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Friday, August 20, 2010
Six Word Saturday
http://www.showmyface.com/ hosts an extravaganza called Six Word Saturday.
My Six: Swimming against the dead pool current.
A couple of my relatives are participating in a dead pool this year. A dead pool is basically like any office pool but instead of best actor or super bowl halftime scores you pick celebrities who you think will croak first (Kermit the frog excluded).
One of said relatives likes to talk about it all the time and preface it with "I know you don't like me to talk about this, but ..." I'm in many ways drawn to death. I used to have a page of my now defunct geocities site where I posted recent obituaries of the famous. I didn't have any qualms against calling the page, Currently Dead. But Death Pools? No Way!
I think there are just a few main reasons why I'm against death pools:
1) On some basis you are rooting for the death of someone else for your benefit. (Note: My relatives have no money at stake in their pool. Just bragging rights.) One of my relatives likes to tell me proudly who she picked correctly. The other is "jokingly" mad that someone on her list has been twice hospitalized but has not paid off for her.
2) I think it is insensitive to the families of these famous people to speculate on the demise of their beloved. Sometimes this speculation is on perfectly healthy famous people. Many dead pools give more points the younger the deceased. This point ties in and overlaps with my first. My relatives and I all lost a dear family member (my brother) in the past 18 months. I questioned one of my relatives about this asking her what would you say if I said "cool! I had Keith in my dead pool."? The reply was that He wasn't famous. But these famous people have relatives too. Where is the empathy?
3)The greatest reason I am against Death Pools is that it is counter to my entire philosophy of life: A)We were made by a creator for the ultimate purpose of eternal fellowship with Him. B) In life we have the opportunity to follow Him reject Him. C) Those who follow will have eternal fellowship, Those who reject eternal torment. D) As long as life continues there is opportunity to follow.
Many of you may not hold to the same philosophies as I do. That's not the point. The point is I would never want to hope in any way for the eternal torment of anyone. For me, participating in death pools or tolerating them would in my mind, be a way of doing so.
So thanks for visiting the Illinois Suburb of Downer's Grove today. You can participate in Six Word Saturday by clicking here.
Next Time: Overheard
Sunday, August 15, 2010
I can't believe that it's almost September.
# 16 (3 way tie) Seven Word September.
Much of blogging, mine anyway, is reactive. You see a good movie (or a bad one) and you want to tell people about it. You have a cool thing that works for you and you want to share it. You have some neat pictures and you want to post them. Last year I discovered a cool meme Six Word Saturday at http://www.showmyface.com/. The basic idea is to share six words about what's going on in your life right now. Here is my first submission. Here is my most recent.
I liked the idea so much that I augmented the concept last September to have 7 word titles for all my September blog posts. This was my inaugural post. September 2010 is now just around the corner. I have decided to bring back seven word September for this year as well.
Next Time: 1 week until school starts
Friday, August 13, 2010
Plans for the last week of summer break...
My Six:
With little more than a week left until school starts around here, there are a few things I want to accomplish before things gets into full swing. Normally I take the aim at nothing and you'll hit it approach. But as Dr. Phil surely knows that isn't working for me. Here's what needs doing:
*Make Six Word Saturday post (check)
*Buy supplies for science and history classes
*Clean out garbage cans and garbage cabinet (w/son's help)
*Clean out garage (w/daughter's help)
* Work on blogging class for homeschool co-op.
* Complete this sentence: accesorize and the world accesorizes with you. (Blank) and you (Blank) alone.
*Buy more tennis balls so I can play tennis with my wife (w/wife)
*Speaking of my wife, I should probably buy her flowers more often (okay she wrote that one.)
*Clean out school shelves one last time
*Make history time line.
* Sell Paramount on film idea: Barack Obama's Day Off.
*Enjoy my last week of unscheduled time with the kiddos, bunny, and my wife (even though she's back at work already, her school starts on Monday the 16th)---possibly some more swimming will be involved, even though we swam non-stop during our recent week long vacation to Wisconsin Dells.
*Prepare myself mentally to see a few more White Sox games
So that 's it for me. What are your plans for the end of summer? Make sure you plan to click here and see the rest of Six Word Saturday.
