they were late getting out of the house and wouldn't make it to the first event, we decided not to kill ourselves getting there and stopped by Pierce's for lunch. As I've said before (or, if I haven't, I'll say it now), Pierce's is a must-stop place if you're driving on I-64 in Williamsburg. Their barbecue is tops and the sauce has just the right amount of kick to it. Even better (IMO) are the green beans. People who haven't tried them before are taken aback at them, but once you taste them, you too will be converted.
We finally arrived in Cape Charles about 3p. We stopped by the festival headquarters and then by the hotel to get the house keys. We unloaded and waited for the rest of the crew to arrive, which they finally did around 4p. They announced their arrival by dropping the lasagna dish on the ground, whereupon it shattered and infused dinner with tiny shards of glass. Fortunately the lasagna was frozen so the glass was easily brushed off. Well, maybe not easily, but it was salvageable none-the-less.
After dinner we played some games before calling it quits for the night. We have to get up early tomorrow to get to the Run for the Birds 5k race.
Day 226 - 10/04/2007
Over the past several months, I toyed around with a variety of challenges, but never could figure out something that would be fair for all involved. On my run last night it hit me: a scavenger hunt where you have to take pictures of a variety of birds.
Most of the day was spent putting the list together, as well as working on informational packets for the weekend.
I left the office and hit the gym before picking up Caroline from the airport. I haven't been to the gym in a few days (well, not at last week) due to my back, so I wanted to get a workout in before the weekend (since I know I won't be getting any weights in until next week). I told Caroline to call me when she got in and (of course) I was in the shower when she did. Not to worry, however, as she still had to make her way to baggage claim and then wait for that to be offloaded.
As I was pulling up to the terminal, a couple of Metro police officers were in the street and one of them waved me to the curb.
"What for?" I asked her, curious as to why I was getting pulled over.
"Because I told you to," she responded.
"Alright, but why are you telling me?" I asked her as (in my mind) there was nothing I had done wrong.
"Just pull over to the curb," she ordered, this time her voice a little more terse.
I sat there while she and her partner were calling in my license plate and seeing whether I was on a terrorist watch list of some sort. After about five minutes of waiting for her to approach the car and ask me for my license and registration, it hit me: my tags appeared to be expired as I had yet to receive the stickers from DMV (I had renewed online).
I reached for the temporary registration and held it out the window. This prompted her to come forward and take the registration, telling me "I see you figured it out."
Uh, yeah, I figured it out, but would it have killed you to tell me sooner?
I called Caroline and told her to come down to door 5 (she was at door 6) and meet me there. She hesitated as she had a couple of bags, until I explained to her that the two police officers questioning me trumped her two bags. A couple minutes later, there she was, but she couldn't get in the car until I was cleared by the police.
The officer finally determined that my tags were legal and let us go.
The funniest thing about this is that Nina got pulled over by the same officers for not having any stickers on her tags at all an hour or so later! I wonder if the officers saw our last names and wondered whether there was any connection.
Most of the day was spent putting the list together, as well as working on informational packets for the weekend.
I left the office and hit the gym before picking up Caroline from the airport. I haven't been to the gym in a few days (well, not at last week) due to my back, so I wanted to get a workout in before the weekend (since I know I won't be getting any weights in until next week). I told Caroline to call me when she got in and (of course) I was in the shower when she did. Not to worry, however, as she still had to make her way to baggage claim and then wait for that to be offloaded.
As I was pulling up to the terminal, a couple of Metro police officers were in the street and one of them waved me to the curb.
"What for?" I asked her, curious as to why I was getting pulled over.
"Because I told you to," she responded.
"Alright, but why are you telling me?" I asked her as (in my mind) there was nothing I had done wrong.
"Just pull over to the curb," she ordered, this time her voice a little more terse.
I sat there while she and her partner were calling in my license plate and seeing whether I was on a terrorist watch list of some sort. After about five minutes of waiting for her to approach the car and ask me for my license and registration, it hit me: my tags appeared to be expired as I had yet to receive the stickers from DMV (I had renewed online).
I reached for the temporary registration and held it out the window. This prompted her to come forward and take the registration, telling me "I see you figured it out."
Uh, yeah, I figured it out, but would it have killed you to tell me sooner?
I called Caroline and told her to come down to door 5 (she was at door 6) and meet me there. She hesitated as she had a couple of bags, until I explained to her that the two police officers questioning me trumped her two bags. A couple minutes later, there she was, but she couldn't get in the car until I was cleared by the police.
The officer finally determined that my tags were legal and let us go.
The funniest thing about this is that Nina got pulled over by the same officers for not having any stickers on her tags at all an hour or so later! I wonder if the officers saw our last names and wondered whether there was any connection.
Day 225 - 10/03/2007
We had our September CCR lunch today. Yes, I realize it's October, but we were unable to schedule it for September due to our work schedules. Like last time (and unfortunately for Frank), there were eight of us there.
Frank tempted fate by actually looking at the check before playing the game. He ended up losing. And with eight of us there, he lost big (over $100 for the group). Oh well, you play the game, you take the chance. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
We're meeting again in a few weeks to have the official October CCR. I don't think Frank will be looking at the check anytime soon.
I went out for a run tonight one last time before this weekend's race. I tried to go for a run last night, but got to the top of the court and gave up. Too much pizza. Tonight I paced myself with my evening food intake (alright, I didn't have dinner) and hit the ground running. 3.12 miles later, I started walking and was quite surprised with the results of the night's run. The first mile was 7:58, which was right where I wanted to be. The second was 7:55, which was a little faster than where I wanted to be (but only by 5 seconds). The third miles was 7:35, which definitely WASN'T where I wanted to be, but what the heck, I felt good and was quite surprised with my results considering I haven't done any kind of serious running over the past two years. More importantly, my knee wasn't bothering me (during or after the run).
Hopefully this weekend's race will go as well!
Frank tempted fate by actually looking at the check before playing the game. He ended up losing. And with eight of us there, he lost big (over $100 for the group). Oh well, you play the game, you take the chance. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
We're meeting again in a few weeks to have the official October CCR. I don't think Frank will be looking at the check anytime soon.
I went out for a run tonight one last time before this weekend's race. I tried to go for a run last night, but got to the top of the court and gave up. Too much pizza. Tonight I paced myself with my evening food intake (alright, I didn't have dinner) and hit the ground running. 3.12 miles later, I started walking and was quite surprised with the results of the night's run. The first mile was 7:58, which was right where I wanted to be. The second was 7:55, which was a little faster than where I wanted to be (but only by 5 seconds). The third miles was 7:35, which definitely WASN'T where I wanted to be, but what the heck, I felt good and was quite surprised with my results considering I haven't done any kind of serious running over the past two years. More importantly, my knee wasn't bothering me (during or after the run).
Hopefully this weekend's race will go as well!
Day 224 - 10/02/2007
If it's Tuesday, it must be guitar lesson day. I played "Rollin' on the River" for Gary and he continues to think I'm coming along. The next song on the agenda to learn will be "Lookin' Out My Back Door" (also by CCR). A few weeks back he indicated that CCR has a bunch of songs that are easy to play (and learn) and hopefully that'll turn out to be true. We also went over the capo again. While I've pretty much grasped the concept of the capo, the light hasn't gone on like it has for the root 6 and root 5 barre chords. I guess it's just a matter of time. Until then, I'll have to continue torturing the household with my butchered version of "Rollin' on the River" (or at least until I can get the next one down). I'm just thankful they humor me with their listening.
N's baseball practice is canceled; we're having a game tomorrow instead. It was rather nice not having to rush out of work and home to head over to the field.
No, instead I rushed out of work and mowed the lawn. The fertilizer seems to be working in that the lawn is nice and green, but it doesn't appear that the seed I laid down is working: almost of the spots where I seeded are still bare (and where there is some growth, it looks like clover!).
N's baseball practice is canceled; we're having a game tomorrow instead. It was rather nice not having to rush out of work and home to head over to the field.
No, instead I rushed out of work and mowed the lawn. The fertilizer seems to be working in that the lawn is nice and green, but it doesn't appear that the seed I laid down is working: almost of the spots where I seeded are still bare (and where there is some growth, it looks like clover!).
Day 223 - 10/01/2007
With the game all but wrapped up, I sat down to watch the Bengals-Patriots game, thinking how it will feel to be 3-1 tomorrow. A good feeling, I'm sure.
This is the first year where I've actually got a productive team from week to week. I should consider myself lucky, though, as I'm one of the few teams left intact. A lot of other teams are plagued with injuries. Oh well, that happens in sport. I can't help that, aside from a couple of issues here and there, my guys are healthy.
Or that I drafted with bye weeks in mind.
This is the first year where I've actually got a productive team from week to week. I should consider myself lucky, though, as I'm one of the few teams left intact. A lot of other teams are plagued with injuries. Oh well, that happens in sport. I can't help that, aside from a couple of issues here and there, my guys are healthy.
Or that I drafted with bye weeks in mind.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Day 222 - 09/30/2007
The kids and I went to 1045a Mass. They weren't too excited about it, but N had a birthday party to attend later on, so 1045a it was. Of course, the kids are never excited about going to Mass, so this morning wasn't any different.
N's birthday party was at Pump It Up in Manassas. On the way back, M and I picked up Grace so they could work on their school project together. She ended up staying over for dinner after their project was done and fun was had by all.
D got home earlier than expected from her weekend away in Chestertown, so she was able to join us for dinner (of raviolis and tomato sauce).
Once the kids were ready for bed, I read them a chapter from Robin Hood. So far they seem to enjoy it. Hopefully it'll stay that way.
