Alex and Marriage

Alex is a very smart six year old. He has a great smile, a hearty laugh like Lorenzo and a heart of gold. I love spending time with him, because you just never know what he'll say next.

Yesterday, he brought up a new idea that was really quite funny. We were getting ready for work and day care when he asked about marriage.

"Mom, does the person I marry have to be a Martinez?"

Being from North Carolina, I certainly didn't want to encourage marriage within the family. I figured I should clarify.
"Alex, did you mean can you only marry people named Martinez?"

"Yes, Mom, you know not every one has our last name. But you're married to Dad and your last name is Martinez." There was a very "duh mom" feeling to this explanation.

"Alex you don't have to marry someone who already has Martinez as a last name. Traditionally, the woman takes the last name of the man. My name used to be Cherry."

"That's good mom. I don't know a lot of Martinez's. It'll be easier if I don't have to look for them only."

Child logic is so simple, it just makes you smile sometimes.

Vacation II

Okay, actually Lynn pretty much summed it up in her entry but I thought I would enter some of the highlights below that I remember.

The flight out was just fine and had no issues. Lynn and I did notice one young woman pretty much covered in tattoos. Now I don't really have an issue with people with tattoos but this woman had her arms, portion of her legs, cleavage, and some of her hands covered with tattoos. That and she was sporting a Pippi Longstalking hairdo but with vertical pigtails and red hair. Needless to say it was a lot of tattoos. When Lynn and I first saw her we both thought her dress (which was multicolored) had sleeves and covered her shoulders. Nope, that was the tattoos. That gives you an idea how how much coverage we are talking about. One thing I did note was that on the plane (I was sitting in the aisle as was she but 4 rows behind her) I saw she had a tattoo in her armpit that had text on it. I noticed since the text continued from out of her underarm. I could not make it out but I thought of some examples:
"Smell me later"
"Scratch and DON'T sniff"
"Contents under pressure"

So we land in Long Beach and had a good drive to Temecula. The whole visit was great and Lynn has already mentioned the wineries. Some highlights/comments:

We had visited the wineries in Temecula Valley 5 years ago and at that time it was just a few wineries with light traffic. I was very much a novice at wines and had no idea what I liked or did not like. Now it seems it is booming. I know it was a holiday weekend but in the past you could even talk to the owner or winemaker and they would tell you all about the wines, the process, etc. but not this trip, which seems ashame. Some of the notables were Ponte, Maurice Car'rie, Churon, Filsinger, Van Roekel, Wilson Creek, and Keyways. Now most wineries only sell their wines in-house, but some distribute locally in the area at a much cheaper price. This is why we always go to Long's Drugs afterwards ( this is like a CVS ). A bottle of wine at Maurice Car'rie would sell at $12 or $15 but at Long's you can find it for $4 or $8. Needless to say we stocked up on what we could.

Alex got to meet Jayden, his younger cousin and Lynn and I noted how Jayden sort of took to Alex since he was older and, in his eyes, very cool to play with. Alex had fun too but I think he had some trouble getting used to being a 'big brother'. Alex would sometimes get after Jayden for doing something Alex didn't want him to do or whatnot. Alex even got after Jayden in his sleep on one night. As we were still awake about 10PM, Alex just started saying in his sleep "Jayden...JAYDEN." It was too funny.

Meghan found solace away from the two boys playing in a swing that was hanging from the deck in the backyard. She would just swing in there for about 20 or 30 minutes at a time, just taking it easy. Sometimes with her juice, other times just with her own thoughts. Talk about relaxing.


Meghan enjoying the swing 


Meghan checking her messages 


After we had stocked up and visited for a few days it was off to Disney which is about a 30 minute drive from Temecula.

We pretty much checked in at the hotel, which was located across the street from Disneyland, and headed over. This was very convenient as it was easy for us to get Meghan back to the room for her naps but allow Alex to stay at the park with either Lynn or I.

While Disneyland is smaller than Walt Disney World, it seems a bit more manageable and less chaotic. I did very little planning for the trip unlike the trip to Walt Disney World and sort of let things happen as we can upon them. Alex had a great time and even rode some of the bigger rides which included two rollercoasters. This is a big step for him and we were glad to see that he was just fine with the rides etc. Meghan took it all in stride and had a pretty good time. Mostly she was interested in steering her own stroller around the parks and eating.

Here are some pictures we took at Disney. I had heard about the firehouse apartment that Walt had on a Disney special on TLC or the Travel Channel. The same special mentioned the center of Disney marked with a golden spike, which I found. And, oh yes, there be trombones there too! Arrrgghhhh!!!!


Firehouse at Disney. The apartment above the garage is where Walt would stay sometimes and watch the crowds. 


This is the exact center of Disney. Do you know where you can find this? 


Trombones at Disney 


Riding Dumbo 


Lunch at California Adventure 


A Mickey chip. 


