January 20, 2012
Happy Birthday dad! My father has been dead for several years, but January 20th was his birthday. He was born in 1922, so today he would have been 90. I am fairly certain no one would have called him "90 years young" like Willard Scott used to do on the morning news show. He never looked young, but he was a good dad.
In other, not so birthday depressing news, January 18th was my sister's birthday. She does not want me to tell you she turned 43, so I won't. She bought herself her first box of hair color for her birthday, so I decided not to try to top that with a gift.
As for news about me, I was considering starting a Twitter account. I solicited a very small sample size to see if it was a good idea. I sent this text to Beth and CJ, "Im poopin. Do you think I should start on of them Tweeter Accounts?" So far, I have two votes "NO" and am forbidden from taking my phone into the bathroom anymore. By the way, don't tell my sister that the bathroom is where I sent her birthday text from.
Another time I thought I was hi-larious yesterday, was during a Target visit. We have visits in January called Bounceback. Groups of visitors go to each Target to see how they bounced back from the holidays. My Target was visited on Wednesday, and I was one of the visitors on Thursday. We went to 4 stores, and I toured the salesfloor at each and told them what looked great and gave them some things to focus on for the first part of the year. At one of the stores, I toured with two ladies named Crystal and Jewel. At the group recap at the end of the visit, I thanked Crystal and Jewel for leading me on the tour and asked if Diamond and Pearl were too busy to have joined us. Apparently, I should keep my day job and not go to any open mic nights this weekend.
After rereading, I should also not try to be an English teacher since saying the group recap was at the end of the visit may be a bit redundant.
One cool thing yesterday was that we traveled as a group to the four stores in two vans, and the van I rode in had a DVD player for us kids sitting in the back. The movie playing was Caddyshack. The timing worked out perfectly as the movie began right when we left the district office and the credits were rolling when we pulled back into the DO parking lot. Caddyshack is a classic, and I have been talking about watching it with CJ now that he has turned 15 so he would no why we use some of the expressions we do.
Cinderella story, I don't think the hard stuff will be coming down for a while now, why would you kill all the golfers, etc. For some of you this brings back some memories. As I watched the movie, I still found it amusing and was pleased that the language was not as bad as I remembered. It was rather scandalous back in the day, but pretty tame by today's standards. Then came the scene with the main character caddy and the Judge's daughter. Topless female nudity. The question was raised in the van about whether I still wanted to have CJ watch this movie.
Two schools of thought were considered. One, I could skip this scene as none of the classic lines we remembered came from this scene. I could not tell you much about the the dialogue for some reason. Second, perhaps CJ should see some boobies. I am guessing he has not seen any yet, so why have his first time be accidentally seeing them on Grandma or a 43 year old Aunt in the shower.
Fortunately, none of us had eaten lunch yet. Scenario number two was dismissed and we decided the fast forward option should be utilized. Considering the group of guys I was in the van with, this was actually a fairly mature decision we came to.
I also scored a free lunch at Applebees yesterday. Woot! Kudos to Applebees and their 14 minute express lunch guarantee. 9 of us got our lunch right at 14 minutes. Impressed we were.
I am off today, so if you need anything, give me a call. Otherwise, it should be a good day since, I'm all right, don't nobody worry about me.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Where did you learn that young man?!
January 14, 2012
It is Saturday and I do not have to be at work until 3pm. It has finally gotten cold here and we even have snow on the ground right now. One of my current coworkers has just moved here from California and was excited to see snow for the first time. I wonder if she still is. As I was driving home yesterday, I was noticing that the type of snow we have had the past two days is the kind where it comes down sideways since the wind is blowing and it kinda scatters about and does not ever end up on the front of a greeting card. In the movies, you see the snowfall that people like, big flakes drifting down and landing softly on your tongue. If you tried to catch the snow we had falling the past couple days on your tongue, there is a very good chance your tongue would have blown off and stuck to a pole somewhere. Not good greeting card fodder.
