A New Routine

I walked the kids to school this morning. It's only about 1/3 of the distance (one-way) of their old stomping grounds, but it'll still be a nice addition to our routine. Oh - and once again, no ACL pain whatsoever. Whoot-whoot!

What If?

Controversial opinion of the day: Germany is remembered as the big "bad guy" of the 20th century, and it's a title they deserve. But did it have to be that way? Let's go back to late 1914, at the start of what *should* have been another one of the continental spats that let off steam between the contemporary superpowers. It seemed over from the start, with Germany swinging into France via Belgium and closing in on Paris, and then . . . . 

And then. 

King Leopold of Belgium, knowing his army was outmatched and doomed, sacrificed it in a delaying action against the Germans. Aside from the fact that no one wants to just roll over and let the other guy win, Leopold was acting to fulfil a British demand to buy time for their own forces. As the Kaiser found out, Leopold was a man of his word. 

The Germans were delayed, the push on Paris faltered, and a minor conflict morphed into the first World War. What's more, the German's didn't react very well to Belgian obstinacy, and their reprisals created a stream of (exaggerated) propaganda that fed Allied sentiment and eventually helped eroded American isolationism. 

So in many ways, ol' King Leopold is the true hero of the war. Right? Perhaps. 

But let's think about an alternative view. 

Say Leopold had thumbed his nose at the British and chose to grant Germany passage through Belgium, while providing only enough resistance to keep his honor - and his country - intact. What may have happened? 

France would have fallen, the British, who at the time had very little in the way of land forces in Europe, would have bowed out and the Western Front would have been over and done. While subsequent decades rightfully give you pause at the idea of German occupation, the evidence of prior continental wars (such as the German victory over France in the 1870's) would suggest that a German victory in 1914, in all likelihood, would leave behind a Europe that looked an awful lot like the Europe of 1913. 

Instead, we have WWI, with ten million dead and nearly forty million wounded or missing. We have the inevitable sequel, in which 73 million died in the time between the invasion of China and VJ Day. We have the fall of the Czar and the rise of a barbaric political system that murdered millions and enslaved billions more across Europe and Asia. We have all the dead of proxy wars in Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. We have the collapse of political systems throughout Europe and the loss of their colonies, with all the internal warfare and famine that created. We have the Holocaust, which begat Israel, which in turn enflamed the Middle East and may well lead to the next world war. 

It's hard to imagine a German victory in 1914 spawning anything remotely resembling the horror that was the 20th century. 

So I ask you - is Leopold the hero of the First World War . . . or the grand villain of the 20th century?

You should be grateful King Leopold did delay the German march toward France, because without WWII, it's almost guaranteed Melissa would not have been born. 

Melissa's Grandpa K was 21 when he joined the Marines on Dec. 8th 1941 (day after Pearl Harbor) and didn't marry Mom until 1946 (1947?). I am not sure if they met before the war or after, but either way, things would have been different.

Had they not met before the war, given Dad was 21, he certainly would have found someone else in those 4-5 years. Thus no Dennis K (and me either) and no Melissa. If they did know each other before the war, they probably would have started a family 4-5 years sooner and Dennis would have graduated H.S. in 1960 instead of 1964. He would not have joined the Marines to fight in Viet Nam, cause there was no war at that time. He would have probably never met Jeanne and thus no Melissa. 

On a Macro level, no WWII, the US would not have built the Atomic bomb (Germany very well could have), and the US would not have been the first to land on the moon.

Butterfly effect is a nice way to exercise the mind though. - Lisa's Uncle Bruce K

Cal Worthington

Cal Worthington, a West Coast car dealer who was famous for his TV commercials - and far more importantly was used more than once as a question on The Match Game - has died at 92. RIP sir, Match Game fans thank you for your service.

A-Rod tonight: 2 for 4 with a home run

Time to Grow some Facial Hair

I've been without facial hair for a month or more, but I think that's about to come to an end. I've got a days worth of stubble now, and I'm too lazy to shave.

I'm so used to your facial hair, I kind of like it on you. But not on my spouse. LOL - Grandma J

An Update on the Thumb

Re: the thumb. Lisa took the stitches out a few days ago (only rich fools  go to the doctor for that; buy tweezers and manicure scissors at the dollar store and be done with it). The cut itself is a big valley like mess that I blame on the medical intern as much as the injury, but wth, it'll match my stretch marks. I think the thumbnail will be salvaged. I do worry about the fractures though. The thumb still hurts and I can't bend it completely. Worse yet the tip is oddly numb, making it hard to grasp and open a potato chip bag, which is g'damn unacceptable. Still, all in all I'm happy. :)

GREAT play on Sunday Night Football on NBC! But I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know, since you're watching it too .. . . oh, wait? Are you on Time Warner Cable? Are you still subject to the blackout? Aww, poor bunky. Switch to U-Verse already, ya Neanderthals. ;)

The BVCC Food Pantry Walk

This morning my daughters and I took part in a charity walk benefiting the food bank at the local community center. It was the first real test of my knee since tearing my ACL three months ago, and I am pleased to report that there wasn't so much as a hint of pain :) 

Junie lasted all of about .3 of a mile before throwing a fit, but luckily I had Lisa on standby and she drove and picked her up. YaYa, LuLu, and I finished the walk on our own, and had a nice entertaining conversation along the way.Then it was a nap, Mass, and soon dinner with friends here at home . . .

