Dear Caffeine ...

Well, old friend, it has come to this - we must part ways. I know this is going to catch you by surprise, but my mind is made up. You are just no good for me. Don't try to change my mind, either.

Sure, we had some good times. I remember when I first met you as a kid chugging a Coke. We had a blast bouncing off the walls and terrorizing pets and parents alike. And, yes, I DO remember all those all-nighters you got me through. I might not have graduated high school without you. Even as I grew up and left Mountain Dew for Coffee, we sure had a great run! You introduced me to Coffees and Cappuccinos. We've even worked together for the last few years.

But, that's gotta change.I can't explain it, but the doctor says you're no good for me. People have told me that for years, but I didn't believe them. But, now I do. So, from now on, no more coffees - there I said it. I know this is shocking but I just can't. No more regular Dr. Peppers, either. I've got to start learning to live caffeine free!

Sure, I may catch you in passing, but I just need my distance. Take care old friend. I'll miss ya, but its best this way.

First Day on the New Gun

So, I got to shoot my new pistol, yesterday. And it was a blast! We're visiting my brother in the Houston area. He took us down to the local Carter Country with a public range. I bought some hearing protection and we headed down to the pistol area.

My brother and I both have the Berretta PX4 Storm. I opted for the 9mm version thinking that it would be a little feasible for Cheryl to learn to use the smaller caliber. Matt was shooting the .40 cal. We traded off and they were both great to shoot. I don't have a lot of time on pistols in general so without much to compare it to, I'll just say that it was very easy to shoot.

The target in the picture was my last one of the day. I loaded one clip and put all 17 round on a clean sheet. There were no wild shots and a couple of dead-on bullseyes. As far as home defense is concerned, if the burgler will just stand still in bright light, I'm sure I can get'em!

Armed and (Not so) Dangerous

I never win anything. Ever since Ed McMahon stopped sending me huge letters about the millions I (may) have already won, I haven't even tried to win anything on a regular basis. I don't play the lottery because I have at least a high school understanding of math and statistics, so I'm definitely not going to win at that. But, otherwise, I don't win the door-prizes at benefit dinners. The prize randomly stuck to the bottom of the seat of one lucky attendee is never stuck to my seat. I don't even happen on really good deals as often as some people I know do! But that changes NOW!

About 2 weeks ago I took my kiddos to Academy to pick up a couple of things. I was approached by a guy who may have been college age. He asked me to buy a raffle ticket. I said, we'll see (which is shopper for, "No!") I did my shopping but he came back! He was friendly with the kids so I asked him what group this was for. I turns out that the organization was a Christian group that shares the gospel with youth through the venue of hunting and fishing. The gig seemed good enough and I bought a $20 ticket with a long list of prizes - all guns - fully knowing this was a donation. I expected nothing!

Cheryl calls me at work yesterday and says, "It may be raining outside but the sun is shining on you!"
"What?"
"You won!"
"What!?"
"Some guy just called and said you won some raffle. He said you won the gun everyone wanted, too!"

Yes, I am a winner. It is official as of 6pm today - when I show up to claim my prize. What is it, you ask? I won a Beretta px4 Storm. if you don't know what that is, I didn't either, but I've been assured that this is a very nice handgun.

The funniest part of the whole thing was our scramble to find the ticket yesterday! And I kid you not, I actually had to go through the trash and found it in a stack of magazines and stuff where it had likely been picked up by accident. Awesome! If they had called today - it would have been gone in the trash this morning! Whew!

Great Weekends - A Perspective

It has now been over 3 years since I have coached debate. I coached for 5 years at Smithson Valley HS and it was an amazing time of life in a lot of ways. I married, we had a child, I was completely new to debate and was having my first real successful go at the teaching career thing. My first 3 years of teaching were difficult to say the least. In the midst of all the change, though, coaching brought late evenings and many long weekends.

My normal routine involved staying late most days to hold practices. I came home around 6:30 or 7 on a regular basis and later when needed. At home I still had papers to grade and lessons to prepare. Weekends were the domain of debate tournaments and despite my sincere belief that this was a great activity for any student to engage in, I dreaded the time they took. Even as a nominally active team (many teams competed far more often than we did) we were still on the road 1 out of just about every 3 weekends. And that wears on you. Being gone until 2am Friday and Staturday nights was just no fun.

