The 2 Year Old Tyrant

There are days and there are DAYS! Apparently my 2yo felt I had it too easy lately and he needed to make me appreciate those times more. They morning started pretty normal with the wife leaving early and then 2yo waking up about 10 minutes later. At about 6:00 am wife leaves while I hope to get a little more sleep. By 6:15 2yo is in my room using me as a racetrack for his hot wheels. After 2yo tells me where I can sleep on my bed he then plays for another 30 minutes allowing me to "rest" a little longer. The morning is rather typical and after 6yo gets on the bus we plan out or errands for the morning. While I am working on the grocery list 2yo goes upstairs and plays by himself with his cars. This is a sign of an impending stinky diaper. After I am done I hear him coming back down stairs. I ask him if he pooped in his pants... "No DaDa I pooped in my room!" OK now I am arguing semantics with a 2 yo... I asked is your diaper stinky... He smiles and says "Yes...Big Man Poop!" After the bio hazard is cleaned up we head for the store.

From the point we get to the store until the end of the day he is a complete TYRANT!!! Complaining about this, ordering me to do that and changing his mind all the time. Finally nap time arrives and he wants to go to bed. Well his nap last not much more then an hour and the Tyrant was loose again.

By the time 6yo was due home I was going losing it. He gets home and then the epic battle between "TYRANT TOT and WHINER BOY" began... "Dad he's hitting me, Dad he wont move, Dad he won't share.." "No No No E not share...MINE!" the 2yo responds...

Wife calls on here way from signing he offer and I am pretty sure I was snappy. Funny thing is I had been dealing with Tyrant Tot ALL DAY ALONE... She deals with him for a couple hours with me around and she was in the same state I was hours before...

Plus 6yo decided tonight was a good night to put SUPER WHINE MODE in action...

So by the time the boys were in bed the collective sighs of relief could be heard down the street.

The 5

1. 300 - DVD is due out July 31... YES!!!!
2. Bicycle Rack - I ordered a 3 Bike Rack for my Van today. Will be able to easily get everything up north this summer for our vacation.
3. Double Odd Days - Having the sprinkler set to odd days it appears to have issues with the 31st. It should be fine tomorrow... I Hope!
4. Laundry - NEVER ENDS!!!!!
5. Good Feeling - My wife at work has been getting a bunch of "It's great you found a new job, but that sucks for us." Plus a few people have stepped up and complained about the reasons why very loudly!!! We still have people we know there and I can not wait to get reports about how bad the two people that caused this are doing... They apparently already have the Deer in the Headlights thing going...

Daily Observation: The sound of a Tyrant 2yo and the whine of a 6yo should be considered a torture device...

Soccer and kids and parents oh my...

Well today was soccer day and I coach my 6yo's team. It is a local park district league of four teams of 6 or 7. Well the weather was a bit warm tonight , but the kids all appeared to have fun. It is a no goalie no score league to help develop fundamentals. This is the second time I have coached soccer and I am enjoying it. There are time when my patients are stretched really thin, but for the most part it is all good. The key for me is to get all the kids involved and learn the basics. We practice for 30 minutes then play for 30 minutes or so. Even though we don't keep score it is rather apparent my team is rather good. I think they score an average of 6 times a game and allow less then 1 a game. When we started they were struggling, but now that the league is almost done they are starting to get the whole team game. Since they have been doing well I worry the other kids will not have a good time. Tonight I did get a good feeling when a parent complimented me on how I coach and the fact I can deal with her handful of a son. He is young and does not want to listen very well...

The 2yo did not have preschool today so we had to make due. He was up a bit last night and ended up in our bed. He then woke early so by 8:45 he wanted a nap. He stayed in bed until 12:00... We had a bunch of errands to do and he had a great time looking at tools at the hardware store...

The 5

1. Kids Sports - They are fun and a joy to coach, but at the same time can be frustrating.
2. Hardware Stores - going through ACE today was a blast. 2yo looking at tools and saying wow!
3. Humidity - The return of the hot and humid weather.
4. Bikes! - Rode to Soccer again tonight. It is so great to be able to ride places. I just wish there were more trails so I could have more riding options
5. Sleep - Again hard to come by...

Last night in my daily observation I made a reference to something that happened. Well yesterday my wife had an interview and she was offered a new job. Her new job will be 7 miles away and a fresh start. After over 10 years with her current company and a couple of people creating more and more stress this is a welcome change....

Daily Observation: You do not always see problems happening until the problems force someone to leave...

The Final Countdown...

