Some kids have nick names. Mine have DJ names!
DJ Bow Tie
DJ 'Stache (as in mustache)
DJ Scooby Snax
DJ Ewok
DJ Dark Eyes
Thursday, November 21, 2013
DJ Names
Some kids have nick names. Mine have DJ names!
DJ Bow Tie
DJ 'Stache (as in mustache)
DJ Scooby Snax
DJ Ewok
DJ Dark Eyes
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Life's pretty good
I finished my great novel. I'm very happy with myself. I've had three family members read it. They are a great audience. They have been helping me find mistakes, typos and generally making the story better. It's been fun and now I'm working on the sequel. Well, I have an idea for a sequel, but I haven't started working on it yet.
Working at the parks is going well. My job changed this month. They call it a promotion. Perhaps it is. All I know is I'm still enjoying my job, working at the parks, driving county trucks around and looking all official.
Kids are good. We keep busy. We get to celebrate two birthdays in one week in November! Halloween with the gang was fun and we are all looking forward to Thanksgiving. My oldest son is in a play at the high school. Tomorrow is opening night. I'm excited to go. He is playing ten different characters. It will be interesting to see how it works.
I started listening to Christmas music today. I know it's awful early, but I just love it.
My mother, father, sister, youngest niece and mother-in-law all came for a visit this past weekend. It was a full house, but so much fun. I miss the rest of the family that couldn't be there, but my house was bursting as it was. I never laugh harder than I do when my sister is around. She is patient while I talk about my crazy ideas and latest interests. We have a great time together. I wish the visit could have lasted longer.
The chickens are good. We've sold a number of our roosters, but it seems we still have more. I wouldn't mind them, they are very entertaining, but they are so noisy. The last thing I want to hear at three thirty or four in the morning are those dumb roosters crowing. I sing to them most everyday when I go out to feed them. "I've got to crow! I'm just the cleverest fellow 'twas ever my fortune to know." They aren't good about singing along, though. We get 6-8 eggs a day from our lovely girls. I take them treats (a slice of bread) every time I go out to see them. It makes them happy. Happy chickens are good!
Life is pretty good. That's all there is too it.
Working at the parks is going well. My job changed this month. They call it a promotion. Perhaps it is. All I know is I'm still enjoying my job, working at the parks, driving county trucks around and looking all official.
Kids are good. We keep busy. We get to celebrate two birthdays in one week in November! Halloween with the gang was fun and we are all looking forward to Thanksgiving. My oldest son is in a play at the high school. Tomorrow is opening night. I'm excited to go. He is playing ten different characters. It will be interesting to see how it works.
I started listening to Christmas music today. I know it's awful early, but I just love it.
My mother, father, sister, youngest niece and mother-in-law all came for a visit this past weekend. It was a full house, but so much fun. I miss the rest of the family that couldn't be there, but my house was bursting as it was. I never laugh harder than I do when my sister is around. She is patient while I talk about my crazy ideas and latest interests. We have a great time together. I wish the visit could have lasted longer.
The chickens are good. We've sold a number of our roosters, but it seems we still have more. I wouldn't mind them, they are very entertaining, but they are so noisy. The last thing I want to hear at three thirty or four in the morning are those dumb roosters crowing. I sing to them most everyday when I go out to feed them. "I've got to crow! I'm just the cleverest fellow 'twas ever my fortune to know." They aren't good about singing along, though. We get 6-8 eggs a day from our lovely girls. I take them treats (a slice of bread) every time I go out to see them. It makes them happy. Happy chickens are good!
Life is pretty good. That's all there is too it.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
The Bruise
My left thigh has been covered in bruises for months now and I just could not figure out how I was getting them. I'm not exactly the picture of grace, so I assumed I was running into stuff and not really paying attention to hurting myself.
Then, last week while I was working at one of the parks, and doing my park duties, I realized exactly how I was getting all those bruises: it's the way I dump the trash cans!
When I dump the trash from a barrel into a bag, I hold the bag with my left hand around the mouth of the barrel. With my right hand I lift the barrel, but the barrel is too big for me to just lift with the only the strength of my own right arm. So, I counter the barrel's height and weight by using my left thigh as leverage.
No wonder the bruises are only on my left side. I'm going to have to start wearing football padding on my legs when I dump trashes from now on. Either that or get my right arm muscles big and strong so I can just lift the barrel without using the aid of my leg. Or maybe I'll just put up with the bruises. Summer's over. Shorts and bathing suit season is over. No one's going to see the purple spots.
Then, last week while I was working at one of the parks, and doing my park duties, I realized exactly how I was getting all those bruises: it's the way I dump the trash cans!
