Clocks

I am strangely aware of one-two-three-four o'clock (colloquially known as "12:34 PM"). I find the numerical order humorous.

Ask my wife.

Choo, choo!

My only rule for stores is "If you pick it up and leave it as/better than you found it: it's fair game." That includes letting Shane build a 30 boxed train convoy.

The day he figures out that I can buy things is going to be a dark day.   : )

Always Check for Smudges

It seemed like a great idea.

One of the science teachers at my school has a pumpkin decorating contest every year. Students bring in their 'canvas,' work their creative magic, and then fill the locker pod. Staff can vote on their favorites for the rest of the week. On Friday, students can take their pumpkins home or opt to leave them for staff.

I grabbed a 'Minion' one. 

There is a little resemblance.

Unfortunately, the one I took home had some weird type of paint on it. It rubbed right off on my clothes.

It got on the car seat, my work bag, my pants, and my leather jacket. I didn't realize it until I was talking to Carrie on the way home. She got to hear my dawning "Oh, Crap!" of comprehension.

Hopefully, it will come out. I'm sure the khaki's didn't cost more the $20 brand new, but they were a newer work pair.

Unfortunate, a little annoying, but not the end of the world. There's still food on the table and the sun will rise tomorrow.

Here's the funny part.

Hilarious

Monkey Joe's

A couple of weeks ago, it was a rainy Sunday. Carrie, Shane and I all went to Monkey Joe's to get out of the house and have a little adventure!

We took a bunch of video, but it turns out it takes a lot of time to go through and edit it! I think Shane banged on the keyboard once or twice when I wasn't looking and it threw all the colors off.

One day (if I have time) I'll add a music track and go back and try to figure out what threw all the colors off. I could probably spend an hour or two cutting seconds here and there too, but there's that pesky time component creeping in again!

Here's what I've got for now!

Good News from Sunday School

"I wanted to let you know that your son pooped in the toilet today." The Sunday school teacher smiled. "He told us he needed to go and he went!"

My heart leaped for joy. I told Shane how proud I was of him and he grinned and grinned.

Fast forward three hours and he took a dump behind his poop chair. He was not happy when I told him it was changing time. "I not done!"

Progress!

Toilet Turds

Have I mentioned Shane poops in the potty now?

Last Saturday, Shane woke up and looked me straight in the eye. "I need to poop in potty!"

I was taken aback. He's probably just saying that, because he wants garbage truck time, I thought.

Shane walked across the hall to the bathroom. I helped him up and he dropped a turd in five-seconds or less.

I made a huge deal out of it.

Will wonders never cease!?!? "YOU DID IT SHANE! HOORAY!!!"

I can't remember, but I may have woken up Carrie.

Shane almost fell in trying to bend over and examine his handiwork. He looked up with a big grin. "I want to watch garbage trucks!" He'd known all along what pooping meant.

We went downstairs and we watched the beejeebers out of YouTube garbage trucks.

"I want chocolate!" Shane said next.

I gave him chocolate.

I was on cloud nine. I wanted to shout to the world "My son poops in a toilet!"

Later in the day, he ran behind his pooping chair. "Shane, do you want to poop in the potty for more garbage trucks?" I asked.

"NO! I NO WANT TO GO IN POTTY! I POOP IN PANTS!"

And so, I didn't proclaim anything to the world.

The next day, Shane woke up and the cycle started again. "I want garbage trucks! I need to poop in potty!"

It's been hit or miss since. Sometimes Shane asks to use the potty or I talk him into it. Other times, I notice the furrowed eyebrows and grunts too late or Shane refuses.

If he's on a playground, all bets are off. Tunnels, swings and slides are a natural laxative.

It's still progress!

Simple Saturdays

Today was a prime example of a simple, restful Saturday.

Shane slept in. That alone is golden. He didn't wake up until between 7:30 and 8:00!

We spent the morning inside. I did the dishes and started a load of laundry while Shane chased Carrie around the house. There was a lot of giggling from them both.

Carrie and I talked about going to Cox Farms, but we decided to wait until the my teacher workdays when the price goes down ($17 per person --> $9 per person).

We ended up going to Costco instead.

Have I mentioned I love Costco? It's on my fan-list.