Alex participating at Playhouse Disney on Stage in California Adventure 


Meghan having a gummy worm snack


On Wednesday we went back to Long Beach and decided to drive around and try to go to the beach and visit the Aquarium of the Pacific. It ended up being way too cold for a beach visit so we drove the PCH to Newport and back and got to see the Pacific from the comfort of the car we rented. The Aquarium was very cool. There were petting pools so that you could touch sharks and stingrays and other aquatic life that you don't see every day.


A stingray at the Aquarium trying to see what is on the other side of the pool wall.


Feeding time for the sea lion at the Aquarium of the Pacfic in Long Beach, CA 


Alex remembered one type of jellyfish that we saw at the Aquarium from a IMAX film we saw about 2 or 3 months ago. They are unique in that they are from Palau and live in a fresh water lake. Not only that but they do not sting and they make their own food inside their bodies. Well, in the IMAX film the person who describes them says they are farmer jellies, where as at the Aquarium they were labled as something else. Alex turned to me and out of the blue tells me that that is wrong. "They are called farmer jellies like in that IMAX film we saw and they make their own food." Sometimes he just comes right out and blows me away with what he remembers and understands.

We actually went back home on Thursday with an uneventful flight. Well, mostly. Meghan had some issues since she started to teethe with her 2-year molars starting to come out, so the flight could have been a bit more tranquil. :) In any event we had a good and relaxing weekend before it was back to the grind on Monday.

Later,

Lorenzo

Vacation

Today is Tuesday and we have been in California since Friday. THIS IS AWESOME.

I should warn you, Lorenzo completely intends to create an entry, so this will only have partial coverage of the vacation.

We are in Anaheim and have spent two fantastic days at Disney. My knees, hips and legs are throbbing from a second day of walking, but it's been great.

Friday, we flew AA from DFW to Long Beach and drove to Temecula where Jesse/Jan live. We got to meet Lorenzo's nephew Jayden and the kids really enjoyed playing with him. He is three, so splits the difference between Alex and Meghan nicely.

We spent Saturday at Chez Martinez, with the exception of a trip to 3 wineries. Temecula has quite the wine valley and Lorenzo and I tasted quite a few. It was a sunny but cool day, so the weather was perfect. This kids played at the house while Jan, Lorenzo and I ventured out.

Sunday was more relaxing and more wine. This time, we went to 5 wineries. The smaller ones were definitely the best. We tasted a strawberry champagne, a pineapple champagne and a rasberry champagne. (I spelled raspberry wrong on purpose...It was actually spelled wrong on signs in the winery. SHAMEFUL!) We also tasted this fantastic late harvest....It was like CHOCOLATE. Yes, we got some of that. Wonderfully, we found some great deals on wine in the local Long's. You can save a ton of $$ if you buy in the drug store when possible. Long's has great deals. When we got back from the vineyards, we warmed up the hot tub and had a soak. What a wonderful way to end a weekend.

Monday - project Disney. We started with a last breakfast at Chez Martinez. I found it funny that Alex wanted to know when we were going to eat out. I suggested he buy the family a meal, but he didn't think that was funny. After a good breakfast we headed out.

It took about an hour to get from Temecula to Anaheim. No traffic and no issues. We checked into the hotel and headed to the park. Wonderfully, we could literally walk from our hotel to the park. We rode a number of rides. The crowds weren't bad at all. The weather was really pleasant, too. We enjoyed the Disney park and had a great time.

Today, Alex and I spent the day at California Adventure. We rode a number of rides twice. The crowds were non existent, so we could walk on to most everything. What a great, great day. To those wanting to visit Disneyland, remember that CA kids don't get out of school until June, so Memorial Day week is a great time to visit. Also, CA Adventure has less congestion than the traditional park. PLUS, it's newer.

Tomorrow, we are heading to the beach and aquarium. Thursday, we're heading home to TX.

This has been a great trip.

MA!

I just have to share three funny Meghan stories.

First, as you may know, Meghan's vocabulary is growing by the day. She has been saying shoes and toothbrush and Maggie for quite a while. I was disturbed however that she wasn't saying mommy. She had da-da down. She even has a version of Alex. Mom, however, seemed out of the question.

In the past week, she has fixed that. She has found a way to get my attention, and mommy isn't her first choice. No, instead we get the full body MA! A picture is worth a thousand words. Imagine a 2 foot girl standing at attention and yelling MA. When you don't answer, she comes closer, MA. If you still don't answer, she'll come closer still MA!

It can be quite comical for the one viewing the event.

Story number 2
Lorenzo and I have fought for years about the proper placement of blankets and sheets on the bed. I prefer a neat bed. Blankets smooth, sheets tucked, general order. Lorenzo prefers chaos. He believes the sheets and blankets should roll with you when you move. That creates a very messy bed and frequent sleep fights.

We have noticed that Alex is a chaotic sleeper too. He rolls and moves and creates a very messy bed. We hadn't noticed a Meghan pattern until recently.

Meghan is a neat sleeper. As Lorenzo put her to bed last night, she first arranged her pillow so that Buzz Lightyear was face up and vertical. Then she laid down and pointed to the blankets. Lorenzo covered her up, but the blankets weren't straight. She directed him to fix the problem. Yes, she is a neat sleeper, like me.