The final countdown.
The final countdown (final countdown).
oh...oh
The final countdown.
oh...oh
It's the final countdown.
The final countdown.
The final countdown. (final countdown)
-Europe "The Final Countdown"

Well the 2yo finished Preschool last week and on June 5th he will finish with his school house playgroup. 6yo has his final day of school on June 6th where he goes in for 1 hour... The Summer has officialyl begun the countdown... We had arranged a few classes for the boys, but we found out today that the big class 6yo was registered for was cancelled for lack of enrollment! Now we need to scramble to get something new set up...

Tonight was also the last night of T-Ball for the 6yo and we all went to watch. He was so excited to get another trophy, but again they spelled his name WRONG!! We will have a friend that owns a trophy and engraving place make a new plate rather then try to deal with the crap of getting it fixed for him.

The wife was home today so 2yo was very excited. She was a bit under the weather and he had her all to himself all day.

Tonight I wanted Pizza after smelling it at T-Ball so when we got back from the park I ordered some. We had ridden our bikes and I pulled 2yo in his trailer to T-Ball so I decided that I would leave the trailer attached and ride the mile to get the pizza by bike. That was great!!! Not only did I get some more ridding in I can give the finger to Big Oil!!!

The 5

1. CD/DVD Exchange - I sent my old CD's to an exchange place and traded them for a bunch of DVD's. Got rid of some junk and added more junk...
2. Ridding - I have plans to get a full ride routine ready so by the end of August I will be ridding a Century!!! (100 Miles)
3. At Home Dad Party! - I am hosting an At Home Dads Beer party at the end of June. I had just planned on getting the local guys in, but some guys are coming in from The Quad Cities, Indy and possibly even JERSEY!!! A few are looking at flying in for the event... WOW!!!
4. First Day of AC - Today was officially the first day we used AC this year. It was in the UPPER 80's and VERY HUMID!!! So I had to do it... The damp hot air is just too much.
5. Recumbent Trike - One of my closest friends just ordered a recumbent trike. I can not wait to try it, but I have to admit I REALLY want one. The price is steep so I will have to start selling extra body parts, lots of junk on ebay and maybe even a few others soles...

Daily Observation: When one day off turns into a complete change for the better, life is good... (Check Back Tomorrow for an Explanation)

Memorial Day Weekend...

Well it is the begining of the "summer" season that time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Fun in the sun, vacations, no school, Sun Burn, Scratches, Scrapes and Bumps... Being a long weekend it gave us plenty of time to get a few things done, relax and even get a long bike ride in. Saturday the weather was not very good so we spent some quality time being lazy. I had a bunch of errands to do including visiting Home Depot and the Library. We had hoped for a sunny day so wife and I could go for a bike ride just the two of us. Instead it rained so she went and got her hair done and I took the boys to see Grandma and Grandpa. They had a blast for a couple hour, ate too much junk and then they were wiped out. Once home wife and kids relaxed while I made the rounds to the stores and library.

Sunday I woke up early and went for a bike ride with one of my closest friends and another friend I have not seen in a long while. We road 30 miles and had a blast. There were no crashes and no bike damage... Next week my friend gets his new bike... Recumbent Trike! while I was gone the wife added even more landscaping and the boys played in the back yard. Since it was the holiday weekend they enjoyed being outside a little later into the evening. I did a few more things around the house including painting the trim around the stairs since the installation of the wood did a number on the trim. A fresh coat of white really made a big differance. They boys were beat and made it to bed rather easily. I on the otherhand was rather uncomfortable with sore ankles, sore elbow and a bit of sunburn. I forgot to put sunscreen on when I went for my ride.

Monday we woke to a little one wanting to play cars on our bed. We slept in a bit while he played and was very happy. Not long after his big brother woke up and the two of them went down to the familyroom and watched cartoons and let us sleep!!! They are at the point were together they do not need us to be there 100% of the time in the moring. 6yo is able to work the TV well and 2yo already is EXTREMELY independent and raids the pantry like a pro. So we were able to relax for another hour before we needed to get moving. I had to mow the lawn and get some tables ready for my Brother to use in a garage sale. Then it was off to wifes brothers for a BBQ. he just moved into his house so we said we would help he and his wife with some of the landscape. It is completly over grown and after 2 hours we barely made a dent. I then manned the grill since BIL has no clue about such things. Again I forgot the sunscreen and tonight I am paying for my stupidity!!!

The 5 (Memorial Day Edition) Source http://www.usmemorialday.org

1. Memorial Day - Originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.
2. Dates - Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.
3. Traditional Observance Lost - Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country..
4. Observance by Soldiers - Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing
5. Re-Education - To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

Daily Observation: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” - Joseph Campbell

The Grass Is Not always Greener on the other side...

