The post before this one...

If the post prior to this one seemed a little weird, that's okay. I was using it for my class...Integrating Technology Into Curriculum... I'm done with that now, so it will be back to the regularly schedudled programming of my strange but boring life.

Let me at least give you this video...Let's keep it light with a little Barenaked Ladies...

Online Registration Makes Sense for Today's Students!

Here's a typical conversation of a student talking to his wife about registration...




Here's why we are advocating online registration for students at The Art Institutes International Minnesota...


In an effort to increase efficiency and to facilitate greater convenience for its students, The Art Institutes International Minnesota has instituted an online registration program. No longer will students have to wait in long lines for an opportunity to speak to one academic advisor with the possibility that the class he or she has planned to register for is closed. Students will now be able to register from the privacy of their own homes at the time of their choosing. This change will enable students to use their time far more productively. In November of 2008, the Orlando Sentinal reported that a public school using online registration for the first time was successfully able to register 60 to 70 students within 20 minutes. This not only saves time and energy for students, but academic advisors are able to deal with students and immediate concerns within the classroom rather than only counseling students one by one from a line and then entering their class choices. The November edition of Parks and Recreation reported that a Vermont parks organization was able to register over 300 individuals for one of their programs in a 90 minute period using online registration. These reports illustrate how online registration can give both students and teachers more time to truly be effective.

Many students in colleges and universities have adopted online registration due to convenience and an added sense of autonomy that comes with the process. In 2005 the Greyhound, the student newspaper of Loyola University reported that 736 of 837 of its seniors registered for classes in a location other than Newman Towers, the location for traditional registration. This online process also fosters a sense of personal responsibility that some students forfeit by just sitting with an advisor and automatically taking the advice given to them. Adult decision making is one of the positive byproducts of an online registration program.

This new registration process will allow students more time to attend to their studies or actually sit in classes rather than waiting in long lines outside the advising office. Many times students in crisis, who need immediate attention from their advisors, are not assisted because registration processes take precedence and they cannot break through lines to speak to their advisors. The effects of online registration may not be felt immediately, but in the future they may prove to be powerful and positive. We encourage students to begin registering online this quarter so these changes may become a reality and the school is able to be of greater service to all who attend here.


Here's a survey we want you to take to gain information about your registration experiences during past quarters.

Click Here to take survey

It could be worse...

Last night I didn't get to sleep right away. I suppose it could have been the excitement of watching football or having a cup of coffee at 7:30 in the evening. I decided that I didn't want to put J through my spastic rolling around in the sack, so I went out in the sofa to stare at the ceiling and try to get comfortable. At 2:00 in the morning I thought of how terrible my situation was for not sleeping. Whenever I think my lot in life is beginning to suck and clouds form on the horizon, I always go back to this scene in "Young Frankenstein." It makes me laugh and realize I just take myself way too seriously...

A few days ago J tried watching the TV series "Weeds" online. She had to download something called "Zango". To complete the download she deactivated the firewall on our laptop. It immediately went on the fritz and we had to send the dumb thing to the Geek Squad...we had purchased the laptop six months ago at Best Buy, so we thought that would be the thing to do. Yes, Vista was corrupted and we are out $130 to get it fixed. They say it's only a software problem, but there are still problems with the laptop, so they will probably have to send it up to get a higher level diagnostic.

J asked me if I was going through some sort of withdrawl from the laptop. I confessed that I was. She only uses it to talk to her mom on a daily basis. Her mom is in Hong Kong this week and won't be near her computer, so she isn't talking to her anyway. The laptop sits conveniently on the kitchen counter, so I do the dishes/sweep the floor/ clean up the kitchen I watch TV shows like Fringe, Bones, or Life On Mars. I rock out to Pandora when everyone's in the other part of the house. I also like to watch Arirang news...regardless of the fact that it's pretty benign stuff about Korea. I am abreast of Lee Myung Bak's trip to the states and Peru, and also up to date on German Shepards qualifying for a certain international standard in a Seoul park. J thinks I'm a nutcase for continuing to watch that news program and that I should be concerned with what's happening here and now in the twin cities. I think it's because I don't want to lose that feeling of closeness to that dirty, crowded, constantly buzzing behive of a city that I loved and called mine for a long time. Man...did I just go off on a tangent...

Well, anyway...we will be without the laptop for a little bit. I'm sure that during that time I'll look longingly over to the counter where the laptop sat. I know that withdrawl eventually goes away and is replaced by resignation. The laptop will return, but when...

Not quite there yet.

Thanksgiving is racing up to meet us and will soon pass us by. Christmas will be on the horizon and I have found my Christmas spirit...or rather it has snuck up and bit me. I got to my desk and sat down to work at the computer and I opened up media player...yes kids, I've been bad and ripped a bunch of music to my work computer...well, I fired up the old beast, selected some Christmas tunes, and slipped on my headphones. Isn't it amazing how a few bars from an old tune and conjure up warm images from deep down inside that completely color my perception for the day?

Crazy as it may seem, I'm wanting some snow. This is coming from the man who consistently whines about wanting to be in a warm place with crystal blue waters and soft sand. My kids are excited when they see a hint of snow on the roofs of the houses in our neighborhood. That little bit of infectious excitement has found its way into my chest and is slipping into my heart. The Bun is old enough to begin to get the fever for the season too. It's a good thing...

Now, we're doing something new. Instead of getting cheerfully robbed by the boy scouts at the neighborhood christmas tree lot, we're doing something different this year. We're actually going to a tree farm and cutting our own tree. Now don't picture the Griswolds going out and uprooting some huge evergreen in the middle of nowhere and lashing it to the top of the family truckster. The place we're planning to go to is a real tree farm that has trees that are specific for Christmas tree cutting. We've talked to my brother and there's a tree farm up near their place (about an hour away). We'll make a day of it and spend some time with them and share more Christmas cheer-plus we'll borrow his axe and saw.

I realize we have to eat our way out of Thanksgiving before we really get to the beginning of Christmas season, but gosh...I feel like I'm already immersed in it, and it's a good feeling.

Hugs in Seoul

Why do we shy away from human contact? What is it about us that makes us fearful of others? We shun the opportunities to either give or receive the gifts of kindness. The simple act of a hug is invasive and inspires fear. What do we have to fear? It's merely a gift from one to another. I am human and so are you...One simple act...with so much warmth and power. Let it begin with me...

Good Eats...assignment for class

Dr. Franchino has asked us to bring in a video from youtube that we might use in our particular fields. Initially, I thought about the youtube video with Paul McCartney teaching folks how to make mashed potatoes, but this probably is a better fit.

Mesopotamian fun

This is a cool video that my kids love to dance to. It's a little odd and a little like an animated spoof on the intro to the Monkees.

The Chicken Dance...

Check out the chicken dance from our vacation...

Dad loves his ladies...

Sugar Blues

For about three months last spring I purged my diet of all sugar. I lost about 10 lbs and felt great. I had energy and I felt as if I thought more clearly. I was an efficient machine. Then I was attacked by a rogue doughnut and the downward spiral began. First, it was a bag of sugar babies here and there. Then the occasional box of Good and Plenties. Our leftover Halloween bowl has been an evil nemesis, haunting me and beckoning me closer. I felt awful most of the time and knew it was a matter of time before I got back on the "no sugar wagon."

This morning, I put my foot down and said...No more!!! I want to feel clean and free of all the crud that has built up on my insides. About 15 minutes ago a student left a bowl of peanut brittle on my desk. They made a whole slough of it in Intro to Pastry (Why peanut brittle in a pastry class...I dunno...). It's just sitting there staring at me. I think I'll give it to one of the women in the cube.

Back from the wilderness

It's November...and I think it's a week or so before Thanksgiving. I know it's the last Thursday of the month or some such time. It's usually a gray day that we, as a family, gather to stuff ourselves into a near comatose food nirvana and then fall asleep to the glow of the TV with meaningless football on...maybe not meaningless to some folks, but by then I'm to groggy to care. By 7:00 in the evening it's too hard to even lift a remote control. After the whole gastronomic ordeal we've usually got enough leftovers to take care of lunches for the next two weeks or so...

It's cold at the bus stop again and I've started dreaming of south pacific islands once more. I know that this is frivolous and we won't be going back to the Philippines anytime soon. Heck, we'll be lucky to make it to Duluth by next year. But lately I sit all bundled up in my bus and dream about stepping off the plane and feeling that tropical blast of heat. My mind meanders to a land of "Manana"-note..I don't know how to put the little tilde thing on top of the "n" to make it Man Yana. I want to saunter slowly in my shorts and flip flops...I just want to feel sand in my toes...I want to relax...and just have life come to me in slow trickles...aaaahhhh take me away.

Nope...Ain't gonna happen anytime soon... I should just get over it.