Any of you who may have been around this blog for awhile may remember that my son, CJ, used to be in the Latin Club at his high school. He joined in 8th grade while he was taking Freshman Latin and really enjoyed the club. They did all sorts of fun things from laser tag to bonfires. He did not enjoy the class so much as the teacher is very tough and there was no way his parents could help him learn Latin.
I was a proponent of learning Spanish as that is what I took in school and remember a few words. Especially the important ones. Bano-bathroom. Bendejo-ass****.
Actually, I just looked it up to see if I was spelling it correctly only to find that it is Pendejo, not Bendejo. Apparently, I would not have been all that helpful if CJ had wanted to swear at his Spanish teacher. Nice.
So CJ dropped Latin this year since he worked his pend off to get a "C" last year, and GPA does matter more than laser tag. We figured at some point he would be very disappointed when he did not get to go on the summer Latin club trip to Italy.
Yesterday, the list came out of students that were going to make that trip this coming Summer. He asked Beth if any of his Freshman buddies were on the list and there were a couple.
Sidebar, the two that are going are friends of his named Ted and Graham. Whenver they are over here I call them Teddy Graham. For some reason, they do not come over very often. ???
So CJ's reaction to Beth was, "Oh, that's great!" Beth looked at him quizzically. She said, "What is so great about that?" He came back with, "Mom, I can be happy for other people."
Excuse me? Where did you learn that from. It was like when your child comes home using foul language and you find out he learned it from kids on the playground. Or that commercial for marijuana (I think it took an anti Mary Jane stance) where, after some badgering from dad about where the teen learned how to smoke the ganja, the young man bursts out with, "FROM YOU, I LEARNED IT FROM YOU!"
I am searching my past parenting skills to see if somewhere along the lines I taught CJ to be happy for other people. So far I have been unsuccessful. Maybe he learned it on the playground.
It is Saturday and I do not have to be at work until 3pm. It has finally gotten cold here and we even have snow on the ground right now. One of my current coworkers has just moved here from California and was excited to see snow for the first time. I wonder if she still is. As I was driving home yesterday, I was noticing that the type of snow we have had the past two days is the kind where it comes down sideways since the wind is blowing and it kinda scatters about and does not ever end up on the front of a greeting card. In the movies, you see the snowfall that people like, big flakes drifting down and landing softly on your tongue. If you tried to catch the snow we had falling the past couple days on your tongue, there is a very good chance your tongue would have blown off and stuck to a pole somewhere. Not good greeting card fodder.
Any of you who may have been around this blog for awhile may remember that my son, CJ, used to be in the Latin Club at his high school. He joined in 8th grade while he was taking Freshman Latin and really enjoyed the club. They did all sorts of fun things from laser tag to bonfires. He did not enjoy the class so much as the teacher is very tough and there was no way his parents could help him learn Latin.
I was a proponent of learning Spanish as that is what I took in school and remember a few words. Especially the important ones. Bano-bathroom. Bendejo-ass****.
Actually, I just looked it up to see if I was spelling it correctly only to find that it is Pendejo, not Bendejo. Apparently, I would not have been all that helpful if CJ had wanted to swear at his Spanish teacher. Nice.
So CJ dropped Latin this year since he worked his pend off to get a "C" last year, and GPA does matter more than laser tag. We figured at some point he would be very disappointed when he did not get to go on the summer Latin club trip to Italy.
Yesterday, the list came out of students that were going to make that trip this coming Summer. He asked Beth if any of his Freshman buddies were on the list and there were a couple.
Sidebar, the two that are going are friends of his named Ted and Graham. Whenver they are over here I call them Teddy Graham. For some reason, they do not come over very often. ???
So CJ's reaction to Beth was, "Oh, that's great!" Beth looked at him quizzically. She said, "What is so great about that?" He came back with, "Mom, I can be happy for other people."
