40 years ago today

On this day in 1975 Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, fell to the Communists, signaling the end of a war that had stretched back to the 1950's. 

It was America's first real defeat (albeit, via a lack of politcal strength, not military might) and led to untold suffering by millions of Vietnamese. 

I have no problem with restored relations with Vietnam, and I welcome their success going forward, but I do grieve for the lives of those we failed so many years ago.

Biked to pick up the kids from school, then biked to the library with LK then home. We both nearly wiped out on a steep hill, and I'm afraid I may need to look at the brakes. Sigh. Still, a good day of riding

Biked with the kids to school, now just finished a 2.8 mile trek (round trip) to the bank. Aside from the bike ride with Lulu in the Bahamas, it's my longest ride in seven years. 🙂 Now contemplating a ride to the library before meeting the kids .

The Bruce Jenner Interview with Diane Sawyer

We just finished watching the #BruceJenner interview with Diane Sawyer. 

Powerful stuff, and Lisa teared up more than once. I started to when his children - the Jenner's, not the Kardashian's - showed up en masse to show their support. 

 As I suspected, the "botched" plastic surgery of decades past wasn't botched at all, just an attempt to feminize his face. He'd been on female hormones for five years in the '80's.

 I think he did some good with his interview, and probably helped more than a few people wrestle with their demons.

Baltimore is Rioting

Visiting my Mom and Aunt Rosie with Lauren, and watching the Baltimore riots on TV. Disgusting. - at Southpointe Health Center

Junie's First Communion Photo Session at Target

The brief is submitted. And just like that, Legal Writing 2 is complete. #RElief

Anzac Day

Today, Anzac Day, is the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Gallipoli, the ill-fated Allied invasion of Turkey that led to half a million casualties in WWI. May all who participated RIP.

Heavy rain. Better than the snow flurries we had to start the week

Lu reaches a milestone

LuLu has officially surpassed my Little Grandma in height. She is now 5 feet tall. -at the Allergy Clinic on Loomis

Marquette licenses their Police

The President of Marquette just sent an email announcing the Marquette Department of Public Safety will become a licensed police department May 1st.

The Weinermobile!

The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile is in town!

Wait, Brigham Young University has its own cable channel? And it's on U-Verse in Milwaukee? Doesn't that seem odd to anyone? (Watching "His Girl Friday" on it now)

Fast and Furious 6

How can you not love this series?

Biked with the kids to school, with me carrying Lu's trumpet in a bag on my handlebars. Baskets are quickly rising to the status of "necessity"

Angelcakes gets a kitty bed!

Lisa found a toy cat bed at a church rummage sale and, as she predicted, Angelcakes claimed it for her very own. Not bad for a buck!

LuLu's new hair color

Lisa dyed Olivia's hair blue over the weekend (although it turned out blueish-green). I'll try and post pics tonight.

It looks good, but personally I don't care for it.

But I think that's partially the point. 

update: Here's a pic of LuLu and her new hair color, courtesy of my mother-in-law        

Isn't this flaw obvious?

You know the wonderful, sweet State Farm commercial that follows a man through his life, showing that each time he says "I'm never going to . . ." he matures and does whatever task he objected to?

Here's the big flaw: the last scene is him cuddled up with his family and promising to never let them go. 

So, following the theme of the ad, he'll soon leave them for his receptionist.

Update on my Mom

I visited my Mom and Aunt Rosie at the nursing home/rehab center today, along with three of the kids (no Lu). She told me she might be there past mid-May, which is a good three weeks past her first estimate. That sucks. OTOH she looked better than she has in years. I can't put my finger on it . . . I guess she just looked more alert and together today. It was nice to see.

Wow. What a crazy column.

Just read a charming column from the Left arguing that the First Amendment and Free Speech should be eliminated so as to silence opposition to their views on abortion, climate change, and politics.

No, it wasn't a satire piece, it was a professional site not a blog and no, I won't link to it and swell their site statistics.

What a bunch of loons.

A Busy April Night

I biked to the store with Junie and returned with two full backpacks (and one large bag) of household staples like cat food, laundry soap, and margarita mix. I really need to buy a rear basket if I want these bikes to remain practical for more than recreation.

We grilled steaks, fresh asparagus, and sliced potatoes for dinner while the three youngest played on the trampoline. We've already grilled out more this year than all of last summer.

The food was grand, but the kids seem to have forgotten all their manners at the dinner table. It was like eating at a frat house. Not cool.

Dartball

My Big Grandpa had scads of dartball trophies, a board in his garage, and a bunch of darts that I remember well.

