We start the day's kid summary with Shelby's third tally in two days. I'll probably have to stop counting at some point, but I can count to four pretty good, which is what she has for the year so far.
Last week Darby lost her nearly brand new shoes (that her mom paid $35 for) at school. Seems hard to do, but she changed into her cleats for softball practice and didn't put her sneakers in her equipment bag like she should have. Today, one shoe turned up in the lost and found. She's trying to convince me that finding one shoe is a good thing. I'm trying to convince her that in this case one shoe is as good as no shoes. Unless she would like me to send her to school in one shoe. We've been using non-equivalent substitutes otherwise (shoes she just grew out of, or non-sneakers).
Darby got to play first base again at softball tonight, where she redeemed an early mis-cue with a put out. She also got to play catcher, which she did pretty well at. No near-chest-puncturing incidents anyway. She only had one at-bat, which resulted in a ground out to first. And I'm just going to have to stop mentioning our losing streak, as it has become a near foregone conclusion.
I haven't mentioned it yet on the blog, as sales are doing well otherwise, but the girls are selling Blue and Gold sausage, chicken, and bacon for school through tomorrow if you live nearby and want to help the girls with their fundraiser. I have to turn orders in Thursday morning. Sorry for the short notice, but don't really expect it to generate any new sales anyway.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
@$S-kick worthy?
The below tale is a dramatization. Names have been changed to protect those involved.
Person 1: Hey, all you unspecified people, stop doing that bad thing you're doing. I have a list, and some of you have done it before. Last time people were doing this, it really sucked for them when they were discovered.
Person 2: I did the bad thing more than once today, and I resent being singled out as a repeated doer of bad things in your message.
Person 1: Well, since I was actually referring to the people doing bad things the last time -- who were caught, no resentment on your part is required at this time.
Person 2: You little smart-@S$, I'm going to kick your @$s!
Person 1: What? My job is to like, tell people to stop doing bad stuff before bigger problems come about, which is what I did. Not that kicking my @$s is any great challenge.
So tell me kind world, does person 1 deserve a butt kicking?
Person 1: Hey, all you unspecified people, stop doing that bad thing you're doing. I have a list, and some of you have done it before. Last time people were doing this, it really sucked for them when they were discovered.
Person 2: I did the bad thing more than once today, and I resent being singled out as a repeated doer of bad things in your message.
Person 1: Well, since I was actually referring to the people doing bad things the last time -- who were caught, no resentment on your part is required at this time.
Person 2: You little smart-@S$, I'm going to kick your @$s!
Person 1: What? My job is to like, tell people to stop doing bad stuff before bigger problems come about, which is what I did. Not that kicking my @$s is any great challenge.
So tell me kind world, does person 1 deserve a butt kicking?
30,000
Miles on my VUE, while on the way to work this morning. Seems like only February since I flipped 20,000. Wait, it was February. That sure was a quick ten thousand miles.
Monday, August 30, 2004
If I crash, you will die
The ways we have to get through to kids sometimes. Sheesh.
I am constantly having to tell Shelby to sit back in her seat and to wear her seatbelt right. Tonight on the way home she was sitting up on the front edge of her seat, with only the lap portion of her seatbelt on when I turned around to check on her.
Finally I yelled at her, if I crash, you will die. I continued on about how close she was to the front seat, the back of which is hard plastic (due to a novelty of the VUE, with it's fold flat front seat permitting the carraige of a ladder or similarly long item) instead of soft and leathery like the driver's seat back. I explained that at 63 mph, were I to have a serious accident, she would likely not survive if not sitting correctly and properly wearing the seat belt.
I'll still probably have to get onto her about it tomorrow, but the whole rest of the way home she sat correctly.
I am constantly having to tell Shelby to sit back in her seat and to wear her seatbelt right. Tonight on the way home she was sitting up on the front edge of her seat, with only the lap portion of her seatbelt on when I turned around to check on her.
Finally I yelled at her, if I crash, you will die. I continued on about how close she was to the front seat, the back of which is hard plastic (due to a novelty of the VUE, with it's fold flat front seat permitting the carraige of a ladder or similarly long item) instead of soft and leathery like the driver's seat back. I explained that at 63 mph, were I to have a serious accident, she would likely not survive if not sitting correctly and properly wearing the seat belt.
I'll still probably have to get onto her about it tomorrow, but the whole rest of the way home she sat correctly.
That could leave a mark
All last week during her win-less softball tournament, Darby was nagging about not getting to play catcher. Are you kidding? I asked. I explained that the ball comes right at you out of a heartless machine at 35 mph. And oh, by the way, you have to pay attention when you're catcher, something you haven't been able to do at any other position, as I have to yell stop playing in the dirt at least twice a night, and I yell stand up another time or two as well.
She didn't seem phased, but never got the chance nonetheless. She played first base, second base, short stop, right field, center field, and left field. But not pitcher, catcher, or third base.
Well, today at practice, she got her wish. They gave her the catcher's gear and said to suit up. I helped her get the gear on and went over some important points. Pay attention to the ball. Don't take your eye off the ball. Keep your free arm behind your back. Once the ball is hit, throw off your mask and cover the plate. And so on...
She was real cocky about the whole thing, in spite of my warnings to be careful. She walked over and squated down right behind the plate, appearing as though she had done it many times before. This is in contrast to most kids at this age that play that position, which is to sit slightly off center, as to not be directly in the line of fire, but still be able to catch the ball.
Sure enough, upon the second pitch of her catching experience... THUNK. She went down to her hands and knees, not a sound coming from her mouth. I ran over to her, are you okay? Can you breathe? She shook her head yes and squealed what I think was a yes. She had to take a minute to catch her breath, stand up, and another minute to walk it off.
Apparently she took her eye off the ball, missed it, and it hit her square in the sternum, knocking the wind out of her. Yes, she was wearing the chest pad, but that thing is not nearly as think as I would have thought it should be. I would equate the experience with catching a hard-thrown ball in the palm of a glove instead of the web. Stings pretty bad, huh? Imagine that same blow to your sternum. But she only weighs sixty pounds. Somebody do the math on that (7 oz ball traveling 35 mph, impacting sixty pound girl at rest... that has to equal something).
On the way home, we were in a 35 mph speed limit zone. I was going about 32 mph and told Darby that the ball that hit her was traveling faster than the car at that moment. She made a surprised face, so I think that helped conceptualize what she was on the receiving end of.
When we got home I checked her chest and there was no bruise or anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if something became more visible later.
She didn't seem phased, but never got the chance nonetheless. She played first base, second base, short stop, right field, center field, and left field. But not pitcher, catcher, or third base.
Well, today at practice, she got her wish. They gave her the catcher's gear and said to suit up. I helped her get the gear on and went over some important points. Pay attention to the ball. Don't take your eye off the ball. Keep your free arm behind your back. Once the ball is hit, throw off your mask and cover the plate. And so on...
She was real cocky about the whole thing, in spite of my warnings to be careful. She walked over and squated down right behind the plate, appearing as though she had done it many times before. This is in contrast to most kids at this age that play that position, which is to sit slightly off center, as to not be directly in the line of fire, but still be able to catch the ball.
Sure enough, upon the second pitch of her catching experience... THUNK. She went down to her hands and knees, not a sound coming from her mouth. I ran over to her, are you okay? Can you breathe? She shook her head yes and squealed what I think was a yes. She had to take a minute to catch her breath, stand up, and another minute to walk it off.
