David and Andrew were in the Scottsville Parade, on STVFD newest Engine- 81. Since Chris and the boys were in the parade, KT and I hung out at the corner, watched the parade, gathered candy, took pictures and got swag. The best thing given away during the parade was a delicious freeze pop- sadly the sweet, cool treat came with an ugly pamphlet detailing how we are all going to hell. I didnt notice it until the boys and I gathered after the parade and they had them in their hands. I had to take the violent images/words away from them, I would argue this is not really a good way to endeare oneself to a parade going crowd IMO.
The Republicans were out in full-force, not the Albemarle County Republicans though, the Fluvanna Republicans, it was very curious. There were at least three floats of Republicans including Rob Bell, Chip Harding, Virgil Goode and the Flucos.
Tom Perriello was present and accounted for, I worried when I saw the young volunteers appear that Perriello wouldnt be in the parade. But when the tractor turned the corner there he was atop the hay, handing out candy, smiling and waving to everyone.
I love a parade- most politicians do. It is a great opportunity to shake hands and connect with a lot of people in a very happy setting. All the politicians of the day were on and the crowd clearly appreciated their participation.
We ran into Kristen Szakos and her mom, Obama volunteers in our area. She gave me a button and a sticker (to cover my coffee stained shirt- dont ask, I am such a clutz) and a clipboard to register voters. I didnt register anyone, didnt really even ask anyone. It is a great thing that Kristen and the Obama Volunteers are doing, and as co-Chair of the party I will support their efforts, but sometimes a girl just wants to watch a parade- especially when my family was in it.
Candy and parades are not one in the same in my mind. When I went to parades as a child, there was no candy. In Germany I remember a parade with candy during Octoberfest- I thought I had gone to Heaven. I didnt attend a candy throwing parade until several years ago, in Buchanan, VA. I am not a big advocate of the candy- its messy and the small fastidious part of me feels like I need to pick up the candy from the street. Thankfully we had a woman with a picnic cooler near us collecting candy from everyone so we didnt need a bag or bring any candy home.
I will post photos to Flickr when I have a moment.
Showing posts with label Chris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris. Show all posts
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Chris'isms
Chris is a firefighter and an engineer. Two things he knows a lot about are safety and logic. While I mock him for some things such as the length of time it takes him to build or repair something- the reason is that he actually does it right (with incessant research and discussion with multiple groups of friends) So I am convinced he only wants the best so sometimes he constructively criticizes.
I have learned a lot from Chris but two things I can no longer tolerate seeing because of his concern for these safety issues. So I perform this public service message, so I don’t have to be annoyed when I see these exceptionally common concerns.
1. WEAR A BICYCLE HELMET & WEAR IT CORRECTLY.
I am not really talking to grown ups here- I am not the government, I wont tell you what to do, even if it is a good idea. If you have a child, start a good habit by making your children wear a helmet. However, a helmet is of NO VALUE if the helmet is not properly placed on the child’s head. The helmet is supposed to protect the brain- this is true particularly for the frontal lobe. Place the FRONT of the helmet on the forehead and strap it snugly (two fingers width). Do not place the front of the helmet in the middle of the head- it will not protect the front part of your child’s brain- where all the good stuff is.
2. Car seat safety- Chris read the instruction manual for the car seat. He is a firefighter, he knows about car seat safety. Three issues, one is less of a concern for me, but you can judge for yourself.
a. the top part of the buckle needs to be placed around the sternum of the child- not down by the diaper.
b. the straps needs to be tightened, not loose.
c. the infant seats have a handle for carrying the seat- that handle should be lowered when driving and not ready to be picked up. Convenience sometimes trumps safety here, presumably if you have done a and b, there will not be a concern about the handle. Thankfully D&A are done with those seats.
I have learned a lot from Chris but two things I can no longer tolerate seeing because of his concern for these safety issues. So I perform this public service message, so I don’t have to be annoyed when I see these exceptionally common concerns.
1. WEAR A BICYCLE HELMET & WEAR IT CORRECTLY.
I am not really talking to grown ups here- I am not the government, I wont tell you what to do, even if it is a good idea. If you have a child, start a good habit by making your children wear a helmet. However, a helmet is of NO VALUE if the helmet is not properly placed on the child’s head. The helmet is supposed to protect the brain- this is true particularly for the frontal lobe. Place the FRONT of the helmet on the forehead and strap it snugly (two fingers width). Do not place the front of the helmet in the middle of the head- it will not protect the front part of your child’s brain- where all the good stuff is.
