The prodigal son returns...

I remember starting this blog quite a few years ago, in an effort to simply chronicle my exploits and adventures with golf. In that time, I've been fortunate to play many courses, great and otherwise, and meet many people who epitomized (and exploited) the gentlemen of golf, and vastly improved my game through hours of practice.

For all of this, I lost sight of a few things, namely the amount of time that I could have been with my family. While my coaching duties required my attention, it was the additional time that I put in beyond that required that took me away from my family. Beyond weak justifications, I finally realized that I was missing a huge part of my family due to my own actions. It was time for me to take a step away.

In the nearing two years since that time, I've played golf a total of four times, namely in charity tournaments with some buddies, but I didn't miss the game. I guess all the hours that I had put in (and away from my family) had been more than enough to satisfy the longing that I may have had.

I got an email the other day from our local golf course (the ownership is changing, and this website may quickly become outdated). Basically, there have been some positive changes made at the local golf course (new management and all) and in short, the rest of my family are interested in taking advantage of this and obtaining a membership. I guess it's funny how things go full circle. My son has a renewed interest in it, and is actually listening and following instruction. The wife is ready to take up the sport as well. All of this without my persuasion, I might add.

I'm excited about this next chapter in our lives. As I told my wife the other day as we discussed this possibility, I was always a bit jealous of the neighborhood men whose wifes would join them to play a round or two here and there. Maybe deep down, it was something I had wished for, and wow...here we are.

Pictured above, the split fairway Par-5 #11.

Shazam!

Short and Sweet...

I just finished reading my buddy's latest and final entry for 2010, and it was the impetus I needed to go ahead and get a few words down on this last Friday of the decade.

Today's words? Short and Sweet. Down and Dirty. Hard and Fast. Okay, that may be a bit much, but you get the gist.

1. Santa Run 2010 - I must be getting old, as the trip was as good as usual, but I got hit with some road-lag or something, because after 400 miles, I was simply tuckered out and not myself. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but was sad that my son, looking to make a sort of initiation, couldn't make the trip due to illness. Aside from that, visiting with my siblings and their respective spouses was a great joy. The lunch and conversation with my grandmother and a dear friend of mine really goes to show. Not a bust, but way too many problems this year.
2. Fantasy Football - As I have in years past, I partake in a college pick 'em league. Really simple: pick the winners each week, drop your lowest week, and largest total wins. Came in second last year (Shawn's picks just outdid me in the final three weeks), but this year I came out on top. It was a frisky few final weeks, but two points is two points. Shawn? He came in second. It was a fun league and I look forward to next year's competition.
3. Kindle - I don't want to spoil the full entry that'll probably come in a few days, but basically, this singular device has enabled me to read more than I have in the last few years. Don't get me wrong, I've read my share, but this device is, quite frankly, so easy and handy to have around, reading is simply that much easier. But more later...
4. Playstation Move - Santa was pretty nice this year, and I splurged on the Move. So easily put, it's the Wii that's been jacked up on Steroids and enabled with sniper vision. It works so easily and eliminates all the annoyances that the Wii had (I still have and enjoy the Wii, just differently). The 1:1 ratio of movement tracking really can create some tired arms, but it's a lot of fun. Watching my son take care of his little animal on EyePet is quite hilarious. More after further testing...

That's it for now. Yeah, I know...nothing really substantial. That's okay. In fact, this holiday, I've spent more time really trying to focus on the little things. Paying attention to my kids and what makes them smile and laugh. I guess it's those little things.

As this year closes, wherever you are and whom ever you share the entering year, make it a step forward in the right direction.

Cheers!

Shazam!

The Last Practice

So today's my band's last practice before our performance Friday afternoon.

We've got a short two song set list and we've got the first one down, but the second needs a bit of polish.

We've probably been working on the Beatles cover for maybe six weeks now, but the Chuck Berry tune only about two weeks.

The kicker? I play guitar on the Beatles tune, while I switch over to the skins for the Chuck Berry tune.

I've yet to post any videos of me playing, but I think it may be time...

