TRS News

How Good Are You At Deciphering Subtle Messages?

2009-06-30T14:18:00.001-05:00

If you haven't figured it out yet, you probably need to read the latest SBC update (or get your eyes checked).

Click here to read "Wait...what?"

This Week at TRS

2009-06-28T12:21:00.004-05:00

The fascination of "open" in Things Kaitlyn Does #3
Kaitlyn Introduces The Happy Dance in Things Kaitlyn Does #4

Happy Father's Day from Miss K

2009-06-21T09:08:00.004-05:00

Try JibJab Sendables� eCards today!

Some things to keep you entertained:

Jib-Jab Now Has Greeting Cards (Happy Father's Day Grandpa Rhoades!)
Time For Chores and The Things Kaitlyn Does: #2
I've been busy posting a bunch of old email updates to the TRS blog. Remember the smoke alarm, the car alarm, and the hand nod? You'll find them in the Texas updates and the New Mexico updates.

Atlantis Lands (and takes off) In San Antonio!

2009-06-02T21:54:00.004-05:00

In case you missed my tweets today, I had a great opportunity to catch Space Shuttle Atlantis take off from Lackland Air Force Base.

Here's the money shot:

There's also some links on the blog.

It's Hard To Keep Up, I Know

2009-06-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

So, if like me, you're wondering...

Where the hell did the first six months of the year go?

Here's a snapshot of what's been keeping me busy...and amused.

I don't care who you are, this is funny right here:

A Canadian Radio Station and their tribute to President Obama

This one involves an attractive, tech-savvy woman blow drying her hair on the Internet.

I Give Her My Advice

And the first in a series of...

The Things Kaitlyn Does

New! The Sean Genovese Blog

2009-05-09T16:04:00.005-05:00

Lately I've been craving a forum where I can share ideas unencumbered by a particular theme or topic. I'm having a blast with The Road Scholars and The Speed Bump Chronicles, but I'd also like a�place where I can share ideas and articles even if they aren't about children or travelling. �

I now have that space. �I introduce you to http://blog.seangenovese.com.

This is a place where my passions will come together--writing, technology, innovation, music, entertainment, humor, travel, family, politics, religion--no limits. �There's no need to sign up (although I recommend subscribing to the RSS feed), and this isn't a social networking site, so you won't receive a notification every time my online "profile" changes. Come by when you can and read what I'm sharing--and share your thoughts with me as comments are always welcome.

I've already put together a collection of interesting articles ranging from the next generation U.S. power grid to a bar in London that serves gin and tonics as a mist you breathe. �It's going to be fun. �Check it out.

The Haters Return

2009-02-19T17:21:00.003-06:00

As our precious princess matures, I have witnessed a return of "the haters". When friends, family, and coworkers inevitably ask about the Fuzzy Headed Oracle, the recent response from us has been "she's almost walking!". �I use an exclamation because my wife and I are excited about this developmental milestone. �

The haters, however, respond with "you don't want her to start walking!"

Ugh, these people.

Regardless, I am excited. �It may be more challenging to keep up with her now, but at least I can come home from work, sit outside on the porch, and enjoy a Spring evening with my daughter without worrying what her hands and knees are trudging through.

View Walk Right In: Kaitlyn at 11 Months

The Year I Got Kicked Out Of Church

2009-02-05T20:39:00.002-06:00

Every year, immediately after New Years, my wife and I begin an annual tradition. It has nothing to do with black eyed peas. Once the dust settles, the lights are packed away, and life as we once knew it begins to resume (say around the first week of February), we each lay down the law about what we�re absolutely not going to do next year. During the course of what is often �heated discussion�, neither of us thinks to write any of it down. As a result, nine months later we start arguing about exactly how and where we�ll be miserable for the upcoming holiday season.

Read the Rest

Happy New Year from TRS

2009-01-15T23:18:00.003-06:00

The holiday season has come and gone and here I am realizing that it's been over a month since my last update. �I really have no excuse except that I've been too busy collecting experiences to write about�(and trying to put Christmas away)�that I haven't had a chance to sit down and tell any of the stories. �There is no shortage of stories. �

Two weeks ago we returned from our holiday adventure to California; 20 days driving around, visiting family, and fighting the dog for the driver's seat (as you can see above). I'm putting together a few thoughts about all of that. �Anyone who thinks Christmas is about Jesus will want to take notes.

Fans of the Fuzzy Headed Oracle, ten months old today, will be pleased to hear that she is about to release an album of photos from Christmas. �She's also planning to fight the dog for the driver's seat on our next road trip.

Rounding things out, I would never come to you empty handed, so I have the next installment of Meghan's Ghana adventure. �I apologize for the long delay in sharing her story, but her email that I received about the trip is 10 pages long when pasted into Word--that's single spaced, 10 point type. �You can understand why I'm trying to edit it into more readable chunks. �In this segment, Meghan tries the local cuisine, sees some sights, and shares a few pointers about Ghanian culture. �Enjoy.