2. Car seat safety- Chris read the instruction manual for the car seat. He is a firefighter, he knows about car seat safety. Three issues, one is less of a concern for me, but you can judge for yourself.
a. the top part of the buckle needs to be placed around the sternum of the child- not down by the diaper.
b. the straps needs to be tightened, not loose.
c. the infant seats have a handle for carrying the seat- that handle should be lowered when driving and not ready to be picked up. Convenience sometimes trumps safety here, presumably if you have done a and b, there will not be a concern about the handle. Thankfully D&A are done with those seats.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department Fundraiser
From Chris:
On Tuesday, April 22nd from 5-7:30pm, Chick-fil-A on Woodbrook Dr. is donating 15% of their profits to the local Volunteer Fire Department, Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department.
Here's the link to the release on the website.
Go enjoy Chick-fil-A milkshakes and dinner on Tuesday evening and the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department will benefit. We thank you for your support!
On Tuesday, April 22nd from 5-7:30pm, Chick-fil-A on Woodbrook Dr. is donating 15% of their profits to the local Volunteer Fire Department, Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department.
Here's the link to the release on the website.
Go enjoy Chick-fil-A milkshakes and dinner on Tuesday evening and the Seminole Trail Volunteer Fire Department will benefit. We thank you for your support!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
RWSA and rate hikes
CvilleTomorrow reports on today's RWSA meeting. At the meeting, the Board decided to increase the water and sewer rate again this year. RWSA has significant infrastructure projects on the table. RWSA has significant municipal debt as a result of past infrastructure projects. The rates will likely continue to go up.
Chris despises that after the City budget cycle is over in early April, Council votes to increase the water and sewer rates usually in May. He feels, and I concur after seeing the phenomena play out last year, the City's tax rate does not accurately reflect the actual burden that local government has on a household's budget, so both should be taken into account when considering the budget and tax rates generally.
The line that most sticks in my head "The two City representatives to the Board were not present at the February 25 meeting".
Here are the people on the board:
* Michael Gaffney, Chairman
• Mark B. Graham, P.E., Director of Community Development, Albemarle County
• Judith Mueller, Director of Public Works, City of Charlottesville
• Gary O'Connell, City Manager
• Robert Tucker, County Executive
I have learned researching this post that there is a Citizen Committee:
The Board is supported by a Citizens Advisory Committee consisting of 3 representatives from the City, 3 from the County, 2 from the University of Virginia, and a Chairperson selected by the City Council and Board of Supervisors.
Current Citizens Advisory Committee
• Kim Blatz, City of Charlottesville Representative
• Vacant, Joint City of Charlottesville / Albemarle County Representative, Chairman
• Jeffrey Greer, City of Charlottesville Representative
• Stephen Kirkup, Albemarle County Representative
• Vacant, University of Virginia Representative
• Todd Marshall, University of Virginia Representative
• Vacant, City of Charlottesville Representative
• Reed Muehlman, Albemarle County Representative
• Vacant, Albemarle County Representative
These are the members of that citizen board, which by my count has 5 members out of 9 possible members. If you know me at all, you know I want to be on this committee, HOWEVER I prefer to promote leadership in the community by asking someone else to step up and volunteer for this committee, someone who cares about tax rates, municipal debt and infrastructure issues (at first you may think this sounds dreadfully boring, but once you learn the impact you can have, it is not boring anymore). We have a responsibility, if an opportunity exists to have meaningful impact through this citizen's committee. One proposal I had was to add an elected official to the RWSA, but if there is a strong citizen committee (defined as active, participatory, questioning, advocating and otherwise making recommendations) then an elected may not be necessary.
Other interesting tidbits all from CvilleTomorrow's article (btw- big THANK YOU to Cville Tomorrow for the great work it does):
"On water, the RWSA is proposing to charge the City $2.285 per 1000 gallons, an increase of 2.65 percent over last year. The Albemarle County Service Authority would be charged $2.983 per 1000 gallons, an increase of 2.44 percent. These increased rates help cover the debt service required to pay for the expansion of Ragged Mountain Reservoir.
“That number is a less than what I think a number of people had anticipated,” said Tom Frederick, the executive director of the RWSA.
However, wastewater rates will increase more because the RWSA is planning on several capital upgrades to its sewer infrastructure. On wastewater, the RWSA is proposing to charge the City $2.466 per 1000 gallons, a 10.43% increase. The County’s proposed charge is $2.722 per 1000 gallons, an increase of 10.54%.
“We continue to be in an upward cycle for capital improvements, driven by a number of things including tighter regulations at the state and federal level, the need to rehabilitate many areas of our system that are wearing out, and the need to provide future planning for capacity needs,” Frederick said."
Confusing message on the homepage of the RWSA "the regular meeting scheduled for 2/25 has been cancelled" and yet this article? This could be the reason the City folks didnt attend (I will give the benefit of the doubt).