While I'm a bit anxious to perform, I only hope that we will continue to meet regularly and play together. I know how time leads to different things, but the camaraderie and fellowship shared during our practices really allows us to vent, joke, and simply be ourselves without the typical social constraints. I know I'll do my best to continue this little thing we've got going.

Thank you, TurnDog and T-Dub; you've made this bit of work quite enjoyable for me.

Enjoy the abstract picture there. Maybe there'll be a video by the end of the week...

Shazam!

Baseball: America's Pastime

Admittedly, I never played much baseball growing up.

Quite frankly, I sucked at it. I was very much afraid of that ball, which lent itself to my poor fielding. I didn't, at the time, understand the mechanics of a proper baseball swing; I would always hit line drives and never anything that could really carry far.

In high school, I discovered how enjoyable watching a game could be with friends. As an adult (with a few nephews that enjoyed playing) I learned how much fun it could be actually playing. With that came a desire to learn how to properly catch without the fear of being hit (it'll happen either way, so make the damn play!) and proper hitting mechanics.

This is my first year coaching my oldest son in baseball, and I've got to admit: I'm having quite a great time with it. I've really boned up on baseball (special thanks to my brother-in-law) and the team is doing very well. Most importantly, I think the kids are really learning some of the skills needed to play the game well, in addition to the building up of teamwork and support.

Early on, when things would be going south, some would start jeering their team mates over mistakes made; now it's more of a "Let's get it back, let's go!" kind of attitude. A lot better.

We've won more than we've lost, but I'm kind of sad that we've only got two games left. Hopefully, we finish strong.

To those of you that do know me, I'm really not missing golf right now.

Shazam!

Nostalgiasm

Okay, consider this a prelude to an upcoming post.

What is nostalgia to you?

Is it that fuzzy warm feeling you get when you encounter something from your misplaced youth?

Perhaps a tinge of guilt over that tragically unhip song or movie that you still harbor soft feelings for?

Take a moment to think about it, and even better, take a few minutes and leave a few comments.

And in case you were wondering, the rock song from this movie is "Touch" by Stan Bush.

And it is that good...

For your viewing pleasure, as you type your comments. (Note: For your benefit, I'd recommend cueing it at 1:05 or later. Trust me on this...)

Minor Leagues aren't Minor

Last night was the first time I've ever attended an ice hockey game.

It was, most importantly, a pleasant and positive experience for me and the family.

While the game of hockey isn't something I've been excited about before (save Colorado's championship run with Patrick Roy in 1996), this is more about the whole experience of it.

See, I've been to various professional sports. Probably not as many as my friend ReShawn, but my fair share.

Of all the professional sports, I'd have to say that that the minor leagues rock. Period. I've never had a better time (playoffs notwithstanding) at a professional sporting event than at the minors.

Baseball is perhaps the best all around. I've been to AA, AAA, and MLB games. Love them all. It was simply just a great family experience, but you could still get "adult" with it, if you get what I mean.

NFL...geez...it was a bunch of hype. I had a better time staying at home and watching the game. NBA? Well, it was better, but honestly, you had to have kick ass seats to really enjoy the experience (NFL, pretty much same thing in that regard). I've not been to a NHL hockey or MLS soccer match, but I would imagine it being quite similar.

I'm sure that the company you keep plays a big part in all of this. I've been fortunate to have had great company at all of these games. It just seems that the hokey little things that happen at the minor league games (can you say Puffy Taco race at Nelson Wolff Stadium?) really make it that much of an experience.

I'm sure that you can have a great experience at a major league sporting event; I simply can't afford those kinda seats. I wish I could, but I simply can't.

Ten bucks got me thirteen rows away from the glass. My son got high fives without being elbowed or shoved down, going to the players' tunnel at the last moment.

Maybe it's just a perspective thing, but I like the minors.

Now I gotta find out when the Missions host the Hooks...

Clutch Shot

It's been a few years since I had to, but after getting in my second accident in two months (with another to follow in the coming month) I was faced with replacing my little Tempo.

