First Game

Robotech nerdiness follows:

Saturday Reading

Shane and I took some time to read together Saturday morning.

Then he cuddled up with Mommy in the evening.

We like books!

Black Friday Shopping

Carrie and I aren't big on Black Friday, but she did slip out for a 30 minute supply run to Home Depot. There was one $14 purchase that she expects will change our lives: a hand vacuum.

Shane loves it. He wanted to vacuum our whole house!

Which we were totally okay with.

No, we were thrilled!

We had to institute breaks for the vacuum to 'recharge' and/or 'cool down.' It was more for us than for Shane! He was on a mission.

I told him that we were "all done" after he tackled Carrie and I's bedroom. I told him there were no more rooms without carpets upstairs. He ran and checked.

He returned excited. "The little bathroom has no carpet, Daddy!"

So we vacuumed that, too.

Our house is going to be much cleaner until the charm wears off!

Thanksgiving 2014 Round 1

Shane and I arrived early to help with Thanksgiving preparations at Nana's house.

By help, I mean we went upstairs and played lots of whack-a-mole. We rand around and played with a plush minion toy, too.

I took a picture of a deer.

Maybe we weren't the most helpful. Nana asked me to wash some fruit. I did, but she ended up washing it again later. Have I mentioned I'm next to useless in a kitchen? 

The guests of honor arrived slightly before noon. Steve is a Vietnam veteran. He lost his legs due to medical complications (a couple of?) years ago. He brought another veteran friend, his sister, and her husband to help celebrate.

Some of the regulars showed up later!

Most of my siblings weren't present, but Patrick drove back from Harrisonburg.

Shane immediately assumed Patrick was his designated entertainer. Nana was too busy. My son dumped out some blocks in the den. When I asked if I could play, he said, "Not you, Daddy! These are for Patrick! I need you to go away."

I love Thanksgiving. All of the food is great, but I mainly like having a low-key day to spend around family, friends, and people in general.

And if you're tired you relax. It's a holiday tradition!

After lunch, John came over. John, Patrick, Shane and I all went to check the book drop at the library. John did the checking. Shane and I did some wrecking. Patrick talked to John while he worked.

When John and I used to work together as pages, library closings meant rubber band wars amongst the stacks. We told Shane he could yell in the library "today only," but he corrected us.

"You have to be quiet in the library!" Shane said.

"When have you ever been quiet in a library?" John laughed.

Shane insisted we put a Magic School Bus book on John's desk for check out when the library re-opened.

The poor guy was tuckered out by the time we got home. He had a late nap.

I wish Carrie had made it with us, but she spent the whole morning cooking. That's another story and another post.

Shane and I did an excellent job staying out of the way! Shane napped through the final preparations when we did return. Great success!

2014's First Snow

The first snow of 2014 hit Wednesday afternoon. It wasn't the record breaking feet that walloped Buffalo. It was mostly rain.

The initial weather reports Tuesday said 8-12". A few hours later it was 3-5". A couple hours after that it was 1-3". Temperatures never dropped below freezing and we ended up in more danger of flooding than covered roads.

And of course we went out and played in it. Shane insisted. 

There wasn't much, but the first snow is still magical to a little boy.

Daniel and his dad met us outside. We played and walked around the circle, before transitioning inside to our house. Jessica brought the baby by to say "hi," too!

It was great seeing them. Shane was a fussy toot almost the whole time, though. Maybe it's because it's on his home turf. Maybe it's because Daniel knows how to push his buttons. They would both want the same train or to stand in the same spot and the tears flowed (97% Shane's). They both decided to play well right before it was time for Daniel to go home. Getting along: it's a learning process. They got some good experience and I hope something stuck.

I, also, hope that some of the snow sticks next time. My school district changed up it's calendar. We have a ton of snow days now! I'd prefer most to happen in the long February/March stretch, but I wouldn't be opposed to an early one or two to help meet our quota...

Wrestling Then and Now: Certified Athletic Trainers

It feels like we send at least four kids to the trainers every practice.

I don't think I knew I could visit the trainer my first year of wrestling. The office was tucked far away from the wrestling room and in the boy's sport's locker room. I don't know how the female athletes accessed it. Maybe there was another door somewhere?

Now, it's right down the hall. Our wrestlers will show up before practice to get wrists and ankles taped, have sore joints or bruises examined, grab an ice pack early...it's totally different from what I remember. The trainers are also highly trained. They're halfway to being a doctor specializing in sports injuries. When I was in school, I don't think I realized my old trainer did more than examine our pee in cups to measure hydration, check body fat, wipe up blood, and call 911.

