Tournament Day

We got off to a nail biting start this morning.  Most of the team came to our house so that could bring them all in together.  That went well, neatly eliminating the wait for the one parent that inevitably gets lost.  The whole team was present and accounted for 40 minutes prior to their first appearance.  Then when the manager went to register the team we realized that we didn't fill out the medical release forms and we didn't have but the one blank copy.  The registrars refused to take the information handwritten on paper they need the official form signed by the parents we neatly left at home.  The manager managed to find an open copy shop, make the copies, repark (there are thousands of cars here today) and then we got to teach the children the finer points of. misrepresentation.  We didn't sign their parents names as that would be forgery but signed our own names as if we were qualified hoping they wouldn't notice. 

Registration was completed two minutes prior to show time.  The kids then had to haul across campus to the challenge site.  I assume that they have been allowed to present (as they've not returned yet).  When they do come back we need to collect their props and move to the building for their main challenge.

Sweetheart Dance - The formal picture

 

Not a busy weekend just a busy day

It looks like all of our commitments for the weekend will fall on Saturday. It's days like this when I don't see how anyone can handle more than one child per parent. Sheela's DI team will meet over here at 7:30 AM. I'll drive them down to the competition. They need to be there by 8AM. They have their instant challenge first. The parents don't get to see that part and the kids aren't even allowed to tell you about it until the end of April (by which time they don't remember). Their main solution presentation will be over by 11AM. This leaves us stress free time to watch the other other team's solutions to their challenge and maybe explore some of the other challenges. I personally prefer the improve challenge.

Sid is taking Sunil to "Sam Bass Days" here in Allen. I don't remember who Sam Bass is but I figure I can ask Sunil Saturday night. Then he has a baseball practice.

In the evening Sid will take Sunil to the Blue and Gold banquet. Sunil will graduate to Bear Cub from Wolf Cub and collect all of his arrow points. I'll be sewing stuff on to his uniform for weeks to come.

Sheela and I will head back to the DI award ceremonies. It is pretty much a long, boring affair but if you win the chance to continue to state or a special award it becomes worth it.

X-ray day

As I was at the Dr this morning for a routine visit I went ahead and asked about the increasing pain in my right knee. On Christmas Day I was sitting on the floor watching the kids play the Wii when I stood up my knee was sore. It was very minor, hardly even rating "uncomfortable" on my personal pain meter. But instead of getting better over time it has gotten worse. Now nearly two months later it rates a "twinge" when I bend the leg too far or try to twist it. I've given up on my morning exercise class (core exercises three days a week) because of the twisting. I'm still either riding the bike or using the elliptical machine without problems (now five days a week to make up for that core class). I was pretty sure that the bones and joint are fine but I've torn something. My Dr went ahead and took a few x-rays just to be sure. I've been given a few exercises to try and offered a series of visits with a physical therapist and a course of anti-inflammatories. With a meniscus tear I don't see therapy helping much and I don't see any inflammation. Instead I've opted to just take it easy for awhile and see how it goes.

A favorite time of year

It's Girl Scout Cookie time!! A few boxes of Thin Mints, a few Do-Si-Dos and a pair of Trefoils. Life is good.

A truely little thing

It doesn't look like much but it represents the pinnacle of my ambitions for my day off.  For the last three months my favorite reading chair has been buried in clean clothes.  My second tier ambition is to have lunch at the elementary school with the kids.

Partial success

I managed the suit jacket and the hat (slightly chewed by Maya) but not the beard.

Statue Garden

The second graders presented their statue garden today.  Sunil dressed up as Honest Abe and presented a two minute speech describing him every time someone pushed his "on button".  I didn't get to see it but Sid, Sheela and the granparents all did.  I'll try to get him to dress up again for a photo but doubt that he'll be game.

New cube home

I had to move out of my old cube -- I've been there for eight years.  The new cube is at the end of a long bland hall of identical poorly lit cubes on the edge of the mfg floor.  Isn't it lovely?