Carrie shopped while Shane and I went to each tasting station. We had sausage with apple, chicken parmesan meatloaf, mac and cheese, chicken fajitas, bacon, mashed potatoes with bacon, spaghetti and tomato sauce, cinnamon coffee cake, and I got a peewee cup of coffee. The portions aren't large, but I usually take one sample for Shane and myself, stroll around the corner, and let Shane have both.

He eats most of it, believe it or not. I got Shane to try some yakisoba noddles with vegetables he promptly half chewed and spit back in the cup and he refused the spaghetti, but everything else went down the hatch.

Afterwards, we came home, unloaded, and everyone napped.

Carrie made bread after we woke up. Shane and I went to to Burger King to play (Chick-Fil-A's play-area was closed). Shane was kind enough to wait a full 10-15 minutes before pooping. He's now 2 for 2 there.

It was a simple pleasure sort of day.

Part-Time Carrie

Carrie was offered the part-time position!

She brought home 'victory food!'

We're very excited.

Carrie's ready to learn new things, spend more time with Shane, and branch out in her organization. She hopes to go full time again once Shane's older and in school.

We don't know when the new position will start, but the offer was made (and accepted).

If Carrie had been in this position already, we wouldn't have needed to take any days off work or ask Genevieve to babysit. Carrie would've watched Shane during the day, and I would have tagged in for my turn after work. I would not have minded taking some leave off one day to help, but it would have been nice not to be required to (and paying for day-care all the while).

So, prayers answered. Hopefully no curve balls loop in. Carrie had to bite her nails over a month from hearing about the opening, to interviewing, to hearing the result, so it wasn't a cakewalk.

I'll write more when I know more. G'night!

Goose Egg

We decided last night: Shane was going to go to 'school' today.

Ear infections aren't contagious, he had the antibiotics in his system for over 24 hours, and we're still paying $$$ for day-care.

Shane was going to try and go to day-care whether he liked it or not! Ha!

There was no fever! I told the woman at the front desk and the teacher that Shane had an ear infection and told them to give me a call at work if necessary.

If there had been a fever, I was ready to give him a quick morning dose of ibuprofen to get him out the door and playing. If it faded and they noticed, I figured it'd be closer to nap time and most of my hard to cover classes would be done anyway. I could skeedaddle and pick him up with minimum fuss. I would have still warned them about the ear infection. I would want to know if Shane felt ill and he's going to be on antibiotics for two weeks. It's not like it's going away anytime soon.  

Well, they called! It wasn't for the reason I expected, though.

The day-care called me in class to let me know Shane hit his head on the playground. His teacher watched it happen. She said Shane ran one way and looked the other. He careened straight into a tricycle, flipped over it and hit his head. He missed the mulch and hit the concrete. Ouch.

All that time spent wondering about a fever and I never stopped to consider Shane putting the hurt on himself.

The teacher said that they'd put ice on it and Shane was annoyed. He wanted to go back out and play! My parental paranoia subsided.

The boy must have inherited my thick skull. I've got a permanent mini-lump from a childhood face-plant myself. Shane was ready to play and party when the ambulance showed up when he tumbled down the stairs all that time ago.

So Shane stayed at school and I stayed at work. I left work on time-ish (shockingly) to pick him up. He was having a ball and didn't want to leave until one kid ran over and grabbed his Legos.

He was ready to go home then.

I got the Legos back for him and tried to take some pictures of Shane's forehead lump and cheek scrapes, but he wasn't interested in my photography attempts.

It was a busy week with Min, ear infections, field trips, and tumbles, but it's the weekend now! 

Making Music

My work friend, Matt, talked me into running a guitar club with him this year.

The logic behind it was infallible:

1) We both want to learn more.
2) We would get paid.
3) We stay after school anyway. Why not do something that benefits kids and fulfills options 1 and 2?

So now I'm in charge of a club after school, doing something I wish I had time for, and getting a couple of extra bucks a week. I'm not a guitar pro by any measure, but I know enough to be dangerous and maybe get a few kids who are interested in learning started. I also know enough lingo I can talk to the kids who really know their stuff.

We had 13 kids show up today. There's the band that practices in the hallway who brings their own amps, equipment, and even video-camera to the kids I'm trying to teach to tune and hold a guitar. There's a couple of kids in the middle group who come to watch YouTube lessons, talk, and hangout.

Matt's brilliant.

Maximum Cute

Max has been cute lately. It started a few months back, but she's even letting Shane near her now.

Provided he's sick and doesn't move very much. She's being more friendly, but she's not stupid. It made for a quick cute picture or two.

