Cereal For Dinner

What Did You Do?

2006-01-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I wasn't nearly as reflective or melancholy leaving the old year as I usually have been in the past. Perhaps it was the company I was with. Or maybe I'm just getting older (no, that couldn't be it). Maybe its because I think 2006 has a nice look to it. An even numbers at both ends, two zeros in the middle. Even numbered years are always good, right?

We spent the evening at a friends house, and brought games to play and kids to play with theirs. We met a new couple and made new friends, as well. At a few minutes to midnight we poured the sparkling cider, but actually missed the big count-down by a few seconds. So we had our own, clinked cups, took a drink, kissed our spouses, and got back to the game (it was Phase 10, this year).

The night started out rocky, but was a very fun evening. We learned a new game, made new friends, and welcomed the new year in fine if not grandiose fashion.

The games played: 1) hearts (until the 3rd couple arrived), 2) Pit, until one of the wives grew tired of it, and 3) Phase 10 (a new card game for us, I hope to get a set soon).

Snacks we provide this year: 1) Apple caramel bread pudding (yummy!), 2) M&M's, and 3)Peppermint Patty Poppers.

Because of the heat of the game, we ended up staying until 2:20 or so. (that's a bit late for us). We ended up winding down at home until 3.

So, where were you? What did you do? Who were you with? When did you get home?

I'm Back

2005-11-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

It's been too long. I'm glad to be back.
Mercurial Dreams, who are you?

Caleb and BMX

2005-07-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

So Caleb started his BMX carrier. Last Saturday Caleb got to have a few hours of free practice on the Orange BMX track thanks to West and his birthday party. He loved it! He was having a blast.

then the next day ABA (the nat'l BMX association) had the only day this year were non members can race! So we paid our 10 bucks and had an hour, then he got to race. For real! He was a little nervous, but once he made the decision, he was excited! I was scared. I knew he could do the track, but I really didn't want him to get last place.

I know...I wanted him to have a great time. And that really was the important thing. And he did. He was 5th out of 8 his first race, and not even close to the winner. The second race he was 5th out of 6. I think the last race he was 4th out of 5th (someone fell).

I have to admit, I had visions of him taking home a trophy. But those dreams were quickly put to rest soon after his first race started. But he did have a blast! And he wants to do it again!

4th of July

2005-07-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

The 4th of July has to have fireworks, and they have to be lit by hand. Otherwise its not what it should be. Don't get me wrong. Stadium fireworks are fun, and admittedly, a lot more razzle dazzle than I could ever do. But its not the same.

Even just a couple flowers, or some sparklers, makes the celebration official. Of course, bigger is always better when it comes to lighting and watching your own fireworks. But anything will do, as long as you light it and it explodes. Otherwise, its fun, but not complete. And I'll tell you, I have had many, many incomplete, but fun, 4th of July's.

July 3rd we were up at Arrowhead watching there show. It was great! 30 minutes long, with accompanying music. And gorgeous watching from the water. Even watching all the boats come in off the lake after the show was beautiful (all those read a green lights in the darkness).

We came home on the 4th, and found we had nothing to do. So we ended up going to mom and dad's house to swim and have dinner. Then we got back, Julie took a quick shower while I got the kids ready, and then, off to our spot to watch fireworks from the Angel game. It was fun, and while we were waiting the kids got to do those dumb little poppers and shooters they sell at Stater Brothers.

When we got home, I just felt something was missing. So I found my stash of fire crackers, and snuck out front with a lighter. Seconds later, the joyous, loud banging and cracking of the 4th of July. That brought the kids out to investigate all this racket. Julie of course was not surprised at my behavior (she knows my love for the 4th). So she let the kids watch as I lit off few more packs, peppered with an occasional M-50 (there bit is much less then their bark).

The kids loved it, as did I. Lit some off in a tin bucket, which really seemed to amplify the sound and make it carry. It was a bit smokey and scattered with scrapes of paper when it seemed like the kids should get to bed. They loved all the noise and explosions. It was good to know they got a true appreciation for celebrating our nations birthday (including watching dad light a fuse and make a run for it).

It turned out to be a fun night. Spoke with the nebs who really do the 4th up right, living around the corner. Turns out they didn't do anything this year (Brad was steamed all night long) and they assured us we'll all do something big next year. I think we should...for the kids.

Incredible Story Still Happening

2005-06-30T22:19:00.000-07:00

Check out this

This has all the ingredients of a stellar video game or movie, but with a tragic ending. Its an account of a tragic situation in Afghanistan. Its been in the news the last 3 days, but here seems to be an official account of what has happened and what is STILL going on with the situation. If you've followed the news at all, you know its a sad account of some very brave Navy SEALs/Nightstalkers doing some incredible things in the last 4 days. Only now are all the details and the beginning of the end of this story coming out.

To the ER

2005-06-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, Caleb took his third trip to the ER last night. Did he fall on his bike and rip his knee open? No.
Did he trip over his scooter while running away during a squirt gun war? No
Did he fall off his bunk bed? Yes!

First he was complaining about his tummy. As I was carrying him to the couch, he kept crying and coughing (probably got the wind knocked off of him). As I laid him down, he started complaining about his head. I poked and prodded his tummy for internal injuries (look at me play doctor!), and got nothing there. His eyes were dilating (sp?) (again, the Dr. Reference), but then he was complaining about his hand. He was holding it funnily, and it was very, very tender, so Julie took him in.

