I need to build a pagoda! Having one of those days where I’m focused but just cannot seem to move quite fast enough.
Category: Daily Life
Ramblings, often stream of conscious, journaling the events of my life.
Ti Quan Leap
Noah performs on Jack Butturini American Karate’s demo team.
ps. I’m testing Revver so please comment if you can’t see the video for some reason.
Blogfest Happened!
Last night was one of those nights where I just should not have left the house. Of course, here of late as stress has increased, and I continue to work alone, I seem to have more socially inadequate moments. For me the blogfest was a blur as if I had too much to drink by the time I arrived. I got people’s names wrong, botched jokes, interrupted at inopportune times, could not get some of my past to come into clear focus, failed to eat my meal, and overall was a distraction rather than a compliment to the festivities. Oh, we also showed up late rather than early and that was me too.
I blame Evan! The child does not get restaurants although the wait staff seemed pleased that Evan was willing to sweep the floors. He tore through the restaurant as if it were a race track. Poured tea on the table. He chatted with strangers trying to enjoy their meal with the exception of the older gentleman and his daughter co-worker date escort hooker which is regretful because that could have been a fun conversation, "pardon my son for interrupting your, uh, uh, thang. So, do you measure those heals with a yard stick?" Evan was tired and doing his best to stay awake so I did the fatherly thing and drove him around until he slept but timed it wrong and he woke up just as I returned to the restaurant. Some thought I left angry but I was simply frustrated. I think Evan should have terrorized his grandparents instead of the patrons. For future blogfests, I will stay home and watch Evan, and Cathy and Tommy can go have a good time (and Tommy did have a good time! "Strawberry short cake fixes headaches and bad moods.")
On the positive side, I finally made the connection that a fellow blogger happens to be an old friend from college days! I had to sit back with a stunned look on my face as a wealth of blocked memories rushed into my head like the failure of the Wolf Creek Dam will on Nashville. Better put a call into the psychologist and hypnotist. I have lost touch with most people of my past. My best friend from high school and college days who at one time could read my mind hasn’t even met my youngest child and has only seen Amy once. Strange how age, responsibility, and children pull us into our own little cosmoses. When we went to the funeral, we boarded Molly at Dreamcatchers. I had to fill out a form that required a local emergency contact and I struggled to actually come up with a name and a phone number since all the relatives were going to Parsons.
Rich has the roundup listed as: Glenn, Helen, Tam, Friend o’ Tam (Bob I believe), Me, Cathy, Tommy, Evan, Mark, Lissa, Michael, and Rich. Cathy has the photographic evidence including the rain chains (see Jon) for Les.
Let’s do another blogfest soon!
Marker Fairy Strikes
Oh yes. Apparently we have a rouge Marker Fairy in our bedroom. Typically Marker Fairies dwell in the basements of college dormitories on weekends. Fortunately, despite my grand efforts, I never had the pleasure of a visit by a Marker Fairy until recently. Anyone want to wager why?
Blog Meetup
It is always a little nerve wracking and exciting to meet fellow bloggers in person. At last night’s school rezoning meeting I was identified "You’re the juggler!" and an instant connection was created! It was nice being able to identify other bloggers as well. To walk into this room of strangers and see Brian Hornback was somewhat comforting; here was someone I had never spoken to in person but knew well through print. Blogs create bonds and connections that simply would not exist under other circumstances.
On this Saturday, April 21 at 6pm, bloggers will be meeting at Calhouns West (Kingston Pike and Pellissippi) for good conversation and eats. I hope someone rented the upstairs this time!
School Rezoning? We’ve gone to the media!
Cathy has been taped on a panel discussion to air on WBIR’s Inside Tennessee this Sunday morning at 9:30am. Be sure to watch! And apparently, I made page 9 of today’s paper.
Taxes Filed!
At 5:23pm today, my taxes swooshed off into the ether. My good Uncle should be very pleased. Somehow I think if I had a half decent accountant doing my taxes that I would have faired better. However, they were sent and life is good. And to a few with closer insight into my life, that probably means a lot!
I really want to fix this problem
You know how when you are base jumping and at that exact moment you plunge from the cliff you realize that your parachute is sitting beside the big tree where you had lunch. Yeah. It’s like that.