Apparently she took her eye off the ball, missed it, and it hit her square in the sternum, knocking the wind out of her. Yes, she was wearing the chest pad, but that thing is not nearly as think as I would have thought it should be. I would equate the experience with catching a hard-thrown ball in the palm of a glove instead of the web. Stings pretty bad, huh? Imagine that same blow to your sternum. But she only weighs sixty pounds. Somebody do the math on that (7 oz ball traveling 35 mph, impacting sixty pound girl at rest... that has to equal something).
On the way home, we were in a 35 mph speed limit zone. I was going about 32 mph and told Darby that the ball that hit her was traveling faster than the car at that moment. She made a surprised face, so I think that helped conceptualize what she was on the receiving end of.
When we got home I checked her chest and there was no bruise or anything, but I wouldn't be surprised if something became more visible later.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
You know you're (getting) old when...
Sixteen Candles is on American Movie Classics. I was flipping channels a short while ago and saw that crazy sight. I mean, sure, it's a classic. But I thought only old black and white movies from my grandparents generation played on AMC. It just made me feel... less young.
In other news today, Darby's softball team kept their winless streak alive. For Darby's part, she struck out and nearly had a hit, but stared at the ball a tad too long before running, getting herself barely thrown out at first.
In other news today, Darby's softball team kept their winless streak alive. For Darby's part, she struck out and nearly had a hit, but stared at the ball a tad too long before running, getting herself barely thrown out at first.
Saturday, August 28, 2004
Another one bites the dust
Darby softball team has yet to win a game. I think this is just how the season is going to go. We have one more team to face in our pre-season tournament, and pretty much all the teams have way more experience than ours.
Darby had her most solid hit yet today (line drive to center field), but then she had three equally non-solid fielding mis-cues. Playing shortstop, twice the ball went right through her legs (how many times can I say get that glove down?), each allowing extra bases and runs for the opposition, and once she bobbled it long enough to allow double out of what should have been no more than a single. But she is getting better in general, even if it doesn't seem like it outright.
Darby had her most solid hit yet today (line drive to center field), but then she had three equally non-solid fielding mis-cues. Playing shortstop, twice the ball went right through her legs (how many times can I say get that glove down?), each allowing extra bases and runs for the opposition, and once she bobbled it long enough to allow double out of what should have been no more than a single. But she is getting better in general, even if it doesn't seem like it outright.
All for the best in the end
Things turned out REALLY well for the party. It was quite sunny, partly cloudy at most, and about 75 degrees. The kids had a GREAT time riding horses, feeding goats, etc. Without last night's cold front, it probably would have been much hotter, and generally less comfortable for the kids. So despite all of my worries, it all worked out for the best in the end. And I am thankful.
But the day ain't over yet. We have a ballgame in a couple of hours.
But the day ain't over yet. We have a ballgame in a couple of hours.
Mostly Spared, Party On!
The rain has stopped! We are GO for birthday party!
Here in metro OKC we only got a quarter inch of rain, compared to 2 inches out west. I spoke with the folks at Ponyland, who say we should be okay, SO... we're on!
If you RSVPed, see you there!
If you didn't, please call me REAL soon so we can give a revised head count to Ponyland.
(thanks go out to the "no rain" dancers who may not have stopped the rain, but helped us stay out of the deluge)
Here in metro OKC we only got a quarter inch of rain, compared to 2 inches out west. I spoke with the folks at Ponyland, who say we should be okay, SO... we're on!
If you RSVPed, see you there!
If you didn't, please call me REAL soon so we can give a revised head count to Ponyland.
(thanks go out to the "no rain" dancers who may not have stopped the rain, but helped us stay out of the deluge)
Friday, August 27, 2004
No yesterday
Darby did a great job yesterday with her two hits during the softball game. Tonight was much the opposite with two strikouts. She was in a bit of trouble today so I think she wasn't exactly focused on playing ball.
Shelby, on the other hand, had a much better day, as her class threw a little birthday party for her, and she got to wear a birthday hat all day at school.
Shelby, on the other hand, had a much better day, as her class threw a little birthday party for her, and she got to wear a birthday hat all day at school.
Tragic Choices
I took the morning off because I had 79 hours in for the pay period already AND because I needed to get my lawn mowed before the big rains come late this evening.
As I was driving in, it was 92 degrees, slightly breezy, with a nearly perfect blue sky. Not much to complain about.
It just seems such a shame that it will be so much the opposite tomorrow for Shelby's party. Why couldn't we have had the party today? Oh, wait, we could have!
When I was scheduling the party, one of the options was for a morning, afternoon, or evening party. For the weekend we chose, they had a Friday evening (6-8) and a Saturday morning (10-12) free.
Doesn't it figure we chose Saturday?
The tragedy of my luck just kills me sometimes.
As I was driving in, it was 92 degrees, slightly breezy, with a nearly perfect blue sky. Not much to complain about.
It just seems such a shame that it will be so much the opposite tomorrow for Shelby's party. Why couldn't we have had the party today? Oh, wait, we could have!
When I was scheduling the party, one of the options was for a morning, afternoon, or evening party. For the weekend we chose, they had a Friday evening (6-8) and a Saturday morning (10-12) free.
Doesn't it figure we chose Saturday?
The tragedy of my luck just kills me sometimes.
Thursday, August 26, 2004
If you're doing the rain dance I will shoot you
Shelby's birthday party with her friends is scheduled for Saturday morning, and there's something like a 100% (+/- 1%) chance of rain for Saturday (per various Oklahoma-based weather forcasting sources). I've been watching the weather for that day since it first popped up on the weather.com ten-day forcast, and it has been marked for death-pour the entire time. I've watched in complete angst, day by day, as the chances for rain has increased from 20% to 30% to 60%, etc.
At first we were worried about a backup plan if it rained as the party is outdoors. We now have a contingency plan in the form of a "penciled-in" reschedule for Sunday afternoon, however, something like half the RSVPed kids that can attend on Saturday cannot attend on Sunday. Ugh.
Also if we have the party on Sunday, Darby has to miss her ballgame.
So please, for Shelby's sake, if you must dance, do the Blind Melon Bee-Girl "No Rain" dance. Thanks for helping us out.
At first we were worried about a backup plan if it rained as the party is outdoors. We now have a contingency plan in the form of a "penciled-in" reschedule for Sunday afternoon, however, something like half the RSVPed kids that can attend on Saturday cannot attend on Sunday. Ugh.
Also if we have the party on Sunday, Darby has to miss her ballgame.
So please, for Shelby's sake, if you must dance, do the Blind Melon Bee-Girl "No Rain" dance. Thanks for helping us out.
Improvement, but more work to do
Darby had two hits and a run scored at today's game. The whole team seemed to start off batter by holding the opposing team to no runs and scoring four themselves in the first inning. But we weren't able to hold them back after that, and they came back to beat us by a wide margin (I stopped keeping track). But Darby did very well today, except when she was trying to convince a teamate to throw her the ball (at second) when the play was indeed at thrid.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Got Gmail?
Google just dropped five more gmail invites on me. I'll probably give two or three to gmail4troops as I did the last time they gave me invites. And I've given several to friends that I knew wanted some, but if I missed anyone, let me know. But quickly. And I don't mean folks off the street that I don't know (at least somewhat) begging for them. I'd rather give them to the troops if not friends.
UPDATE, 29 AUGUST
I'm very confused about what gmail is doing at the moment. I had 5 invites. I tried to give one away, but it errored on me, saying I had no invites left. I tried again successfully, leaving me with four. Today, however, it says I have six. Very strange.
UPDATE, 29 AUGUST
I'm very confused about what gmail is doing at the moment. I had 5 invites. I tried to give one away, but it errored on me, saying I had no invites left. I tried again successfully, leaving me with four. Today, however, it says I have six. Very strange.