N's birthday party was at Pump It Up in Manassas. On the way back, M and I picked up Grace so they could work on their school project together. She ended up staying over for dinner after their project was done and fun was had by all.
D got home earlier than expected from her weekend away in Chestertown, so she was able to join us for dinner (of raviolis and tomato sauce).
Once the kids were ready for bed, I read them a chapter from Robin Hood. So far they seem to enjoy it. Hopefully it'll stay that way.
Day 221 - 09/29/2007
What do you get when you add pictures for N, a game for both M and N and D out of town?
An opportunity for miscommunication, which is exactly what happened. I was supposed to have dropped M off at Riley's house, who was going to give her a ride to the game, take N to his pictures and game, and then pick M up over at Riley's house after the game. What really happened was I took M with me to N's pictures and then dropped her off, before heading to N's game. Riley left with her grandparents, leaving M stranded. (Burke, in thinking that since M never showed up before the game, didn't think she'd be at the game and therefore didn't go to the game which means his in-laws didn't know to take M home.) Fortunately, M got a ride home with another teammate and everything worked out fine. Lesson learned, though. In the future, should something like this present itself, check in with the coach vs. having M (or N) relay the information.
After the games, we regrouped and hit the library, where the kids checked out some books and we got Puss In Boots. I never realized that Christopher Walken could play a cat, but he did so convincingly. Unfortunately, the DVD was scratched, so we kept having to jump forward in order for it to be viewable.
The kids made mini-pizzas for dinner, we went to the library, we went for a run (well, I did anyway, the kids rode their bikes) and ended the day by watching a movie together.
The run, while unexceptional, was great. I kept an 8:15 min/mile pace going pretty much the whole way through and, if it hadn't been for the constant turnbacks to hurry M along, I probably could've gone faster. I'm looking forward to next weekend's race. Even though it won't be a PR (or anywhere near it), I think I'll do pretty good. If I can get a sub-25, I'll be happy. (Heck, I'd even be happy with a sub-26!)
All in all it was an enjoyable day.
An opportunity for miscommunication, which is exactly what happened. I was supposed to have dropped M off at Riley's house, who was going to give her a ride to the game, take N to his pictures and game, and then pick M up over at Riley's house after the game. What really happened was I took M with me to N's pictures and then dropped her off, before heading to N's game. Riley left with her grandparents, leaving M stranded. (Burke, in thinking that since M never showed up before the game, didn't think she'd be at the game and therefore didn't go to the game which means his in-laws didn't know to take M home.) Fortunately, M got a ride home with another teammate and everything worked out fine. Lesson learned, though. In the future, should something like this present itself, check in with the coach vs. having M (or N) relay the information.
After the games, we regrouped and hit the library, where the kids checked out some books and we got Puss In Boots. I never realized that Christopher Walken could play a cat, but he did so convincingly. Unfortunately, the DVD was scratched, so we kept having to jump forward in order for it to be viewable.
The kids made mini-pizzas for dinner, we went to the library, we went for a run (well, I did anyway, the kids rode their bikes) and ended the day by watching a movie together.
The run, while unexceptional, was great. I kept an 8:15 min/mile pace going pretty much the whole way through and, if it hadn't been for the constant turnbacks to hurry M along, I probably could've gone faster. I'm looking forward to next weekend's race. Even though it won't be a PR (or anywhere near it), I think I'll do pretty good. If I can get a sub-25, I'll be happy. (Heck, I'd even be happy with a sub-26!)
All in all it was an enjoyable day.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Day 220 - 09/28/2007
D left for the weekend. She and a bunch of her friends headed to the Eastern Shore to spend the weekend in Chestertown. So, with that in mind, I went in early to bank some hours. That didn't happen, of course, as I left at 2p to get the van inspected (which also didn't happen because the lines were long, it being the end of the month and all). I then picked the kids up at school and we went home, where they pulled the wool over my eyes saying that D always lets them watch TV when they get home on Friday.
Not wanting to start the weekend off on a sour note, I went along. That gave me the chance to dial into work from home.
After a dinner of leftovers (for M and I) and a Lean Pocket (for N), we headed out to the football game. N has been on me lately about going to a football game and I have no desire to take him to a 'Skins game just yet. Maybe when he's older and can actually watch (and enjoy) the game I'll pull the trigger, but right now, it's not a wise use of dollars.
There were no home games in the immediate vicinity, so we headed up the parkway to Herndon to see Chantilly play. They (Chantilly) have fielded a pretty decent team over the past few years so I was looking forward to a good game. Fifteen dollars later (and $3 for drinks) and we were in our seats for kickoff. The Hornets were no match for the Chargers and at halftime the score was 21-0 (Chantilly). I didn't plan on staying for the whole game, but the kids wanted to see the halftime show with the band and all that, so we stayed. Shortly after the 3rd quarter started, we left for home. As we were walking toward the car, we heard that Chantilly scored another touchdown. I'll have to check to see what the final score was. It could easily have been 35-0 the way the Hornets were (or were not) playing.
We got home and the kids hit the hay. I stayed up and watched Tivo. I finally called it quits around midnight. (It would've been later, but we have a full schedule on Saturday.)
Looking back on it, everything above falls under the "mundane" category. I guess I could've summed up the day by saying that nothing out of the ordinary happened, other than D leaving for Chestertown and the kids and I taking in a high school football game.
Not wanting to start the weekend off on a sour note, I went along. That gave me the chance to dial into work from home.
After a dinner of leftovers (for M and I) and a Lean Pocket (for N), we headed out to the football game. N has been on me lately about going to a football game and I have no desire to take him to a 'Skins game just yet. Maybe when he's older and can actually watch (and enjoy) the game I'll pull the trigger, but right now, it's not a wise use of dollars.
There were no home games in the immediate vicinity, so we headed up the parkway to Herndon to see Chantilly play. They (Chantilly) have fielded a pretty decent team over the past few years so I was looking forward to a good game. Fifteen dollars later (and $3 for drinks) and we were in our seats for kickoff. The Hornets were no match for the Chargers and at halftime the score was 21-0 (Chantilly). I didn't plan on staying for the whole game, but the kids wanted to see the halftime show with the band and all that, so we stayed. Shortly after the 3rd quarter started, we left for home. As we were walking toward the car, we heard that Chantilly scored another touchdown. I'll have to check to see what the final score was. It could easily have been 35-0 the way the Hornets were (or were not) playing.
We got home and the kids hit the hay. I stayed up and watched Tivo. I finally called it quits around midnight. (It would've been later, but we have a full schedule on Saturday.)
Looking back on it, everything above falls under the "mundane" category. I guess I could've summed up the day by saying that nothing out of the ordinary happened, other than D leaving for Chestertown and the kids and I taking in a high school football game.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Day 219 - 09/27/2007
My back seized up again. This time I had just finished working out (no weights -- just 45 minutes on the bike since I didn't think weights would be good for my back) and was getting undressed, about to get in the shower.
I lifted my right foot and pulled off my sock. I was able to lift my left foot and that's when it hit. I let out a wince of pain and fell into the wall so as not to fall down. Fortunately, I was able to right myself pretty quickly and continue getting ready to head back to work.
Don't read that as being pain free, however, as the pain never went away, it just lessened. Lucky for me we had a software release party this afternoon, so the Guinness helped ease the pain.
Before heading out to the party, I found the ultimate time-waster online. There is absolutely NO interaction required. All you do is open your browser to http://play.blogger.com and sit back and enjoy the ride. (If you must know, this is a display of all the pictures currently being uploaded to blogger.com from around the globe.) It's pretty interesting looking at all the pictures that are out there. I kid you not that you could easily sit there for hours on end watching these pictures. It makes you think of who these people are, what they're doing, why are they wearing lime green bandannas, etc.
I wonder what people think of the pictures (albeit few and far between) that I've uploaded?
I lifted my right foot and pulled off my sock. I was able to lift my left foot and that's when it hit. I let out a wince of pain and fell into the wall so as not to fall down. Fortunately, I was able to right myself pretty quickly and continue getting ready to head back to work.
Don't read that as being pain free, however, as the pain never went away, it just lessened. Lucky for me we had a software release party this afternoon, so the Guinness helped ease the pain.
Before heading out to the party, I found the ultimate time-waster online. There is absolutely NO interaction required. All you do is open your browser to http://play.blogger.com and sit back and enjoy the ride. (If you must know, this is a display of all the pictures currently being uploaded to blogger.com from around the globe.) It's pretty interesting looking at all the pictures that are out there. I kid you not that you could easily sit there for hours on end watching these pictures. It makes you think of who these people are, what they're doing, why are they wearing lime green bandannas, etc.
I wonder what people think of the pictures (albeit few and far between) that I've uploaded?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Day 218 - 09/26/2007
My back still wasn't working properly when I woke up and it didn't improve throughout the day (Sitting on my ass all day probably doesn't help matters much, regardless of the fact that I try and work out 2-3 times a week and get up out of my chair on an hourly basis.)
What did help was the shiatsu chair massager on sale at BJs. While D had the kids at swimming, I went shopping for cat food and kittly litter at BJs. Not only did I find Christmas decorations on display (!) I also found a shiatsu chair massager. Wasting no time, I plopped myself down in the chair and started going to town. Twenty minutes later I was a new man. My pain was gone and I was ready to face the day. Not only was the pain gone, but I sort of felt like I had a runner's high as if feel good juice was flowing through my veins. Relief!
I kept waiting for it to subside, but it didn't. If it continues to hold, I may just end up getting one of them so that the next time my back goes out I won't have to go to BJs for relief!
