I have moved my blog once again (hopefully for near the last time). What I have done is combined this blog with my professional blog (The Amphitheater) under a single new banner: The Fry Side, which is located at my new personal website, ebfryer.com. All my archives have moved as well, so returning to this address shouldn't be necessary. I have explained my move in a post there as well.
Toodles, Folks!
To the question of Nature versus Nurture, I give you this quote from my son when asked if dinner is good:
Indeed, it certainly is.
Yesterday started off with a bit of a bang. At around two in the morning, a large thunderstorm formed over the Cities, and a huge thunderclap hit right over our house, waking all of us on the top floor. I got up to hold Austin and he fell asleep in my arms a moment later so I put him right back to bed.
I got up with Michelle just after five. She rushed out the door, as usual, but I went through a leisurely morning routine. Getting up that early means I have some extra time to get completely ready before Austin wakes up. It isn't that necessary anymore, since he knows the morning routine and runs mostly on autopilot until I drop him off at school. Still, it's nice to read a bit of news and listen to a podcast or two while brushing my teeth without a kid under me asking questions non-stop.
Work started up again this week, and it's nice to be back. Not working during the summer makes me feel like such a bum, but now I'm back to contributing to the family. Everyone at work was pleased to see my return. My position usually has a lot of turnaround, so the staff is pretty happy to have me on board for a while.
Not much changed over the summer on my end of things, so work is rather light going into the school year. Only one lab needs to have new images put on the computers. The teachers have been back since the middle of last week, so they're working at a more relaxed pace too.
There's another reason that things are a little slow and quiet around the school. We're up this year to have to renew a levy to compensate for the increased lack of funding from the state, and on top of that, there's a potential teachers strike on the horizon. Those two facts aren't going to play well together with those who are up to vote on increases in their taxes to pay for the schools. It's a pretty dismal picture if our district doesn't get it passed. Oh yeah, all two hundred school districts out here are having to do the same thing. Go figure.
That's about it. It was a good first day back, and I'm about to head out the door for another day. Oh, a little before dinnertime, I got an email saying I made it into Hamline University and its Master of Arts in Teaching program. So my pipe dream of becoming a teacher is actually going to happen. Children of Minnesota, beware...
I just got off the phone with the Queen Mother. She called to check that we were all okay from the flooding up here, and I finally told her that we're having a baby. So when sending each other our love, here's her line:
Give Austin a hug. And give Michelle a hug. Though not too big a hug, you know what happened last time you did that.
This picture was for Uncle Ken. Oh the levels...
I knew M was warping him...
These amused me. He is pointing out what he knows about pine trees in the same manner as his dad and granddad.
This weekend was wet and rainy and dreary. So yes, in my opinion, it was heavenly. Everything is wet and dark green and misty. Everything smelled alive, growing, full energy. It brought to mind the Pacific Northwest.
Saturday morning, Mommy was up with the boy and I. She's doing well, though her stomach's feeling worse. She's good at fighting through it all, far better than I. So on a wet weekend morning, what is there to do with a feisty three year old boy? Mom had the brilliant idea: let's take him on his first trip to the library.
What a wonderful treat! He didn't quite know what was in store for him. He's been to the video store with me many times (we do the Blockbuster Online deal since we have the store right around the corner) so he understands the concept of borrowing things and having to return them.
But oh my goodness, the library! As soon as you walk into our local library, on the right is the children's section. For the first five minutes, we could barely get past the first cart of books. He was pulling them out left and right. And mommy and I were doing the same. I'll admit, I was pretty excited to get my new library card and to learn that it's a wifi hotspot, so just maybe, when mommy needs quiet time with the baby, he and I can go the library to read and hang out. I might even accomplish something outside the walls of my own house.
One might not be able to guess what we did for the remainder of the afternoon. What would a little boy with a dozen brand new books want to do? Have Mommy and Daddy read to him left and right! So yes, for a nice and dreary afternoon with a warm lunch and naps, we read lots of books. What a wonderful way to spend a day.
That evening, M and I watched part of the Twins game, basically through the Rangers winning 5-0 with no hope in sight for the Twinkies' bats. But at least she managed to catch what is apparently a regular special. On Sundays, when an adult ticket is purchased in the cheap seats or family seats (alcohol free section), you get two free kid tickets. And so, that was what we planned as a surprise for the boy.
Sunday morning was relaxing and lazy, just as a Sunday morning should be. We read more stories and had lunch. Austin had no idea on where we were going. We packed some water in his backpack and headed out. I was excited too. I love baseball, and actually going to a game is a particularly special treat. We got downtown, and I told Austin to keep an eye out for a big white building. He finally spotted the Metrodome, and without provocation, he guessed that it was a ballgame.
I'm such a dad sometimes. Soon as we walked in, he and I bought new baseball caps. The happiest moments for me is teaching my son what to watch for and having him cheer a strikeout.
The game was grand, a huge pitcher's duel. Johan Santana was on the mound for the Twins, and I was wearing his jersey. Michael Cuddyer hit a solo homerun, the only run of the entire game. Without notice or warning, Santana matched his personal best of fifteen strikeouts in a game, and then went on to set a Twins record of seventeen strikeouts. It was the kind of game I love. Amazing pitcher goes eight straight innings without shrugging and a closer comes in the 9th to seal the deal. It's how it should be. And my boy and I were standing and cheering for the final out.
We got home and had some dinner, and to calm Austin down at the end of the day, I popped in the classic Peter Pan. I think that it's by far his favorite movie; the crocodile cracks him up. Plus, Peter Pan is just one of those entities in our culture and literature that for some reason reaches me. And this old Disney movie is such a great touch of pure classic innocence. It was Mr Walt Disney's ultimate goal, what he always wanted to make, and I love it like that.
It's nice to have such a good weekend. That way, before six in the morning, when cats are meowing and I don't want them to wake the boy, I take it as an opportunity to wake up early and work out and shower before the day begins. I wish I could start every day like that.
"Tee dum, tee dee, a tiddly dum te day... We march, along, and these are the words we say..."
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On Monday night, a pair of very powerful storms blew through our area. 80 mph wind shears, two inch hail, some flood and tornado watches, knocked out power, lightning and thunder, the whole kit and caboodle. I really wanted to get out and see it, but my wife made me stay in the basement with her and the off their rockers cats. The boy was actually staying the night at Grandma and Grandpa's, and wound up sleeping through the whole thing.
There have been other reasons for my lack of posting lately: I can't seem to write a full thought anymore. By the time my mind finally puts itself into a place where a topic has formed enough to explore, something comes up. Even just now. Always, something breaks, some timer goes off, some chore must be done, someone's yelling at my from across the house, or some dumb animal gets themselves into trouble.
I apologize for the lack of updates this summer. But there has been a small reason weighing on my mind...
Cheers, everyone!
imaginative
adj.
1. Having or showing creativity or inventiveness.
2. My son, Austin.
This morning, Austin was playing at his corner Lego table. He was chattering away at me as usual, this time with the tale of him being on a baker's blue airplane. When I told him to play nicely while I was going to take a shower, the following conversation ensued:
"You can't take a shower, Daddy."
"Why not?"
"It's the Baker's shower."
"Oh it is, is it?"