When I left coaching to take the job that led to what I do now, webmastering at Judson ISD. I was excited to say the least. But, I had no idea what I was really getting. In our married life, I had always been a coach. We always just dealt with the time away. Looking back I remember it felt normal at some level, but normal was tough. I frequently called Cheryl around lunch on a tournament Saturday and would long to just be at home. "I wish I could be there with you, baby."

Fast forward to today. Like most working guys I put in 40 hours a week - more if needed. But, at the end of the day, I usually turn of the office lights, pick up my car keys and walk out the door. And weekends, those are mine. All of them. We have enjoyed travel to see family, camping trips and a host of other activities that were either forgone completely or enjoyed at the cost of a precious weekend at home.

Today, I got up - took care of some home maintenance. Played legos with my son. Took a nap and am now enjoying a quiet afternoon. I do not know how much others would appreciate the pace, but I think that I will forever have a slightly different (and better) attitude given my experiences in the past! Now off to hang with the family.

Climbing Buddy

I have enjoyed rock climbing since trying it out in college. I can't say I have ever been just a real hard core climber, but it is fun and I try to get out when I can. Since having kids, the amount of opportunities has dropped a bit, but I still get out now and then. This week I got to hit the crags with a new partner... Isaac!

That is right! My 4-year-old did some climbing with me at Enchanted Rock! Cheryl and I took the kids to the Park this week for a little day trip, and we decided to take our gear and maybe do a little climbing ourselves while the kids climbed around on the rocks.

We found a spot to set up and I dropped the ropes while Isaac watched. He was enthralled. I got on the rock to climb and again he was all eyes. I thought it would be fun to teach him a little about it and let him try it a bit, so I asked him if he wanted to climb. "YEAH!" Since he doesn't have a harness (yet!), I used some extra webbing to make him a "swiss seat" and we clipped him in!

Once on belay, Cheryl and I helped him to look for footholds and handholds, and he started climbing like a champ. I didn't know if the heights would bother him, but he never complained. He let us know when He was ready to come down and we belayed him down like he'd been doing it all along (well, almost!). He even got the hang of standing out against the rock while being lowered ... maybe I'll teach him how to rappel!

Here are some photos from our trip (Isaac's climbing pics are in the middle):

Head in the Clouds: My First Skydive

Experiences, I'm convinced will define our memory of our lives. It is also particularly the new ones that will stand out! I'm convinced that this is why time seems to fly faster and faster as I age: I have fewer and fewer opportunities to do something I've never done. This weekend I made a memory that will certainly stand out! I went SKYDIVING!

The opportnity came when a friend offered to let me use one of 2 vouchers that he had gotten as a gift. Of course I accepted, and of course Cheryl and the kids wanted to be there. So, we made plans and on Saturday, we loaded up and took off.

Let me say right up front, skydiving is awesome! It was everything that I had hoped for and more. I can hardly express how great it was, but that has never stopped me from trying. So, here goes.

First, was I scared. Actually, no. I was not scared at any point (this could be a bad sign but I'm going to go with it!) Maybe the all the rationales worked on me: "The odds are far higher of [blah,blah,blah]" and "People do this all the time!" Whatever it was, I honestly didn't have any point at which I thought twice about doing it. Instead, it was a total rush from the moment I put on the harness to the moment I put my feet back on the ground.

We arrived in Beeville at around 3 and did the paperwork - scads of papers to sign. "Yes, I know I could die", "Yes, I agree not to sue if I die", "No, my family won't either." (I seriously think that a hand cramp from all the signing was about the worst injury I risked!) The training was brief - "This is a plane. You will jump out here" - and we were off to the airport.

