I'm about tired. Friday is Momma's latest night of the week, as it is now Saturday and I'm still waiting for her. This is the last one for about two months though. Somehow, I have to start going to bed at a reasonable time. I can't be up all night Friday and coach those kids on Saturday.
I'm sure it could be sappy that I wait up for my wife, but honestly, it's probably an excuse to just sit here and waste a few more hours running in circles on the computer. Either way, I'm into my cups and jumping at every possible car noise from the street.
I don't know why I keep jumping. As often as I've heard that car pull up out front and into the driveway, it's not something I'll miss. But I still notice a car at the intersection half a block away. I can also hear trucks on the interstate when I'm outside smoking. I only notice them really late at night, but it's still trucks.
I'd guess the train is about a mile away too, and we hear that pretty often. I never think at the time, but I could figure out when to expect it. I could probably even find train info and schedules online. I wonder sometimes though about the times we miss the train. They run fairly often, so we kind of get used to it. But if you've ever had a wooden train track in your floor, you know you may not be the only one hearing that train.
I love the look I saw just a few days ago in The Boy's eyes. He was playing, oddly enough, when we both heard that far off sound of the train. It was so low and quiet but distinct. After a moment I heard another long low train sound, only this one was much closer. The Boy smiled and explained about the train sound and ran off to play.
One of my little regrets is that I never got a chance to hop a train and end up down the line somewhere. I suppose in a sense I did that, but there wasn't really a train. It was actually a Volkswagen, but that's really not tonight's story.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Friday, March 03, 2006
hang up and drive
Once again, from our local alternative paper, a delightful story. This one is from News of the Weird.
A woman, driving her SUV, lost control, ran several cars off the road, and ended by flipping her SUV. The jaws of life were used to extricate most of her which was still in the car. In what I see as poetic justice, her arm was still on the road having been ripped off. In her hand was her cell phone.
I'm tired of near misses due to cell phone use. I'm tired of watching idiots whose cell phone use inhibits their ability to drive sanely and safely.
So please, idiots of the world, hang up your phone. Driving a car carries with it a number of responsibilities. When you are engaged on your phone, you can not give driving the attention it deserves. No one else deserves the aggravation, not to mention the possibility of actually hurting other people. You phone call is not more important that the safety of me and my family. So hang up and drive!
A woman, driving her SUV, lost control, ran several cars off the road, and ended by flipping her SUV. The jaws of life were used to extricate most of her which was still in the car. In what I see as poetic justice, her arm was still on the road having been ripped off. In her hand was her cell phone.
I'm tired of near misses due to cell phone use. I'm tired of watching idiots whose cell phone use inhibits their ability to drive sanely and safely.
So please, idiots of the world, hang up your phone. Driving a car carries with it a number of responsibilities. When you are engaged on your phone, you can not give driving the attention it deserves. No one else deserves the aggravation, not to mention the possibility of actually hurting other people. You phone call is not more important that the safety of me and my family. So hang up and drive!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
little bit worried
Statcounters can be fun. They certainly provide a wealth of information, if by "wealth" it can be assumed that I mean "a lot of useless." It is interesting to know all those fun things you learn with the stat counter. One of my favorites is learning what people searched that caused your site or blog to come up.
If you've read my page, I'm sure you've learned that I'm not especially enamored with wiping butts that aren't mine. It's a fact of parenthood, and I certainly won't begrudge my boys clean butts if I have the power to fix the problem. But I do see a time, growing ever closer, when I will retire from being a wiper of butts other than mine.
Here's my concern. While checking my stats, I noticed that this blog has once more shown up as a hit in a search. The search terms were "little boys wiping their butts." There are plenty of benign reasons a person may search this. Perhaps someone would like help getting their little boy to learn to wipe. I have a self wiper that once needed help. And even after the diaper years, when he was fully qualified to self wipe, he would often ask for help.
Regardless of those benign reasons, I do have a healthy wariness in regards to the internet. Their are some true assholes in this world. So "little boys wiping their butts" could just as easily be some malignant fuck. Just in case that's the issue, I'm inventing a god to pray to so that this person, if they do mean harm, will wake up dead the next time they lay down.
If however the search is just a concerned parent, please remember front to back, and eventually we do all figure it out.
If you've read my page, I'm sure you've learned that I'm not especially enamored with wiping butts that aren't mine. It's a fact of parenthood, and I certainly won't begrudge my boys clean butts if I have the power to fix the problem. But I do see a time, growing ever closer, when I will retire from being a wiper of butts other than mine.
Here's my concern. While checking my stats, I noticed that this blog has once more shown up as a hit in a search. The search terms were "little boys wiping their butts." There are plenty of benign reasons a person may search this. Perhaps someone would like help getting their little boy to learn to wipe. I have a self wiper that once needed help. And even after the diaper years, when he was fully qualified to self wipe, he would often ask for help.
Regardless of those benign reasons, I do have a healthy wariness in regards to the internet. Their are some true assholes in this world. So "little boys wiping their butts" could just as easily be some malignant fuck. Just in case that's the issue, I'm inventing a god to pray to so that this person, if they do mean harm, will wake up dead the next time they lay down.
If however the search is just a concerned parent, please remember front to back, and eventually we do all figure it out.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
not joining google groups for this
There has to be a way to check my comments here without having to actually visit the blog. Does anyone out there know of a way? I don't want to moderate the comments, nor do I want them as emails. I've looked around at Blogger, and the answer seems to lie in joining google groups and asking for help there. I don't need to join any other groups, and I'll tell you why. Within days I'd be at the homeschooling group, wasting valuable hive mind time. I know how I am.
So seriously, someone knows the answer to my question. Fess up ya bunch of clodhoppers!
