The lights were left on in the van again last night and the inevitable happened: the battery died. D called me just as I was leaving the school from dropping the kids off and asked me to come home to jump the van.
I realized on my way home that wasn't going to happen as by the time I got home, she'd have to leave for rehab (she had an 830a rehab appointment this morning). So, with that in mind, I drove her there and then came back home to jump the van.
Now, for those not in the know, D parks the van in the right bay of the garage; the left bay is used for the kids toys and bikes and trash cans and lawn equipment and such (since the HOA won't allow us to put sheds in our yards). So, in order to jump the van, the left bay needs to be cleared out in order to pull the Altima in. Fortunately, the battery of the van is on the left side of the engine compartment, otherwise I'd have to drive across the lawn and run the cables through the side garage door since the batter in the Altima is also on the left (either that or I'd have to get longer cables). Although now that I mention it, maybe I should drive across the yard, it would alleviate the need to clear out the garage!
Anyway, after jumping D, I went back to pick her up, dropped her off at home and then went in to work.
Upon my arrival, I explained to my colleagues why I was late when one of them asked, "Why don't you just put the van in neutral and roll it out of the garage?"
And therein lies the rub: you can't shift out of park in the Odyssey unless the engine is running.
I found that out the first time the lights were left on in the van and the battery died. I thought we learned the lesson to double-check the interior lights have been turned off when exiting the vehicle, but sometimes it's hard to tell.
Maybe I'll just invest in one of these (if only for the picture on the target page!); it'd make it much easier the next time!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Day 259 - 11/06/2007
It's election day across the country and here in Fairfax the voters have spoken. Across the county it appears the vast majority is happy with how King Connolly is driving this county into the poor house. I guess the $25 we don't have to pay in order to prove we paid our personal property taxes was enough to buy their vote.
Sure, you removed that fee and are taking credit for reducing the tax rate (which still means we're paying more in property taxes due to the increased assessments) and are for anything that means more development dollars in your pocket. You based your attack on your opponent's platform matching everything you've been trying to do for the past four years, but all you could do is say you eliminated the decal fee?!? Makes me want to holler!
Can you tell who I voted for? (Or should that be who I didn't vote for?!?)
The outcome of our state senate race is still being determined. The incumbent is ahead of his challenger by 94 votes (I'd mention their names, but I can't spell them correctly and I'm too lazy to look them up right now). I smell a recount and then when that fails to determine a definitive winner, the appeals process will begin. I'm just left wondering whether folks voted for the challenger because she wasn't the incumbent (who hails from the right of right on lots of issues) or whether they actually believed she could do the job. I guess only time will tell.
Of course, regardless of which party is in control, nothing will be done and come next election we'll be discussing the same issues. It's politics as usual in the state of Virginia and until the state constitution changes so that the local jurisdictions can manage themselves without worrying about Richmond looking over their shoulders, nothing will change, regardless of which party holds power.
Sure, you removed that fee and are taking credit for reducing the tax rate (which still means we're paying more in property taxes due to the increased assessments) and are for anything that means more development dollars in your pocket. You based your attack on your opponent's platform matching everything you've been trying to do for the past four years, but all you could do is say you eliminated the decal fee?!? Makes me want to holler!
Can you tell who I voted for? (Or should that be who I didn't vote for?!?)
The outcome of our state senate race is still being determined. The incumbent is ahead of his challenger by 94 votes (I'd mention their names, but I can't spell them correctly and I'm too lazy to look them up right now). I smell a recount and then when that fails to determine a definitive winner, the appeals process will begin. I'm just left wondering whether folks voted for the challenger because she wasn't the incumbent (who hails from the right of right on lots of issues) or whether they actually believed she could do the job. I guess only time will tell.
Of course, regardless of which party is in control, nothing will be done and come next election we'll be discussing the same issues. It's politics as usual in the state of Virginia and until the state constitution changes so that the local jurisdictions can manage themselves without worrying about Richmond looking over their shoulders, nothing will change, regardless of which party holds power.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Day 258 - 11/05/2007
Nothing of note happened today.