Story number 3
There is a story about a young red headed girl from North Carolina. When she was about 2, she spent a week with her Aunt Betty and Uncle Murray. Betty and Murray were farmers and they had hogs. At the time, they were raising chickens too, so breakfasts were really good down on the farm.

According to the story, one morning, after spending a week with Aunt Betty and Uncle Murray, that young red headed girl was eating breakfast when her mother returned to take her home. Her mother was horrified to find her young girl standing up in her chair with a mouth full of sausage, chewing as she held an additional piece of sausage in her left hand and grabbed for a third piece of sausage with her right. Her mother admonished her behavior and told her to sit down.

Murray stopped that young mom and explained, if he had to kill another hog that young red headed girl could have as much sausage as she pleased.

Now, to the present. This morning, I made eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast. I made 7 sausage patties believing that should be plenty for the four of us. Alex had a piece. Lorenzo had a piece. I had a piece. Meghan had the remaining four. I believe the little red headed girl lives on in Meghan.

I hope you enjoyed the stories.

Congratulations - Not so perfect attendance

Alex graduated today. Lorenzo video'ed it and I took pictures. If you haven't been to a kindergarten graduation, let me paint a scene for you.

First, the location? The cafetorium. That word in itself sends a picture. Yes, it's an elementary school cafeteria that has a partial stage at the front. You're wondering, what does that mean, Lynn? Well, on the wall opposite of the lunch line, there is a large curtained area. There is a stage, if you can call a four foot deep raised platform a stage. Hence, cafetorium.

There were about 40 chairs lined up for the graduates to wait for their diplomas. There were tables with stools (child sized stools-says my rear) for the audience to watch. They played Pomp and Circumstance as the kids entered. You should have seen the smiles and grins. These kids were definitely proud of themselves, but not near so much as the parents.

The principal introduced herself and the teachers. Then, there were awards to be given. Now, I distinctly remember the Perfect Attendance awards from my school days. There were about 8 children who received these. (Please note, Alex wasn't one of them. There are ND games, you know!) Keeley Elementary also has citizenship awards. I remember those too. BUT, I don't remember the Not So Perfect Attendance Award. This award went to children with only 1-2 absences. Are we going too far with awards, here? What's next? The almost Honor Roll.

Finally, for the diplomas. These kids moved fast. 40 diplomas in about 5 minutes. I am not kidding! I literally missed a picture of Alex shaking hands with the principal. The camera couldn't focus fast enough.

I guess that's a sign of the year in general. Alex has finished kindergarten and when I think about it, the year really did fly by, like the diploma ceremony. I know he's six and a very big boy now, but I do distinctly remember him being unable to hold his head up. When I took him to school in August for his first day, I thought I wouldn't stop crying on the way to work. I wasn't sad, just emotional. Today, it's the same.

Lorenzo says I'll be a real wreck in another 12 years. True, but I'll still have the fast and un-focused memories of diplomas rushing by.

Gucci bikini wearing Oprah roadies

Yesterday I was on a flight from New York to Dallas with a group of Oprah roadies. Apparently, Oprah will be in Dallas at a convention this weekend. Her pre-work group was on my flight and surrounding my seat.

Please bear in mind, these people were clear to say they worked for the magazine and not the show. There were 7 people in all. I was amazed at the amount of fashion magazines and technical gadgets they all carried. These people were all 25 or younger. They were all in jeans, so I originally assumed it was some kind of "friends from college" trip.

They are staying at The Crescent. They were looking for good bar/restaurants and shopping areas. Interestingly, they wanted cowboy hats. When I told them finding a true cowboy hat in Dallas would not be easy, but they should instead go to Fort Worth, they were very disappointed.

The most interesting tid-bit I learned was that apparently the men in the group (a very fashionable pair, indeed), were looking forward to wearing their new Gucci bikini's. Yes you did read that right. Imagine, my inability to hold in a laugh.

I must say, I was thanking god for my MP3 player, for it allowed me to tune them out. I didn't know how old and un-cool I had become until I sat amongst these "cool" people. Unfortunately, the battery died in my player about an hour into the flight. I left the headphones on, however, and pretended to sleep.

Dallas, I hope you're ready for this group of cowboy hat searching, Gucci bikini wearing Oprah roadies. It should be an interesting weekend.

Ouch....

I did a lot of running/walking this weekend. Worked out Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday along with being the ref for my son's soccer games on Saturday and Sunday. My shins and ankles hurt. When I was in marching band in college I used to get the same pain in my shins because sometimes we would practice on turf. For some reason the combination of the tennis shoes I wore and the turf would just kill my shins. Didn't happen all the time but when it did I hated it, much like Monday.

Sunday was go, go, go, one thing after another. As we (meaning my family and I ) enter the summer months I am finding we are getting a lot of use out of our new grill. This past Sunday we had over Lynn's book club for dinner and discussion. While I am not officially a member I know all the folks that come over so I don't really have to read the books :) This club has slowly evolved to a movie club since most of the members have not really been reading the books. I think they should rename it a media club since they have already covered two forms of media, each of which are on the opposite sides of the spectrum, books and movies.

