Wordless Wednesday Washington and the Waltons

Cleaning up a blog is in many ways like cleaning up a room or a house.  In order to get this blog presentable again, I  found many drafts of posts I had started but never completed.  I also reviewed many old posts and was reminded of memes , pictures, stories and other various components of blogdom  which I had almost forgotten.  Today's post combines many of those components.  A blog, like a house, is meant to be lived in and experienced.  I hope you enjoy today's experience.


In April I participated from another one of my blogs in the a to z challenge where I had participated multiple times form HSD.  One of the best things about the challenge is discovering, reading and commenting on other peoples blogs.  Unfortunately, I did very little of that this year, but I discovered  a blog called Comedy Plus and found that it was hosting one of my favorite memes of all time, Wordless Wednesday. I participated in it on many occasions years ago.  I was glad to see it still exists.

I decided I would participate with a pic from our family trip to Washington DC 10 years ago.

Before I show the pic, I wanted to say that on the way to DC we stopped by Schuyler, VA where Earl Hamner, the writer and creator of The Waltons grew up and stopped by the Waltons Mountain  Museum.  After my picture and before a link to Wordless Wednesday is a 20 minute you tube video that I had saved as a draft here from the 45th reunion of the Waltons which took place at said museum.

For more Wordless Wednesday click here.

Home School Dad Revisited.

Hello and good morning.  My name is Dave and I used to go by the moniker Home School Dad.  11 years ago I began this blog, as I was a stay at home dad and the home school teacher of the family.  I started home schooling the kids in 2008 and did that full time until the fall of 2013 when I went back to working full time.

I still blog but now do most of it  at Random Acts of Roller. I have started many blogs over the years but my favorite has always been HSD (Home School Dad).  I have been thinking a lot lately of restarting Home School Dad. With that in mind, I decided to post one of my earliest blog entries.  You can click here to see how it appeared on 1/8/9.

If clicking here is not your thing, it's okay cause copying and pasting is mine...

When I first heard about Homeschooling.

First appeared in Home School Dad

January 8, 2009

Do you remember where you were the first time you heard about home schooling? I was at a wedding. At the reception, I was placed at what I call the odd duck table , the table where you sit friends, family and coworkers not likely to know anyone else, I have a name for it because I have been placed at that table many times.

So at the odd duck table there was a lady from out of state, Colorado, I believe, who home schooled her children. This was the mid to late 80's and I had no idea what homeschooling was or why anyone would want to do it. I just sat there as she regaled other wedding guests with stories of her home schooling journey.

I think it's appropriate that I first heard of home schooling at the odd duck table. Home Schooling itself has been an odd duck for many years. People aren't quite sure what to make of it. It can be frustrating as  a Home School parent, when you see the  same reaction from each person who learns you are home educating your children. This is why I asked you to recall your first experience with the concept. Perhaps, your initial reaction, was not unlike those you encounter today. We often expect people to understand things the way we do and forget our understanding is part of an ongoing process often evolving over many years.

Homeschooling over the years has quietly been inching away from the odd duck table. Everybody seems to know someone these days who is home schooling. It is not uncommon now for park districts and libraries to have special activities for home school families.

2020 Perspective:

First of all,   if you did  look back on the original, you may have noticed I did a little editing of my piece.  It bothered me  that I had let regaled be spelled incorrectly for 11 years.  I also had a tendency back then to just end my posts and go on to the next thing. I began this post some hours ago, got this far, and was really tempted to end this post abruptly as I had just finished an overnight shift and was much more interested in sleeping than culminating. Instead, I went the save button route and came back to conclude.

So much has changed since 2009 when I wrote this that it's hard to provide appropriate context.  Obviously most parents with school age children have now found themselves more knowledgeable about what schooling at home looks like.  The Covid 19 shelter in place orders have seen to that.  schooling at home is in some ways different than homeschooling.  I currently have an 8th grader who is home-schooled , a 12th grader who is public schooled and a daughter taking some college classes. Now that everybody is staying at home, my responsibilities towards their school work have not changed at all.  I help my 8th grader with math and I do nothing with the older ones.  When I wrote  the original post they were were 3, 7, and 9 respectively and I was involved with every aspect of their education.