The sound of Monday's marching feet

I was listening to a live version of Dave Matthew's Ants Marching a few days ago and it was another little wakeup call in life. I am a little commuter ant. I get up, shower, throw on clothes, help the kids get dressed, talk to J about what is happening during that particular day, leave and drive to the bus stop. I wait in line with all the other little worker ants, get on the bus and try not to think too seriously about what's going to happen during the workday. I get off the bus and walk a few blocks to school. The nice thing about my walk is that I get to walk through the downtown campus of St. Thomas University. They've got sweet smelling flowers and a fountain, which mellows me out(Yeah, I'm a guy and I like the flowers that I walk by in the morning, what's the big deal, huh?) I get in the building, climb up the stairs to the third floor, walk into our cramped office and say good morning to my coworkers, and get down to it for the day. Sometimes I like to hide in my cube for a little while before walk upstairs to the kitchen labs and see students.

This morning is one of those times I am hiding out in my little cube cave. I've slipped on my headphones and made my selection of music for the morning. I've chosen the soundtrack for the "Mambo Kings" to get my blood flowing. I'm knocking out a quick post just to get my brain functioning. I would like to try the coffee in the employee breakroom, but it has been known to rot out the bottom of styrofoam cups, so I'll pass and just let the music and the endorphines from writing get my heart pumping this morning.

I'm not feeling really responsible or too much like an adult this morning. I really want to feel like a kid. My birthday is coming up and it's another year older and I'm beginning to dread birthdays. I was reading the paper this weekend and I saw that a local sportscaster, who of course was younger than I, passed away from cancer. Yesterday, I also found out that a woman that I attended high school with had died as well. Hey, people get older and things happen. It's a part of the circle of life. I just feel like that the circle is inching up on me. I don't think about it a whole lot most days, but I found myself lying in bed last night thinking about who I'd like to invite to my funeral. I was going through that mental checklist of "yes, that person's cool...they can sit close to the front" or "No way am I inviting the butthead who gave me a wedgie in 8th grade to my farewell get together..." Yes folks that's what I do when I can't sleep. I think about that kind of stuff...why can't I just have simple fantasies about me being the last of the red hot lovers and all the women who can't get enough of old Samok Daddy? No...it's gotta be about whether there are enough goodbye salutes and toasts dedicated to me...or if they'll get someone to sing "I did it my way" at the funeral.

Enough ruminating today. It's time to get back to reality and be an advisor to the masses of excited culinary students in our fine institution. Hope you all have a fine day...

Rainy Friday in the Northland

It's a rainy Friday here in the twin cities. I'm in my cube and it's not busy, so I've slipped on my headphones and put on some music. It's kind of quiet at work. It's been kind of crazy for the past few weeks and I'm grateful for a respite from the feeling of push push push to ensure that students are back in their classes. That's the reality of working for a "for profit" college. Everything is about the number of students sitting in classes...If a student sits in classes, they can be billed for tuition. Butts in the seats...that's what we work for. We don't have any state funding, no endowments, nor do we have a rich alumnus tossing money at the school in order to name a library or residence hall after himself. Tuition is our only means of making money and reinvesting it for equipment and services for students. This is definitely a business.

Don't get me wrong...I am grateful that I have the honor of helping students get through school. It's a special feeling when you have the trust of a student because you have their best interest in mind. Despite the fact that we try to keep students in school because it pays our salaries, I want everyone here to succeed. Yes, I like what I do...but it's not a profession that rakes in cash hand over fist. However, I can go home at night knowing that I've done something good for people. Plus, there are perks being an advisor for a culinary program...they feed me.

On to domestic bliss...The Bun has started using her potty chair with great regularity. She still wets her pull ups, but she's making a great deal of progress. She gets to wear stickers on her clothes when she successfully uses the potty. She's quite choosey when we show her the sticker book. This sticker book is huge and she's taken ten minutes to choose...there are surfing princesses, angel kitties, happy faces, twisting dolphins, cute polar bears, and a whole lot of other things. J and I have concluded it's better to just pick out a cute sticker and slap it on her rather than let her choose. Giving her the continued opportunity to choose stickers may lead us to sitting with the book and waiting until mid-October before she makes a choice. She's gone along with mom and dad making the choice so far...so we'll just keep running with that.

Goobs has been watching too much Jetix. We've trimmed down the cable to the family level, which is local channels and a couple of kids/cartoon channels. One of the kid channels is Jetix. It's got a lot of superhero comics. I'm fundmentally not opposed to him digging on Spiderman, Batman, or any of the Superfriends, for that matter...But...J found him sleeping in the hallway last night. She asked him why he had his blanket in the hallway...he said..."Monsters." The villians and monsters on these shows seem kind of frightening, so it's a good possibility it is the combination the villians of Jetix and an overactive imagination of a soon to be five year old. J climbed back into bed last night and said..."No more Jetix for Richard." So...we'll go with mom's assessment. Looks like he'll be watching Sprout with his sister.

I know it's been a long time since I've posted and I can't remember if I mentioned that i got a new grill for father's day. I have been going crazy on the grilling. I've been doing a lot of pork chops lately. We've found this seasoning that rocks...It's a combination of ground garlic and bell pepper. It really puts those pork chops over the top. J's also been prepping veggies for me to grill. She's soaked them in extra virgin olive oil and seasoned them. I throw them on the grill with low heat and flip them over now and then...oh boy...asparagus...carrots...some squash...it's been great. We're trying to stay away from brats this year. I do love a good bratwurst, but absence does wonders. I get to eat a greater variety of grilled foods and I enjoy a brat more if I don't eat them every week.

Hey...one last thing. We are getting fired up for a little family vacation in the Black Hills at the end of August. Does anyone else have anything planned or have you already done something this summer? I'd love to hear what other people are doing.

Life's too short...

So, I was thinking about my own mortality. The passing of Tim Russert and Tony Snow has put me in a somewhat reflective mood. There was a particularly poorly reviewed movie, called "The Bucket List" that focused on things that you want to do before you kick the bucket. I'm not that old, but I'm coming to the conclusion that life's too short to just stay at the office and count what money or stuff you accumulate. So, I started thinking about some things I want to do...this isn't intended to be too overly serious...so let's not take this too seriously! Here's some of the stuff I am thinking about doing...

1. Spend July in France...I would really like to see the Tour de France...hang out up on some mountain road with a bunch of crazy international folk and have fun. I don't know why, but I want to wear a giant beaver suit and run out in front of the peleton for a short period. I see this old guy dressed as the devil with the pitchfork running out in front every year that I tune in to the tour. I want to be "the beaver guy" at the event.

2. I want to sit down for an evening of that sweet vietnamese coffee (you know...the kind with condensed milk)at a table on the beach (at a beautiful island resort) with Eric Clapton and Anthony Hopkins. I want to just talk about life with them and listen to the waves on the beach. Those guys probably have some tales to tell...and I just want to sit and listen.

3. I want to run a small tour and diving business in the Philippines. It would be great to learn everything I possibly could about a place and share that with people. Oh...yeah...baby that would be nice...Sun...sand...me...my boat...and tourists with sunscreen on their noses...

4. I want to try and do a standup routine at a comedy club. The routine would be about family...being a spouse and a parent. Heck...our lives are pretty funny. I might bomb, but who cares...My family provides so much good material. It would be a shame to keep all of that fun and weirness to myself.

5. Try to teach my wife to ski again. Since she only made it 1/4 of the way up the bunny hill last time, I feel it's my duty to get her up and going next winter. I know she's not going to be ready for anything close to the mountains of Jackson Hole, but I'm not giving up till she gets up that danged tow rope!!!

6. I want to see Dave Matthews in an outdoor concert during the summer with my wife. She's the big Dave Matthews fan, but I'd get a kick out of going too. I don't know how people would handle the geeky guy with a hawaiian shirt dancing in front of his lawn chair, but I don't care. I'm a dork...I like music...I wear bad hawaiian shirts...and most importantly...I dance, therefore I am.

7. I want to volunteer for a summer to work for a Korean Professional Baseball team. I would love to help the foreign players adjust to their new surroundings and make it fun...plus I get to hang out and watch baseball. I'd like to see if they pull pranks on each other like players do in the major leagues here in the states. If they don't I'd like to introduce them to the fine art of the shaving cream pie in the face or the dugout hotfoot. Maybe I can get some souveniers too...I've been thinking about seeing if I could get some Korean Baseball souveniers. Oh, I've switched teams...I'm cheering for the Lotte Giants now...

8. I have to say something silly...Hang glide nude over Dick Cheney's ranch in Wyoming. Whoops, maybe not...I could be the victim of an errant shot.

9. I want to be the voice of a character in a pixar movie. My voice sounds kind of dorky/silly, so it might just fit in...

10. I want to speak at Wartburg College's commencement ceremony one year...just to let them know that life's fun, a little weird, and way too short to be serious all the time.

