Belt Test Night

So I endured Rowans Belt Test. I'm not sure that he passed, but I think he gained some confidence after breaking his board. It took a few tries, but he did it, and was very proud.

The only issue was an unscheduled bathroom break - I don't know what affect it will have. I haven't really done this before. I know he could have done better. He fidgeted too much, and had trouble paying attention. But he also didn't get his medication after school. I hate using that as an excuse, but I know he does better with it. He wasn't goofy - no meds for that - so that was a good thing. Hardest part now is the waiting - perhaps I'll need the meds for that.

Even if he didn't pass, I think that breaking that board gave him a lot of confidence. I'm very proud of him no matter what.

Belt Test

Rowan has been gradually getting better at his form for Taekwondo (TanGun Form). He got his third stripe to night, and now he gets to go for his next belt Friday.

Don't know what to think. I hope he does well. I hope he learns the value of practicing.

Blue Sun Goodness

So once again network TV is sucking like a blackhole - I want something on in the background while I wash dishes. So I'm staring at the TV, and I see it in the black screen "Blue Sun". The shirt that Jenny got me for Christmas - a geeky logo shirt from Firefly. You know the best show ever on TV that got canceled by some waste of good skin mascarading as a TV executive for Fox. That shirt was on top of the stack this morning so I had it on today. I figured it would give me courage when I gave a couple hours ago (didn't work). So I wore inspiration today, it just took a while to show itself.

Serenity - I need to watch Serenity.

Done (and not just the dishes).

Pathetic

So we all have something that we do too much. For my wife it's scrapbooking (scrapping to those in the know). For me it's Gaming (old fashioned pen and paper dice based stuff - you know Dungeons & Dragons).

Its the thing that if you have two free seconds to rub together. For me, as long as no one is looking I grab my laptop and start writing stuff down or looking at the message boards. It's a little different for my wife, her hobby includes making things - real things - not just stories like I do.

The pathetic part comes in when you just cant stop yourself from doing what it is you do. You can tell yourself that it makes no sense - but you still do it.

Is it pathetic - maybe - but it matters to me (or my wife). So shut up. I'm pathetic.

Saturdat Stories

OK, we'll try this once and see what happens.

The banana peel sat there, knowing. Everything has a role, and the banana peel knew that its time was coming.

Footsteps......

Number One for the New President

The number one disability concern for the new administration - Autism screening and services.

Whitehouse Agenda

A Slight Interuption

Anyone who reads this blog (OK that's no one) knows that I'm a gamer. And coming up in the next few weeks, I'm going to be running my Star Wars campaign. So here for a couple blog posts I'm going to set out what comes next for the campaign.

Where we are right now:
The party has left the planet after arraigning a bargain with the huts to return Darga, and to keep an eye out for other Jedi.

Besides that, they were able to investigate and destroy an imperial base that was testing a cloaking coating for imperial vehicles. The coating proved to be very explosive and unstable.

Next post - what things are coming in the adventure - the published adventures.

Back at Work for Real

So today was really the first day back at work for me after my latest training outing. Man I am tired. After tying one on last night - lovely Scotch Whisky - at the company holiday party, and a night without much sleep - lovely Scotch Whisky - it was a long day.

Many many support calls. My favorite being the "I think I know the answer but jut want to check" - sigh. How about you check by actually trying it out on the application. You are wasting your own time. Also, with the holiday arty all the sales guys and work from home folks are here so the office is extra busy.

I have a list for first thing in the office - right after the dentist gets my tooth ready for a cap by drilling it to make it smaller. Maybe the shot will help - sucks.

The good news is I'm off to gaming. Save the Dragon, Kill the Princess!

Dominicisms

I know that part of Autism - especially high functioning autism - is the ability to remember things and repeat them back. Dominic lately has been throwing little sayings into his everyday speech. For example, he knocked over the offering cards in the pew and immediately responded "I meant to do that". He was just finishing up going number 2 in the bathroom and I reminded him to wipe his butt - he responds "wait for it". I can't tell if this is just repetition, or if he is developing comedic timing.

I'm hoping for the later - we shall see.

Jenny's Birthday

Happy Birthday Sweetie.

I couldn't imagine my life without you. We've been married for almost eleven years, and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Love you.

Happy Sledding

  I just downloaded Picasa, and wanted to tryout the blogging feature. So I found a cute picture of Dominic (they're all cute) and I'm trying out the blog feature.

Oh Frak

Battlestar Galactica starts again tonight - W00T.

More importantly - I got to stay home and watch cartoons with the boys - Secret Saturdays, and Clone Wars. Good times.

Now I get to type on my laptop. It's good to be home.

Aint What it Used to Be

Travel this week has sucked.

It's not the client, they've been very cool and prepared. Most of them are knowledgeable about Remedy - so that is helpful.

I think it's the feeling that no matter what I do here - no matter how good a teacher I am - it wont stop the calls.

I guess it also doesn't help that I was sick as a dog last night. Tink I came down with whatever Dominic had over the weekend.

Had my first real meal tonight, now need to go back to sleep.

Sick Boys and Travel

Last night Dominic stumbled out of his room about 10 PM, and threw-up on the carpet. Luckily for him he missed Jenny's scrapbooking stuff.