 Yesterday Lisa and I went out to dinner with my sister Chrissy and her new boyfriend. I'd been looking forward to it all week, and it lived up to the hype. A good time and good food, and he seems like a nice guy.

LOL

 

The new Trailer for The Force Awakens

I'm no Star Wars nut, but that new trailer has sealed the deal: I'll see it opening day, preferably at The Avalon.

Junie's Catechism Art

A sign LK made to give to her catechism teacher today. The box in the corner is the cloth Veronica used to wipe the Lord's face

Finally discussing Roe v Wade in Constitutional Law - at Marquette

150 years on - Lincoln is shot

Respect and love, on this, the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's shooting. May you continue to rest in peace.

A crowd honors Lincoln outside Ford's Theatre on the anniversary of his shooting

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Very entertaining.

LuLu's  asthma flared overnight and since she was a zombie in the morning I kept her home from school (a rarity here). But as a consequence, with Lisa gone helping her step-mom, I missed an event at Marquette I wanted to see. No one's fault but mine, but I'm disappointed.

This culture - or at least the media that represents it - is addicted to manufactured outrage. Good grief.

 While we were eating dinner outside I saw The Squirrel - the fat, cocky spawn of Satan that has terrorized this neighborhood for years and destroyed the gasket on my driver's side window - casually roaming around INSIDE my van. #mortalEnemies

The first robin of the year

First Robin AND first grill out of 2015, plus for the first time ever I have the laptop outside so I can work on my brief and still enjoy the day! Whoohoo!

I took a bike ride to the library with Junie but it closed just as we got there, and KK is waaay too crowded on the weekends to comfortably ride on the sidewalk with a seven year old. So not the greatest trip. While we were gone YaYa and LuLu took their bikes out to Walgreens. Quite the mobile family now.

Uncle George

I got word this evening that my Uncle George (my Godmother's husband) had a heart attack Thursday and is in critical condition. Prayers for him are appreciated.

@ Gold Rush Chicken

 I biked here with Junie to pick up dinner. Now, how to haul this home without a basket. D'oh.

 Quite the thunderstorm out there. LOVE this weather.

Appamatox - 150 years on

150 years ago today, in a small village west of Petersburg, Virginia, the bloodiest war in American history effectively came to an end as the great Ulysses S. Grant accepted the surrender of Robert E Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.

A Memory of Lisa's Childhood

Lisa used an identical bag as a child when she went by her Grandma K---. (albeit with the name Lisa on it, not Rebecca lol)

My Eisenhower Scrapbooks

Here are some screenshots of a great present Lisa's friend JJ bought me for my birthday last month: three authentic scrapbooks from the 1950's, each chock full of clippings of Da Man, Dwight David Eisenhower.

#197 from my ward.

 

150 years ago today, Gen. U.S. Grant, sensing the end was near, sent his first letter asking for the surrender of Robert E Lee. It was not accepted, and the bloodshed went on for two more days.

RIP James Best

 Rest in Peace Roscoe

The Badgers Lose the National Championship

 Coach K is the definition of class. If you have to lose, lose to the best.  

Still a heck of a season. #Bucky #Badgers

Fast and Furious 7

With Parker - at the Avalon

The movie theater was nearly deserted because of the Badger game, so we had it largely to ourselves. It was the first Furious movie either of us had seen, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Great action scenes. A great time with my favorite guy.

 Visiting my Mom for her birthday/Easter!

- at Southpointe Healthcare Center.

Easter Pics

Here's #TeamSlap on the way to Easter Vigil Mass last night. In my opinion it's the most moving and powerful Mass of the year, and it brought me to tears of awe (if there are such a thing) two years ago. Even the repetitive poetic refrain from the reading from Genesis is powerful. "Evening came, and morning followed. The X day."

Unfortunately it's also quite long and the kids grew restless, esp. Smiley. At one point I'd had enough and issued a warning better suited to the bar room than church.

"Really Dad? Really?! In church??" Smiley said.

"Then you know it's true, cuz I promised before God," I said.

******* 

Also, during the second reading (the parting of the Red Sea) LuLu, the consummate Avatar fan, nudged me and said "See? There were Benders in the Bible"

Goof.

Goldwater Button

 The newest addition to my collection. My first Goldwater and, IMO, quite an attractive piece.

Happy Easter

 Happy Easter everyone! Have a blessed day :)

 

 Congrats Bucky! #OnWisconsin

A rare intact horse skeleton dating to the Roman period has been unearthed in England. 

Egg Dyeing Pt 2

 Modeled after one of my buttons!

The handiwork of LuLu. A lot of it Avatar: The Last Airbender themed

Junie's work:

And my Godchild