Well when it comes to my lawn the grass is truly not green on the other side... Unless you are looking at my grass. Mind you it is far from perfect, but it looks really nice. With the sprinkler system, proper fertilization and most important PROPER LAWN CUTTING it really stands out.

My two next door neighbors and the one directly behind me have some work to do on their lawns.

The one to my Left needs to learn to raise his lawnmower housing up. It is not a putting green you do not need to cut to the dirt. He mowed his grass yesterday and all I could do was cringe as he scalped his entire lawn. It is still May and as of this morning his lawn is turning a bright yellow!

The one to my right would not have any green if it was not for the weeds. I have to admit she tries, but her brother that is living with her does not help much.

The one behind my has 2 GIANT dogs and his grass is all patchy and not kept up at all. he mows the grass, but no seeding or fertilizer.

I wonder if I would get a bad look or in trouble if I gave all of them some pointers??? Especially the guy cutting WAY TO LOW!!!

Last week a neighbor and his 2yo were over playing when the 2yo dumped a shovel full of sand in the grass. I think the dad freaked. He actually tried to clean it up! We said it is ok the little bit of sand will not hurt anything. I guess our lawn is looking that nice. We have 2 dogs and 2 kids, but we enjoy making it all look wonderful. Are yard is kid friendly, but we just go the extra step to keep it that way.

On the kid front...

Today 6yo was up early and 2yo slept in a little. It was really warm today, but extremely windy. We had our normal routine and wen to the bus stop where both boys played with the neighbor kids. After the bus stop I did a little work and then it was time to do some errands. We needed to drop off my bicycle for a tune up and then headed to my High School to pick up some plants from my mom. She works at the high school and had some big plants there during the school year. 2yo was able to meet a bunch of new people and see grandma. After we picked up the plant and TREE we dropped the one off at my parents house and 2yo was able to play with Grandpa for a while... "Good Grandpa" 2yo said after getting spoiled with OREO cookies...

Once home I took care of a few work related things and then we waited for the bus. 6yo came home and the boys played out back while I cut the grass and shook my head at the neighbors yards...

The 5 (Yard Edition)

1. Lawn Mower - Proper blade height is 2.5" - 3" from the ground. Cut the grass too short and you will hurt it. It is better to cut it longer and more often the really short once in a while.
2. Water - The sprinkler system is looking like one of the best purchases we ever made. We are already at Odd/Even restrictions for watering. Got that covered with the computer!!!
3. Boarder Land - I may have to start mowing into the neighbors yard in order to keep him from scalping my lawn!
4. Mulch - Mulch + Kids Sock = Mess
5. Lilac - We have two Lilac bushes and they are in full bloom... Very nice smell...Very nice!!!
   

Daily Observation: Many people wants yards, but many are unwilling to do the simple things to care for it...

Why It Is Important To ALWAYS wear your Helmet!

Well this past weekend really made my helmet beliefs come into focus. I am a big supporter of wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle and will always wear one as will my entire family. My riding buddies and I will not allow anyone to ride with us without that helmet on.

A good friend "Dirt Magnet" from wonkemtel.com came into town with his son so the group got together to ride. "Handy Rider" and "Component Killer" joined the ride as well. We had planned a 2-3 hour rid starting somewhere around 4:00ish. After a extra long check of equipment it was time to hit the road and then the trail. A local trail system is only a few miles from my house via residential roads. We started off and made our way to the trail. After getting to the State Park portion we came to a road crossing. Four of us made it through, but "Handy Rider" looked away and hit a Trail Post in the center of the trail causing a MAJOR crash. He landed on his head!!! Lucky for him he was wearing his helmet...

(See Pictures Below)

Picture 1 shows the front view with the plastic cover cracked.

Picture 2 shows the front foam insides cracked ALL THE WAY THROUGH

Picture 3 shows the inside cracked ALL the way through.

Picture 4 Shows the front end DENTED and Cracked

The force he hit the pavement at and his body weight there is a strong possibility we would have been picking up pieces of skull and brain from the pavement.

It is truly important to always wear your helmet...

Everyday I see the neighborhood kids not wearing their helmets and now more then ever I worry for their safety.

The 5 (Helmet Edition)

1. Wear A Helmet-One Fall is all it takes to ruin your life
   
2. Wear A Helmet-One Fall is all it takes to destroy your family
   
3. Wear A Helmet-One Fall is all it takes to lose someone close
   
4. Wear A Helmet-One Fall is all it takes to be on life support
   
5. Wear A Helmet-One Fall is all it takes to lose your life...

Daily Observation: There are a million excuses not to wear a helmet. There are NO reasons to not wear one.