"Yeah. It belongs to the Baker in the kitchen."
"Okay, Austin, I'll just ask the Baker to use the shower."
I walk over to the kitchen. "Hello Baker," I began, "mind if I use the shower? *insert gibberish as baker's reply* Okay sir, I will keep it clean in there; no splashing around." I turned back to my son at the table, "The baker said it was okay for me to use the shower. You play nicely and I'm going to go take–"
"You can't, Daddy. You didn't ask Tony the Baker."
"Oh? I thought I just had."
"No, you didn't say Tony."
"Ah, I see."
I stepped back to the kitchen. "Hey Tony," I said with a bad Jersey accent, "Mind if I use the shower? *More gibberish reply* Thanks, man!"
Back in the living room, "Alrighty, Austin, Tony the Baker said I could use the shower."
"Okay, Daddy."
I had to negotiate with an invisible baker named Tony in my kitchen in order to take a shower this morning. If that's not a sign of a free mind at work, I don't know what is.
It is absolutely mind-boggling just how much we did last weekend. Last Thursday night, we caught a plane from Saint Paul to San Francisco. Taking the red-eye flight was not as rough as one would think, even with our three year old boy. We slept a little bit, but not as much as we would have liked to. By 3 am, we were finally resting peacefully at my parents' house.
So the next morning, we got up a little late, but managed to get out and headed north to see my Granddad in Sacramento. The poor boy got a little antsy sitting in the car for so long (it was about 8 hours worth the previous night) but he pulled through well. He was excited to be in Great Grandpa's backyard to wander around and inspect things. Granddad hasn't been in the best of shape lately, but he was in plenty good spirits for our visit. Somewhere, my dad even has a picture of now four generations of Fryer boys.
We stayed for about an hour and a half, then we were off toward the coast to visit the rest of my dad's family in Saint Helena. We met up at my Aunt and Uncle's winery for a light lunch and visit along with one of my cousins and my Grandma Mary (the Queen Mother, as she is in our family). It was so good to see them all, and Austin continued to be extra good, and impressed the family. He's the first of the new generation, and I'm glad he was welcomed.
The big thing was when we finally got back into town and visited Grandma's house. She had books and toys from when my cousins and I were young and visiting Grandma. He dove right in (there were big legos) while I took Michelle on a tour of the house. We wound up standing in the library and just pouring over all the titles on those shelves. Michelle especially was utterly impressed with it all, and it turned out that Grandma Mary was impressed with her interest in it all. As if I could marry anyone who isn't a bookworm!
We piled back into my mom's car and headed back to Turlock that evening so we could wake up and not have to go anywhere. That morning, Ken and Rachel come over with their baby boy, Evan. It was amazing to finally see him. He was wide awake in my arms and muttering and kicking with a strong pair of legs. He'll be a tree climber in no time, I say.
For lunch, my Grandma and sister Leann came over and visited for the afternoon. It was all too brief seeing my Grandma, since I had to take off for the wedding rehearsal. At least she got to spend a little more time with my wife and son. I got up to Modesto and saw Ian for the first time in what felt like years. It was beyond good to see him, as well as Jaime and his family. The rehearsal was quick, then we were off to a pizza place where the rest of our brothers and Michelle joined us. It was grand, particularly when Ian fell over his bench.
It's amazing that nearly every time we brothers are together, stories for the ages seem to be written right on the spot. After pizza, we went and gathered all our preferred beverages and headed back to my parents' place for the evening. We did nothing but sit and talk, and it was grand. Warren's dad even came out to visit for a while, and I tell you it was damn good to see him too. It may have even finally proved the fact that I did wind up growing up and having a family. Since he knew me since Junior High, he along with everyone else was pretty darn sure I'd screw up somewhere along the way (as he tends to put it). It was totally a gas having us all together, just as always, only substituting Mountain Dew and Dungeons & Dragons for beer and wives. We're all just dopes who consider each other family.
The wedding on Sunday was perfectly lovely. The ceremony was short and sweet and we could then quickly get to celebrating. Erin looked absolutely stunning, and I tell you, Jaime's parents were nothing but smiles. Sadly, Warren, Eric, and Bee couldn't stay too long, but at least we finally made sure to get a picture of we five brothers together before the departures happened. It's getting increasingly hard for me to say goodbye to them or anyone out west, for that matter. I get too choked up to talk most of the time, which is surprising considering that Jaime's family from Mexico dubbed me the 'radio announcer' because I had the longest and apparently most clearly spoken speech of the evening.
Michelle, Austin, and I had to take off early to catch the plane home, and so we boarded our plane just after midnight, and by 7 am, we were home and sleeping in until noon. Next time we go anywhere, it needs to be when we don't have a specific event to attend, so we can actually relax with our families; no more of this in and out in three days nonsense. But it seems that anytime we go anywhere, the family keeps on growing, and that is even true here in Minnesota...
Over the weekend, we adopted another cat. Puma is a fat orange tabby that belonged to someone Emily knew and had to find a home for. We figured Tyrone needed a brother, and it turned out Puma is just about a month older. They're getting along okay, though Ty is quite a bit more territorial, of course, since it was his house first. But otherwise, it's fun having more animals around. Although Puma is playful, he makes Ty look like a genius. Puma has managed to get himself trapped up by the ductwork above the furnace twice today. Boy do we know how to pick 'em...
It's wonderful to be home, except when things around here are falling apart a bit. There turned out to be another leak in the basement, this time getting under the carpets a bit. Apparently over the weekend, our—wait for it—air conditioning system has leaked water (somehow) through our rusted-out ductwork. I am hoping it will have a simple solution, but fretting about it has delayed my writing this post a bit (that and recovering from the trip).
I leave you now with a few pictures, and hopefully more later. Toodles~
The Brothers: Ian, Eric, Jaime, Warren, Myself
Austin and his Tio, Jaime.
It's odd that when growing up, one hardly has an inkling of just how much a father does to keep a house and family running. So now that I have my own house and family, it is a near constant feeling of dawning realization of just how much dads do. This is not to say that moms never do these things. I think it is more a case of if there is a dad around, these jobs more often than not fall on him. Hence, I am now billed with having to do what I affectionately call Fatherly Duties.
These jobs around the house are hardly of boasting quality. The first task, and the one that brings me back to the idea of Fatherly Duties nearly every time, is the emptying of the litterbox. This is also, I think one of the lowest jobs a person can do. It's the job where, if extra terrestrials were watching, the obvious conclusion would be that I am not the master of this particular domicile. While it is probably true on other levels, I am still not a fan of thinking it in this way.
There are, of course, the maintenance and handyman type of things that abound from owning one's own house, too. Frames need to be nailed back into place, electrical circuits need to be monitored (or in this house's case, figured out just where they go, since what would be logical is not often the fact), furniture to be set up and/or moved, etc. I am also the designated mower of lawns and maintainer of yards. Nothing was decreed in as such, and of course I was not elected to this post, I simply do these things.
I actually like to maintain my house, and recently did enough cleaning of my garage to give me the hope of parking in there during this decade. But mostly what really falls on me to do is the unfortunate things. I've had to take care of a good many dead birds on my doorstep. And the truly unfortunate falls on me as well.
