News & Musings

Breakup Mistake Songs - Debbie Gibson & Taylor Swift

2012-01-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever broken up with someone, only to regret it later? When I think of "breakup mistake" songs, two come to mind. Both songs do justice to expressing regret over breaking up with someone.

The first is from Debbie Gibson. She had several top 10 in the late 80s and early 90s. In 1988, she was the youngest artist to write, produce, and perform a number 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. That number one hit single was "Foolish Beat."

Debbie Gibson - Foolish Beat (Video)

The second song is a lot more recent. It was performed by Taylor Swift, who has a long list of awards and has sold millions of albums. "Back to December" won "Choice Break-Up Song" in the 2011 Teen Choice Awards.

If I were to pick a favorite video between these two, I would give the nod to "Foolish Beat" for one reason: there is actually a scene in that video where Debbie and the ex-boyfriend cross paths. And while "Back to December" talks about a face to face encounter, it is never realized in the video.

The Quiet Man

2011-11-21T18:26:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted anything here since March.
I just haven't felt like writing, not for quite some time now. I don't know what happened to the writing spark, but I wish it would come back.
I'm also way behind on posting pictures. Then again, I've also been in a photography funk. So, uh, I guess I could at least post what I've done.
Then again, I don't know how much longer this wee little site will be here. I originally created it as a place to share photos and an odd thought or two with friends and family. But there are several easier options than posting and uploading pictures to this site. I can post to Facebook no matter where I am. Or to Google+ for that matter.
But for now, there's no sense in making any changes.
And then we come to email addresses. I had to recover the addresses from a backup. Please let me know if you are not interested in receiving these emails.

Grand Canyon Overnight Trip

2011-03-23T16:09:00.001-07:00

For the past couple of weeks, we were planning on surprising the kids with an overnight trip to the Grand Canyon. Our first plan was an overnight trip, including a train ride. Unfortunately, that option was a little more expensive than we planned on. The next plan was a day trip to the Grand Canyon on Monday, with a Jeep tour. We made the reservations.

The surprise was on us. We got a call back from the tour company on Sunday afternoon. They informed us that the weather forecast was for snow on Monday, and asked if we still wanted the reservation.

Snow. Huh. I have lived in Phoenix for years. In that time, I have forgotten the concept of weather. So used to beautiful days, day after day, I might have shown up to the Canyon in T-shirt and shorts!

We imagined being in an open jeep with the kids while it was freezing and snowing and decided that probably wasn't the way to go. We cancelled the jeep tour.

If we delayed our trip until Tuesday or Wednesday, the weather would be better. Unfortunately, we had obligations for Tuesday and Wednesday evening. Monday was the best day for us.

We decided to drive to the Grand Canyon on Monday morning. We left to rain. We made it a few miles past Camp Verde, but were stopped by the closure of I-17, due to snow. We were stopped with a bunch of other traffic on the freeway. The state police were turning people back around, and so we went back to Camp Verde, with the intent of waiting a while to see if I-17 would re-open. The McDonald's at Camp Verde did not have an indoor playground, so we went to the McDonald's in nearby Cottonwood.

I received a tweet from the Arizona Department of Transportation, stating that I-17 had been re-opened, so we jumped in the car and hurried back to I-17. We came upon the reason for the highway closure:

Snowy I-17

The rain had turned to snow, and quickly covered the roads. The snow made travel tricky. We were concerned that the freeway would be closed again. Fortunately, driving conditions improved once we reached Flagstaff.

We (finally) got to Maswik Lodge in Grand Canyon Village around 7pm. We were trying to get to the Grand Canyon early enough so we could see the Canyon prior to sunset, but the snow travel prevented such an early arrival. Still, it meant that we could enjoy the view the next morning.

Having a room at the Grand Canyon was a lot better than we had hoped for, and was wonderful! When we left the room, we saw this friendly guy outside:

Evidently, they've gotten very used to being around people, because there were other groups hanging out very close by.

We took one of the free shuttles to see the canyon, and we took several pictures.

The snow was a blessing in disguise. Not only did it make the trip to the Grand Canyon an adventure (it certainly wasn't boring!), the kids also get to play in the snow.

Running Through the Snow

Brandon Hit by Snowball

Seeking Revenge

Undone by Crumbling Snow

Nathan's Mischief

Kessa Poses

Snow Sculpture

Mini-Snowmen

This turkey parked his car in an area clearly marked as "no parking, buses only" and left his car to go see the Canyon.

"No Parking" Meant You

When the shuttle arrived, the shuttle driver kept honking his horn until the car's driver came back to move his car. The shuttle driver mentioned to his passengers that it was a good thing the driver moved his car, since we would not have been allowed to board the shuttle from the road.

The trip went by so quickly, but it was a lot of fun!

Mozy Asks Me to Mosey Along

2011-02-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

We have a lot of photographs, music, videos, and other data that we want to keep safe. Our data is only secure as the hard drives that stores it. If the hard drive breaks, I would lose everything. The obvious solution is to back the data up. Ideally, the backup would be automatic, and stored securely offsite.