So seriously, someone knows the answer to my question. Fess up ya bunch of clodhoppers!
frickin' awesome
Not to brag, but our weather has been outrageous for a few days now. Monday was a little cool for the amount of sun we had. Yesterday, we ran errands and had to lose our jackets pretty quickly. After a short run home for food between errands we were off to soccer practice.
It was so nice to get out and play yesterday, and today, though it's cooled down a bit over the past hour is still beautiful. The boys have both been outside most of the day. They even ate lunch outside. I have windows open all over the house, partly to keep track of the boys playing outside, partly because I can't not invite some of this beauty inside. The breezes will blow through the house and blast out those winter doldrums.
I should be outside, but I keep telling myself that I'm almost done on the computer. The lie continues that I will then do the housework I've let slide for days. I have a case worth of empty beer bottles plus a least two other six packs. I have the other random recyclables sitting in the kitchen waiting to go out. The trash from the bathroom is sitting there as well, waiting to go out. I've actually been out plenty today, blowing my nicotine breath toward the heavens, but I have so far succeeded in doing little actual housework. I've actually done no housework if you don't count feeding people. And I think the feeding kids part is a whole other level of thing we do, above and beyond mere housework.
I did have a minor meltdown, feeling put upon and not respected, so I piled all of the toys littering the living room into one big pile. I haven't really done anything to get the mess cleaned up even before my temper tantrum from earlier. And now the pile sits behind me, and it almost seems to smirk as I walk past and see how big an ass I was earlier when I created the huge pile.
Off again to the outside. I need to check my BNL (blood nicotine level) before I ignore the dishes and recycling in favor of running around the blogs to see if I've missed anything.
It was so nice to get out and play yesterday, and today, though it's cooled down a bit over the past hour is still beautiful. The boys have both been outside most of the day. They even ate lunch outside. I have windows open all over the house, partly to keep track of the boys playing outside, partly because I can't not invite some of this beauty inside. The breezes will blow through the house and blast out those winter doldrums.
I should be outside, but I keep telling myself that I'm almost done on the computer. The lie continues that I will then do the housework I've let slide for days. I have a case worth of empty beer bottles plus a least two other six packs. I have the other random recyclables sitting in the kitchen waiting to go out. The trash from the bathroom is sitting there as well, waiting to go out. I've actually been out plenty today, blowing my nicotine breath toward the heavens, but I have so far succeeded in doing little actual housework. I've actually done no housework if you don't count feeding people. And I think the feeding kids part is a whole other level of thing we do, above and beyond mere housework.
I did have a minor meltdown, feeling put upon and not respected, so I piled all of the toys littering the living room into one big pile. I haven't really done anything to get the mess cleaned up even before my temper tantrum from earlier. And now the pile sits behind me, and it almost seems to smirk as I walk past and see how big an ass I was earlier when I created the huge pile.
Off again to the outside. I need to check my BNL (blood nicotine level) before I ignore the dishes and recycling in favor of running around the blogs to see if I've missed anything.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
not the good kind of geek
I can be a geek sometimes and about certain things. I'm kind of a beer geek which is probably my biggest claim to geekhood. I'm not a computer geek in the sense that I can really do anything with them that isn't already ready already. Blogger and Myspace are perfect examples. I love playing with them, but I'm almost afraid to mess with any of the parts where you can actually see the code. I'm afraid I'll fuck it all up if I'm not careful.
No, in computer geek terms I'm not the good kind to have around. I'm the kind that randomly discovers something neat and is amazed, regardless of the size of the discovery.
Here I am, full of glee at my newest discovery. Maybe I am the last person to discover this, and it really is not that big a deal. I'm tempted now to just highlight and backspace this whole damn thing and write something less inane. Yeah, not really my style.
Are you in suspense, anxiously awaiting this amazing discovery? Don't say I didn't warn you when you find yourself feeling somewhat underwhelmed or even deflated.
This is where I say that I am not the last person to discover Firefox. I'm on this one already, and I mention it because the discovery pertains to Firefox. When you have multiple tabs open, you can click and drag a tab and change the order of your tabs.
Pretty fucking righteous right? I thought so to. I'm going to right click on all kinds of things in the next blog I visit, and then I'm going to move the tabs around. I wish someone else was here right now because I would totally show them! That's cooler than you can fit in a 40 oz. Diva Cup.
No, in computer geek terms I'm not the good kind to have around. I'm the kind that randomly discovers something neat and is amazed, regardless of the size of the discovery.
Here I am, full of glee at my newest discovery. Maybe I am the last person to discover this, and it really is not that big a deal. I'm tempted now to just highlight and backspace this whole damn thing and write something less inane. Yeah, not really my style.
Are you in suspense, anxiously awaiting this amazing discovery? Don't say I didn't warn you when you find yourself feeling somewhat underwhelmed or even deflated.
This is where I say that I am not the last person to discover Firefox. I'm on this one already, and I mention it because the discovery pertains to Firefox. When you have multiple tabs open, you can click and drag a tab and change the order of your tabs.
Pretty fucking righteous right? I thought so to. I'm going to right click on all kinds of things in the next blog I visit, and then I'm going to move the tabs around. I wish someone else was here right now because I would totally show them! That's cooler than you can fit in a 40 oz. Diva Cup.
my lent story
I'm giving up lent for lent.
Who am I kidding, I don't even know what the hell lent is. I think it's one of those crazy catholic holidays, but from what I've come to understand, when listing holidays, we should list lent under the "sucks" category.
I once had a friend give up liquor for lent. This didn't help her maintain any sobriety as wine and beer are not liquor. The year before she mentioned giving up caffeine. I'd just as soon beat up grandma with a baby than give up caffeine.
My religion, if I were to actually follow the Discordian teachings, would allow me, if I wanted, to take on an extra habit for lent. It's not in the Principia, but I'm sure it would be allowed.