The stars aligned and I was offered (Thanks, Dad) a nice little red S-10. The kicker? It was a 4-speed manual transmission. Standard. The truck was delivered on a Saturday, and I had classes on Monday morning at 8:30. Great.

The conclusion of this historic event for me? I learned, but not as fast as I would have liked. The truck was fun, in that shifting gears brought me, in a metaphysical way, closer to the vehicle. I was better able to understand the various moods of the truck and eventually, was quite able to get it up and running without any hurky-jerkiness or stalling out.

Why talk about this? Apparently, according to the editor of one of my car magazines, manual transmissions are slowly being phased out for auto-clutch (aka double clutch) transmissions. Honestly, technology is a working marvel, and the new trannys make shifting faster, efficient, and saves wear on the transmission due to improper or abusive driving/shifting.

I read the article again toda(and thus was prompted to go ahead and write this), but I don't think I'm worried about the standard transmission going fully away. Obviously, we'll still have "vintage" cars that utilize it. But like the record player, tried and true technology isn't necessarily going to stop.

I think that there will be a market for the vintage style of shifting. No, it's not convenient (especially when drinking your coffee on the way to work). It goes against multitasking while driving (oh wait..is that a bad thing?). But it's also takes something special away from that relationship that drivers understand.

I remember that sneer that other drivers would give me when discovering that I did not know how to drive stick. I don't think I ever gave that look, but I sure as hell felt that way a few times. I think every driver should be able to, lest they find themselves in that pinch one day.

But if things keep going the way the are, they may never.

Do you drive stick? Can you double-clutch? Do you even know what "heel-toe" means?

Comments, as always, are welcome.

Shazam!

How Rock Band Changes My Life

I'm sure somewhere someone is trying to roll over in their grave. Or their couch. But it's true.

Rock Band changed my life. In a most good way. But before I get into that, I've got to address those naysayers out there.

Perhaps the biggest gripe I hear/read about any of the rhythm games that exist out there (take your pick: Rock Band, Guitar Hero, DJ Hero, etc...) is that it is by no means a replacement for playing a real instrument.

I agree with that idea. Playing a guitar/band based game is not by any means a replacement for actually getting together with some folks and actually playing real instruments. But what of the concept of playing a game?

It started mainstream with Guitar Hero. And if you actually look at the original game, it was...well...over the top. It was supposed to be; it's a video game for cripes sake. Items like Overdrive and Streak become commonplace in the following iterations. Rock Band expanded that concept with gameplay for a an entire band (lead, bass, drums, vocals). DJ Hero introduced the opportunity for dj-ing to mainstream society (it's not easy).

These are games, simple put. They offer an experience that is essentially accessible to anyone with the game console. Just like playing SOCOM or Call of Duty: Modern Ware for that thrill of team work and shooting others, playing one of these music based games offers the thrill of music based fun. It's an experience. And a fun one at that.

But back to the changing of lives...

I bought the original Rock Band because it offered the ability to play drums and sing along with the guitar, something that Guitar Hero failed to offer at that time. Honestly, I sucked at Guitar Hero so bad, I developed and presented to a number of GH fanboys the concept of a plastic add-on so that instead of sliding your hand to play the fifth key, you could keep your hand placed higher on the neck and play the green button with your thumb. But I digress...

That summer was one of Rock Band memories. Slowly, I improved my plastic guitar skills. My singing skills were improving slightly, as were my drumming skills (again, all of which on the plastic variety of instruments). Of all this, the life changing aspect was the reintroduction of music that was dear to my heart, in addition to the new music that I had yet to realize that I loved. Groups like Weezer, Kansas, Mountain, Blue Oyster Cult, and The Who mesmerized me beyond the simple primary colored bars; at one point, I had 95% of Weezer's "Say it Ain't So" memorized and would tap it out in the car on the way to work.

Life changing? At this point, more like seed planting...

What started as a gamer's addiction became a desire for something more. As much fun as mashing buttons can be, between playing Rock Band and reading my subscription of Spin magazine, the seed grew into a full out sickness. The cure? More cowbell...er, more guitar. Real guitar.

As readers of this post can attest, I started playing real deal guitar about a year and a half ago.

