Real plates and In Your Face

Amanda is understanding the mechanics of things now. Everything from the time it takes to download to an I-pod to which is hot and cold water. This is like going from 0 - 60 in an instant after being told the car was stalled and out of gas. It's a lot of fun.

Last night I went and picked up dinner for myself because I was told if I didn't want cereal I better do something about it. Tina and Amanda were both worn out by the flu and had eaten while I was covering the pool. When I got back from the food run I found a plate on the table with a drink and silverware. I'm not afraid of getting sick because it will either happen or it won't, this wasn't going to make a difference.

Tina said Amanda set the whole thing up for me because she said I was a good daddy and needed something special. It's a running joke at our house about real plates versus paper plates and Amanda has a great sense of humor.

After dinner we played Tiger Woods golf on the Wii. I set Amanda's level on easy and mine on standard and I do the putting. We had a blast, I love her trash talking. "In your face" never sounded so sweet. In the end I won, it's only fair.

Fall is here

It's the kind of day I wish I were outside doing most anything else. That is, until the mosquitoes find me. We've had such wet weather the past month that these pests are like angry little birds. The only plus side is they are so fat and swollen that they are too slow to escape even a carelessly aimed swat. But then they do explode like a small grape.

I'll be covering up the pool this evening and for the next six months looking at a large Hefty bag in the backyard. It will be mocking me with memories of hot days and cool water. Oh well, such is life and the passing of time.

The Cleveland Show

I watched the Family Guy spin off last night, The Cleveland Show, and I just don't know where to start. But i do have to ask, why give the deadpan straight guy of a series his own show.

It is obvious that the staffs of the Family Guy and American Dad were not raided to put this show together. It's as if the writers wanted to get back at the Fox Network. After it was over the only thing I could think off was, "King of the Hill was canceled for this."

Wasn't Cleveland Jr. a skinny hyper kid? Maybe his ADHD medication fattened him up and slowed him down.

For a show that has been hyped for almost a year, didn't anyone with any talent screen the finished product to see if it was worth the time? The only thing that kept it from being as bad as the Jack Black's movie, "The Pick of Destiny" was that it was an hour shorter.

It looks like Cleveland will be back in Rhode Island before mid October.

The Flu - regular, not unleaded

On Thursday Amanda received her flu shot, Saturday morning she was running a temp and then later that day tested positive for the flu. She has felt terrible ever since.

She is on Tami-flu and and hasn't had a fever for 24 hours, but is still feeling on the poor side. When she wants to go to bed before the sun goes down you can tell she is ill.

So, we just watched football all day yesterday while she drew pictures. She is a stoic little patient with too much practice at being ill. But at least she wasn't hospitalized this time. We all agree that we don't like IV's.

It Just Makes Sense

"It just makes sense." That is what Amanda said this morning about a plan that I have four 4 man scramble team. I'm glad she likes the way I think when it comes to important matters such as this. I also like that she used that expression for the first time that I know of. She is making great progress.

But to keep it in perspective, I am also aware of how much easier it is for the average four year old to speak. Without software to hardware interface issues like Amanda's, they simply say just about everything the want to. It doesn't necessarily make me sad when I hear how much easier it for children a third of her age speak so much more clearly. It just makes me acutely aware that my little one just must put in the extra effort to get her thoughts broadcast to her audience.

I truly compare it to me doing upper level algebraic calculations. Anyone who knows my track record with algebra would probably argue that statement. Their argument being, "But John, Amanda can speak to the point of understanding, while your abilities in Algebra 4 were what you could see on other people's paper. "

Sunglassed and Fog Lights

Authors Note: I drive a 2008 Chevy Malibu LTZ with a 256 HP V-6 with a six speed transmission. This car is what Chevy should have been building all along. It is quick, powerful and responsive. It also gets 29 MPG on the Highway. It is black with 18 inch wheels and speed performance tires. The audio system has XM Radio, something I have had for more than six years. All and all, it is a great car that suits most of my needs.

Now, on with the blog entry.


I woke up yesterday morning in Bedford, TX, just outside of Ft. Worth. It was a quarter to six, the alarm was set for 6, so my one power was working well.
I had spent the previous day with a long time good friend and we called it a night around 10 pm. I was asleep by 11, but now I was looking forward to getting home.

After my shower I debated shaving. I put the razor back in the kit with the rationalization that four minutes is five miles. I was out of the hotel and bought a 20 oz coffee at the QT next to the hotel and on the road by 6:30, it was still dark, the roads were empty and I was headed east.

I have made this drive countless times in the last 24 years. The drive to Dallas was the first long drive most of my peers made back when we were first licensed by the state. But this time, this morning, this drive fell into perfect balance. I tuned to station 45 on XM, The Spectrum, and listened to The Baker's Dozen. My drive for the next hour had a sound track as well compiled as any play list or mix tape I ever made.

The music was adult contemporary: Dave Mathews and Bell X1 were the best of the lot. The rest were just a bit of a blur, I was just so caught up in the moment and recall a single artist by name. As I went across Lake Ray Hubbarb for an uncountable time the sun started to rise in the east forcing me to wear my sunglasses. I was finishing my coffee and wanting a second cup. I found a good store on the otherside of the lake and reloaded. Further on down the road I drove into some fog and hit the fog lights on my car just to let the traffic know that I was there. Sunglasses and fog lights make for a strange combination. Muted glare is the best way to describe it.

I was isolated from the world. In a cocoon of a cockpit, perfect music with the only destination that matters. It was what I had needed but dared not wish for knowing I would only be disappointed if I did.

By the end of the day my drive was all but forgotten. It had morphed into pleasant day at home even though the Steelers had lost. I cleaned the pool and a few other chores that were on the list and fell asleep on the couch while watching the Cowboys' defense bend until it broke.

This morning had me thinking of sunglasses and fog lights. It was a serene time and a simple pleasure. I hope everyone who wants one can have such a time very soon.

Here's to an old friend and a great day

I spent the afternoon and most the evening with one of my oldest friends. We've known one another since the third grade when we played on the same peewee baseball team. Since that time we spent six years in band, played softball, scout camp, backpacking adventures, we were in one another's weddings and we have attended a lot of ranger games together.

Today we did just that. I made it to town before two. He showed me his office, we played Tiger Woods golf on the Wii, went to dinner and then to the Ranger game. It was better than old times.

All those times before we were in a maturing stage with the need to go a lot further than we had been. Today while we were driving around we were talking about 401K plans and roth IRA's. Worse yet, we really knew what we were talking about. We were like a Mike Myers character from Saturday Night Live, Middle Aged Man. We both noticed it and laughed about it. My friend and I have enough common ground and yet enough differences where we genuinely enjoy talking to one another because while there is overlap in experiences, their are also enough differences where I truly look forward to getting caught up.

For now, I'm in a hotel for the night. I'm going to sign off, watch the rest of the UT v TT games and crash out. I'll be up and out of here early in the am. Amanda and I have a date for pizza and football at noon.