Last weekend, we wandered up to see my folks on Whidby Island along with my sisters' families for a reunion of sorts before all the new kids show up. The house is nice, but it was only barely able to contain everybody, as there were 15 of us -- 7 kids, 3 pregnant women, my mother, and a bunch of guys doing their best to keep up/tolerate the pregnant lady talk. None of us are new to it or bothered by it any more, but get real, it's not about us right now. Nobody cared how my boobs were doing or how my heartburn was going.
It was a lot of fun though, and the Mizz had a great time with his cousins, especially "Baby J", who lives in Seattle and will probably be "Baby" forever according to my son. Both of them are, for the moment, single children, and are not near as good at playing with others as the 5 from the Colorado household. Imagine our surprise when they turned out to have a great time together, pushing cars back and forth and just generally copying and following each other all over the place. It looks like they're going to be excellent big brothers.
This was probably our best road trip with the Mizz yet. He's finally getting to the point of being able to be entertained in the car for long stretches. He even watched the DVD player that Franny found on sale. Usually, shows don't interest him for very long. This was a pretty easy trip. Soooooo, I guess it's time for another one.
It was good to see everyone and it was good to do it before things get even crazier. Next time there'll be 10 grandkids running around. Based on the current crew, that should be even more fun.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Bad blogger. No soup for you, one year!
OK. So I obviously made it back to to land of easy internet access, but then I got lazy. Apparently, I spent enough time in Hawaii to catch a case of the "paradise paralysis" that afflicts most people who live there. I keep meaning to post something, but then it would be, "Hey, I can always do it later." A week and a half later -- pathetic. I can't say it's the worst problem to have, though, at least not for us poor souls afflicted with it. People who have to deal with us, well...
Anyway, I'm back in the land of normal working and not being sick and toddlers underfoot and whatnot. I have to say that between being ill and the monsoon rains, this wasn't my favorite trip to Hawaii, but it beats having a day job, I guess.
I missed mentioning Valentine's Day too. I remembered it at home, which I guess is the important part. I used to see it as a cheesy Hallmark day, but Franny and I took it back for ourselves the day nine years ago when she said "Yes." It's still cheesy, but now it's our own special brand of cheesy. The Mizz got a valentine from his cousin with a couple stickers in it. He thought that was great, and keeps mentioning that "I got a card from Baby J." (I'm curious how long his cousin, who is less than a year younger, will continue to be "Baby J.") I feel kind of bad that a card didn't go the other way too, but the Mizz is lucky "he" remembered to get his mother a card.
One other Mizz note. He's brilliant. I was gone just long enough to notice a marked improvement in his speech. He's hardly completely clear or anything, but it's noticeably better than when I left. Plus, he now understands the concept of zero. If he has one thing, and you take it away, he knows that he has zero now. In hundreds of years of civilization, the Romans never even figured that one out, although they might have him beat with the roads and aqueducts and empires and such.
Anyway, I'm back in the land of normal working and not being sick and toddlers underfoot and whatnot. I have to say that between being ill and the monsoon rains, this wasn't my favorite trip to Hawaii, but it beats having a day job, I guess.
I missed mentioning Valentine's Day too. I remembered it at home, which I guess is the important part. I used to see it as a cheesy Hallmark day, but Franny and I took it back for ourselves the day nine years ago when she said "Yes." It's still cheesy, but now it's our own special brand of cheesy. The Mizz got a valentine from his cousin with a couple stickers in it. He thought that was great, and keeps mentioning that "I got a card from Baby J." (I'm curious how long his cousin, who is less than a year younger, will continue to be "Baby J.") I feel kind of bad that a card didn't go the other way too, but the Mizz is lucky "he" remembered to get his mother a card.
One other Mizz note. He's brilliant. I was gone just long enough to notice a marked improvement in his speech. He's hardly completely clear or anything, but it's noticeably better than when I left. Plus, he now understands the concept of zero. If he has one thing, and you take it away, he knows that he has zero now. In hundreds of years of civilization, the Romans never even figured that one out, although they might have him beat with the roads and aqueducts and empires and such.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Welcome to 2008
HAP---py new year. That's the way the Mizz has been saying it all day. I think that's the way Franny taught him to say it. It's fun to hear, but it's even better since he has no idea what he's talking about. He did note that "Mama turned de cawendar," but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what a calendar's for either.
Our evening was pretty uneventful. I live with a toddler and a pregnant woman. What were you expecting? I did end up staying awake until the new year, but that's only because I couldn't fall asleep through the fireworks that started around 9:30 and continued until about 12:30. These weren't some big city event downtown or anything; just lunatics in my neighborhood with lots of explosives and booze but not so much sense. They do this for pretty much every holiday. They aren't picky. At least it was muted by being cold. They pull out all the stops for the 4th of July. For the morning of the 5th, imagine a battlefield where someone has removed all the bodies but nothing else.
Speaking of new years, have you made your resolutions yet? Do you ever? Why?
I typically don't bother with resolutions. If I haven't decided to make these types of decisions or actions before, I seriously doubt that doing it to celebrate an arbitrary calendar event will make any more difference. "I'm going to exercise four times a week!" (Until I don't, which will be next week. Then I've broken the streak and it's over.) "I'm going to really get myself organized this year." (Or more likely, I'll probably just neaten up the stacks of paper on my desk and label a couple of folders. Then I'll go back to doing things the same way I've done them for the last umpteen years.) "I'm really going to buckle down and learn to play the guitar this year." (Because this has worked out so well for the last 15 years. Maybe if I really mean it this time...) The problem with these kinds of resolutions is that they are well-intentioned, but if just deciding to do them was all I needed, I would have done them already. For this reason, I have never bothered with the resolving thing and have ended up in pretty much the same place without the internal guilt.
However, even as I'd been getting salty hearing people ramble on about new year's resolutions on the radio and in ads and whatnot, a little philosophical seed apparently got planted in my head. For whatever reason (Maybe it's the 2nd kid on the way; who knows?), this seed has made me get to thinking about what really matters to me and what I like and dislike about the way I'm going about things. And I've come to realize that there are really very few things that actually matter to me. I care about maintaining healthy and happy connections with my family and friends. I care about providing the best support (in every sense of the word) for my family that I can. I'd like to leave things a little better than I found them, both in my immediate surroundings and the world in general. And I'd like to keep myself in good enough shape (both physically and emotionally) to be able to do these things for a very long time. (I'd like to meet the Mizz's grandkids, and still be coherent enough to understand it.)
Anyway, I decided that I need to resolve to live my life and make decisions always keeping these things in mind. I spend a lot of time spinning my wheels; maybe not wrecking my life, but not always making headway either. I want to do things more purposefully. The things I do should improve my life, or at least not make improving it harder. I guess I just want to be a better person, but not in the cheesy, undirected way that line is usually tossed out. If I remember what's really important, then when the time comes, getting more organized, taking better care of myself, and maybe even learning the guitar should work themselves out, along with all sorts of other things, much of which I'm certainly not even contemplating yet.
(This all looks very cheesy and trite now that I see it printed, but I've been rolling this around in my head for a while and I feel much more sincere about it than I've felt about most things in a while. Certainly more sincere than it looks written out. Seriousness and sincerity are not my strong suits. Sarcasm is more my speed.)
This isn't really meant as a new year's resolution, although it was some of that crap that made me get to really thinking about it, so by the timing, I suppose it counts. I intend for this to be more of a forever resolution. If Google can have "Do no evil," then I can have this.
Or maybe I could just do like usual, and resolve not to start eating Brussels sprouts.
Our evening was pretty uneventful. I live with a toddler and a pregnant woman. What were you expecting? I did end up staying awake until the new year, but that's only because I couldn't fall asleep through the fireworks that started around 9:30 and continued until about 12:30. These weren't some big city event downtown or anything; just lunatics in my neighborhood with lots of explosives and booze but not so much sense. They do this for pretty much every holiday. They aren't picky. At least it was muted by being cold. They pull out all the stops for the 4th of July. For the morning of the 5th, imagine a battlefield where someone has removed all the bodies but nothing else.
Speaking of new years, have you made your resolutions yet? Do you ever? Why?