To any good catholics out there, first, what the hell are you doing reading my craptastic blog? It's almost lent for christ's sake. Second, I don't intend to offend. I do accept that it is a natural tendency of mine to offend, and I don't actually care, but I don't intend to offend.
Okay, the sun is out, the day is lovely and my ass needs to be out going to stores and making purchases. The economy ain't gonna drive itself.
Rant for the day: I'm out of half and half. I have only had one cup of coffee today and am already out of half and half. I hate using milk in my coffee. I make good coffee, not some burnt water flavored shit that comes hermetically sealed in a foil vacuum pack, and I deserve real half and half! Dangit!
Who am I kidding, I don't even know what the hell lent is. I think it's one of those crazy catholic holidays, but from what I've come to understand, when listing holidays, we should list lent under the "sucks" category.
I once had a friend give up liquor for lent. This didn't help her maintain any sobriety as wine and beer are not liquor. The year before she mentioned giving up caffeine. I'd just as soon beat up grandma with a baby than give up caffeine.
My religion, if I were to actually follow the Discordian teachings, would allow me, if I wanted, to take on an extra habit for lent. It's not in the Principia, but I'm sure it would be allowed.
To any good catholics out there, first, what the hell are you doing reading my craptastic blog? It's almost lent for christ's sake. Second, I don't intend to offend. I do accept that it is a natural tendency of mine to offend, and I don't actually care, but I don't intend to offend.
Okay, the sun is out, the day is lovely and my ass needs to be out going to stores and making purchases. The economy ain't gonna drive itself.
Rant for the day: I'm out of half and half. I have only had one cup of coffee today and am already out of half and half. I hate using milk in my coffee. I make good coffee, not some burnt water flavored shit that comes hermetically sealed in a foil vacuum pack, and I deserve real half and half! Dangit!
Monday, February 27, 2006
nswtm
I am operating with most of a deck of cards. One of the aces is missing from my brain, so we had to use a Sharpie and write on one of the Jokers to replace the missing card. I'm working with a nswtm, or a not so well trained mind.
I don't own any cookbooks, so please, someone help me find the easiets and most basic of recipes. My ds12 has been thinking about girls lately. Can anyone tell me how to redirect his focus so that I will remain, not just his mother, but also his sole female companion? I don't want Satan to steal my babies pure heart.
I have pain in a part of me. Or I have some illness. It is very common and something we are all familiar with. Please line up to console/comfort me and tell me you will pray for slight cough.
Oh Gosh-a-mighty! Who left the doors open? Open minds might slip in and question things, the answers to which make us uncomfortable. Oh, please start praying that they will go away soon. I can't stand the glare from the open mind as the light of reason forces its way into my closed mind shell.
I don't own any cookbooks, so please, someone help me find the easiets and most basic of recipes. My ds12 has been thinking about girls lately. Can anyone tell me how to redirect his focus so that I will remain, not just his mother, but also his sole female companion? I don't want Satan to steal my babies pure heart.
I have pain in a part of me. Or I have some illness. It is very common and something we are all familiar with. Please line up to console/comfort me and tell me you will pray for slight cough.
Oh Gosh-a-mighty! Who left the doors open? Open minds might slip in and question things, the answers to which make us uncomfortable. Oh, please start praying that they will go away soon. I can't stand the glare from the open mind as the light of reason forces its way into my closed mind shell.
sore as I said
Yes, as I mentioned when discussing my need for a drink, my hips are sore, my back is sore, my thighs are sore . . .
My elbow is feeling better today. I did't think of it till today, but the elbow ache may have been from sleeping on it. I do tend to sleep on one arm or the other, usually the left, and some days I seem to sleep on it worse than others.
I didn't mentione my calves, but they are also sore. I did stretch well before playing. I really did, and that may have helped no pull anything. I really need to just exercise.
So here we have it. A short blog, not quite worth reading, but if you are unsatisfied for any reason, any reason at all, I will gladly refund the original purchase price, though you, dear reader, will have to pay shipping.
My elbow is feeling better today. I did't think of it till today, but the elbow ache may have been from sleeping on it. I do tend to sleep on one arm or the other, usually the left, and some days I seem to sleep on it worse than others.
I didn't mentione my calves, but they are also sore. I did stretch well before playing. I really did, and that may have helped no pull anything. I really need to just exercise.
So here we have it. A short blog, not quite worth reading, but if you are unsatisfied for any reason, any reason at all, I will gladly refund the original purchase price, though you, dear reader, will have to pay shipping.
master of the test
I am 76% Asshole/Bitch.
I am one of those people that love to hear the sound of their voice. That and my lousy attitude make for a mixture as toxic next-day-mexican-dinner-ass-drip.I've taken way too many of these tests. I'm apparently not very punk or ska, regardless of what I may have thought. I'm just not as cool as I wanted to be. I'm fairly white trash/redneck, but I'm also from Georgia originally, and I still live in the South. Of all the tests I've taken, this is the one on which I scored the highest. On no other test did I score even close to this high. So, I'm more asshole than I am punk? How does that work?
Sunday, February 26, 2006
ready for a drink
I'm about to have to fix myself a drink. There's beer, but I believe this calls for some Capatain Morgan and Black Cherry Vanilla Coke. It's also good with Sprite or even iced tea, the rum that is, especially iced tea, but we don't have any made, and the Coke company is nice enough to not only make their drink but also place it in a convenient bottle.
Most days I feel like a drink much earlier than this, but I pretend toward responsible parenting and put it off till laterish. I'm a bit of a curmudgeon (putting it wildly mildly) and find that the kids stress me out a little. I'm also blaming it on the winter hibernation, cabin fever and all.