At the field we decided I would jump first (small plane = 1 at a time). They strapped me into a harness that was tight enough to kill any hope of walking normally to the plane. Then we climbed into the plane - a Cessna. The plane likely at one point had more than one seat, but not now. I sat with my back to the pilot and 3 other guys (2 solos and my instructor) piled in around me. We looked more like a clown car than a serious skydiving operation. Once in the air, though, it was great. We circled the field gaining altitude and enjoying the view. The guys even had a little fun with me asking the instructor if he had taken his meds. He naturally replied, "No, I haven't blacked out in days!"

Then - we hit altitude. 2 miles.

When the door came open it was finally "real." I was about to jump OUT that door ... at 2 miles up! The instructor attached to my harness and we moved to the door ... awesome. I followed my training and put my right foot out on the strut ... Awesome. I grabbed tight to my chest harness and a second later felt his weight come out behind me and watched the plane fall away behind us ... AWESOME!

The freefall was intense in every way: Strange G-forces in so many directions, the wind literally screaming past, the earth in every direction with nothing between, the amazing sensations of literally flying through the sky at an incredible speed. In 45 seconds we had just enough time to look around and do a couple of 360's just to see the sights.

I was warned on the ground that the chute opening would be quite a jerk. It was not, however, as bad as what I was prepared for. In a moment we were floating serenely under the canopy and all the intensity of freefall was replaced by calm and quiet. We did a couple of sharp turns in a figure-8, and then prepared to land.

The landing was a breeze. To keep from risking a face-plant, we came in with our feet out and plopped down in the field just a few yards from where Cheryl and the kids were watching. Then it was Will's turn.

Would I do it again? HECK, yes! Unfortunantly it is a bit pricey. You could spend 3 to 4 thousand easily gettng trained and geared up. Sadly the inflight video was pretty pricey, too. But, my personal videographer/photographer was there so we go the video below.

If you ever get a chance ... GO SKYDIVE! Meanwhile, enjoy this video...

Back Home

We pulled into the drive last night at midnight. We are now home and our vacation is just about over. It has been a great week, but it seems that an unexpected benefit of going away is appreciating being home again. After a week of amazing sights and experiences, after a week of new places and faces, after a week of getting up and going down at unusual times, it is nice to be back in our little house with familiar things and ... soon ... the familiar faces of our children.

Missing the kids was beginning to drive our attention from the things of vacation. All of the wonderful distractions of our adventure were loosing their hold, and at just the right time, we were wrapping up the time off. Now we are anticipating seeing them soon!

Being off will certainly have its lasting effects. I got up this morning late (unusual for me) and took the time to make myself a Carmel Machiatto - something my mornings never afford me the time to do. Maybe, along with the souvenirs, pictures and memories, I'll take home a renewed commitment to taking time to relax. Ahhh .... Vacation!

On Vacation

Oh the joys of a vacation. It is not often that I take time for a vacation. We've really not done this type of a trip since our honeymoon, so the last week has been a real change for us. The real highlights have been the sights like the Olympic Park and Arches National Park and, especially, the time I've gotten to spend with Cheryl all to ourselves. Cheryl has done quite a few posts on the trip's goings on, but I thought that I'd add my 2 cents worth here, so here we go with the highlights...

SUNDAY - Olympic Park
We visited the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics ski jumping and sledding events (bob-sled, luge and skeleton). The big fun there was a zip line that ran the entire length of the longest jump - Weee!

MONDAY - Shopping
We spent most of the day Monday piddling around town. We saw the "Main Street" and walked most of it looking in shops and such.

TUESDAY - Hiking and a Date
Cheryl and I really wanted to get outdoors and this was our chance. We walked out of the resort and right onto a dirt service road that led up the nearest ski mountain. We followed these service roads most of the way to the top. It was a LOT of uphill hiking, but it was rewarding to say the least. Amazing views and probably the most fun part - just enjoying it with Cheryl.

WEDNESDAY - Arches National Park
Utah is an outdoor enthusiasts dream land - amazing national parks with stunning sights. Although the biggest and best parks were several hours south of us, we planned from the beginning to go see at least one of these parks. Arches seemed the mosted doable, so we got up really early (5am!) and gt on the road. The drive alone was incredible - mountain passes, high deserts, waterfalls .... WOW!