I typically don't bother with resolutions. If I haven't decided to make these types of decisions or actions before, I seriously doubt that doing it to celebrate an arbitrary calendar event will make any more difference. "I'm going to exercise four times a week!" (Until I don't, which will be next week. Then I've broken the streak and it's over.) "I'm going to really get myself organized this year." (Or more likely, I'll probably just neaten up the stacks of paper on my desk and label a couple of folders. Then I'll go back to doing things the same way I've done them for the last umpteen years.) "I'm really going to buckle down and learn to play the guitar this year." (Because this has worked out so well for the last 15 years. Maybe if I really mean it this time...) The problem with these kinds of resolutions is that they are well-intentioned, but if just deciding to do them was all I needed, I would have done them already. For this reason, I have never bothered with the resolving thing and have ended up in pretty much the same place without the internal guilt.
However, even as I'd been getting salty hearing people ramble on about new year's resolutions on the radio and in ads and whatnot, a little philosophical seed apparently got planted in my head. For whatever reason (Maybe it's the 2nd kid on the way; who knows?), this seed has made me get to thinking about what really matters to me and what I like and dislike about the way I'm going about things. And I've come to realize that there are really very few things that actually matter to me. I care about maintaining healthy and happy connections with my family and friends. I care about providing the best support (in every sense of the word) for my family that I can. I'd like to leave things a little better than I found them, both in my immediate surroundings and the world in general. And I'd like to keep myself in good enough shape (both physically and emotionally) to be able to do these things for a very long time. (I'd like to meet the Mizz's grandkids, and still be coherent enough to understand it.)
Anyway, I decided that I need to resolve to live my life and make decisions always keeping these things in mind. I spend a lot of time spinning my wheels; maybe not wrecking my life, but not always making headway either. I want to do things more purposefully. The things I do should improve my life, or at least not make improving it harder. I guess I just want to be a better person, but not in the cheesy, undirected way that line is usually tossed out. If I remember what's really important, then when the time comes, getting more organized, taking better care of myself, and maybe even learning the guitar should work themselves out, along with all sorts of other things, much of which I'm certainly not even contemplating yet.
(This all looks very cheesy and trite now that I see it printed, but I've been rolling this around in my head for a while and I feel much more sincere about it than I've felt about most things in a while. Certainly more sincere than it looks written out. Seriousness and sincerity are not my strong suits. Sarcasm is more my speed.)
This isn't really meant as a new year's resolution, although it was some of that crap that made me get to really thinking about it, so by the timing, I suppose it counts. I intend for this to be more of a forever resolution. If Google can have "Do no evil," then I can have this.
Or maybe I could just do like usual, and resolve not to start eating Brussels sprouts.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Long time, no blog
I'm not sure where I've been lately. Just not in a blogging mood I guess. Things have been happening though.
In case there's anyone reading this who doesn't also read Franny's blog, she's pregnant again. Yes, it was intentional. Thanks for asking. Not super far along yet, but she did decide to dig out the prego clothes this evening. Due next May, so there's still a bit of time to purchase naming rights. We certainly reserve editorial control over the final name, but there's probably a right price for just about anything.
Franny's folks were here last week, and we had a nice visit with them. The Mizz had a great time seeing Gran and Grandpapa. And I didn't have to cook for days. Mothers-in-law aren't that bad after all. Who knew?
The only down moment of their visit was our trip to the pumpkin patch. Actually the trip to it was fine. And the patch was fine too, as far as pumpkin patches go. The Mizz had a fun time trying to pick up pumpkins that weighed more than he did and finally settled on drumming on them. There were also tractors and a barn full of aneeemals, most of which he could name. He failed on the llama, but we'll check again next year.
JUST KIDDING!!!! There's no way in the world we'll be going back there again! At least not at pumpkin time anyway. Every person in Northwestern Oregon was apparently there. For those who don't know, Sauvie Island, as nice as it may be, has only a two lane bridge connecting it to the real world. At the end of that bridge is a light that lets maybe 10 cars out at a time before letting the main road pass you by for several minutes. Do a little math on the huge number of cars on the island for the pumpkins, and you get Dave and Franny and Gran and Grandpapa and the Mizz stuck in a car moving at just over 1 mile per hour for TWO STINKING HOURS! Then for kicks, add another half hour to get back home after the bridge, which would be expected. This apparently happens every year. You think they'd put a cop at the end of the bridge or retime the light or something.
To top it all off, why were we stuck in one car together when we had driven out in two? Because we found that our car was low on gas. This did not seem like a problem on the way in, as we were maybe 5 miles from a gas station. However, we did not count on idling for two hours and decided not to risk it. Franny and I ended up taking a couple gallons of gas back later and found that if we had just waited three more hours, the full round trip took just over an hour.
The only bonus was that we had taken two cars out there in the first place. We hadn't intended to do that, but there was a problem with our car. When we bought it a couple months ago, one of the rear seat belts was damaged and we had it replaced. However, Gran was the first person to try using it and found that the wrong latch had been installed. We now have a useless left rear seat belt until we can get it replaced again. Oh, joy.
Other than that little episode, the in-law visit was fine. They even agreed to keep an ear out for the sleeping Mizz one evening so Franny and I could have a little time out. We were tired and I still had to work in the morning, but we don't get time out together much, so we weren't about to say, "No." We spent a couple hours eating cake, drinking coffee and playing Scrabble at Palio's. We always enjoy their deserts. Plus I won the Scrabble game (but not by much). Don't tell Gran though, 'cuz she'll want to challenge me, and she will most assuredly kick my sorry butt. She's absolutely insane about that game. I don't know is she's the craziest Scrabble person in the world, but she's the craziest one I know.
It never really affected me, but Portland played host last week to a pretend real terrorist attack, which was then interrupted by a real false bomb scare.
We were one of the cities in the Topoff exercise this year. Supposedly, some terrorists blew up a dirty radiological bomb on a light rain train on the Steel Bridge, and the local, state, and federal authorities got to practice what they would do in that case. This ranged from first responders having to check out the scene and deal with "casualties" while wearing protective suits to a local animal shelter trotting out it's new emergency animal shelter trailer. Apparently they learned from Katrina and put together a way to deal with "evacuees" with "pets." In this case, some of the "pets" were "teddy bears," but they wanted to practice, so they logged them in and caged them just like the real animals that came in. Like all of these exercises so far, the responders tried out things learned from previous ones and exposed some gaping holes nobody had thought of. All in all, interesting goings on for a few days.
However, on the "wrap up" day of the exercise, there was a bomb scare when dogs checking out the hotel that Michael Chertoff was going to visit later indicated that they found something bad. Nothing was ever found, but it did close of several blocks for a few hours. In the end, the assumption was that there was some residue on one of the military or other government vehicles already at the hotel. Seems important to make sure, I would think.
In personal news, I was a little ill last Thursday and again yesterday. I don't know what that was about. Most likely, the Mizz had begun the season of bringing microbes home to me from daycare.
This weekend, we finally got up to see my folk's new place. Unfortunately, due to job stuff, we had to go up Saturday and come right back Sunday, but that's all we could do for now, and we had to see it. It's awesome. The house itself is fine I suppose, for a house that was last renovated in the 70's. Importantly though, someone had the foresight to put it on the western slope of Whidby Island, Washington overlooking the Olympic Mountains, Port Angeles, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Victoria, BC, and the San Juan Islands. It could be a teepee, for all it matters. I'm glad to report that Dad is getting excellent use out of the telescope we got him for retirement. We thought he might have a good time watching the ships going by into Seattle. We didn't know that both he and Mom would have a hard time doing anything else. From what I hear, they are forever running because one of them sees a cool ship or a whale or something. The scope even has a prominent place in their living room and appears to be permanently located for easy, and constant, use. I want to retire.
We also met up with my younger sister in Seattle on the way home. Younger, but she just turned 30 on Friday, so I don't know if that counts as young. I was definitely told that I was old at 30. Anyway, she's doing well. Plus she's pregnant too. We got an "official" announcement, so I suppose it's okay to share. Plus plus, she's due the same day as Franny. What're the chances?
To bring things completely up to date, I got to visit the dentist this afternoon. I think I mentioned a while back that I would need some crowns. Dental work from years ago finally giving up the ghost, or the teeth anyway. Well, now I have two temporary ones in place. I'm going to be eating like an invalid for a couple weeks until I can get the real ones. They don't look horrible, but they apparently can't handle things like biting. Joy. The experience was as good as it could have been, I suppose, but I can't say I enjoy being pumped on adrenaline for an hour and half while having to sit still. It's not like it hurt, what with the gallon of Novocaine, but I kept imagining it was about to start any minute. When a guy is drilling in your teeth, it's hard to think of much else.