You know...I don't know if I'll do any of those things...but what the heck. Why not dream...

A guy in a tie

Sometimes a guy just needs to look pretty!

The gift that keeps on giving

My son and the neighbor kid, Aaron have been hanging out and playing together a lot lately. They're fun to watch bouncing around the neighborhood and coloring driveways. Our little man came up to J and I last night and announced that Aaron was going to give him something. We asked what that "something was." It turns out that Goobs told Aaron how much he loved Spiderman. Aaron, being the caring friend that he is, told Goobs that he'd give him all of his Spiderman underwear. Now, that's a pal!

Little airborne rangers...

A lot has been happening at the Samok home lately. I've just finished teaching night classes and have finished a class that basically smoked my backside. I did well in the class, but the stress level was up to epic proportions for a while. I can breathe now and I feel like it's time to stretch out, smile, and blog a little. I'm taking a course that's a little easier and should prove to be a whole lot more fun. It's a graduate level communications course. I get to watch the movie, Crash repeatedly and write papers on it. It should be doable.

Alright, now for what's happening with the kids. As I've mentioned before, while in the army, I spent some time in an airborne unit. Yes, I did jump out of airplanes, but I wasn't a stellar jumper. I have landed in trees and accidentally gave my NCOIC a concussion with my right buttock while landing. That incident is hard to visualize, but I assure you it truly happened. So...what does this have to do with the kids? They have been jumping off of chairs and beds and executing parachute landing falls in blankets and pillows. I haven't been involved in any instruction. They've developed this behavior totally on their own. They seem fearless and are doing a pretty good job-of course this is coming from the dad who was a lousy jumper. Today things got a little wilder. I caught The Bun setting up her drop zone beneath the dining room table. I thought I put an end to her exercise by moving the blanket and pillows, but she moved them back when I wasn't looking. I went in another room to check on something. When I returned to the dining room she was on top of the table, ready to launch herself into her recreated drop zone. Daddy busted her again and ruined her fun. She was not amused with dad's commitment to safety. I know that had Goobs been around he would have been cheering her on and right behind her. Luckily, he was deeply involved with his afternoon love affair with the animated version of "Iron Man." He has been jumping off of beds and chairs with her, so I know that he's down with it too. I know that I'm going to walk in on them jumping off of the table soon. I hope that they won't kill themselves. I can hardly wait until they graduate to base jumping from the railing of the deck...

What kids sing in public...

Evidently there's a scene in the "Alvin and the Chipmunks" movie where the chipmunks do an imitation of "porn music"...that little riff that people jokingly do in break rooms around the country...Bao...chicka...Bao...Bao...(you know the little ditty I'm talkin' about) The upshot of this that my kids are now going around singing "Bao...chicka...Bao...Bao" in public places. Yes, they're doing the porn music parody. Daddy has told them he doesn't like this song, but they don't seem to listen to poor dad. They haven't sung it out loud at the mall or in McDonald's yet, but I have this fear that both of them will belt it out together and everyone eating burgers will stop mid-chew and have their jaws drop. People will wonder what those parents are teaching their kids...Oh the horror of it all...

Do I need a pitcher of Red Bull to keep up with my kids?

Gosh my kids are getting loud at the dinner table. They're fun and make J and I laugh, but it's becoming more evident that taking them out to restaurants may not be an option. Maybe I'm being just a bit sensetive...But they were yelling "Mamacita" at the top of their lungs yesterday. I know they got it from a movie that I haven't seen...

They were running around with these mesh hampers that J got for them...they weren't dragging them around, but were wearing them on their heads...actually completely over themselves. They looked like oblong walking mesh cubes bumping into each other.

I want people to see the fun that my kids come up with...I introduced J and the kids to my fellow teacher for evening classes. Venisha was completely blown away by how small and active they were. Maybe it's because she doesn't have kids...or maybe my kids are a little hyper (well...that may be a little trickle down from dad. I don't know...but they just keep me young and running.

geezer glasses and memory loss

I broke down and got the librarian strap for my reading glasses. I started wearing reading glasses last year because thing were getting blurry when I was reading. I've been misplacing the darned things all over (that's also a sign of my aging), so I decided that I'd start wearing the strap on my classes so they'd just hang around my neck. Of course, nothing says "old coot" as much as reading glasses hanging around your neck. I've got some gray in my hair and I have reading glasses...but I also have a four year-old and a two year-old. I guess those things cancel each other out and I'm still somewhat young.

Pass prunes...

Here I am...again

I am sitting here on Friday afternoon. I've been working on my performance evaluation for work. As employees here we've got to fill out how we think we've done since our last evaluation. I hate filling out those things! Some folks love detailing all of their accomplishments in the past year...all I can think of is that I've done my job to the best of my capabilities. Yeah, I've put down some pretty sounding bullcrap, but in the end...does it mean anything because your boss is going to put down what he or she thinks anyway?

Yeah...so that's my dilemma. I think the best thing that you can tell someone is that..."Hey, you did a good job and you put your heart into it." These guys want a list of all your successes and crap that you were recognized for. I'm finished and I'm glad of that, but all I want is respect and a little more money to pay for all the shit that's gone up because of the price of gas.

Yeah...In the end...what does it matter. What really matters is when I walk in the door at the end of the day and Goobs and The Bun scream out my name. I get hugs and smiles. I get to eat with them and watch them fight over stuffed dogs and cats. I'm going camping in the yard tomorrow with them. That will be cool...

It's my mother-in-law's birthday tonight/tomorrow (she's in the Philippines, so it's already tomorrow. We will have cupcakes and candles and sing to her as she watches on her computer. It will be nice to see mama smile as she sees the kids stuff their faces with cupcakes and frosting. That's a birthday present she gets this year that she didn't receive last year. It's nice to come home from work and actually say hi to her at night...It's kind of weird saying hi to the laptop in the kitchen and seeing and hearing mama responding...but I'm used to it now. J is happy since she can talk to mama on a regular basis. She just can't roll her eyes at the computer...

I want to leave with this one thought...Yes, I whine about work and life and all or that...but I really want to thank God for all the beauty I've got in my life. It's a good life...

I've got this assignment I'm working on that has to be finished by Sunday. I had some time at work because it's deathly quiet here now. I am supposed to come up with my educational philosophy. The first part of the assignment is to look at my influences...The professor asked that we look at where we come from...Culture...Religion...Family values and beliefs...Education...Political Preferences...and Personal Experiences... I didn't start researching formally, but I took some time to just bang some things out on the computer. I didn't take time to proofread or edit...this was just raw stuff that I had fun with...

I'd like to share it with you...

What has influenced your beliefs about education…

1. Family upbringing…
a. Idea of work was strong. Grandpa had a heart attack and took two aspirin and went back to milking cows.
b. Strong and stoic…you kept going despite crap happening
c. Parents gave freedom of choice…encouraged me to be inquisitive, but I was a lazy booger.
d. This is Minnesota…You go to college. There is no debate-You can study what you want to, but by gosh…you’re going to school. It’s what everybody your age does.
e. And we are darn frugal. Spending on anything except a good education is frowned upon. You are entitled to a good education as long as you can perform and pay for it. Hey…if you weren’t strong enough, it’s okay to go to RCC or Normandale and then transfer to a good school. That way, you saved money and still got that educational bang for your buck. Hey, if you didn’t go to Wartburg or St. Olaf…Mankato is okay…just remember that you can still get a good job even if you don’t go to Harvard.
2. What does Lutheranism have to do with this…(This is most certainly true...)
a. Since you are saved by grace…you do have the opportunity to screw up, and God will accept you….But, don’t complain when it doesn’t go your way. Oh and by the way… If you’re going to whine remember those folks in India that have it worse than you.
b. It’s better if you go to one of those Midwestern Lutheran schools. You get the liberal arts education that you need. They’re good and you had to go to chapel.
c. Hey, we’re Lutheran and not Baptist. Martin Luther drank beer and so can we. The thing is…no matter how much you had on Saturday night, your butt better be parked in church on Sunday morning.
3. Yes, I went to that German Lutheran school in Iowa and they did teach me a thing or two…
a. I was taught by professors from the sixties. They did believe in questioning authority and bucking the status quo. They also believed in expanding your mind…I think I expanded my mind a few times…oh…it was a blur…
b. But, I did go to school during the early 80’s. It was the Reagan revolution and the beginning of the WIFM (What’s in it for me) era. I got a little touch of that.
c. Remember that nothing’s for free. You had to work for a grade…and if you handed stuff in late, you didn’t deserve a decent grade, but you had to pucker up and kiss the prof’s backside and pray that he or she was kind enough. So, yeah…work in school was important.
d. They told me, and I do happen to agree with them, that the “college experience” was central in the learning process there. Learning didn’t just occur in the classroom, but on campus, in the cafeteria, and in the dorms. For the longest time I though the most crucial thing was how to successfully get down multiple beers in a beer bong, how to make a stiff Rusty Nail (two shots of scotch and a half a shot of Drambuie), and how to lie to a female freshman. I did learn how to live with people, how to compromise, how to work independently, and live like an adult, but that came much later…

What about my family’s political views?
a. Two words…Republican Farmers…You spent your money wisely-you don’t throw it around willy-nilly to every social program out there. Schools are important, but don’t throw your hand up and say yes anytime a school referendum comes up. We just had this conversation last weekend at my niece’s confirmation. I still have a hard time buying a second pair of pants at Kohl’s. This goes back to the frugality issue…We bought a new vehicle last month. I think I didn’t sleep for three days worrying about spending money on it.
b. I rebelled against my family’s views, but I find myself becoming more frugal as time wears on. I wonder how that will affect my feelings toward education in the future.

