School around the corner

Well... looks like the decision has been made to change the kids school from the "Academy of Math and Sciences" in G-ville and have them go to their natural school here in town, only a 1/4 mile away from the house. We think it might be better now than to wait till middle school and force them to leave developed friends, etc. Still isn't a certainty as we need to make sure after school options are available

... another kink is that school here in town starts on September 1st... while Jessica's school starts on Aug 19th. That leaves, with my days that I have naturally off, seven days we need to figure out where the twins will stay during day hours...

Unknown number

I am able to access a tool that tells me what number calls me, even if it is caller id blocked or restricted. Over the past month or so, I have started to get calls at LEAST 3 times a day from an Unknown Number that never leaves a message. I check and it shows that this is being generated from a computer on the internet and an unknown IP address. well, at least unknown to the tool I am using. This is REALLY starting to get annoying in that I am sure it is some random telemarketer that is power dialing millions of numbers. The thing that is annoying is that I am unable to block it at any sorta level

the things we used to do

As Jessica was cookin' some baloney (or is that balogna) today for lunch, remembered that back in the day growing up, we used to burn fires almost every day, especially during the summer. It was usually trash of the day, or leave/brush/whatever accumulated.. and if the haul was particularly good, a TIRE!!!.. and tires make the best fires in the whole wide world. At least we thought so back then. That was before the recent rash of yearly July 4th fireworks plant explosions... but i digress. What i remembered was that we would often cook hotdogs or even "baloney" over these fires, including the especially cool Michelin or Goodyear fires. Thinking about it, I now know why those hotdogs would get SOOOOO black. I can only shake my head...

But man...I think next time we do a firebowl, I am going to try to find a tire to put in it. And see how quick the police and fire department show up..

where does this come from?

Interesting to hear my son speak. He has developed this almost Charlestonian type of Southern accent to his speech. Interesting in that I certainly do not speak that way and his mother does not either. But to hear him say "Come heeyah!" or "Look at that Spyduh", as opposed to Ryles more "correct" speech further illustrates that while they are twins, they are definitely two different people who are learning and comprehending things differently.

Purchased LLBean bookpacks for.. gulp... the 2nd frakkin grade!!! last week. Actually, Aunt Ashley did it for me and I was able to get free shipping and monogramming with her help (and her LLbean card). They get bags that I figure wont look like everyone else's, and I monogram them so some punk ass kid isnt as likely to try to walk off with them because they are different. Why different?... well, if you havent been to school to pick up your kid yet and seen the mass confusion that is the pile of bookbags sitting in a corner, then you will understand one day in the future.

of course, the twins returned home and what visit to Nanna, Papa or Grandma would be complete without Grandparent loot...I-Man was very proud of his 363rd Transformer, called Rampage (think... part of Devastator). Actually, this Transformer is pretty damn cool. but... I have long since given up hope that they would be able to visit without a return with a xmas type load of loot. But I also am looking forward to one day doing the same thing with my own grandkids...heh, heh... "here grandson/daughter, have this 4700 piece lego set of Littlejohn Coloseum complete with a mini Basketball Pep Band" all the while thinking of Ryles or I-Man stepping on some random sharp small piece of lego during a 2 am visit to the bathroom..

minor accident

minor fashion error tonight at gym... old ratty white Converse One Stars, black gold toe socks (didn't feel like changin' them from work), plain Black Nike basketball shorts, plain grey Adidas logo tshirt and a khaki Tigers fitted hat...

musings

We saw Transformers last night, after realizing that Star Trek seems to no longer be showing anywhere in the upstate except Spartanburg. The kids saw Transformers last week with Nanna and Papa. I was somewhat surprised at the amount they increased the ante with the "adult" humour and references. I also found Mudflap and Skids and their obvious characterizations to be a little much. But... I was entertained. just a little surprised at how much more adult this movie was. I wasnt offended or any thing but if I would have known ths about the movie, I probably would have not allowed Ryles and I-Man to see it... on a similar note, I am amused, yet dismayed at how much is blocked now on our Cable now that I have the parent lock on. And now that the twins are now even more proficient at surfing the web, I am going to have to get into the router and block access to sites on the web. it is a shame but... well... I can already see Ryles branching out more and more.

I saw that HealthCare is now a right of all Americans. Does this mean that I am required to pay for health care of everyone who doesnt try to have a job? Does this mean that I will now be taxed or fined if I dont have what the givernment deems is adequate? Can someone explain to me how it is that Congress keeps passing all these bills and measures in the middle of the night when NO-ONE has read them, or...they have not even been fully written? What happened to the transparency that Obama promised?