Excuse me? Where did you learn that from. It was like when your child comes home using foul language and you find out he learned it from kids on the playground. Or that commercial for marijuana (I think it took an anti Mary Jane stance) where, after some badgering from dad about where the teen learned how to smoke the ganja, the young man bursts out with, "FROM YOU, I LEARNED IT FROM YOU!"
I am searching my past parenting skills to see if somewhere along the lines I taught CJ to be happy for other people. So far I have been unsuccessful. Maybe he learned it on the playground.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Nanu, nanu
January 10, 2012
We keep a dry erase calendar on our fridge on which we write my schedule, upcoming band events, appointments, etc. Beth asked me to update it today so as to clear the part off that said "winter break". Who is sad that break is over? Could it be Beth and CJ? You betcha.
The good news about updating the calendar, is that it now extends through February 11th. Can you believe it is that close to February already? We have not even had snow here in Cincinnati yet. The forecast calls for it on Thursday, but this past weekend, it was almost 60 degrees outside. Global warming much? Thank you The Baby. I translated El Nino for you in case you don't speak the Spanish.
I am hoping for a return to work/life balance this month even though my store is going through a remodel. I worked way too much in November and December and it really hit a tipping point last week. The workload was extreme, I was tired, and I may have gotten a little cranky at work in the middle of it.
My boss had a sit down hour long conversation with me yesterday coaching/criticizing my crankiness. I will paraphrase the end result for you. Steve, you care too much and try to do too much yourself.
So herein lies the issue. He is not wrong. While I do not want to be told that I care too much, because that is something I really thought was a good thing, perhaps I am wrong. Caring so much has led to issues/problems.
It's like the good demon and the bad demon are both sitting on the shoulders of my brain and telling me what I am doing wrong. Neither one seems to have the right answer. The difference between the two is that one tells me I am doing it wrong and the other says I am doing it right. The one who agrees with the outside world, let's call him Mork, knows for sure that there is a better way and that all I have to do is find it. The issue is that Mork has hidden the secret answer on the planet Ork and only Pam Dawber can help me find it. I have no idea where she is.
The other demon, who I will call Steve, has been wired to think there are only two ways to get the job done-the right way and the wrong way. Mork even told me yesterday that there may be times when I will have to settle for less than the expected standards. Beg your pardon? Since when?
How do I go back in time and tell the mother that raised me that less than perfect is okay? How do you get a mentor for that? Anyone on the LSU football team feeling good about their season today? Undefeated, beat all comers, until the national championship game. Worst game you played all year on the most important day. National Champ RUNNER UP. Are you okay with that?
Obviously, Demon Steve has not bought into the theory just yet. Let's try a different source.
Excuse me, Charlie Sheen, do you have a moment?
Have you seen Pam Dawber? Can we hire NCIS to look for her? Shazbot!
I am open to any and all advice. I have given Steve the day off, Mork is listening.
We keep a dry erase calendar on our fridge on which we write my schedule, upcoming band events, appointments, etc. Beth asked me to update it today so as to clear the part off that said "winter break". Who is sad that break is over? Could it be Beth and CJ? You betcha.
The good news about updating the calendar, is that it now extends through February 11th. Can you believe it is that close to February already? We have not even had snow here in Cincinnati yet. The forecast calls for it on Thursday, but this past weekend, it was almost 60 degrees outside. Global warming much? Thank you The Baby. I translated El Nino for you in case you don't speak the Spanish.
I am hoping for a return to work/life balance this month even though my store is going through a remodel. I worked way too much in November and December and it really hit a tipping point last week. The workload was extreme, I was tired, and I may have gotten a little cranky at work in the middle of it.
My boss had a sit down hour long conversation with me yesterday coaching/criticizing my crankiness. I will paraphrase the end result for you. Steve, you care too much and try to do too much yourself.
So herein lies the issue. He is not wrong. While I do not want to be told that I care too much, because that is something I really thought was a good thing, perhaps I am wrong. Caring so much has led to issues/problems.
