Not a good day with the rain

At two a.m. this morning I was sopping up water from inside my vehicle. I inadvertently left the sunroof partially open last night and woke up to the sound of pouring rain, only to wish I were dreaming a nightmare instead of living one. Early morning water sopping is definitely a sucky task that I don't recommend.

Then this afternoon, I was sure Darby's baseball game would be cancelled, because it had been pouring rain just over an hour before game time. Heck, my little brother's game was cancelled. But no. It was raining (though not still pouring), and we played on. It did stop half way through the game, and it was nice for it to be 75 degrees instead of 95. So there was good with the bad. At that point, though, I was not in the mood to deal with more rain, or the muddy uniform/cleats to follow.

Pardon the pause

There are a few pending posts, but alas I have a personal laptop problem that prevents their completion. The problem involves things like soldering parts onto the motherboard in order to be resolved, so I have removed myself from the equation and dropped the system off at the local computer store.

Sure, technically I could work on the posts with either my work laptop or my PocketPC, but one is not entirely appropriate, and the other is just too tedious from the tired-thumbs perspective.

So, please pardon me while I pause blogging, save maybe a brief cell-phone-driven email-to-blog entry such as this. Be back to full-strength in a couple days.


Update, 4 June
Got the computer back on Friday (2 June). Mostly fixed. They messed up the wireless somehow, maybe didn't reconnect the internal antenna or something. Fortunately, I have this day-saving device (PDF) that doubles as an external wireless adapter as well as an access point. Will have to take the laptop back to have the root problem corrected though. Ugh.

Trying to catch up on blogs. There are now nine pending entries. Who knows if they'll all see the light of day.

Scammed in my own driveway

Ever get stopped by one of those people in the parking lot asking for money with a fake sob story? I have. And I've given money before I knew it was a scam. Well, today it happened to me again. IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY. Crazy, huh?

A guy pulled up in his car, said he was a new neighbor, gave an address from down the street, and said his daughter was having an asthma attack. He said his wife was at work and had the check book, and that he just needed twenty bucks to buy an inhaler. I was ready to believe him until I realized the direction he pointed was not consistent with the direction the house numbers went. And then I remembered that I never have cash anyway. I only had two bucks in my wallet, since I always use my check card. He got much less interested in me at that point.

Later on, as I was driving down my street, I checked for the address he gave. Didn't exist.

Finally a hit

When I asked Darby today if she'd get a hit, she said yes, and that if she believed it enough when she said it, that she would for sure. So I was discouraged when she struck out twice, then walked, not sure if she'd get another at-bat, as it was getting late in the game. But then finally it came. A little blooper to the pitcher, not long before the game was called. Really, she should have been thrown out, but the opposing first baseman bobbled the ball. So his loss is Darby's hit. Hopefully that will be a confidence boost for her and she'll get out of this slump. But at least the team is still undefeated!

On the downside, Darby has been banished to the outfield. Her fielding skills have been sub-par of late, and it has caught up to her.


Darby's ballgame was but one piece of a VERY busy day. I took half the day off and picked up the girls at lunch time. We had a couple errands to run (including getting Shelby's glasses adjusted, they weren't quite sitting right on her face), then we grabbed lunch, followed by a car appointment (yet another tire issue... one out of balance causing a shimmy), then piano lessons, and finally Darby's ballgame. After her ballgame I dropped the girls off at their mothers and headed downtown for yet more baseball via the Big XII baseball tournament (is that an awesome pic of downtown OKC on their site or what?).

Last day of school

On the one hand, it's very relieving. We made it through. No more homework, no more neglected classwork, no more tallies, no more science projects... yee-freakin-haw!

On the other hand, it's like, okay, so now what? If there's one thing the school year provides, it's the comfort of structure and routine. So it's stressful in the obvious senses, but calming in its predictability. The summer, on the other hand, while pleasantly wide open with possibility, is not then so predictable, and thereby stressful via that very uncertainty.



So can you believe that Darby's going into fifth grade? I'm am in shock. The fifth grade time period has particular meaning for me. And I can't believe Darby is now at that same point in her life.