Turns out it wasn't broken, but the doctor put a splint cast on and wrapped it up. So it has a hard cast on 2 sides, and its in a sling.

He was pretty excited about the whole thing. Pretty excited to show everyone his cast. What a stud. That makes two sets of stitches and one cast, care of St. Joseph's Hospital.

Summer Swimming

2005-06-29T18:05:00.000-07:00

We went swimming with Caleb and Jane at the pool at Hart Park. Julie and I estimated about 60 kids/people were swimming at the time. Assume all of them were kids under 16. What percentage of them do you think peed in the pool?

I guess the question really is: What percentage of people swimming in a public pool at any given time will pee in it?

I know the pool is actually half filled with Chlorine. Our bleached out eyes and suits can attest to that. The swim instructors have told us that because of all the Chlorine, they won't open their eyes under water unless they have goggles on.

But...the pee question still pops up in my head as I step into the pool. Maybe I should just try to stay away from the kids under 6 or so. Yeah, like that is possible.

Out of the Stone Age

2005-06-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally came into the 21st century. I installed our SBC last night. It turns out you can watch videos, movie trailers, download songs in under 7 minutes, and TV clips on the computer! Who knew?

The Trip

2005-06-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Big Basin was a hit! We loved it. Lots of big ol' Redwood trees, trails to hike, and woods to explore. Aunt Net was a hit, visiting for one night. She turned over lots of rotting logs, looking for all kinds of bugs and stuff. The kids loved it.

We did the nature hikes with the pseudo-rangers. They were fun, and a bit informative. Jane didn't always have the patience for their slow pace, though. The 8:00 Ranger led campfire was fun too, if not a bit long. It ended at about 10.

The kids made friends with the boy and girl across the street, too. Kyle and Emily were their names. Kyle was between Emma and Caleb's age, and Emily was between Jane and Caleb's age. They had a blast, between playing with our stuff in our site, and their stuff in their site. Their parents were very nice, too. We all went over to their place the last night to roast marshmallows and make smores.

It was sad to leave the place, but fun to get to cousin Rick's. The kids were excited to see Elliana, Dirk, Annika and Reisha, and swimming in their pool. Rick had the usual tritip bbq for us, delicious as usual, eating out by the pool, and homemade icecream for dessert.

Sad to leave there, but happy to get home. I love the drive up and down the state. The 5 isn't the most interesting route, but I love road trips. The 99 at least offers you a view of the fields, and a town every now and then. The trip from the 5, up past Casa de Fruta, to the 101 is my favorite of the trip, and the 17 from San Jose to Santa Cruz is a close second.

Back

2005-06-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

It's good to be back home. After 4 nights in Big Basin Redwood State Park, a night and full day at the Schuil's (Rick always likes to show us a good time) and a long drive back, we're finally home. What a great vacation! But more of that later. Its time to take a shower and get to bed

So Much to Do...

2005-06-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, Father's Day is Sunday, and we've got 2 gift's to buy (I think Julie has 3). We're hoping to leave either Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. We've canceled our Tahoe reservations because of their expecting rain and high 30's lows (I know, we're wimps). So now we're going to Big Basin Redwood State Park. Mom assures me its great. It's a little closer, too.

So we have to juggle celebrating Father's Day and leaving for our trip. Maybe we'll leave Monday morning. That will give us more time to get ready. Lets hope the door latch comes in.

Summer?

2005-06-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

Wait a minute! It's June, right? And a couple of weeks ago I said its the beginning of summer right (remember, swimming at granma's house, etc...)? So where is the pickin' sun? I ordered 6 weeks of clear skies and sunny weather. My vacation isn't getting any longer, and I want some sun!

There had better be a refund involved here!

Refugio

2005-06-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Refugio State Beach the other day. It was great! We had such a good time. We met the Davenports there, and the weather was great!

It took us about 2 1/2 hours to get there, the Davenports 5. We spent all day at the beach the day after we arrived. The wives walked back to the camp sites (they were right next to each other) to make and bring back lunch (it was only a 5 minute or so walk).

Emma and Caleb loved to play with Sarah and Ryan Davenport, but Jane really enjoyed Sarah. The two girls would ride their trikes up and down the road in front of our sites. It was neat to see them having such a good time together.

Refugio is such a nice beach. The sand is very fine, the beach is clean, but the water was fa-reezing. The kids went in, but Julie and I only got our feet wet. The last day we had a compatition to see who could go in the furthest. I got my thighs wet. My feet ached by the time I got out. At San Clemente, I went in with almost no hesitation. This water was definately significantly colder. So I just admired the surf from afar. The waves weren't very big, anyways.

It was a fun 3 days. We plan to meet up again at the beach next year. Maybe we'll try Morro Bay next year.

Vacation

2005-06-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

Recently back from San Clemente with the Beasleys. Tomorrow it's Refugio with the Davenports, then Tahoe with just us.

The Start of Summer

2005-05-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Summer is here! It actually started last Sunday when we went swimming at Mom and Dad's home (that's about all it takes to start summer for us). But my last day was Friday, so that really makes it official.

We picked up the tent trailer, got it all packed. We leave for San Clemente after lunch. Sure, the news says its going to be 71 all week there, but we're sure its going to be nice and hot!

