Halloween Preparations at Ben's

I went to Ben's house Saturday and we went from there to a farm near Olympia where we got pumpkins. They had a petting zoo and a hayride and ton of pumpkins. The kids went and got started on that while I called AAA, since Ben had locked himself out of his car (I'm still not sure how that happened). I don't use AAA that often, but it sure is great to have. They came out and unlocked the car for no charge (it's good on any car I'm in!) and took care of the problem clean as a whistle. Then I was off to find pumpkins with the gang. Everyone found their perfect gourd and then we went back home to carve them. Sarah had stayed home and baked pita bread--made some great mini-pizzas with fresh tomato, red onion, feta cheese and herbs (WOW).

The Jack O'Lanterns were all really great. Each kid made one that reflected their personality and style. The bottom one is mine!

Home Repairs as Farce

When I got home from Massachusetts on Tuesday there was a note on my door, from my landlord. It announced that on Wed-Thursday the repair aces, AKA the Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight, would be replacing the patio doors and the bedroom windows in my front bedroom. They asked that I move anything in that bedroom at least 3 feet from windows, so I did. I moved everything into the Living Room.

When I got home Wednesday afternoon, they'd done nothing on the patio door, nothing in the front bedroom. They had, however, replaced all the windows in my Living Room.

Nobel Peace Prize

Obama hasn't brought peace-of course no one else has either-but he has brought hope. Mainly, I think the prize recognizes the general global sentiment--"Thank God Bush is gone!" Maybe now the USA can start acting like a rational member of the world community and not like a drunken frat boy with a chip on his shoulder. Obama's challenge now is to really earn this award.

Whidbey Island Farm Tour 2009

Spent Saturday with Becky and her family, doing the Whidbey Island Farm Tour.

We only managed three farms, but the kids had a great time. First, we went to a small farm where they grew pumpkins and other veggies. They also had some small animals; kittens, peafowl, turkeys and geese. The kids loved that, particularly Zack.

Then we went to a little farm where they raise alpaca. The wool is so soft, we all loved that. There were some baby alpaca and they were so lively and bouncy, a lot of fun.

Finally, we went to a large farm where they breed race horses. That was by far the largest operation we went to, really impressive. Lukas and Emelia rode ponies and they all took a hay ride. A great end to our day!

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Another movie review.

I went to see "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" with Becky's kids. One of the best kids' movies and one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time. A lot of animated films go all out for the animation and go with a lackluster script, but this movie is wonderfully drawn and also very wittily written. There are some truly laugh out loud moments--not LOL when you're really barely smiling--but real, true belly laughs. And the art work is funny too. Things moved very fast and I'm sure I missed some visual jokes just because it was so fast-paced. It reminded me of Mad Magazine, only animated.They use physical comedy as well as any animated film I've seen in a while-the Mr. T character, the town cop, has some hilarious physical bits. They even threw in a handy-dandy couple of morals, the best one being that the lead female character became more attractive and more interesting when she showed her true self (a self-described nerd) than she was when she was a blonde bimbo.

In case you can't tell, I liked this one. A solid 5 star, don't miss film. If you don't have kids of your own or grandkids or a niece or nephew, and you don't feel comfortable going to kids' movies alone, rent a kid, but see this movie!

Heartbreaking Needs-Ketsana (Ondoy)

The caption said these were missionaries, but did not identify a particular church.

I know you are all busy and all concerned with many things. I really do understand that. And, I know that there are many tragedies all around the world every day and certainly every year and that the tugs and pulls of these multiple disasters can be overwhelming. Every one of those disasters yields photos as heartrending as these I've posted.

Nevertheless, I'm going to ask you to consider making a donation to the relief organization of your choice to support their operations in the Philippines. The Philippine capital of Manila, a city of 10 million people, was inundated by 16-22 inches of rain in 6 hours (Katrina dropped 10 inches) from Tropical Storm Ketsana (called Ondoy in the Philippines). The resources of the Philippine government are strained to the breaking point. The Philippine people are mostly poor and struggling in the best of times, and these are far from the best of times. People are going to need clean water, food, shelter, and replacements for the belongings (often meager to begin with). If you can help, please help.

I did some research and ended up giving to a place called Direct Relief International. They usually focus on maternal child health and basic medical supplies. In the current emergency, they say they working on housing, sanitation, and preventing disease outbreaks. The BBB gives them a clean bill of health and they seem to spend most of their money on relief (not on fund raising). There are, I'm sure, hundreds of other organizations doing work that is just as good (maybe better). Please consider giving.

