A literal description of my state of mind
A literal description of my state of mind
We got word today that Mookie was selected to attend Governor's School. She's one of only 200 kids from the state to be selected for the Humanities program.
She's bouncing off the walls at the moment, and even the thought of spending all of July in school and away from home doesn't faze her.
Son: "I've been drinking that crap coffee they sell by the Metro. Why didn't you tell me there was a Starbucks down the street?"
Me: "You live at home. You can't afford Starbucks."
I'm pleased to announce that my oldest daughter, currently attending school in Michigan, has been accepted into Old Dominion University here in Virginia. I'll be heading to the Great White North in early December to help her pack up all her crap and haul it back down here.
Closer to home and in-state tuition rates. Yesssssssss!
I said "Yo,"That was on the front of my birthday card from my oldest daughter, and the title of this post was what was on the inside.
I said "Yo,"
I said "Yo, yo, yo!"
You be getting' older -
Who be gettin' older?
YOU be getting' older!
What?
What?
Even though she's back in Michigan at school, she's grounded.
Wife and Mookie arrived safely home last night after their whirlwind tour of the great white north - Minnesota and Michigan plus all those states driven through to and from.
Mookie found some old horror movies on DVD in a used book store and got them for me. :D
Sweetie, I hope you don't think I was mad at you last night. I am seriously pissed off, and this afternoon we're going to go take care of it, but I am NOT upset with you.
I really, really, really hate it when something disappoints you like that. We'll make it right and consider it a lesson learned. Ok?
PS. Call me at work.
I'll be having lunch today at a local Mexican eatery, and it ain't Taco Bell. MmmmMmmm Yum!
Update: Sweetie, it's just as good, if not better, than El Charro!
I'm not bragging, I'm just good at non-vegetable gardening. There are a few pictures of this year's work (so far - it's early yet) in the extended entry.
This is a little area I've been putting together for a few years. The clematis is two years old and finally starting to really take off as it climbs the pole and iron bird feeder, You can see the big blue flowers on the clematis, they're spectacular when they really get going. Flanking the clamatis are a pair of dahlias, one pink and one yellow, and the hanging basket has pink petunias that'll grow and spill over. The big orange-liquid feeder is for orioles, not hummingbirds. I got Liz a nice glass hummingbird feeder for Christmas, but she wants to put that in the backyard because she's afraid some kid will break it out front.
These two hostas were transplanted from another bed less than a month ago when they first started surfacing. They're three years old now, and I've moved them each spring looking for the perfect spot.
Here's my holding bed in the backyard where I keep extra hostas of various kinds. Over the last few years I've stashed sedums, hostas, black-eyed susans, shasta daisies, heather, dusty millers and lavender in this bed while I relocated some beds in the front yard. I may as well just put a border around this one and incorporate it into the landscape.
I caught this exchange between Mookie and my wife.
Mookie: "What is dad's problem? He just chewed me out for nothing."
Mom: "He's grouchy. Hockey playoffs are on, so he'll be short of sleep for a couple of months."
I interviewed for a new position Wednesday last, and have been waiting on pins and needles for word.
No real details yet other than that I'll be staying with my current company, but working in another location.
And I need to do some digging and learn about Web Services. This is going to be serious fun.
Thanks for all the support, my friends. You people rock!
They finished up the work on our house Wednesday. I had predicted two full days worth to complete everything, and they spent all day Saturday, Tuesday afternoon and then Wednesday morning to finish up.
It looks gooooood.
We had 9 brand new windows installed, and the frames and sills were completely covered with vinyl - no more painting. Ever. A new sliding-glass door to the backyard, all the soffits were redone with the same vinyl wrap, as were the fascia, roof rakes and some trimwork. We had a minor disagreement about exactly what we contracted for, but after talking to the salesman who originally took the order, they not only did everything that I thought we should be getting, but also did a couple of extra things at no charge. Now that's customer service.
Besides looking great, it'll be much more energy efficient and maybe best of all, I can probably now paint the entire outside of my house in about 3 hours.
Walking through a shopping mall yesterday with my wife, we passed a store called “The Bible Outlet”. I wondered aloud who would buy an ‘outlet’ Bible. Liz said it would be the equivalent of buying “dollar store douche” and that they probably contained the "gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and Justin".
Today is her birthday. Every day I give thanks for finding her.