What did help was the shiatsu chair massager on sale at BJs. While D had the kids at swimming, I went shopping for cat food and kittly litter at BJs. Not only did I find Christmas decorations on display (!) I also found a shiatsu chair massager. Wasting no time, I plopped myself down in the chair and started going to town. Twenty minutes later I was a new man. My pain was gone and I was ready to face the day. Not only was the pain gone, but I sort of felt like I had a runner's high as if feel good juice was flowing through my veins. Relief!
I kept waiting for it to subside, but it didn't. If it continues to hold, I may just end up getting one of them so that the next time my back goes out I won't have to go to BJs for relief!
Day 217 - 09/25/2007
Is it okay to make a six year old run laps? If it is, there are a couple who deserve it.
We had practice tonight and, as usual, we did hitting and fielding. After the kids hit, they play first base. After each batter, they rotate around the field so that after all the kids have batted, they've also played every position in the field. Usually after the kid bats, he'll grab his glove and hat and jog out to first base while the rest of the players rotate to their new positions.
Not this kid.
After he batted, he headed over to the bench, sat down and started drinking.
"C'mon [player's name], hustle on out to first base." I called to him after noticing him sitting on the bench. "You can get a drink later." (We had been practicing for all of ten minutes at this point.)
Silence.
Drink.
Silence.
Stare.
"C'mon [player's name], your teammates are waiting for you."
Nothing.
"Go on out to first base like the coach told you to do." I heard his mother yell from behind the plate where she and a couple of other moms were sitting.
With that he got off the bench and started walking towards first base.
"Hustle it up [player's name], we're waiting on you." I told him, trying to hurry him along.
It didn't work. But it did cause him to turn around and look me square in my sunglass covered eye and gesture with his hand that my words were falling on deaf ears.
I told him to come over to me. He didn't budge. When his mom told him to listen to the coach, however, he came over, tail between his legs.
I didn't want to be over the top, but I also wanted him to realize that his behavior was unacceptable. He got the picture, but I don't think it'll make an impression like having him run laps will. Maybe I should take this up with the commissioner.
To top it off, when I got home I threw out my back by hanging up the phone. (Yes, you read that right.) I was on the barstool, checking e-mail when D handed me the phone to hang up. I twisted around and, reaching with my right hand, attempted to place the phone on the cradle over my left shoulder.
Pain shot through my back like it had been stuck with a red-hot poker. I tried to reverse the position, in hopes of undoing it, but like trying to unring a bell, it wasn't to be. I popped a few Advil, but to no avail. Back pain is the worst.
We had practice tonight and, as usual, we did hitting and fielding. After the kids hit, they play first base. After each batter, they rotate around the field so that after all the kids have batted, they've also played every position in the field. Usually after the kid bats, he'll grab his glove and hat and jog out to first base while the rest of the players rotate to their new positions.
Not this kid.
After he batted, he headed over to the bench, sat down and started drinking.
"C'mon [player's name], hustle on out to first base." I called to him after noticing him sitting on the bench. "You can get a drink later." (We had been practicing for all of ten minutes at this point.)
Silence.
Drink.
Silence.
Stare.
"C'mon [player's name], your teammates are waiting for you."
Nothing.
"Go on out to first base like the coach told you to do." I heard his mother yell from behind the plate where she and a couple of other moms were sitting.
With that he got off the bench and started walking towards first base.
"Hustle it up [player's name], we're waiting on you." I told him, trying to hurry him along.
It didn't work. But it did cause him to turn around and look me square in my sunglass covered eye and gesture with his hand that my words were falling on deaf ears.
I told him to come over to me. He didn't budge. When his mom told him to listen to the coach, however, he came over, tail between his legs.
I didn't want to be over the top, but I also wanted him to realize that his behavior was unacceptable. He got the picture, but I don't think it'll make an impression like having him run laps will. Maybe I should take this up with the commissioner.
To top it off, when I got home I threw out my back by hanging up the phone. (Yes, you read that right.) I was on the barstool, checking e-mail when D handed me the phone to hang up. I twisted around and, reaching with my right hand, attempted to place the phone on the cradle over my left shoulder.
Pain shot through my back like it had been stuck with a red-hot poker. I tried to reverse the position, in hopes of undoing it, but like trying to unring a bell, it wasn't to be. I popped a few Advil, but to no avail. Back pain is the worst.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Day 216 - 09/24/2007
My soup bowl went missing at work, so I had to head home for lunch. This (and my stomach ache) caused me to skip my afternoon workout at the gym. I'm not sure what happened to the bowl, it was on my desk when I left on Friday and I don't recall seeing it when I stopped by the office yesterday. I'm thinking the cleaning person broke it when she was washing it -- there were a couple of hairline cracks -- and simply threw it away. I just wish she hadn't tossed the spoon as well.
When I got home I finished seeding the yard before taking M (and N) to swimming. When we got home, D was still out (she was at a neighbor's house watching Designed to Sell on HGTV -- our neighbor and a couple of our friends were on this episode), so I read to the kids before putting them to bed.
After D got back, I headed out for a run and ended up going 3.2 miles in just under 27 minutes. While I normally wouldn't be proud of that pace, since I pretty much haven't been running much for the past two years, I'll take it. I felt pretty good the entire way (save for a stretch or two where my knees weren't feeling the love), so I'm pretty sure the bird festival race will be a piece of cake (especially considering it'll be somewhat flat).
When I got home I finished seeding the yard before taking M (and N) to swimming. When we got home, D was still out (she was at a neighbor's house watching Designed to Sell on HGTV -- our neighbor and a couple of our friends were on this episode), so I read to the kids before putting them to bed.
After D got back, I headed out for a run and ended up going 3.2 miles in just under 27 minutes. While I normally wouldn't be proud of that pace, since I pretty much haven't been running much for the past two years, I'll take it. I felt pretty good the entire way (save for a stretch or two where my knees weren't feeling the love), so I'm pretty sure the bird festival race will be a piece of cake (especially considering it'll be somewhat flat).
Day 215 - 09/23/2007
We finished watching Swiss Family Robinson this morning. The kids seemed to enjoy it, even though it wasn't anything like the book. (In case you couldn't figure it out, it's much better than the book.)
Nearing the end of the movie, the lawn guy came by to aerate our yard. I saw him doing our neighbors' yards yesterday and arranged for him to do ours today. For $65 he'll aerate the lawn and for $85 he'll aerate and fertilize. I couldn't beat that with a stick (seeing as it's $55 to rent the aerator for four hours and then I'd have to do it myself. Paying this guy allowed me to stay in my pajamas an extra hour while he did the work.
I didn't have him fertilize though, as I wasn't sure when I'd get the grass seed down. As it turns out, I was able to get some of it down today (as well as the fertilizer). Even still, it saved me money doing it myself, plus I'd much rather fertilize and seed myself to ensure it was done properly (or at least think it was done properly).
I almost finished but had to leave for Mass, so I put off seeding until later. When we got home, M and I had dinner (N and D had already eaten) and the kids got ready for bed. We started Robin Hood tonight; hopefully the kids will like it.
Nearing the end of the movie, the lawn guy came by to aerate our yard. I saw him doing our neighbors' yards yesterday and arranged for him to do ours today. For $65 he'll aerate the lawn and for $85 he'll aerate and fertilize. I couldn't beat that with a stick (seeing as it's $55 to rent the aerator for four hours and then I'd have to do it myself. Paying this guy allowed me to stay in my pajamas an extra hour while he did the work.
I didn't have him fertilize though, as I wasn't sure when I'd get the grass seed down. As it turns out, I was able to get some of it down today (as well as the fertilizer). Even still, it saved me money doing it myself, plus I'd much rather fertilize and seed myself to ensure it was done properly (or at least think it was done properly).
I almost finished but had to leave for Mass, so I put off seeding until later. When we got home, M and I had dinner (N and D had already eaten) and the kids got ready for bed. We started Robin Hood tonight; hopefully the kids will like it.
Day 214 - 09/22/2007
If it's Saturday, we must have some ball games on the calendar. While I enjoy watching the games, I've discovered that coaching takes a lot more out of me. I'm sure my outlook will change in the coming years, once the players have grown up and their attention span is a little longer than a minute, but for now, it's trying, to say the least.
I'd love it if the boys would pay attention to the game for at least one inning. The other team is able to do it. I wonder how they're successful while we're not. Is it the way we're organized (or disorganized, as the case may be)? Or is it the way we treat the kids. There is very little yelling going on and each of the kids is treated respectfully. Maybe if we were a little sterner in our approach, they'd listen. Or maybe they'd just ignore us like they currently do. Who knows.
Since Sarah is spending the night tonight, it was suggested we watch Swiss Family Robinson. It wasn't available at any of the local video stores, so I checked the local booksellers. Sure enough, it was available at Borders in Kamp Washington. Off N and I went while M and Sarah stayed back with D. When we returned, we not only had the movie, but also the next book to be read: The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Since the movie is over two hours, we ended up watching the first hour or so before the kids were sent to bed. We'll watch the rest of it in the morning.
I'd love it if the boys would pay attention to the game for at least one inning. The other team is able to do it. I wonder how they're successful while we're not. Is it the way we're organized (or disorganized, as the case may be)? Or is it the way we treat the kids. There is very little yelling going on and each of the kids is treated respectfully. Maybe if we were a little sterner in our approach, they'd listen. Or maybe they'd just ignore us like they currently do. Who knows.
