Underslept

I woke to find the weight of lateness drenching the air and clouding my mind. I stared at the clock. Seven-thirty already. Seven... Thirty... Zzzzz...

SEVEN! THIRTY ?!!!!!!?!!!!!!?

(gasp)


You should have seen the glorious splendor of the next thirty minutes. The fastest shower ever. The rushing of the sleep-walking kids through the dressing and the brushing of the teeth and the no-no-we-have-to-leave-right-this-very-second-so-put-the-other-shoe-on-in-the-car. It was... amazing. Well, in that dumbfounded sort of way. Not like, giant-leap-for-mankind sort of stuff. So, you know... typical Shawn-like behavior. The stuff that makes you shake your head in astonished befuddlement.

We zipped down the highway at the atypical seventy miles per hour (and we were being passed by most!), made good time off-highway, and... at the school we arrived. Only two minutes late. Wow. If I do say so myself.

I glanced at the clock in the car. Apparently for the first time. I was confused.

7:02.

What?

That can't be right. I checked my cell phone.

7:02.

What. The heck.


And then it occured to me. There was no traffic. And I mean NO traffic. I was able to go 70, which NEVER happens in the morning. It's always more like 45-55 on average, and at times 20 due to congestion. But today, 70.

And it was darker than usual. Due to the forecast for rain I initially presumed, but apparently more like due to lack of sunlight.

And the school. It was practically abandoned. Not bustling with cars and kids and the like as is the norm.

What have I done?


Clearly, I actually woke up on time, but FELT late. And in my cloudiness read the clock wrong (I am ironically fond of analog time-keeping devices, however else I digitally exist). On double-checking since then, there were no daylight-savings-time slacking time-pieces to be found. I simply... screwed up. Quite emphatically.

So the kids were at school an hour early instead of twenty minutes. And I was at work earlier than almost ever. And because I ate lunch at my desk, the day crept by ever so imperceptibly slowly.


I guess this was better than oversleeping. And while I technically woke-up on time, it felt more like I underslept. Perhaps because I almost always oversleep a little. Oh well, it shouldn't matter nearly as much in a couple days. The morning traffic woes should dramatically improve. Stay tuned.

Secret Asian Man

While eating breakfast this morning, there was an oldies station playing on the establishment radio, and the song Secret Agent Man was playing. Upon its conclusion, Darby says, "I guess that's for Jackie Chan or something." "What?!?" I say. She follows with, "Secret Asian Man".

Ugh. Kids say the darnedest things, huh?

No Darby, I say, further clarifying about the name of the song and what it meant. How on Earth, I followed, with the exception of yourself I suppose (she and her sister ARE technically 1/4 Asian afterall), is anyone going to be secretly Asian anyway?

Extravegant art?

A few days after her performance at the OKC Arts Festival, Darby had a performance this afternoon at an "arts extravaganza," as it was called, at a local middle school. Basically all the schools in the area brought together their arts programs for a common recital platform.

It was decent, though there were logistical issues. It was the first year they've held it outdoors, which I imagine was a nice change, but their planning in that regard was not so great. It was like they were going for symmetry over practicality. As they progressed they learned adjustments were necessary to keep functioning. But when you have to ask your audience to pick up their seats and move three times during the various performances, the focus shifts from sustaining public school arts programs to oh-crap-do-I-have-to-move-again-and-lose-my-good-seats. Not sure they did more harm than good, but UGH. Was glad to get out of there, which is probably not the impression I was supposed to leave with.

Performance-wise, probably the coolest thing I saw (aside from my own daughter's performance of course) was the percussion ensemble of from a downtown elementary school. We're talking 5th grade and below, with about five xylophones, three or four steel drum players, as well as bongos and other equipment, and it sounded really good. Maybe as good as some high school pit sections I've heard in my day (not from MY high school of course). Those kids are going places if they keep it up. Kinda wish the girls' school had something like that as Shelby has been bugging me forever for drum lessons.