This would have been easier in a few smaller posts.
In case there's anyone reading this who doesn't also read Franny's blog, she's pregnant again. Yes, it was intentional. Thanks for asking. Not super far along yet, but she did decide to dig out the prego clothes this evening. Due next May, so there's still a bit of time to purchase naming rights. We certainly reserve editorial control over the final name, but there's probably a right price for just about anything.
Franny's folks were here last week, and we had a nice visit with them. The Mizz had a great time seeing Gran and Grandpapa. And I didn't have to cook for days. Mothers-in-law aren't that bad after all. Who knew?
The only down moment of their visit was our trip to the pumpkin patch. Actually the trip to it was fine. And the patch was fine too, as far as pumpkin patches go. The Mizz had a fun time trying to pick up pumpkins that weighed more than he did and finally settled on drumming on them. There were also tractors and a barn full of aneeemals, most of which he could name. He failed on the llama, but we'll check again next year.
JUST KIDDING!!!! There's no way in the world we'll be going back there again! At least not at pumpkin time anyway. Every person in Northwestern Oregon was apparently there. For those who don't know, Sauvie Island, as nice as it may be, has only a two lane bridge connecting it to the real world. At the end of that bridge is a light that lets maybe 10 cars out at a time before letting the main road pass you by for several minutes. Do a little math on the huge number of cars on the island for the pumpkins, and you get Dave and Franny and Gran and Grandpapa and the Mizz stuck in a car moving at just over 1 mile per hour for TWO STINKING HOURS! Then for kicks, add another half hour to get back home after the bridge, which would be expected. This apparently happens every year. You think they'd put a cop at the end of the bridge or retime the light or something.
To top it all off, why were we stuck in one car together when we had driven out in two? Because we found that our car was low on gas. This did not seem like a problem on the way in, as we were maybe 5 miles from a gas station. However, we did not count on idling for two hours and decided not to risk it. Franny and I ended up taking a couple gallons of gas back later and found that if we had just waited three more hours, the full round trip took just over an hour.
The only bonus was that we had taken two cars out there in the first place. We hadn't intended to do that, but there was a problem with our car. When we bought it a couple months ago, one of the rear seat belts was damaged and we had it replaced. However, Gran was the first person to try using it and found that the wrong latch had been installed. We now have a useless left rear seat belt until we can get it replaced again. Oh, joy.
Other than that little episode, the in-law visit was fine. They even agreed to keep an ear out for the sleeping Mizz one evening so Franny and I could have a little time out. We were tired and I still had to work in the morning, but we don't get time out together much, so we weren't about to say, "No." We spent a couple hours eating cake, drinking coffee and playing Scrabble at Palio's. We always enjoy their deserts. Plus I won the Scrabble game (but not by much). Don't tell Gran though, 'cuz she'll want to challenge me, and she will most assuredly kick my sorry butt. She's absolutely insane about that game. I don't know is she's the craziest Scrabble person in the world, but she's the craziest one I know.
It never really affected me, but Portland played host last week to a pretend real terrorist attack, which was then interrupted by a real false bomb scare.
We were one of the cities in the Topoff exercise this year. Supposedly, some terrorists blew up a dirty radiological bomb on a light rain train on the Steel Bridge, and the local, state, and federal authorities got to practice what they would do in that case. This ranged from first responders having to check out the scene and deal with "casualties" while wearing protective suits to a local animal shelter trotting out it's new emergency animal shelter trailer. Apparently they learned from Katrina and put together a way to deal with "evacuees" with "pets." In this case, some of the "pets" were "teddy bears," but they wanted to practice, so they logged them in and caged them just like the real animals that came in. Like all of these exercises so far, the responders tried out things learned from previous ones and exposed some gaping holes nobody had thought of. All in all, interesting goings on for a few days.
However, on the "wrap up" day of the exercise, there was a bomb scare when dogs checking out the hotel that Michael Chertoff was going to visit later indicated that they found something bad. Nothing was ever found, but it did close of several blocks for a few hours. In the end, the assumption was that there was some residue on one of the military or other government vehicles already at the hotel. Seems important to make sure, I would think.
In personal news, I was a little ill last Thursday and again yesterday. I don't know what that was about. Most likely, the Mizz had begun the season of bringing microbes home to me from daycare.
This weekend, we finally got up to see my folk's new place. Unfortunately, due to job stuff, we had to go up Saturday and come right back Sunday, but that's all we could do for now, and we had to see it. It's awesome. The house itself is fine I suppose, for a house that was last renovated in the 70's. Importantly though, someone had the foresight to put it on the western slope of Whidby Island, Washington overlooking the Olympic Mountains, Port Angeles, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, Victoria, BC, and the San Juan Islands. It could be a teepee, for all it matters. I'm glad to report that Dad is getting excellent use out of the telescope we got him for retirement. We thought he might have a good time watching the ships going by into Seattle. We didn't know that both he and Mom would have a hard time doing anything else. From what I hear, they are forever running because one of them sees a cool ship or a whale or something. The scope even has a prominent place in their living room and appears to be permanently located for easy, and constant, use. I want to retire.
We also met up with my younger sister in Seattle on the way home. Younger, but she just turned 30 on Friday, so I don't know if that counts as young. I was definitely told that I was old at 30. Anyway, she's doing well. Plus she's pregnant too. We got an "official" announcement, so I suppose it's okay to share. Plus plus, she's due the same day as Franny. What're the chances?
To bring things completely up to date, I got to visit the dentist this afternoon. I think I mentioned a while back that I would need some crowns. Dental work from years ago finally giving up the ghost, or the teeth anyway. Well, now I have two temporary ones in place. I'm going to be eating like an invalid for a couple weeks until I can get the real ones. They don't look horrible, but they apparently can't handle things like biting. Joy. The experience was as good as it could have been, I suppose, but I can't say I enjoy being pumped on adrenaline for an hour and half while having to sit still. It's not like it hurt, what with the gallon of Novocaine, but I kept imagining it was about to start any minute. When a guy is drilling in your teeth, it's hard to think of much else.
This would have been easier in a few smaller posts.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Return from Gobs of Family
We returned from Colorado last night. They actually had the Internet there, but I didn't have two minutes together to sit down and write anything. And there were things to write.
We stayed with my sister Jenn in Castle Rock for a few days in her new place with all her kids and my parents, and even my other sister Jana for a couple of the nights. The total at peak was 15 people in the house. I'm not sure there is a house big enough to make that seem reasonable, but we did our best. Jenn's family accounted for almost half of the crowd so they are used to the general mayhem. The rest of us adjusted as best we could, but I think everyone did fine. The hospitality, as always, was wonderful. As was the view. They have an unobstructed view of the sunrise to the East and Pikes Peak to the South, and due to land use and zoning issues, both of those views are well preserved for the foreseeable future.
We went up to Nicky's Resort in Estes Park, Colorado for the actual reunion. I was going to link to their website, but it appears to have disappeared. That might be due to the bankruptcy. Apparently, the place is not doing well. Not to say that the accommodations were bad. The units we stayed in (townhouses/condos) were actually renovated not too long ago and were fairly decent. We had a large yard out back next to Bear Creek that we could use for gatherings and there was a hot tub right behind us. So that part was good. On the other hand, there was nobody in the front office the days we arrived and left and some of the facilities had fallen by the wayside. The amenities list included washer/dryer in each unit. There were hookups, but no actual washer/dryers. We ended up talking them into letting us use the industrial housekeeping ones. Joy. The tennis court was also not being kept up as it was cracked and had quite a nice weed field growing in it. But the best part was the pool. There was a heated outdoor pool on-site. We were told upon arrival that it was down because the heat exchanger froze, however, someone should be out to repair it "this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow." Once we saw it though, we realized that we probably weren't going to see any water polo games. The heat exchanger may have frozen, but it must have been in January, and maybe not this year. The water was about a foot low and green. You couldn't see the bottom, but that was hard to notice since your eyes were drawn to the two dead squirrels floating around. Good thing they put a padlock on the gate. Someone might have tried to take a dip. Enough complaining though. Despite the detractions, it was a beautiful site. Trees all around. Nestled in a valley between beautiful rocky ridges. And only a couple miles from Rocky Mountain National Park. And the condos, hot tub, creek, and open area were just what we needed. The point of the gathering was to visit with family, not go swimming.
