9. Adventures In Driving. My flawless driving record hit a few bumps this year, both which I wouldn’t care to repeat. Curiously, both happened within a month of each other, making me wonder where my head was at the time.

The first was July 8th when my car got backed into at Char-Grill. Getting the damage fixed turned into a huge hassle. The car was painted the wrong color the first time, causing me to have to hound everyone involved to get it right. Fortunately, I succeeded and it looks great. I even bought the other driver some movie passes, just to show there’s no hard feelings.

The other driving event was one where I was solely responsible. Or irresponsible, as it were. I was driving the family back from Kelly’s parents’ house in Warrenton on July 8th when I chose the wrong hill to speed over. I held off blogging about it because I didn’t want it to become the focus of our upcoming family vacation. The trooper was reasonable (and happy I showed up to court early), the driving school was mildly entertaining, and I am now a more careful driver.

Not a bad outcome, all in all.

Blogs are a wonderful record of one’s life. This time of year, I like to review all the goings on and list the significant ones I’ve posted about. As I compiled this list, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to come up with ten. Instead, the real problem became what to leave out! The fact is I must have done something interesting because I’ve posted 723 items this year.

After much thought, I picked the top ten events. I’ll be posting each one as I get time, so you’ll have to follow along. I hope you enjoy them!
Continue reading →

If there was a way I could’ve bought a ticket at lunch today, I’d have won the lottery. I don’t know why but I felt almost buzzy with luck. It was a feeling that something big is on its way. When feelings like this hit, I pay attention because they’re usually right.

(Hopefully the big thing on the way isn’t an asteroid like the one that threaded the Earth and satellites this week. Yikes!)
Continue reading →

Ive been thinking about the Christmases I’ve been away from home serving in the Navy. I remember the best Chrismas present I ever got – a box full of my mom’s homemade cookies, waiting for me in Hong Kong in 1991. I remember having breakfast with Matt Feath the morning I discovered I was an uncle – my sister’s son Reid was born. I remember standing quarterdeck watch aboard the USS Elliot on Christmas Day with the Hong Kong skyline above me all decked out with Christmas decorations: amusing in a predominately Buddhist country. I remember coming off a long midwatch and feeling homesick, but rather than mope I decided to trade a few minutes of sleep for a picture with Santa Claus. That picture still makes me smile.

Reading about the suicide bombing in the Mosul mess hall made me think about those holidays I was away. At least I was confident I would see another Christmas.

I hope they all come home, and soon.

This will be the first Christmas I can remember where I didn’t talk to my Grandmother on Christmas morning.

I really don’t trust vaccines. I’ve read far too many horror stories of carelessness in how they are created, and the unintended consequences they sometimes have on people. So needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled to learn this morning that Hallie has shingles, courtesy of her chickenpox vaccine. The vaccine that was supposed to protect her from chickenpox has instead given her painful blistering. What’s more, the blisters make her contagious for chickenpox, so we have to cover them with gauze until they heal. Yay.

The upside to all this is now we’ve got something to blame for her not feeling well lately. But it’s a small upside.

No wonder Travis was grumping after his shots. He probably knows better.

Travis had his two month checkup this morning. He’s reached a hefty 11 pounds, six ounces (55%), 22.5 inches long (50%), with a 40cm head circumference (55%). In other words, he’s pretty darn proportional.

He was very good for his four shots, only crying during The Deed, but not after. He did kinda look to me like he was in shock afterward, though. He just wouldn’t look up at me. I think he was pouting, and to be honest I really don’t blame him.

Now all we have to do is teach Mr. T how to sleep and we’ll be all good.

If I were a terrorist aiming to wreak havoc on a city, my first target would be the city’s Nextel towers. So many law enforcement officers and first reponders use Nextel because of the incompability of their existing public safety radio systems. Often the firefighters can’t talk directly with the police at the scene. Or the troopers can’t talk to the city police. With Nextel, each can call the other directly. That’s why just about every police officer, firefighter, and federal agent carries a Nextel radio.

Seems like an awful lot of eggs in one basket, though, doesn’t it?
Continue reading →

Today is the winter solstice, the official start of winter as well as the darkest day of the year. From now until summer, the days will get longer (and hopefully warmer).

The winter solstice was celebrated long before Christmas. Read more about the history of this significant day.