Chris despises that after the City budget cycle is over in early April, Council votes to increase the water and sewer rates usually in May. He feels, and I concur after seeing the phenomena play out last year, the City's tax rate does not accurately reflect the actual burden that local government has on a household's budget, so both should be taken into account when considering the budget and tax rates generally.
The line that most sticks in my head "The two City representatives to the Board were not present at the February 25 meeting".
Here are the people on the board:
* Michael Gaffney, Chairman
• Mark B. Graham, P.E., Director of Community Development, Albemarle County
• Judith Mueller, Director of Public Works, City of Charlottesville
• Gary O'Connell, City Manager
• Robert Tucker, County Executive
I have learned researching this post that there is a Citizen Committee:
The Board is supported by a Citizens Advisory Committee consisting of 3 representatives from the City, 3 from the County, 2 from the University of Virginia, and a Chairperson selected by the City Council and Board of Supervisors.
Current Citizens Advisory Committee
• Kim Blatz, City of Charlottesville Representative
• Vacant, Joint City of Charlottesville / Albemarle County Representative, Chairman
• Jeffrey Greer, City of Charlottesville Representative
• Stephen Kirkup, Albemarle County Representative
• Vacant, University of Virginia Representative
• Todd Marshall, University of Virginia Representative
• Vacant, City of Charlottesville Representative
• Reed Muehlman, Albemarle County Representative
• Vacant, Albemarle County Representative
These are the members of that citizen board, which by my count has 5 members out of 9 possible members. If you know me at all, you know I want to be on this committee, HOWEVER I prefer to promote leadership in the community by asking someone else to step up and volunteer for this committee, someone who cares about tax rates, municipal debt and infrastructure issues (at first you may think this sounds dreadfully boring, but once you learn the impact you can have, it is not boring anymore). We have a responsibility, if an opportunity exists to have meaningful impact through this citizen's committee. One proposal I had was to add an elected official to the RWSA, but if there is a strong citizen committee (defined as active, participatory, questioning, advocating and otherwise making recommendations) then an elected may not be necessary.
Other interesting tidbits all from CvilleTomorrow's article (btw- big THANK YOU to Cville Tomorrow for the great work it does):
"On water, the RWSA is proposing to charge the City $2.285 per 1000 gallons, an increase of 2.65 percent over last year. The Albemarle County Service Authority would be charged $2.983 per 1000 gallons, an increase of 2.44 percent. These increased rates help cover the debt service required to pay for the expansion of Ragged Mountain Reservoir.
“That number is a less than what I think a number of people had anticipated,” said Tom Frederick, the executive director of the RWSA.
However, wastewater rates will increase more because the RWSA is planning on several capital upgrades to its sewer infrastructure. On wastewater, the RWSA is proposing to charge the City $2.466 per 1000 gallons, a 10.43% increase. The County’s proposed charge is $2.722 per 1000 gallons, an increase of 10.54%.
“We continue to be in an upward cycle for capital improvements, driven by a number of things including tighter regulations at the state and federal level, the need to rehabilitate many areas of our system that are wearing out, and the need to provide future planning for capacity needs,” Frederick said."
Confusing message on the homepage of the RWSA "the regular meeting scheduled for 2/25 has been cancelled" and yet this article? This could be the reason the City folks didnt attend (I will give the benefit of the doubt).
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Thanksgiving-Part I the food
What do you serve for Thanksgiving? We are hosting a small gathering at the house (which is good since my house doesnt really fit that many people in the winter- summer we always spill outside, even if it is raining). I have been scouring the Bon Appetit Thanksgiving edition to remind myself how inadequate I am in the kitchen. We have the regular things on the table, combined with what I like to try.
First, we are strictly a turkey family. Again, given the size of the kitchen and Chris's love of all things barbequed, we will smoke the turkey. I will have to brine the turkey once I actually pick it up (save some for us). Mom's stuffing recipe is a requirement (think sausage and sage- yummy) & green bean casserole which I have never not had on Thanksgiving. Mom also likes mashed turnips, but she wont get that this year. Chris's family requires canned cranberry sauce so no real cooking there but I always think wouldnt it be good to have a different type of cranberry sauce, common sense prevails though (there is no way I will have time to make it). Mashed potatoes, creamed onions (for Chris), rolls, gravy and...one other thing I can choose.
What should I choose? I love the idea of the brussels sprout mash with caramelized onions in the BonAppetit. But who wants to have brussel sprouts on Thanksgiving? Chris's mom usually makes sweet potato casserole which is like a sweet potato pie you put on the dinner plate (no crust). I am trying to have a slightly more healthy alternative to sweet potatoes or things like that. Veggies are the way to go. I am still searching. Any ideas?
