It seems that I've waited a bit too long since my last post...stuff has happened about which I should have written, but this post will have to do. I know I'm going to leave stuff out, but it's late at night, I'm sleepy, so I hope my readers will cut me some slack.
Our new pug's name is Boba. Yes, as in 'Boba Fett'. As you might guess, there are reasons for this. Mainly, we laughed so hard at the 'Robot Chicken' Star Wars parodies that we just had to use it. Boba Fett was featured several times in the 2 half-hour episodes, and he ended up being one of our favorites. Dig around on YouTube, and you'll see what I mean. Our fabulous pooch also answers to Bootie, Boochie, Booda, Butthole, Buttlick, and our other favorite: Dumbass.
So Boba is doing quite well. We are Dog Whispering him as best we can, and he's responding pretty much as we'd hoped. He's still not 100% house trained, but we're getting there. He's a super-cute little guy, and generally well-behaved. Honestly, I missed having a pug far more than I've ever mentioned. I love the snoring, snuffling, and the 'belly-runs'. It's wonderful to have Boba here, even if he keeps thinking that he's supposed to eat his bed, rather than sleep in it.
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Monkey is now swimming three days a week, and is having a blast. He sports a bright blue swim cap in addition to his lime green goggles, and is almost certain that he's the next Michael Phelps. He loves being in the water, and we just love seeing him do something that he enjoys so much. Swim Team competition is on the horizon, and we're super-excited to see him race. We couldn't care less if he wins, mind you...as long as he truly does his best, we're going to be thrilled all the way to our toes. I'll keep you posted.
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Thanks to a generous donation from my dear Mom, we're scheduled to rip out the old, canvas mat that currently covers the floor at Jade Mountain, and replace it with a fabulous new vinyl one. Our happy crew of volunteers will be showing up at around 2pm Sunday, and I've promised myself that I won't play any Kelly Clarkson music while we're working for fear of someone hurting themselves by rolling their eyes too hard.
Although the mat is a gorgeous dark green, and will make the entire room just a bit darker, we think that it will really change the appearance of the school for the better. It'll be fabulous to leave the duct tape in some dusty drawer, rather than continue taping rip after rip in the floor! I'll post some pics when we're done.
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Today marked the first game of the 2009 Gulf Coast Lacrosse Association spring season, and we enjoyed playing Tony's Tavern. I think they were league champs last season, so we were determined to give them a good game, in spite of the odds. I'm not sure of the final score, but I think we got 3.
I had been concerned about my speed and stamina on the lacrosse field, so I walked on the field happy that I've been training steadily for the last couple of months, but still wondering if I'd be able to run back and forth for a whole game. As usual, we only had a handful of substitutes on the sidelines, so we all got as much playtime as we could stand.
Happily, I did just fine. I found that I'm still losing a step when I start running, but once I got my bulk moving in the right direction, I was able to play pretty effectively. I recovered quickly, moved well, and kept my silly mistakes to a minimum. There was one pretty blatant offsides foul, but considering that I had just finished fighting three opposing players for possession of the ball, it's no wonder that I forgot to count how many of our guys had stayed in the defensive half of the field once I got out of that little tussle. Crud.
I took three shots, none of which worried the opposing goalie at all. After one shot, I took a full-power hit from one of their big defensemen that very literally knocked the snot out of me (my nose was runny, OK?) when I landed flat on my back. Fortunately, I wasn't hurt at all, so I hopped up to keep playing. I did enjoy using my kung fu skills when I took another hit from the side while I was running...I ended up flying through the air like Superman, but without the cape. We've been working on rolling recently, and it was nice to know that I could still take a hit, roll, and come up running without missing a beat. Whew!
I managed a few decent hits in the second half of the game, but nothing spectacular. Maybe next time. I'm planning two weeks of sprints, intervals, and agility drills to help me improve my performance. At this point, I'm just thrilled to still be playing a tough sport that I love.
You see, I'm nearly 40 now. It's hard for me to believe sometimes, I mean...40. FORTY YEARS OLD. Most folks I know at this age are complaining about how much weight they've gained, or how their bodies hurt after a single leisurely game of pick-up basketball with their kids. I'm always sympathetic, but I'm also my father's son, and Homie don't play that.
Those of you who knew my father knew that he stayed athletic and active well into his late seventies. Two years ago, and nearly blind, he still managed to beat everyone present at his local bowling alley. Something that has been on my mind lately was the fact that almost everything I know about my Dad, all my impressions of his super-solid work ethic, his athleticism, his love for life and passion for doing whatever he liked, all those impressions were obviously formed during my lifetime.
