The other day, Sydney revised a short story she wrote for school last year. Her characters were in a tree house, and, here's the change, chatting about Jon and Kate's divorce. My first thought was not quite charitably aimed at Jon and Kate. Why would my ten year old feel the need to discuss this, I wondered?
The way Kate spoke to her husband each week in front of millions of people embarrassed me for both of them. Notwithstanding my opinion on Kate's communication skills, this could be easily explained by the amount of stress and noise she encounters each day. Every one of us would have a short temper or lose our patience if we had eight kids running around. To give Kate credit, I have been amazed at her energy, organizational skills, and how clean her house always seems to be. What I can't excuse is the couple's oft declared choice to remain "committed to the show" throughout their summer-long tabloid battle. Millions of dollars richer, Jon and Kate have commited their children to experiencing their lives, the good and the bad, in front of a camera. It's turned out so well for Lindsey Lohan, the Olsen twins, Michael Jackson.
Except that TLC just announced that Jon has been fired. The show will now be called "Kate Plus 8." It takes two to tango, and certainly Jon bears responsiblity for his fastly deteriorating relationship with his wife and children. However, Kate recently reinforced to Larry King "she is committed to the show" without Jon. It appears that even the infallible victim of Jon's so-called antics, Kate, has chosen everything this world has to offer over the well-being and future of her children. Eventually, her boys will move on from their preschool antics to acting out as a way to express their unhappiness, confusion, or uncertainty. Maybe they will show up at a Conservative Tea Party or Health Care Town Hall Meeting.
There are few people in Washington that know what to do about all of these Conservatives organizing Tea Parties or protesting the current path of health care reform. Historically, Republicans have not taken advantage of their right to free speech on such a large scale. The media and Democrats are aghast at the partisanship, divisiveness, racism, and vitriol unleashed by those who oppose the President's health care reform, blah, blah, blah. Without saying it, they believe the cause of this popular uprising is hatred. A hatred of poor people, of minorities, of change, and even of Obama. They couldn't be more wrong.
The Systematic Training for Effective Parenting, or STEP, teaches that children act out when they are looking to fill certain needs. It follows that adults might do the same thing. The point no one mentions is that Republicans are acting so uncharacteristically because they need attention and validation.
Our Presidential Primary system is deeply flawed. How else can primary votes in one of the largest states in the nation fail to affect the outcome of the race? How can we explain that the Republican candidate was chosen, in part, by those who will not vote Republican in the national election? No one in Washington paid attention to the Conservative base during the Primaries; as a result, we did not want the candidate we ended up with. Sarah Palin was obviously an attempt to pacify the conservative base. Everyone knew that McCain couldn't beat Obama, so there was no harm in offering the base what they wanted.
To extend the Preschool metaphor, it's as if there is toddler crying and pointing at the Ring Pops in the check-out line at Walmart. The parent can tell what the child wants, but gives him a box of Teddy Grahams to hold instead. Close enough, right, but healthier and already on the grocery list. The child throws the box on the ground and begins to ramp it up. The parent doesn't want a fit-they're almost done checking out-so they give in by handing the child the candy. At first the child stops crying because he got what he wanted. Then he realizes that he can't put it in his mouth, and he hands it to his mom to open. This is her compromise: he can hold the Ring Pop, but she won't let him actually eat it. When she won't open the candy, he starts to scream. When she ignores him, he kicks and hits. Finally, when she takes the candy away, he shoves the groceries from the counter onto the floor. It's as if he's saying to her, "Listen to me! This is what I want! Pay attention to me."
I understood the meaning of disenfranchisement when I voted in the Primaries for a candidate whose name was on the ballet although they had already withdrawn from the race. I effectively threw away my vote rather than vote for either of the men the political machine offered up. When the national election rolled around, I voted for McCain only because Palin was on the ticket. Between their inevitable loss to Obama and the disastrous Senate/Congressional results, I cried for about three days after the election. Who was left to represent me? Who was left that answered to me? Who was left to stem the tide that was about to be unleashed?
There is no one in Washington accountable to the Conservative base. We can call our Congressmen all day long, but very few actually represent "us." Everyone who's taken high school Government class understands that Democracies are successful because of the peaceful transition to power. We lost, so this is what we get. Twelve years ago, though, losing meant more money for welfare, more money for the environment, stricter car emissions, background checks for buying a weapon and hippies saturating the State Dept. While conservatives might not agree with those things, they are mostly amoral choices that didn't interfere with our ability to sleep at night.
Losing today means government take over of housing, government take over of wall street, government take over of big auto, government take over of health care, and we're not even finished with the first year. I'm not suggesting that these are immoral choices, but the stakes are higher than they have been in many decades. These important decisions were barely on the horizon when moderates and liberals voted for John McCain in the New Hampshire primary. The course of the country is changing, and roughly half of the country has no say in the direction we're heading.
Organizing tea parties and protests is the only means left to conservatives to attract Washington's attention. They are screaming out "Look at me! Listen to me! This is what I want!" Unfortunately, it's a day late and a dollar short. If only they had been as enthusiastic two years ago, things might be different. Signs that the housing market and the economy were going to tank were there, but only if you knew where to look.
The current debates raise valid concerns about the purpose and roles of the federal government, whether our nation still desires a true free market economy, and the intent and limitations of the Constitution. If the conservative base had been as involved and outspoken when the debate centered soley around how to end the war, they wouldn't need to resort to political temper tantrums to be heard now. If that toddler had picked up the Ring Pop early on and then compared it to new clothes, or to new toys, new CD's, or to an entire bag of Ring Pops, the mom would have gladly given the kid a Ring Pop. Thank goodness we're not a bunch of toddlers.
I happen to have inside knowledge of the two year old mind of little boys in relation to their beloved Ring Pops that have since been traded up for Bionicles. I read in a parenting book to make a shopping list for each child. Every time the kiddo wants a toy, you write it down on their list. Doing so demonstrates to the child that you have listened to him and are validating his feelings. And yet you have not committed to buying anything. It's a great compromise and works really well, especially the few months before Christmas. (I'll even walk through the store taking pictures of every toy they want as long as they understand that they get one toy from us, one toy from Santa, and maybe something from their extended family, if they're lucky. My kids are lucky, and their extended family always spoils them.) Even during the rest of the year, you'll end up buying the rest of the reasonable things off the list because you see the list so often and because they're reasonable. As in the $20 Lego Star Wars Republic Gunship compared to the $50 Lego Star Wars Millenium Falcon. Except Zach doesn't have either; he's still at the $10 level of the Random Droid Ship.
Here's a List:
Give us a candidate who represents our values or we throw tea parties to change the Primary system.
Give us our candidate or we throw tea parties in support of Congressional term limits.
Give us our candidate or we throw tea parties to end the role of seniority in chosing senate committee chairmanships.
Then we can sit back and see which choice they can live with.
BTW, please note that none of the opinions expressed here have actually passed judgement upon the current administration's plans for reform.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Book Club
I finally found someone who took my Dan Brown Challenge! I published the comment under that blog, so if you don't want to know much about the book, don't look for the comment. Their opinion was that I get to keep drinking my non-diet Coke because I was mostly right. Too bad I'm trying to give up Coke because of the calories and Diet Coke because it still has High Fructose Corn Syrup and really doesn't taste that great. Diet Coke is only a step up from Houtson tap water.
My author du jour is Cecilia Ahern. Her first book, PS I Love You, made me cry all the way through it; however, I was amazed by the insightful portrayal of the grieving process. At the time she wrote the book, Ahern was only 21 years old. She also happens to be the daughter of the Prime Minister of Ireland. Most of her books, if not all of them, are set there, which is a nice break from every other novel about either England, New York, California, or Paris.
This week I read Rosie Dunne and There's No Place Like Here. Rosie Dunne tells the story of a pair of best friends from the time they are five until they are fifty using an interesting format. There's No Place Like Here is an imaginative, almost whimsical, portrayal of usually serious and tragic subject matter.
I find in Ahern a well developed ability to infuse her insight into human nature into characters, dialogue, and plot. There's No Place Like Home deals with a character who is OCD, showing the reader what the character's life is like in it's different stages and describes the effect this has on their interactions with family, friends, and loved ones.
I'm off to bed as Audrey won't fall asleep tonight and it's almost 11PM my time. It could be the million mosquito bites she got on Thursday. It's like living in Houston-mosquitoes and humidity...
My author du jour is Cecilia Ahern. Her first book, PS I Love You, made me cry all the way through it; however, I was amazed by the insightful portrayal of the grieving process. At the time she wrote the book, Ahern was only 21 years old. She also happens to be the daughter of the Prime Minister of Ireland. Most of her books, if not all of them, are set there, which is a nice break from every other novel about either England, New York, California, or Paris.
This week I read Rosie Dunne and There's No Place Like Here. Rosie Dunne tells the story of a pair of best friends from the time they are five until they are fifty using an interesting format. There's No Place Like Here is an imaginative, almost whimsical, portrayal of usually serious and tragic subject matter.
I find in Ahern a well developed ability to infuse her insight into human nature into characters, dialogue, and plot. There's No Place Like Home deals with a character who is OCD, showing the reader what the character's life is like in it's different stages and describes the effect this has on their interactions with family, friends, and loved ones.
I'm off to bed as Audrey won't fall asleep tonight and it's almost 11PM my time. It could be the million mosquito bites she got on Thursday. It's like living in Houston-mosquitoes and humidity...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Peanut Gallery Update
Someone asked me the other day if this was our family blog. I felt guilty telling her "yes" when I rarely update with pictures and cute stories about my kids. It's been a noteworthy week, so I figured I'd actually post a family update.
I never understood the phrase "A face only a mother could love" until I had kids. My kids could be the ugliest ducklings around but I really can't see that. Conversely, I see some babies whose parents call them "gorgeous" and I can't see that either. However, I do love my kids; I think they are each amazing and adorable. I refrain from telling every person I meet all the cute things they do and say because I feel like I should have something more interesting, or at least interesting to the listener, or intelligent to talk about. Everything that follows is what I've been dying to tell the people that stand in line next to me at the grocery store or check my ID on Post or refill my drink at Chick Fil A.
