Opening day for the 2007 CYA T-Ball league!
To sum up what these games are like, I would liken them to "Organized chaos." Nine kids scrambling for the ball, diving on it when it comes to them like it's a fumbled football. Or, like I thought while standing out in the field trying to coach the two players under my stead, like a soldier falling on a grenade, except that all of the players were fighting to fall on it as well.
Each game is made up of three innings. No score is kept, not stats are kept, no outs are made (and if, by some miracle they are, the player stays on base). Each inning is made up of all players hitting the ball of the T. After hitting the ball, the players advance a base. When the last player comes up to bat and hits the ball, the bases are cleared and the inning is over.
Of course, distractions are bound to occur, such as bathroom breaks during the middle of the game (sure, just leave the field if you need to go) or the playground calling the players from beyond third base.
N started out as pitcher (well, he didn't pitch, but stood in the pitcher's position) and stopped most balls hit his way. The second inning he played shortstop, followed by a stint in left field. No matter where the ball was hit on the field, the players all ran to the ball to try and stop it. It was quite comical, to say the least.
Like I said, organized chaos.
Afterwards, Riley came over and played with M while D went out to run some errands. I took advantage of the quiet and did some work on the migration (yes, it's a Saturday, but I wasn't able to finish up on Friday), before heading back out and finishing up on some of the yardwork I put off completing on Friday. Of course, as soon as I got to the point of no return, the rain started, making the job a wet one. (I planted the lavender and catmint next to the mailbox, but still need to cover it with mulch before I'd call it finished.)
Dinner was made up of pizza pie. Doug and Nancy dropped off Michael before heading over to an anniversary party and we all enjoyed a quiet evening at home.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Day 52 - 04/13/2007
Paraskavedekatriaphobians were on the lookout all day today.
I wasn't one of them.
I was on the lookout for dandelions and chickweed as I worked from home running migrations. In between, I did homework in the yard, trying to get a grip on it before the various weeds take over. I may not have been successful, though, as what I wanted to do (seed the lawn) won't be possible until late-May. I need to wait about 6 weeks after spraying the lawn before I can lay more seed. It's doubtful it will mature before the heat of the summer comes down on us and the grass goes dormant.
Of course, I could always water the lawn to avoid that.
After a long day of yard work, M, N and I went out to run some errands. We hit the Merrifield Garden Center (one of my favorite stores in the area, if only for providing me with ample "I wish I could..." material) and, in addition to having the helping staff member identify the weed in my hand (chickweed) and recommending a plan of attack, we also picked up some lavender and catmint for the area around the mailbox. We had planted lavender last year (which is still there), but the other two plants we planted don't seem to be coming back up (and it would appear they won't come back up since I covered the bed with a layer of weed blocker). I love that stuff; simply roll it out, plant your desired plants and mulch. Viola! No weeding required!
Afterwards, we went over to Lowe's to pick up some topsoil, a shovel and some fertilizer. (Recall that mine broke a few weeks back when I was trying to dig out the shrub by the back deck.) After checking out, we went to Milwaukee's Frozen Custard for a mid-afternoon treat of, yes, frozen custard. N loves going there for the trains that run along the ceiling (as well as for the custard, obviously). I love their vanilla custard, but since the flavor of the day was peanut butter cup (and I'm a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate in my ice cream), that's the flavor I chose. I wish I had stuck with vanilla. While it was good, the flavors were overbearing and there were too many pieces of peanut butter cup; the vanilla was too hard to distinguish. Oh well, lesson learned.
M spent the night at Riley's, so it was just D, N and I at home. After putting N to bed, D and I settled in to a quiet night in front of the TV. We rented Borat to entertain us, but were somewhat disappointed. Sure, there were parts that were funny, but at times it just seemed forced. And we both could have done without the naked wrestling scene; that was just wrong. Good thing we had Tivo'd The Office; that's pretty much always good for a laugh and this episode (where Michael demonstrated the dangers of working in the white collar world) had its share of them to offer us.
I wasn't one of them.
I was on the lookout for dandelions and chickweed as I worked from home running migrations. In between, I did homework in the yard, trying to get a grip on it before the various weeds take over. I may not have been successful, though, as what I wanted to do (seed the lawn) won't be possible until late-May. I need to wait about 6 weeks after spraying the lawn before I can lay more seed. It's doubtful it will mature before the heat of the summer comes down on us and the grass goes dormant.
Of course, I could always water the lawn to avoid that.
After a long day of yard work, M, N and I went out to run some errands. We hit the Merrifield Garden Center (one of my favorite stores in the area, if only for providing me with ample "I wish I could..." material) and, in addition to having the helping staff member identify the weed in my hand (chickweed) and recommending a plan of attack, we also picked up some lavender and catmint for the area around the mailbox. We had planted lavender last year (which is still there), but the other two plants we planted don't seem to be coming back up (and it would appear they won't come back up since I covered the bed with a layer of weed blocker). I love that stuff; simply roll it out, plant your desired plants and mulch. Viola! No weeding required!
Afterwards, we went over to Lowe's to pick up some topsoil, a shovel and some fertilizer. (Recall that mine broke a few weeks back when I was trying to dig out the shrub by the back deck.) After checking out, we went to Milwaukee's Frozen Custard for a mid-afternoon treat of, yes, frozen custard. N loves going there for the trains that run along the ceiling (as well as for the custard, obviously). I love their vanilla custard, but since the flavor of the day was peanut butter cup (and I'm a sucker for peanut butter and chocolate in my ice cream), that's the flavor I chose. I wish I had stuck with vanilla. While it was good, the flavors were overbearing and there were too many pieces of peanut butter cup; the vanilla was too hard to distinguish. Oh well, lesson learned.
M spent the night at Riley's, so it was just D, N and I at home. After putting N to bed, D and I settled in to a quiet night in front of the TV. We rented Borat to entertain us, but were somewhat disappointed. Sure, there were parts that were funny, but at times it just seemed forced. And we both could have done without the naked wrestling scene; that was just wrong. Good thing we had Tivo'd The Office; that's pretty much always good for a laugh and this episode (where Michael demonstrated the dangers of working in the white collar world) had its share of them to offer us.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Day 51 - 04/12/2007
Practice was cancelled. It was raining off and on throughout the afternoon, but I'm pretty sure it was cancelled due to the lightning strikes throughout the area. Not that it matters much, the players need more than just a couple hours a week in order to get the attention their skillset requires. There are a couple that have lots of potential this season, but for the most part, I'm looking forward to a bunch of mistakes being made. Does that matter? At this age, no, but I'd hate for the kids to think that baseball isn't any fun if they don't do well. Even if this is supposed to be non-competitive, I'm sure some of the kids do want to win. Maybe I'm wrong, though, who knows. I guess we'll see at Saturday's game.
I got my results of my latest bloodwork today. They were unable to test for my cholesterol levels the first time as I hadn't been fasting. This time, I had fasted for almost 12 hours, although I had a big ol' dish of ice cream the night before about 10 hours or so before the blood was drawn (I'll have to remember to share that with Dr. Carter when I meet with him to discuss the results). Anyway, my cholesterol is high for someone my age. They'd like to see it below 100; it was 139. In December 2003 it was about 110. When I talked to Dr. Carter last, he shared this result with me and asked me whether I considered myself in better shape than then. Well, since I ran a marathon in 2003 and have had nowhere near the same amount of exercise due to my knees over the past two years, I would have to say I was not. As it turns out (or so it would seem), the numbers would back that up.
Who knows why the number is high. Is it due to genetics or cheeseburgers? I'd have to say it's a mix of both. I've been eating soup for lunch for the past few years (it's easy and cheap), but I don't know how high the cholesterol levels are. I've also made a habit out of having a bowl of ice cream on a nightly basis after the kids are in bed. I would imagine that's not the healthiest of things, but I didn't think it would be that bad. I guess I'll have to switch to sherbert, sorbet or frozen yogurt instead.
I got my results of my latest bloodwork today. They were unable to test for my cholesterol levels the first time as I hadn't been fasting. This time, I had fasted for almost 12 hours, although I had a big ol' dish of ice cream the night before about 10 hours or so before the blood was drawn (I'll have to remember to share that with Dr. Carter when I meet with him to discuss the results). Anyway, my cholesterol is high for someone my age. They'd like to see it below 100; it was 139. In December 2003 it was about 110. When I talked to Dr. Carter last, he shared this result with me and asked me whether I considered myself in better shape than then. Well, since I ran a marathon in 2003 and have had nowhere near the same amount of exercise due to my knees over the past two years, I would have to say I was not. As it turns out (or so it would seem), the numbers would back that up.
Who knows why the number is high. Is it due to genetics or cheeseburgers? I'd have to say it's a mix of both. I've been eating soup for lunch for the past few years (it's easy and cheap), but I don't know how high the cholesterol levels are. I've also made a habit out of having a bowl of ice cream on a nightly basis after the kids are in bed. I would imagine that's not the healthiest of things, but I didn't think it would be that bad. I guess I'll have to switch to sherbert, sorbet or frozen yogurt instead.
Day 50 - 04/11/2007
Dog-friendly restaurants?!?
Read about half-way down where the poster asks for suggestions on where he can take his (her?) dog with him (again, her?) for lunch. Uh, how about your backyard? Or the dog park?
Don't get me started on dog parks. I mean, what's wrong with just walking your dog? Why do you feel you must put your four-legged animal on a pedestal that should be reserved for your kids. And don't start on the whole "Rex is like the child I've always wanted." or "Fifi goes everywhere with me, I couldn't bear to be without her while I do my grocery shopping." I don't buy that. How would your kid feel if s/he knew he was equal to your dog? Probably not very happy (of course, I may be wrong, fortunately I've never been in that position).
But I digress.
So the poster is looking for a dog-friendly place to eat lunch (or maybe dinner). Here's a novel idea: Leave your pooch at home. Your dog is a pet, not a built in dinner date. It's not that I don't care for dogs, I just don't think any animal should be allowed in a public eating establishment (guide dogs withstanding as they're working).
Next week I'm going to post a query to Tom and ask if he knows of any feline friendly restaurants. I mean, why should the canine crowd have all the fun?
(Full disclosure: I'm not really a dog person. I'd much rather scoop a cat box twice a week than bag warm dog shit twice a day.)
On a completely unrelated note, the playoffs started. What playoffs you ask? As if there are any others that count! I'm talking NHL, baby! The second season started with a bang with a 4 OT game between the Canucks and the Stars. I'm glad I decided not to watch the game as I would never have made it through the next day at work. It's too bad the Caps aren't in it this year; I'll never forget the feeling experienced during the '98 run to the Stanley Cup finals vs. Detroit (the excitement of getting there, not the excitement of going 0-4 against the Red Wings).
Read about half-way down where the poster asks for suggestions on where he can take his (her?) dog with him (again, her?) for lunch. Uh, how about your backyard? Or the dog park?
Don't get me started on dog parks. I mean, what's wrong with just walking your dog? Why do you feel you must put your four-legged animal on a pedestal that should be reserved for your kids. And don't start on the whole "Rex is like the child I've always wanted." or "Fifi goes everywhere with me, I couldn't bear to be without her while I do my grocery shopping." I don't buy that. How would your kid feel if s/he knew he was equal to your dog? Probably not very happy (of course, I may be wrong, fortunately I've never been in that position).
But I digress.
So the poster is looking for a dog-friendly place to eat lunch (or maybe dinner). Here's a novel idea: Leave your pooch at home. Your dog is a pet, not a built in dinner date. It's not that I don't care for dogs, I just don't think any animal should be allowed in a public eating establishment (guide dogs withstanding as they're working).
Next week I'm going to post a query to Tom and ask if he knows of any feline friendly restaurants. I mean, why should the canine crowd have all the fun?
(Full disclosure: I'm not really a dog person. I'd much rather scoop a cat box twice a week than bag warm dog shit twice a day.)
On a completely unrelated note, the playoffs started. What playoffs you ask? As if there are any others that count! I'm talking NHL, baby! The second season started with a bang with a 4 OT game between the Canucks and the Stars. I'm glad I decided not to watch the game as I would never have made it through the next day at work. It's too bad the Caps aren't in it this year; I'll never forget the feeling experienced during the '98 run to the Stanley Cup finals vs. Detroit (the excitement of getting there, not the excitement of going 0-4 against the Red Wings).
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Day 49 - 04/10/2007
Happy Birthday, sis!
41 years ago you entered my life. Well, not exactly my life; I mean, I didn't come along for a copule more years. Anyway, I hope your 41st year brings you much happiness and joy. At least you're not as old as CL!
41 years ago you entered my life. Well, not exactly my life; I mean, I didn't come along for a copule more years. Anyway, I hope your 41st year brings you much happiness and joy. At least you're not as old as CL!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Day 48 - 04/09/2007
Dragged myself out of bed and made it into work. Another Monday at the office doing migration work.
I went to noon Mass to hear the rest of the story. During Mass on Easter, Father Carr indicated that the Easter story plays out over the first eight days of the Easter season, also known as the Easter Octave. Since Easter is my favorite time of year (both within and outside the church), I figured I'd go to daily Mass and listen to the rest of the story. (And now you know the rest of the story as to why I went to hear the rest of the story.) Anyway, like I said, I went to Mass and heard more of the events that occurred at the first Easter. Father Alex than summed up the Gospel by saying that we shouldn't be afraid for God is with us.
Went back to work and continued to slog through the migration before hitting the gym. Since D and the kids were still in Fred, I didn't have to get home at any time, so I took my time and got in a great workout, before heading home to eat leftovers for dinner (chicken pot pie, barbecue chicken, fruit salad and cottage cheese, if you must know).
After tackling a few chores, and making a few phone calls, I settled into the couch and watched the second episode of The Sopranos we had Tivo'd, followed by skimming a couple episodes of SNL.
Nothing earth-shattering occurred. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
I went to noon Mass to hear the rest of the story. During Mass on Easter, Father Carr indicated that the Easter story plays out over the first eight days of the Easter season, also known as the Easter Octave. Since Easter is my favorite time of year (both within and outside the church), I figured I'd go to daily Mass and listen to the rest of the story. (And now you know the rest of the story as to why I went to hear the rest of the story.) Anyway, like I said, I went to Mass and heard more of the events that occurred at the first Easter. Father Alex than summed up the Gospel by saying that we shouldn't be afraid for God is with us.
Went back to work and continued to slog through the migration before hitting the gym. Since D and the kids were still in Fred, I didn't have to get home at any time, so I took my time and got in a great workout, before heading home to eat leftovers for dinner (chicken pot pie, barbecue chicken, fruit salad and cottage cheese, if you must know).
After tackling a few chores, and making a few phone calls, I settled into the couch and watched the second episode of The Sopranos we had Tivo'd, followed by skimming a couple episodes of SNL.
Nothing earth-shattering occurred. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Day 47 - 04/08/2007
Happy Easter!
We went to 9a Mass and after we got home, packed up the car and headed down to Fred for Easter Dinner at D's parents house. We drove separately since I had to work this week, so D and the kids went in the van and I drove by myself in the Altima. Since Lent was over, I was able to enjoy my hillbilly music shows that air on 88.5 on Sundays. As much as I like to listen to these shows on Sunday's, I don't always get my way. This time, I had over an hour of it. Oh Joy!
Dinner was excellent, as usual. Nancy made a ham, green beans and potatoes and sweet potatoes and Stacey brought cranberry stuff (her name, not mine). It would be great with a big ol' scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, especially if the cranberry stuff was as warm as it was at the dinner table. It was a medley of cranberries, apples and raisins topped with oats and then baked to perfections. It was good! For dessert I stuck with coffee. D and the kids made the Bunny Cake again this year, but seeing as I'm not a big fan of chocolate cake, I decided to pass. Anyway, I was too stuffed from my two plates full of food to want to eat anything else.
On the way home, 95 was moving along until just before the exit for 17. I decided not to take any chances and got on the exit ramp. It was a good thing I did as further up, I could see traffic stopped and three emergency vehicles driving up the shoulder of the highway. It was at that moment that I decided I would go 17 to 28 and in order to avoid Gainesville, but I would cut off of 17 on a back road that Stephen told me about that would put me on 28 just north of Catlett. I called him up for directions and was able to make good time until I got behind a couple of cars travelling just below the speed limit. It wouldn't have been so bad had the car directly in front of me not been a truck. If it were a small car, at least I could see around it, but it was a pickup truck with stuff in the back. The first chance I had, I passed both of them and was again the only car on the road.