Now many dollars later (and into the latest iterations of music games), Rock Band reaches another level of life changing status: The Beatles. Sure this game came out in September. Sure, most everyone has heard of The Beatles. But have you experienced The Beatles?

Before you say sacrilege, just hear it out. In pure homage to the boys from Liverpool, this game plays as a tribute to one of the greatest bands ever. No stupid frills, just simply good music and incredible visuals. Good game, but how is it life changing?

The easy answer here is it's The Beatles. But that's not gonna work. Two-fold, The Beatles' catalog is just that good. Timeless, storying, and musicianship that quite honestly sets a standard that would be hard pressed to be met even today.

That segues into my second point: the musicianship. Not only does it lend itself to a more enjoyable listen, but as a budding guitarist, it gives me a greater respect for how difficult it is to actually play much of their music. Not just in real life, but even so on a five-buttoned plastic guitar.

I'm currently on a George Harrison trip to discover this Dark Horse. All I know at this point beyond his Beatles tenure and friendship with Mr. Eric Clapton. Not much, but again the road to discovery is quite a lovely one and made that much more enjoyable with friends who share the appreciation. I spent the morning practicing an early Beatles tune with my friends TurnDog and T-Dubb (Dyl was there as well, manning the camera). After an hour of that, we fired up the PS3 and rocked out to the Fab Four in their version of Rock Band. A lot of fun, bonding, friendships renewed, and father-son moments all as a result of a little endeavor called Rock Band.

Life changing? Maybe not. But altered? And how.

So my fave? Just watch and enjoy.

Or maybe you want what some consider to be the "definitive" version...

So do you play Rock Band or Guitar Hero? Did you play them? What do you think?

Comments, as always, are welcome.

Shazam!

Havaianas...still some chanclas

So I ordered a pair of "luxury" sandals. Flip flops. Sandalias. Chanclas. You get the gist.

I first saw these in FHM a few years ago, and again in Spin Magazine. Did a bit of research, and quite frankly just wasn't too impressed with them at the time. I was quite content with my Reef Fannings (the ones with the bottle opener).

That was a few years ago. After numerous weird tan lines (due the Fanning's wide straps) and the polyurethane breaking down, it was time to look. I put it off for some time, but with an impending cruise to the Caribbean coming up, it really was time.

I knew I wanted some with thin straps, but many of them were deigned "female shoes". I really wanted a minimalist kinda sandal, but these were the only one. That was sign #1.

On a jaunt into the city for the purpose of procuring protection for my feet (like the consonnance?), I looked through a number of stores that we visited, but to no avail did the right pair jump out at me. Sign #2. I don't need a third sign.

With a time crunch on my hands, I started surfing the 'Net upon arriving at the house and after checking Crocs (the site was down...WTF?) I visited a favorite of mine, Zappos. Free overnight shipping, great selection and decent pricing, what's not to like?

Checked out the selection and even found a pair of +$100 sandals. Too rich for me. Many of hte Reef's had the wide straps I was deliberately trying to avoid. These caught my eye and..well, I bought them.

Okay, so for a bit over $20, what's not to like? A day sooner than I expected, they arrived and I've been wearing them since. Cool and breathing, supple sole, without feeling heavy or excessively flimsy. I'd liken them to a favorite pair of jeans or hoodie: just right.

I know it's early, but I've been left with a good impression thus far.

We'll see how they handle the Gulf of Mexico.

Shazam!

Playing Guitar...Some More

I got to play some guitar seriously yesterday.

Not too terribly often that I get to really jam with my buddy Tom, but when we do, we usually have a great time.

Yesterday was no different. I played rhythm while Tom cut a bit o' lead and Dylan got in on the action with a little drum. More so, I was amazed with the fills that he put in. Dyl-Man is becoming quite a drummer.

Basically, "Jenny Jenny" is turning out quite nice, but I was more impressed with how our improved "Hotel California" turned out. I've been working on some basic progressions with it just to sing and mess around with at the house, and Tom just jumped right in and we played it through, long ass solo and all.

