Xenia has posted some more portraits. Kim and Caleb and Martin. I like these best:
Category Archives: Home Life
What he said about snow in the Seattle area
Phil has better stories than I do about getting home after work last night. I had to take numerous detours from my planned route because of all the backups. Even though it was 00:45 after watching another four episodes of Enterprise with James’ at his apartment there were cars backed up for miles in some locations. I managed to look far enough ahead to detour around them and didn’t actually have to stop for the traffic.
It was 01:15 when I arrived in my neighborhood and there were people on the street directing traffic down a little hill. I have the best snow and ice tires Les Schwab sells without getting studs and didn’t really have any problems. There were places where I expect my 10 MPH stopping distances would have been 50 yards (downhill on a glaze of ice) but I could stop, I could go forward, and I could steer.
There were lots of cars abandoned along the streets and there were “interesting” vehicle tracks in places vehicles had no business going. I’m in the middle of a conference call from work right now (my input isn’t needed right now) but soon I’m going to grab some food and cooking utensils (the cafeterias at work are closed) and head off to work. I’m hoping to get some good pictures.
Xenia is doing senior portraits
Xenia wants to be a photographer. She is doing some of her first “real” work now with senior portraits. Here is a set of pictures of Jessa. I really like this one:
Today she took pictures of Martin but I haven’t seen them yet.
Thanksgiving Day pictures
We went to my brother’s place for Thanksgiving Day. They had a record number of people there–33. We brought seven of them in our van. In addition to Barb, me, and our three kids, James, Kim, and Xenia there was Xenia’s friend Sara and Kim’s fiancee Caleb. Here are some pictures. If I am in the picture Xenia took the picture (even the one with both of us in it). Otherwise I took the picture:
Kim and Caleb
Barb and me.
Xenia and me.
Amy. My brother’s daughter who is the same age as Kim.
Lisa. My brother’s daughter who is the same age as Xenia.
My Aunt Betty and one of her grandkids.
National Ammo Day excursion
There is a new gun store in Moscow and so I went to check them out on Saturday after having lunch with Barb (who had to work). Prices were typical, selection was better than I expected for such a small store. The guy behind the counter said business was pretty good. There had been some talk about the election results and people were thinking about what sort of defensive buying they might do if the anti-gun bigots in congress start looking like they might get their way. But so far everyone is mostly just talking and saving up but not actually buying in response to “black Tuesday”. Most people figure they will have a couple months, perhaps as much as six months, to buy full capacity magazines and ugly black rifles.
As he was closed on Sunday I did my National Ammo Day purchase on Saturday. I purchased 2000 primers (all that he had in that size) for reloading my STI Eagle with .40 S&W fodder for more Action Pistol (IPSC) and steel matches. I have so many bullets, empty cases, and powder that I just couldn’t justify buying any loaded ammo. I now probably have enough primers to reload all my pistol components.
The Duel
As I said in a post last week our daughter Xenia and her friend Meghan won first place at district drama competition with both of their entries. Here is The Duel, written and performed by Xenia and Meghan on November 11, 2006 at Orofino High School (when Barb and I were going to school there this particular room was where Mr. Johnson’s taught U.S. History):
See also Xenia’s post about the competition.
I swear! I didn’t do it
There was a car fire the night before I arrived in Reno for the Gun Bloggers Rendezvous in October. As I wasn’t there at the time I disavow any involvement with it.
On the way home from the Seattle area last night I arrived slightly before the police did, but not before several other witnesses, to this car fire on Highway 26:
I also did not have anything to do with this fire. My chemistry set is safely locked up in the Taj Mahal.
The GPS coordinates were 46o 47′ 36″ N 118o 49′ 19″W. The car was west bound on Highway 26 about 50 yards east of the junction with Lind-Hatton Road. I arrived about 21:35. I left about 15 minutes later by which time there were at least three police cars and a fire truck there. East bound traffic was diverted on Lind-Hatton Road to Highway 395. To the best of my knowledge no one was hurt.