The ride home on the back country roads was made better with what was on the radio. Sunday nights on 88.5 are filled with old time radio shows; tonight they had Jack Benny's Easter Parade, Gunsmoke and Dragnet. It made the trip much more enjoyable as it reminded me of what radio must have been like back when it was the main form of entertainment for the masses. It's interesting to listen as it gives you a sense of what was acceptable back then and how much society has changed over the years.
I got home in just over an hour and Butterfly was glad to see me. I fed her, turned on the TV and settled in to watch some Sopranos. No, it wasn't the season premiere of the 8th (and final) season, it was an episode from season two that had been Tivo'd. We don't subscribe to HBO, so the 8th season will have to wait a few years. That's alright, it'll wait.
We went to 9a Mass and after we got home, packed up the car and headed down to Fred for Easter Dinner at D's parents house. We drove separately since I had to work this week, so D and the kids went in the van and I drove by myself in the Altima. Since Lent was over, I was able to enjoy my hillbilly music shows that air on 88.5 on Sundays. As much as I like to listen to these shows on Sunday's, I don't always get my way. This time, I had over an hour of it. Oh Joy!
Dinner was excellent, as usual. Nancy made a ham, green beans and potatoes and sweet potatoes and Stacey brought cranberry stuff (her name, not mine). It would be great with a big ol' scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, especially if the cranberry stuff was as warm as it was at the dinner table. It was a medley of cranberries, apples and raisins topped with oats and then baked to perfections. It was good! For dessert I stuck with coffee. D and the kids made the Bunny Cake again this year, but seeing as I'm not a big fan of chocolate cake, I decided to pass. Anyway, I was too stuffed from my two plates full of food to want to eat anything else.
On the way home, 95 was moving along until just before the exit for 17. I decided not to take any chances and got on the exit ramp. It was a good thing I did as further up, I could see traffic stopped and three emergency vehicles driving up the shoulder of the highway. It was at that moment that I decided I would go 17 to 28 and in order to avoid Gainesville, but I would cut off of 17 on a back road that Stephen told me about that would put me on 28 just north of Catlett. I called him up for directions and was able to make good time until I got behind a couple of cars travelling just below the speed limit. It wouldn't have been so bad had the car directly in front of me not been a truck. If it were a small car, at least I could see around it, but it was a pickup truck with stuff in the back. The first chance I had, I passed both of them and was again the only car on the road.
The ride home on the back country roads was made better with what was on the radio. Sunday nights on 88.5 are filled with old time radio shows; tonight they had Jack Benny's Easter Parade, Gunsmoke and Dragnet. It made the trip much more enjoyable as it reminded me of what radio must have been like back when it was the main form of entertainment for the masses. It's interesting to listen as it gives you a sense of what was acceptable back then and how much society has changed over the years.
I got home in just over an hour and Butterfly was glad to see me. I fed her, turned on the TV and settled in to watch some Sopranos. No, it wasn't the season premiere of the 8th (and final) season, it was an episode from season two that had been Tivo'd. We don't subscribe to HBO, so the 8th season will have to wait a few years. That's alright, it'll wait.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Day 46 - 04/07/2007
It snowed this morning.
Yes, you read that right. It snowed this morning. The kids came in around 730a and opened the shades to point out that, yes, it did snow.
Last week we had 80° temperatures and now, the first full weekend in April, it's snowing? What up wit dat?!?
Oh well, good thing D hadn't planted the marigolds in the boxes on the deck yet!
Since I was up late Friday doing work on iTriTracker, D was kind enough to let me sleep in. Well, maybe not kind enough to let me sleep in, but kind enough to get up with the kids after they'd been up for an hour or so. After finally rolling out of bed around 930a, I got dressed and went for a short run. I decided to walk for about 5 minutes as a warmup and then run the rest of the way. The total distance I ran was ~1.5 miles, which is pretty wimpy, but was as far as I wanted to go without stopping for a walk in-between...which I also didn't want to do. Overall my knee felt good. I still iced it when I got home and popped a couple Advil after the shower, but over the course of the day, there were no aches or pains.
I showered and grabbed a bite to eat and, after what seemed like hours trying to get M and N to clean up their mess, hit the road to Grandma's house so I could help her with her computer and the kids could play with Sarah.
After talking with her a few weeks back regarding her new venture into the world of FIOS, I volunteered to setup a backup system on her computer using an external drive as a backup volume (in addition to helping her get her computer configured for connecting to the web via FIOS). This would allow her to survive a catastrophic failure of her hard drive w/o losing any data (which is something we should all have in place, especially now that most of us keep so much on our computers).
Configuring her computer for use with FIOS was a piece of cake, but the external drive was not. I spent a couple hours trying to get it working before I finally gave up. Knowing that I had recommended this solution, there was no way I wasn't going to get it working as I knew that if I didn't, I'd never hear the end of it. So, with that in mind, when she called Friday night to see if we'd be around, I invited the three of us over so I could finish configuring the drive. This was a win-win-win situation: I got to check this off my list of chores, the kids got to play with Sarah and she would now have a backup system in place (wait for it) to survive a catastrophic failure of her hard drive. As I said, we hit the road and got over there around 130p or so. I went straight to work and in about 30 minutes, had the external drive configured. (I had forgotten to disable the virus software when I was there originally, so the drivers weren't getting installed successfully.) One down and one to go.
Next, I created a backup system using SyncBack, a free utility that kick's ass when it comes to automating simple backup and synchronization routines. This system will not only back up her documents, but also her e-mail and pictures...automatically. She asked me what she needed to do and the answer is nothing, it will run all by itself. After getting that done, I helped myself to a bagel (well, I really didn't help myself, Rudy made it for me, and boy, was it G-O-O-D!) and a Old Dominion Ale. I hadn't had one of Rudy's bagels (plain bagel, toasted, with a schmear of cream cheese, lox and tomato, hold the onion please) in quite a while and the bagel and beer hit the spot. After shooting the breeze for a while, I tried to round up the kids to head home, but only made it as far as the living room, where N and I started listening to old records. Sugar Hill Gang and David Bowie made their way onto the turntable and both were hits. M and Sarah did a great interprative dance to "Changes" and I about broke a rib in hysterics. I wish I had a videotape. Oh well, maybe next time.
On the way home I had to stop for gas. Nothing out of the ordinary about that. On the opposite side of the pump, an Eastern European looking woman, driving her X5 was trying to open her gas tank. I'm thinking to myself that she's never gotten gas before, so I sit there and watch her try to pry open the opening to the gas cap door with her key. (Not the gas cap itself, but the door that covers the gas cap.) She went back into the cabin and fiddled around a bit and then opened the trunk, fiddling around in there as well, before attempting to open the door. No luck.
By this time, I was done pumping my gas and she still hadn't even opened the door to start pumping hers. Feeling bad about the situation, I asked her if she needed any help.
"It whon't ohpen," she said with what sounded like a Russian accent.
"Did you press the lever inside?" I asked her (knowing she had done something in the cabin, but just not sure what).
"There iss no leverr inside. You press the button and it ohpens. Somtiymes it ghets shtuckh, so I ushe my key or push like thish." she said, as she slid her key into the slot between the body and the gas cap door, pushing the lower right corner at the same time.
"Uh, sorry, but I guess I can't help you then. Good luck!" I said as I got back into the van and left her at the pump. As I drove down the road towards the parkway, I couldn't help but wonder how long she was there until she either a) drove off; or b) got it open. Hopefully it wasn't too long - the wind was biting and she wasn't dressed for it.
I'll have to expand on that for my collection of stories. I see a lot of conflict in this woman's life when she goes home and tries to explain why the gas tank is still empty even though she said she stopped at the gas station.
Yes, you read that right. It snowed this morning. The kids came in around 730a and opened the shades to point out that, yes, it did snow.
Last week we had 80° temperatures and now, the first full weekend in April, it's snowing? What up wit dat?!?
Oh well, good thing D hadn't planted the marigolds in the boxes on the deck yet!
Since I was up late Friday doing work on iTriTracker, D was kind enough to let me sleep in. Well, maybe not kind enough to let me sleep in, but kind enough to get up with the kids after they'd been up for an hour or so. After finally rolling out of bed around 930a, I got dressed and went for a short run. I decided to walk for about 5 minutes as a warmup and then run the rest of the way. The total distance I ran was ~1.5 miles, which is pretty wimpy, but was as far as I wanted to go without stopping for a walk in-between...which I also didn't want to do. Overall my knee felt good. I still iced it when I got home and popped a couple Advil after the shower, but over the course of the day, there were no aches or pains.
I showered and grabbed a bite to eat and, after what seemed like hours trying to get M and N to clean up their mess, hit the road to Grandma's house so I could help her with her computer and the kids could play with Sarah.
After talking with her a few weeks back regarding her new venture into the world of FIOS, I volunteered to setup a backup system on her computer using an external drive as a backup volume (in addition to helping her get her computer configured for connecting to the web via FIOS). This would allow her to survive a catastrophic failure of her hard drive w/o losing any data (which is something we should all have in place, especially now that most of us keep so much on our computers).
Configuring her computer for use with FIOS was a piece of cake, but the external drive was not. I spent a couple hours trying to get it working before I finally gave up. Knowing that I had recommended this solution, there was no way I wasn't going to get it working as I knew that if I didn't, I'd never hear the end of it. So, with that in mind, when she called Friday night to see if we'd be around, I invited the three of us over so I could finish configuring the drive. This was a win-win-win situation: I got to check this off my list of chores, the kids got to play with Sarah and she would now have a backup system in place (wait for it) to survive a catastrophic failure of her hard drive. As I said, we hit the road and got over there around 130p or so. I went straight to work and in about 30 minutes, had the external drive configured. (I had forgotten to disable the virus software when I was there originally, so the drivers weren't getting installed successfully.) One down and one to go.
Next, I created a backup system using SyncBack, a free utility that kick's ass when it comes to automating simple backup and synchronization routines. This system will not only back up her documents, but also her e-mail and pictures...automatically. She asked me what she needed to do and the answer is nothing, it will run all by itself. After getting that done, I helped myself to a bagel (well, I really didn't help myself, Rudy made it for me, and boy, was it G-O-O-D!) and a Old Dominion Ale. I hadn't had one of Rudy's bagels (plain bagel, toasted, with a schmear of cream cheese, lox and tomato, hold the onion please) in quite a while and the bagel and beer hit the spot. After shooting the breeze for a while, I tried to round up the kids to head home, but only made it as far as the living room, where N and I started listening to old records. Sugar Hill Gang and David Bowie made their way onto the turntable and both were hits. M and Sarah did a great interprative dance to "Changes" and I about broke a rib in hysterics. I wish I had a videotape. Oh well, maybe next time.
On the way home I had to stop for gas. Nothing out of the ordinary about that. On the opposite side of the pump, an Eastern European looking woman, driving her X5 was trying to open her gas tank. I'm thinking to myself that she's never gotten gas before, so I sit there and watch her try to pry open the opening to the gas cap door with her key. (Not the gas cap itself, but the door that covers the gas cap.) She went back into the cabin and fiddled around a bit and then opened the trunk, fiddling around in there as well, before attempting to open the door. No luck.
By this time, I was done pumping my gas and she still hadn't even opened the door to start pumping hers. Feeling bad about the situation, I asked her if she needed any help.
"It whon't ohpen," she said with what sounded like a Russian accent.
"Did you press the lever inside?" I asked her (knowing she had done something in the cabin, but just not sure what).
"There iss no leverr inside. You press the button and it ohpens. Somtiymes it ghets shtuckh, so I ushe my key or push like thish." she said, as she slid her key into the slot between the body and the gas cap door, pushing the lower right corner at the same time.
"Uh, sorry, but I guess I can't help you then. Good luck!" I said as I got back into the van and left her at the pump. As I drove down the road towards the parkway, I couldn't help but wonder how long she was there until she either a) drove off; or b) got it open. Hopefully it wasn't too long - the wind was biting and she wasn't dressed for it.
I'll have to expand on that for my collection of stories. I see a lot of conflict in this woman's life when she goes home and tries to explain why the gas tank is still empty even though she said she stopped at the gas station.
Day 45 - 04/06/2007
Had my follow-up blood test this morning since the last time I wasn't fasting. The last time my cholesterol was checked (in 12/2003), the LDL (bad cholesterol) was 110, which is borderline. I'm hoping it's below 100 this time, otherwise I'll have to go back for more tests and/or lifestyle recommendations: either an increase in exercise or medication. I'll lean towards more exercise, especially now that my knee is better and I'm running again. (Yes, I realize that 3+ miles per week isn't much, but it's 3+ miles more (on average) than I was running for all the weeks of the past 20 or so months, so it's a start, right?!?)
Work has been quiet this week with a lot of folks out on Spring Break. It's been nice not having everyone in, as it's given me a chance to catch up on a lot of things, such as the migration, which is still running very S-L-O-W-L-Y. I'm hoping it's due to the database configuration (it's running against SQL Server) vs. any data or program issues. I can't wait for this tar baby to be taken off my hands. Of course, that tar baby is my built in job security as very few of my colleagues would have either the time or the understanding to take it over from me. I can't wait for the next cycle to begin and all the legacy programs get moved to the back burner.
Among the mundane items going on, we had cheese pizza w/ green and fruit salad for dinner. I had a few glasses of water. For lunch, since it was Good Friday and fasting was in order, I had an ounce or so of cashews, some trail mix and a cashew. I also went to they gym for some weights and 30 minutes on the stationary bike. I wasn't planning on getting a second workout in this week, but since work was getting knocked off at a pretty good clip, I decided to go for it. As usual, I'm glad I did.
Work has been quiet this week with a lot of folks out on Spring Break. It's been nice not having everyone in, as it's given me a chance to catch up on a lot of things, such as the migration, which is still running very S-L-O-W-L-Y. I'm hoping it's due to the database configuration (it's running against SQL Server) vs. any data or program issues. I can't wait for this tar baby to be taken off my hands. Of course, that tar baby is my built in job security as very few of my colleagues would have either the time or the understanding to take it over from me. I can't wait for the next cycle to begin and all the legacy programs get moved to the back burner.
Among the mundane items going on, we had cheese pizza w/ green and fruit salad for dinner. I had a few glasses of water. For lunch, since it was Good Friday and fasting was in order, I had an ounce or so of cashews, some trail mix and a cashew. I also went to they gym for some weights and 30 minutes on the stationary bike. I wasn't planning on getting a second workout in this week, but since work was getting knocked off at a pretty good clip, I decided to go for it. As usual, I'm glad I did.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Day 44 - 04/05/2007
N had his second practice tonight. I got to (try and) teach the basics of throwing and catching to a trio of 5 year olds who were more interested in kicking up clouds of dirt. Is it over yet? No, I'm not really complaining, just voicing my frustration at the lack of ability for me to let go and remember that these are 5 year olds who would rather kick up clouds of dirt vs. learn how to play a sport. No wonder practices are only an hour long!
That being said, when one of the boys went to bat, I did make progress w/ N and his teammate (after N learned that when going for a ground ball, he wasn't on stage and he didn't have to make a pratfall EVERY time, that is!). Now, if his teammate could get the mechanics of throwing the ball down, he'd be pretty good. They both took kindly to understanding what it meant to back up first base (we were positioned in the outfield during batting and running practice). It was pretty funny, though, to see the disorganization running amok on the field whenever a ball was hit. (Suprisingly enough, one of the kids hit the ball into the outfield off the tee!)
D was able to find the story on the fire on the web. Apparently the fire was started by the homeowner working on his motorcycle on his back porch. Apparently a spark caused the gas to catch on fire and before he knew it, flames were crawling up the back of the house. I went by it after mowing the yard on Wednesday and they were putting up a tarp over the roof to protect it further from the elements. I'm not sure what needed protecting seeing as they were dousing water on the fire on it for a good hour before finally getting it out; I'm sure the water from the hoses didn't do much for the interior as well! The news report indicated there were four injuries: the homeowner and three firefighters. All of them are expected to survive, which is good to hear. I wonder what will be done in the neighborhood to help them out? That was one of M's concerns as we were watching the house burn; hopefully we'll be able to do something for them. I couldn't even imagine what they must be going through.
