WWI

The last known American veteran of WWI passed away yesterday.

Happy Birthday

Happy fifth to Niece!

Blue Ribbon

Son's school was in a drumline competition today. There were nine schools at the competition divided into four divisions, so there was a first place and second place in each division, with one division also having a third place.

"In Division A, academic northern hambone airplane 47 or six to four, first place goes to Oakwood Heights High School."

Son's school won first place in their division. We are so proud.

After the awards ceremony, the kids were all grouped on the bleachers. Several parents were taking pictures, so I joined in. Alpha Mom was giving the kids directions. "OK, now Tyler, you put your hand up like you did in the show. Angela, you smile up at Stewart. Bobbie, hold out your arms toward Andrew."

I waited until she had her picture, then I said, "OK, everyone turn around so we see your backs."

They all did. I took a picture.

Foto(shop) Phriday - Kweer Eye Edition

This is an observation based on our recent trip to the World's Largest Indoor Mall Based Flea Market in Eastern Capital City. Consider this to be a lesson in Skinny Jeans 101 - Your Comfort and Style Basics.



Additionally, if you are male and past your 17th birthday, perhaps skinny jeans aren't for you, but that's just one man's opinion.

p.s. Notice that the skin color is #FFD90F, the color of The Simpsons.

Big Boys and Girls

The school had a meeting to discuss a program where Son could get dual high school and college credit. It sounds like a great deal, since it's free to parents.

Long Day

Today was a much longer day than usual. I ended up in the hot seat, because a project I'm on had some last-minute changes, and we ended up making the decision to delay implementation for another month. But, working hard is why they pay us, I guess.

Spflling

I don't know why it's so difficult to spell "scarves."

Equation

Wisdom = (Intelligence + Observation ) / Time

Visiting

We visited Grandma today. Mom was there, and Mr. Mandy and Mandy were there with RoBet. We had a good time making pizza with colored crust.

[Mis]Heard on the Radio

On the way home from work yesterday, I could swear that I heard the traffic reporter say that this traffic report was sponsored by "Estrogen Temporal Thermometer."

Foto Phriday - Mmmm... Free Goo

Found in a parking lot.

Today - 6:45 AM

GDad presses computer power button.

Computer: Beeeeeeep.  Beep beep.

GDad:  $#!+.

Angry Language Guy - Thanks

Am I picking nits, or does this bother other people, too?

A: Would you care for X?

B: No. I'm good.

As opposed to....

A: Would you care for X?

B: No, thank you.

The former seems to be all about person B, and, in my mind, fails to acknowledge the kindness of person A. The latter seems not to have that problem.

Angry Language Guy - Little Canyon

Recently, I've been hearing the verb "ditch" used in a way I'd never heard before about two years ago. Until then, "to ditch" someone was to miss an appointment with the person intentionally, or perhaps to leave them when you are supposed to be spending time with them. So, "I ditched Bob at the party," or "I ditched Susan's birthday party."

Now, I hear people using the word to indicate "cutting in line," which is itself likely a regionalism, but I'm curious to find out if people in other areas of the English-speaking world have seen this new usage of "ditch," or if it's an accepted usage that just recently migrated here.

Family

My paternal step-grandfather is in the hospital. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but there appears to be some kind of bleeding inside his skull.

Here's a picture of him from a few weeks ago. The novelty headband has a wig in it with crazy hair.

Mall of Hades

There is a local mall that shut down several years ago.  It recently reopened as a giant indoor flea market.  We are walking around right now, fascinated by some of the shops.  I just saw a vendor drive by on one of those beer cooler go-cart thingies.  Utterly fascinating.

Drums in the Deep

There was a regional drumline performance today, and Son's school had a pretty decent showing. One of the other schools had a uniform that was basically tie-dye velvet pajamas.

Foto Phriday - Puppy

This is the puppy that belongs to GPop's parents.

Happy

Happy 18th, GPop.