Which brings up another point about today's need for a drink. I need to run, to go outside and jog, to make it a habit.
Today I need the drink because I played soccer. We had a "practice" that was not too far removed from a regular game. The teams weren't really what they will be I don't think, and we didn't have a referee.
I don't always need a drink just because I played, but I've done something to my elbow that a Goody's powder might not remedy. I don't know what I did though. I may have fallen on it, or perhaps it's achey from falling on my hand with my arm straight out. I may or may not have done that.
I did fall, and I did tackle a couple of times. The knees of Momma's sweat pants are muddy from some of that (I don't have my own so Momma cringe-ingly donates.) My knees are goofy from running, and the hips are going to be achey tomorrow. But the elbow thing has me stumped. It's a really dull and weak sort of hurt, but it's a new hurt. I'm used to the knees and hips hurting. I'm used to hitting the ground on my hands a couple of times per game and having them feel unpleasant.
Whiney poo!
I did have a blast though for the half hour I had the stamina for. I didn't run that entire time, and my lungs maintained a steady stream of complaints. But I got to play! I ran into some grown ups running pretty hard (good for destressing.) I executed some really great tackles, stopping a couple of runs toward my goal. I certainly feel some of the winter's build up of stress has been left on the field.
The first adult games are next Sunday. We are playing on some fields I've never seen before at the park named for one of our town's most craptastic of mayors. I don't believe the fields will suck as much as he did, but that's so off topic that I'm giving it the old, "Don't go there!"
Most days I feel like a drink much earlier than this, but I pretend toward responsible parenting and put it off till laterish. I'm a bit of a curmudgeon (putting it wildly mildly) and find that the kids stress me out a little. I'm also blaming it on the winter hibernation, cabin fever and all.
Which brings up another point about today's need for a drink. I need to run, to go outside and jog, to make it a habit.
Today I need the drink because I played soccer. We had a "practice" that was not too far removed from a regular game. The teams weren't really what they will be I don't think, and we didn't have a referee.
I don't always need a drink just because I played, but I've done something to my elbow that a Goody's powder might not remedy. I don't know what I did though. I may have fallen on it, or perhaps it's achey from falling on my hand with my arm straight out. I may or may not have done that.
I did fall, and I did tackle a couple of times. The knees of Momma's sweat pants are muddy from some of that (I don't have my own so Momma cringe-ingly donates.) My knees are goofy from running, and the hips are going to be achey tomorrow. But the elbow thing has me stumped. It's a really dull and weak sort of hurt, but it's a new hurt. I'm used to the knees and hips hurting. I'm used to hitting the ground on my hands a couple of times per game and having them feel unpleasant.
Whiney poo!
I did have a blast though for the half hour I had the stamina for. I didn't run that entire time, and my lungs maintained a steady stream of complaints. But I got to play! I ran into some grown ups running pretty hard (good for destressing.) I executed some really great tackles, stopping a couple of runs toward my goal. I certainly feel some of the winter's build up of stress has been left on the field.
The first adult games are next Sunday. We are playing on some fields I've never seen before at the park named for one of our town's most craptastic of mayors. I don't believe the fields will suck as much as he did, but that's so off topic that I'm giving it the old, "Don't go there!"
Saturday, February 25, 2006
poem for spring
This is my favorite spring time poem. I'm putting it here in honor of the very first daffodil bud just about to pop open in my front yard. I'm afraid they'll get frozen, but considering my anti-winter feelings, it's always a good sign to me.
Daffodowndilly
by A.A. Milne
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbour:
"Winter is dead."
MESS!!!
Yeah, the house is the same mess it always is. I get so tired of having to dodge all the piles of toys, but I'm way too lazy to bother picking it up. Also, getting the boys to help clean is its own special hell, so I just end up ignoring it all.
The mess doesn't bother me so much in and of itself, but it grows like a child till it's just a horrid dangerous bunch of crap waiting to trip us all and take us down, kind of like my the kids again. And right now, The Boy is really loving the puzzles. So any cleaning currently involves sorting through all the scattered puzzles and pieces, putting them back together and putting them up. Within a half an hour though, he wants them back out. If I just leave them out, they get dumped out together and ignored.
Here's the honest moment of the day. Homeschooling isn't the easiest thing in the world if you want to do it well. You have to pay attention to your kids. You have to keep the messes picked up. You have to think about stuff. Sometimes, when you really want the messes picked up, you have to ignore them and be okay with messes.
My weakness is being somewhat okay with the messes. Okay, my real weakness is the lit up teat that is the computer. I know better, but I just sit here all day every day constantly opening up the bookmarks menu to check the same blogs, just in case there's something new somewhere.
So I'll publish this dumb thing and surf on over to someone elses site. I'll clean up the mess after I accidentally trip over something and finally freak out about it. Or maybe, and even better, I'll suddenly not be a lazy procrastinating slob.
The mess doesn't bother me so much in and of itself, but it grows like a child till it's just a horrid dangerous bunch of crap waiting to trip us all and take us down, kind of like my the kids again. And right now, The Boy is really loving the puzzles. So any cleaning currently involves sorting through all the scattered puzzles and pieces, putting them back together and putting them up. Within a half an hour though, he wants them back out. If I just leave them out, they get dumped out together and ignored.
Here's the honest moment of the day. Homeschooling isn't the easiest thing in the world if you want to do it well. You have to pay attention to your kids. You have to keep the messes picked up. You have to think about stuff. Sometimes, when you really want the messes picked up, you have to ignore them and be okay with messes.
My weakness is being somewhat okay with the messes. Okay, my real weakness is the lit up teat that is the computer. I know better, but I just sit here all day every day constantly opening up the bookmarks menu to check the same blogs, just in case there's something new somewhere.
