Maternal Pride

I'm all proud of Sheela - she was elected to Pride (Student) Council.  I'm pleased that she wanted to serve, pleased that she got elected but particularily proud of the fact that she had to finagle her way in to the election.  She missed the deadline (she was home sick) but took her paperwork in the next day anyway just in case.  It turns out that the official paperwork collector was out sick too and the substitute collector has known Sheel for years. 

Afternoon floor nap

Model T

We also toured the Farm Museum including their classic tractors and car.

CUBe

What a beautiful day!  It's 75 degrees, sunny with a constant breeze.  Sunil and I went to an all-you-can eat Pancake Breakfast hosted by the McKinney Boy Scouts.  Then we headed a little bit farther up the road to a full day Cub Scout event.  It's educational, it's fun, it's outdoors.  My life is good.

Sid and Sheela have gone to mentor the new Dads and Daughters on a HATs campout so today is just for me and the boy.

He's done the archery, and the fishing, and the bean bag toss.  He practiced driving nails, built a marshmallow shooter and a bug collector.  He's taking the BB gun safety class now.  Then we're off to practice feats of skill and knot tying.

Nail driving

At CUBe

Arrrrggghhh

Guilt is such a waste of time.  I'm starting hour two of the DI Team Manager training.  I'm not the manager but no one else could come.  I don't have the time either but I feel badly about having to rely on the other parents to haul Sheela back and forth so I'm forcing it to fit in the schedule..  This is how I got sucked in to handling the Cub Scout t-shirts too.  It explains how I got sucked in to working the water rocket launcher booth at CUBE this weekend.  Without the guilt of shafting my family I'd be home with my family.  That's just wrong.

Responsible Children

I’ve been brushing up on my Love & Logic skills again.  Sheela is very excited about the second Twilight movie that is being released in Nov.  Her best friend is going to see it at the midnight release party and wants Sheela to go too.  She’s mentioned half a dozen times that Hunter gets to go and then gets to skip school the next day to sleep.  She finally asked me if she could go too.  I told her “yes… but” she has to pay her own way, get Hunter’s mom to drive her and she can’t skip school.  If she thinks she can stay awake all day and be sharp enough to participate in class after staying up all night she’s welcome to try it.  She decided that she would be too tired for school.  I’m counting this as a success even if she changes her mind when she figures out that the school day in question is an early release day leading in to the Thanksgiving break.

NJ again

I'm back in New Jersey tonight.  Tomorrow I'll be touring another of the Tissue Banks.  I'm fascinated by all of the uses for the different tissue forms.  Donation is starting to look like a better option than cremation... Just so you know.

Ace parenting on my vacation day

Sure Sunil, you can climb the rickety, old fence.  It's not dangerous if no one gets hurt, right?!?

And the Wailers

And Three Dog Night

Roger Daltry Stage

Yes, I do know how bad these pictures are...

Aerosmith stage

Last Night

Tonight is the big appreciation party out on Treasure Island but before that we have a sushi dinner and afterwards stops at least the Buena Vista and the Redwood Room.  I'm pretty over the Redwood Room by now so I'm hopping to hustle everyone in to Lefty's Irish Pub and Piano Bar instead.

The conference gave me enough to have been worth the trip but I think I won't be back for a few years.  Most of the benefits to me are the time with the IT teams from Italy and San Diego.  They are in Dallas every couple of months we just need to schedule time while they are in town to talk.

Sailing

The tropical storms that are threatening the area have held off long enough for us to risk a sailing trip this afternoon -- my first in the Pacific.  One of the vendors chartered a 65ft boat for the afternoon.  Have I mentioned how much I love my job and this show?

Funky Mirrored Chair

Haight-Ashbury

Still a neat area.

Soft sculpture

I'm sitting in the lobby admiring, of all things, a plush looking black bowler stuffed with an apple.  The whole thing is maybe two feet tall and three feet in diameter.  It's a strange hotel.

IMG00137.jpg

The arm chair in my room at the uber-trendy Clift Hotel in SF,CA.  I may be able to get a picture of the rest of the room during daylight.  It does not look like everywhere else I've ever stayed.  The walls are mostly mirrors and curtains and the night stands are clear acrylic cubes.

Postponed

The golf tournament will be pushed back a month or so because of the amount of rain we received.  Actually I'm really pleased for the delay.  I'm taking a vacation day this week, travelling next week and travelling again the week after.  I really need to go in as much as possible this week.

Dinner

We've made a conscious choice to cook and eat dinner together as a family every Sunday night but more tan that we've started planning our meals for the week on the weekend.  Everyone gets to help decide what we are going to have at least part of the time and they usually help with the cooking.  The food is better and the stress level lower than when we make it up as we go.

This week we lead off with cheese fondue (with crab meat) and a chocolate fondue course.  Monday was chicken quesadillas, tonight is hawaiian pork chops, Wed is lasagna in the crock pot, Thurs is the meat fondue course with schloss sauce.  Friday we left open in case the boys go to the high school football game.

First Concert

One of the dots is Sheela during her first concert.

Apples

For years the only apples I would eat were Granny Smiths.  I love the crunch and the explosion of tart juice.  Over the last few years however I’ve gained an appreciation for Fuji apples.  They are still firm but much mellower in flavor. But now for the first time I have an actual new favorite – the Honey Crisp.  It is every bit as crunchy as a good Granny but instead of tart it is unbelievable sweet.  I’m eating at least two a day.

Service project

Clean the creek

Another rainy day

Spent with Maya.

Six Weeks

I can’t believe today marks the end of the first six week grading period at school. It has gone really fast. Grades won't be out for another week but I believe the year got off to a strong start for both of them.

Taking shape

Because the land around here is generally clear and flat large buildings are generally constructed from poured concrete walls that are then hoisted up in to place and bracketed together.  Here is a snap of the walls being raised on our new facility.  My cube space, or as we call them “snoffice”, will most likely be right inside the front first floor window as seen from here.