The actual reunion was a lot of fun, if tiring. Although we didn't have the most kids (Jenn and Cousin Steven tie for that one) or the youngest (Jana), we did have the most difficult to corral. The Mizz is at a stage where his mobility far outstrips his sense. (I'm told this will happen again at 16.) He can now run pretty quickly (for three feet tall anyway) and doesn't see any reason not to do so. He is also learning to climb, but again, isn't aware that it isn't always a good idea. He's still insanely interested in lights, but now he knows about switches. If he can reach them (by whatever means), they will go on and off until he notices another one. If he can't reach them he will holler "Light on!" or "Light off!" ad nauseum until someone makes it so. In one instance, Franny found him sitting in the bathroom sink with the water running on his legs flicking the light switch on and off. As she put it, all he needed was a plugged-in toaster to complete the danger trifecta. I'm sure she'll post a picture of it before too long. Basically, either Franny or I had to be tending to him at all times. Once in a while we managed to pawn him off on another relative for a little while, but we usually took him back pretty soon when it became apparent that he was taxing them too much. The problem is that we like our relatives, and although we want everyone to enjoy the wonderful critter that is the Mizz, we feel bad sticking them with him for any length of time. For our sanity's sake, we're going to have to get over that.
We actually had fun showing off the Mizz. Between wild episodes, he was very good about giving hugs and singing the "ABC Song" and even remembering names occasionally. It did melt a few hearts when he would say "Bye bye Book [Brooke]" or whatever. He's actually super cute and friendly, just busy. He's rarely badly behaved, just hard to contain. He was even relatively good on the planes, despite the fact that his feet comfortably reach the seat in front of him. (He could have slept better at night, but we're blaming that on the altitude.)
Aside from herding the Mizz, we had a great time. It's always nice to see relatives. Lots of these people never see each other except for at these reunions. It's good to keep in touch with family at least occasionally. Without these gatherings, I'm sure I would never again see some of these folks, and that would definitely be a loss. The most pathetic example is the 2 dozen or so that live about 15 miles from us. They haven't been super close to us over the years, but it seems like we might get together at least once in a while. It's like the trip across the river into another state is extreme travelling. Sad. I just hope our "We really should get together sometime" isn't as transparently unrealistic as the Jewish "Next year in Jerusalem" is to the other half of my family. We say it all the time, but it doesn't happen. Maybe this time we meant it.
We always bring out lots of family pictures at these things. Some are lighthearted remembrances of the other reunions, but many are old pictures either of people there or those that have passed. This was especially true since two of the three Brooks/Bailey kids passed away in the last year, so there was a lot of remembering going on. There were 10 or so poster boards put up ranging from the newest addition to the family who couldn't make it since she is only a week or two old, to pictures of tintypes from the mid-1800's. Jim Brooks (the new patriarch of the clan) had done a lot of work lately and had traced one line of ancestors back to someone born in 1783. Just talking to people, I learned all kinds of stories about the family's background in lots of directions. I even learned a bit more about Dad's side of the family the more we discussed this stuff. Fascinating.
There's always the singing. This family even gets to doing that at smaller gatherings. Sitting around hearing people play whatever instrument they brought and everyone singing a bunch of folk standards is a given. We didn't have a campfire to sit around this year, but that didn't slow anyone down. (No burning down what's left of Colorado's bone-dry trees). And the drinking. That's pretty much a standard too. Not everyone is involved, but those who are seem to enjoy tying an extra one on just for this event. At least we never got the the Brooks Burner this year. That ugly drink hurt several of us last time. So I guess we're maturing. That must be it.
We have a wagon master. Who doesn't? This is a rotating position that means you're stuck with finding a cool place for a reunion and coordinating everything ahead of time. Plus once it starts, you have to make sure everything happens like it's supposed to. I wouldn't say it's quite a thankless task, but it is a pain in the butt. Mom got the honor this time around, so we all got to help. I made excellent name tags. The job is working its way through my mother's generation right now, so I figure I have at least 5 more reunions before I have to be too worried about responsibility. However, if I'm not the oldest of my generation, I'm second, so I figure I've got 15-20 years to prepare. I'll get right on it.
The oddest thing about these reunions are the events. There were silly contests based on the favorite activities of the two folks who died recently. This was a way to honor their memories while still being able to keep things a little upbeat. We had high-speed quilting and blindfolded clock-making. There were also two skits put on by one part of the family, one of which involved 6 grown men and one 17 year old guy acting out the goodbye song from The Sound Of Music. Doesn't every family do this kind of thing? According to Franny (and several other in-laws), no. But we apparently have no shame about it and everybody had a good time watching, even the aforementioned in-laws.
All in all, we had a great trip. Aside from being tired from staying up too late with the adults and getting up too early with the Mizz, I squeezed as much fun and family bonding as I could out of the week. Which is why I slept in all the way to 8:30 this morning (thank you Franny) and haven't really done much of importance since. I figured I could allow myself to relax a little before I get back into the normal grind tomorrow.
We stayed with my sister Jenn in Castle Rock for a few days in her new place with all her kids and my parents, and even my other sister Jana for a couple of the nights. The total at peak was 15 people in the house. I'm not sure there is a house big enough to make that seem reasonable, but we did our best. Jenn's family accounted for almost half of the crowd so they are used to the general mayhem. The rest of us adjusted as best we could, but I think everyone did fine. The hospitality, as always, was wonderful. As was the view. They have an unobstructed view of the sunrise to the East and Pikes Peak to the South, and due to land use and zoning issues, both of those views are well preserved for the foreseeable future.
We went up to Nicky's Resort in Estes Park, Colorado for the actual reunion. I was going to link to their website, but it appears to have disappeared. That might be due to the bankruptcy. Apparently, the place is not doing well. Not to say that the accommodations were bad. The units we stayed in (townhouses/condos) were actually renovated not too long ago and were fairly decent. We had a large yard out back next to Bear Creek that we could use for gatherings and there was a hot tub right behind us. So that part was good. On the other hand, there was nobody in the front office the days we arrived and left and some of the facilities had fallen by the wayside. The amenities list included washer/dryer in each unit. There were hookups, but no actual washer/dryers. We ended up talking them into letting us use the industrial housekeeping ones. Joy. The tennis court was also not being kept up as it was cracked and had quite a nice weed field growing in it. But the best part was the pool. There was a heated outdoor pool on-site. We were told upon arrival that it was down because the heat exchanger froze, however, someone should be out to repair it "this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow." Once we saw it though, we realized that we probably weren't going to see any water polo games. The heat exchanger may have frozen, but it must have been in January, and maybe not this year. The water was about a foot low and green. You couldn't see the bottom, but that was hard to notice since your eyes were drawn to the two dead squirrels floating around. Good thing they put a padlock on the gate. Someone might have tried to take a dip. Enough complaining though. Despite the detractions, it was a beautiful site. Trees all around. Nestled in a valley between beautiful rocky ridges. And only a couple miles from Rocky Mountain National Park. And the condos, hot tub, creek, and open area were just what we needed. The point of the gathering was to visit with family, not go swimming.
The actual reunion was a lot of fun, if tiring. Although we didn't have the most kids (Jenn and Cousin Steven tie for that one) or the youngest (Jana), we did have the most difficult to corral. The Mizz is at a stage where his mobility far outstrips his sense. (I'm told this will happen again at 16.) He can now run pretty quickly (for three feet tall anyway) and doesn't see any reason not to do so. He is also learning to climb, but again, isn't aware that it isn't always a good idea. He's still insanely interested in lights, but now he knows about switches. If he can reach them (by whatever means), they will go on and off until he notices another one. If he can't reach them he will holler "Light on!" or "Light off!" ad nauseum until someone makes it so. In one instance, Franny found him sitting in the bathroom sink with the water running on his legs flicking the light switch on and off. As she put it, all he needed was a plugged-in toaster to complete the danger trifecta. I'm sure she'll post a picture of it before too long. Basically, either Franny or I had to be tending to him at all times. Once in a while we managed to pawn him off on another relative for a little while, but we usually took him back pretty soon when it became apparent that he was taxing them too much. The problem is that we like our relatives, and although we want everyone to enjoy the wonderful critter that is the Mizz, we feel bad sticking them with him for any length of time. For our sanity's sake, we're going to have to get over that.