Reconciled

Tonight was Shelby's First Reconciliation. She's doing much better with this stuff than I thought she would. She knows what she is supposed to do, she has everything memorized, and she actually seems to want to do it. That surprises me from her. But it's a good surprise.

Runaway El Camino

Dad has put thousands of dollars into restoring his 83 El Camino, only for it to be almost be destroyed today. And I don't mean that lightly. We're talking drive-through-a-house destroyed. His throttle got stuck and with both his feet and all his weight on the brakes he couldn't get the thing to stop before plowing sideways into a yard and nearly into a house (damaging two rims and flattening two tires in the process). And if that weren't bad enough, the homeowner took offense to the yard-thrashing and challenged my dad, who was very apologetic, to a fight over the ordeal. Cops were called, witnesses joined in, what a mess.



In the end, the police sided with my dad and had to calm down the yard guard. It cost my dad a whole lot more to replace his rims and tires than it will for the yard to be fixed, so, like, chill dude. Not like dad did it on purpose or something. Heck, he loves that car so much ITS life passed before his eyes as he approached that house.

Time for the Arts Rain Festival

Darby felt better today. Good thing, too. Her honors choir had to perform this afternoon at the OKC Festival of the Arts downtown. Of course, what is the Arts Festival in OKC with rain? ALWAYS rains during the festival. So I was quite worried all morning because there was a line of storms coming in and I just knew Darby and her group would get dumped on severely. Fortunately I later learned that they just missed it. She says as soon as they stepped off the bus back at school the thunder started.

Nothing like a little in-car puke to start-off your day

Could you ask for a better Monday morning than having your daughter puke in the car on the way to school in the middle of heavy stop-and-go traffic on a major highway?

I didn't think so either, and that's what I got! How awesome is that?!?

Out of the blue, the previously healthy Darby yelped out, "Daddy, I think I have to throw-up!"

So there I was trying to avoid cars, reaching under my seat where I keep some plastic bags for muddy shoes or other such emergencies, and then trying to hand one back to her while she had both hands over her mouth making yack-heave sounds like it's coming any second...

Well, we made it. Mostly. Shelby yelped out in disgust because apparently Darby missed the bag slightly and got a little on the seat, but she was too busy yacking to pay much notice to anything else around her, including my incessant griping about the poor timing (like literally a minute sooner and could have pulled off at a gas station or something). Almost the entire rest of the time we were on the highway she was gagging and heaving into the bag. And that's EXACTLY the kind of soundtrack you want in the morning, let me tell you.

So we got to the school to drop Shelby off and I looked at Darby, who had as big a look of relief on her face as I've ever seen when I ask her... how do you feel? She says fine. I say, like how fine? I mean, I need a no crap answer, do you feel fine enough to go to school or are you staying with me? She says she can go to class. I say are you sure, cause I don't want to be driving back here in an hour. She says, really, it's out of her system, she feels fine. So... she heads into the school (having already cleaned-up and what not). I head to work with what is quite the sigh of relief as well, thinking also that that is the end of that.

I get to work. Sit down at my desk. Begin the arduous login process. And my phone rings. It's Darby. Daddy, I just can't do it, she says. Can you come get me?

Ugh.

I just get done packing my stuff back up and the phone rings again. It's Darby's mom. She offers to pick-up Darby. The first good news all day. I unpack, and begin the day semi-anew.

Darby never puked again the rest of the day. Just a headache and some initial queasiness. I asked her when I picked her up after work if it may have been due to anxiety about getting braces, as we had an orthodontic appointment later in the day that has since been canceled, but she insisted it was not that.

Hmmm. I don't know. Psychosomatic responses can be quite powerful...


The only other good news of the day was the receipt of school picture proofs. The photo album has been updated with the proofs for those interested in viewing, and they'll be updated with the actual versions in a few weeks I presume.


Update, 28 May
Replaced the proofs above with the actual pictures, which the kids just brought home. The album has been updated.

Is that a familiar face?