The park, though was the best part. Enter by switch-back road into an absolutely phenomenal menagerie of sandstone spires, fins and arches. Strange shapes everywhere and most of them towering over you hundreds of feet in the air. We got out and hiked a short trail to see the "Delicate Arch" and were blown away by the view and the surreal immensity of the arch. After dinner in Moab, we drove home in the dark and slept well!

THURSDAY - Back to Olympic Park
We had heard that some athletes would be practicing on the ski jump so we headed back to the park for the morning. They were practicing - it was fascinating to see them jump without snow! The jump was iced over mechanically and the landing was a synthetic material that was wet down. The jump then ran out into a grassy area, where the skiers came to a stop on green turf - crazy to watch.

The big surprise was when we walked over to look at the bob-sled track and realized it was not only up and running but they were actually running Skeleton and Bobsleds that afternoon. We got to stand right by the track as athletes rocketed past at 74mph+ speeds. It was amazing! TV does not do the sport justice! Wow! ... WOW!

FRIDAY ... hmmm, we'll see!
Today looks to be a quieter day as we get ready to head home tomorrow. Any excitement will have to come in the next post!

Ahhh .... VACATION! (more pics on Facebook!)

Moblog: The Perfect Snack

Cheryl and I have a funny little trick that we learned on accident. One day after leaving a Dr. Pepper inthe feezer for almost too long, we discovered that if it is rally close to freezing when you pop the lid it will feeze up instantly into wonderful, slushy goodness. We've now got this down to a science! We can generally time it just right and the result is shear tastebud delight! Warning - if you leave it in too long you get a popcicle that tastes like flat DP ... and you waste a good DP! That would be tantamount to sacrelidge!

SeaDoo Fun

Wow - what a great weekend. We took the singles group out to a local lake and enjoyed the day waterskiing and riding on two jet-skis. Let me tell you - these were no ordinary jet-skis. These were the high-end kind. ...The high-end, blow your hair back kind. ... The high-end, 0-60 in close to 3 seconds, rocket across the water at 70 mph, fear for your life, "man, I wanna buy a jetski" kind. I haven't been blasted forward like that since riding the Greased Lightning at Astroworld as a kid. Wow.

Cheryl took a brief turn in the driver seat but seemed content to let me to the drive. ...So I did my best to make it fun (read "terrifying!") We did laugh a lot and it was a blast! Julia didn't take a turn but Isaac did give it a go. Sadly as choppy as the water

What is really funny is how biased I used to be about them. I used to say things like, "How fun could that be?" and "It would just be like a motorcycle stuck in a big flat parking lot!" Yeah, I was wrong. Ahhh, another expensive hobby! That will have to wait.

Here are a few more pics...

Moblog: Sorry, Babe

I love my coffee mugs! I especially love the ones thnat have been given to me as gifts. I'm sad today because my very favorite mug broke! This was a gift from Cheryl for my last birthday. It is the one I use at work and have put a lot of miles (gallons?) on it it the months since. Man!!!

Sorry, babe, but for my next birthday you've got it easy!

Nerd Quiz - I Passed

Cheryl has a lot of fun with my nerd-dom. It is true. I don't deny that I'm nerdy. I like to think that I'm more of the "creative with funny musical tastes" species of nerd rather than the "I can't find my pocket protector until I get my glasses taped back together" breed. But, either way I like most things techy and list "Coldfusion" and "PHP" under foreign languages that I speak. That along with my strong tendency to choose fantasy, action and sci-fi movies over films involving sports, animal that talk and/or love stories pretty well pegs me for some level of nerd-dom. But if all that wasn't enough to prove it, my loving mate sent me a link to a quiz which apparently tests this:
http://www.toysforyourblog.com/quiz/6/How_Nerdy_Are_You.php

... and it is official...
This would be my 'results' after taking the quiz. ;-)

A Creepy Kind of Love

What would you do if you came across a very realistic looking rubber cockroach? Cheryl and I were confronted with this dilemma recently when she bought the decorations for Isaac's "Bug" themed birthday party. Of course, we did what any other normal loving couple would do and showed to the other laughing about how funny it would be to mistake that for the real thing.

Really?

No. Not Really.