I dropped the kids off at school, went to work, took off early so D could go to rehab, helped the kids with their homework, fixed my computer (the power to the primary slave drive went kaput), practiced guitar and went to bed. Sort of in that order, but not exactly.
I had split pea soup for lunch, as well as some cashews (bless you!), an apple and an orange; for dinner I made a grilled ham and cheese. M had leftover pot pie and N had grilled cheese.
As I said, nothing of note happened today. Or at least nothing I can think of as I type this.
I dropped the kids off at school, went to work, took off early so D could go to rehab, helped the kids with their homework, fixed my computer (the power to the primary slave drive went kaput), practiced guitar and went to bed. Sort of in that order, but not exactly.
I had split pea soup for lunch, as well as some cashews (bless you!), an apple and an orange; for dinner I made a grilled ham and cheese. M had leftover pot pie and N had grilled cheese.
As I said, nothing of note happened today. Or at least nothing I can think of as I type this.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Day 257 - 11/04/2007
As I expected, the kids were up early and ignored the extra hour. I thought this over, though, and set their clocks back after they went to bed and told them they couldn't get out of their rooms until 830a (EST). This worked for M, but not for N. He was in our room at 730a. Oh well. D got out of bed and tried to keep him occupied downstairs, but it wasn't to be; I couldn't fall back asleep so I got up and joined the living.
I called over to mom's house to check on Rudy and was happy to hear he was home from the hospital. The long term prognosis hasn't changed, but at least he's at home vs. the hospital. After putting together N's bed, we went over for a visit and were glad to see his color has improved since last week, as were his spirits.
While there, we enjoyed an impromptu dinner with Cheryl, Nina and Vince while M and N enjoyed a visit with Sarah. We weren't planning on staying for dinner, but it turned out there was enough for everyone. After dinner we had to head back home. The kids finished watching whatever Brady Bunch episode they watched on the way over (or was it another one?) and I got to listen to my Sunday night radio shows; tonight was an old Dragnet episode. D doesn't seem to appreciate old time radio as much as I do (I do agree with her in that some of the Dragnet dialog is just hokey), but puts up with it because...well, I'm not really sure, but maybe it has something to do with it only being on once a week.
After we got home, we washed the kids up and sent them off to bed. N is in his new bed tonight and M is all kinds of jealous. She wishes she had a loft, but she's got the big room (and the big bed), there's no reason she needs a loft. I told her she could get one in college, but I don't think she wants to wait another 10 years. Oh well, life's tough like that.
I called over to mom's house to check on Rudy and was happy to hear he was home from the hospital. The long term prognosis hasn't changed, but at least he's at home vs. the hospital. After putting together N's bed, we went over for a visit and were glad to see his color has improved since last week, as were his spirits.
While there, we enjoyed an impromptu dinner with Cheryl, Nina and Vince while M and N enjoyed a visit with Sarah. We weren't planning on staying for dinner, but it turned out there was enough for everyone. After dinner we had to head back home. The kids finished watching whatever Brady Bunch episode they watched on the way over (or was it another one?) and I got to listen to my Sunday night radio shows; tonight was an old Dragnet episode. D doesn't seem to appreciate old time radio as much as I do (I do agree with her in that some of the Dragnet dialog is just hokey), but puts up with it because...well, I'm not really sure, but maybe it has something to do with it only being on once a week.
After we got home, we washed the kids up and sent them off to bed. N is in his new bed tonight and M is all kinds of jealous. She wishes she had a loft, but she's got the big room (and the big bed), there's no reason she needs a loft. I told her she could get one in college, but I don't think she wants to wait another 10 years. Oh well, life's tough like that.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Day 256 - 11/03/2007
Both M and N had their last games this morning, but both of them were at 10a, so D and I had to split up yet again. I was hoping M's game would be at noon so I could see it (due to scheduling conflicts with N's games, I could only make a handful of M's games), but even if it had, with N's end-of-the-year party scheduled for immediately after the game, I wouldn't have been able to go anyway.