- By the time January rolls around, I am exhausted
- I have a temper, and I have trouble controlling it when my filter is overloaded
- I get a martyr complex during which I think I have to solve all the problems and do not ask for help (I always wait for help to be offered, and guess what, IT NEVER IS!!)
- CJ does not want to get a job because he thinks it could only lead to stress and worry
It's like the good demon and the bad demon are both sitting on the shoulders of my brain and telling me what I am doing wrong. Neither one seems to have the right answer. The difference between the two is that one tells me I am doing it wrong and the other says I am doing it right. The one who agrees with the outside world, let's call him Mork, knows for sure that there is a better way and that all I have to do is find it. The issue is that Mork has hidden the secret answer on the planet Ork and only Pam Dawber can help me find it. I have no idea where she is.
The other demon, who I will call Steve, has been wired to think there are only two ways to get the job done-the right way and the wrong way. Mork even told me yesterday that there may be times when I will have to settle for less than the expected standards. Beg your pardon? Since when?
How do I go back in time and tell the mother that raised me that less than perfect is okay? How do you get a mentor for that? Anyone on the LSU football team feeling good about their season today? Undefeated, beat all comers, until the national championship game. Worst game you played all year on the most important day. National Champ RUNNER UP. Are you okay with that?
Obviously, Demon Steve has not bought into the theory just yet. Let's try a different source.
Excuse me, Charlie Sheen, do you have a moment?
Have you seen Pam Dawber? Can we hire NCIS to look for her? Shazbot!
I am open to any and all advice. I have given Steve the day off, Mork is listening.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Please do not resolve to wipe less this year
January, 3, 2012
Hello y'all. Long time no contact. This has been one of the more difficult holiday seasons I have ever had, and I have had 24 of them. You consumers are difficult to figure out. Take the past two days for example. Sunday was January first and I expect none of you to go shopping early in the morning. I realize that New Year's Eve means getting your party on and regretting it the next morning. I have never understood waking up the first day of the brand new year, the "this year is going to be different "year, and you are already regretting choices. You drank too much, ate the wrong things, swapped gum with the wrong person, etc. Fun times. Anyway, so you wake up Sunday morning, and feel like crap. Good start to the year.
Little did you know, I expected you to come to The Target around noon. I know there were several significant football games to watch Sunday, but locally, the Bengals did not play until 4:15. Therefore, I am ready for you to be here between noon:o'clock and 4:00. Where were you?
Somewhere besides The Target. Fine, I got a lot of work done. Maybe this potentially challenging week will not be so bad. Wait a darn minute. I did not get the memo that ALL of you were coming shopping on Monday. I am not ready for you on Monday. Does no one work on January second? Just me, and ER nurses.
So yesterday was cray cray. Check your urban dictionary to find out that cray cray means the second level of crazy. While we never made it to the third level of hell yesterday, we certainly made it to the second level of crazy.
The saving grace during an especially challenging portion of the cray, was a team member wondering why we were putting in all the extra effort for a bulk toilet paper display. Earlier in the day I had explained to the team that New Year's sales meant healthy food, vitamins, workout clothes and gear, storage bins, and leftover holiday clearance. I neglected to mention toilet paper. Thus, when he asked if this bulk display was because people tend to wipe more in the new year, I tried to explain it away by pointing out that some of the healthier foods produce more personal movement. If your resolution this year is to be more regular, we have some of your needs covered at The Target.
In other news, a new holiday tradition was started at our house yesterday. Beth and CJ built a gingerbread house. It was CJ's gift to mom for Christmas.
Hello y'all. Long time no contact. This has been one of the more difficult holiday seasons I have ever had, and I have had 24 of them. You consumers are difficult to figure out. Take the past two days for example. Sunday was January first and I expect none of you to go shopping early in the morning. I realize that New Year's Eve means getting your party on and regretting it the next morning. I have never understood waking up the first day of the brand new year, the "this year is going to be different "year, and you are already regretting choices. You drank too much, ate the wrong things, swapped gum with the wrong person, etc. Fun times. Anyway, so you wake up Sunday morning, and feel like crap. Good start to the year.