It was a year of significant change for me, 1983-84. It was, coincidently enough, the year my mother divorced for the second time (which Darby just went through as well), and the year I moved to Philadelphia (and now we're about to move). I went to three different schools (Darby is about to change schools) in three different states that year. And I met my oldest friend at that time. Because I moved around so much as a youngin', I have no non-family friends of greater longevity. I have very specific (though not all positive) memories from that time in my life. So I'm particularly sensitive to the experience Darby has at this point in her life, because she may be blogging about this time we spend together come 2028. In the very least it's a strange feeling looking back at the parallels between then and now. Very strange.

Hitless streak continues

I keep finding it hard to complain, because she's still getting on base and scoring runs, but Darby has yet to get a hit this baseball season. Tonight she had two walks and a run scored.

Tonight was also picture day, so here in a few weeks the album will be updated with new baseball pics.

Frustration

It was a VERY frustrating day. Not for any particularly good reason. Just frustrating. Everything I tried to do seemed road-blocked by something else. It was exhausting. So much so that I fell asleep in the car at Darby's baseball practice, so I missed sliding practice. They were supposed to extensively practice base sliding tonight. Darby says it went fine, but I think she'd say that regardless.

You'd think my impromptu nap would leave me feeling rested and peppy, but no. Still frustratingly tired.

Hot hot hot

What better day than the first hundred-degree day to let the girls get soaking wet in the Bricktown fountains? I think officially it only got to 98, but my car's thermometer read 102, so I'm going with that. After playing at a park for a couple hours in that heat, I promised them ice cream. So we stopped in Bricktown to hit the local creamery, only to find that like a hundred others had the same thought, as the line was out the door and around the corner. So they begged to hit the fountains to cool off instead, which we did. Although "cooling off" is a bit of an understatement for that activity.

This all followed the morning preview of my potential new residence, prior to picking up the girls. I spent more than an hour with the realtor asking LOTS of questions at an open house. It's going to be November 1 at the earliest before ANYone can move in (construction still in progress), but probably next Spring at this rate before I can even fathom making it so myself. Other things have to happen first. But... what a view from the tenth floor (photo forthcoming)!

So wrong

Today, an MCDBA said to me, "Teach me everything you know about databases.
Quickly."

For the record, I'm not an MCDBA, OCDBA, or (insert other vendor
initial)CDBA. Talk about a jaw-dropper.

So, if you want to hire an MCDBA that doesn't know anything about databases,
I can hook you up.

Last rites

In the couple weeks since I posted bad news about grandma's health, she actually started to get a little better. Doctors had been injecting antibiotics directly into her intestines and also into her muscles since dialysis was flushing away meds in her bloodstream. That treatment regiment had started to work until today. Grandma has developed pneumonia, and this morning her blood pressure tanked. Her blood pressure had gotten so dangerously low, and the doctors had such trouble positively affecting it, that they recommended my aunt call a priest to administer last rites. By afternoon, her blood pressure showed no sign of improvement, so when the priest arrived, last rites were, in fact, administered.


Moments after last rites were administered, grandma woke up, her blood pressure spiked to a more acceptable level, and everything stablized. It was as if she was saying, "oh, no you don't."


So, she's stable again, but doctors are still worried about the newly developed pneumonia. Dad is calling everyday for status updates.

Head not in the game

Darby just did not have a good game today. Mistakes in the field, mistakes behind the plate, running errors. Her head was SO not in the game. I'm starting to think she's paying too much attention to the boys on the team rather than playing ball, though I have no facts to that end. It's such a shame because during mid-inning warm-ups she does well. If she would have played the game with the same level of enthusiasm she would have been fine.

Re-glassed and over celebratory

Weeks after getting Shelby examined for a new pair of glasses, we finally got those picked up today (she wouldn't take the picture without her monkey case).



She also had a decent fencing practice today, winning most of her bouts, though she did get a little over celebratory about one particular point she scored.

Lesson learned

Darby had a good base running day today. She didn't get any hits, but was patient, and drew three walks, scoring twice. Well, maybe she was a little too patient. She also struck out looking. Anyway, she didn't repeat last week's mistake of overrunning a base. She was in a close play at third, but made it in there, fell over, but kept her foot stuck on that bag. Good girl!