Since Sarah is spending the night tonight, it was suggested we watch Swiss Family Robinson. It wasn't available at any of the local video stores, so I checked the local booksellers. Sure enough, it was available at Borders in Kamp Washington. Off N and I went while M and Sarah stayed back with D. When we returned, we not only had the movie, but also the next book to be read: The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Since the movie is over two hours, we ended up watching the first hour or so before the kids were sent to bed. We'll watch the rest of it in the morning.
Day 213 - 09/21/2007
I wasn't walking like an Egyptian today, but I was walking a little slow. Who knew that crouching and crawling would put a major hurt on me? (I did, but not to the extent it did!) That being said, I still went to they gym (in hopes that a good workout would help me recover...I don't think it did).
We finished up Swiss Family Robinson tonight and boy am I glad that's over. I grew up knowing the story based on the Disney version of it, so I was quite surprised when the book had very little in common with the movie. Major plot points in the movie were non-existent in the book. Actually, there really wasn't a plot to the book. It was more of a series of adventures with little connection between them. Had I known how painful it was going to be to read the book, I would've skipped it and settled on something else.
Oh well, live and learn. At least I can say I read it. More importantly, at least I can say I read it to M and N.
We finished up Swiss Family Robinson tonight and boy am I glad that's over. I grew up knowing the story based on the Disney version of it, so I was quite surprised when the book had very little in common with the movie. Major plot points in the movie were non-existent in the book. Actually, there really wasn't a plot to the book. It was more of a series of adventures with little connection between them. Had I known how painful it was going to be to read the book, I would've skipped it and settled on something else.
Oh well, live and learn. At least I can say I read it. More importantly, at least I can say I read it to M and N.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Day 212 - 09/20/2007
My office played hooky today and spent the day at Hogback Mountain Paintball. There were 16 of us to begin the day and we were separated into two teams. Most of the games revolved around capturing the other team's flag, but some were more tactical in that there was one flag and one team had to defend it, while the other had to take it. Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday's event
Before....
After....
As you might see from the look of the after picture, we had a blast! We're already planning on making this a semi-annual event. Not only does it give us a day out of the office, but also the chance to cover your colleague with paint. If you haven't done this, it's pretty fun.
Of course, after I got home I mowed the yard as I wasn't nearly as sweaty as I should have been and hadn't had nearly as much exercise as I should have had today. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. I'm also sure I won't be the only one!
Before....
After....
As you might see from the look of the after picture, we had a blast! We're already planning on making this a semi-annual event. Not only does it give us a day out of the office, but also the chance to cover your colleague with paint. If you haven't done this, it's pretty fun.
Of course, after I got home I mowed the yard as I wasn't nearly as sweaty as I should have been and hadn't had nearly as much exercise as I should have had today. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow. I'm also sure I won't be the only one!
Day 211 - 09/19/2007
I hit the gym during lunch and barely beat the lunch-time rush. Fortunately I was pretty much done with my warmup when the crowd came in so I was able to get the machine I wanted and was able to get my workout done without having to wait on anyone. I'd rather not workout during lunch (morning or late afternoon is preferred), but since M has swimming tonight, I didn't want to get home too late. (Plus, since N went to a friend's house this afternoon and I wasn't going to take him with us to the pool, I was planning on doing laps, so I didn't want to be too worn out for that.)
After showering, I headed back to the office where I continued working on the migration. It's still the albatross around my neck, although the end is near. (Where have I heard that before?)
After work I took M to her swim class and, as I hoped, was able to get an open lap lane. It's not that I couldn't have gone in one of the other lanes, but it's easier to have the lane to yourself. I started off with 500 meters breaststroke (100 meters at a time) and then switched over to freestyle for 500 meters (50-100 meters at a time, depending on how much water got in my goggles). I ended up with 200 meters of breaststroke as a cool down and finished up just in time for M's class to end.
After showering, I headed back to the office where I continued working on the migration. It's still the albatross around my neck, although the end is near. (Where have I heard that before?)
After work I took M to her swim class and, as I hoped, was able to get an open lap lane. It's not that I couldn't have gone in one of the other lanes, but it's easier to have the lane to yourself. I started off with 500 meters breaststroke (100 meters at a time) and then switched over to freestyle for 500 meters (50-100 meters at a time, depending on how much water got in my goggles). I ended up with 200 meters of breaststroke as a cool down and finished up just in time for M's class to end.
Day 210 - 09/18/2007
Happy birthday, CL!
Aside from that, we had a busy day. Both M and N had practice and M had to finish her astronomer project for school. Even though she started it early, it still wasn't done due to scheduling conflicts (crab feast, swimming, etc.) so she had to work late into the night to finish it.
Aside from that, we had a busy day. Both M and N had practice and M had to finish her astronomer project for school. Even though she started it early, it still wasn't done due to scheduling conflicts (crab feast, swimming, etc.) so she had to work late into the night to finish it.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Day 209 - 09/17/2007
After working all day on the additional logic required for the migration, I hit the gym and got in a pretty good workout. Unfortunately, the bike was in use (the recumbent was available, but that gives my knee fits) so I couldn't warm up like I usually do. Instead, I hit the treadmill. After I was done lifting, it was time to head home. Oh well, no cardio today. Maybe tonight at the pool.
M had swimming again tonight and this time we were on time. To the front desk. Hopefully on Wednesday she'll actually be at the pool on time. Chalk it up to traffic, but next time, we'll leave early. M doesn't understand the importance of being early. Maybe that's something we need to work on. One thing I can't stand is being late. Growing up, being late was a constant; as an adult, I'd rather have it as a variable.
While M swam, N and I hung out on "the beach" (that's what they call it). Actually, I hung out and N played. After hanging out for a while, I hit the spa, where I interrupted a dry cleaning industry meeting.
M had swimming again tonight and this time we were on time. To the front desk. Hopefully on Wednesday she'll actually be at the pool on time. Chalk it up to traffic, but next time, we'll leave early. M doesn't understand the importance of being early. Maybe that's something we need to work on. One thing I can't stand is being late. Growing up, being late was a constant; as an adult, I'd rather have it as a variable.
While M swam, N and I hung out on "the beach" (that's what they call it). Actually, I hung out and N played. After hanging out for a while, I hit the spa, where I interrupted a dry cleaning industry meeting.
Day 208 - 09/16/2007
I attempted a morning run but it didn't work out as expected. I walked to the tot lot, stretched and then started my run. The weather was nice and cool, so I didn't have to worry about over-heating like I did last week. I felt good for the first, oh, three minutes or so before my head started pounding. I adjusted my breathing pattern, but no luck, the throbbing behind my forehead wouldn't calm down. With that I checked the pace and was surprised to see I was hitting 6:45 minutes/mile. Yikes! No wonder I wasn't feeling it. I tried slowing down, but I couldn't readjust. With that, I stopped and walked to the trail, where I was able to start running again. I never felt it, though, even on the trail, so I cut it short. Oh well, sometimes you have to listen to your body. Maybe Wednesday.
We headed down to Fred for a crab feast on D's folks porch. We ate our fill (of crabs and banana pudding...yum!) and even had some leftovers to take home. Of course, since Stephen, Rudy and I were all slated for 10 crabs each (and some folks not slated for any), there were plenty to go around (even though we were unable to finish them).
On a completely different front, my fantasy football team fared about the same as we did bowling last night. For the second year in a row, the Titans held Peyton at bay and I never stood a chance. By the end of the game, I had 86 points to my opponents 106. What made it even worse was that I left 102 points on my bench. Oh well, live and learn. Maybe next week.
We headed down to Fred for a crab feast on D's folks porch. We ate our fill (of crabs and banana pudding...yum!) and even had some leftovers to take home. Of course, since Stephen, Rudy and I were all slated for 10 crabs each (and some folks not slated for any), there were plenty to go around (even though we were unable to finish them).
On a completely different front, my fantasy football team fared about the same as we did bowling last night. For the second year in a row, the Titans held Peyton at bay and I never stood a chance. By the end of the game, I had 86 points to my opponents 106. What made it even worse was that I left 102 points on my bench. Oh well, live and learn. Maybe next week.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Day 207 - 09/15/2007
Both M and N had games this morning and both of them were at 10a. I dropped M off at her game and then took N to his. (D went and watched M's game.) They both played well and seemed to enjoy themselves. The weather has taken quite a turn in the past week. Last week temps were in the 90s and the sun was baking everyone on the field while this week temps are in the low 70s with very little humidity and a brisk wind. Fall is definitely on its way.
We had our first bowling match of the new neighborhood season. This year they first game counts towards the overall standings in order to try and avoid people sandbagging the first time out so as to get a good handicap. That didn't do much for us, though, as we weren't able to keep up with our foes. Even though I rolled a 180 in the first game, the guy I was up against shot a 208. Oh well, I gave it my best shot.
My second game wasn't nearly as good and by the time the third game rolled around, I was done. (Actually, I didn't want to do too well in the second and third games as there's no way I'd be able to keep up the 180s for the rest of the season.)
At one point Ted talked me into doing some fancy shots (e.g., rolling the ball behind my back) to go along with my between-the-legs stance. (That's not the "granny-style" between the legs, more like a leg-lift and I bowl under the lifted leg.) It's hard to describe but it gives me 9-10 pins on each ball. Last year I ended the season with a turkey bowling in that manner. This year I might just roll the ball every frame just to see what happens (of course, not until I practice a few games on my own).
I'm pretty sure we went 0-4 on the night. Since last year the champions only had 3.5 losses, I don't think that bodes well for the rest of the season. I guess we'll just have to find out.
We had our first bowling match of the new neighborhood season. This year they first game counts towards the overall standings in order to try and avoid people sandbagging the first time out so as to get a good handicap. That didn't do much for us, though, as we weren't able to keep up with our foes. Even though I rolled a 180 in the first game, the guy I was up against shot a 208. Oh well, I gave it my best shot.