That being said, when one of the boys went to bat, I did make progress w/ N and his teammate (after N learned that when going for a ground ball, he wasn't on stage and he didn't have to make a pratfall EVERY time, that is!). Now, if his teammate could get the mechanics of throwing the ball down, he'd be pretty good. They both took kindly to understanding what it meant to back up first base (we were positioned in the outfield during batting and running practice). It was pretty funny, though, to see the disorganization running amok on the field whenever a ball was hit. (Suprisingly enough, one of the kids hit the ball into the outfield off the tee!)
D was able to find the story on the fire on the web. Apparently the fire was started by the homeowner working on his motorcycle on his back porch. Apparently a spark caused the gas to catch on fire and before he knew it, flames were crawling up the back of the house. I went by it after mowing the yard on Wednesday and they were putting up a tarp over the roof to protect it further from the elements. I'm not sure what needed protecting seeing as they were dousing water on the fire on it for a good hour before finally getting it out; I'm sure the water from the hoses didn't do much for the interior as well! The news report indicated there were four injuries: the homeowner and three firefighters. All of them are expected to survive, which is good to hear. I wonder what will be done in the neighborhood to help them out? That was one of M's concerns as we were watching the house burn; hopefully we'll be able to do something for them. I couldn't even imagine what they must be going through.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Day 43 - 04/04/2007
Mowed the yard for the first time this season. It looks a little better now that it's even. Hopefully when I lay down the next course of fertilizer, the zebra striped effect will be subdued somewhat. When I laid down the first course of fertilizer with halts (supposedly to prevent crabgrass from germinating, although some of it is starting to come up), I either missed half the lawn or the spreader closed up on every other row. From certain angles it looks like a dark and light green zebra is laying down on the lawn. It's not pretty.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that for the first time in over two years, mowing the yard was pain free!
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that for the first time in over two years, mowing the yard was pain free!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Day 42 - 04/03/2007
Relief! Hooray!
Be warned, a case of TMI will soon be approaching. If you're not interested in learning about a personal issue that ails me, skip the next paragraph.
For those of you still reading, here it is: I suffer from ear wax buildup. Specifically in my right ear. After about 10 days of suffering, I finally broke down and went to the doc's for a washout and relief. Well, actually, I went to my PCP to see if it was an infection, but Nurse Patrick said she couldn't tell as there was too much wax. Not wanting to leave empty-handed (and be out $40 in order to see my ENT), I decided to let them wash it out. The last time I was there I left in pain and refused to pay the balance ($5.46) out of protest. Having made that decision, I decided to let them have a go at it. If it worked, I'd be pain free a day earlier (vs. having to wait until my appointment with my ENT on 04/04). Ninety minutes later I left the office with clear ears and my hearing restored. Afterwards I searched for homeopathic solutions and found The Real McCoy, which looks interesting (although expensive). If I come down with another one this year, I'll give it a shot, otherwise, I'll stick to a monthly regimen of hydrogen peroxide per Nurse Patrick's instructions. (And why do I always refer to her as Nurse Patrick? It makes her sound like someone out of Young Frankenstein or something!)
Alright, you can open your eyes now. After getting home, D took off for the hospital to visit Maria. Her mother's been in the hospital for the past few weeks after having a stroke and now her father was admitted with chest pains. I couldn't imagine what she's going through; I'm sure it's a difficult time. I'm glad D is able to visit her often and provide a shoulder to lean on. I'm sure Maria is thankful for that as well.
While D was out, there was a series of sirens sounding through the neighborhood. Since we live relatively close to 66, I figured it was a bad accident on the highway. N asked if we could pray (although to me, it sounded as if he said play, which is normal for him as he still has a hard time with his Ls) and I told him now, we were done playing for the day. As usual, he got frustrated that we didn't understand him and clarified "No, can we PRAY?!?" Oh, yes, we can do that. And with that he started praying for the people in the siren and the firemen and the helicopter and the fire engine and for his classmate Tristan. It was amusing to say the least. Sweet, but amusing.
I sent him upstairs to get in the tub and as I was walking past the front door, noticed there was stuff left on the lawn. I went out to get it and noticed a plume of smoke coming from the woods behind our neighbor's house. It was a mix of black and grey, as well as some the color of a really nasty bruise after it's been sitting on your leg for a week. A second or two later I heard what sounded like a mix between a minor explosion and wood crackling in a fire (which I suppose was indeed happening, it was just really loud). I ran inside and called for the kids to get dressed and get downstairs, that there was a house on fire. After a slight hesitation, I added, "Not our house!" in order to alleviate any fear that my previous statement might have brought on.
After they got dressed, we rode our bikes down the trail to the next street over and made our way to the scene. There were a half-dozen fire engines and at least two dozen firemen (that we could see). The house that was on fire was burning fast. The garage roof was pretty much gone and the fire had started breaking through the main roof. You could tell the attic was nothing but an inferno as the flames started shooting out the opposite end of the roof. In addition to the house that was on fire, the firemen trained their hoses on the neighboring houses so they didn't catch on fire either (the siding had already started melting on one of them).
Both M and N were visibly shaken up, M concerned about the people who lived there and N concerned about their toys. Nothing surprising to me about either of these two observations. When it was time to leave, I made the mistake of telling them we had to check on our house, as I forgot to close the windows. This caused M to start crying all over again thinking our house would catch fire as well, but I calmed her by reiterating that I was only concerned about smoke getting in the house. (As it turned out, ashes fell on our neighbor's deck, so there may have been a slight risk for us as well.)
On the way home, we saw the Medivac helicopter circle overhead before landing at the school. Since this wasn't an everyday occurrence, I decided to forego getting them to bed on time and we went to the school to check out the situation up there. While we were waiting for the paramedics to load the patient into the helicopter, a police office drove up and, nonchalantly, asked me where my camera was as something like this doesn't happen every day. This struck me as odd, but he was right, I should have grabbed the video camera to capture some footage. Just like at the scene of the fire, M was concerned about the people and asked what we could do for them. I told her that once it was determined what they needed, I'm sure we would help out in some way. N announced that fires were fun because of all the fire engines and helicopters (from his perspective as a five year old, I'm sure they are, as long as it's not your house and toys that are on fire). The helicopter finally took off and we headed back home.
The fire is still under investigation as I write this (it's been speculated that it started under the deck and moved its way up the back of the house), but, as far as I know, there were no serious injuries. No mention of it has been made in the paper or on the news. The community paper comes out on Thursday, I'm sure Bonnie Hobbs will write something about it.
Be warned, a case of TMI will soon be approaching. If you're not interested in learning about a personal issue that ails me, skip the next paragraph.
For those of you still reading, here it is: I suffer from ear wax buildup. Specifically in my right ear. After about 10 days of suffering, I finally broke down and went to the doc's for a washout and relief. Well, actually, I went to my PCP to see if it was an infection, but Nurse Patrick said she couldn't tell as there was too much wax. Not wanting to leave empty-handed (and be out $40 in order to see my ENT), I decided to let them wash it out. The last time I was there I left in pain and refused to pay the balance ($5.46) out of protest. Having made that decision, I decided to let them have a go at it. If it worked, I'd be pain free a day earlier (vs. having to wait until my appointment with my ENT on 04/04). Ninety minutes later I left the office with clear ears and my hearing restored. Afterwards I searched for homeopathic solutions and found The Real McCoy, which looks interesting (although expensive). If I come down with another one this year, I'll give it a shot, otherwise, I'll stick to a monthly regimen of hydrogen peroxide per Nurse Patrick's instructions. (And why do I always refer to her as Nurse Patrick? It makes her sound like someone out of Young Frankenstein or something!)
Alright, you can open your eyes now. After getting home, D took off for the hospital to visit Maria. Her mother's been in the hospital for the past few weeks after having a stroke and now her father was admitted with chest pains. I couldn't imagine what she's going through; I'm sure it's a difficult time. I'm glad D is able to visit her often and provide a shoulder to lean on. I'm sure Maria is thankful for that as well.
While D was out, there was a series of sirens sounding through the neighborhood. Since we live relatively close to 66, I figured it was a bad accident on the highway. N asked if we could pray (although to me, it sounded as if he said play, which is normal for him as he still has a hard time with his Ls) and I told him now, we were done playing for the day. As usual, he got frustrated that we didn't understand him and clarified "No, can we PRAY?!?" Oh, yes, we can do that. And with that he started praying for the people in the siren and the firemen and the helicopter and the fire engine and for his classmate Tristan. It was amusing to say the least. Sweet, but amusing.
I sent him upstairs to get in the tub and as I was walking past the front door, noticed there was stuff left on the lawn. I went out to get it and noticed a plume of smoke coming from the woods behind our neighbor's house. It was a mix of black and grey, as well as some the color of a really nasty bruise after it's been sitting on your leg for a week. A second or two later I heard what sounded like a mix between a minor explosion and wood crackling in a fire (which I suppose was indeed happening, it was just really loud). I ran inside and called for the kids to get dressed and get downstairs, that there was a house on fire. After a slight hesitation, I added, "Not our house!" in order to alleviate any fear that my previous statement might have brought on.
After they got dressed, we rode our bikes down the trail to the next street over and made our way to the scene. There were a half-dozen fire engines and at least two dozen firemen (that we could see). The house that was on fire was burning fast. The garage roof was pretty much gone and the fire had started breaking through the main roof. You could tell the attic was nothing but an inferno as the flames started shooting out the opposite end of the roof. In addition to the house that was on fire, the firemen trained their hoses on the neighboring houses so they didn't catch on fire either (the siding had already started melting on one of them).
Both M and N were visibly shaken up, M concerned about the people who lived there and N concerned about their toys. Nothing surprising to me about either of these two observations. When it was time to leave, I made the mistake of telling them we had to check on our house, as I forgot to close the windows. This caused M to start crying all over again thinking our house would catch fire as well, but I calmed her by reiterating that I was only concerned about smoke getting in the house. (As it turned out, ashes fell on our neighbor's deck, so there may have been a slight risk for us as well.)
On the way home, we saw the Medivac helicopter circle overhead before landing at the school. Since this wasn't an everyday occurrence, I decided to forego getting them to bed on time and we went to the school to check out the situation up there. While we were waiting for the paramedics to load the patient into the helicopter, a police office drove up and, nonchalantly, asked me where my camera was as something like this doesn't happen every day. This struck me as odd, but he was right, I should have grabbed the video camera to capture some footage. Just like at the scene of the fire, M was concerned about the people and asked what we could do for them. I told her that once it was determined what they needed, I'm sure we would help out in some way. N announced that fires were fun because of all the fire engines and helicopters (from his perspective as a five year old, I'm sure they are, as long as it's not your house and toys that are on fire). The helicopter finally took off and we headed back home.
The fire is still under investigation as I write this (it's been speculated that it started under the deck and moved its way up the back of the house), but, as far as I know, there were no serious injuries. No mention of it has been made in the paper or on the news. The community paper comes out on Thursday, I'm sure Bonnie Hobbs will write something about it.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Day 41 - 04/02/2007
Took the day off today to see the home opener of the Washington Nationals. They got shellacked 9-2. This by their "ace" pitcher. With that in mind, it'll be a L-O-N-G season. Aside from that, however, we had a great time. Seats were pretty good (sat in section M47 out in right field), the beer was cold, the grub was good and the company was enjoyable. A fun time was had by all, except for Nats fans, who had to lament their team's 0-1 start. I guess that now includes me as I've finally made the switch from being an AL fan to being an NL fan. Maybe one day I'll visit Camden Yards and root for my (formerly) beloved O's, but that won't happen as long as Peter Angelos has his fingers in the heart of the organization.
This was the last home opener at RFK for baseball (for the foreseeable future). As part of the promotion, they gave away hats to all those in attendance. The hat was actually pretty nice (for being free) and fit rather well. Too bad, though, it was short lived. When I got home, N asked me where I got it and after I told him, I asked him if he wanted it. The look in his face when I did that more than made up for me not having it. It's the little things like that that make me feel good inside. I wish I could have come to that realization years ago and enjoyed M more as a little girl. Live and learn, I guess, but at least I can now move ahead with that philosophy and try and enjoy the days to come.
Next year the Nationals will be moving to their new stadium. I seriously doubt tickets will be as readily available for their home opener as they were for this game, but you never know. It was mentioned at the game that we should get tickets to the last home game of the season, just to close out the stadium. Lots of good times were had in the parking lot during football games, concerts and baseball games, it's going to be sorely missed. Word on the street is that The Danny will be moving the 'Skins back to DC, but more than likely that will include imploding RFK and doing away with the parking lots as we've known them. I'm not looking forward to that one iota.
On the way home I looked over to the driver in the car next to us and saw her sneeze. No one else was in the car with her, so I said (to myself) "Bless you." That got me thinking about who she was and where she was going, what she did for a living and what kind of house she lived in. A few more questions popped into my mind about her and then she was gone, only to be replaced by a single male driver who was making hand gestures while he talked on the phone. That was my Eureka! moment; I would write about people I see in their cars, filling in as many gaps as possible, while at the same time basing their stories on the facts of their lives as I know them. I'm not sure how I'll accomplish this (or even why I want to do this), but I figure if I can get a dozen good stories out of it, it would be worth it. I've always had an itch to write a novel, but haven't found the right story to tell as of yet. Maybe it will come out this exercise. Once I get the gist of it figured out, I'll write more. I'm thinking it will probably be in blog format, so it's more readily available, but then again, maybe I shouldn't so it won't be so readily available. Decisions, decisions, why didn't I buy insurance?!?
This was the last home opener at RFK for baseball (for the foreseeable future). As part of the promotion, they gave away hats to all those in attendance. The hat was actually pretty nice (for being free) and fit rather well. Too bad, though, it was short lived. When I got home, N asked me where I got it and after I told him, I asked him if he wanted it. The look in his face when I did that more than made up for me not having it. It's the little things like that that make me feel good inside. I wish I could have come to that realization years ago and enjoyed M more as a little girl. Live and learn, I guess, but at least I can now move ahead with that philosophy and try and enjoy the days to come.
Next year the Nationals will be moving to their new stadium. I seriously doubt tickets will be as readily available for their home opener as they were for this game, but you never know. It was mentioned at the game that we should get tickets to the last home game of the season, just to close out the stadium. Lots of good times were had in the parking lot during football games, concerts and baseball games, it's going to be sorely missed. Word on the street is that The Danny will be moving the 'Skins back to DC, but more than likely that will include imploding RFK and doing away with the parking lots as we've known them. I'm not looking forward to that one iota.
On the way home I looked over to the driver in the car next to us and saw her sneeze. No one else was in the car with her, so I said (to myself) "Bless you." That got me thinking about who she was and where she was going, what she did for a living and what kind of house she lived in. A few more questions popped into my mind about her and then she was gone, only to be replaced by a single male driver who was making hand gestures while he talked on the phone. That was my Eureka! moment; I would write about people I see in their cars, filling in as many gaps as possible, while at the same time basing their stories on the facts of their lives as I know them. I'm not sure how I'll accomplish this (or even why I want to do this), but I figure if I can get a dozen good stories out of it, it would be worth it. I've always had an itch to write a novel, but haven't found the right story to tell as of yet. Maybe it will come out this exercise. Once I get the gist of it figured out, I'll write more. I'm thinking it will probably be in blog format, so it's more readily available, but then again, maybe I shouldn't so it won't be so readily available. Decisions, decisions, why didn't I buy insurance?!?
Monday, April 2, 2007
Day 40 - 04/01/2007
Well, here we are, 40 days later and it's Palm Sunday. Coincidence? I believe so. There's really nothing grandiose going on within this blog, it's just a place for me to capture the events of the day. There's really nothing earth-shattering that's going to come about from it.
Or is there? I suppose only time will tell.
Today M spent the afternoon in her room. It was hard on her, but hopefully it will sink in that she needs to control her behavior. I realize that she's only 8, but she's on the other side of the hill and fast approaching 9. While I do see a vast difference in the way she acts this year vs. a year ago, she still has a long way to go. Of course, as I said, she is only 8, so maybe it's me that needs to loosen my expectations with regard to her behavior and accept it for what it is. That being said, I had a sense of schadenfreude while I was out in the court with N, knowing she was looking out her window at the two of us.