Overall I enjoyed the season. Mike and I talked about coaching and how it impacts the kids after the party. I shared with him what I saw on another field with another coach berating one of the kids that was sitting down in the grass. We both agreed that at this age (5-7), the kids are best served by letting them do what they want to do when they want to do it (within reason). In a few years they'll be more prone to focus on the game vs. the leaf blowing about their feet. I could see the difference between N and some of the other players on the team. (Although he's one of the biggest on the team, he's one of the younger ones, so is more apt to want to play in the dirt than watch the opposing batter miss five balls in a row.) Keeping this in the front of my mind really helped me focus on staying positive over the course of the season. Don't get me wrong, there were times I wanted to give the players what for, but it would've fallen on (mostly) deaf ears. In the end, I'm glad I took the route I took. I don't want to be remembered as "that coach" who puts winning above all else and forgets that, at this level, it's meant to be a learning experience and is not meant to be competitive.
After getting home from the game and party, I recruited a neighbor to help me pick up the rest of the boxes for N's bed. I was hoping to put it together tonight, but the kids were done and were in need of an early night. They were already going to get an extra hour of sleep from the switch back to Standard Time and we forced the issue by getting them to bed early.
Once they were in bed, D and I caught up on Tivo (Heros and The Office) after which we went our merry ways: she to bed and me to the basement to play guitar. I ended up wasting away the extra hour of sleep by staying up to watch SNL before finally going to bed. Oh well, I was at least able to get in a few hours of guitar before hitting the sack.
Overall I enjoyed the season. Mike and I talked about coaching and how it impacts the kids after the party. I shared with him what I saw on another field with another coach berating one of the kids that was sitting down in the grass. We both agreed that at this age (5-7), the kids are best served by letting them do what they want to do when they want to do it (within reason). In a few years they'll be more prone to focus on the game vs. the leaf blowing about their feet. I could see the difference between N and some of the other players on the team. (Although he's one of the biggest on the team, he's one of the younger ones, so is more apt to want to play in the dirt than watch the opposing batter miss five balls in a row.) Keeping this in the front of my mind really helped me focus on staying positive over the course of the season. Don't get me wrong, there were times I wanted to give the players what for, but it would've fallen on (mostly) deaf ears. In the end, I'm glad I took the route I took. I don't want to be remembered as "that coach" who puts winning above all else and forgets that, at this level, it's meant to be a learning experience and is not meant to be competitive.
After getting home from the game and party, I recruited a neighbor to help me pick up the rest of the boxes for N's bed. I was hoping to put it together tonight, but the kids were done and were in need of an early night. They were already going to get an extra hour of sleep from the switch back to Standard Time and we forced the issue by getting them to bed early.
Once they were in bed, D and I caught up on Tivo (Heros and The Office) after which we went our merry ways: she to bed and me to the basement to play guitar. I ended up wasting away the extra hour of sleep by staying up to watch SNL before finally going to bed. Oh well, I was at least able to get in a few hours of guitar before hitting the sack.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Day 255 - 11/02/2007
After last night's show, I decided to take the day off today. I ended up putting in a few hours thought, but just to make up for missed work earlier in the week.
I spent my day off taking care of long-neglected chores (mowing the yard) and running errands (bank, returns, shoe shopping). Later on, D and I took N to Bombay Kids to pick up a new bed for him. They're closing their stores and everything was on sale and since we had been talking about getting him a loft bed, we bit the bullet (before they sold out). We saved over $300 on the list price (which I'm sure didn't make our neighbors happy as they just recently bought one for list price). I was able to get some of the boxes in the van, but not all of them. I'll have to head back out tomorrow to finish the job.
Before getting the bed, we stopped off for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. It's been years since I ate there and was quite surprised to see the dining room empty. (Granted, it was only 5p, but still, for being right across from the Cinema de Lux, you'd have thunk it'd have been busier.) N actually like it (what's not to like about pizza?!?) and both D and I enjoyed our dinner, although her salad has changed a bit since she was last there. (M went at a friend's house after school; I picked her up after we got home.)
After the late night out last night, I decided to call it quits early and was in bed by 1030p or so.