Tutenkhamun exhibit

As today was a school holiday I took a day off to be with the kids. We ended up going to the Dallas Museum of Art to see "Egypt and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs". We made a family trip out of getting both Grandma and Grandpa to come along. Sid ended up working but fully expected to see photos later (of course photography was not allowed). Tickets are sold in advance and allow you only a 30-minute window during which you get to enter. Then they place you in groups of @75 to pass through the first video clip room. It turned out that Cindy and Mack were in the same starting group. Their kids were in school today so this was a mid-day date. We more or less left them to themselves after the initial "hellos".

The exhibit was good but a little bit wearing for Sunil. I did tell the kids in advance that they were required to praise the event heavily within my hearing as it was a little on the pricey side. They complied beautifully. I believe Sheela actually enjoyed parts of it -- she's read up on Egypt and King Tut previously. Sunil may not have enjoyed it a great deal but he did make a good attempt and I appreciate him all the same.

The dreaded Hallmark holiday

It's that time of year again when everyone here is pressured in to monetarily expressing their heartfelt and undying affection even for those they don't like. I've disliked valentine's day since high school. I can't say I really thought much about it before then but I clearly remember guys coming in to by a bouquets of flowers or dozens of roses for their multiple girlfriends and asking to have us write out the cars (presumably poor penmanship making that task too difficult). One guy had me write "To my one and only " on three different cards. More common though was "I need gift and it doesn't matter what it is but I'll catch hell if I come home empty handed". Just sort of screams undying affection doesn't it?!? I had friends in college that would go in to a decline when their fathers failed to send them flowers (or more accurately when they were delivered a day late).

Now I dislike it for the last minute pressure to provide valentines and candy for all of the kids classmates, teachers and friends. In addition to a card for each of the kid's classmates (which wasn't mentioned until Tuesday) they've been soliciting donations for "Val-o-grams". For only $1 a piece I can have a scented pencil or a small candy bar sent to the student or teacher of my choice. I refused to send any but the kids both ponied up some cash. Sheela sent one to Sunil, one to each of her best friends, her favorite teacher and herself (just in case no one else thought to). Sunil sent one to Sheela and to a couple of his friends. When they thought I would pay they were going to send them to dozens of other kids.

Aaarrrgggghhh

With only five meetings left to prepare the team manager offered to let the team skip the meeting to go watch critterman (the snake guy) then got mad when the kids wanted to go see the snakes (after a 10 minute discussion). 

Rain

Two days in a row now we've had rain.  Yesterday it was fun, novel and exciting.  Today it's dark, depressing and tiresome.  What a difference a day makes.

On the good news side lunch was brought in at work today and I was too busy to notice the rain the rest of the day.  Now I'm sitting in a restaurant bar looking out over the canal - the view is much diminished.  There should be 15 - 20 of us for dinner tonight and the reservation is for 10 minutes from now and yet I'm sitting alone feeling pathetic.  I just got here and I'm already bored with the view.

DI countdown

With only three weeks until the DI competition Sheela's team has added a second weekly practice.  Even with that they are horribly behind.  Part of the issue is the collective attention span of the team but a big part is the three month delay in arranging the teams.  Either way it's even harder for me to keep my opinions to myself.  I had to walk out tonight to sit in the hall.

Sweetheart Dance

Tonight Sunil and I went to the annual Sweetheart Dance.  This year they changed it up a little bit making it a little bit more formal and skipping the western wear.  Of course I didn't think that all the way though until last night.  I had to go buy Sunil a new dress shirt and myself an actual dress.  After all that we stayed only a little bit more than an hour.  Without the rodeo theme the horse roping and other games were not included and Sunil was quickly bored with the dancing.  They let the boys (and their dates) up on stage to perform Rock Band style.  But they only had time for twelve couples.  Oh well, we had our formal portraits taken, it'll arrive in a month or so.  Until then we have just this shot...

HATs Winter Campout Pictures

Sheela and Sid only took a few pictures and a couple of seconds of video. But it's enough to show you some of their activities: Rock climbing blind-folded and an obstacle course.

Replacement

This used to be our neighborhood playground.  As you can see the play structures have been removed.  We are hoping that they are replacing them with updated equipment.  But it has been at least three weeks since to old stuff was carted off.   There was a neighborhood meeting nine months ago to explain it but I showed up late and everyone was already heading home. At this point I'll probably cave and try to look it up in the city records.