Friday, August 6, 2010
A prelude to dismiss
http://www.showmyface.com/ is the home of Six Word Saturday.
My Six words: My wife doesn't read any prologues.
My wife is an avid reader. But she doesn't read forewords or prologues. I used to think this was just true about non-fiction as some forewords and prologues can be kind of dry. But I recently found out this is for fiction books as well. I on the other hand read all forewords, dedications, introductions, prefaces, prologues. I mean I usually read the Library of Congress catalog information.
I am currently reading an excellent book, The Time Traveller's Wife and she is rereading her favorite Grisham, The Last Juror. Both books start out like gangbusters. Chapter 1 of The Last Juror is ostensibly a prologue. The action of the book begins in Chapter 2. Chapter 1 just tells the history of the town newspaper. If Grisham would have called it a prologue, Amy would have missed the colorful back story. The preface of The Time Travellers wife really enticed me into the book. It did a great job of starting to flesh out the characters in present time. Present time is a rare commodity in this book, so it literally was a calm before the storm. I want Amy to read the book, but she won't even read recommended prologues.
So, if you are writing a book and want my wife to read it. You can either title the prologue chapter 1 or just say mean things about her in the prologue. She will never find out.
For more six word Saturday click here.
Next Time: Blah Blah Blogging.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Six Word Saturday
My 6: I haven't forgot how to blog!
It's not that I've been super busy, I really haven't been. It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about, Lucyisms still abound here and there's always plenty of things for me to tell you. It isn't like I said I wouldn't blog while the White Sox were on their current hot streak. If I did, who knows when I'd blog again. The truth is if it wasn't for the kind transmission by my wife on Monday, I would have maintained blog silence for a week.
Blogging just hasn't been my bread and butter this summer. I am gearing up to teach a blogging class this fall at our home school co-op. So, I actually have been working on blogging on the down low. More on that later.
I am also trying to get use to the keyboard on my new laptop and I keep on typing my new words in the middle of my old ones.
I hope all is well for my readers, if I have any left. I will be back to blogging with abandon soon.
Head on over to See my face dot com to check out more six word Saturday.
Next Time: Toy Story to 3-D and beyond!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Local Anesthesia?
Think Local. Drink Local. GPS Needed.
There are many unusual things about me. Here are just a few that relate to today's rant.
1) I listen to the radio quite often.
2) I pay attention to the commercials.
3) I notice discrepancies between fact and error (in advertisements and other programming.)
4) When I notice these discrepancies or abnormalities, I talk back to the radio as if it could hear me.
While I am for the most part a Chicago White Sox fan, I listen to quite a few Chicago Cubs games. A long time sponsor of Chicago Cubs baseball is Old Style Beer. For the past few years Old Style has had the advertising catch phrase: Think Local. Drink Local. They have had several different radio ads over the past few years but the idea is to tie in the Old Style product with being authentically Chicago.
This is not a bad idea, as I have been following the Cubs since the early 70's and Old Style has been connected to the team and the broadcasts as far back as I remember.
The thing that gets to me is at the end of the commercial after they have made the whole think local, drink local, pitch they announce the name of the company and where there company is from: G Heileman Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Hey! So let's get this straight. Chicago Cubs fans should think local and drink local by buying beer from a company from a different state?
This year the ads have been about how to "kraeusen (the sytematic way Old Style is brewed)" different Chicago institutions. The idea is that since Kraeusening makes Old Style better, the ads tell how to make other typically Chicago things like 16 inch softball better. So when those commercials come on I usually talk back to the radio and say: here is how I would Kraeusen this commercial: I wouldn't talk about how great it is to be local and then say: "Hey, we're not even from here."
One of the first years this campaign was on the radio, the Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers were fighting for the lead in the division almost all Summer. I found it ironic that the company championing being local had their offices in a town where most of their residents were cheering against the Cubs.
The crazy thing is I don't drink alcohol at all. So Why does non beer drinking Sox fan get all worked up about beer commercials primarily played during Cubs games? If I could answer that question, my therapy bills would be much much lower.
Now that you know that I think loco, head back to Six Word Saturday at Show my face dot com.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Six Word Book Review
The Review: Riordan's Myth book does not miss!