Now for the dessert-
chocolate cream pie
pumpkin pie
whipped cream
Anything else?
Drinks? Beer, wine, sparkling juice and soda along with the dessert coffee has to be Starbucks Christmas blend decaf. I love Christmas blend.
I forgot all about the afternoon nibbles- goodness gracious I have a lot of work to do.
First, we are strictly a turkey family. Again, given the size of the kitchen and Chris's love of all things barbequed, we will smoke the turkey. I will have to brine the turkey once I actually pick it up (save some for us). Mom's stuffing recipe is a requirement (think sausage and sage- yummy) & green bean casserole which I have never not had on Thanksgiving. Mom also likes mashed turnips, but she wont get that this year. Chris's family requires canned cranberry sauce so no real cooking there but I always think wouldnt it be good to have a different type of cranberry sauce, common sense prevails though (there is no way I will have time to make it). Mashed potatoes, creamed onions (for Chris), rolls, gravy and...one other thing I can choose.
What should I choose? I love the idea of the brussels sprout mash with caramelized onions in the BonAppetit. But who wants to have brussel sprouts on Thanksgiving? Chris's mom usually makes sweet potato casserole which is like a sweet potato pie you put on the dinner plate (no crust). I am trying to have a slightly more healthy alternative to sweet potatoes or things like that. Veggies are the way to go. I am still searching. Any ideas?
Now for the dessert-
chocolate cream pie
pumpkin pie
whipped cream
Anything else?
Drinks? Beer, wine, sparkling juice and soda along with the dessert coffee has to be Starbucks Christmas blend decaf. I love Christmas blend.
I forgot all about the afternoon nibbles- goodness gracious I have a lot of work to do.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
I'm "that mom" and first deer of the season
All day at the Omni yesterday. Drove to Botetourt County where I met up with my children, husband and some of my family who live there. Chris and the boys had already eaten with my family- which is ok it was close to 8 when I got there. Boys went to bed soon afterwards, discussion of politics, education, children, business, etc. ensued. In bed by 11ish.
So Chris wakes up super early and wakes everyone in the house (ok some of them were actually supposed to be awake). Where were Chris and his cohorts going? Hunting of course, it is the first day of deer hunting (rifle) season. I am now a Virginian, my husband hunts on the first day of the season. This is the same boy I married? (Not quite, he turned 30 this week).
I woke up at 7AM, everyone already up (why am I always the last to get up? - for goodness sake it is 7:00AM!) But we have to leave by 8:30 anyway because we have a bday party to go to that starts at 10AM. Who ever heard of a bday party at 10AM? In theory, it is genius- no lunch, get all the morning energy out and then everyone takes a nap. This is not exactly how it happened for us but we did have a great time in Botetourt and the birthday party so its nice we didnt have to miss anything.
The invitation said to bring 'smiles'- what does that mean mommies? When I put that on an invitation it means pretty please DO NOT for the love of all that is HOLY bring presents. It may have meant that on this invitation- but no one paid attention to it, except for me.
I am now 'that mom',
the boys need haircuts,
I follow directions on invitations,
I dont think to buy presents for teachers (tuition is expensive),
I let my kids eat chocolate and drink soda sometimes,
I do not advertise my child's allergies to the world (he will tell you if you give him something),
I let my kids fight and get dirty,
I tell them what to do when the occasion warrants it (thanks to MJ for outlining the perfect time for parental discipline)- and sometimes I even let them play guns (not with toy guns, but just the sticks they pick up off the ground).
Flogging will be held publically one of these days.
Chris killed his first deer of the season- now he is butchering it in my kitchen- what is next? blood in the driveway and hallway- yuck. I dont mind cooking it but until it is ready to be cooked keep it away please.
So Chris wakes up super early and wakes everyone in the house (ok some of them were actually supposed to be awake). Where were Chris and his cohorts going? Hunting of course, it is the first day of deer hunting (rifle) season. I am now a Virginian, my husband hunts on the first day of the season. This is the same boy I married? (Not quite, he turned 30 this week).
I woke up at 7AM, everyone already up (why am I always the last to get up? - for goodness sake it is 7:00AM!) But we have to leave by 8:30 anyway because we have a bday party to go to that starts at 10AM. Who ever heard of a bday party at 10AM? In theory, it is genius- no lunch, get all the morning energy out and then everyone takes a nap. This is not exactly how it happened for us but we did have a great time in Botetourt and the birthday party so its nice we didnt have to miss anything.
The invitation said to bring 'smiles'- what does that mean mommies? When I put that on an invitation it means pretty please DO NOT for the love of all that is HOLY bring presents. It may have meant that on this invitation- but no one paid attention to it, except for me.