Instant Classic!!!

Late season game in Seattle. The Mariners clinging to the outer edges of the wild card race like a drowning man to a piece of driftwood. The Yankees marching through on their victory parade. The M's do, however, have King Felix on the mound, finally living up to every expectation this breakthrough season.

The teams struggle against good pitching through 9 innings. The Yanks take a 2-1 lead on some questionable defense (aside-is Bill Hall's bat so valuable that it was worth playing him when he can't run?). The M's sputtering offense hits two major potholes. Ichiro is picked off twice. Never happened to him before. The second time he was safe, but the ump blew the call. Ichiro sits on the bench, simmering, stewing, clearly embarassed.

This is what makes baseball a great sport. The opportunity for dazzling one on one matchups and the chance for redemption. Still down 2-1 with two outs in the 9th, what remains of the once great Mike Sweeney slams a double off of THE-GREATEST-CLOSER-EVER-MARIANO-RIVERA and brings--wait for it--Ichiro--to the plate. It can't happen. Two Hall of Fame ballplayers facing off. Rivera hasn't blown a save against Seattle since the 90's. Ichiro is embarassed, humiliated by his prior failures (in perspective, at this point, he's 3 for 4 on the day). First pitch, Mariano tries to get ahead with his stinker sinker, and Ichiro is ready for it. He cheats in the box, adjusting his stance for a pitch inside and he catches the pitch perfectly, smashing a game winning arch to right field. PERFECT!

I Have My Car

Well, a mere $3700 dollars and 24 days later, I have my car.

Car Held Hostage

My regular reader, on the arrogant assumption there is such a person, will go to my post of August 22 and see that I was told my car would be done in two weeks. Today is 21 days since that day--and I was told my car would be done today, but it's not and now they say Tuesday, for sure (and he said, I'm lucky it'll be ready then).

The old guy who runs the shop where my car is being fixed is a real charmer. I went in to see if my car was ready, about 3:45 PM Saturday, and I've never felt quite so unwelcome, especially considering I'm dropping $4000 in their lap. He was rude, obnoxious and insulting as he told me that they would call me (they've not called me ever in the past) when it was ready. He seemed unaware that having someone's car 7 days longer than first promised could present anyone with a problem or difficulty. He did offer to sell me another car.

Ben-Labor Day

Visited Ben and his family for Labor Day. Had a great time. We went to Red Robin for burgers and stuff. Then we came home to play a role-playing game based on Star Wars characters. I was a noble-civil servant (type casting, I guess) and with Sam (who was a spy) and Ammon (who was a warrior) we rescued the lost young girl from the evil clutches of a mad scientist and his level-10 Gangster Overlord Hutt. I had no idea what I was doing, but had fun doing it! Then we all had ice cream and grandpa headed home.

Ballgame August 31

The Mariners, without Ichiro, without Beltre, without Branyan, without Griffey, a pretty pathetic lineup. Everyone in the Angels lineup was outhitting anyone in the Mariner batting order. Not surprising, then, that the score was 10-0, with the M's managing 3 hits. The high water mark was inning #1, when they loaded the bases on 2 walks and a single, but then didn't score. The grandkids, however, were oblivious and seemed to have a great time!

Garlic!

It wasn't Gilroy, but it was pretty good. Sarah and I took in the Chehalis Garlic Festival on Sunday. Lots of food, featuring garlic of course, and lots of crafts, some garlicky and some not. A lot of people, but not a huge crowd (an advantage of Chehalis, I think). We had garlic fries, garlic pasta and, best of all, a garlic beef sandwich. That sandwich, wet and messy, filled with beef redolent of garlic and herbs, was one of the best I've ever had. It seriously rivaled the Italian Beef sandwiches of Chicago, which is high praise. It was a simple thing, a piece of French bread, thick slabs of beef and a rich, tangy and garlicky au jus running all over it. Simple, but excellent. Worth another trip to Chehalis for next year's festival.

Sarah tried to find the person in the garlic suit to get her picture taken with him/her, but after we first came in (you can see the person in the background of the top picture) we never saw garlic guy again.