A few extra words: The first paragraph and the chapter titles (Chapter 1: I accidentally vaporize my pre-algebra teacher + Chapter 10:I ruin a perfectly good bus are some of my favorites) alone make the book worth the time it took me to read.
I originally read it to discover if it was appropriate for my 8 year old son. My verdict is this: I don't think He is ready for it yet. Perhaps when He is 10. That isn't to say it isn't for any 8 year olds. I just thought that there were certain aspects of the book that I don't think He is ready for. I think any adults who are wondering what this series (Percy Jackson and the Olympians) is all about should read the book themselves. I think you will enjoy it and be able to make a good determination as to whether your own child would like it.
To review more Six Word Saturday head over to Showmyfacedotcom.
Next Time: Catching Up.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Six Word Summer Update
Here is a Six Word Summer update:
We've been doing lots of swimming!
Amy has been done with work for about a week and a half now. We stopped school about the same time she stopped working. Our park district opens it's pool to coincide with Amy's school district letting out for the summer. We have been swimming most every day and are having a great time.
The following pictures are from the end of our D.C. Trip when we went to an indoor water park in Sandusky, Ohio. But swimming is swimming, and the kids are basically up to the same antics pictured here at our local pool.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Of Lucyisms and Lemons
Lucy came up to me earlier today and said the following :
Dad, could you google sour lemons?
So I did.
First I found this video . . .
Then this picture . . .
I also found devotions, recipes for Indian side dishes, a my space page for the group Maxwell and the Sour Lemons and a link to buy a 5lb bag of sour lemon drops for $29.95.
Still not sure what put Lucy on the lemon obsession. I made about 20 lemon shapes for her already today.
Oh, well.
For more Six Word Saturday head over to Show my Face Dot Com.
Next Time: Carnival Musings
Saturday, May 22, 2010
We now resume this blog
Yes, I am back three short days after saying I wouldn't be back for a while. My Six Words will summarize my explanation:
Be careful what you ask for!
When I explained my busy life because of my temporary job on Wednesday by saying that something had to give, I assumed that I would need to curtailing my blogging until the job ended. It turns out that I received an e-mail from my team leader late last night stating that our entire team would be done working as of Sunday. Oh well, she was always preaching the importance of being flexible in our jobs.
As a family we were hoping for more of an income stream than the 4 weeks my gig actually lasted. I am thankful for what God provided and am looking forward to having a pip more free time come Monday.
Today is still going to be a blur of activities between dance rehearsals, soccer games and 8-9 hours of work. I will make the most of my few minutes on line by contributing a joke to the weekend funnies meme on this very post.
I made this joke up yesterday so it's still fresh in my mind.
A match made in heaven: Immelda Marcos and Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Click here to see more of Six Word Saturday and click here to see more Weekend Funnies.
Next Time: Summer Plans (or something else entirely, it is important to be flexible!)
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Rejected by Readers Digest
My first entry, and most likely not my last, is a true story. We liked it so much we submitted it to Readers Digest. We still do not sit well with their decision to totally ignore our entry. But that's a mouthful of bitter resentment best digested (get it, digested?) on another occasion.
What happened is this, our son Charlie was between 1 and 3 years old and Amy was training him not to say no to us when we gave him instruction. When he would say no, Amy would counter with "say yes, not no." When we were months into this process Charlie asked what month he was born in. Amy told him, November. Charlie responded "It's Yesvember, not November!".
Still not sure why Readers Digest took a pass that one. We hope you enjoy it. Click here to return to Weekend Funnies.
Next Time: Men's Monday Meme
Friday, May 14, 2010
Six Word Saturday
Toady's Six Words: The dangers of blogging after midnight.
Last Saturday after I wrote my Six Words for last week, I was working on a guest blog about being a home school dad for a blog called Daddy's Home. Before I knew it it was 1 in the morning. I got ready to go to bed but decided to first add a blog to my blog roll. Because I was so tired, I accidentally deleted all 15 or so blogs from the blog roll. So at 1 A.M., I tried to remember all the blogs, find them and link them back to my blog. It was 2 a.m before I finally got to bed.