Recyclable Tech
I made use of the Office Depot "Recycle Your Technology Hardware" program today. I took an old, defunct 15" monitor in. You can only take one item per day, and I have two old printers to take in, so I'll be doing that again soon as it's REAL easy. I'm just glad they came up the program as I've been holding on to this thing for years, not wanting to just throw it in a landfill, much less spend the money to get it fixed.
If you're interested in the program, you better hurry. It ends Labor Day.
If you're interested in the program, you better hurry. It ends Labor Day.
First tally
And so it begins. Shelby got her first tally today at school, for humming in class during quite time. That sounds about right. I expect many more tallies from Shelby as the year progresses (not that I would be disappointed to have misplaced expectations).
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Not pretty, but with glimmers of hope
Tonight was Darby's first machine pitch softball game of the fall season. I left work early, picked the kids up, zipped through the McDonald's drive thru, and made it to the ballpark with just enough time for the kids to eat before warm-ups.
The game was a slaughter. It was clear that the other team had much more batting practice than ours. Of course, it doesn't help when the pitching machine is presently misplaced by the school. We haven't had BP since 10 August. Crazy huh? Well, fortunately for us, this is not Darby's first season of machine pitch ball. But of the 11 kids on the team, only 4 have that previous experience. Everyone else just moved up from t-ball.
We were the home team, so we were in the field first. And the very first hit went directly to Darby, who was playing right field (she usually plays first or third because she can throw... think this is the first time they put her in the outfield). Darby did (almost) exactly was she was supposed to do. She ran up to the ball (instead of waiting for it), and threw it to first in time to beat the runner. Only, the first baseman wasn't there. Doh! Sure, not entirely her fault, but I saw it coming and yelled "don't throw it to first, there's no one on the bag!" only she didn't hear me. But that's not the worst part of the story, because fundamentally she has it down. The ugly part of the story is that the runner that would have been out at first were there a baseman on the bag made it all the way home. By the time the team caught up with the ball and threw it to a couple more bases (though not in time to beat the runner), it was all over. Not the best start for the game.
After an excrutiating first half-inning, it was batting time. I told everyone Darby could bat as she had previous experience (AND she did well the last time we had BP), but then she whiffed. Three pitches, three swings, third out. One hit, no runs. Not getting much better for the team.
The whole rest of the game was pretty much a repeat of that first inning. We got no hits or runs, they got several hits, and they scored runs. Five in all I believe.
But then there was Darby's last at bat. There were already two outs, two pitches, two swings, two strikes, and frustrated dad. Until... clink. I lifted my hanging head, was that a hit? No, it was a foul ball. But contact is good I told her. Next pitch... clink. Another foul ball, but directly into the visitor's seats, nearly hitting the parent of an opposing player, providing my only chuckle of the game (not that I wanted it to hit anyone, it just struck me funny... plus if that had been straighter it would have been the best hit of the game for either team -- it had to go up and over the fence and it landed near the top of the bleachers, which are taller than the fence).
Fifth pitch... clink, thump. The ball landed maybe a foot in front of the plate. She didn't move because she thought they would call it foul (as they did in t-ball). But then EVERYBODY yelled run, which she did, but not before throwing the bat (!) almost to the pitchers mound. I thought for sure they were going to call her out on that one as the pitcher had to avoid the bat to get to the ball, giving Darby just enough time to make it to first. It didn't at all look like she did that on purpose, and I'm glad she wasn't called out. But we have to talk about that one.
So there you have it, Darby's first hit of the season, the second of the game for our team. Hopefully she's got the hang of it now for the rest of this pre-season tournament, because we have games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Needless to say, we're going to have a hectic week. Tonight was bad enough, schedule wise. Both girls had to do their homework and take baths, and Darby had to practice piano before we could get to bed, so once again we didn't make it to bed in time, not that it was unexpected.
Oh, you want to know what happened the rest of the game? The next batter struck out, game over. But I walked away pleased that Darby ended her play on a good note, and as half the team's hitting power.
The game was a slaughter. It was clear that the other team had much more batting practice than ours. Of course, it doesn't help when the pitching machine is presently misplaced by the school. We haven't had BP since 10 August. Crazy huh? Well, fortunately for us, this is not Darby's first season of machine pitch ball. But of the 11 kids on the team, only 4 have that previous experience. Everyone else just moved up from t-ball.
We were the home team, so we were in the field first. And the very first hit went directly to Darby, who was playing right field (she usually plays first or third because she can throw... think this is the first time they put her in the outfield). Darby did (almost) exactly was she was supposed to do. She ran up to the ball (instead of waiting for it), and threw it to first in time to beat the runner. Only, the first baseman wasn't there. Doh! Sure, not entirely her fault, but I saw it coming and yelled "don't throw it to first, there's no one on the bag!" only she didn't hear me. But that's not the worst part of the story, because fundamentally she has it down. The ugly part of the story is that the runner that would have been out at first were there a baseman on the bag made it all the way home. By the time the team caught up with the ball and threw it to a couple more bases (though not in time to beat the runner), it was all over. Not the best start for the game.
After an excrutiating first half-inning, it was batting time. I told everyone Darby could bat as she had previous experience (AND she did well the last time we had BP), but then she whiffed. Three pitches, three swings, third out. One hit, no runs. Not getting much better for the team.
The whole rest of the game was pretty much a repeat of that first inning. We got no hits or runs, they got several hits, and they scored runs. Five in all I believe.
But then there was Darby's last at bat. There were already two outs, two pitches, two swings, two strikes, and frustrated dad. Until... clink. I lifted my hanging head, was that a hit? No, it was a foul ball. But contact is good I told her. Next pitch... clink. Another foul ball, but directly into the visitor's seats, nearly hitting the parent of an opposing player, providing my only chuckle of the game (not that I wanted it to hit anyone, it just struck me funny... plus if that had been straighter it would have been the best hit of the game for either team -- it had to go up and over the fence and it landed near the top of the bleachers, which are taller than the fence).
Fifth pitch... clink, thump. The ball landed maybe a foot in front of the plate. She didn't move because she thought they would call it foul (as they did in t-ball). But then EVERYBODY yelled run, which she did, but not before throwing the bat (!) almost to the pitchers mound. I thought for sure they were going to call her out on that one as the pitcher had to avoid the bat to get to the ball, giving Darby just enough time to make it to first. It didn't at all look like she did that on purpose, and I'm glad she wasn't called out. But we have to talk about that one.
So there you have it, Darby's first hit of the season, the second of the game for our team. Hopefully she's got the hang of it now for the rest of this pre-season tournament, because we have games on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Needless to say, we're going to have a hectic week. Tonight was bad enough, schedule wise. Both girls had to do their homework and take baths, and Darby had to practice piano before we could get to bed, so once again we didn't make it to bed in time, not that it was unexpected.
Oh, you want to know what happened the rest of the game? The next batter struck out, game over. But I walked away pleased that Darby ended her play on a good note, and as half the team's hitting power.
Monday, August 23, 2004
Things to come
Today was fairly hectic and probably the first real indicator of things to come for the fall. Darby had softball practice, and today was the first day they both had real homework since school started last week. Between practice, homework, dinner, baths... we weren't even close to making it to bed in time. And tomorrow could be worse as it is a game day for Darby, who is having a pre-season tournament this week. I have to leave work early to get her to the game on time, and the team uniforms aren't in yet, so there's some uncertainty about the dress code for the game tomorrow.
That's what parents need. A little more uncertainty.
While I'm on the topic of things to come and softball... one of Darby's team fundraisers involves serious commitment from the parents. We are to be working the concession stands at OU football games this year, which brings in significant dollars for the team. However, that means each parent participating must get a food handling license, which means I have to take off of work, drive down to Norman, and take an hour or two long class on handling food like I was still working fast food back in high school. I'll probably be working a game in the next couple of weeks AND I don't even get to watch any of it. Sounds fun, huh?