This morning, I was woken up by a knock on the door. Now, normally it is Austin waking up and coming to get me to basically yell in my ear that he's going to the bathroom now. Today, however, it was our roommate Emily. I opened up the door when she said 'It's Tyrone...' She explained that she saw him a couple blocks away in the street. My heart stopped for a moment, but I more or less froze. She felt so bad, so I hugged her as I thought of how I was going to take care of this while my boy was still sleeping in the next room.
I asked her to just stay at the house while I went and gathered up a box and a plastic bag and prepared to head out to collect my poor cat. It's easier to hold down the emotions choking me when I have a job to do. My mind was racing as I tried to think of how I would break it all to my poor boy and my wife. We're Fryers, so even the dumbest of our little animals is a part of our families. Austin is Tyrone's big brother. This duty falls on me. I'm the father.
I opened up the door to the garage to fetch a shovel, and from the dark came a meow and Tyrone flew into the house as if nothing was going on (because he's cat; nothing's going on for him). He was in the garage as he usually is after following Michelle out and getting trapped in there when the doors shut. Emily and I both gasped in sweet relief.
I dodged the awful today. I can't believe the luck I have in life sometimes. I do not shirk my duties, however. I live to take care of my family, no matter how terrible the things I must do are. I'm the commander of the submarine, and the responsibility to make us move without sinking is mine.
I made it through the end of the year no more scraped and bruised than I began. Plus, I managed to make off with a bunch of new toys to play with for the summer. (I'm doing 'research' on how to make readily usable mobile recording studios for the school). This decked-out MacBook I've snagged is pretty sporty, if you ask me. Once I'm in a position to upgrade (and I actually need to), it will probably be what I get. Though the black is nice and sleek, it shows greasy finger spots and scratches more readily than the white, so I will mostly likely spare myself the fifty bucks to go black, and thus also allowing me to go back if I so choose.
The past weekend was spent turning into something more akin to vegetation than animal. I've been reading and playing games and doing a few chores around the house and the yard. The lawn, as of today, has finally gotten fertilized and will hopefully soon be returning to its former green glory. We've also planted a few flowers in pots out front and on the deck, which, while rather sparse, do make a little difference in how those spaces feel.
At this point, I am still looking for summer work, and have been going through the classifieds in the local shopper, as well as word of mouth and fliers for summer lessons. Though I know I could be trying harder, it's a little tough to get motivated for it. I do rather enjoy reading and working on things around the house that have long been postponed and, at some point, writing again. Because of those personal things I'd like to do, I hope that summer lessons or some website work could come along, and then it could be done on my own time from my home.
Michelle and I are keeping Austin in daycare for the summer. He is doing far too well there and loves it too much to just pull him out and slow down that progress. He just moved into the next room up, where there are only about ten kids, and so he gets even more attention. Plus, Austin's with kids closer to his age, instead of anywhere from a year younger to half a year older. That kind of disparity at his age means that things had to be a bit simplified so the younger ones wouldn't just lose it and start veering.
I keep trying to reflect on what I've done at work, and I feel there's nothing really to tell. I did my job, apparently, well above par, and have job security there for as long as I want it. It's a great place to be, and aside from the occasional annoyances that crop up for every service position I couldn't be more pleased to work with the staff there. And if I could ever wind up with a proper teaching gig there, with my own classroom and everything, I'd be one happy little camper.
Ta~
My best friends have just had their first baby!
Meet Evan Michael. He was born Wednesday, 30 May 2007 at 11:32 pm at Emmanuel Hospital in Turlock, California. 8.4 pounds, 20 1/4 inches. Has the look of both parents in him, big time, and arrived at nearly midnight just as I did. The world is most definitely this kid's oyster. He's got two of the best parents you could ever find in this world. I wish I was there to celebrate with them. Now I have three Howenstines to miss every single day...
I neglected to mention what else happened Friday. I got called into the principal's office to have a chat about the work I've done this year. Thankfully, she was in a little competition with one of the vice principals to finish her reviews first, so the bandage was ripped off nice and quick.
I, as usual, was a little more nervous than I should be. I have never liked getting called in to the office. Especially since I have a knack for appearing guilty even when no crime was perpetrated. My wife can especially vouch for that trait. So yes, there was good reason to be nervous, and it is because the universe regularly conspires against me.
I was presented with a rubric that was something of an outline of the various aspects of my job and the four rating categories that each may fall into. The principal blew through it really fast, but explained about the categories 'unsatisfactory' being what it states, 'basic' would be the entry level of knowing how to do your job and is the expected point for doing one's job, 'proficient' is doing incredibly well in what is assigned and having above-average outcomes, and 'distinguished' meaning going far and beyond the call of duty to do something worthy of being pointed out. The last category is not meant to be the final goal of all job aspects, but rather something extra being done, which I thought interesting.
Well my review, as it turned out, left me rated as 'proficient' in all categories except my amount of work accomplished. In that, I was deemed 'distinguished'. That surprised the heck out of me, and as I told my reviewer, I thought I was just doing my job. She said that is usually how it happens. I must say, that is a nice way of putting it.
All of this makes for a prelude to an exchange I had with my mom via email, where I sassed her about emailing while at work, to which she promptly replied:
Like you don't blog on the taxpayer's dime, Evan.
So my midweek wrapped up with a tornado watch that sent me into a stinky basement. Good times, I say.
Thursday was Michelle's birthday. I had worked a non-student day, so I was able to have a floating holiday to use as I please. I took the day off, and headed down to Minneapolis to have a nice lunch with my wife on her birthday. Such was my plan all along, but as it turned out, she had been having a long week already by that point, so it also gave her a lovely little break. On my out to her building, I picked up a fresh bouquet of flowers from a street vendor, as well.
We had a long lunch at an Applebee's. Then I took her directly across the skyway hall to present her with her birthday present. It was a Borders bookstore, and I let her go hog wild in there. Thank the great forces that be (and my own amazing luck), they were having a 3 for 2 sale on her favorite author, Jodi Picoult. Plus we got a few other tidbits for reading pleasure too. I felt it was quite a proper Fryer gift, as little reading material was ever turned down when I was growing up.
Best thing about taking your wife to shop at a bookstore? It's fine if you pick up something for yourself. I picked up a book my father recommended, The Coming Anarchy by Robert D Kaplan, as well as something else I'm excited to read. I enjoyed reading Frank McCourt before, and have enjoyed them greatly. But this book seems rather appropriate: Teacher Man. I can't wait to dig in after reading Kaplan, which is also turning out eerily fascinating and telling.
That evening, we three headed up to the in-laws' for a nice birthday dinner. We also managed to negotiate with Grandma to babysit for Friday night. When Friday afternoon rolled around, Michelle's folks stopped by to say hi and Mike checked out the new sprinkler pump I picked up to replace our busted one and formulate a plan for installation. They took Austin with them, and all reports were clean; he was the consummate Mr Manners.
Michelle and I spent the evening being free and relaxed. We went out for a little shopping and other wanderings, and got some drinks and appetizers to finish the night. It was such a nice break for all the week's hullabaloo. We had real conversation, with actual thought and pauses free of whining. We love our son dearly, but if there's hardly a moment to be an adult, not just a parent, one's mind will surely depart this world.
