I got to see a flag retirement this evening, which was something I'd never seen before. This part of a Scout meeting. First, I had to coach The Boy and a few other cub scouts through a flag ceremony. I'm not sure how I got volunteered for that. Maybe because I've been in the military. Yeah, but I still never have done a flag ceremony. So, with ( Read more... )

Happy Veterans Day, from a happy veteran ( Read more... )

I went to a music gathering today. It happens every month, but I haven't attended much this year. So I had the chance and I went. I got my eye doctor to meet me there. He's actually a pretty good fiddler, and I've been trying to get him there for over a year. Too bad he couldn't stay longer than he did, but maybe he'll come back soon. The thing ( Read more... )

To whomever it was that thought to put a guitar store right next to the fabric store:

You are a genius.

I just sliced off my left index fingertip. Not as bad as it sounds; it's mostly callous, from playing stringed instruments. It doesn't hurt at all, but it has bled a lot. The Spouse is furious. I hope I don't lose kitchen rights, because I like the kitchen. Besides, who's the better cook? Oh yeah, me.

OK, I spoke to soon. It hurts now. Owwww.

Yeah, it's not a big deal to most of you, but one November day in 1895, Wilhelm Roentgen was playing with a Crookes tube, using it to make phospors glow. That was actually considered a fun thing to do back then; now it makes me wince to think of all that absence of lead shielding, and how everyone in the room was getting radiated. What Wilhelm did ( Read more... )

I took the kids around the neighborhood this evening. Since they were in costume, I put on my ren faire garb. This led to exchanges like the following:

"Dude, are you a hobbit?"
(No, this is my ren faire garb.)
"Huh?"
(I'm a Renaissance guy.)
"A rena...rena...what?"
(OK, I'm a hobbit.)

The Spouse and Girlchild were off to a Girl Scout camping dealie. I stayed home with the Boy. Mostly uneventful, but we did work on badge requirements for his scouting. This morning, my daughter calls with "almost home, but C (the co-leader) is drving because Mommy's sick." OK, so I bundle her to bed and unload the van myself. She was dizzy and had ( Read more... )

I just got off the phone with an old friend. I haven't seen him in over ten years, although he does live in the metro area. We've talked on the phone a few times. He's about to relocate to Atlanta and wanted to get together before he moves ( Read more... )

Ren Faire was this past weekend. Weather was perfect. I got my picture Sunday's paper, sitting at the base of the Maypole and playing fiddle. It wasn't planned as a photo-op; I just really wanted to sit down, having been on my feet for nearly five hours. I'd had a couple of brief prctices with the dancers, but they were done without the pole. So ( Read more... )