"Murphy was an optimist!"
Retired actor? March 14, 2006 9:19 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : HumorProgress! March 13, 2006 10:01 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : ColdFusion, Daily Life, Programming, TechnologyWahoo! A small project that I slipped into my schedule to help a friend out has finally made its way off my plate. Funny how the "small" things get big so fast.
add a commentCall the SPCA! March 13, 2006 9:43 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeI saw something horrific today. The people mulching and landscaping the church where Amy has pre-school found a chipmunk. I know this because the guy jumped out in the road then back into the grass. His jump was after he kicked the chipmunk into the road and he got back into the grass when the chipmunk returned to the grass. Then he began stomping furiously.
I stopped the car. I wanted to tell him to stop but then I drove on. I like chipmunks, even the ones that bite my wife.
2commentsUse it or loose it. And a question of etiquette March 13, 2006 8:40 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Philosophy, Touchy SubjectsLanguages I’ve tasted:
- Spanish (4 years in High School, a couple of years at college, lived in the Spanish dorm a year)
- Hungarian (Magyar – felt comfortable enough with the basics that I wanted to travel to Budapest on my own)
- American Sign Language (some classes in college, hung out at TN school for the Deaf)
- and I can say "Hello" in Arabic. (I said Arabic online! Alert Homeland Security!)
In college, I used to joke that if I could say "Hello" and "I love you" in every language that I’d never sleep alone. I made a good go of it too. Even that part about learning "hello" and "I love you".
My sign language is weird because I was trying to learn ASL but because I was hearing, the kids at TSD wanted to use signed English with me. Despite my pidgon sign, I was comfortable enough to take orders from the deaf and hard of hearing at a Shoney’s restaurant where I worked right out of college. Now I can’t even talk to my wife (but what does that have to do with sign language?). Through the University and working at The Foreign Language Division of The Learning Company, I also gained exposure to French, Japanese, Russian, German and Italian but not enough to claim any knowledge.
So, My question of etiquette: When I bump into someone Hispanic, I always address them in English. Sometimes I get that blank look that I would give if I were being addressed by someone not speaking English; you know, that agast, expressionless face as your mind reels thorough the relatively small number of words you may have in hopes that something rings a bell. My Spanish is not good enough to strike up a conversation but I can still make some appropriate greetings. What is appropriate? Assume they speak Spanish and say, "¡Buenos días!"? Ask if they speak Spanish, "¿Habla español?" Or just stick to the uncomfortable smile, head nod and hesitant wave?
I don’t hesitate to talk to anyone. My inclination is to speak in Spanish. Perhaps my vocabulary will return!
2commentsOffroading March 13, 2006 2:26 pm
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : HumorIn East Tennessee we get the pleasure of seeing lots of muddy pickup trucks toting around their motorcycles and 4 wheelers. I thought this practice to originate in these hills but apparently it comes from the Middle East.
1 comment so farMarch Blingo Frenzy Continues March 13, 2006 10:54 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Contest, Of InterestHave you signed up with Blingo yet? No spam. No catches. Signup under someone and that someone wins too. More info.
Looks like I’ve been misspelling frenzy as freenzy so I get top ranking if you search for "blingo freenzy" but I have no placement on "blingo frenzy."
Looks like they had another frenzy Sunday afternoon.
for an hour in the afternoon we distributed 40 Visa Gift Cards valued at $25 each
We scored another movie ticket but turned it down in hopes of winning something better (think iPod…) since we are limited to winning 2 prizes per household per month.
1 comment so farToday’s extremely profound statement March 13, 2006 10:00 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Philosophy, QuoteFrom Crouching Mommy, Hidden Laundry:
And, life is ENTIRELY too short to feel like you are a victim for an extended period of time.
That hits home. I am writing that under this week’s Franklin Covey quote in my planner:
Character is the basis of happiness and happiness the sanction of character.
–George Santayana
Everyday this week I will set aside some time to ponder these.
2commentsThump Thump Thump March 13, 2006 8:26 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeStroke coming or is that just sinus pressure from allergies?
1 comment so farPut one foot in front of the other! March 13, 2006 6:21 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cathy, Daily Life, Evan, FamilyAt 8:45pm last night Evan took his first 5 steps. When I put him down he was standing and I could tell he was going to try a step so I prompted Cathy to look and with each step I said the word "step" which sounded like a machine gun since he walked so rapidly. After the 5th step he fell forward, caught himself on his arms, rolled to a sitting position with a grin that Gerber would have paid to photograph, and immediately tried to stand up again. He almost made it to standing; left foot extended and on right knee. Then he bounced and I swear he said, "step stepstepstepstepstep!" It was quite the special moment.
add a commentFrom the mouths of babes March 11, 2006 9:05 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily Life, Family, From the mouths of babes, NoahNoah had a friend over so we let the stay up late but when I heard shuffling at 4:30am I asked them to turn the tv off. At 6:30am the television was back on.
Dad: "I asked you to turn the tv off at 4:30 and now its still on at 6:30."
Noah: "But Dad, we’ve been asleep for 3 or 4 hours!"
Wrist feeling better March 10, 2006 8:29 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeFor the past two weeks or so, my left wrist has hurt so bad that I almost could not type. I had problems picking things up or squeezing for a length of time. I did some exercising to try to help but nothing terribly focused.
As I type this I can still feel a twinge of pain but it is mostly out of my wrist. Now the pain is in my upper arm. If I hold a reem of paper and try to extend my left arm out to my side I can’t pick it up much above my waist.
Time to get back to stretching and unpinch what nerve is not happy with me right now.
3commentsBicycle Pacman Chases Ghost March 9, 2006 9:19 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Cool Sites, Gadgets, Of Interest, TechnologyWhat a brilliant idea for the wheels of a bicycle!
1 comment so farImprovised Bed Rails March 9, 2006 4:38 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeEvan hasn’t learned to sleep in the crib. He prefers to sleep in his swing. But sometimes he needs to sleep between Cathy and I which is nice. Sometimes he is in the bed when I want to get up and work. It was around his age that Amy fell from the bed to the concrete floor and scared me to death so I will sometimes stay in bed thinking how nice bed rails would be when I should be up working.
This morning I figured it out! The crib is near the bed so when I rose, I simply rolled the crib up against the bed forming a nice wall.
4commentsWhat gives? March 9, 2006 4:11 am
Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Daily LifeSome consessions I have made in my life:
- Out of date medicine still works
- Sick days are not an option
- 8 hours of sleep is not an option
- Baths take away from productivity
