Month: April 2004

Roughly 50 ten year olds at the Rainforest Cafe.

Cathy Amy and I decided to run to the bank, Captian D’s, Target then picked Tommy up from his school.

Rapidly herding 5th graders onto the buses to go to Nashville.

Amy just ran in the kitchen, looked to the top of the fridge, extended her hands and begged “my nandy! my nandy!” Her easter candy is in a bucket on top of the fridge.

A New Day!

Let’s start the day off with a PayPal donation link:

This Morning

Had many moments of wanting to get up. Amy at midnight. Again I woke at 2, 4:30, 5 and finally got up at 6 but lay on the couch until 6:20 when I gave Tommy his medicine and then finally got up at 6:30 to get dressed and find the boys socks.

Took the kids to school then returned to find Amy, Cathy and Tommy waiting for his bus. His bus is off and now I’m trying to find anything that requires a re-charge and make sure its battery is fully before I head off on the 5th grade field trip this weekend (3pm today).

Last Night

Got the kids fed, cleaned-up and in bed.

Watched “Kingdom Hospital” with the wife and “Futurama” of course.

Taking Tommy to STAR.

An early morning phone call had me off to South Knoxville to the ranch for a full-filled morning of horseback riding. The beautiful weather had all the animals giddy. The dogs were jumpy and even Sally came up to me asking for a pet. The horses were full of energy racing up and down paddock. The horse I ride came into the barn for grooming very willingly but my friend’s horse decided to play a little game of “catch me if you can!” We saddled up and headed out. Walking for the horses seemed out of the question. Every moment was trot or canter with perhaps a few gallops.

It’s wonderful to live in such beautiful country. The sky was picture perfect. The mountains rose around us cutting off any noise civilization creates. The fields of hay blowing in the wind and the variety of wildflowers is just not something that you see everyday and is awe inspiring.

Another highlight of the trip was when a small aircraft flew over. We waved and it waved its wings back at us. Two entities physically separated and completely unrelated connected briefly by friendly gestures.

Overall the break relieved much stress and helped bring many things back into perspective.

This electronic publishing mediium is certainly bizarre. My blog has been acknowledged in Ohio’s Toledo Blade by Kevin Cesarz(thank you for the mention) for my Clown Day blog entry.

I was quoted in the Knoxville News Sentinnel! (that link may require a brief registration but its free and easy)

A New Day!

Let’s start the day off with a PayPal donation link:

This Morning

Held my wife most of last night and slept very well.

First bell 4:30– had the gumption to get up but no the wherewithal

Second bell 5:00– barely remember it

Third bell 6:00– rose and woke the kids, Sarah immediately took to hiding under the warm blanket on the couch. I considered stealing it from her but instead went back to bed for “15 minutes”

Fourth bell 6:37– sprang from bed, ran upstairs to find Sarah still under the blanket on the couch, Noah almost done with breakfast and an innocent “I keep telling her to get up,” and gave Tommy his medicine and told him to rise. Then I return to the basement to get dressed. At 6:53 I’m upstairs urging everyone on. At 7:02 Tommy is still in bed and I tell him to have a nice day (this is when he typically starts to get dressed).

Picked up our carpool buddy, hand delivered a birthday invite to his mother, and gave him his report card which had been in the floor board of our other car for a week. I reminded the boys that Noah was no longer to be on his friend’s roof. Again, do I deny him those simple pleasures? I know I did some wacky stuff.

Today’s todo list:

finances – didn’t touch them

pay hosting bill – didn’t do that either

work on a personal website that got 650 spontaneous hits sunday – didn’t touch it

submit my resume to several job possibilities – didn’t do that either

put all local web developers contact info into ACT – nope

Buy a paper – I did that!

I shouldn’t, but I’m going to bed.

These so totally rock! Emotions 2 gallery from http://www.worth1000.com/galleries.asp Thanks Dean and Jeni!

A personal favorite – Eden

Handcuffs very good

Bleeding rose exceptional!

Thinking of loved one – very touching when I first saw this my thoughts drifted to Cathy and I trying to name our baby.

Ran and got the two propane tanks refilled (that’s the empty one from the grill and the empty reserve tank for when the one on the grill gets empty). Also checked with the tech at Cingular on a strange issue with my phone. I want to Internet research the problem before swapping the phone. Basically, the Motorola v400 I have will occasionally ring but the ring tone will be broken (silent pauses). When this happens I am unable to accept the call. I reproduced it from the house once and strangely enough while the cell phone continued to ring, the caller (the home line) entered voicemail. I’m hoping its a software issue and that a flash of the firmware resolves it.

Returned home and cooked some tasty hamburgers. Thanks to the wife for the good pattying. I timed the cooking by juggling torches. When the torches burned out, it was time to flip the burgers. And better exercise than lifting the 12 ounces of beer timer!

After eatting I rushed Noah to soccer practice and reminded him “no wrestling and no hanging on the goal posts” so as I approach the field I see him wrestling, later, the soft spoken Noah who I frequently have to command “speak up” is shouting “I wasn’t trying to kick you in the nuts!”, followed by some good spinning on the goal posts, a little more wrestling, and then as everyone did the team cheer “Go Yellowjackets!” Noah chimed “Go Yellow Butt Cracks!” He did kick the ball harder than ever and was very energetic in the practice. I’m so proud!

On the trip home Noah made no mention of the his urgent need so after he got cleaned up, the whole crew loaded up to go participate in Baskin Robbins free scoop day. I had one of those fun dad moments on the way to the mall by declaring in the car “to anyone older than 2, before you ask the question, the answer is ‘no'”. Having seen the carnival being setup in the mall parking lot earlier I knew exactly what was about to be begged for. Of course, given the challenge of figuring out a question, Tommy began chiming off a dozen questions all which the ‘no’ answer fit beautifully. Then, on que, Sarah screams “ew ew ew! Can we go to the carnival?!” A smile and a tear in my eye! Such poetry!

sidebar: I’d rather take an extended weekend to Cincinnati for Kings Island than waste money on these carnivals. However, when I lived in New Orleans we’d get one a season not a football field’s length from my house. I went to them all. I feel some guilt denying my children but I also don’t remember a 3 minute ride costing $5 a head. Dean can chime in at any time with my loss of birthday money on the nickle slide as he brought home bags of groceries from the more favorable games.