Anyway, he looked awful, and was very very unhappy about it (throwing up that is). He had already made a mess in his bed, so Jenny and I tag teamed the mess, and got him settled on the couch with the vomit bucket. Jenny went back to bed, and I took up monitoring duty. He threw-up a few more times, and finally seemed to settle down, about midnight. Of course, he woke up about three and wanted some water and to watch cartoons - sigh.

I got up most of the time - including a trip for the dog - until Jenny took pity on me and got up and showered and took Roswell for her walk. She has to go to church and read today. So she and Rowan went to church while I stayed home with Dominic. He seems to be better, but did have one incident with diarrhea.

This week I'm traveling for work, so I always feel guilty and try and help out when I can - guilt is a great motivator.

A Long Week

So two weeks in a row of just three "work" days, and now this last real week seemed to take forever. Even the owner John was asking if I was OK. sheesh.

Probably all the documentation to revue - that will sap the strength of anyone. A few support issues, but nothing really out there, or more realistically - no "out there" customers.

Jenny has been sick all week with a cough, a bad cough. But it seems to be getting better now that she went to the doctor.

Lucky me, I chipped a tooth on Monday night and will need a crown. Two trips to the dentist and approximately $450 - not in the plan.

I'm traveling next week for work, so Jenny is home alone with the boys. Hope she makes it through taekwando with Rowan OK - he really loves it, but it will be a hassle with Dominic.

Speaking of Dominic, he seems to be doing really well in both pre-school and More for Fours. I'm very hopeful for this fall and kindergarten.

Rowan seems to be much better at kindergarten himself, although I worry, because he seems pretty tired at night. Not sure this is any change - just worried about him. He is a very sensitive boy.

If anyone is reading this besides me, pray for Jenny's Granny Henri. She went to the hospital this week for trouble breathing. I hope she's OK. She's tough, but she's also not as young as she once was (so true for us all).

Another New Mac

The power supply on the old iBook just bought the farm. I think that some unnamed small boy stepped on the power cord, and loosened something on the motherboard of the iBook. Continued use finally caused it to kick the bucket.

So what now? Jenny says she is OK with using the desktop downstairs, and saving up for a new laptop - funny sounds familiar.

My personal theory is that it obsoleted itself the first time it saw my new macbook pro - hah!

Sing a Song

So today at kindergarten Rowan asks the teacher if he can sing a song to the class, based on twinkle twinkle little star (a song his brother is learning on the violin). His teacher, who plays guitar and normally has one in class, picks out the tune and he sings strong and well to the whole class about welcoming them back for the new year.

Didn't see that one coming - couldn't be prouder.

He was also very good at taekwando last night. Didn't fidget too bad, and tried real hard to pay attention.

A good 24 hours for Rowan - yea!

What Makes Me Happy

Baseball. Major League Baseball has a TV channel. Its early January, the Seahawks have been done for four months. The Vikings just tanked it the entire second half of the game against the Eagles.

But - I can turn on the TV and warm up to the Hot Stove - I can watch Don Larsen's perfect game - I can watch Gibson limp around the bases - Ken Griffey's sweet sweet swing - Jackie Robinson taking the field - A no hitter - a home run - Tori Hunters glove stealing a run - Ichiro gunning down the runner - The set - The wind-up - the pitch - the steal - and it's summer again.

Baseball moves me. Baseball gives me hope. Baseball is a calm influence on a hectic life. Baseball is be passed on. Baseball is enjoyed slowly, digested over an afternoon. Baseball stays the same. Baseball is always different.

Baseball is something to be enjoyed. Baseball brings me happiness.

MarCon

Yesterday (Saturday) was the latest edition of Marcon - my gaming groups version of a local "Con". Two games and an evening of Rockband. It was about as much as my old guy body could take.

The games were OK. Kent was playtesting his 3.5 game for Con of the North (a real local con). I wasn't that keen on playing 3.5 D&D again - took too long to remember the rules. The encounters were OK, seemed a bit overpowered for the monsters, and too many NPCs playing too big a part.

Marc ran the latest installment of his Roots campaign. It was 4th ed - whoch I like, but was limited to pretty much one encounter that I thought was too hard, and left us with limited choices, and then we stumbled around looking for all the parts to a puzzle.

Honestly, I had the best experience at breakfast. Biscuit and gravy omelet - sweet. I also had a great time playing Rockband. Stayed up way too late - ate bad food - it was great.

Brains

So tomorrow at work is a potluck and white elephant gift exchange. I think I found the perfect thing. It's a game called "Mmmm Brains" - perfect. I'm also bringing some Jenny cookies - game, set and match.

So...

The port side jets stuttered on intermittently for a few seconds as we moved closer to the shuttle.

No help from that side, no power, no comm signal, and no life signs.

I'm depending on the onboard compsys to get me close without crashing. I cant even count the number of oddities this old pig has - better to trust silicon to maneuvor, not carbon.

I hear a gentle ring as the two hulls touch, followed by the hiss of the docking collar as it seals itself to the dead ship.

Snapping the seals on my own helmet into place, I walk the short distance across the bridge/galley/science station/sleeping quarters to the airlock. Time to pay some bills.