Lack of Time, Lack of Motivation...

The last few days have been a blur. I had a friend in town over the weekend and yesterday and today were just plan odd.

Upcoming Posts...

Why You Should Always Wear a Helmet on a Bicycle
The 5 Times 5
Planning Things
Hot Wheels and Other fun things to step on...

Hopefully I will have a little time tonight to get some of these out...

Friday Night Lights...

With all the yard work we have been doing and the sale of the ho tub we now have our patio set for the summer. We purchased the furniture last year and the canopy a couple years ago. Well a final addition this year was adding a little light to the patio. I used clear light strings and wrapped the lights around the inside of the frame. The end result can not truly be seen from the pictures, but we get a wonderful soft light. The table has a nice fire pit and we have already used it a few times this year. Tonight we decided to relax for a while with a fire and an amazingly clear night. I just wish the picture would show up a bit better. It really does not do the lights justice...




Today I really needed to get the lawn cut so I did the backyard early while 2yo played in his sandbox and swing set. He spent a lot of time watching a mother robin yell at me for cutting the grass too close to her nest. We have a nest in a small pine tree in the back yard. I was so happy with how well 2yo played while I got the yard work done. I would normally do it Saturday, but we are having company and I will be out riding for a long time on Saturday.

Thursday Night was Dads Night Out. I met with 2 other dads and we had a great time at dinner chatting about all things dad. Good food and good people make for a great evening.

The 5 (Yard Edition)

1. Weeds - We are pretty much crazy about our yard, plants, flowers and trees. Unfortunately my neighbors do not share the desire to have any type of basic organized lawn. Many of the yards around me are close to 50% weeds and crabgrass!!! Adds more weeds to my yard, but on the bright side make my grass look that much better
2. Grass - I love home fresh cut grass looks. I mulch in the grass and make sure I never leave any type of clumps in the yard.
3. Patio - The last touches to the sitting area on the patio are now done...yeah!!!
4. Trees - My tress all look really healthy and my pine tree is home to a family of robins
5. Lights - Adding the string lights to the patio makes it really pleasant to sit outside. I also added a few solar floods and a solar lighthouse. Nice touches to add a little more to the look of the house.

Daily Observation: You can weed your yard all day, but if no one else does it is impossible to keep up!

Another Article Published at Dadcenter...

Another Article Published at Dadcenter...

The Balancing Act of a Work At Home Dad...

Two Days Down...Three to GO!!!

Well Tuesday is coming to an end and it was an odd day. This week started my wifes new schedule and the boys and I do not see her in the morning before she leave. Well I do if you count half open eyes and a sleepy smile... It is much easier this time around since 6yo is better and the whole getting out thing. With the weather rather nice as well we can all just walk to the bus stop.

2yo and I had the parent and tot preschool and the cold shoulder I felt last week seemed to be a gone, but I still felt a little odd. I did not feel this way for the first few weeks, but since then it has been a little more interesting. Maybe it is because I am a guy, maybe its just me or maybe they just don't like that I am better at all the crafts then they are...

After school 2yo wanted to go to the park, but by the time we got home he was demanding a nap. So I put him down and got some work done. 1 hour passed, 2 hours passed, 3 hours passed...WOW he slept for over 3 hours!!! By the time he was up he wanted to go to the park, but the weather was not on our side...RAIN!

6yo and wife got home at about the same time and we figured that T-Ball would be cancelled. We were right. That worked out well since there was a open house/icecream/bookfair at the school. Wife and the boys went while I worked.

As I went to check the weather the weather program froze the computer so I decided to make a change that led to another and another and another... In the end my computer is running better now and I have eliminated many unused programs and upgrade others...

The 5 (Software Edition)

1. Photoshop - Dumped it... I have the disks, but the version I have is much older and it is a bit of overkill. Currently trying Paint.net which I downloaded from CNET and it works really well
2. Weatherbug - Wife likes it, but I found it more of a BUG then a weather program. I decided to check out the weather channel site and now have that one. We shall see...
3. Utilities - I downloaded a few different utilities for optimizing my PC and I have to say a couple did wounders. I eliminated so much garbage.
4. Speedtest.net - When my cable guy was here replacing a crappy modem he used this site. Tests the current speed of your highspeed connection. Pretty cool utility...
5. FireFox - The only way to go. I have now used it for almost a year and am extrememly happy with how it works. There are a few sites I have issues including the microsoft site... The add ons are great and the functionality is fantastic.