Sydney had her first volleyball game last week. Volleyball is difficult for young children to play. It takes not only coordination, but muscle strength to power the ball all the way across the net. (When your arms are only so long, it is a long way across that net.) None of the girls on her team have previous volleyball experience, but they are lucky to have good coaches. Unfortunately for Sydney, they lost all three games of their first match. The other team outserved them. In fact, in this league, once you score three unanswered points with your serve, you have to scoot farther back on the court to serve. If you win five unanswered points, the ball automatically goes to the other team. My mom and I were going nuts until we figured these rules out. The only comment that I will make about the other team was that our team looked malnourished next to them. Some of their opponents' forearms were almost as big as mine, and I could stand to lose a few pounds. I explained to Sydney the importance of a first game as it provides a measure of focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the players as individuals and as a team. Syd is excited for this week's game and her coaches told me that she has improved and "turned a corner." She does miss her good friends from San Antonio. Yesterday she told me that her old friends wouldn't have mistreated her or hurt her feelings ever, as compared to the girls in her class now. (She's wrong about that, but I don't want to point out how many times her friends made her cry last year.) Currently, Syd is working on a group project on the weather. I tried to help by making enlarging maps and dropping them off at school. They weren't large enough for one of the girls, so her mom drew a poster size map, cut, colored, and mounted it on poster board. It's now ready for the girls to draw a cold weather front on it. There is such a fine line between teaching your child how to properly do an assignment and letting them figure it out on their own. Sydney started playing the cello last week for her Strings class at school. She loads that cello onto her back twice a week and carries it to school as she walks. Sydney has looked forward to participating in Strings for many years and she enjoys practicing Hot Cross Buns.
Zachary had his first soccer game last week. He did a great job at goalie. I only caught him climbing up the inside of the goal netting a few times. As the ball was at the other end of the field, no one was there to score on him. Prior to the game I reminded him that he should not touch any other player, no using his elbows or pulling on jerseys, he should not do sommersaults anywhere near the field, and he shouldn't trip anyone. One of out the three isn't bad: as he walked off the field at half-time, Zach walked over to a boy bigger than he is and tried to trip him. It didn't work, and the boy just looked at Zach as if he couldn't figure out what Zach was trying to do. I had hoped that a referee would see him try do this; getting caught would have made quite the impression on him. Zach doesn't like to go to school-he doesn't like to sit still for so long. He got on Red today because he wouldn't sit in his correct seat. Yesterday he tried to tie his own shoes together. But since he can't actually tie, he just knotted them all up. He face-planted when he stood up. The teacher told me it took her 15 minutes to get the knots out. Zach told me today that she had to use a pencil to help her. He likes to watch the tree frogs that live by our kitchen window. At dinner time, Zach counts them in Spanish while they hop around. His class went to the county fair last week, but the animals weren't as interesting to him as the roller coasters. Too bad they didn't get to ride any roller coasters. Zach loves to play Indiana Jones on the Wii as often as I will let him. Tonight, he was pretending to be a dog, crawling around the house and barking. When it was time to kiss me good night, he grabbed one of Audrey's stuffed dogs and dropped it on the floor at his feet. He said, "Mommy, I laid a puppy." I kept waiting for the rest of the sentence, as in where he laid the puppy, and then he said it again. At that point, I realized he meant to tell me that he had a puppy. Wrong on so many levels, but I didn't tell him that.
Ainsley loves her teacher and her teacher seems to return the sentiment. It turns out that, according to herself, Ainsley is the genius of the class. And the class angel. I know you are all laughing with me as you imagine Ainsley's teacher eating out of her hand, so to speak. Ainsley thinks she's the class angel because, unlike the rest of the girls in the class, she doesn't have any boyfriend trouble. She stays away from that mess, she said over dinner tonight. Apparently this fall sometime, her class will spend three weeks learning the times tables and then move on to division. I remember the times tables taking slightly longer than three weeks, so we are starting next Monday writing out the times tables every day after school. Ainsley is going to hate, hate it! Maybe if I convince her that is the only way to remain the class genius she will go along with it. To get her energy out, Ainsley takes ballet once a week and tennis three times a week. At the first tennis lesson, Ainsley couldn't hold the racket properly, but today she was learning how to hit an overhead shot. She enjoys tennis because she can wear a skirt. Golf is next on the list because she can wear a skirt for that, as well. Ballet gets a skirt, too: a sheer black wrap to cover her little bottom. Notice a theme? Ainsley finished reading her longest book to date: The Penderwicks. You may not know that when Ainsley was in Kinder, I emailed our wonderful school principal to enlist her aid in convincing Ainsley that learning to read is worthwhile. She took Ainsley out of class and held her hand as they walked around the school noticing all of the ways reading is fun. That ten minutes changed her life and she's never looked back. Apparently she is on a fourth grade reading level right now. After school, Ainsley loves animals. Usually it's either stuffed animals from Build a Bear, which we call Stuffies, or Littlest Pet Shops. Ainsley enjoys being Audrey's roommate; they play in the doll house together often. At night, she likes to listen to books on CD when she goes to bed. The Drama club at their new school requires auditions, and, after auditioning, Ainsley was accepted into the Drama Club's spring session. She is nervous about it, but I know she will have fun. I taught her how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano, so she practices that sometimes.
Audrey is fun to have around all day. My days would be so lonely and quiet without her there to talk to and to laugh with. Her pacifier and Pull-ups are gone for good now that she's a big girl. We have the cleanest hands in the family because she likes to stop at the potty often. Audrey doesn't play with toys unless her brother or sisters are playing with her. She likes to pretend play or do puzzles instead. Today she planned on driving her little Jeep to pick the girls up from school. Then she gave her Chihuahua stuffie a ride on the scooter. Audrey wanted to put a helmet on Chiwawy (that's his name), but when it didn't fit, he rode in it on top of the scooter. I take her for a three mile walk at the Cape Fear River Trail a few times a week. To her, it's the Animal Forest. We saw a snake one day. Today we saw a black lab. She told me it looked just like Max, Uncle Dan's dog. It's originally Sam's dog, so, sorry Sam. Fortunately for Audrey, she doesn't have a sense of how long Neil has been gone. Every time she sees a helicopter, she thinks it's Neil on his way home. She has plans to build a roller coaster and a haunted house with him. They'll also be having a party with a huge cake and playing on the playground together. I just remind her that Daddy's not ready to be picked up yet, but soon. And then I distract her with something, anything, and she moves on. Her lack of an inner calendar makes my life so much easier. My older kids know it won't be until March, so they don't ask. Audrey asks but doesn't realize how far away March is, so there are no tears. Rubber bands in her hair give her "a headache" and I think she often looks scraggly. When I told her today that I didn't want her to look like a ragamuffin, she commented about looking like a cinnamon roll or some other pastry that matched her interpretation of a what a ragamuffin could be. Nick Jonas used to be her imaginary friend, but she's outgrown him. Now she tries to be like Phinneus and Ferb.
That is probably my all-time favorite tv show, btw. Thanks to Phinneus and Ferb, we're not searching for a cure for antidisestablishmentarianism anymore and we can stop wearing our puce-colored ribbons. Seriously, is that not the greatest word you've ever heard on a Disney cartoon? I could go on for hours about the tremendous writing on that show or how the brothers always take care of their sister. But that's my problem and the reason behind why I don't write about my kids every day: all I do is hang out with my kids (and some adults mixed in at soccer or tennis practice). I only watch kid tv, I only listen to Hannah Montana's Pandora radio station, I read teen and young adult fiction sometimes, and I only see kid movies. I do this because I love my kids. I love spending time with them and I happen to love the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift as much as they do. (FYI, the girls think the Jo Bros should be their older brothers, so you can relax.) I am at one with re-experiencing my childhood . I take time to recharge my batteries by talking with Neil, working out, taking advantage of free childcare on Post, teaching, and writing. That is why this isn't our family blog as much as it is my blog. When Neil gets back, and I go back to acting like an adult sometimes, maybe my blog will change. Maybe not.
I never understood the phrase "A face only a mother could love" until I had kids. My kids could be the ugliest ducklings around but I really can't see that. Conversely, I see some babies whose parents call them "gorgeous" and I can't see that either. However, I do love my kids; I think they are each amazing and adorable. I refrain from telling every person I meet all the cute things they do and say because I feel like I should have something more interesting, or at least interesting to the listener, or intelligent to talk about. Everything that follows is what I've been dying to tell the people that stand in line next to me at the grocery store or check my ID on Post or refill my drink at Chick Fil A.
Sydney had her first volleyball game last week. Volleyball is difficult for young children to play. It takes not only coordination, but muscle strength to power the ball all the way across the net. (When your arms are only so long, it is a long way across that net.) None of the girls on her team have previous volleyball experience, but they are lucky to have good coaches. Unfortunately for Sydney, they lost all three games of their first match. The other team outserved them. In fact, in this league, once you score three unanswered points with your serve, you have to scoot farther back on the court to serve. If you win five unanswered points, the ball automatically goes to the other team. My mom and I were going nuts until we figured these rules out. The only comment that I will make about the other team was that our team looked malnourished next to them. Some of their opponents' forearms were almost as big as mine, and I could stand to lose a few pounds. I explained to Sydney the importance of a first game as it provides a measure of focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the players as individuals and as a team. Syd is excited for this week's game and her coaches told me that she has improved and "turned a corner." She does miss her good friends from San Antonio. Yesterday she told me that her old friends wouldn't have mistreated her or hurt her feelings ever, as compared to the girls in her class now. (She's wrong about that, but I don't want to point out how many times her friends made her cry last year.) Currently, Syd is working on a group project on the weather. I tried to help by making enlarging maps and dropping them off at school. They weren't large enough for one of the girls, so her mom drew a poster size map, cut, colored, and mounted it on poster board. It's now ready for the girls to draw a cold weather front on it. There is such a fine line between teaching your child how to properly do an assignment and letting them figure it out on their own. Sydney started playing the cello last week for her Strings class at school. She loads that cello onto her back twice a week and carries it to school as she walks. Sydney has looked forward to participating in Strings for many years and she enjoys practicing Hot Cross Buns.