We actually had fun showing off the Mizz. Between wild episodes, he was very good about giving hugs and singing the "ABC Song" and even remembering names occasionally. It did melt a few hearts when he would say "Bye bye Book [Brooke]" or whatever. He's actually super cute and friendly, just busy. He's rarely badly behaved, just hard to contain. He was even relatively good on the planes, despite the fact that his feet comfortably reach the seat in front of him. (He could have slept better at night, but we're blaming that on the altitude.)
Aside from herding the Mizz, we had a great time. It's always nice to see relatives. Lots of these people never see each other except for at these reunions. It's good to keep in touch with family at least occasionally. Without these gatherings, I'm sure I would never again see some of these folks, and that would definitely be a loss. The most pathetic example is the 2 dozen or so that live about 15 miles from us. They haven't been super close to us over the years, but it seems like we might get together at least once in a while. It's like the trip across the river into another state is extreme travelling. Sad. I just hope our "We really should get together sometime" isn't as transparently unrealistic as the Jewish "Next year in Jerusalem" is to the other half of my family. We say it all the time, but it doesn't happen. Maybe this time we meant it.
We always bring out lots of family pictures at these things. Some are lighthearted remembrances of the other reunions, but many are old pictures either of people there or those that have passed. This was especially true since two of the three Brooks/Bailey kids passed away in the last year, so there was a lot of remembering going on. There were 10 or so poster boards put up ranging from the newest addition to the family who couldn't make it since she is only a week or two old, to pictures of tintypes from the mid-1800's. Jim Brooks (the new patriarch of the clan) had done a lot of work lately and had traced one line of ancestors back to someone born in 1783. Just talking to people, I learned all kinds of stories about the family's background in lots of directions. I even learned a bit more about Dad's side of the family the more we discussed this stuff. Fascinating.
There's always the singing. This family even gets to doing that at smaller gatherings. Sitting around hearing people play whatever instrument they brought and everyone singing a bunch of folk standards is a given. We didn't have a campfire to sit around this year, but that didn't slow anyone down. (No burning down what's left of Colorado's bone-dry trees). And the drinking. That's pretty much a standard too. Not everyone is involved, but those who are seem to enjoy tying an extra one on just for this event. At least we never got the the Brooks Burner this year. That ugly drink hurt several of us last time. So I guess we're maturing. That must be it.
We have a wagon master. Who doesn't? This is a rotating position that means you're stuck with finding a cool place for a reunion and coordinating everything ahead of time. Plus once it starts, you have to make sure everything happens like it's supposed to. I wouldn't say it's quite a thankless task, but it is a pain in the butt. Mom got the honor this time around, so we all got to help. I made excellent name tags. The job is working its way through my mother's generation right now, so I figure I have at least 5 more reunions before I have to be too worried about responsibility. However, if I'm not the oldest of my generation, I'm second, so I figure I've got 15-20 years to prepare. I'll get right on it.
The oddest thing about these reunions are the events. There were silly contests based on the favorite activities of the two folks who died recently. This was a way to honor their memories while still being able to keep things a little upbeat. We had high-speed quilting and blindfolded clock-making. There were also two skits put on by one part of the family, one of which involved 6 grown men and one 17 year old guy acting out the goodbye song from The Sound Of Music. Doesn't every family do this kind of thing? According to Franny (and several other in-laws), no. But we apparently have no shame about it and everybody had a good time watching, even the aforementioned in-laws.
All in all, we had a great trip. Aside from being tired from staying up too late with the adults and getting up too early with the Mizz, I squeezed as much fun and family bonding as I could out of the week. Which is why I slept in all the way to 8:30 this morning (thank you Franny) and haven't really done much of importance since. I figured I could allow myself to relax a little before I get back into the normal grind tomorrow.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
We're off soon
We're taking off for Colorado this afternoon. We've somehow managed to fit our stuff into two suitcases although one of them is only a couple pounds under the limit. We should be okay though. We found this handy packing guide on-line. Once we get through the getting-there part, things should be fun. Tomorrow anyway.
This week is the Bailey family reunion in Estes Park, Colorado. I know I've learned all the connections in the past, but I'm a little fuzzy now. Basically the Baileys were a couple about four or five generations back, and this is a gathering of all their various descendants, or the ones that can make it anyway. We do it every three years and it's been happening for 20-25 years. I think there were 70 or so people at the first one, but subsequent ones have been smaller. The official estimate for this one stands at 53, last I heard. We move the gathering around each time so far-flung relatives can make at least some of them, but this year it's back to the Colorado roots. The biggest chunk of people still live there and it's centrally located. Plus it's very Midwestern, so everyone's nice. We almost never see most of these relatives, so as busy as it'll be, I am really looking forward to it.
I'm a little worried about the outdoor activities though.
[Addendum 7/1/07: Having just returned from the reunion, I can clarify some of the fuzzy stuff above. It is the Brooks reunion, not Bailey. The first one was called the Brooks/Bailey reunion after the couple in question and included other great uncles and aunts and such, which is why it was larger. The name also stuck with me and apparently confused me after 20-odd years. The particular Brooks/Bailey couple whose descendants reunited were my great grandparents. I remember meeting William Brooks, but it was a long time ago and I'm sure he would have seemed very old to me even if he wasn't. Anyway, 4 generations of family were represented, the last being the Mizz and his level of cousins. So there.]
This week is the Bailey family reunion in Estes Park, Colorado. I know I've learned all the connections in the past, but I'm a little fuzzy now. Basically the Baileys were a couple about four or five generations back, and this is a gathering of all their various descendants, or the ones that can make it anyway. We do it every three years and it's been happening for 20-25 years. I think there were 70 or so people at the first one, but subsequent ones have been smaller. The official estimate for this one stands at 53, last I heard. We move the gathering around each time so far-flung relatives can make at least some of them, but this year it's back to the Colorado roots. The biggest chunk of people still live there and it's centrally located. Plus it's very Midwestern, so everyone's nice. We almost never see most of these relatives, so as busy as it'll be, I am really looking forward to it.
I'm a little worried about the outdoor activities though.
[Addendum 7/1/07: Having just returned from the reunion, I can clarify some of the fuzzy stuff above. It is the Brooks reunion, not Bailey. The first one was called the Brooks/Bailey reunion after the couple in question and included other great uncles and aunts and such, which is why it was larger. The name also stuck with me and apparently confused me after 20-odd years. The particular Brooks/Bailey couple whose descendants reunited were my great grandparents. I remember meeting William Brooks, but it was a long time ago and I'm sure he would have seemed very old to me even if he wasn't. Anyway, 4 generations of family were represented, the last being the Mizz and his level of cousins. So there.]
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Happy Fathers Day!
Happy Fathers Day to my Dad, his Dad, and to the Mizz, who added me to the list. This picture is almost a year old, but it's the only appropriate one I've got that has all four generations of first-born Thompson guys.
And Happy Fathers Day to all the other dads out there as well. Lots of dads deserve recognition, but only one of them is mine, so he's the one at the top of the list here.
My day is pretty low-key, which is fine by me. The Mizz let us sleep in almost an extra hour this morning, and that's about the best gift he could have given me. He of course has no idea what's up, but I look at him and I know.
[Added 6/19/07: I ran across these Fathers Day funnies. Enjoy.]
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Separated at Birth?
This is one of the Mizz's toys. Nothing too special. You push the animal and it makes that animal's sound. Or it would anyway, if we ever put a new battery in it. He doesn't seem to mind the silence and we're not about to argue. Anyway, the Mizz and I were pointing and naming and making the sounds and having a good time until...
...we got to this guy. You might recognize him as a farmer. Me too. However, when I asked the Mizz who it was, he said...
...Uh-uh Smau. I think all guys with short full beards are henceforth going to be Uncle Sam. Incidentally, the Mizz just saw these pictures and had the same response. Both pictures are still Uh-uh Smau.
...we got to this guy. You might recognize him as a farmer. Me too. However, when I asked the Mizz who it was, he said...
...Uh-uh Smau. I think all guys with short full beards are henceforth going to be Uncle Sam. Incidentally, the Mizz just saw these pictures and had the same response. Both pictures are still Uh-uh Smau.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Insomniac
I'm not sure why I'm awake in the middle of the night, but I'll take the opportunity to write, I suppose.
