That’s a relief

Our oldest daughter is a fantastic artist. She is also way, way smart. Twenty-fifth in her class of something like seven hundred students. One of those kids with a 4.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. She was interested in college at Southern Methodist University (SMU) and University of North Texas (UNT). UNT seems to have won out. She applied and was accepted this past Tuesday. She plans on studying graphic/commercial/marketing type art.

Yesterday afternoon, wife and I planned on trying to get our three mile walk in, from 4:45 to 5:45. I had to do some work for work, at 6 PM. Wife ran a bit late in getting home, so I’d done most of the mail and had gotten my walking clothes on before she got home. We get so much mail from colleges right now, I don’t bother to open it. I just lay it on the daughters bed or leave on ours. So while waiting for wife to get her walking clothes on, I headed out to my shop to drop off some tools that I’d had inside the house. As I go to exit my shop, I start hearing a bunch of screaming and yelling, and my name is included. I figured someone was injured badly. No, one of those letters from UNT, was a scholarship!!! Daughter just got handed about 70 percent of her four year degree, paid for!

I need to get with our financial advisor next week. We might have enough saved up to put her all the way through school.

While sitting and discussing college, we also totaled up her college hours she has completed or tested out of by taking Advanced Placement courses. Seems she has 21 hours of college credit done and she is still a senior in high school!

Look out world. She is a quiet, unassuming, WORLD BEATER!

Her middle school sister, upon hearing the amount, commented “Cool. We can go shopping with that!!!”

Priorities. It’s usually about Priorities!

What if? Starting to get into that Christmas spirit.

Elvis and Led Zeppelin collided with a reggie band?  Yes, Dread Zeppelin





Pretty neat when Plant digs on it

What message did you send there mom?

This past Monday night, our middle school daughter was involved in a choir show. The program was sponsored by our middle school, but two of the elementary schools were there, plus another middle school and even the high school boy’s choir. What they showed, was how the elementary music program fed into the middle schools and eventually into the high school. Our middle school opened, and then all the other schools took turns. This happened at the high school auditorium and almost every seat was taken. About 800 people came to hear the kids and support the schools. My parents even came down to hear their granddaughter’s choir. I saved them seats.

Next to my mom, sat a lady who got there early, like we all did. She pulled out some knitting to occupy herself. We assumed that she would stop her frantic knitting when the program began. Nope! She kept right on knitting during the entire first half of the program. Never stopped knitting, never clapped for the kids. Bumping her elbow into my poor mother, who was trying to watch and listen to the choirs. Next to this woman, sat what I assumed were her parents. They did the exact same thing, but no knitting. They sat and whispered back and forth. They didn’t seem to pay any attention to the program, never clapped.

Intermission came and my mom decided to try and move down towards the front and away from the knitting machine. By then, one of the elementary school had finished and people had started to leave, so some seats were available. I was glad that the people had waited for the intermission to head home. During the intermission, the knitter put up her knitting and engaged in conversation with her parents.

The second half of the program opened with another elementary school. It seems that her kid must have been in that choir, as she attentively listened and clapped wildly when they finished. As that school exited the stage, the high school men’s choir came out for their last two numbers. During this, the knitter picked up her bag of knitting and she and her parents exited. DURING the show! “Excuse me…pardon…, sorry to block your view, sorry to bang into your knee…..”

What was sad is to see the progression. Her parents didn’t knit, but they also didn’t clap for any of the choirs but their own. The mom did the same. AND, she had another child with her, who has now learned that you only show up for the part of the program that you are interested in, you don’t pay any attention to the other parts of the show, and you bolt for the door as fast as you can. You also don’t be aware of how your actions are affecting the people around you. No, it’s all about you…..and your knitting.

We’d wished they had just stayed home.

12/8/2000 -- I was attempting to study for my college senior finals

The Twelve days of Christmas - from 1998 and Indiana U's, Straight No Chaser group.

I'm dead....

I work in data processing. We are on call all the time. Last night, we got to bed around 11:30 PM. The phone rang at 1:35 AM. Operations had an analyst needing database help from me. Except she is from India. I caught about every third word. She told me she was "Quaker". So I logged onto the Quaker Oats systems. No job could be found. I kept repeating the name of the job. Finally, the operator told me it was on Frito Lay and NOT Quaker! I finally got it fixed and was back in bed at 2:45 AM. At 3:35 AM, shes back on the line with a similar problem. Except she has no idea that Frito is so massive, that they have two production systems. Again, the kind operator pointed me to the correct system. Back in bed at 4 AM. Alarm goes off at 6:01 AM. I hit snooze twice, but then was too awake so just went on in. My boss shooed me home during a 2 PM phone conference, but then I didn't nap!

At 4 PM, I headed out and walked 4 miles. With a North Texas cold front moving in, the wind was gusting to 25 MPH and the temp dropped quick! But it was still better than trucking out at 8 PM! Which is my normal time to walk.

Next stop, easy street

I eat Pop Tarts. But not for breakfast, for a desert with my at-my-desk lunch at work. I get the Low-Fat Frosted Cinnamon ones. I also keep them in the refrigerator. They are great hot and cold, but not so great at room temperature. So, at work last week, I open up my packet and take a bite and something is very different! Seems they have strawberry filling in this box full! Notice in the photo, the pink filling? It is supposed to be brown.

I was totally traumatized. I've had trouble sleeping. I've become very nervous about this.

I plan to sue. I've sent an email to John Edwards. He made zillions as a trial lawyer and probably needs some cash about now.

Unfortunately, all I have left is this photo. I ate the evidence.