Foto Phriday - Phrom Last Week

Here's a picture of Casa Loma from Toronto.

Versus

In discussing the difference between an agenda and an itinerary, we decided that an agenda is scalar, and an itinerary is a vector.

Under the Weather

I felt a bit under the weather today, and I didn't even watch the Super Bowl.

During my recuperative nap this afternoon, I dreamt that I was required by the terms of my phone contract to answer customer complaints from other Android phone users who were not bright enough to figure out how to use the features of their phones. But on the plus side, Sprint took me to Key West to do this activity.

Brick Joke

A few nights ago, I left a pair of pants hanging over my dresser. Because of the way they were hanging, and because of the oscillating fan, the pant leg would occasionally swing and move the handle of the dresser drawer, which would then fall with a CLINK noise. It didn't happen regularly, and I was too tired to investigate, so I just dealt with it.

The next day, I figured it out. That night, I explained to GPop that I was going to move my pants so the sound wouldn't wake me up and pi$$ me off.

GPop: [muttering] Like Yoda.

GDad: Yoda? Why would Yoda wake me up and pi$$ me off?

GPop: Yoga. Yo-Ga.

GDad: Oh. [imitating Yoda] Still awake are you, hmmmmm? About something important I want to talk. Hmmmm? Hmmmm? Not bothering you with this light am I? Hmmmm?

Bending Over Backwards

Some years back, GPop decided I needed to relax more. He's much more likely than I am to sign up with some kind of group, so he took me along to a yoga class at the YMCA. I went along for the ride. As they say, I'll try anything once.

The instructor was a very nice young woman who lowered the lights and made us all lie down as though we were taking naps. So far, so good.

Then we started doing poses or stretches or whatever. The Barking Willow. The Dishevelled Moppet. The Downward Spiral. At some point in this process, I hurt my back and my foot.

Namaste away from me with that yoga stuff.

Anglohumor

We were scheduling our summer vacation with a travel agent this evening. We're planning to trip to the UK.

GPop: We usually get a hotel with two queen size beds.

GDad: Or the European equivalent, A4 or whatever.

Agent: [chuckles] Our manager is from the UK, and she talks about A4 paper, too. Anything else you'd like to see in the hotel?

GPop: If you can find one that provides breakfast, that would be great. A nice little continental breakfast really starts the day right on vacation.

GDad: I think that in London, by definition, it would not be a "continental" breakfast.

GPop: [rolls eyes]

Agent: [laughs]

Beebs

A while back, we went to some movie during opening weekend. I succumbed to the advertising and bought my tickets for whatever show it was on movietickets.com. This put me on some mailing list, as you might expect.

The other day, I got an e-mail from movietickets.com (no, I will not link to them). It encouraged me to sign up for a chance to win a date with Justin Bieber. At first, I almost deleted it, but I think I will sign up for this chance. I think it would be the most hilariously awkward date ever.

GDad: So, um, Justin... what kind of music do you like?

JB: The kind I "perform."

GDad: What's your favorite class in school?

JB: Do I really have to do this?

GDad: Yes. You do.

Iowa

The Iowa House of Representatives passed a constitutional amendment to prohibit any recognition of same-sex couples. The Senate seems likely not to take up any such discussion, which may make this a dead issue in this legislative session. One quirk of the Iowa constitution is that amendments must be passed in both houses of the legislature in successive legislative sessions before moving on, so if it dies in the Senate, the opponents will have to start from scratch.

Maybe I should try to enjoy being so incredibly powerful that a state legislature goes into full panic mode to stop my destructive rampage through the fabric of society. Or maybe it just makes me f^(&!ng tired that my family and my life are used as political fodder for ignorant dumb@$$3$ who beat their chests and rant on about how they need to stomp on the heads of good and honest people just to protect themselves from having to acknowledge that the world is not and never will be the way they want it to be.

Ice Busted

The roads were not bad at all.