I Foolishly Join a Bowling League

Last night, at the invitation of Alex Q, Lisa  and I joined a bowling league. I warned him I sucked, and I lived up the billing, bowling a high of 79. I must admit to getting salty, as I despise not being good at something, but I had a good time aside from, you know, the actual bowling lol. I'm reasonably sure, even as he reads this, that  he's kicking himself for the invite, but I'm game and thankful for the time with friends. I *will* improve - in a month or so, I aim to break 80. ;)

A New (to me) car

A friend of mine, Thomas Gr, read my transportation complaints last week and sold me his 2001 Ford Taurus, then en route to the junkyard. I put it in the shop for repairs and got it back Friday That's why Lu and I went to the DMV, to title my new ride. Even with the repairs, which will resume Monday when the shop reopens, it was well worth the cost, and the presence of a second vehicle has already been a blessing, both to our needs and my ego. Thanks Thomas and Kelly G for thinking of us!

Visiting the Humane Society

Never Forget

9/11 has been honored by nearly everyone I've run into today, even at the DMV, and on every radio station I've heard. #ProudOfMyCountrymen

Custard

Custard the cat

Gravity Falls

For a long time I thought this show was stupid, but I've come to realize it's well written and actually pretty witty.

One of those Moments

A text between me and LuLu on Tuesday

Free Tuition at MATC

I applaud the MATC program granting free tuition to low income students. Kudos for including an attendance requirement, but jeers for setting the minimum high school GPA at 2.0. If you can't average better than a "C" in high school, then you don't deserve a free ride to college. Unless you're really good at a revenue-generating sport. Then I see your value to the school and I'm cool with it.

It's more than just a technical college now. Either way I'm not asking for the world, just a 2.5 GPA. You can't pull off a B in gym or shop once a year? Please. Statements for the minimum GPA reveals the soft bigotry of low expectations - frankly, I think it was set so low bc they think it'll bring in more minorities, which is a paternalistic and bigoted assumption.

My Day

Pretty worthless day. My contractor didn't show to replace the gutters, the light in the kitchen continues to defy me, Lauren's snow globe from our Disney trip broke, I wasted two hours at the Humane Society only to have the dog I wanted adopted by the guy in front of me in the queue, and in order to rescue Simon (the neighborhood cat) from trafic it was either drop my pizza slice or leave him in the road - so I split the difference and shoved the slice in my pocket, and helped the cat but ruined my shorts. . . . which, now that I read that, was a really stupid fat guy thing to do.

Weird Things Happen to You

True Story: Monday evening I was walking through Walmart with Smiley. As we passed an aisle in the craft section an attractive, 25-ish young  woman jumped out and stuck out her middle finger at me with considerable glee. She then immediately gasped, brought her hands to her face, and turned red as she realized I wasn't her intended target. My deadpan response?

"Maybe later, but we haven't even been introduced yet."

Smiley couldn't stop  laughing and shook his head. Just a few hours earlier we'd been approached by a guy in Home Depot's parking lot and I bought his store credit for half price. 

"Weird things happen to you Dad," he said.

YaYa's 1st Swim Meet!!

YaYa had her first high school swim meet tonight and finished third! Way to go kid! I'm sorry I couldn't attend. I'm proud of you!!!!

Is this the first thing that you missed in your kids' lives? I wouldn't be surprised! You're a good dad. - Sandee

80 Years Ago Today

80 years ago today LA Governor Huey Long was struck down by an assassin. He would die two days later, on the 10th.

Area 51

Movie night with YaYa  - Back to the Future 3,  Mr. Jones, and now this :)

Henry Ford

And of course, most of those things, and more, are now guaranteed by law

Ford did do all the above. Did unions need to fight for the same guarantees elsewhere? Sure. But the first place to get 'er done got it done through good ol' capitalism. And again, laws guarantee most of the above now, which is why unions are seen as redundant by many.

 $5 an hour was such a huge wage that people flocked to Detroit like a 20th century gold rush. The equivalent today is *$66.51* an hour. http://www.dollartimes.com/inflation/dollars.php

update  I'm sorry, the meme IS wrong. He raised the wage to $5 in *1914*, not 1926 as on the picture. The equivalent, with inflation, was $117.40 an hour.

Happy Birthday Buddy

Buddy Holly would have been 79 years old today. That's what makes Feb 3rd a true tragedy - that all this time later, he could have still been alive and making music. I have no hate for that pilot, but he robbed us all.

Lebanon

If you dismiss my last post as folly, consider recent history in the Mideast: once upon a time, after WWII, Lebanon, a peaceful nation with a significant Christian population and culture, opened its gates to refugees from Palestine. Within a decade Eisenhower, in his only foreign military action, had to send in US Marines to evacuate civilians. Within three decades the country was embroiled in the bloody civil war that dominated the news of my youth. The Lebanon of 1950 no longer exists.

Sigh

This is not a good Daddy day. I'm trying but . .  . emphasis on "but."

History

100 years ago today, a year into WWI, the first tank rolled off the assembly line.

Some Home Upgrades

Lisa and Smiley are busy repainting his bedroom, and I just put up new blinds in the dining room.

Cops

-YaYa

This guy on #Cops was stopped for an iffy traffic violation, called Hispanic when he is not, handcuffed abruptly, and shoved in a squad by a young, arrogant deputy. All he did to bring this on was calmly say "I'm not Hispanic," which set the deputy off. He then got angry and loud, right after he was cuffed for speaking. The Sgt then pulled the deputy aside, and (presumably) ripped the deputy a new a$$hole. saying you're on national TV, and they let him go. I'm a fan of the police, but this deputy is a tool. It was outrageous.

Yay!

Blue earned her wings!

In My Opinion . . .

Every American should take a Constitutional Law class, be it in college or high school. The depth of the ignorance (dictionary meaning) in FB comments both for and against various issues is downright embarrassing.

Proud Dad

I have failed to mention my pride and satisfaction that YaYa is part of the MHSA swim team, and has devoted two hours after each school day to making herself into the best athlete possible. I love her very much, and I am confident she's on the right path to being a great woman. #ProudPapa

Gawd, this is embarrassing to write

Law school is sinking into daily life: On the phone today I asked someone for a clear yes/no answer, and got a rambling statement in its place. "I would move to strike that as unresponsive," I told him. "Let me ask again. . ."

The Kids Get Physicals

I took the two youngest to their annual physical this morning. Smiley is half an inch shy of 5 feet now and taller than my late Grandma. Junie is 4' 5.5". Both are in the 90th percentile in height and weight (LK actually 95th in height). The doctor called them "on the slender side" and acted surprised. Why? Because I'm fat, they automatically have to be? #ProudTheyAreFit