The Odd Mix

Directions to a Blog-warming Party

2006-06-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Follow the Blogger Road until it turns to a mud track.
Turn Right onto WordPress Blvd.
OddMix has now moved into the third blog on the right.

The Address is http://oddmix.wordpress.com

You are invited to join Odd Mix and the Odd Family for a blogwarming party. The party begins today at 5:00pm and continues until nobody want to party any more.

The Old Blog-stead on Blogger Road will be left standing as a museum.

I would be grateful if the handful of you who have links to my blog would update them to the new address. Thanks

WWC #6: Mars and Venus

2006-06-08T07:44:00.000-05:00

Well, after a couple of weeks of pretty heavy topics, I thought I'd shoot for something a little lighter this week. It will be interesting to see how serious you make it.

Without too much explanation (because there is really not much logic behind the choice) I chose a dichotomy for this weeks words. They are (in no particular order, ladies):

1. Masculine
2. Feminine

How will you say them?

IMHO... Not!

2006-06-06T13:59:00.000-05:00

There's a breed of humility which is itself a species of showing off.
- Sam Clemmens

I have found myself on a number of ocasions inserting the acronym IMHO in my comments, or even in my own posts. For those of you who are acronymically challenged, IMHO stands for "In My Humble Oppinion". By using that acronym, I feel like I am devaluing my opinion. I am saying "I don't think you will agree with me, but..." or "My thoughts aren't really important, but..." Well, I have decided not to use IMHO any more.

You see, if my opinion were really very humble, I probably wouldn't be offering it - which I am. And if I did, it would probably be pandering to mass approval - which I'm not.

I value my opinions, they stem from who I am; and I voice them as topics of conversation. You don't have to agree with me, but whether you do or you don't, I'd like the oportunity to discuss it. I've said before that I write on this blog to comunicate with my friends. That is also why I comment. I have a special inbox for all comments on my blog and I love getting responses, even on my oldest posts. Because in these communications I get to voice my opinion, you get to voice yours, and we get to discuss it. And I am happy! Whee!

So I need a new acronym. There is IMO - In My Opinion - but that is isn't specific enough. I thought about IMPO - In My Personal Opinion - but "Imp-Oh" sounds silly to me. So I am going to go with IMNSHO - In My Not So Humble Opinion.

Well there you have it - the Odd Mix's odd acronym. IMNSHO. Look for it.

WWC #5: The Historical Challenge

2006-06-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

The words this week were Triumph and Tragedy. I didn't have much time to take photos so I am going to use a couple of older shots.

Triumph
Launch at Last

Tragedy
Mother gone, nest destroyed - we gave them the best shot we could.
Hope they made it.

SPF #8: You asked for it.

2006-06-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kristine.

This weeks assignment was to take a picture of:

Something Sparkley
Something Dull
Something Colorful

So I took a picture of:

My Wife's rings.
In addition to her wedding band, she wears a mother's ring with six stones - the birthstones of our four kids with her birthstone on one end and mine on the other.

Leroy
This dog was about as dull as they come.

Some of the birds at Disney World
Mostly Macaws and one asian chicken looking thing.

Did you play?

Historic Weekend Word Challenge

2006-06-01T12:37:00.000-05:00

In case you hadn’t noticed the pattern, in addition to making the words for the Weekend Words Challenge thought provoking in terms of photography, I try to make them significant to the date in some way. This weekend there are no obvious holidays so I looked at the weekend in history. I found two

Friday, the second of June, is the anniversary of the effective end of the American Civil War. That war is the bloodiest in US history – costing over 600,000 American dead. On this day, Confederate General E. K. Smith accepted Union terms and surrendered the last Confederate army. So, with apologies to the sensibilities of my friends of the southern persuasion, I chose the word Triumph.

Sunday, the fourth of June, is the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. On this day the Chinese government sent troops and tanks to disperse over a million people demonstrating support for democracy. They did so with brutal effectiveness – killing hundreds, possibly thousands, of civilians and arresting over 10,000. I remember watching a lone student stand defiantly in the path of a tank brining it momentarily to a halt. Then the tank rolled forward and ground him into the cobbles where he stood. So I chose the word Tragedy.

And there you have it. WWC #4 is right out of the history books – Triumph and Tragedy. Your photos of course need not reflect anything so great as the end of a war or so tragic as a massacre – mine certainly will not. Mine will likely be from daily life. We certainly face enough of both in our lives for there to be no shortage of photographic fodder.

I can’t wait to see how you say the words!

The Photos are Here

2006-05-31T13:27:00.000-05:00

At long last - I know you have been holding your breath out there - I am ready to share a select few of my photos from our trip to Orlando. I would have shared them sooner but some foreigner - probably from Kansas, or Montana, or some other unearthly place - brought their foreign germs to the East Coast and infected us with the plague. We had no resistance to the pestilence and were laid low before it. (How's that for melodrama?)

After laboriously winnowing my massive photographic output down to a measly 379 shots I have come to an impasse. I can't part with any more. My kids are just too darn cute; my wife just too ~~darn hot~~ beautiful. The fireworks were too captivating, and there were just too many giant fuzzy cartoon characters to hug. Soooo... I'll just have to deal with it.

Rather than post all 379 pictures here because I too used to have a dial up connection, I am linking you to a photo album. The read only password to view this album is: cgea. Yes I am posting the password on a public blog - I only put it on to keep people from randomly surfing to them.

Here is an appetizer. Sort of visual hors d'oeuvres, as it were. Bon appetit.

Memorial Day Greetings, and WWC #4

2006-05-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

While I do hope you enjoyed your Memorial Day holiday weekend (assuming you got one) I find myself hesitant to say "Happy Memorial Day" - so Memorial Day Greetings it is.

We spent this weekend working on our move - more to the point, MDW and AnnShh worked on our move and I got to watch the kids. While it made for a long, tiring weekend, I am convinced I still got the clean end of the stick. While they sorted, packed, cleaned, and loaded, I got to play with the best four kids in the known universe - no arguments please; your's will just have to settle for fifth, sixth, and seventh, etc. - do some landscaping, dig in the garden, and push the swing. The most strenuous thing I had to do (aside from move one bloody heavy washer/dryer combination) was mow a couple of fields with the mother of all lawnmowers.

OK, On to the Weekend Words Challenge. This one was tough for me to get my head around. I could come up with quite a few ways to show remembrance and a couple to show duty, but none seemed quite right. I wound up choosing these:

Duty -
The price of doing one's duty is sometimes life itself.
In World War Two over 400,000 United States servicemen and women gave thier lives doing thier duty. Each of our allies had thier own toll - some many more than the US. In remembrance of the US dead there are 4000 stars sculpted on a wall at the US World War Two Memorial in Washington, DC. It is a poigniant reminder of the price of freedom - and the duty accepted by its defenders.

Remembrance -
Stone remembers when the frailty of human memory would allow events - momentous and small alike - to slip away into obscurity. On a small stone building on the corner of the whitehouse grounds are highwater marks . The building was moved there from the Capital gates (which are at a significantly higher elevation) so the marks record truely significant floods. No one remembers these events which must have seemed apocalyptic at the time - only the stone recalls.

How did you say the words?

SPF #7: Inspired by an Auschwitz Survivor

2006-05-26T10:43:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kristine.

This weeks assignment, inspired by the story of an Auschwitz Survivor, was to take a picture of:

Your Bag
Your Ground
Something You are Powerless To

So I took a picture of:

My Bag -

My laptop case carries all my esentials for a day.

My Ground -

There are two ways this shot shows my ground.
My little one's hand in mine
The land I farm

Something I am Powerless To -

When one of my Little Ones says "Hold You!" (pronounced as one word - 'hOl-jü ) with arms upraised. Especially when they are sick, or sad, or hurt. And let them fall asleep... well, I'm not going anywhere.

Did you Play?

WWC #4 - Memorial Day

2006-05-25T00:33:00.000-05:00

In the United States, the last Monday in May is a federal holiday. It is a day known for picnics and swimming pool openings. For school being closed and family gatherings. For beer and hotdogs. For the Indianapolis 500. It is the unofficial start of summertime.

Sadly, it is almost too easy to forget why the day was set aside. Originally called Decoration Day, it was a day to tend to the graves of soldiers and care for their widows and orphans. It is set aside to remember our war dead – Memorial Day.

In 1993 I came close enough to being among those memorialized to make this day very important to me. I cannot listen to Taps with a dry eye. A flag at half staff makes my breath catch. A lone soldier saluting a white stone in Arlington will stop me in my tracks – and sometimes make me weep.

I have no doubt that some of those I served with are now among our honored dead – though I do not know who. I think of my friends and comrades; my subordinates and my superiors. Men and women who – for an entire spectrum of reasons – felt service to our nation was worth risking their lives. I can see their faces though many of their names have fled my memories. Some of them I liked, some of them I didn’t – Some of them I loved in a way that few can understand who have not lived among us.

Though the holiday is celebrated by the US, the remembrance and honor are by no means restricted to her own. We should remember all those who have given their lives to protect the liberties we hold dear, regardless of the flag they were burried beneath.

So we should enjoy this free day - have our parties, eat our burgers, splash in the water, spend time with friends and families. But let’s try not to forget those who are no longer with us – and why they are absent.

And, with that in mind, the words for this week’s WWC are Duty and Remembrance.

“from these honored dead we take increased devotion to the cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” – Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

I'm Changing My Name to Doolittle...

2006-05-22T23:52:00.000-05:00

...and not because I am lazy, either.

One of our boarder horses stayed at a convalescent facility while we were away. As we were coming back, we got an offer from the owner of the facility to send "Red's goat" along with him if we would give it a good home.

Red is a former race horse and evidently had a companion goat when he was at the track (a common practice). He was doing much better with the goat around so we accepted. Witness the newest member of the team - my new shadow, Charlie the Nubian Goat.

He followed me everywhere I went in the field today. He bleated (blat?) pitifully when I would leave. We connected. We bonded. I like my new shadow. He is cool.

What a Day! and WWC #3

2006-05-22T00:53:00.000-05:00

Too much happened today. I will blog it later. For now here is my WWC contribution for the week.

Miror - I had a hard time picking, so here are two from Artoo ;)

and

Missing - this was more of a challenge for me.

And just for grins - since I missed last week - here are Motherly and Wonder as well.

Motherly - I couldn't choose between the mother who is...
and the mother who will be.

Wonder was easy.

How did you say the words?

Leaving Neverland

2006-05-20T16:14:00.000-05:00

After seven magical days and nights and a 26 hour trip home, I am once again in the land of reality. The lawn is in desperate need of mowing; there are chores to be done; we have 36 cubic yards of luggage and shopping bags to unpack; and there is that pesky household move to complete.

But I have high-speed internet once again - and it is a good thing. Artoo and I kept (after discarding the overtly bad shots) over 1250 pictures. I have some serious editing, commenting, and uploading to do.

Sleep? Who needs it.

I'll be back Saturday.

2006-05-18T10:25:00.000-05:00

I'll be back Saturday. This weeks WWC words are Mirror and Missing. Have fun. Gotta go see Ariel now.

Sitting in line in fantasy land.

2006-05-18T10:20:00.000-05:00

We are about to see fireworks

2006-05-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

From the small world!

2006-05-15T12:24:00.000-05:00

Arrgh! No connection. Please comment

2006-05-15T12:20:00.000-05:00

Arrgh! No connection. Please comment for WWC!

Nope! Not squared - Cubed!

2006-05-10T09:39:00.000-05:00

or How I Joined the Rebellion.

Third Woooo Hoooooo. I got home from doing the last minute shopping last night as the proud new poppa of a Canon 350D DSLR (Rebel XT) - or BAMF in the local parlance - who shall be named... uh, well, I'm not sure yet. But it is going to be something really cool and witty, 'cuz I am cool and witty that way. Anyone got any good suggestions?

I also came home with a renewed realization that I am married to the most wonderful woman in the world. The money for my new friend came from her. In addition to managing the farm AND getting us moved AND getting us ready to go on vacation AND taking care of four kids, she has been working extremely hard taking care of a sick horse (ulcers, believe it or not), something she normally does not do. The first payment she got for this extra effort, almost $3000, went entirely to reducing our farm bills (it has been a hard year). The next check she got paid for my camera. I have dreamt of a DSLR for years. While I am sure she could have found a multitude of other things to spend that money on, she spent it on my dream. Her generosity is only one of the very many things that I love about her, but it was a wonderful reminder of just how blessed I really am.

Oooo! How about Artoo? Yes! I think I'm going to call him Artoo. You're gonna have to work really hard to beat Artoo.

And the WWC words are up.

Weekend Words Challenge: Mothers Day

2006-05-09T23:20:00.000-05:00

Well, the feedback on multiple words to choose from was mixed – some liked three words, others would prefer one. So I am going to try a compromise - giving you two words - and see whether I will a) annoy both camps, or b) make most of you happy. Remember, there is no requirement to post a shot for both words. Let me know what you think.