If Microsoft were to merge with Google and Walmart you would have a global entity that could rule the world. Granted you would search for something and only the blue screen of death would come up while prompting you about lower prices... Walgoogsoft..

Daily Observation: I think I might be a Mac Person Stuck in a PC Persons Body...

New Floors, Sick House and Mothers Day...

Well on Thursday we put new wood floors in the family room and the office. I spent much of Wednesday taking everything down and moving things. The installers arrived around 9:30 on Thursday and were here until after 7:00. The house was a mess and I was stuck home with a sick 6yo a 2yo getting sick and me feeling the effects of everything.

Here is a picture of the new floor...





















Having the new floors makes the rooms look so much nicer. Having two young kids and two dogs makes having carpet a challenge. The constant wear and tear on the carpet drove the wife and I totally crazy.

Click on the picture below for a slide show of the before and after.

New Floor

Well on Friday I felt the effects of the past few days and the 2yo had been up most of the night with a high fever. With the house still a mess, 2yo really sick and me under the weather as well the wife decided to take a half day and work from home. I was able to get the much needed rest and we were able to spend some time getting the house back together. By Friday night we were so tired and 2yo was still sick and he ended up sleeping in our bed all night.

Saturday I woke feeling a little better, but I had a ton to do around the house and yard. First I cleaned up the garage after the workers used it for the cutting area for the wood floors. I used the leaf blower to get the main dust out then washed down everything. I also put some things up in the top of the garage. The rest of the day I spent it doing yard work. I even used the power washer on the back patio. WOW much nicer... By the time I needed to get to bed I could hardly walk.

Sunday was mothers day and we had a lazy morning watching TV while 2yo slept against mom on the couch. We then did some limited house work including adjusting the in ground sprinklers, hanging lights around the patio and the dreaded laundry monster. Mother in Law stopped by on the way to Brother In Laws and then we went out to see my folks. The boys had a blast and I thing my mother was very happy to see them today. Afterwards we went to my Brother In Laws new house to see where the moved to. It is a nice little house that is in desperate need of yard work. The house is in good shape and is very cute. The wife offered to help her brother with the yard which I could see was driving her crazy...

Tonight the boys went to bed and the wife and I spent some time around a fire on the back patio with the new lights and some Ice Cream Sundaes...

The 5

1. Electronics - Taking down and resetting up electronics is a pain in the backside...
2. Saw Dust - Worse then sand... Gets every were and is a terrible mess
3. New Floors and Dogs - The new wood floors have made it very interesting for the dogs... Slip Sliding Away...
4. Sprinkler Gremlin - I think I finally caught the sprinkler gremlin. I will find out tomorrow if the system reset worked...
5. Gas Prices - DOH!!!!!!

Daily Observation: No matter how much time you have there is never enough to get everything done...

digg it for a friend...

Well a friend of mine has produced a video short that is LOL funny....

Have a look and if you you could digg it for him...

WARNING the video contains adult content... Bleeped out, but still adult in nature...

DIGG IT

A Wart and not on a Frog

Well my 6yo has had a bunch of skin issues including a really bad case of eczema. That is all cleared up and today we had the final piece of the puzzle taken care of. He had a wart on his big toe the size of an extra toe. We finally got everything set and went in today for the removal. He was prepared for the procedure and knew he was going to get a shot, but in the end it all was tough...

The nurse iced the wart and as she stuck the needle with the local into his toe he pulled back and screamed. This slightly bent the needle and made it so I had to hold his foot down. After about a minute and some screams his toe went numb. The doctor came in moments later and said "She does the painful stuff I do the easy stuff" He looked over the wart then used a laser on it that sparked as the smell of burning flesh filled the room. Then he scrapped off the wart like cheese through a grater making the once large formation disappear. He then took out the laser again and cleared out the spot making a slight hole in his foot. The whole thing lasted less then 10 minutes and now my son is happy to see the extra toe go...

Feeling a bit of the Cold Shoulder...

The room was quiet... too quiet. As we arrived at the school house playgroup this morning we were the first to arrive. 2yo started to play and then we needed to start the crafts early so we could complete them today. We cut out little hands for a Mothers Day craft. Everything seemed to be normal, but unlike most days I was not included in much of the conversation. I do not know if it was me, the mothers day craft or just an odd morning, but I had no real conversations with anyone, and when I did I was actually interrupted... Hmmm Could be nothing, but the class felt strange today. The only discussion I was involved in had to do with Mother's Day Gifts. Since we do not exchange gifts and we are putting in new wood floors the wife does not want anything at all. We would typically go get something we need for the yard, house or whatever. I could not believe the blank stare I got when I mentioned we do not exchange gifts other then from the kids. "What you do not buy your wife nice things?" "She really does not mean she wants nothing!" Well as a matter of fact she DOES MEAN IT! If I were to buy something I would be in hot water. I guess everyone likes to keep up with the Jones's and feel Gifts Define Love... Not here...