I liked being able to celebrate my wife's birthday over two days. She deserves it. After all, she means the world to not only me, but to my son as well.
Okay, here's the recap of what happened this week, plus some extra fun things that managed to occur:
Monday's golf tournament was fun. It was set up as foursome scrambles, and all those playing from work took over the back nine of a pretty nice course in Anoka. I had a blast, and on one hole, we actually played off of each one of my shots, getting us a par. That sort of stuff makes me almost believe I could be good at the game. Of course, I then realize golf really is a silly game, plus it is quite a bit more fun when you plan to be awful in the first place.
Tuesday I went with my friend the band director and her 7th grade band to the Mall of America. Each half of the band performed their set, then it was off to a couple hours of eating and running amok. The MOA has an indoor (duh) amusement park, formerly known as Camp Snoopy. It was just going to be her as the sole school staffer on the trip and none of the parents going with on the bus from the school. She was pretty grateful to have me around to help, and I was more than happy to help my friend and get most of a day off from work.
Of course, after we had come back from those escapades, I still had to teach the final session of my Animation class after school for two hours. I had compiled all the kids' animations into a whole video, which I hope to post up somewhere on the web when I can. There was only a little tweaking left to do, and then we all had some pizza along with throwing the whole thing onto a DVD and setting up the good projector and sound system. Though there were some days I really did not have it in me to run that class (namely since spring makes kids lose their minds), I was still a little sad to have it end. Here's my small group of 7 kids:
Wednesday... holy cow Wednesday. Jazz Band was planned for after school, as I managed to have 'other things' planned after school two days before (like coming in second in a tournament). By afternoon, some of the storms that have been teasing us for a week finally arrived and dumped some precipitation. That is all well and good. Of course, then about 10 minutes into the final hour of school, the sirens across town went off, and then the announcement was made: we are under a tornado watch.
We had not, to my knowledge, run any tornado drills this past school year, so the kids went a little haywire. All they had to do was get up and head down to their designated areas in the basement. The kids did well enough, but it was slow going. Had we had a drill or two, I don't think it would have been so chaotic getting to the right places. Once finally in the basement (my group was in the wresting room with another few hundred) we had everyone sitting, but terribly noisy. And smelly. It was overly humid in general due to the weather, then we were all crammed into a basement room below hot water pipes. It was just a tad foul. At least no tornado actually formed, and we eventually all made it out of the school about 40 minutes past our normal day's end.
The short story is, I had my first jazz rehearsal canceled due to my first tornado watch.
That's it for now... it's a lovely Sunday morning, and I have a garage to clear out in the desperate hope of parking in there by winter. Plus, I'm sick of tripping over junk to get to what I actually need. I write again later.
Ta~
Okay, I've finally added both blogs to Technorati, and in return, they've added a spunky new search engine for this blog. You may now peruse my blog or the entire blogging realm right from your favorite website about me. Enjoy!
I have a busy a little week ahead of me. After school today is a staff golf tournament. I have not touched my clubs since sometime last year. I don't even think since moving back out to Minnesota. So this is fair warning to my back and to my wife: today is going to be rough. And that, my dear friends, is a golfing double entendre.
Tomorrow, aside from teaching the last session of my afternoon animation class, I need go and get an new sprinkler pump and start getting it put together with my father in law. Of course, it's supposed to also be storming the next couple of days, and God willing it'll drop enough water to finally wake my lawn back up. Oh yeah, and I'm going with the school band on a field trip to the Mall of America during the day. I like having the band teacher as my friend; she gets me out of class!
Wednesday I will be having a makeup jazz rehearsal for having missed Monday due to golfing (shucks). These afternoon classes are tough, because the kids have completely checked out for the summer. There are still three weeks remaining, but they all lost it three weeks ago. Kids can smell summer coming over a month away. I really think that schools might better be served by ending at the end of April, or even on the Vernal Equinox. And I think society would be better served and humbled if we had true holidays, like the solstices and the equinoxes (nuts to Columbus). That and everyone should have their birthday be their own legal paid holiday.
Speaking of birthdays, my beautiful wife is turning a still young 23 on Thursday. I have no idea what we'll do, but we'll do something. Oh, and I should get her a gift, too. Y'know, so she doesn't hold it against me for the next ever.
Friday I may even be allowed to breathe. It'll be sweet. Although I think all that is a start for a hefty weekend for Michelle. There's always something going on these days. And when there's not, we still go out and do something for the kid. He loves to just go and visit the neighbors. We've recently lucked out and met a few people with four year olds, and so hopefully we'll have a lot of playmates for the summer.
But I think my mom and sister started off the busy week the best by gallivanting out to Austin, Texas. They sure sound like they're having a ball. Here's a great line from an email from my mom:
Nice to see such an active downtown scene--horse drawn carriages, outdoor dining, pretty cool, though a bit loud and party heavy for Leann's taste. Oh, and street vendors--including one just for Evan: The Best Wurst hot dog stand.
Yesterday afternoon was my first parent-teacher conference regarding Austin. I tell you, that kid went and set the bar really high for himself. He's gone and become one of the smartest kids in his class, reading and writing his letters with ease, and remember lots of his Spanish and Sign. They're opening a new room for slightly older kids in a couple of weeks, and he's getting bumped up, too. Michelle and I are ridiculously excited about it, and even the teacher said that as soon as she heard it was being opened she thought of how happy we'd be. I guess we're that obnoxious.
This all spells out a dark day for Austin. Henceforth, I will hang this over his little noggin. Even when he's fifteen and getting a C in basket weaving, I will be able to say, 'You were such a good kid, we raised you so well, even back in daycare you were brilliant. Shape up or ship out!' Something along those lines, probably adding in some phrase regarding disappointment. Needless to say, if he ever falters once in his whole life, falling at all below this new benchmark, he will be in serious trouble.
Speaking of serious trouble, Michelle and I just signed back up to play World of Warcraft. Now we each have our own account and can play side by side. It's a fun, relaxing thing we can do together that lets us talk to some of our friends in California and it beats just sitting in front of the tube never talking to one another. Plus, it's a much more fun game to have someone to play with at almost all times, especially if they're in the room with you. I think our friends are pretty stoked to have us back, too. I know I've missed talking to and playing with them.
I'm still looking for good summer work. If anyone needs anything that I can do from out here, let me know~
I'm working on applying to Hamline University in St Paul, and below is my first draft of the essay I have to submit for my application for the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Any suggestions or corrections would be greatly appreciated.
When asking myself why I want to become a public school teacher, I have come to understand that it was less a decision and more a discovery. In my experiences through college and now into my current occupation, I have found that I have a natural knack with children. And not only do I have a knack, it turned out that I truly enjoy working with kids.
This self-discovery came about years ago when I volunteered to cover someone for the younger half of a summer music camp (5th through 8th grades). I was to just come in and teach saxophone and assist in large ensemble rehearsals. The kids surprised me when they were laughing at my jokes as I taught them things, and I surprised them and myself with my energy for the whole endeavor. Even more surprising was that they were actually wanting me to return the next summer.
After that experience, the spark had lit. I went out of my way to begin teaching music lessons at local schools and worked two more years of camp beyond that first time. The following years, I was a resident counselor, in charge of kids overnight in the dorms, as well as taught more classes. There were rave, though often odd, reviews of me by the students (it is quite amusing how 12 year olds express themselves sometimes).