The way injuries are looked at has changed. 

As a senior, I once showed up sick to practice for wrestle offs. I was decked out in sweats and shaking with fever chills. The coach let me warm up, crash on the side, and then called me out to defend my spot on Varsity. After I won, I collapsed back on the sidelines miserable (but relieved I won). 

I don't think today's trainers would have let me set foot on the mat. 

I made a comment to Coach Z about the number of kids we had visiting the trainer. He had a colorful reply about what their elbows are connected to I almost published (heh!). 

Some of it is for the better. No one wants a kid to suffer a horrific injury. Some of it supports injury/legal paranoia. A kid who bumped his knee doesn't need an ice pack and a massage before they can do sit-ups. 

Right now, our wrestling room is fairly full. It's helped cause a few accidents. Two kids practicing single leg take downs swung their drilling partners into a head on collision. One kid's skull must have been thicker than the other's, because he gave him a concussion. Another kid got hit in the nose and it swelled up real nice. The trainer recommended x-rays to check if it was broken. We used to have a funny face mask they'd make you wear if you broke your nose when I wrestled, but this kid just sits out and does push-ups here. Lots of bumps and bruises happen daily, but that's wrestling. There's nothing gentle about a cross-face or getting your head stuffed in a mat. One of our captains bleeds on his partner/best friend every day. 

Lastly, I'm not supposed to call our trainers trainers. They're Certified Athletic Trainers. ATCs for short. Whoever came up with that must be a dog person. 

Nightly Routine

Whenever Carrie gets home from work, she hops on the computer. Then she applies for jobs, watches something on Netflix to de-stress or does some combination of both. She said she nearly had a panic attack at work today. They were understaffed and overbooked. Where four people were supposed to work, she faced the tide alone. Tonight, Carrie fell asleep on the couch after reading a book to Shane. He ran to the bathroom and came back to find Mommy zonked.

It's safe to say my wife is not happy with her job.

What's new is she's also unhappy with the area we live. She's ready for a change.

We've talked about this before. My plan was always to move at some point even before I met Carrie. The goal was to survive the rat race long enough to get a solid financial start, and then relocate somewhere cheaper and more relaxed. Marriage didn't change that. There are all sorts of places Carrie and I would love to move to and explore (*cough, cough* Scotland! *cough, cough!). We bought our current house on a 5 year ARM just in case we decided to sell quickly.

I still thought it would happen a little later than right now. Carrie's already applied to jobs in different cities. On the other hand, I like my new school and I like working with the wrestling team. I make more as a teacher here than 30 year veterans with Doctorates in most of the state. I was considering going for my national board certification next year to help with my salary if we moved further down the line.

Part of it is I'm quick to put down roots. I look for things to like and end up content where I am. I was hesitant to sell our townhouse, too. It was the right choice and I have no regrets now. With Nana and Pop set to move, one of the strongest ties we have to this area will be gone. If Carrie gets offered her dream job, I want her to take it. Teachers are needed almost anywhere, so I have a fighting chance to find work wherever.

My prayer is that God will make His will evident and that we will follow it wherever it may lead us.

I'm not worried about it now. I've told Carrie she can quit her job for Shane's birthday or Christmas if she needs to. Things will work out. This blog is a "What I'm thinking" and "Shane, your parents didn't always have it all figured out!" sort of thing.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Old story I'm surprised was never recorded:

The night of my coaching class, I picked up Shane from day-care and drove him to Nana and Pop's. There was traffic along the way.

We stopped at a red light and Shane spoke up. "Daddy, I need to go pee."

"Can you hold it for a little bit?" I asked.

"My peeper is all full and gonna explode!"

I laughed. The cars around us probably heard.

"You have to hang on a minute, Shane. I can't drive through the cars in front of me."

A few seconds passed. Shane spoked up again."Daddy, my peeper is full and going to explode like a volcano!"

I was surrounded by cars with a desperate toddler and I could not stop smiling. I was insanely proud of how well Shane described his predicament. Insane, because my son was about to pee himself.

"Hold on one more minute, Shane. We'll stop up there," I said.

I pulled up and parked at an office building. Shane immediately started to cry, "No! Not there!" I dragged him out of the car.

A few minutes later I dragged him back out to the car. This time he was crying, because he did not want to leave the building. "Daddy! I want to go in the doctor's office with the toys!"

We had walked by an open allergists door. Guess what Shane saw inside?