Always Be TogetherPablo Cruise
When I look back on our early years
And how we spent so much time in tears
It's a wonder that we're face to face tonight
But something saw us through all those times
Something stronger than you or I
Here we are, and now it sure feels rightOh I have seen
What your love has done for me
And I could stay with you forever
Oh I, I know
Love like this can't help but grow
That's why, we will always be togetherWhen you left me all alone
I could have made it on my own
But part of me was missing
And when we had so much to say
All the words got in the way
Until we took the time to listenOh I have seen
What your love has done for me
And I could stay with you forever
Oh I, I know
Love like this can't help but grow
That's why, we will always be togetherWhen I look back on our early years
And how we spent so much time in tears
It's a wonder that we're face to face tonight
But something saw us through all those times
Something stronger than you or I
And here we are, and now it sure feels rightOh I have seen
What your love has done for me
And I could stay with you forever
Oh I, I know
Love like this can't help but grow
That's why, we will always be togetherAlways be together
(repeat and fade)
Another favorite song lyric that touches on my feelings for my wife.
God Only KnowsBeach Boys
I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I’ll make you so sure about itGod only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Though life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do meGod only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
If you should ever leave me
Well life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do meGod only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows what I’d be without you
God only knows(repeat and fade)
Happy Birthday, Liz.
It's my wife's birthday this week, and Munuviana just happens to share the 14th with her. She was born on Easter day, so the meticulously nosy could figure out how old she is.
This is a song that's special to us both.
She & I Alabama
She and I live in our own little world
Don't worry about the world outside
She and I agree
She and I lead a perfectly normal lifeAh but just because we aren't often seen socially
People think we've got something to hide.
But all our friends know we're just a little old fashioned
She and I
chorus
Oh ain't that great
Aint it fine
To have a love someone that others can't find
Aint it wonderful to know all we ever need is just the two of us
She and I
So wonderful
She and IShe and I share with every body else
The same wants, needs and desires
She and I save
She and I pay on everything we acquireAh but just because we aren't often seen separately
People think we live one life.
Its hard for them to see how anyone could be as close as
She and Irepeat chorus
I've been fighting the flu all week, and I'd have stayed home a couple of days except that I've had important stuff to do at work.
It's friday, it's beautiful, and I've had it. I'm going home. Look for more this evening, after a long nyquil-induced nap.
Don't forget that Rocket Jones is hosting the symphony next week, so keep the submissions coming. Scroll down for details, I mentioned it somewhere. Blah.
(heh heh, I said "submission")
We got home last night after 1am, thanks to a 7 hour stretch at the ER. Everyone's home, everyone's fine. Everyone's still asleep, except for yours truly, who has to hit the pharmacy when it opens in about 45 minutes.
It's going to be a long zombie-like day. Maybe I can get a nap this afternoon.
Beal. It's what's for dinner.
Update: I've slept for a few hours, and Mookie and I are still going to a rocket launch tomorrow. :D Thanks for all the kind words and well-wishes.
Short version: Wife Liz has had a headache on the left side of her head since Saturday last, and it got bad enough yesterday to see the doctor (she doesn't suffer from migraines). Doc found a suspicious mass at the back of Liz's head and sent her to the ER for a CT scan.
Wait. Wait. Wait. See doctor, get CT scan. Wait. Liz has sinus infection on left side (all 4 - my dear overachiever), and the mass is a bundle of muscle that's spasming from the ensuing headache pain. IV with painkillers, then with antibiotic, and handful of prescription slips to take home. And that's the key, she got to go home. Most of the time a trip to the ER for her means automatic admission.
She's doing ok, not great, but ok. The doctor said it'll be a few days before she starts to feel better. With the Fibromyalgia that Liz has, the pain is not an uncommon thing, just the cause is different this time. I've said it before, if it's bad enough that she's complaining about pain, I know it's bad enough that I'd be on my knees begging to die.
Once again, thanks my friends, for your good thoughts and prayers.
Our dog Sam has always been a grunter rather than a barker. But as he gets older, his voice is getting deeper, to the point that now he sounds like Karl, played by Billy Bob Thorton in Slingblade.
"I'd like me some of those french fried potatoes. Mm-Hmmm."
Not for me (though I certainly need one), but for the dogs. A few times during the warm months, Liz and one of the daughters gets down on the floor and shaves Sam and Trix. It's a two-person job, and I only get involved towards the end when the dog has had enough and starts to really squirm.
The dogs do appreciate the results, but at best only tolerate the process. If Liz didn't do it, I'd probably just schlep them down to PetSmart or something and pay to have someone else deal with it. Liz soothes and talks and plays quiet music while she does it, whereas I'm the "Sit. Stay." kinda barber. She's also a lot more particular about results. To me, short is good enough, I'm not gonna worry about making a dog beautiful.