On 60 Minutes tonight, there was a Georgeann Rooney being interviewed that looked an awful lot like a girl by the same name that went to my high school. I'm wondering if that was her. I've got some inquiries out to one time friends of hers. But Georgeann, if you're out there and happen to be a reader, drop me a line either way to kill the mystery.



Update, 23 April
So far the verdict, from former close friends of Georgeann, is that it is most definitely her.

Update, 25 April
Further evidence is in. She's the girl in the first row of the below pic from high school, fourth from the left. Low res pic I know, but I think the similarities are compelling. I'm not in that pic, as I had already graduated, but I know all but one or two of them, as they were sophomores when I was a senior. Heck, even the girl I went to senior prom with is in that pic. Those were the days....

15 Ks and triple plays

Took the girls to see Firehouse Dog after Shelby's first communion class. Cute movie. Animal-lover kids like mine will eat it up. Afterwards we spent a couple hours outside, followed by a couple hours at the library. SUCH a nice day. Windy, but nice.


And did you SEE the Phils clean-house today? 15 strike-outs for Mr. Hamels (PDF), a triple play, AND a victory! Wow. We've gotten off to such a slow start that this was a breath of fresh air. More please!

Everyone should remember

Rudy did. And you should, too. If you do not, I will think less of you.

Tax day frustrations

OF COURSE it's my fault for waiting til the last minute. But dammit, if you're offering a service of this sort, you should have the capacity to support it. I've been trying to submit my taxes ALL FREAKING NIGHT, with only this error (and that sense of urgent non-completeness) to comfort me (or not).

I am very displeased. VERY.


Update, 18 April: A Reprieve from "The Man"

At 2:44am, I finally got a successful submission of my e-file, and so was concerned about the impact of that slight technical lateness. I decided not to worry about it the rest of the day, because there was nothing that could be done about it after the fact. But I was pleased to learn late this afternoon that I was, as it turns out, not the only victim (PDF) of Intuit's apparently poor capacity planning.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but, thank you Mr. Tax Man (?!?) for the extension.

I want that job

Right under being an actual ball player (even if that meant sitting on the bench for league minimum, since I have NO skills), the next best job in the world would HAVE to be the guy who got to fly around to all the major league ballparks trying all the varieties of food for the Food Network Awards category "Best Ballpark Eats". I mean, that's like a full-season job, right? There are 32 ballparks, and if you evenly divide the season up between the parks, you get about 5 days per park. I'd think you'd need AT LEAST that much time per park to adequately sample the food. So six months on the road visiting every ballpark and getting paid to eat the food? Oh yeah, sign me up.

Oh, and this year's winner? The Vault (Citizens Bank Park) in Philly (PDF). How much does that rock?

Those Food Network guys... smart people. I'm going to have to start watching that channel.

Some opening day YOU turned out to be

I was SO looking forward to this day. Two weeks officially into baseball season and FINALLY it's opening day in Oklahoma City (what is that all about anyway... the delay I mean, sheesh... unfair). I wore my Redhawks shirt. I was going to go straight from work to the ballpark. I watched the weather all day.

But at game time it was 41 or so degrees, with a 34 degree wind chill, and raining.


And so... postponed. As though it weren't delayed enough as it was. Grrr.

We've lost another good Kurt

I just learned Mr. Vonnegut has left us. What a shame, not that he didn't leave a full life. While I only (shamefully perhaps) read his most famous work (the high school obligatory Slaughterhouse Five), it impacted me greatly and I've referenced it often. And so it is most fitting that we send him off the way he'd expect:

Po-tee-weet. So it goes.

Official for real this time

Oops. Apparently the stuff I signed last week was NOT the lease, and so I had been operating under false pretenses since then. Fortunately, my application has since been approved and today I really did sign the lease. So now I can't back out, lest I still pay them gobs of cash for no good reason.

Furniture progress

I paid for some furniture today. Ugh. It's rare for me to spend that much money at one time on anything. But at least I'm making progress.

Note that I didn't say I successfully made style-conscious decisions. Just that things have been bought. We'll see how it goes once it's delivered.