"I'm sorry, Shane. There was no bathroom." Or if there was, it was behind security doors or in the allergists office. If it was the only building around, I would've gone in, but we were adjacent a huge shopping center.

I put Shane back in the car and hopped in. I started to drive around the corner to the tune of toddler protests. This time, Shane did not want to stop anywhere else. He wanted to hold it until Nana's house.

"It's okay, Daddy. If I pee in my underwear you can give me new underwear!" 

"No, we're going to stop at PetCo."

"PetCo? Oh yeah! That's a good idea, Daddy! Good job!"

No peepers exploded like volcanoes.

Snuggles!!

Carrie and Shane snuggled up and watched Milo and Otis tonight. I watched through the serving window off and on. Carrie didn't get her fill of cute and put on Kitten Party for a few minutes afterward. That's her special kitten smile.

Spots Switched

Whenever we cat sit for Kim and Ryan, I text Kim a picture of our visit. This was today's.

Carrie came with us and did all of the actual work. The cats will live another day!

Ferreting Out Memories

I was on distraction detail (I keep Shane busy so Carrie can shop) and I spotted this.

Ferrets bring back memories. Shane was busy trying to hang feeders on an empty bird cage, so I snapped a picture.

Growing up, Dan used to have ferrets. My brother, Matt, used to borrow a ferret to sneak in on the last day of school each year. The tradition started when Matt was in high school. He did it at least two years.

One year, to keep Nana and Pop out of the loop, Matt and I stashed the ferret in my room in the basement.

Ferrets are escape artists.

Matt knew this from trying to keep one in his backpack. The point was reinforced for me when the stinker woke me up several times in the middle of the night. The turd managed to escape from under a trash can with weights on top. I had to chase him and keep improvising makeshift cages half-asleep.

And then Shane made me hold him up to look at the Betas. Reminiscing was over!

Another Natural Disaster

Shane and I read a Magic School Bus book about volcanoes. It mentioned tsunamis. They are now officially a thing.

Shane used the yoga mat to make a "mountain waterfall tsunami bigger than all the waves in the world!" He'd drag it up the stairs and then drag it back down. Wash, rinse, repeat.

My kid is into natural disasters.

Work Emails

From my email:

"Again…..I am sorry about having to leave.  The kid threw a condom across the room……..say no more right????   The teacher is so frustrated.  "

Can't say I've had that pop up in my inbox before. Every year teaching holds new surprises.

Backlog Blitz

Nana told me to step up my game. She's on blog withdrawal. "Surely, you've had time to write a story by now?"

It's been pretty busy around here lately. Wrestling began, Carrie worked Saturday and her parents visited Sunday. Several nights, Carrie claimed the computer during prime writing time for her job hunt, too.

So enough excuses. Carrie passed out early tonight. Shane's asleep. I'm going to try to hammer out a backlog of stories.

Hazards of Married Life #231

Be careful with what you comb with. I grabbed this comb in the low light and mental haze of the early morning.

I noticed my hand was red when I was putting on my work pants. I retraced my steps and discovered this. Carrie used the comb when she added some color to her hair Sunday night. Thankfully, she chose red highlights. I guess my hair will look a little brighter than usual in some places!

There's a reason they call them "Whiteboards" and not "Ceramic Tile Boards."

Today, I made a giant graph on the floor. The kids were supposed to navigate across using their knowledge of domain and range not to step on any mines. Then we played 'Escape from East Berlin.' I told them where the holes were in the Berlin Wall in the form of X and Y intercepts.

I ran out of tape early and in the heat of the moment I grabbed a dry erase marker and tested it on the floor. It looked like it wiped up fairly easily.

It didn't. 

I burned more calories cleaning up from my lesson than I did teaching and planning it. Maybe it was because I left it there until the end of the day to clean up.

I won't know if the lesson was a huge success or not until the test. Hopefully something stuck other than the dry erase markers.

#ThatDidn'tBuffRightOut!

Grandma and Grandpa Visited!

Grandma and Grandpa drove up to visit today.

And yet, I don't have any pictures. Inconceivable! (And I know what that word means!)

It was good to see them again. It's been too long. They've been all around the world since the last visit. Grandpa showed me a bunch of pictures from their time in Israel. They talked to Carrie about whether or not she'd be interested in going to Wedding Expos/Shows for them to meet potential honeymooners, as well. It's part growing their business, part building and offering her possible job opportunities if she's so inclined. In return, Carrie tried to teach Grandpa about fantasy football. I ate General Tso's.