I researched doing online backups to the Internet, and in March, 2009, I settled upon Mozy. For $4.95 a month per PC, I could store unlimited data with them. All it took (aside from the monthly fee) was the time to upload the files.

Earlier this week, Mozy announced that it is discontinuing its unlimited backup service, effective immediately. Mozy will honor existing support plans until they expire, so those that signed up for one or two year plans prior to the plan change will get unlimited data storage until their agreement term ends. Since I'm month to month, I have until the end of March to either sign up for a new (dramatically more expensive) plan, or move to another provider. Given the amount of data I back up, staying with Mozy is cost prohibitive, and I'm scrambling to find another option.

Some customers are upset that Mozy has violated their trust by changing their pricing model. I'm not one of them. Yes, a little more notice, more transition time for current customers, and perhaps a loyal customer discount would have been nice, but Mozy was under no obligation to continue its $4.95/unlimited data plan. They decided that they could not afford it from a business standpoint, and I can respect that. Perhaps other unlimited data backup companies, such as Backblaze and CrashPlan will follow suit. Perhaps when all is said and done, Mozy will have the last laugh, since their "high use" users will move on to competitors, and drag competitor profits down. The market will be the judge, and time will tell.

I wish Mozy well, but I can no longer recommend them. I will likely give my business to Backblaze or CrashPlan. Which online backup vendor would you recommend?

Kitten Mission

2011-01-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

I am leaving this morning bright and early for Amarillo, TX to pick up a new member of our family: a new kitten. Driving over 700 miles each way to get a kitten -- a little insane? Why, yes... yes it is.

At this point, I just wanna go back to bed. But instead, I'm gonna get dressed and get on the road. I have a long trip ahead of me...

This kitten better at least be adorable or something!

Goodbye, Grandma

2011-01-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

My grandmother passed away on November 23, two days before Thanksgiving. She was 82. I haven’t been about to bring myself to write about it... or write about much of anything else, for that matter. The words just did not want to come.

Grandma's faith was inspirational. She listened to and recorded bible study radio programs. I remember a shelf in one of the bedrooms where she had rows and rows of long cassette tape holders, all filled with radio program tapes. She studied the Bible regularly, and had many bibles, concordances, study guides and other materials. She took my sister and me to church every Sunday, and made sure we went to Vacation Bible School every summer. She also went to church on many Wednesday evenings.

Speaking of faith, God was surely looking out for us. Grandma's driving used to scare me to death! I remember we were on our way to a fishing trip. My sister and I were in the back seat, and Grandma was driving. I looked out my window and down. We were so close to the edge of that dirt road and going fast. The car felt like it was going all over the road. There was a steep drop off, and I imagined the car sliding off the road and rolling down the incline... or should I say, decline? My sis and I exchanged frightened looks. Grandma noticed us in her rear view mirror, laughed, and told us not to worry. Easier said than done, I assure you, but we did arrive in one piece... physically, at least.

My sister and I spent a lot of time at Grandma's house when we were growing up. Grandma and Grandpa lived a block away from us in Gallup. Mom and Dad both had jobs outside the home, so after school, we went to Grandma's in the afternoons after school. Grandma's house was kind of our base of operations growing up. We played with friends that lived across the street from her. It seems like we spent at least as much time there as we did at our own home.

Most Thanksgivings and Christmases in Gallup were spent at Grandma's house. She enjoyed having her family around. One could say Grandma's house was kind of our family's base of operations as well.

Grandma was always doing fun things for my sis, me, and our friends. She would take us swimming at the community pool. When we got older, Grandma would go bike riding with a group of us. We would ride from her house to a park over 3 miles away. We would eat snacks, and then ride back to her house. I can't imagine anyone else in her 50s that would regularly take a group of 4 or 5 kids ranging from 8 to 14 years old and go on such a ride. Imagining either of my (obviously younger) parents doing this when we were growing up brings a smile to my face.

Grandma gave me one of the best gifts ever! It was Christmas, I think. She gave me a slingshot – one of those heavy duty slingshots, with the arm brace, to help keep it steady. The slingshot was a nice gift, but the best gift was the look on my mom’s face! I'm tellin' ya, best gift ever!

That's not to say she didn't take time for herself. To say that she liked bowling is like saying that fish like water: while technically true, it fails to adequately capture reality. I don’t know when she started bowling, but based on the trophies she had in the house, she was bowling well before I was born, and bowled for the rest of her life. She was, uh, pretty good at it, and loved it. Few things got in the way of bowling day.

I miss Grandma, but I am fortunate that she was such a big part of our lives.

Our Camping Trip

2010-07-17T18:03:00.001-07:00

We went camping this week at Ashurst Lake, Arizona. My oldest son has been waiting for the week with intense anticipation. He has always wanted to go fishing, and this would be his first time. For the past few weeks, fishing has been his favorite topic of conversation. He went to the library and read several books on fishing. He's been talking about what baits to use, and what fish we could expect at Ashurst Lake. His excitement brought a smile to my face.