I am now 'that mom',
the boys need haircuts,
I follow directions on invitations,
I dont think to buy presents for teachers (tuition is expensive),
I let my kids eat chocolate and drink soda sometimes,
I do not advertise my child's allergies to the world (he will tell you if you give him something),
I let my kids fight and get dirty,
I tell them what to do when the occasion warrants it (thanks to MJ for outlining the perfect time for parental discipline)- and sometimes I even let them play guns (not with toy guns, but just the sticks they pick up off the ground).
Flogging will be held publically one of these days.
Chris killed his first deer of the season- now he is butchering it in my kitchen- what is next? blood in the driveway and hallway- yuck. I dont mind cooking it but until it is ready to be cooked keep it away please.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Here I am
Because my legions of fans are eagerly awaiting my next post (hey Pauline, hey Joe), I thought now is the time.
Some random things
- David and Andrew are in school, we went apple picking at Wayland's orchard last week, we have lots of apples. Chris made a delicious apple oatmeal the other day.
-I have a new nephew, very handsome, very good. He is only 9 days old, I got to meet him when he was 4 days old. He barely cries, that was never my experience. He sleeps a lot, again not my experience.
-Boys & Girls Club Challenge was Sunday, those riders are impressive (including Chris who rode the last 1/3 of the Century with one of the kids and then rode back to Charlottesville). The boys and I had cheered and had a nice lunch. I was surprised, I was stationed at Plank and Ortman Rd (691), for a Sunday morning there was a ton of traffic AND people are flying. I remember flying around those curves but there wasnt nearly as much traffic. Also, one fellow didnt stop when I asked him to let the riders go by. Fine, you dont have to legally, but that just doesnt seem very polite. I appreciated growing up out there because people are polite and would wave to you and help you out when your engine died, or drove into a ditch during a snow storm or help change a flat. Is that all lost out there now? I know I try not to judge an entire culture on the actions of one fellow but he was the last and only car that didnt stop and he was rude about it.
-I am in Leadership Cville (LC for future reference) a leadership program sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce (Holly is in LO Leadership Orange). Two weeks ago we discussed politics at the Miller Center. At the last minute, former Gov. Bailes spoke to us briefly. He is an amazing speaker and leader. I actually had to write down what he said to remember it. "Leadership is context, preparation and persuasion," he spoke about it a little more. I was honored.
-My brother got married- yeah! Fun times were had by all, some more than others. :)
-It wasnt the worst vacation ever, it just took a little while to recover.
Busy, busy.
Some random things
- David and Andrew are in school, we went apple picking at Wayland's orchard last week, we have lots of apples. Chris made a delicious apple oatmeal the other day.
-I have a new nephew, very handsome, very good. He is only 9 days old, I got to meet him when he was 4 days old. He barely cries, that was never my experience. He sleeps a lot, again not my experience.
-Boys & Girls Club Challenge was Sunday, those riders are impressive (including Chris who rode the last 1/3 of the Century with one of the kids and then rode back to Charlottesville). The boys and I had cheered and had a nice lunch. I was surprised, I was stationed at Plank and Ortman Rd (691), for a Sunday morning there was a ton of traffic AND people are flying. I remember flying around those curves but there wasnt nearly as much traffic. Also, one fellow didnt stop when I asked him to let the riders go by. Fine, you dont have to legally, but that just doesnt seem very polite. I appreciated growing up out there because people are polite and would wave to you and help you out when your engine died, or drove into a ditch during a snow storm or help change a flat. Is that all lost out there now? I know I try not to judge an entire culture on the actions of one fellow but he was the last and only car that didnt stop and he was rude about it.
-I am in Leadership Cville (LC for future reference) a leadership program sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce (Holly is in LO Leadership Orange). Two weeks ago we discussed politics at the Miller Center. At the last minute, former Gov. Bailes spoke to us briefly. He is an amazing speaker and leader. I actually had to write down what he said to remember it. "Leadership is context, preparation and persuasion," he spoke about it a little more. I was honored.
-My brother got married- yeah! Fun times were had by all, some more than others. :)
-It wasnt the worst vacation ever, it just took a little while to recover.
Busy, busy.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Boys at Cycling
When we get to Chris's bike races, it is typically boiling hot and we never have enough to eat or drink (three years into this, you would think I could prepare perfectly- what is wrong with me?). The Chantilly Crit was no different for the most part. Thankfully, there was shade on the course and I had brought enough food to last till the end of the race. Also it was good we sat where we did because an crash on the last lap sent people and bikes flying through the air near very scared children. Last check everyone is fine and we didnt have to see it.