Sam is first today, and Trix (the younger) is clinging to my side, fretting and having mini-nervous breakdowns every time Sam whines or yelps. If I sit down, Trix the empath wants up in my lap and snuggles in, worried to death.
Liz just hollered down the stairs that we now have three dogs, the pile of hair removed from Sam being large enough to have it's own name. The birds are gonna love it when we put the fur out for nest building.
To compensate for not helping with haircut day, I take care of the crappy little chores that nobody gets around to around the house. This morning I've cleaned the aquarium, dealt with the houseplants and overwintered outside plants in the basement and might run to the grocery store later.
Liz calls it "guilt putzing".
Mookie posted her report on Arsenic.
I chose Arsenic because it seemed to me to be the most sinister, and fun, of all 115 elements.
*sigh*
Every time I visit the Smithsonian Museums, I am awed at the national treasures available for all to see.
These are rightly described as treasures, and they aren't hidden behind massive vault doors. It's emphasized often in each museum that the contents belong to the entire American people. You get the sense that you're not being allowed to see the items so much as that the caretakers are making sure that everyone gets the best view possible.
To say I don't like the city of Washington DC is an understatement. I believe that if they were to give Uncle Sam an enema, the nozzle would be inserted in DC. But I also think that everyone should spend a couple of weeks visiting Washington, because there is just so much history to see. I hate DC, but I also sincerely recommend it as a vacation destination for all.
We started our trip by driving to the nearest Metro station and parking there. The DC Metro system is excellent, it's much easier than trying to find a parking spot in DC, plus the metro fare is less than parking in the city. Plus, the metro took us to within a block of the National Museum of American History, our choice for the day.
We had a 5 minute wait to get in, standing in line as everyone went through security checks. When it was my turn, I handed over my car keys and pocket watch, walked through the metal detector, and buzzed it. Stepping back through, I realized that I was still holding my umbrella. I handed it to the guard and set off the detector again. Hmmmm... doing a quick pat of my pockets, I realized that I was carrying (as always) my Swiss Army knife. Wondering what kind of reaction I'd get, I pulled it out and put it on the table, then walked through the detector again. No problem this time, and the guard handed me my things without a second glance at the knife.
So let's get to the treasures, eh? We started on the third floor and worked our way down. First up were the music exhibits, including two really nice features on Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington.
A display case full of Star Trek stuff caught my eye, and when I wandered over to look I saw the really cool stuff. There were three more displays in a nook: one had the original ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz, another had one of Dizzy Gillespie's trumpets. The third case held (get this), Muhammed Ali's boxing gloves, Sonja Heine's ice skates, a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth, a Michael Jordan Bulls jersey, a sweater from the 1980 Miracle on Ice US Olympic hockey team, and tennis racquets from Arthur Ashe and Chris Evert.
I'm going to quickly mention a few other nifty items, and then get to the real 'wow' stuff. There was a very impressive exhibit about the First Ladies. Money, clocks, transportation (many restored vehicles, I'd love to see what's stored in their warehouses). Archie Bunker's chair. The key to the padlock of rod 21, which is the one removed to start the chain reaction on the worlds first nuclear pile.
It takes more than "stuff" to make a museum come to life, and the Smithsonians are world-class. They use innovative displays and lots of hands-on, you don't just look at the exhibits. They use sound and touch as well, and it's consistantly impressive.
Ok, the 'wow' things:
The top hat worn by Abraham Lincoln on the night he was assasinated.
Everyone has seen that picture of the workers unfurling the American flag from the roof of the Pentagon when they began making repairs. That flag is now hanging in the second floor rotunda, and you don't appreciate just how huge it really is until you stand in front of it and look up and up and up.
The space suit worn by Alan Shepard on board Freedom 7, making him the first American to go into space.
The Star Spangled Banner. Not the song, but the original flag that flew over Fort McHenry that inspired our National Anthem. It's being restored, and just the glass walled room showing the restoration equipment is pretty amazing. Without a doubt, this was the highlight for me.
We just skimmed the museum today. Realistically, there is just so much to see and absorb that each building of the Smithsonian is a two-day visit. You really should make the trek at least once, you won't regret it.
Wife is working today and our oldest daughter heads back to college in thawed Michigan tomorrow, so the girls and I decided to head into DC this rainy Saturday and visit the Smithsonians. I wanted to see something artsy, Mookie preferred something sciencey, and Robyn wasn't around to throw in her two cents so that's just too darn bad for her, eh? We compromised on the National Museum of American History.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm kinda sick of the Air & Space Museum and Natural History Museum. All out-of-town guests want to go see these two, and I was right across the street from Air & Space when I was working at the Department of Education. So I'm very familiar with it. Too familiar. On the other hand, it's been awhile since I've been to the American History building, so I'm looking forward to it.