Beyond my college education, which culminated in a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, unfortunately without a teaching credential, was growth in my personal life. I have gotten married and have a young son who has taught me more patience than I thought I had capacity for. Being the very strong-willed, spirited child that he is, has tempered me and shown me the joy of watching someone learn over a longer period of time than a few short summer weeks.
Since graduating and moving halfway across the country, I almost exclusively sought work in the educational field. My seemingly bottomless well of good luck landed me as a computer technician for an arts-oriented, public middle school. I work with 6th through 8th grade students daily, as well as have been able to teach after school music and technology classes on top of that. I greatly enjoy what I am doing now, and look ever more forward to having a classroom of my own. Integrating all that I know and have experienced already and adding in all the teaching techniques I will learn is an exciting prospect and challenge.
As for working toward a specifically public school teaching license, there has not been any consideration otherwise. I do not particularly care for the idea of non-public education, as I think it should be free and equal for all. But aside from that, I have always enjoyed working with other people and students from all walks of life. Having so many different perspectives and stories only lends itself to the enrichment of the room they are in, and I would be rather disappointed to teach in anything less.
I tell you, nothing is more serene than the sound of 30+ old CRT iMacs shutting down at once and the quiet that follows it.
So this is a part of the conversation our family had at dinner tonight:
Mommy starts off the dialogue, "Austin, tell Daddy what happened at school today."
"Um, I don't know." Austin replied.
"Tell Daddy where you got an owie."
Austin then spoke honestly, "On my butt."
My curiosity piqued, "How did you get an owie on your butt?" I asked.
"From the toilet paper roller."
"Yeah, his teacher even said, 'I have no idea how it could have happened.'" my wife chimed in.
I could only look at her, then back at my son, all while my brain desperately attempted to figure out how this event transpired. It still hasn't succeeded.
My life has been a festival of drug intake as of late. Last week, I was roughing it through a cold I contracted while being Austin's dad (ie, the boy coughed right in my face many a times, despite having been taught to cover his mouth). NyQuil was my friend and ally in the war on boogers. I thought I had it beat after taking an early afternoon off and resting. I even woke up, picked up Austin from school, and he and I cleared out a great deal of the garage.
But, soon as that was done, I was practically comatose again. Bless Michelle's heart, she let me just sleep away the hours. I thought it would help, alongside some decongestants. I was longing to breathe through my nose. I still am. No amount of anything seemed to get me through, and I tell you, I was one cranky bastard.
So after feeling the worst of it yesterday, and barely surviving through after school rehearsals, I took a different path. Last night, I took Austin with me to do a little shopping, namely to get some allergy medication in the desperate hope that it would work over my having to see a doctor.
I must say, I've never dealt with my boy being so good at a store before. He just sat in the cart and played with his helicopter and told me stories as I was going through my shopping list. He even was helpful and obedient when trying on new shoes and sandals for the summer. Seriously, especially considering the condition I was in, he was absolutely perfect. Much better than the previous trip out where he grabbed the can of shaving gel I put in his part of the cart (I'm not an idiot; I suffer from idiocy) and shot himself square in the eye. He had to have emptied at least a quarter of the can. It's funny in retrospect, but man... rough little go. Most annoying, though, was a random lady showed up to put in her two cents. I guess she had pulled the same foolish move herself recently, as she wasn't quite perceptive enough to notice Michelle taking care of the poor boy right there, either.
Finally last night I ingested some house-brand Claritin and nice Chamomile tea and went to bed. This morning I still woke up feeling like grim death, and even after an almost sinus-clearing, scalding hot shower, nearly called in. But then I went for the big guns: Excedrin. Nothing like painkillers doused with caffeine to kick it up a notch, Bam! It finally started to kick in as I got Austin up and out the door, dressing himself on the way (oh yeah. Once I teach him to tie his shoes, that's it. I'm done parenting. Anything else I do will just damage him). Now I'm floating along just fine, bottle of pills at the ready in my bag.
I'm not a particularly big fan of taking drugs, as I do think it's better for the body to learn to cope properly instead of using a crutch. But then again, what species wouldn't use whatever it had at its disposal to make it feel better. Of course, nature's bloody deceptive, as my dad can attest to birds eating berries that apparently taste good but essentially get them drunk enough to fly into windows and die.
Well, to sum up this completely derailed post, Midwestern allergens are apparently waging a successful conquest of my sinuses and I think I may have finally figured out a cocktail of pharmaceuticals that gets me by. We're still continuing on with another month's worth of testing, with the light at the end of the tunnel being school ending by the next lunar cycle. Ta~
Last week absolutely stunk. Sometimes it is stunning how rough and rude people are with everyone and everything around them. And also so very destructive. We have been constantly replacing and trying to teach people how to properly use some of our equipment, but nothing sticks. Teachers won't reinforce what we teach, and kids are absolute morons. Well, not all of them, but the majority are. And you can tell.
Our composition lab has assigned seating, and whenever you have a good kid sitting at a station, there are no technical difficulties at all. Everything works, because they're not trying to walk around with their headphones plugged in or do something they want to do but don't know how to do with the computer audio system. Teachers don't tell them not to, mostly because they can't tell what the kids are doing, since they spend their time teaching instead of learning tech stuff (and understandably so).
So my whole week was spent fixing that junk, repairing printers, and running around constantly because it's the only week, until the end of the year, free of testing of any kind. Now we've started up over a month's worth of testing that will tie up 30-50% of all our computers. Oh, and some are just field tests. And the main big one is the test that we did in October. All of October. (sigh) I won't rant here.
I'd rather speak of my fun weekend. Part of what made my week hectic was me trying to fit in some good old fashioned practice time. On Saturday morning I filled in for a tenor sax player in a pro big band. It was just a couple of hours, and by the end my chops were aching a bit, but damn it felt good to play again. All I did was sightread jazz music for two hours straight. There wasn't any pressure, as I wasn't going to be at the gig; they just wanted a full band to rehearse with. I made lots of mistakes, but still not as many as I had originally thought I would make, and so much of my embouchure and technique came quickly back to me. I dug it.
When I got home, it was a bit after lunch time, so I watched some of the ballgame and relaxed with a beer and a burrito. Then it was outside to enjoy a lovely afternoon and rake up my lawn to attempt to bring it back to life. I'll tell you, nothing makes you feel more lame than getting worn out from raking. But it was nice to be out and having Austin run amok as I worked. I felt fatherly.
Eventually, our neighbors across the street came by, namely instigated by their little girl soliciting her being twelve and able to babysit now. She reminds me of my sister at about that age, which is cute but at the same time a little disconcerting. At last, Michelle was able to meet them and talk a bit. Two of the three neighbor kids offered to help rake, so I gladly accepted their services in exchange for some lemonade.
Sunday, poor Michelle was sick to her stomach, so I let her sleep most of the day away. I took Austin to the hardware store to gather up supplies to turn our lawn green again, and then he and I had lunch and returned to work outside. I got a little more of the lawn raked (good God my back was/is sore), then as soon as I got far enough, we were on to our mission: reseed the dead spot in the middle of my freakin' lawn. It's about four feet in diameter, and was a fire pit many moons ago and the previous owner, detailed maintenance man that I'm finding out he was, never decided to fix when a new pit was constructed elsewhere. Austin was pretty stoked to be able to water the patch with our new hose and his yellow 'telescope' (straight water nozzle.)
