I like to cook. I prefer to cook. When I cook, I can make healthy meals at less cost…except on Tuesdays. On Tuesdays Dominos runs a Two’fer special that I cannot beat. The time it saves from cooking, the cost of supplies, and the energy saved is well worth the cost of the pizza. But better is the tradition! On Tuesdays the children know Tis The Traditional Two’fer Tasty pizza day! Got tradition?
Category: Daily Life
Ramblings, often stream of conscious, journaling the events of my life.
Infants Playing in the Street
Nubbin Ridge is an old farm road turned into a two lane speedway. I recently had the pleasure of being told stories by a man who grew up in the area of baling hay on the Stooksbury farm which owned much of the land near Wallace Road (forgive me if I got the family name wrong). He spoke of the rolling land and forests that are long gone. Sprawl and shortsighted urban planning has turned Nubbin Ridge into a shortcut for locals avoiding congestion on Northshore Drive and Westland Drive. Nubbin Ridge still has those fun dips that if you want to gamble that there’s no cars or animals on the other side, and you hit the hill fast enough, it tickles your stomach like a roller coaster. Here’s the rub. It’s not a farm anymore. Most of the land has been partialed out and turned to residential neighborhoods. Children walk these roads, and ride their bikes because our urban planners have failed to connect the neighborhoods with sidewalks or greenway trails.
Today I crested a hill and my heart fell into my stomach. 50 yards ahead of me I saw a dog on the double yellow line. But no! It was not a dog; the living creature was an infant, a tiny infant who looked like she’d just learned to waddle on two legs. She moved from the double yellow, dead center of the road, to smack dab in the middle of the left lane and stood still. She was not in my lane but in the lane of oncoming traffic just this side of one of those tickle hills. In the distance I saw a car approaching. I stopped the van, turned on the flashers, and walked to the child trying not to scare her. I put my arms out, she opened her arms, and jumped into mine. As I carried her toward her home, the oncoming car zingged past my van without slowing down. A car in my lane approached and without hesitating to wonder why my van blocked its lane, zipped around my stationary vehicle. After handing the child to its mother I started back to my car. Two more vehicles rapidly approached showing no sign of slowing so I just put up my hand and stepped into the road forcing them to stop (and hopefully but doubtfully think), got in the van, and made a mental note to drive much slower on Nubbin Ridge from now on.
Getting the kids out the door is fun except…
I generally enjoy helping the children get ready for school and out the door the morning. The exception is the pre-schooler. He causes me great stress. I can never tell if he is going to joyfully get ready for school or if he will turn it into a major battle. I despise being late and with him we may or may not be on time. He often makes me start the days tired.
Rigging the tree
I have tied a ladder to the rotting tree out front as the first step to rigging it to bring it down in pieces. But I cannot find my climbing harness. I think Cathy hid it. She’s going to hide my shovel now too. Yes, I am still considering hiring someone with a crane to bring it down professionally.
Student driver
Mobile post sent by djuggler using Utterli. Replies.
Heading to the trenches
Yesterday I inspected the trench that one day will become a French drain which keeps water out of our basement on heavy rains only to discover that a wall has partially collapsed. With rain in the forecast for Sunday night and Monday, I have to redig the trench or face having a pool of water that will slowly seep into the basement.
What prevents me from completing the trench? Higher priority projects, time, money and materials. The digging of the trench has to be completed. Long ago I concluded that renting a backhoe or paying someone to complete the excavation would be wiser than digging the rest out myself. I am going all the way down to the footers so that this repair is as long lasting as possible and adds value to the house. I need 2-3 dump truck loads of 3/4inch gravel. Tar for the wall. A thick millimeter plastic or other liner to go on top of the tarred wall. 4 inch heavy PVC with holes drilled in it OR ceramic weeping pipe as the drain. Must debate the pros and cons of wrapping the pipe in fabric as it helps keep sediment from clogging the pipe but the filtering material itself can become clogged and defeat the purpose of the pipe. May be better to have an easily accessible cleanout from the driveway. Need backfill dirt. Additionally I may take advantage of the exposed wall to run an additional waste water pipe to the property waste water main pipe so that sinks, or a washing machine could easily be installed in close proximity to the front wall of the house in the basement or garage. Estimated cost to complete the French drain project: $600-1200.