.... Car

Well, my car overheated on Saturday and when I had it towed into the shop, I found out I had a blown head gasket. Essentially, the engine is trash. I asked the mechanic how much to repair that, and he said he didn't know, no one had ever done it. So, its a new engine, $4,000 and 2 weeks without a car. Oh, and if anyone is keeping track, August has not been a great month, to be nice about it.

Apartment Repairs

The balconies on the upper apartments of my building have been a little shakey for a while, and now the owner is doing some repairs. Unfortunately, even though I live on the ground floor and have no balcony, my apartment is impacted because the floor joists in the second floor can only be reached via my ceiling. So, my front bedroom is torn up. I had to empty 3/4 of the room, which has filled my living room, really the only available space, with stuff. I hate it!!!

Added on Thursday, 8/13--the repairs were supposed to be done Friday, tomorrow, but today one of the workmen told me that they won't finish until at least Monday. I thought they were behind because the ceiling in my room hasn't been finished yet. There's still bare beams visible, only some of the drywall is up. They need to put up more drywall, and then they need to tape and then paint and texture. Monday may be optimistic. I'm going to call the landlord tomorrow and negotiate some further reduction in my rent for August--I would suggest rent free for the month, but that's optimistic too I think.

Added on Thursday 8/20 (!!!)--finally finished today. Almost a week late and more excuses than you can imagine.

Birthers, Flat Earthers, and Others who Deny Reality

I tried to ignore this. Like you do the person who sits down next to you on the bus who is carrying on a conversation with people who aren't there. I was trying to be polite. But now polls show that as many as 28% of Republicans believe the President Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

Enough is enough. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts.

As much as one can prove anything, President Obama has proven he was born in State of Hawaii, in the good ol' U.S. of A. He is a natural born citizen, get over it. Also for your information:

The Holocaust happened. Hitler did, indeed, murder at least 6 million Jews and millions of other people in concentration camps and death camps.

The Theory of Evolution is a settled issue. Species emerged on the earth through a complex series of adaptations, gradually changing form as some naturally occurring variations gave certain animals advantages over others, a process called Natural Selection. This process has taken billions of years, so...

The earth is several billion years old. Not a few thousand. Pieces of dinosaurs were not put in the stone by a malevolent god in order to trick us. The Earth is a very old rock (and round).

The earth is, as a result of human activity, gradually getting warmer. The changes exceed normal variations. The results have already been significant and will get more pronounced. We need to change our behavior now.

Oil is gradually being depleted. New oil is developing very slowly. These are fossil fuels and like other fossils, they are billions of years old (see above).

So-called socialized medicine in Europe, Canada, Japan and other civilized nations is not a horror show. If you really think it is, I have a challenge for you. Find a politician in a major political party in England, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, etc., who is willing to run for top political office on a platform of tearing down the terrible death trap that is socialized medicine and replacing it with an American style system of for-profit insurance primarily linked to employment. Go ahead, I'll wait here. [crickets]

There is no Easter Bunny, no Tooth Fairy, no Santa Claus.

There was an election in 2008 and you lost. There was no global conspiracy. You lost because, for the last 8 years, your party ran the country into the ground with incompetence and staggering arrogance. Stop grasping at straws and trying to destroy President Obama and this country. Offer honest and thoughtful responses to Democratic proposals. Drop the fear tactics and the extreme rhetoric. Don't tell people health care reform is a plot to murder old people and stop saying the liberals are coming to take people's guns. Have you guys really no self-respect at all?

Try, please try, looking inside yourselves with some honesty, a capacity you have not shown to date, and try to develop policies, programs and ideas that demonstrate leadership. We need that, any democracy needs at least two strong, viable political parties. I fear, I fear greatly, that you are devolving into a violent gang of thugish mentality, incapable of reason, denying facts that don't support your preconceived notions. This will kill your party, and I really don't care about that. But it won't be good for my country, and that is why, right now, I truly and completely hate the Republican Party.

Please, guys, please, turn it around.

Addendum

I had no sooner posted this than I was watching the news (MISTAKE!) and heard Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina (R-OMG) say that health care reform would lead to mandatory euthenasia for the elderly. She forgot, apparently, to say that a key element of the Democratic plan was a special health care sausage, made from kittens and puppies stolen from children. Once again, how do you debate with people who spew such garbage. She's either a congenital idiot or a conscious liar. I really do despair.

Baseball Bucket List

With thanks to ESPN.com's Jim Caple, here's a list of 50 baseball related things to do before you die.

How many of them have you done?