This week’s Weekend Words Challenge words (gotta figure out a better way to say that) are inspired by two important events coming up this week in the life of the Odd Clan – Mothers’ Day, of course, and our departure to the Happiest Place on Earth.

They are:
Motherly
Wonder

How will you say the words?

Wooo Hooo! (squared)

2006-05-09T14:52:00.000-05:00

First Wooo Hoooo. Ten people played the Weekend Words Challenge! Not in the SPF league, yet, but not a bad start! Thanks so much to all of you who played or commented. Some very nice photos were to be seen and some really good creativity, too. Join us next week!

Second Wooo Hoooo. We are going to the Happiest Place on Earth. Yep, you heard me. Thursday night MDW, my four kids, and I will board an Amtrak train to be delivered the next morning, safe and (hopefully still) sane, in the land of Mouse Ears, Poop and Boogies, Twisted Tink, and Random Thoughts. There will be many adventures had, probably lunches hurled, princesses hugged, shows seen, and very little sleep.

I haven't had a real vacation in three years (lay-offs do NOT count). I am so excited.

I will post the Weekend Words Challenge a day early tomorrow so I don't miss getting them up on Thursday. I should be able to get access down there and you'd better believe I will be taking many, many photos! So please play.

I will post some of the best photos here, and maybe create a new blog as a virtual scrapbook (or maybe I will just use Flickr).

Anyhow, I am off to see the Big Cheese, the Mouse himself. ::singing:: "Who's the leader of the club that's made for you and me..."

The Weekend Words Challenge #1

2006-05-07T16:58:00.000-05:00

OK, batter up!

This weeks challenge words were:

1. Challenge
2. Reveal
3. Peace

And to kick off the action (how's that for mixing sports metaphors?) here are my submissions. This was a crazy weekend as we are moving so I decided to use shots I took around the farm between loads.

Challenge
Reveal
Peace (of mind)

How did you say the words?

A Bit More on the Challenge

2006-05-05T08:25:00.000-05:00

Lookee what I did! I made a banner... um, a badge... er, a button... hmmm, a whatchamacallit! Whatever it is, The Weekend Word Challenge now has one. I'm no graphic designer, I know, but I think it will do.

So... a couple of things to hopefully ease some concerns and make a couple more of you willing to risk playing along with us.

First, Quality. By saying I would like to see "Quality Photography" I had not intended to imply that only "skilled" or "tallented" or "experienced" photographers should play. I only meant that I would like to see you take the time to think about the way you are shooting. Sometimes blurred focus is intentional; sometimes we deliberately skew the horizom; sometimes (most of the time, actually) it is a good thing to place the primary target off center in the frame. Just think about why you do what you do and you will see a dramatic increase in the "artistic quality" (there's a loose term for you) of your photos.

Second, Critiques. The only way to improve in any area is to practice. With photography this means making the shutter click many times. Then you look at what you got, think about how you got it, decide what you should do differently, and make the shutter click many more times. Lather, rinse, repeat. Along the way, it is often helpfull to have another set of eyes take a look and make helpfull suggestions, not criticisms. It is my desire that through these challenges we have a safe, comfortable opportunity to get these critiques from our peers.

My comments will usually run along the lines of "You have captured the expression in her eyes beautifully. If you soften the focus, perhaps the gorgeous collor will stand out even more." Or, "What an adorable child. If you frame the image so that he is off to the left it may draw the viewer into the scene even more."

Third, Tools. I have one digital camera I use - a two year old, mid-line point-and-shoot Canon. I do not use Photoshop; I can barely start using Paintshop Pro (the whatchamacallit taxed my skills to the limit). I do use Picasa, a free program from google, which gives me basic tools to crop, adjust, and convert to monochrome. Thats it!

While I have serious camera lust when I look at the hight end Nikon and Canon DSLRs - and nearly pee myself when I look at some of those L series lenses - they are not what this challenge is about. This is about using your imagination to find a way through straightforward photography to express a concept to your viewer. Yes, there are skills involved; yes, nice equipment helps; yes, experience is important. But the key is your imagination and a willingness to share with, learn from, and trust in the rest of us who are putting our work out there, too.

I want to share. I want to learn. I trust you. Let's play!

UPDATE:
A couple of people (notably, Kristine and Lucky Lum - both of whose opinions I value) have suggested that I keep it at one word to make it easier. If I get much feedback that way I can certainly do that. However, I actually gave three words to make it easier. Sometimes, I just can't find an image for one word, but if I have three to work with I can usually find something creative to do with at least one or two. You do not have to respond to all three words. Please let me know what you think.

SPF #5

2006-05-04T23:31:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kristine.

This weeks assignment was to take a picture of:

Body of Water
Something with Flavor
Plant your Ass

So I took a picture of:

A Body of Water

Something with Flavor

My Chair at Work

I tried everything I could think of to make this last one more interesting, more creative - and failed miserably. So there you have it.

The Weekend Words Challenge

2006-05-03T22:45:00.000-05:00

In Which I Stand Awed in the Shadow of KRISTINE!

Back in my pre blog days (well, the blog existed but I wasn’t posting) I participated in an online art community, which we shall call DA, to share and improve my photography skills. Mostly what I enjoyed about DA was engaging in communication with a group, but there was (with rare exceptions) precious little to be had.

missing

The other thing that kept me at DA was photo contests – mostly just for bragging rights. My favorite contests were from a group called One Word Photo, or OWP. The concept was simple – they announced a word and you took and submitted a picture that represented that word. The tricky part was the word was rarely a noun - more often a concept such as natural, darkness, or duality (I won that one) – so you had to put some real thought into deciding what image to capture.

duality

Since turning/returning to this blog I have continued to practice my photography and have shared some of my work here. One day I realized I hadn't been to DA in over a month – so I effectively quit going there at all. But I missed the contests. Then I discovered SPF from Kristine and the clouds parted. And yet my craving is unfulfilled.

So I am going to try recreating OWP here. Initially I am going to call it “The Weekend Words Challenge” and will give you three words on Thursday. Then you have the weekend to take the pictures.

wind

Here is what I hope to see in the submissions:
1. Creative interpretation - don’t necessarily go with the obvious answer. Surprise us with the way you portray the concept word.
2. Quality photography – framing, focus, content, exposure, contrast. The whole shebang.
3. Constructive Comments - I love, love, love having my photos critiqued (constructively) so I can improve. I want this challenge to be a learning experience.

toxic

I understand that life happens and sometimes you don’t have time to take new shots or you know just the perfect image you took last week. You can of course pick from your archives, but, personally, I would love to see an emphasis on new work. And when you post, please let us know if you do NOT desire critiquing of your work.* If you don’t specify, I will assume that I am free to point out ways you might improve your work.** I will always appreciate it if you will do the same for mine.

Like Kristine with SPF on Friday, I will post my submissions on Monday. You can let us know in the comments that you played. I may not always submit for all the words (though I will always submit at least one) and you need not either. Sometimes the muse doesn’t speak.

I hope there are a few other photography buffs out there amongst you who will enjoy this challenge. If you have any suggestions or recommendations (change the name, fewer words, pound sand, etc.) please let me know. I guess we’ll see how it goes.

reach

* If you do not desire critique I would still love to see your submissions and will simply comment on the good aspects that I see.
** This is NOT license to be spiteful, mean, or argumentative! The emphasis is on “constructive” – no rotten tomato throwings or random sporkings.

EDIT: In response to player feedback I have reduced the number of words from three to two. I will be linking back to this post so I will update the weekly words here so this page should remain current.

Ready? Here we go….

The weekend’s words for the week ending June 3rd, 2006 are:
1. Triumph

2. Tragedy

Yes I know they are not easy. They aren’t supposed to be easy. Get those mental juices flowing and the shutters snapping. I can’t wait till Monday!

Holy Cow...

2006-05-02T11:39:00.000-05:00

What do you get when you mix ~~ten thousand~~ 300 Peruvians, two large cooking pits, a truck load of food, a bigger truck load of beer, a mariachi-esque band, a tree, and an axe with a sunny day?

Well, a dead tree, lots of very happy Peruvians, a bunch of tired musicians, a couple of grumpy neighbors, and a pretty good time.

Our landlords, who are Peruvian, have a "family reunion" (family is evidently a very loose term in the Peruvian dialect of the spanish language) three or four times a year on our property. This weekend was the first of the year. It was an interesting event. We all had fun, but I think Caleb may try and convert his heritage to Peruvian after this weekend.

You can see the pictures at festivaldeabril.blogspot.com.

SPF #4: It's All in How You Look at It

2006-04-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kristine.

This weeks assignment was to take a picture of:

1. Something Big

2. Something Small

3. Half of Something

So. Here we go...

1. These tropical trees look big, right? They are actually lilly grass or something like it and are about 4 inches tall.

2. They shrank! Gabriella and Bissy helped me with these. They are not manipulations - it is all in how you look at it.

3. Well, I reached a bit here. Half purple, half white. Well, I liked it, anyway.

The One with All The Pictures

2006-04-28T07:22:00.000-05:00

or

An Odd Mix of Artistic Subjects

Yesterday I was reading a post on BlogSmith where she placed a photo of a manhole cover and said that people think she is a bit crazy for taking pictures of manholes. Well, if thats the case, people must think I am bughouse nuts beacause I will take a picture of almost anything.

More often than not my subjects are conventional - my kids and wife, flowers, sunsets, mountains, and the like. But when I walk at lunchtime I always have my camera. Same when I am comuting and often when I am working around the farm. If I see an interesting form or pattern I take a shot (or six) and see what I get.

Looking back at my archive over the last year, I thought it would be fun to post some of my shots and see if you can guess the subjects (the answers are there in white - just highlight them).

Have fun! And I am always up for a good critique - so have at it.

EDIT: You might have to scroll down to the pictures until I can figure out how to unscrew my template. Sorry.

Metal Things

Safety Rail	Iron Gate	Base of a Flag Pole	Fire Stand Pipe
Shiny Things

Glass Awning	A Window	Union Station	Metro Center
Stone Things

Statue Nook	Coblestone Street	Um... an "A"	and an "O"
Inside Things

Plaster Ceiling	Tower Stairs	Vaulted Ceiling	Light Fixture
Outside Things

Rain Water	Drain Cleaner	Interstate 66	Port-a-Pots
Natural Things

Locust Husk	Spider Webs	Dead Aspen	Ants
Even Produce

Artichoke	Ginger Root	Magnolia Pod	Cellery

Project Update

2006-04-25T10:55:00.000-05:00

Well, in lieu of anything deep and profound, I offer you a project update and a new recipe!

In case you were wondering, BTW, this is what the outside of the house looks like. The landscaping needs some work but that will be fun.

Blah...

2006-04-25T09:44:00.000-05:00

Ick. Can I go back to bed now? I promise (quit looking at my fingers; they aren't crossed - really!) to post more later today - if I can get my brain to function.

Tink in Training

2006-04-21T07:12:00.000-05:00

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
– George Orwell

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig;Home again, home again, jiggety jig.To market, to market, to buy a fine hog;Home again, home again, joggety jog.
– Unknown

One of Annelise’s favorite things at bedtime is to curl up with me and have me tell her a story. And true to toddler form, it is the same story every night – the Three Little Piggies.

In the last few days, however, ‘Liese has been changing things up in the details. Sometimes the villain is the Big, Bad Mushroom. Sometimes she instructs me to replace one of the characters with “Sweets-o” which is what she calls herself.

A few nights ago the story was “The Two Little Pigs and Sweets-o”. And it went something like this…

“Once upon a time there were two little pigs and Sweets-o. And they went out to build their homes. The first pig built his house out of straw, the second out of sticks. And Sweets-o built her house out of bricks…”

OK. You know how it goes. “Let me in…”; “Not by the hair on my chinney-chin-chin”; Huffing and Puffing; catastrophic pig house failure; squealing and running; repeat with next building material.

All was going as expected until…

Daddy: And Sweets-o said, “Not by the hair on my chinney…”
Sweets: No, Daddy!
Daddy:…?
Sweets: Sweets-o says, “OK, Wolf!”
Daddy: She opens the door?
Sweets: Uh-Huh. [I could hear the grin in her voice]
…
Daddy: But he’ll eat the piggies!
Sweets: I not like piggies.
…
Daddy: [LMAO] OK. So Sweets-o says, “OK, Wolf!” And they shared a nice pork dinner.
Sweets: Don’t forget sing the piggy song!
Daddy: [still LMAO… and singing] “Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf…”

Tink, I want to know how you did this to my daughter.

How I Freaked Out Great Falls

Fair Warning: This story is funny, but largely about turning a wild animal into food. If you object to the consumption of meat or like to believe it grows in little shrink-wrapped packages, you might want to stop now. I won’t mind.

It is always allowable to ask for artichoke jelly with your boiled venison; however there are houses where this is not supplied.
– Lewis Carroll, Hints for Etiquette: Or, Dining Out Made Easy

Way back when, I lived in a moderately upscale neighborhood in the definitely upscale area of Great Falls, Virginia. Some of our neighbors were nice enough, but many were, shall we say, very impressed with themselves. That would have been easy enough to ignore except there was a pipestem next to our house, placing one of the most self absorbed of the lot directly behind us – we will call them The Snooties. They complained to the HOA because they felt we had too many outdoor toys. They complained to the HOA about a brush pile on community property behind us (not our brush). But one day in May, I achieved the all time complaint – they tried to get me arrested! Heeee!