We ended up with a spic and span house from all of the pre-arrival cleaning, too! It was a good Sunday.

Nerd Day

John came over Saturday and we had a nerd-fest. We worked on our "fragiles."

I made a lot of progress. (I'll upload a pic later...gmail is acting silly)

I hope I can sell some of my excess models. I originally thought it would be great to buy enough and then sell enough to pay off my investment. I knew that was too starry eyed and dreamy to be true, but I figured I could recoup some. I got a better deal by buying more. That was before all of the delays hit and it took a year longer than expected to materialize.

Right now, I've got one box up on Craigslist. If I don't get any bites, I'll try eBay instead.

EDIT: I did manage to sell the one box on eBay. Hooray!

Coaching: Cut Day

The first week of practice wasn't very taxing.

For me, at least. The kids were run ragged.

There was a ton of conditioning to see who would have the will to stick with wrestling, and who wouldn't survive the 'cut.'

Really, the cut was pretty simple: If the kids showed up, did what they were told, and did their best they made the team. If they disappeared, skipped multiple days, or didn't show up they didn't make it. Nobody showed enough attitude to be detrimental to the team and get the boot. Eight kids were cut in all.

Wrestling is a difficult sport and Coach Z pulled no punches. Over half of the new freshmen didn't show up for Day 2. They didn't last long enough to get their name on the roster to be cut.

After practice, Coach Z wanted to make it a point that every kid was spoken to and told if they made the team or not. We got off to a slow start, so the other Assistant Coach and I split off with a list of our own to help move things along.

Boy, kids treat you differently when you're a coach and not a teacher. Maybe it's the type of kid, or the fruit of discipline planted early. Or maybe it's the fact the kids want to be on the team and it's a choice.

When we were done, we met back up with Coach Z.

He was grilling a freshman.

"Listen, I don't want to hear excuses. You bring what you need to bring to practice. Fix it." He looked up and saw our approach. "I was going to cut you, but Coach C said he liked your work effort."

Of course, Coach C had said no such thing.

He went along with it, though.

When the kid walked off, Coach Z started cracking up. "You saved him, C!"

"And I didn't even know I did it," Coach C deadpanned.

I doubt the kid will ever know. The ploy could have backfired, but the wrestler showed up for practice with all of his stuff on Monday. Nothing was forgotten. Maybe it's the start of growing some grit.

Wrestling: First Impressions

Some first impressions:

- I can feel the rust.

Coach Z basically ran everything the first week. I don't think I said more than a few sentences the first day. It was all conditioning anyway. I was there to establish myself a common fixture in the wrestling room.

The second day was more conditioning. I may have said a few more sentences.

Day three saw the first drills, but I did not wrestle with anyone. The exercises, the drills, the sweat, and the intensity all ring familiar. I remember it, but I also remember there's more than I'm remembering. Everything so far is related to the standing game; Not my strength.

Day four was the first time I grabbed a kids and went really hands on (I think). My mind remembered more details than my muscles did.

By day five, I was more comfortable. I'm not going to be in the same shape as any of the kids. I remember doing all of the exercises they've done (and more), but when I did a small workout at home I rediscovered my age and (lack of) shape. Thankfully, that's not my job. It's to give feedback and help push the kids to grow past their current limits.

I'm not ready to jump in and critique the Varsity wrestlers, though. There are some really skilled guys on the team. One just signed his letter of intent to join a college team. Another has 9 years of wrestling experience compared to my four. Everything coach has done so far has related to the standing game, as well.

Which brings me to my second thought.

-Coach Z really know his stuff.

He's very technical in how he describes what he wants. He's very clear, breaks things down, and tells exactly what to do and what not to do. I've already learned some new things. It seems like he has a clear curriculum he wants to teach.

Day 1 and 2 were all about conditioning. Day 3 introduced stance into the conditioning and moving in it properly. Day 4 brought in a single leg shot. Day 5 focused more on the shot and what Coach Z considered proper drilling.

-He's also very intense.

Coach Z was an all-american college wrestler. He made it to the national semi-finals after cutting 26 lbs in a week to make weight at 142 lbs. He talked about how he was so dehydrated and cramped he couldn't open his hands or even undress himself when he had to weigh in.

Now, he made it clear to the kids that they were going to cut weight smart and not do "any stupid shit like that."

Yes, he'll curse in front of the kids. He's not very PC either. It's very different from being in a classroom. Part of it (for me) is the transition from middle to high school. Some of the kids aren't really little kids anymore. They're not adults either.