My daughter had an audition in the evening, so I drove to the camp site with my two oldest kids, aged 10 and 11 1/2, to set up camp.

My Helpers

Unfortunately, it quite some time to put our tent up. It was very windy, making the task very difficult.

This Blew

After much time, and digging away some rocks, we staked the ground cloth. Then it came time to put up the tent. Did I mention it was windy out? Two hours after we arrived at our camp, this is where we were on getting the tent up:

We eventually succeeded in getting the tent and camp set up and we relaxed for a time, while waiting for my wife, two younger children, and our dog to arrive. We enjoyed sunset and a fire.

Kylie and the kids made it to camp around 10:30pm. And then it was to bed, and an early morning. Sunrise really lit the tent up. After breakfast, the kids went fishing for the first time ever. Kylie and I decided not to fish; we would just help the kids. Alas, no fish were caught.

But it looked like fun, so I went to Flagstaff that evening to get fishing licenses and poles, so we could join the kids for fishing the next morning. We got up bright and early, and fished for much of the day. Only my middle son caught a single, solitary fish, but it was so small, we returned it to the water.

The Last Fish in the Lake?

But while the lake apparently lacked fish, it did not lack for crayfish, and the kids caught them from time to time.

Worms Work as Crayfish Bait -- Poor Wormie

Friday came, and it was time to go home... fishless. We were concerned that my oldest would be discouraged from the unproductive days of fishing. But while he wished he would have caught something, he still wanted to fish. We decided to stop by Upper Mary Lake for a bit more fishing, in the hopes of turning our collective luck around. But it was not meant to be. Within 30 minutes of our arrival, it started to ran. We had hoped to outlast the rain, but the sky darkened, and the cold rain fell harder. It became apparent that we were done fishing.

Rain... Figures!

We had a great time! We have not given up on a successful fishing trip, though. We leave for yet another lake tomorrow morning.

Sadness

2010-02-07T10:48:00.004-07:00

Prior to a long road trip last summer, we purchased hand-held games for the kids. For the older two, we bought Nintendo DS Lites. We purchased a LeapFrog Didj for our youngest son, Nathan, and a LeapFrog Leapster for our daughter. Although Nathan enjoyed his Didj, he always wanted to play his brothers' DS games. Nathan continued to play his Didj, but really wanted a DS.

Nathan got his wish for his birthday: a DS of his own. That was last weekend. As you might imagine, he was thrilled. While not exactly like DS Lites his brothers have, it plays all the same games.

This week, our oldest, Ryan, and Nathan were fighting. Nathan put a coin into the game slot of Ryan's DS Lite, and it quit working. I suspect that one of the fuses are blown.

Kylie and I discussed it, and we decided that while Ryan's DS Lite is broken, Ryan could use Nathan's DS. That was the plan. Unfortunately, both Ryan and Brandon made a big deal of it, taunting Nathan about "losing" his DS to Ryan, despite our instructions to the contrary. So instead, we will keep Nathan's DS in our care.

Nathan drew the following picture for Ryan:

I'm sad that they were mean to you, too, kiddo.

Just Vantastic!

2009-12-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

Last week, we took our 2002 Honda Odyssey to the shop due to transmission problems. Wishful thinking aside, the dealership determined that the transmission would need to be replaced. We instead decided to purchase a 2008 Toyota Sienna. It is a “Toyota certified” vehicle that has approximately 54,000 miles on it. We purchased the extended warranty, so we have a full warranty on it to 100,000 miles. We will donate the Odyssey to a charity.

We’ve had good experiences with Toyota, so hopefully the Sienna won’t let us down. Unfortunately, we will need to take it back to the dealership tomorrow morning. It has an oil leak, and we want to have the (squeaky) brakes checked.

So far, we’ve really liked the Sienna. There are some things about it that we’ll need to get used to, but it’s mostly been a pleasure.

Financially, we were obviously better off before the Odyssey’s transmission decided to take a holiday. Our emergency fund is in critical condition, and re-building it is our top priority. Now that we have a car payment (ick!), it’ll take us longer to build it up. After that, we’ll tackle the car payment. Car payments are my third least favorite kind of payment. The only two payments I like less are 1) paying off a Taekwondo contract to a school we no longer go to because the owners are jerks, and 2) credit card payments. Fortunately, we have none of the latter, so that’s something, anyway!

Happy New Year to you all! Here’s hoping for a bright 2010!

Dear Santa, Please Give Me a Transmission For Christmas

2009-12-22T06:19:00.006-07:00

Bad news yesterday. Our van quickly became unhappy: transmission problems. We got our 2002 Honda Odyssey to the dealership. We do not yet have the prognosis, and we're feebly grasping onto the hope that it is an inexpensive computer glitch. Ha! Though possible, it's more likely that the transmission will need to be replaced, at the tune of $3600-$4500. So, the question becomes, repair it, or replace the van?