Return of the Ear Infections

Well that didn't take long.

Carrie and I took Shane to get looked at today. Genevieve watched him during the day and he acted like he felt fine when he had medicine in his system, but whenever the medicine started to wear out it was clear something was amiss.

Shane got his throat swabbed for strep, his nose probed for the flu, and his ears peeked in.

It was the ears. Go figure, that a tube falls out and WHAM! Ear infection. The other tube is also out but hanging out in the ear canal.

Shane's got antibiotics in his system and Carrie's staying home with him tomorrow. I know we originally wanted to avoid that, but tomorrow is the big science field trip for my team.

It's her turn anyway! Hopefully, it will be a relatively nice day for them. Shane's sick, but the meds are effective. That could mean lots of cuddles, TV, and playing with minimum drama.

I wonder if this is a coincidence or if it's the start of a trend that will lead to surgery again.

It worked wonders the first time, so I'd do it again in heartbeat.

Sick Day with Shane

Carrie and I took Shane to Harris Teeter yesterday evening. He was slightly warm to the touch when we got there. He was feverish when we left. 

We decided I would stay home with him today. It was Carrie's turn, but we're supposed to hear if she gets to switch to part time this week. They won't interview the last candidate until Wednesday. 

So here I am. 

Shane's got the best kind of fever for the situation. It goes high enough there's no doubt he's sick, but not into parent panic land. Then it goes down nice and low to 99.8 when given ibuprofen. There's no projectile vomit, Hershey squirts or other visible symptoms than Shane visibly feeling under the weather when the medicine wears off. 

Shane has taken the medicine without a fuss. He woke up at 4:30 AM and even asked for it! I couldn't get him back to sleep (trust me, I tried), but things have run smoothly since. I ran into work to set up sub plans and got home in time for Carrie to leave for her job on time-ish (who knows about traffic, though!). 

Now, Shane and I are watching TV and YouTube after an hour bath. He's so into it, I've been interspersing some cleaning and writing (you're reading some of it!).

Perpetually Entertained

Carrie took me shopping yesterday morning. 

No shoe stores (thank God). We went to Home Depot and a garden store instead.

So there I was...starving. I didn't have breakfast before we left to take Shane to day-care. Carrie was also being very thorough, so I started to ADHD scan around. You're only bored if you don't do something about it. 

A Toast to Min

Min left us today.

I made the call.

It was hard.

I stayed with Min when she was injected. I felt it was my duty. I asked for it, so I felt called to witness it and be with her at the end.

I'm not a cat fan, but Min was my cat.

She was the cat Carrie entrusted to me while we were still dating. Min had been spayed and she had to separate Min and Max. She asked me to watch over her at my apartment. I remember reading all sorts of articles on how cats think online (since I had no clue). She used to sleep on me at night and I trained her how to jump up and turn off light switches.

That faded over the past several years as I developed my cat allergy. I didn't pet her as much, because it left me with a burning/itching/tickling sensation in my nose for the next day or so. I started to tell Shane Min was his cat and hoped they would bond as he grew up with her. I told Carrie it would be nice if we started leaving his door open at some point, so she could sleep with him (she'd have loved to sleep in our room, but I'm allergic).

There's no chance of that now.

It was over so quickly. It surprised me. There was no dimming of light in her eyes or any visible sign. She simply stopped at some point. I didn't even notice. I realized she wasn't moving or breathing and wondered "When did that happen?"

I don't want to do that again, but I guess it's part of the responsibility that comes with owning a pet. You see things through. The vet would've done it without me as a witness (Carrie was crying in the waiting room), but Min knew me and I believe if you make the call you should face it. It's not meant to be easy. It's meant to teach respect for what a gift life is.

Thank you, God, that I got to know Min. I pray that I made the right call and that it was by your will she passed. I will hold my son and wife closer in her memory.

Good bye, Min. You were 'only a cat,' but you were still part of my family.

Ear Tube

One of Shane's ear tubes came out today! Carrie said the other one looked loose or maybe even out in the ear, too. Maybe it'll drop out later today. 

Is there a tube fairy?

MomMom's Visit

Last Sunday, MomMom, Grandma and Grandpa visited. We were going to visit them until Min got on her antibiotic regimen.

They're cat people, so they understood.

They're also car people who don't mind long car rides and love Wegman's (which we have around here and they don't!). We all met up for lunch and Shane-anigans and came back to our place to visit.