We were out of water at the end of the race so we had to stop and get a whole gallon of water at the gas station for the four of us. Chris did fine in the race. He has started helping to train the Boys&Girls Club Century Challengers. Of course now that I say that he wont be there for awhile since he is busy the next couple of weeks. This photo is of the boys after a long day of racing ('go daddy' 'go Evo' 'you can do it') they are excellent cheerers. We really dont have much to play with at these races, so the car is where they play before or after it, and they love to be photographed by mommy ('can I see?' is frequently the refrain).
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Tour de France et al
Everyone knows I love July for the Tour. The problem with July is surfing the web- I just cant do it when I havent watched the live version of the Tour (that is one reason I will not be linking to anything in this post but see www.cyclingnews.com for all the latest). I went to the NYTimes website yesterday to see the news and found out Steegman won by accident. I hurriedly changed the screen and averted my eyes. I watched yesterday's stage this morning, after I read the Progress' coverage (which was an AP article) and Chris told me to watch it. I am grateful the Progress has had an article everyday of the Tour so far. The Tour in only three days has been dramatic as ever- performance enhancing scandals certainly are an undercurrent- but the drama is awesome.
Robbie McEwen won stage 1, after crashing with maybe 6 miles left to go, he injured his wrist and knee. His team helped him get back to the peloton and then with 20 metres to go he came into the screen and sped to victory. Chris was on the trainer at the time and I was screaming 'it's impossible' I love the Aussie sprinter who also claims Belgium as his second home, so I was thrilled.
I didnt watch the prologue (we were someplace that doesnt get VS, I couldnt believe it, how can people not be obsessed with the Tour? j/k). But since I am obsessed and I have a little device called the Treo 650 I queued up cyclingnews.com/pda live coverage and scrolled down. Apparently I didnt get to the end (typical) so I thought Kloden (Asatana) had won. But Cancellara (CSC) did and Hincapie (Discovery) came in 2nd (he was my pick for the prologue). I do worry about Asatana (mostly that there arent that many A's in that word) and its commitment to a drug free sport- fingers crossed the main GC contender, Vino is clean.
Robbie McEwen won stage 1, after crashing with maybe 6 miles left to go, he injured his wrist and knee. His team helped him get back to the peloton and then with 20 metres to go he came into the screen and sped to victory. Chris was on the trainer at the time and I was screaming 'it's impossible' I love the Aussie sprinter who also claims Belgium as his second home, so I was thrilled.
I didnt watch the prologue (we were someplace that doesnt get VS, I couldnt believe it, how can people not be obsessed with the Tour? j/k). But since I am obsessed and I have a little device called the Treo 650 I queued up cyclingnews.com/pda live coverage and scrolled down. Apparently I didnt get to the end (typical) so I thought Kloden (Asatana) had won. But Cancellara (CSC) did and Hincapie (Discovery) came in 2nd (he was my pick for the prologue). I do worry about Asatana (mostly that there arent that many A's in that word) and its commitment to a drug free sport- fingers crossed the main GC contender, Vino is clean.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
9 firefighters die in warehouse fire
Inconceivable. Chris began volunteering in 1998. That first year, 6 firefighters in Massachusetts died in a warehouse fire. Several years later, over 300 fire, rescue and police were killed at the World Trade Centers. Last night, 9 died. All at one time.
Nine husbands, fathers, employees, brothers (because names have not been released, I dont know if any are women). Salt of the earth- why do firefighters rush in, when all the rest of us are trying to get out? The mindset is extraordinary. I ask Chris sometimes about it- he tells me the training prepares the firefighter. A firefighter (as Mr. Hughes is quick to remind, NOT fireman) trusts his/her crew and his/her training to know what to do inside that building, to save lives and property. It is a service police, rescue and fire provide us. Thank you.
I sincerely grieve for the families of those firefighters. As a reminder that this hits close to home, yesterday a lightening strike caused a house fire in Ivy, according to the local news, one firefighter was slightly injured in that blaze. Please be careful.
Nine husbands, fathers, employees, brothers (because names have not been released, I dont know if any are women). Salt of the earth- why do firefighters rush in, when all the rest of us are trying to get out? The mindset is extraordinary. I ask Chris sometimes about it- he tells me the training prepares the firefighter. A firefighter (as Mr. Hughes is quick to remind, NOT fireman) trusts his/her crew and his/her training to know what to do inside that building, to save lives and property. It is a service police, rescue and fire provide us. Thank you.
I sincerely grieve for the families of those firefighters. As a reminder that this hits close to home, yesterday a lightening strike caused a house fire in Ivy, according to the local news, one firefighter was slightly injured in that blaze. Please be careful.
Other goings on
Mom says she saw me on tv this morning- I was at the Council meeting and of course the cameras panned the room. I was thinking about bringing the laptop to council and blogging it. I opted not to since well the laptop was at the office and I wasnt, perhaps next time.