I will be missing trombone practice this week to attend the high school graduation of my Aunt's daughter, thus my cousin. The size of her graduating class?

3

Mine was 492. I remember this because I had to include it on the college applications I filled out and because I had about ten copies of my transcript laying about my senior year in high school. Weird how we remember strange details of experiences that we have. Now this being a very private school and Catholic, the ceremony is actually a Mass and Graduation all in one. Should be interesting.

Less than a week til Alex graduates Kindergarten. He is excited as he should be. And who wouldn't? He is getting this ceremony, a small reception at the end, and he gets to pick the place where we have dinner that evening. Not to mention the pizza party at his school the next day (Would love to see that lesson plan. Activity: eating pizza. Relevance to curriculum: None what so ever). AND he is traveling to CA the day after school gets out to go to Disney. This kid is living a charmed life. The one let down is that they will not be wearing gowns or mortarboards. Bummer.

Lynn is in New York today and tomorrow leading the corporate struggle involved in selling Dr. Pepper. She will be back tomorrow night at which point I will have only one demand of her. To snuggle up to me in bed when she gets home. I hate sleeping without her as I tend to wake up a lot when she is not there. Just does not feel right.

I am thinking of doing some audio blogging while we are in CA. I have not tried it yet and it sounds like a cool feature. Stay tuned.

Later....

Goodbye and thanks for all the fish....

I saw Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy this past week and really enjoyed it. It has been a while since I had read the books and it was nice to see the characters on the screen. There were a few cameos as well. The Marvin the Robot from the BBC series was in the movie as was the actor who played Arthur Dent in the same series. Douglas Adam's widow and daughter are also in the movie but in a very brief scene.

Alex is graduating kindergarten on May 23rd. It is pretty exciting. I am curious to see if they are still handing out the Bachelor of Rhymes diploma I got when I graduated.

The infamous Notre Dame ticket application has been sent back to the ND ticket office requesting a total of 6 tickets. Hopefully we get all six.

I got to see some very short snippits of Star Wars Episode III recently and I was very impressed. It was a short scene with Obi-Wan and Anakin fighting. It was so fast and intense. Unfortunately I will not be able to actually see the movie until a couple of weeks after its release. In the past I have worked the weekend before the release with allowed me to be off for the actual release date. No go this year. But I imagine I will see it for download on the internet this week or next.

I was told by someone that Oregon Rieslings are awesome. Well I had one on Mother's Day and wow! It was really good. Gonna have to plan a trip out there at some point. Till then I will just go back to Best Cellars, the wine store where we got it.

I had a physical recently and I am one healthy specimen. Normal blood work and outstanding blood pressure. I even got a tetanus booster. Not painful going in at all but by the 3rd day the injection site hurt like hell. Thankfully you only need a booster every ten years.

Princess Pam and "The Dress"

My best friend, Pam, is planning a wedding. She and Liam haven't set a date, but plan for a fall wedding this year. They have been dating for almost 3 years and are a great match.

Pam came to visit this past weekend and we had a wonderful time. In order to help ensure her wedding planning experience had all the "bells and whistles", I booked appointments with Neiman Marcus Bridal Salon and Stanley Korshak in downtown Dallas. To be honest, these appointments were as much for the memory as for the possibility of finding "The Dress".

So, dressed for shopping at Neimans (please understand that means "better than our normal jeans on Saturday"), we grabbed the DART rail from Garland to downtown Dallas. I must admit, I am not familiar with downtown. On every occasion that I have driven myself, there has been at least two U-turns and many curses in the experience. I live and work in the 'burbs, so downtown is not familiar. I believed that the train would be a good option to keep me from cursing and while minimizing the U-turns. Upon arrival downtown, we had missed a few of Liam's calls. He is in Holland on business and Pam hadn't spoken to him recently. We high-tailed it to Neimans (about 2 blocks) and tried to call Liam back. Luckily, she reached him after a few tries. The bride was beginning to relax. We grabbed coffee and a cookie at the espresso bar and headed to the bridal salon.

For those who have never experienced Neiman's, you should know it's nick name is "Needless Markup". The typical shopper has Texas sized diamond rings and earrings and frequently will look down their nose at you if you're not dressed for shopping.

I checked Pam in while she finished her call with Liam and Bev came to assist us in finding "the dress". Bev's husband is an attorney in Dallas, so she and Pam found an immediate bond. Bev was clearly focused on Pam, as the bride, so she wanted to ensure Pam found "the dress" at Neimans. Of course, price was not discussed, it wouldn't matter at Neiman's. Instead, we went straight for the rows of dresses to consider.

Pam told Bev that she wasn't really interested in a strapless gown, because she didn't feel they fit her well. For the first few minutes, Bev tried hard to change Pam's mind. Bev did catch on, however, when Pam's shoulders turned red. She was clearly uncomfortable in strapless gowns. This limited the choices that Neiman's could offer, but Bev was still confident she could find "the dress". After a number of dresses that were definitely no's, Pam found a beautiful gown. It was pricey and would take 7 months to get delivered, plus 3 fittings (in Dallas), but there was a bonus! She could have the dress fed-exed to Houston. The reality of the Dallas purchase of a wedding dress for a Houston bride had obviously not hit Bev. She seemed confident that even though there is a Neiman's in Houston, we would obviously order from her. Reality and Neiman Marcus, aren't necessarily in the same universe.