Zachary had his first soccer game last week. He did a great job at goalie. I only caught him climbing up the inside of the goal netting a few times. As the ball was at the other end of the field, no one was there to score on him. Prior to the game I reminded him that he should not touch any other player, no using his elbows or pulling on jerseys, he should not do sommersaults anywhere near the field, and he shouldn't trip anyone. One of out the three isn't bad: as he walked off the field at half-time, Zach walked over to a boy bigger than he is and tried to trip him. It didn't work, and the boy just looked at Zach as if he couldn't figure out what Zach was trying to do. I had hoped that a referee would see him try do this; getting caught would have made quite the impression on him. Zach doesn't like to go to school-he doesn't like to sit still for so long. He got on Red today because he wouldn't sit in his correct seat. Yesterday he tried to tie his own shoes together. But since he can't actually tie, he just knotted them all up. He face-planted when he stood up. The teacher told me it took her 15 minutes to get the knots out. Zach told me today that she had to use a pencil to help her. He likes to watch the tree frogs that live by our kitchen window. At dinner time, Zach counts them in Spanish while they hop around. His class went to the county fair last week, but the animals weren't as interesting to him as the roller coasters. Too bad they didn't get to ride any roller coasters. Zach loves to play Indiana Jones on the Wii as often as I will let him. Tonight, he was pretending to be a dog, crawling around the house and barking. When it was time to kiss me good night, he grabbed one of Audrey's stuffed dogs and dropped it on the floor at his feet. He said, "Mommy, I laid a puppy." I kept waiting for the rest of the sentence, as in where he laid the puppy, and then he said it again. At that point, I realized he meant to tell me that he had a puppy. Wrong on so many levels, but I didn't tell him that.
Ainsley loves her teacher and her teacher seems to return the sentiment. It turns out that, according to herself, Ainsley is the genius of the class. And the class angel. I know you are all laughing with me as you imagine Ainsley's teacher eating out of her hand, so to speak. Ainsley thinks she's the class angel because, unlike the rest of the girls in the class, she doesn't have any boyfriend trouble. She stays away from that mess, she said over dinner tonight. Apparently this fall sometime, her class will spend three weeks learning the times tables and then move on to division. I remember the times tables taking slightly longer than three weeks, so we are starting next Monday writing out the times tables every day after school. Ainsley is going to hate, hate it! Maybe if I convince her that is the only way to remain the class genius she will go along with it. To get her energy out, Ainsley takes ballet once a week and tennis three times a week. At the first tennis lesson, Ainsley couldn't hold the racket properly, but today she was learning how to hit an overhead shot. She enjoys tennis because she can wear a skirt. Golf is next on the list because she can wear a skirt for that, as well. Ballet gets a skirt, too: a sheer black wrap to cover her little bottom. Notice a theme? Ainsley finished reading her longest book to date: The Penderwicks. You may not know that when Ainsley was in Kinder, I emailed our wonderful school principal to enlist her aid in convincing Ainsley that learning to read is worthwhile. She took Ainsley out of class and held her hand as they walked around the school noticing all of the ways reading is fun. That ten minutes changed her life and she's never looked back. Apparently she is on a fourth grade reading level right now. After school, Ainsley loves animals. Usually it's either stuffed animals from Build a Bear, which we call Stuffies, or Littlest Pet Shops. Ainsley enjoys being Audrey's roommate; they play in the doll house together often. At night, she likes to listen to books on CD when she goes to bed. The Drama club at their new school requires auditions, and, after auditioning, Ainsley was accepted into the Drama Club's spring session. She is nervous about it, but I know she will have fun. I taught her how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano, so she practices that sometimes.
Audrey is fun to have around all day. My days would be so lonely and quiet without her there to talk to and to laugh with. Her pacifier and Pull-ups are gone for good now that she's a big girl. We have the cleanest hands in the family because she likes to stop at the potty often. Audrey doesn't play with toys unless her brother or sisters are playing with her. She likes to pretend play or do puzzles instead. Today she planned on driving her little Jeep to pick the girls up from school. Then she gave her Chihuahua stuffie a ride on the scooter. Audrey wanted to put a helmet on Chiwawy (that's his name), but when it didn't fit, he rode in it on top of the scooter. I take her for a three mile walk at the Cape Fear River Trail a few times a week. To her, it's the Animal Forest. We saw a snake one day. Today we saw a black lab. She told me it looked just like Max, Uncle Dan's dog. It's originally Sam's dog, so, sorry Sam. Fortunately for Audrey, she doesn't have a sense of how long Neil has been gone. Every time she sees a helicopter, she thinks it's Neil on his way home. She has plans to build a roller coaster and a haunted house with him. They'll also be having a party with a huge cake and playing on the playground together. I just remind her that Daddy's not ready to be picked up yet, but soon. And then I distract her with something, anything, and she moves on. Her lack of an inner calendar makes my life so much easier. My older kids know it won't be until March, so they don't ask. Audrey asks but doesn't realize how far away March is, so there are no tears. Rubber bands in her hair give her "a headache" and I think she often looks scraggly. When I told her today that I didn't want her to look like a ragamuffin, she commented about looking like a cinnamon roll or some other pastry that matched her interpretation of a what a ragamuffin could be. Nick Jonas used to be her imaginary friend, but she's outgrown him. Now she tries to be like Phinneus and Ferb.
That is probably my all-time favorite tv show, btw. Thanks to Phinneus and Ferb, we're not searching for a cure for antidisestablishmentarianism anymore and we can stop wearing our puce-colored ribbons. Seriously, is that not the greatest word you've ever heard on a Disney cartoon? I could go on for hours about the tremendous writing on that show or how the brothers always take care of their sister. But that's my problem and the reason behind why I don't write about my kids every day: all I do is hang out with my kids (and some adults mixed in at soccer or tennis practice). I only watch kid tv, I only listen to Hannah Montana's Pandora radio station, I read teen and young adult fiction sometimes, and I only see kid movies. I do this because I love my kids. I love spending time with them and I happen to love the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift as much as they do. (FYI, the girls think the Jo Bros should be their older brothers, so you can relax.) I am at one with re-experiencing my childhood . I take time to recharge my batteries by talking with Neil, working out, taking advantage of free childcare on Post, teaching, and writing. That is why this isn't our family blog as much as it is my blog. When Neil gets back, and I go back to acting like an adult sometimes, maybe my blog will change. Maybe not.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Academy Awards of the Political World
I used to watch the Academy Awards to see what the beautiful people would be wearing. Once I began pay attention to the entire process of reviewing, nominating, and voting, though, I lost interest. It seems that an entire segment of our culture revolves around those in the "Industry" patting the backs of their colleagues, who will return the favor when the time is right. Aside from the movies themselves, there is the media industry, print, tv, and internet, jewelry and fashion, and travel. That doesn't take into consideration all of the people watching or reading about it from home. After 9/11, the American people needed to see their celebrities living it up in order to have a sense of normalcy, the Industry decided when someone asked them to cancel their evening festivities. I'm not saying that they were in fact living it up; I'm sure they were still reeling from the tragedy like the rest of the country. But was going through the motions a better path for healing those emotional scars? Do these shows have a purpose beyond their entertainment value? What do they hope to accomplish? What does it contribute to the common good? (If you even think that it allows the masses a break from their average lives, I will unfriend you on Facebook. Not because I disagree with you, but because that rationalization is so yesterday.)
Today the world's leaders gathered at the United Nations building in NYC. Obama gave an interesting speech based on four pillars for creating a better world. The Conservative Right blasted the speech as naive, unpatriotic, anti-American and an exhibition of his socialist tendancies. To tell the truth, I didn't google the Liberal take on it. I did, however, read the speech in it's entirety. My guess for the Liberal reaction would be that Obama was following Roosevelt's footsteps in the scope and intent of the UN, pledging to care for the world's sick and afflicted instead of those who are mistreated by the terrorists who threaten our oil supply, a greater coordination of the world's economies to promote economic opportunity for all, equality among all nations and their leaders. I will never understand how two people interpret the same words in vastly different ways, but neither the reactions or the speech bothered me.
One statement from Obama made me pause: Americans do not support or legitimize the Israeli settlements. I don't pretend to know much about Isreali/Palestinian peace, but I was surprised to hear this. My first thought was of all my Jewish friends, those Jews who voted by a large margin to elect Obama, and their friends and loved ones living in Israel. Did this stance come as a surprise to them as well? Was this the Obama they voted for? Israel's response to this speech stunned me as well: it was a great speech, they are in favor of peace talks without preconditions...There was no mention of Obama's statement on the settlements. Really, no opinion on that?
Finally, Moamar Kadafi, whose name I learned today could be started with a G, K, Q, or A, gave the best speech of all. His concern over rocket threats the US might face due to the presence of the UN moved him to volunteer his hemisphere to host this great institution's campus and meetings. In addition, he was ready to crown Obama our President for life. The fact that Obama is a "son of Africa" meant more to Kadafi than any of Obama's qualifications and achievements. (I will not give my opinion on this except to point you to a Larry King Live transcript from last week with a journalist with a single initial for a first name.) Also, according to Kadafi, world super powers rot.
All in all, Obama's plan sounds great, in theory, Isreal's willingness to cooperate will prove helpful, except for those settlements we won't condone and they won't acknowledge, and Libya wants to protect us from inevitable rocket attack by moving the whole circus closer to home. His home, where he appointed himself ruler for life. Or maybe to Egypt, whose leader recently blamed the Jews for something new that went wrong. At least Obama was right about that: the time for blaming other nations is over; it's time to work together for __________. (Fill in the blank with your charitable cause of choice.)
What did the UN speeches accomplish today? We are again working toward peace in a nation that does not respect our President's power to influence their actions. Isreal, Palestine, does it matter what Obama says to them if neither of them care? Obama was right again: it's time for the nations of the world to be equal, without dominating super powers. Unfortunately for the Middle East peace process, the Israelis and Palestinians took him at his word. Who cares what Obama says about our settlements, he might as well be the leader of the Marshall Islands. (Independence granted in 1994.) Who cares what Obama says about our policy of targeting civilian settlements for violence, he might as well be the ruler of Liechtenstein.
As Disney's movie The Incredibles teaches us, if everybody is special, than no one is special. Similarly, if all nations have equal power on the world stage, than no one has power. The problem with that surfaces when one of those nations makes a poor choice. Who will be there to stop them? The group of equal, but powerless nations?
Maybe the purpose of those awards shows is to drive home the point that some people are special. The rest of the average world views them with awe, wonder, and a little bit of envy. What they do and say, what they wear, how they live and love effects us, even if it's the extreme reaction of avoiding anything that resembles that culture and their lifestyle. For better or worse, super powers play a role in the world political stage and in pop culture.