Speaking of transparency... "A U.S. Army Reserve major from Florida scheduled to report for deployment to Afghanistan within days has had his military orders revoked after arguing he should not be required to serve under a president who has not proven his eligibility for office." You know, Obama could solve this question and shut people up by simply showing his birth certificate. Why doesnt he?

but anyway, more importantly... Why do I have this since of dread regarding G.I. Joe? the trailers I have seen seem imply this sorta Matrix, dark implementation of the story... not sure how I am going to like it. I guess if I put up with how they did Transformers, I can stomach this as well

summer o fun continues

another week, another trip for the twins...this time, the twins will be visiting with Grandma for 3 days... then Sunday will see a visit to Cousin Madison and her birthday gig in Columbia. meanwhile... work, work and more work for me...

lonely weekend, I guess...

Twins got back at midday yesterday and Jessica arrived back late last night. It was pretty quiet here for several days and I was amused when Nanna asked what happened at the "bachelor pad" while everyone was gone. I think they were perplexed when I couldnt really tell them what i did because all I really did was clean-up around the house and catch a couple of games on TV. Also worked on my Xbox and I think I have it working again, without having to send it off for 30 weeks or whatever insane amount of time they are quoting the turn around time for repair. At any rate, I followed this online tutorial and it seems to be working... for now.

And I still dont understand why all these channels are not in HD on charter. this is ridiculous...

EL NINO!!!

cooler temps so far this summer, but they say El Nino wont really make a difference till Fall. I am going to keep knocking on the table with a huge wooden hammer and hope the cooler temps stay thru summer here in the Upstate. But I somehow dont see it happening...

...and did anyone notice the episode in Philly where the 60 black/hispanic kids were made to leave a pool because the pool director was afraid they would "change the complexion" of the pool? Ya think? and the adults and kids said they overheard white parents complaining "Why are their so many black kids here?" here ya go if ya havent... they club came out with a different excuse a few minutes ago about there not being enough room. yeah... OK... sure. Got it.

Twins return back to the house sometime Saturday afternoon. I have I-Mans room done, but I am not sure I will have Ryles finished. Her room will be easier as her "stuff" is mostly 47 barbie dols and 152 random stuffed animals and people stuffed in all sorts of random spots. Oh, and books under the bed, books under the pillows, books behind the bed...books stuff in the cd drive of her computer.... just got a little side tracked filling in some bolt/nail holes in the sheetrock in the downstairs bath getting it ready to be painted...

All Quiet on the Western Front

The twins are off in Florence/Camden/wherever this week with Nanna and Papa while Jessica in attending a convention in Greensboro. So all is pretty quiet here at home. tryin to clean up their bedrooms of random crap like broken toys, crushed crackers, soured, mildewed Capri Suns and half eaten apples smushed under their pillows. As I have said before, the first night the twins are away is nice.... a respite but the next day I start to miss the constant noise and banter. it actually becomes boring and its funny when people without kids think that it is some sorta all out vacation when the kids are gone...maybe I'll try to see a movie tomorrow night, but I also have to try to do some stuff in the downstairs bath.

OK..so... am i the only person who thinks this "murder - suicide" is a little off? so this girl was supposed to shoot Steve Mcnair 4 TIMES then snuggle up to his dead body, hold the gun in her LEFT hand and shoot herself in her RIGHT temple? then fall into his lap...YET SOMEHOW END UP ON THE FLOOR WITH THE GUN UNDER HER?!?!?! and the guy who found them waited 44 minutes before calling SOMEONE ELSE, who then called 911? hmmmm....

right now, at 5 minutes and 6 seconds after 4 o"clock, the time & date is 04:05:06 07/08/09

Don't tread on me

I wore this T-shirt on Independence Day. I got asked a couple of times what it stood for. I was kinda surprised but realized that this was covered a long time ago for most people in school... Wikipedia has a good explanation, including a blurb on what people who wear this shirt or fly the flag are considered at times. Amusing.

At any rate, a fun time at the lake house with family, and even saw some ole Frat (Kristen Antley and Leslie Watkins, as well as Kenneth Russell) ...did a great cookout.. took the jetskis out several times and I even fooled around with making a short clip while on one that I put on facebook. Kinda silly. Also went out on the pontoon a couple of times, the last up the lake a bit to see the big fireworks show. That, and the hundreds of other people doing fireworks makes for an interesting show while out on the lake. And as I said last year, some of the people have drop BIG MONEY on their fireworks... I will try to post some pix tomorrow during lunch...

what? aren't we all supposed to simply go along???

I found this hilarious, and also telling. As demonstrated in recent polls and reporting, the press outside of NBC, ABC, CBS and NPR are starting to question things now..Click here