The things we do for our children.
That's what parents need. A little more uncertainty.
While I'm on the topic of things to come and softball... one of Darby's team fundraisers involves serious commitment from the parents. We are to be working the concession stands at OU football games this year, which brings in significant dollars for the team. However, that means each parent participating must get a food handling license, which means I have to take off of work, drive down to Norman, and take an hour or two long class on handling food like I was still working fast food back in high school. I'll probably be working a game in the next couple of weeks AND I don't even get to watch any of it. Sounds fun, huh?
The things we do for our children.
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Sunday schooling
Today before mass the girls got signed up for Sunday school, which starts in a couple of weeks. As Darby is now in third grade, we will be having to arrange her first communion before too long.
I hate to do it, and I thought I could put it off at least a couple more weeks, but the summer is gone, and I'm officially admitting it. We may have a month of summer left officially, but it just doesn't feel like summer anymore, and the fall is hitting hard already. In no time at all we'll see Halloween decorations in the stores, which is just depressing.
I hate to do it, and I thought I could put it off at least a couple more weeks, but the summer is gone, and I'm officially admitting it. We may have a month of summer left officially, but it just doesn't feel like summer anymore, and the fall is hitting hard already. In no time at all we'll see Halloween decorations in the stores, which is just depressing.
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Girl of Her Word
As promised, Shelby wore high-heel shoes to her birthday dinner. And as usual, she made out pretty well. Among other great stuff, she received a gameboy advance, five games, four DVD movies, a CD player, some art supplies, some clothes, some toys, and tons of candy (mostly from two people).
She wishes to thank everyone who attended for coming and for all the goodies.
She wishes to thank everyone who attended for coming and for all the goodies.
Happy Birthday Shelby!
I can't believe you're seven. I thought you would stay four forever but year after year you just keep on growing. I just called and spoke to you at your mother's house, wishing you a happy birthday, and I asked if you were going to be a big girl now that you're seven.
Your response? You said you would be a really big girl and would wear high heels tonight at your dinner.
(typical Shelby)
--
We're having a family dinner tonight in honor of Shelby's seventh birthday. I just made reservations for 25.
Your response? You said you would be a really big girl and would wear high heels tonight at your dinner.
(typical Shelby)
--
We're having a family dinner tonight in honor of Shelby's seventh birthday. I just made reservations for 25.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Tweaking
Okay, I moved the blog in preparation for the domain move, so you'll likely see some breakage. I'm getting ready to test comments, but what I expect to happen (because of permission issues) is for new comments to work fine, but for existing comments to be un-appendable. We shall see.
I also slightly re-named the blog from "The latest news from shawnwright.com" to "shawnwright.blog". It's a little easier to say. But the spirit of the blog being our family news source will remain unchanged.
Oh, yeah, if you are utilizing the blog feed, you'll need to update the address in your aggregator. Hopefully the new feed address will be fully active in the morning.
I also slightly re-named the blog from "The latest news from shawnwright.com" to "shawnwright.blog". It's a little easier to say. But the spirit of the blog being our family news source will remain unchanged.
Oh, yeah, if you are utilizing the blog feed, you'll need to update the address in your aggregator. Hopefully the new feed address will be fully active in the morning.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Contingency
My domain name expires in a couple of months. When I renew it, I'll likely also move it to a different host/sever. When I do, as sometimes happens with DNS changes, there may appear to be an outage for a day or so while the name servers are updating. However, fear not oh readers of old, as I am making contingency plans. I have already acquired the domain shawnwright.us. At the moment, only static content is over there. But by the time I make the move, everything will be over there (blog, comments, functional feedback, etc).
So, if you find this site to be down for any lengthy amound of time, hop on over to the alternate domain. I'll give this warning several more times in the coming months leading up to the move.
So, if you find this site to be down for any lengthy amound of time, hop on over to the alternate domain. I'll give this warning several more times in the coming months leading up to the move.
Day one down, one hundred seventy-nine to go
The first day of school seemed to go okay. A couple technical difficulties, but nothing major (for example I tried to take pictures of them on their first day back, but several came out blurry, and I was too much in a hurry to check them at the time). Neither child got tallies, so that's good, and no homework on the first day, which is always a plus. But I predict we won't make it through the week without homework.
The girls report they had an excellent time on their first day. Shelby is a little miffed because she can't invite her entire class to her birthday party. We handed out invitations this morning for her party which is in a week and a half, but prior to doing so, while still in the car, I verified with Shelby her list of invitees. Yet after handing them out, the kids that didn't get one practically rushed me asking if they could have one too, leaving me with the dreaded "sorry, we can't invite everyone" response. Of course, when I picked the girls up from school, Shelby had all kinds of ideas about changing her invitee list, which in the end would have resulted in bringing the whole class along. After a little discussion about being at least somewhat grateful when parents are spending $125 (minimum) on a birthday party, I think (no, I hope) that Shelby is kosher with the situation.
The birthday party part of raising gets never gets easier, I must say. Be advised oh parents to be.
The girls report they had an excellent time on their first day. Shelby is a little miffed because she can't invite her entire class to her birthday party. We handed out invitations this morning for her party which is in a week and a half, but prior to doing so, while still in the car, I verified with Shelby her list of invitees. Yet after handing them out, the kids that didn't get one practically rushed me asking if they could have one too, leaving me with the dreaded "sorry, we can't invite everyone" response. Of course, when I picked the girls up from school, Shelby had all kinds of ideas about changing her invitee list, which in the end would have resulted in bringing the whole class along. After a little discussion about being at least somewhat grateful when parents are spending $125 (minimum) on a birthday party, I think (no, I hope) that Shelby is kosher with the situation.
The birthday party part of raising gets never gets easier, I must say. Be advised oh parents to be.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
The Phils are so done...
I am a Phillies enthusiast 'til the end. The end I tell you. But this is getting ridiculous.
You might remember my expression of joy -- a mere month ago I might add -- as the Phillies fought their way to first place. But now, they are almost always losing when I check the scores, lately they've lost their last five (5 -- that's F-I-V-E) straight, and... AND, they're now in THIRD place. If my kids' school and activities don't kill me before October, I think the Phil's record just might.
Like I said, 'til the end. But I think I may have missed the end as I blinked some time between last month and now. I sure hope they turn it around, but I just don't think they have enough time to pull up from this dive. Altitude is not on their side.
You might remember my expression of joy -- a mere month ago I might add -- as the Phillies fought their way to first place. But now, they are almost always losing when I check the scores, lately they've lost their last five (5 -- that's F-I-V-E) straight, and... AND, they're now in THIRD place. If my kids' school and activities don't kill me before October, I think the Phil's record just might.
Like I said, 'til the end. But I think I may have missed the end as I blinked some time between last month and now. I sure hope they turn it around, but I just don't think they have enough time to pull up from this dive. Altitude is not on their side.
Oriented
Tonight we had orientation for school, which starts tomorrow. Having two kids at the same level made it more difficult to keep up. For the last three years, Shelby has been in the "early childhood" group for her pre-K and K classes, while Darby has been with the elementary group. They would typically have orientation those two groups on separate evenings. But now that they are both in elementary (1st and 3rd)... ugh.
They were SO excited to see all their friends that weren't in summer camp, and they can't wait for school to start. But I'm pretty sure they'll miss summer by next week (I already do).
I can already tell that the school year is going to hit like a ton of bricks. It was written all over the chalk board so to speak.
They were SO excited to see all their friends that weren't in summer camp, and they can't wait for school to start. But I'm pretty sure they'll miss summer by next week (I already do).