Air Conditioning And Beer...We're Good Here So Far

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last Wednesday, as I wrapped up the week at work, I looked forward to the four day holiday weekend as an opportunity to catch up on my writing. That didn't happen. While I'm not "caught up", I'm certainly not coming out of the weekend empty handed.�

I finally concluded three weeks of painstaking festive illumination installation. There are over 4,000 lights on the exterior of the house alone and, once we get the real tree decorated this week, probably another 1,000 lights inside the house. �Of course, there's also the flood lights, the inflatables (we're up to three this year) the projector, and Santa's landing strip. We were going to install a helipad, but I was trying to keep it low key this year.

With the task of holiday decorating behind me, I was able to get a little writing done. �I think you'll find there's something for everyone. Here's how it breaks down:

A new video from the desk of the Fuzzy Headed Oracle celebrates a major milestone in her life.
See it here.
If you are pregnant, plan to be, or have recently given birth, you'll definitely want to read my step-by-step guide on "How To Bathe A Child". Helpful pictures and illustrations are included (no extra charge). I'm interested in your feedback on this one. Please utilize the "comments" feature of the blog to let me know if I've missed anything.
Read it here.
Here's something for all you gamblers. Kaitlyn continues to grow by leaps and bounds. In addition to her "major milestone", we are expecting her seventh tooth to cut through any day now. You'll note the addition of a poll on the topic on the right side of the Speed Bump Chronicles. In light of the poor economy, this one won't cost you a thing.
View it here.
Finally, the next installment in Meghan's adventures in Ghana is available. In this update, she finally arrives in country. Find out what didn't in "Crazy American Arrives in Ghana".
Read it here.

Ghana, Guinness, and More

2008-11-21T16:02:00.006-06:00

The Latest from Ireland 2008

One Last Night In Dublin

Dublin had not panned out the way I expected at all. Although I could have thrown a stone and hit Trinity College from our hotel, we never actually set foot on campus or even took any pictures from the outside. �We didn't see St. Stephen's Green�or visit the President's house, as my brother did on his previous visit. �We took in the city with a local, as locals (drunks) might, which is the way I prefer to travel, as you know. �But as a tourist, I felt a little, well, like a failure. � I travelled all�this way, there was one thing I was not going to miss for all the beer in Ireland: a visit to the�Guinness Storehouse.��

I could ramble on all about the tour, the factory, the brewing process, etc., but I have a feeling you'd much rather hear about a valuable lesson I learned and how I nearly shit my pants.

Read The Rest

And Don't Miss Meghan's Latest Update,��Four Days To Go,�about her humanitarian aid trip to Ghana.

Cheers

2008-11-20T22:11:00.004-06:00

The latest from�Road Scholar Meghan's�trip to Ghana...

My first thought was "No bloody way!?! THEY ACCEPTED ME?!?! AWESOME!!!"

My second thought was..."What the�hell�am I doing??"

And of course the third thought was "How the hell am I going to pitch�this�one to the parents without someone having a breakdown??"�

A few weeks back, after I had already applied, and NOT told the parents, I met them in Washington D.C. for a mini family reunion/vacation. At dinner, with an alcoholic beverage in all of our hands, I spilled the beans.�

Read The Rest

And in the next update from my trip to Ireland: "One Last Night In Dublin"

Guinness, Guinness, everywhere. �

And I do mean everywhere.

Coming Soon

Ghana Or Bust!

2008-11-17T22:19:00.001-06:00

The following is from�Road Scholar Meghan. �It is the first in a series of posts about her recent humanitarian aid trip to Ghana. �It has been edited for content and length.

For the last few years I have worked at Boston Medical Center in Boston, MA in the Emergency Room as a nursing assistant, ED tech, whatever p.c. term they use nowadays. I love it. Lots of trauma, fast pace, lots of teaching, lots of experience, lots of amusing stories to tell my friends when they're felling sad (really, they call and ask me to "tell me one of your ER stories, I need a laugh"). The hospital serves mostly lower income families in the city, the homeless and the immigrant communities. The staff, on their own, is very committed to serving this population and, as a result, have joined or formed some outside, non-profit organizations. One of which, Unified for Global Healing, was co-founded by one of our ER Doctors, Thea James. For the last several years, she, along with other people, have traveled to underserved populations and given free medical care to those communities. Well, this year the trip is to�Ghana.�

Read The Rest...