The high price of a taste of home

I learned about a Jersey Mike's here in town a few weeks ago, and have tried two times prior to today to go there, but both times it was closed. Today I was successful in acquiring a taste of home.

As a former Philadelphia resident, I make it a point to try Philly cheese steak sandwiches pretty much everywhere I go. I know this is not a task unique to me, so there are many others out there that will appreciate the fact that almost no one gets it right outside the Philly metro. Well, I'll admit that Jersey Mike's gets VERY close, though I still feel it misses just slightly. It's really hardly noticeable. But they did really nail it with the right amount and flavor of cheese. So many others use the wrong flavor or skimp on the cheese, which is just not how it's done.

The thing I had issue with was the price of the food. I was shocked to see the total amount for the girls and I to eat dinner. $27 for three subs, three drinks, and a bag of chips. Granted I got the foot-long sandwich, which was $9.50 all by itself. But sheesh, the three of us can eat at the Olive Garden or TGIF for that much, and we'd get the full service of a wait staff to boot.

My only other issue was their selection of Tastykakes. While it's truly awesome to have a local source for this perennial hometown favorite, the all time best Tastykakes ever (Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes) are not among Mike's inventory. Such a shame. Ironically, my fondest memories of PBKKs is not from living in Philly, but during my early college years here in OK, when a few Philly friends (you know who you are) sent me periodic Philly care packages, which often included several boxes of PBKKs, which I'd proceed to binge upon. Those were the days.

Digressions aside, I'm pleased with Mike's overall, and will be going back often to feed myself and reminisce. But it's unlikely the kids and I will be doing many more family meals there. Sorry kids, I know you'd take Friday's over Mike's any day anyway. But for the record, I let both kids try my steak sandwich and they thought it was awesome.

Lucky for twelve minute previews?

The (mostly) kid movie of the week was Just My Luck. And just our luck, we made it into the theater just as it was starting, even though we walked in twelve minutes after the posted showtime.

The kids have been asking me for weeks if this movie was out yet, so finally I could tell them yes. After having seen it, though, I wish I would have paid more attention to the rating. I just figured it was PG, rather than PG-13. It wasn't terrible in the non-kid-friendly content, but it was a little steamy at times, and there was some gratuitous adult language. I say gratuitous because it could have been pulled off just fine without it. But the girls really loved the movie in general, while I thought it was okay (some humorous moments saved it for me... lots of eye-rolling otherwise). It certainly could have been worse, but a few tweaks in the kid-friendlier direction, and it would have been quite the cute kid movie.

Nine years and counting

Yet another May 12th has come along. Yet another year at my current job as well. This is almost entirely a good thing. Okay, pretty much entirely. So I'm definitely quite fortunate in this regard. To the extent that there are no honorable grounds for complaint. But... sometimes... one wonders about the great unknown. The great beyond. The next big thing. The what-ifs and such...

Okay, that's enough wondering. Straight on 'til next year.

There's no Circle K in these parts, but something strange is afoot

In a twenty-four hour period at work, we had five laptops of the same make and model go belly up in the same exact way. We suspect there are more we don't know about. My laptop is among these. No answers yet. Just a bunch of WTFs.

Ten years post-college

Ten years ago today, my bachelor's degree was conferred upon me, in great style, by Mr. George Nigh, president at the time, of the University of Central Oklahoma (oh, how I miss it).

The most memorable moment of the commencement was when Mr. Nigh got up to make his speech and started off with, "where is that young man who walked up to me this evening, gave me a big hug, and said 'I love you, man!' [pause while probably drunken graduate screams out his location]... well, I love you, too, but you're not getting my bud light."

So there you have it. The culmination of my education fulfilled in that moment.

Real world irony

Today I went to an anti-terrorism security presentation. The presentation was in a rather tall building, and so I thought it was ironic that TWO security guards in the parking lot directed me to park in a particular place that was less than 40 feet from the front entrance of the building. Standard security convention calls for a 75 ft perimeter around buildings. So, had I been a bad guy and so inclined, I could have taken off the front of the building. Crazy. It's not that you can't have vehicles park that close. It's just that if you do, you should inspect them. You know, take five minutes, just to be sure.