It's been made very clear that there are standards and expectations. Anyone who doesn't like it can get the hell out.

-There's good, there's bad, but overall I have a lot to learn.

Honestly, Coach Z seems like a very good and very effective head coach to me. There're things I don't like about  how Coach Z runs practice, but there's a lot I do. I don't know the first thing about running a team myself. I know one kid is on the team, because his dad moved to make sure he was in our district. Coach Z has a history and a reputation of success.

Coach Z can be very intense, but I think he has the students' best interests in mind. He's told them multiple times that the goal of being on the wrestling team for four years is "To be a better person, to be a better athlete, to be a better wrestler. In that order." When there was one extremely un-athletic freshman failing at cartwheels, he held him upside down to walk him through it. The rest of the team finished their exercise and then watched quietly. Coach Z didn't quit and the kid didn't quit until he flopped out his last one. Everyone applauded, and Coach gave the kid a nod. When we talked about cuts Coach Z mentioned that he wasn't concerned with what a kid can't do. Our job is to teach. What the kids won't do/try is what will get them cut.

I won't say more here, because there's really not much more to say or that I'd want to post. This is the internet. I think I'm going to like coaching overall.

For now, I'm following two strategies.

"Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise." -Proverbs 17:28

and

"Better to be thought a fool and remain silent than to speak out and remove all doubt." -Abraham Lincoln.

I guess "silent" only applies when I'm in the wrestling room. I wrote quite a bit here.

-Carrie was wonderful.

Carrie had to shave hours to work Saturday, so she picked up Shane Tuesday-Friday. That let me stay at practice. On Friday, she surprised me by bringing Shane to visit. He loved running all over the mats. It's a good thing, because I disappeared into the locker room for the next hour to help with cut day. She had to borrow my wrestling shoes to chase him around!

-I think it was a good first week.

Now it's on to the second.

Halloween Party Costumes

I don't think I ever added a picture with me dressed up for the Halloween party. Fixed!

Career Choices

"I want to work to live and not live to work."

I said it many times growing up.

Today, I left for work around 6:40 AM and then got home around 6:45 PM. My philosophy has changed somewhat.

A job is not who someone is to a point. If you spend the majority of your waking hours doing something it will have an effect on who you are. Somewhere along the way, I decided that if I'm going to spend my life on something I want it to be something meaningful. Then, if I'm going to do it, I should do it well. I don't want to cross the line and make the job my life itself, but there is no refund on time. If I want what I spend to mean something, I can't do it half-fast. "Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, as for the Lord rather than men" (Col 3:23).

Plus, my career supports my wife and child. They're the most motivational thing that ever happened to me.

Carrie's in the crux where she's looking around for another job again. She loved her old job, but felt compelled to look when the hours were cut. The new job was fine the first month. Then it was not what was advertised by the second month. And now in the third month it's unpleasant. Carrie feels trapped, though. Her new job let Shane go into pre-school/day-care again and he's done really well. His writing has improved; He's working on reading. The social opportunities are wonderful, and Shane's made new friends, too. On Monday, wrestling practice made me late to pick up Shane. He was playing with Sevan and building blocks when I arrived..and he still didn't want to go.

Thus Carrie is on the hunt in the meantime. Ideally, a full time position would open back up at her old office. She's scheduled to do some part-time grant work for them in the new year, but she'd like more to do. Please say a prayer for her for guidance and that in the end she lands where God wants her to be.

Carrie's work schedule did work out well for wrestling this week, though. The practices are from 4-6 PM and normally I pick up Shane. Saturday is a workday, so Carrie's had to shave off some hours and she managed to work it so I'll be able to stay at practice most of the week. I don't feel like I'm contributing much of anything yet, but it is important to put in time so that kids see you as a fixture. That's pretty tough if no one recognizes you!

Saturday Play

Saturday morning, I got a text. Jessica asked if I could take Mike to pick up his car from the hospital. He'd left it there from the birth of Baby Eleanor. I agreed and it ended up being a boys morning out!

Shane, Daniel, Mike, and I got coffee and donuts from Sheetz, gassed up, went to the hospital, and then went shopping at Costco together.

Shane and Daniel are a riot and a half. I mean that in two ways. First, they're funny. Second, they are an explosion of energy and emotion. I was ready for a nap! Daniel's mom told us to stay and get lunch when Mike checked in. Their house was so quiet and peaceful without the boys around...ha! 

Shane and I were happy to help.  