Early that afternoon I was driving with my family through a nearby town in a Buick sedan. In case you have never tried it, two parents and three kids in car seats neatly fill a Buick sedan. Traffic was heavy and moving fast when Bambi’s mom jumped out right behind us. She failed to avoid the car in the first lane which sent her flying over the second lane to land twitching in the median.

I pulled a U-turn and parked on the median. The poor thing was twitching and gasping while it tried to keep moving. I determined later that she had broken three legs and her back. So right there in the median, as DC suburban traffic whipped by on either side, I put her out of her misery. Now here is where the freaking out begins. The only thing I had with which to give her the mercy was a hatchet. Several cars nearly wrecked as I dispatched the poor critter.

Now, understand – I am a carnivore; my wife is a carnivore; and we are raising a little clan of carnivores. I am also a thrifty soul (I think it is the Scot in me) and did not like the idea of all that prime, suburban garden fed carnivore palaver going to waste. So when the local sheriff deputy showed up I asked if I could take it home. Being grateful to me for sparing him one of his bullets (and all the associated paperwork) he agreed. And further freaking ensued.

I mentioned that the Buick was fully filled with family members? So I tied the thing onto the trunk with a length of rope. And not wanting to have quite the mess at home I decided to let it, uh… shall we say, drain along the way. So out came the Swiss army knife. And commenced the draining. There were many more near wrecks between that median and our Great Falls home that afternoon. As I pulled into the neighborhood, we actually had a lady scream at the sight of us.

When we got home, I had to hang it to field dress and skin the carcass. I hung it in the most discreet spot I had – our back deck. It was there just long enough for me to clean and skin it (I took it inside to butcher it). No one could see it there – no one, that is, except the Snooties.

Ms. Snooty went whipping up the pipestem in her little Cabriolet just as I was pulling the skin off. She smoked her tires she stopped so fast. When she shrilled, “What is THAT!”, I could not contain my basically redneck self.

“Roadkill”, I replied with a big grin. She completely lost all composure.

Not 15 minutes later there was a county police cruiser in front of their house and the officer was taking statements with regard to whether I had murdered the victim outside of the appointed season. When the officer found out the death had taken place in another jurisdiction, she told the Snooties there was no crime – and came over to our house for a nice little chat.

Now, let it be understood. I did nothing that day for the shock value. In fact I did all I could under the circumstances to minimize it. Mostly my actions were driven by a desire to minimize suffering and waste. OK – and a taste for venison bar-b-que. What’s the point? I dunno; I don’t suppose there is one. I guess I just thought it was funny how I freaked out Great Falls.

SPF #3: JRT

2006-04-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kristine.

This weeks assignment was to take a picture of something that begins with each of your initials. Sounds easy - NOT! Much harder than I thought it would be.

I went to the Mall for lunch (Sorry ladies - the National Mall, not a shopping mall) and decided to take pictures of the activities the people there were engaging in and see what I got. So here we are:

1. Jogging

2. Riding

3. Touring

Did you play?

Let's Talk...

2006-04-20T06:31:00.000-05:00

I have noticed a trend. Or maybe it is more of a twitch. Several of the posts I have read in the last few days have been about difficulty in posting. Not being able to find the right words. Of feeling like the stories aren’t worthy of posting. That there is no value in the thoughts and feelings of the author. That perhaps they should take a break or even quit blogging. It makes me sad in a very personal way.

There is a huge gap in my blog - huge like months. During those months I would think of so many things to tell, but could never seem to force the words out of my head and into my blog. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for a couple of years now. Sometimes it seems impossible to start a task – even one I am looking forward to – for fear of having things go wrong. For fear of not finishing. For fear of failing. Just for fear of fear.

Looking back, I wish I had just posted. Quick notes. Just a picture. Even a single word. A few of those thoughts are in my scattered notes. Some I will remember when I look at my pictures. A few still rattle around in my head. Many are lost. Thoughts I felt were worth sharing; stories I found funny or touching; pithy sayings and quotes; valuable moments of life, captured in image and word. Gone like loose pages in the wind. I am sure I will find one from time to time, stuck in the tall weeds at the edges of thought, yellowed and curled from weather and time. I will press out the wrinkles – maybe copy them onto fresh paper. But even as I do I will think of the pages lost for good.

I have (mostly) learned now that my communications with my friends (and friends we are - even if we've never met) need not always be an inspired essay. But it is still hard sometimes. I wonder, “Is this going to be good enough? Can I make someone smile? Will someone relate to what I write? Could someone learn from my mistakes?” All these things are important to me. I write for me, but I write for you, too. I don’t speak in conversation because I like to hear myself talk – I speak because I desire to give value to my listeners.

So now begins the part of this post where I presume to understand your thoughts – or at least assume that you come to this imaginary land of blogs with the same sense of community as I. The thing I try to remember is that my listeners – my readers – are my friends. They don’t come to read for literature’s sake; they come to communicate – to be part of a community. I presume that you value my thoughts. I presume that you want to have discussions of substance with me. I presume that you wish to understand me better; to empathize with my troubles; to share my joys; to be friends. I must so presume or I am like the lady in the fountain – talking into the wind while others pass by. I do not believe that I am, for I come to your blogs for the reasons I presume you come to mine.

So, my friends learn from me. As Nike said, “Just do it.” Don’t quit; for I wouldn’t loose a friend. Don’t hold back; for I would know you better. Don’t hide your feelings; for I would laugh with you, cry with you, affirm you, encourage you, and support you as best I can. Don’t go away or shut me out; for my friends are important to me – old and new.

“Let us speak, though we show all our faults and weaknesses, – for it is a sign of strength to be weak, to know it, and out with it, – not in a set way and ostentatiously, though, but incidentally and without premeditation.”
– Herman Melville

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes – and ships – and sealing wax –
Of cabbages – and kings –
And why the sea is boiling hot –
And whether pigs have wings.”
– Lewis Carroll

Let’s talk, my friends…

Note: While I am content with this post as it stands, in rereading it I recognized that it could be misunderstood. It is intended as an expression of the value I place on our little community and each of you whom I have come to know as friends. It is intended as an honest description of my struggles with depression and anxiety as they pertain to blogging. And it is intended as an encouragement to my friends who might be engaged in similar struggles.

Hiiigh Speeeeed!

2006-04-19T06:43:00.000-05:00

At long last, I am on the High Bandwidth Freeway – sort of.  On Monday we finally got our high speed internet hooked up. But it made no sense to hook it up in this house, as we start moving to the new house in less than two weeks. So right now, less than 200 yards from where I sit, there is a Megabit speed, wireless router that would love to feed me the data I crave. It’s like the old song, “Anticipay-ation – is makin’ me late. Is keeping me waiting.”

Oh, well.  At least I know it’s there if I need it, and it will be there all the time after we move.

Why so slow to join the 21st century, you ask? Well, the short answer is that we live in the sticks. No cable service. No FiOS. No DSL. I could have gotten satellite internet service but A) it is very expensive to set up and B) the high latency of satellite makes me crazy.

Then came RoadStar Internet. These clever people have done for western Loudoun county what many cities are trying to achieve – area wide WiFi broadband coverage.  They put line of site towers on the ridgelines. They put repeaters in houses in the valleys. The antennae look like a medium pizza box on a stick.

The setup cost is less than half that of satellite. And there is very low latency – like 6 milliseconds low. And I am a happy man! Almost.

Lonnng Weekend

2006-04-18T14:18:00.000-05:00

This was a long weekend, in more than one sense of the word. A good weekend, all in all. Just very long.

So I supose it is fitting that this post be long, too! Well, not long in words, but long in space because try as I might, I just couldn't exclude any of these pictures - sorry.

Easter Outfits at Church

Bissy sprinting for the prize

'Liese working on a jellybean

Gabriella

Going fast!

Looking for the last few eggs

Who says rabbits can't fly?

I got to try using a friends Nikon D70 for the egg hunt. I have serious lens envy and the lack of shutter delay was very nice, but I still like the Canon processor better. I think I will hold out for the D20, or at least the Rebel XT.

In addition to celebrating Easter and the normal demands of the farm, we also started work on the basement in the "new" house. Yep, we start moving across the driveway in two weeks, and I want to have as much of the basement finished as I can before we move in.

I have started a new blog to chronicle this rather monumental effort.

For Those of us Who aspire to whisper to our lawns...

2006-04-14T14:10:00.000-05:00

SPF #2

2006-04-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kristine.

Stuff Portrait Friday: April 14th, 2006

1. Your Peeps - introduce us to some of your friends outside of the blog world.
2. Something Fuzzy
3. Something/Someone you want to dye/die

OK, hmmm. Obviously an Easter-ish theme here.
1. My Peeps!?!? What makes you think I have any "Peeps" who wish to be photographed? I decided to deliberately missunderstand this one and take a picture of some Peeps candy. When I went to the store to get some they were *gasp* sold out! And I don't like peeps anyway. So instead I took a picture of peeps eggs. Hey, it could happen. (besides, while I do not like peeps, I most definitely like malted milk "eggs")

2. Something Fuzzy! [looking around] Baby bunnies - Nope... Ducklings? - Nada... Kittens? Fresh out... Aha! [removes hat] [*flash*]

The sides, people! The sides. Not the top! C'mon, gimme a break.

3. Something I want to die or Someone Iwant to dye? Well. I decided to pass on this one. I have had too much of death recently and I can't think of anyone I know whom I would like to give a chromatic shift. So I will content myselt with a 66.66%. I know it's only a D, but maybe I can get extra credit for creative writing. Whadaya say, Kristine?

Did you Play?

In Lieu Of..

2006-04-13T14:46:00.000-05:00

I have a meaningfull post (well, meaningfull to me, anyway) bouncing around in my thinker, but haven't been able to shake it out yet. So, in lieu of deep thoughts I give you pretty floweres. Lets' all say it together now... "Ooooh! Aaaah! Ohhh!"

If I had the cash...

2006-04-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

I would so be buying this! Oh what a farm truck this would be.

Anger

2006-04-13T12:42:00.000-05:00

Life's but a walking shadow; a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more:

Today I went for a walk. All the fountains are now filled and splashing water is all around. I was watching the children enjoy the warm sun and cool water in front of one of the museums, when I noticed this woman. She appears to be one of the area's homeless residents.

As I watched her she was having a running conversation with herself - almost an argument - sometimes seeming to yell, othertimes putting her fingers in her ears as if to block out someone's voice. Was it about the news? or about the children making noise and standing in "her" water? or was it something the rest of us wouldn't understand. Whatever it was her voice was lost amid the sound of the wind, the fountain and the childrens laughter.

She looked so angry. I thought it was sad

I Want Pictures

2006-04-12T15:14:00.000-05:00

OK, for all you sick-os who read my active measures post and thought, "Cool! I could use that on the dog/cat/deer/neighbor kid/my boyfriend*!" here is the link for the Scarecrow Sprinkler.

Just promise me that if you get one and use it you will post or email pictures of the victim. :D

*Tink

Active Measures

2006-04-11T14:12:00.000-05:00

Trespassers Will Be Shot!

Well, the grounds keepers are at it again. When they lay out sidewalks, they do it from an artistic point of view - and then they are surprised when people ignore the walks and make paths instead. There is a patch of grass here next to the Reagan Building which is always being walked upon because it is in a direct line to the Metro station. Recently, they covered it with very smelly soil - and I mean VERY smelly. Then they seeded it, covered it with straw, and surounded it with police tape. Within a few days the wind had blown away all the straw (making nice big piles in all the corners of the building) and the birds had a right good feast of grass seed.

So today I show up and it is covered with lovely thick green sod. "Nice", I think. No smell. No Police tape.

Then I notice this sign.

See them in the background?

Yep. Walk on our grass and we will soak you down... without warning if you don't read English. Have I mentioned all the tourists - many of whom are foreign - who have been flocking to this place? I sincerely wish I could have sat out there today and watched the show.

Some folks should not breed

I got off the train yesterday and was stunned to see this:

A small child - maybe six years old - playing on the railroad tracks! His DNA donor was parked in a car 50 feet or so away letting him play on the railroad tracks.

Now I know that most kids play on or near tracks at some point in thier life, but come on, people. When I took this picture this picture my back was against the train I had jus gotten off - on the tracks he is playing on. This is a busy yard - a freight train comes through at speed about every 15 to 30 minutes. In the picture you can see not one, but two, engines on tracks leading to this very crossing.

I swear, some people should skip kids and stick with goldfish.

BTW - if the lady in the picture (a fellow passenger) hadn't already been going to get him off the tracks, I would not have been standing around recording this for posterity. I would have been removing him myself.

The Bean

2006-04-09T11:42:00.000-05:00

Four years ago this June, we were moving to the beach.