It was nice getting a chance for MomMom to see Shane. I want that relationship for both of them. She's 92 years old, lives in Montana, and insists (each time) that she may not make the trip out here ever again.

I told her "That means we'll have to visit you!" I have family from Nebraska, so I know the Great Plains rock. I've never been to the Rocky Mountains, but I like exploring and it's nice to have an excuse reason!

It'd be nice to do a 'summer tour' and hit multiple time zones to visit family when Shane's older. He's not that far from the age where memories stick!

I was waiting on pictures from Grandpa before I was going to post this, but they're very busy in his 'retirement.' They spent this weekend at an Italian festival running a booth and advertising for their start-up travel business.

It was a fun visit. Carrie, Shane, and I are looking forward to the next time we can drive down to visit them for a weekend. I got to fly a plane last time!

Smokestacks

Shane's been more fond of "school" for the past couple of weeks. Maybe it's because he threw a truck and went "secret commando.*"

Nah, I'm just being facetious there. I think that Shane's figured out what he likes about school. He'll still protest in the morning when he figures out where he's going, but he greets me with a smile and won't always leave right away when I pick him up.

If I show up during story-time, he'll refuse to go until it's finished. He makes me sit with him.

If it's block time, I have to marvel at his "smoke stack."

It is impressive.

How does he get it that high? He picks it up and builds it from the bottom.

Carrie interviewed for the night position last week, so we'll find out at the end of this week if Shane will be sticking with day-care or shifting towards more Mommy time. Whatever happens, I think it was a mostly good experience for him. I'd recommend our daycare to others.

*Secret Commando - The same day Shane threw a truck, he covertly removed his diaper. He pulled his pants back up, ran around outside, and then hosed himself down. Hilarious when it's not on my watch!

Public Restroom Fun

Hand dryers are still a big hit. Shane's going to be sad when he's too tall to fit under them.

Puzzling Behavior

For those of you who may be suffering from Shane withdrawal, I have a really long video of Shane figuring out a puzzle with Mommy.

I didn't realize how painful it can be to hold a tiny phone steady that long. My wrist cramped.

Bee Careful

Shane got his first bee sting today.

Carrie and I were on a "date afternoon." Our neighborhood sitter, Meghan, and Shane were outside.

A bee decided to fly over and Shane, in his infinite toddler wisdom, decided he wanted to hold it.

He held it, all right!

The bee protested and soon Meghan had to pluck the stinger out. She said that he cried for less than five minutes before the TV worked it's hypnotic magic.

Shane's thumb is a little swollen, but that appears to be the extent of the damage. There was no crazy allergic reaction. He doesn't like me to poke or prod it, so I don't (which is kind of rude, because he always wants to poke and prod any "boo-boos" I have!).

Was the lesson learned? I wouldn't be surprised if Shane tried to pick up another bee tomorrow. He's a mix of stubborn, curious and impulsive that doesn't always equate to avoiding the painful teachable moments the first time around.

Daddy's boy!

Learning Fun

Shane's really good with his alphabet. Little games like this have really helped!

Musical Boy

Shane LOVES music. He sings constantly. He has a great memory for songs that Nana, School, or I sing to him.

Carrie and I were very surprised when he started humming "In the Hall of the Mountain King," though.

For one, it's classical. There are no words and it's a more complicated tune than most kiddie songs.

Second, the only place he's seen it is on Little Einsteins.

Shane was spot on. Carrie started humming it with him and leaving out notes for him to fill in. I ran to the other room and pulled the song up on YouTube. I only meant for Shane to listen to it, but he was drawn to the music (and computer) like a moth to flame. A grin split his cheeks, he hopped up, and ran laughing to the living room.

I was smart enough to catch part of it on camera. I love to hear Shane laugh.

My parents banned my brothers and sisters from joining band after my aborted attempt (they politely asked me to stop practicing right away!). I wonder if Shane is going to be interested in picking up an instrument early.

Tunnel Love

"He was waiting for a tunnel!" Pop laughed.

Nana and Pop thought Shane was constipated.

He wasn't. He was holding out for a special occasion.

Nana and Pop called me to arrange the hand-off. Shane spent the night with them Monday. It was time to come home and Kathleen and Cole's flight arrived tonight, so Nana and Pop wanted to meet up somewhere fun on their way to the airport.

Chic-Fil-A.