It is 11:15 p.m. now and I am going to post this before I blow something else up. For more Six Word Saturday head over to showmyfacedotcom.
Next Time: Films
Friday, May 7, 2010
Six Word Saturday - Lyrics By Dave
I have been writing songs for most of my life. I can carry a tune, but only in a bucket. As you know, buckets are hard to come by in this economy. Often when I sing, the only one who recognizes the tune, is me. This can be difficult, since I also wrote the music.
I occasionally write parodies so anyone I can con into listening will at least recognize the tune. I was trying to think of what parody lyrics to share in this post, when I saw this video on a friend's facebook page.
That video reminded me of today's six words:
Some people say I Monkey around.
I love the Monkees, they and the Beatles more or less created the music video along with the folks at School House Rock. Last Train to Clarksville is one of my favorite Monkee's songs. Let's face it any Monkee's song I happen to be listening to, has the tendency to be my favorite. My all time favorite has got be, I'm a believer. So sometime in 1987 while singing it to the top of my lungs alone in my van I came up with these alternate lyrics (All but the last verse those I made up as I typed. Hey it's a gift. But after you read it, you might want to send the gift back.) ...
I thought God was only true for little ones
Like Santa Claus, you find He isn't real
But God was out to save me, I just couldn't see
When I was at lowest, He died for me
That's when I felt his grace (bomp Ba da da da)
Now I'm a believer (bomp ba da da da)
And there's now a place (bomp ba da da da)
In Heaven that's mine
And He's my Lord (Ohohohohohhhh)
Now I'm a believer
Now I'm a receiver
And I'm glorifyin!
(Bomp Ba da da da Bomp ba da da da)
I could never think of a second verse
I racked my head
I tried and tried and tried
Then a few years later
I heard a Christian version
And my chance for CCM* fame died
But I still feel His grace (bomp ba da da da)
I'm still a believer. (bomp ba da da da) )
There's still a place (bomp ba da da da)
in Heaven that's mine
He's still God. (Ohohohohohhhh)
I'm still a believer
still a receiver
And still glorifyin!
(Bomp ba da da da bomp ba da da da da bomp ba da da da daaaaaaaa)
* CCM = Contemporary Christian Music
So that's all we have for Dave's top 40 today. I'll keep writing em down and you keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars. (Sorry, had to be said.) For more Six Word Saturday, head on over to show my face dot com.
Next Time: All good trips must come to an end.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
DC Journal
Label # 20 (in a seven place tie): Washington D.C. Trip
When the family got together and decided to create a dream come true, (There's a song there somewhere, the dream in this case was our trip to Washington D.C) I decided to keep a journal of the trip and then post those entries here once I returned.
For a writer, I am a horrible journal keeper. I usually miss a day by the third entry or am going back to fill it in on a later date. Besides the night I fell asleep journaling, I was able to complete each entry before the day in question was in the books.
In terms of posting these entries here, I am very faithful to my original work. While I add pictures and sometimes videos from the day in questions and will correct grammar and spelling (not that you'd notice), I fight off the urge to turn a phrase differently than when pen first met paper, and try to stay true to the moment.
Today I am up to Day 8, our last day of sightseeing before we started driving back home.
Before I start, here are my Six Words:
Take a picture, it lasts longer.
Washington Trip: Day 8
Day 8 started like it might eclipse Day 7 as best day of the trip. I woke up at 4:45 A.M. and drove with Claire, the woman our family has been staying with, into D.C. We got to the tidal basin about 40 minutes before sunrise.
I took pictures from a bridge that overlooked both the Jefferson and Washington monuments and the Potomac river. It was an awesome sunrise among the cherry blossoms. I snapped picture after picture and even without a tripod or a really good camera, I took some breathtaking photos.
We went to the Julia Child exhibit and many others.
We then walked in the almost 90 degree heat to the tidal basin. The petals on the cherry trees were gorgeous. We the walked back to my sisters car and headed back to her house. We ate pizza at Kathy's and visited for a few hours before making our leave. We prepared for our return trip home and called it a night.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Six Word Saturday: Washington Trip Day 7
**** We now interrupt this journal for my six words, which I wrote in the margin of my notebook:
Nothing says freedom like flying kites!