Today the world's leaders gathered at the United Nations building in NYC. Obama gave an interesting speech based on four pillars for creating a better world. The Conservative Right blasted the speech as naive, unpatriotic, anti-American and an exhibition of his socialist tendancies. To tell the truth, I didn't google the Liberal take on it. I did, however, read the speech in it's entirety. My guess for the Liberal reaction would be that Obama was following Roosevelt's footsteps in the scope and intent of the UN, pledging to care for the world's sick and afflicted instead of those who are mistreated by the terrorists who threaten our oil supply, a greater coordination of the world's economies to promote economic opportunity for all, equality among all nations and their leaders. I will never understand how two people interpret the same words in vastly different ways, but neither the reactions or the speech bothered me.
One statement from Obama made me pause: Americans do not support or legitimize the Israeli settlements. I don't pretend to know much about Isreali/Palestinian peace, but I was surprised to hear this. My first thought was of all my Jewish friends, those Jews who voted by a large margin to elect Obama, and their friends and loved ones living in Israel. Did this stance come as a surprise to them as well? Was this the Obama they voted for? Israel's response to this speech stunned me as well: it was a great speech, they are in favor of peace talks without preconditions...There was no mention of Obama's statement on the settlements. Really, no opinion on that?
Finally, Moamar Kadafi, whose name I learned today could be started with a G, K, Q, or A, gave the best speech of all. His concern over rocket threats the US might face due to the presence of the UN moved him to volunteer his hemisphere to host this great institution's campus and meetings. In addition, he was ready to crown Obama our President for life. The fact that Obama is a "son of Africa" meant more to Kadafi than any of Obama's qualifications and achievements. (I will not give my opinion on this except to point you to a Larry King Live transcript from last week with a journalist with a single initial for a first name.) Also, according to Kadafi, world super powers rot.
All in all, Obama's plan sounds great, in theory, Isreal's willingness to cooperate will prove helpful, except for those settlements we won't condone and they won't acknowledge, and Libya wants to protect us from inevitable rocket attack by moving the whole circus closer to home. His home, where he appointed himself ruler for life. Or maybe to Egypt, whose leader recently blamed the Jews for something new that went wrong. At least Obama was right about that: the time for blaming other nations is over; it's time to work together for __________. (Fill in the blank with your charitable cause of choice.)
What did the UN speeches accomplish today? We are again working toward peace in a nation that does not respect our President's power to influence their actions. Isreal, Palestine, does it matter what Obama says to them if neither of them care? Obama was right again: it's time for the nations of the world to be equal, without dominating super powers. Unfortunately for the Middle East peace process, the Israelis and Palestinians took him at his word. Who cares what Obama says about our settlements, he might as well be the leader of the Marshall Islands. (Independence granted in 1994.) Who cares what Obama says about our policy of targeting civilian settlements for violence, he might as well be the ruler of Liechtenstein.
As Disney's movie The Incredibles teaches us, if everybody is special, than no one is special. Similarly, if all nations have equal power on the world stage, than no one has power. The problem with that surfaces when one of those nations makes a poor choice. Who will be there to stop them? The group of equal, but powerless nations?
Maybe the purpose of those awards shows is to drive home the point that some people are special. The rest of the average world views them with awe, wonder, and a little bit of envy. What they do and say, what they wear, how they live and love effects us, even if it's the extreme reaction of avoiding anything that resembles that culture and their lifestyle. For better or worse, super powers play a role in the world political stage and in pop culture.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
I'm not lost, this is just not where I expected to end up
Neil complains that I lack a developed inner compass. He reminds me of the many times during our med school years in Houston that I got us lost driving in one of Houston's "suburbs." It doesn't matter to him that these suburbs are roughly the size of a small city on the Eastern seaboard. Neil wonders how I could have grown up in Houston and not know my way around Kingwood or how to maneouver I-45 between Downtown and the Spring/Cypress area. Somehow Houston-sized urban sprawl is not an excuse. Neither is the fact that, as a teenager driver, I didn't have a reason to drive to certain parts of Houston. It is true that I can get close to most places worth going in the city, but only if I could picture the location in relation to either I-10 or Loop 610. When "close" required 30 additional minutes of driving before arriving at our destination, Neil would point out that "almost is only good in horse shoes and hand grenades."
Before we left for North Carolina, Neil bought a GPS for my car. Notwithstanding Neil's opinion of my sense of direction, I was still amazed at how many times the GPS kept me heading in the right direction during our road trip. I hadn't expected to need it; before we left, I printed all kinds of Google driving directions. However, by the time we arrived in Fayetteville, I was sure that with my GPS I would never get lost again.
Never say never, right? On the first day in our new home, we tried to find a restaurant for dinner. I should have known I was in trouble when the GPS didn't register the one-way street; it took us 15 minutes to go .4 miles. Another Neil-ism is the label for anything that stinks: it was "bring your kids to work day" when it was designed. As in freeway overpasses and intersections in San Antonio or almost every street in Fayetteville.
There is one street that has 5 different names depending on where you are on this street. Let me tell you how much the GPS loves that. Then there are the streets : 401 business, 401 bypass, 4400, & 4404. Those streets all have different names as well, and one of those streets is part of the 5-name street. Somewhere in the city they all intersect. The GPS may have that figured out, but my eye sight isn't that good.
Today we drove down a street called Skye. We were heading straight down this street when we spotted another street sign for Skye. This new street happens to intersect the Skye street we were already on. Why wouldn't both streets be named Skye, right?
The last straw was using the GPS while I was on Post. I put in an unfamiliar address and followed my Australian Jimminy Cricket. (Neil programmed the GPS to speak with an Australian accent.) It tried to lead me through multiple cement barricades and then 30 minutes of driving out to the mall before it sent me back past my own house. It turns out that the person lives 10 minutes away from me, and I could have just driven home from Post and then continued down the road. I almost cried.
In the past two weeks, the GPS and the City of Fayetteville have cost me 4 hours of my life that I will never get back. On the way, though, I have discovered an amazing Cupcake Gallery with divine strawberry cupcakes, El Tejano Mexican food restaurant, and a restaurant attached to a bait shop that my dad would probably love.
As a practice, I'm morally opposed to restaurants whose names proclaim them to be the epitome of regional cuisine. For example, in Fayetteville we have On the Border or the Texas Roadhouse. Neither one seems worth the calories. But I've heard that El Tejano is a restaurant owned by people from South Central Texas and it's the closest thing around to Tex-Mex. I'll keep you posted on that one. Based on this city's track record, I'm not holding my breath for anything special.
For now, I will go back to mapping my routes out on Google maps the night before. Or using my iPhone and GPS together while I'm driving to figure where I am compared to where the GPS wants me to go. ( I stop in random parking lots and empty turn lanes while attempting this, so don't be worried that I'm dangerous.) I know that if I didn't have these tech devices, I would never leave my house or at least my well-worn path to Post. BTW, which is more dangerous, reading a map while driving or having a heart attack when your GPS directs you in to oncoming traffic?
Before we left for North Carolina, Neil bought a GPS for my car. Notwithstanding Neil's opinion of my sense of direction, I was still amazed at how many times the GPS kept me heading in the right direction during our road trip. I hadn't expected to need it; before we left, I printed all kinds of Google driving directions. However, by the time we arrived in Fayetteville, I was sure that with my GPS I would never get lost again.
Never say never, right? On the first day in our new home, we tried to find a restaurant for dinner. I should have known I was in trouble when the GPS didn't register the one-way street; it took us 15 minutes to go .4 miles. Another Neil-ism is the label for anything that stinks: it was "bring your kids to work day" when it was designed. As in freeway overpasses and intersections in San Antonio or almost every street in Fayetteville.
There is one street that has 5 different names depending on where you are on this street. Let me tell you how much the GPS loves that. Then there are the streets : 401 business, 401 bypass, 4400, & 4404. Those streets all have different names as well, and one of those streets is part of the 5-name street. Somewhere in the city they all intersect. The GPS may have that figured out, but my eye sight isn't that good.
Today we drove down a street called Skye. We were heading straight down this street when we spotted another street sign for Skye. This new street happens to intersect the Skye street we were already on. Why wouldn't both streets be named Skye, right?
The last straw was using the GPS while I was on Post. I put in an unfamiliar address and followed my Australian Jimminy Cricket. (Neil programmed the GPS to speak with an Australian accent.) It tried to lead me through multiple cement barricades and then 30 minutes of driving out to the mall before it sent me back past my own house. It turns out that the person lives 10 minutes away from me, and I could have just driven home from Post and then continued down the road. I almost cried.
In the past two weeks, the GPS and the City of Fayetteville have cost me 4 hours of my life that I will never get back. On the way, though, I have discovered an amazing Cupcake Gallery with divine strawberry cupcakes, El Tejano Mexican food restaurant, and a restaurant attached to a bait shop that my dad would probably love.
As a practice, I'm morally opposed to restaurants whose names proclaim them to be the epitome of regional cuisine. For example, in Fayetteville we have On the Border or the Texas Roadhouse. Neither one seems worth the calories. But I've heard that El Tejano is a restaurant owned by people from South Central Texas and it's the closest thing around to Tex-Mex. I'll keep you posted on that one. Based on this city's track record, I'm not holding my breath for anything special.
For now, I will go back to mapping my routes out on Google maps the night before. Or using my iPhone and GPS together while I'm driving to figure where I am compared to where the GPS wants me to go. ( I stop in random parking lots and empty turn lanes while attempting this, so don't be worried that I'm dangerous.) I know that if I didn't have these tech devices, I would never leave my house or at least my well-worn path to Post. BTW, which is more dangerous, reading a map while driving or having a heart attack when your GPS directs you in to oncoming traffic?
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
FAQ
I haven't blogged in a while because I've had a pretty constant headache since Saturday morning. As soon as I tucked the kids in bed each night and talked to Neil on the webcam, I would head to bed instead of blogging. Now that I'm feeling a little more like myself, I'm playing catch-up on my chore chart. (Maybe if I really did have a cute chore chart with metallic star stickers and a prize at the end, I wouldn't normally put off doing my chores. Any ideas for what the mom equivalent of the prize for completing it should be?)
I'm not a fan of getting headaches. I think they stink on ice*. My older girls would pretend to have headaches when they played barbies and pollies. One month I did the math and figured out that if I spend an average of 3 days a month with a headache, I lose an entire month out of every year of my children's lives. Obviously that didn't help my headache.
Another month, I remembered my father-in-law teaching a class about trials. When bad things are happening to us, it's easy to ask "Why me?" He suggested that, instead, ask "What can I learn from this?" In desperation, I asked the Lord, and I was blessed to know immediately what He wants me to learn. Knowing that answer changed the way I live my life.