Mookie is at her best friend's house for the weekend, a couple of counties south of here. They're going to a Junior ROTC Military Ball, and she won't be home until Sunday. Not that that leaves us child-free, because oldest daughter Robyn made it home from Michigan yesterday afternoon.
We've raised a couple of chatterboxes. Sheesh.
I've been sitting here thinking about this house we live in. Fourteen years now. It's the only house Mookie remembers.
Tonight we signed the contract to have new windows and back door installed. I have no doubt that they'll pay for themselves in a year or two, but still, it's a lot of money. We heard from a neighbor that a house down the street sold for an obscene price, which I love to hear. The slumlord has been fixing up the house next door and supposedly he's selling too. Good deal, if it's true.
It's after midnight, the ladies are long in bed, and Freddy vs. Jason just finished on the DVD. No review coming for this one because I'm not a big gore fan. A friend lent it to me so I'm watching it. It's not a bad movie for the slasher genre, but it's not something I'd normally watch.
I also have the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre to watch this weekend (much more to my taste). Expect a review of this along with a comparison with the recent remake when it's released in the near future.
Oldest daughter is coming home from college for a week. Dad's doing a happy dance. Lansing might be closer, but that city never had a song nearly as fun written about it.
Last week Mookie tried to kill me in the shower. This morning Sam the dog tried to finish the job. I walked downstairs into the basement, and right at the foot of the stairs he left a puddle, invisible on the linoleum. There was nothing graceful about the crash this time, and luckily nothing beyond my dignity was bruised. Sam did have the decency to stand at the top of the steps and look mildly concerned, but I suspect he was worried I wouldn't be able to make the walk into the pantry for his morning treat.
All of this brings up a question for all you pet owners and animal lovers. I'll see if I can make sense of it and post it at lunch. I'll be interested to hear your opinions.
Ladies, when you use your potions in the shower or bath, please Please PLEASE rinse the tub out completely when you're done.
Guys are easy, I have soap, and I have yellow shampoo to wash my hair. Once in a while, for a change Liz gets me the blue shampoo. Simple, eh?
The ladies seem to need fourteen bottles and jars of every shape and color and scent, which is ok. Really, as long as you rinse the tub.
This morning, I turn on the water, step into the shower, and immediately careen the length of the tub like Sonja Henie on crack until I crash into the far wall. The judges loved the originality, but deducted style points for the cursing.
You're going to kill us with crap like this! And if you're trying for that, we don't want to know. For myself, I'm going to stop at Home Depot on the way home and pick up the biggest damn sheets of wet-sand paper I can find, and epoxy them to the floor of the tub.
And WD-40 the toilet seats.
Just heard from oldest daughter Robyn, who's back in school up in tropical Michigan. She's been working with the admin folks to see if she would get credits for her high school International Baccalaureate (IB) classes.
Thanks to the IB courses and the community college classes she took, after one semester she's now officially a sophomore.
(proud papa mode on) She's majoring in math, with a minor in education, and talking about going on for her Master's at Michigan State so as to teach at college level. (screw it, I'm proud and it's staying on for awhile)
Oldest daughter forgot one of her CD's when she went away to college. I threw it in my case so it didn't get scratched up, and it's been sitting there for a couple of months now. Today at work I popped it into my little boom box.
Robyn, I mean this is the most loving way possible: you have rotten taste in music.
Today is my daughter Robyn's 19th Birthday. Have a great one kiddo, and remember what Dad told you; sex is really really painful until you're 30 years old.
Care package is on the way. Sweaters and sweatshirts and cookies. Stay warm sweetie.
Love,
Dad
It's been a very good day, and I'd like to say thank you for all of the special wishes and good things sent my way.
My blog-friends, you've all become very special to me in a very short time, and the only way I could feel more affection for you would be if you provided sexual favors and/or cash (to be negotiated separately from each of you).
On the family front, I heard from both kids who have already fled the nest, had a very good dinner waiting for me tonight, and after my favorite cake (spice w/ vanilla frosting, decorated with skulls & crossbones in black icing - I've been told that that's very cool), I was presented with a Sears gift card, DVD's of Animal House and Monty Python's Meaning of Life. Then my wife topped it all off by letting me know that she had made a substantial contribution to Ted's Big Honkin' Rocket Motor Fund. As Mookie would say: Woot!
