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Friday

cycling / Friday / photo — Comments Off
3
Jan 25

A furry Friday

New year, still the same features which we will start easing back into in the coming weeks. Of course, we can never overlook the site’s most popular weekly feature, checking in on the kitties.

I caught Phoebe here in a little moment of silly. She has three speeds — affectionate, intense relaxation, silly — and it’s that last one that’s perhaps the most difficult to capture. It’s a little fleeting, and she doesn’t show it off except in just the right circumstance. This, I guess, was one of those moments.

I’ve come to think of it as the cats are petting me back when they do things like this.

And, as Poseidon is demonstrating there, they do that quite often. There’s a lot of affection around here.

I made myself get on the bike this evening. That’s the right verb for it, too. Finally I got talked into a little round of a light spin, and then see how it felt. And, after about 11 miles, it felt pretty good. So I started pedaling a bit harder and faster. I did nine more miles and stayed ahead of everyone who was likewise in the Zwift virtual world.

Nothing of them knew we were racing, but that’s really their fault, isn’t it?

So I’ll probably sit around like a slug this weekend and watch football and do a little work and then get back to spinning the back wheel of my bike and going nowhere fast sometime next week.

Already, I’m behind on my mileage spreadsheet.

family / Friday / photo — Comments Off
27
Dec 24

The godfamily Christmas

We had parents with my godparents-in-law today. (Just go with it.) My godsisters-in-law (just go with it) were there, and so were their husbands. And all of the god-nieces-in-law and god-nephews-in-law. (Again, just go with it.) These are long, long, deep family ties.

My godparents-in-law met at my in-laws wedding. The godfather has been my father-in-law’s best friend for seven decades. The godmother went to nursing school with my mother-in-law. So each is the godparents of the other’s children. And my wife and the two god sisters basically grew up alongside one another.

When I first started coming to this Christmas party there were just 10 people. Now, it’s 15 people, including the children aged 4-to-16.

The kids are great. The next to youngest was sent to school one day with Christmas money and a shopping list, because this is how we’re teaching commercialism these days, I guess. We were on his list, for some reason. Only, he didn’t come home with any presents, or any money. He bought our gifts, and then gave them away to his friends, and the money, too. He wanted them to be happy.

That was the best present of the year, honestly.

So this sweet-hearted boy got sent back to the school store again, new list, more money, and instructions to bring the presents home. And don’t you know what I found in the bottom of my little gift bag were the best presents of the year. Two years in a row he’s bought me something. It was a little toy last year. He saw this thing and thought of me for some reason and he was so excited and proud. This year, the present was from him and his little sister. I looked down and could see it was a drink, so I pulled out this bottle, made a big show of reading the tea label and was very excited.

This, he said, was more from him, and not his little sister.

I reached back in the back and pulled out this bag of pretzels. Again, I made the big evaluation, and deployed the charmed reaction. How did you know? These are going to be so good!

This, he said, was actually more from him, and not so much his little sister.

He’s six.

Meanwhile, his sister is opening presents and holding them all up like she’s auditioning for The Lion King, or just won the greatest history of sport. Every gift a triumph.

We’re trying to talk this particular Christmas party down to just getting gifts for the kids, because the rest of us are impossible, but the 6-year-old is shopping for the olds.

In a few days, I’ll send his mother a picture of me eating these pretzels and drinking this tea — because, somehow, he knows I like tea — and brag on him some more.

I made the mistake of asking one of the kids how many Christmas parties they had been a part of this year. This one, today, was party number five. There were two more to go.

Nobody else was getting pretzels and tea, though. Just me.

adventures / family / Friday / photo — Comments Off
20
Dec 24

Writing around the cats

We have not checked in on the kittehs this week, which is of course, my contractual obligation, and a serious oversight, considering they are the most popular regular feature on the site.

I haven’t taught site analytics in a while, but if I did, I could use this place’s humble numbers, and the bump the cats generate, as an example. Anyway, it’s a lazy day around here. Phoebe needs to catch a snooze. Just about any foot would do.

Poseidon is back to taking his afternoon naps on top of the armoire. Sorry to disturb you there, pal.

Yesterday, and today, we were in Connecticut. Now we are back here. And the cats, of course they noticed.

Last night was the Special Church Christmas party. My dear sweet mother-in-law runs a weekly program for people with various developmental disabilities. They do crafts and music therapy and all sorts of fun social stuff. At the Christmas party, Santa always shows up. And he was there last night, too.

After the party we went to their favorite Italian restaurant with some of the Special Church volunteers and the music therapist and had a lovely time. Today, we had a meeting with a friend and colleague at another university for an upcoming event they are hosting in February. We’re going to try to take some students and so we hashed out a few details over pizza.

It was an excuse to see our friend. And have pizza. We also discussed work a bit.

This evening we had a quiet dinner with the in-laws, and then they sent us packing. So we got back here just before midnight. Now this, and this weekend, and forever after, more grading.

I think I have the first two classes done. I’ll go through the scores one last time probably tomorrow. I have two other classes that wrap up on Monday, and their grades will be due by the end of the week or so. Happy holidays, students, I hope you earned the grade you wanted this year!

After that, there will be time for precisely four deep breaths, and then back to work.

Maybe five deep breaths. And possibly a nap. Just not on the armoire.

adventures / Friday / history / memories / photo — Comments Off
13
Dec 24

Sentimentality

Since it falls on Sunday this year, I’ll just go ahead and acknowledge the date today. Sixteen years ago, Sunday, this happened.

It took place right under this tree. That’s Our Tree, in Savannah. Every time we go there, we go back to the park and sit right there, beneath it’s beautiful branches.

(Click to embiggen.)

I hope Our Tree is having a season of it. I hope we go back soon, and the sun is warm, the breeze is a delight and the ground is dry enough to lay upon all day.

Friday / photo — Comments Off
6
Dec 24

Notes on signs

We saw this sign and sent it to a friend. Now she wants to put it on the back of her wheelchair. You have to respect the sense of humor that people put in their own lives.

What could put someone more at ease than seeing you whip around a wheelchair and seeing that on the back? This is a person determined to enjoy their day. Let’s enjoy the day, too.

The problem with authentic outdoor signage is that they are meant to be seen from a distance. Viewed from a roadway. Perhaps at speed. And you think, I’d love to have that. Put it right up in the house, along that one wall. You know the wall.

The problem is, they might not fit. Or they might dominate the room more than you’d hope. You never think of this if you’re driving by, but if you see one in a habit in the great indoors, you are reminded. We ducked into this gas station for a snack and there, off to one sign was this gorgeous old weather-beaten thing.

How would you even all that around if the sign owner did give it to you? That one barely fits beneath the gas station ceiling.

I don’t know anything about cognac, but a quick search has convinced me the makers are still in business. I’m guessing whatever store that displayed this lovely old bottle sign has long since gone. I wish there was a little note that shared more about it, but maybe it is enough that you can touch it.

I touched the bottle sign.