So I'll publish this dumb thing and surf on over to someone elses site. I'll clean up the mess after I accidentally trip over something and finally freak out about it. Or maybe, and even better, I'll suddenly not be a lazy procrastinating slob.
freaky bedtime
I'll admit right now that this story isn't really that great, but it made my night a little nicer. If that title doesn't bring some soon to be disappointed readers, then fuck it, I'm a failure at something.
Anyway, The Boy watched his movie, ate some blueberries, didn't fall asleep, ate some Pez and thankfully didn't fall asleep. I was hoping I'd get his teeth brushed after all that before he went to sleep, but it was late, so I grew worried.
We did get his teeth brushed. We read some books first, then he wanted his last book in bed. After the book, he wanted me to lay with him. I don't actually bother, but I do kind of crouch on the floor with my head on his pillow. Momma actually gets in the bed and has fallen asleep before.
I made up and sang some songs as usual. One was about him and Big Brother stealing some melons and running from Old Mr. Goofball. The other was a really poorly cobbled together bunch about Thomas getting James' freight cars. Percy also shunted the express coaches to the station for Gordon. I always, always have a brain fart at "sing to me" time, and I never can think of the lyrics to an actual song. So I don't quite lay in his bed and don't quite sing songs to him, but he seems to not not like it.
I finally gave him his last smooch and achingly stretched myself back upright. I pulled his door closed and turned off the hall light. I remembered leaving my beer in the kitchen, so I grabbed that and headed back to the other end of the house.
I was curious what would come next. With Big Brother, it can be anything. He lost screen time today for standing on the arm of the sofa. He was actually running across the love seat, but as I entered the room he was mid-something on the arm, and he saw me and slowly sunk to the ground. So whatever he did pre-bedtime, it wouldn't involve video games or cartoons.
In the end it didn't matter. I saw him laying on the sofa and thought he was joking at first. I let him lay there and snore thinking I would outwait him. I knew he couldn't lay there and snore, looking so asleep for long. But he didn't move. I thought of tickling him, making him admit that he wasn't really asleep. But then I thought, if the sleep were real, I could easily ruin it if he wasn't very much asleep.
In the end, I ignored him for a minute. Then I got his covers neat on his bed and carried his big long ass back to bed. It's so early for him, and I have the whole night to myself. That isn't saying much considering the time and that tonight is Momma's really late night at work. I might not be up when she gets here. This is my special time. I'll use it to do write silliness! And probably check Myspace.
Anyway, The Boy watched his movie, ate some blueberries, didn't fall asleep, ate some Pez and thankfully didn't fall asleep. I was hoping I'd get his teeth brushed after all that before he went to sleep, but it was late, so I grew worried.
We did get his teeth brushed. We read some books first, then he wanted his last book in bed. After the book, he wanted me to lay with him. I don't actually bother, but I do kind of crouch on the floor with my head on his pillow. Momma actually gets in the bed and has fallen asleep before.
I made up and sang some songs as usual. One was about him and Big Brother stealing some melons and running from Old Mr. Goofball. The other was a really poorly cobbled together bunch about Thomas getting James' freight cars. Percy also shunted the express coaches to the station for Gordon. I always, always have a brain fart at "sing to me" time, and I never can think of the lyrics to an actual song. So I don't quite lay in his bed and don't quite sing songs to him, but he seems to not not like it.
I finally gave him his last smooch and achingly stretched myself back upright. I pulled his door closed and turned off the hall light. I remembered leaving my beer in the kitchen, so I grabbed that and headed back to the other end of the house.
I was curious what would come next. With Big Brother, it can be anything. He lost screen time today for standing on the arm of the sofa. He was actually running across the love seat, but as I entered the room he was mid-something on the arm, and he saw me and slowly sunk to the ground. So whatever he did pre-bedtime, it wouldn't involve video games or cartoons.
In the end it didn't matter. I saw him laying on the sofa and thought he was joking at first. I let him lay there and snore thinking I would outwait him. I knew he couldn't lay there and snore, looking so asleep for long. But he didn't move. I thought of tickling him, making him admit that he wasn't really asleep. But then I thought, if the sleep were real, I could easily ruin it if he wasn't very much asleep.
In the end, I ignored him for a minute. Then I got his covers neat on his bed and carried his big long ass back to bed. It's so early for him, and I have the whole night to myself. That isn't saying much considering the time and that tonight is Momma's really late night at work. I might not be up when she gets here. This is my special time. I'll use it to do write silliness! And probably check Myspace.
idiot has me stumped for a title
The following quote is from a letter to the Metro Pulse, our local alternative news weekly. It's a great little paper, if you live around here and need to know what bands are playing where. This letter though just really gave me a laugh, and not the good kind. This sample is the real clincher for me.
Never mind that his math is that far off. Never mind that he is ridiculing a law that is intended to protect children, those among us with often the least faculty to make the wisest of decisions. Also, never mind that he is taking the word of a child concerning the law and is misinformed.
His problem with all of this is that liberals are ruining life by making laws that force safety measures on people. He apparently bonded with family while riding in the front seat as a child, and he's uses that sad old arguement that what didn't kill him is certainly okay for the next generation.
He chides us for using studies about safety and airbags in order to push these laws on us. I wonder if he's ever lost a loved one, a very young one who couldn't decide how safe they wanted to be.
I too grew up riding in the front seat. I grew up thinking of seatbelts as those things you had to pull out whenever you lost something down the back seat. Honestly, I only saw the seatbelts in the back when I pulled them out, creased from being jammed down into the seat where they would be out of the way. When I found my quarter or my pencil, I stuffed them right back down. I certainly want my children in the safest place that I can find for them, and I don't really need the force of the law. The facts and the studies are really quite enough for me.