From the moment we realized the mayhem potential of this little guy, all bets were off on what lengths we would go to in order to scare the other. The first attempts were innocuous enough but this would turn out to be a battle of escalation! ... in love of course!

• Gabe gets the game going by taping Roach to the back of a Milk Jug in the fridge.
• Cheryl retaliates by putting Roach on my hairbrush in the medicine cabinet.
• Gabe escalates by taping a string to the roach from the bottom of the bathroom door. When the door opens it pulls Roach out for a 'in motion' effect. This bombs, though, when Roach tumbles and looks more like one of Ollies' dookies! (Rats - foiled!)
• Cheryl hides Roach behind my shave cream in the shower.
• Gabe hides Roach on the spoons in the silverware draw.
• The most recent attempt was the most brazen though. I'm eating dinner, going through the salad when Roach tumbles out of the lettuce! ooo ... she's good.

I'll get you, yet, Cheryl-y Anne!

Wow - Great Eats in Austin!

Did I say Great Eats? What I meant was GREAT EATS! I'm in Austin for a couple of days for and Ed Tech conference. We had a lunch break yesterday and I wound up at this South American food restaurant that I've walked past dozens of times before when up here for conference - Dona Emilias. I ordered the stuffed chicken breast and didn't think any more about it. I fully expected to get the same thing you normally get at this type of place.What I got instead for my unbelievably reasonable $8 (considering the quality of the food) was a delicious and even beautiful meal!

Let me explain something at this point - my relationship with food is VERY utiliarian. I really don't dare much about eating. My style of eating could best be described as the "rushed disposal" technique. I'd take a pill instead if I could and enjoy the time I recovered. Consequently, I don't differentiate much between food quality. Chili's, Applebee's, TGI Friay's, et al mark the high end of my dining and McDonalds, etc. mark the low end and I have pretty much the same reaction to both ends - ambivalence.

For me to rave about cuisine, is not just rare, but completely out of character. I normally don't care about food, but this meal managed to break through my indifference and leave me wide-eyed. I'd love to give you a thorough break down of the flavors and textures that made it so great, but because of paragraph #2, I'm ill-equipped to discuss the topic intelligently. Let me just leave it at WOW! I mean it ... WOW!

Caution: Nerd with Power Tools

So I'll have to be honest, I do have quite the proclivity for all things techy (and big words like proclivity!). So naturally I carry a high-tech, shiney, black, does-everything-but-make-the-bed blackberry cell phone - the "Pearl", in case you wanted to know. But my gadget orientation has always included power tools as well. I really dig wood-working and most projects in general that involve tools that could remove one of your limbs if not handled properly. Blackberrys don't tend to do that.

I finally have found a project that properly unites these two domains - behold, the hand-crafted wooden cell phone cradle! This beauty is a one of a kind featuring hardwood construction using red oak and rosewood and a high gloss black lacquer finish. It is a thing of beauty that true nerds don't get ... and true woodworkers can't see the need for. Sadly, this is a one of a kind. I'll not be taking orders for more of these. You'll have to find some other techy-wood head!

The Cat is Out of Santa's Bag

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later! The names we drew for our gift giving this year got all mixed up and Mom had to bring it all out in the open to get everything cleared up before somebody got left out. The list hit the digital air yesterday, revealing all the givers and who their 'givee' would be.

Betty Landes to Billie, Tarah, Phyllis, Matt, Jake, Gabe, Don, Cheryl, April
Hey Dears,
Since there are two family members who do not remember whose name they drew for Christmas, I checked around and this is my best guess.

Drawor - Drawee
Don - Tarah
Betty - Phyl
Phyl - Betty
Billie - Don
Gabe - Jake
Cheryl - Matt
Matt - Gabe
April - Cheryl
Jake - Billie
Tarah - April

I am happy to report, though, that our good intentions are still intact as evidenced by this loving exchange of email that only serendipitously coincided with the list's publication:

Dear Matt,
Have I ever told you how much I appreciate you as a brother. Of all my family members I have always thought especially highly of you. Your generosity and the liberal way that you love those around you is wonderful. I just felt moved today to express this to you in a completely unmotivated way. You're swell!