Before we leave, Caleb and I are going to shave our heads. I'd like to wait until June, but we can't go to the beach with long hair. So we'll do it today.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2005-05-27T07:33:00.000-07:00

We went to Disneyland last night. Got there at 6 to see the parade at 7. Julie dropped me off at the light in front of the park, I went in and found a spot to the side of the castle, just down the way from the Alice in Wonderland ride, next to the Matterhorn.

Saw the new parade, it was nice, fun. The kids loved it. Jane was super excited. Good times.

The CTA

2005-05-23T07:35:00.000-07:00

The California Teacher's Association, without the concent of its members, morgaged its building, its state headquarters, to fund advertising fighting Governor Arnold and his propositions, and now is asking us, the CTA members to give give more money to them to pay it back.

Don't you think they should have asked the members first before they go and do something stupid like that?

The Muslim Explaination

2005-05-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Did you see that Muslim woman on Channel 5 news last night? They were at a Mosque in Southern California interviewing her, asking about why all the violence that was in response to Newsweek's erroneous article about flushing a Koran down the toilet at Guantanimo. Now, I know she's not responsible for all the other Muslims in the world, especially radical Muslims, but did she offer any kind of apology for the loss of life that happened in response to the article? Did she say anything about how the Koran does not encourage violence? No, all she did was explain that Muslims feel that the book is holy, from God (Allah) himself.

So apparently this kind of behavior is acceptable? I doubt it. I would imagine the Koran encourages forgiveness and tolerance, at least that's what they are saying. But this woman just acts like, "Well, can you blame them?" It was so frustrating. And the reporter didn't ask anything about the innocent loss of life that has occurred because some people didn't like the fact that their holy book was flushed. I mean, I would be upset if the Muslims flushed the Bible, but I'm not going to kill anyone.

I realize the news article on Channel 5 probably had to edit some of the interview out. And maybe the Muslim woman did apologize for the actions of some of her fellow Muslims. But it wasn't shown, and it was terribly frustrating for me to watch this American Muslim excuse the behavior of her radical Muslims.

I can't believe how much damage must have been down to the U.S. reputation over seas, especially in the Middle East. Things are shaky enough over there to begin with. But for Newsweek to put out this erroneous article was terrible. And if it was Christians rioting and killing because of something someone did to the Bible, you can bet I would be apologizing profusely and explaining that that is not the sort of behavior the Bible condones. But none of that was shown on Channel 5.

The Canadians

2005-05-16T10:23:00.000-07:00

Julie and I met a cool Canadian couple a couple weeks ago. They've joined our adult Fellowship group. They are very nice, and very easy to talk to. And, they play vollebyall (That makes them an ideal couple!).

We played volleyball on the grass with them yesterday. It was great! Beautiful weather, good volleyball, and great fellowship. What more could we want? We only got two games in. Then he (that's the husbands name) and I went to go meet Tom for a mountain bike ride.

Part 2 of a great afternoon! We rode Santiago Oaks. What a great ride. It was a little warm, but the trail and the company were good. That ride has a few tough, technical downhills, which are my favorite kind of downhill. I made it down all but one without falling. It also has some long, steep uphills, which are not my favorite. But we got there and back in one piece (Steve almost ruined that for us) and we all had a great time doing so.

Books

2005-05-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Books on my waiting list to read (that I actually own):

Tommy Knockers by Steven King (currently half way through)
Hard News by ???
The Calvary Road
Blog by Hugh Hewitt
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren (already read once)
Every Man’s Battle by (already read once)

Books I want to read but don’t own:

In But Not Of by Hugh Hewitt
Any Pat Conroy book after Beach Music
Any of Tom Clancy’s latest books after Rainbow Six

Any suggestions?

Books I’ve recently read:

How Now Shall We Live? (study version) by Charles Colson
The Boiling Point by

It seems a lot of my reading these days is from blogs; Hughhewitt.com, Powerline, Captain’s Quarters, and various others, as well as links they provide. There is so much to read, and so little time.

Kelly II

2005-05-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

So its 7:30, and I'm leaving Open House. I've been at school since 7 a.m.. Open House has been going on since 6:00. As I'm walking out, who do I see locking up their bikes but Kelly and her mom. My first thought was, "Oh, great, their just showing up now."

My second thought was, "I can't believe they're here."

My third thought was, "Oh my goodness, her mom is wearing slippers!"

Why was she wearing slippers? What does it mean that she was wearing slippers? Can she not afford shoes? Is her apartment too messy to find shoes? Maybe she enjoys wearing slippers while she rides her bike with her daughter at 7:30 in the evening.

Adam Speth

2005-05-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Julie and I went to the Children’s Ministry Thank You dinner Saturday night. It was a lot of fun. The highlight had to be listening to Adam Speth play the guitar and banjo. It was fun not only listening to him play, but watching him play as well. He was incredibly good, very entertaining. His fingers move so quickly. I was torn between what hand of his to watch. His fingers were picking so quickly, and his opposite hand was moving just as fast. During one song, he tuned his guitar during the song. He didn't stop and tune, he tuned while he was playing, without breaking strum, without breaking rhythm. It was amazing. Julie and I just looked at each other and went, "Oh my goodness!" He handeled both instruments so well. I could have listened to him for hours.

I left yearning to hear more of him. Thats right, yearning. As I thought about the chances of that, I figured maybe he would play at a coffee shop, or maybe another church function. But I hear he’s too busy to play any kind of concert. Not like I expect him to open for U2 or anything, but he would be so perfect to hear at a coffee shop. I think he’s too busy with his work, giving lessons and all.