The 5 (Crazy week addition)

1. Tuesday - School for 2yo, Dr Appointment for 6yo, T-Ball and moving furniture.
2. Wednesday - Preschool for 2yo, Cable Modem Repair, Soccer (Coach Dad) Move Furniture
3. Thursday - Carpet removed, wood floors installed
4. Friday - Possible extended day for wood floors. (Move Furniture back)
5. Saturday - Move everything back, reset office and admire the floors.

I am just happy the installers will be moving most of the furniture, but I still need to take down the electronics, office equipment and move the smaller items away.

Daily Observation: Being A Man Among Mommies is Always an Adventure!

Spiders are Not Insects and other wonderful thoughts

Well I watched a newscast about a boy that had two spiders in his ear. This alone can cause nightmares for most people, but what really hit me hard was the newscaster calling the Spiders Insects... Hmmm... Spiders are Arachnids, not Insects... I guess it goes to show you newscasters do not have to be smart.

So with that in mind I want to complain about a few others in the past couple weeks...

The 5 (Grammar Edition) or is it "Grammer Addition?" ;-)

1. Library is not Libary or Lie Berry... it is LIBRARY [lahy-brer-ee] A lady told her child at the library to be quiet in the "Liberry"
   
2. Entitled vs. Titled - A story or poem has a title and a person is entitled to something like a right or claim. A story or poem is not entitled to something. This is a very common mistake and bothers my wife the most. And yes, "entitle" can mean to give a title to something, but does not refer to the title itself. Great article HERE. While at a school music function the teacher said the "Song was Entitled..Blah Blah Blah" You are in education and you do not know that one...
3. Across not Acrossed - Another I hear all too often. "Yeah the store is acrossed the street" No it is across the street
4. Scratching vs. Itching - Another I hear too often. "This bug bite is really bothering me and I need to itch it so much" No the bug bite itches and I need to scratch it so much...
5. Sherbet is not Sherbert -[shur-bit] This is one I used to be guilty of. My mom always added the R. However once I learned the proper way I used it correctly... (Right yakataq)

Daily Observation Part Deux: Grammar is a funny thing. Those that know don't always do, those that don't know never do and those that care are too few...

Weekend Choirs and Garage Sales Too

Well this past weekend was the community Garage Sale. We put our names in and decided to try to sell of some of the stuff we had doing nothing in the garage and our Hot Tub... I really did not have too much stuff, but I was really hoping all the big items would go away!!!

• 3 Industrial Shelving Units
• 2 Desks
• 2 -5 Drawer Towers
• 1 Printer Cart
• 1 File Cart
• HOT TUB

Plus many odds and ends...

The community sale was Fri-Sat-Sun... Since I really would not have enough time I decided to just do Sat-Sun. Friday while I was in the garage putting stuff together and getting ready I kept having people come by so I decided to just put stuff out. WOW a whole $5.00!!! Come Saturday we had all the house stuff, the garage sale and Dinner out all planned. My father stopped by in the morning to see the boys and drop of a Canvas Canopie my mom patched. While he was here he helped me bring the Hot Tub around front. The day went fine, but I really had little in the area of things sold. Maybe $35.00 in odds and ends and I still had all the big stuff. Well I packed up for the day and just when I finished my shower there was a ring at the door. One of the 7 people that looked at my Hot Tub was wondering if we still had it. I did and they bought it for lower then I had priced it, but EXACTLY what I wanted for it. YEAH!!!

Sunday I had to do a lot around the yard so I worked out front while the sale was on. By noon I had sold almost nothing, but by the time the day was over I had sold all the big items except one desk, a small file drawer, the file cart and a 4 drawer tower. Not bad, but I would need to figure out what to do with those.

This morning while at the bus a neighbor walked over that had seen the desks at the sale and asked what was left. I showed her and she bought everything but the file cart. YES!!! I gave her a big discount and dropped it off since I really wanted it out of here!!!

So the sale was pretty good over all...

Saturday Night Dinner!!!