They made me sleep!
I woke at 5am this morning wanting to leap from bed and jumping into the enormity of responsibility that lay in wait for me today. I was frozen. The dog lay across my feet. And Evan was using my chest for a pillow. My muscles ached from yesterday’s races through the obstacle course and longed to stretch or have me move about; however, there is no better feeling than the love of wife, children and pets. I convinced myself that, if I moved from the bed, Evan was certain to squirm out of it to the floor, so for his protection, I slept in! Yeah.. that’s it..
From the mouths of babes
With a slow creak, Molly lets herself back into the house but fails to close the door. Someone needs to train that dog!
Evan: "Uh oh." As he runs to the door, he exclaims, "Ess OP een" and closes the door for Molly. Evan feels capable and important.
Has anyone won anything on Blingo lately?
Our household use to average a Blingo movie ticket or iTunes gift card at least once a month. We haven’t won anything for about 3 or 4 months now. Did PCH destroy Blingo (which now claims to have $1000 Thursdays) or has it just become that popular that the odds of winning dramatically reduced?
On a side note, you can sure tell it is a Friday afternoon in the blogosphere. Comments on No Silence are dwindling down. Of course, it looks like Michael might have two simultaneous threads running. I suppose all that needs to be said has been said but I don’t believe that.
On obligations
I have to let someone down today. I just cannot figure out who.
From the mouths of babes
Amy, 4 years old: "I’m having a heart attack."
More feelings on Knox County School Rezoning
In the comment thread at No Silence Here, I was asked to justify one of my statements.
Doug, you say that “it makes no sense to bus us twice the distance when an equal number of students are being bused the other direction.” How do you know that the number of West-to-Bearden students is the same as the Bearden-to-West students? I didn’t know that data was available. … please don’t fabricate data to support your point. [Source]
My reply was spam filtered but should be visible now. This was my reply.
…Yesterday with the site overwhelmed, I was only able to pull up the Master Map and had to guess the number of houses in the rezone since the numbers do not seem to be released. It certainly would be nice to look at the numbers as well as the socio-economic demographics.
Counting plots on the West to Bearden map (and my eyes may be crossing at this early morning time) numbers at roughly 275 potential houses. Naturally, not all of those will have children but for the purposes of zoning it should be assumed that they all could provide children.
I won’t bother counting plots on the Bearden to West map because my neighborhood alone is 120 some odd houses.
I am not fabricating data but interpreting what has been provided. Mullins needs to provide more data and better explain the moves. Tell you what. Let’s not move those West students to Bearden…I guessed 275 houses. And then not move my neighborhood plus some from Bearden to West. Selfish? Yes! Why disrupt families and possibly property values by just moving eggs from one basket to another? Zone the newly developing neighborhoods (and we see them all over the place) into the schools to create the balance of students rather than disrupting existing neighborhood zones.
I have spent the better part of decade committing myself to an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. I have established relationships with teachers and principals. I have volunteered time and self into helping those schools evolve into the system I wanted my children educated within. I have had one on one discussions with Lindsey to correct problems (one such problem took 3 years to resolve). Now, I have to start over again and I do not see a good reason for it.
West may be a great school. What makes a school successful is the community that feeds it and the attitude and efforts of its staff. If the community is aggressive in supporting the school, such as Rocky Hill Elementary, then the school will be phenomenal. I do not know the West community and staff but am familiar enough with the school to be very dejected. This dishevel feels comparable to moving into a new city but not having the luxury of evaluating the neighborhood I have moved into.
This plan is flawed and needs to be voted down.
West High’s D.A.R.E. Hands-on Program
With the bad news that we are being rezoned for West High School, I thought I should look for some positive information about the school. Apparently, the D.A.R.E. program gives the students beer and cigarettes so after a hard day of work I should be able to ask my daughter to pass me a smoke and a brewsky. And before someone asks, why is it bad? I have spent the better part of a decade being involved in Rocky Hill, Bearden Middle, and Bearden High. On one issue, I was on the phone regularly for 3 years including one on one chats with Lindsey to solve the problem. I have a vested interested in the school. And I feel strongly that this upheaval is socio-economic and not about overcrowding.
