Quarter Century Celebratory Revelry

It was Rob's birthday celebration! The real birthday is tomorrow if I am not mistaken.


Southern California cousins.



Grandma and chiles on your cycling socks. And, undershirts on your head.


Rob had a cold. The ephedra based cold remedies might have had some effect on the victim object of our photographic affection.

Catching Up...

Haven't blogged in a while. I was thinking about what's been interesting in my life lately. I finished reading a book that I found personally challenging, "Chasing Francis." It is a clever blend of fiction and non-fiction. It's about a pastor of a "megachurch" who wrestles with big questions about his faith and the church's impact in a broken world. He travels to Italy for some time away and encounters the life and teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. It digs into the topics that have been on my heart and mind lately:forgiveness, the poor, AIDS, the environment,homelessness, peace, and community, and how to respond to those things as a follower of Christ. I found it interesting, relevant, authentic, brutally honest, and entertaining.

I also saw a movie this weekend, "All the Kings Men." There will be Oscar nominations for this one. Very well done, though a troubling story. My friend, Erica, a US History teacher, gave us the background story. Complex characters and good dialog. Be ready for relational discomfort. This isn't a romantic comedy. It's based on a 1946 Pulitzer-prize winning novel made into a 1949 and a 2006 movie. The 2006 movie is not a remake, however. I thought the acting was excellent. The film is about the life of Willie Stark, a fictional character based loosely on a Louisiana governor, Huey Long. If you are looking for an entertaining, light-hearted evening out, this is not it. So, clearly, I liked it. And I did. Intriguing and insightful.

Where are the sports fans out there?

So, what about them Dodgers!!!!!!!!!

Since No One Asked

Since no one asked, my entire school was on Blue yesterday when I showed up to check on things. For the uninformed, blue is good, the Holy Grail of school behavior. Considering the group, it is an unparalled achievement for which I take all the credit I am due, which is none. Thanks to the teacher, paraeducator, and a three day weekend is probably more likely.

Don't ask about today...

John Hodgman is the PC guy in the MAC comercial

and, Rob and I were talking about him last night. He makes reports on the Daily Show. Anyway, he has a book out called The areas of my expertise. It is literary parody. Robert Siegel interviewed him on NPR this afternoon the Wacky World of John Hodgman. Ir you like parody and satire, check it out. If that's not your thing, walk away.

Invitation to Cruise Alaska 2010 [CORRECTED AND UPDATED]

Glen and I would like to invite the family to join us on an Alaska cruise in the summer of 2010 to celebrate Mom Doris' 80th birthday and Mom/Dad Dick & Jane's 60th anniversary. [Pay your own http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifways] This is the "start saving" alert. We had such a grand time and want to encourage a family cruise for any and all who'd like to participate.

This would be most successful if we were mostly independent during the day and shared dinner each night as a group to share experiences. That way everyone can spend the day the way they'd prefer and within their budget without trying to mobilize the group into agreement...a stressful thought. If we did end up on similar excursions or around the ship at the shows or something, that adds to the fun.

If you are interested, keep it in mind. We would probably book it one year in advance (2009). Current prices for rooms with a balcony -- highly recommended -- are $1450 - $1650 per person for a 7-night event. Our itinerary would likely include Skagway, Hubbard Glacier, Vancouver, Ketchikan, Inside Passage, and Juneau. I'd also hope for Icy Strait Point and/or Sitka, if it works out. Plan extra $$: airfare, tipping ($150-$200/week for two people paid at the end of the trip), excursions, a fancy photo ($15), etc. We had such a good time. It would be a grand family memory. Pricey, but unforgettable play time together.

Check your muster station

Everyone goes to a muster station before we leave the port. We were assigned to station #11.

Lot's of jokes about the ketchup drill that came much later.

mus·ter v
1. vti to bring together a group of soldiers or the members of a crew for a particular reason, for example, inspection, or assemble in this way
2. vt to gather people or things together for a particular reason
3. vt to summon up something such as strength or courage that will help in doing something

n
1. a gathering of soldiers or a crew for a particular reason, for example, inspection
2. See muster roll
3. any gathering of people or collection of things

Encarta® World English Dictionary © 1999 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Developed for Microsoft by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.

Anyone have plans for this weekend?

Anyone going Light a big ole fire in the back yard to burn any meat on the grill? If I were to light the fire, would anyone come over to watch or burn their own meaty food?

Travelling again

Wednesday through Friday it's Charlottesville, VA

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