Well, sort of. We were moving to a house on an 800 acre farm, located two right turns past the middle of nowhere. Which meant, at the time, that it was perfect for us. It was a little, block built cottage in a spit of land between the lower Potomac River and one of its minor tributaries. It did have a beach – three miles of it, in fact, all to ourselves.

We were offered the use of a small silo on the farm for a storage building. It took two moving vans to get our stuff out there, and we stopped to drop off some of our things in the storage building; my wife giving instruction to the movers while I sat in our van with the kids.

I looked up to see her walking toward me with a funny look on her face holding a fuzzy, black bundle. It was a puppy. “Oh, no”, I thought, “We do NOT need another dog!” And I rolled down the window and said so before she could open her mouth. How wrong I was!

She said it had just come running up to her from under the moving truck. She said we couldn’t just leave it to die – for die it surely would. She said we would just get it cleaned up and take it to the shelter. She said we wouldn’t keep her. What could I say?

We took her to the house and gave her a bath. MDW stopped counting the ticks she pulled off at forty. Under her thick, downy coat she was skin and bones (the vet weighed her at 8 lbs at an estimated 12 weeks), but she showed not a hint of food aggression – just an endless desire to play. She wasn’t really black, but the color of very strong coffee. She had white paws, a white tail tip, and a white chest. We put her in a play pen on the porch to keep her safe ‘till the shelter opened.

Then I made my fateful “mistake”. I picked her up and looked into those bright brown eyes, smelled that clean puppy smell, and she licked my nose.

I looked at MDW and said, “She is awfully cute!”

“So what shall we name her,” she asked? For in using those words I had said we were keeping her. And we did.

I named her Java, for the color of her coat and my favorite programming language. Sometimes we called her Java Bean for fun, and The Bean for short. We believe she is half Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Most of the rest we think is Border Collie with a little hound or beagle mixed in – But she is all Java.

She has always loved water – even when it there was a skim of ice. She has never roamed far from the house unless escorting a car away. She would hunt and eat grasshoppers and frogs, giving us a clue to how she survived until we found her. She grew fast - she now weighs over eighty pounds of lean muscle. And she melted the heart of everyone who got to know her. She still does.

Today she is the Beta Bitch at our house. While she never tries to assert dominance over the “puppies” (our kids), she is unfailing in her duties toward them. When the kids are home, she is the faithful guardian – either lying next to the kids or at the door, or outside patrolling and alerting us to anyone approaching. When the kids are outside, she is right there with them. She doesn’t need a leash – never has – she knows right where she is supposed to be. If someone she loves is sick or sad she sits in front of them and puts a paw on their knee or licks their nose as if to say, “It’s OK. I love you! You will be all right because I am here to help you.”

In the winter, MDW will put the kids in the truck and have them sit in it to stay warm while she does her chores in the barn. When she does, Java goes too. She doesn’t get in the truck – she couldn’t keep guard properly there. Her self appointed post is outside by the rear drivers’ side tire. She will sit there no matter what the conditions are – sun or rain; sleet, slush, or snow; dust or mud – she is right there.

She has never bitten a person – she hasn’t needed to. She has trapped the exterminator on top of her car. The UPS man routinely puts packages in a plastic bag and leaves them in our driveway – without ever getting out of his truck. At night she is just eerie; she appears like a large black shadow.

When I leave for work in the wee hours of the morning I look back in my mirror and the last thing I see is a regal silhouette at the edge of the porch light. It is a comforting sight indeed – for I know The Bean is on duty.

Tink's Meme

2006-04-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

I decided to do this meme that Tink came up with. I thought it would be quick and easy, but it was not! It was much harder than the 101 things or the ABC memes. I suspect this is because those are about what I am – this is mostly about what I am not but wish I were.

If you are up for an introspective challenge, give it a try. Let me know if you do.

Tink’s Meme:
Answer the first set of questions with words that start with the first letter of your first name.
The second set with words that start with the first letter of your middle name.
The third set with words that start with the first letter of your last name.
The fourth set with words that start with the first letter of the city you were born in.
The fifth set with words that start with the first letter of the name of your first pet.

I've never seen...
1. Jerusalem
2. Jumping Beans
3. Julliard
4. Joshua Tree

I will never...
1. Ride a Shetland Pony
2. Risk my Family’s life
3. Rob a bank
4. Run a marathon

I love the feel of...
1. Tickling My Children
2. Touching My Wife's Skin
3. Taking a Hot Bath
4. Treating My Family to Surprises

I don't understand...
1. Thoughtlessness
2. Terrorists
3. Tribal Thought
4. Triathletes

I wish I could be...
1. more Driven
2. less Depression Prone
3. a Driver in the Paris-Dakar Rally
4. Done Moving

My First SPF

2006-04-07T13:40:00.000-05:00

Brought to you by Kristine.

First a Macro shot. I love taking macro shots and this is the most recent flower macro. I love macros so much, in fact, that I decided to do the other two as macros, too.

Then a shot without a flash.

And, finally, a shot with an unusual perspective.

Have you guessed the second one yet?
Optical mouse.

Long Day, Sad Night, Tired Morning

2006-04-07T12:23:00.000-05:00

Fair Warning: This is not a happy post. Call it PG-13 for animal suffering.

Miss Blue

For all their grace and beauty, size and strength, elegance and endurance, horses are delicately engineered machines which exist in a somewhat mismatched environment. Like a turbine engine in a desert or a computer in a room full of three year olds they perform amazingly as long as they work; but when things go in the crapper, they do so catastrophically.

Yesterday (arguably, two days before that) things went into the crapper. One of our horses – Miss Blue, named for her unusual blue eyes – had been acting colicky for a couple of days; not eating much, showing signs of abdominal discomfort, lying down more than normal, not drinking enough water.

We had the vet out to check her twice (you don’t typically take a horse to the vet’s office – they come to the farm. And no, it’s not cheap) and they didn’t think anything was terribly wrong. Don’t misunderstand me, these vets are fantastic and they took this seriously. There is just only so much diagnostic work you can do in the field. A horse’s digestive tract is about one hundred and twenty feet long so even with their arm in up to the shoulder there is a relatively small portion of the intestine they can palpate.

Yesterday afternoon she took a major turn for the worse. We tried walking her; putting her in a trailer and driving on dirt roads; forcing 16ozs of Maalox down her gullet. Doctor Jay came out at 7:00pm last night after he was supposed to be home with his wife and son (he had started work at 8:00 am and stayed with us until 2:30 this morning. I told you he was good). He put a gastric tube into her and pumped her stomach and then started forcing water to keep her hydrated. He did another examination and found that in at least one place he could reach – possibly as many as three – her intestines were displaced.*

By midnight she was showing signs of more and more pain and we knew what we felt was the right thing to do. At 1:45 we had contacted all the parties we felt needed to be involved in the decision and gotten consensus (horse ownership can be complicated) and we walked her to a secluded corner of the farm a few hundred feet away from the house and barn. By the time we got her there it was evident that something had ruptured and she was dropping into shock. The vet got a needle into her jugular vein (not easy with a shocky horse) and administered a lethal dose of barbiturates. Her head sagged, her legs quivered, she lay down in the cool grass with a big sigh and she was quiet and peaceful for the first time in days.

Miss Blue was a very sweet horse. Despite suffering abuse from an earlier owner there wasn’t a mean bone in her. We all loved her – especially Annshh. Willy and AnnShh talked until the wee hours of the morning while I got a little sleep so I could get up and go to work this morning. We are all very sad but we are at peace with the fact that she is no longer suffering. The kids, too. I think Caleb took it hardest at the time; Gabriella is having a rough go today; Bissy will likely let it out tomorrow (if things follow their normal pattern). ‘Liese is too young to fully understand what happened.

Personally, I mostly felt relief when she went down. She was really suffering and there was nothing we could do for her. I am extraordinarily grateful that she was not one of my kids’ personal horses. Any time one of our animals die it is a sad thing, but I am at peace that we did the best we could for her. Rest in peace, Miss Blue. And now we go on from here…

Update: My children are farm kids, understand death, and knew what was happening last night. There is nothing gross to see with Blue's body - she looks like she is sleeping - so when the kids begged to see it my wife acquiesced. She called and told me that 'Liese tried to wake her up before she understood that Miss Blue was dead. The kids then covered her body with flowers they picked. I was fine - now I am starting to tear up.

* The (Not So) Gory Details: Also called “twisted gut” or “gastric torsion”, one or more loops of intestine shift out of position causing the blood flow to sections of the gut to be restricted. Motility is impaired (stuff not moving through the intestine); fermentation of gut contents causes painful gas buildup and increases pressure on the already restricted vascular structures; portions of the gut can become necrotic (die) or rupture releasing gut contents into the peritoneum; end of story. This condition can potentially be reversed in the early stages by massive surgical effort and prolonged supportive care; however the cost for such a procedure starts at $8-10 thousand and increases drastically with any complications. Even with surgery, the prognosis is poor. Such measures are, sadly, well beyond our means, even if we had felt it kind to subject her to such extreme measures.

The One with Substance…

2006-04-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

OK, how about worthwhile content… Um, high word count? Can I have high word count?

I promised content yesterday, but here we are. Nothing massive to post about today, so I thought I’d get a bunch of little things that have been piling up in the back of my lint-roller brain for a week plus.

The weeds are here!

By which I refer, not so much to the cherry blossoms, but to the crop of tourists they bring to this sometimes not-so-fair city. It is like a taste of summer hell while it is still un-hot and un-muggy. I have been a tourist many times; I have stood gaping at new sites; I have taken gazillions of snapshots; and I am sure I have pissed off a local or two in my day. Now, I take time when I am walking to give (correct) directions to lost souls wandering DC with an upside-down map, bad fashion choices, and a hundred pounds of camera gear. There are some great things to see here and I do my best to ensure they get seen.

But sometimes they freaking drive me crazy – mostly because they don’t know the “rules”. They don’t know that there is a fast and slow lane on the escalators. They don’t know how to use the fare machines. They don’t know not to just stop and block the sidewalk the instant they see the Washington Monument.

Humbug. Well, at least I don’t have to drive with them.

And speaking of bad fashion…

I am about to pee on one of the proverbial third rails, but here goes.

I am no Clinton Kelly, but usually I can recognize a poor fashion choice when it smacks me upside the head. I saw an outfit a couple of weeks ago that made me cringe. Then I saw it again that afternoon and I took a photo. I was going to try my hand at FUG Thursday. Then I saw a different woman wearing a similar outfit (I took another picture) and I began to get this horrible feeling in my gut. Then, as if to bring the nightmare crashing down on me, I witnessed a third woman wearing this abomination in the cafeteria.

Somebody please tell me I will wake up and the ragged muslin Capri’s with high heeled black boots and short jacket will have gone away.

OK, ducking now…

Moving Kit Funny… Or Maybe Not

There are two houses on the land we lease for our horses. In May we are going to move from one to the other (long story for another post) so I bought a “moving kit” (read: bundle of boxes and packing materiel) from Costco. When I got it home and took a closer look at it I started laughing out loud.

Do you see it?

Look closer.

It is kind of blurry. It says, “Truck Not Included”. Do you suppose someone was just being funny? Or did some lawyer actually advise them that they needed a disclaimer that this 3 x 4 x 1 foot box did not actually contain a moving truck? If so I will stop laughing and start crying.

More Government Approved Money Wastage

I like gardens. I have one at home. I take pictures of them at lunch time. I like winter gardens, too. A very attractive environment can be created from hardy plants. But planting thousands of potted pansies outside every three or four weeks through the winter months because they die and look ugly seems a bit silly – even for a government agency.

More flowers

These actually bloomed with the coming of spring!
Now that the daytime temperatures are reliably above freezing, I am faced with a new challenge - keeping my children in shoes. Yes I can afford shoes, what I mean is that they don’t want to wear them. They are sneaky about it, too. If they don’t just slip outside without them, or take them off and leave them in the front yard to be hit by the mower, they wait until I am in the middle of doing something complicated (like fixing dinner, or doing brain surgery, or changing a poopy diaper, or all three simultaneously) and say, loudly, “Dad, can I go outside?...” and then softly caveat, “…in bare feet?”See how that works? My one-track brain is already taxed by at least three tracks which must be followed; I hear that someone wants to get out of my hair (yes, I know, I am bald); and I respond with an enthusiastic “Yes!” They are out the door and gone before I can process the caveat. Oh, well – I suppose they will come in before the frostbite is too bad.
Happy Spring!

Speaking of DayTimers

2006-04-04T12:33:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow at 3 seconds after 1:02 am, the time and date will be 010203040506!

Holy DayTimer, Batman! It's Been Over A Week!

2006-04-04T07:52:00.000-05:00

To quote Sam Clemens, "Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated."

Ever have one of those weeks? I kept thinking of things to write about. Sometimes I took pictures - even uploaded them. Then I'd sit down to blog and something would come up. Rarely anything major - needed to run to the store; phone call; 'Liese needs a bottle; even my job - and I'd get sidetracked. Next thing I know I am getting concerned inqiries and I feel like a slacker. Oh, well.