My second game wasn't nearly as good and by the time the third game rolled around, I was done. (Actually, I didn't want to do too well in the second and third games as there's no way I'd be able to keep up the 180s for the rest of the season.)
At one point Ted talked me into doing some fancy shots (e.g., rolling the ball behind my back) to go along with my between-the-legs stance. (That's not the "granny-style" between the legs, more like a leg-lift and I bowl under the lifted leg.) It's hard to describe but it gives me 9-10 pins on each ball. Last year I ended the season with a turkey bowling in that manner. This year I might just roll the ball every frame just to see what happens (of course, not until I practice a few games on my own).
I'm pretty sure we went 0-4 on the night. Since last year the champions only had 3.5 losses, I don't think that bodes well for the rest of the season. I guess we'll just have to find out.
Day 206 - 09/14/2007
We had a luau at work. There were prizes for best shirts, best hats and best hula-hoopers. Everything was in place to remind you of the islands (either the Hawaiian or the Caribbean), even the snow-cones (sans rum, naturally).
It was catered by Moe's.
Moe's is a burrito place.
I don't get it.
What I did get, however, was a second burrito stuffed with rice, beans, guac and pico de gallo. I passed on the carne, though, as I didn't want to feel ugh when I went to the gym later on.
Speaking of the gym, I upped some of the weights I was working with and had a great workout. Hopefully I'll be able to replicate it on Monday (or Wednesday, depending on my schedule).
It was catered by Moe's.
Moe's is a burrito place.
I don't get it.
What I did get, however, was a second burrito stuffed with rice, beans, guac and pico de gallo. I passed on the carne, though, as I didn't want to feel ugh when I went to the gym later on.
Speaking of the gym, I upped some of the weights I was working with and had a great workout. Hopefully I'll be able to replicate it on Monday (or Wednesday, depending on my schedule).
Day 205 - 09/13/2007
Met Larry up at Sweetwater, as well as Mark, the brother of a friend of ours from high school. Even though it's been about 12 years or so since I've seen him, he hasn't changed a bit (well, he did shave the dreads he'd been trying to grow, so there is that!).
He just got back from New Orleans where he was helping restore an old house that belonged to the guy who first brought ice to New Orleans back in the 19th century. I couldn't imaging NOLA being without ice. That place is hot enough as it is, I'd hate to have to drink my hurricanes at room temperature. Or daiquiris. Egads, man, banish that thought!
He just got back from New Orleans where he was helping restore an old house that belonged to the guy who first brought ice to New Orleans back in the 19th century. I couldn't imaging NOLA being without ice. That place is hot enough as it is, I'd hate to have to drink my hurricanes at room temperature. Or daiquiris. Egads, man, banish that thought!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Day 204 - 09/12/2007
Always the technology, never the user.
Yet again, one of my colleagues proved my mantra. We had a lessons learned meeting and he stated that one of the reasons why he couldn't move forward was because he was using a new tool (JavaScript) and he didn't have the right debugging tools.
"It's hard to debug 1000s of lines of code when you're writing in Notepad." he said.
Or something like that.
I'm wondering whether this is the last person in the world who hasn't heard of Google. After the meeting, I typed "How do you debug JavaScript?" in Google and got a great result set. Within the first ten items I found out there are multiple ways of debugging JavaScript.
Like I said: Always the technology, never the user.
Yet again, one of my colleagues proved my mantra. We had a lessons learned meeting and he stated that one of the reasons why he couldn't move forward was because he was using a new tool (JavaScript) and he didn't have the right debugging tools.
"It's hard to debug 1000s of lines of code when you're writing in Notepad." he said.
Or something like that.
I'm wondering whether this is the last person in the world who hasn't heard of Google. After the meeting, I typed "How do you debug JavaScript?" in Google and got a great result set. Within the first ten items I found out there are multiple ways of debugging JavaScript.
Like I said: Always the technology, never the user.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Day 203 - 09/11/2007
Since it's Tuesday, I went across the street for my guitar lesson. Today I brought along some music to try and learn (the Dead's Box of Rain and CCR's Proud Mary). After giving Box of Rain a listen, Gary pronounced me not ready for it. (I'm not sure it's because I'm not ready for it or he had a hard time trying to pick it up.) He then cued up Proud Mary and we started strumming along. I sort of got the strokes down for the intro, but still need to work on the last three chords of the intro.
After guitar, I headed over to Lee Road Deli for a Reuben. Since baseball practice is Tuesday nights, I don't have time to head home for lunch, so I typically stop by there and grab a sandwich to fill out my lunch. They have pretty good meatball sub's too -- four LARGE meatballs with three slices of cheese on a nice soft baguette -- they blow doors off of Subway's meatball sub. Anyway, as I'm standing there waiting for my sandwich to be ready, a teenager walks in and just stands at the counter not saying a thing.
The owner's wife looks at him and asks him if he wants to order anything.
He mumbles something in Español, but that falls on deaf ears.
"Honey, I don't speak Spanish, so you're wasting your time. Do you want a steak? One of these?" she asks, picking up a steak. "With some onions?" she adds, tilting the bin of chopped onions so he could see them.
Silence.
"Does anyone here know Spanish?" she asks to the three of us that are at the counter.
No one says anything and the look in the kids eyes have such a look of desperation that I overcame my fear of using my Spanish skills in public and stepped up.
"Un poquito," I said. A little.
I turned to him and he started talking in a voice just barely above a whisper. The only word I picked up was trabajar. To work.
"¿Quieres usted trabajar en la tienda?" I asked him. Do you want to work in the store?
Store? Why did I use store? This isn't a store! I thought to myself. Oh well, he'll understand.
I guess he did as his eyes lit up when he discovered he could communicate with someone. "Si!" he told me, which I then relayed to the owner.
"Sorry, honey, I don't speak Spanish. You'll have to wait for my husband."
"Un momento por favor," I told him, just a minute please, the phrase rolling off my tongue as if it were my natural language.
A few seconds later, the owner came out and the boy walked back to him. I could hear them conversing in Spanish as I walked out the door. I wonder whether he was hired.
I wonder if he was illegal.
After guitar, I headed over to Lee Road Deli for a Reuben. Since baseball practice is Tuesday nights, I don't have time to head home for lunch, so I typically stop by there and grab a sandwich to fill out my lunch. They have pretty good meatball sub's too -- four LARGE meatballs with three slices of cheese on a nice soft baguette -- they blow doors off of Subway's meatball sub. Anyway, as I'm standing there waiting for my sandwich to be ready, a teenager walks in and just stands at the counter not saying a thing.
The owner's wife looks at him and asks him if he wants to order anything.
He mumbles something in Español, but that falls on deaf ears.
"Honey, I don't speak Spanish, so you're wasting your time. Do you want a steak? One of these?" she asks, picking up a steak. "With some onions?" she adds, tilting the bin of chopped onions so he could see them.
Silence.
"Does anyone here know Spanish?" she asks to the three of us that are at the counter.
No one says anything and the look in the kids eyes have such a look of desperation that I overcame my fear of using my Spanish skills in public and stepped up.
"Un poquito," I said. A little.
I turned to him and he started talking in a voice just barely above a whisper. The only word I picked up was trabajar. To work.
"¿Quieres usted trabajar en la tienda?" I asked him. Do you want to work in the store?
Store? Why did I use store? This isn't a store! I thought to myself. Oh well, he'll understand.
I guess he did as his eyes lit up when he discovered he could communicate with someone. "Si!" he told me, which I then relayed to the owner.
"Sorry, honey, I don't speak Spanish. You'll have to wait for my husband."
"Un momento por favor," I told him, just a minute please, the phrase rolling off my tongue as if it were my natural language.
A few seconds later, the owner came out and the boy walked back to him. I could hear them conversing in Spanish as I walked out the door. I wonder whether he was hired.
I wonder if he was illegal.
Day 202 - 09/10/2007
M wasn't feeling well today so I took her to the doc's office for a throat culture. She's started complaining Sunday about her throat and when she woke up this morning, she was running a fever. D dosed her up on Motrin and sent her to school since it was a short day (they got out at 1130a today due to a teacher planning session). I took her to her appointment at 1230p over in Centreville and were ushered back about 1240p. After a quick weight check and ear scan for temperature, the throat culture was attempted.
I say attempted as it took about 15 minutes for M to finally succumb to the pressure (or realize that, no, it wasn't going to hurt and/or make her throw up). I think the nurse was about to quit when she finally let her do it. After it was done, M commented that it was no big deal.
As I expected, it came back negative and we were told by the nurse-practitioner that it was probably due to drainage from M's allergies (even though she's been taking her Claritin regularly).
Monday night was a nail-biter with regard to fantasy football. I went into Sunday night's game behind by 43 points and was able to make up 36 of them with one player. Going into tonight's game, I had two players vs. one player on the opposing team. I reasoned that as long as my kicker matched her player (her kicker), I'd stand a pretty good chance of winning. Her kicker played in the early game and posted 8 points. Great. I'm down 109-94, there's no way I'm going to make that up, especially with the way my players were posting (or should I say not posting) numbers. Fortunately, they both came alive in the second half and I ended up winning 111-109. Oh well, a win's a win, right?!?
I say attempted as it took about 15 minutes for M to finally succumb to the pressure (or realize that, no, it wasn't going to hurt and/or make her throw up). I think the nurse was about to quit when she finally let her do it. After it was done, M commented that it was no big deal.
As I expected, it came back negative and we were told by the nurse-practitioner that it was probably due to drainage from M's allergies (even though she's been taking her Claritin regularly).