From a financial perspective, we made a couple of mistakes that have come back to haunt us. First, we went vastly over our vacation budget this summer, depleting a sizable chunk of our emergency fund. I wasn't overly concerned, though. We had a home equity line of credit, so if something happened, we would still be able to cover it. Unfortunately, I didn't factor in the possibility of losing the ability to borrow against it. Given the decline in the housing market, our line of credit was suspended this fall.

If we choose to repair the van, we will likely need to use a credit card. We haven't had credit card debt in years.

Hindsight is a cruel teacher.

Repair or replace? We have not yet decided. The question we need to answer is which option will likely be less expensive over the long term. There is something to be said for not having a car payment. There's also something to be said for not having credit card debt. It looks like we'll have to choose one.

Fortunately, we're still okay. It's a setback, but we'll get past it.

On the other hand, this whole transmission thing is not a Christmas-ruiner. We are very blessed. I have a loving wife, and wonderful kids. Although several of us are recovering from colds, hey, we're still pretty darned healthy, too! We have family and friends.

Money can be replaced. We have income, jobs. We're not in danger of losing our home. We still have a running car. And we have the means to repair or replace the van... not in the way I would have wished, but hey, it can be done.

Transmission problems? In the grand scheme of things, 'tis nothing.

That's not to say I wouldn't welcome some good news from the dealership!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Waking Music

2009-10-06T05:54:00.002-07:00

I woke up this morning with an unusual song rattling around in my head. I have no idea why, but this is the song:

It was the chorus that I was remembering.

"A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing" first aired in 1973, though it played for years after that. Welcome to the 70s!

Mortality

2009-09-14T20:31:00.003-07:00

So... I turned 40 last week.

A friend of mine asked if I had been thinking about goals, and things I accomplished and want to accomplish. I brushed the question off. Logically, it's a year like any other year. It's like turning 39, only it's a year later. I don't want to make a big deal out of it. But yeah, I have been thinking about things, and realizing, hey, 40 years have gone by already. Perhaps I don't have all the time in the world, after all. My parents gave me a book, "The Big 40!", and it says that I'm now older than 58% of America. I'm among the older half of the country! And 50 is right around the corner!

It doesn't seem so long ago that I was playing with the other kids across the street from my grandparents' house. But I guess it was so long ago!

Oh well, enough rambling.

When I Fight Authority (Authority Song)

2009-08-31T23:26:00.004-07:00

Well, they like to get you in a compromising position
Well, they like to get you there and smile in your face
Well, they think they're so cute when they've got you in that condition
Well, I think it's a total disgrace

And I say:

When I fight authority, authority always wins
When I fight authority, authority always wins
I've been doing it since I was a young kid and I come out grinnin'
When I fight authority, authority always wins

(Written and performed by John Mellencamp)

ATA Martial Arts in Anthem, Arizona: When a Good Relationship Goes Bad

2009-05-15T19:28:00.001-07:00

I received my black belt from American Taekwondo Association (ATA) Martial Arts in Anthem, Arizona in January 2009. I enjoyed the black belt classes even more than the color belt classes. I liked the new black belt form – so much, in fact, that I learned the whole form during my first black belt cycle, even though I was just required to learn half of the form. I was excited to learn some joint locks. Even the weapons form was okay, though weapons forms are not my favorite. I enjoyed class so much that I attended more classes during that 1st cycle as a black belt than any other cycle before.

I looked forward to the next cycle even more. We would be learning ground fighting, which could be useful. But more importantly, my wife, Kylie, was testing for her black belt. If she passed testing, we would both be black belts. I was really looking forward to working with her on the black belt material. It was my chance to help her for a change, since I started the black belt material a cycle earlier. Once she had her black belt, we planned to work with our oldest two kids to get their black belts.

Unfortunately, the Saturday of black belt testing is where our relationship with ATA Martial Arts in Anthem took a turn for the worse.

There were two incidents of concern. In the first, the owner and chief instructor of ATA Martial Arts in Anthem was waiting for the floor judges to organize board breaking stations for that part of the testing. There was no active testing in progress. The owner’s wife, the manager and program director of ATA Martial Arts, a1st degree black I’ll call ‘Kay’, felt that the children in the spectator area were being too loud, and came over to quiet them down. She ended up literally screaming at one of our kids.

My mother-in-law, who was standing right there, was taken aback and was shocked by Kay’s behavior. The kids in the spectator area were behind my mother-in-law, and she noted that a lot of the noise in her proximity was coming from directly in front of her -- from the black belt kids sitting on the mat awaiting the start of board breaks.

In any event, testing continued. Kylie had successfully tested for her black belt! After years of work, she made it, and she was very happy. Kylie’s happiness was short-lived. As we were getting ready to leave, Kay thrust a finger towards Kylie, and rudely told Kylie that she “needed to school her kids.”