It's been another busy week, but not super interesting until Friday. Franny's folks came to town, partly to see the Mizz and partly to celebrate birthdays for Franny and her dad, one day apart. What her dad didn't know is that her brother Sam also came out for the festivities. Excellent surprise.
Friday, we went out to eat at Mother's Bistro. They claim to love kids -- how could they not with that name? That said, the Mizz seemed to be really testing that theory. We were wondering if he would be the first kids blacklisted from Mother's. I ended up taking him outside for a walk where we found a bench he could climb in and out of. He wouldn't stop until a couple of girls, maybe three or four years old with face paint from the Rose Festival, saw him through the window and were enthralled by him. He, in turn, did not want to stop watching them. He's got a great story for daycare about the older twin chicks that were checking him out.
Speaking of Rose Festival, I managed to forget about the Starlight Run that I was going to do until it was much too late. I got all sick and travelling and forgot all about it and now it happened Friday evening and I didn't even notice. That's motivation for you. Maybe next year.
This weekend we stayed at a great house at Bella Beach with the inlaws for a couple days. Bella Beach is a neighborhood a little south of Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast. True to Oregon, the weather sucked until we left this morning. Just lots of rain, but we still had fun. The front coming through made for some awesome wave to watch, something Oregon usually only sees much in the winter. The house we rented was fairly baby-proof, so chasing Mizz was still a necessity, but not as difficult as some of the knick-knack laden places we've stayed before.
Franny and I managed to escape for a little while for a pseudo birthday dinner Sunday night while the inlaws watched the baby monitor. From what I heard, it didn't require much, but we were grateful for the time out with just the two of us, something that doesn't happen near enough these days. We ate at Kyllo's in Lincoln City. A decent spot with an excellent view. It's built up on stilts right at the beach and we arrived about an hour before high tide, so the water was about as close as it got. It was situated right at the mouth of the "D" River, which is about 100 yards from the beginning of the "D" River, which, according to the sign, makes it the world's shortest river. We debated what constituted a river versus a creek or stream or whatever, but we just have to assume there's an international governing body that regulates these things.
This evening we had an early birthday dinner for Franny and Phil, since Sam has to leave early on Tuesday. We ate at Higgin's in downtown Portland. The Mizz was not invited on this trip. Most of us had the steak special, which was excellent. Very tender with a wonderful sauce. Highly recommended. One of the fun things about Franny's parents visiting is that we get to eat well. They like to eat at new nice restaurants, so we get to eat at new nice restaurants. Franny and I have actually been to Higgin's before, but not often. Last time, we had the duck. ("Say we grant you a reservation. What would you order?" "Oh, I don't know. How about the duck?" "He cannot have zee duck." "You can't have zee duck." "He can have zee chicken." "You can have zee chicken." "Well, what about my date? I can't tell her what to order." "You can strongly suggest zee chicken." [Probably misquoted, but still one of my favorite movie scenes.])
I really need to get back to sleep. I don't know what my problem is, but I'm wide awake. Maybe some chamomile tea or something...
It's been another busy week, but not super interesting until Friday. Franny's folks came to town, partly to see the Mizz and partly to celebrate birthdays for Franny and her dad, one day apart. What her dad didn't know is that her brother Sam also came out for the festivities. Excellent surprise.
Friday, we went out to eat at Mother's Bistro. They claim to love kids -- how could they not with that name? That said, the Mizz seemed to be really testing that theory. We were wondering if he would be the first kids blacklisted from Mother's. I ended up taking him outside for a walk where we found a bench he could climb in and out of. He wouldn't stop until a couple of girls, maybe three or four years old with face paint from the Rose Festival, saw him through the window and were enthralled by him. He, in turn, did not want to stop watching them. He's got a great story for daycare about the older twin chicks that were checking him out.
Speaking of Rose Festival, I managed to forget about the Starlight Run that I was going to do until it was much too late. I got all sick and travelling and forgot all about it and now it happened Friday evening and I didn't even notice. That's motivation for you. Maybe next year.
This weekend we stayed at a great house at Bella Beach with the inlaws for a couple days. Bella Beach is a neighborhood a little south of Lincoln City on the Oregon Coast. True to Oregon, the weather sucked until we left this morning. Just lots of rain, but we still had fun. The front coming through made for some awesome wave to watch, something Oregon usually only sees much in the winter. The house we rented was fairly baby-proof, so chasing Mizz was still a necessity, but not as difficult as some of the knick-knack laden places we've stayed before.
Franny and I managed to escape for a little while for a pseudo birthday dinner Sunday night while the inlaws watched the baby monitor. From what I heard, it didn't require much, but we were grateful for the time out with just the two of us, something that doesn't happen near enough these days. We ate at Kyllo's in Lincoln City. A decent spot with an excellent view. It's built up on stilts right at the beach and we arrived about an hour before high tide, so the water was about as close as it got. It was situated right at the mouth of the "D" River, which is about 100 yards from the beginning of the "D" River, which, according to the sign, makes it the world's shortest river. We debated what constituted a river versus a creek or stream or whatever, but we just have to assume there's an international governing body that regulates these things.
This evening we had an early birthday dinner for Franny and Phil, since Sam has to leave early on Tuesday. We ate at Higgin's in downtown Portland. The Mizz was not invited on this trip. Most of us had the steak special, which was excellent. Very tender with a wonderful sauce. Highly recommended. One of the fun things about Franny's parents visiting is that we get to eat well. They like to eat at new nice restaurants, so we get to eat at new nice restaurants. Franny and I have actually been to Higgin's before, but not often. Last time, we had the duck. ("Say we grant you a reservation. What would you order?" "Oh, I don't know. How about the duck?" "He cannot have zee duck." "You can't have zee duck." "He can have zee chicken." "You can have zee chicken." "Well, what about my date? I can't tell her what to order." "You can strongly suggest zee chicken." [Probably misquoted, but still one of my favorite movie scenes.])
I really need to get back to sleep. I don't know what my problem is, but I'm wide awake. Maybe some chamomile tea or something...
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day holiday. We had a busy weekend with several fun events, none of which had anything to do with Memorial Day. I feel compelled to stop for a moment and remember the actual point of the day, which is to remember those who have given their lives in defense of my freedom to do whatever I damn well please -- a privilege much of the world lacks.
I grew up around the military and have a lot of it in my family background, with my father, both grandfathers and a host of uncles, cousins, friends and others that I am aware of that all served at least some time in the military. Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II, one in the Navy hunting Nazi submarines and the other in the Army freezing his butt off in a foxhole during the Battle of the Bulge, one of the bloodier messes of the war. All of my relatives that I know of have all made it back from the wars in which they fought, but obviously a great number of others have not been so lucky.
I make a large distinction between "supporting the troops" and "supporting the war." The current mess is unforgivable from a leadership perspective, but that should never take away from the sacrifice that the men and women in front of the bullets and bombs are willing to risk. Having lived around the military for much of my life, I am keenly aware that most members do not fit the media stereotypes of bloodthirsty, reckless Rambos or lazy, incompetent Gomer Pyles. The vast majority are hardworking, decent people who are fiercely patriotic and willing to put themselves in harm's way to do what they believe is the right thing. Nobody wants to die for politics or glory. However, millions have given their lives for loftier ideals, and the world would look much different had they all stayed safely at home.
Thank you.
I grew up around the military and have a lot of it in my family background, with my father, both grandfathers and a host of uncles, cousins, friends and others that I am aware of that all served at least some time in the military. Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II, one in the Navy hunting Nazi submarines and the other in the Army freezing his butt off in a foxhole during the Battle of the Bulge, one of the bloodier messes of the war. All of my relatives that I know of have all made it back from the wars in which they fought, but obviously a great number of others have not been so lucky.
I make a large distinction between "supporting the troops" and "supporting the war." The current mess is unforgivable from a leadership perspective, but that should never take away from the sacrifice that the men and women in front of the bullets and bombs are willing to risk. Having lived around the military for much of my life, I am keenly aware that most members do not fit the media stereotypes of bloodthirsty, reckless Rambos or lazy, incompetent Gomer Pyles. The vast majority are hardworking, decent people who are fiercely patriotic and willing to put themselves in harm's way to do what they believe is the right thing. Nobody wants to die for politics or glory. However, millions have given their lives for loftier ideals, and the world would look much different had they all stayed safely at home.