In the coming weeks I will begin to post more here.  I plan to revisit earlier posts as I did today, but mainly I hope to move beyond that.  In June, our homeschooling journey will end as our youngest moves on to public high school.  As the pandemic continues to take its course, our world will adjust to a new normal.  In the same way, our family has been adjusting to a new normal over the past 5 years as our homeschooling has lessened and lessened.  Amid these changes, I have been tempted to change the name of this blog.  I have decided not to yield to this temptation.  The content may be different or perhaps non-existent, but on these pages and in some parts of myself, I shall always be a home school dad.

An Open Letter to Alyssa Milano

 Dear Ms. Milano,

I am writing to you and to an extent all the signatories of your recent open Letter regarding HB 481 to Georgia Governor Kemp and Speaker Ralston and to anyone else who reads it, but ostensibly, I am writing to you.

First of all. let me begin by saying by saying how I appreciate how passionate and articulate you are. I really do commend you that you took a stand on an issue that you are passionate about and related it to your current work situation. I appreciate how you gathered like minded people in the same situation to express your opinions. Expressing social and political concern is everyone's responsibility and I for one am glad to see you doing it, regardless of whether I share your concerns or not.

In this world we live in our opinions can often be expressed in hashtags. #HBIsBadforBusiness seems to express yours. I take a differing view. If I had to express myself hashtagedly, I might say #HBisGood4Babies. The bill ,which I hope Governor Kemp signs into law, protects unborn babies at the point that their heartbeat can be recognized. In my mind this shows them to be something different than a part of the mother, to be disposed anyway she sees fit. We may well fundamentally disagree on this point, However a distinct heartbeat is more than adequate medical evidence to make me think that my view is the correct one.

My Dad used to say to me my right to wave my fists in the air ended squarely at his nose. This is how I feel about abortion and reproductive rights. A woman's reproductive right ends squarely at that cute little babies nose. A fetus with a heartbeat is a far cry from a mass of cells invading a woman's body. 2 years ago my wife had a mass of cells invading her body. Since it was my wife, my opinion was get those nasty cells out of her body anyway you can. Now, my wife wasn't pregnant, she had breast cancer and her cancerous cells certainly did not have any chance of ever becoming viable on their own or having their own functioning beating heart.

Ms. Milano, I would not be surprised at all if some of those disagreeing with your and your fellow signatories opinion might propose boycotting your artistic endeavors. I think that's a bad idea. As strongly as I feel about these issues this does not mean that anyone who disagrees with me needs to be punished economically. I certainly wish you the best in all your endeavors. I hope you in time can come along to my way of thinking that it is babies that need your protection and eloquent defense much more than reproductive freedom ever did,

Dave Roller

2019 Hall of Fame - If I had a ballot

In just a few hours the Hall of Fame will reveal the results of the Baseball Writers of America Association (BBWAA) ballot selections for who will be inducted into Cooperstown this summer, .  This year 35 players are on the ballot and  The BBWAA allows writers to vote for a many as 10 of these candidates.  I am not a member of the BBWAA but I do like to pretend I'm one each year at this time.  Since The Writers association nor the hall of fame control my process I imagine what would happen if I had only 13 votes and then 12 and then down until I get to my OUB (Official Unofficial Ballot this year it will be 5 6 or maybe even 7.  As I write this I have not yet decided what the cutoff will be so I'll be as surprised as you will.  I then continue until I'm pretending I can only vote for 1 player this year.  In effect you get a ranking of who I think the 13 players most worthy of enshrinement are.

For 2019 ballot, I must say that there are many more players worthy of the Hall of Fame who have more impressive numbers than my 13th pick.  However,  the only number I was concerned about was 2005.  That is the year Jon Garland helped pitch the White Sox on to winning their first world series since 1917.  That gets him a vote in my book.

My 12th vote last year has a lot in common with my 12th vote this year.  Actually, they are the same person.  Gary Sheffield has the pedigree of a hall of famer yet like last year there are too many questions for me to really consider him further.

If I was advised that I could only vote for 11 players this year my 11th vote would be for Lance Berkman.  Berkman is probably the Killer B who will not B inducted into C town.  I thought his career  was worthy of some mention and 11 seems  appropriate.


As I state most years, I am a Chicago guy and I see my role as a Chicago guy to bring Chicago players to the attention of those who may not have seen them play regularly. If I were allowed to vote for exactly 10 players, my 10th vote would go to Freddy Garcia.  But not for the reason I just mentioned.  No for the reason I placed Garland 13th.  Freddy won the most important White Sox game in my life time that's reason enough for voting for him here.