I can already tell that the school year is going to hit like a ton of bricks. It was written all over the chalk board so to speak.
Back, and to the left... Back. And to the left.
At work today, we heard this noise. It sounded like a firecracker. Maybe three or four firecrackers. A couple of those might have been near simultaneous, suggesting multiple firecracker throwers. And there was a cloud of smoke dissipating near a grassy knoll, giving further hint of non-6th-floor firecracker throwing.
Though we may not actually die until later, on the hospital table, with a dumb stare of utter shock on our faces, we're pretty much brain dead right now, and we're reasonably certain they'll never find the relevant pieces of our brains, only subtle clues that we could once think on our own.
Though we may not actually die until later, on the hospital table, with a dumb stare of utter shock on our faces, we're pretty much brain dead right now, and we're reasonably certain they'll never find the relevant pieces of our brains, only subtle clues that we could once think on our own.
Monday, August 16, 2004
Countdown to school
The kids are in daycare today and tomorrow, post-summer camp, but still before school starts on Wednesday (I CAN NOT believe it). I had a dentist appointent at 4pm today and wasn't sure I'd make it back before I had to pickup the girls from daycare. So I picked them up first, zipped up to the dentist (across town), zipped back down this way, grabbed a VERY quick dinner for the girls, and made it to Darby's softball practice just in time. (gasp)
Oh yeah, the right side of my face is numb. And the girls won't stop laughing at me. :(
Oh yeah, the right side of my face is numb. And the girls won't stop laughing at me. :(
Sunday, August 15, 2004
Just in time
I forgot to mention that most of my yesterday afternoon, prior to picking up the kids, was spent with lawn work (my last love). I finally got my lawn mowed and I spent a couple of hours with my hedges. The hedges were getting unmanageably tall, so I cut them down by a third, leaving me with ten bundles of branches for the trash man tomorrow. I have the lovely sharp-leaf sort of headges, so my arms are all cut up from digging into them.
It was fortunate that I didn't wait until today to mow, as it rained a good portion of the morning. So my timing was decent for once, though I'm certain it was an exception, not some new rule.
It was fortunate that I didn't wait until today to mow, as it rained a good portion of the morning. So my timing was decent for once, though I'm certain it was an exception, not some new rule.
Saturday, August 14, 2004
Balloon Festivus
Took the kids to Balloon Fest this evening after picking them up from their mother's. It was supposed to be a low cost weekend outing while the bank account recovers from our vacation. It was $8 for me to get in and the kids were free. And while there were many free activities for the kids, there were also rides. I bought the kids enough tickets for three rides each ($10). So it ended up not so cheap, but they had a lot of fun. They got to pet ponies, goats, and bunnies. And they got to see (but not touch) some exotic animals as well, including baby tigers and lions, bears, snakes, and alligators.
The "fun" part for me was getting out of there when it was over. We did the "park and ride" shuttle they were offering instead of trying to find a nearby parking spot, but the lines to catch a shuttle back to the parking area were VERY long (hundreds of people in each of four lines). I must say, though, that the festival folks did a good job rotating the shuttles through quickly. It only took thirty minutes from the time we got in line to the time we were in the car, and it could have been much worse.
The "fun" part for me was getting out of there when it was over. We did the "park and ride" shuttle they were offering instead of trying to find a nearby parking spot, but the lines to catch a shuttle back to the parking area were VERY long (hundreds of people in each of four lines). I must say, though, that the festival folks did a good job rotating the shuttles through quickly. It only took thirty minutes from the time we got in line to the time we were in the car, and it could have been much worse.
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Mail call
Today was my company's annual summer picnic. That was swell until it started to rain. I went back to work afterwards with hopes of catching up. While I made measurable progress there is still much to do.
When I got home, my mailbox was overflowing with mail. Ah-ha. The mailman finally decided he would bring my vacation mail. On the mail-hold form I left instructions to begin re-delivery on the 10th, so he was a couple of days behind and I was starting to wonder. When I went to Louisiana for work in the beginning of June, it was a week after I got back before I started getting mail again. As my dad works for the post office, he's always telling me to go talk to my carrier's supervisor, which I've done before, but I'm not really sure that it helps.
I realize that technically I'm being a little ungrateful. By holding my mail at all they are performing a service for me. But... it's not like he doesn't have to walk right by my house every day, right? All he has to do is remember to bring my mail along on the right day. It's really not that big a deal, it's just that with all the travelling I do, there have been very few times that my mail hold was properly executed.
When I got home, my mailbox was overflowing with mail. Ah-ha. The mailman finally decided he would bring my vacation mail. On the mail-hold form I left instructions to begin re-delivery on the 10th, so he was a couple of days behind and I was starting to wonder. When I went to Louisiana for work in the beginning of June, it was a week after I got back before I started getting mail again. As my dad works for the post office, he's always telling me to go talk to my carrier's supervisor, which I've done before, but I'm not really sure that it helps.
I realize that technically I'm being a little ungrateful. By holding my mail at all they are performing a service for me. But... it's not like he doesn't have to walk right by my house every day, right? All he has to do is remember to bring my mail along on the right day. It's really not that big a deal, it's just that with all the travelling I do, there have been very few times that my mail hold was properly executed.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
Stormy mournings
I hate waking up to a flashing alarm clock the morning after a storm. It's like an instantly delivered bad Monday, even if it's not Monday. Rarely does one wake up on their own before an alarm is supposed to ring, so you're pretty much already behind or late when you wake to this situation. It's such a crapy feeling.
I have a battery powered alarm as well, but it doesn't have a snooze, just on and off. I've found that sometimes I'll use the gap between my battery alarm (it goes off first) and my non-battery alarm as a snooze of sorts, but it's not typically a conscious decision. I must have done that this morning. Blah.
Not that I'm complaining about non-100-degree days, but we've been slightly gyped this summer with regard to the weather. There's some good in it to be sure, but I'm tired of the rain.
Did I mention that the last time I mowed my lawn was before my vacation? So yeah, it's not too spiffy looking right now, and the rain isn't helping any.
I have a battery powered alarm as well, but it doesn't have a snooze, just on and off. I've found that sometimes I'll use the gap between my battery alarm (it goes off first) and my non-battery alarm as a snooze of sorts, but it's not typically a conscious decision. I must have done that this morning. Blah.
Not that I'm complaining about non-100-degree days, but we've been slightly gyped this summer with regard to the weather. There's some good in it to be sure, but I'm tired of the rain.
Did I mention that the last time I mowed my lawn was before my vacation? So yeah, it's not too spiffy looking right now, and the rain isn't helping any.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Fall ball
As noted previously, Shelby started her t-ball practices yesterday. Well, Darby stated her machine pitch practices today. Her team actually started practices last week, but we were in NYC. As she has been in machine pitch before, she is already hitting the ball pretty good and is so far one of the better hitters on the team. We have two weeks of practice, followed by a pre-season tournament, before the season begins fully in September.
Still not caught up with stuff that piled up during vacation. Also trying to book flights for my brief return to Philly next month. For once I'm getting a break. I accrued a number of airline miles over the last few years and I just finally (but barely -- by 200 miles) have enough for a free flight. I'll still have other costs, but at least not the flight...
Still not caught up with stuff that piled up during vacation. Also trying to book flights for my brief return to Philly next month. For once I'm getting a break. I accrued a number of airline miles over the last few years and I just finally (but barely -- by 200 miles) have enough for a free flight. I'll still have other costs, but at least not the flight...
Monday, August 09, 2004
Time!
Don't you wish you could just call time when stuff is too crazy?