When I dump the trash from a barrel into a bag, I hold the bag with my left hand around the mouth of the barrel. With my right hand I lift the barrel, but the barrel is too big for me to just lift with the only the strength of my own right arm. So, I counter the barrel's height and weight by using my left thigh as leverage.
No wonder the bruises are only on my left side. I'm going to have to start wearing football padding on my legs when I dump trashes from now on. Either that or get my right arm muscles big and strong so I can just lift the barrel without using the aid of my leg. Or maybe I'll just put up with the bruises. Summer's over. Shorts and bathing suit season is over. No one's going to see the purple spots.
Friday, August 23, 2013
The Great Novel
I have been working on my great novel lately.
That sounds so impressive, doesn't it? Truth is, I've been writing on a particular story as much as time and kids have allowed lately. Years ago, I came up with a great idea for a book. The problem was, I came up with a great idea for the middle of the book, without a good beginning or end.
I wrote down that idea and was very pleased with it, but put it aside for a long time because I was unsure of how to start or finish the story. Since I began this story, I have written so many other things: several books, several plays, a few years of the blog, many essays and multiple "short" stories. However, my mind was never too far away from this particular story. Finally, I developed its beginning and I was very pleased with it. I wrote the beginning of the story and was able to incorporate the middle that I had already written. Then I got stuck in the middle and had no idea where to take the story.
For a long time, I thought and thought and thought and then one day - poof - an idea came to me and I was able to come up with the base idea that would finish the story. With that base in mind, I have been writing. In the past month alone, I've added over 16,500 words. I'm not done and I'm missing several small sections that bridge various parts of the story together.
It has been exciting to write and I have to say that I am enjoying my story. I think it's pretty darn good. I'm reaching the end of the story and that is exciting.
When I am done, I will have the exceptionally fun task of re-reading it and look for major spelling and grammar mistakes along with any glaring plot holes.
I have this wild idea that someday my book will be published, become a best seller and Hollywood will be interested in turning my book into a movie. I even know which actor I want in the main adult roll. But, while I have fantasies, I am not delusional. I know that this book will probably never be published and never be read and it kind of hurts my heart to know that. Still, it doesn't stop me from writing.
I already have my idea for my next novel.....
That sounds so impressive, doesn't it? Truth is, I've been writing on a particular story as much as time and kids have allowed lately. Years ago, I came up with a great idea for a book. The problem was, I came up with a great idea for the middle of the book, without a good beginning or end.
I wrote down that idea and was very pleased with it, but put it aside for a long time because I was unsure of how to start or finish the story. Since I began this story, I have written so many other things: several books, several plays, a few years of the blog, many essays and multiple "short" stories. However, my mind was never too far away from this particular story. Finally, I developed its beginning and I was very pleased with it. I wrote the beginning of the story and was able to incorporate the middle that I had already written. Then I got stuck in the middle and had no idea where to take the story.
For a long time, I thought and thought and thought and then one day - poof - an idea came to me and I was able to come up with the base idea that would finish the story. With that base in mind, I have been writing. In the past month alone, I've added over 16,500 words. I'm not done and I'm missing several small sections that bridge various parts of the story together.
It has been exciting to write and I have to say that I am enjoying my story. I think it's pretty darn good. I'm reaching the end of the story and that is exciting.
When I am done, I will have the exceptionally fun task of re-reading it and look for major spelling and grammar mistakes along with any glaring plot holes.
I have this wild idea that someday my book will be published, become a best seller and Hollywood will be interested in turning my book into a movie. I even know which actor I want in the main adult roll. But, while I have fantasies, I am not delusional. I know that this book will probably never be published and never be read and it kind of hurts my heart to know that. Still, it doesn't stop me from writing.
I already have my idea for my next novel.....
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Differences in the mind
When I look at the world, I see the colors and hear the music of nature.
When my 9 year old daughter looks at the world, she sees the math and logic in nature.
She asks very difficult questions. She wants to know how the human brain works. She calculates the numbers she sees in the everyday world. She has an interest in biology. Today she and I talked about arteries and veins. When she cut her foot and it started to bleed, we wondered if the blood came from a vein or an artery. Then we cleaned up her foot and she got a Band-Aid.
She wants to be a Kindergarten teacher. I keep telling her that she needs to become a professor at a university.
The funny thing is, she says she dislikes math and claims that she is not good at it. It is so not true! She is very good at math. The problem with learning math, is that it is hard to see how the information you learn could be practical. I told her that I hated learning fractions. I saw no point in learning how to add and subtract fractions. Little did I know, I would use it everyday in the kitchen when cooking food for my family. I've told her to give math a chance. Someday, when she is ready to become a great scientist, or a Kindergarten teacher, she will understand why it was so important for her to learn equations.