Don Felder penned a great song with that one. I finished his book (with a pending review), and it's a worth read for any Eagle fan, but more so any music lover. Check it out it.

If not, just "sit back and enjoy the magic of rock!"

Eagles - Hotel California
Uploaded by hushhush112. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Gawd, I love that song...

Shazam!

Stupid Sunday

ReShawn, I can't help but think about you as I write some of this stuff. You truly slay me with some of your FB posts...!

Yeah, it's that time again. Tom Bergeron is droning on in the background amidst another epidosode of AFV. And the brings us to this week's Stupid Sunday.

Part I: Great Sexts Throughout History Think of this as a what might have been, had cellys been around back in the day.

Part II: Texts from Night

Yeah, it's exactly that. People do stupid things when they imbide a wee bit too much. I won't elaborate; it's already a train wreck.

Enjoy!

Shazam!

Personal Saturday

Basketball, no defense.

Lunch, gratis.

Parking, $15.

Rodeo, $20.

Boots for Beloved, $$$.

Carney Tix, $30.

Whining Kids, Headache x 2.

Chili Cheese Fries, Heartburn.

Quality Time with the Fam, Well Spent.

And you thought this was a priceless bit, didn't you?

Time Marches On...

"Reloj no marques las horas..."

I can remember in the movie, Selena Quintanilla's character complaining to her dad, "But I don't want to sing in Spanish!"

While the movie doesn't really have anything to do with this post (it's an interesting flick and should be required viewing for any South Texas resident), the lyrics do.

Lately, it seems I can't find enough time to do all the things I want to do. Shall I make a list?

1. Family

2. Work (homework)

3. Guitar

4. PS3

5. Blogging

6. Reading

7. Sleeping

8. Showering

9. A full night's rest.

Call me old, but damn if there ain't enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do, and just not have enough time. Obviously there are things that must be done every night. But what about nights when I gotta add to the list washing dishes, or running some other errand? It just doesn't happen.

Maybe I'm feeling a bit of stress from the packet I received in the mail just the other day. It's that time of year again, and in the next two weeks, I have spent from eight to twelve hours grading packets that have to be back in the capitol on an exact timeline. I've been an ass the last few years and put it off until the last few days, but a-ha the miracle of Internet allows me to profess my intention of maintaining a disciplined schedule of scoring said packets.

I guess I shouldn't complain. I love doing things with my family. The fact that my list is even that long is almost embarassing when I think back to the incident of a few days ago.

Ever have problems managing your time? Feel free to share.

Shazam!

Comic Wisdom

It's not always that you can get a bit of wisdom out of a comic, but you never know...

I just finished this brief story arc titled Woverine: Snikt! The artwork is quite nice, by Tsutomu Nihei, a manga artist.

I can't the that the artistry is that awe inspiring. It's no Jim Lee, but it's quite nice seeing Logan portrayed as more of a skinny punk, as opposed to the hulking brute who metes out justice (or a form of it).

Of most interest was the closing line, a quote from Jim Morrison:

The future's uncertain and the end is always near.

Morrison's words may echo a quiet bleak outlook, but I think it more so enforces that mantra, "Carpe diem!" One never knows what lurks around that brightly lit corner, nor the darkness of the last office on the left.

When a badass like Logan is spouting off quotes, that tells you two things: 1) You are never too tough to well read, and 2) You had best listen to what the man has to say.

Shazam!

Friday Funny: Pee Wee's iPad

If you haven't seen it yet, the iPad was released earlier this week.

Since it topped the news this week (aside from Obama's State of the Union), I figured let's finish with something funny.

Humour, Technology and something from the 1980's brings you this video.

I did like Pee Wee's show growing up, but I've heard too many sick jokes (and thanks to Jeff H. in the Woodlands for nightmares about what lies in Chairy's mouth).

Shazam!

Warm Running Down Your Leg...

I'm thinking it's not just a guy thing.

In the last six months or so, I've seen and read many a comments about going No. 1 in the shower.

Take your pick: Too lazy, it's funny, forgot to go. Whatever the reason, it's obviously something that a lot of folks out there are going ahead and doing.