Whenever I remember that experience, I enjoy the peace that comes from knowing that the Lord is mindful of me. Apparently, He was just waiting for me to ask the right question.
*Glenn Beck says this occassionally, and it always makes me laugh. When my girls asked what it meant, I told them to think of Disney Princesses on Ice. Just as that is a huge production, if something "stinks on ice", then it stinks in a comparably huge way.
I'm not a fan of getting headaches. I think they stink on ice*. My older girls would pretend to have headaches when they played barbies and pollies. One month I did the math and figured out that if I spend an average of 3 days a month with a headache, I lose an entire month out of every year of my children's lives. Obviously that didn't help my headache.
Another month, I remembered my father-in-law teaching a class about trials. When bad things are happening to us, it's easy to ask "Why me?" He suggested that, instead, ask "What can I learn from this?" In desperation, I asked the Lord, and I was blessed to know immediately what He wants me to learn. Knowing that answer changed the way I live my life.
Whenever I remember that experience, I enjoy the peace that comes from knowing that the Lord is mindful of me. Apparently, He was just waiting for me to ask the right question.
*Glenn Beck says this occassionally, and it always makes me laugh. When my girls asked what it meant, I told them to think of Disney Princesses on Ice. Just as that is a huge production, if something "stinks on ice", then it stinks in a comparably huge way.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Stars and Stripes Forever
It's been a long day and I only have a brief comment.
Most Americans of a certain age can remember where they were when they heard the news eight years ago. It used to be that people would have this conversation about the death of JFK, but not anymore. I was playing with the girls at home or feeding them breakfast before we went out shopping with a few friends. The thought popped into my mind that I should turn on the tv, and it happened to be on one of the big 3 stations leftover from the night before. I watched as the plane flew into the building. Once I recovered a little, my first thought was what if the economy falls apart? Will I be able to feed my family? So I went to the grocery store to get food for 4 days, water, and cash. Our apartment was in the middle of a flight path for Hobby Airport. For those three days, I missed the familiar sounds of the planes. It was surreal the first time, then, that I heard one up in the sky again. I was grateful to have my girls so close by and Neil just down the street.
For the first time in my life, we flew a flag. Having a husband who was in the Army, although in an inactive reserve status, meant something entirely different after that morning. If someone had told me we would still be at war eight years later, I would not have believed them. I remembered watching the Gulf War on tv when I was in 8th grade, and it was over so fast.
I think of how different the world was after WWII or Vietnam. How has our world or our country changed in the past eight years? Will the men and women who continue this fight follow their grandfathers in becoming one of the greatest generations in our nation's history?
Finally, I am grateful for my faith in God. His plan of redemption through His Son was laid long before this tragedy happened and it allows for all of those who mourn to be comforted. As I commented to my children about the firefighters who ran up the stairs instead of following the crowd out, I ask Who else has sacrificed their life to save others? Wouldn't He, then, be happy to have such courageous and selfless men and women, people willing to follow His example in very deed, in His presence in Heaven? Everyone says that the Gospel is the good news of Christ. But I think the good news of Christ is that He is the God of happy endings.
Most Americans of a certain age can remember where they were when they heard the news eight years ago. It used to be that people would have this conversation about the death of JFK, but not anymore. I was playing with the girls at home or feeding them breakfast before we went out shopping with a few friends. The thought popped into my mind that I should turn on the tv, and it happened to be on one of the big 3 stations leftover from the night before. I watched as the plane flew into the building. Once I recovered a little, my first thought was what if the economy falls apart? Will I be able to feed my family? So I went to the grocery store to get food for 4 days, water, and cash. Our apartment was in the middle of a flight path for Hobby Airport. For those three days, I missed the familiar sounds of the planes. It was surreal the first time, then, that I heard one up in the sky again. I was grateful to have my girls so close by and Neil just down the street.
For the first time in my life, we flew a flag. Having a husband who was in the Army, although in an inactive reserve status, meant something entirely different after that morning. If someone had told me we would still be at war eight years later, I would not have believed them. I remembered watching the Gulf War on tv when I was in 8th grade, and it was over so fast.
I think of how different the world was after WWII or Vietnam. How has our world or our country changed in the past eight years? Will the men and women who continue this fight follow their grandfathers in becoming one of the greatest generations in our nation's history?
Finally, I am grateful for my faith in God. His plan of redemption through His Son was laid long before this tragedy happened and it allows for all of those who mourn to be comforted. As I commented to my children about the firefighters who ran up the stairs instead of following the crowd out, I ask Who else has sacrificed their life to save others? Wouldn't He, then, be happy to have such courageous and selfless men and women, people willing to follow His example in very deed, in His presence in Heaven? Everyone says that the Gospel is the good news of Christ. But I think the good news of Christ is that He is the God of happy endings.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Joe Wilson in 2010
My first reaction to the news of Obama's speech was to wonder why Mr. Valerie Plame would call Obama a liar. Weren't they supposed to be on the same anti-Bush team? I'm sure Joe Wilson is a common name, but how many could there be in the national political arena? My second thought was of Wilson's wife: how mortifying to recognize your husband's lone voice in the middle of the President's speech.
We all agree that calling the President a liar in any forum isn't the classiest thing a person could do. Hence the appropriately quick apology to Obama. On the other hand, the yelling from the rest of the audience was equally as tacky. Maybe it's my Aggie upbringing, but I don't yell "boo" at anyone. The entire evening was one big campaign rally complete with a speech meant to convince people instead of provide specifics, heckling from the opposition, and a raucous defense by the President's peeps.
After the speech, Wilson's opponent for next year's race received some nice donations. Has anyone even heard his name yet? From what I hear, that money is going to paying down his campaign account's debt. (Nice. Even the politicians who haven't been elected run on a deficit. No wonder the large numbers tossed around this year haven't bothered anyone.)
I think the freshman Joe Wilson knocked one out of the political park last night! This has little to do with political leanings and everything to do with how to play the game. Yesterday, nobody outside of Wilson's district knew who he was; today his website is down due to high volume. The Master Card commercial comes to mind as I consider the publicity that this guy bought for himself: Priceless. After the last 18 months, the Republican base is clammering for someone who will throw the emergency brake on the Obama Train. Whether or not they agree with Wilson's actions, Republicans will flock to his courage. Millions will consider him the maverick that John McCain could never be. As an incumbent in a Republican district, his campaign is off to a formidable start. The other guy, ol' what's his name, doesn't stand a chance.
The Democrats in Congress, are, of course, shocked and outraged by the egregious* behavior. Blah, blah, blah. We all know the Democratic leadership wishes someone on their team had done this to Bush years ago. Cindi Shehan didn't generate this kind of publicity and they know it.
(*BTW, I know egregious is the correct word for this situation, but would you appalled to learn that I've never used it in a sentence and had to guess at the correct usage? Sorry, Dad & Dr Black.)
We all agree that calling the President a liar in any forum isn't the classiest thing a person could do. Hence the appropriately quick apology to Obama. On the other hand, the yelling from the rest of the audience was equally as tacky. Maybe it's my Aggie upbringing, but I don't yell "boo" at anyone. The entire evening was one big campaign rally complete with a speech meant to convince people instead of provide specifics, heckling from the opposition, and a raucous defense by the President's peeps.
After the speech, Wilson's opponent for next year's race received some nice donations. Has anyone even heard his name yet? From what I hear, that money is going to paying down his campaign account's debt. (Nice. Even the politicians who haven't been elected run on a deficit. No wonder the large numbers tossed around this year haven't bothered anyone.)
I think the freshman Joe Wilson knocked one out of the political park last night! This has little to do with political leanings and everything to do with how to play the game. Yesterday, nobody outside of Wilson's district knew who he was; today his website is down due to high volume. The Master Card commercial comes to mind as I consider the publicity that this guy bought for himself: Priceless. After the last 18 months, the Republican base is clammering for someone who will throw the emergency brake on the Obama Train. Whether or not they agree with Wilson's actions, Republicans will flock to his courage. Millions will consider him the maverick that John McCain could never be. As an incumbent in a Republican district, his campaign is off to a formidable start. The other guy, ol' what's his name, doesn't stand a chance.
The Democrats in Congress, are, of course, shocked and outraged by the egregious* behavior. Blah, blah, blah. We all know the Democratic leadership wishes someone on their team had done this to Bush years ago. Cindi Shehan didn't generate this kind of publicity and they know it.
(*BTW, I know egregious is the correct word for this situation, but would you appalled to learn that I've never used it in a sentence and had to guess at the correct usage? Sorry, Dad & Dr Black.)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tired
Remind me never to blog when I am tired. Please refer to this morning's post, or spare yourself and just trust me. I don't think clearly when I am tired and this led to a less than thorough editing and rewriting job today. Sorry for the unimaginative sentence structure, using "like", and talking instead of writing.
As an update, Audrey asked many times today to be changed back into a little baby so that she could have her paci. Eventually she soothed herself by talking for 40 minutes straight. She was telling us all about the princess haunted house that she and her dad were going to build, how she was going to dress up as a mermaid, and all about her teachers at Three-School. From what I could tell, she's pretty sure they're going to throw her in a trash can tomorrow. It was a long time to listen and to acknowledge her comments, but I prefer the random thoughts to whining.
Sydney discussed the four types of sentences today in English. The teacher asked for examples from the class and here is what they came up with: "Are you going to taser the dog?" The "exclamation" sentences: "I'm going to beat Collin up!" and "Oh, no you di'nt!" (BTW, I'm not sure how to spell did'nt when I'm not pronouncing the middle D.) Here's my question: Do those examples correlate to the fact that Sydney was the only one in math class today who could demonstrate what a decimal was? One more-Is tasering a dog a learned behavior?
Zach's soccer practice was uneventful today. I'm certain that playing goalie kept Zach from harassing the girls. He felt proud when he blocked one goal; which was one more than the other goalie blocked. Zach did get in trouble today for using his lunchbox to hit another child on the nose. He explained to me after school that since he hit himself on the head as well, that should make up for it. Fortunately, he has a soft lunchbox and not one of the retro metal ones.
Ainsley enjoys her tennis lessons and her new friends. If I had to guess her favorite part of tennis, I would say getting to wear cute tennis skirts and her pink tennis racket. Also, it is cool enough now that she doesn't break much of a sweat. According to Ainsley's adorable style, fashionable uniforms, pink accessories and not breaking a sweat are all integral components of any sport worth playing.