Until then, I hope she never looses her interest in the world. I hope she keeps asking hard questions.
When my 9 year old daughter looks at the world, she sees the math and logic in nature.
She asks very difficult questions. She wants to know how the human brain works. She calculates the numbers she sees in the everyday world. She has an interest in biology. Today she and I talked about arteries and veins. When she cut her foot and it started to bleed, we wondered if the blood came from a vein or an artery. Then we cleaned up her foot and she got a Band-Aid.
She wants to be a Kindergarten teacher. I keep telling her that she needs to become a professor at a university.
The funny thing is, she says she dislikes math and claims that she is not good at it. It is so not true! She is very good at math. The problem with learning math, is that it is hard to see how the information you learn could be practical. I told her that I hated learning fractions. I saw no point in learning how to add and subtract fractions. Little did I know, I would use it everyday in the kitchen when cooking food for my family. I've told her to give math a chance. Someday, when she is ready to become a great scientist, or a Kindergarten teacher, she will understand why it was so important for her to learn equations.
Until then, I hope she never looses her interest in the world. I hope she keeps asking hard questions.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Busy summer
Life has been busy this summer.
We've done:
Parkour day camp
Boy Scout camp
Youth Conference
Summer school
Goofing off
A visit to the frozen yogurt place - YUM
Hikes in the local national forest
Tons of laundry
Monkee Marathon
Visits to many local playgrounds
Improv classes and a performance
Computer game playing
Writing (me) lots and lots of writing
Reading
Working at the parks
A birthday party
Caught a cough
Two 1000 piece puzzles
A trip to the pool
Sewed a purse
Kindergarten registration
Shopping at new malls
School supply shopping (cries)
4th of July BBQ
Went to see fireworks
Watched movies
Jumped on the trampoline
Canned salsa, tomato sauce and ketchup
Grew tomatoes, cucumbers, cherry peppers, 1 squash, 5 kinds of mint, and a few strawberries
Built a small chicken coop
Started collecting eggs from our chickens (hooray!)
Baked cookies, cupcakes and brownies
It's been a very busy summer and lots of fun! School starts in 3 weeks and we all have mixed emotions. Some of us are very excited and some of us not so much. The Kindergartener is crazy excited!
Wonder what else we'll squeeze in these last few weeks.
We've done:
Parkour day camp
Boy Scout camp
Youth Conference
Summer school
Goofing off
A visit to the frozen yogurt place - YUM
Hikes in the local national forest
Tons of laundry
Monkee Marathon
Visits to many local playgrounds
Improv classes and a performance
Computer game playing
Writing (me) lots and lots of writing
Reading
Working at the parks
A birthday party
Caught a cough
Two 1000 piece puzzles
A trip to the pool
Sewed a purse
Kindergarten registration
Shopping at new malls
School supply shopping (cries)
4th of July BBQ
Went to see fireworks
Watched movies
Jumped on the trampoline
Canned salsa, tomato sauce and ketchup
Grew tomatoes, cucumbers, cherry peppers, 1 squash, 5 kinds of mint, and a few strawberries
Built a small chicken coop
Started collecting eggs from our chickens (hooray!)
Baked cookies, cupcakes and brownies
It's been a very busy summer and lots of fun! School starts in 3 weeks and we all have mixed emotions. Some of us are very excited and some of us not so much. The Kindergartener is crazy excited!
Wonder what else we'll squeeze in these last few weeks.
Friday, July 12, 2013
The confused tree
We have a tree in our yard. I don't know what kind it is, but it is season confused.
It's leaves have started to turn red and are falling to the ground. It did this last July. It was completely bare by September.
It's like how the stores get rid of pool toys and start putting out school supplies on July 5th. I just want to shout, "No, no stores! It's only the middle of summer. Put those school supplies away for another four weeks!" I want to yell at the tree, "No, no tree! It's only mid-July, keep your green leaves for another two months."
As much as I love fall, I'm not ready for it yet.
It's leaves have started to turn red and are falling to the ground. It did this last July. It was completely bare by September.
It's like how the stores get rid of pool toys and start putting out school supplies on July 5th. I just want to shout, "No, no stores! It's only the middle of summer. Put those school supplies away for another four weeks!" I want to yell at the tree, "No, no tree! It's only mid-July, keep your green leaves for another two months."
As much as I love fall, I'm not ready for it yet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)