Am I guilty? Well, taking the fact that you are reading this hear, I'll allow you to arrive at your own conclusion.

Having said that, here are a few admissions posted on one of my favorite blogs, Post Secret.

The shower scene is probably my favorite, but again, it's just a snap shot of life. So do you...you know...go No. 1 in the shower?

I really don't want to know.

PS - This video really is hilarious. Just funny. Watch. Then laugh. Thanks to K.A.D. for being my muse.

Shazam!

Force a Symphony

As a special gift for my son's birthday, I surprised him with tickets to the San Antonio Symphony. For last night's events, we saw Michael Krajewski conducting to a series of John Williams's music.

I haven't been to a symphony before (at least not a profressional one); I've done a few college ones during my time at Sam Houston. I've seen Cats but that's about it. So last night was definitely a treat for us all.

The set list contained music from The Olympics, The Cowboys, Jaws, Harry Potter, and of course, Star Wars series.

Apparently, Krajewski has a sense of humor; and it shows. He was more than gracious and spoke to the audience, giving a bit of a story for most of the songs. More so, this humor was initially evidenced during "The Shark Theme". As those two notes built to a crescendo, a large paper fin appeared and moved along below the conductor, appearing to stalk a prey.

The night was a great night. I even saw a few of my students on a field trip with the school band (there's even a funny story there). For all the fun that we had enjoying an evening of fine music, there was one niggle that Renee and I discussed on the way home.

You can't underestimate the enthusiasm of a fanboy. As such, anything Star Wars brings them out of the woodwork. Applaud is great and so are standing ovations, but excessive hooting and hollering? I don't know. Maybe I am getting old. Renee did say it was "the Pops", but is that an excuse?

All in all, Dylan really enjoyed it.We are looking at going back for the Beatles show in March. We may really discovered something...

Shazam!

Race On: Pinewood Derby

It's that time of year again for Boy Scouts across the nation...Pinewood Derby.

For the uninitiated, it's an opportunity to build up a wooden race car and compete against your fellow scouts. Competitions can range from the oh so friendly to down right vindictive. As this is our second year participating, we've only read about those stories.

Last year, Dyl and I built up a Lamborghini Murcielago (it's basically a shaped wedge) and in doing so, we learned a lot.

This year, we've really taken the art of shaping the cars to a new level. Dyl wanted a classic car, so we went with the 1967 Shelby GT 500, a la Eleanor. Luke wanted a Batmobile, so that's what we built, slightly modified. We race on Sunday, so hopefully we do well. It was a lot of fun spending time with the boys doing this. Not too many headaches, and plenty of memories.

I'll follow up with results later.

Follow Up:So we had the races on Sunday and it was on the verge of chaos, but that's not unusual. The Scouts is a great outlet for the kids, in addition to being a superb channel for introducing kids to camping, nature, and self sufficiency (at least thinking about it).

There was a total of six heats: Tiger Cubs, Wolf Cubs, Bear Cubs, Webelos I and II, and Me Too's. The Me Too's are sisters and younger siblings of scouts; think of it as a way to include other family members.

Looking at the cars, the best ones (not counting my sons) were the kits. While quite nice, they lacked that handcrafted imperfection that hints at a handiwork and builds pride and character. In fact, the fastest car there was a homegrown camouflage truck with weights on the bed (more on him later).

With the heats set, it comes down to racing a three-lane incline that flattens out in the second half, probably about twenty-five feet long or so. One of the most interesting facets of this race is the timing mechanism. While I suspected a high dollar multiple timing system with lap and such (typical of track meets and high end race events), this timer that I could make out consisted of a PC, monitor, connections to the track, and a VCR? Yes, that's right. Home brew software took a busted VCR and converted it into a multi lane timing system...accurate to the thousandth of a second. With blue/red/white indicator for place. If that ain't the Scout way...

Dyl's GT500 had a good and consistent showing. His car was a bit big and just not well enough on the low volume/high mass ration. He did improve over last year however, finishing second in his heat.