After demanding a balloon, Shane ran up into the play tunnels.

"It's starting to stink in there!" Nana laughed. "Should you go up and get him?"

"No one's crying yet," I replied.

We all sat down outside and waited. The trick is Shane gets bored and will look for his audience.

"He ate a lot of fruit today," Pop said.

"Here it is!" I said.

There are some thing you can count on: God, taxes, death, and Shane to use a playground as his muse. I snuck in and snatched my son when he came down the slide.

Nana, Pop, and I parted ways and I strapped my squishing son into his car seat.

When we got home I assessed the damage.

"Nana, I'm calling to let you know that it got in his socks." I said.

She laughed and laughed.

"It went down his pants, in his socks, and up his back!" I'd have talked longer, but Shane was already running around the shower.

"He was waiting for a tunnel" indeed!

Naughty Notes

There was another incident report in Shane's cubby at school today.

He and a 'friend' argued over a truck. Shane then threw the truck and clocked his friend in the head.

Last Thursday, Georgeanne left a note saying that teachers reported Shane was throwing and pushing. He also wasn't listening to directions. He would run around and no heed calls to stop and kept taking his shoes off. At one point, he ditched his diaper, pulled up his pants, and ran outside a secret commando.

The secret only lasted until he hosed himself down. 

I swear my kid can play nice. I have proof!

Naughty notes from teachers suck. This was an empathy building moment for me. I'll remember it the next time I have to write home about a student.

Shane's definitely been acting out more at school lately. I've noticed the afternoon teachers are different and with the new crop of kids he's picked up some behaviors, too. 

Or it could just be Shane's fault. Kids test boundaries. Schools have lots of boundaries and he's got the energy to test them all!

Sometimes, Shane will "experimentally" throw stuff or try to whack me when he's mad at home. He'll look me in the eye to gauge my reaction as he does it. Often, he'll end up in time out and doesn't repeat the behavior, but I don't think they do that at school. Maybe he thinks he's getting away with something.

As for the running away, that's a behavior I see at home all too often. When Shane gets sad, upset, mad, happy, excited, hyper, or whatever the reason he does not stop when he's at a run. If we're outside, I have to sprint after him or he'll dash further and further away. He'll cry when I pick him up and take him back inside, but then he'll dash off again the first time a bug catches his eye or the whim strikes him. 

The only thing that will sometimes work is to yell "Red Light!" If Shane decides that sounds like a fun game to play he'll stop for 2 to 3 seconds. I have managed to teach Shane not to go into the street without me. It's not something I really want to test along a busy road (or anywhere else a car may be), but it shows Shane can learn when he wants to! 

Listening, discipline....the fun parts of parenting. Many of us are still working on our own listening skills and self-discpline the rest of our lives, but it starts young!

My plan is to teach Shane "Simon Says" to practice listening and following instructions. If only I could get him to stay in one room long enough to play....

PS - Just about every parent I've told "Shane clocked another kid with a truck at school" says "That's about normal!" I laugh and imagine I survived long enough to earn my "Naughty Note" parenting badge. 

Who'd Have Thunk?

Shane likes to eat dried seaweed with Mommy. Who'd have thunk?

Actually, it tastes a lot like a healthy potato chip. Even I don't mind them.

Who'd have thunk? * 2

Shutdown Effects

That was the easiest 5 o'clock commute I've ever had....in the rain.

A surprising perk of the situation.

Min-imum Luck

There was blood in the litter box Friday.

Shortly thereafter, Min peed on Shane's little chair and the two black chairs in quick succession. 

Whatever ailed Min was back. 

It looked like she was on the mend. We gave Min the last of the antibiotics a week ago; she was roaming the house; there were no puddles to be found. 

Now, she's in kitty lock-down on what could be her final round of medicine.

Carrie, Shane and I took Min to the vet this morning. Shane played with the bird in the lounge (hilarious), and I talked to the veterinarian. 

I asked about x-rays. 

He said that unless I was willing to pay for surgery (~$1200 after the x-rays) then there wasn't a point. It would just be paying money for no gain. He ended up giving me a stronger round of antibiotics (since it seemed to work before).

If that doesn't work, Min may be going to sleep.

Thank God for the vet's honesty. It was a relief when the vet told me there wasn't a point.  I knew I wasn't going to pay for surgery going in, but Min's been around too long for me to give up on her without trying something. She was the cat that opened me up to cats. I was tempted to get an x-ray just to try know what was going on. I've been telling Shane Min is "his cat" to try and build a bond and teach some empathy.