My personal experiences and how they’ve shaped me…

a. The biggest one is my journey into sobriety. Active alcoholics are selfish and self centered people. The 12 step recovery program I belong to allows me to escape selfishness and see outside of myself. It is only by cleaning up the wreckage of my past and freely giving to others, that I am able to live happily and in serenity. Education is all about being of service and giving back. When I focus on those around me and letting them experience learning, I am a much healthier human being.
b. Although college was a learning experience, my time in the military taught me that learning is not an individual endeavor. Hey, I’m in it with a bunch of guys from different backgrounds with a singular mission. We’ve got to get something accomplished here. It’s not about ego…it’s about getting it done. Some may have shiny epaulets on their collars, some a lot of stripes, and some are slick sleeved privates. All are essential for completion of the mission. So…how does that help me as an educator? No one part is greater than the whole. I am but a player in this game. As an educator I do want to make it happen for a group of learners, but I am not the key. I am the one who helps them turn the key of knowledge to open the door.
c. I have been a part of education that focused on the process and “shared the experience”-that was from those profs from the 60’s. I’ve also lived in Asia and been in classrooms with students who come from a teacher centered classroom. Both had their merits. The experiential classroom enabled students to collaborate and share ideas…they couldn’t add or subtract their ways out of paper bags, but they could come up with some innovative ideas. I’ve also seen those Korean science or math whizzes that given a variable or an educational curveball, would melt down faster than Cherynoble. After all of that, the answer for students needs to be somewhere in the middle.
d. I was a late bloomer. A guy with ADD, who thought that everyone was smarter and better equipped to handle life. I didn’t think I had the capability to still learn. Being in school in my 40’s has excited me. I want to give adults like me that same opportunities that I am now facing. Yes, we have kids, jobs, responsibilities, and a whole bunch of life going on…but oh my God, it’s fun to learn new things and talk about it with each other.
e. I’m also an Academic Advisor, who has seen people with lower confidence come in and experience success. I believe small amounts of academic success can breed confidence and excitement. I want to be the spark that cranks them up…

Okay this is a draft and I have to research some crap now to substantiate what I believe. I am still not sure what I think of myself, but at least I can get a little bit of an idea of who I am.

A chicken in every pot and two computers in the house

So, now we have two computers in the house. It seems like the old PC in the bedroom is mine so I can work on lesson prep and homework. J has the laptop in the kitchen that we use to talk to her mom in the philippines and she's also blogging on. It's fun to see her in the kitchen agonizing over a post that she's creating. She gets mad, as most people would, if I look over her shoulder when she is posting. It is rather amusing because she types out a paragraph or so and then she gets disgusted with herself and she deletes half of it and starts over. She seems to repeat this process a number of times before she successfully posts. I chuckle and then she kicks me out of the kitchen. Yes, it's always good to revise you work and check for typos, but I think she might be better served by just letting fly and writing what she wants and maybe letting the chips fall where they may. Of course...she is the way she is...and she probably won't take any of my suggestions about that. After being married this long, I think we're both comfy with that.

Some breaking news on the home front...Goobs has spent two nights in his own bed. We've had to return him there a couple of times each night, but he has ended up in his own bed in the morning. We've got this new method that J came up with. She made a blank calendar and put it up on the fridge. If Goobs spends the night in his bed, we put a sticker on a blank day. If he can put up 30 days of stickers (they don't have to be consecutive)he can pick out a toy at Target and we'll get it for him. So far...so good.

It's finally nice out and it's a good thing. Memorial day weekend is coming up and there is one thing I'm a little miffed about. One of the students in the group I advise here at school became really enterprising...without talking to his advisor (ME!!!) prior. He set up an all ages event at a place called the Cabooze (the name is frightening in its own right) in Minneapolis on Saturday night. He has all of his bases covered, but there will be alcohol served for those above age. The Dean and the President were miffed and I heard about it, but it's so far along now that we can't back out of it. What it does mean for me is that I need to be present from 7:00 pm to 2:00 am on the Saturday night of the holiday weekend. I am the college representative for this event. I am the one who has to make sure that nothing terrible happens. The venue has ticket takers and bouncers, so it's going to be pretty safe. I'm ticked off because I wanted to spend a nice night on my deck in my new Eddie Bauer lawn chair and go to bed at a decent time...I'm somewhat of a geezer now and am comfortable with going to bed at 10:30 on a weekend. Okay...I've pissed and moaned and I'm done with that.

One last thing. Why does my daughter sit in the tub and yell "I pooped?" I rush to the bathroom and look for any little brown turd submarines...I never find any, so I drag her out of the tub and onto the potty chair. She grunts for fifteen minutes and nothing comes out. I think she does it just to get a rush out of her dad. The stupid thing is that I fall for it every time. I guess daddy is a sucker who entertains his kid.

Welcome

I just wanted to welcome my wife, J, to the blogosphere again. She gave it a try last year under the moniker of "Freezing Islander." For some reason it just didn't take for her. She's at it again with a new blog. She's now The Soccer Nanay (mom for all of you nonfilipinos). I'm new to setting up links, so this is my first attempt at it... Just give this a click and check her out and say hi! The Soccer Nanay

One more reason my wife ROCKS!!!

Yes, folks...my wife is the best. She got me my birthday present early. We will be at the Minnesota Zoo's outdoor amphitheater on Friday, August 15th (Day Before Birthday) getting down with Morris Day and the Time...How appropriate is that...getting down to a little "Jungle Love..." Oh E Oh E Oh....

WHAT TIME IS IT??? Time to dance....Oh E Oh E Oh E Oh...Jungle Love...

Ten Things

I was laying in bed thinking last night. I've been doing a lot of that lately. Sleep hasn't come easily or quickly for me these days...I'm not sure why, but it's irritating. Most nights I find myself rolling around and then looking at the glow of the digital clock at the side of the bed. I try to relax myself by mentally transporting myself to places that I'd like to visit or things I want to do. Time and the lack of cash conspire against me and I don't think I'll get to do these things, but dreams are always good things...so I'll keep wishing

I've compiled a list of places I'd like to go and activities that would be a gas. See if these things resonate with you...

1. I am hooked on the Philippines. I want to be at a secluded beach resort with my family, relaxing as the sun sets in the west. I want to hear exotic birds cawing in the background as we set down in a beautiful poolside restaurant with a thatched roof. I want my belly filled with grilled tuna and fresh fruit...Ah...that's a nice thought.

2. I've had these thoughts about being in the new family vehicle (the flyboat) somewhere in Montana. The flyboat is fully loaded with all the necessary traveling items and we've got the ipod loaded with great traveling tunes. We stop at scenic overlooks and get summer sausage and provalone sandwiches out of the cooler and the kids drink Kool-Aid juicers. We stop at little touristy places and the kids buy various and sundry crap that they can play with and decorate their rooms with in the future.

3. I'm dreaming of Monterey, CA. I spent two years there while I was in the military. There is this restaurant between Cannery Row and Fisherman's Wharf that is right near a walking and bike path. They play live jazz there on Sunday mornings. I can't remember the name of the place to save my life, but I dream of going back there and having an omlette to die for and listening to great music as I stare out at Monterey Bay. The smell of the sea, the sound of jazz, and the taste of the food...memorable...simply memorable...

4. I want to go to an outdoor concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater again. I saw Widespread Panic there in 98. It was a fantastic venue. It was getting dark and the moon came out during the concert. The picture is still burned into the back of my corneas. The view, the acoustics, the atmosphere (it was Widespread Panic, so it was a bit cloudy... but it was nice nonetheless), and the music made it a great night. J wants to see Dave Matthews and I think Red Rocks would be a perfect place to see him. If not there, the Gorge at George would be my second choice.

5. The first floor window of Seattle's Best Coffee in Myong Dong (Seoul) is the best people watching spot that J and I have ever found. Myong Dong is a sea of humanity that just shouldn't be missed.