I feel almost accomplished this weekend. Almost. I did wind up wasting over five hours watching part of a Gilmore Girls marathon. Oh well. There's still a ton more to do, and I need to seed and fertilize the lawn before the world orbits much farther. Of course, I also need to properly water the whole lawn with the great sprinkler system I have, but first I need to be able to power on the most likely illegal well, and that will require a hundred feet or more of 220 extension cord. At least then I'll be watering my lawn with free well water rather than paying for city water.
Today after work I hope to get home and plant a little Green Ash sapling Michelle brought home from an environmental fair. And more raking, that way by the time the weekend rolls around, I can water and mow and seed and fertilize and be all set. Of course, weather could stop me, since we're due to have some thunderstorms this afternoon.
Toodles~
It seems that my goofy cat Tyrone has managed to follow directly in the footsteps of his cousin, Buster. This is an amazing thing, considering Buster lives way out in the California mountains.
Last night, just as it started to rain, my kitten brought in a little toy from the great outdoors. Well, he thought it was a toy. Michelle had just come home, and I had Austin in the tub, so I went out to the garage to bring Tyrone in for the night. As soon as I got into the garage, I hear this sad little squeaking/squealing, and a small brown creature being follow by a slightly larger straight black cat.
At first, I could not recognize the little thing Tyrone was chasing/playing with. It darted back under the car, and then under the couch we still have in the garage. Oh, speaking of which, if anyone in the Twin Cities area is looking for a perfectly good recliner couch, let me know and it's all yours.
Tyrone quickly followed it under the couch, and the little thing ran out to the back wall. It was a little baby rabbit. Slightly smaller than a gopher, and luckily completely unharmed. Where it came from, I have no idea. We just have lots more animals like that even in the suburbs here than I had growing up in Central California.
So I managed to eventually corner Tyrone and lock him down in the basement so I could retrieve the rabbit. It was still hiding back under the couch, and so I opened the back door to the garage, lifted part of the couch (it's incredibly heavy; stupid recliners) and it scurried out into the rainy night.
I tell you, though, it was a ridiculously cute little thing, and I'm glad Michelle never saw any more of Tyrone going after it. It's a little easier for her to handle making sure Austin doesn't drink the bath water than Tyrone torturing a baby bunny.
So yes, I feel Tyrone has finally lived up to his feline stature, which was long overdue. He got pretty freaked out by the wind and refused to go outside earlier that day. But at least like his cousin Buster, Tyrone knows how to properly hunt.
Toodles~
Spring is here, a Spuh-ring is here!
Life is Skittles and life is beer!
I think the loveliest time of the year is the Spring,
I do. Don't you? 'Course you do.
But there's one thing that makes Spring complete for me,
And makes every Sunday a treat for me...
All the world seems in tune
On a spring afternoon
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park.
Every Sunday you'll see
My sweetheart and me
As we poison the pigeons in the park.
Life's been going pretty swell out here, though rather tiring. On Tuesday evening was the final band concert of the year, which included the jazz band I've been teaching since January. We performed some prelude music while the giant seventh grade band assembled itself on stage. It went over well, and we got lots of nice compliments from those in attendance. I was really proud of the kids and the work they did, despite having nearly half the jazz band drop out for lack of interest (once a week is rough for some kids to justify, after all.)
It was not the first time I've directed a group before an audience, but it was the first with jazz. It was easy this time around, because we were just background music, nothing to be the center of attention. I don't know if I showed it at all, but I was a little on edge, just because it was jazz. But hey, it went well. I survived. No reason I won't the next time. First DL is over.
There are other wonderful things going on in my life. Austin has been beyond good the past few weeks. He loves the switch of me taking him to school in the morning and Michelle picking him up. He's been getting himself dressed and his manners would do his Great Grandma Mary proud. And, now this will impress everyone who's been to our house, there have been no toys placed on the Naughty Shelf for some time now. It's amazing. I tell you, I'm done raising him. Anything else I do will be more harm than good.
Michelle is still getting up at five am and enjoying her hefty commute to work, where she can listen to music or podcasts and read. Mass transit does equal joy. In fact, I'm a little envious. But then again, I get to blog during my downtime at work. She loves being a cubicle warrior (and loves that I call her that). One thing you'll know around here is that employees at Target Corporate love their jobs and the company itself. I was talking to her last night, and apparently what Coca-Cola is to some people, what with the collectibles and paraphernalia and whatnot, Target will be for her. And you know what? I can accept that, as I have been informed.
I seem to have a hold on my own life, no?
Ta~
I tell you, goodness is being able to play the theme to Beavis and Butt-Head while at work. I think that you have to be a man between the ages of 28 and 23 to really be able to notice at all. Either way, I like having days of working on a project without random, noisy kids coming in and souring my day.
Enjoy the weekend, Radioland. I plan to~
Last night was the first game since opening day that I've been able to catch a ballgame. Watching Ramon Ortiz pitch, I could only stay awake for two-thirds of the game, was a beautiful thing. He almost completely silenced the Yankees, allowing only one run in eight innings. Baseball is just an amazing game, and is partly to blame why I don't believe in probability. So much heart and individual spirit goes into each pitch and each swing, you just never know what will happen.
Granted, baseball is a game full of statistics of every kind encompassing almost a century and a half, and continuing to add to them. But still, in my little pieces of watching, I have seen the worst pitcher strike the greatest hitters out with garbage in the dirt, and seen guys who can't get a hit pull a perfect triple to win the game, and have seen two outs, two runs up in the 9th turn into two runs down and a lost game. There's a chance, a suspense, a debate, and an intensity in every action, and I love it. And if there's a chance, it's fifty-fifty in my book.
It was a nice end to a day full of ups and downs. Austin managed to wake up at five in the morning, just before Mommy and I wake to some classical music on MPR. Oh yes, and it'd been snowing all night and would for the remainder of the day. Luckily we managed to get out of the house on time, even with me dealing with Austin being up and about while I try to assemble myself along with him.
Next came an up. After Austin was at school, on my way to work Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was on the radio. I got to let it rip and I belted out along with it (though Freddy Mercury's range is well beyond my own). It felt good, and it got me groovin' and ready for the rest of the day.
Of course, the rest of the day was quite against it. It got very long, with lots of little things breaking down, but nothing big to specifically work on. Then arose a situation where I had to deal with a discipline problem with a kid in jazz band. Nothing awful, just a boy liking a girl, and to show it the boy terrorize and annoy her ceaselessly. So a parent called, I talked to the boy, it's all sorted. It was just something I don't care to deal with. Luckily he knocked it off before I had to kick him out.
The day ended in great relief when Michelle decided we should get Chinese food for dinner. So she got the munchkin and I went to a new takeout place and ordered out. I walked in like I would have at my favorite takeaway in Reading, and ordered some goodness, then sat to wait. It was such a small pleasure, and it completely recharged me. I took a section of the Star Tribune and simply read for about fifteen minutes. Nothing but smelling the wonderful aromas of food cooking there and reading local news. Like I've said before, Heaven doesn't happen after you die.