Now that it's over

I'm proud of the Phillies and their nine-game win streak, though sad it came to an end this evening. I held off going on about it here as to not jinx it. I thought for sure it would have been over yesterday, as they were facing Pedro. So today was a bonus, though I can't say I wasn't hoping they'd exceed their 1991 13-game win streak. I'm just glad that, considering the way the season started, they're solidly in second place, just four games back from first. Go Phils!

Leo Rocks

Just a shout out to Leo in Philly, for helping me resolve an issue for my mom today. I asked for a favor (no small favor at that), and Leo rose to the occasion, no questions asked. Thanks, dude!

Bumpy start to a probably long season

Knowing we'd have pretty much NO time after school and before the game to get the remaining uniform items we needed, I picked up Darby for lunch, and after eating we went to a nearby sporting goods store to stock up. We got new cleats, socks, and a belt, among other things, to match her new uniform. Notice how big those pants are? Between last night and this afternoon they had to be tacked just so they'd somewhat fit, with the belt doing the rest.

Darby did a reasonably good job at playing her position and watching the ball, but all she had to show for it in the end was a strike out, a hit-by-pitch (square in the back -- ouch!), a walk, and a would-be-single that was stretched into a double by an overthrow, at least until she over ran the base and got tagged out.

In the field, she shined at moments, getting noticed by a few parents with comments like, "wow, she's pretty good", but then losing luster with two dropped balls that would definitely have been outs had they been caught (and they were VERY catchable for her). Fortunately her fielding issues were inconsequential as her team won 13-6. And really, it was only the first game, with just a few practices preceding it. So there's plenty of time to get in the groove.

What's going to kill me, though, is these 5pm games. Rushing from work in rushing-home-from-work traffic to get the kids from school, get Darby changed, and then to the field through the traffic again seems more tedious this year over past years. Either it just is more tedious, or my age is catching up with me. If today was any indication (we were ten minutes late for warm-ups), it's going to be one LONG season.

What are the odds?

I RARELY spend cash. Almost always I use a check card. Today I spent cash three times. Come dinner time, after Darby's first baseball game of the season (more on that later), the girls were very hungry (didn't have time before hand). They asked to go to CiCi's so they could pig out on pizza. So the cashier rings us up to a total of $12.77. I counted out my bills... $12. Crap. I knew I had SOME change (usually I don't), but didn't think I had enough. I dug around in my pocket and pulled out all the change... $0.77. What are the odds that the events of the day would leave me with EXACTLY the right amount of cash for dinner at a place that doesn't take cards?

Bad news from AZ

The news from Tucson is not good. Grandma has been in and out of the hospital over the last few months. At times, it seemed like she was at death's door, and at other times, she seemed on the way to recovery. But at the moment she's in another down cycle, and I'm not sure she has the strength to pull out of it.

She's been getting kidney dialysis every other day, which has been making progress at getting her system cleaned-up, and in particular has allowed her kidneys to start minimally functioning again. However, she has experienced a complication. She has developed a massive infection in her intestines. The trouble is, no form of antibiotics will work, because the dialysis cleans out her blood every other day. So now the infection is spreading. And they cannot stop the dialysis for any useful amount of time because her kidneys and liver couldn't handle the toxicity of her blood. So the infection has reached her brain and the doctors feel strongly that there's little else they can do, and that her time is limited once again to weeks.

Not exactly the news we were hoping to hear. And, of course, dad is a basket case.

The shed-yule is out

Just before baseball practice tonight, Darby and I were warming up. Gentle throws back and forth from maybe ten feet apart. She kept chit-chatting and I kept telling her to shush and pay attention to the ball. Sure enough, no sooner than the last time I said it, she missed the ball. THUNK. It left a mark. Right on her forehead. Can you see it? I felt so bad. But she's a tough girl. Only needed five minutes to shake it off and we were back to warm-ups. And that was it for the chit-chat, you can be sure.