It seems that Mike Mussina is going to make into Cooperstown.  He will probably make it this year or next in his 6th or 7th year on the ballot.  Last year I placed him 11th on my ballot and this year he is up to 9th.  To me he's a perennial fence sitter when it comes to enshrinement, it's a good thing for him that many of the actual voters don't view his career as I do,



I placed Jeff Kent 10th last year  and bump him up to 8th this year. To quote myself ...   " Kent is a very good player but I see him ultimately missing out of enshrinement to Cooperstown".

 If I was told I could vote for 7 and only 7 HOF candidates this year my 7th vote would go to Todd Helton. He has the highest career batting average of anyone on this years ballot at .316.  Sure he played his whole career in homer friendly Colorado but he still batted .287 on the road with 142 of his 369 homers when out of town.  I was very close to putting him on my OUB.

Speaking of which, If I was told that I could vote for as many or as few players on this years ballot  that I thought were worthy of enshrinement, I would vote for six players.  The 6th would be Roy Halladay.  As mentioned at the outset, I spent some time equivocating on this selection. equivocation being a euphemism on my part for over thinking. My over thinking went like this , When I first hear Halladay's name I don't instantly think hall of famer, and since he died recently am I just giving him a sympathy vote.  No.  The truth his his numbers speak well of him and his 2 Cy Youngs one in each league 7 years apart speak of his dominance.  This makes the late Mr. Halladay,  the first of 7 players on my official unofficial ballot (OUB)

If I could vote for only 5 players this year, my 5th vote would go to Larry Walker. Like Halladay,   Walker has not always been on my HOF radar.  As I mentioned last year when he was the 6th player on my ballot and my oub was 5, He has been going up in my estimation each year he has been HOF elgible.

If I could only vote for one Nickname to be included in the Hall of Fame this year it would have to be the Crime Dog.  This year Fred McGriff in his last year of eligibility get's a bite on my ballot.  If i could vote for only 5 players He would be 5th (jumping up from 7th last year.  Truth is I still think Walker more worthy than McGriff but have McGriff ahead this year since it is his last time on the ballot.

While votes nine through four are kind of Cooperstown fence sitters, I have no mixed feelings whatsoever about my final 3 votes.  2 of which were on my OUB last year and one is in his first year of eligibility.

If I was told that I could only vote for 3 players this year my third vote would go to Omar Vizquel. Vizquel was my 5th choice last year and is a player who is more than just the sum of his stats.  I saw Vizquel play many times against and for my beloved White Sox and have seen what a game changing shortstop he was. 

If it was decided that only 2 players could adorn my 2018 ballot, The 2nd name on that ballot would be Edgar Martinez.  (Edgar was 4 on my list of players last year.) I am one of the few people I know who thought Harold Baines should be in the Hall of Fame. With Baines now in the Hall of Fame, there is no earthly reason that Edgar should not be there as well.  Consider this he has a .312 lifetime batting average and hit .312 on the road.  He has a..515 career slugging percentage and slugged .514 on the road.  What consistency! He may have been a designated hitter,  but boy did he live up to that designation!

If I could vote for only 1 player on this years ballot.  It would be Juan Pierre because he played for both teams and was well liked by both teams which is a hall of fame achievement in my book.

I'm sorry my mind or my computer were just hacked.  No offense to Juan,  but if I had only one vote and even just 1/10th of my marbles that vote would have to go to Mariano Rivera in his 1st year on the ballot.  The most dominant relief pitcher in both the regular and post season.  Yes I hate the Yankees but only because of their greatness.  Rivera enhanced that greatness and is deserving of being on 100% of the ballots.

This year I think that 3 or 4 players will make the HOF.  Rivera and Martinez are perfect bookends, 2 positions that HOF voters aren't sure about in their 1st and last years of eligibility. In my mind they are locks.  I think either Mussina or Halladay or possibly both will also make it this year.  I am pretty sure Rivera will not be on every ballot because there are some writers opposed to a 100%ballot and some writers opposed to relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame.  So it's the perfect storm of stupidity that will keep Rivera away from ballot perfection.   The announcement is just minutes away, (procrastinate much?) So let's go see if I was right.  