Monday night was a nail-biter with regard to fantasy football. I went into Sunday night's game behind by 43 points and was able to make up 36 of them with one player. Going into tonight's game, I had two players vs. one player on the opposing team. I reasoned that as long as my kicker matched her player (her kicker), I'd stand a pretty good chance of winning. Her kicker played in the early game and posted 8 points. Great. I'm down 109-94, there's no way I'm going to make that up, especially with the way my players were posting (or should I say not posting) numbers. Fortunately, they both came alive in the second half and I ended up winning 111-109. Oh well, a win's a win, right?!?
Monday, September 10, 2007
Day 201 - 09/09/2007
I ran this morning in my new kicks. Although I only went three miles (and a slow three miles they were!), it felt good to be out in the great outdoors. Unfortunately, the heat was not helping (even at that early hour) and I was left with a headache for pretty much the rest of the day.
After Mass, I settled into the couch and watched the 'Skins season opener. Nothing was happening so I paused the game and headed out for a bike ride with N while D read to M. It wasn't nearly as hot as it was this morning, which made the ride more enjoyable. After we got back, I settled back into the couch and caught the rest of the game, which they ended up winning in overtime.
N expanded his palate a little more at dinner tonight. D served pecan chicken with an orange sauce and he actually ate some of the chicken. He had to soak it in ketchup, but he ate it none-the-less. That being said, he wouldn't try the corn or the peaches, even for a twenty spot. Oh well, at least he didn't gag when he ate the chicken (like he did with the egg noodle last week).
I was constantly checking my fantasy score throughout the day and it looked pretty disappointing. Going into the night game, I was down by forty points (103-63). I had Plaxico Burress in the Giants-Cowboys tilt and he was on fire. After the game I was only down by nine (103-94). I have two players left to play (a WR and a K), so I should be able to pull it out. I just hope that Baltimore doesn't go on a field goal tear with their game against the Bengals on Monday as Karen has the Ravens kicker yet to play. It'll be an long night on Monday, to say the least. At least I'll know what I need to do after the first game. Of course, not that I can do anything about it anyway.
After Mass, I settled into the couch and watched the 'Skins season opener. Nothing was happening so I paused the game and headed out for a bike ride with N while D read to M. It wasn't nearly as hot as it was this morning, which made the ride more enjoyable. After we got back, I settled back into the couch and caught the rest of the game, which they ended up winning in overtime.
N expanded his palate a little more at dinner tonight. D served pecan chicken with an orange sauce and he actually ate some of the chicken. He had to soak it in ketchup, but he ate it none-the-less. That being said, he wouldn't try the corn or the peaches, even for a twenty spot. Oh well, at least he didn't gag when he ate the chicken (like he did with the egg noodle last week).
I was constantly checking my fantasy score throughout the day and it looked pretty disappointing. Going into the night game, I was down by forty points (103-63). I had Plaxico Burress in the Giants-Cowboys tilt and he was on fire. After the game I was only down by nine (103-94). I have two players left to play (a WR and a K), so I should be able to pull it out. I just hope that Baltimore doesn't go on a field goal tear with their game against the Bengals on Monday as Karen has the Ravens kicker yet to play. It'll be an long night on Monday, to say the least. At least I'll know what I need to do after the first game. Of course, not that I can do anything about it anyway.
Day 200 - 09/08/2007
Opening Day of the Fall baseball and softball is today. N's games are all at 10a (thanks to being on the commissioner's son's team), which will make Saturday mornings that much easier. M's games are scattered around the day, but they're all at the same location, making it easier than in previous years.
Even with N's game starting at 10a, it was still hot. Temps were forecast for the 90s and we pretty much hit the target by the end of the game. Afterwards we headed over to M's game, relieving D (who then took N home with her). Fortunately I brought the beach umbrella and enjoyed the rest of her game in the shade. Heather was glad for that as well.
The rest of the day was spent inside; none of us wanted to be out in the heat.
Tonight is movie night. It was decided (by parental consensus) that D and I would pick the movie. After perusing the kids and family aisle at Blockbuster, we finally settled on Herbie Fully Loaded. M didn't like the pick as she thought it was a baby movie. Ten minutes into the movie, however, she changed her mind as the four of us were laughing on the couch. Overall, I was surprised with the movie. I thought it would be way cheesy, but it was actually laugh-out-loud enjoyable!
Even with N's game starting at 10a, it was still hot. Temps were forecast for the 90s and we pretty much hit the target by the end of the game. Afterwards we headed over to M's game, relieving D (who then took N home with her). Fortunately I brought the beach umbrella and enjoyed the rest of her game in the shade. Heather was glad for that as well.
The rest of the day was spent inside; none of us wanted to be out in the heat.
Tonight is movie night. It was decided (by parental consensus) that D and I would pick the movie. After perusing the kids and family aisle at Blockbuster, we finally settled on Herbie Fully Loaded. M didn't like the pick as she thought it was a baby movie. Ten minutes into the movie, however, she changed her mind as the four of us were laughing on the couch. Overall, I was surprised with the movie. I thought it would be way cheesy, but it was actually laugh-out-loud enjoyable!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Day 199 - 09/07/2007
Remember that package that I had to file a claim for at the Post Office? Well, I went to another branch today to attempt to file the claim. I say attempt as I tried, but this time it was for naught.
Apparently I needed proof that the insurance was actually purchased, either in the form of the original form or the receipt. You know the tag that's put on by the postal clerk when you buy insurance? The one that has the bar code and says something like "Certificate of Insurance"? Well, that's not proof of purchase.
And even though the words on that tag state nothing about requiring a receipt, one is required. The words actually say something like: To file a claim, this package, contents and estimate of value must be presented.
When I pointed this out to the supervisor (because I guess the little old lady couldn't understand my logic and felt threatened by my reasonable state), he said "You can't put everything on there, it's too small!"
"You're right, but if you put something on there, it gives the impression that that is ALL that's needed. If you need more, put a reference to something else, like the form instructions!"
I don't even know why I wasted my breath. Jackie sure wasn't going to do anything about it. He was too concerned with getting back to his lunch from the looks of the crumbs on his shirt. Either that or he didn't feel like doing the additional paperwork required when no proof of purchase is presented.
The kicker occurred when I got back to the office. I went to the USPS website to see how I could file the claim online (I recalled seeing that as an option when I printed the form out). As it turned out, I didn't qualify, but I did stumble upon this little nugget:
The following items are needed to file an insurance claim for a Domestic mailpiece:
Proof of Insurance. If Purchased Insurance at a Post Office™, one of:
o Your "original" mailing receipt for Insured Mail, Registered Mail™, COD, or Express Mail® service (the original postmarked receipt is required for Insured Mail, Registered Mail and COD).
o The original sales receipt from the United States Postal Service® showing article number and insurance amount is acceptable if original mailing receipt is not available.
o The wrapper showing the name, street name/number, city, state, and ZIP Code™ of both the sender and the recipient and the proper mail endorsement, tag, or label showing that the article was sent insured, COD, Registered Mail with postal insurance, or Express Mail. If only the wrapper is submitted, indemnity can be limited to $100 for insured, $50 for COD, $100 for Registered Mail, and $100 for Express Mail.
Just to be sure, I called up 1-800-ASK-USPS and asked them what was required. Sure enough, no receipt is required. The above instructions are correct. It appears the form is outdated and not complete in stating what is required.
That being said (and just in case I end up being banned from all the post offices in the area), I sent a request to the seller for the receipt. Hopefully he still has it and I'll be able to clear this up without having to resort to calling the media. I probably won't do that anyway, but...
On a completely different front, Frank came over for dinner. After dinner we pretty much spent the rest of the evening talking about what's going on in his world. We don't get a chance to do lunch that often anymore; it seems he stays pretty busy with work. It's always good to catch up with him and hopefully everything will work itself out for him. He's a really good guy who doesn't deserve any of what's being thrown his way.
Apparently I needed proof that the insurance was actually purchased, either in the form of the original form or the receipt. You know the tag that's put on by the postal clerk when you buy insurance? The one that has the bar code and says something like "Certificate of Insurance"? Well, that's not proof of purchase.
And even though the words on that tag state nothing about requiring a receipt, one is required. The words actually say something like: To file a claim, this package, contents and estimate of value must be presented.
When I pointed this out to the supervisor (because I guess the little old lady couldn't understand my logic and felt threatened by my reasonable state), he said "You can't put everything on there, it's too small!"
"You're right, but if you put something on there, it gives the impression that that is ALL that's needed. If you need more, put a reference to something else, like the form instructions!"
I don't even know why I wasted my breath. Jackie sure wasn't going to do anything about it. He was too concerned with getting back to his lunch from the looks of the crumbs on his shirt. Either that or he didn't feel like doing the additional paperwork required when no proof of purchase is presented.
The kicker occurred when I got back to the office. I went to the USPS website to see how I could file the claim online (I recalled seeing that as an option when I printed the form out). As it turned out, I didn't qualify, but I did stumble upon this little nugget:
The following items are needed to file an insurance claim for a Domestic mailpiece:
Proof of Insurance. If Purchased Insurance at a Post Office™, one of:
o Your "original" mailing receipt for Insured Mail, Registered Mail™, COD, or Express Mail® service (the original postmarked receipt is required for Insured Mail, Registered Mail and COD).
o The original sales receipt from the United States Postal Service® showing article number and insurance amount is acceptable if original mailing receipt is not available.
o The wrapper showing the name, street name/number, city, state, and ZIP Code™ of both the sender and the recipient and the proper mail endorsement, tag, or label showing that the article was sent insured, COD, Registered Mail with postal insurance, or Express Mail. If only the wrapper is submitted, indemnity can be limited to $100 for insured, $50 for COD, $100 for Registered Mail, and $100 for Express Mail.