Instead of Kylie being able to enjoy her accomplishment, she was instead thinking about Kay, and Kay’s unprofessional behavior. The two events became linked. Kylie was cheated out of her moment as a new black belt, unable to enjoy her accomplishment.

Kylie went to the school on Monday morning to talk to Kay about what had happened. The goal was to try to insure that the negative events of the Saturday before would not recur. Up until that conversation, the situation was completely salvageable. At the conclusion of Kylie’s meeting with Kay, Kylie called me, crying. Given how the conversation with Kay went, Kylie indicated that she would not return to the school. Under the circumstances, we did not feet comfortable bringing our kids back to the school, either.

I went back to the school on Thursday, and asked Kay to release us from our contract. Kay agreed to do so. Kay and I also talked, and there seemed to be a possibility that my family would not have to break ties with the school after all. Kay asked to speak to Kylie again. At the conclusion of our discussion, Kay asked whether she should go ahead and cancel our contract. Given Kay’s willingness to cancel the contract if we wished it, and my hope that we would not have to leave the school, I wanted to first see if things could be worked out.

Kylie and I went back to the school a few days later to speak with Kay. I had pretty high hopes. My conversation with Kay a few days earlier seemed productive. When Kylie and I met with Kay that day, the conversation was a lot different.

Kay was aloof. Kay was judgmental. Kay did not seem at all receptive to talking to Kylie or me. Kay kept repeating that if we left, there would be no hard feelings. Kay did not seem to care if we stayed or left. Kay’s demeanor was completely different with Kylie in the room. I was a little shocked.

Kylie and I discussed our latest conversation with Kay and the situation in general. It became apparent that we needed to leave the school. Kylie was not comfortable going back to the school. We didn’t want to bring the kids back. I certainly didn’t like how Kay treated my wife or kids. After discussing the matter, we decided that we should ask Kay to cancel the contract. I called Kay that evening, and she agreed to do so.

Later that evening, Kay sent an email to Kylie stating that she would not release us from our contract as she had previously committed. Kylie posted a couple of private comments on Facebook that were shared with Kay. Kay accused Kylie of slander, and elected to use that as justification for her decision to break her word to let us out of the contract. Kylie’s comments were no big deal, which leads me to believe that Kay was just using the Facebook comments as a pretext to break her word, when it became apparent that we did not want to come back to the school. In other words, it looks like the willingness to cancel our contract was just a ploy.

So, where does that leave us? We are paying on a $360 a month contract to a Taekwondo school that my wife and kids will no longer attend, due to Kay’s unprofessional, demeaning, and rude behavior.

I’ve kept quiet up until now. In the beginning, it was my (naïve) hope that we could come an understanding, and me and my family would be able to go back to classes. With that hope dashed, I wanted out. I did not want to make a big deal out of it, make waves, or air dirty laundry. Even after Kay indicated that she would not let us out of the contract as she said she would, I remained silent. I hoped that she would reconsider her position. I had a great deal of goodwill for the school, having attended and enjoyed classes for the past couple of years.

I’m stuck, but the least I can do is share my experiences with you, in the hopes that you don’t get caught in a similar situation.

Please consider the following when selecting a martial arts school:

Think long and hard before signing a 3 year contract with any school. Three years is a loooong time. Even if you’ve been at a school a while, a good thing can go bad quickly. I have lived that first hand. In the case of our ATA contract, there is no “out,” unless you move more than 25 miles away from any ATA school. You are at the mercy of the school owner, and as a student under contract, you are guaranteed money for the owner(s). Don’t assume that the school’s management will do the right thing. She might just decide to profit from her own bad behavior.

Our contract contains an auto-renewal clause, which means it can be automatically renewed by the school for another year, unless we specifically tell the school that we do not wish to renew. I feel that this is a shady business practice. It’s pretty likely that you won’t remember the auto-renewal stipulation after 3 years, and you could be on the hook for an additional year, just because you failed to “opt out” of the renewal. A reputable, high quality school should not have to rely on such measures to keep students, and one should wonder about schools that employ such provisions in a contract.

Talk to the parents and students that have been at the martial arts school you are interested in. Ask about their experiences. But keep in mind that those parents and students may be under contract, so you may not necessarily get a direct answer.

My hope is that you not get caught up in a similar situation that we find ourselves in.

Playing a Little Ketchup

2009-05-01T16:35:00.006-07:00

It has been months since I've posted - not since I announced that I had permission to test for my first degree black belt in Taekwondo back in January.

Well, I passed!

And Kylie tested for her black belt. And she passed!

Life has been a little hazy since that point. It seems like I've been busy all the gosh darn time, but I can't tell you what I've spent all my time on. It just seems like there hasn't been any time, and I've been feeling worn out. Draggy. Listless.

Time flying by, and that worn out feeling may just be symptoms of stress and being a bit down. There's a lot going on that isn't so great. Nothing serious, just a bunch of things that have been a drain on me when added together.