I don’t think listening to a CD of him would be the same. Part of the magic was watching him play the music, as well as hearing it. So I find myself frustrated. Maybe I could go over to his house and ask him to just play for a while.

Bubba

2005-04-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

I was riding home with Caleb today. He had on his "I have the best dad in the whole world" shirt that he made for Father's Day last year. He said, "Dad, I have your lucky shirt on."

I told him, "I know, Caleb. I love it when you wear that shirt. It makes me feel special."

"Dad," he says. "You are special."

She's Back

2005-04-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, my principal came back. She's been on vacation for 3 weeks! Thats unheard of for a principal, but she had to go visit her daughter in Italy. But she missed our state testing and Open House. Let's just say its been a lot less stressful these last few weeks.

But she came back - a day early.

A Student Named Kelly

2005-04-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have a girl in my class. Let's call her Kelly. She's a tough girl to have in class. Kelly is a girl who frequently smells like cigarette smoke when she gets to school. She spends a lot of her time with her auntie. And according to the office, her address changes every two weeks or so.

She always thinks someone is talking bad about her, or that someone planning something against her. She's always getting mad at someone. And I think she intimidates most of the girls in my class, as well as some of the boys.

She's also a liar. She'll lie right to my face, and she has on several occasions. She'll lie to me, to the principal, to the office staff, just keep on lying. "I didn't do nothin'" or "I didn't mean to" is frequently heard coming out of her mouth, as well as some choice cussing, from time to time.

If anything happens to her, someone bumps into her or someone forgets to give her something, she's always getting mad at them, like they did it because they don't like her or are being mean to her.

Kelly seldom returns homework, or any other papers needed to be signed and returned from school. When asked for signed papers, she frequently says she lost them (teachers love that!).

Then there was Kelly's report card last trimester. You should have read it. In no uncertain terms, I told her mom that Kelly is not where she needs to be academically, (not even close), but her behavior is her biggest problem and the thing holding her back the most. Any calls from her mom or aunt? Nope. Any notes to me about what they can do at home to help her? Nope. Nothing.

Kelly has taken 1 book test on the computer this year (most students have taken about 10) and she has not passed her X3 minute math.

This girl has lots of problems.

Open House - The Day After

2005-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Yep, I was right. 20 parents showed up, 9 did not. Thats not as good as other years. And some of the no shows were parents I really expected to be there. I mean, its no suprise a couple of my students' parents didn't show up. But a few of my "regulars" didn't show.

I wonder why.

Open House

2005-04-20T16:05:00.000-07:00

Its Open House tonight at school. I've saved some work from almost all year. We've done some art. I've tried to put up a bunch of stuff, pass out the rest of the saved work, and cleaned the room up. I think I'm all ready. (Its a new record. Last year I called Julie in a panic to get some help).

So the parents will come, at least most of them. I've got 29 students, I bet 20 will show up. We'll see. Sometimes it seems like some of the parents just aren't interested in what happening at school. Maybe they have so much going on at home that they figure they'll just let the teacher worry about what their child is learning (or not learning).

I just know that if one of my kids got some of the report cards I gave out the first or second trimester, I'd be down at the school the next day talking with the teacher about what I can do to help fix things. I given some really bad report cards, and even some mediocre ones with comments that really tell the parents their kid has some major problems (academically or socially), and not a peep from the parents. Just a returned enveloped signed by them.

Yikes!

Benedict XVI

2005-04-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hugh Hewitt has an interesting post over there at HughHewitt.com . He talks about the Pope not getting even a single day's "honeymoon" with the press, and how 5 top newspapers have already started bashing.

With all the Catholics out there, you'd think they'd be a little kinder. As Hugh says, "Are there even five traditional, Mass-attending and confession-going writers among the five editorial boards sampled above? Is there even one who would step forward to defend the Church's teaching on human dignity and sexuality? There are tens of millions of American Catholics full of joy at yesterday's news, but do they have any voice within elite MSM at all?"

OH...

2005-04-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

By the way, the Dogers are 10 - 2. Ten and Two!

Peter’s Canyon

2005-04-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

I went riding Sunday. It seems riding on Sunday is becoming more and more common (Thanks, Julie!). I was a bit disappointed to go back to Peter’s Canyon. I was just there the last time I rode. And it is a pretty short ride, and no real picturesque views, and not much true single track.

But it hit me when I got home. Peter’s Canyon gives you quick chunks of what you like. There’s a short (but extremely difficult) climb, short chunks of white-knuckle downhill, and a bit of fun single track.

And being so close to home, I can always ride there from home to tack on a little more mileage. Or, if you don’t have the time, you can drive. Or, if you do have some time, the can add mileage by driving to Hide Park and ride the horse trail there.

So its alright to have a place close to home to ride, even if its not the most exciting place to ride.

Soccer

2005-04-14T20:13:00.000-07:00

So there we were, watching our youngest girl, 6 years old, in her first soccer game of the season. Now, remember, she is very enthusiastic when she is at ease with what she is doing, and with lots of friends. But when she is not sure of what she is doing, she is the opposite.

That was the case, today. She felt good chasing after the ball and trying to kick it. But playing a position, and staying in that position, is a whole different situation. The girls on the other team were bigger, too, and looked like they new what they were doing. Heck, they looked good.