From the mouths of babes
Saying Grace:
Amy: "Thank you God for all this food and for the whole world you made well and Ben Franklin but you made most of he well he made some of .. ah somethings and since you made this world we should help you and thank you Amen."
Evan: "Thank you God for this food and for the bunnies helped make food and now we scare the bunnies away…and the sharks. Eeeeemen."
Dad of the Year!
It just occurred to me that I sent my little girl to school with an empty lunchbox today. Oh I’m going to get it when she comes home!
Do you dream in color?
Apparently I dream in Green. Last night, I had vivid dreams of competing with Ed Begley Jr. and Bill Nye for the most environmentally sound lifestyle. Uh, fantasy dreams? How could I possibly compete in an eco war with those two?! See Ed Begley Jr.’s FAQ.
Why yes I have heroes! And one is coming to Knoxville!
My heroes and role models center around comedians. The list of influences is huge including Red Fox, Steve Martin, Bill Cosby, Rick Moranis, Dave Thomas…hold on…basically the SCTV and Saturday Night Live casts. I can narrow the list to four people: Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Bill Murray, and Robin Williams. When I was around twelve years old, Robin Williams got me in a bunch of trouble when I did his "moisture heat seeking missile" routine that involved a lot of pelvic gyrations for some guests my parents were entertaining. I had no idea what I was doing or saying. The guests were rolling on the floor and my father was fuming. That was my first Carlos Mencia lesson: don’t perform other people’s material.
Robin Williams is coming to Knoxville on April 11th to the Civic Auditorium! There’s even a VIP Meet & Greet package available! Well, he may be coming to Knoxville. His doctor has advised him to skip four Florida scheduled shows due to recent heart surgery.
On August 20, 2007, Williams’ elder brother, Robert Todd Williams, died of complications from heart surgery performed a month earlier. [Source, Wikipedia, Robin Williams]
I wish I was still participating in the Red Cross’ FAST program or that I could justify a ticket. Maybe Robin Williams wants to give himself an intermission during the show and would like a juggler to come on stage with him!
From the mouths of babes
Amy, 6.5: "Daddy, your belly is BIG!"
Dad: "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
Amy: "I don’t know. It’s just funny looking." She then proceeds to put on some Teen Spirit deodorant that her 15.5 year old sister gave her. I’ll tell you what’s funny looking!
From the mouths of babes
Evan, 3.5 years old: "Why da?"
Dad, proper answer: "Because ____ _ ____ ___ _ ___"
Evan: "But why da?"
Dad, similar answer with more descriptive words: "Because ____ ____ _ ____ ___ ___ _ ___ ____ and _____"
Evan: "Dad, but why?"
Dad: "Uh. Because."
Evan: "But why because?"
Dad: "I don’t know."
Evan: "But why?" "Why?" "WHY?"
Dad: *brain melts*
Evan: "Crocodiles are going to eat your feet."
Dad: "What?"
Evan: "Crocdiles going to eat your feet. Got to put your feet on the boat Dad."
Dad, places feet on the chair in front of him.
Evan: "Now crocodiles won’t get your feet."
From the mouths of babes
Doug: "Did you read my post?"
Cathy: "Um. Well. It was kinda long. I scanned it."
How to become an outdoor cat
Becoming an outdoor cat is simple. Just sit on your master’s desk and when he disturbs your slumber by moving the computer mouse, draw blood by attacking his hand. Nooo! Don’t go to the "trying to save you from the mouse" defense!
Oh, whichever crazy cat person talked me into not declawing that cat, you were wrong.