I spent enough time in my car running errands, getting lost, and carpooling to have driven to visit my friend, Ellyn, in Augusta, GA. That is wrong on so many levels. After today, I am looking forward to Audrey's day at school tomorrow. I'm trying to convince myself that I should go take a 2 hour walk instead of a 2-hour nap.
As an update, Audrey asked many times today to be changed back into a little baby so that she could have her paci. Eventually she soothed herself by talking for 40 minutes straight. She was telling us all about the princess haunted house that she and her dad were going to build, how she was going to dress up as a mermaid, and all about her teachers at Three-School. From what I could tell, she's pretty sure they're going to throw her in a trash can tomorrow. It was a long time to listen and to acknowledge her comments, but I prefer the random thoughts to whining.
Sydney discussed the four types of sentences today in English. The teacher asked for examples from the class and here is what they came up with: "Are you going to taser the dog?" The "exclamation" sentences: "I'm going to beat Collin up!" and "Oh, no you di'nt!" (BTW, I'm not sure how to spell did'nt when I'm not pronouncing the middle D.) Here's my question: Do those examples correlate to the fact that Sydney was the only one in math class today who could demonstrate what a decimal was? One more-Is tasering a dog a learned behavior?
Zach's soccer practice was uneventful today. I'm certain that playing goalie kept Zach from harassing the girls. He felt proud when he blocked one goal; which was one more than the other goalie blocked. Zach did get in trouble today for using his lunchbox to hit another child on the nose. He explained to me after school that since he hit himself on the head as well, that should make up for it. Fortunately, he has a soft lunchbox and not one of the retro metal ones.
Ainsley enjoys her tennis lessons and her new friends. If I had to guess her favorite part of tennis, I would say getting to wear cute tennis skirts and her pink tennis racket. Also, it is cool enough now that she doesn't break much of a sweat. According to Ainsley's adorable style, fashionable uniforms, pink accessories and not breaking a sweat are all integral components of any sport worth playing.
I spent enough time in my car running errands, getting lost, and carpooling to have driven to visit my friend, Ellyn, in Augusta, GA. That is wrong on so many levels. After today, I am looking forward to Audrey's day at school tomorrow. I'm trying to convince myself that I should go take a 2 hour walk instead of a 2-hour nap.
Audrey went to her 3 year old check-up yesterday. We think that the guy taking her vitals, etc, mismeasured her height at 44 inches because that puts her height off of the growth chart. All of our kids are tall for their age, but not that tall. I'm going to measure her again at home and I'll let you know how tall she really is. If I had to guess, maybe 40. Four inches is a big deal when you're 3.
The doctor told Audrey that she was big now and didn't need her pacifier anymore. Once I saw that she had listened to the dr, I threw the pacifiers out while she wasn't looking. Every time Audrey asked for a paci, I would just remind her that's she's a big girl. She even got on the phone to tell Dad that "she's big now." Later in the evening, she asked me to change her back to being little and she told me that Daddy would want her to be little again. She may be right, but we didn't get a pacifier. She fussed when it was time to sleep, so I let her fall asleep on the couch. I guess that could be substituting one cruch for another, but that way she didn't keep Ainsley awake. Audrey climbed in bed with me right before my alarm went off, but never asked for the pacifier. We'll see how today goes without it, but at least it's a start.
While we were at tennis yesterday, I was surprised to see two huge holes in the back of Zach's uniform shorts. I called him over for a better look. It turns out that he decided to slide down a concrete hill on his bum. At bathtime, we discovered that his unders had holes as well. And his bum had a slight road rash. Poor guy! Hopefully he'll remember that the next time he wants to slide across concrete.
Neil has slept like 5 hours in the last day or so. They are having a busy patch right now, which isn't good for anyone involved. His life is pretty much like being on call all the time. Apparently they are located near one village that loves them and one not so much. He might post video of artillery fire (giving it to the bad guys, not taking itfrom them) on his blog. I'll let you know when he does.
Sydney signed up to play cello at school. They have orchestra in 5th grade, if you want to do it. She is excited. My only condition is that it is not my responsibility to get that cello back and forth to school twice a week. My vote was for the violin since Sydney walks to and from school every day, but I didn't want to stifle her dreams. Ainsley is sad that Sydney will be practicing instead of playing with her. Ainsley has been teaching herself piano songs out of one of my old books, so I told her I would give her piano lessons. She taught herself how to play the tune of the clock chime in my Mamaw's miniture grandfather clock. I have to go find a suzuki book for her when I'm getting Sydney's cello.
Off to fill an empty schedule. Most of my days are either empty until the kids get home or involve activities for Audrey. It's a nice change from last year. My blood pressure is down 20 points. Today we're going to the gym, to the post office, look for a cello, and find out about Neil's October bonus.
Zach found a friend from his class that lives a short walk out of our back yard gate. He's enjoyed having a friend to play with and hasn't asked for a brother, yet, this week.
The doctor told Audrey that she was big now and didn't need her pacifier anymore. Once I saw that she had listened to the dr, I threw the pacifiers out while she wasn't looking. Every time Audrey asked for a paci, I would just remind her that's she's a big girl. She even got on the phone to tell Dad that "she's big now." Later in the evening, she asked me to change her back to being little and she told me that Daddy would want her to be little again. She may be right, but we didn't get a pacifier. She fussed when it was time to sleep, so I let her fall asleep on the couch. I guess that could be substituting one cruch for another, but that way she didn't keep Ainsley awake. Audrey climbed in bed with me right before my alarm went off, but never asked for the pacifier. We'll see how today goes without it, but at least it's a start.
While we were at tennis yesterday, I was surprised to see two huge holes in the back of Zach's uniform shorts. I called him over for a better look. It turns out that he decided to slide down a concrete hill on his bum. At bathtime, we discovered that his unders had holes as well. And his bum had a slight road rash. Poor guy! Hopefully he'll remember that the next time he wants to slide across concrete.
Neil has slept like 5 hours in the last day or so. They are having a busy patch right now, which isn't good for anyone involved. His life is pretty much like being on call all the time. Apparently they are located near one village that loves them and one not so much. He might post video of artillery fire (giving it to the bad guys, not taking itfrom them) on his blog. I'll let you know when he does.
Sydney signed up to play cello at school. They have orchestra in 5th grade, if you want to do it. She is excited. My only condition is that it is not my responsibility to get that cello back and forth to school twice a week. My vote was for the violin since Sydney walks to and from school every day, but I didn't want to stifle her dreams. Ainsley is sad that Sydney will be practicing instead of playing with her. Ainsley has been teaching herself piano songs out of one of my old books, so I told her I would give her piano lessons. She taught herself how to play the tune of the clock chime in my Mamaw's miniture grandfather clock. I have to go find a suzuki book for her when I'm getting Sydney's cello.
Off to fill an empty schedule. Most of my days are either empty until the kids get home or involve activities for Audrey. It's a nice change from last year. My blood pressure is down 20 points. Today we're going to the gym, to the post office, look for a cello, and find out about Neil's October bonus.
Zach found a friend from his class that lives a short walk out of our back yard gate. He's enjoyed having a friend to play with and hasn't asked for a brother, yet, this week.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Agendas, both literally and figuratively
I took the kids to see Eddie Murphy's most recent movie, Imagine That, this afternoon. After reading the poor reviews the movie received, I wasn't expecting much. To be sure, Audrey and Zach started getting restless halfway into the movie. However, my older girls liked the movie and could relate to the little girl. The movie isn't action-packed, it's not an intellectual movie; it's supposed to be a feel-good movie for families. I enjoyed it. For the $2 theater, it was a great way to spend the afternoon.
My favorite part was when Murphy shows up dressed up as a King to help his daughter have the courage to sing in front of an audience. Was it predictable? Yes. Has it been done before? Surely it has. But I'd rather take my kids to see a movie about a parent who learns not to take themselves so seriously as opposed to what Hollywood considers a typical movie for it's "Christian" base. "Evan Almighty" was a poor excuse for what Hollywood thinks Christians would like to see at the movie theater. We don't need to see parts of the Bible acted out on the big screen to agree with the values portrayed in a movie or to enjoy it. That's a manifestation of how small-minded and unintelligent the studios think the Christian movie-going base is.
The critics who wrote the reviews for Eddie Murphy's movie mourned the days of his Beverly Hills Cop era. They wonder why he has fallen upon his sword to make family movies instead of more of his well-known blockbusters. Could it possible that Murphy, having made his bazillions, decided to make movies that he could take his kids to? Or that push an agenda that he thinks is important: parents taking time to listen to their children. If you think about it, this is the theme of most of his recent movies. Heaven forbid.
Hollywood, on the other hand, works many different angles in their choices of movies to produce. That's old news. Most critically-thinking adults can find the messages a movie studio wants to promote and then decide whether it's something they value or not. It's probably been so ingrained in us, that we do this subconciously. In my opinion, the people who review and reward a movie and it's cast/technical staff, are the ones whose agenda slips under the radar.
For example, Halle Berry's won an Academy Award, or Emmy, a few years ago. Until the script came along that eventually won her the award, Halle Berry said that she would never appear completely nude in a film. For whatever reason, this script made her realize that she "had to be true to herself", not her fans. (I read that quote in an interview after the award show. Whatever stops the tears, Halle.) There are myriad reasons why actors win these awards. I'm sure Berry's movie was good, but I think this was Hollywood's way of positively reinforcing her choice of scripts.
This is why I own a DVR. At it's most basic, a DVR allows people to watch what they want, when they want to watch it. On a philosophical level, it allows us to free ourselves from someone else's ideas of what we should watch. And I definitely don't let my kids watch live tv after Halloween and no commercials: they end up with serious cases of the Christmas Gimme's. On a less conspiracy-theorist note, I DVR tv shows so that I don't have to choose between putting my kids to bed properly or rushing it so that I can watch my favorite show. I know it's sad that it's even a question in my mind.
My favorite part was when Murphy shows up dressed up as a King to help his daughter have the courage to sing in front of an audience. Was it predictable? Yes. Has it been done before? Surely it has. But I'd rather take my kids to see a movie about a parent who learns not to take themselves so seriously as opposed to what Hollywood considers a typical movie for it's "Christian" base. "Evan Almighty" was a poor excuse for what Hollywood thinks Christians would like to see at the movie theater. We don't need to see parts of the Bible acted out on the big screen to agree with the values portrayed in a movie or to enjoy it. That's a manifestation of how small-minded and unintelligent the studios think the Christian movie-going base is.