So the balls going back and forth, up and down the field. And there she stood. Right in the same spot coach told her to stand in at the beginning of the quarter. I just wanted to yell out instructions for her, but, knowing how she responds when she figures out people are watching her, I decided against it. I ‘[ll let her coach worry about that.

You could just see the look on her face. That confused, “I don’t know what to do, I feel kinda stupid out here” look. That, “I’m gunna cry if something goes wrong” look. It took all I could do not to run up to her and carry her away. I just wanted to yell to her that it was going to be okay, but go get that ball!

So finally the ball comes close enough to her spot that she can actually get involved. The ball gets away from the opponent dribbling it oh so skillfully, especially for a 6 – 7 year old. It comes right to my girl…but it gets behind her (she’s playing full back). The ball being behind her, she decides to catch up to it and kick it to the goalie.

OK, good play. Who knew you can’t kick it back to your goalie in this league? Certainly not her! Indirect penalty kick. So know she has a vague idea that she did something wrong, but you can see that she’s not quite sure what she did or why it was wrong. The penalty kick miraculously does not result in a goal, and soon enough the ball comes back to her spot. This time the opponent kicks the ball towards her, and it bounces off her shin guards and right to the goalie. Another penalty kick. This time she’s a little sure she did something wrong again, but it looks as though she doesn’t really know what she did, what she’s supposed to do, or why this girl on the other team gets a relatively free kick.
Tears can’t be far behind.

Again, no goal scored, and the quarter ends. She runs off the field with a bit of a smile and comes on over for a swig of Gatorade. “Good job, girl! You go get that ball!”

Next quarter, coach wants her to play forward. Well, mom and I know darn well that she has no idea what forward is. But she nods her head dutifully and runs back to her old spot – the full back spot. Coach kindly yells at her to move up to the forward spot…which she does. Play beings, and she runs around, not knowing realy where to go or what to do. Coach again tells her where to go, and it suddenly becomes all to clear to her that she is hopelessly lost. Panic sets in.

She looks around, finds her mom and I, and darts off the field in tears. She plucks herself down on momma’s lap and just starts balling. It was the saddest thing. The poor girl just had no idea what to do or where to go. It’s a lot different from her last league, where she could pretty much run around all over the field (no positions, no goalies).

I felt so sad for her. I could just feel what she was feeling. That feeling of, “I’m supposed to know what I’m doing now, but I don’t” feeling. It’s an awful feeling. She didn’t play for the rest of the game, which was ok. We’re going to work with her a bit. Help her start to understand what this game of soccer is all about – you know, positions, goals, passing. That sort of stuff.

I felt so sorry for her. Parenting can be so hard sometimes. But you know what? It was harder for her to be a 6 year old than it was for us to be a parent of one

More Thoughts About Riding

2005-04-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

I had a rare thing happen to me this week: I got to ride mid week. A friend from Yucaipa called and said he'd be in town with his bike, and wanted to know if I wanted to ride at Peter's Canyon. How could I pass up an invitation like that?

So instead of riding over to the park we drove, to save time (Julie and I had Bible study at 7). It was partly cloudy and a bit cool. Perfect for a ride. As we were unpacking the car and getting ready to ride, my friend Steve was talking to me a about how he had entered 7 or so triathlons. Great! So I figured I’d be playing catch up the entire ride. Lucky for me he descended like a roadie, as well as climbed like one. So we stayed up with each other pretty evenly…he beat me up hill, I could pass him going down.

But then came…Big Red. I hadn’t climbed to the top of it for about 2 or 3 years…and had almost got sick a couple times just pushing my bike up to the top after riding less then half way.

It feels good to do something you haven’t done for a while. It makes you feel like you are back to the way you used to be...back to the way you want to be. So I‘m starting to feel like I’m in the shape I once was in, but probably am far from it. I just got to keep riding regularly.

Of course, I didn’t get a chance to ride this weekend…so I guess I’m just coming out even.

But it feels good to get up a hill like that.

TV

2005-04-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

I actually saw Scrubs on the night it aired! Its been so long. And I'm likin' "Office" (it comes on after Scrubs). Interesting format, hilarious show. Its seems pretty clean, too (so far). We were laughing out loud.

Riding

2005-04-06T07:55:00.000-07:00

Aliso Woods, two weeks in a row. It’s been a good two weeks! We went up Cholla again. I’m starting to feel a little in shape. Once we were up, we rode over to Rock-it. What a fun ride! Riding down on top of the ridge, winding through the brush, heading to the rocks; that’s what riding is all about. That’s why you ride up.

I’m starting to feel in sync with my bike.

Tom really wanted to see what his new bike could do. I guess I wanted to see what mine would do, too. So I really felt we took the rocks pretty fast, straight down the middle. Yeeeeeee Hawwwwww!

Ok, that single track at the bottom, running along the side of the fire read – that is some great single track! We had so much fun. Tom loved it. So did I.

It took us 3 hours from door to door. Too bad it’s that far away.

My Youngest

2005-04-02T12:06:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned my youngest daughter lately?

She’s 2 ½, and full of excitement. Everything is a big deal for her. This makes it wonderful when I get home from work.

You’d think I just came back from the moon. She is so excited. She runs up to me screaming, “Daddy’s here, daddy’s here!” Then it’s a big hug and a story about what’s going on at home. And you should see the look on her face. It’s like I had another head growing off the top of my head. Her eyes are as big as saucers.