I suppose I should get back to editing another podcast for the school. I'm writing this on one of my breaks. I am teaching another session of my afternoon animation class again, which means my days will be regularly very long. At least the podcast is interesting, as most are. This one had a great storyteller, and she was describing being in West Africa where the kids wanted nothing more than pencil and paper. Makes my wheels turn and my fingers itch, I tell you...
Toodles~
Now, this is my argument against an open-air ballpark being built out here:
Silva, Twins' outing vs. White Sox put on hold
Right-hander Carlos Silva will have to postpone his season debut as tonight's Twins-White Sox game has been suspended due to the extremely cold temperatures and winds forecast for the evening. The game will be rescheduled for a future date.
Well, it's the first day of my spring vacation. Nice to be in the education field, right? Normally I would say that it is weak, why not just push through another week's worth of work? Well, I'll tell you, just as any teacher would, that kids get absolutely nutty around the Vernal Equinox, and pushing them too hard for too long will just make them lose it. Most of them did, particularly the week before break.
As a standard, Fridays are the wildest days of those in a week, particularly prior to a long weekend. Since the equinox, though, it's been worse. The lack of forethought and consideration has deteriorated to nearly nothing. They bounce off the walls and each other. My very three year old boy could definitely teach them a lesson in patience.
And this whole week... wow. Nothing could be said or done to get these kids to sit still or keep a thought in their head about anything other than themselves. I am certainly glad it was only a four-day week for them. Friday was for teachers to finish up their work for the end of the quarter.
Right now I'm enjoying doing very little. Tyrone and I are lounging around, both indoors and out. I'm teaching him the boundaries of the house so he'll know where home is, and so he won't be cooped up downstairs, since we've just decided to keep him from Austin at all times. It's unfortunately easier that way. Ty won't run, and Austin can't keep from playing roughly (he doesn't really know he's doing it).
I do have lots to clean around the house, and with the garage having warmed up a touch, I can put what has been living in there into proper storage or disposal, and my poor little Rusty might have a roof over his head for the first time in his life. I'm excited about it. I am also excited about sitting around on my deck, watching the kid and the cat romp around, watching baseball (home opener tonight!), and just reading my little heart out.
Most immediately, I am very excited to have my pseudo-sister coming out to visit this week. She never made it out for the wedding, and I've missed seeing her (like all of those I left in California). We'll try to catch a ballgame, visit Michelle downtown, do little things; mostly just hang.
Here's to a glass of wine and a cheesy flick from the 80s~
Well folks, since it was briefly in the 60s and sunny outside, I was almost duped into believing it was Spring. Actually, I still believe it, only because the snow has sadly melted away, and those (in)famous April showers have started early. Last weekend, while the sun was still sunny and fun was still funny, we went and got ourselves a patio dining set for our deck. Ever since getting our house, I had been eagerly awaiting the day when I could eat a nice dinner out on my deck, in the fresh air. When it happened, it was a nice reassurance that heaven does not exist in an afterlife.
What's next, then? Well, if you must pry (and please do pry, otherwise you might as well skip over to the next random blog), it is time to put the next piece of true American life on my deck: a grill. I have begun looking for an inexpensive, not necessarily large, gas grill to leave out and use regularly. I would, of course, prefer a charcoal grill for the flavor, but with a gas grill, stepping just outside to put on a few dogs, burgers, or, once I find where and how to procure it, carne asada. I think it would be durned sporty to be the local carne asada man.
Where to go for a good, cheap gas grill, you ask? Go ahead, ask. I won't mind, go ahead and ask away. See? Was that so bad? It's okay, I couldn't hear you anyway. You sure are a nutter.
So where to get a cheap gas grill? My first few attempts have been over the local listings at Craigslist, and it seemed that I could make it another success story. For under forty bucks, a not-so-pretty but working gas grill from someone who just upgraded to a larger unit could be mine. But sadly, I have been burned. The last person I wound up playing phone tag for five days before he called me up last night to say that he had actually sold it. I don't care for that sort of wheeling and dealing much of time. I would just like to say this: please, if you are dealing with multiple people when selling an item, let the potential buyers know that there are other parties vying for your stuff. I was sorely disappointed, truly.
Now, after all that rubbish, I am ready to start looking at cheap, new grills. I'm not looking for a side burner (I have a stove fifteen feet from my deck; they can see each other) nor a grill that can cook through a water buffalo. So now here's a legitimate question for both of my readers: how much power do I need to just cook up burgers, dogs, chicken, and the occasional steaks? Does the BTU value make any sort of difference? I don't yet know what sort of surface area I need, but not to worry, I won't be getting anything sight unseen. I'm just wondering if there are particularly hardy or troublesome brands or other things to look for that I might miss. Please, dear people out there in radioland, answer my call~
What the heck could have possibly happened in my life to make me a new subscriber to Better Homes and Gardens?
Yesterday held a first for me. It was the first time I have ever had to take a sick day for family illness rather than personal. On Monday, Austin apparently had some sort of bug and threw up twice at school. Poor little guy, I felt awful for him. What made me feel even worse was that although I gave the daycare my cell number, the signal does not always go through, so I didn't learn about it until after my afternoon Jazz class ended at five. I really wanted to be there for him and get him home to recuperate as well as ease my worries.
I'm not exactly sure what my feelings were on Monday afternoon, other than to simply get to my son. I really despised myself for not catching the phone call when it happened. Maybe it was a full feeling of being powerless or helpless. He was there, at school, not his mommy nor his daddy there to take him into our arms and clean him up and get him to rest his poor tummy. All I really know is that I didn't like the situation one bit.
Of course, by the time he got home (he's getting picked up by Mommy these days), he was fine and chipper, just like usual. He rarely shows when he's feeling sick, almost to the point where I don't think he really grasps the feeling of illness. Lucky him...
So I called in and took the day off to make sure he relaxed and got fed smaller portions of food to ensure his stomach would stay settled. Sadly, it meant that I had to plop him in front of the television most of the time, but I consider that more of using a tool to keep him still and allow his body to recover from whatever it was that got him so sick.
It was definitely a first for me. I have not had to take on the caring father role before like that; it was all new. Lots of things in my life, although I knew they would eventually happen, I never really saw myself actually doing. Let alone at my young age (which I think makes it an exceptional challenge.) C'est la vie~
Ah, the world does keep on turning, and change occurs constantly. The big change was that today Michelle started her first day working for Target Corporate down in Minneapolis. She managed to take the bus on her own and be nearly forty minutes early. It's only about three o'clock now, but after waking up a little after five this morning, I'm doggin' it a bit. After this week I'm sure we'll be quite used to the whole early routine. How odd and strangely sudden-feeling it is to be up and about and living and working as though we are grown ups. Seems like only a year ago I was living it up in college, hitting the pub for happy hours after classes and work, looking forward to the future with hardly a thought in my head...
Of course, I still don't really have a thought in my head now. Some things just never change.