Here are 50 things all baseball fans should do while they still have the chance:
• Spend a week at spring training.
I did this with Becky and her mom, when David was attending U of Arizona (thanks, Dave!!!). Had a great time in the Arizona heat, saw the Padres, Mariners, White Sox, Giants and D'backs.
• Learn to keep score.
I can't remember not knowing how to keep score!
• Learn about Tommy John surgery by throwing out your arm at the stadium speed pitch station.
That doesn't even sound like a little bit of fun. I don't want the embarassment of needing Tommy John surgery from throwing a 30 MPH "fastball."
• Watch "Field of Dreams," "Bull Durham," "A League of Their Own," "The Bad News Bears" (the original) and "The Natural."
Done, done, done and done. I enjoy them all, but particularly "Bull Durham".
• Use a wood bat.
Never used any other kind of bat until I was in my 20's. There's no feeling like the bees you get in your hands when a fastball gets in on your hands swinging a wooden bat.
• Enjoy a beer in the bleachers at Wrigley Field on a sunny summer day.
I wasn't in the bleachers, but I have enjoyed a beer in Wrigley Field. It's a great ballpark.
• Listen to Vin Scully call an entire Dodgers game.
Nope, but a whole game called by Dave Neihaus comes close.
• Read "Ball Four," "The Boys of Summer," "Nine Innings," "The Glory of Their Times" and any (preferably all) of Roger Angell's collections.
Yeah, and I re-read them regularly. I bought the hard cover version of "Ball Four" when it was first published. I rarely spent that much money on a book in those days.
• Go to Japan's Koshien high school tournament (i.e., where Dice K threw his famous no-hitter).
Nope
• Hit a home run.
We're counting sandlot games, I hope. Or softball.
• Coach a Little League team.
Yeah, ask Nathan about that. I'm a lousy coach, but I did it. Please don't ask David about my one-day stint as his coach. I'm still ashamed of the intentional walk.
• Ump a Little League game.
I've done this too. I'm a pretty fair umpire.
• Boo the Yankees in person.
Every chance I get.
• Play Strat-O-Matic, APBA, Dynasty League or a similar computer-simulation game.
Played tons of Strat-O-Matic, kept my own statistics, too.
•Attend a fantasy camp and have more fun than you can imagine feeling old and young at the same time.
Nope, not really on my list.
• Tour the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Yes.
• Oil your glove and stuff it under your mattress for the winter, then play catch the first day of spring with your parent/child.
No, sorry boys, I was lousy about that.
• Get to a game early enough to watch batting practice.
As far as I'm concerned, anything else is getting there late.
• Go to the College World Series.
Not yet, but a good idea, even if it means a week in Omaha.
• Play pepper.
Yes
• Go to a batting cage and see what it's like to hit a 90 mph fastball. Or, more likely, fail to hit a 90 mph fastball.
Nope. I have enough things in my life I can't do.
• Attend a townball game in Minnesota (the smaller the town the better).
Sounds intriguing. I'd never thought of it.
• Visit the "Field of Dreams site in Dyersville, Iowa and the old Durham Athletic Park (where "Bull Durham" takes place).
Nope
• Take your kids to see The Chicken or The Phanatic.
Yes, at the Kingdome when the Mariners played there. We were going to the BALLGAME, it just so happened that the Chicken was there.
• Run around the bases after a big league game.
Nope, can I walk?
• See Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols and Ichiro play in person and chant their names with a stadium packed with fans.
Yes to Ichiro, no to Pujols--but I'd do it--, and see the above about Yankees regarding Jeter. I was also there to chant "EDDDDDGAAAARRRR" and to hear people chant "DAAAAARYYYLL".
• Buy a fitted cap to replace the cheap stadium giveaway you got with the plastic adjustable strap in the back and the Piggly Wiggly logo on the side.
Never with a Piggly Wiggly logo, but many other chintzy caps.
• Sing "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park.
Yes. I've never understood the Boston-"Sweet Caroline" connection, but I've done it. I've also shouted "O" in Baltimore during the National Anthem when the lyrics get to "Oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave..." I figure since the anthem started in Baltimore, they can play with it if they want.