I'm praying that the antibiotics will work, but I will do what needs to be done if they don't. I wouldn't want Min to suffer. 

Carrie, Shane, and I were supposed to go down to visit MomMom, Grandma and Grandpa this weekend. I arranged for a sub on Monday and everything. But now that we've started life-or-death antibiotics we had to cancel. Grandma understood, and they're going to drive up tomorrow to visit us instead. It's not ideal for MomMom to go through a long car ride, but Carrie comes from a long line of cat-people. We are very grateful for their willingness to change the plan.

My family? I'd quote Nana, but it's simpler to say "they're dog-people." I'm sure they'll support whatever we decide to do as well.

That's where we stand as I write this. This was a hard entry to write. I still don't think I got the words right, but Min warrants something rather than nothing.

Consignment Sales

PS - Consignment sales are as cool as garage sales if not cooler. I went to one on Saturday with Nana.

The prices are usually higher, but a portion of the proceeds almost always goes to a good cause. I got a bunch of clothes for Shane and a big wheel for $20. He needed new pants, because he's outgrown (and worn out) most of the knees on his.

Used is awesome.

I could have bought one pair of baby pants at Baby Gap for the same price I got a big toy, multiple pants, pajamas, shirts, and even a pair of suit pants with a vest.

Nostalgia: How Did September 11 Affect Me?

On September 11th, I woke up the same as any other day. I jumped in my car, a blue geo prism that'd seen better days, and drove to school.

I was 19 years old. 

The class I was attending was an early morning (for college) lab. I had to take a course that was called something like Electrical and Computer Engineering. It was for my CS degree at GMU. The lab is where we poked around with wires and simple processors to learn how to make simple logic circuits to model logic problems.

But I digress.

I had a radio in the car, but I don't recall hearing anything suspicious on the way to class. I parked in a commuter lot and started the long walk to class.

It was a quiet morning, but I didn't notice anything awry. Colleges aren't typically full of morning people in my experience.

When I got to the lab, it was empty save one other person. The teacher's aide looked up at me and said, "Class is cancelled." He may have said something more, but I don't recall. I remember the tables, the stools, and the empty lab and a growing sense of "something's weird."

I drove home.

My next strong memory is walking in the front door to my parent's house. Nana was in the office. The news was on.

That's when I saw the planes.

The footage played over and over and over.

Living so close to the Pentagon, we knew many people who were effected. It felt like there was an oppressive pall draped over the area.

Soon, I remember the pride and outrage. Bill and Dan's dad showed us a joke I remember to this day: It involved rebuilding the two towers in the shape of an upraised middle finger. Then there was another joke about the future, a time around today, when a father tells his son about September 11th and the boy looks up and asks "What's a terrorist?"

I could go on. I remember the initial invasion of Iraq. The internet was alight with humorous pictures of their minister of propaganda saying "What invasion? There's no invasion!" as he dodged tanks or his camel exploded.

September 11th was a day that felt hyper real and burned an image of itself into my head.

It certainly was a day that changed things. 

I remember watching the beginning of Patriot Games on TV in sixth grade. A terrorist to me was a sniper or a bomber in the Irish Republican Army. The Middle East wasn't really on my threat radar. 

I remember people tying yellow ribbons around trees in Beaumont during the Gulf War, but there was never a sense of threat. 

September 11th galvanized me to start reading the news. I pretty much ignored it before. I figured all the TV news channels were sensationalists who hyped up negative stories and replayed the them over and over for ratings. 

Actually, I still think they do too much of that. I found I could control more of the content by reading online.

It seems like a small change, but it's one that's persisted. I boot up and load a news website to scan headlines at the start of any work day. It's not that I expect to find a disaster, but I want to be aware if there is something going on I should be aware of.

"You don't forget where you were on September 11th," I was told.

It's certainly true for me.

Today? Not so much.

Historic Day

Since today is probably somewhat historic, I guess I should post something.

The federal government shut down.

What a bunch of idiots.

Hopefully it resolves quickly.  I'm still praying for the morons in DC, because they're who we've got right now.

Carrie and I are County employees, so we're not directly affected. Not all of our neighbors are so lucky.

Current events post concluded.

PS - Though I wonder if this will affect my family working abroad for the State Department. I figure they'd be deemed 'essential personnel...'