It was a busy morning trying to get caught up post-vacation. I had to catch up with email and have a staff meeting, and then thanks to our kind friend Mr. Beagle.AQ, I got to skip lunch and clean computer viruses instead... only to get out of work late and barely have enough time to pick up the girls, have a quick dinner, and get Shelby to her first t-ball practice of the season (which we were late to). I expect tomorrow to be similar.
It was a busy morning trying to get caught up post-vacation. I had to catch up with email and have a staff meeting, and then thanks to our kind friend Mr. Beagle.AQ, I got to skip lunch and clean computer viruses instead... only to get out of work late and barely have enough time to pick up the girls, have a quick dinner, and get Shelby to her first t-ball practice of the season (which we were late to). I expect tomorrow to be similar.
Stats
Here's some trip stats:
Round-trip mileage (OKC to PHL to NYC to NBHF to PHL to OKC): 3,606 miles
Number of states traversed: 9
Gas cost: $243.27
Most expensive road-gas: $1.99/gallon, Duanesbury, NY
Least expensive raod-gas: $1.65/gallon, Tulsa, OK
Number of gas stops: 14
Average MPG: 25
Tolls: $58.45
Number of hotels used: 5
Number of nights in hotels: 9
Hotel cost: $1,041.93
Parking in NYC for 4 days: $115
Operational cost of trip (excluding meals): $1458.65
Digital photos: 430
Ouch. That's just the cost to make the trip happen. I don't even want to think about what happens to that number when I add meals, cab fare, venue fees, souveniers, etc. Imagine if I would have flown the kids and I and then rented a car?
Round-trip mileage (OKC to PHL to NYC to NBHF to PHL to OKC): 3,606 miles
Number of states traversed: 9
Gas cost: $243.27
Most expensive road-gas: $1.99/gallon, Duanesbury, NY
Least expensive raod-gas: $1.65/gallon, Tulsa, OK
Number of gas stops: 14
Average MPG: 25
Tolls: $58.45
Number of hotels used: 5
Number of nights in hotels: 9
Hotel cost: $1,041.93
Parking in NYC for 4 days: $115
Operational cost of trip (excluding meals): $1458.65
Digital photos: 430
Ouch. That's just the cost to make the trip happen. I don't even want to think about what happens to that number when I add meals, cab fare, venue fees, souveniers, etc. Imagine if I would have flown the kids and I and then rented a car?
Sunday, August 08, 2004
The trouble with being back
Is re-integrating with life. All of those things that were very important before I left, though somehow not quite as important as the things I had to do in order to leave... they're still there. Darn it. I had hoped to address some of them from the road, but there was just no time. On the way back, I should have driven around the world clockwise (since it rotates counter-clockwise) really fast like Superman to create more time for me to finish stuff.
And then there's unpacking. Yuck. Where am I supposed to put all this stuff? My mother sent back a whole bunch of extra stuff with me. I couldn't make her stop.
More Diversions
Twice today I almost diverted/extended my trip again. First, the timing was right that I could have returned to OKC via Kansas City and visited with a friend in KC that I hadn't seen in awhile. But after talking with that friend on the phone, the timing may not have worked out as well as I originally conceived.
Then, as I was approaching St. Louis, I noticed that it was nearing game-time, so I checked on the net with my cell phone and what do you know... the Cardinals were playing at home. So... I made up my mind, the kids and I were stopping for a ballgame on the way back, and it would be great.
But then I hit the ballgame traffic (I guess people want to see them since they are in first place... go figure). And I realized the improbability of making it to the game in a timely manner, as it was already 20-minutes 'til game time, and the traffic was moving quite slowly. It was a shame I couldn't have planned that one instead of it being a near diversion. I think it would have been a great time, and it turns out they won that game.
And then there's unpacking. Yuck. Where am I supposed to put all this stuff? My mother sent back a whole bunch of extra stuff with me. I couldn't make her stop.
More Diversions
Twice today I almost diverted/extended my trip again. First, the timing was right that I could have returned to OKC via Kansas City and visited with a friend in KC that I hadn't seen in awhile. But after talking with that friend on the phone, the timing may not have worked out as well as I originally conceived.
Then, as I was approaching St. Louis, I noticed that it was nearing game-time, so I checked on the net with my cell phone and what do you know... the Cardinals were playing at home. So... I made up my mind, the kids and I were stopping for a ballgame on the way back, and it would be great.
But then I hit the ballgame traffic (I guess people want to see them since they are in first place... go figure). And I realized the improbability of making it to the game in a timely manner, as it was already 20-minutes 'til game time, and the traffic was moving quite slowly. It was a shame I couldn't have planned that one instead of it being a near diversion. I think it would have been a great time, and it turns out they won that game.
Almost again
When I pulled into Effingham, Illinois -- or as I like to call it, F-ing Who? -- I had been on the road for 14 hours, and though not dead tired yet, I was getting there. I thought about stopping sooner, but I heard on the radio going through Indiana that there was a big NASCAR race in Indianapolis on Sunday, so I knew there was little hope of getting a room within a couple of hours drive from Indianapolis, with as many people that go to those races.
So when the desk clerk at the hotel I pulled into said she had no rooms, and that there probably weren't any rooms in the whole town, I thought I was going to have a similar experience as on the way out to NYC. But she pointed to a hotel across the street and said they were the last to have any rooms.
Of course I scurried over there, only for there to be someone in line ahead of me, checking in. A good sign maybe. So then the question... do you have any rooms? "We have one left, but it's a suite." He says it's $129, at which I gasp (I mean, hey, I paid $119 in NYC). Then he says he'll give it to me for $89. Still a little high for a few hour stay, I had to take it, lest I have to keep driving in search of a room.
Strangely, as I was checking in, he asked if I already had a reservation. Turns out there was another "Shawn Wright" with a reservation at that hotel. I was so tempted to do un-nice things, but my creativity was stunted by tiredness.
Diversions
Driving through Ohio on Saturday afternoon, I heard on the radio that inductions to the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio would be ocurring on Sunday, and included in the induction would be Barry Sanders and John Elway. How cool was that? And since I had only days before been to the Baseball Hall of Fame, it seemed like destiny calling me to Canton. But alas, I resisted the urge to stray.
So when the desk clerk at the hotel I pulled into said she had no rooms, and that there probably weren't any rooms in the whole town, I thought I was going to have a similar experience as on the way out to NYC. But she pointed to a hotel across the street and said they were the last to have any rooms.
Of course I scurried over there, only for there to be someone in line ahead of me, checking in. A good sign maybe. So then the question... do you have any rooms? "We have one left, but it's a suite." He says it's $129, at which I gasp (I mean, hey, I paid $119 in NYC). Then he says he'll give it to me for $89. Still a little high for a few hour stay, I had to take it, lest I have to keep driving in search of a room.
Strangely, as I was checking in, he asked if I already had a reservation. Turns out there was another "Shawn Wright" with a reservation at that hotel. I was so tempted to do un-nice things, but my creativity was stunted by tiredness.
Diversions
Driving through Ohio on Saturday afternoon, I heard on the radio that inductions to the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio would be ocurring on Sunday, and included in the induction would be Barry Sanders and John Elway. How cool was that? And since I had only days before been to the Baseball Hall of Fame, it seemed like destiny calling me to Canton. But alas, I resisted the urge to stray.
Friday, August 06, 2004
Good-Bye Philly (see you again soon)
Tags:
ballpark,
Philadelphia,
Phillies
Our last day in Philly was pretty activity-filled. We went to my high school to see if they were having band camp as it used to be the first week of August. However, there was no band camp. They moved it to the last week of August years ago. But fortunately my band director was there doing some work on the band room, so we spent about forty-five minutes catching up.