With that dress in mind, we left the Bridal Salon and headed for the shoe department. Pam and I can not resist a shoe department. We looked at Manolo Blahnik's, Anne Klein and Stuart Weitzman. We found a cute Anne Klein for the wedding shoe, but it definitely wasn't "the perfect shoe". It was a little tall, so we left shoes without a purchase. For Pam and I, that is rare indeed.

We had lunch in the Neiman's cafe. They had a great clam chowder and half sandwich. It was good and refreshed us for Stanley Korshak.

Out of Neiman's we headed towards "The Adolphus" hotel. We would need a cab to get to The Crescent. It was over a mile, and I am not willing to walk that in heels unless absolutely necessary. The cabby was from Ghana and was very nice, indeed.

We made it the Korshak salon right on time. Wendy was our bridal consultant and I can't possible express the difference in the experience from Neiman's. Wendy was great. First, she was a normal person. She wasn't a size 2 with a Texas sized rock on her finger. Second, she clearly was a bridal consultant because she loves it. She had pictures in her salon of other brides she had helped on their day. Finally, she was excellent at building relationships and Pam and I were immediately at ease with her.

Wendy took us back to her salon and asked about what Pam wanted. Pam, tired from the day so far, was at a loss, so I guided Wendy through Pam's likes and dislikes. Wendy immediately picked up on the "no strapless" parameter and ran off to find some gowns.

Pam began trying on gown after gown. She tried on a pink one that was really interesting. There was one that appeared to have wings and a great one that had a meringue pie look to it. We all laughed when Pam tried to imitate Liam's accent, "Pom, you look rather like a pie".

Wendy and I bonded while teasing Pam about here concerns with each dress. We explained that Pam had found a great dress in Houston, but hadn't confirmed her decision yet. Wendy offered to check if she had the same dress. She did!

Pam was able to directly compare her newest favorite from Stanley to the dress she had found in Houston. The Houston dress won, and Wendy did realize that Pam would buy the dress in Houston for the ease of fittings, etc. HOWEVER, she was not done. She looked for tiara's, purses and shoes to tempt Pam with.

All in all, Wendy did a great job. Pam found "the shoe" with Wendy. Pam fell in love with a tiara, that was pricey but beautiful and found a great bag that she may order. Most importantly, Pam felt like a princess for a few hours, and all women should experience that feeling.

When it comes time to order my bridesmaid gown, I'll definitely go back to Wendy. She was wonderful and I can't imagine giving my business to another person.

Our day ended with one last bit of decadence. After a little shopping in "The Shops at the Crescent", we went to "The Adolphus" hotel for tea. We enjoyed finger sandwiches, decadent desserts and three different teas. It was a wonderful day and I couldn't have had more fun.

There is not doubt in my mind that Pam's wedding will be a great event. I can only hope she will feel that the planning for it was fun too.

Whew, lots o stuff the last 4 days

Well I am finally off nights and got Wednesday thru Sunday off. I am going to be back on days starting tomorrow.

Wednesday I stayed up and worked out.

Thursday, since I was off and Lynn had plenty of vacation , she took off the day to join me. We had an excellent time. It was perfect weather here in Dallas and we went to Northpark Mall after working out in the morning. Lynn shopped and I just enjoyed being out and about that day. We had lunch at McCormick's and Schmidt's. Kind of a swanky seafood restaurant. I had an excellent salmon club with a St.Arnold's amber, while Lynn had white wine with scallops. Their crab bisque is awesome as well. Lynn later bought 4 suits that day for work since her weight loss has caused her older suits to not really fit anymore.

Friday I was able to spend alone but we FINALLY got the GE guy to come out and fix the microwave that has been broken for the last week. Model JVM1631WB002 for those that are interested. It seems that when Sanyo built the magnetron that went into this model, they were not precisely tuned. This means that they will work and heat like they should but regular usage will wear on the part and eventually cause it to fail. A tuned magnetron will not wear as fast and should have lasted at least twice as long as this one. Well its working now. Amazing how much you cant really do without one nowadays.Alex attended his first Mini-camp for peewee flag football later in the evening. He really enjoyed but we are not sure if he is still interested in football as a participant. He seemed to be wavering by the time he got home but he still wants to attend the next one in two weeks. We will see.

Saturday I went to the Leon Brown Trombone Days at University of North Texas. Dr. Brown is a professor emeritus at UNT and they named this little clinic/conference after him. Very cool. Myself and a couple of trombonists from the trombone choir I play with attended. There was a small exhibit area for a trombone manufacturer (Weril, from Brazil), a performing group from Brazil, aptly named the Brazilian Trombone Ensemble, and a local music store showing ensemble and soloist music. The Ensemble was just outstanding and incredible to hear. The day consisted of a warmup and reading session where the complete trombone faculty took part ( http://www.unttrombones.com/faculty/ ) . This was followed by the Ensemble concert. Again, just incredible. We had the opportunity to hear the UNT Trombone Choir as well and I was just blown away. Their lead player was play high Ds and Es above the staff AND doing liptrills with them. Just outstanding ability and tone. Also was able to see a contrabass trombone in action. Very impressive.