I'm just so proud of Michelle, she's taking a huge new leap, and it's going to be a lot of running around the Target building, lots of corporate training, something I don't know if I'd be able to hack without inciting a riot or launching a union revolution. But she's a much better employee than I, so she'll do well. I completely envy her taking mass transit down to the city, especially since I've now gotten word that in 2009, there will be an actual rail system coming up our way along Highway 10 (for those readers who know this area) that will connect to the light rail of the cities. Plus, the cool thing is the transfer station will be where they're building the new Twins ballpark, so life will definitely be sweet. Y'know, except once there's a new ballpark, ticket prices will never be at the $6.00 cheap seats again, and I'm almost certain we can kiss dollar dog nights goodbye as well.
To top off her commute, Target offers a beyond sweet deal for taking transit. For under thirty pre-tax bucks a month, automatically deducted, she gets a card she can use on MetroTransit (the city bus and rail system out here) as much as she wants, wherever she wishes to go. Consider the fact that a single round trip for her down to Minneapolis during rush hours is five fifty, and it becomes an absolute no-brainer. I tell you though, spouses should get those cards, too. Get to baseball games without paying parking or even driving around the Metrodome? I'm there!
The Season is nigh, and a man can dream~
Well, ladies and gentlemen, it finally happened. The weather I'd been waiting for... real snow! Lots of snow! Tons of snow (literally)! And all in the course of less than twenty-four hours. This is what awaited me outside my door on Sunday morning:
It almost hides the beauty marks on my car! And aside from the car, you almost wouldn't have even known we had a driveway there.
Technically, our town only got about thirteen inches of snow, but around my entryway, the wind blew a larger amount toward my garage and door, so once I had shoveled a little bit, I could finally see the ground...
Yeah, I hadn't even gotten to the driveway proper by then.
Okay, and this picture is here just because I liked the snow drift above the front door (that's still there) that's just waiting to fall onto some unsuspecting religious solicitor...
But amazingly enough, I pulled through, as well as some or all of my back, and single-handedly cleared my entire driveway. I think it's durned impressive, as well as cool to see yourself eighteen inches below the level of the rest of the world.
So yeah, just as my always wonderful wife reminded me, my neighbor was kind enough to loan me his snowblower halfway through. And thank goodness for that, because I'd probably be dead otherwise.
It was a bigger storm than has hit the region in several years, which really just goes to show how lightweight the winters have been out here compared to the Eighties and Nineties. But who knows what the future will bring, and I'm sure there will be plenty more big storms to turn me into a proper Minnesotan. In fact, as I write this, a two-day long snow storm has just begun.
In huge news out here, Michelle got a new job working for Target's corporate offices in downtown Minneapolis. It is an incredibly huge opportunity for her with lots of room for advancement, and will be a wonderful boon for our fledgling family. I'm so excited for her, and I'm glad it finally came to them offering the position after a couple of very long, antsy weeks. After her good interview at the offices two weeks ago, what did we do? Went to bookstores in Minneapolis. How about that for knowing what makes you happy?
That's about it for now. I'm getting over some kind of rubbish that made as sick as I felt when I had a pox cursed upon me years ago. So I leave you with a couple family photos:
These here are mainly for Ken 'The Claus' Howenstine, but good for anyone to enjoy.
I honestly don't know where he picked up the wide-eyed smile. Doesn't it throw you off a bit? I think he knows it does, because he's done it to me at dinner, too...
Meet Tyrone, the newest member of the Fryer Family:
He is my birthday present from my amazing wife. A rather large five month old kitten, Tyrone's very docile and cool, which is good since if he was high-strung, living with Austin would be a bit of a crazy nightmare. Right now he's snoozing under the couch where I'm typing in our spare room. Just to give you an idea of just how cool he is, here's him blending in well with my jazz instruments:
We absolutely love him. There's just something about having a cat around that makes this place feel more like a proper home to me. Much like my aunts and my father, life isn't quite whole unless we have animals around, cats or dogs, preferably both. Tyrone's already so big for a kitten (which makes me doubt his age a bit), but he still has big ears and some length of his tail that tells me he'll be getting bigger still. At least he's got a good looking mug on him for when he takes over the neighborhood come spring. Plus, he's got a nice strong motor in him. It's definitely a sound I have missed.
I love Tyrone already; it happened as soon as I picked him up. And I love Michelle, completely and absolutely. She was mocking me when we were driving Tyrone home, saying that if I'm this bad for a cat, how will I handle when we finally have another child. I just said that I'll probably wind up holding the baby for about a month straight.
Gotta love those birthday animals~
Okay, please, someone explain to me how it is already a week into February. We just celebrated the New Year, I still hesitate a bit when writing the last digit of the year, and there's barely any snow on the ground. I guess it means the world needs another update from me by now. Just when I think nothing has happened, I turn around to find that worlds of change have happened without my notice.
Starting this month, I'm not only teaching Jazz Band after school. I've started a new class called Digital Animation, where kids learn to create short films using traditional drawings, stop motion, and time lapse techniques. The digital part comes in with the tools we use, since they're all digital cameras and computers we save and edit the images on. I think the coolest idea they came up with yesterday is a human clock. I'll post up the videos as they are created. Jazz Band has been going on for a few weeks now, and the kids are coming along quickly. We're working on great classics, such as 'Tuxedo Junction' and 'Caravan'. I'm still having trouble assembling a rhythm section, but the horns have had a good showing so far, considering it is a forgettable once a week rehearsal currently. Come Monday, I think I'll be having them sightread 'Satin Doll', just for my own peace of mind.
Michelle's been seeking out better work, and has even had a couple of really good prospects come up. Soon she'll be going through all those wonderful interview processes, which are always nice and nerve-wracking. We're both quite antsy, as her having a properly paying job for once will be quite a boon for us and make our lives noticibly more stable. Also, it would give me the chance to go back to school without it being an endurance trial. Please, if you have room in your hopes, send some thoughts to her.
The big news on the home front as of late is Austin becoming potty trained. It's taken us a long time, but he's there with fewer and fewer accidents. Michelle and I were completely beside ourselves with joy. Perhaps a little too much so, as that was the higlight of our month. The way I see it, all I have left to do is teach him how to tie his shoes, and the kid is set for life; I'll be done raising him. Other than that, he's just himself, good days and bad days. Mostly, though, he's been so happy to have his Grandma Pat in town.
For a nice long weekend, my mom flew out here to visit. I took a couple of days off to spend time with her, and she managed to survive the cold and eventual snow. I had been missing my family and friends out west a lot, so it was really nice to see her and have her around. Austin just loves her, and especially having her read to him. That voice reading stories came across as strangely familiar, since I don't have any actual memory of my parents reading to me; I simply know that they did. I was a little worried that she was starting to feel a little bored out here, since we didn't get out and do anything, just puttered around town. Michelle and I both had work, so she was on her own for some large bits of time. But she never let on that that was the case.
I dropped my mom off last night. She and I are always bad at goodbyes, so we kept it brief and I took off from the airport. The tougher goodbyes had to have been for Michelle and Austin. But, in all, I just keep remembering the fact that I'll see my folks again sooner than not, so it's easier to deal with. For now, it's life back to normal, though not really. We've had less than one third the normal amount of snow for this time of year, so I'm not shoveling anywhere near enough as I'd like. I'm odd and like to physically shovel. It's some exercise for me, and it gives me some alone time with tunes in my ears.
Toodles for now~