I do disagree to some extent with some laws that I see as overzealously enforcing safety, helmet laws for instance. If you have a motorcycle and choose not to wear a helmet, you should certainly be old enough to take that chance. That is in no way similar to riding in someone's lap, in the front seat of a car. In addition to the child's safety, the entire car is safer knowing that the child is fixed and immovable. For all the control we feel when driving, few other venues offer such small margins of error with such great opportunities to do great damage.
All that to say this. To the jackass that wrote that letter, put the girl where she is safe, in the back seat. Next, to make especially sure she is safe, ask someone else to drive, jackass! Not that this guy will see this, but here are some facts.
So here’s this little girl awash in this huge back seat. I say to her, “How old do you have to be before you can sit in the front seat?” She replies: “13.” “And how old are you?” “7.” So I say: “You’re relegated to the back seat for the next eight years?”
Never mind that his math is that far off. Never mind that he is ridiculing a law that is intended to protect children, those among us with often the least faculty to make the wisest of decisions. Also, never mind that he is taking the word of a child concerning the law and is misinformed.
His problem with all of this is that liberals are ruining life by making laws that force safety measures on people. He apparently bonded with family while riding in the front seat as a child, and he's uses that sad old arguement that what didn't kill him is certainly okay for the next generation.
He chides us for using studies about safety and airbags in order to push these laws on us. I wonder if he's ever lost a loved one, a very young one who couldn't decide how safe they wanted to be.
I too grew up riding in the front seat. I grew up thinking of seatbelts as those things you had to pull out whenever you lost something down the back seat. Honestly, I only saw the seatbelts in the back when I pulled them out, creased from being jammed down into the seat where they would be out of the way. When I found my quarter or my pencil, I stuffed them right back down. I certainly want my children in the safest place that I can find for them, and I don't really need the force of the law. The facts and the studies are really quite enough for me.
I do disagree to some extent with some laws that I see as overzealously enforcing safety, helmet laws for instance. If you have a motorcycle and choose not to wear a helmet, you should certainly be old enough to take that chance. That is in no way similar to riding in someone's lap, in the front seat of a car. In addition to the child's safety, the entire car is safer knowing that the child is fixed and immovable. For all the control we feel when driving, few other venues offer such small margins of error with such great opportunities to do great damage.
All that to say this. To the jackass that wrote that letter, put the girl where she is safe, in the back seat. Next, to make especially sure she is safe, ask someone else to drive, jackass! Not that this guy will see this, but here are some facts.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
the library, finally
We have been missing the library lately. With letting the boys stay up later at night came the obvious sleeping later in the day. Our best day to have the car are those days when Momma works in the morning and get's off early enough in the evening.
So we haven't been getting up at 8:00 a.m. and haven't been taking Momma to work. We have been stuck at home day after interminable day. It's been too nasty and cold to go out most days, mostly because I really, really hate winter.
We finally made it to the library today. Momma had to be at work at noon and is working to volume, basically meaning that she leaves when the place is dead enough to not need her. Since she will be off before anyone's bedtime, we hope, we took her, dropped her off and went straight to the library.
I had forgotten the stroller, actually having assumed it was in the trunk, so that The Boy walked. He's a great walker, but he is an even better meanderer. Not having the stroller meant no books for me unless I wanted a juvenile or YA book, which I sometimes do. I actually have enjoyed many jfiction books lately thinking that I was "screening" them for Big Brother. I refuse to take both boys through the non-children's books if The Boy isn't in his stroller both to save my own sanity as well as to keep the noisey running to a minimum for the other library patrons. My boys can be noisey!
We did visit the second floor for the A/V department, though I couldn't really convince either of them to actually look at the cd's. For what it's worth, we checked out the following music:
-Beethoven-String Quartets-Alban Berg Quartet
-Gene Krupa-In Concert
-Steve Earle-Essential Steve Earl
-Bob Dylan-Biograph
I was sure that we'd gotten more music, but I was wrong.
Our local NPR station's night time jazz show was all big band recently, and they played Sing Sing Sing with that amazing Gene Krupa opening that just puts that fire in your ass. I don't remember which blogger that I read recently pontificated on Beethoven's string quartets. I'm not much into classical music generally, but I also don't dislike it. Steve Earle, well, he's Steve Earle, and if you don't know, take yourself to the store and get some. Bob Dylan, well, he's . . .can't use that one again . . .hmmm. Big Brother knows of Dylan through some Johnny Cash stuff we have with Dylan singing in the back somewhere. He noticed the recent documentary about Dylan, No Direction Home, and got more and more excited about it as he saw more commercials. Then the show finally came on, and it wasn't quite what he expected. I enjoyed it, while he, growing quickly bored, did not watch much. So I've been checking the library when we used to go weekly oh those months ago, but for some reason, Bob Dylan seems to be fairly popular so that his work is always checked out.
We also picked up our usual couple of Thomas the Tank Engine videos and I found some books to read to The Boy. Big Brother is rereading the Harry Potter books, finishing the first two in record time. For the coolest Harry Potter link that I've seen lately, try these spells.
We also owe the library a bit more money than I thought. We got into a bit of a time period, as I've mentioned, where we weren't visiting the library as regularly as we usually do. I messed up, got confused then found the stuff I thought we'd returned. Thankfully, we don't owe them a lot of money, though owing the library any money is too much to me. I'm in love with the library and am not happy with myself when I disrespect her or her books.
Time to step outside for my post lunch smoke, then back here to the headphones and some Gene Krupa.
cheers!
So we haven't been getting up at 8:00 a.m. and haven't been taking Momma to work. We have been stuck at home day after interminable day. It's been too nasty and cold to go out most days, mostly because I really, really hate winter.
We finally made it to the library today. Momma had to be at work at noon and is working to volume, basically meaning that she leaves when the place is dead enough to not need her. Since she will be off before anyone's bedtime, we hope, we took her, dropped her off and went straight to the library.