Anyway, I will get my act in gear later today and post something with meaningfull content. 'Till then, rest assured that I am still among the living and still kicking in blog-land.

Redneck Advertising

2006-03-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

We live well and truely in the sticks. Civilization is encroaching fast, but things like this reasure me that we still live in the country.

I pulled into our local gas station/repair shop/quick mart/used car dealership and saw this in the lot. I knew the owner was into oversized trucks, but this was a new feature to this handy little multipurpose establishment.

I had to take photos. Caleb's response was, "Wow! There. Are. No. Words. To. Describe. How. Cool. That. Is!"

I give you Redneck Adverising!

And I thought William might particularly like this one, considering the emphasis on the traffic cone.

When I mentioed it, the Service manager smiled and said, "The emergency brake failed." I think he was joking.

Bissy Quotes:

Every night my MIL calls to talk with the kids. They take turns telling/reading (depending on the age of the duty kid) her a bedtime story. MDW's parents provided the kids with a cell phone on thier plan specificaly for this kind of call. Last night was Bissy's (Elisabeth's) turn. However Annelise was jabbering at everyone in the room... loudly... unceasingly.

Nana: Who is making all that noise?
Bissy: 'Leise.
Nana: She sure is being loud.
Bissy: Yep.
Nana: Is she always that loud?
Bissy: Noooo... [long pause] Only when she is awake.

Thursday Thoughts

2006-03-16T22:32:00.000-05:00

Thank you, bloggers!

Many thanks to all of you who left notes for Gabriella. We read them all to her and she appreciated them very much. So did I.

I know, of course, that I cannot shield her from all life’s hurts – nor should I try. I can only make her as strong a little person as I can and wipe off the tears when they come. But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier for me to see her hurting.

And, as I suspected you would, all of you, my new blogging friends, came through and effectively eased the hurt. The next morning MDW called me at work to tell me that Gabriella got up and, without prompting, put her hair up in a ponytail – high on her head so her ears would show.

MARCing time

Three hours each day I spend sitting on my butt on a commuter train. On the North side of the Potomac the rail line is the MARC train. No one seems to be sure what MARC actually stands for – it’s not even on their own web site – but I think it stands for Maryland Area Rail Commission.

For almost a year I rode the first rush hour train out in the afternoon and pretty much everybody sat and talked quietly, looked out the window, read, slept (like me)… you get the picture. Then my schedule shifted and I started riding the “Blue Ridge Express” which is the first train that continues out to West “By Golly” Virginia. What a change! These folks are crazy. I estimate three quarters of the riders are drinking on the train – and a good portion of them have already started before they board. They stand in the aisle (and occasionally on the seats), they yell down half the length of the cars, they have birthday parties with hard liquor and food. And some of them sleep. Most of the people always ride the same train, the same car, even the same seats every day. They are an isolated community and there is a fascinating diversity of people.

There are law enforcement officers from multiple bureaus. There are doctors and nurses. There are locksmiths and mechanics. There are programmers and political appointees. Lawyers, musicians and salespeople. There is a nationally known sociologist and a senior Senate aide.

The relationships run the gamut from vague acquaintances and casual friendships to long term romances and (I am told) the occasional on board illicit tryst – sort of the rail version of the mile high club. There have been fights and arguments, kissing and cuddling, crying and laughing. Ladies get married, ride through their pregnancies, and disappear for maternity leave. The choices of beverage range from domestic beer and cheap wine to the products of microbreweries and mixed drinks. The conductors range from affable idiots to pocket dictators.

When I first started on this train the people were like cartoon characters, not real people. I sat down my third day on the train with my laptop and proceeded to write the skeleton of a cast for what I thought could be a Cheers type sitcom. Over time they became real and familiar; and real people are far less easy to categorize. But that initial shocking impression has stuck with me and, just for fun, I think I am going to start fleshing out the character sketches and then work up a few “episodes” for my sitcom. Some of my characters have faces – based closely on real people. Some are based more loosely on the first impression I got of an individual. Some are composites and a very few are wholly imaginary. I thought I could make dramatic use of the lurches as the train switches tracks, I could change scenes by “falling out” through a window and letting the train zoom by and then “coming back in” another window.

One of the most fun things about this idea is that there is effectively no “action” – it is almost entirely about the dialog. With one exception – three of the most one dimensional characters are “the runners”. These three really exist; Mullet Man, The Beige Lady, and The Dark Horse. They have a compulsion to be first out of the parking lot. They stand in the door as the train pulls to its final stop; jump out as soon as the doors open; and sprint to their cars. They leave their spots like dragsters off the line… just so they can sit at the train crossing for five minutes or more while the rest of us get off the train. The people who are still on the train call the race as if they were at the race track. “…And it’s Mullet Man in the lead, but Beige Lady is coming up fast. And now Dark Horse is making a break on the outside!” They actually put money on the windowsill to wager on who will get to the gate first.

I will post things here as I work them out and clean them up. Let me know if it gives you any good creative ideas. I think I shall call it Train Space. Or not. We’ll see how it goes.

If I Knew Who He Was, I’d…

2006-03-14T12:48:00.000-05:00

…rip his tongue out through his nose and staple it to a wall.

High up on a wall.

Well at least I’d like to. But I wouldn’t. Because that kind of behavior is considered inappropriate. Especially when directed by an adult toward a kindergartener (OK. He’s in first grade now, but who’s counting).

I have been accused of having a hot temper. Not true. What I have is more of a ferocious but controlled temper – I think it’s sort of a Celt/Norse thing dating back to the Vikings in Scotland. I rarely get angry enough to show it, but when I do (I am told by MDW) I am frightening. I know my temper and I therefore control it ruthlessly. I have never, not once, allowed myself to really loose my temper with my wife or children. In fact, I can only recall a handful of times in my life when I did loose my temper, and it scared me enough to want to never do it again. Now into my nice controlled life, I have just discovered, intrudes a nitwit who really makes my blood boil - and I cannot vent it in “real life”. So I am venting here.

As you may know, I have four wonderful children – three of whom are beautiful, one of whom is handsome. I am not just being biased (though I freely admit that I am) – many people have told me how attractive my children are. (Does anyone ever tell you if your kids are unattractive?)

And they have all been home schooled – except for last year. We decided to let Caleb and Gabriella attend public school for a year to see how it would go. Answer: Not well at all. No more of that nonsense for now.

Ready for the screeching left turn? Since last year, Gabriella has resisted letting MDW put her gorgeous red hair up in a pony tail or braid. We couldn’t understand it, and it resulted in not a few arguments. This winter she finally told us that it was because she didn’t like to see her ears. Huh…? Well, you may have guessed it. She admitted to MDW this morning (during one of the aforementioned tearful arguments) that the reason she does not like her ears was that she had been teased about them in kindergarten last year. By one little xy chromosome bearing individual whom she didn’t even like. While the teacher sat and did nothing. Which Gabriella took as tacit agreement with the opinion of the little jerk. And now there is no convincing her that her ears are beautiful. What is a father to do (besides the stapling the tongue to the wall trick I have already rejected)?

I know that life is full of hurts. My wife and I were both teased unmercifully when we were kids. I survived with a mildly dented ego. She didn’t fare nearly as well. I know that Gabriella will undoubtedly hurt again in her life. But this is the first time someone has hurt her, badly, on purpose.

And darn it, I am the Daddy that held her when she was an infant and critically ill and sang You Are My Sunshine until she quieted for a few minutes. I am the Daddy she runs to when she hurts herself. I am the Daddy whose side of the bed she sneaks into when she has a nightmare. I am the Daddy who took a fall down the stairs rather than drop his little girl. I am the Daddy who wants to be home to hold her, who would protect her forever if I could. And hearing her weep in the background as my wife talked to me on the phone is tying my guts in a large, complicated knot. I don’t know whether I want to cry or break something. I have no target (thankfully) for my rage. The boy is nameless and faceless, the teacher has retired. So I’ll pray about it… and look at pictures of my beautiful Sunshine… and vent to the blogosphere.

Please do me a favor. If you read this post, leave a comment for Gabriella.

101 Things About Me

2006-03-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

(one more than one hundred – because I could)

1. I have a beautiful wife, known here as MDW.
2. I have four great kids.
3. The oldest is a boy (9); the rest are girls (7, 6, and3) and they are all homeschooled.
4. We live on a horse farm near the Blue Ridge Mountains.
5. MDW is fulfilling her lifelong dream of owning an equine training facility.
6. My kids and can play in the yard without fear.
7. My kids all have ponies of their own.
8. So do I (except mine is bigger).
9. I can breathe cool mountain air in the morning.
10. It is expensive to start up an equine business.
11. We are still starting up.
12. I am a programmer.
13. I love computers.
14. Except when I hate them.
15. I work in Washington, DC.
16. I commute over two hours – each way.
17. People ask me why I do it.
18. I say see #4 and #10.
19. I am very creative.
20. I cook, build, draw, and photograph.
21. At other times I have done cross-stitch, stained glass, acrylic painting, miniatures, models, calligraphy, watercolors, and architectural drawing.
22. I even tried knitting.
23. I generally dislike cats.
24. We have seven of them.
25. They live in the garage.
26. They adore me.
27. Dogs, horses, and hamsters generally like me, too.
28. We have all three.
29. I like dogs and horses.
30. We also have fish and snakes, but I can’t tell if they really like me.
31. I have near perfect pitch. I can always tell if someone is singing off key.
32. My kids almost always sing off key.
33. I love hearing them sing.
34. I have a beautiful maple baroque recorder that my father gave me. I can’t read music so I play it by ear – see #31.
35. I love to play it.
36. I rarely do.
37. I also play the penny whistle.
38. I am politically very conservative.
39. Some of my best friends have been very liberal.
40. We treat each other with respect; discuss issues; and agree to disagree.
41. I am a committed Christian.
42. Some of my best friends are: agnostic; atheistic; neo-Pagan; Jewish; Protestant; Catholic.
43. See #40
44. I have enjoyed many outdoor activities: mountain biking; skiing; kayaking; hiking; rock climbing; rappelling; horseback riding.
45. Horseback riding is the only one that doesn’t leave me feeling like I got run over by a truck – so I ride instead of the others.
46. I have had nearly every major bone in my body x-rayed at least once.
47. I have injured my toes, ankles, shins, knees, only one hip, lumbar spine, ribs, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, thoracic spine, c-spine, and head.
48. Most of those happened while I was in the Army.
49. Most of them also happened while I was off duty.
50. I am really not a klutz.
51. Now days I refer to Motrin as “Vitamin M”.
52. I had Strep throat seven times in one year.
53. The doctors finally decided to remove my tonsils.
54. They took them out at 8:30am on September 11, 2001.
55. When I woke up the world was a different place.
56. MDW is the first girl (outside my family) I ever kissed.
57. I was twenty three.
58. I was a late bloomer.
59. We were slow dancing in the dark in her family room while listening to Restless Heart’s The Bluest Eyes in Texas.
60. We were in Virginia, but she had the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen.
61. I asked if I could kiss her. She said, “If you want too.” So I did.
62. After I kissed her I had to sit down because I was weak in the knees.
63. We kissed some more while I sat.
64. We married 14 months later.
65. We lived over 400 miles apart the whole time.
66. My favorite meal is fresh steamed Maryland Blue crabs. We used to buy them, alive, by the bushel from the fishermen who caught them.
67. I have eaten over four dozen in one sitting.
68. Blue crabs should be a social event, not just a meal.
69. I struggle with depression, anxiety, and adult ADD. Fortunately all are generally moderate and the medicine is effective.
70. Because of my meds I once tested positive for amphetamines on a workplace drug test.
71. Fortunately I had a prescription.
72. I have lived in five states and two other countries.
73. I was born in Japan (to American parents).
74. Since then I have moved 36 times in 38 years.
75. In May we are moving again (but just down the driveway, this time).
76. I was also deployed to Germany and Somalia while in the Army.
77. I was an Army officer for seven years.
78. I missed my first wedding anniversary while deployed to Somalia.
79. While there, my truck was shot and hit – thankfully none of my troops were.
80. Somali donkeys have zebra stripes on their legs.
81. You actually stop noticing the sound of bullets going over your head.
82. MDW struggled with endometriosis for the first eleven years of our marriage and through four and a start pregnancies. We lost one baby to a miscarriage.
83. It took a complete hysterectomy to finally stop the endometriosis. She is all better now.
84. I am a light sleeper.
85. I usually pull night duty when the kids wake up scared or sick.
86. I learned to go without sleep in the Army.
87. The longest I ever went was 72 hours without a nap. At that point I fell asleep while walking. I never even fell down.
88. I’m not that good/young anymore.
89. I still am OK with only two or three hours of sleep – but only for two or three nights running.
90. It is 3 AM now. My youngest is having mucus issues tonight. I have to leave here at 5:30. I will be fine for one more night.
91. I have two sisters.
92. In October my parents will have 10 grandkids.
93. We all live in the same state.
94. When we were young I was closest to my baby sister.
95. Now I am closest to the older one.
96. I wish I were closer to both.
97. I created my blog in January of 2005.
98. I started blogging a year later.
99. I read a lot of blogs every day. Most are written by parents with young kids.
100. Cat’s blog was the first one I started reading when I started blogging.
101. I love my wife with all my heart. I will do so until the day I die.