She is just so excited. My other kids have been and are often glad to see me when I get home, and sometimes they even run up to greet me as I come in the door. But not like their younger sister. She takes the cake.

The Zach Braff Posting Game

2005-04-01T19:14:00.000-08:00

Here’s a game I like to play.

Zach Braff has a blog. And lets face it…his blog is a bit more popular than mine. He gets a few more comments then me.

Now I like Zach. He seems pretty cool, and his character on Scrubs is pretty funny. Apparently I’m not alone. He gets like1,000 comments each posting. (He’s up to 1,238 comments for his last posting as I write.) He can’t possibly read each one of those. So I figure, if I want him to read my post and possibly reply (I saw him on Letterman. He said he tries to at least read the comments himself, and reply as much as he can), I’ve got to be at least one of the first hundred comments.

So here’s the game. How early after a posting can I make a comment? I think I’ve gotten in the low 400’s once. He doesn’t post too often, so getting there soon after a posting is a challenge.

How low of a comment can you get? Try it here. If his last post already has more than a couple hundred comments, I wait for the next posting. The trick is catching it just after he has posted. How low can I go...?

Late Night

2005-03-29T20:28:00.000-08:00

My oldest daughter(6 years old) has a tendency to get urinary tract infections (UTI). She’s had a procedure done to make sure a bladder infection doesn’t move up into her kidneys, but she still gets the infections in her bladder. I’ve never had a UTI or a bladder infection (I’m not actually sure if there is a difference), but according to my 6 year old, they can be painful.

Because of her propensity (is that the word I’m looking for?) for UTI’s, she’s on a prophylactic (again, the word I’m looking for) antibiotic to keep her away from them.. We’re not thrilled with that, because we’re worried she’ll build up an immunity to antibiotics, but its better than her getting UTI’s all the time. And when we forget to give her her medicine nightly, it’s not too surprising for her to get one the next day.

Well, the other day she got one. A UTI that is. We took her to the doctor, and he prescribed an antibiotic (guessing which one would work until her lab results came in). Problem is, it didn’t work. So now she’s in pain every time she pees, after she pees, and in pain sometimes just because. Poor girl!

She wakes up in the middle of the night in pain, and wants to take a bath to help make her feel better. Nothing like a bath at 2 in the morning. So the next day we go back to the doctor, who gives her the ‘correct’ antibiotic. But as we learn later that night, it doesn’t help either. So now she’s up again, crying, asking why God doesn’t help her, and wishing she was someone else. Tough questions for a parent to answer. And it makes us so sad.

So now its 3:30 a.m.. Mom has already spent time with her, and I’ve been watching her as she soaked in the tub. I bring her to the couch to lay down, (sometimes that makes her feel better). Its dark, she’s laying on the couch crying, and I’m trying to make her feel better.

We pray together, then I try to take her mind off her pain by telling her some stories of my childhood. She really enjoyed that. She liked hearing about when I was a kid, like her. I would tell her about something funny or scary or silly that happened to me, and we’d laugh together about it. She’d ask me questions and try to find out more about me. It turned out to be a sweet time together.

I wish I could have more times like that. It reminds me that I really need to get time alone with all of my kids. Just be with them, talking, listening, and sharing with them. That night was a gift of God to me. After a couple stories she said she felt better, but still wanted to sleep on the couch, and she wanted me to sleep there with her. So she fell asleep there, and so did I. About an hour later I awoke and went back to bed, after making sure she was covered and cozy.

That started out to be a miserable night, especially for her. But what a wonderful ending.

Arrested Development

2005-03-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

I think AD might be the funniest show on TV. It is a very clever show ,and very funny (obvious). The Bluth company is so screwed up. Justin Bateman is great as the new head of the family. Youngest brother is mamma's boy, had his hand bitten off by a loose seal. "What out for the loose seal!" his brother tries to warn him. (both his girlfriend and his mother are named Lucille - get it?). No has a hook in place of the hand. Can't quite remember he has the dumb thing...Always getting in the way, ripping up couches, curtains, EST.... The family is now afraid of "the hook."
"What do you expect, Mother? I'm HALF MACHINE!!!"
Idiot middle brother is a wanna be big time magician who just can't seem to make the (any) trick turn out. Gets around on a Segway, and is often seen running down the street going 2 miles an hour on it. He's desperately trying to get back into the Magician's Alliance. Frequently injures himself during performances (his theme is the 70's anthem 'the Final Countdown.') He cut off younger brothers fake hand during a performance. As they reattached it, the crowd thought it was the trick. They loved it.
Twin sister Lindsay is married to can't-not-be-gay-but-he-doesn't-know-it Tobias. He continually says stupid things that have huge sexual connotations (in a very humorous way). Together they disfunctionally raise their only child, daughter Maebe. She's the only normal one in the family. Her and Michael's son, George Michael Bluth

Check it out

My Aliso Woods Ride

2005-03-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

I went riding with John this morning. It was just like old times. I was surprised he could get a ride in. And what a great ride it was! Aliso Woods is soooo nice! There are so many trails to ride. So many options.

We went with his neighbor, so the plan was just to ride up the fire road to the end, then take the single track back. What a beautiful day! Not to hot, sunny and everything was so green. Water was flowing in the streams, wildlife was scampering off the trail as we rode by, and the sun was out. Life was good!