Little did you know, I expected you to come to The Target around noon. I know there were several significant football games to watch Sunday, but locally, the Bengals did not play until 4:15. Therefore, I am ready for you to be here between noon:o'clock and 4:00. Where were you?
Somewhere besides The Target. Fine, I got a lot of work done. Maybe this potentially challenging week will not be so bad. Wait a darn minute. I did not get the memo that ALL of you were coming shopping on Monday. I am not ready for you on Monday. Does no one work on January second? Just me, and ER nurses.
So yesterday was cray cray. Check your urban dictionary to find out that cray cray means the second level of crazy. While we never made it to the third level of hell yesterday, we certainly made it to the second level of crazy.
The saving grace during an especially challenging portion of the cray, was a team member wondering why we were putting in all the extra effort for a bulk toilet paper display. Earlier in the day I had explained to the team that New Year's sales meant healthy food, vitamins, workout clothes and gear, storage bins, and leftover holiday clearance. I neglected to mention toilet paper. Thus, when he asked if this bulk display was because people tend to wipe more in the new year, I tried to explain it away by pointing out that some of the healthier foods produce more personal movement. If your resolution this year is to be more regular, we have some of your needs covered at The Target.
In other news, a new holiday tradition was started at our house yesterday. Beth and CJ built a gingerbread house. It was CJ's gift to mom for Christmas.
The cane is for the blind kitty to the left of the door. You can see math skills at work with an exact color pattern running along the eaves of the house. And Moosen. To completely understand CJ's fascination with this word, you need to know the works of a comedian named Brian Regan. Here is the routine in question.
This routine makes me laugh until I cry every time.
So later in the day, CJ mentioned to Grandma that this was a new tradition for he and mom. Mom got a little verklempt. It was a kairos moment for her. Our pastor would be in love with her right now. I will explain another time. The end result is that CJ does not need to put this photo out on the social media just yet.
Happy New Year everyone!!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Happy Birthday Mr. Mayor
December 20, 2011
December 20, 1996, aka, the day the Charles Joseph turned zero. My little boy turns 15 today around 6pm. Beth has told him he would have to wait until 6:00 to get his present as that was his actual birth time, but he threatened to take away hugs for a month. He will be receiving his gift after his History final at 10:30. It is 8:00 now and CJ is in the middle of WWI, or The Depression, or The Roaring Twenties; but I gotta believe his brain is not all in. He has been waiting for his birthday present for months and today is the last day of finals before a nice long Winter break from school. If he can distinguish Herbert Hoover from a vacuum right now, I will be impressed.
His present is a new laptop. We did not go top-of-the-line as he really wanted, but we were dangerously close for awhile. Our original thought was that the computer we purchased now would be the one he takes off to college. Then it delta dawned on us that our current laptop is only a few years old and is already out-dated. College is too far away for this present to still be college worthy 4 years from now.
It is strange for someone my age to see technology advance so quickly now. Every time you turn around now there is a new Ipod, LED/3D television, or computer processor. I remember upgrading from the $1000 computer with the flux capacitor processor, to the Pentium to the Centrino to whatever there is now. When I was young, technological upgrades went from outdoor to indoor toilets for everyone. Calculators went from the desk top to your pocket. Photos popped right out of your camera and you shook them like a Polaroid Picture.
So, in two hours, my little boy is going to bust in the door, throw his hoodie on the floor, dump his shoes at the back door, leave his back pack in a pile in the dining room, take his socks off and leave them somewhere as yet undetermined, forage through the "hiding place" of his present, and start the disc back up process. He may never eat again.
I hope to eat one last supper with him by getting his favorite meal as carryout for tonight. We love an Indian restaurant near downtown called Ambar. Their Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala are to die for. Yum! Perhaps if he does not eat, there will be more for me.
Therefore, I would like to take this time to wish my favorite kid a most Happiest Birthday. I have given you many nicknames over the years including:
However, we continue to promise to never call you Charles, or Chuck, of CJoe, or late for dinner.