I spent my day off taking care of long-neglected chores (mowing the yard) and running errands (bank, returns, shoe shopping). Later on, D and I took N to Bombay Kids to pick up a new bed for him. They're closing their stores and everything was on sale and since we had been talking about getting him a loft bed, we bit the bullet (before they sold out). We saved over $300 on the list price (which I'm sure didn't make our neighbors happy as they just recently bought one for list price). I was able to get some of the boxes in the van, but not all of them. I'll have to head back out tomorrow to finish the job.
Before getting the bed, we stopped off for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. It's been years since I ate there and was quite surprised to see the dining room empty. (Granted, it was only 5p, but still, for being right across from the Cinema de Lux, you'd have thunk it'd have been busier.) N actually like it (what's not to like about pizza?!?) and both D and I enjoyed our dinner, although her salad has changed a bit since she was last there. (M went at a friend's house after school; I picked her up after we got home.)
After the late night out last night, I decided to call it quits early and was in bed by 1030p or so.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Day 254 - 11/01/2007
"I heard you missed us, we're back!"
And thus began a great night of music from a band I never thought would appear on the same stage together again: the original Van Halen. Well, almost the original lineup ("3/4 original, 1/4 inevitable" as David Lee Roth described them during the show); Michael Anthony was replaced by Wolfgang Van Halen -- Eddie's son -- on bass. It wasn't exactly the same as the original lineup, but I'd venture to guess that the difference was minimal vs. seeing Sammy Haggar in place of DLR.
Overall I thought the show was pretty good. While it wasn't anywhere near as good as their shows back in the day, they still made it enjoyable. DLR flubbed his lines every now and again (not good) and some of the interactions seemed forced, but hey, they need the money so they're going to go along to get along, right?!? Having seen DLR touring by himself years ago, I was able to see him with an "adult" outlook and was able to see the ridiculousness in his on-stage persona that I was blind to as a teen.
Would I see them again? No, I've had my walk down memory lane and have no desire to go back there. Now if it were Led Zeppelin, that'd be a different answer!
And thus began a great night of music from a band I never thought would appear on the same stage together again: the original Van Halen. Well, almost the original lineup ("3/4 original, 1/4 inevitable" as David Lee Roth described them during the show); Michael Anthony was replaced by Wolfgang Van Halen -- Eddie's son -- on bass. It wasn't exactly the same as the original lineup, but I'd venture to guess that the difference was minimal vs. seeing Sammy Haggar in place of DLR.
Overall I thought the show was pretty good. While it wasn't anywhere near as good as their shows back in the day, they still made it enjoyable. DLR flubbed his lines every now and again (not good) and some of the interactions seemed forced, but hey, they need the money so they're going to go along to get along, right?!? Having seen DLR touring by himself years ago, I was able to see him with an "adult" outlook and was able to see the ridiculousness in his on-stage persona that I was blind to as a teen.
Would I see them again? No, I've had my walk down memory lane and have no desire to go back there. Now if it were Led Zeppelin, that'd be a different answer!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Day 253 - 10/31/2007
Happy Halloween to all you ghosts and goblins out there!
M went dressed as an adorable witch and N followed in my footsteps and went as Charlie Brown. We went out with some neighbors and they kids seemed to enjoy themselves.
At the end of the night I was checking e-mail when I heard a commotion on the front porch. I went out to investigate it and found a couple youths digging through the candy bowl.
Apparently the temptation of an unattended candy bowl was too much for them and they were digging through it, getting the good stuff (unbeknownst to them, the good stuff was already taken out by yours truly before the bowl was placed on the porch). Once they saw me looking at them through the screen door, they started putting the candy back. Since it was late I told them not to worry about it. Once they were gone, though, I took the bowl inside and turned the lights off, signaling the end of Halloween in our household.
M went dressed as an adorable witch and N followed in my footsteps and went as Charlie Brown. We went out with some neighbors and they kids seemed to enjoy themselves.