Oh, we did all kinds of fun things while she was stuck in her room, including playing some baseball in the backyard and riding around the court. I tried to sneak a practice session of hitting, catching and throwing in, but he didn't quite fall for it, he wised up and refused to play catch. I was able to bribe him into trying to throw the baseballs into the bucket by offering him a Popsicle if he got one in and while he didn't get one in, he came awfully close, so I gave him one anyway.
Later on we went out front and he rode his bike around the court. He showed me how he could ride one-handed, so I told him that....
"If you can ride one-handed, that means you don't need your training wheels anymore."
A blank stare.
"Do you want me to take them off?"
"Yes. Take them off, Daddy."
Shock (on my part).
I snapped out of it and went to the garage for the wrench. I expected him to start up at any minute when I was loosening the nut, but it never came. One wheel was off and I started working on the next one, again anticipating the cries of despair when he realized what was happening, but still, they never came. I finally had both of them off and he jumped on and almost immediately fell over. He wasn't used to having to put his feet down, so I had to give him a quick lesson on starting off.
Fifteen minutes later he was riding like he had never had them on in the first place. Of course, he's pretty much not needed them for the past several months as they rarely touch the ground, but he's steadfastly refused whenever we suggested that we remove them. Way to go, N, way to go!
Or is there? I suppose only time will tell.
Today M spent the afternoon in her room. It was hard on her, but hopefully it will sink in that she needs to control her behavior. I realize that she's only 8, but she's on the other side of the hill and fast approaching 9. While I do see a vast difference in the way she acts this year vs. a year ago, she still has a long way to go. Of course, as I said, she is only 8, so maybe it's me that needs to loosen my expectations with regard to her behavior and accept it for what it is. That being said, I had a sense of schadenfreude while I was out in the court with N, knowing she was looking out her window at the two of us.
Oh, we did all kinds of fun things while she was stuck in her room, including playing some baseball in the backyard and riding around the court. I tried to sneak a practice session of hitting, catching and throwing in, but he didn't quite fall for it, he wised up and refused to play catch. I was able to bribe him into trying to throw the baseballs into the bucket by offering him a Popsicle if he got one in and while he didn't get one in, he came awfully close, so I gave him one anyway.
Later on we went out front and he rode his bike around the court. He showed me how he could ride one-handed, so I told him that....
"If you can ride one-handed, that means you don't need your training wheels anymore."
A blank stare.
"Do you want me to take them off?"
"Yes. Take them off, Daddy."
Shock (on my part).
I snapped out of it and went to the garage for the wrench. I expected him to start up at any minute when I was loosening the nut, but it never came. One wheel was off and I started working on the next one, again anticipating the cries of despair when he realized what was happening, but still, they never came. I finally had both of them off and he jumped on and almost immediately fell over. He wasn't used to having to put his feet down, so I had to give him a quick lesson on starting off.
Fifteen minutes later he was riding like he had never had them on in the first place. Of course, he's pretty much not needed them for the past several months as they rarely touch the ground, but he's steadfastly refused whenever we suggested that we remove them. Way to go, N, way to go!
Day 39 - 03/31/2007
Hi, this is N and I'm Coach M.
Today begins my career as a youth sports coach. In this case, I volunteered to help coach N's T-ball team. I'm not sure what to expect, but hopefully will have as much fun as I can, while attempting to teach the fundamentals of baseball to a group of 5-6 year olds. It should be interesting to say the least.
There are about a dozen or so kids on the team. Some of them are in his class, so that should make it better (for N) in terms of reducing his anxiety about playing. Not that he's shy or anything, but he seemed a bit nervous when we were walking towards the field (which quickly faded when he saw Tristan, one of his buddies from school). The first practice went fine, except for the fact that N didn't have a hat. He didn't like that and when they were handed out at the end of practice, he put it on his head, where it remained for pretty much the entire day.
M had softball practice in the morning, so when N and I got home, we hung out until she got home. The neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt was in the afternoon, so we had lunch and rode our bikes to the community center to meet D (she had volunteered to help out). I love it that we're able to ride around the neighborhood. I recall riding bikes with my family as a kid in Germany and continued to use the bike as a mode of transportation through college. It's a great form of exercise (even if it's not advertised as such) and it's a great way to do something as a family. Hopefully our family bike rides will become somewhat of a regular thing, especially as the kids get older and can go longer distances.
Saturday night M got in trouble (again). N got a bath in our tub and she thought it wasn't fair that he could get one in there, but that she had to take a shower in her bathroom. (It wasn't that she couldn't take one in there, she chose to take it in there.) Words were cast towards him about how she hated him, etc., and the next thing she knows, she's being sent to her room. I told her she needed to go apologize to her brother and then wait in her room until it was time to read Narnia, but she decided that that wasn't acceptable and was insubordinate towards me. The next thing you know, she's lost Narnia and Webkinz for the next week. After thinking about it further, I decided it wasn't fair to N to lose Narnia, since he didn't do anything wrong, so I changed the consequence from missing that to staying in her room from the time she got home from Mass on Sunday until dinner time. That didn't sit well.
That being said, once we read Narnia, she calmed down for the rest of the evening. I can't believe what a difference there is between hers and N's personalities. He's so very easy going, especially at bedtime and with regards to discipline, whereas she's a holy terror. I'm not sure if it's a result of her being the first and therefore we made most of our mistakes on her with regard to parenting, or if it's just her nature. I really don't know, but I do wish she'd learn to learn from her mistakes as it seems like this is becoming a weekly recurrence.
Today begins my career as a youth sports coach. In this case, I volunteered to help coach N's T-ball team. I'm not sure what to expect, but hopefully will have as much fun as I can, while attempting to teach the fundamentals of baseball to a group of 5-6 year olds. It should be interesting to say the least.
There are about a dozen or so kids on the team. Some of them are in his class, so that should make it better (for N) in terms of reducing his anxiety about playing. Not that he's shy or anything, but he seemed a bit nervous when we were walking towards the field (which quickly faded when he saw Tristan, one of his buddies from school). The first practice went fine, except for the fact that N didn't have a hat. He didn't like that and when they were handed out at the end of practice, he put it on his head, where it remained for pretty much the entire day.
M had softball practice in the morning, so when N and I got home, we hung out until she got home. The neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt was in the afternoon, so we had lunch and rode our bikes to the community center to meet D (she had volunteered to help out). I love it that we're able to ride around the neighborhood. I recall riding bikes with my family as a kid in Germany and continued to use the bike as a mode of transportation through college. It's a great form of exercise (even if it's not advertised as such) and it's a great way to do something as a family. Hopefully our family bike rides will become somewhat of a regular thing, especially as the kids get older and can go longer distances.
Saturday night M got in trouble (again). N got a bath in our tub and she thought it wasn't fair that he could get one in there, but that she had to take a shower in her bathroom. (It wasn't that she couldn't take one in there, she chose to take it in there.) Words were cast towards him about how she hated him, etc., and the next thing she knows, she's being sent to her room. I told her she needed to go apologize to her brother and then wait in her room until it was time to read Narnia, but she decided that that wasn't acceptable and was insubordinate towards me. The next thing you know, she's lost Narnia and Webkinz for the next week. After thinking about it further, I decided it wasn't fair to N to lose Narnia, since he didn't do anything wrong, so I changed the consequence from missing that to staying in her room from the time she got home from Mass on Sunday until dinner time. That didn't sit well.
That being said, once we read Narnia, she calmed down for the rest of the evening. I can't believe what a difference there is between hers and N's personalities. He's so very easy going, especially at bedtime and with regards to discipline, whereas she's a holy terror. I'm not sure if it's a result of her being the first and therefore we made most of our mistakes on her with regard to parenting, or if it's just her nature. I really don't know, but I do wish she'd learn to learn from her mistakes as it seems like this is becoming a weekly recurrence.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Day 38 - 03/30/2007
Rode to and from work for the second time this year. On the way home, I passed by the Craig girls, who thought I was a professional biker decked out in my gear. It was a little chilly in the morning, yet I decided that shorts would be enough -- this due to the fact that I'd go running in shorts in this weather -- why not biking as well? I guess I didn't take into consideration the fact that I'd be riding at a much faster clip and basically be making my own wind. (Easy there, I said making -- NOT breaking -- my own wind.) Once I got to work, I hit the gym. Usually when I ride in, I use that as my 30 minutes of cardio, as well as my warmup for lifting. This time, I had to hit the stationary bike for another 15 minutes to warm up my legs. They were a bit stiff!
The ride home was much better since it had warmed up. To top it off, I didn't get stopped at a single light the entire way home. I'll have to check the time and see if I can replicate getting across 50 w/o having to wait for the light. Even though I didn't stop for a light, it still took me 30 minutes. I guess it'll take a few more weeks to see an increase in fitness before I start seeing a decrease in time.
The day ended on a sour note, however, as M and N were melting down. They both lost Narnia and were put to bed without songs. This nice weather is making it harder for them to be brought in at night since they both want to play outside until it's too dark to see.
We'll see what happens tomorrow. Speaking of which, I start my stint at Assistant Coach for N's t-ball team -- that should be interesting.
The ride home was much better since it had warmed up. To top it off, I didn't get stopped at a single light the entire way home. I'll have to check the time and see if I can replicate getting across 50 w/o having to wait for the light. Even though I didn't stop for a light, it still took me 30 minutes. I guess it'll take a few more weeks to see an increase in fitness before I start seeing a decrease in time.
The day ended on a sour note, however, as M and N were melting down. They both lost Narnia and were put to bed without songs. This nice weather is making it harder for them to be brought in at night since they both want to play outside until it's too dark to see.
We'll see what happens tomorrow. Speaking of which, I start my stint at Assistant Coach for N's t-ball team -- that should be interesting.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Day 37 - 03/29/2007
I went to visit Philip in the hospital. Well, visit his parents is more like it. He was sedated and pretty much out of it when I was there. He got in an accident 10 days ago. He's 17 and, like many teenagers, probably felt nothing could happen to him. After a night out with his friends (apparently drinking, based on his BAC), he went for a drive about 5a last Sunday morning. He lost control and totaled his mother's car.
I saw pictures that Phil took of the car at the lot. No one should have walked away from that wreck. The passenger door was moved to the center console and the car itself was bent at a 120 degree angle. One picture, taken from the rear looking at the driver's side indicated just how much the car had bent: the front end beyond the passenger compartment was completely out of the picture. It was bent at least three feet from where it should be.
I was thinking on the way to the hospital how lucky he was. Not just to survive the accident, but to be given a second chance at life. Not many people can claim that gift. And while he didn't necessarily walk away from the accident (he's been in ICU for going on 11 days now), not a single bone was broken and there were no major injuries. He had head trauma and was put in a coma, but the prognosis is a good one. The doctors indicate its a question of when, not if, he'll recover.
Talking with Phil and Tracey made me more aware of how special it is to be a parent. Here we have children, thinking it's our responsibility to raise them, to teach them how to exist in today's world and send them off on their own when they go off to college and beyond....and then continue with our own lives as empty nesters. But it's more than that. They are our flesh and blood and being their parents isn't just a temporary job that ends when they graduate from college and start their own lives. It's a lifelong commitment, regardless of what age they are and what kind of help they require. I think back at what my parents went through for me and am grateful for the guidance, discipline and knowledge they imparted on me (directly, or indirectly, as the case may be) in order for me to arrive where I am in a somewhat unscathed manner. Sure, I had my share of ups and downs and did my share of stupid things, but, as I told Scotty P. all those years ago in that restaurant in Dayton: I always knew I'd turn out good.
I often wonder just how different my life would be had I made just one mistake too many during my misspent youth. Would I be here typing this while sitting in a nice home, in a nice neighborhood, married to a loving and wonderful wife and being the father of two kids? Or would I be somewhere else, with a limited future and be running from place to place, trying to eke out a living? I guess I'll never be able to know these things and am glad that I don't have to find out.
What I do know is that when I visited Philip in the hospital, I couldn't help see myself as an indestructible young man, intent on proving to the world just how indestructible I was. I hope he uses his gift wisely and is able to serve as a message to those like him that we are all vulnerable to making mistakes, regardless of how old we actually are.
I saw pictures that Phil took of the car at the lot. No one should have walked away from that wreck. The passenger door was moved to the center console and the car itself was bent at a 120 degree angle. One picture, taken from the rear looking at the driver's side indicated just how much the car had bent: the front end beyond the passenger compartment was completely out of the picture. It was bent at least three feet from where it should be.
I was thinking on the way to the hospital how lucky he was. Not just to survive the accident, but to be given a second chance at life. Not many people can claim that gift. And while he didn't necessarily walk away from the accident (he's been in ICU for going on 11 days now), not a single bone was broken and there were no major injuries. He had head trauma and was put in a coma, but the prognosis is a good one. The doctors indicate its a question of when, not if, he'll recover.
Talking with Phil and Tracey made me more aware of how special it is to be a parent. Here we have children, thinking it's our responsibility to raise them, to teach them how to exist in today's world and send them off on their own when they go off to college and beyond....and then continue with our own lives as empty nesters. But it's more than that. They are our flesh and blood and being their parents isn't just a temporary job that ends when they graduate from college and start their own lives. It's a lifelong commitment, regardless of what age they are and what kind of help they require. I think back at what my parents went through for me and am grateful for the guidance, discipline and knowledge they imparted on me (directly, or indirectly, as the case may be) in order for me to arrive where I am in a somewhat unscathed manner. Sure, I had my share of ups and downs and did my share of stupid things, but, as I told Scotty P. all those years ago in that restaurant in Dayton: I always knew I'd turn out good.
I often wonder just how different my life would be had I made just one mistake too many during my misspent youth. Would I be here typing this while sitting in a nice home, in a nice neighborhood, married to a loving and wonderful wife and being the father of two kids? Or would I be somewhere else, with a limited future and be running from place to place, trying to eke out a living? I guess I'll never be able to know these things and am glad that I don't have to find out.
What I do know is that when I visited Philip in the hospital, I couldn't help see myself as an indestructible young man, intent on proving to the world just how indestructible I was. I hope he uses his gift wisely and is able to serve as a message to those like him that we are all vulnerable to making mistakes, regardless of how old we actually are.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Day 36 - 03/28/2007
Did the usual mundane things at work (babysat the migration), followed by a quick trip to the grocery store for some ibuprofen for M. She's still running a fever and the Tylenol just doesn't do the trick. D told me we were out of ice cream, so I ventured down the frozen wasteland and, lo and behold, Breyer's was on sale ($1.99 per container). Since we were all out (and we typically have 3-4 kinds at home), I tossed four in the basket and made my way to the registers to check out. However, upon returning home, I found out that there wasn't that much space in the freezer, so I had to make adjustments. I've already taken out the ice bin in the garage fridge, the next step will be taking out the ice maker as well!
Since M still wasn't feeling all that hot (the doc said it was probably viral), D made N his standard fare for dinner: chicken nuggets, french fries and ketchup (yes, he considers ketchup a side dish vs. a condiment). Since that was the case, I hit the trail for a quick run. 2+ miles later I was back with a little pain in the knee (but nothing an ice pack couldn't contain). I walked the first 0.20 miles and then ran the rest of the mile (did that twice) and then after the second mile, just walked the rest of the way home. Even including the walking, both miles were right about 10 minute miles. I was especially surprised w/ the second one as I walked/ran that in about 9:30. I really need to slow it down; I'm going way too fast.
I had promised my mom I'd go over and help her w/ her computer, which wasn't set up properly when they installed FIOS (she recently upgraded to FIOS to get rid of the telephone line going across the family room floor). To hear her tell it, she was going to have to buy a new computer because her old one couldn't run the Internet (or so she was told by three different technicians). As it turned out, all that was necessary was to plug the network cable into the router (it had been plugged into the DSL modem). Ten minutes after arriving, I could've packed it in and headed back home, but no, I had also recommended an external drive for backup purposes. Installing this *should* have been straightforward as it's a USB plug and play device. Plug it in and it should work, right? Wrong. 90 minutes later I'm still struggling with it and finally tossed in the towel. I now have this hanging over me to install and configure since I was the one who recommended it. Hooray for me! Not.
