Friday, April 27, 2007

things are starting to hit a little close to home

Crash kills 16-year-old boy

Horrible and awful. It's only a matter of time until I personally know one of these kids. Sam can start learning to drive next year and he is starting to know kids in high school. I don't think he knew this boy but Sam probably knows friends of his.

Nora says she is never getting a car. I'll buy Sam a Colnago, Felt or Madone 8.9slx or whatever it's called but not a damn car. One tin can death trap is enough. Look at that picture. I am scared and sad.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Sunday, April 08, 2007

st. louis lacrosse parents are the worst

Went to StL Saturday to watch Sam play two games of lacrosse. The first game was exciting, Hickman lost 6-5 but the lead went back and forth the whole game. First one side then the other seemed to be dominating. And dominate is the right word here. Lacrosse is an extremely physical sport, it makes hockey look like a nancy game. I am not sure but it seems you get penalized in lacrosse for hitting the guy with the ball. You can smack the ball out of the opposing team anyway you can, body checking, stabbing with the sticks, smacking the carrier across the back, etc. The game was exciting but unfortunately, did not include my son. Didn't get to see him play. Coach didn't put him. Rather disappointing considering we went to considerable expense and drove two hours starting at 7:30am. With an 18 degree wind chill. It was really too cold to watch him watch the game.

So ok didn't get to see him play the first game but usually he gets some time during the second. Drove in the insane StL traffic to find some food. Found some for Sam at (shhh) Sonic. drove him to the next game, dropped him off and drove to find food for the rest of us (the rest of us didn't want Sonic). Found a Subway, ate a sandwich and had barely swallowed the last bite of something called a, "sweet onion teriyaki sub" when Sam called and said that the second game had been canceled. Seems that for some reason the coach of the other team asked the coach of the Hickman JV team (Sam plays for the freshman team not JV) if the freshmen were coming. Evidently the answer was negative and the Parkway Central High School freshman team went home. Before game time. Sucks. I don't know why the Parkway coach didn't ask our coach but cest la vie, eh. Stupid man. And to top it off, the Parkway Varsity team offered to play our freshmen. Right. Those guys are big, they would have broken our boys' legs. Like a cat 5 going up against cat ones, that's no race. Oh and when our boys declined, the parents of the Parkway team called them "babies."

I think we have one more weekend to drive up to StL and deal with the StL parents and stupid coaches.

Friday, April 06, 2007

HELP - will fiddle for jet

UCSPerlman










I'm so friggin' tired of these damn pan-handlers. We should give them a hand-up not a hand-out!
KBIA and the University Concert Series have an unusual request that we hope you, or someone you know, might be able to fulfill.

For its upcoming 100th-anniversary season, the University Concert Series is on the verge of bringing acclaimed violinist Itzhak Perlman to Jesse Auditorium. As part of his standard performing contract, Mr. Perlman requires private air transportation.

Paying out-of-pocket for a private jet might prove cost-prohibitive for the Concert Series. If Mr. Perlman visits Jesse, the end result for patrons could be ticket prices in line with the expectations of concertgoers in larger cities.

To try to keep down the costs of bringing back this performing legend for his first visit in nearly a decade, we're appealing to you for an in-kind gift that we understand only a very small minority of our listeners could supply.
Do you, or does someone you know, have access to a private jet that Itzhak Perlman could use for a day in March, 2008?

If so, then
please call us at 573-882-3431 or 800-292-9136 and ask for Mike Dunn. And thanks in advance for considering a gift to one person that would enrich the cultural life of mid-Missouri as a whole next year.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

back in the saddle (part 2)

Ever look at your "tight pants" and realize that they are baggy? I do. Actually they are only half-baggy. They fit pretty well on my right leg but as for my left, I might as well be wearing mtb shorts. That will change soon though! I have ridden the trainer for 2.5 hours so far this week.

One of the good things about riding the trainer in the backyard is that it doesn't matter how many cold beers you get from the fridge, the bike stays upright!