This was interesting, and easier than I thought it would be. It was interesting to see how I distilled me for those who do not know me. I chose to just start typing without really planning what to reveal about myself and see what showed up. That is why I call it a distillation – these are pretty much the things that first occurred to me to describe myself to a new friend. Well, except for the one about the Somali donkeys…

I would appreciate comments on this, as I am now very curious to know how this leads you to perceive me. It was also a lot of fun. Try it if you haven’t already and let me know.

It's a Cowboy Hat, People!

2006-03-08T16:11:00.000-05:00

I just have the brim pulled down.

Sheesh. You all have no imagination, or is it too much? I dunno. Anyhow, I always (or always when I am outside anyway) wear a black cowboy hat. At least it used to be black - it is now more of a dark charcoal color from sun, rain, dust, horse hair, etc. I wear it because there is no hair under there. I couldn't care less about people seeing my bare pate - but the sunburns up there really hurt and the stiff crown keeps me from braining myself on the rafters in the hay loft.

Ski mask, indeed! Bank robber - No, Tink. Pirate, maybe. Because pirates would totally kick ninja butt.

I actually made the image for deviantArt where I used to post my photos. It was much bigger there. I guess it lost something in the reduction.

Very Sore, Very Busy

2006-03-07T08:55:00.000-05:00

As usual, after the long weekend I have an entirely new set of aches and pains to torment me through the day. This week it is primarily my shoulders and abs from moving, leveling, and tamping a boatload (a barge, not a canoe) of earth. But I got most of my task list done and my whining body is consoled (really!) by the sense of acomplishment. In addition to being a huiman earth mover I painted a new sign for the farm, hung gutters, repaired stall partitions, moved hay, filled watter troughs, got my license renewd, went shopping, and kept the kids from doing bodily harm to themselves or each other whilst MDW worked on her own long list of things to do.

And now I am four days out from a deadline (three of which I am supposed to be in a class), so if I post at all this week, it will likely be short.

So here are some photos to keep you entertained.

Our AnnShh is Back!

2006-03-03T18:29:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we had something happen that scared the begeebers out of me – we almost lost our AnnShh. What is an AnnShh you ask? Well let me ‘splain it.

There are many young people in the world who would love to have, or at least ride, a horse. The vast majority of these youngsters never get the opportunity to do so because horses are four legged cash to poop converters. However, one way that a few of the more enterprising of these kids achieve their dream is to become a working student – sort of an apprenticeship. In return for lessons, leasing a horse, or boarding their own; they muck stalls, fix fences, feed and water horses, muck some more stalls, spray weeds, groom horses, sweep the aisles… and muck more stalls. It is hard, dirty work. It is wickedly hot in the summer. It is numbingly cold in the winter. It is wet, it is muddy, it is sleeping in the barn when a horse colics. It is putting up 50lb bales of hay at 2am because there is a storm coming. And there is no money! It is all for the horses, and for the good ones, that is enough.

Over the past couple of years we have taken on several young ladies as working students. Some have been fair (generally well intentioned, but unmotivated); some have been good, but moved on to other things; and some have been unmitigated disasters (each worthy of several posts, was I motivated to think about them more than I have to).

And some have become family.

One of the very best came to work with us when she had just turned fourteen. She knew next to nothing about horses except that she loved them. She was painfully shy. And she had a level of determination to rival any adult I have met. She lasted through the muggy heat of summer, with the all night haying and the flies and the dust. She lasted through the winter, with the slush and mud and no riding time. She avoided the petty, teen squabbles that seem to follow many girls like flies follow… well, horses. She treated our kids with acceptance and love. In trying to say her name, my little Annelise (who was then two) dubbed her AnnShh. “My AnnShh!” she would say.

And she has soaked up knowledge of the horse business like a sponge! She first worked to lease a horse at a reduced rate. Then she bought a horse on payments with her own hard earned money and continued to work for her board and riding lessons. Then she made a proposal to her father who lent her the money to purchase a prospect horse to train and resell – so she will have money to reinvest in a new prospect and save for college.

Her parents have honored us by allowing her to stay at our house on the weekends and for most of each week during the summer. She has kept her grades high and we have supported that as her first priority. I am thankful that she is there for my little girls as a role model in addition to MDW – for she is a really good one. She has excelled and we have come to depend on her, no longer as an apprentice, but as a true journeyman.

Last Sunday, as I was shopping at the giant orange toy store (Home Depot), I got a phone call from my wife. It was very short. “Get home now! Shannon has been kicked in the face and her nose is broken. Paige is bringing her up to the house now.” Click.

I left the cart where it sat and walked out the door. I saw her going the other way as I drove home; she was talking to AnnShh’s parents as she drove – arranging to meet them at the ER. All I could see of AnnShh was her arms and hands as she held an ice pack on her face.

She never lost consciousness and there was an EENT in the hospital that night. Typically they wait until the swelling of a broken nose goes down and then set it, but hers was broken on both sides, so they did surgery right away to set the bones. She went home that night with a small, red cast on her face.

The kick was not her fault. She was following all the rules. The horse was not a known problem animal. The other working student, another of our rising stars, reacted perfectly and got her to the house and help. It was, as they say, just one of those things. And I was really worried we had lost our AnnShh. I was worried for her until I heard that she was home, and that she was OK. I was worried for us until I heard that she wanted to come back, and that her parents would let her.

Today she came back to us – she is even spending the night. She can’t go in the barn – too much dust (sneezing would be a bad thing with a broken nose) – but she can pet her horses (who truly have missed her), she can be with the kids (who have truly missed her even more), and we are glad.

Welcome home AnnShh. We missed you.

Lovin' me some Software

2006-03-03T13:39:00.000-05:00

I am using Blogbridge to follow all my favorite blogs. It lets me know when there are new posts and I can read them offline (like on the train - three hours every day). And, did I mention that it is free? And that it has not crashed my crash prone laptop even once?

Oh, yeah. Lovin' it.

Of Pups and Ponies

2006-02-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

“Danger, Danger, Will Robinson!” Serious (or at least snarky and frustrated) post ahead.

When I was in the military, I spent more time than I like to remember on what we called “Dog and Pony Shows”; or, in the words of a more colorful officer than I, a “Canine and Equestrian Extravaganza”. Whenever a senior officer or dignitary would visit our area; whenever there was a change in our chain of command; whenever there was a major holiday; or whenever someone in charge just got a wild hair stuck you-know-where, we would have a Dog and Pony Show.  No real dogs (usually); no real ponies (with a couple of notable exceptions); just a whole lot of people suffering a whole lot of stress and spending a whole lot of time and effort to put on a whole lot of glitz and a grand old time – and all for the benefit of someone who probably didn’t care anyway.  We would go for long runs. We would shine things (like tanks) that are normally left drab for a good reason. We would stand in very large formations for very long times pretending we could hear the very boring speeches and listening to the band play very bad music.

And then it was back to business as usual. Now what did it cost us?  Well, the soldiers had to be there anyway, so cost of manpower wasn’t an issue.  A drive through the training area would re-drabify the equipment pretty darn quick.  The runs were not bad for physical fitness.  And junior officers are supposed to be stressed – it keeps them alert.  So really it just cost the hassle... and the pain of listening to the really bad band music. And the senior officers and dignitaries were happy they had been honored. No harm, no foul.

Now I work for the government as a civilian and I have discovered a new kind of Dog and Pony Show – one which bothers me a lot more than standing in snow, or marching in the rain ever did.  Because we cannot make our people do impressive (albeit sometimes silly) things to honor our seniors, we show them how much cash we can flush.  It is an apparent competition to see who can spend the most taxpayers’ money sucking up to the big cheeses without getting arrested.

In one agency this year, the head office staff managed to have life sized oil portraits of all of the past agency heads commissioned to be hung in the hall to the head’s office – where few will ever get to see them (even if they wanted to).  Then they had 5x7 reproductions made of each portrait – thousands of them – so everyone in the agency could have a set. In another instance an agency had brass medallions struck and mounted as pins to give to every member of the agency – to honor them (so that the cost could be justified).  One agency had a fish tank put in its cafeteria – a ten foot wide by eight foot high fish tank with an artificial reef!

These are not isolated activities.  Washington, DC is littered with the detritus of the honors shown to upper level bureaucrats. A statue here, a giant bronze plaque there, faceless names and dates graven in every flat stone surface you see.  Fountains, gardens, memorial trees, giant ugly vases, huge bells without clappers… The list goes on and on.

Some of these people have, no doubt done yeoman service to their country – I work near a statue of General John J. “Black Jack” Pershing – and others were no doubt corrupt and criminal.  When honors are deserved, honors should be given.  Great service should be well rewarded.  But occupying a seat and signing papers, while it might take dedication and long hours to climb to the post, does not a hero make.  And we pay them very well indeed to do it.  Spending great gobs of taxpayers’ money – my money – to make them look like heroes is repugnant.  And spending the money on your own boss should be criminal (in my humble, worker-bee opinion).

I ask the question, “Why did you spend. all. that. money?” and I am shushed. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink. It’s all legal – shoot, it’s usually lawyers doing it. They ran it by counsel! You see, the honoree never gets to keep the statue or the fountain (though I’ll bet he kept a copy of the paintings) so it isn’t a gift – and that makes it alright, right?

Gahk! This is why I will never climb much higher than I am now, I suppose.  I cannot generate sufficient suction with my lips to kiss up in executive style.  When I should be kissing, I keep laughing … so I don’t start crying.

Little Things

2006-02-24T10:49:00.000-05:00

It’s the little things…
I hate Metro! I ride the Washington, DC subway every day – not a long ride, but every day. It is mostly clean, mostly on time, and mostly safe – and I hate it. “Why?” you may ask. Good question… I asked myself the same thing. It’s the little things.

I have been doing the Metro thing for quite a while and I have polished my route down to which doors to use on which trains. I could almost do it in my sleep. And sometimes, having left the house at 4:30AM, I think I do. But there is always a problem.

The elevators and escalators are always breaking down and, in true Murphy fashion, always in the most inconvenient times and places. The signs in the metro are terribly confusing. This wouldn’t be a problem for me except that it confuses the tourists, and a confused tourist is an immobile tourist, and a clan of immobile tourists (they travel in clans) is a traffic jam. The station attendants are always mysteriously absent when the clans are immobile – I think they are behind the brown doors watching us like “America’s Funniest Home Videos” on all the CCTV cameras. The fare machines are generally reliable, but again seem designed to bring the uninitiated to a confused halt. And the Metro-powers-that-be seem to believe that rush-hour, which around here lasts for three or more hours, is the best time to send their armed teams with strong boxes in to remove the day’s take from the machines.

More often than not, I end my 15 minute ride on Metro shaking my head and grumbling my mantra, “I hate Metro! I hate Metro! I hate Metro!” Lesson learned? No mater how good your product is, people will hate you if you don’t get the little things right.

Snugglewuffie
Last night as we were getting ready for bed, Annelise announced that she needed her “Snugglewuffie”. Great… except for one thing. Neither MDW nor I had the faintest clue what a Snugglewuffie was. She said it was downstairs, so MDW went down to see if Caleb could help unravel the mystery.

MDW: “Caleb, ‘Liese wants her Snugglewuffie.”
Caleb: “OK. Which one?”
…
MDW: “What color is a Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: “That depends on which one she wants.”
…
MDW: “Can you help me find her Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: “If you tell me which one you want me to find.”
…!
MDW: finally finding the right question “Caleb, What is a Snugglewuffie?”
Caleb: shrugging “A stuffed animal.”

Turns out she wanted her “Duck Snugglewuffie” which we discovered is actually an ostrich beanie baby. After we found it she wandered around the house for a bit… making her ostrich quack. Evidently, according to Gabriella, the term came from a show about a fish. Kids... Gotta love 'em.

Idiots and Maniacs
There is an old saying about other drivers which references their speed. It is true.

Yesterday I was driving to work in the fog – thick fog. I know the road well enough that I was able to keep it close to the speed limit. When I hit a straight section I was surprised by a roaring noise as the USS Nimitz passed me doing 70, in the fog, on a winding downhill road, in the dark, in a dear crossing zone. Maniac! The only thing that will probably keep him alive is the solid steel, 1974 vintage, powder blue Cadillac he was in.

This morning on the same road I got stuck behind a Buick. With 4 middle aged construction workers of Latin origin in it. Going 35 to 40 in a 45 zone where most people travel 55. On a clear, dry morning. Almost made me miss my train. Idiot!

Just for Susie… and the rest of us cheaters
Here is how to make macaroni edible and cheat the fate of the freezer while you do it.

New Recipes

2006-02-21T22:27:00.000-05:00

I am tired and today has been a long day. An old injury flared up in my ankle this weekend so I am limping around wondering how badly I did it in ( I had surgery on it in 1995). Not much else to post, so I'll just point out a couple of new recipes on my Odd Mixings blog.