We also promise to continue to love you forever and to never forget the cute you even when you stop being so cute.
Hey, wait a minute!
December 20, 1996, aka, the day the Charles Joseph turned zero. My little boy turns 15 today around 6pm. Beth has told him he would have to wait until 6:00 to get his present as that was his actual birth time, but he threatened to take away hugs for a month. He will be receiving his gift after his History final at 10:30. It is 8:00 now and CJ is in the middle of WWI, or The Depression, or The Roaring Twenties; but I gotta believe his brain is not all in. He has been waiting for his birthday present for months and today is the last day of finals before a nice long Winter break from school. If he can distinguish Herbert Hoover from a vacuum right now, I will be impressed.
His present is a new laptop. We did not go top-of-the-line as he really wanted, but we were dangerously close for awhile. Our original thought was that the computer we purchased now would be the one he takes off to college. Then it delta dawned on us that our current laptop is only a few years old and is already out-dated. College is too far away for this present to still be college worthy 4 years from now.
It is strange for someone my age to see technology advance so quickly now. Every time you turn around now there is a new Ipod, LED/3D television, or computer processor. I remember upgrading from the $1000 computer with the flux capacitor processor, to the Pentium to the Centrino to whatever there is now. When I was young, technological upgrades went from outdoor to indoor toilets for everyone. Calculators went from the desk top to your pocket. Photos popped right out of your camera and you shook them like a Polaroid Picture.
So, in two hours, my little boy is going to bust in the door, throw his hoodie on the floor, dump his shoes at the back door, leave his back pack in a pile in the dining room, take his socks off and leave them somewhere as yet undetermined, forage through the "hiding place" of his present, and start the disc back up process. He may never eat again.
I hope to eat one last supper with him by getting his favorite meal as carryout for tonight. We love an Indian restaurant near downtown called Ambar. Their Chicken Tikka and Chicken Tikka Masala are to die for. Yum! Perhaps if he does not eat, there will be more for me.
Therefore, I would like to take this time to wish my favorite kid a most Happiest Birthday. I have given you many nicknames over the years including:
- CJ Destructo-since you always delighted more in knocking the tower over than building it
- Charlie Joe-since you remind us of both your Grandpas at times
- Colby Jack-due to the "CJ" thing and your tremendous love of all things cheese
- Mayor McCheese-since your are a friend of the people and, the cheese thing
However, we continue to promise to never call you Charles, or Chuck, of CJoe, or late for dinner.
We also promise to continue to love you forever and to never forget the cute you even when you stop being so cute.
- I will always remember the infant who said the word "ham" while I was reading to him about Sam and his eggs.
- I will always remember the knock me over hugs you would give me when I would come home from work and you were a toddler.
- I will always remember you initiating hand holding with me and mom at Winton Woods as we walked along the lake.
- I will always remember the face you would make when someone would "gobble, gobble" at you around Thanksgiving.
- I will always remember you giggling when Cookie Monster would shake his whole self over your head.
- And, I will always remember you putting the cologne on your face while looking in the mirror and then screaming because it stung.
Hey, wait a minute!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Apparently there was no class at XU or UC on Saturday.
December 11, 2011
For those of you who are not sports fans, the next few paragraphs are going to read like a lot of blah de blah blah. I am using this forum as my "personal" diary to voice my frustration with the basketball game I watched yesterday.
Xavier and the University of Cincinnati played their annual crosstown shootout yesterday and XU won 76-53, but no one cares about the score. They had a brawl at the end of the game that was both ugly and embarrassing.
I am a graduate from Xavier University back in 1987. I LOVE Xavier basketball. As much as I have tried to not let it happen, the performance of my favorite basketball team affects my mood. I realize the stupidity of this when I watch Beth worry about stuff somewhat more important like the international finance market and how it affects our 401K, but I cannot help myself.
So there I was yesterday, prouder than I have ever been of my team during the game-for 39 minutes.