• Recite "Casey at the Bat" and "Tinker to Evers to Chance."
Yes, to Casey, no to Tinker.
• Read the box scores religiously.
Is there any other faith?
• Join SABR.
No
• Get your favorite player's autograph.
I'm not a big autograph hound, but I have a few.
• Learn to throw a curveball.
OUCH!
• Take a week-long road trip through the minors, the lower the league the better, and make sure to include a team owned by Mike Veeck (that's Veeck, as in "wreck", his dad used to say).
This is the best idea on the whole list! I need to do this. The Northwest League is the perfect venue. You don't get lower than part-season 'A' ball.
• Cheer the Rally Monkey.
No, and why on earth would I?
• Eat at Boog's barbecue pit at Camden Yards, enjoy a Primanti Brothers sandwich at Pittsburgh's ballpark, the fish tacos in San Diego, a Dodger Dog at Dodger Stadium and garlic fries while circling the concourse in Seattle.
Yes to Boog's (and it is good BBQ) and to garlic fries, no to San Diego and a Dodger Dog, but willing to try both. You also need an Italian Beef at either Chicago ballpark and Gates' BBQ in KC.
• Attend a game in the Caribbean.
Not yet, but a goal.
• Buy a bleacher ticket and sneak into a box seat.
Oh yeah.
• Passionately argue in a bar over who belongs in the Hall of Fame.
I've had the arguments, but not in bars, unless you count Comiskey Park--there was enough beer flowing to match any tavern I've ever been in. Frank Thomas? Please.
• Collect baseball cards. Get your favorite player's rookie card and store it in a plastic sleeve. Treat all others the way God intended: by clothes-pinning them to the spokes of your bicycle in a pathetic attempt to make an engine noise.
I still have a Griffey card in the sleeve. And, I have to apologize to Terry Francona, his dad's cards (Tito Francona) were my first choice for bicycle spoke fodder. But, hey, that sounded just like a motorcycle!!!
• Rub the Babe's nose in Monument Park.
Nope, never been to Yankee Stadium.
• Camp out in front of the stadium for tickets to see your favorite team in the postseason.
I didn't camp out, but I did get to a Ticketmaster outlet pretty early to get tickets to the Mariners one-game playoff with the Angels in 1995. Technically not post-season, but in some ways better. Let all my kids take the day off school and go to the game. Great game, of course, with Randy Johnson beating Mark Langston, and the classic image of a dejected and defeated Langston sitting on home plate after Luis Sojo's bases-clearing double into the bullpen (and the bullpen ball bag) down the right field line in the Kingdome.
• Try to throw a knuckleball.
Yeah, I've tried it. Pitiful effort.
• Try to catch a knuckleball.
Nope
• Catch a foul ball. And then hand it to the nearest kid.
I've done that. I've caught 2 foul balls in my whole life, and both were in the same game, in the old Kingdome, watching Randy Johnson win his 20th, the first season he won 20. Great seats in the first row directly over the visiting dugout on the first base side. I gave the first ball to Becky, who was with me, and the second to a kid sitting next to us. He looked completely confused.
• Disobey your parents by staying up late to listen to a game with your transistor radio/iPhone tucked under your pillow.
My parents never told me not to, so I can't disobey. When the league expanded in 1962 so that California and Oakland were in the AL, the Boston games would go awfully late on the east coast.
• Go to the All-Star Game.
The 2001 game in Seattle, with Cal Ripken Jr. hitting a home run in his last All-Star appearance.
• Kayak in McCovey Cove (yeah, Barry Bonds is gone, but San Francisco Bay is still there).
Looks like fun.
• Eat a hot-fudge sundae in a mini batting helmet.
If you'll count hot butterscotch or strawberry and not only hot fudge (not a huge fudge fan), and dipping dots, too. In a Boston helmet and a Seattle helmet.
And finally …
• See your team play in the World Series. (Sorry, this might not be applicable to Cubs, Mariners, Rangers and Nationals fans.)
I've had WS tickets, but never got there. The M's lost in the ALCS three times when I had tickets in hand.