Leon Brown Trombone Days Flyer

Had to leave early to see Alex's soccer game later in the afternoon. He played very hard and managed to score a goal on a steal that he took all the way down the field. The team lost but it was really a hardfought game. Coach kept him in the whole game and he was exhausted but he had the stamina to be a contributer until the final whistle.

Sunday we went to see the Texas Rangers play the Toronto Blue Jays. The Rangers managed to win but almost blew a 6 run lead. In the 9th the Rangers put in reliever Fransiiiiccoooo Cooooorrrrrdddeeeerrrooooo, who came into the field to a standing ovation. The game was over in 12 pitches. I marked the game which for me lets me follow it better.

Father and Son at the Ranger Game

So a pretty eventful 4 days, tonight , Sunday I we are just going to take it easy. Later

Catching up

Okay, so we are a bit behind on the blog. Here are some tidbits to catch us up on our story.

• Lynn is doing well at work. She is making VPs and CEOs know who she is in a good way with her ideas and initiative. She is kicking corporate butt.
• We have a new floor downstairs. We took out the carpet and added wood laminate. It actually matches our cabinets and looks awesome. The dog is having some issues with it with the loss of effective traction on those hard corners she takes now and then.
• Trombone choir is going well. Every week it seems we are reading 4 or 5 new tunes and have a couple of gigs scheduled. One of our planned events is actually recording a Christmas album before November. I have never been in a real recording studio before so I am excited about that.
• I am working the night shift currently with two more weeks to go. I don't like working the night shift.
• Lynn gave up cheese for lent and lost 8 lbs over the 40 day/night stint.
  
• Meghan is hitting the terrible two's stage. The nice thing is that we are experienced with it since we went through it with Alex, the bad thing is that Meghan has a high pitched scream. And my dentist wonders why I am gritting my teeth.
• Alex has been accepted to the Talented & Gifted program within the Garland ISD. He passed two rounds of testing to get accepted. Once we told him he got in we asked if he thought the tests were hard. His answer ? "Naw, I thought I would get in."
• Soccer season is in full swing and Alex's team has won 3/4 games. Last night Alex scored a goal while I was on the field refing the game.
  
• I am a dandelion killer. I noticed some of them in the backyard and bought that new Ortho weed spray at Home Depot. One squirt = one very dead/brown dandelion. Two squirts = a small piece of land that is devoid of all life. MMmmmmuuuuhhhaahhahahahahahahaha.
  

Okay that is it for now.

Book Club

Last fall I joined a book club. Joined may not be the right word. Really, I agreed to read books and meet my friends for dinner. I thought this was a great way to keep me reading. When I finished my MBA my appetite for reading was much smaller, so book club would get me back in the groove.
It has worked rather well. I have read a book of short stories, "The Pilot's Wife", "Cry the Beloved Country", a autobiograhpy of Michael Crighton and "Kafka on the Shore".
Unfortunately, my group has not actually read the books. That makes discussions less fruitful, as you can imagine. At first, I found it kind of funny. I reconciled myself that it was a reason to get together with my friends and drink wine. Lately, I have grown more frustrated.
First, there is the cost of the books. They aren't necessarily cheap. Then, there is my time. I haven't liked every book, and in one case, I had aleady read the book before. I knew it was not an exciting read, but I bought the book. I read it, again. I didn't enjoy it, again, but I was ready. I was the only group member to finish the book.
Last night was the limit. We were supposed to read "Kafka On the Shore". It was a little weird, but it was a good book. Most of them didn't even get past the second chapter.
I could see that, if we were reading James Joyce or other classics. But we read Oprah Book Club books. C'mon guys, turn off your brain and read. I guess what frustrates me more than anything is the time element. I make time to read these books. I am busy. I am a mom. I am a wife. I work. YET, I read the books each month.
My club has one other married person. None of the members have children. What are they doing? Sleeping?!?
ARGH!
I recommended doing a movie night, instead of a book for the next meeting. I still want to get together and drink wine, but hey, let's committ to discussing whatever it is we have agreed to. I can only hope they can find 2-3 hours in a month to squeeze in a movie.

Arranged Marriage

Today I read of Prince Charles' decision to marry Camilla Parker Bowles. This is of particular interest to me, because my best friend, Pam, is one of Princess Diana's biggest fans. I learned more about Diana in my first year of living with Pam, than I ever really thought I could know.

I find it interesting that we live in the 21st century, and arranged marriage is still preferred for some "classes". I doubt I'll ever really like Camilla and Charles, but I will say they seem a much more natural match than Diana and Charles ever did. They are closer in age. They are closer in looks, quite frankly.

Even though, in America, you don't normally see parents choosing spouses for their children anymore, you do still see the "stigma" of loving someone your family/parents/society may not expect.