Since M still wasn't feeling all that hot (the doc said it was probably viral), D made N his standard fare for dinner: chicken nuggets, french fries and ketchup (yes, he considers ketchup a side dish vs. a condiment). Since that was the case, I hit the trail for a quick run. 2+ miles later I was back with a little pain in the knee (but nothing an ice pack couldn't contain). I walked the first 0.20 miles and then ran the rest of the mile (did that twice) and then after the second mile, just walked the rest of the way home. Even including the walking, both miles were right about 10 minute miles. I was especially surprised w/ the second one as I walked/ran that in about 9:30. I really need to slow it down; I'm going way too fast.
I had promised my mom I'd go over and help her w/ her computer, which wasn't set up properly when they installed FIOS (she recently upgraded to FIOS to get rid of the telephone line going across the family room floor). To hear her tell it, she was going to have to buy a new computer because her old one couldn't run the Internet (or so she was told by three different technicians). As it turned out, all that was necessary was to plug the network cable into the router (it had been plugged into the DSL modem). Ten minutes after arriving, I could've packed it in and headed back home, but no, I had also recommended an external drive for backup purposes. Installing this *should* have been straightforward as it's a USB plug and play device. Plug it in and it should work, right? Wrong. 90 minutes later I'm still struggling with it and finally tossed in the towel. I now have this hanging over me to install and configure since I was the one who recommended it. Hooray for me! Not.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Day 35 - 03/27/2007
Spring has sprung and the weather is almost approaching early Summer. With that in mind, I decided to ride my bike to work for the first time this year. (I'll also try to do so on Friday, as D drives Tuesday's and Friday's -- or so it's become that way over the past couple of months.) Traffic was light and there were no problems. I left as the same time as Bob Dylan (two doors up) and passed St. Tim's at the same time as he did. Of course, I cut through the woods and through the neighborhood, whereas he went down Stringfellow to Poplar Tree. Still, it's nice to know that we could bike to church and still arrive at the same time (well, D and I could, N and M would probably slow us down). Upon arriving at work, I hit the gym and was in the office by 8a. I left work around 5p and was home at 530p. Again, traffic was a breeze and riding my bike made me feel pretty good, especially as I wove between all the cars stuck on Stonecroft Boulevard. As I passed St. Tim's on my way home, there was a police officer directing traffic. He had just blown his whistle to let the cars out of the parking lot, so I slowed down to stop. Seeing the right thing to do (in my mind, anyway), he told me to keep going. Thanks, Officer Friendly!
I was afraid that the ride would aggrevate my knees, but that wasn't the case, which makes me think that I'm finally on the road to true recovery. Hooray!
I was afraid that the ride would aggrevate my knees, but that wasn't the case, which makes me think that I'm finally on the road to true recovery. Hooray!
Day 34 - 03/26/2007
M had her second softball practice today. She looks like she's going to have a lot of fun this year -- not that she didn't last year, but she appears more confident in her ability. We gave Abby a ride home and saw two deer behind the house next to the pool. Mundane? Monday?
My ear's acting up again. I started on the alcohol treatment and can't wait for it to clear up. When it gets this bad, if I plug my left ear the environment is muffled. It works great when going to bed and D still wants to watch TV, but not so great when I actually want to participate in conversations. Hopefully it'll clear up in the next few days. I'm having a hard time stopping myself from digging around with a Q-Tip, trying to dig out whatever is lodged in there.
I decided to tag not only the day of the entry with the number, but also the date. This will make reading them a little easier in terms of figuring out which day is which.
My ear's acting up again. I started on the alcohol treatment and can't wait for it to clear up. When it gets this bad, if I plug my left ear the environment is muffled. It works great when going to bed and D still wants to watch TV, but not so great when I actually want to participate in conversations. Hopefully it'll clear up in the next few days. I'm having a hard time stopping myself from digging around with a Q-Tip, trying to dig out whatever is lodged in there.
I decided to tag not only the day of the entry with the number, but also the date. This will make reading them a little easier in terms of figuring out which day is which.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Day 33 - 03/25/2007
For the second week in a row, we slept in on a Sunday, finally getting out of bed around 1015a. Bowling (followed by pool at Westfields) was our excuse this week. We decided not to attempt 1045 Mass and instead opted for 1230p. Of course, the mention of going to Mass brought M to her knees and the weekly Sunday tantrum began. For this, she earned time alone in her room after we got home. We had a talk with her and had her draw up an agreement for her expected behavior (and consequences should she fail to follow through) on Sundays with regard to attending Mass. Let's see whether this tactic works over the long haul; I'm sure it'll be fine short-term.
After Mass I took advantage of the beautiful weather and started cleaning up the yard of all the debris that had accumulated over winter. After raking pretty much the entire yard (D helped out on the side w/ the chestnut hulls), I got this wild idea to thatch the front yard. Ugh. I hate that job, it's such a pain in the ass. That being said, it does pay dividends down the road (or so I told myself as I was earning blisters), so in the long run it'll be worth it. Unfortunately, all the yardwork (coupled with M's behavior) caused me to postpone any softball skills sessions with M (or N if he wanted to join in). Maybe we'll break the gear out one night this week.
After yardwork, I took a quick spin on the bike while D got dinner ready. Although I was tired out from spending the afternoon doing the yard work, getting out and pumping the pedals felt great. I was back home in 25 minutes and was ready to tackle the next few hours before I could hit the sack (I was still tired from the night before). Not so fast, however, as first I read Narnia and then we watched Lost (from 3/21) and afterwards, since it was only 915ish, I decided to finish watching the Sopranos episode I still had on Tivo. One thing turned to another and next thing you know I'm watching the second one and not getting to bed until 1115p. So much for turning in early! Oh well, it's not like I have to wake up at the crack of dawn or anything.
After Mass I took advantage of the beautiful weather and started cleaning up the yard of all the debris that had accumulated over winter. After raking pretty much the entire yard (D helped out on the side w/ the chestnut hulls), I got this wild idea to thatch the front yard. Ugh. I hate that job, it's such a pain in the ass. That being said, it does pay dividends down the road (or so I told myself as I was earning blisters), so in the long run it'll be worth it. Unfortunately, all the yardwork (coupled with M's behavior) caused me to postpone any softball skills sessions with M (or N if he wanted to join in). Maybe we'll break the gear out one night this week.
After yardwork, I took a quick spin on the bike while D got dinner ready. Although I was tired out from spending the afternoon doing the yard work, getting out and pumping the pedals felt great. I was back home in 25 minutes and was ready to tackle the next few hours before I could hit the sack (I was still tired from the night before). Not so fast, however, as first I read Narnia and then we watched Lost (from 3/21) and afterwards, since it was only 915ish, I decided to finish watching the Sopranos episode I still had on Tivo. One thing turned to another and next thing you know I'm watching the second one and not getting to bed until 1115p. So much for turning in early! Oh well, it's not like I have to wake up at the crack of dawn or anything.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Day 32 - 03/24/2007
Our contractor showed up to do the trim work around 9a and promptly got started. Since it was a grey day, I thought I'd get a start on some work in the basement. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I got sidetracked and worked in the garage instead. Well, at least some chores got done!
Prior to starting on the garage, I took M and N to Toys R Us to return some birthday presents N got that he already had. Telling a white lie, I told the guy we had lost the gift receipts and he told me I was out of luck, he couldn't do a thing about it. We then went down to Target where I told the same story. The customer service rep told me he could give me store credit , but that I couldn't do more than two transactions w/o a receipt in the course of the year. This was completely understandable and was a great example of smart thinking in that they were protecting themselves from fraudulent returns (e.g., from stolen product being returned) while at the same time not penalizing the customers who truly didn't have the gift receipt but are on the up and up and just want to exchange it for something else.
Anyway, off to the toy aisle we went and got N a new Lego set (the firehouse) and both M and N softball/baseball gear. I also explained that we wouldn't be shopping at Toys R Us for a while due to their short-sighted corporate policy. When M asked me what I meant, I explained that they were trying to reduce the amount of illegitimate returns in order to improve the bottom line (in the short term), but that it would cost them in the long run. As an example, I explained that had we been able to return the Lego to Toys R Us, we would've bought the replacement there as well (which was double what the returns totalled), not to mention possibly getting softball/baseball gear. That shortsighted policy cost them about $100 immediately. I guess they didn't think it through.
After the garage was cleaned, I changed and went for a run w/ M and N on their bikes. We went down the path towards Walney Pond (like N and I did last time), but this time turned around at the end of the trail and headed back home. M had asked if we could stop by Shell Valley on the way back so we made that detour. After searching for (and finding) shells, we headed over to Rock Valley and looked for skipping stones, which we promptly attempted to skip. We also found some sedimentary rocks. I used this as a teaching moment and explained what these types of rock were and how they were made. After finishing my lecture, N tells how one time there was a flood in the creek and the sand came up and washed all the litter down into a big pile and that's how the rocks were made. Well, not quite, but I enjoyed it none-the-less. I then showed them how strong I was by breaking rocks with my bare hands. The jig was up, however, when M did the same. Of course, some sedimentary rocks are very easy to break, I just didn't fill them in on that part.
After we got home, M popped the following question: Da, is F-U-C-K a bad word? Uh, um, uh, go into the living room and I'll be right in. D, I need you to answer a question in the living room. After the three of us were in there, I told D what M asked and she did a great job at explaining it. Of course, I had an answer as well, but nowhere near as good as what D provided. We praised M for asking us about it vs. just keeping it to herself and stressed that there was nothing she couldn't ask us. Hopefully she understands this and does ask us when she feels she needs to get questions to sticky situations vs. going with what her friends tell her. She's a smart cookie, yet she also appears to be easily influenced by her peer group.
Bowling rocked...sort of. We were bowling blind, but heard the team we were matched against did pretty well. We bowled about average (overall), so I'm not sure what that will do for our stats. Only time will tell. DJ Tin Pen started Cosmic Bowling off strong with some good tunes and we kept rocking until it was time to leave. Over at Westfields there must've been a swank wedding as the bar was filled with what appeared to be money-laden individuals. And then there was us: a group of post-bowlers in our grubbiest gear coming straight from the lanes and having a ball. Lots of loaded wedding guests, including a few ladies who definitely had a few too many. The Guinness flowed, but the balls wouldn't drop. Burke and I got our assess handed to us by Chris and Brian before I finally gave up the ghost.
Prior to starting on the garage, I took M and N to Toys R Us to return some birthday presents N got that he already had. Telling a white lie, I told the guy we had lost the gift receipts and he told me I was out of luck, he couldn't do a thing about it. We then went down to Target where I told the same story. The customer service rep told me he could give me store credit , but that I couldn't do more than two transactions w/o a receipt in the course of the year. This was completely understandable and was a great example of smart thinking in that they were protecting themselves from fraudulent returns (e.g., from stolen product being returned) while at the same time not penalizing the customers who truly didn't have the gift receipt but are on the up and up and just want to exchange it for something else.
Anyway, off to the toy aisle we went and got N a new Lego set (the firehouse) and both M and N softball/baseball gear. I also explained that we wouldn't be shopping at Toys R Us for a while due to their short-sighted corporate policy. When M asked me what I meant, I explained that they were trying to reduce the amount of illegitimate returns in order to improve the bottom line (in the short term), but that it would cost them in the long run. As an example, I explained that had we been able to return the Lego to Toys R Us, we would've bought the replacement there as well (which was double what the returns totalled), not to mention possibly getting softball/baseball gear. That shortsighted policy cost them about $100 immediately. I guess they didn't think it through.
After the garage was cleaned, I changed and went for a run w/ M and N on their bikes. We went down the path towards Walney Pond (like N and I did last time), but this time turned around at the end of the trail and headed back home. M had asked if we could stop by Shell Valley on the way back so we made that detour. After searching for (and finding) shells, we headed over to Rock Valley and looked for skipping stones, which we promptly attempted to skip. We also found some sedimentary rocks. I used this as a teaching moment and explained what these types of rock were and how they were made. After finishing my lecture, N tells how one time there was a flood in the creek and the sand came up and washed all the litter down into a big pile and that's how the rocks were made. Well, not quite, but I enjoyed it none-the-less. I then showed them how strong I was by breaking rocks with my bare hands. The jig was up, however, when M did the same. Of course, some sedimentary rocks are very easy to break, I just didn't fill them in on that part.
After we got home, M popped the following question: Da, is F-U-C-K a bad word? Uh, um, uh, go into the living room and I'll be right in. D, I need you to answer a question in the living room. After the three of us were in there, I told D what M asked and she did a great job at explaining it. Of course, I had an answer as well, but nowhere near as good as what D provided. We praised M for asking us about it vs. just keeping it to herself and stressed that there was nothing she couldn't ask us. Hopefully she understands this and does ask us when she feels she needs to get questions to sticky situations vs. going with what her friends tell her. She's a smart cookie, yet she also appears to be easily influenced by her peer group.
Bowling rocked...sort of. We were bowling blind, but heard the team we were matched against did pretty well. We bowled about average (overall), so I'm not sure what that will do for our stats. Only time will tell. DJ Tin Pen started Cosmic Bowling off strong with some good tunes and we kept rocking until it was time to leave. Over at Westfields there must've been a swank wedding as the bar was filled with what appeared to be money-laden individuals. And then there was us: a group of post-bowlers in our grubbiest gear coming straight from the lanes and having a ball. Lots of loaded wedding guests, including a few ladies who definitely had a few too many. The Guinness flowed, but the balls wouldn't drop. Burke and I got our assess handed to us by Chris and Brian before I finally gave up the ghost.
Day 31 - 03/23/2007
M started softball today and I was pretty impressed with her enthusiasm. It's much better than it was last year (her first year playing). I'm not sure if it's because she's a year older or knows how to play, but it was nice to see. She threw and caught the ball as if she'd been practicing all year long (which she hasn't), although her batting skills still need some practice (which didn't surprise me at all).
After practice we (M, N and I) went to Sarah's play. Her class put on "Where the Wild Things Are" -- well, at least their version of it. It lasted all of 15 minutes (if that). She was Pippi Longstocking and had quite the moves when they danced around the stage. The next play was "The Case of the Missing Ring," which was a spoof on all-things mysterious -- movies, plays and even board games. Most of the cast did a pretty good job, although there were a few that showed their age. My favorite part of the show as when the sheriff (a bumbling, country bumpkin) and his dog were approached by a detective who asked if the sheriff's dog bite. Of course the sheriff answered no and the detective was promptly bitten. Of course, the dog the sheriff was walking wasn't his dog. I think I laughed the loudest in the entire theatre. I really should rent the Pink Panther movies. Peter Sellers was classic in them. The final play was a take on the first day of school for a group of seventh graders. It was well done, but - in some cases - appeared to be over the top. Most of the cast tried their best, though, so from that angle it was enjoyable. We left before the fourth play was performed. It was late and I knew we had a 35-40 minute ride ahead of us to make it home. (I was able to make it there in just about 30 minutes, but I wasn't planning on speeding as much as I did on the way there -- much to my surprise.)
After practice we (M, N and I) went to Sarah's play. Her class put on "Where the Wild Things Are" -- well, at least their version of it. It lasted all of 15 minutes (if that). She was Pippi Longstocking and had quite the moves when they danced around the stage. The next play was "The Case of the Missing Ring," which was a spoof on all-things mysterious -- movies, plays and even board games. Most of the cast did a pretty good job, although there were a few that showed their age. My favorite part of the show as when the sheriff (a bumbling, country bumpkin) and his dog were approached by a detective who asked if the sheriff's dog bite. Of course the sheriff answered no and the detective was promptly bitten. Of course, the dog the sheriff was walking wasn't his dog. I think I laughed the loudest in the entire theatre. I really should rent the Pink Panther movies. Peter Sellers was classic in them. The final play was a take on the first day of school for a group of seventh graders. It was well done, but - in some cases - appeared to be over the top. Most of the cast tried their best, though, so from that angle it was enjoyable. We left before the fourth play was performed. It was late and I knew we had a 35-40 minute ride ahead of us to make it home. (I was able to make it there in just about 30 minutes, but I wasn't planning on speeding as much as I did on the way there -- much to my surprise.)