The Day The Air Force Lied To Me

2008-11-03T22:10:00.004-06:00

Every year, two of the local Air Force bases, Randolph and Lackland, take turns hosting an air show. This year it was Lackland's turn, which happens to be the one near where I work. I have never actually officially been to an air show, at least not in the sense that you drive a distance in traffic, park far away, take a crowded shuttle bus and stand out on the hot pavement looking into the sky, trying not to blind yourself by the sun or pass or pass out from�heat exhaustion. That's why I've never bothered going. Usually, if I'm going to "go", I watch from a distance, be it the home of a relative living�nearby, a close-by park, or a freeway I happen to be driving on that goes by the base at the right moment. And after all the visitors we had last month, and all the drama, I was looking forward to spending a weekend sitting at home doing absolutely nothing. Fighting crowds in the hot sun was not in the cards.

On Thursday they parked a NATO AWACS jet on the ramp right next to the street I use to drive to work every day. That piqued my curiosity. Then, Thursday afternoon, the Blue Angels began practicing and I found myself in a golf cart parked as close as I could get to the runway without getting shot...a front row seat to the weekend�aerobatics to come. On Friday when the F-22 was flying ear shattering, window rattling, car alarm triggering maneuvers 1000 feet off the ground with afterburner, I was sold. I came home and told Jen we were going to the air show on Saturday. I am an idiot.

Read The Rest

It's The Teeth, Stupid!

2008-11-02T23:04:00.000-06:00

After the last post, I got no sympathy for the fact that my new cell phone now swims with the fishes, but I got a couple of nasty emails from folks wanting to know if the baby is OK, as if that was the point of the story. �I wasn't intentionally leaving everyone in the dark. �When caution is thrown to the wind, you don't readily know what the outcome is going to be. �Now, a week later, I can tell you that the child is fine. �I took medical school pass/fail, but in my professional opinion, it was the four teeth that recently appeared causing most of her symptoms. �

Since her discharge from the ER, Miss K has maintained a normal temperature and is pretty much back to her usual self, chasing the dog around the house and working on the manuscript for her book: Physics and You, a Babies Guide to the World. �This past weekend she went Trick Or Treating for Halloween and took in an air show on Saturday afternoon, which you will be hearing all about tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the Halloween photos.

From�Miss K's First Halloween

TRS: A Few Bumps In The Road

2008-10-25T21:40:00.000-05:00

It's been over a month since my last Speed Bump Update, which I'm sure you've correctly deduced by now means we've hit more than a few speed bumps since September 15th. I think I mentioned in a previous post somewhere that I tend to be a little obsessive compulsive about things I can control. One of those things is usually my writing, which is why I like to take the time to publish polished, well thought out updates. I am now conceding here publicly that polished well thought out updates will net zero updates when speed bumps are present. So I'm throwing caution to the wind in an effort to increase the frequency of writing. Bear with me.

Read The Rest

TRS: Do You Have A Ticket?

2008-10-25T21:39:00.001-05:00

It was about noon when I finally succumbed to the pesky daylight streaming into our room. Amazed that on a Sunday morning I hadn't yet heard from my parents, I picked up the phone and dialed their room. I woke them up. No mass today, this would be a Godless heathen Sunday.

Read The Rest

Back From Hiatus

2008-10-25T12:58:00.003-05:00

Speed Bump Chronicles: A Few Bumps In The Road

It's been over a month since my last Speed Bump Update, which I'm sure you've correctly deduced by now means we've hit more than a few speed bumps since September 15th. �I think I mentioned in a previous post somewhere that I tend to be a little obsessive compulsive about things I can control. �One of those things is usually my writing, which is why I like to take the time to publish polished, well thought out updates. �I am now conceding here publicly that polished well thought out updates will net zero updates when speed bumps are present. �So I'm throwing caution to the wind in an effort to increase the frequency of writing. �Bear with me.

Read The Rest

Ireland 2008: Do You Have A Ticket?

It was about noon when I finally succumbed to the pesky daylight streaming into our room. �Amazed that on a Sunday morning I hadn't yet heard from my parents, I picked up the phone and dialed their room. �I woke them up. �No mass today, this would be a Godless heathen Sunday.

Read The Rest

TRS: Your Road Scholars Update

2008-09-15T22:41:00.001-05:00

In The Irleand Blog...

I Think I'm A Pumpkin

To recap: I woke up Friday morning about 8AM in San Antonio and I went to bed around 4AM Dublin time...on Sunday morning. In those 38 hours of consciousness, I flew across an ocean, drank over two gallons of beer, discovered the worst copilot ever, met the worst guard ever, patronized three Irish pubs, got thrown out of two, and set a new personal record for most hours awake without going to bed...

Read The Rest

From the Desk of The Fuzzy Headed Oracle...

Road Scholars EXCLUSIVE!

Enlightening new videos:

"What's So Funny?"

"I Love My Backyardigans"

"My First Finger Foods"

See Them Now...