I had forgotten the stroller, actually having assumed it was in the trunk, so that The Boy walked. He's a great walker, but he is an even better meanderer. Not having the stroller meant no books for me unless I wanted a juvenile or YA book, which I sometimes do. I actually have enjoyed many jfiction books lately thinking that I was "screening" them for Big Brother. I refuse to take both boys through the non-children's books if The Boy isn't in his stroller both to save my own sanity as well as to keep the noisey running to a minimum for the other library patrons. My boys can be noisey!
We did visit the second floor for the A/V department, though I couldn't really convince either of them to actually look at the cd's. For what it's worth, we checked out the following music:
-Beethoven-String Quartets-Alban Berg Quartet
-Gene Krupa-In Concert
-Steve Earle-Essential Steve Earl
-Bob Dylan-Biograph
I was sure that we'd gotten more music, but I was wrong.
Our local NPR station's night time jazz show was all big band recently, and they played Sing Sing Sing with that amazing Gene Krupa opening that just puts that fire in your ass. I don't remember which blogger that I read recently pontificated on Beethoven's string quartets. I'm not much into classical music generally, but I also don't dislike it. Steve Earle, well, he's Steve Earle, and if you don't know, take yourself to the store and get some. Bob Dylan, well, he's . . .can't use that one again . . .hmmm. Big Brother knows of Dylan through some Johnny Cash stuff we have with Dylan singing in the back somewhere. He noticed the recent documentary about Dylan, No Direction Home, and got more and more excited about it as he saw more commercials. Then the show finally came on, and it wasn't quite what he expected. I enjoyed it, while he, growing quickly bored, did not watch much. So I've been checking the library when we used to go weekly oh those months ago, but for some reason, Bob Dylan seems to be fairly popular so that his work is always checked out.
We also picked up our usual couple of Thomas the Tank Engine videos and I found some books to read to The Boy. Big Brother is rereading the Harry Potter books, finishing the first two in record time. For the coolest Harry Potter link that I've seen lately, try these spells.
We also owe the library a bit more money than I thought. We got into a bit of a time period, as I've mentioned, where we weren't visiting the library as regularly as we usually do. I messed up, got confused then found the stuff I thought we'd returned. Thankfully, we don't owe them a lot of money, though owing the library any money is too much to me. I'm in love with the library and am not happy with myself when I disrespect her or her books.
Time to step outside for my post lunch smoke, then back here to the headphones and some Gene Krupa.
cheers!
Sunday, February 19, 2006
soccer and snow
It's snowing again. Our forecast for the next week is a crappy mix of rain and snow. I need to get busy calling my team. Our first practice will be scheduled for next week, and our first game is much too close. This will be the third year that we've been involved with soccer, and the fifth time I've coached Big Brother's team.
And it's snowing again. It got just warm enough today to melt most of the snow, and as of my last smoke break, it was snowing again. I had to hide in the garage.
We did have at least one practice last spring in the snowfall. I would prefer not to have to again, as the novelty wears off really quickly.
I'm getting excited with the coming season. I love coaching the kids, though I don't know how well I'd do with older kids. At the U8 level, I feel I do a great job. With kids this age, if you can have fun with them, if you can let them see your love of the game, it seems to bring some of the same out of the kids.
I want my teams to want to win just as I want to win, but there's so much more than that, so much that's more important. I ask that they learn and that they do their very best. I explain to them clearly that all I want is there very best. I trust that if they and I give our best to the team, we will all learn, we will all have fun, and we will win more than not. I hope that I can have the parents transmit that same ideal to the kids also.
With the parents in mind, I want one day to defeat the worst soccer cheer ever, "KICK IT!" which is too often really not what you want from your team. In a sense, we want to insist that they do kick the ball as that is the main form of motation on the field. But random kicking of the ball is very counterproductive. I'd love to nicely convince the parents that the majority of the cheering regimen should be the following few phrases, where appropriate:
-OFFENSE!
-CONTROL!-This one is my big one. To me, the entire game revolves around issues of control
on many different levels.
-GO ___(name of team/child)___!-I really want to teach healthy levels of both personal
repsonsibility as well as the unity of the team as a unit.
-DEFENSE!-never to be underestimated is a strong defense that is aware of it's value, especially in soccer when so much emphasis is on the attacker.
But I can't come up with a way of suggesting this that I'm sure that I would be okay with hearing. I'll continue to consider this.
I really am excited to meet my team. This is our first all boy team, and I'm curious if I should expect it to be that much different from a similar group of boys and girls. I get to spend tomorrow trying to catch up with all the families to let them know when we start practice. Then I'm basically done for a week in which I wish fervently for good weather and find a book at the library to get me fully into a coaching mindset.
And it's snowing again. It got just warm enough today to melt most of the snow, and as of my last smoke break, it was snowing again. I had to hide in the garage.
We did have at least one practice last spring in the snowfall. I would prefer not to have to again, as the novelty wears off really quickly.
I'm getting excited with the coming season. I love coaching the kids, though I don't know how well I'd do with older kids. At the U8 level, I feel I do a great job. With kids this age, if you can have fun with them, if you can let them see your love of the game, it seems to bring some of the same out of the kids.
I want my teams to want to win just as I want to win, but there's so much more than that, so much that's more important. I ask that they learn and that they do their very best. I explain to them clearly that all I want is there very best. I trust that if they and I give our best to the team, we will all learn, we will all have fun, and we will win more than not. I hope that I can have the parents transmit that same ideal to the kids also.