Up all night, sleep all day

My close friend Regina had been in town since Tuesday for a funeral and associated family activities. I had, fortuitously enough, just seen her last week in California, and so I really wasn't expecting to get the opportunity to see her again so soon. But last evening when her family activities wrapped-up, we were able to get together for what was supposed to be a short period of hanging-out like the good ol' days (read: drum corps, her senior prom, trips to Missouri where she went to college).

Despite best intentions (so that she could get sleep before an early flight), short turned to not-so-short, which turned to just-plain-forever, to the extent that there was literally no time for her to get ANY sleep before having to leave for her pre-7am flight back to Cali. This always happens. We get carried away. So I relieved her sister-in-law of early morning driving duties and took my good friend back to the airport myself. All things considered (and I was REALLY freakin tired), I don't think we look quite so terrible for having been up the entire evening (photo taken at 5:40 a.m.).



It was probably quarter after six this morning before I finally got home. And I've only just awaken. I feel pretty rested, but the day is half-gone and I had so much planned for it (while the kids are away for Easter).

I suck at furniture shopping

I spent the afternoon furniture shopping, and only validated the fact that I suck at it. It doesn't help that I have no sense of style in general. But now I've gone and put myself into a place that practically defines contemporary style. And so I'm obviously weary of spending what could be thousands of dollars on new stuff while also being so clueless about... well, everything.

First the issue was picking the right style of furniture, then it was issues with color. I thought the new place was a certain set of colors, but then when I actually went by the place to take photos for reference I found that was quite wrong. I hadn't previously even noticed the wall color. Or the color of the hardwood flooring. And the brown carpet was not as dark as I had remembered. Oh, and then there was that tile on the kitchen wall I didn't realize existed. Clearly, I've got to be much more observant about such things to then be good at applying the appropriate style.

Perhaps I shouldn't care. Or perhaps I should enlist an interior decorator. Bleh.

Sorry I called you a loose ho

Those who know me and my east-coast-fast-talk know that I also topic-hop readily and without warning. And so, while it might not be a complete surprise, it was at least rather entertaining in that gut-busting sort of way when I, seemingly, referred to a female acquaintance as a "loose ho".

Of course, the fact is that I had just recently (on the order of milliseconds) said the phrase "gotta take care of the loose hose" in reference to a friend's comments about his recent vehicular malfunction. It was just then that said female acquaintance rounded the corner and entered my line of sight (the others had their backs to her) when I said "there she is!" though not meaning to associate my former statement with the latter.

Worse yet is the fact that when everyone else at the table burst out in laughter, it was still far too many moments before I realized what I had done.

My apologies, undisclosed female acquaintance, that I called you a ho. And a loose one at that (though I'm not sure there's another kind -- still not referring to you either way of course).

It's official

The "prospective new place" is officially "the new place". This afternoon I signed a lease, and we move-in May 1st.


Update, 7 April
Check out the view. I'm sure I'll post MANY more once I'm moved-in. I stopped by the new place today to take pictures for the purpose of new furniture color-matching.

A closer look at the new place

A number of things have changed in the almost year since I last checked out my next potential residence (linked site is broken... it's now here). Most noticeably, they're no longer selling units. Not enough interest (in owning). However, they've been leasing them out for about six weeks now, and they've been going like wildfire I'm told. In fact, the exact unit I want is already being leased. So, I figure I should act fast before the pickings are slim.

The girls and I got a thorough tour today (during my last tour, much wasn't yet finished), and I must say that it is so truly awesome. Like a freakin five-star hotel. I can't wait to move in. And the girls agree. They are completely bursting with excitement about the place. I'm not particularly excited about the rent, but I think it's going to be worth it for several reasons I'll not get into here. The first month is free, so you can't beat that. Just a $300 deposit, $175 for first month utilities, and I'm in. What a deal. So I'm taking the night to think about it, but I'm pretty sure I'm taking a check over there tomorrow so they'll hold my eighth-floor unit (I wanted the 10th floor) for 45-days while I figure out when the heck I'm going to move. 1 May seems like a good enough date, but oh how I loathe moving.