Friday, March 23, 2007
Day 30 - 03/22/2007
Pain free. All day. And that's that with that.
Picked N up from school yesterday as D went down to visit Philip in the hospital. As usual, he wouldn't talk about what happened during the school day and his teacher said there was no news -- good or bad. (Although she did say that he'll be great in kindergarten.)
Stopped by Boston Market for dinner for both the Ericksons and ourselves. D didn't partake as she was heading to Maria's for dinner. N was served macaroni and cheese, a couple of green beans and a chunk of chicken. Neither the green beans nor the chicken were touched. I didn't give in though, even after he balked at eating the mac-n-cheese (it had dirt on it or something). Oh well, if you don't eat what you're served, you can always have breakfast in the morning!
A call came from Attorney General Kilgore after I put the kids to bed. They were having a town hall style conference call to discuss some of the topics of interest to Virginia residents. I listened for about 10 minutes to a couple of the answers, but when the topic turned towards what he was going to do for seniors, I hung up. The first question had to do with immigration. As I figured, he said it was a federal issue and (by law) he was unable to do much about it. The second had to do with money for transportation. He indicated he would try to speak with Gov. Kaine regarding doing the right thing (e.g., taking out of the general fund that's been growing over the years due to budget surpluses...or so he says). This follows on to a call from Sen. Cuccinelli asking for my support come election time. I hope that what Mike (the guy from Cuccinelli's office) said turns out to be accurate in that the rest of the state will feel the heat once redistricting takes place and NoVA/Hampton Roads become the majority in the General Assembly. I'm tired of paying money downstate to see no services and/or money returned for local expenditures.
As for mundane things, I ate leftovers for lunch (in the form of a taco salad) after picking N up from school, I watched The Last Days that I had Tivo'd a few nights earlier (about 7 possible ways humanity will become extinct) and some of The Sopranos (again, Tivo'd). Then D came home and we went to bed (where I quickly lapsed into a good night's sleep).
Picked N up from school yesterday as D went down to visit Philip in the hospital. As usual, he wouldn't talk about what happened during the school day and his teacher said there was no news -- good or bad. (Although she did say that he'll be great in kindergarten.)
Stopped by Boston Market for dinner for both the Ericksons and ourselves. D didn't partake as she was heading to Maria's for dinner. N was served macaroni and cheese, a couple of green beans and a chunk of chicken. Neither the green beans nor the chicken were touched. I didn't give in though, even after he balked at eating the mac-n-cheese (it had dirt on it or something). Oh well, if you don't eat what you're served, you can always have breakfast in the morning!
A call came from Attorney General Kilgore after I put the kids to bed. They were having a town hall style conference call to discuss some of the topics of interest to Virginia residents. I listened for about 10 minutes to a couple of the answers, but when the topic turned towards what he was going to do for seniors, I hung up. The first question had to do with immigration. As I figured, he said it was a federal issue and (by law) he was unable to do much about it. The second had to do with money for transportation. He indicated he would try to speak with Gov. Kaine regarding doing the right thing (e.g., taking out of the general fund that's been growing over the years due to budget surpluses...or so he says). This follows on to a call from Sen. Cuccinelli asking for my support come election time. I hope that what Mike (the guy from Cuccinelli's office) said turns out to be accurate in that the rest of the state will feel the heat once redistricting takes place and NoVA/Hampton Roads become the majority in the General Assembly. I'm tired of paying money downstate to see no services and/or money returned for local expenditures.
As for mundane things, I ate leftovers for lunch (in the form of a taco salad) after picking N up from school, I watched The Last Days that I had Tivo'd a few nights earlier (about 7 possible ways humanity will become extinct) and some of The Sopranos (again, Tivo'd). Then D came home and we went to bed (where I quickly lapsed into a good night's sleep).
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Day 29 - 03/21/2007
No rehab, no running, no gym, no exercise...except for the nightly stretching. For the most part, my knee felt great, until I read Narnia to the kids afterwhich it ached in a low-level kind of way.
Speaking of Narnia, the kids love it and really look forward to hearing it on a (somewhat) nightly basis. If I miss a night or two, they think I need to read more to catch up. Hopefully I can find another book to read them after this one that's just as good at keeping them interested. Hopefully it'll be one that I haven't read as well to keep me interested to boot! ~lol~
For lunch we did CCR. For the second month in a row, I was the first one pulled. Fear the Clear, baby! We went to Longhorn and Bales ended up paying again. It just wasn't his day. His wearing the sombrero caused lots of looks from other patrons, one of whom asked him why he was wearing the hat (she thought he lost a bet or something). After he explained it to her, she invited him to her poker party, to which Dave responded: Are you calling me a sucker? No, she said, you're a loser! She turned out to be correct as he indeed lost the game (for the second month in a row).
And did you know that at Longhorn a bowl of chili only costs 30¢ more than the cup of chili? What's up with that?!?
Speaking of Narnia, the kids love it and really look forward to hearing it on a (somewhat) nightly basis. If I miss a night or two, they think I need to read more to catch up. Hopefully I can find another book to read them after this one that's just as good at keeping them interested. Hopefully it'll be one that I haven't read as well to keep me interested to boot! ~lol~
For lunch we did CCR. For the second month in a row, I was the first one pulled. Fear the Clear, baby! We went to Longhorn and Bales ended up paying again. It just wasn't his day. His wearing the sombrero caused lots of looks from other patrons, one of whom asked him why he was wearing the hat (she thought he lost a bet or something). After he explained it to her, she invited him to her poker party, to which Dave responded: Are you calling me a sucker? No, she said, you're a loser! She turned out to be correct as he indeed lost the game (for the second month in a row).
And did you know that at Longhorn a bowl of chili only costs 30¢ more than the cup of chili? What's up with that?!?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Day 28 - 03/20/2007
Graduated from rehab. (That's what they call it when you finish the sessions your insurance company has authorized, whether you're cured or not.) Fortunately, I'm on the road to recovery and (coincidently enough) just happened to be on the last session that was authorized as well. So, how do I feel? Like a million bucks. It's been a long, long time since I was able to walk around with NO discomfort whatsoever in my knee. On this day, that's exactly what I experienced.
I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. Whenever I got up, I thought the pain would be there, but it never reared its head. Am I healed? I don't think I'm 100% (maybe 98%), but only time will tell.
To celebrate my graduation, I dipped into the ice cream not once but twice. I couldn't help myself. Something about orange sherbert that makes you just not want to stop - especially once it's started to liquify and it's like drinking orange sherbert juice.
Among the more mundane things that happened today included going into the office early to make up for leaving early for rehab; showing up for library duty at school only to find out a volunteer luncheon is being held instead and that my services weren't needed; we had chicken pot pie for dinner and N took a cold bath (which reminds me I need to adjust the water heater as drawing two baths at night is enough to run out of water).
I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. Whenever I got up, I thought the pain would be there, but it never reared its head. Am I healed? I don't think I'm 100% (maybe 98%), but only time will tell.
To celebrate my graduation, I dipped into the ice cream not once but twice. I couldn't help myself. Something about orange sherbert that makes you just not want to stop - especially once it's started to liquify and it's like drinking orange sherbert juice.
Among the more mundane things that happened today included going into the office early to make up for leaving early for rehab; showing up for library duty at school only to find out a volunteer luncheon is being held instead and that my services weren't needed; we had chicken pot pie for dinner and N took a cold bath (which reminds me I need to adjust the water heater as drawing two baths at night is enough to run out of water).
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Day 27 - 03/19/2007
Nothing says good morning like N sneaking up on you before you even get out of bed. What a way to start out the day!
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Day 26 - 03/18/2007
Woke up, at around noon, knew I had to be in Compton soon, had to get....wait, that's not what happened. (Well, I did wake up, but it was around 1030a vs. noon.)
Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my....no, that's not it either.
Well, with the kids down in Fred for the night and our late night escapades, niether D nor I woke up at the crack of dawn. The crack of 1030a was more like it. I told D that I wished it was 930a and when she asked why, I told her it was so I could sleep in another hour.
I dragged myself into the shower to wash off the remnants of last night. Surprisingly, I felt pretty good (I say surprisingly since as we were getting ready to go, a couple shooters made their way down my gullet). We headed down to pick the kids up around noon and after a quick visit, were back on the road around 2p. M had a Brownie event at 330p and N had a birthday to go to at 4p, so we didn't have much wiggle room. Fortunately traffic was moving (although it was heavy) and we made it home just in time for M to grab her vest before leaving again to drop her off.
Before leaving to pick the kids up, I spied the leftover biscuits on the microwave from the other night. Being sort of hungry (I hadn't had breakfast yet), yet still feeling the effects from the night before, I decided I should make some ham and cheese biscuits. I cut each of the three in half and put some ham on them before placing them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. I then got some chipotle cheddar and put that on top of the ham and put them back in the oven for a couple more minutes. When they were done, I spread some chipotle mustard on them and took a bite. Wow. They were muy delicioso! The bread was nice and soft and moist and the ham was just the right temperature and the cheese had melted just the right amount. I'll have to remember that next time we have leftover biscuits!
D took N over to the birthday party (at Chuck E. Cheese's); I met them up there later after picking up M from Brownies and we hung there for a while until all tokens were consumed. There was no kicking and screaming to leave like there was last time, which was good for me as I was running on fumes. (D left to go visit with Maria at Arlington Hospital where her mother is in ICU after having a stroke.) We got home and played trains a little until bath time. Being the lazy guy that I sometimes can be, I stopped playing trains and let M and N play for a little while longer before sending them up for a bath (again, while I read the paper).
Bathtime came and went and after they got ready for bed, we settled in for a chapter of Narnia, afterwhich songs were sung (Promised Land, Me and Bobby McGee and Ripple...how's that for sweet lullabyes?) and the kids were put to bed. As usual, N went down as quiet as ever and, as usual, M is still up there whimpering that she misses her mommy (D is still at the hospital) and that she can't sleep and yada yada yada. What I wouldn't give for her to start going to bed like her brother on a more regular basis. Admittedly, she has improved since I let her in on the secret of just saying "OK" when told that it was time for lights out. The secret is that she has the green light to finish reading the chapter, page, sentence, whatever it is that she was going to ask to finish, but that the lights should be out within the next five minutes. Giving her that little bit of self-authorization has led to much better vibes around the house come bedtime.
Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my....no, that's not it either.
Well, with the kids down in Fred for the night and our late night escapades, niether D nor I woke up at the crack of dawn. The crack of 1030a was more like it. I told D that I wished it was 930a and when she asked why, I told her it was so I could sleep in another hour.
I dragged myself into the shower to wash off the remnants of last night. Surprisingly, I felt pretty good (I say surprisingly since as we were getting ready to go, a couple shooters made their way down my gullet). We headed down to pick the kids up around noon and after a quick visit, were back on the road around 2p. M had a Brownie event at 330p and N had a birthday to go to at 4p, so we didn't have much wiggle room. Fortunately traffic was moving (although it was heavy) and we made it home just in time for M to grab her vest before leaving again to drop her off.
Before leaving to pick the kids up, I spied the leftover biscuits on the microwave from the other night. Being sort of hungry (I hadn't had breakfast yet), yet still feeling the effects from the night before, I decided I should make some ham and cheese biscuits. I cut each of the three in half and put some ham on them before placing them in the toaster oven for a few minutes. I then got some chipotle cheddar and put that on top of the ham and put them back in the oven for a couple more minutes. When they were done, I spread some chipotle mustard on them and took a bite. Wow. They were muy delicioso! The bread was nice and soft and moist and the ham was just the right temperature and the cheese had melted just the right amount. I'll have to remember that next time we have leftover biscuits!
D took N over to the birthday party (at Chuck E. Cheese's); I met them up there later after picking up M from Brownies and we hung there for a while until all tokens were consumed. There was no kicking and screaming to leave like there was last time, which was good for me as I was running on fumes. (D left to go visit with Maria at Arlington Hospital where her mother is in ICU after having a stroke.) We got home and played trains a little until bath time. Being the lazy guy that I sometimes can be, I stopped playing trains and let M and N play for a little while longer before sending them up for a bath (again, while I read the paper).
Bathtime came and went and after they got ready for bed, we settled in for a chapter of Narnia, afterwhich songs were sung (Promised Land, Me and Bobby McGee and Ripple...how's that for sweet lullabyes?) and the kids were put to bed. As usual, N went down as quiet as ever and, as usual, M is still up there whimpering that she misses her mommy (D is still at the hospital) and that she can't sleep and yada yada yada. What I wouldn't give for her to start going to bed like her brother on a more regular basis. Admittedly, she has improved since I let her in on the secret of just saying "OK" when told that it was time for lights out. The secret is that she has the green light to finish reading the chapter, page, sentence, whatever it is that she was going to ask to finish, but that the lights should be out within the next five minutes. Giving her that little bit of self-authorization has led to much better vibes around the house come bedtime.
Day 25 - 03/17/2007
The St. Tim's fun fair was cancelled due to icy conditions in the parking lot. Instead, we went to the Poplar Tree fun fair. It turned out to be fine as M and N had just as much fun and we only stayed for an hour or so before heading back home (in the wind chilled air) to meet Doug, Nancy and Michael. (The kids were spending the night down there so D and I could go to Donna's party and not worry about the repercussions the next day.)
After we got home (and before D's folks got here), I went for a run. Five minute walk (~1/3 mile) followed by about four minutes of running (~2/3 mile). Repeat. My knee felt pretty good, but after I got home, I whacked it against a cabinet knob and that was all it needed. Hopefully it'll subside over the day so it's not bothersome during the party. I imagine there will be lots of craziness all around.
The party was a blast. Dancing, live music, pool, Foosball, food, beverages, incriminating pictures, jokes on the deck, party-goers taking off their clothes (well, an underskirt, but...). What more could you want? I wonder how Donna and Charlie felt the next day? Neither one were feeling any pain during the party, that's for sure!
After we got home (and before D's folks got here), I went for a run. Five minute walk (~1/3 mile) followed by about four minutes of running (~2/3 mile). Repeat. My knee felt pretty good, but after I got home, I whacked it against a cabinet knob and that was all it needed. Hopefully it'll subside over the day so it's not bothersome during the party. I imagine there will be lots of craziness all around.
The party was a blast. Dancing, live music, pool, Foosball, food, beverages, incriminating pictures, jokes on the deck, party-goers taking off their clothes (well, an underskirt, but...). What more could you want? I wonder how Donna and Charlie felt the next day? Neither one were feeling any pain during the party, that's for sure!
Friday, March 16, 2007
Day 24 - 03/16/2007
The spring like weather left us last night and we woke up to rain, which turned to freezing rain, sleet and then snow throughout the day. So much for a warm weekend. Since I went in early (which I'm wont to do on Fridays), I left around 4p to go to the gym. For some reason they were closed. No advanced notice or note on the door, so who knows what's going on. Since I didn't get my workout in on Tuesday, I was sort of bummed, but at least I'll shoot for a run tomorrow (weather permitting).
I came home from work (in the freezing rain/sleet) and played Life instead. Before sitting down to play, I hit the basement and got a start at the weekend organization. I moved some Christmas decorations into a portico under the front hallway and rearranged some other stuff. Spying the cases of beer in the corner, I grabbed two bottles of homebrew and put them in the fridge for later on.
We played Life and D was tech support. We've decided that whoever is tech support will win, since they get $50k whenever someone skews the spinner, which happens quite often. Sure enough, she won. M and I didn't even bother going to Millionaire Estates as we both knew we didn't have anywhere near enough money to challenge her. Oh well, maybe next time.
Fast forward to after the kids are in bed and I decide to call my mom to help fix her printing issues. We (somehow) resolved those rather quickly and the conversation turned to clutter and the emotional duress it puts you under. The conversation was actually pleasant so I didn't push too hard on what she needs to do with the basement. After our conversation, I opened on of the beers that was chilling from earlier. Not so good -- down the drain it went. I opened the second one and found it to be just a little better. However, a little better than "tastes like crap" isn't too mouth-watering so I poured that one down the drain as well. I went out in the garage and was about to grab the Smithwick's Ale when I spied a beer Uncle Jim brewed for Aunt Ann for her retirement. Seeing as it's only been a few years, I figured that wouldn't be bad, so I brought that in and opened it up. Surprise, surprise, surprise! Very, very nice!