This weekend we went to the Monticello trail- honestly it was my first time hiking on the trail. I had a great time, Andrew was a trooper, David was NOT by any stretch of the imagination. He complained the entire time- even when we walked back to the car. I dont have much patience for it all- we walked about two miles (up hill for one mile, downhill the other mile). He wasnt distracted by sticks, bridges, water towers, creeks, cars or animals- just whining for an hour and a half. We really didnt mind it though- it was a beautiful day and we had an opportunity to do something as a family.
Now is your chance to get into the Coventry Commonwealth Games, held all over the state and all sorts of sports. The ice rink has a sign up now, it must be hosting something. Although the games are not for another month, I suppose I will have to look at the sign for that long. If you are involved in any support, whether you are good or not, you can qualify for the games- you should too! Chris did the bike racing last year, we had a great time cheering him on and he got a nice shirt.
This weekend we went to the Monticello trail- honestly it was my first time hiking on the trail. I had a great time, Andrew was a trooper, David was NOT by any stretch of the imagination. He complained the entire time- even when we walked back to the car. I dont have much patience for it all- we walked about two miles (up hill for one mile, downhill the other mile). He wasnt distracted by sticks, bridges, water towers, creeks, cars or animals- just whining for an hour and a half. We really didnt mind it though- it was a beautiful day and we had an opportunity to do something as a family.
Now is your chance to get into the Coventry Commonwealth Games, held all over the state and all sorts of sports. The ice rink has a sign up now, it must be hosting something. Although the games are not for another month, I suppose I will have to look at the sign for that long. If you are involved in any support, whether you are good or not, you can qualify for the games- you should too! Chris did the bike racing last year, we had a great time cheering him on and he got a nice shirt.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
How does this happen?
So- after not attending the fiesta on Friday night, I literally slept away Saturday (save for the one hour I took Andrew to the doctor again). Chris and I had a wedding to attend on Saturday. Around 2:00pm Chris, panic-stricken, yells at the sleeping me “we missed the wedding” I look at the clock “what about the reception- what time was that?” “We missed that too” Back to sleep for me.
First, we are so sorry to have missed the wedding. How dumb are we? We had planned to have MIL to baby-sit the kids that night so we could go have a night out- little did we plan for the 10:30AM wedding and 12PM reception. These just aren’t the type of weddings we are used to going to. We have three more weddings this year (two on the same day in October) - fingers crossed we actually get to those or look at the times on the invitation before the day of the ceremony.
First, we are so sorry to have missed the wedding. How dumb are we? We had planned to have MIL to baby-sit the kids that night so we could go have a night out- little did we plan for the 10:30AM wedding and 12PM reception. These just aren’t the type of weddings we are used to going to. We have three more weddings this year (two on the same day in October) - fingers crossed we actually get to those or look at the times on the invitation before the day of the ceremony.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Unexpected Bathroom Makeover
I have lived in this home for two years and am perfectly happy. This is the first home Chris and I have ever owned. Chris enjoys the projects a house provides, I really dont.
I came home from the Pasta Supper one month ago (4/14) to a very apologetic husband. Fearing the worst, I was pleasantly surprised that the only thing wrong was...um, a gigantic hole in our bathroom wall where the faucets for the tub are. Phew, could've been worse.
I had alerted Chris to the issue, so I suspected he would be rooting around for the problem. He bribed me for a little while with the idea of getting new faucets for the bathtub, but we have had those for weeks now and I still dont have a shower. We can take baths, baths are just not that fun when you have no choice to shower.
One month later, the large hole is covered with the board, next it is the tiling and grouting and all the other stuff I dont care about but protects our house from water. Because in the meantime Chris and his friends decide we should change all of our supply pipes (This is not a thought that would occur to me, or I suspect my friends). Also it is a good thing Chris did this because one pipe was about to blow.
Apparently it doesnt make sense to regrout the new tile, one has to regrout the entire tub. I am learning a lot about bathrooms and plumping etc.
Just to be clear, Chris is saving us a lot of money and he does great, thorough work but I still have to give him a hard time. He said it would be one week and now it has been a month. I look forward to the post saying he finished.
I came home from the Pasta Supper one month ago (4/14) to a very apologetic husband. Fearing the worst, I was pleasantly surprised that the only thing wrong was...um, a gigantic hole in our bathroom wall where the faucets for the tub are. Phew, could've been worse.
I had alerted Chris to the issue, so I suspected he would be rooting around for the problem. He bribed me for a little while with the idea of getting new faucets for the bathtub, but we have had those for weeks now and I still dont have a shower. We can take baths, baths are just not that fun when you have no choice to shower.