At the end of the night I was checking e-mail when I heard a commotion on the front porch. I went out to investigate it and found a couple youths digging through the candy bowl.Apparently the temptation of an unattended candy bowl was too much for them and they were digging through it, getting the good stuff (unbeknownst to them, the good stuff was already taken out by yours truly before the bowl was placed on the porch). Once they saw me looking at them through the screen door, they started putting the candy back. Since it was late I told them not to worry about it. Once they were gone, though, I took the bowl inside and turned the lights off, signaling the end of Halloween in our household.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Day 252 - 10/30/2007
Like the field trip yesterday, the game that was rained out was rescheduled for today. It's the second to last game of the season and the kids are looking forward to it. Or that's the impression I'm going with (when I said there were only two games left, the reaction seemed to be mixed in that half of them were were happy about that and the other half were non-committal). Oh well, at least I can say they had fun. (They might not have had fun, but I can say they did!)
The game started at 5p and we rushed it along as daylight is getting short as we head into November. Originally, I didn't like the idea of having Daylight Saving Time end in November vs. October, but had it done so, we'd be done with our season. Anyway, we played quickly and the kids made a few outs in the field (which is always nice) and the game was over in just over an hour. My only question was how come we couldn't play speed-games like that during the rest of the season?!?
The game started at 5p and we rushed it along as daylight is getting short as we head into November. Originally, I didn't like the idea of having Daylight Saving Time end in November vs. October, but had it done so, we'd be done with our season. Anyway, we played quickly and the kids made a few outs in the field (which is always nice) and the game was over in just over an hour. My only question was how come we couldn't play speed-games like that during the rest of the season?!?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Day 251 - 10/29/2007
The field trip scheduled for last Thursday was rescheduled for today, so after dropping the kids off, instead of going to work, I hit the coffee store and headed back to the school to chaperon N on his field trip.
We got on the buses and headed over to Cox Farm. Upon our arrival, we were told we'd have to wait in the buses until the park opened at 10a (it was 930a when we arrived). Oh well, at least I got to sit in the bus with the rest of the chaperons while the kids yelled and screamed. We were finally able to get off and we went on a hay ride. There was really nothing special about the hay ride and I was glad to get off as I had to find a bathroom.
We only had three hours there since today was a short day, so N and I made the most of it. He really didn't want to hang out with his friends except towards the end, so we went off on our own. And since most of the other boys' parents were chaperoning, I didn't have to worry about anyone but N. Which was good, because even with only having to watch over him, I still lost track of him a few times. (I'm sure his teacher wouldn't have been happy with me had I really lost him!)
After a day of fun, we got back on the buses to head back to school where I signed him out and headed home for the day. I worked the rest of the day from home and then stayed up to watch the Packers beat up on the Broncos. I was able to squeak out a victory as the two players on the opposing team weren't able to get a combined 24 points. I'm now 5-3 and am looking to continue this streak as we head towards the playoffs.
Oh yeah, while I was watching football, I played my guitar (but that goes without saying!).
We got on the buses and headed over to Cox Farm. Upon our arrival, we were told we'd have to wait in the buses until the park opened at 10a (it was 930a when we arrived). Oh well, at least I got to sit in the bus with the rest of the chaperons while the kids yelled and screamed. We were finally able to get off and we went on a hay ride. There was really nothing special about the hay ride and I was glad to get off as I had to find a bathroom.
We only had three hours there since today was a short day, so N and I made the most of it. He really didn't want to hang out with his friends except towards the end, so we went off on our own. And since most of the other boys' parents were chaperoning, I didn't have to worry about anyone but N. Which was good, because even with only having to watch over him, I still lost track of him a few times. (I'm sure his teacher wouldn't have been happy with me had I really lost him!)
After a day of fun, we got back on the buses to head back to school where I signed him out and headed home for the day. I worked the rest of the day from home and then stayed up to watch the Packers beat up on the Broncos. I was able to squeak out a victory as the two players on the opposing team weren't able to get a combined 24 points. I'm now 5-3 and am looking to continue this streak as we head towards the playoffs.
Oh yeah, while I was watching football, I played my guitar (but that goes without saying!).
Monday, October 29, 2007
Day 250 - 10/28/2007
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).
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).
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.
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