6. I've never been to San Diego, but I really want to go see a baseball game at Petco park. I hear that the weather in San Diego is ideal. I want to sit there behind the plate, wearing shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops. I'm not a Padres fan, nor will I ever be...but that's where I want to watch a game. I suppose concessions there might be more alligned with serving fish tacos than bratwurst. I am soooo midwestern. I can't watch a game without a good dog or brat... Oh well, I'll deal with it when it happens.

7. I want to go to Rio...I think the being able to stand next to the statute of Christ overlooking the city would be one of those moments that I'd never forget. The view would be truly killer! Then...just to be on the beaches there would be out of this world!!!

8. I imagine myself sitting in the hot pools in Reykjavik. That's right...I want to hang in Iceland for a couple of weeks...see whales, glaciers, and just wander around.

9. I put New Zealand in the same category as Iceland. It's clean, cool...as in hip, and filled with natural wonders. I also want to watch the "All Blacks" Rugby team play a game and perform the Haka-they're known for that.

10. I dream that it's warm enough to sit out on my deck in the darkness, stare up at the stars and smoke an expensive cigar-my vice that I don't do much...but J. hates it. We got new Eddie Bauer outdoor chairs and I want to break them in. Oh...I can't wait for a warm and peaceful Minnesota night.

Okay...I've given some of my places of interest...How about some of you folks...Angie...Mama Nabi...Dad Stuff...Father of Five...Posh Totty...Supermom...How about you guys???

The Return of Soccer Daddy

I watched my son play soccer in a junior high gym last night. It's soccer for four year-olds, so no score is kept, there are no winners or losers, and everyone participates. It was cute watching them run, kick, get bored, dance, poke, giggle, roll around, and sort of play the game. I did enjoy it and so did they. It's supposed to be fun for the kids...but somewhere down in my gut...buried deeply...and imprinted with a jackhammer...is my man-soul, which rebels against the kinder gentler sporting events for preschool. I watched, clapped and cheered for all the kids. But, in my secret soul of souls, I wanted my boy to outrun, outplay, and outscore his peers. I wanted him to kick butt and take names. I wanted my progeny to be the king of kings manchild who all the other four year-olds know is the soccer wunderkind. I want them to whisper his name with awe and deference...Awwww...whadda loada crap in my brain. Goobs is the one on the sidelines who'd rather roll around with his two buddies and have a tickling match. It ain't gonna happen and who cares anyway. He'd rather sing and do a dance in the middle of the field as someone with the ball runs by him. I guess the bottom line is he's having fun and meeting new friends and that's the important thing. I'll put all those silly dreams aside and wait for his sister to be the sports queen...Oh well...

A head scratcher

I was just taking some time to go through news on the internet yesteday and I saw a story that intrigued me..."Woman injured in freak pelican attack." I just had this mental picture of a woman on a dock with a digital camera in one hand and a sardine in the other...trying to entice a rogue pelican into a cute photo op. You hear about that in national parks with Buffalo and other kinds of wildlife...but a freakin' pelican...come on...lady. You have to be brighter than the goofy marine bird on the dock.

One more quick note

I thought this was funny...

Remember that I gave my old blue car to my niece...I got word that Emily has decided to name her car "Steve" in honor of its donor. Just thought that was kinda cool.

Monday morning obsessions

When I get here to work I can't settle right down to the routine on Monday morning. I'm always a little bit scattered. I jump around the internet for a few minutes to catch up on some things that I maybe have missed...it's not so much the news, but just that I can't settle down and I just need to bounce around in some way.

So...I just happened upon a commencement speech given by a head football coach. Okay, granted that probably isn't that much of a stretch for a guy to read, but I started reading it anyway. You always hear the same things at these speeches...engage your passion...dream wildly...suck in the experiences of your life...yadda yadda yadda...blah blah blah...

Something was different this time. The words were the same, but this time they resonated with me just a bit more. Yes...I'm older, but there are still things I want to do. But, with a mortgage and a family is that possible? Can I dream big and stick my neck out? Am I doomed to live in safety because it pays the bills? What am I passionate about? Is there anything that fires me up so much that I'm willing to go out on a limb? I'm sitting here at my desk this morning with those kind of thoughts banging around like a couple of superballs in my skull.

I'll say one thing. When I'm in class, I'm engaged and I love it. I really dig learning and a being a part of it. Here's the stinky part. This is only my third class in my Masters program. I have to continue to go to school and stay at my job. As long as I'm here, the school's free and that's big for me. I think I have to just keep slugging away for now and trust God that there's something more for me out there. My problem is that I want it right now. Keep walking and doin' the deal.

Mom's day mania

Back again. Whew...it's been a busy week. Started another class and just life's been crazy. I certainly hope the merry-go-round slows down a little bit this week.

I'm coming to grips with the way I work on schoolwork and prepping for teaching. I never really figured out the way I operated and just kind of fought through things. I'm starting to get a little more peaceful about the whole ADD thing and have just accepted that I'll never work the way most folks do. I need chaos when I'm working. I'm locked in the bedroom on the computer. I've got "The Brand New Heavies" cranked up on Pandora. I bounce back and forth online and get back to my word document. I work for about a half an hour and then I've got to take a break and roam...say hi to the kids......see what they're up to...goof around with them a little...chat with J and then mosey back to the computer to work. I feel like a superball, but if I operate that way, I am energized. It's freaky, but it works.

We got a laptop for Mom's day. The cool thing about it is that it's got a camera and a mic on it and since we've got broadband here at the house, she has it in the kitchen...we've got it set up on one portion of the counter. We're all set up with SCYPE...and so is mama now. So, moring and evening she's checking in on her grandkids. It's wild because just two weeks ago, she couldn't see them at all since she's so far away...now, she see's her grandkids every day. This was a great mom's day gift for her and her mom. That makes me feel good. Speaking of Mom's day, we got together in another room and made J a big sign. The kids combined their art skills with markers for mommy...It was pretty cool. Since Lola (filipino grandma) could see the sign, it was extra special. We also got mom a big hanging plant and some chocolate too...so it was a pretty darned good day for all concerned. I've got to call my mom tonight and we will get together with her next weekend, so she gets her gift and card belatedly, but she'll love it. We got her one of those electronic picture frames, so she can get a snotload of photos of the kids. She's got danged near everything she could want, so it's always hard to get her something.

Okay...that's enough for now. I've got to get back to prepping for tomorrow night's class. Time to bounce back into reality again. See everybody later.

Well, we tried something new in the Samok abode last night. We used the computer to communicate to family over 6000 miles away. Being that I'm not really technically saavy, this was a major coup in our household. Okay, I'll be honest...J is the brains of this outfit and she went out and purchased videocam and microphone. We were at J's cousins in Troy, MI, when we got to see how they used SCYPE to talk to family back in Davao. We thought it was cool, but really didn't do anything about it.

J did some more research recently and decided to finally try it. The sound didn't really match up to my mother-in-law's mouth movements, but that didn't matter. We woke The Bun up because Mama wanted to see her. She cried, but we could see that Mama was beaming on her side of the screen. We didn't dare wake up Goobs because he's the sensetive one and that would have been just a little too much to handle. We also got a chance to see J's cousin's baby. The little girl is cute and chubby. It was really nice for J and Mama to connect visually. I could see that it really meant a lot to her. Sometimes I wonder how she feels being 6000 miles away from everything and everyone she grew up with. I think this is going to be something that enhances our lives and makes Mama smile. I can't imagine what it would be like to be that far away from your grandchildren.

Last night we talked about getting mama a small laptop to use for just this kind of communication. She lives in a community about two hours from Davao. It's quite a bit more rural than Davao. She doesn't have a landline in her home, but has a cell phone. We didn't know about internet connections because of that, but after the conversation last night with J's cousin and her husband, it seems like there are a lot of opportunities for "wifi" in Santo Tomas. Right now, she's got to take the bus to Davao and stay with family with high speed capabilites if she wants to talk to us via the computer. Right now, we talk to her by using a phone card that we buy online minutes from. If we can speak from computer to computer it's free, so we want to get Mama hooked up if at all possible. It will beat getting phone cards every couple of weeks...and the plus is the kids get to see their Lola (grandmother for all of you nonfilipinos). That, in itself, makes it all worthwhile.

Of course, the only thing that kind of sucks for it is the huge time difference between here and there...but we'll get over that.

The Newest Soccer Dad

I'm sneaking out of work a little early today. Goobs has his first soccer practice this evening and I want to be there for all of it. He and I went shopping over the weekend and we bought his shin guards, special soccer socks, and a new soccer ball. We had another soccer ball, but The Bun commandeered that one and has not let her brother near it. Besides, he loves his new leather ball.

He didn't like the shin guards when we first slipped them on with his new socks. We've gotten him to the point where he doesn't complain when he puts them on. I think he'll be fine once he gets started tonight.