My Dad was already over 40 when I was born, folks. He was MORE active in his second 40 years than many folks 20 years younger. I think that explains why I never once thought about the fact that my Dad was older than my friend's dads until I was an adult. It had just never come up. Dad did all the same things that the other dads did, he just did them with his own flare and high energy, and never let little things like an extra 20 years or a missing left hand slow him down.
So 40 or not, I'm heading to the lacrosse field, the dojo, the competition mat, the track, or wherever I want to play, compete, and have some fun. Thanks for the inspiration, Dad.
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And one last item...16 Random Things About Me.
1. I like orange Monster.
2. I've trained in Kung Fu since 1982.
3. I could eat at Pho Mai five days a week. Really.
4. I still have a massive crush on Cathy Dennis.
5. I'm pretty sure that Kelly Clarkson wants me to spank her.
6. I truly feel that meeting my wife was the result of divine intervention.
7. I have written several short stories and 1.5 books of a fantasy trilogy.
8. I type really quickly.
9. I passed out at 'attention' as a freshman in high school marching band.
10. I ended up as a Drum Major as a senior in high school marching band.
11. I performed a strip routine at a high school journalism party in a bowling alley.
12. I climbed to the 3rd floor at Krueger Hall at Texas A&M...on the outside.
13. I have a younger brother and two half-sisters.
14. I intensively studied spiders from age 8 to 12.
15. After a night at a karaoke club, I was asked to join a Barbershop singing group.
16. I once sent my bow flying across the gym in Archery class in college.
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Sunday, January 25, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Goodbye, 2008...Hello, 2009! Tales of pugs and puke.
Happy New Year! Usually, I start the new year off with some kind of insane workout. This morning, though, I was still recovering from a couple of rough flights and some annoying allergies, so my workout was done on the couch. I did several reps of rolling over and getting more comfortable. Never fear, I will at least get out for a nice little run before the day is done.
Yesterday, Christina drove to Yoakum, TX to pick up our little pug puppy. However, she was due for a surprise. Upon arrival, the lady in charge told her that she had another pug, a 5-year-old female, who desperately needed a home. They were moving, she said, and could not keep her. If we didn't take her, she'd have to go to a local shelter, and all the local shelters are 'kill-shelters'. That is, if your dog isn't adopted soon, it's simply euthanized.
Christina didn't hesitate...she scooped up both dogs and headed home. We've used Pug Rescue before, and really like them. There was a time, around 5 years ago, when things were different around here. I was working full-time and building my teaching practice. Christina was finishing school and taking care of our toddling Monkey. Our two beloved pugs ended up at the bottom of the priority list, and it broke our hearts. We made the decision to let another family adopt them both, and Pug Rescue found them an absolutely fabulous home. Their new family was wealthy and loving, and had just lost their oldest of two pugs, so they were thrilled with Beauty and Beast. We even got to visit them!
We talked all day yesterday about keeping them both, but decided that the responsible thing will be to let someone else love LoLo and spoil her rotten. If any of you dog lovers in Katy are interested, you'd better let me know quickly! We've already contacted Pug Rescue and are scheduled to drop her off at a Vet Clinic early tomorrow morning. They'll take good care of her, find her a home, and she will NOT be put to sleep.
I have found that the sound of a snoring pug is one of the most comforting sounds I know, and that I have missed it greatly.
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It is now time to tell the tale of our flight home. This is not for the squeamish, so be warned.
Flying United has been much more enjoyable for us than flying Continental. The planes are newer, bigger, more comfortable, and more quiet than my own car. Even so, the flight from South Bend to Chicago undulated enough for all of us to become a bit woozy. The much longer flight to Houston started off just fine. One of the male flight attendants was quite funny, and even took the time to do a couple of magic tricks for Connor before takeoff.
About halfway through the flight, Connor had to go to the bathroom. Christina escorted him. While standing outside the door, she heard him call her name, so she opened the door to find him sitting calmly on the toilet, and puking his guts out onto the floor in front of him.
And that's when we hit the turbulence.
It felt like we were getting shot at by anti-aircraft cannon. Christina attempted to get my attention (we hadn't been able to sit together) and failed. She was buffeted back and forth in the back of the plane while poor Connor continued to heave in the tiny airplane bathroom. During a lull in the action, she hustled over and finally managed to convey the import of the situation to me, so I hopped out of my seat to investigate.
Friends, when I opened that bathroom door, I had no idea what awaited me. It's a good thing that Connor's feet were several inches off the floor, because it was like stepping into a small lake of puke. Eek. However, no mere puddle of vomit can scare DaddyMan!! I took a deep breath, stepped inside with Connor, and shut the door behind me.
I used almost all of their paper towels. I hope they had more somewhere.