They played their best game of the year and they did it without any of the thuggish behavior that has occurred in games past. Sure, you could tell there was some woofing going on. Trash talk is part of the game sometimes, especially when you get a bunch of 20-something men together. In fact, I sometimes walk through a Walmart and trash talk the managers there.
Nice smiley face on your name tag!
Made in America, whatever!
Did Kathy Lee design your outfit!
Okay, I have not been in a Walmart in decades and I do not know from trash talk, but that is somewhat my point. I understand that college boys who came from different backgrounds than I, may go about things a different way than me.
They may listen to rap music. They may refer to themselves as gangstas or talk about putting the other team in a body bag-metaphorically; but that is where it needs to end. Especially when you are on full scholarship representing a university on a court in front of paying fans-AND THEIR CHILDREN.
You want to fight somebody during or after a game? Go back to your neighborhood playground. Don't get paid to represent my school, where I would love my son to go for free, and then instigate or participate in a brawl.
Good Lord!
It was like watching my son being born...and then finding out I wasn't the father. (No, this did not happen to me).
Watching the game was like watching boys learn how to play tough and SMART and like the better team, and I was proud to be their fan; only to find out at the end that they were not proud to be my team.
For those of you who are not sports fans, the next few paragraphs are going to read like a lot of blah de blah blah. I am using this forum as my "personal" diary to voice my frustration with the basketball game I watched yesterday.
Xavier and the University of Cincinnati played their annual crosstown shootout yesterday and XU won 76-53, but no one cares about the score. They had a brawl at the end of the game that was both ugly and embarrassing.
I am a graduate from Xavier University back in 1987. I LOVE Xavier basketball. As much as I have tried to not let it happen, the performance of my favorite basketball team affects my mood. I realize the stupidity of this when I watch Beth worry about stuff somewhat more important like the international finance market and how it affects our 401K, but I cannot help myself.
So there I was yesterday, prouder than I have ever been of my team during the game-for 39 minutes.
They played their best game of the year and they did it without any of the thuggish behavior that has occurred in games past. Sure, you could tell there was some woofing going on. Trash talk is part of the game sometimes, especially when you get a bunch of 20-something men together. In fact, I sometimes walk through a Walmart and trash talk the managers there.
Nice smiley face on your name tag!
Made in America, whatever!
Did Kathy Lee design your outfit!
Okay, I have not been in a Walmart in decades and I do not know from trash talk, but that is somewhat my point. I understand that college boys who came from different backgrounds than I, may go about things a different way than me.
They may listen to rap music. They may refer to themselves as gangstas or talk about putting the other team in a body bag-metaphorically; but that is where it needs to end. Especially when you are on full scholarship representing a university on a court in front of paying fans-AND THEIR CHILDREN.
You want to fight somebody during or after a game? Go back to your neighborhood playground. Don't get paid to represent my school, where I would love my son to go for free, and then instigate or participate in a brawl.
Good Lord!
It was like watching my son being born...and then finding out I wasn't the father. (No, this did not happen to me).
Watching the game was like watching boys learn how to play tough and SMART and like the better team, and I was proud to be their fan; only to find out at the end that they were not proud to be my team.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Idiot prevention devices, priceless.
December 6, 2011
The rain has stopped for now which is good because Noah needs some time to finish his work. We have had over 96 inches of rain this year in Cincinnati which is 30 inches more than a normal year. I am hoping that means we are due for some dry times as continuing this trend with cold weather coming would spell disaster for this town. Cincinnatians do not handle snow well. That is partly due to the fact that the temperature is usually hovering around the freezing mark and the beginning of the precipitation is usually in the form of ice. Ice under snow is bad news.
Couple that with the reality that drivers around here have issues with dry pavement and you got trouble right here in river city. When we get bad driving conditions here, there are two types of drivers that hit the road. The first thinks you have to drive 20mph and keep your right turn signal on the whole time, and the second takes a toboggan approach and drives faster so you can get to the bottom of the hill quicker. These two techniques do not mix well. Like ice and rain. Or fire and rain. James Taylor was on drugs, right?