Becky, you are so tagged on this one!

My Life as a Star

We had an office retreat last week, and one of the activities was the Rock Band Challenge. As you can see, I was ready for action, channeling some Roy Orbison, some Beach Boys and a little bit of Meat Loaf. I'm sure none of you will be surprised to find out that my team won the challenge competition.

I'm ready to tour!

Ichiro and George Sisler

A few years ago, Ichiro broke the record for most hits in a season, a record previously held by George Sisler, who played for the old Saint Louis Browns. Sisler's daughter and other family members came to Seattle and treated Ichiro very graciously.

This year, with the All-Star Game in St Louis, Ichiro took the opportunity to visit Sisler's grave. He and his wife laid flowers there. He called Sisler "a grand upperclassman of the baseball world," which I think conveys a great deal of respect from the perspective of Japanese culture. A very kind tribute and reflecting the kind of class I've worried is nearly gone from our professional athletes.

Ichiro was also quite excited about meeting President Obama, but my favorite part of his reaction to that is this:

"But I realized after seeing him today that presidents wear jeans, too. So my hope is that our skipper, [Don] Wakamatsu, was watching that and we can wear jeans on our flights, as well."

Memory Lane-Bobby Orr

Mid-Summer may seem an odd time to think about hockey, but I saw this iconic photo of Bobby Orr the other day and I've thought about him several times since then.

I remember watching this game on TV, an overtime contest to settle the 1970 Stanley Cup, Bruins against the St. Louis Blues. I remember seeing Orr score this goal and then fly through the air--he was tripped as he made the shot. Having the photo in black and white is perfect, because we had a B&W TV in those days, too, so this is what I saw. Note in the background that the puck is already back on the ice, and the goaltender is still in mid-reaction. The shot, from very close in and with the wrists only, was blindingly quick.

This game and this goal were the highpoint of the great Bruins years of Orr and Esposito. Ben may not remember this, but the first person he could identify on TV was Bobby Orr. Of course, usually in a Bruins game he was the one with the puck. He was forced to retire from hockey at age 31 due to very bad knees. His last three years he was with the Chicago Black Hawks, but he never cashed any of their checks--he said he couldn't because he wasn't playing.

What I remember, though, are those years with the Bruins. He could handle the puck like no one else. When the B's were short-handed for a penalty, he could, when he got the puck, skate in circles at center ice "ragging the puck" while the opponents flailed at him ineffectually. If one of them over-committed, he could dart into the offensive end with a burst of speed and make a great offensive charge in what should have been a strictly defensive situation. When the Bruins were at even numbers, his offensive rushes were even more frequent. He'd get the puck at the Bruins end of the ice and lead the Bruins charge, even though he was a defenseman. His passing was crisp and incredibly accurate--he was Larry Bird or Magic Johnson on ice. As a defenseman, he set a record for assists in a season, 102 (not for a defenseman, for anybody), and though that's been broken by Gretzky and Lemieux, it is still the record for a defenseman. How iconic is he in Boston? In a vote in the Boston Globe, Orr was named the greatest Boston sports figure ever, over Ted Williams, Bill Russell, Carl Yastrzemski and Bob Cousy.

Hockey has not been the same without him. I count watching Bobby Orr at his peak, along with being able to see Ken Griffey, Jr rise and play at his peak, as the two most fortunate things in my life as a sports fan.

Fourth of July 2009

We had a great celebration at Becky's place on Whidbey Island. I seriously have no idea how many people were there for burgers and dogs in the afternoon, there seemed like hundreds, it was at least 50. Mike just kept on grilling. People brought salads and deserts and we just ate and ate. It was great.

In the evening, when the sun sank, we had a fireworks display that went on for about 2 hours-no exaggeration. Ben is quite the pyro. Mike worked hard at it, but he still needs some style pointers--like don't put your face over the explosives while you're lighting them. Here's a few pics, that don't really do justice to the whole thing.

The only downer was that Zack was not feeling well and Becky was worried (as was I) that his pneumonia was returning. He sounded and acted just like he had when we were at Great Wolf.

70 Years Ago-July 4, 1939

Lou Gehrig says his goodbye to the fans. An iconic moment of class and grace. Hard to imagine any major league player managing this now, not since Cal Ripken Jr. retired.

Palin Resigns

Just to think that this pitiful whining loser was, in the imaginations of some, qualified to be President! She can't handle the media pressure of being Governor of a state the size of Charlotte, NC (population Alaska, 2000 census 686, 293, Charlotte 687,456). She thought, McPathetic thought, she could be a heartbeat away? We really lucked out in sending this clown back to Juneau, and now she can head to Wasilla (or, more likely, she can take her self-pitying act to Faux News).