With the parents in mind, I want one day to defeat the worst soccer cheer ever, "KICK IT!" which is too often really not what you want from your team. In a sense, we want to insist that they do kick the ball as that is the main form of motation on the field. But random kicking of the ball is very counterproductive. I'd love to nicely convince the parents that the majority of the cheering regimen should be the following few phrases, where appropriate:
-OFFENSE!
-CONTROL!-This one is my big one. To me, the entire game revolves around issues of control
on many different levels.
-GO ___(name of team/child)___!-I really want to teach healthy levels of both personal
repsonsibility as well as the unity of the team as a unit.
-DEFENSE!-never to be underestimated is a strong defense that is aware of it's value, especially in soccer when so much emphasis is on the attacker.
But I can't come up with a way of suggesting this that I'm sure that I would be okay with hearing. I'll continue to consider this.
I really am excited to meet my team. This is our first all boy team, and I'm curious if I should expect it to be that much different from a similar group of boys and girls. I get to spend tomorrow trying to catch up with all the families to let them know when we start practice. Then I'm basically done for a week in which I wish fervently for good weather and find a book at the library to get me fully into a coaching mindset.
rant about Momma's job
If anyone cares, I am one of those non-outside-employment types lately. I am a cook by experience and trade I suppose, as is Momma. This gives me extra insight to her own job issues. I know restaurants, to an extent.
She is finally the boss, the head chef finally being demoted to no more than just head chef. When Momma finally got home from work last night (early as shit this morning actually) we were discussing the latest screwup by HC (head chef.)
He called in on a Saturday night, just over a week ago, because of the "threat of snow." There was no snowfall till well after he would have left work, so . . . But that's not as bad as what he pulled the previous week, and I just found out last night. I'm a little pissed off that the owner didn't step in for this which, in my mind, is worse than the call in.
What did HC do that was worse? He got a phone call from his wife because her car was broken down, so he left work at least two hours early, and it's closer to 2-4 hours early, considering that your scheduled time out in a restaurant is generally more ideal than concrete.
Should he not have left work to help his wife? I'd want similar consideration if my car broke down. The problem is that she wasn't stuck anywhere. She wasn't stuck on the highway. She wasn't stuck in a bad part of town. She was stuck at home! AT HOME!!! and HC left early so that she wouldn't be stuck at home.
We have one running car. I'm stuck at home most every day Momma works.
Oh well, I guess now we know why my hot wife is the boss now!
She is finally the boss, the head chef finally being demoted to no more than just head chef. When Momma finally got home from work last night (early as shit this morning actually) we were discussing the latest screwup by HC (head chef.)
He called in on a Saturday night, just over a week ago, because of the "threat of snow." There was no snowfall till well after he would have left work, so . . . But that's not as bad as what he pulled the previous week, and I just found out last night. I'm a little pissed off that the owner didn't step in for this which, in my mind, is worse than the call in.
What did HC do that was worse? He got a phone call from his wife because her car was broken down, so he left work at least two hours early, and it's closer to 2-4 hours early, considering that your scheduled time out in a restaurant is generally more ideal than concrete.
Should he not have left work to help his wife? I'd want similar consideration if my car broke down. The problem is that she wasn't stuck anywhere. She wasn't stuck on the highway. She wasn't stuck in a bad part of town. She was stuck at home! AT HOME!!! and HC left early so that she wouldn't be stuck at home.
We have one running car. I'm stuck at home most every day Momma works.
Oh well, I guess now we know why my hot wife is the boss now!
Saturday, February 18, 2006
rockin' out and surfin'
Yeah, that surfin' I mentioned would definitely be the internet. The only waves in this part of the country are of a most painful orange hue.
I do love rockin' out and most especially when I'm on the computer. Considering the computer is the best cd player in the house, it get's used a lot. Now that I've discovered today's links, I may have that much more trouble getting away from the computer.
If you like rockabilly, surf, blues, et cetera, all the greatest of the American musical forms, or if you want an education, you should certainly check out Border Radio. I haven't listened to anything else at the computer since I first saw them on Myspace. I can't even begin to keep up with all the people I've never heard of before that I'm hearing on here.
I wondered earlier today if their were a way to get itunes to not always disappear. Sometimes I want to stop/pause the music right away. It's often pretty loud, and I need it to totally disappear for a moment when either Momma or the boys need to talk to me. So Big Brother is sitting at the table talking, not realizing that I can't quite hear him. By the time I'm down to the itunes button and have it open and have the music stopped he has to repeat himself.
Hmmm, I began the thought process. I wonder, I thought, if there is a way to have a little controller that is alway visible even when their is a browser window open. My next stop, logically for once, was straight to the Firefox extensions page. Sure enough, exactly what I wanted, and here it is. Foxy tunes is so cool! I'm done now before I start gushing.
I do love rockin' out and most especially when I'm on the computer. Considering the computer is the best cd player in the house, it get's used a lot. Now that I've discovered today's links, I may have that much more trouble getting away from the computer.
If you like rockabilly, surf, blues, et cetera, all the greatest of the American musical forms, or if you want an education, you should certainly check out Border Radio. I haven't listened to anything else at the computer since I first saw them on Myspace. I can't even begin to keep up with all the people I've never heard of before that I'm hearing on here.
I wondered earlier today if their were a way to get itunes to not always disappear. Sometimes I want to stop/pause the music right away. It's often pretty loud, and I need it to totally disappear for a moment when either Momma or the boys need to talk to me. So Big Brother is sitting at the table talking, not realizing that I can't quite hear him. By the time I'm down to the itunes button and have it open and have the music stopped he has to repeat himself.
Hmmm, I began the thought process. I wonder, I thought, if there is a way to have a little controller that is alway visible even when their is a browser window open. My next stop, logically for once, was straight to the Firefox extensions page. Sure enough, exactly what I wanted, and here it is. Foxy tunes is so cool! I'm done now before I start gushing.
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