We now return you to the journal entry, already in progress ****
After lunch, we flew kites on the mall as we made our way from the Capitol Dome to the Washington Monument. We rested there and enjoyed the gorgeous day and each other before going to see the WWII (The Big One) memorial, The Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial is by far my favorite spot in D.C. It is an awesome spectacle. We then walked the mile and a half (or so) to where we parked. What a day! If we could only spend 1 day in D.C. and this was it, it would haves sooooo been worth the trip.
FOR MORE SIX WORD BARBARIC YAWPS HEAD ON OVER TO SHOW MY FACE DOT COM. YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE CAPS LOCK ON TO DO SO.
Next Time: How I feel about getting older.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Washinton Trip Day 4
What's up with 15 UPS trucks?!?!?
Lovingston, Va. to Stafford, Va.
We woke up, checked out and then broke fast in the van. Drove towards Chancellorsville, Va. a famous civil war Battlefield. On way there we passed 15 UPS cars in a row going the opposite direction. That must be some package!
Charlie loved it as he loves all things military. The battlefield is less than an hour from where my sister lives. The difference is substantial. From 19th century rural to 21st century suburban in no time flat.
Had a nice visit with my sister and her family. My sister's choir director is putting is up for the week, which is awfully kind of her. We are finally in the D.C. area and the trip becomes in earnest tomorrow. The weather is not supposed to get warmer until later in the week, So tomorrow, we plan to do some indoor things like the Smithsonian.
For more Six Word Saturday head on over to Show My Face Dot Com.
Next time Washington Day 5
Friday, April 9, 2010
Washington D.C. Trip Day 1
My 6 Words: My journal from our Washington Trip
Dos semanas pasado (not sure how I remembered how to say 2 weeks ago in Spanish) We left on our trip to Washington D.C. I wrote in a journal every day while we were gone. Over the next few weeks I will
Today was a fast paced high stress day. Had a 110 or so last minute details to attend to before heading out of town at 3 p.m.
Among other things I/We . . .
- Drove Amy to work so we could pick her up at the end of the day and head out of town.
- Put brake fluid in my car fir the first time ever.
- An hour before we left, I received 500 baseball cards I had won on Amazon. Not enough time to even begin to wade through them. Oh well, they'll be home waiting.
I was about 10 minutes late for picking up Amy. otherwise all went off without a hitch. So far we have only forgotten thing of little consequence. Drove about 5 1/2 hours to Dayton, Ohio.
Ate dinner at KFC, had the buffet. We would eat at that KFC again, but the buffet was a little pricy and with the time constraints we were up against, it wasn't the best choice. Although they did have Okra, vegetable of the gods.
Got to Dayton about 10:30 Eastern time. Our Motel 6 lights were burnt out, so we are pursuing litigation against Tom Bodett. Heading towards Walton Museum area tomorrow.
That's Day 1. More to come in the future. For more 6 word Saturday head on over to Show My Face Dot Com
Next Time: Jelly Belly Time
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The lost art of exaggeration
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Six Word Snackdown
Friday, March 12, 2010
Baker's Half Dozen
Mixing.
The cake turned out pretty well. Yes, I forgot to preheat the oven. Yes I accidentally turned the oven off when I was checking to see if it was done. I also had a few other kinks that I think we can work out on Sunday.
Here are a few reasons why baking a cake from scratch works for me:
1. Baking a cake from scratch is not difficult at all. I had to melt chocolate for ours, which I had never done. A lot of cakes take far less preparation than that.
2. Teaching my children how to make a cake from scratch is a useful educational tool. I would have never envisioned myself as a Home Ec. teacher. But as long as I wear the home school pants int he family, I guess that's what I'll be.
3. My 4 year old is an excellent helper. She often helps my wife mix biscuits and other things. She has been wanting to bake this cake for two weeks since I announced the idea to the class. She really did most of the work: beating the eggs, pouring the butter milk, measuring and sifting the dry ingredients, and decorating the cake.
So those are my six words and why baking a cake from scratch works for me.
For more Six Word Saturday head on over to Show my Face dot com. To see what works for others head over to We are That Family for more WFMW.
Next Time: A School by any other name.
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