Thank you.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Bend, Oregon
I was in Bend, Oregon last week working. Usually, a couple of us go over for a quick 2-3 day trip, but I did it myself this time, which took a whole week. The bonus was that I had time to visit my aunt Becky and her family. I've been over there a few times working, but I've always been sharing a vehicle and didn't have much free time anyway. But finally I got to see her and get a tour around Bend.
Bend is growing at a ridiculous pace. When Becky moved there 18 years ago, Bend had a population of about 10,000 people. Today the sign on the way into town says 75,000. You can't swing a cat without hitting a new development (but it's fun to try). And according to Becky, the median house price right now is in the neighborhood of $800,000. All these numbers are according to my cousin, and like me, he remembers obscure figures pretty well, so even if they are not exact, they are well in the ball park. Nobody knows quite what all these new residents do for a living. There must be a lot of retirees, since there hasn't been a corresponding increase in industry, at least not the type of jobs that by $800,000 houses.
Also, for some reason, Bend has fallen in love with traffic circles. I hate traffic circles. I think they made a lot more sense in horse and buggy times. Right now they just make it impossible to move if you are to the right of the busy road entering the circle.
Like an idiot, I took a camera, but I never had it with me with my relatives or wandering around Bend. I especially would have like to get some pictures from the top of Pilot Butte. It is either a tall hill or a small mountain right in the center of Bend and has an excellent view all the way around, including something like 8 or 10 snow-capped peaks in the Cascade Range.
I did however get some pictures on the way home.
Bend is growing at a ridiculous pace. When Becky moved there 18 years ago, Bend had a population of about 10,000 people. Today the sign on the way into town says 75,000. You can't swing a cat without hitting a new development (but it's fun to try). And according to Becky, the median house price right now is in the neighborhood of $800,000. All these numbers are according to my cousin, and like me, he remembers obscure figures pretty well, so even if they are not exact, they are well in the ball park. Nobody knows quite what all these new residents do for a living. There must be a lot of retirees, since there hasn't been a corresponding increase in industry, at least not the type of jobs that by $800,000 houses.
Also, for some reason, Bend has fallen in love with traffic circles. I hate traffic circles. I think they made a lot more sense in horse and buggy times. Right now they just make it impossible to move if you are to the right of the busy road entering the circle.
Like an idiot, I took a camera, but I never had it with me with my relatives or wandering around Bend. I especially would have like to get some pictures from the top of Pilot Butte. It is either a tall hill or a small mountain right in the center of Bend and has an excellent view all the way around, including something like 8 or 10 snow-capped peaks in the Cascade Range.
I did however get some pictures on the way home.
This picture show Broken Top mountain on the left and the Three Sisters in the center and the right.
This is Mount Washington. It is about the pointiest mountain I've ever seen, other than the Matterhorn. I will admit that I didn't so much see the Matterhorn. More like the replica of the Matterhorn at Disneyland, which had a very fun roller coaster in it. Great fun for a ten year old anyway.
This is Detroit Dam, a hydroelectric project on the Santiam River. I don't know how big it is exactly, but it seems REALLY tall when you are standing on it. There was a small visitor center in that tower, but it has been "closed for security reasons". I guess the fact that fishermen can carry anything they want out onto the dam is not a security risk, but looking at maps and dioramas is.
This is Detroit Lake, enclosed by the dam. It is a popular recreation area with lots of boating and fishing. The rest of the trip back was pretty much Salem and I-5, neither of which are very photogenic.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Lately...
This weekend started off pretty well. We drove up to Seattle for the Mizz's cousin J's 1st birthday party. There were maybe 6 kids and 20-some adults. Lots of food and drinks and birthday cake, although J was not impressed. He especially didn't understand when the whole room started singing the same song at him. I can see how that might be weird.
We stayed overnight in the city and toured the Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park Sunday morning with J and the Mizz. They were mainly interested in throwing rocks into the water. Dad and I had fun throwing rocks too, but we were also aware of some art. It's actually pretty cool. They've built it up so it bridges over a street and a set of railroad tracks and runs along Puget Sound for quite a way.
We enjoyed the time we got spend with my sister and her husband (and J) since we rarely get to see them when it's not at a huge gathering with lots going on or when one of us is in a hurry to get somewhere. And Mizz got to play with his cousin, and more importantly, all of his cousin's toys, many of which are different than his own. Which is way cool.
The ride home became quite a bummer. All three of us had started feeling a little crappy through the weekend, but Franny got pretty sick on the ride home. We had to stop several times while she desecrated the various trees of the great state of Washington with what was left of dinner. I felt pretty bad for her, but in the middle of nowhere, what can you do?
Monday, we all took a sick day. Franny was down for the count, and Mizz had a miserable cold. I wasn't exactly in top form, and although if it was just me, I probably would have gone to work anyway feeling terrible, I was happy to take the day off to babysit. Franny was careful to note that it's not babysitting when it's your own kid, but when both of you aren't doing well, it can feel that way.
Franny still wasn't feeling so well today, but she was improved, so I did make it back to work. Judging by the state of the house this evening, it wasn't such a good day -- not for her at least. It looks like Mizz had the run of the place. He even stuffed the first wrong thing in the VCR this morning. Luckily it was a CD and not a PBJ sandwich. The VCR survived just fine, but the CD is pretty scratched.
It was a good one too. Shishskabob by Fighting Gravity, which has the background music from the underground hit video, Sweeper of Skaville. Luckily, I had already ripped (or per the RIAA, "pirated") it, so I still have the music. Which is cool, as this is one of the local bands from when I was in college, so there're some memories there, and unlike The Dave Matthews Band (maybe the biggest thing to come out of Charlottesville since me), I don't run across Fighting Gravity very often.
We stayed overnight in the city and toured the Seattle Art Museum Olympic Sculpture Park Sunday morning with J and the Mizz. They were mainly interested in throwing rocks into the water. Dad and I had fun throwing rocks too, but we were also aware of some art. It's actually pretty cool. They've built it up so it bridges over a street and a set of railroad tracks and runs along Puget Sound for quite a way.
We enjoyed the time we got spend with my sister and her husband (and J) since we rarely get to see them when it's not at a huge gathering with lots going on or when one of us is in a hurry to get somewhere. And Mizz got to play with his cousin, and more importantly, all of his cousin's toys, many of which are different than his own. Which is way cool.
The ride home became quite a bummer. All three of us had started feeling a little crappy through the weekend, but Franny got pretty sick on the ride home. We had to stop several times while she desecrated the various trees of the great state of Washington with what was left of dinner. I felt pretty bad for her, but in the middle of nowhere, what can you do?
Monday, we all took a sick day. Franny was down for the count, and Mizz had a miserable cold. I wasn't exactly in top form, and although if it was just me, I probably would have gone to work anyway feeling terrible, I was happy to take the day off to babysit. Franny was careful to note that it's not babysitting when it's your own kid, but when both of you aren't doing well, it can feel that way.
Franny still wasn't feeling so well today, but she was improved, so I did make it back to work. Judging by the state of the house this evening, it wasn't such a good day -- not for her at least. It looks like Mizz had the run of the place. He even stuffed the first wrong thing in the VCR this morning. Luckily it was a CD and not a PBJ sandwich. The VCR survived just fine, but the CD is pretty scratched.
It was a good one too. Shishskabob by Fighting Gravity, which has the background music from the underground hit video, Sweeper of Skaville. Luckily, I had already ripped (or per the RIAA, "pirated") it, so I still have the music. Which is cool, as this is one of the local bands from when I was in college, so there're some memories there, and unlike The Dave Matthews Band (maybe the biggest thing to come out of Charlottesville since me), I don't run across Fighting Gravity very often.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Hi
It's been a long week. I went out to Colorado for a couple days for Aunt Gin's funeral. It was a Catholic service, so a little out of my normal realm. But it was very moving and I don't think there was a dry eye in the place -- definitely not mine anyway. I'm glad I was able to make it out there. Ginny was one of my favorite family members (if you're allowed to have favorites) and we've always been close to her and her family. It was good to see everyone, even if the circumstances weren't what I would have liked. Anyway, she's now got a very scenic place at the top of a hill overlooking huge swaths of Colorado. She's about 15 minutes from where she lived and was concerned (in her tongue-in-cheek way) that nobody would come out there and visit her. She didn't need to worry about that.
Since then I've just been busy working. Take a few days off, and the work still keeps piling up.