The Worst Guard Ever

2008-09-14T18:46:00.000-05:00

Back in January, my brother accompanied my uncle to Ireland to begin making arrangments for what would turn out to be a second funeral for my grandmother. �Patrick couldn't say enough about how great the trip was and how much he was looking forward to his return trip in August. In addition to drinking lots of beer, he was able to meet the scores of family members scattered throughout the country and experience their good natured hospitality. One of those relatives was Harry, a kindred spirit for Patrick, although perhaps in title only.

Read The Rest

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-13T16:12:00.003-05:00

I've received several phone calls over the past couple of days from people concerned about us and the impact Hurricane Ike is having on us. �We are fine, thank you all for your concern. �Three days ago we were smack dab in the center of Ike's projected path and we were preparing for high winds and lots of rain. �By preparing I mean I turned off the sprinklers and toasted to a free lawn watering. �On Thursday, when I saw Ike put his right turn signal on and head more towards Galveston and Houston, I made a prediction: we wouldn't see anything but sunny skies and the hottest temperatures we've had all summer.

Typically the wrath of a hurricane is unleashed on the eastern side of the storm while the western side is almost sedate by comparison. �When Hurricane Rita struck the Texas coast back in 2005, San Antonians cleared out the shelves at the supermarket and drained the pumps of every gas station in the city. The impact to us: sunny skies and warmer temperatures (and higher gas prices). �So although I took meteorology pass/fail and the professionals still have the little rain icon in our forecast for the day, it turns out that my prediction was correct; the only water we're seeing is coming from my misters on the back porch. �There's a few clouds floating about in the sky, but my thermometer just hit 100.7 degrees, the highest I've seen it all summer. Tomorrow morning my sprinklers will go on, no free lawn watering this weekend. And the only hurricanes at our parties this weekend will be served in a glass. �

The Worst Copilot EVER!

2008-09-06T22:49:00.003-05:00

The lastest Ireland 2008 post.

Shannon Genovese

2008-09-05T22:51:00.005-05:00

a.k.a. Tinkerbell

a.k.a. Noner

For some reason I went through a phase where I liked to change the sounds of vowels from long to short and short to long. �So, for awhile, my sister to me was Shanone (pronounced SHAY - NONE). �Eventually that nickname begat a nickname and when I get a phone call from her today, I usually answer "Noner!" �Her official Disney name, however, is Tinkerbell. �Tinkerbell was the fairy with the hot temper that was always flitting about in Peter Pan. �Watch the movie again and, if you know anything about my sister, I think you'll agree we made a good choice. �

Patrick Genovese

2008-09-05T22:51:00.001-05:00

a.k.a. Prince Charming

a.k.a. Wacko

When we were growing up, our younger cousins had a hard time saying "Patrick", so they shortened it to "Packo". �Somewhere along the line that turned into "Packo Wacko". �Being the king of acronyms and liking to shorten things, I eventually dropped the Packo. �I still call him Wacko most of the time, but if we're going to get formal or break out the Motorola's, Prince Charming it is. �

Laurie Genovese

2008-09-05T22:51:00.000-05:00

a.k.a. Miss Daisy

a.k.a. Daisy

Ever since I learned to drive, my mom has abdicated the privilege to me whenever we go anywhere together. Even if she's dropping me off at the airport, I'll drive there and drop myself off, then she takes the car. �She's also made a bit of a name for herself in the family because whenever she sits in the front passenger seat on a drive, she'll invariably attempt to bring the car to a stop with the imaginary brake pedal in front of her. �Over the years my siblings and I have tried to coach her on how to be a better passenger, after all, her anxiety is unfounded since none of us has ever crashed with her in the car! �Our efforts are evident when, in an effort not to be a distracting "back seat driver", she'll silently tense up her entire body, attempt to slam her foot through the floor, and nonchalantly grab onto the "oh shit" handles as if a giant vacuum cleaner were trying to suck her out of the car. �

If more than two people are riding in the car, we usually put mom in the back seat. Sometimes if it's just the two of us, I'll still put mom in the back seat. �That's why we call her Miss Daisy. �And because Daisy Duck is a Disney character, we aren't even breaking the rules.�

TRS News

How Good Are You At Deciphering Subtle Messages?

This Week at TRS

Happy Father's Day from Miss K

Atlantis Lands (and takes off) In San Antonio!

It's Hard To Keep Up, I Know

New! The Sean Genovese Blog

The Haters Return

The Year I Got Kicked Out Of Church

Happy New Year from TRS

Happy Thanksgiving

Ghana, Guinness, and More

Cheers

Ghana Or Bust!

The Day The Air Force Lied To Me

It's The Teeth, Stupid!

TRS: A Few Bumps In The Road

TRS: Do You Have A Ticket?

Back From Hiatus

TRS: Your Road Scholars Update

Worth Reading at TRS

The Worst Guard Ever

Hurricane Ike

The Worst Copilot EVER!

Shannon Genovese

Patrick Genovese

Laurie Genovese