Kylie has been having pretty much constant headaches that have been getting progressively worse, and she hasn't been sleeping well. We had a falling out with one of the owners of our Taekwondo school, and we have not taken classes since. I missed a 5K race I had registered for, and only ran seldom after that. I went through a stressful stretch at work.

Then again, at least I have a job.

There's a million positives in my life. It's funny that the bad stuff gets so much of the screen time in the movie of my life.

If I didn't have a wonderful wife and children, I have no idea where I'd be, but I don't think I'd like it.

I'm feeling better.

I'm finished waiting.

It's time for action.

I had lunch with my mom and grandma. It's been weeks since I last saw them.

I even went running today. I was gasping and wheezing, but I did it! Now where's that oxygen tank...?

My memory lately is such that though lots of things have been going on, remembering them now is another matter.

So, in no particular order:

Nathan has the best handwriting out of all our kids (taking age into account)!

Brandon's cursive is the best out of all the kids!

The kids have better handwriting than I do!

Kessa joined a cheer squad!

Nathan played a season of soccer!

Ryan and his friends talk a LOT about the Lego Star Wars Wii game!

Nathan did his speaking part in the school assembly very well today!

Ryan waved to us at Nathan's school assembly today!

Kessa shared part of her sausage biscuit this morning!

No X-men movie for us tonight!

Kylie performed her made-up form during Taekwondo black belt testing to music!

Our dog Penny got out of the backyard and brought decorative horse bones from a neighbor's yard back into our yard!

Brandon is almost exactly the same height as Ryan!

The height thing has caused some angst and strife!

I watched the boys cook Ewoks on the grill in the Star Wars Legos Wii game!

I took nearly 500 pictures at Kylie's black belt testing!

Kylie took pictures of my/our extended family!

We had a $400+ cell phone bill!

We had a baby!

A bouncing baby new TV!

You get the idea.

Permission To Test

2009-01-19T21:41:00.003-07:00

I have received permission to test for my first degree black belt in Taekwondo this Saturday. I will do forms, break boards, and spar. If I pass, I'll be a black belt.

Kylie and I started Taekwondo in October 2006. Kylie and the kids took this cycle off, but will start back next cycle, and will hopefully have permission to test for black belt in March.

Hopefully, I won't embarrass myself!

Taekwondo Update

2009-01-17T23:18:00.002-07:00

Kylie and I competed in a Taekwondo tournament this afternoon. We both did pretty well. Kylie got 2nd place in forms, 2nd place in weapons, and 2nd place in sparring. I did not place in forms, did not compete in weapons, and got 1st place in sparring.

Kylie did especially well, considering that she has not been taking TKD classes for the past 2 months. Her form and weapons free style looked sharp. She won her first round of sparring 5 - 0, and lost the final round 4 - 5.

I ran into a problem right in the beginning. I was the first one called to do my form. I have a form that I've practiced for tournaments. Unfortunately, I had a mental lapse. The first move I performed belonged to the form that I've been practicing for black belt testing. I did that first move, knew it wasn't right, and almost just started over. I had the presence of mind to recall that starting over is just as bad as not completing a form. So... I kept going with the form I started with. Only, I was so discombobulated that I did the form on auto-pilot. I couldn't tell you what I did right or wrong on it. I just had to laugh. Not surprisingly, I didn't place.

Sparring went better, but I don't remember very many details. I got a 1st round bye, so that was fortunate. In my first round, I fell behind 2 or 3 points, and was on the verge of losing the match. I managed to come from behind and win the round, 5 - 4. I won the final match 5 - 3 with a hook kick to my opponent's head. No one was more surprised than me. I wish I would have seen it!

My tournament season is pretty much over. I am planning on testing for my black belt next week, though I do not yet have permission to test. If I pass testing, I will be a black belt, and will no longer accumulate color belt points. Sparring is the State Champion category I am most interested in, but I am in 3rd place. The man in 1st place has a commanding lead (+18 points). I'm in 2nd place for forms (down by 2).

Kylie's in pretty good shape for State Champ again this year. She is in 1st place in forms (+16), 3rd place in sparring (-3), and first place in weapons (+9).

Flame On!

2008-12-13T13:02:00.002-07:00

My brother-in-law, Scott, is a Firefighter Recruit for the Salt River Fire Department. For the past several weeks, he has been hard at work in the Fire Academy. It's like boot camp for firefighters. He is now nearing the end of this intense 16 week training.

Last night, his class executed various firefighting drills at the Tempe/APS Joint Fire Training Center in Tempe. The first thing they did was line up in formation.

Scott's Firefighting Recruit Academy Class

They broke formation to gear up.

Gear Up!

The first demonstration called for a firefighter recruit team to put out a car fire. The obvious requirement for putting out a car fire is to have a burning car. These two started the fire.

Firefighter Recruits Start Car Fire

Firefighter Recruits Start Car Fire

Firefighter Recruits Start Car Fire

Car Fire Rages
Okay, good, we have a roaring car fire. Let's break out the marshmallows! Or we can call in the firefighter recruits.