15 minutes later, we had Connor tidied up and changed into clean clothes. The bathroom was as clean as I could make it, especially from a position that most yoga masters only attain at high levels of training. Asked how he was feeling, Connor responded with a perky, "I feel GREAT!" I was not feeling so great at that point, but was relieved that he felt better.
And the remainder of the flight was perfectly wonderful in comparison.
So we made it home. All is well. The New Year has rung in, and we are wrung out. Classes start tomorrow, and everything should return to something resembling normal. My list of accomplishments from 2008 was longer than I thought it would be, and I'm still working on my goals for 2009. So far, they are as follows:
1. Move to a bigger school
2. Crossfit certification
3. Win 1st Place in competition
4. Lose Ten Pounds...replace with 5 pounds muscle.
5. Compete in a Sprint Triathlon
6. Complete my Taxes before the end of March
7. Organize our house
8. Paint and reorganize our shed.
There are others, but these stand out in my mind.
Christina is making soup. I'd better go. Have a fantastic year!!
Yesterday, Christina drove to Yoakum, TX to pick up our little pug puppy. However, she was due for a surprise. Upon arrival, the lady in charge told her that she had another pug, a 5-year-old female, who desperately needed a home. They were moving, she said, and could not keep her. If we didn't take her, she'd have to go to a local shelter, and all the local shelters are 'kill-shelters'. That is, if your dog isn't adopted soon, it's simply euthanized.
Christina didn't hesitate...she scooped up both dogs and headed home. We've used Pug Rescue before, and really like them. There was a time, around 5 years ago, when things were different around here. I was working full-time and building my teaching practice. Christina was finishing school and taking care of our toddling Monkey. Our two beloved pugs ended up at the bottom of the priority list, and it broke our hearts. We made the decision to let another family adopt them both, and Pug Rescue found them an absolutely fabulous home. Their new family was wealthy and loving, and had just lost their oldest of two pugs, so they were thrilled with Beauty and Beast. We even got to visit them!
We talked all day yesterday about keeping them both, but decided that the responsible thing will be to let someone else love LoLo and spoil her rotten. If any of you dog lovers in Katy are interested, you'd better let me know quickly! We've already contacted Pug Rescue and are scheduled to drop her off at a Vet Clinic early tomorrow morning. They'll take good care of her, find her a home, and she will NOT be put to sleep.
I have found that the sound of a snoring pug is one of the most comforting sounds I know, and that I have missed it greatly.
--------------------------------------------------------
It is now time to tell the tale of our flight home. This is not for the squeamish, so be warned.
Flying United has been much more enjoyable for us than flying Continental. The planes are newer, bigger, more comfortable, and more quiet than my own car. Even so, the flight from South Bend to Chicago undulated enough for all of us to become a bit woozy. The much longer flight to Houston started off just fine. One of the male flight attendants was quite funny, and even took the time to do a couple of magic tricks for Connor before takeoff.
About halfway through the flight, Connor had to go to the bathroom. Christina escorted him. While standing outside the door, she heard him call her name, so she opened the door to find him sitting calmly on the toilet, and puking his guts out onto the floor in front of him.
And that's when we hit the turbulence.
It felt like we were getting shot at by anti-aircraft cannon. Christina attempted to get my attention (we hadn't been able to sit together) and failed. She was buffeted back and forth in the back of the plane while poor Connor continued to heave in the tiny airplane bathroom. During a lull in the action, she hustled over and finally managed to convey the import of the situation to me, so I hopped out of my seat to investigate.
Friends, when I opened that bathroom door, I had no idea what awaited me. It's a good thing that Connor's feet were several inches off the floor, because it was like stepping into a small lake of puke. Eek. However, no mere puddle of vomit can scare DaddyMan!! I took a deep breath, stepped inside with Connor, and shut the door behind me.
I used almost all of their paper towels. I hope they had more somewhere.
15 minutes later, we had Connor tidied up and changed into clean clothes. The bathroom was as clean as I could make it, especially from a position that most yoga masters only attain at high levels of training. Asked how he was feeling, Connor responded with a perky, "I feel GREAT!" I was not feeling so great at that point, but was relieved that he felt better.
And the remainder of the flight was perfectly wonderful in comparison.
So we made it home. All is well. The New Year has rung in, and we are wrung out. Classes start tomorrow, and everything should return to something resembling normal. My list of accomplishments from 2008 was longer than I thought it would be, and I'm still working on my goals for 2009. So far, they are as follows:
1. Move to a bigger school
2. Crossfit certification
3. Win 1st Place in competition
4. Lose Ten Pounds...replace with 5 pounds muscle.
5. Compete in a Sprint Triathlon
6. Complete my Taxes before the end of March
7. Organize our house
8. Paint and reorganize our shed.
There are others, but these stand out in my mind.
Christina is making soup. I'd better go. Have a fantastic year!!
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