The bummer of the day was that tickets for tours of Citizens Bank Park, the new home of the Phillies, were sold out. So not only could I not catch a game, but I couldn't even get in the park. But that did not deter us from going down there. After the visit to my high school, we went down to the Philly sports complex and spent thirty minutes or so walking around the new park and taking pictures. It's a very nice park. Hopefully I can catch a game the next time I'm in town.
After our ballpark drooling, we went to downtown Philly -- in particular, Independence Hall -- to see the sights. The kids visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in 2001, but Philly had since added some new buildings and I thought we could check those out. There is a brand new, much larger building for the Liberty Bell, a new historical Philadelphia visitors center, and the National Constitution Center. It's amazing how much they've done in such a short time. None of these new buildings is small by any means.
We also tried to visit the U.S. Mint just north of Independence Hall, but it turns out you can't just walk in and take a tour, you have to book tours in advance. So that's on the agenda for the next visit.
After downtown, it was old friend visiting time again. We spent several hours visiting high school and family friends before our departure.
We leave tomorrow morning, but I'm supposed to be back in a month for a wedding. Though that will just be me, without the kids, and only for a couple of days.
The bummer of the day was that tickets for tours of Citizens Bank Park, the new home of the Phillies, were sold out. So not only could I not catch a game, but I couldn't even get in the park. But that did not deter us from going down there. After the visit to my high school, we went down to the Philly sports complex and spent thirty minutes or so walking around the new park and taking pictures. It's a very nice park. Hopefully I can catch a game the next time I'm in town.
After our ballpark drooling, we went to downtown Philly -- in particular, Independence Hall -- to see the sights. The kids visited Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in 2001, but Philly had since added some new buildings and I thought we could check those out. There is a brand new, much larger building for the Liberty Bell, a new historical Philadelphia visitors center, and the National Constitution Center. It's amazing how much they've done in such a short time. None of these new buildings is small by any means.
We also tried to visit the U.S. Mint just north of Independence Hall, but it turns out you can't just walk in and take a tour, you have to book tours in advance. So that's on the agenda for the next visit.
After downtown, it was old friend visiting time again. We spent several hours visiting high school and family friends before our departure.
We leave tomorrow morning, but I'm supposed to be back in a month for a wedding. Though that will just be me, without the kids, and only for a couple of days.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Hallowed Ground
We left NYC on Wednesday, not for OKC, or even Philly. But for a much nobler destination. Cooperstown. It had been on the "maybe" list for this trip for some time, but I didn't really think we would end up doing it. And in some ways, maybe we shouldn't have, but I just don't know when we'll next be in this part of the world (could be several years), and therefore wanted to take the opportunity while it was there for the taking.
The idea was simple enough. NYC to Cooperstown to Philly. Start off early, drive the four hours to middle-of-nowhere-ish New York, spend four or five or six hours in admiration, drive a couple of hours to the nearest major town and grab some Zs, get up in the morning and head to Philly.
Unfortunately it didn't work that way. First, we got checked out of the hotel WAY late. Then, I got turned around driving out of Manhattan and was one turn away from entering the wrong tunnel, nearly taking the family to Queens instead of Jersey. I was on the wrong side of the island! Lastly, sometimes I forget that, with the kids, a four hour drive isn't really a four hour drive. It's sometimes a five or nearly six hour drive.
So, when we finally got to Cooperstown, New York, we had no time at all to enjoy the ambience of the town. We had to head straight for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and get through that in three hours (how long we had before closing).
The NBHF is a great place. I'm so glad we took the time to go. While we didn't get to take our sweet time and read every single thing on display, we didn't rush ourselves either, and were able to see everything and particularly admire the sections we enjoyed the most. If you're a baseball fan and anywhere in the vicinity of middle New York, it's just criminal of you not to take a weekend to visit the hall. But definitely take the whole weekend so you can enjoy the entire experience. Cooperstown is a great little town for a weekend getaway.
After we visited the hall, we got some dinner at a local eating establishment, which was quite good actually, and then we hit the road. Only, it had started to rain, and at times pour. Did I mention Cooperstown is in the middle of nowhere? Well, as very few people would classify driving on dark, winding, mountain roads in the rain and fog as fun, we had a notably terrible time of it getting back to civilization. And once we did, we stupidly did not stop to sleep as originally intended, and instead pressed on for Philadelphia. And again what was supposed to be a four hour drive turned into much more.
It was four in the morning before we got to our hotel room in Philly. Subsequently Thursday was mostly a sleep/recovery day instead of a visiting old friends and hang-outs day as it was meant to be. We did do some visiting in the late afternoon and early evening. But at the moment I'm making use of my free wireless internet (so far, the whole trip I've had free wi-fi in all of my rooms!) from the hotel laundry mat, as I am in the room that is farthest away from EVERYthing, and my signal is weak (fades in and out).
As there are no Phillies games this week (D-R-A-T), I'm hoping to at least be able to get a tour of the new ballpark tomorrow, followed by some old friend visiting. But my time here is almost done.
The idea was simple enough. NYC to Cooperstown to Philly. Start off early, drive the four hours to middle-of-nowhere-ish New York, spend four or five or six hours in admiration, drive a couple of hours to the nearest major town and grab some Zs, get up in the morning and head to Philly.
Unfortunately it didn't work that way. First, we got checked out of the hotel WAY late. Then, I got turned around driving out of Manhattan and was one turn away from entering the wrong tunnel, nearly taking the family to Queens instead of Jersey. I was on the wrong side of the island! Lastly, sometimes I forget that, with the kids, a four hour drive isn't really a four hour drive. It's sometimes a five or nearly six hour drive.
So, when we finally got to Cooperstown, New York, we had no time at all to enjoy the ambience of the town. We had to head straight for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and get through that in three hours (how long we had before closing).
The NBHF is a great place. I'm so glad we took the time to go. While we didn't get to take our sweet time and read every single thing on display, we didn't rush ourselves either, and were able to see everything and particularly admire the sections we enjoyed the most. If you're a baseball fan and anywhere in the vicinity of middle New York, it's just criminal of you not to take a weekend to visit the hall. But definitely take the whole weekend so you can enjoy the entire experience. Cooperstown is a great little town for a weekend getaway.
After we visited the hall, we got some dinner at a local eating establishment, which was quite good actually, and then we hit the road. Only, it had started to rain, and at times pour. Did I mention Cooperstown is in the middle of nowhere? Well, as very few people would classify driving on dark, winding, mountain roads in the rain and fog as fun, we had a notably terrible time of it getting back to civilization. And once we did, we stupidly did not stop to sleep as originally intended, and instead pressed on for Philadelphia. And again what was supposed to be a four hour drive turned into much more.
It was four in the morning before we got to our hotel room in Philly. Subsequently Thursday was mostly a sleep/recovery day instead of a visiting old friends and hang-outs day as it was meant to be. We did do some visiting in the late afternoon and early evening. But at the moment I'm making use of my free wireless internet (so far, the whole trip I've had free wi-fi in all of my rooms!) from the hotel laundry mat, as I am in the room that is farthest away from EVERYthing, and my signal is weak (fades in and out).
As there are no Phillies games this week (D-R-A-T), I'm hoping to at least be able to get a tour of the new ballpark tomorrow, followed by some old friend visiting. But my time here is almost done.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
Good-Bye NYC
Well, yesterday was very swell. "The MET" was very neat and classy, and the Central Park Zoo was cool as well. Don't get me wrong, it's no OKC or Philly Zoo, but it was a nice change from pounding the pavement in the big city, yet just moments from that city.