On a lighter note, I ran across an article in Wired, "What Would Jesus Wiki?". It is about "A conservative encyclopedia you can trust." Conservapedia is a conservative (read "way-far-right Christian") answer to Wikipedia, which it claims has a far too liberal bias to be trusted. The Wired article notes some of its much more "trustworthy" claims and links to lots of other folks who find it amusing as well. The links are definitely worth checking out.
Since then I've just been busy working. Take a few days off, and the work still keeps piling up.
On a lighter note, I ran across an article in Wired, "What Would Jesus Wiki?". It is about "A conservative encyclopedia you can trust." Conservapedia is a conservative (read "way-far-right Christian") answer to Wikipedia, which it claims has a far too liberal bias to be trusted. The Wired article notes some of its much more "trustworthy" claims and links to lots of other folks who find it amusing as well. The links are definitely worth checking out.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Where have I been?
I've been out of touch for a few days. Not long after I posted that last video, I found out that my great aunt had passed away. I spent a couple days moping around a bit. It wasn't a sudden thing, but it was still unpleasant. I'm going down to Colorado in a couple days for the funeral. :(
I have been doing a few things in the meantime though...
Franny and I watched Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. I didn't have too high an expectation for this film, but I was still disappointed. What a bore. There were a couple of funny moments (the "interview" with Alan Keyes comes to mind), but for the most part we just sat there waiting for something funny to happen. This movie was billed as using a boorish character to bring out the worst traits in people. What could have been a clever way to expose prejudices and hypocrisy mostly just degenerated into poop jokes. I imagined more. He did have a good time poking fun at antisemitism though. The actor is Jewish (In fact, his "Khazak" dialogue is actually Hebrew.), and had a field day bringing out the most outrageous stereotypes. "One of them had taken the form of an old woman. You could barely see her horns." Mainly though, the movie just wasn't worth the effort.
Since I worked two straight weeks in Idaho, I took a couple days off this week. I accompanied Franny to the rhododendron garden on what turned out to be a meeting of her moms' group. It was exactly what I always expected. It took almost five minutes to get down to discussing the latest birth story and nipple pain. Apparently I can't be disturbed anymore. Joys of parenting. Actually, Mizz and I had a good time wandering around chasing geese and ducks and identifying every tree, rock, and pine cone. I also got the job of steering him through the goose-poop minefield. The rhoddies were nice too.
Franny showed me an interesting article. It claims that Jews as a group are demonstrably smarter than average, and attempts to explain why. Um.....nuh uh. (Mizz will be at least half smart anyway.)
Alma had this great video on her blog. I liked it mainly because I see too many of these shows when I'm travelling. There's Pimp My Ride (the MTV original), Overhaulin' (a similar show with a joke's-on-you twist), and something on CMT where they do the same thing to semi rigs. Anyway, this video does a pretty good parody of the characters that seem to be represented in all of them.
(I just realized; I should really expand my blog reading beyond my wife, her friend, and occasionally her friend's husband. From what I hear, there's a lot of stuff out there on the internets.)
Working at home isn't as interesting as travelling, since I see this stuff a lot. I did get to take a new route through the Columbia Gorge yesterday though, since they have closed an exit I really need for a few months. Something about the bridge cracking and starting to slide down the hillside. Anyway, the detour took me along the old road that FDR christened the Columbia Highway long before the interstate bypassed most of it. I had no idea how many falls there were right near the road; more remnants of the Missoula floods, I suppose. Now I have to go back sometime when I have the time to take the family and stop and see things.
I have been doing a few things in the meantime though...
Franny and I watched Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. I didn't have too high an expectation for this film, but I was still disappointed. What a bore. There were a couple of funny moments (the "interview" with Alan Keyes comes to mind), but for the most part we just sat there waiting for something funny to happen. This movie was billed as using a boorish character to bring out the worst traits in people. What could have been a clever way to expose prejudices and hypocrisy mostly just degenerated into poop jokes. I imagined more. He did have a good time poking fun at antisemitism though. The actor is Jewish (In fact, his "Khazak" dialogue is actually Hebrew.), and had a field day bringing out the most outrageous stereotypes. "One of them had taken the form of an old woman. You could barely see her horns." Mainly though, the movie just wasn't worth the effort.
Since I worked two straight weeks in Idaho, I took a couple days off this week. I accompanied Franny to the rhododendron garden on what turned out to be a meeting of her moms' group. It was exactly what I always expected. It took almost five minutes to get down to discussing the latest birth story and nipple pain. Apparently I can't be disturbed anymore. Joys of parenting. Actually, Mizz and I had a good time wandering around chasing geese and ducks and identifying every tree, rock, and pine cone. I also got the job of steering him through the goose-poop minefield. The rhoddies were nice too.
Franny showed me an interesting article. It claims that Jews as a group are demonstrably smarter than average, and attempts to explain why. Um.....nuh uh. (Mizz will be at least half smart anyway.)
Alma had this great video on her blog. I liked it mainly because I see too many of these shows when I'm travelling. There's Pimp My Ride (the MTV original), Overhaulin' (a similar show with a joke's-on-you twist), and something on CMT where they do the same thing to semi rigs. Anyway, this video does a pretty good parody of the characters that seem to be represented in all of them.
(I just realized; I should really expand my blog reading beyond my wife, her friend, and occasionally her friend's husband. From what I hear, there's a lot of stuff out there on the internets.)
Working at home isn't as interesting as travelling, since I see this stuff a lot. I did get to take a new route through the Columbia Gorge yesterday though, since they have closed an exit I really need for a few months. Something about the bridge cracking and starting to slide down the hillside. Anyway, the detour took me along the old road that FDR christened the Columbia Highway long before the interstate bypassed most of it. I had no idea how many falls there were right near the road; more remnants of the Missoula floods, I suppose. Now I have to go back sometime when I have the time to take the family and stop and see things.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Travel notes
Travelling with the Mizz didn't turn out to be the horror that we had imagined. He was actually pretty good. The only real trouble was that his feet are now just long enough to reach the seat in front of him and push it. Oh, joy. Delta was late on both flights as usual, but otherwise better than expected. We also had a guy claiming to be a Redskin riding behind us. I have no way to know if it was true or not, but if he was, he wasn't one of the important ones, since he was sitting in the back of the steerage section with us. Nice guy though.
Mom and Dad picked us up and we got to their place about 11:30 pm. What they didn't know (but we of course did) was that my sisters and their families were there waiting for us. Happy 40th anniversary Mom and Dad. The surprise worked out great, and despite Jana's concern, neither one of them had a heart attack from the surprise. I'm not sure just how old she thinks they are.
We've also gotten a chance to see Franny's family in Maryland again. Her folks came down from Pennsylvania and we're staying with her grandmother and uncle and such. I'm sitting here listening to Franny and her grandmother reminisce about tons of old stories. It's a cool time to be a fly on the wall. Just last night, Lillie was saying that she just listened to her friends because she doesn't have any stories to tell. I respectfully disagree. I love hearing stories of family histories and the outside history that they often bring to light.
The Mizz has been phenomenal on this trip. He seems to be feeling pretty good and is acting just as smiley and happy as ever. He's leaving a great impression on these people who don't get to see him much. He's also bonding very well with everyone, especially his cousins. It was exceptionally cute seeing him sitting quietly on the couch in a pile of cousins just soaking up the scene.
Enough for now.
Mom and Dad picked us up and we got to their place about 11:30 pm. What they didn't know (but we of course did) was that my sisters and their families were there waiting for us. Happy 40th anniversary Mom and Dad. The surprise worked out great, and despite Jana's concern, neither one of them had a heart attack from the surprise. I'm not sure just how old she thinks they are.
We've also gotten a chance to see Franny's family in Maryland again. Her folks came down from Pennsylvania and we're staying with her grandmother and uncle and such. I'm sitting here listening to Franny and her grandmother reminisce about tons of old stories. It's a cool time to be a fly on the wall. Just last night, Lillie was saying that she just listened to her friends because she doesn't have any stories to tell. I respectfully disagree. I love hearing stories of family histories and the outside history that they often bring to light.
The Mizz has been phenomenal on this trip. He seems to be feeling pretty good and is acting just as smiley and happy as ever. He's leaving a great impression on these people who don't get to see him much. He's also bonding very well with everyone, especially his cousins. It was exceptionally cute seeing him sitting quietly on the couch in a pile of cousins just soaking up the scene.
Enough for now.
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