We went out to dinner with some work associates of the wife's in celebration of a completed important project. The night started out amazing with my Mother In Law actually showing up EARLY. When she was walking up the sidewalk my wife went outside and stepped in the grass. MIL was like what is that for... "Oh Just checking to see if HELL had FROZEN over!" She is NEVER EARLY!!! Work was paying for it and the wife was the one in charge of the project. We went to Stony River Steakhouse... Mmmm Gooooddd!!! The food was wonderful and we had a great time. It was pretty funny since my wife is normally the youngest at these things and so this night I was the youngest... Also the others were basically engineers and not the truly outspoken type so I had to step to the plate and get people talking. I talk a ton more then I write! In the end the evening was a really enjoyable time.

The Boys...
The boys had a great time just running around and playing out front while the sale was going on. Also many of the neighbor kids were out too so they could play a lot with their friends.

The 5

1. Garage Sales - What a pain, but I did get rid of a ton of stuff...
2. Hot Tub - GONE!!! YES!!!
3. Behind - Well with the sale I am way behind on house stuff. Hard to get too much done having to come to the front every few minutes.
4. Sunburn - Well I did not wear a hat and forgot to put sunscreen on so I toasted my big bald head a bit. OUCH!!!
   
5. Wood Delivery - Well the wood floors came today. I have 17 boxes of wood sitting in my family room waiting for install on Thursday and Friday... YEAH!!!!

Daily Observation: Many ideas and social thoughts can be found in today's popular culture. I just hope that culture is never all about "Barney"...

It's Friday I'm in love...

I don't care if Monday's blue
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too
Thursday I don't care about you
It's Friday I'm in love
--The Cure

Well another week ends only to start another long weekend. This week was a test of patients and schedule adjustments. Wife was in training all week so our typical tag team morning with the boys was a solo effort again. Each night we had things going and today I prepared for the garage sale.

The morning was a bit more rushed since I had some errands to do and 6yo had only a 1/2 day of school. 2yo and I went to Meijer to shop and did pretty good despite the remodeling going on there. When we arrived up at the registers I noticed they changed them as well as opened LARGE ORDER SELF CHECK!!! I Love It... No more problems with a checker not paying attention to the order, no more checkers putting cans on top of my bread... The self check lanes were empty so I did have the joy of the person managing the lanes bagging for me... DO'H!!! Nice to have fresh veggies put in with frozen and soft goods placed with cans...

After we got home and put the groceries away 2yo and I went out front to play as I started getting things ready for the garage sale. I had no plans of opening the sale today, but people kept coming by so I was like...Fine... Sold a whole $5.00 worth today! WOW! The boys played outside for hours and we walked and ran to and from a neighbors house. They also have a 2yo so the boys had a blast.

So now it is late and the day was long so it is time to get some rest... But before I go here is...

The 5

1. digg - More articles are popping up about how digg stood it's ground against the lawyers when the people that support digg let their choices be know.
2. Self Check Out - ROCKS... Faster for me...
3. Dinner Out - Tomorrow we have a dinner out with a few people from Wife's work. Celebration for some accomplishments. Nice Cloths, Nice Food and FREE... (other then the blood sweat and tears of my wife and her associates)
   
4. Garage Sailing - A term used for people that go shopping at garage sales. Actually it sounds like a sport that involves Sails on top of the garages and long races...
5. Entertainment Industry Signs - Well there are more and more signs that make it clean that the entertainment industry needs to evolve or face extinction... digg, DMCA Free files on iTunes, Spiderman 3 on Torrent sites PRIOR to the US release... The industry needs to evolve or get left behind.

Daily Observation: Those that tighten their grip and control on others soon find more and more slipping away...

Being Robbed At the Gas Pump

Today 2yo and I went to get lunch. My gas light was on so we really needed to fill up. As I pulled up to the pump my jaw dropped at the price for today. As I pumped gas I could feel masked Corporate Execs from the gas companies pulling every last cent from my wallet!!!

What In Your Wallet? Apparently Nothing...

Alternative Fuels cannot come fast enough!!!

One Voice, One Thought, Can Change Everything...

What does it take to change the world? Money? Power? Influence? How about one voice? The ability of one person to get an idea out to millions of people has made the Internet a powerful voice for change. Communities form, ideas spread and change occurs. I remember back in 1991 during the first Gulf War how CNN changed the way events were reported. At that point in my life I had no clue about the Internet. Now what was once the domain of large media groups is now in the hands of millions of people. News, Editorials and even videos are in the hands of Bloggers, Social Networkers, YouTube Users and of course anyone with an email. As the large corporations try to force their will on the public rather then find a way to change the power of the masses can be felt.