Our girls are getting married
Heavy sigh…. I can’t say that I’m happy about it. Sort of sad and nervous about it. But DAMN, they are beautiful as well as smart and talented.
Update: The picture in the wedding dresses had to come down. Some people were not supposed to see that one. This picture was taken the same day just a couple hours earlier.
It’s off to State for Xenia
After an eight hour commute home Friday night, arriving at 00:30 Saturday morning I got up and was off to Orofino before 07:00. I was supposed to be in Orofino by 08:00. I cut close to ten minutes off the usual travel time and arrived a few minutes after 08:00. I arrived only shortly after Xenia and Meghan so everything was cool. I took the pictures you see here. My favorite is the following where Xenia started levitating after the announcement that she and Meghan placed first in both drama categories (ensemble pantomime and ensemble humorous) they entered in. It’s off to State competition for them now.
Oh, I almost forgot. This is the second year in a row they won first place at the District competition in both categories they entered. They are very, very good.
Quote of the day–Laffee Taffee
Putting makeup on her is like putting makeup on a super model.
LaffeeTaffee @ xyzmail.com (email address disguised to prevent spam)
November 12, 2006
Macy’s in the Spokane Valley Mall
[While doing a “makeover” on our daughter Kim.–Joe]
Good books
Via Tam: While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within. Audible doesn’t have it yet so it’s going to have to wait. My backlog of dead tree format books is rather large.
I’m about halfway through Atlas Shrugged on my iPod Nano. With all the driving I have to do this weekend, plus the slow going over Snoqualmie Pass (I’m ready with good snow tires, tire chains, food, water, heavy coat, extra socks, work boots, extra gas, tarp, gloves, etc.) will probably mean I nearly finish it this weekend. I’m so pleased to “read” this book again. Thanks James for the birthday present.
Next on my Audible books list is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!
Pictures from the pistol match
I said that I was at a pistol match last Sunday. Here are some pictures from that match. Yeah, I know it’s really painful for people with dial-up. I have 3 MBPS downloads and I think you should too.
Adam’s STI .40 S&W is in full recoil with a piece of brass just a few inches from the gun.
Don’s .45 is in full recoil with his nickel plated brass in the air above the ejection port.
Don is playing Peek-a-Boo with his .45. Yes, that is a piece of nickel plated brass in front of his head.
Mike is winning the stage (and the match) Both Sides Now #1.
This last stage is the one that I was so pleased with my results on. An average of under five seconds to draw and shoot each of the six brown targets. Mike had slightly better time and was more accurate than me.
Lessons learned
After 30 years of being married I think I can safely say that Neal Bootz is pretty close to right. Except maybe about the food part.
It helps to practice
I did a little bit of pistol practice last week. Then I did quite a bit of dry firing Saturday evening before going to the IPSC match on Sunday. I came in fifth overall out of 17 entries. The practice helped. In particular on the last stage I shot (Both Sides Now #1) I could feel things working correctly. I still hit, just barely, a no-shoot target but I felt myself enter into “the zone”. The conscious mind was merely an observer as the eyes, hands, and fingers aligned the sights and pulled the trigger. From 35 feet away I drew and fired six rounds into six targets while leaning around the edge of a barricaded in, on the average, under five seconds. It felt really good for a change. I should practice more.
Boots on the ground
Thanks to The Smallest Minority for the pointer.
Mandatory viewing for daughter Xenia (her fiancé is in the army and probably will be going to Iraq next spring).
The Dead Sea Scrolls
Barb and I visited the exhibit at the Pacific Science Center. Very interesting. It wasn’t overwhelming or awesome. It was more like somber reverence. To actually be looking at documents that were written over 2100 years ago put me in a very somber mood.
From what I could tell there weren’t any big revelations in the documents. A lot of them were copies of known works of the existing Bible. Others were rules for “purification” and other standards of behavior for a particular Jewish sect.