Firefighter Recruits Battle Car Fire

Firefighter Recruits Battle Car Fire

And finally, the fire is extinguished.

Firefighter Recruits Inspect Car To Insure Fire Is Out

Next, a firefighter recruit cuts through bars, simulating what it would be like to cut through window security bars. It took a couple of minutes to complete.

Firefighter Recruit Cuts Through Simulated Window Security Bars

Next, a group of firefighter recruits demonstrated how a air vent would be cut in a roof, in order to release the superheated gases caused by a fire.

Firefighter Recruit Cuts Through Roof

The final exercise involved a building fire.

Training Building Ablaze

Someone had to be rescued from the second floor of the building. A team of recruits went on search and rescue.

Firefighter Recruit Rescues Dummy!

Recruits Got The Dummy!

And then it was time to fight to building fire.

Firefighter Recruits Combat Building Fire

The official demonstrations were over, and families and friends met up with the recruits they came to see.

Family Group Picture

My Nephew

Scott Dons His Mask

Scott and His Daughter

Girls Love Firefighters!

Scott's Older Daughter Tries Mask On, While His Younger Daughter Watches

There was one last impromptu demonstration left. The car fire, which was supposed to be extinguished... wasn't quite. The car re-ignited.

Car Fire Rekindled

Scott noticed the fire, and went to put it out.

Scott Fights a Fire

But it was a team effort.

Scott and Other Recruits Fight Car Fire

Fire's Out!

Scott graduates next week!

A Band Story

2008-11-18T21:21:00.003-07:00

When I was a kid, I was in band in middle school. Students that play a given instrument sit in order, determined by how good they were at that instrument. 1st chair, being the best player, tended to get better musical parts, and so on, on down the line.

It may be that you feel that you're better player than the boy or girl in the next highest chair. If so, you could challenge them. You and the person you were challenging would be given a musical selection to practice. A week later, both players would play the selection. The order of who played first was random and we played in the instrument storage room, out of view from the other students. Once both people played, the class would vote on who played better. If the lower chair got more votes, she or he would change places with the higher chair. If the higher chair got more votes, everything stayed the same. Thus, the better players tended to float to the top.

One day, I was challenged by the boy in the next lowest chair. Although I played okay, I lost the challenge (and my chair). I thought I had played better, but hey, I hadn't bothered to practice. I was sorta asking to lose.

The following week, I challenged him. This time, I worked at it more. I practiced. It was ghastly, but I did it. When the time came to play, I did well. Then he played. It sounded awful. The class voted. I lost.

I challenged him yet again. I did not bother to look at the music we were assigned. When we had to perform, I played intentionally poorly. I out-badded him. I won the challenge.

I'm sure there's a lesson or two in there somewhere.

Good Luck, Cousin!

2008-11-16T21:00:00.004-07:00

My cousin, John, signed up for the Marines a few months back. Today was his last day at home. A sergeant picked him up today, and took John to a hotel. He's off to California tomorrow to start basic training. I wish him luck, and I hope basic goes well.

Backyardigans Live, Dead

2008-10-27T07:53:00.004-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased tickets to "The Backyardigans Live!" show for my youngest son and daughter. It was going to be a surprise for them the day after Thanksgiving.

It's probably a good thing I didn't tell them about it. I received the following email this morning:

Hello, this is Ticketmaster Customer Service with an important alert for your upcoming event. The Backyardigans Live!, scheduled at ASU Gammage on Friday, November 28, 2008, at 3:00PM, has been cancelled.

Your credit card will automatically be credited the ticket price and convenience charges, and should post to your account within 7 to 10 business days. Please note, the $3.50 per order processing fee and any ticketFast or UPS delivery charges are non-refundable.

How annoying! And I even get to pay $3.50 for the privilege. Bleh.

Kylie Goes To Orlando (and Wins)

2008-10-20T20:42:00.004-07:00

Kylie went to Taekwondo Fall Nationals in Orlando last weekend. She left last Thursday and got back last night. She did great! She competed in a large ring with 15 other women, and was awarded 1st place for her weapons free-style, and 2nd place for her form. She was also 1 point away from a 3rd or higher place finish in sparring, having won two matches, and losing her 3rd match in "sudden victory" after time ran out with a 2 - 2 tie. My wife rocks!

In the meantime, the kids and I did just fine at home.

Thursday, 1:43pm: I dropped my wife off at the airport... How will the boys get home from school...?

Thursday, 7:17pm: Kids somehow made it home. May have been the "kid fairy." But now they're complaining about hunger. Keep checking kitchen - nothing...

Friday, 7:09am: The kids' alarm clock did not come in and wake them this morning. I have a nagging feeling they're supposed to be somewhere besides bed...

Friday, 9:21am: School called. They say the kids should be there. I was wondering. Got directions to where the school is located.