Just to be sure, I called up 1-800-ASK-USPS and asked them what was required. Sure enough, no receipt is required. The above instructions are correct. It appears the form is outdated and not complete in stating what is required.
That being said (and just in case I end up being banned from all the post offices in the area), I sent a request to the seller for the receipt. Hopefully he still has it and I'll be able to clear this up without having to resort to calling the media. I probably won't do that anyway, but...
On a completely different front, Frank came over for dinner. After dinner we pretty much spent the rest of the evening talking about what's going on in his world. We don't get a chance to do lunch that often anymore; it seems he stays pretty busy with work. It's always good to catch up with him and hopefully everything will work itself out for him. He's a really good guy who doesn't deserve any of what's being thrown his way.
Day 198 - 09/06/2007
They should've called it a "serminar" as that's what it turned out to be.
My boss gave me a ticket to a Get Motivated seminar that touted speakers that would improve our business skills (e.g., sales, leadership, negotiations, etc.). I must've read it wrong because that's not what was provided.
The doors opened at 7a for an 8a start, but we (we being two of my colleagues and myself) didn't get there until 930a. We decided we weren't motivated enough to get up early fight traffic. We arrived in the middle of the best speaker of the day. Had I known he was the best, we would've turned around and headed into the office. As one of my colleagues said as we walked back to the car, "I would've spent the day writing code instead of being here!"
Unfortunately, the marketing department failed to notify the public that a lot of what was presented was faith-based. There were no cutting edge techniques, no secret words to use to close the sale, nothing new under the sun. What was included was a series of speakers touting how their faith caused them to become successful. Or a product that they're willing to sell to you for$6500 $6000 $950? Yes, in a matter of five minutes, the price was dropped over $5000. I felt like I was in some large-scale window sales presentation.
The moment of cheese came when Zig Ziglar (who I was actually looking forward to hearing) came on stage...with his daughter. They then went on to do a father-daughter interview that was completely scripted and the only motivational words of wisdom came from when they played Zig speaking at previous sessions!
I felt ripped off and I didn't even have to pay for the ticket!
It got to a point where I didn't even care about seeing Sugar Ray Leonard or Colin Powell speak. I just wanted to get out of there. And that's what we did. In the middle of one of the speakers, we all just up and left. We didn't care about having to disrupt the folks around us, we wanted out.
Out on the concourse, we compared our thoughts and pretty much each and every one of us felt the same way: cheated.
So, if you ever get the chance to go to one of these, pass on the opportunity (unless, of course, your boss is forcing you to go), you won't regret it.
My boss gave me a ticket to a Get Motivated seminar that touted speakers that would improve our business skills (e.g., sales, leadership, negotiations, etc.). I must've read it wrong because that's not what was provided.
The doors opened at 7a for an 8a start, but we (we being two of my colleagues and myself) didn't get there until 930a. We decided we weren't motivated enough to get up early fight traffic. We arrived in the middle of the best speaker of the day. Had I known he was the best, we would've turned around and headed into the office. As one of my colleagues said as we walked back to the car, "I would've spent the day writing code instead of being here!"
Unfortunately, the marketing department failed to notify the public that a lot of what was presented was faith-based. There were no cutting edge techniques, no secret words to use to close the sale, nothing new under the sun. What was included was a series of speakers touting how their faith caused them to become successful. Or a product that they're willing to sell to you for
The moment of cheese came when Zig Ziglar (who I was actually looking forward to hearing) came on stage...with his daughter. They then went on to do a father-daughter interview that was completely scripted and the only motivational words of wisdom came from when they played Zig speaking at previous sessions!
I felt ripped off and I didn't even have to pay for the ticket!
It got to a point where I didn't even care about seeing Sugar Ray Leonard or Colin Powell speak. I just wanted to get out of there. And that's what we did. In the middle of one of the speakers, we all just up and left. We didn't care about having to disrupt the folks around us, we wanted out.
Out on the concourse, we compared our thoughts and pretty much each and every one of us felt the same way: cheated.
So, if you ever get the chance to go to one of these, pass on the opportunity (unless, of course, your boss is forcing you to go), you won't regret it.
Day 197 - 09/05/2007
We had a win party after work that I didn't want to go to, but when the boss comes into your office and asks whether you're going, you put your corporate face on and say "I'll be there -- I even dressed for the occasion!" (as evidenced by the corporate logo shirt I had on). Actually, I had completely forgotten about it when I got dressed this morning. Oh, well, sometimes things just work out like that.
I got to the reception pretty much right at the opening bell and stayed for an hour or so. It's a good thing I did leave as a few folks stayed late and continued the party in the bar once the open bar at the reception shut down.
After getting home I set to work repairing the turn signal on the Altima. For the past six months or so the signal has been intermittently failing. Sometimes it would work, sometimes it wouldn't. After I changed the bulb, it'd work for a few weeks until the bulb burned out. Or until I thought it did. As it turns out, there's a short somewhere causing it to think the bulb is burned out and therefore display that information to the driver in the form of rapid on-off flashing inside the car.
I stopped by the local auto parts store and picked up a replacement socket for the bulb, in hopes of replacing the one that was there, but it wasn't a match. Apparently the guy who picked it out for me (and who I thought knew what he was doing) went solely on the type of bulb it supported instead of also determining whether the socket supported the make and model in addition to the bulb.
That being said, I put the assembly back together and, lo and behold, the short is gone; the blinker now works fine. I guess it was just a matter of twisting it a few times. I'm not sure how long it will work, but at least it gives me some time to find the part before the inspection is due.
I got to the reception pretty much right at the opening bell and stayed for an hour or so. It's a good thing I did leave as a few folks stayed late and continued the party in the bar once the open bar at the reception shut down.
After getting home I set to work repairing the turn signal on the Altima. For the past six months or so the signal has been intermittently failing. Sometimes it would work, sometimes it wouldn't. After I changed the bulb, it'd work for a few weeks until the bulb burned out. Or until I thought it did. As it turns out, there's a short somewhere causing it to think the bulb is burned out and therefore display that information to the driver in the form of rapid on-off flashing inside the car.
I stopped by the local auto parts store and picked up a replacement socket for the bulb, in hopes of replacing the one that was there, but it wasn't a match. Apparently the guy who picked it out for me (and who I thought knew what he was doing) went solely on the type of bulb it supported instead of also determining whether the socket supported the make and model in addition to the bulb.
That being said, I put the assembly back together and, lo and behold, the short is gone; the blinker now works fine. I guess it was just a matter of twisting it a few times. I'm not sure how long it will work, but at least it gives me some time to find the part before the inspection is due.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Day 196 - 09/04/2007
Today is draft day. This year there are 12 teams in our league (up from 10 last year) and -- Gasp! -- three women owners!
We picked our draft orders a while back and I was lucky enough to be 6th. (There's sarcasm there, you just can't see it.) If you ask me, 5-7 are the worst picks to have, especially when you do a ladder draft (where you draft 1-12 in odd rounds and 12-1 in even rounds). You might get someone good in the first round, but most of the big names are gone by the time it comes back around. The best picks (IMO) are 1-3 or 9-12.
The first round started out as usual until the 5th pick. Instead of picking Frank Gore, Joseph Addai or Peyton, she picked...Drew Brees. Uh, what's up with that!?! (Her third pick was the Bears defense!) We'll see how well she does with her unorthodox drafting. Maybe there's something she knows that no one else in the Fantasy Football universe does. I guess we'll all find out come game day!
Alright, enough jibber jabber, here's my team:
We picked our draft orders a while back and I was lucky enough to be 6th. (There's sarcasm there, you just can't see it.) If you ask me, 5-7 are the worst picks to have, especially when you do a ladder draft (where you draft 1-12 in odd rounds and 12-1 in even rounds). You might get someone good in the first round, but most of the big names are gone by the time it comes back around. The best picks (IMO) are 1-3 or 9-12.
The first round started out as usual until the 5th pick. Instead of picking Frank Gore, Joseph Addai or Peyton, she picked...Drew Brees. Uh, what's up with that!?! (Her third pick was the Bears defense!) We'll see how well she does with her unorthodox drafting. Maybe there's something she knows that no one else in the Fantasy Football universe does. I guess we'll all find out come game day!
Alright, enough jibber jabber, here's my team:
Brett Favre
Peyton Manning
Fred Taylor
Cedric Benson
T.J. Duckett
Jamal Lewis
Anquan Boldin
Plaxico Burress
Mark Clayton
Mike Furrey
Owen Daniels
Zach Miller
Joe Nedney
Shane Graham
New England Patriots
San Francisco 49ers
Day 195 - 09/03/2007
Today is Labor Day. It's a day of rest. Unless, that is, you labor in the retail establishment. If so, it's just another day at the office. Of course, with school starting tomorrow for the county kids, it's more like a day before Christmas.
Crowds were everywhere we went, regardless of the store. I took N to Kids World, Target and Wal-Mart to check out bikes (he's so too big for his current bike) and everywhere we went, the places were crowded. I can understand Target and Wal-Mart, but Kids World?!?
(The local bike store was not crowded, but the cheapest bikes in there in his size were about $300. I'm not about to pay that much for something he'll just outgrow in a couple of years.)