It was worth my time and money to see them since it was only a 30 minute drive and $20.00 to get in the door. Knowing what I know now I probably wouldn’t travel a 1000 miles and pay hundreds of dollars to see them. But then I’m an atheist and don’t consider the documents to be the word of god(s) either.
Update: I forgot to mention the indignity of attending. There was a big sign just before you went in the building but after you had paid for your ticket that said no firearms or knives. It even said mandatory search of bags. I had to find a locker across the way to put my knives and my handgun in. There was no search of my person and I’m pretty sure there were no metal detectors so I probably could have defied the sign and gotten away with it.
But what was the reason? Did they think someone was going to go off the deep end and shoot a 2100 year old scrap of parchment? Oh, I forgot, they don’t need a reason.
Random
The conversation Friday morning went like this:
She: How is work going?
Me: Pretty good. I’m having to come up to speed on something new again and that is stressful but I’m doing okay.
She: Are silencers legal?
Me: Suppressors are legal to own in Washington State but they are not legal to use in the state. What made you ask that?
She: They sure were random, jumping from topic to topic, last night.
Me [with mouth ajar for a few seconds before answering]: I don’t know anyone else like that.
Required viewing for all my female readers
http://www.miguelcarrasco.net/miguelcarrasco/2006/10/dove_evolution.html
Highly recommended for men.
I can’t seem to find which blog pointed me to this video. Sorry. When I figure it out I’ll give them credit.
Don’t regret failing to follow Dr. Joe’s advice
For at least the last 30 years Dr. Joe has been push his cure for everything–More sex. And now a survey from the U.K. reveals 70% of people 65 years old and older regret not following his advice:
The generational study questioned 1500 Britons over 65 and the same number aged between 20-29 and asked them their top 10 wishes if they could turn back the clock.
70 per cent of the pensioners said they wished they’d had more sex, with 57 percent regretting they had not travelled more.
Don’t be ready to retire and let me have the chance to say, “I told you so!”
And although I don’t talk about it much here Barb will back me up saying that our second most favorite activity together is to travel. We’re going to keep those regrets off the top of our lists.
And speaking of regrets, here’s a quote for you:
The follies which a man regret most in his life are those that he didn’t commit when he had the opportunity.
Helen Rowland
Dooce on the front page
Dooce is my favorite blog and it’s not because her blog became the namesake of what happened to me (fired because of blogging). Most of what I read is gun and freedom related stuff and is often sort of draining. I don’t read much of the lighter stuff and Heather gives me a real boost. I really, really like Heather’s humor. Today she shared what is probably my favorite post yet. She and her family were interviewed for the Salt Lake Tribune about her blog and her family life:
The story ran this past Saturday, and although Matt had said it was going to be a big story, I wasn’t prepared to walk out to the driveway that morning and find my face staring back up at me from the pavement. The story was huge, the biggest thing on the front page, and inside it covered over a page and a half. I ran back inside, threw open the paper on the bed, and Jon and I stared down at these words in the second paragraph:
He runs the washcloth between her shoulder blades and then quickly circles around to rub her breasts.
OH.
MY.
GOD.
Hello, Mormons! How about some breasts with your morning prayers?
Matt was paraphrasing this entry I had written during the few days we had talked to him, and you might notice that not once did I ever use the term breasts in reference to my own. And this is the only complaint I have about the article which as a whole is the fairest, most level-headed piece of journalism ever written about me — he didn’t try to push an opinion about whether I was a self-absorbed egotist or an insignificant mommyblogger or an incredibly juvenile nitwit, although you only have to read one sentence of this website and you’d be convinced of all three.
My complaint is that when you take some of the things I write out of context they make me sound as if I am perpetually running up and down the street in the nude waving my tattooed middle finger at innocent old ladies who are cross-stitching passages of scripture as they sit in their wheelchairs on the porch. And that is so not true. I only do that on the weekends.
Her use of exaggeration sometimes makes me want to know a little more of the real side of her family. The article and this blog posting (Xenia, please read if you haven’t already) by the photographer helped satisfy that urge.
Heather, thank you for sharing.