We decided to go up Cholla when we got there. Its such a great way up to the ridge! That has to be my favorite assent there! Technical uphill singletrack, pretty difficult, but doable in about 10 minutes (that's 10 minutes of leg-burning uphill). But the beauty of technical singletrack is that it keeps your mind occupied. Having to constantly choose the right line up helps me forget my legs and lungs are killing me. I hate getting passed by 55 year old runners and girls throwing up while they continue to pedal past me.

And going down Lynx was so nice! Not quite as long or as challenging as Rockit, but still fun and challenging. It was so fun! I love that place. Talked with John about doing a double loop sometime soon. That will really be a ride!

The beauty of Aliso Woods is that one of the best singletrack sections of Orange County is pretty accessible to anyone. You just need to get up that fire road, and that is only slightly up hill all the way. But then you cross the creak, and BAM! Awesome singletrack, not too technical, but tons of fun! Its the best, Jerry, the best!

What a great morning!

Music Lists

2005-03-25T15:06:00.000-08:00

My top 10 songs by people whose CD's I don't have

What About Everything? - Carbon Leaf

Jacksons, Monk and Rowe - Elvis Costello (Elvis singing with a string quartet)

Better Be Home Soon (live, acoustic) Neil Finn - Neil actually invites you to join join and gives chord help along the way

I Can See Clearly Now - Neil Finn

Here We Go Again (With Norah Jones) - Ray Charles & Norah Jones

Running to Stand Still (Live) - U2 (from the Band-Aid concert in 1985)

Coming Back to Life - Pink Floyd

What I Make Myself Believe - Lowen & Navarro

All Around the World - Oasis

N.M.I. - Sean Watkins (guitar player from Nickel Creek)

Going Back to Georgia - Counting Crows and Nancy Griffith

Old Time Memory - Josh Kelley

Honorable Mention
When You're Falling Afro Celt Sound System (Featuring Peter Gabriel)

Overkill (accoustic) - Colin Hay (of Men at Work)

In the Jailhouse Now - Delbert McClinton (the song was in "O Brother Where Art Thou", he's got a funkier beat to it

Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Israel Kamakawiwo'ol (Ukeleli version)

Jet Airliner - Paul Pena (You've heard the Steve Miller Band remake, Paul wrote it)

Fourth Of July - X (Enough said)

And here's a list of artists who have 5 stars in iTunes

Cake
Alanis Morissette
Carbon Leaf
Counting Crows
Cheap Trick
Crashtest Dummies
Crowded House
Dave Mathews Band
Elvis Costello
Evanescence
Genesis
Howard Jones
Howard Shore
Indigo Girls
John Mayer
Josh Kelley
Lenny Kravitz
Lowen & Navarro
Lyle Lovett
Natalie Merchant
Neil Finn
Nickel Creek
Oasis
Owsley
Pink Floyd
Ray Charles & Norah Jones
REM
Sarah McLachlan
Sean Watkins
Tara MacLean
Third Day U2

Check it Out

2005-03-24T14:50:00.000-08:00

Check out http://spaces.msn.com/members/greglewis/. I think its a great/interesting way to use a blog. Gregs a good friend of mine.

Scrubs

2005-03-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

Darn it! I missed Scrubs again! I even looked up what time it was going to be on. Stupid me! I tried to tape Scrubs while we watched The Amazing Race. I can't even to that right! We ended up taping AR while we watched it, instead of taping Scrubs. Dang it!
I saw enough to know that Michael J. Fox was guest appearing on both of them. I like him, too. I can't believe how often I miss Scrubs. Its probably my favorite show on TV, but for some reason I keep missing it. I either forget its on, or screw up taping it (thats happened at least twice).
I need Tivo.

Snow in Summer

2005-03-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

It's my blog, I'll do what I want. This is a note I got from my 6 year old daughter:

Dear Dad, you are the Best Some time can we go see a movey from the thedr? Mabey yol say yes or no. enyway, I just wont [want] moor time with you Love Your Dotr

I'm melting!

My Girl

2005-03-22T20:43:00.000-08:00

My daughter is 6 years old. She’ll be 7 in October. I can’t believe it. My oldest child will be 7. That’s first grade, almost second. No way, it can’t be.

She is getting over some of her timidity she displays at times (only occasionally). Thanks to Mrs. B in preschool, kindergarten, and soccer, she’s starting to not be scared of new situations, although she still gets a bit nervous. She started on a new soccer team recently, and seems more excited to be with other girls. I’m sure it helps having her friend Meagan on her team. But last season she had one of her best friends on her team, and she still freaked out from time to time during games. You know, all those people watching her. We’ll see about this season.

She has to take medication every night for a urinary tract condition. We’ll, her latest bladder infection has her on a new antibiotic. She hates it! Ever try to get a 6 year old to swallow 1 and a half tablespoons of a medicine they hate? Its not easy! So we got her to try pills. Real pills, not the kind you chew. She does awesome! She’s got these big ol’ tablets she has to swallow, which are a little too big. So we cut them up. She swallows 5 of these good sized halves. She’s awesome. She gets a kick out of it. It makes her feel big. And its better then that icky medicine she was swallowing.

I’m so proud of her!

Mountain biking induced thoughts

2005-03-20T20:33:00.000-08:00

I went riding with Brian after church today. I had to miss the Easter Egg hunt at the Youngs, but it was worth it.