Friday, 10:27am: The van apparently takes the kids to school, but it just sat there, even after they got in. I reluctantly got in and drove it to school.

Friday, 11:31am: Kids are at school. They wouldn't keep the 3 1/2 year old. I guess like fishing, they only keep the ones that aren't too small...

Friday, 1:23pm: My daughter & I are on normal weekly shopping trip. She's looking a bit like Sideshow Bob. I wonder if I should have combed her hair...

Friday, 1:40pm: As daughter was coming out of the bathroom, a lady said "you poor dear" and gave her a dollar. Perhaps a clean change of clothes, too...

Friday, 4:07pm: Shopping trip went well. I pushed cart, as usual. Since no one was there to put things in the cart, the cost was $0! We left $1 richer.

Friday, 8:57pm: Looking out for me, my wife bought easy-to-fix food. Unfortunately, it was so easy that the kids snacked it all away. McDonalds to the rescue!

Saturday, ~9:45am: The police show up at my door. It's a welfare check. Wow, they have no idea! We're all in deep trouble! My wife has been gone for 2 days, we're starving, look like vagabonds, and mental illness has set in. But no, officer, everything is okay. My youngest son had dialed 911 when he was playing with the phone. I had unplugged the phone so he wouldn't keep playing with it while I was trying to clean the garage. But that also meant when 911 dispatch tried to call back, I didn't answer. The police went away. I wonder if they're peeking through our windows to make sure there's no blood...

Saturday, 11:13am: At youngest boy's soccer game. Couldn't find ANY of my daughter's shoes, so she's wearing her brother's "Cars" shoes.

Saturday, 11:52am: It's in the 90s at the soccer field this late morning. Unfortunately, the Water Fairy didn't show. We're roasting.

Saturday, 1:36pm: My daughter started crying yet again because she was slighted by a sibling. I dove beside the bed when she looked for me. Is that bad...?

Saturday, 9:00pm: I miss my wife and my kids miss their mom. She's back tomorrow night. Yay! In the meantime, no serious injuries!

Sunday, 6:12pm: Getting ready to go pick up my wife at the airport.

Sunday, 8:00pm: Picked up my wife... went out to eat... chaos ensued. In other words, all is again right with the universe.

TP Thought of the Day

2008-10-17T12:51:00.003-07:00

Rather than toilet paper companies figuring out how to put more toilet paper on a roll, I'd be interested in rolls with less toilet paper. That way, when one of my sweet children decides to unspool the entire roll into the toilet and then tries to flush it, 1) less toilet paper will be wasted, and 2) the resulting mess may be somewhat easier to clean up!

I'm just saying.

New Tournament Season

2008-10-13T18:37:00.004-07:00

Kylie and I have started the new Taekwondo tournament season, and it's going pretty well so far. Last year, I went kinda nuts at the end, trying to clinch State Champ for sparring. I traveled all over. I didn't win -- shy 2 points. This year, I'm just going to have fun with it. We're still planning on traveling to those tournaments within driving distance. If we can make a day trip out of it, we'll try to go. But if we can't drive it, we aren't going.

The one exception to the "day trip" guideline is Fall Nationals, which are held in Orlando, FL. Fall Nationals is this weekend, and Kylie is going! I'm excited for her! Kylie's good, so I wouldn't be surprised if she does well at Nationals, but I'm sure she'll have fun, regardless of the outcome.

We did our first tournament of the year a couple of weeks ago. Kylie got 1st place in forms, and 3rd place in weapons. I also got 1st place in forms and 3rd place in weapons, along with 3rd place in sparring.

We drove to Las Vegas last Saturday for our second tournament. We left at around 6:30am. Yawn. We had to wait around a few hours, since there wasn't a schedule for adult color belts. Unfortunately, I didn't get to watch Kylie compete, but she had another good outing: 1st in forms, 2nd in weapons, and 3rd in sparring. I tied for 1st in forms, but fell to 2nd. I got 2nd in sparring, as well. The guy who won sparring in our ring was very good. He took me to school. Maybe I'll fare better against him next time.

Being Propositioned

2008-10-05T20:08:00.003-07:00

Election time is upon us again. It will soon be time to vote, and I am looking forward to getting Election Day behind me. But before that happens, there are several propositions on the ballot that I'll have to decide on. Five of them propose to amend the Arizona State Constitution. They have innocuous-sounding descriptions, like "FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN HEALTH CARE," and "REQUIRING THAT ANY MANDATORY TAX OR SPENDING INCREASE BE ENACTED BY A MAJORITY OF QUALIFIED ELECTORS." I am still reviewing these and other propositions. I am, however, quite skeptical of amending the AZ constitution. Is it really necessary? Why is it necessary now?

I have a broader concern about propositions. They are always packaged in a way that makes them all sound like good ideas. Do people take the time to try to understand the ramifications and risks? I hope so. But again, I'm skeptical.

I hope that people understand what they are voting for when they vote, and don't just vote based on the who offers that catchier ads on TV.