I realize this is soccer, but for kids his age it's more along the lines of a herd of kids chasing the ball together. Many moons ago and 25 pounds ago his dad was a college soccer player. Our team sucked, but we were a great bunch of guys that had a good time. But...I don't want to be the dad that gets crazy when the team just is a crazy bunch of arms and legs that looks like a giant cloud of dust chasing a ball. I am going to have to plant myself in the lawn chair, zip my lip and cheer. I also don't want to be the dad who rides the referee unmercifully. I've seen it and it's ugly. Not only that, since this is a group of four and five year olds, it's not appropriate for me to try to direct things or shout or do anything else stupid on the sidelines. My job is to shut up...cheer nicely and clap. I'm sure that J will remind me of my role in the grand scheme of things as a new soccer parent.

Oh...and now we have the vehicle that can hold a crapload of kids...we qualify as soccer parents. How cool is that?

"Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life son..."

Angie of Barbed and Wired was celebrating since she passed her oral defense for her Masters. She's a happy camper...well, I'm a happy camper too. I just got my grade for my Ed Law class. I am ecstatic...Damn, I surpise myself sometimes! Okay, I was fat, drunk, and stupid (reference to Animal House) when I was an undergrad. Now, I'm just a little chunky, not drunk, and a little less stupid. I got my "A" in the class so I'm happy.

I called J and told her about my grade and asked her if we could have "happy food" for dinner. She asked me what "happy food" was and I answered with "I don't know...just something happy since I got my A. I think she thinks I'm mentally challenged for making that silly request. Hell, I want a victory cigar, but my ears are so damned screwed up, but I don't think I can do that. I have to settle for "happy food..." whatever the hell that is. Right now, anything would be happy food...it just can't have sugar in it. Now that I think of it...a Donut would be just plain good happy food right now...stop it Steve...you can't have the food of the devil!!! It's funny that I work with a lot of people training in the field of baking...I've been avoiding the baking lab for a few weeks now. I smell it, but ohhhhh...I can't go in there. This new eating thing is driving me crazy...Can I possibly stick my head in a feedbag of m & m's...or what about raiding this place I know of called "Muddy Paws cheesecakes"...? Aaaaaahhhh this is crazy. I can't be arrested for Driving while eating a candy bar can I?

Okay...the rant is over. I'm better now.

Confessions of a guy who was a scardy-cat kid

You know how you want your kids not to be wimps...? I have to admit that I really want Goobs to sleep in his own bed. He creeps in the middle of the night and somehow we wake up with a little boy in our bed in the morning. He sometimes sneaks into his little sister's room and sleeps on the floor. He's basically afraid at night. I lay down with him, talk to him every night and we say prayers together. It seems calming for him, but he still ends up sleeping somewhere else other than his room.

Here's the confession that I have to make. I was the same way. I shared a bedroom with my little brother. Sometimes I would wake up and feel scared. I would slide my bed over next to my sleeping little brother for some comfort. So, I guess the next time I get irritated about my son's need to feel secure at night, I've got to remember my own feelings as a little boy.

You know...it's good when you have those little lightbulb moments. It reminds me to go back and think about how I felt when I was scared, upset, or out of sorts, which was a lot. Hopefully, I'll be able to identify with my kids more.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...lend me your ears!!!

So here I am with liquid dripping from my ears and eating antibiotics. My ears have been bugging me for a while, but I didn't pay too much attention to them. Well, this afternoon it was just too much to handle. I trotted over to the "minute clinic" at the downtown Target. Well, I found out I have a double ear infection. I come to expect that from my kids...but from me???

So they gave me anti biotic eardrops and antibiotics to take. I want my ears to feel better now. I woke up in the middle of the night with them hurting and didn't sleep for three hours. Hopefully, the pain will go down. Grrrr. My patience with my family is probably a little shorter than normal. I'll just grit my teeth and smile. They're patient with me, so I suppose it's my turn to be patient...

As far as Bun's pooping in the potty chair...well, let's temper the celebration a little bit. She has pooped in her pull up a couple of times since then. But the really fun thing is that she takes her pullups off and pees all over. Yesterday she peed on two separate pair of girls dress shoes.

We went to my grandmother's funeral yesterday. She was a kindly woman, who loved helping others. I wish that I would have been a better grandson. I wish I would have taken more time. I wish a lot of things...I guess it's a little late for that. My brother and I were pallbearers. It was a beautiful service and we said goodbye. I was sitting and thinking about what it means to be family member. I was blessed with a good family. I have to take part and give more...listen more...take more time...Be present...curb my natural ADD spaciness. But in the end...talk is cheap...My grandmother knew talk was cheap. She walked the walk. There was a lot of dysfunction in our little tribe, but she just chugged right on through that. Maybe she did ignore the 800 lb gorilla in the living room sometimes, but she was always there for others. My grandma rocked and it's high time I realized that.

Oh and one more thing. I got rid of my old beater car! My 16 year old niece is the proud owner of an ugly, dented, rusted, blue Olds Cutlass Ciera. It's out of my garage and I am sooooo happy! She's overjoyed and I am just as happy being rid of that old metallic millstone around my neck. Whooo hoooo!

Important Update!

I was roused from my semi-comotose state at the computer (reference my last post...) by J hollering and cheering. I stepped away from my computer and went into the hallway in time to see The Bun pooping in her potty chair. This was the first time she did it!!! We had a short celebration and now I'm back in front of the computer...

But...She did it! My little girl is a big girl now!!!

Help me I'm drowning in FERPA

This is just a quick break I'm taking today. I'm at home finishing up my final project for my Educational Law class. I'm researching how the Secretary of Education is proposing changes tothe Family Educational Right to Privacy Act (lovingly referred to as FERPA by us educational admin geeks). I just got done reading this report that was big enough to choke a mule and about as exciting as watching paint dry. Now, I've got to collect my thoughts and write this ungodly masterpiece o' crap. Please send me happy vibes...I really do love writing papers, but this one just is a big ol' cramp in my brain.

The class is tomorrow, so I'm okay for time...but I am hating life right now.

smoke alarm follies

Okay...here's a little bit of advice for you homebuyers out there. If you can help it, don't buy a home with smoke alarms on vaulted ceilings. They're a real pain in the butt to change batteries. Actually, after my fumbling attempts-and I have to admit I put the damned battery in backwards (the print was too small for me to read about positive and negative posts for two volt batteries), J jumped up there, with her superior fine motor skills and got the job done. All in all, it wasn't fun. We had to use a gorilla ladder in the livingroom and both of us don't like climbing ladders...That said, hopefully this battery lasts for a hell of a long time.

I do have to compliment Goobs. He loves the Flyboat so much, he won't eat cheerios in a bag while in his car seat...whoops, I mean booster seat. What a good little boy! He's graduated now to a booster seat. Our little man is getting bigger and now is finally out of the five point restraint system. The Bun, by virtue of her size, may be in car seat until she's in junior high... But...she's finally growing. She's still tiny compared to other kids her age, but I think she's closing the gap by a little bit. I really think that her stature has forced her to be fiery and assertive, so maybe it's better that she's small.

Well, gotta get back to the salt mines...Later!!!

Here's the photo

The Eternal Search for Balance

This is an interesting type of travel that is sometimes used in the Philippines. The locals call this augmented motorcycle thingee "skylab" in reference to the long fallen satellite. It is a motorcycle with a 2"x6" board laid out across the back of the seat. If you look at the thing from an overhead view, it does sort of resemble the outline of skylab, thus the name. If you look closely, you can see that there are eight people on this vehicle. The thing that amazed me about that is that our new vehicle-The Flyboat, only seats seven. It's pretty darned big, as far as I'm concerned...and then you see this little motorcycle, precariously balanced, with eight people aboard. That's really amazing to me!

Balance has always been something that I've worked on having in my life...but it's been hard. It's always been a case of too much of one thing or not enough of another. As parents, J and I teeter back and forth, somehow getting things done. I'm amazed how we function...but things do get done. Sometimes quickly...sometimes slowly...but they get done. I have to credit J for the balance we have. She is amazing because I think I just suit up and show up and she's the true brains behind the operation. I don't tell her how much I love her and respect her.

So, Jennifer...if you're reading this, just know that your husband does worship the ground that you walk on. Yes, I'm samok...I'm disorganized...My ADD is a real pain in your butt...but I'll suit up and show up for you as long as I draw breath. Someday, we may even get to ride something like skylab and enjoy the scenery...Okay...you won't even let me ride a jeepney without supervision...so maybe that's out too.

To The Flyboat!!!