We went to Modjeska grade...or is it Modjeska truck trail. I'm not sure. We used to call it the Casa Loma ride. Its the one across from where Paul used to ride. It was a great ride! The hills were so green, and the trail was just perfect. Still just a touch damp, so there was almost no dust flying. We rode for about 45 minutes and then turned around. It felt great to do some climbing, and the way back had the fun downhills. Brian hadn't been there for a while and kept commenting how beautiful the hills were. Its great to be reminded of how nice we have it here, and after all the rain we've had, the hills are incredible, and hopefully will be for a while.

There's talk about a Brianhead trip in September, instead of the trip to Mammoth. That should be fun! I guess there is a lot more cross-country trail riding there. Mammoth was fun, but I'm sure Brianhead will be really good, too. I'm sure either place will be great! Mammoth is just a bit easier to get to. Plus, when you ride at Mammoth, you can say, "I rode at Mammoth, and it was great!" I guess its just a bit more "epic." Maybe.

There's nothing wrong with mixing up the trip destinations, trying new places. And I'm sure we will have our epic. A new place, lots of new adventures, lots of new trails to ride. Mountain bike trips are so fun. The fact that you are on one makes you just want to ride as much as you can for the short time you are there. Two rides a day can seem so hard, but you just keep reminding yourself that in a day or two you'll be back at home and lucky to ride once a week (at least for me). And fun new trails are just incredible to find, and on a trip like this you're sure to find several. Just soaking up the beautiful new sites and enjoying incredible new trails with friends is something else.

Memories of our former trips are so fun to think of. I can remember places we've stopped to catch our breath, take in something to eat, or just take in the scenery. Amazing and fun! Riding in places you've never seen before, climbing hills you've never been up before, winding down singletrack you've never tried before, and just taking it all in with everyone there. Man, I can't wait!

Dang it!

2005-03-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

I thought I’d go on line to see if a couple lesser-known bands I really like are going to be playing around here any time soon. Nickel Creek – nope. Carbon Leaf – dang it! Last night they were in Hollywood! That would have been a great show to be at! They played at the House of Blues. It would have been really good! Dang it, dang it, dang it! Maybe next year.

Check them out here. Nickel Creek here.

Spiderman 2

2005-03-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

“Great movie!” they said.
“Best comic book movie ever made!” they told me.

Boring, I tells ya! It seemed like I had to wait forever for anything to happen. And its an action movie! It couldn’t end soon enough for me. Too much, “I’m torn between the love I can’t have and my life as Spiderman” self-searching and not enough Spiderman crap. I kept trying to stay awake so I wouldn't miss some good Spider-crap. But I all I missed while snoozing was the blah blah blah blah junk that held the movie back. But I tell ya, I didn’t miss enough of it.

The blooper real in the Special Features got my interest after the movie, but that was only after I sat through the longest hour and a half of my life.

I should have not wasted my time and just watch “Envy” again. Jack Black and Ben Stiller can usually at least make me laugh most of the time.

Wow!

2005-03-17T16:32:00.000-08:00

There's a lot of information not getting out there...at least as far as I can see, with my limited viewing of ABC, NBC, and CBS, and the little news I hear on the way to and from work. Take Terri Shavio. Most who've heard of her think she is the poor woman who's a vegetable, whose husband is trying to let her die with dignity. At least thats what I was thinking for the majority of the time I was aware of her.

But read this this.

Wow!

Sunday at the Park

2005-03-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, we're at the park. Our old friends/neighbors want to get together for and "Easter"egg hunt. Neither family cares much for Easter, hence the early date for the party. We've done the hunt, even did a scavenger hunt. So now the kids are playing at the playground. Looking around, I notice a lot of Japanese families at the picnic tables. One of their kids is having a birthday party.
The next thing I know, up walks the hired kids entertainment: a Charlie Chaplin look-a-like. A Japanese Charlie Chaplin look-a-like. And he's bringing with him a few crates of goodies...No doubt Magician-type stuff, I'm thinking. Sure enough, he sets up, and Presto-Chango, the magic starts.

Have you ever seen a Japanese Charlie Chaplin look-a-like? It is quite the sight. And he had quite the Japanese accent, too. We just happened to be sitting at a table close to the action, so one of the gals we were with went to get our kids, and we all enjoyed the magic from the side. I found it quite interesting watching Mr. Chaplin with a Japanese accent. And he kept asking the kids, "What colaaaahh?"

He also relied heavily on the "make silly body and facial gestures" technique to get the kids giggling. If your kids ever watched "The Giggles" you know what I mean. Between the accent and and goofy acting, I found it quite the spectacle and hard to enjoy. But that's me. I'm a grown-up. At least age-wise, that is. The kids were drinking it all in.

As I was watching him, I kept wondering where this guy came from, and hoping the birthday family didn't pay much for the guy. But the kids loved him, and he did pull 2 birds and a rabbit seemingly out of no-where. Fortunately, we had to get going, so I didn't have to site through his entire routine. The kids were sad to go, but didn't put up too much of a fight. Good for them. Good for us!

A good Seinfeld site is here. Check it out. You'll laugh. I did, anyway.

Hmmmmmm....

2005-03-07T22:04:00.000-08:00

Its almost time for bed...where did the day go? Had to come home early to help Julie. (Someone has to clean the bowl when she's sick.) Good stuff. But that was earlier...she's feeling much better now. Thanks to the in-laws for taking the kids.

Observation is coming Thursday. The principal will be here. I'll have to make my room shine, and put on a song and dance. So much to do.
Did anyone tape last weeks "Scrubs?"