March 2003, Week 2
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March 2003, Week 2
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Monday March 3 , 2003 Who is content with nothing possesses all things. Nicolas Boileau-Despreaux, poet (1636-1711) Got a nice long letter from my cousin Carolyn, I'd like to know her better, her sister Barbara too. It's too bad we didn't stay in touch. Her mother, my mother's sister, Rachel, was a pretty neat person but geographically distant. She and my mother were pretty close and talked on the phone frequently but I wasn't privy to the conversation so I only knew what my mother told me... which wasn't much. Rachel had a pretty tough time with the two men she married, she ended up raising her kids by herself. She did a pretty good job too if you can judge by the way they turned out. I am really disappointed in my former self, I don't know what it would have taken for me to have set aside my self-absorption and spent a little energy staying in touch with my cousins... I didn't even send them Christmas Cards. I want to set up some sort of newsletter that I can send out periodically, less to do with my family and more toward letting folks know what's happening with all the cousins. I would much prefer to post it here but many of them are not interested in having anything to do with the Internet. Well, today was pretty laid back, last night I had a nasty toothache where the dentist prepped my tooth for a cap. I took two Vicodin, Christy said that's too much, she was right, I overslept this morning... I was groggy till about 1000. It started hurting again tonight and I took another one... I am starting to feel a littleeeeeeeeeeeee tiiiiiiiirrrred Tuesday March 4 , 2003 Tooth still hurts, I may have to go back to the dentist... I hate to go to the dentist... rather pop Vicodin than endure another visit... I may have no choice though. I forgot Autumn's meds again today, two days in a row, the school must think I am a total air-head. It doesn't take much to throw me off my rhythm (I can never spell that damn word correctly) Christy's turn to drive the kids to school in Lancaster, she takes turns with a lady named Rhonda, After I took Autumn her medication Christy and I went in to Palmdale We bought a treadmill. They had used floor models on sale at Sport Chalet, we got it for about half price. Then went to have one of the worst breakfast's at IHOP. I usually have Swedish Pancakes but I tried something new and blech.... I set up the treadmill and it works fine Christian and Mokie got on it and set it for full tilt... they were both on it running at about 10 mph in perfect step and they kept it up for about three minutes... impressive.
Wednesday March 5 , 2003 "In
this time of war against Osama bin Laden and the oppressive Taliban regime, we
are thankful that OUR leader isn't the spoiled son of a powerful politician from
a wealthy oil family who is supported by religious fundamentalists, operates
through clandestine organizations, has no respect for the democratic electoral
process, bombs innocents, and uses war to deny people their civil liberties.
Amen." I went back and read an article I posted a year ago... it rings true still... Cicero was Wrong... Christy is teaching today, Calie woke up sick, her temperature spiked at 105.8... Advil knocked it down to 102 in an hour but it scared me. Her temperature was normal by noon but she was very tired and slept most of the afternoon. I am looking into camera's again I want one a little more professional, my Canon is great but it's just not as flexible as I would like... I asked my friend up north for some insight, he has a Sony DFC 707 state of the art 2 years ago, he takes great pictures Thursday March 6 , 2003 This little vignette is By Garrison Keillor; it struck a chord in my brain, I can sure identify with the tone if not the tale: I am a cheerful man, even in the dark, and it’s all thanks to a good Lutheran mother. When I was a boy, if I came around looking glum and mopey, she said, “What’s the matter? Did the dog pee on your cinnamon toast?” and the thought of our old black mutt raising his hind leg in the pas de dog and peeing on toast made me giggle. I was a beanpole boy, and my hair was the color of wet
straw. I loved to read adventure books and ride my bike
Garrison Keillor Monica and her new bike, taken last week. Calie got a haircut today, she was home recovering from the flu, so I took advantage of it and took her to "Talk of the Town"...Too tired to write... tooth is killing me... Friday March 7 , 2003 "One of the greatest tragedies of life is the murder of a beautiful theory by a gang of brutal facts." --- Benjamin Franklin State and Federal Income tax refund is in the bank... Contemplating trading in the Honda on another Honda, something more attuned to touring, but not so decked out that's all you can do with it, they make a class of bike called Sport Touring. There is one down at the Honda store for 6k... If I can get about 4k for mine I can get it. Went to see Tears in the Sun... could have been a lot better movie... pretty nice action movie with the lamest dialogue I have ever heard. These guys went from be the baddest almost invisible, Ramboesque killing machines to a bunch of virtually suicidal