25 Years of Hangin' Tough

25 years ago today the monumental NKOTB album "Hangin' Tough" was released. Please, bow your heads in awe of the occasion. :)

A - drafting Peyton Manning in my fantasy draft was not my worst idea ever and B - of the 19 members of the part-time law school program two have already dropped out

Geese on Parade

Racist Bus Driver?

This!

30 Years Gone

30 years ago,on the night of 9/2/83, I crawled into bed beside my Grandpa. I woke up the next morning and discovered that he'd died next to me in the middle of the night. 

Without question, it was one of the most awful - and pivotal - days of my young life. It was never about the manner of his death, but about losing HIM. In many ways his loss shaped who I was to become.

It's hard to believe that today marks THREE decades since that morning, but time has a habit of marching on and leaving both the good and the bad in the distance.

 RIP Little Grandpa, and thanks for the time we did have together!

Junie = Tough

Junie just came down the stairs. "Guess wat? I stepped on a piece o' glass, and it got stuck in my foot but it's ok cuz I got it out myself." We were about to rattle off a standard "That's nice honey," when she brought out the paper towel she'd used to wipe off her foot. It had a fair amount of blood on it, like that of a minor nose bleed. She dug out a chunk of glass and cleaned it up herself without so much as asking for help, much less crying. For a six year old, that kid is one bad a*s b**ch. :)

Sad but True

Sad but LOL (and true): We went looking (just looking) at new washers today, and time after time Lisa walked away from a model in disgust. "What's this 'made in America' crap? We don't know how to build things anymore. Where's all the good Chinese stuff?" she said.

Tommy Morrison

RIP Tommy Morrison, age 44, a former Heavyweight champion and star of "Rocky 5". He's had HIV for years, but the cause of death was not yet announced.

Rabbit Food

We just finished a dinner of fresh vegetables and salad . . I don't know what to say. It was lettuce and green things for dinner. For DINNER people. WTH???

What's this "we" crapola?! You refused to eat...it was me and the kids that sat down to veggies and salad for dinner, and it was delish! - Lisa

I had two bowls! - Me

Neighbor Drama

The neighbor's teenage son went a little haywire and started smashing the ceramic pots on his Mom's porch. Lisa told him to knock it off, he mouthed off to Lisa and walked towards her,  I got  in his face and said some things, etc Turns out he's angry because he knocked up his girlfriend. Boo-hoo. Now you wrecked your Mom's porch, pissed off your neighbor, got your neighbor's 300 pound husband in your grill, and, oh yeah - your girlfriend's still pregnant. Well played kid.

Lemonade!

My kids have a lemonade stand in front of our house. If you are living in or visiting our area, and are unwilling to see the dreams of a six year old girl ground into the mud, then please - STOP BY.

Update: They scored about $10 bucks, divided 4 each to the Bookends, 2 bucks to Smiley.

KAL Flight 007

30 years ago this weekend the Soviet Union shot down KAL Flight 007, an unarmed 747 passenger flight that had wandered into their airspace. All 269 people aboard were killed, and their bodies never returned to their loved ones. I remember this happening, and I remember asking my Mom permission to stay up and watch Nightline because I thought there was a good possibility we'd be going to war. To the passengers and crew murdered by what truly was an Evil Empire, RIP.

The First EVER day of Public School for the whole of Team Slap!!!

Ok, I posted it way late. But better late than never!

Caveat: Junie attended a public montessori school in K3, and Smiley was in a speech program at a public school for k3 as well.  But *as a family* this is an inaugural day!!

Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney, the great Irish poet that I had the pleasure to hear give a reading, has passed away at 74. RIP :(

Halloween 2012

Here's some pictures from last Halloween (Oct 27th, 2012)

(This is YaYa writing by the way)

I went as Katniss from Hunger Games- I still had my cast at the time. Lulu went as Tragedy Ann. Note that my dad made the wig- just yarn and a knee-sock. It looks just as good as the one that sells for $18.50.

 Smiley went as a ninja- not the traditional one, obviously. Junie- smiling happily with her make-up on- went as Cinderella. 

After we went to school, we put our make-up on and headed to the Halloween Hoopla- a party that we attend every year. 

 Junie, playing a game. She must have won it ten times. 

And there I am- dancing Gangnum style, even with my cast on.  And here I am practising my archery at home. 

The next day we went trick-or-treating.

Junie, her bucket filled with candy.

  LuLu and her friend

  It was a great Halloween!

An Update on the Thumb

I think my thumb looks a lot better. Yes, I agree with Lisa that it looks like a Home Ec student sewed it,and there's blood blisters and the busted wiggly nail blah blah. BUT I really do think its healing. I object strongly to Lisa saying it looks "gross" and that helping me change the bandage was going to "make her throw up".

 Uh, I watched four vaginal births and was forced by our culture to call the sight "beautiful" - which, I assure you, it is not - so I think she can deal with looking at a busted thumb. :)