After nap, Shane did not want to go to Harris Teeters with me. He was glad he did, though. We met a school friend, Ganeet!

I would have worried about my frozens, but the temperature outside mirrored our fridge.

When finished the evening with a family dinner, some TV, and attempting to learn some German.

Who knew German could be so much fun to count in?

Bonded Pair

Max and bucket have turned out to be a bonded pair. They scrap from time to time, but I never saw Min and Max snuggle and clean each other. Carrie took a video. I'll send it to her the next time she's having a bad day!

Dancing Up a Storm!

Sometimes, you gotta dance! I love when my wife and son get a groovin!

Kathleen's in Labor

Kathleen sent an email in the wee hours of the morning. She's in labor! Nana, Pop, and Jama are on their way down.

I'll re-post some of her pictures whenever the baby comes and she puts some up. We're looking forward to having another member of the family!

Halloween Parade

Shane's daycare sent a picture of the preschool class' Halloween parade.

Not the best picture of him, but I love how diverse a group all of the kids are. That's one of the benefits of where we live. I want Shane to grow up focused on how people are alike and how the differences can be fun and interesting. 

Graphic Designer Carrie *backdated*

I didn't post anything Thursday night, because my wife was hogging the computer.

But it was for a good cause!

Carrie fiddled with designing a logo for the homeless food ministry that Nana orchestrates. I don't mind giving up the computer for that.

From My Childhood With Love

Do your remember the kickstarter I backed in May 2013? A year past the anticipated arrival, John got his box!

It happily coincided with a day I was in the neighborhood. I dropped by to "help" him open it.

Last Saturday, John came by and we started to work on some of his new models. John was kind enough to leave me some sprues since my box had not arrived.

I sent him this picture on Tuesday.

If the man was going to give me the sprues I figured I should do something with them! In my youth when income was disposable and time was abundant, pewter models used to have an agent coating them you had to 'wash' off before priming. I don't know if that's true for the ABS plastic the Robotech models are made of, but a quick rinse didn't hurt anything.

The new models aren't the most beginner friendly. John and I both weren't overly fond of the flight stands. We prefer the acrylic see through kind like x-wing has. John asked me to take a picture to see how thick they were so he could maybe find a replacement.

The flight stand is probably the biggest piece in the kit. Some of these things are tiny. There were some weird decisions where I don't know why they would split a piece if there's no way to change poses, but nothing gets everything right the first go around.

Still, fairly complicated builds.

Not that I had the instructions. John left those behind! I'm not huge into modeling, but I do like puzzles.

Tuesday I had a work from home day. I figured I'd spend some time in between grading and planning assembling.

I was pretty productive - modelwise.

I did get work work done, but I spent longer on the models than I expected. There was something cathartic about a quiet house and the ability to zone in on something creative.

The planes were by far the easiest to assemble. None of the models were designed to be easy to mod, but I played a little with the tail fins to see what I liked.

The battleloids were by far the most annoying. On the left, you have Lt. Quarterback and on the right Corporal Hands-Were-Hacked-Because-Nothing-Fit-Right. They'll be fine for tabletop quality and a joke or two.

Guardian mode was medium difficulty. If I could redo the one on the left I'd move the gun stock inside the arm. As is, that one can be the designated first casualty.

I enjoy the building more than the painting. If snow days are abundant, I may have it all done by spring, but I wouldn't count on it.

I'm almost out of all the models John gave me. I hope my shipment arrives soon. I want to sell one of the boxes to try and turn a small profit (and pay off some of the money I spent). Then I want to open the other one and build some more! 

If I have the time. 

Wrestling season starts next week, I bet I'm going to be pretty busy, and 'toys' come pretty late in my list of priorities. They do look pretty neat, though...

MomMom

We got a call that MomMom went to the hospital on Tuesday night. Carrie called the only hospital in the area she lives to track her down and call her room. Much was unknown.

UPDATE: CT scans confirmed that it was a stroke. MomMom is recovering at a rehab facility. She can talk better and sit up on her own, but cannot stand without assistance.

Good Kitty

Brilliant

So far the 10th is my favorite. The 9th was great and I was upset when he left, but DT won me over after a few episodes. The 11th doctor is my least favorite Doctor of the NewWho so far, but he was still decent enough...

...and Carrie found a fez.

Party Time

Genevieve and Chris threw an After Halloween party! Carrie and I dropped Shane off at Nana's for the night and costumed up.

I don't have any pictures of me, but I do have a good one of Carrie and Genevieve.

We stayed out way past our bedtime.