Busy Weekend

2006-02-20T18:02:00.000-05:00

Milo getting first dibs on a new round bale.

We had a busy weekend getting the farm back in shape after the rough weather for the past couple of weeks. Having a long weekend helped - the sea of slime did not - so I suppose we broke even. Anyhoo, we still got a lot done; hay distributed, feeders moved, stall mats fitted, and a whole lot of horse, ah... crap, moved.

And I got a new project.

Poor Eddie had a tough life. He is a retired race horse (read arthritic) who had been badly mistreated in a stall. Now he is well behaved under saddle, and is fairly sweet in the field. But get him in a stall and he is fear agressive. It is probably a very good thing I don't know who did this to him because it makes me very, very, very mad.

Eddie and I get along very well. He knows better than to bite or kick me, and I know better than to do the things tat scare him. I think he will someday relize that not everyone who comes in his stall is going to hurt or be mean to him, thgh he will likely always react that way to strangers. He particularly dislikes loud, hyperkinetic people - so I always move deliberately and quietly around him. I have found that he likes it if I sing low and quiet while I groom him.

Eddie is probably a bit small to cary me - we'll see. But we can at least be friends, and that's what he needs.

Cold is a Homonym. Is Freezing?

2006-02-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much, blogging parents. I don’t know how you did it, but all you virally infected families managed somehow to pass it on to my healthy family. I am now floating in a sea of green slime and I can feel it growing in my sinuses.

This morning MDW let me sleep in. Yes, Tink, for two days running now I slept until 10:00 AM. Heaven! What a good wife – she says it is my Valentine’s Day present (and a good one, I might add).

So, this morning as I lay there holding my six year old (who was the primary vector for the green slime) ‘Liese came running in, flipped on the lights, and jumped on the bed to show us her Band-Aid (Band-Aids are the subject of another entire entry for another day). She lay down to snuggle next to her big sister and the green slime settled into a new part of her chest, provoking a coughing jag.

Gabriella: gathering her up in a hug. “That happens because you have a cold.”
‘Liese: with a stuffy, squeaky voice “I no have a code, I have a Freezing!”

Suddenly I seemed to be overcome with a fit of coughing myself. I would never laugh in a situation like that, would you?

I Rock!

2006-02-17T13:58:00.000-05:00

OK. Normally I am a pretty self-deprecating kind of guy. Not usually prone to tooting my own horn. But today, I've just gotta say it, "I Rock!"

"Why do you rock?" you ask. Well let me tell you.

Having had what some might call a lackluster Valentine's Day, my children and I were somewhat dissapointed. They, because they had to sit in the truck or the waiting room for eight hours, and me because I had to sit in the truck or the waiting room with them for eight hours. And because I always try to use V Day as an opportunity to rack up those ever important E points. Well, to ease the kids feelings (and double my oportunities to get those points) I told them we would observe Valentine's Day this weekend.

Due to the vagaries of the Federal Government's personnel scheduling system (and it is very vague sometimes) I had today off, but being the sneaky sort that I am, I did not tell my wife. Instead I bought the groceries for a special breakfast and some flowers. This morning I got up as if I were going to work and went out to the garage and built a tray for the bathtub. Cooked breakfast and sent one of the kids down to wake her up with a rose and bring her upstairs.

I give you... My Wife's Valentine's Day Surprise :cue sappy oooohs and aaaaws:
(note the rose petals in the water, please. I want full credit, here)

OK, Let's all say it together now... LOL
"OddMix Rocks!"

The Valentine’s Day from H-E-Double Toothpick

2006-02-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

Monday evening MDW (my dear wife) called me at work. “Call the dentist,” she says. This is significant for several reasons; primary among them is she is severely phobic of dentists (is there a word for that? dentomedophobia?)  and has not, therefore, been to see one in about three years. At this point she was in an extraordinary amount of pain.  I knew she was in an extraordinary amount of pain because she was volunteering to go. Our old dentist said that in 25 years of practice she was in the top 5 phobics he’d ever met.  She hyperventilates when we park at the dentist’s office even after having taken Xanax.

So, I dutifully secured an appointment at the local family dentist. She took a Percocet and a Hydromorphone and went to sleep.

Tuesday morning actually started out fairly well.  I slept in (till 8:00 which is like noon for me).  The kids liked the little boxes of chocolates I left on their bed.  They tried to share with my wife who declined politely (another reason I knew she was in pain – MDW is a chocoholic).

I went out and got the horses fed and watered, got the kids dressed, got MDW medicated, made the kids lunch, load up the kids, carried MWD to her truck…  Yes carried, the Xanax had hit her hard enough that when she tried to get up from putting her shoes on, she wound up tripoding with her knees and face. OK, time for the fireman’s carry.

So we get to the dentists office and I get her into the chair.  The dentist tells me I should not have given her the Xanax. I explain that without it she would not be in the chair. OK, let’s take an X-ray.  Oops, MDW needs a root canal… but this dentist doesn’t do root canals – or extractions.  How about a referral, sir?  Go home and call for an appointment sometime next week. Riiiiiight. Jerks.

So we head into town from the dentist’s.  And the truck starts to loose power. You guessed it – out of gas. Off I set on a two mile hike in the slush to the nearest gas station while MDW naps in the car – along with the four kids.

On my way to the gas station I pass a dentist office and figure, “What harm in asking?” Yes they can do what she needs.  No they don’t have time to do it today. “Would you like us to call another dentist’s office and get you an appointment?” Why, yes, thank you, I would like that very much!

Gassed up and MDW still drugged, we were off again to our last stop of the day where MDW spent over two hours in the chair getting a root canal.  The good news in all this is that the last stop was the first dentist she has ever had who didn’t hurt her.  She went back the next day without any hyperventilating and got three fillings.  The best part was when I went in to get her after her fillings; she looked at me with a dazed expression and said, “It didn’t hurt! Wasn’t it supposed to hurt?”

Not the Valentine’s Day I had planned, but a good thing in the end.

**********************************************

Annelise was very excited to get her “choc-ats” in the heart box.   She took a small bite out of each one to see what was inside before she selected a caramel to eat.

MDW: “Can you count them, ‘Liese?”
‘Liese: Touching each as she counts, “One, Two, Eight, huh? Chocat on my fing-er!”

Oh, Hurt Me So Good…

2006-02-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

I got a massage. Sounds good, right? I have never before enjoyed someone inflicting so much pain on my body so much.

I am not into pain. I have been suffering for a long time from old self abuses (voluntary and otherwise), poor physical condition (OK, so I need to exercise more), and the sporadic but intense nature of my secondary profession (farmer). Life has not been good to my body. Some people thrive on the military life, I did not. I have ailments from stem to stern, most of which are orthopedic in nature. I would like to get in shape, but doing so just hurts so damn much, the motivation is hard to maintain. Enough moaning.

I got tired of hurting when I move my body so my wife sent me to Jen. She is a massage therapist who sidelines as an Equine Massage Therapist. There were moments this weekend when I thought she had the two confused. This weekend she focused on the pressure points in my right Scalene muscles. For those of you not anatomically educated (like me until this weekend – after which I am NEVER likely to forget where my Scalenes are) these are the muscles that run from just below your ear to your clavicle. Think Vulcan nerve pinch.

Whooo, Brother! Now I want to caveat this by saying this is just one of the types of massage she does, she did ease up if I asked, and my back and arm are better than they have been in quite some time. But – as I was saying – Whoooo, Brother! The right front side of my neck feels like I volunteered to be the kicking target for an advanced Karate class. Just by putting pressure on this muscle she provided me with interesting sensations ranging from my fingertips to my shoulder blade to my forehead. She made things move on their own in my neck, my back, and in my arm. She made me hurt and like it. Sounds kinky – it wasn’t. It was what it was.

Was it worth it? Well I am going to go pay her another $70 to hurt me next weekend. And the weekend after that… If you need a massage in Northern Virginia, let me know.

"I Follow You Foot-teps, Daddy!"

2006-02-13T08:09:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures from this weekend's snow. There are more to see on Flickr.

Between the snowsuit-shock and the depth of the snow, 'Liese had a tough time walking. She decided the way to go was to follow in my footsteps. I am fairly sure there is an important alegory in there.

This was after the snow had already settled an inch or so.

Happiness is... freezing the back of your head in the snow while making a snow angel.

Here are the kids exploring the sideyard. Inevitably, the bean is out there somewhere on guard duty.

Yep.. There she is.

Caleb and Bissy decided the best way to make a snowgirl was to simply coat a real girl with snow. This was all good until he went for the face. Much screaming ensued.

Big sister's helping hands!

One More Dose of the White Stuff

2006-02-11T17:37:00.000-05:00

According to the weather report this afternoon, we have had 4.5 inches of snow this winter. We are currently in the midst of a winter storm which is predicted to deliver between 10 and 13 inches by tomorrow morning. Now why couldn't have this of happened on Sunday night?

We have postponed the "big" party for Annelise. We are now going to have it next Sunday so everyone can come without driving in the snow.

I am going to have fun with the mother of all Tonka toys in the morning - the farm tractor. Today I was leveling the footing in the round pen. Since we have a quarter mile of driveway, plowing our was out of here is going to take a while - but, Oh, such fun!

I am also looking forward to getting some pictures in the morning. I will post some here later.

Modding the Template, Even!

2006-02-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

Poked my nose into my template today. For a web programmer I have felt remarkably reluctant to dig into the code that is my template. Took the plunge and started tweaking things, Added a picture and some links. Sometime I think I will change a bunch more, but not today. Does that make me a Lazy web developer, or just bleary from sleep deprivation.

‘Liese got on the phone and announced to me, “Daddy, I get gum for my monies! I got to store. Bye.” Then my wife picked up the phone and explained that my little one had found two pennies and wanted to buy some gum. I am going to see how much gum I can get away with giving her for two pennies.

************************************
A little Odd phone conversation

OddMix’s Wife: I need you to pick up my prescription on the way home.
OddMix: OK. Sure.
OMW: It is at the ------- pharmacy. [On the other side of town, 30 minutes out of my way]
OM: Crap!
OMW: MmmmHmm.
OM: Crap, crap, crappalicious!
…
OMW: That word was… wrong! Just… wrong! Don’t do that again.
OM: Uhhh, OK.

I think I should have finished with, “Oh look! Cheesecake!” but didn’t think about it till later.

Thanks. Now. Must. Go. Sleep.

2006-02-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

Such fun. I had to patch a server today, which meant waiting till the server was not being used. So I got home at 9:00 and put the kids down by 10:00. Spent a bit of time with my lovely wife, and I have to get up at 4:00 in the morning to do it all one more time. G'night.

Thanks to you all for wishing my little one a happy birthday - it really made her day!

Update:
I am still tired. I cheated and slept 'till 5:00, but was up until nearly 2:00 before I got any real sleep.

Happy Three!

2006-02-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

Annelise is now three. Her Birthday was Monday and we had a great time. Just our immediate family - The "big" party is on Sunday. My little baby isn't a baby anymore.

We sang "Happy Birthday" while she played with her new Leapster. At this point she had already tried on several new outfits and was wearing the pink sweats that say, "Will Trade Kisses for Candy!"

She seemed rather astonished when the cake appeared before her eyes.

The little fasion horse loved the barrettes.

And the new videos were very exciting, too.

Meme of Fours

2006-02-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

I have made a discovery. Memes are more fun than they might seem. And they make you think (at least they do me). So, stolen from Hello Josephine comes the meme of fours:

Four jobs I’ve had
1. Sears Catalog Employee.
2. Army Officer.
3. IT Contractor.
4. Federal Government Employee.

Four movies I've could watch over and over
1. Lord of the Rings (any of the three)
2. Narnia
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Finding Neverland

Four places I’ve lived
There are too many – I’ll just list the first four.
1. Tachikawa, Japan
2. Alexandria, VA
3. Kwajalein Atoll, Micronesia
4. Philadelphia, PA

Four TV shows I love
1. Dirty Jobs
2. Mythbusters
3. Iron Chef America
4. Amazing Race

Four places I've been on vacation
1. Vancouver, WA
2. Honolulu, HI
3. Lake Saranac, NY
4. Orlando, FL

Four blogs I visit daily...that you might or might notexpect me to.
1. Desperate Working Mommas
2. Poop and Boogies
3. Crazy-ass Family
4. Breed ‘em and Weep

Four Favorite Foods
1. Steamed Blue Crabs
2. NY Strip Steak (the thicker, the better)
3. Krispy Kreme doughnuts
4. Hummus (with lots of garlic)

Four places I'd rather be
1. Home
2. Fishing on the bay
3. Skiing anywhere there is snow on a hill
4. Kayaking where the water is still and clear as glass

Four CDs I listened to most recently
1.Trace Adkins – Songs About Me
2. Iona – The Woven Ring
3. Faith Hill - Fireflies
4. Shania Twain – UP!