The Yankee game, though a total slaughter by the A's, was an adventure. I'm not sure we could have executed that task without my sister's participation (i.e. if it were just the kids and I). We took the subway from 14th street to the stadium, which is at 161st street, so that's quite a while on the train, and MAN was it packed. If my kids remember that experience, they will have some stories to tell.
Stadium pics have been posted to the Picasa album.
The Yankee game, though a total slaughter by the A's, was an adventure. I'm not sure we could have executed that task without my sister's participation (i.e. if it were just the kids and I). We took the subway from 14th street to the stadium, which is at 161st street, so that's quite a while on the train, and MAN was it packed. If my kids remember that experience, they will have some stories to tell.
Stadium pics have been posted to the Picasa album.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Yesterday was full of lots of walking. We walked all over midtown NYC and saw the various sites, including Madison Square Garden, Penn Station, Bryant Park, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square (again) and the things along the way. We cabbed it to downtown and caught the Liberty Island Ferry after waiting in quite the long line. We got a pretty extensive look at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, though we didn't get to go inside the statue. It is closed until today. We didn't even bother to try getting tickets inside because it would be Saturday before we could get them, at which point we'll be on the way back to OKC. After dinner we went back to the Empire State Building and spent quite a bit of time at the top. We did also pass quickly by the World Trade Center site, but it was very difficult to see much from where we were.
Since I drove on this trip, I didn't expect to have to worry about security inspections, but before we could get on the Liberty Island Ferry, we had to go through an airport-style check point. I'm talking belt removal and everything. The incident of the day was my sister's boyfriend getting into an argument with the security personnel because they confiscated his EMT pocket knife. He is a certified EMT, but didn't bring his license, and even if he chose to leave instead of go on the ferry they wouldn't give his $140 knife back. They had a very smug attitude, saying, "now that we have it, you're not getting it back, whether or not you get on the ferry." He tried to negotiate a post-ferry return, but they said items confiscated today were destroyed that night. He took names and numbers and took photos (which they flipped out about) and will be writing a strongly worded letter.
We had a second security inspection getting into the Empire State Building, though we didn't have to remove our belts. And we were out of items to have confiscated.
Tonight we are heading to Yankee Stadium for a game, so that could be yet another inspection. This afternoon should be full of the Metropolitan Museum and the Central Park Zoo.
Since I drove on this trip, I didn't expect to have to worry about security inspections, but before we could get on the Liberty Island Ferry, we had to go through an airport-style check point. I'm talking belt removal and everything. The incident of the day was my sister's boyfriend getting into an argument with the security personnel because they confiscated his EMT pocket knife. He is a certified EMT, but didn't bring his license, and even if he chose to leave instead of go on the ferry they wouldn't give his $140 knife back. They had a very smug attitude, saying, "now that we have it, you're not getting it back, whether or not you get on the ferry." He tried to negotiate a post-ferry return, but they said items confiscated today were destroyed that night. He took names and numbers and took photos (which they flipped out about) and will be writing a strongly worded letter.
We had a second security inspection getting into the Empire State Building, though we didn't have to remove our belts. And we were out of items to have confiscated.
Tonight we are heading to Yankee Stadium for a game, so that could be yet another inspection. This afternoon should be full of the Metropolitan Museum and the Central Park Zoo.
Monday, August 02, 2004
First day on the town
Yesterday we had our first, and quite extensive, NYC cab ride, had a nice time at the American Museum of Natural History, an "organic" meal at a trendy restaurant, and a freaky time at the wax museum, followed by a perusing of Times Square, and a failed attempt at visiting the Empire State Building, which closed early for an unexplained reason.
Today the plan is to do the Staten Island ferry, several downtown things such as ground zero (perfect timing with the increased terror alert on the financial district, huh?), and another attempt at the Empire State Building.
Today the plan is to do the Staten Island ferry, several downtown things such as ground zero (perfect timing with the increased terror alert on the financial district, huh?), and another attempt at the Empire State Building.
Sunday, August 01, 2004
Thoughts from the road
Tolls... Tolls... Tolls... oh, and Tolls
The trip, if nothing else, has been full of tolls:
Oklahoma Turnpikes -- $6
Pennsylvania Turnpike -- $9.80
New Jersey Turnpike -- $4.10
Holland Tunnel -- $6
For a grand total of $25.90 (so far), with the expectation of paying those same tolls on the way back.
NO VACANCY
Despite my goal of making it to Ohio on the first leg of our trip, I fell short by about 20 miles, though it should have turned out much worse than that, but not for a my terrible luck.
Just after Indianapolis I got VERY tired, so when I got to the next significant town, Greenfield, I pulled off to get a room. Wouldn't you know it? No rooms. There were a half-dozen hotels, but no rooms. After not finding rooms at a couple places, I talked to a manager and she said the whole town was booked because of several local events.
So I moved on to the next town... no rooms. And the next... no rooms. And the... oh, wait, still no rooms. After traveling another 55 miles, lucky to have not driven off the road, just before the Ohio border, I found a room. The last room. Perhaps in the whole darn state of Indiana. When I pulled up to the lovely Super8 and asked if they had a room, I just knew the front desk woman would say no. But to my astonishment she said there was one left. So I snapped that up and we got ourselves five hours of sleep before getting back on the road.
I have one gripe here... what ever happen to those "No Vacancy" signs hotels used to have? In my experience the last several years on trips, I don't recall having seen one of those signs still in use. I keep having to stop the car, go into the hotel and ask. Sometimes they have a sign on the door, but not always. Wouldn't it be so much easier to go back to the neon signs of old?
How long IS this state?
If there's one thing I don't like about Pennsylvania, it's how long it is to drive through. It takes seven hours to drive all the way across the state, which I know isn't the worst it could be (i.e. Texas), but it's far from a relaxing drive. Nearly the entire drive is winding and twisting through the Appalachian mountains, and therefore very difficult to relax (lest you hurl yourself off a clif). There's hardly a stress-free straight-away to be found in the entire state.
Holland Tunnel Magic
I had the lovely experience of spending 45 minutes waiting in traffic just to cross the Holland Tunnel, my chosen gateway to NYC. What a crazy setup they have down there. While waiting in the slow-crawl of poorly designed traffic flow (anyone up for firing some city planners?), we got to witness people getting out of their cars and peeing on the side of the road. I was hoping the kids wouldn't notice...
Finding ANYTHING in NYC on a Saturday Night
It's not bad enough that, while I had been to NYC a few times before, I had never driven around in it myself (and really I had only planned to do that very modestly, though it sure didn't work out that way). The simple-seeming three line directions to my hotel turned out to be not so easy to follow. Throw in the fact that it was Saturday night in NYC. That was just a bad mix from every angle. And it was ugly. Ugly I tell you. Read on, you'll see.
Surprise! We've CANCELLED Your Room! Enjoy New York!
So imagine for a moment that you've just driven circles around NYC looking for your hotel -- after driving half-way across the country -- only to find once you got there, that your room reservation had been cancelled. Yes, my jaw did that, too. Seems a little ironic for a reservation to be cancelled, huh? Especially when they told me my credit card had been declined (their convenient reason for having cancelled my reservation), though I'd used it several times that day. And then there's the fact that I used that same credit card to book a room elsewhere. Bastards. Worse yet, I had to FIND that new hotel, having had no prep time to generate some driving directions (since the last set of directions worked so well).
You Want Me to Park Where?
Have you ever tried to get your luggage from a multi-hotel shared parking garage to your hotel two blocks away in the middle of the night in New York City? I don't recommend trying.
Mystery Free Wi-Fi
Once we finally got settled into our hotel room, I checked for hotel wi-fi so that I could check my messages and maybe do a little blogging. I did find some free wi-fi, which I am using right now, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't belong to the hotel.
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