Take for example my new favorite situation. A favorite site of mine to see what people are talking about is www.digg.com. Those not familiar with digg "Digg is all about user powered content. Everything is submitted and voted on by the Digg community. Share, discover, bookmark, and promote stuff that's important to you!" - from the digg main page...
Recently the code to crack the HD-DVD code was posted in an article. The DMCA and the powerful corporations behind it decided to threaten legal action against digg for allowing the posting of the code. Digg does not allow pornography, hate or piracy information to be posted. However at the same time Digg is a community that thrives on what the users want. Digg took down the offending posts and complied with the demands of corporations. This is where the voices of the people made changes. Posts in every shape and form from pictures to videos on the code took over the top articles putting the code out there faster then ever. In the end Digg.com decided to listen to the people and not the big corporations. Again the entertainment industry attempts to tighten its grip rather then evolve just to let more things slip through its fingers. If they decide to take legal action against Digg I would imagine the code would turn up everywhere.
Maybe the industry needs to look at itself in the mirror and figure out why so many people are willing to pirate movies and music. The cost of going to the movies is getting crazy, albums cost too much for a couple good songs and a load of filler, payment to actors, musicians and the like are getting out of had. 20+ million for one person in a movie... Hmmmm Maybe that is what is hurting the bottom line... Apple and iTunes have made great strides in changing the industry, but not enough. With a few music companies allowing their content to be sold on iTunes without the copy protection is going a long way to help change things.

Time to step down from my soapbox and return to the regular scheduled program...

One thing I have noticed being an at home dad is that the internet has allowed me to find other dads in the same situation. This small portion of society now has the ability to have a common voice and network creating a community of people extremely isolated in the past.

Again yesterday was extremely long with wife in meetings and training and Soccer last night. Being the coach of a Pee Wee soccer team is an interesting experience. So last night by the time everyone was settled and I got work done I was not in the mood to finish the day writing. I know Canadian Bacon was looking for a review of Eragon, but again time is not on my side. I am actually going to do a few movie specials here soon. Reviewing a few movies as well as a few "The 5" based on movies.

The 5

1. Freedoms - Why is it so many people do not fight for their freedoms while large corporations and the government look to take those away.
   
2. Lost - Watched Lost last night with the wife. I am pretty sure there will be only one more year. The show at first was really cool, but as time goes on it appears to be losing its luster. For every question they answer they create 10 more...
3. Summer Movie Season - Starts May with this weeks release of Spiderman 3. There are actually a hand full of movies I want to go see this summer. Hopefully the movies can live up to the hype.
4. Weather - the weather is starting to turn nicer and nicer each day. I can not wait to have it warm everyday.
5. Garage Sales - having one this weekend... what a pain, but a good way to get rid f things no longer being used.

Daily Observation: You can not resist the Power of the Junk Food Side...

A Blogs Time Is Changing...

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.
---Bob Dylan...

Well with how crazy my schedule has been as of late I am finding it harder and harder to Blog in the evening. By the time I am free to write I want to sleep and not type... So in an attempt to keep things moving a bit more I plan on blogging at different times during the day. I had tried to keep the same time each day, but that has gone out the window...

Last night was another fun night of being awake for extended periods. 2yo woke up around 3:00 am and I dealt with him until around 4:00 am... He has had a cold and was upset since he could not find "Chick Hicks" the green car for Disneys Cars... I found it right away, but it was too late. He got all worked up and with his cold he has going he started having coughing fits. By around 3:30 I had gotten him settled down and gave him a little cough medicine. By a little before 4:00 I was back in bed... a few minutes later he is upset again...This time I nudge the wife to let her handle him.

I was able to get Eragon on DVD from the library yesterday so 6yo the wife and I watched that last night. The Wife and 6yo read the book together the past few months. Watching it kept 6yo up a little too late and he was a little difficult to get up this morning.

This week all alone every morning... The wife normally does not leave for work until after 6yo is on the bus. This allows us to double team what needs to get done during the morning. Well she is in training and meetings all week so she is gone by the time 6yo is up and not home until after 6:00... D'OH!!!

The 5

1. Sugar Craving- Wow today I have had a craving for sweats really bad... The perfect thing to help me lose weight.
2. DVD @ Library - I have mentioned this before, but the library is a wonderful place to get movies. Eragon and Night In The Museum this week!!! Plus I have been getting some TV shows through the library loan system...
3. Library NOT "Lie Berry" - Again I was actually in the Library when I heard an adult tell a child to be quiet in the Lie Berry!!! Where did the "R" go? A friend thinks it went into "Wash" to create "Warsh"
4. Weather - Sunny and Warm!!! YES!!!!
5. Garage Sale - next weekend doing a sale with the neighborhood. Hopefully I can get rid of a bunch of stuff we do not use. Anything not sold will be given away or thrown away...

Daily Observation - So many people are just plan RUDE!!!