Anyway, the game schedule came out today (see the calendar). First game? TOMORROW. Ugh. And we JUST got uniforms today. Between now and 4:30 tomorrow, I have to get Darby new cleats and a belt. Unfortunately, Shelby will have to skip fencing, too, because her mom is out of town and I can't be in two places (13 miles apart) at once.

Hoot 'n' comics

Free comic book day is always pleasant. And partake of it we did. Granted it wasn't quite as cool this year as it was last year. I'm not sure if it was just the store we picked or something else, but whereas last we each of us walked away with a dozen comics, this year we were each limited to three. Also, there were no toys given away, at least at this particular store. The girls were pretty disappointed about having to limit their choices to three. Made it harder to pick. So I also let them each buy an additional non-free comic.

Darby is getting more like her mother in one regard... the enjoyment of scary stuff. Scary movies (example, she wants to see Silent Hill), scary books, scary comics. I had to keep drawing her attention away from the horror comics that I don't really feel are targeted at ten-year olds of any gender.


Well, after lingering at the comic store for quite some time, we went to see the kid movie of the week, Hoot. So we've got a little streak going, as for the second week in a row the movie was quite good from the overall quality perspective. The kids REALLY liked it if you need a non-adult endorsement. They were both clapping at the end.

That crazy kid

Darby is so wacky sometimes. I mean, Shelby is always wacky so we're all desensitized. But when Darby goes wacky on us, it's often a doozy in contrast with her "normal" behavior.

She and Shelby both had field trips to a local amusement park today. Not only did Darby go on a water ride to purposely get dripping wet while wearing jeans in the chilly weather (~65 and cloudy), but she also went and aquired this funky hat. On purpose. AND, when I picked her up from school she was wearing the hat around like it was the "in" thing. While it's good that she's not very self-conscious about what people think, that is just one ugly head-piece. I mean, it's not even cute. At all.

Noticeable fencing improvement

Shelby didn't have any work to do today, so she got to go to fencing practice. She had three bouts and won two of them. Here's a short video of one of her bouts.

Her improvement is noticeable when compared with a video from October 2004. She's not as timid as she once was when it comes to scoring opportunities.

Can I go a year without being nailed?

After my less-than-year-ago spurt of tire troubles, forgive me for being bitter about the brief return of sharp objects embedded in my tires.

I noticed yesterday the dreaded click-click-click sound of something in my tire as I drove, and sure enough, it was a sizeable nail. So I used my lunch hour today to get the nail removed and tire patched. It was by far my most painless experience with tire issues, but I'm not getting my hopes up that this isn't the start of some new trend.

Bearing down on the season

Tonight was one of the last practices before the season starts next week. They moved Darby to first base because her arm just wasn't consistently making it to first from third. However, she's doing VERY well at that first. The other kids are throwing it all over the place getting the ball back to first to make the play and she's catching almost all of them. The coach was very impressed with her reflexes and catching prowess. I attribute that prowess mostly to the catches we've had since she was four years old. I've always pushed her hard and thrown balls all over the place, often just beyond her reach, to make her more adept at making good plays out of bad throws. Glad to see it's paying off.

Another bad day for Shelby

Shelby is back to missing fencing due to school work, or lack thereof to be more precise. She didn't finish her classwork on Friday and didn't take it to her mother's to finish. Then she didn't finish her work yesterday. We were running behind in getting to Darby's baseball practice, so for the first time in more than a month I didn't check Shelby's desk. Though I did ask her if she had finished her work and specifically pointed out that she'd be directly lying to my face if I found out otherwise. As if that weren't bad enough, she pretty much did none of her classwork today. So, she's been up all night doing three days worth of work. AND, she is SO grounded anyway for lying to my face.

Familiar teammate

Darby had baseball practice tonight. It wasn't her best outing (lots of missed catches, bad throws, strikes), but she did get off one decent hit to the outfield (off a boy pitcher).

As I was sitting there watching practice, one of my work team members walked up. What are YOU doing here, we both said to each other. I didn't recognize the name on the roster at first, but it turns out her son is on my daughter's team. How crazy is that?