I have been very blessed in my marriage. Lorenzo and I met and fell in love and there wasn't anyone who tried to stop us. I still believe that is partially because I would have ignored any advice that was contrary to my own desires (I am stubborn like that), but I also believe it is because people saw the love that Lorenzo and I feel for each other. I wish that all couples got that benefit of the doubt.

Marriage is a work in progress. There are times, when the romance simmers, (I refuse to believe it actually dies), that you make not want to spend time with your spouse. There are moments, you may not like them very much at all. AND, if you had to deal with that, on top of not loving that person in the first place, how can you really expect that marriage to be solid or to last the test of time?

There are some who say that the passion you feel in love fades. Arranged marriage works because you know it's not ever based upon passion. What a sad state!

There are times when the memory of that first kiss Lorenzo gave me (and it was a doozy) puts a smile on my face that lasts for hours. There are times when the feeling of him stroking my hair makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. There are times, when I see him teaching Alex math or giving Meghan a bath, that I could explode with love for him.

I refuse to believe that emotion like that comes with arranged marriage.

Charles and Camilla, good luck to you. I hope your marriage gives you happiness.

Of twins, trips and shopping..

I have recently returned from Louisville, KY for the Baptism of my goddaughter Kaitlyn Squyres. Jeff, her dad, is the godfather to my son, Alex. A very nice time indeed. A lot of the Squyres clan was in town for the occasion, naturally, and everyone had a good time. Tracy's mother (Jeff's mother-in-law) is quite a cook and made some great meals. The twins were actually very behaved during the ceremony and did not cry once. A large feat since they are getting over colic. It was really fun to be a part of this occasion and nice to have a trip but I did miss my kids. I got to carry Kaitlyn in her baby pouch holder thingy for a while and even gave her medicine. She is still trying to sit up and has a field day gnawing your fingers if you let her. Quite the cute little button but then again I am her godfather.


This is Kaitlyn and me :)

The week so far has been pretty hectic as my team has effectively lost two of its members in the last month. This means the same amount of trouble tickets for less people. Thus I am working harder. This is not a bad thing as it makes the days go by but it can be stressful as you are talking to one person, updating a ticket , and IMing with your boss all at the same time. But hey, they pay me well.

As part of this team member loss, my team lead Emel asked me to see if I knew anyone who may be able to join my team. I called an old friend, John Rhea recently and we caught up on the phone. Seems he is still in the SAP Basis Administrator business but actually heads his own team now. I doubt he would leave his job for what we have to offer. The pay is pretty equal but to leave a job as part of a demotion does not make sense. I hope he will but even my team lead says this is probably not going to happen since John wants to work from home in Arkansas as part of a possible move. Its a long shot. For now we just get to deal with the tickets and the higher work load.

Last night Lynn and I went to Victoria's Secret for a ' special shopping event'. Lol. We actually got an invitation to go to the VS store at Northpark. You actually had to call a number and make a reservation. Its actually a good marketing tool. There were nice hors d'vours there including chocolate covered strawberries. Lynn got a make over and some lingerie but what kinda made the night was I was out with my wife on a week night. We have Lynn's mother to thank for that. Since she is now a Dallas resident she just came over and watched the kids for us while we went out. It was nice since Lynn and I went to that McCormick's(sp?) restaurant at Northpark and ate in the bar area. We got to meet James the chef and we chatted about seafood etc. We had crab bisque and I had a salmon club while Lynn had sushi. I was actually able to have St. Arnolds beer since they have it on tap at the restaurant. This is a brewery I have actually visited while in Houston staffed on a job. And not only that, the Notre Dame Men's basketball team beat undefeated and number 4 ranked, Boston College, heretofore known as Fredo College. The defeat was even better since they were being covered by every major sports media outlet in the nation since they were one of two teams left without a loss. Ahh sweet victory and a great night.

Managing Schedules

You may or may not know that I got promoted in January. I am very excited about my new opportunity, but I must admit it's tough to adjust to the new pace. As many of you know, Lorenzo and I both work. We have two children and now, two Grandmas in the local area. Who could ask for more?

With my new role, I have on average one or two business trips per month. Some require over-night stays and others require a 3:30 start to make the 6:00 am flights. In cases like these, Lorenzo has to manage drop off and pick up of the kids. In the event his work schedule doesn't allow that, we ask for Grandma services. Usually, that causes no immediate issues. However, there are times that is a challenge.

What I find most challenging is the on-going coordination of schedules. At work, I have a secretary to help me coordinate my business schedule with my colleagues or customers. At home, there is no secretary. Lorenzo and I spent over an hour on Sunday morning trying to get on the same page. It seems a little excessive, but with Lorenzo's need for time, planning and structure, we really are better off with the time dedicated.

I would love to find a gadget (b/c Lorenzo likes those) to help us coordinate total schedules (mine, his and Grandmas'). I have found the email trail, though easy to initiate, get's forgotten by some parties sometimes. One Grandma still uses the paper checkbook size calendars to manage her schedule, one grandma doesn't have a system, and Lorenzo depends on me to keep him straight.