Lukers's Batmobile was one of the fastest cars at the event. His car's best time was about a 3.7 or so (the camo truck I mentioned earlier ran a 3.51). I was impressed with the little car and Lukers had a great time sitting, cheering and yelling.

Life can be great at times, and this Sunday race was no exception.

Shazam!

The Mighty Pencil: Jim Lee

Jim Lee helped me make it through middle school.

While many may not recognize the name, a great many do. Jim Lee is a comic book artist, writer and publisher. A major player in the comic biz for the last fifteen or more so years, back in the late 80's he was a rising star. I still have (and have passed them down to my oldest son) my original Punisher: War Journal collections which he penciled, along with the new X-Men series that he did with Chris Claremont. While not in pristine shape by any means, those worn pages helped me make it through a plethora of tedious and long days at my new school. I even made a few friends through comics (Darren preferred West Coast Avengers while I was a die hard Uncanny X-men kind of guy).

While we didn't have much money, my mother did allow me to splurge on comics twice a month. Ah the anticipation of filling up with gas at Lange's gas station and perusing the comic book display for the latest issues.

High school really allowed me to expand my collection and I really worked to piece together continuous issues (X-Cutioner's Song really kicked my ass!) but it was more than difficult.

I even remember my first Frank Miller comic: Batman: Year One. I bought it at the mall in Tyler while on Christmas vacation. I didn't realize the lasting impression it would leave with me. To this day, I still have it and discover the little nuggets that I often overlooked in the first and twenty-first reading of those books.

I don't buy to many actual comics today anymore. It seems that they have risen in price dramatically (Currently, that pristine copy of 300 that Kris has sitting on his shelf retails for about $25.00 US. I'll buy a few of whatever the boy wants when it's time, but for now, I'll be introducing him to digital copies. Kris is shaking is head; I know it's not the same, but it's an introduction and a chance to really read the comic. The intrinsic value lies in the shared time and the mystic of a mint copy (but still having read the book).

Call me a geek if you will, but you cannot doubt the hotness of Psylocke. For your viewing pleasure...

Holidays Forever

It's Tuesday and the sun is hiding behind the clouds and rain.

A very brisk 44 degrees outside, not freezing, but enough to piss on any ideas of working out outside like I usually do.

The boys are playing PS3 in the living room and Momma's at the grocery store.

People, behind the security of anonymity and private thoughts, scoff at the idea of a teacher's salary. Quite frankly, it could be worse. I live comfortably (at least attempt to) within our means. But this isn't about that. As much as many folks will sneer at being a teacher, I never hear the end of how lucky we are to have such great vacation dates. Thanksgiving, Christmas (Winter Break if we are being PC, but we're not so...), MLK, Spring Break, Good Friday/Easter, Memorial Day, and Summer Break are the big ones that pretty much all schools get in one form or another. Add in a few local holidays (stock show for country schools and such) and you get a nice little break regularly.

And that my friends, is one of the biggest pay-offs for teachers. No, I don't get to vacation in the absence of school aged children; my holidays mimic theirs. No, I usually have to schedule things around the holidays (major travel, special trips, dental, etc.) and usually encounter even more kids in doing so. But for all that, I'm the luckiest guy out there.

In this holiday alone, I've had the fortune to visit my Grandmother, my brother and his family, my mother and her family, celebrate Christmas with my family (extended as well) over three days, practice my guitar playing, visit with my buddy Tom (guitar and PS3 activities), buy a new pedal (and try it out), take the boys to see Avatar (see the link for a great review), and still have time to prepare for celebrating New Year's Eve.

I'm forever thankful for the career that I have. To disagree with Diddy, it ain't all about the Benjamins; it's about the family. Being around my family, especially the boys, at the same time they are off is truly priceless. They are at an age that they can still see that magic. I'm still cool (but that's fading fast with the older one) and that counts for so much.

Wherever you are, whatever it is you are doing, make it the best. Don't give teachers shit about having holidays off; you probably make more than they do, and they spend more time with your kids than you do during the school year anyways. Enjoy what remains of the holiday.

But as for me, the holidays themselves take a break for kids to go back to school.