What prompted him getting a new bike was the family outing we had in the morning. D and I were going to run the trail while the kids rode their bikes. N kept lagging behind, however, due to him being too big for his bike. Every time he pedaled, he'd hit his knees on the handlebars. To compensate, he'd put his knees to the sides, but that just caused him to go slower. We were finally able to get the run in (with a lot of walking and water breaks as it was soooooo hot -- or at least M felt it was), but had to cut it short. Maybe next time, once N gets his new bike and is able to better keep up.
After our unsuccessful shopping trip, we changed and headed to the pool for the last time this summer. While the weather was great (highs in the upper 80s, low humidity), the water was on the cold side. I guess the cooler nights we've been having the past week or so has caused a lot of the heat in the water to dissipate and the warm days haven't been enough to compensate. Oh well, the summer is now over (from a meteorologic standpoint). It's now (again, from a meteorologic standpoint) Fall and the hot weather of summer is a thing of the past.
Crowds were everywhere we went, regardless of the store. I took N to Kids World, Target and Wal-Mart to check out bikes (he's so too big for his current bike) and everywhere we went, the places were crowded. I can understand Target and Wal-Mart, but Kids World?!?
(The local bike store was not crowded, but the cheapest bikes in there in his size were about $300. I'm not about to pay that much for something he'll just outgrow in a couple of years.)
What prompted him getting a new bike was the family outing we had in the morning. D and I were going to run the trail while the kids rode their bikes. N kept lagging behind, however, due to him being too big for his bike. Every time he pedaled, he'd hit his knees on the handlebars. To compensate, he'd put his knees to the sides, but that just caused him to go slower. We were finally able to get the run in (with a lot of walking and water breaks as it was soooooo hot -- or at least M felt it was), but had to cut it short. Maybe next time, once N gets his new bike and is able to better keep up.
After our unsuccessful shopping trip, we changed and headed to the pool for the last time this summer. While the weather was great (highs in the upper 80s, low humidity), the water was on the cold side. I guess the cooler nights we've been having the past week or so has caused a lot of the heat in the water to dissipate and the warm days haven't been enough to compensate. Oh well, the summer is now over (from a meteorologic standpoint). It's now (again, from a meteorologic standpoint) Fall and the hot weather of summer is a thing of the past.
Day 194 - 09/02/2007
After the late night out at the party, Sunday was a much needed day of rest for all of us. I ended up not going to Mass until 5p (at St. Veronica's) and came home to a crab cake dinner. N expanded his repertoire by eating (well, gagging on) an egg noodle. You'd have thought we were feeding him roaches or something of that ilk the way he balked at it. After a tantrum and being sent to his room for a while, he finally came back down and ate it.
We're trying to get him to try foods other than his regular menu, but it's trying on our patience (as well as a peaceful dinner). That being said, there's no reason why he can't eat what the rest of us eat; there's also no reason why he still needs a special dinner. The way I see it, he's now of the age where he can either eat what we put in front of him or he can go hungry.
We're trying to get him to try foods other than his regular menu, but it's trying on our patience (as well as a peaceful dinner). That being said, there's no reason why he can't eat what the rest of us eat; there's also no reason why he still needs a special dinner. The way I see it, he's now of the age where he can either eat what we put in front of him or he can go hungry.
Day 193 - 09/01/2007
Our neighborhood Labor Day picnic was today. D volunteered to help prep and showed up at noon, only to find out that she wasn't due until 3p. However, they were looking for help in setting up the tables and chairs, so I went up and helped out. It was pretty much put together by the time I got there, but I made the lemonade and helped carry food between the clubhouse and the tent. I was happy to help out as there's a lot of work that goes into putting on the picnic. It's a lot more than just making the announcement and having people show up. I'm sure if the community knew how much work was required, there'd be a lot more involvement.
D headed over about 3p to prep and setup the sno-cone machine (she volunteered to manage this event). The kids and I walked over about 4p to help making sno-cones. They weren't too keen on walking over (it's about a 10 minute walk), but I wasn't too keen on driving as there was no reason for it. We got there and put in our time making sno-cones before being relieved by the next shift of workers. It was perfect timing as most of our friends that we invited showed up right about that time.
The party is free for residents of the community, but outsiders -- those not living in the neighborhood and therefore not paying HOA dues -- need to be invited. Between the neighbor of ours working the registration booth and our invites, we were able to have a few of our friends from outside the neighborhood attend. Both M and N enjoyed having their friends there, as did D and I. (Not that we don't have friends within the neighborhood, it's just that we're not as close to them as we are those outside the neighborhood.)
The rest of the afternoon (and evening) was spent having fun at the various booths (moonbounce, basketball toss, soccer kick, magic show, etc.) and eating two items from the carnival food group (sno-cones and cotton candy). This pretty much went on until the DJ started and the kids started dancing. N and Connor showed off their mad dancing skills on the the empty dance floor/parking lot, prompting the DJ to comment that he's never seen breakdancing to Motown before (not that it was breakdancing per se, but I'm not really sure there's a category to the way N dances).
D and N left about 830p or so, but M and I stayed late into the evening. She was having too much fun dancing with a new found friend (who shares her birthday with M and was wearing the same dress as M got for her birthday). She and I finally left about 1030p and walked home. She wasn't too keen having to walk through the woods in the dark, but the alternative (walking along Stringfellow) wasn't even an option. I held her hand through the woods, which helped her remain at ease.
Once we got out of the woods, we started looking at the stars. It was a pretty clear night, so the stars were out in mass (although the street lights didn't help the dimmer ones be seen). I tried to identify them the best I could, but I only showed that I need to brush up on my astronomy.
D headed over about 3p to prep and setup the sno-cone machine (she volunteered to manage this event). The kids and I walked over about 4p to help making sno-cones. They weren't too keen on walking over (it's about a 10 minute walk), but I wasn't too keen on driving as there was no reason for it. We got there and put in our time making sno-cones before being relieved by the next shift of workers. It was perfect timing as most of our friends that we invited showed up right about that time.
The party is free for residents of the community, but outsiders -- those not living in the neighborhood and therefore not paying HOA dues -- need to be invited. Between the neighbor of ours working the registration booth and our invites, we were able to have a few of our friends from outside the neighborhood attend. Both M and N enjoyed having their friends there, as did D and I. (Not that we don't have friends within the neighborhood, it's just that we're not as close to them as we are those outside the neighborhood.)
The rest of the afternoon (and evening) was spent having fun at the various booths (moonbounce, basketball toss, soccer kick, magic show, etc.) and eating two items from the carnival food group (sno-cones and cotton candy). This pretty much went on until the DJ started and the kids started dancing. N and Connor showed off their mad dancing skills on the the empty dance floor/parking lot, prompting the DJ to comment that he's never seen breakdancing to Motown before (not that it was breakdancing per se, but I'm not really sure there's a category to the way N dances).
D and N left about 830p or so, but M and I stayed late into the evening. She was having too much fun dancing with a new found friend (who shares her birthday with M and was wearing the same dress as M got for her birthday). She and I finally left about 1030p and walked home. She wasn't too keen having to walk through the woods in the dark, but the alternative (walking along Stringfellow) wasn't even an option. I held her hand through the woods, which helped her remain at ease.
Once we got out of the woods, we started looking at the stars. It was a pretty clear night, so the stars were out in mass (although the street lights didn't help the dimmer ones be seen). I tried to identify them the best I could, but I only showed that I need to brush up on my astronomy.
Day 192 - 08/31/2007
I went to the Post Office during lunch to file an insurance claim for the place settings we bought on e-Bay recently. Two of the cups were broken upon arrival. I waited in line (no numbers at the Centreville office) and after a few minutes of people watching, I was called to the counter and explained to the two (!) clerks at that position what I was there to do.
Clerk 1: T handles insurance claims.
I'm not sure who T is, but I guess s/he's the person I need to talk with.
Me: Ok. Blank stare. Uh, how about you either go get T or tell me where to go.
Clerk 2 (after a 3-4 second pause): T's not here.
Me: Ok, who can I...
Clerk 1: She's on vacation and won't be back until next week.
Me: Ok, who can I...
Clerk 2: She's the only one who handles insurance transactions.
Clerk 1: She's on vacation and won't be back until next week.
Me: Ok...
Clerk 2: You can go to the main Centreville office or the Chantilly office.
Me: Is there a form I need to fill out so that I can be ready when I arrive?
You'd have thought I asked her to call T on vacation and find it the way she gave me the evil eye. But I guess my blank stare and non-movement gave her the impetus to get moving and start getting me the form. Ten minutes later she comes back out and looks in the cabinet that is right behind her.
Bingo.
It's amazing the level of competence you get at the front lines of the post office. I wonder how successful they'd be were they a private business?
Yet I can send a letter across the country for 41¢!
Clerk 1: T handles insurance claims.
I'm not sure who T is, but I guess s/he's the person I need to talk with.
Me: Ok. Blank stare. Uh, how about you either go get T or tell me where to go.
Clerk 2 (after a 3-4 second pause): T's not here.
Me: Ok, who can I...
Clerk 1: She's on vacation and won't be back until next week.
Me: Ok, who can I...
Clerk 2: She's the only one who handles insurance transactions.
Clerk 1: She's on vacation and won't be back until next week.
Me: Ok...
Clerk 2: You can go to the main Centreville office or the Chantilly office.
Me: Is there a form I need to fill out so that I can be ready when I arrive?
You'd have thought I asked her to call T on vacation and find it the way she gave me the evil eye. But I guess my blank stare and non-movement gave her the impetus to get moving and start getting me the form. Ten minutes later she comes back out and looks in the cabinet that is right behind her.
Bingo.
It's amazing the level of competence you get at the front lines of the post office. I wonder how successful they'd be were they a private business?
Yet I can send a letter across the country for 41¢!
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