There must be a better way. If you have any ideas, I am definitely open

American Idol

Alex and I really got into watching American Idol last year. We were very excited to watch it this year. In the very painful beginning, with the good and bad singers, it has been really fun to hear him tell me who is good and who is bad.

For example, the 44 year old who had lied to be on the show. "Mom, he is NOT making it to Hollywood."

The 22 year old psychic... "Mom, she can't sing."

Simon Cowell, my six year old son Alex, has you beat. He assesses the pathetic in about 3 seconds. No need to spend 30-60 seconds enduring the painful.

The showgirl who could sing..."She's pretty good mom."

The Vegas Cowgirl "Viva Las Vegas"..."She is just weird mom, she isn't going to Hollywood."

I think Alex would add value to the panel and give Paula someone other than Simon to kiss. Besides, Alex is much better looking and sweeter.

I am really enjoying American Idol with Alex. As a mom, it's very hard to find a show I can enjoy with my son. Fox isn't normally the channel that has clean shows, but this is one I do like.

If you don't watch it, I would strongly recommend it to you and your family. The laughs are definitely worth it.

Ya know back in the old days it was called a sacbut.....

Just got done practicing.

I play the trombone. Have since the 6th grade when I just kinda fell into it. I was taken to the middle school I was going to attend in the latter part of summer before my 6th grade year began and was pretty much told to pick an instrument. Now originally I was wanting to play the drums (percussion) but with my mother's sanity and hearing on the line I was told that I really needed to know how to play piano before even attempting to bang a drum. So, on to the piccolo. Yea right. Then the assistant band director picked up the long instrument , told me it was a trombone , and to buzz my lips and blow here. Well I did. I let out a big SPLAT, right at the same time the head band director for the school was in my crosshairs. It was enough to stop him in his path and look right at me and exclaim "Now that is a Trombone Player!" Well, not one to ignore fate, I settled on that instrument.

My trombone playing has allowed me to literally go places. I have been to all sorts of cities and played in all sorts of facilities and universities in high school and college. Its been a pretty cool ride. Once I graduated college I just stopped except for playing every 4 years at my university's Band Alumni Reunion ( that would be the University of Notre Dame Marching Band). Well, I got the bug again. I went to Northpark Mall in Dallas and heard the North Dallas Trombone Choir for a Christmas performance. 15 men and women playing trombone for a nice sized holiday crowd. That got the juices flowing. Thankfully they do not mandate tryouts to join. All I had to do was show up at the practices. I have been going the last month and our first performance is this Friday. I am pretty excited to be performing again. It has been going well and being a pretty decent player I have been doing pretty good.


On another note I was very happy with the Patriots performance last night. My wife wasn't but I was ( eventhough she is also an ND grad). This is another notch in Charlie Weis' belt and hopefully with a win at the SuperBowl, another ring. Of course my motive is that with a new Superbowl ring and a good first year as ND head coach he is going to start getting the players that will bring back the reputation that ND had in the early 1990s.

My son, Alex lost another tooth today and doesn't have very many baby teeth to go. Also, he got called back to do a second round of testing for the Talented & Gifted program in his school district. I am pretty proud of him and hope he does well. He is a bright kid but the last thing we are doing is pressuring him. We wanted to have him try out for it just to see how he would do but we were not expecting to actually get in. Now we are half way there so lets see how it goes.

The Steelers

I have been a Steelers fan since the early 80's. I remember it vividly. It was September and my family had gone to Pennsylvania for my great grandfather's funeral. It happened to coincide with my birthday. Unfortunately, the dress my mom had bought me didn't fit, so my parents bought me a new coat. It was a Steelers ski jacket with the zip off sleeves. From that moment I became a devoted fan.

I am so bummed about last night. I think Cower's decision to go for the field goal on 4th down on the two was a chicken decision. He coached like Ty, quite frankly. Sometimes, being conservative and safe is the wrong decision.

Oh well, either way I believe he was out-coached and the Steelers were out-played. As much as I hate to admit it, the Pat's were the better team yesterday and proved it on the field.

I am very much looking forward to the game in two weeks. I will be cheering for the Eagles, but believe Bellichek(sp) and the Pat's will probably be up and ready to dominate the game. I have been a McNabb fan since he was at Syracuse and I will stay loyal regardless of the odds.

Go Eagles!

Breaker breaker....

Well we finally took the plundge and created a Blog. My friend Jeff (jeff.squyres.com) has had one for a while. Custom made and maintained. So, as usual I waited to find a free, dumbed downed, point and click option that can be maintained anytime, anywhere with all the bells and whistles.

This blog will be maintained by my wife and myself. We live in a suburb of Dallas and do pretty well for ourselves. Not a lot to discuss currently as this is playoff Sunday and it is hard to do two things at once. Lynn is going to cheer for the Steelers but I will be backing the Patriots as the Offensive Coordinator is the new Notre Dame head coach.

As we get used to Blogger/Picasa/Audioblogger/Hello functionality I imagine this blog will get a bit more detailed and active. For now we are just doing the text.