Okay, I realize this title really is a little cryptic, but what the heck. The big new is that we bought the Ford Freestyle. I didn't think I'd feel this way about a new vehicle, but I'm happy as a clam...even though we have to start making car payments again next month. J said I was beaming all weekend about the car/van, or whatever you want to call it. This is weird because she is the primary driver of the thing. She's taking the kids to daycare/preschool and I will be taking the little red Dodge a half mile down the road to the bus station every morning. Of course, I will be driving the Dodge to my teaching job three evenings a week also, so it'll still getting a little mileage. It's basically her car...but I'm the one that feels happiest...weird???

Back to the whole "Flyboat" thing. The kids are big fans of Wonderpets. I suppose J and I are also fans of the intrepid trio, since we see the show too. Goobs and The Bun have started to memorize the dialogue between the characters. As you can see from the picture that Lenny, Tuck, and Ming Ming travel around in this cool thing called "The Flyboat." Since we're always singing or saying lines from the show and the Wonderpets are stars in our home, we thought it was only appropriate that we need the new Ford Freestyle "The Flyboat." Now, whenever we go out to the car together, we all shout..."To the Flyboat!"

How exciting is that...?

Here's the Town and Country

Whoops, the pictures are backward as far as size goes. The Town and Country seems pretty typical as far as minivans go. But...it's got the DVD player, so I'm seriously thinking about how it might just keep Goobs and The Bun pacified on those long trips when they will be fighting.

Here's the Freestyle

The Freestyle seats seven and I I think it looks cool...

What do you guys think???

It looks like my researching spouse has come up with two options for us. After looking at price and performance online, she's decided that we need to look at two kinds of vehicles...A. The 2005 Ford Freestyle and B. The 2006 Chrysler Town and Country. Each of the vehicles has about 30,000 miles on them, but each has pros and cons. They both come with ABS brakes and passenger side airbags. Ratings online make them pretty much comparable as far as safety, performance, and dependabiltiy, so we're in a bit of a quandry. The big thing that the Town and Country has that the Freestyle doesn't have is a DVD player, otherwise known as the "silencer of the masses in the back." The thing in the Freestyle's favor is that it doesn't look like a minivan. J doesn't want to look like she's driving a minivan...I guess it's a vanity thing... Honestly, I could care less. If it has decent gas mileage, is safe, looks fairly decent, and gets us from point A to point B, I don't care...Okay, I do have one requirement. I want good tunes for us...so, a good stereo is a must. If we can get it with an IPOD dock, it would be really rockin', but I'm not going to whine if it doesn't have one.

What do you guys think? Any advice for us. We'll be test driving tomorrow. I can't wait!!! I'm getting rid of my piece of crap car. Of course, I'll be driving our little red Dodge, but it's still better than my rust bucket. J will get the new vehicle...but gosh...I am excited to get ride of the Olds. Whoopee!!!

Any advice anyone has about choices would really be welcome!!!

It's been a while

Yes, it's been a while. Work and life have conspired to make life complicated and so I haven't been blogging with regularity. I've got a little time today, so I'm getting back on the old blogging horse and taking a ride.

I found this Sesame Street picture parodying "The Boss" and I thought it was kind of cool, so I thought to myself "Self...why don't you stick this on your blog..." and I did. No particular reason, but I did it.

So...what's happening these days? Well, we've just finished another first week of class and it's been exhausting. I starting teaching night classes again on Monday, so my busy life just continues. I've got two weeks left in my Ed Law class. I've got a couple of assignments to finishand I have to present a final project on Saturday the 19th. I love my life, but my God I'd like take a little bit of a break and just lay on a beach. Our little Dodge is getting a older by the day, so it's time for us to get another primary family vehicle. J absolutely loves researching this and has spent countless hours online looking for the best deal. She's pretty doggone good at it, so she's taking that deal over. I do sort of feel that I am abdicating some sort of manly duty since it's dealing with vehicles, but honest to God, I think she's probably better at car shopping than I am.

We had our second round of parent/teacher conferences last week. I can't believe this, but Miss Andrea is telling me that Goobs is good in the classroom and is a leader. It's not that I don't doubt my son at all, but he and his sister are a little on the wild side at home. Miss Andrea did say that his language skills are high and he has no problem expressing himself. I noticed a few weeks ago that he was using irregular verbs in the past tense. He said "Sami broke my toy," which made me swell up with pride-my boy is getting it!!! IThe truth is that I am really proud of my son. I am waiting to see how conferences will go with The Bun. She might be a little more of a problem in the classroom...she's the stubborn one who likes to tease her brother. That's not for a few years yet, so she'll have time...and so will we.

Well, I've got stuff to do, so I'll say goodbye for now. Hopefully, I'll be able to post tomorrow.

Funny things my wife says...

Overheard in the car this evening:

Goobs: What's that mommy? (pointing to the ploom of white that is a jet trail in the sky)
J: It's jet poop.

That was the funniest thing I had heard in a while. Just thought I'd share that one with everyone.

Crabby is as crabby does

I sort of lifted the title of this post from Forest Gump, but I thought it was applicable today. Everyone here at the office is out of sorts and none of us want to be here today. My goal, as I see it, is to stay calm and controlled in my cube and not stir up anything. I think if one of us started anything, the others would be like a pack of pirannahas gashing out hunks of flesh until the offending party is nothing but a pile of bones. The girls and I are just plain touchy today. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that we have an extended day here at El Rancho Ai. It's orientation for new spring students and that starts at 5:00 and runs until 8:00 this evening (thank God I'm not teaching evening ESL classes this week!). Sooooo...it's a long day and I have to be exceptionally nice, since my job involves meeting new students and setting up class schedules with them. Somebody slap me and make me pleasant now!!!

On the home front...The Bun loves her princess bike, but her older brother took to riding it around inside the house that first 24 hours that we had it (it was too snowy to use it outside, so we brought it inside for her). This really irked the bun and she had a few fits of crying, but she's the tough one out of the two, so she got over it. Speaking of her toughness, I want to give a little of it to Goobs. The Bun has been a bit naughty these last few days. We have reports from daycare that she's hitting him and pulling his hair. I hope he's just being a good big brother by not fighting back since he's so big compared to her. She's becoming more bold about it though and I think Goobs needs to show her that it's not appropriate. I think he needs to give her a little bit of a smackdown...not hard, but just enough to say..."Hey!!! Stop doing that crap because it hurts!" I talked to J about it and she kind of thinks that way too. We'll have to see what happens with the two of them.

And...enough of this winter crap. I am itching to get out the grill and start my outdoor cooking passion. We've got a little ipod docked stereo I can take outside now and just jam to tunes and grill. I am really missing the scents of spring and summer...with my grill. Time for me to dust off my tongs and spatula. I want to get an apron this summer so I can look a little more professional. One of the things I want to do buy a chef's jacket from the bookstore here. I've been the advisor to the culinary students for two years now and I've never gotten a chef's coat. With an apron and a white coat...I would feel soooooooo coooooooooooool!!!

Newsflash

We interrupt your previously scheduled program to give you a quick news update. The man known as Samok Daddy was seen leaving a store with a small pink and white wheeled vehicle. he brought it home to the squeals of an unidentified little girl. We'll let you know more about the incident later this evening, but for now...here's Wheel of Fortune...

The Easterbasket Detox

Just a few housekeeping notes as they relate to some prior posts. We held off on the princess bike for the Bun since we had a blizzard on Friday. I think she was cool with it because she didn't run around too overly much asking for the princess bike. We did get to play outside in the snow. The kids weren't too hip on making your generic snowman. Rolling snowballs and making them large enough for body parts didn't seem to interest them. Those kids decided that building a volcano made out of snow seemed far more pragmatic and fun. The volcano turned out pretty cool and the four of us had a small snowball fight.

I did some of my homework on Friday and finished it up on Saturday. I actually had fun doing it. I'm not getting the fact that homework is now fun. I was the guy who used to make up symptoms of illnesses to get to the nurses office on a regular basis so I could skip out of tests or to avoid homework. Ferris Bueller had nothing on me. I loathed doing schoolwork and would come up with elaborate schemes and lies to accomplish goals of not dealing with any kind of assignment. So, what happened? Now, I'm excited to get to the homework and I won't put down an assignment until I'm sure that I've done my utmost. Is it age...have I changed...what's the deal? All I know is that I am having fun with it all. The karmic wheel has indeed turned. I wonder how my kids will relate to their teachers and how they'll feel about learning.

Yesterday was Easter. I had been sugar free and had been doing quite well. I fell off of the sugar wagon hard yesterday. I think I OD'd on malted milk balls, whipped cream and jello, M&Ms, and some other crap-besides the ham, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, corn, and asparagus. My body responded to the sugar...initially, it was elation, but it was soon followed by an awful feeling of bloated lethargy. I made the drive home okay, but I think I felt worse later in the evening. I finally got to sleep and got up early and went to the gym. I'm detoxing and I'm slowly feeling better today. I think it's going to take a few days to do it.