Last four vehicles I’ve owned (all by myself)
1. Little red Hyundai Accent
2. Ford Expedition
3. Buick LeSabre
4. Oldsmobile Silhouette

Head spinning!

2006-02-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

Somebody stop the world… I am dizzy and I want to get off.

What a weekend. This past one, not the one coming up. I was so busy I didn’t even have time to read blogs, much less write in one.

We built a round pen for the horses (big round 6’ high fence).
Had surgery done on the dog’s knee (corrective and planned).
Ditto on one of the horses’ neck (emergency and not planned).
Did the weekly Costco run (the greatest place in the world to go broke saving money).
Caught up on my course work.

And to make it all that much more exciting, my wife threw her back out on Sunday driving the tractor so I got to do all this while being the primary care giver for one couch bound wife, four small kids, two dogs (one with a bad knee), and a whole bunch of horses.

OK. I wish I could write more but my pillow is calling. Hear it? G’night.

I Love Dirty Jobs!

2006-01-25T15:15:00.000-05:00

The show, that is – although I have never had much trouble brining mud into the house.  But I digress.

TLC’s new show Dirty Jobs is AWESOME!  The host is a hoot and the content is intellectually stimulating, as well as being gross enough to keep my kids spellbound.

Check it out.  You will never flush with the same casual aplomb again.

ABCs

2006-01-25T12:19:00.000-05:00

Stole this from Suz and thought it was fun.

A - Accent: None that I can hear. Depends on who I am with - I am like a chameleon that way.
B - Breakfast Item: Cereal and a NoFear
C - Chore you hate: Folding Laundry
D - Dad's Name: Bob
E - Essential everyday item: Boots
F - Flavour ice cream: Swiss Orange
G - Gold or Silver?: Gold
H - Hometown: Virginia
I - Insomnia: Often :(
J - Job Title: IT Specialist
K - Kids: four, one boy and three girls
L - Living arrangements: Wife and kids (and dogs and cats and snakes and fish and hamsters and horses)
M - Mum's birthplace: Tulsa, OK
N - Number of significant others: One.
O - Overnight hospital stays: 2
P - Phobia: falling (not heights, the feeling of falling)
Q - Queer?: Nope.
R - Religious Affiliation: Christian
S - Siblings: 2 younger sisters
T - Time you wake up: Around 4:00am (and 4:09am and 4:18am and 4:27am and 4:36am)
U - Unnatural hair colours you've worn: LOL! I am bald!
V - Vegetable you refuse to eat: None - Brussel sprouts
W - Worst Habit: Procrastination
X - X-rays you've had: Ankles, Shins, Knees, Hips, L-Spine Chest, C-Spine, Shoulder, Forearm, Wrist, Finger, Skull, Teeth
Y - Yummy: Pizza
Z - Zodiac sign: Cancer

Another blog!

2006-01-25T01:23:00.000-05:00

Well, as if I didn’t have enough trouble keeping this one updated, I started a new one because...

I am a gourmet cook who constantly needs to diet. I love to cook. I love to eat. I gain weight smelling Twinkies.

I also am very creative and have a lousy memory for my creations. So I decided to put them in a blog and let the blogosphere remember them for me – and maybe someone else will enjoy them as well.

Good eats.

And here I thought my kids’ behavior was confusing...

2006-01-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

Gao Zhan, now 44 and mother of 3, is about to be deported to China where, she claims, she will be subjected to torture and killed.  Not too difficult to believe on the face of it, but what blows my brain is the sequence of her activities.

1989 – Flees China to US after participating in the Tiananmen Square uprisings. Looks good.
2000 – Goes on vacation back to China (Huh?) and is arrested (Duh!) and is released after the intervention of the SecState and President Bush.  Looks stupid, but still OK.
2003 – Pleads Guilty to selling, under an assumed name, $1 Million in classified computer technology to a Chinese firm with known ties to their military. Whoops, where did that come from.  Looks very bad! She confessed people.
2005 – ICE wants her deported instead of keeping her in US prison (Duh, again!).

Now she says, “I really did appreciate President Bush’s help and Secretary Powell’s mentioning of my case. But why are they silent now?”

In the words of my elementary school buddies “No Shit Sherlock!”  We bend over backwards to save you from your own apparent stupidity and in return you do what?  Sell technology to our biggest (IMHO) enemy?  Hello! Have a nice time in Peking, or Beijing, or whatever they want to call it.

How cool is this?

2006-01-24T00:41:00.000-05:00

How cool is this?!?!?  I can now blog from Word.  I have my spell check as I type so I can be a perfectionist once more!

See?  It is working already! Another post in less than 24 hours.

I am an insomniac who loves to sleep.

So here I sit in the wee hours of the morning trying out new blog tools.  My wife just reminded me I have to go to work in less than 4 hours.  Maybe I can go to sleep now.

Holy Crap!

2006-01-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

I just looked at my blog and realized I had a misspelling...

"I am a prefectionist..."

What a maroon.

More (Finally) Odd Mixes - or - On how we start again.

2006-01-23T12:50:00.000-05:00

I am a procrastinator with little patience.
I am a prefectionist with a short attention span.
I am a fast thinker and a slow typist.

What do these ingredients make? A frustrating tendency to think of great things to blog and forget them before I have a chance to write them down. When I do get the time to write I get discouraged because I can't think of just the right thing to write right now. (wow, was that a righteous sentence, or what?) I like to blog, but wind up not blogging at all.

Well here's to a new year - already 6.5% gone - in which I will endeavor to pull my head out and keep this up to date. Maybe someone will read even it.

2005-09-02T23:00:00.000-05:00

Lincoln Memorial fron WWII Memorial

2005-09-02T22:53:00.000-05:00

WWII Memorial

2005-09-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

Lincoln Memorial

2005-09-02T22:50:00.000-05:00

Wahington Monument, WWII Memorial, Reflecting Pool, from Lincoln Memorial.

2005-09-02T22:48:00.000-05:00

Willy and the kids at the VietNam War Memorial

2005-09-02T21:32:00.000-05:00

The White House

Warm Day at the Barn.

2005-06-12T21:46:00.000-05:00

Fixing Supper

Getting a kiss

Feeding hay to Maggie

Friend needs some hay, too

Gabriella showing off her muddy hands.

Mommy attacks with the hose. Gabriella thought this was fantastic but Bissy dissagreed - loudly.

Here is Gabriella modeling the new grooming apron that Amanda made for her.

Vanna Arives

2005-06-12T20:25:00.000-05:00

Vanna - our new horse van.
She is an Imperatore Horese Van built on a 1970 International Loadstar. She has a 5.0l V8 gas engine with one piston which desperately needs a ring job. I drove her home trailing a large cloud of blue smoke every time I climbed a hill and used three quarts of oil in 15 miles.
Other than that, she is really cool.

"Loadstar? What the heck is a Loadstar?"

Classic Lines

Caution - Horses

Yes, you really can squeeze three horses in there - four if they are reeeeeally freindly.

2005-06-01T21:42:00.000-05:00

Sea of grass

2005-06-01T21:34:00.000-05:00

A Dandylion for Daddy

2005-06-01T21:32:00.000-05:00

Warm evening sun

A Study in Weather

2005-05-28T21:30:00.000-05:00

OK, I know it is an absurdly artsy title but I had to call it something and "A bunch of photos I took of old things around the farm" just didn't seem right - factual, but no style. These are, in fact, a bunch of photos I took of old things around the farm.

I am captivated by the way things age. To my eye, weathered oak and iron have a unique grace and beauty. That which makes new material soft and smooth is worn away, leaving behing that which is tough, that which gives form and structure to the softness. The bone which has the remembered shape of the original refined to its escence.

Calling

Beckoning

Reflecting

Grasping

Waiting

Reaching

Mowing Girl

2005-05-27T10:23:00.000-05:00

I am so proud! Gabriella has always tried to be helpfull to Willie and me. This week she found a new way to help. We have been letting her drive the tractor around the field in low gear.

Today she came in and said, "Mommy, the yard doesn't look very tidy." and asked if she could mow it. Well, the mower has a kill switch that stops the motor (and the blades and wheels) as soon as weight comes off the seat. She can't reach the clutch but has learned that to stop, she just has to stand up and instant halt. So Willie put her on the tractor, started the engine, put it in gear, released the brakes, and away she went.

Our front lawn is over an acre and it took her a good portion of the morning, but she mowed the whole thing and did a great job of it. Thats my girl!

Here she comes, mowing away.

Driving proudly by..

Off to clean up the rough patches.

Our front yard - see her way down by the fence?

Journalism

2005-05-25T22:31:00.000-05:00

You may recal several weeks ago there was an absolutely heart-rending photo on many front pages. The subject of the photo was an Army Major carrying a little Iraqi girls who had fallen victim to mass murder by vehicle explosive - and she died before he could get her to the aid station.

I find I am unable to look at that picture for more than a couple of seconds. Moreover I cannot bring myself to look at the details of the photo, they are too painfull and personal - I keep seeing how much her feet look like Bissy's, thinking of the agony of her father who probably loved her as much as I do my little ones.

And yet I also find the image compelling because of the Major (odd to think if I had stayed in, I would be a senior Major now and very possibly deployed to Iraq). The love and compassion embodied by that one soldier as a representative of our military ballances the grief and sorrow with hope and pride in our people.

The mainstream media used this image all over the place, most often accompanied by a 2 sentence bit saying only that this four year old girl was dead. But shortly after its publication I stumbled upon the blog of the photographer, Michael Yon. He is an embedded journalist with a batallion of the 24 Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (light). He has been with the unit since they entered Iraq and travels in thier Strykers on a daily basis. He writes about the experiences of the soldiers from an intensely personal point of view and illustrates his missives with outstanding photography. How the Battalion Commander entered a burning vehicle to rescue trapped men, how it feels to see the vehicle in front of yours hit with an IED, how an EOD seargent dissarms an IED which could go off at any moment, how Army medics help Iraqi children wounded by the heartless cruelty of fanatic murderers.

One of his recent posts concerns the reasons for the actions of the mainstream media in Iraq from his pespective and I found it to be very telling. Below is a link to that post, and from there you can visit the rest of his posts.

Michael Yon : Online Magazine: And now, for the rest of the story....

We are at war, and war is pain. But even in amidst the darkness there are some very bright lights. I am gratefull to Mr. Yon for showing some of them to me.

Bye Bye to the Hall

2005-05-23T21:10:00.000-05:00

Good news, today! I found out I will be starting work for the government on June 12th. That means I will bid farewell to my office in the hallway and move into the cube right next to it. My position is being federalized and I managed to navigate the political minefields and redtape concertina to secure the position. Hurray - I am a bureaucrat!!!

My office in the hall

Chinese Curse

2005-05-22T21:48:00.000-05:00

They say "May you live in interesting times" is a Chinese curse. Dunno if that is true or not, but it should be.

I thought we were due for a quiet, relaxing Sunday. Then one of the working students ran up to the house to tell us a horse had fallen in her stall and was stuck. We left for the barn on the run, and things got interesting.

The horse, Maggie, was in one of two stalls divided by what amounted to a sturdy fence. Kicking at her neighbor, she managed to partially kick loose an inch thick oak plank and get her foot caught eighteen inches in the air, fall down (foot still stuck) and thrash enough to hit her head on the door post.

Willie and another friend sat on Maggie's head and neck - this is how you keep a horse down - while I used a hammer to pry apart the partition so we could get her loose. Then we looped ropes around her legs and rolled her over so she could get up. Then ensued vet visits, shots, cold hosing, antibiotics (giving horses pills is an interesting proposition), dressing changes, eye ointment applications, etc.

Well the upshot is that she should recover, but that used up my entire excitement allotment for the month. Much too interesting.

Tools Coming

2005-05-21T22:44:00.000-05:00

Huray! I ordered my tools for trimming today. I can't wait. Maybe it sounds silly to be excited about getting to stand bent over holding up a horse's leg so I can trim its toenail - but hey, its the little things that make life fun. :-)

Horse Massage! Who knew?

2005-05-21T21:57:00.000-05:00

More Massage

2005-05-21T21:55:00.000-05:00

The Audience

2005-05-21T21:54:00.000-05:00

Check out those cool gloves.

Apprenticeship

2005-05-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

Well, this was an interesting night. The long and short is I am now learning to be a farrier.

For those not in the know, a farrier trims a horses feet and, if necessary, puts on horseshoes. We have nearly twenty horses here and we are responsible for the cost of shoeing over half of them. Figure a minimum of $30 per month per horse and you have quite a hefty monthly bill.

Well, as it turns out, our farrier has too much business because there is a shortage of good farriers in our area. So, to ease the cost to us, reduce the pressure on her, and just because she is a nice person, Julie has offered to apprentice me in the time I can spare. We started tonight with trimming and I successfully trimmed my first pony. I am jazzed!

No, I am not going to give up my day job. Particularly as Julie says it will be 4 years or more before I really have it down. But it sure will be nice just to be able to do our own horses. And when I get good, maybe I will do some shoeing part time to earn some "mad money". We'll see, I'll let you know how it goes.

Well, off to bed.