The critics who wrote the reviews for Eddie Murphy's movie mourned the days of his Beverly Hills Cop era. They wonder why he has fallen upon his sword to make family movies instead of more of his well-known blockbusters. Could it possible that Murphy, having made his bazillions, decided to make movies that he could take his kids to? Or that push an agenda that he thinks is important: parents taking time to listen to their children. If you think about it, this is the theme of most of his recent movies. Heaven forbid.
Hollywood, on the other hand, works many different angles in their choices of movies to produce. That's old news. Most critically-thinking adults can find the messages a movie studio wants to promote and then decide whether it's something they value or not. It's probably been so ingrained in us, that we do this subconciously. In my opinion, the people who review and reward a movie and it's cast/technical staff, are the ones whose agenda slips under the radar.
For example, Halle Berry's won an Academy Award, or Emmy, a few years ago. Until the script came along that eventually won her the award, Halle Berry said that she would never appear completely nude in a film. For whatever reason, this script made her realize that she "had to be true to herself", not her fans. (I read that quote in an interview after the award show. Whatever stops the tears, Halle.) There are myriad reasons why actors win these awards. I'm sure Berry's movie was good, but I think this was Hollywood's way of positively reinforcing her choice of scripts.
This is why I own a DVR. At it's most basic, a DVR allows people to watch what they want, when they want to watch it. On a philosophical level, it allows us to free ourselves from someone else's ideas of what we should watch. And I definitely don't let my kids watch live tv after Halloween and no commercials: they end up with serious cases of the Christmas Gimme's. On a less conspiracy-theorist note, I DVR tv shows so that I don't have to choose between putting my kids to bed properly or rushing it so that I can watch my favorite show. I know it's sad that it's even a question in my mind.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Sydney's favorite story, trivia, & a glossary
When I was growing up, my dad used to call me the littlest angel because I rarely got in trouble, at least at school. Sydney's favorite story about when I was in high school is about the only time I really got in trouble with a teacher. The person behind me was leaning back in their chair and I was turned around in my seat talking to them. They started to lose their balance, so I put my hand on his desk to push it back down. Apparently the teacher didn't catch the whole episode and yelled at me for pushing the guy over in his chair. As if. It's funny now, though. For some reason, Sydney loves this story.
I was reminded of that story because I recently learned a few things about North Carolina, and geography in general, that I either wasn't taught or was too busy talking to people behind me to learn. Somehow I never knew that Fayetteville NC actually existed; I only knew of the city in Arkansas. I learned this Fayetteville existed when Neil called to tell me that we were moving here back at the end of last February. I learned yesterday that Fayetteville is named after a Frenchman, Lafayette, who faught with the Americans in the Revolutionary War. Of course, I'd heard of the guy, but never thought about it enough to realize the connection with the name of the city. I learned that this Fayetteville is the only city named after him that Lafayette ever visited. Today I read that there is a little town in NC called Washington that was the first town to ever be named after George Washington. Interesting but seemingly useless information.
Back in the day, I enjoyed history class. I only decided to study Spanish instead of history because I thought you could have more fun in a Spanish class than you could in a history class. I can remember teachers' rooms at Stratford invariably had posters about the need to learn history so that we wouldn't repeat it. There's another reason to study history that I discovered the hard way quite a few years ago: if you are going to interact intelligently with people who played a role in forging our nation's history, you need to know what happened and have an idea of where it happened.
Neil and I were at the VA in Houston doing a service project with the other military medical students. We were speaking with an older patient who was obviously well educated and successful. He was in the hospital for less serious reasons than many of the other patients in the room. As we spoke, he began telling us what it was like to march in the Batan death march. In all my years of school, I had never heard of this, and I couldn't believe it. Needless to say it was mortifying when I had to acknowledge that I'd never heard of this event. We need to learn history, even military history, so that we can appreciate the sacrifices of those who've gone before us.
In an effort not to repeat that experience, I've read many books on military history. If you'd ever like a list, let me know. You just need to be prepared to take a black sharpie to most of the books as you read. Apparently the saying about a sailor's mouth is true of soldiers as well. That way you can let your children or spouse read them without worrying. I know the world thinks Tom Hanks is a genius, but watching Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers on Spike isn't the same as reading the book.
In that spirit of teaching military history, I've decided to give you a glossary of terms/Army acronyms that I use on a regular basis. They might not be history, but they are useful:
KISS-my favorite acronym and the words I live by: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. (In some circles, read: the regular Army, it's "Stupid", but I like my version better.)
Down Range-Neil tried to explain to me why they say this, but I don't remember. Nice, I know. But it means to be in a combat zone. As in "We'll send that to the guys down range."
POC- Point of Contact; this a useful acronym for doing business
PX-Post Exchange or the place to go shopping on Post. This isn't the Commissary. It's more like a Target. It is run by AAFES.
AAFES-Army Air Force Exchange System. They run all shopping/dining establisments on Post or Base.
FOB-Forward Operating Base (This is what Neil is stationed on. Not to be confused with a CASH)
CASH-Similar to a MASH from back in the Korean War. Combat Aid Support Hospital.
MEDEVAC-Medical Evacuation. This is the transport for the patients that Neil receives or sends on for further care.
OPTEMPO-Operational Tempo; The rate at which units are deployed. For example, the last I heard, the OPTEMPO for general surgeons was 6 months every 18.
SOP-Standard Operating Procedures; again this is useful for business.
V/R-This is specifically used on official emails and I never understood it until I just looked it up: Very Respectfully. How many of you would use that as a closing in an email? I imagine that this is one of the more recently created acronyms.
I also happen to write times like they do in the army and I tell my kids on a regular basis to turn to their 3 o'clock.
I was reminded of that story because I recently learned a few things about North Carolina, and geography in general, that I either wasn't taught or was too busy talking to people behind me to learn. Somehow I never knew that Fayetteville NC actually existed; I only knew of the city in Arkansas. I learned this Fayetteville existed when Neil called to tell me that we were moving here back at the end of last February. I learned yesterday that Fayetteville is named after a Frenchman, Lafayette, who faught with the Americans in the Revolutionary War. Of course, I'd heard of the guy, but never thought about it enough to realize the connection with the name of the city. I learned that this Fayetteville is the only city named after him that Lafayette ever visited. Today I read that there is a little town in NC called Washington that was the first town to ever be named after George Washington. Interesting but seemingly useless information.
Back in the day, I enjoyed history class. I only decided to study Spanish instead of history because I thought you could have more fun in a Spanish class than you could in a history class. I can remember teachers' rooms at Stratford invariably had posters about the need to learn history so that we wouldn't repeat it. There's another reason to study history that I discovered the hard way quite a few years ago: if you are going to interact intelligently with people who played a role in forging our nation's history, you need to know what happened and have an idea of where it happened.
Neil and I were at the VA in Houston doing a service project with the other military medical students. We were speaking with an older patient who was obviously well educated and successful. He was in the hospital for less serious reasons than many of the other patients in the room. As we spoke, he began telling us what it was like to march in the Batan death march. In all my years of school, I had never heard of this, and I couldn't believe it. Needless to say it was mortifying when I had to acknowledge that I'd never heard of this event. We need to learn history, even military history, so that we can appreciate the sacrifices of those who've gone before us.
In an effort not to repeat that experience, I've read many books on military history. If you'd ever like a list, let me know. You just need to be prepared to take a black sharpie to most of the books as you read. Apparently the saying about a sailor's mouth is true of soldiers as well. That way you can let your children or spouse read them without worrying. I know the world thinks Tom Hanks is a genius, but watching Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers on Spike isn't the same as reading the book.
In that spirit of teaching military history, I've decided to give you a glossary of terms/Army acronyms that I use on a regular basis. They might not be history, but they are useful:
KISS-my favorite acronym and the words I live by: Keep It Simple, Sweetheart. (In some circles, read: the regular Army, it's "Stupid", but I like my version better.)
Down Range-Neil tried to explain to me why they say this, but I don't remember. Nice, I know. But it means to be in a combat zone. As in "We'll send that to the guys down range."
POC- Point of Contact; this a useful acronym for doing business
PX-Post Exchange or the place to go shopping on Post. This isn't the Commissary. It's more like a Target. It is run by AAFES.
AAFES-Army Air Force Exchange System. They run all shopping/dining establisments on Post or Base.
FOB-Forward Operating Base (This is what Neil is stationed on. Not to be confused with a CASH)
CASH-Similar to a MASH from back in the Korean War. Combat Aid Support Hospital.
MEDEVAC-Medical Evacuation. This is the transport for the patients that Neil receives or sends on for further care.
OPTEMPO-Operational Tempo; The rate at which units are deployed. For example, the last I heard, the OPTEMPO for general surgeons was 6 months every 18.
SOP-Standard Operating Procedures; again this is useful for business.
V/R-This is specifically used on official emails and I never understood it until I just looked it up: Very Respectfully. How many of you would use that as a closing in an email? I imagine that this is one of the more recently created acronyms.
I also happen to write times like they do in the army and I tell my kids on a regular basis to turn to their 3 o'clock.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Soccer, golf and details
Zach is playing soccer for the first time this Fall. He loves his coach and loves to scrimmage. The only problem is that he doesn't like it when people beat him to the ball. Yesterday he tripped a girl and grabbed another girl's jersery to pull her back towards him. Zach's only defense was that he didn't want to lose. Since Zach's coach hadn't seen either one of these things happen, I asked him to talk to Zach about it. Zach still doesn't want to loose. We'll see how that works out in a game when some parent gets mad at me because Zach has done that to their sweet precious little girl.
Today is the Fisher House Golf Tournament here at Ft Bragg. After all of my work in SA, this is an organization that is dear to my heart. Last week I decided to call the FH manager to see if I could help out the day of the tournament. During the course of our phone call, I could tell that the manager didn't think she needed any more help. In my experience at the golf tournaments, last minute things always poppped up, so we welcomed extra hands. I made a compromise with the FH manager: I would show up at the tournament, and if they didn't have anything for me to do, I wouldn't stay. I kept wondering how she could be so confident that there wouldn't be anything for me to do. She mentioned something about having a detail out there to help.