Easter was fun for the kids...we did fill up their Easter baskets...not to the degree to we did last year. The kids got sleeping bags made for the livingroom and a tent...which we did put up in front of the TV. They got a new DVD also. It wasn't the best animated flick on the planet...but Open Season wasn't too bad. The Bun saw a picture of a porcupine on the front of the DVD case. She's decided that the movie is about a porcupine. She can't pronounce porcupine, but she does the best that she can. She calls the movie "perkyfine." Although we didn't have time to watch a video this morning, she asked repeatedly for "perkyfine." We'll probably have to watch "perkyfine" a few more times this week. Oh well...it'll be fun. Gotta run. Hope everyone is perkyfine this morning!!!

Princess Bike

Last fall Goobs and I went to Wally World (the evil Wal-Mart) and picked out a bike with training wheels. It was (and still is) his first bike. He was so excited that I think he about peed his pants when we were leaving for the store. If you remember from my previous posts, Wally World is less than 200 meters from our place, so it's not that much of a trek to get there. We walked over and went to the bicycle section. There were quite a few bikes with training wheels and made for a kid his size. I looked at more of the generic looking bikes, but he fixed his attention on a bike with "Spider Man" all over it. I thought it looked a little tacky, but he was determined that we was going to get that Spider Man bike. I tried to show him the value of some of the other bikes, but that effort was in vain. Goobs really really really wanted that Spider Man Bike, so I relented and we snipped off all of the price tages and labels, wheeled it out, (yes, we got a helmet too) and we took the long way home. He was really excited to ride a real bike with training wheels.

Cut away to now...It was a little warmer last weekend. I was really busy last weekend, but I took a little time on Saturday because the Spider Man Bike had a problem with the rear brake. I, by nature, am about as handy as a rock. Luckily, this chore was something that even a non handy guy like myself could fix. You know, it's kind of cool when your son looks up to you after you've fixed one of his toys. You really feel like "Dad." Well, it was still chilly on Saturday, so he just took the bike out on our small deck. He didn't have any room with the bike, but he still had fun. The Bun was out there too, since she wants to be with her brother a lot of the time. Well, she became pretty jealous of the Spider Man bike. She tried to grab it and said "My Spider Man bike!" We had to tell her that it was her brother's bike...we did tell her that she would get a "princess bike" and mommy and daddy would get it for her. Since then, she's been running around jabbering about "princess bike." I came home late earlier this week and J announced to me that daddy was going to take the Bun out to buy her "princess bike" on Friday. Both of us have the day off on Friday, so it's a perfect day to get it. The Bun isn't very big...she's very small for her age. She still tips the scales at right over 20 pounds, so this is not going to be a very big vehicle. J has found a pink and white "big wheel" online at Target. I think we'll end up getting that for her. It's going to be interesting with both kids rolling around...

On another note...Back in my younger and far wilder days in the military, I sat down at a tattoo shop and got a little ink done on my left shoulder. It's discreet and no one gets much of a look at it unless I'm swimming or laying around at home in my gym shorts. Goobs, of course, has seen it quite a bit. About a week ago J started laughing and told me that I should know that Goobs has been announcing to his peers, preschool teachers, and daycare provider that his daddy has a tattoo. I suppose that's why he's been writing on himself with pens lately. You know, I have had the urge to get another tattoo, but that kind of stopped me in my tracks. I think I'll put off the thought of another tattoo for later...

Fruit, fruit, fruit...

Okay...so in this effort to change my diet, I went to the grocery store and went a little crazy on fruit last night. I got mangoes, bananas, apples, pears, and a pomelo. The pomelo is my all time favorite fruit and I ate it all right when I got home last night. The thing that sucks about it is that they are expensive and I only got one...I got a buttload of the other fruit and I will definitely eat all of the other stuff, but I WANT ANOTHER POMELO NOW!!! In fact, I want a giant bag of pomelos. I would like to be in a room of pomelos...a warehouse room of pomelos. Ya kind of get the feeling that I've got a little bit of an addictive personality???

So Happy it's Wednesday

Wednesday...Midweek...Humpday....that time where you can actually see the weekend coming...Yup...that's today. Luckily, we've got Good Friday off and students won't be around for a week after that, so I'm feeling a little bit better. I don't have to teach in the evenings next week, so I'm really excited for a short break of sorts. I'll still have to be here at my primary job, helping students get back into school by writing letters of appeal to the Dean. I'll have to get a new spread sheet set for the upcoming quarter, but honestly that won't take too long. Yes, the sun is shining and there's a rainbow out there.

The Bun was quiet and well behaved this morning. J's got this glider chair and ottoman set up near the kitchen that's her "morning coffee chair." She and the Bun were sitting there this morning as J got her morning java hit. I rolled out of the bedroom at about 5:50 and Bun squealed "Daddy" and ran to give me a hug. The morning hug was just what dad needed. Aaahhhh, it's nice when your little girl runs to give you a hug. Goobs was pleasant again this morning and was really good about getting his boots and jacket to go. What a nice surprise this morning.

It's kind of funny...The Bun has started to sing Barenaked Ladies songs to herself. One of her favorite things to do is to go into her room, turn on her little boom box with the BNL's Everything to Everyone CD (she knows how to do that now) and bounce on her bed. She thinks she's a little trampoline artist. Goobs has been watching Diego and has imagined his belt to be a "rescue rope." I think he's trying to rescue stuffed animals...I kind of scolded him because the rescue rope went around his own neck (actually, I was wanted to appear angry and scare him). I just have awful fears about ropes or belts and necks of little kids... So, the kids are playing well. I have to admit they started pushing each other and yelling "Stop it!" to each other. I should have been serious and broken them up...but the last time they did that, I just hid behind the corner and giggle a little bit. They were such cute siblings fighting with each other. I have memories of that too, so I'm not too worried.

Well...back to work. That's all for today.

Bits and Pieces of Tuesday...

I'm feeling a little tired today. I think I'm recovering a little bit from the weekend. On Saturday, I did my lesson planning for the week and went to a St. Patty's Day gathering. The Bun was feeling under the weather, so she and J stayed home and Goobs and I went over to the party. I have to say that he was the perfect little gentleman. He sat on my lap at the table and ate ice cream while the adults chatted and laughed. Of course, he had his eye on the TV in the next room and would move back and forth because the "Incredibles" was on at the time. We left the gathering at 10:00 and drove home. We were about 5 minutes into the 20 minute drive home and I glanced back to see him in his car seat. He was completely wiped out. I had to carry him up to bed, take his clothes off, and put him under the covers. These are the times when I love being a daddy...of course, when he and the Bun are beneath the table wrestling at a restaurant...that's a another story completely. But, in the end it's all good. J told me that she was happy because she felt like the house was a mess, so after the Bun went to sleep, she steam vaccuumed the the dining room/living room and the front steps. She always likes it when there's no one underfoot and she can make her house nice...she's kicked me and the kids out before and done it...she always looks a whole lot happier when we return. To me it seems like a chore, but for her it appears to recharge her batteries-she has alone time (quiet too) when the Samok Daddy and the Samok kids are out of her hair. But...I think I've got to do something nice for her...
Getting back to why I was tired...I think I went off on a tangent there...I spent all of Sunday working on my assignments for Educational Law. It wasn't very exciting. I had to research a couple of Supreme Court rulings on students getting suspended (Goobs and the Bun better pray that they never get suspended) and write a legal brief (I think I'm kind of crappy at that) and answer an online question. I started in the morning and finished at about 6:30, just in time for dinner. I would like a day off from everything, but I think that won't come for a while. I just have to keep one foot in front of the other. I'll get home tonight about 6:30, eat dinner, play with the kids for a little while...get them ready for bed and J and I will have about an hour to ourselves before we crash. The thing that sucks about being this busy is that J is just as tired as I am. If I'm not home and working, she's taking care of the kids by herself, which I know, takes a hell of a lot out of her. She is the best...that's all I can say. If I whine about how tough it is, she basically tells me to shut up and keep going. There are a lot of folks who work hard for their families, so we're not unique. She's a good motivator. I can say this about us. I am proud that we are doing all we can to take care of our children. We are not rich, but we work very hard and will continue to do so.

On the good side of things...the Bun has not created a lot of noise early in the morning for the last few days. Yes, she has gotten up early, but there has been no ruckus for Cheerios or Fruit Loops. Goobs is as hard to get up as ever. He was crabby when I got him up to get dressed. I gave him his clothes this morning and he complained that, in his humble opinion, his pants didn't match his shirt. He got a new shirt and was happy. J and I wondered where he learned about clothese matching and style...my boy...the four year old fashion expert. I hope this discerning eye doesn't come back to bite us in the butts later on when he's a teenager.

It's a good day today. Who can complain when you've got a great family and a life like mine? It's a little bit of a hassle, but what the hell. It's sho' nuff interesting and it's never boring.