Katie gets slimed!!!

On Sunday, we took the kids to the NFL Experience, which is in town for the Superbowl.  It was pretty sweet.  There was lots to look at and do, including kicking field goals, throwing touchdown passes, designing your own helmet and uniform.  They also had a Nickelodeon booth set up where you could throw footballs into SpongeBob's mouth, look the Teenage Turtle's lockers, etc.  Well, they also had a slime booth set up.  When Nick first became a channel when I was a kid, there was a show called You Can't Do That on Television, where, if you said the taboo word, you would get green slime dumped on your head.  Well, as a kid, we all imagined what that would be like.  On Sunday, my 6 year old daughter got to find out.  Well, with clothes protection on at least.  Here it is in slow motion.

Besides the sliming, Luke got to see the inside of one his favorite players' locker.

Katie got to take a photo with some cheerleaders.

We even got to see the Lombardi trophy.

As someone who was very skeptical that I was going to get nickel and dimed, I was pleasantly surprised.  We did pay $25 per kid, plus $35 per adult to get in, but once we got in, we didn't have to pay for any other item other than refreshments.  Katie even dragged me onto the obstacle course where I lost, barely.  We got there at 10:00 and didn't leave until almost 4:00.  It was fun.

Chili!!!

Here on the island, neighbor Craig hosts an annual birthday bash for his wife.  He hires a band and invites all the neighbors, and has a chili cookoff.  All those interested bring a crockpot of chili and hope for the best. It is not formal, and the judges are just people here and they change every year.

The first year I heard about this, I thought I would go and check it out.  I didn't know Craig but that didn't stop me from checking it out.  I was impressed enough that I told Marlina that next year, I would enter a pot.

Next year, I decided to batch up some and see what happens.  Only problem, Luke had a basketball game right during the judging.  I brought over a crock anyways.  I saw neighbor Priscilla and told her my secret number and to let me know if I win.  I didn't have high hopes, but I did have some hope.  Right about half time of the game, I get a text.  2nd place!  Not bad for a first timer.  Or a multi timer.

This year, I am having fun putting together the chili. 

Mixing the spices and this is the result.....

The party starts in about an hour.  The kids and I are gonna head over and see what happens.  Either which way, I have some Jerry Jeff Walker and the Flatlanders playing, drinking a Shiner Bock, enjoying the cool 55 degree weather.  I don't have high hopes, but there is hope.

The Front Seat...

My son is now 9 years old and a whopping 62 pounds.  I don't know what the state law says about riding in the front seat of a vehicle, but I do know that his mother wants him to ride in the back at all times.  Well, normally I comply with her wishes and during drop off and pick up at various functions, our conversation goes something like:
"How was school today?"
"Ok."
"Learn anything new?"
"No"
"How was math?"
"Fine"
"What did you do?"
"I don't remember"


This past week, picking him up after basketball practice, I let him sit in the front seat of the truck.  He proceeded to tell me about his day without being prompted, then he explained where he wanted to live and how he was going to pay for it, and what kind of car he was going to have when he got older.  I don't know if it was solely because he was in the front seat with me and we could converse without looking in the mirror, but it was nice to hold a conversation with him, without him being on the ipad or telling me he doesn't remember.  Maybe he was just in the mood to talk, but I think he will be riding the front seat a little more often from now on.

Sam.....

Well, our family lost a member today.  Samantha Cat has now gone to a better place.

After being sick for a day or two, I began to see the signs, but it hadn't quite dawned on Marlina.  We discussed this and decided to send her to the vet, but at the same time, trying to prep the kids for the worst news.  This morning it was diagnosed that she had complete liver failure and wasn't processing anything.  It was just a matter of time.  We choose to do the humane thing.  That doesn't make it any easier on the family.

She was a good cat who never liked to be held, but was always ready with a purr.  She would scratch you and claw you and piss on your sheets, but she would jump up on my lap anytime. 

She will be missed.

RIP Sam.

Twas the week before Chrismas....

Saw this today and couldn't help but feel this is spot on...



















Well, Marlina had her annual "I don't think we have enough gifts for the kids" moment last night.  That means today I get to have my annual, "Fuck it, just buy more stuff" moment.  I usually go out and spend another $200-$300 today and royally manage to screw up our budget.  Or, in reality, my budget that I only kept in my head and didn't share with her but I still manage to get pissed when she goes over the amount that I didn't tell her about.

Anyways, Merry Christmas everybody!!  As much as I bitch about the money part, these are some of the best days of the year because it causes me to think of others more than myself.  I enjoy shopping part of the Christmas season.  I think I give good gifts.  I could be way off base; it is possible.  But I think I give pretty good presents. 

Three more days to go.......

Party on Christmas Eve??

When I was a kid, I remember going to church on Christmas Eve, lighting the candle and singing, then heading home to race into bed so that Santa would come.  Well, it came as a shock to me that my wife said Christmas Eve was a huge party when she was growing up.  She and her family would go to church, complete with the Catholic 500 (a nickname I gave to the practice of getting up for communion, receiving the gifts, then instead of returning to your seat, you hit the exit door), then she would return to her house where upon all the family friends would appear and the party would last into the night complete with lots of food, booze, and merriment.  The kids would eventually be put to bed, but the party wouldn't stop.

Fast forward a bunch of years.  When Marlina and I got together and we were preparing to spend our first Christmas together, of course there was some culture shock on my part when she would describe the annual Christmas Eve bash.  We were both living in the city then, surrounded by friends who never needed a reason for a party.  I was in.  If it made my future wife happy, I did it.  And, of course, I am the guy who has been know to say that "Tuesday only happens once a week; you had better celebrate it."

We threw our first annual Christmas Eve party on 12/24/2003.  We have been going strong ever since Some years the attendance is larger than others, but we decided that it is pretty nice to gather with family and friends before Santa comes down the chimney.  Ours may not last as long as the ones that Marlina grew up with, but they do seem to give her a memory of her past that she cherishes.  And what an important part of the Christmas holidays that is.

And besides, Christmas Eve only comes once a year, you had better celebrate it!!

The Periscope App

The Periscope App is amazing.  It is a live streaming service that lets users film events and stream them to others.  You could just use the video on your phone, but then you are left with a gigantic video file that you usually cannot email to others due to the size.  You could post them to YouTube, but they too have file size restrictions.  Periscope allows you to film the events, and stream them to anyone in real time.  In the past year, I have watched my kids at various sporting events and school events because Marlina used Periscope.  I can be in my office working and she is at the Spelling Bee.  I was able to watch Luke spell his word correctly, then get back to work.  I also watched his first basketball practice this way last night.  Of course, me overthinking things, leads me to ask the question, "Is this good?"

I mean, I am able to watch these events, but I am not present when they are taking place.  I can discuss the events with him when I get home in the evening, but he cannot look over and see my face.  As long as I am present for the mega important events I think I am fine, but at what point does technology make it too easy for me to say, just Periscope it and I can both work and be a good father? 

But besides my trivial bull shit, just imagine what an app like this does for people in the military who are away in another country.  They can now watch their kids even while away.  They can take part in the events, and at least feel like they were somewhat present.  It truly is amazing.  I know there are probably different apps that do the same thing, but I use Periscope and am pretty happy with it.

Ok, enough of a commercial for a product that I don't even have any stock in. 

BTW, we picked up the new golf cart on Saturday.  It is pretty sweet.