Every democracy (or democratic-republic) needs at least 2 strong political parties with ideas at their core. Instead, we now have a Republican party made up of Ensign-Sanford-Palin-Vitter-Craig and co., who wander from scandal to scandal. They seem to be led by either a war criminal or a drug addict. The drug addict hopes our country fails. The war criminal is hoping for another terrorist attack (like the one he allowed). One of the party's spokesmen was on Faux the other day hosting a traitor who actually expressed that wish, that Bin Lauden would attack and kill thousands, while the fool (Glenn Beck, for those who didn't see it) nodded his head in approval. The quicker the Republican party folds its little pup tent and slinks into the garbage heap of history where it belongs, the better. Then we can get a real, meaningful opposition that will offer ideas and prod the Democrats to do what needs to be done.

"I have said Sarah Palin's political ambition combined with her intellect is like putting a jet engine on a golf cart; lots of horse power and no steering capabilities. Today she proved it." --Alaska blogger Shannyn Moore

Ammon at Nine

Ammon turned nine this week, and on Sunday a bunch of us got together to mark the occasion. Murray was in fine form, chasing anything that moved, and Joshua had a great time throwing things for him. Josh was always surprised and happy when Murray licked his face. Lura was looking great in her beautiful red dress. We all had tacos for dinner and Ben and Sarah brought homemade blueberry icecream for desert. They also made their own cones and "dishes" with a wonderful, old-fashioned piece of kitchen equipment Sarah (Shultis) had found at Goodwill for $4 or something. The homemade cones were a great accompaniment to the sweet, tasty ice cream, which tasted like a bite of frozen blueberries in every mouthful.

Sam is off to scout camp in July-he'll be 12 on the 24th!

Ben is going to Minnesota to work on his doctorate there in the middle of July.

Father's Day 2009

I had a great Father's Day. Went up to Whidbey Island and spent the weekend with Becky and her family. On Saturday we took a trip to Coupeville, just north of them, and took a walking tour of the tiny downtown. We walked out on the dock and saw a seal, and just took in the scenery. We went home for a dinner of bleu-cheese burgers and ice cream.

Sunday, Becky made a great breakfast with blueberry waffles and a blueberry smoothie. We spent the morning playing together. Then Mike and Becky put out a great lunch of grilled pork skewers with veggies and a tangy sauce. Mike made good use of his Father's Day gift, a new gas grill, very fancy and modern! I got some good books to read, and I'm looking forward to that. The day was topped off by the traditional strawberry-rhubarb pie, always a great way to end a day.

The only difficult part of the weekend was the struggle of their new puppy, Luna, who had been spayed and tore out her stitches and then her staples. Becky had to make 2 emergency runs to Mount Vernon to get the dog treated. She seems to be doing better now, but that's been a challenge for them. They have to keep the dog pretty drugged up to keep her quiet as she needs to be.

Star Trek

Movie Review

I took Sam, Ammon and Ben to see Star Trek. I was a little anxious about the new crew playing old roles-though I understand that the remaining members of the original cast are aged a bit past playing action roles. I was really worried about Zachary Quinto as Spock, because I don't like him much in "Heroes." He did a good job, though, and I quickly forgot about his other roles. Chris Pine was fine as Kirk, and didn 't chew the scenery nearly as much as William Shatner. Zoe Saldana as Uhura is amazing and lovely and perfect. Leonard Nimoy did fine as the older Spock. The adventure was good and exciting, the special effects were not out of control but supported the plot and action. A very solid movie, 4 stars (of 5) and I recommend seeing it. The theater was full, we had done well to get there a little early.

Ice Cream with Lura and Joshua

I took Sam and Ammon out to see Star Trek, which is a little to old a movie for Joshua and Lura, so I took them out to DQ for ice cream. You can see that Lura's approach is a bit neater than Joshua's. I appreciate that Sarah dressed Joshua up in new clothes before we left-I should've gotten a "before" picture. He really enjoyed the ice cream, but after a short time it was dripping off his wrists. I'd never seen that before!

Ben's Family Garden

Ben and his family have planted a nice garden in raised beds. When I visited today, Sam and Joshua harvested the first radishes and they planted some lettuce, spinach, beans, peas, sunflowers, pumpkins, and arugula. Yeah, they're elitist arugula planters too, just like the Obamas. Ben built a small green house with plastic sheets and tubing. Because they're close to an old smelter in Tacoma, they have to plant in raised beds (high levels of arsenic in the native soil). In the greenhouse, they have tomatos and peppers as well as first crop radishes. You can see this great head of red lettuce, really big and beautiful. They're excited to harvest later in the summer.