Love, your brother that doesn't own a 40" flatscreen TV,
Gabe

... and a quick response ...

Dear Gabe,
As I sit here trying my best to choke back the tears welling up in my eyes, I can't help but be amazed by the irony of this situation. I myself was ,just this second, contemplating how your lovely wife exemplifies these same characteristics. Her generosity is surpassed only by her beauty! Let's face it, big brother, you married WAAAYYYY up! You should consider a career in sales. I digress... Anyway, as I was saying, I was just about to email this heartfelt, sincere, and, also, unmotivated ,byselfish motives sentiment to your wife, however, since I felt it polite to respond to you and say thank you for the compliment, I will simply ask that you pass my feelings on to your, again BEAUTIFUL, wife.

Love, your brother (and brother-in-law) that does not have a Browning 7mm A-Bolt Rifle,
Matt

Ah, the love in this family just... well, ya know... it just does!

I Said 'Pouty', not 'Dumbfounded'

Let me try to make a long story a bit shorter...I was evaluating a piece of software for a project and found a list of websites that use the software. The list included a women's fashion site based in the UK.

So, I bring up their site and before I can begin my technical evaluation, I'm struck by the expression of the cover model...
I mean, we're all used to the type of expressions and such that 'high fashion' models find, but this one was just a bit off. She seems to have been caught off-guard, but not in that "I'm cool, spontaneous and candid" way. It's more of a "That guy with the clicky, confuses me" kind of look. I was mildly amused until I realized that this is her ONLY LOOK! I poked around the sight and found several other pics and sure enough, the look is stuck.

Here are 2 more shots as proof:Comments Contest: give these shots a caption! The title of this entry is my suggestion.

Cheers!

Isaac and I enjoyed the first eggnog of the season this weekend. I was in HEB for some quick groceries and, what do you know?! The eggnog was in stock. Not that canned stuff, either. The good stuff. I jumped back in the van with my find and waited for the right moment to reveal it. That time was, of course, almost immediately.

Cheryl was just as excited as I thought she'd be - not at all. But, while she was busy rolling her eyes, Isaac and I made plans to have a glass together right after dinner! I'm proud to report that he likes it! Cheers, Isaac!

Ramping Down

Have you ever heard the phrase "ramping up"? Sure - we use it to say we're gathering resources and momentum towards the end of some big effort. I feel like I've been ramping up for so long now that I've forgotten what I was ramping up for. I have come to a recent point where I'm realized that I am working too hard. That was the easy part. The hard part, though, is figuring out how to stop it! I need to start ramping down. As I struggle with the concept here a couple of things jump out as the bigger hurdles.

One, the felt need for the extra income from the side jobs. Part of what log-jams my time at home are the side jobs I've taken on. They have kicked in some cash from time to time but not a lot. The opportunity cost of them seems like it has been pretty high, too. It takes a long time to do a job and that time come from family time. There are just so many hours in the day.

Two, I've forgotten how to relax. I'm serious about this. When I'm thrust into a non-working time by a holiday vacation or an outing with friends, I can figure it out pretty well - I really do enjoy those times with family and friends. But what I've forgotten how to do is the "management" of those times. Planning vacations, looking for opportunities and pursuing family-level hobbies like taking our bikes to the park, camping and river trips are things that have fallen by the wayside to me. The void is obvious, but when it crosses my mind, I often find it burdensome rather than refreshing; it feels like one more job asking to be added to my already crushing load.

I'm out of balance. I'm admitting that here. Changes need to be made. But, I know that I can't do it all at once. It took a long time to ramp up to this level of intensity. Getting back to normal is going to take some ramping down.

The First Eggnog of the Season

My wife and I have a lot of things in common. Love of eggnog is not one of those. I really love it! It is sweet, smooth and instantly reminds me of the holidays. Cheryl, on the other hand regards it much more like a cup of chilled snot. We'll just have to keep praying for her on that one.

Meanwhile, I had occasion to be in WalMart the other day and what do you know? The eggnog was out! They are already gearing up for the season. I didn't buy any ... but I did consider it.