2019 HOF- First year on the ballot.

There are 20 players appearing on the HOF ballot for the first time this year. Last year there were 19 players on the ballot first time.  Two were elected into the hall of fame from that ballot.  3 received enough votes to be back on the ballot this year. 8 received some votes but not enough for future consideration. 6 failed to receive any votes at all.  If those percentages  hold this year 2 of the players on the ballot this year will be inducted. 3 more will remain on the ballot. 9 will receive some votes but not enough to stay on the ballot and again 6 of the players will receive no votes at all.  As you peruse the list, you can decide in your own mind which players will end up where after the announcement is made next week.

Rick Ankiel - Pitcher Outfielder - 1999-2013 Cardinals 7  Nationals 2 Royals, Mets, Braves, Astros,  1. 

One of the 10 youngest players in the national league in 1999 and 2000 with the Cardinals.  2nd in NL Rookie of the year voting in 2000. Transitioned to outfield in 2007

Jason Bay - Outfielder 2003-2013 Pirates 6 Mets 3 Red Sox 2   Padres Mariners 1 Bay was the 2004 rookie of the year with Pirates in 2004 (3 time rookie of the month) with the Pirates he was also 1 time rookie of the month in 2006 and 4 time nl player of the month between 2005 and 2007.  In 2011 he was 1 time nl player of the month with the Mets.  In addition to those accolades he was a 2 time NL all star (2005 2006 Pirates) and 1 time AL all star in 2009 with the Red Sox, The same year he won his only silver slugger award.

Lance Berkman 1999-2013 Outfielder First Baseman Astros 12 Cardinals 2 Rangers Yankees 1 Berkman was a 6 time all star 5 times with the Astros and once  with the Cardinals in 2011 the same year he was voted NL comeback player of the year. 4 times while with the Astros. Berkman finished in the top 5 in MVP voting (3rd in 2002 and 2006 and 5th in 2001 and 2008) Among all players on the 2019 Hall of fame ballot Berkman ranks in the top 5 in slugging pct with a life time .537 putting him in the top 50 of all time and has top 100 career numbers in walks and home runs. Berkman has been in 2 world series in 2005 as a member of the Houston Astros and in 2001 as a member of the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.  He has a .410 World Series batting average a slugging percentage of .564 16 hits 4 for extra bases 11 RBI and 9 runs scored.

Freddy Garcia Pitcher 1999-2013 Mariners 6 White Sox 5 Yankees 2 Braves Phillies Orioles Tigers 1 Garcia won the 2001 Al Pitching title came in 3rd in Cy Young voting that year which was also the front part of back to back All star appearance for the mariners.  He was 1 time player of the month for seattle in 2003.  Garcia pitched and won game 4 of the 2005 World Series for the White Sox against the Houston Astros who originally signed him some 12 years earlier as an amateur free agent.

Jon Garland Pitcher  2000 to 2013 White Sox 8 Dodgers 2 Diamondback Padres Rockies Angels 1 When Freddy Garcia's eventual rotation mate got to the White Sox in 200 youngest player in the American League He was the 4th youngest in 2001.  2005 was the White Sox and Garland's big year.  He started hot winning April AL pitcher of the month.  Pitched  a scoreless inning in the all star game helping the White Sox win home field advantage as the American League team in the World Series.  He went 18-10 with a 3.43 ERA finishing 6th in the AL Cy Young voting. Garland pitched twice in the post season in 2005 allowing 2 earn runs in a complete game win against the Angels in the ALCs and allowing 2 more earned Runs in 7 innings  game 3 of the World Series which the Sox eventually won 7-5 in 14 innings.

Travis Haffner Designated Hitter First Baseman 2002 to 2013 Indians 10 Rangers Yankees 1 Pronk was 5th in AL MVP voting in 2005 and was a 1 time AL player of the month in 2005 and 2006 for the Indians.

Roy Halladay Pitcher 1998 to 2013 Blue Jays 12 Phillies 4 Roy Halladay is the only deceased player on the BBWWA ballot this year having died at the age 40 in November of 2017. Halladay won the Cy Young award and Sporting News pitcher of the year awards twice,  Once with the Jays in 2003 and again with the Phillies in 2010. Halladay was in the top 5 in Cy young voting 5 other times in his career,  An 8 time all star playing in 4 games with Toronto and 2 with Philadelphia.  He was the starting  all star hurler on 2 occasions once for each team.