I came home from work (in the freezing rain/sleet) and played Life instead. Before sitting down to play, I hit the basement and got a start at the weekend organization. I moved some Christmas decorations into a portico under the front hallway and rearranged some other stuff. Spying the cases of beer in the corner, I grabbed two bottles of homebrew and put them in the fridge for later on.
We played Life and D was tech support. We've decided that whoever is tech support will win, since they get $50k whenever someone skews the spinner, which happens quite often. Sure enough, she won. M and I didn't even bother going to Millionaire Estates as we both knew we didn't have anywhere near enough money to challenge her. Oh well, maybe next time.
Fast forward to after the kids are in bed and I decide to call my mom to help fix her printing issues. We (somehow) resolved those rather quickly and the conversation turned to clutter and the emotional duress it puts you under. The conversation was actually pleasant so I didn't push too hard on what she needs to do with the basement. After our conversation, I opened on of the beers that was chilling from earlier. Not so good -- down the drain it went. I opened the second one and found it to be just a little better. However, a little better than "tastes like crap" isn't too mouth-watering so I poured that one down the drain as well. I went out in the garage and was about to grab the Smithwick's Ale when I spied a beer Uncle Jim brewed for Aunt Ann for her retirement. Seeing as it's only been a few years, I figured that wouldn't be bad, so I brought that in and opened it up. Surprise, surprise, surprise! Very, very nice!
Day 23 - 03/15/2007
Had rehab again. Started out great, but left with discomfort. I made the mistake of telling Tia I was nearing the end, but of course overdid it and was left wondering whether I am done. That begin said, as the day went on, the discomfort subsided and, after I did my evening stretches, went away entirely. Good. Next Tuesday may be the last session (I also have one scheduled for next Thursday). We'll see how I do on my run this weekend before I know for sure.
In keeping with our intention of spending less money, I altered our car insurance to remove the comprehensive collision insurance on the Altima. It's coming up on 10 years old, so I would imagine that any serious type of damage that it might sustain in a wreck (where I was at fault) would far exceed the cost of the car and it would be considered totaled. By doing this, we were able to save $360 per year ($30/month). Add that to the $10 per month (estimated) we'll be saving from getting the employee discount w/ Verizon Wireless and we've already lopped off $40 in monthly expenses. Hooray! Next up on the list of things to change is satellite...egads -- did I just say that out loud?!? ~LOL~
We had some yummy pork chops for dinner. Pork chops and appleshawsh is actually what we had (but only if said like Peter Brady in that one Brady Bunch episode). And once one of us says it this way, the entire house breaks out in our best imitations. It's quite funny, especially to hear M & N do their version of it.
I was hoping the Office would be on after a few weeks off the air, but it wasn't. They're still running repeats, so we watched a couple of Rick Steves' Europe shows. Why is it that they're only aired during membership drives? I can always tell we're in the middle of fundraising season by what's airing (e.g., Charlie Pond, Suze Orman, Rick Steves or music from years ago). Thank goodness for Tivo.
In keeping with our intention of spending less money, I altered our car insurance to remove the comprehensive collision insurance on the Altima. It's coming up on 10 years old, so I would imagine that any serious type of damage that it might sustain in a wreck (where I was at fault) would far exceed the cost of the car and it would be considered totaled. By doing this, we were able to save $360 per year ($30/month). Add that to the $10 per month (estimated) we'll be saving from getting the employee discount w/ Verizon Wireless and we've already lopped off $40 in monthly expenses. Hooray! Next up on the list of things to change is satellite...egads -- did I just say that out loud?!? ~LOL~
We had some yummy pork chops for dinner. Pork chops and appleshawsh is actually what we had (but only if said like Peter Brady in that one Brady Bunch episode). And once one of us says it this way, the entire house breaks out in our best imitations. It's quite funny, especially to hear M & N do their version of it.
I was hoping the Office would be on after a few weeks off the air, but it wasn't. They're still running repeats, so we watched a couple of Rick Steves' Europe shows. Why is it that they're only aired during membership drives? I can always tell we're in the middle of fundraising season by what's airing (e.g., Charlie Pond, Suze Orman, Rick Steves or music from years ago). Thank goodness for Tivo.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Day 22 - 03/14/2007
Ran today and felt great. No pain in the knees (although there was some in the shin) for either the first 0.5 mile or the last ~0.6 (I did a total of 1.72 w/ a 0.3 mile walk to start and a 0.3 mile walk between the two runs per my therapy plan). I got home and iced it and will do some stretching in a bit. That light I saw the other day may in fact be the end of the tunnel. I am so looking forward to being able to run again. I would love to do another marathon, but if that's not possible, even being able to run five miles would be fine with me!
M still isn't done with her homework. Bedtime is typically around 8p (with books and songs she's up until around 845p). It's now going on 9p and she still hasn't gotten her pajamas on. Her stalling tactics are improving. I countered tonight's tactic by telling her she can't play outside (or inside) until she gets her homework done when she gets home from school. We'll see how long that lasts.
The weather looks like it'll be changing back to more seasonal temps soon. We've been experiencing temps in the 60s and 70s, which has made the middle of March a lot more pleasant than it typically is. Not to worry, however, I'm sure there's some bad weather coming our way. Hopefully we don't get any real bad storms this Spring. It's been a few years since we've had anything major, so maybe we're due (knock on wood that we're not).
Mundane items of interest include spaghetti for dinner with a side of garlic bread; lentil soup for lunch (with cashews and an apple -- the orange looked funky so it ended up in the trash) and a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Saw a woman cutting her hair in her car on the way to work this morning. I'm not sure why I was surprised about it, I mean, the car is the home away from home, right?
M still isn't done with her homework. Bedtime is typically around 8p (with books and songs she's up until around 845p). It's now going on 9p and she still hasn't gotten her pajamas on. Her stalling tactics are improving. I countered tonight's tactic by telling her she can't play outside (or inside) until she gets her homework done when she gets home from school. We'll see how long that lasts.
The weather looks like it'll be changing back to more seasonal temps soon. We've been experiencing temps in the 60s and 70s, which has made the middle of March a lot more pleasant than it typically is. Not to worry, however, I'm sure there's some bad weather coming our way. Hopefully we don't get any real bad storms this Spring. It's been a few years since we've had anything major, so maybe we're due (knock on wood that we're not).
Mundane items of interest include spaghetti for dinner with a side of garlic bread; lentil soup for lunch (with cashews and an apple -- the orange looked funky so it ended up in the trash) and a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Saw a woman cutting her hair in her car on the way to work this morning. I'm not sure why I was surprised about it, I mean, the car is the home away from home, right?
Day 21 - 03/13/2007
Had rehab. Based on the information I provided regarding my knee, Tia decided not to tape my knee and told me to head out for a run before my next appointment (Thursday). I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel, let's just hope it's not a train heading my way!
Since M wasn't feeling all that great and they spent the afternoon outside, D got a late start on dinner. I wasn't all that hungry anyway, so I opted out and was going to have cereal until I got an itch for eggs. I diced some potatoes and onions and sauteed them, adding some asparagus at the end. As a side (main dish?), I made an omelet and added some parmesan cheese. Yum. There's some extra in the fridge that I might have for lunch later this week (or dinner if D isn't in the mood to cook again).
We finally saw last week's Lost. D's losing the love and thought it was filler. I enjoyed it, although you have to wonder about Locke's intelligence at times. Or for that matter, the inability for ANY of the survivors to share information and/or ask questions. For that reason I can see why it turns people off. I'm looking forward to this week's episode.
Since M wasn't feeling all that great and they spent the afternoon outside, D got a late start on dinner. I wasn't all that hungry anyway, so I opted out and was going to have cereal until I got an itch for eggs. I diced some potatoes and onions and sauteed them, adding some asparagus at the end. As a side (main dish?), I made an omelet and added some parmesan cheese. Yum. There's some extra in the fridge that I might have for lunch later this week (or dinner if D isn't in the mood to cook again).
We finally saw last week's Lost. D's losing the love and thought it was filler. I enjoyed it, although you have to wonder about Locke's intelligence at times. Or for that matter, the inability for ANY of the survivors to share information and/or ask questions. For that reason I can see why it turns people off. I'm looking forward to this week's episode.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Day 20 - 03/12/2007
Slept in yesterday. The alarm went off at 640a and I crawled out of bed around 735a, went down the hall to wake M and N and then hit the shower. I'm guessing it was a mix of a lack of sleep over the weekend and the shift to DST. N didn't want to go to school and we were going to let him stay home as he's still a little sick (and it's preschool), but at the last minute, he changed his mind. He got dressed in a flurry and out the door we went. That being said, M was still grousing that N made us late (it was the first time she's EVER been late for school), even though she was still inside while he and I were in the car.
I think I passed the test I mentioned yesterday. My knee felt pretty good all day long and if I can keep this up, I'll be happy. My next rehab appointment will include me running on the treadmill w/ my knee taped to see if I can run pain free. If so, I'm beginning to think the end is near. Oh, the joy that brings me if I can only run the trails again! How I've missed running through ECL, especially up by the Visitor's Center. Just you and nature (and the sound of the traffic on 28 and the planes on approach to Dulles flying overhead). I can't wait.
The painters finished up the basement and it looks much different. There's now color and warmth and...that new paint smell. That will subside, yes, I'm aware of that, but now we need to get stuff on the walls. It looks so barren down there. We also need to tackle the bathroom as it really doesn't look nice compared with the rest of the basement. That's on the list of Spring chores to do, just like cleaning out the basement. One thing that keeps me from wanting to do chores like that is my knee. Whenever I do work around the house that requires stooping, bending, pushing, whatever, my knee starts to ache and I lose steam. Popping Advil will help alleviate the pain, but not the mental pain that I experience knowing that I'm not well yet. Alright, enough with the self-pity.
And now for some mundane items: refilled my prescription (but still need to pick it up); picked up N's jacket from Lori's (where he had left it when he and D went over in the afternoon); went to the gym for 30 minutes on the bike (but didn't lift as I got dizzy from what I'm guessing was low blood sugar); put the basement back together; watched a hokie documentary on the moon landing conspiracy and then went to bed around 10p. Like I said, mundane details about the day.
I think I passed the test I mentioned yesterday. My knee felt pretty good all day long and if I can keep this up, I'll be happy. My next rehab appointment will include me running on the treadmill w/ my knee taped to see if I can run pain free. If so, I'm beginning to think the end is near. Oh, the joy that brings me if I can only run the trails again! How I've missed running through ECL, especially up by the Visitor's Center. Just you and nature (and the sound of the traffic on 28 and the planes on approach to Dulles flying overhead). I can't wait.
The painters finished up the basement and it looks much different. There's now color and warmth and...that new paint smell. That will subside, yes, I'm aware of that, but now we need to get stuff on the walls. It looks so barren down there. We also need to tackle the bathroom as it really doesn't look nice compared with the rest of the basement. That's on the list of Spring chores to do, just like cleaning out the basement. One thing that keeps me from wanting to do chores like that is my knee. Whenever I do work around the house that requires stooping, bending, pushing, whatever, my knee starts to ache and I lose steam. Popping Advil will help alleviate the pain, but not the mental pain that I experience knowing that I'm not well yet. Alright, enough with the self-pity.
And now for some mundane items: refilled my prescription (but still need to pick it up); picked up N's jacket from Lori's (where he had left it when he and D went over in the afternoon); went to the gym for 30 minutes on the bike (but didn't lift as I got dizzy from what I'm guessing was low blood sugar); put the basement back together; watched a hokie documentary on the moon landing conspiracy and then went to bed around 10p. Like I said, mundane details about the day.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Day 19 - 03/11/2007
Ran with N down to the pond. Well, not all the way and he rode his bike. I felt pretty good yesterday after Friday's ski outing and felt I could test it better by hitting the trail today. I walked about 0.5 mile and then ran about the same. The first part felt pretty darn good. (I actually ran 0.25 yesterday as well, but that was to help N get home when he scratched his hand on the stick.) I then walked a bit, helping N get through some of the tougher parts of the trail where there were puddles. (Should he ever decide to remove his training wheels, he could go through them by himself!)
We finally got to the pond and did a slow lap around it. N wanted to get in the creek, but actually listened to me. We finally made it back to his bike and started heading back home. On the way we came across a side trail that he decided he wanted to investigate. He started riding up the hill and I ran alongside him. Not good. Apparently running up hill is more aggrevating than running on a somewhat level surface. Halfway up I decided to walk the rest of the way and ended up walking about 0.75 miles before I started up again.
Overall, I felt pretty good. Later on I got on the bike for a quick ride over to the pool with M and N and the Craig girls. The knee still felt good, so maybe I'm finally on the road to recovery. The true test, however, won't be until tomorrow, so maybe I shouldn't be posting this. We'll see.
The painter starts tomorrow on the basement. While I don't like the idea of paying someone what I could do in a week, I also don't relish the fact that it would take me a week to paint the basement. Not that it would be that difficult, it's just all the trim work. I'd be sore for quite some time. Oh well, at least it'll be done and then there'll only be three rooms left in the house to paint (which I should be able to tackle over the course of the next few months). Suprisingly enough, both D and I picked out the same color from the samples that I put up! Hooray!
We finally got to the pond and did a slow lap around it. N wanted to get in the creek, but actually listened to me. We finally made it back to his bike and started heading back home. On the way we came across a side trail that he decided he wanted to investigate. He started riding up the hill and I ran alongside him. Not good. Apparently running up hill is more aggrevating than running on a somewhat level surface. Halfway up I decided to walk the rest of the way and ended up walking about 0.75 miles before I started up again.
Overall, I felt pretty good. Later on I got on the bike for a quick ride over to the pool with M and N and the Craig girls. The knee still felt good, so maybe I'm finally on the road to recovery. The true test, however, won't be until tomorrow, so maybe I shouldn't be posting this. We'll see.
The painter starts tomorrow on the basement. While I don't like the idea of paying someone what I could do in a week, I also don't relish the fact that it would take me a week to paint the basement. Not that it would be that difficult, it's just all the trim work. I'd be sore for quite some time. Oh well, at least it'll be done and then there'll only be three rooms left in the house to paint (which I should be able to tackle over the course of the next few months). Suprisingly enough, both D and I picked out the same color from the samples that I put up! Hooray!
Day 18 - 03/10/2007
Started Spring off right by getting the crabgrass shield down. I still have the mulch to get out; maybe I'll get to that Sunday afternoon (weather permitting). Afterwards I took M, N and Sarah to the playground where they let off some energy. Wanting to do something else, I suggested we go see the car in the woods (yes, not very exciting to you and me, but to a kid it's a whole 'nother story!). Since you really can't get to it in the summer due to all the undergrowth, I decided to investigate it. Into the woods I went and N followed along. On the way back out he tripped and cut his finger on a branch. He was pretty good about it until we got within sight of home, when he started crying. Once inside he locked himself in the bathroom until D could coax him out and get it cleaned off.
Oh yeah, and instead of donating unwanted stuff to Goodwill, my mom ships it to me for me to donate (or toss out, as the case may be). Yeah, like I really need to know how to fix a record player. This is 2006, not 1986!
Oh yeah, and instead of donating unwanted stuff to Goodwill, my mom ships it to me for me to donate (or toss out, as the case may be). Yeah, like I really need to know how to fix a record player. This is 2006, not 1986!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Day 17 - 03/09/2007
Skiing was a blast. We got there around 1130a and by the time we got our equipment and lift tickets it was past the hour so we missed the first opportunity for a lesson. With that in mind, we went on the Launching Pad (sort of like a moving sidewalk, but on snow) and I tried to teach M the fundamentals of skiing. I quickly found out that this wasn't going to succeed so after a few runs, we sought out the instructors to get that lesson.
At Whitetail, there's a ski-school element that looks to be pretty successful. All day long classes are held on a ski-up basis (for those who've purchased the lessons). The classes are 1-3 skiers per instructor, giving the students a great chance to be singled out during the lesson.
M was a bit concerned on the drive up that she was going to be taking a lesson, because lessons were for babies. I tried to explain to her that beginners in any subject, no matter how old they were, needed to take lessons in order to be successful. Apparently something clicked (or maybe it was the snow and seeing bigger kids taking lessons) and she was more than willing to go with the instructor on her own. She and an 18 year old girl made up her class and the fact that the girl was in college really impressed her. I'm guessing she realized that what I was saying was true and she made the most of it. On the way home she said that the favorite part of her day was the lesson.