berserkers by the end of the movie. Very disappointing... it is a shame that directors sometimes are so focused on the dramatic ending they lose sight of their characters. Like superman having X-Ray vision and not using it. Having a bunch of Navy SEALS forget their training and doing standing up and Saturday March 8 , 2003 Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together Vincent Van Gogh Christy has taken Christian, Calie and Cindy to church, I am fix'n to go to Burbank to look at some camera's but I have to take "B", Monica and Autumn... I have to do it because I want to go looking at bikes this afternoon when Christy gets back. I have to pick up Mike at Marks by 1700 because I have to get him some shoes and a white t-shirt for doing his Community Service. He starts tomorrow, I have to have him at the Children's Library in Palmdale by 06:45. I went down to Fry's to look at camera's they had them all... (almost) $1300.00 to $59.95... I liked the Minolta Si7... tons of what appear to be relatively easy to use features... unfortunately the camera they had on the display shelf was trashed. While I was drooling all over it a guy came up and said, I have one of those, great camera, I am going to upgrade to a <I forget what he said...?> do you want to buy mine? I'll sell it for $500.00, I may take him up on it... On the way into the store I noticed a lady well into her 70's sitting at a table selling Girl Scout Cookies, looked sort'a strange so on the way out I stopped by and bought two boxes and said "You must be approaching the end of your Girl Scout Career" She laughed and said "Hell no! I'll always be a Girl Scout." She was actually there with her daughter and grand-daughter. Glad I made her day.
Sunday March 9 , 2003 The wise and clever politician makes the passions and prejudices of his constituents one of his principal assets. Nearly all people vote not according to the best interests of the community or even according to their own best interests as decided by calm and logical reasoning, but according to their passions and prejudices. J. H. Wallis I got Mike to his "Community Service" at about 0635, we needed to be there at 0645, no one was in the parking lot, we waited till a few minutes after the appointed time before another car showed up, Mike was starting to panic, "Are you sure this is the right place? " Are you sure they said Six forty-five?" "Are you sure they said the Children's Library and not the Regular Library ?" "We're at the wrong place aren't we, am I going to be in trouble?" About the time I was about to buy into his doom and gloom paranoia a car showed up, then another and another until there were about 21 people there. The Van showed up at 0702, of course, what easier way is there to show you are in control than to be late to the party you are throwing and piss off a whole bunch of people that can't do a damn thing about it. Apparently there is another pick up place in Lancaster and the driver of that van had to come down to Palmdale to pick up the excess bodies... There were too many kids for the two 15 passenger vans and the Probation Officer had to get rid of 4 kids, sent three kids home for wearing improper attire... one was a real smartass and it was probably a good move, he dismissed another, a girl, it was her last day...she was thrilled. The PO gave a 45 minute lecture on the Do's and Don'ts of Community Service... and they took of a little before 0800. Autumn is sick again, probably has Strep again according to the Dr... back on Antibiotics for 10 days... poor kid. Her poor little nose is a steady run, she can't breathe from it at all, fever and sore throat. Next year they all get flu shots. I was standing in line behind a fella in the Acton Market he looked about 35, nicely dressed, state of the art Cell Phone on his belt, neat mustache. He had his son with him, the boy looked about 6 or 7, he was hopping from the candy rack to his Dad saying, "Dad, can I have some candy, Dad ... Dad, can I have some candy?" Dad was totally preoccupied and ignoring him... the kid finally got tired of asking and took a red Push-Pop out of the box and ran back to his dad and said "Dad can I have this please, Dad... can I have this... Dad... Dad..." he finally tugged on his father's sleeve and said "Dad... is it alright if I have this." The dad finally looked down at the kid, squinted with a scowling quizzical look and said, "What's that?" The boy said "A Push-Pop." and Dad said "No! Put that junk back." he flashed a long suffering look at me, apparently I was smiling or staring... he looked down at the little guy again and said "Go!" then Dad looked at the cashier, shook his head and said "Kids... Give me a pack of Marlboro red." and the poor little kid put the Push Pop back. I felt sorry for the little boy. It also made me wonder if I ever did something like that with my kids... probably, grown-ups can be pretty clueless sometimes. I took all the kids and went down to get Mike... he was waiting for us... Christy was going to pick him up but she was still at Kaiser with Autumn... she got home at about the same time we did. Autumn is pretty sick... she looks sick... she sounds sick. I worry about her an awful lot, she is so fragile.
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