Today is a perfect day for a golf tournament: the weather turned out to be a beautiful, sunny 70, with a slight breeze. The "detail", I figured out, included people to set up tables, tents, unload all of the goodie bags, raffle prizes, extra give aways, fill coolers, and man the check-in/registration table. One other volunteer showed up, and we handed out goodie bags and arranged coffee mugs on a table. I could see why the manager knew she didn't need my help. Who needs untrained volunteers when you've got a paid staff ready to go? (Especially when someone else is paying that staff.) On the whole, it was a well-run tournament with free food, free water and gatorade, and most importantly to the players, free beer. A local Bud Light distributor donated a truck that turned into a mobile tap, so the guys had free beer on tap starting at 10:30 this morning. That doesn't include the free beer in the beverage carts that rolled out at 9am. I tried to get the FH manager to ask for donations for the beer. IMO, that could be a huge money maker. Isn't that the whole point of a bar? I'm just saying. One of the GS employees informed me that it would be ghetto to ask someone to pay for that which had been donated. We found something to hold donations for the beer and someone volunteered to sit there, but got busy and so no one left a donation. I could just see the dollar signs being poured into those styrofoam cups. All in all, it seemed to be a successful tournament. The players were happy; their $55 was well worth it. No worrying on the part of the organizers about how much the raffles, mulligans, auctions, etc would bring in.
I have no idea how much money this tournament will raise, but I could see that the civilian sector stepped up with sponsorships and paid for their entire teams to play. While it wasn't $40K, the Dominion, two meals, and amazing prizes/auction items, everyone seemed much happier and much more relaxed. I don't think the FH manager was developing an ulcer like Elizabeth, JimmieAnn and I did. I remarked to my golf tournament friends how fabulous it felt to just show up and volunteer instead of being in charge of the tournament!
What I can't figure out is how we missed out on that "detail" at Fort Sam. I'm working on how to turn my kids into a "detail."
Today is the Fisher House Golf Tournament here at Ft Bragg. After all of my work in SA, this is an organization that is dear to my heart. Last week I decided to call the FH manager to see if I could help out the day of the tournament. During the course of our phone call, I could tell that the manager didn't think she needed any more help. In my experience at the golf tournaments, last minute things always poppped up, so we welcomed extra hands. I made a compromise with the FH manager: I would show up at the tournament, and if they didn't have anything for me to do, I wouldn't stay. I kept wondering how she could be so confident that there wouldn't be anything for me to do. She mentioned something about having a detail out there to help.
Today is a perfect day for a golf tournament: the weather turned out to be a beautiful, sunny 70, with a slight breeze. The "detail", I figured out, included people to set up tables, tents, unload all of the goodie bags, raffle prizes, extra give aways, fill coolers, and man the check-in/registration table. One other volunteer showed up, and we handed out goodie bags and arranged coffee mugs on a table. I could see why the manager knew she didn't need my help. Who needs untrained volunteers when you've got a paid staff ready to go? (Especially when someone else is paying that staff.) On the whole, it was a well-run tournament with free food, free water and gatorade, and most importantly to the players, free beer. A local Bud Light distributor donated a truck that turned into a mobile tap, so the guys had free beer on tap starting at 10:30 this morning. That doesn't include the free beer in the beverage carts that rolled out at 9am. I tried to get the FH manager to ask for donations for the beer. IMO, that could be a huge money maker. Isn't that the whole point of a bar? I'm just saying. One of the GS employees informed me that it would be ghetto to ask someone to pay for that which had been donated. We found something to hold donations for the beer and someone volunteered to sit there, but got busy and so no one left a donation. I could just see the dollar signs being poured into those styrofoam cups. All in all, it seemed to be a successful tournament. The players were happy; their $55 was well worth it. No worrying on the part of the organizers about how much the raffles, mulligans, auctions, etc would bring in.
I have no idea how much money this tournament will raise, but I could see that the civilian sector stepped up with sponsorships and paid for their entire teams to play. While it wasn't $40K, the Dominion, two meals, and amazing prizes/auction items, everyone seemed much happier and much more relaxed. I don't think the FH manager was developing an ulcer like Elizabeth, JimmieAnn and I did. I remarked to my golf tournament friends how fabulous it felt to just show up and volunteer instead of being in charge of the tournament!
What I can't figure out is how we missed out on that "detail" at Fort Sam. I'm working on how to turn my kids into a "detail."
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Dan Brown Challenge
Dan Brown, of DaVinci Code fame, has a new book that is due to be released fairly soon, if it isn't out already. I've read his two well-known books and two of his lesser known titles. After reading the last book, I have a theory about the ending of Brown's new book. I don't know what the book is about or what the title even is, but here is my official prediction of the story line:
There's a beautiful girl involved, a man that is older, and a man whose age falls between the two. He might or might not be as beautiful as the leading lady. The older man is a mentor or father figure to one of the two. There is action during which the young couple falls for each other. They are involved in an extremely complicated line of work, only normally undertaken by someone incredibly brilliant. In fact, brilliant may be an understatement. They are on the brink of disaster, skirting danger and death which are dealt to them by an unknown hand. It's could be someone equally as old as the father figure/mentor, but who will obviously gain from the failures of the beautiful brilliant couple. And then, in the end, it will be discovered that the father figure was the bad guy all along. In his defense, he was motivated by some noble virtue and was attempting to protect an institution for which he cared deeply. This, when combined with too much zeal, made him cross over to the Dark Side. He ends up either being killed or sacrificing himself to save either one of the other main characters. The lovely couple rides off into the sunset. The end.
If I am wrong, I will go without Coke for a month. Anyone who reads the new book can post the end of the book as a comment and I won't publish it. For those of you who wish read yet another Dan Brown novel, I won't be a spoil sport. Or maybe I'll publicize when I will be posting so that you know not to read my blog that day. Either way, I will need someone to tell me the story line and ending since I'm not going to be reading the book.
I understand that writing a novel is difficult, to say the very least. Well written dialogue takes such skillful use of the language that a good author can follow the maxim "Don't say it, show it" with their characters' interactions. I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Writing dialogue requires an understanding of how people converse in various settings as well as how that best comes across in writing. Brown's characters are well written, believable, memorable, and evoke from the reader either empathy or a desire to emulate.
In addition, the depth of Dan Brown's knowledge and research are apparent in the story lines he creates. However, one could ask whether such an immense amount of detail in a novel adds to it's complexity or, instead, showcases the knowledge of the author as an individual. Action thrillers are not meant to drag on like the songs and genealogies of The Lord of the Rings. Back story, supporting details, and creating suspense are one thing. When I start to forget that the book is a mystery and not a narrative on the NSA, computer codes and software, it's a bad sign.
I won't bore you with my opinion of Brown's treatment of the Catholic Church and the mainstream media's attempts in the movies to push an agenda that tears down faith wherever they find it. Okay, so maybe you know my opinion now, but that's just the tip of the iceburg as far as the two movies are concerned. It has relatively little to do with my theory.
You should know that I can't stand diet Coke; it's huge that I am willing to go without Coke. I am just that confident that Dan Brown won't change the SOPs that have made him so well-known.
Here's what to do if you're up for the challenge: Post a comment stating whether or not you agree with my prediction. Come up with something you're willing to go without if you lose and post that, too. We're all adults here, so we'll use the honor system. I haven't read the book; obviously, you'll need to cast your vote before you read the book.
The only caveat is that my month without Coke has to end before Christmas. Everybody knows that "Christmas Coke" tastes better. Maybe it's those cute little polar bears and penguins on the commercial preaching world peace that bring tears to my eyes or maybe it's that adorable vintage Santa on the Coke can. Whichever it is, I don't want to miss out. I'm just saying...
There's a beautiful girl involved, a man that is older, and a man whose age falls between the two. He might or might not be as beautiful as the leading lady. The older man is a mentor or father figure to one of the two. There is action during which the young couple falls for each other. They are involved in an extremely complicated line of work, only normally undertaken by someone incredibly brilliant. In fact, brilliant may be an understatement. They are on the brink of disaster, skirting danger and death which are dealt to them by an unknown hand. It's could be someone equally as old as the father figure/mentor, but who will obviously gain from the failures of the beautiful brilliant couple. And then, in the end, it will be discovered that the father figure was the bad guy all along. In his defense, he was motivated by some noble virtue and was attempting to protect an institution for which he cared deeply. This, when combined with too much zeal, made him cross over to the Dark Side. He ends up either being killed or sacrificing himself to save either one of the other main characters. The lovely couple rides off into the sunset. The end.
If I am wrong, I will go without Coke for a month. Anyone who reads the new book can post the end of the book as a comment and I won't publish it. For those of you who wish read yet another Dan Brown novel, I won't be a spoil sport. Or maybe I'll publicize when I will be posting so that you know not to read my blog that day. Either way, I will need someone to tell me the story line and ending since I'm not going to be reading the book.
I understand that writing a novel is difficult, to say the very least. Well written dialogue takes such skillful use of the language that a good author can follow the maxim "Don't say it, show it" with their characters' interactions. I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Writing dialogue requires an understanding of how people converse in various settings as well as how that best comes across in writing. Brown's characters are well written, believable, memorable, and evoke from the reader either empathy or a desire to emulate.
In addition, the depth of Dan Brown's knowledge and research are apparent in the story lines he creates. However, one could ask whether such an immense amount of detail in a novel adds to it's complexity or, instead, showcases the knowledge of the author as an individual. Action thrillers are not meant to drag on like the songs and genealogies of The Lord of the Rings. Back story, supporting details, and creating suspense are one thing. When I start to forget that the book is a mystery and not a narrative on the NSA, computer codes and software, it's a bad sign.
I won't bore you with my opinion of Brown's treatment of the Catholic Church and the mainstream media's attempts in the movies to push an agenda that tears down faith wherever they find it. Okay, so maybe you know my opinion now, but that's just the tip of the iceburg as far as the two movies are concerned. It has relatively little to do with my theory.
You should know that I can't stand diet Coke; it's huge that I am willing to go without Coke. I am just that confident that Dan Brown won't change the SOPs that have made him so well-known.
Here's what to do if you're up for the challenge: Post a comment stating whether or not you agree with my prediction. Come up with something you're willing to go without if you lose and post that, too. We're all adults here, so we'll use the honor system. I haven't read the book; obviously, you'll need to cast your vote before you read the book.
The only caveat is that my month without Coke has to end before Christmas. Everybody knows that "Christmas Coke" tastes better. Maybe it's those cute little polar bears and penguins on the commercial preaching world peace that bring tears to my eyes or maybe it's that adorable vintage Santa on the Coke can. Whichever it is, I don't want to miss out. I'm just saying...
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