Part of the issue is that a lot of us drive SUVs now. I have one too, and I realize that I count on the 4 wheel drive feature to keep me out of trouble. I drive up a hill in the rain counting on my 4 wheel drive to kick in. This is a feature I do not understand.
The vehicle's computer is so smart it can sense when it needs the other 2 wheels to have pulling power. I don't understand it, but I am forever grateful for how smart vehicles have become. Whomever came up with the feature that makes the car ding at you when you leave your lights on-love that person. And the person who made it so that you cannot take your keys out of the ignition unless your car is in park. Hugs.
I know it is sad that I need these features, but I do. Every year, around this time, I used to have an issue with my car. Every year it came down to me being tired and burned out and doing something stupid.
Like the one year when I tried to leave work and my car would not start. It was late at night and I ended up having to stay over at one of the other manager's house since I worked 40 minutes from my apartment. That meant wearing the same clothes to work the next day and not shaving. I looked good.
"Fortunately", the store for which I was employed, had a auto repair place attached. They towed my car into the garage. They came to find me later with good news and bad news.
Good news: The reason your car would not start is that you left it in drive.
Bad news: The fee for being an idiot is $25.
I figure whatever I have had to pay extra for in a vehicle over the years for features that protect me from idiot fees, have probably balanced out.
That was a nice gramatically correct sentence, huh?
I am going to take care of some Christmas shopping and wrapping before Beth get's home. Don't tell her, but I am getting her a piece of chocolate but wrapping it in an extra large box. Snicker.
The rain has stopped for now which is good because Noah needs some time to finish his work. We have had over 96 inches of rain this year in Cincinnati which is 30 inches more than a normal year. I am hoping that means we are due for some dry times as continuing this trend with cold weather coming would spell disaster for this town. Cincinnatians do not handle snow well. That is partly due to the fact that the temperature is usually hovering around the freezing mark and the beginning of the precipitation is usually in the form of ice. Ice under snow is bad news.
Couple that with the reality that drivers around here have issues with dry pavement and you got trouble right here in river city. When we get bad driving conditions here, there are two types of drivers that hit the road. The first thinks you have to drive 20mph and keep your right turn signal on the whole time, and the second takes a toboggan approach and drives faster so you can get to the bottom of the hill quicker. These two techniques do not mix well. Like ice and rain. Or fire and rain. James Taylor was on drugs, right?
Part of the issue is that a lot of us drive SUVs now. I have one too, and I realize that I count on the 4 wheel drive feature to keep me out of trouble. I drive up a hill in the rain counting on my 4 wheel drive to kick in. This is a feature I do not understand.
The vehicle's computer is so smart it can sense when it needs the other 2 wheels to have pulling power. I don't understand it, but I am forever grateful for how smart vehicles have become. Whomever came up with the feature that makes the car ding at you when you leave your lights on-love that person. And the person who made it so that you cannot take your keys out of the ignition unless your car is in park. Hugs.
I know it is sad that I need these features, but I do. Every year, around this time, I used to have an issue with my car. Every year it came down to me being tired and burned out and doing something stupid.
Like the one year when I tried to leave work and my car would not start. It was late at night and I ended up having to stay over at one of the other manager's house since I worked 40 minutes from my apartment. That meant wearing the same clothes to work the next day and not shaving. I looked good.
"Fortunately", the store for which I was employed, had a auto repair place attached. They towed my car into the garage. They came to find me later with good news and bad news.
Good news: The reason your car would not start is that you left it in drive.
Bad news: The fee for being an idiot is $25.
I figure whatever I have had to pay extra for in a vehicle over the years for features that protect me from idiot fees, have probably balanced out.
That was a nice gramatically correct sentence, huh?
I am going to take care of some Christmas shopping and wrapping before Beth get's home. Don't tell her, but I am getting her a piece of chocolate but wrapping it in an extra large box. Snicker.
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