My Blog

A House Divided

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:24:43 -0500

Will there be Storm Center music tomorrow? Storm Center music often coincides with snow days in the foothills and our house is divided.

The kids clearly want to check off snow day one and extend the Thanksgiving break. In particularly, Lea wants to win our snow day pool and claim her chicken and broccoli alfredo dinner prize. Katie always wants a snow day and even as I type checking hourly weather. Weather Boy has been consulted. It feels like we are in mid-season form.

I’m not ready for a snow day. I’m of the snow days as time outs philosophy. Snow days are to be managed and to burn a snow day coming off a restful break seems a bit much. There are times when you truly need a snow day. You’re on the verge of being really sick. The kids have been driving you crazy and tomorrow is your hard day. It’s been a bitter cold stretch in March and you could use a “summer sampler” dropped into the end of your week. It’s then that Storm Center music and seeing the doughy Kevin Mannix in a sweater can set your heart fluttering.

Every snow day is one of your days of summer vacation, so you really have to be careful how often you go to the well. A snow day tomorrow would really be like “kissing your sister.”

An hour delay is negotiable.

Pardon Me

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:20:33 -0500

I think of myself as a fairly informed person and I’m left to wonder how could I have missed the Sarah Palin turkey video for nine days. Am I watching too much CNBC and not enough Daily Show?

In case you missed it, Sarah Palin pardons a turkey in the grand White House tradition and then gives an interview in front of some sort of turkey killing machine. The expressions of the Joe the Executor person in the background are priceless.

Be warned before you click the link it’s fairly obvious that the turkey is meeting his maker.

Let’s go to the video.

Rose Buds

Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:17:41 -0500

I know I’m not a remarkably tall person. In fact, Wikipedia tells me I’m a full 2.5” shorter than the average American male. It’s fairly uncommon for me to look at an adult male eye to eye and I often feel like a small child when receiving a man hug. I’m OK with these things and I’ve always assumed my children would have to get used to it as well until yesterday.

Yesterday, I bought Lea a new pair of winter boots and I can put my feet in them. I wouldn’t want to wear them out, but they’d do in a pinch. It’s a bit sobering to think less than 12 years ago I could fit her feet in the palm of my hand and now we could share a pair of Bean boots.

My mother was a big advocate of putting little feet in the palm of her hands and commenting on those “perfect little rose buds.” She’d also lament how quickly we’d grown. Now, I’m right there with her.

An Open Letter to the Jews

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 08:05:30 -0500

Oi vay, our bad. I’d like to apologize for the President of the United States, not for ruining the economy or the English language, but for his holiday invitation. Apparently, our great nation put a Christmas tree on a Hanukkah invitation. It was culturally insensitive and the result of lame duck Presidential behavior. Contrary to rumors the President didn’t say “Everyone loves those big ol’ horses that haul the beer. What’s more American than that and who would find that insulting” Also, the President didn’t have to be told be told Budweiser is no long an American held company. Our President has simply checked out and didn’t mean to insult you.

Once again, our bad.

Thankful

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 07:58:40 -0500

I’m thankful for so much these days. Life is good on all fronts. I hope everyone enjoys their holiday and odd international visitor to bad for you.

My Center

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:40:56 -0500

Katie and I had a full day yesterday. We rolled out of Dodge around 8:30 and headed to Portland to meet Katie’s parents for the Class B championship football game. We sat in a cold Fitzpatrick Stadium and watched Mountain Valley thump Katie’s alma mater Morse.

After the game, we went over to Becky’s Dinner and enjoyed some warm coffee, good conversation, and grease food. Yum!

We said good-bye to Katie’s parents and did a little Christmas shopping. The economy is supposed to be in the tank, but you couldn’t tell by the parking lot at the Maine Mall. Initially, I was excited about shopping primarily because I haven’t really gone Christmas shopping in years. Usually, I sit right where I am right now and click my way through the holidays. Within five minutes I really wanted to be out of the mall and back on my couch. Aack, the mall stinks.

We made our way over to Falmouth after escaping the mall and had a lovely Center reunion. It was awesome breaking bread with my old colleagues. The conversation was deep and varied. The food was great. And the memories fond. It was a great way to end a full day. I miss working with mavericks.

Da Bears

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:16:05 -0500

Some people worried about what they would do once the election was over, but I wasn’t one of them. I immediately expected to watch with great interest the organization of the cabinet and policy expectation.

What I didn’t anticipate is the continued global economic meltdown and I’m hooked. I check the stock market like I check my fantasy baseball when I think I have a chance of winning it all. (For the uninformed that’s a freakin’ lot of checkin’!) In the morning I check the overseas markets and the S&P futures.

I’ve started watching CNBC as much as I watch CNN. I must say the crew on CNBC yell at each other a lot and I don’t think it’s the stress of a global market collapse. I think it’s just the culture. (Kinda like a DES PTO really.) I think they like it. (They don’t like it at the PTO.)

Wow the bears are running wild. It’s like Pamplona, but with bears. It’s fun to watch, I just hope we don’t get hurt.

Blogiversary Update

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:43:12 -0500

11 comments, 38 page views, 22 uniques

A blogiversary dream come true.

Sweet!

My Connected Crew

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:33:22 -0500

Three Mac laptops, but four family members. How did I end up on the short end of this game of musical laptops? I still don’t know.

The family huddled around their individual computer screen. It’s a 21st century Norman Rockwell moment. Does the family that computes together stay together? Maybe we need to build our own island on Second Life.

Neil mixes it up

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:28:14 -0500

Neil took another step towards being an adult this week, he mixed his first CD.

Someday we’ll mock him for including Ricki Martin and Weird Al on his playlist, but for now we’ll just heap him with praise.

In time, he can spend hours with Nanny to discuss the fine points of mixed CD etiquette. It will be time well spent.