Todd Helton First Baseman 1997 to 2013 Rockies 17. Todd Helton played his entire career
 for one team.  While playing for that team he put up career numbers in the top 100 all time in batting average, hits, total bases, home runs, runs batted in and runs scored.  In addition his career numbers for  slugging percentage and walks are in the top 50 for all time and his number for doubles in the top 25. This offensive prowess would probably make him a hall of famer the first time on the ballot except for the fact that the one team plays in homer friendly Coors Field.  Helton won the NL Batting title and the Hank aaron award in 2000.  A 5 time all star with 3 gold gloves and 4 Silver sluggers who batted .333 in his only World Series in 2007.

Ted Lilly Pitcher 1999 to 2013 Dodgers Cubs 4 Yankees Blue Jays 3 Athletics 2 Expos(Nationals) 1 Lilly, a two time all stars (Cubs, Jays) who neither won nor competed for any major accolades or awards as a starting pitcher.


Derek Lowe 1997 to 2013 Pitcher Red Sox 8 Dodgers 4 Braves 3 Rangers Indians Yankees Mariners 1 Lowe a 2 time all star for the Red Sox where he was also a 2002 player of the week and player of the month. In 2004 he won an Alds game an Alcs game and a world Series game helping the Red Sox break the curse of the Bambino. He signed as a frre agent to the Dodgers in earl 2005 where he was a nl player of the month in 2006 and again a nl player of the month in 2010 with the Braves.

Darren Oliver Pitcher 1993 to 2013 Rangers 10 Angels 3 Cardinals Blue Jays 2 Mets Rockies Red Sox Marlins Astros 1 Oliver in his last 4 seasons was one of the 10 oldest players in the American League from 7th oldest in 2010 to 2nd oldest in 2013.

Roy Oswalt Pitcher 2001 to 2013 Astros 10 Phillies 2 Rockies Rangers 1 Oswalt was a 3 time all star with the Astros 1 time rookie of the month in 2001 and 1 time pitcher of the month in 2002 and 2006 and one time player of the week in 2004 and 2008

Andy Petitte Pitcher 1995 to 2013 Yankees 15 Astros 3 3 time all star for the Yankees.  5 times in the top 5 Cy young voting 2nd 1996, 4th 2000 5th 1997 Yankees  5th 2005 Astros.  Petite pitched in 8 World Series the Yankees were 5-2 and the Astros 0-1 2001 Alcs mvp.  career leader for post seasons wins 18
Juan Pierre Outfielder 2000 to 2013 Marlins 4 Rockies Dodgers 3 White Sox 2 Phillie Cubs 1 Pierre's 614 stolen bases is the 18th best all time.  He hit .333 as the Marlins won the 2003 World Series. 

Placido Polanco Infielder 1998 to 2013  Phillies 7 Cardinals Tigers 5 Marlins 1 2 time all star (Tigers and Phillies) 2006 ALCS MVP with Tigers 3 time Phillies Gold Glover

Mariano Rivera Pitcher 1995 to 2013 Yankees 19 13 time all star 2013 Al All Star MVP  1999 WS MVP 2003 AL ALCS MVP 2013 AL comeback player of the year 5 time AL Rolaids Relief winner 1 time Babe Ruth Award winner 3 time delivery man of the year award Career Leader in Saves 652 and post season saves 42.  .70 post season ERA is career leader. 

Miguel Tejada Infielder 1997 to 2013 AThletics 7 Orioles 5 Astros 2 Royals Giants Padres 1 6 all star appearances 4 AL (3 Orioles 1 Start 2005 All Star Mvp, 1 Athletics) 2 NL Astros 2002 Al MVP with Athletics 2  silver slugger awards as Oriole.

Vernon Wells Center Fielder 1999 to 2013 Blue Jays 12 Angels 2 Yankees 1 3 time All Star 3 time gold glove winner 1 time silver slugger all with Toronto. Started 2006 All Star Game. Wells played 1731 games without a playoff appearance 2nd only to Adam Dunn in the Wild Card era. 

Kevin Youkilis, Infielder 2004 to 2013 Red Sox 9 Yankees White Sox 1 3 time all star 2008 Hank Aaron award winner 2007 Gold Glove winner 1 time al rookie of the month 1 time player of the week with Red Sox 2008 and White Sox 2012

Michael Young Infielder 2000 to 2013 Rangers 13 Dodgers Phillies 1 7 all star games started 2009 won 2006 all star mvp won 2005 al batting title and 1 gold glove award.Tomorrow I will post my final installment of hall of fame commentary including my Official Unofficial Ballot.