Must you make me stare at the phallic pillar?

Is this not the MOST phallic-looking public structure you've ever seen?

It was recently placed at the southwest corner of the intersection at the exit ramp from I-235 to 23rd street in Oklahoma City, just down the street from the state capitol. And it is important to note that the process of placing it there caused quite the ridiculous traffic nightmare.

And now I must stare at it. Every day.

Why? Because it's probably the best of my three most obvious choices. The intersection in question has a terrible traffic-control design, and so only about 7-10 cars make it through the light, and it's 2 minutes before the light turns green again. So, while sitting at this light for usually 6-10 minutes on my way from work to pick up the girls from school, I have three things to look at in my most immediate line of sight... the guy across the street in the Sonic Hot Dog outfit waving people over to I guess take a bite out of him or something, the homeless guy with the sign that says please pay me for standing here (or something to that effect), or, now, the phallic pillar.

I know, it's a tough call. Hot dog, homeless guy, phallic pillar. Hmmm. Well, they all creep me out, but I've determined that the pillar is the one thing that can't chase me down. Plus, I keep trying to figure out what the heck the purpose of this thing is. I mean, can you imagine the look on the homeless guy's face when they placed that structure? Something like "here I am am homeless and cashless and you just blew how many thousands of dollars to put a rock hard phallic thingy on my corner? I could have just taken my pants off for a lot less than that."

More surgery

Dad's previous surgery didn't quite take, so he was back in the hospital today for another round. Things seem to have gone well and Dad is recovering. He should be out and about as early as tomorrow. The girls and I spent several hours with him at the hospital tonight to keep him company.

All dressed up

So, we went back to the mall today to take a closer look at the top two First Communion dress choices as decided between Shelby, myself, and her mother. And... we have a winner!

Now we have to get shoes, veil, etc... ugh. We tried to get shoes tonight, but that didn't go so well. The trouble is the dress selection is what I would call "sleek and elegant" in contrast with Darby's "frilly" dress a couple years ago. As such, "frilly" shoes, veils, and other accessories don't seem to go with this dress as well as they would have with Darby's. So our accesorizing will be more challenging than expected, all the more reason for us to have started sooner than we did. Bleh.

Baseball season saves the day

You know when you have a crush on someone and (however ridiculously) you think you might maybe have that outside chance of perhaps possibly getting their attention for five minutes (or even seconds), but you instead find out that someone else has gone and swindled that attention out of your clumsy hands, leaving you hopeless in the matter (which is not to imply that I had an actual shot)?

Today is that day for me, and so I am the definitive April Fool. Not that it's ANYbody's business. Just needed to vent.


In any case...

AT LEAST it's baseball season. Thank GOODNESS it's baseball season. What would I DO without baseball season?

Dress shopping

Got off to an early start, having to get Shelby to First Communion class in the morning. While she was in class, Darby and I went gift shopping for a birthday party I only this morning found out about (technically it was mentioned to me while I was in California, but I can't be expected to remember such things across state lines).

Afterwards, we picked up Shelby, got some lunch, and caught a showing of Meet the Robinsons, one of the better non-Pixar Disney movies of late. The kids really liked it, but were a little disappointed we didn't catch the 3D version, which we couldn't do if we were expected to make the aforementioned birthday party on time.

So after the movie I dropped Darby off at her party and Shelby and I went First Communion dress shopping, considering we only have just under a month before the big day. Back in 2005 I had started shopping for Darby's dress a good 2-3 months ahead of time, so we're a little behind the curve.

We looked through every store at the closest mall to Darby's party but didn't find any real winners. After we picked up Darby we went to another mall and did the same routine, where we found several candidates. I took pictures of Shelby with some of our top selections and we're deciding which to take a second look at, possibly tomorrow.

While we were dress shopping, we also picked up Easter shoes to go with existing Easter dresses. MAN is Shelby a girlie-girl. She's only 9 and she has these crazy notions about why she should or shouldn't get a particular style of shoe. Sheesh.