After she finished up the lesson, we hit the easy trails a few times and then stopped for lunch. Afterwards, seeing how good she was on the easy slopes, I suggested we head higher. The first run down she did great. Nice easy turns and then she started heading down hill...fast. She slowed herself down and stopped and then did the same thing again. This time she went the rest of the way down the slope. Wow. I was quite impressed. When asked if she wanted to do it again, she immediately answered "Yes!" So we did it again, but the outcome couldn't have been any different.
I guess the second time at the top, she realized how high up she was and saw how long the slope was and I think it spooked her. It was also a wee bit more crowded, so maybe that had something to do with it. Regardless of why, she no longer had the confidence she had before and before long she crashed. I righted her and we started back down whereupon she crashed...again. That was it. She was bawling about how she didn't want to ski anymore and here we were halfway up the mountain. (Mountain in the Mid-Atlantic sense that there's about 900+ feet vertical between the top and the bottom.) It was this crash that gave her one of the nastiest bruises I've seen in quite some time. I'm sure it's going to hurt for a week...at the very least. I had to buddy ski her down the rest of the way, having her hold on to my poles as I snowplowed down the trail. (This was after I tried to hold her hand, which worked going side to side, but not in the turns.)
Not wanting this to be the last memory of the day, I sold her on the idea of hitting the easy slopes again. We did and she skied like there was no tomorrow and we stayed on the easy slopes for the rest of the day. She gained back whatever confidence she lost and was soon not only going up the lift by herself, she also went down the mountain by herself.
We got home around 940 and she crashed hard. Surprisingly enough (or not, considering she put forth a lot of energy yesterday), she's still asleep 12 hours later.
All in all it was a great day (the foray up to the blue squares notwithstanding). On the way home, she missed her geegee (what we refer to as her security blanket), so I had to distract her with music. She latched on to a couple of songs on the Traveling Tunes CD (#4) and we played them again and again and again and...well, you get the idea. Actually, it wasn't so bad as I like both songs (Depech Mode's "I Believe" and Barenaked Ladies "When You Dream"), so hearing them repeated was fine with me. I thought it was a great way to end a great day.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Day 16 - 03/08/2007
Two hours late?!? Are you kidding me?!?
I don't get it. We got about an inch or so of snow last night, most of the streets were clear and the schools have a two-hour delay? WTF?!? I left the house around 745a and didn't hit a single patch of slickness on the 5.25 mile commute to the office. Not one. Gotta love the local school board and their penchant for closing or delaying school at the slightest sign of impending doom brought on by the weather. (I know, I know, it's for the safety of our children!)
So I went to rehab this morning and asked my PT: What would you say if I told you I was going to take my daughter skiing tomorrow? She said: Have fun! Cool beans, that's what I wanted to hear.
I guess I promised M last summer we'd go skiing this year (she's never been) and she's not one to forget a promise (unless it's her promise to do something that she doesn't want to do). So since she's off school tomorrow (teacher workday) and things are somewhat slow at the office, it's the perfect opportunity. We'll leave here around 9a for a 90 min trip up north to Whitetail. It's not the best resort around, but it's close and since she's never skied before, it'll be good enough for her first time. She'll have a lesson then we'll probably break for lunch before spending the rest of the afternoon on the bunny slopes. If she feels up to it, we'll upgrade her lift ticket for the blue square slopes. It should be fun.
Tonight I'm supposed to head over to Sweetwater for a beer or two w/ Larry, but he hasn't called yet. He's heading to Cancun on Saturday and needs to get some packing done, so we'll see what happens. My money is on him showing up; he's not one for passing up a beer at Sweetwater.
I don't get it. We got about an inch or so of snow last night, most of the streets were clear and the schools have a two-hour delay? WTF?!? I left the house around 745a and didn't hit a single patch of slickness on the 5.25 mile commute to the office. Not one. Gotta love the local school board and their penchant for closing or delaying school at the slightest sign of impending doom brought on by the weather. (I know, I know, it's for the safety of our children!)
So I went to rehab this morning and asked my PT: What would you say if I told you I was going to take my daughter skiing tomorrow? She said: Have fun! Cool beans, that's what I wanted to hear.
I guess I promised M last summer we'd go skiing this year (she's never been) and she's not one to forget a promise (unless it's her promise to do something that she doesn't want to do). So since she's off school tomorrow (teacher workday) and things are somewhat slow at the office, it's the perfect opportunity. We'll leave here around 9a for a 90 min trip up north to Whitetail. It's not the best resort around, but it's close and since she's never skied before, it'll be good enough for her first time. She'll have a lesson then we'll probably break for lunch before spending the rest of the afternoon on the bunny slopes. If she feels up to it, we'll upgrade her lift ticket for the blue square slopes. It should be fun.
Tonight I'm supposed to head over to Sweetwater for a beer or two w/ Larry, but he hasn't called yet. He's heading to Cancun on Saturday and needs to get some packing done, so we'll see what happens. My money is on him showing up; he's not one for passing up a beer at Sweetwater.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Day 15 - 03/07/2007
Scientists say that it all began with the Big Bang theory. While that may well be, what was there before the Big Bang. Nothing? If so, how could something come from nothing? Wait a minute, I thought energy could neither be created nor destroyed, just transferred from one form to another. Oh, you mean everything was squeezed into singularity? Well, how did it get to that singular point? What caused it? Why did it happen?
Just something to think about as you lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the events of the day.
Just something to think about as you lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the events of the day.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Day 14 - 03/06/2007
I am soooooooooo sleepy these days. I can barely make it to 10p anymore...even after getting up at 7a! And the sleep that I get?!? It's nothing but the best! USDA Grade A! And the dreams that go with them? Vivid. Real. Wacky.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Day 13 - 03/05/2007
Mundane goings on in my world. There's a strange odor emanating from M's closet and I have no idea what it could be. The outside of the house looks intact and the attic looks normal as well. (Of course, I'm not too sure what and "abnormal" attic would look like anyway, so take the preceding sentence with a grain of salt.)
D wants me to open up the space behind the closet (e.g., cut a hole in the drywall) to see what's back there. From what I can tell, there should be a triangular shaped dead space behind the closet that may (or may not) indicate what the problem is. If I can't find anything, I'll then be stuck w/ a repair required in the closet where I cut out the drywall. Thinking about it further, there could be a way for an animal to get in there, but it would have to be a small animal (e.g., a mouse or a skink). The only way I could think of is if it crawled inside the dryer vent and then up the siding to the dead space behind the closet and then expired. Egads. I really don't want to discover that behind the closet!
That's my task for tomorrow night after getting home from work. I'll open up the closet and see what I can find. I'm not sure whether I'd rather find a dead animal or find mold. At least you can clean up an animal carcass pretty easily compared to remediating mold issues.
D wants me to open up the space behind the closet (e.g., cut a hole in the drywall) to see what's back there. From what I can tell, there should be a triangular shaped dead space behind the closet that may (or may not) indicate what the problem is. If I can't find anything, I'll then be stuck w/ a repair required in the closet where I cut out the drywall. Thinking about it further, there could be a way for an animal to get in there, but it would have to be a small animal (e.g., a mouse or a skink). The only way I could think of is if it crawled inside the dryer vent and then up the siding to the dead space behind the closet and then expired. Egads. I really don't want to discover that behind the closet!
That's my task for tomorrow night after getting home from work. I'll open up the closet and see what I can find. I'm not sure whether I'd rather find a dead animal or find mold. At least you can clean up an animal carcass pretty easily compared to remediating mold issues.
Day 12 - 03/04/2007
N is still sick. He was pretty much out of commission all day long. I went to Mass at 1045 and then D and M went at 1230 while I stayed home w/ N. He wanted to watch a show, so I put on Tom and Jerry for him. I wasn't feeling all that hot (not sure if it was a bug or just being tired from staying up too late and getting up too early) and I promptly fell asleep on the couch with him. He'd wake me up after the cartoon was over so I could fast forward the commercials. Ahhhhh, Tivo, you've got to love it!
After Mass, D and M came home and found me crashed on the couch. Shortly thereafter, we were both crashed and they had a girls afternoon playing in M's room (or was it cleaning her room?).
N finally woke up and went up to his room and I slept some more on the couch. After a while, we all plopped ourselves on the couch and watched the remake of "The Shaggy Dog." It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be (although some parts of it I could've done without) and I'm actually looking forward to the sequel (I'm guessing they'll call it "The Shaggy D.A.", but that's just a guess). M and N loved it, however, and I'm pretty sure we'll see it once (if not twice) more at some point between now and Saturday when we have to return it.
The rest of the day was spent vegging. I was pretty beat from the weekend (not sure why other than staying up too late) and once the kids were dressed, read them a chapter from Narnia and sent them to bed. Once they were down, I did my knee exercises, scooped up some ice cream and settled into the couch to catch up on some shows. (Have I mentioned the beauty of Tivo?)
After Mass, D and M came home and found me crashed on the couch. Shortly thereafter, we were both crashed and they had a girls afternoon playing in M's room (or was it cleaning her room?).
N finally woke up and went up to his room and I slept some more on the couch. After a while, we all plopped ourselves on the couch and watched the remake of "The Shaggy Dog." It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be (although some parts of it I could've done without) and I'm actually looking forward to the sequel (I'm guessing they'll call it "The Shaggy D.A.", but that's just a guess). M and N loved it, however, and I'm pretty sure we'll see it once (if not twice) more at some point between now and Saturday when we have to return it.
The rest of the day was spent vegging. I was pretty beat from the weekend (not sure why other than staying up too late) and once the kids were dressed, read them a chapter from Narnia and sent them to bed. Once they were down, I did my knee exercises, scooped up some ice cream and settled into the couch to catch up on some shows. (Have I mentioned the beauty of Tivo?)
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Day 11 - 03/03/2007
Well, N's birthday went off without a hitch...sort of. He came down with a fever during the party and once the bowling was over, he wasn't himself. No pizza. No cake. He didn't even blow out his candle. When it was all said and done, he probably won't remember much of it anyway, but still, it would've been nice if he could've enjoyed the day in the here and now.
Since he's feeling a bit under the weather, we decided to have a low-key night and M, N and I went out to pick up a movie while D stayed home and relaxed amidst the post-birthday mess. We picked up the remake of "The Shaggy Dog" and then some Baja Fresh for dinner (love their fish tacos!). M decided after she had two bites of her chicken taco and a few chips that she was full and that it was now time for the movie, complete w/ popcorn. One thing led to another and the next thing we know, she's pitching holy hell in the family room and gets sent to her room, all the while ranting and raving about what she thinks of her parents. About two minutes later the reality of what she just did hits her and a voice came from her bedroom asking, very timidly, if we could come up and talk with her.
Not so fast, young lady.
About 15 minutes of her stewing in her room, we invite her back down and have a lengthy discussion about her behavior. We'll see where this lands us. She lost accessing Webkinz for the next week and if her behavior doesn't improve by next weekend (e.g., if she has another outburst), it's for the rest of the month. Ouch.
On a completely unrelated subject, I'm having issues w/ connecting to my websites via FrontPage. Not sure why. All of a sudden it just stopped working. I'm somewhat confused as the last time I tried to connect there were no issues and nothing's been done to change the configuration. I'm about to troubleshoot the situation and (hopefully) resolve the issue. I discovered that when I last updated my primary site, I inadvertently introduced a style-sheet error where the header isn't displayed on some of the pages. Whoops.
Since he's feeling a bit under the weather, we decided to have a low-key night and M, N and I went out to pick up a movie while D stayed home and relaxed amidst the post-birthday mess. We picked up the remake of "The Shaggy Dog" and then some Baja Fresh for dinner (love their fish tacos!). M decided after she had two bites of her chicken taco and a few chips that she was full and that it was now time for the movie, complete w/ popcorn. One thing led to another and the next thing we know, she's pitching holy hell in the family room and gets sent to her room, all the while ranting and raving about what she thinks of her parents. About two minutes later the reality of what she just did hits her and a voice came from her bedroom asking, very timidly, if we could come up and talk with her.
Not so fast, young lady.
About 15 minutes of her stewing in her room, we invite her back down and have a lengthy discussion about her behavior. We'll see where this lands us. She lost accessing Webkinz for the next week and if her behavior doesn't improve by next weekend (e.g., if she has another outburst), it's for the rest of the month. Ouch.
On a completely unrelated subject, I'm having issues w/ connecting to my websites via FrontPage. Not sure why. All of a sudden it just stopped working. I'm somewhat confused as the last time I tried to connect there were no issues and nothing's been done to change the configuration. I'm about to troubleshoot the situation and (hopefully) resolve the issue. I discovered that when I last updated my primary site, I inadvertently introduced a style-sheet error where the header isn't displayed on some of the pages. Whoops.
Day 10 - 03/02/2007
Decorated N's cake last night. I'll post pics of it once they're uploaded. M had it in her head that it was going to be her way no matter what. My attempts at trying to do things "in an orderly fashion" were seen as ways to undermine her design. I guess that's just part of being a kid.
My mom came over w/ N's presents. She's now two-for-two on arriving right about dinner time on a Friday night. I wonder if next will will be three-for-three. Hmmmm.....I'd better go check the calendar to see what we have going on.
I also picked up our new camcorder yesterday. Played around with it last night and am looking forward to seeing it in action. One of these days I'll have to suffer through the task of transferring our tapes to DVDs. I'm soooooooo not looking forward to that endeavor!
My mom came over w/ N's presents. She's now two-for-two on arriving right about dinner time on a Friday night. I wonder if next will will be three-for-three. Hmmmm.....I'd better go check the calendar to see what we have going on.
I also picked up our new camcorder yesterday. Played around with it last night and am looking forward to seeing it in action. One of these days I'll have to suffer through the task of transferring our tapes to DVDs. I'm soooooooo not looking forward to that endeavor!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Day 9 - 03/01/2007
Went back to rehab this evening after (not really) suffering all day. My therapist said my tendon looked good, but agreed that the fat pads could be the culprit. Hmmmmm....now what. I guess I'll run through the next course of PT and hope that it'll help things out. If not, it's back to the orthopaedist for a followup visit and discuss the next steps. I want to feel normal again and be able to run, dammit!
Afterwards I got home and D and I iced the bowling pin cookies for N's party on Saturday. I'll put the red stripe around the next tomorrow night after M and I decorate the cake. This should be interesting (to say the least).
This afternoon M had a Patriotic Pageant at school. They sang a bunch of patriotic songs with some commentary from some of her classmates in between. I'm glad I was able to go, although I wish she had a speaking part. Oh well, maybe next time.
We caught Lost tonight. Another filler episode that we found to do nothing to further the story (except when we were shown the promo for next week -- which looks good). Oh well, at least we don't have to suffer through repeats and dead weeks anymore. I guess that's a good thing. Right?
Afterwards I got home and D and I iced the bowling pin cookies for N's party on Saturday. I'll put the red stripe around the next tomorrow night after M and I decorate the cake. This should be interesting (to say the least).
This afternoon M had a Patriotic Pageant at school. They sang a bunch of patriotic songs with some commentary from some of her classmates in between. I'm glad I was able to go, although I wish she had a speaking part. Oh well, maybe next time.
We caught Lost tonight. Another filler episode that we found to do nothing to further the story (except when we were shown the promo for next week -- which looks good). Oh well, at least we don't have to suffer through repeats and dead weeks anymore. I guess that's a good thing. Right?
Day 8 - 02/28/2007
Went out for a run last night (well, walk-run-walk-run) after feeling great all day and felt pretty good during and after the run. Well, during the first run portion there was some discomfort, but it was very brief and was pretty much non-existent during the second run. Overall went 1.8+ miles (running for about half of that).
When I got home, though, walking up the driveway was slightly uncomfortable. I iced it and went upstairs and then to bed. This morning I woke up and felt good until I started walking on it. We'll see what Day 9 brings.
When I got home, though, walking up the driveway was slightly uncomfortable. I iced it and went upstairs and then to bed. This morning I woke up and felt good until I started walking on it. We'll see what Day 9 brings.
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