One month later, the large hole is covered with the board, next it is the tiling and grouting and all the other stuff I dont care about but protects our house from water. Because in the meantime Chris and his friends decide we should change all of our supply pipes (This is not a thought that would occur to me, or I suspect my friends). Also it is a good thing Chris did this because one pipe was about to blow.
Apparently it doesnt make sense to regrout the new tile, one has to regrout the entire tub. I am learning a lot about bathrooms and plumping etc.
Just to be clear, Chris is saving us a lot of money and he does great, thorough work but I still have to give him a hard time. He said it would be one week and now it has been a month. I look forward to the post saying he finished.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
update-about time
Sadly the show at the Paramount on Saturday night did not live up to my expectations. I had hoped for Christmas/holiday/recognizable music, unfortunately that was not the case. I did appreciate the one jam between a cellist and a violinist. The musician called it bluegrass with a cello; pretty cool. Tonight it is a Christmas Carol. Terri Allard is playing on Friday night. The Paramount is fun, I recommend seeing a show or two there, it is even good if my expectations are not met. I DO wish they would do something about the stage; make it more interesting when musicians are playing. But what do I know?
The ten miler training has been railroaded- I feel injuries coming on; depressing really. I am still exercising, but taking it a lot slower, walking that is. I got up super early this AM to walk and it felt good.
I am considering adding a ride on my bike on the trainer in addition to my outdoor workouts. I love my new bike (thanks Extreme Sports- although not as grandiose of a bike as Craig just got) but I find it extremely difficult to get on it with the two boys and the cold weather- maybe in the Spring.
The fire department had a holiday (Christmas?) party for the volunteers on Sunday. A good time was had by all including the boys who were seen running and laughing throughout the restaurant. Volunteer firefighters and rescue folks GIVE a lot of time, it was nice to have some recognition of the families for their efforts.
To all those POOR law students who are studying soo hard for their exams- good luck, study hard and for goodness sake pick up a commercial outline and study with a group, you dont have to do it all yourself. First year, first semester exams are the worst, it gets a lot easier, although still very intense. At least Christmas is around the corner.
The ten miler training has been railroaded- I feel injuries coming on; depressing really. I am still exercising, but taking it a lot slower, walking that is. I got up super early this AM to walk and it felt good.
I am considering adding a ride on my bike on the trainer in addition to my outdoor workouts. I love my new bike (thanks Extreme Sports- although not as grandiose of a bike as Craig just got) but I find it extremely difficult to get on it with the two boys and the cold weather- maybe in the Spring.
The fire department had a holiday (Christmas?) party for the volunteers on Sunday. A good time was had by all including the boys who were seen running and laughing throughout the restaurant. Volunteer firefighters and rescue folks GIVE a lot of time, it was nice to have some recognition of the families for their efforts.
To all those POOR law students who are studying soo hard for their exams- good luck, study hard and for goodness sake pick up a commercial outline and study with a group, you dont have to do it all yourself. First year, first semester exams are the worst, it gets a lot easier, although still very intense. At least Christmas is around the corner.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
STFD
Chris is a volunteer fireman. So we get to listen for "the call" on his pager 24 hours a day. This week two calls came in on two different days both of course in the middle of the night:
"Vehicle in structure" Last nights call was followed up with a call for assistance in "extrication"
PEOPLE do not run into the buildings, stay on the road. Dont drink and drive in Virginia- it is big big trouble.
"Vehicle in structure" Last nights call was followed up with a call for assistance in "extrication"
PEOPLE do not run into the buildings, stay on the road. Dont drink and drive in Virginia- it is big big trouble.
Friday, October 28, 2005
Beach House Cooking
Yesterday's WP's Food section had a great article on writing a cookbook. This is something my family and I have kicked around to support our beach house habit.
Let me explain- every year we go to Sandbridge. If you have never heard of it, dont bother reading about it. We love Sandbridge, but our families are getting bigger and every year it seems we need more space or people commit and back out (thus increasing the financial burden on some). It seems all the beach houses now have pools, hot tubs, ping pong whatever...crazy amounts of amenities. We started going when I was 19 or something. Now I have two kids and a husband. I never saw the benefit of a pool until I had children. I still enjoy the beach and we still spend lots of time in the sand and surf, but at night when the kids are in bed, I get to swim with abandon in the lit warm pool. Also it is a controlled environment for the kids. All I am saying is now I see the benefits of a pool at the beach.
Parenting is an exercise in reversals from "why would anyone need a pool?" to "we will pay thousands more for a pool!" of course there are other more keenly felt reversals (tv, junk food, natural birth) but the pool is the issue.
We have maturely discussed other options for affording Sandbridge. Sandbridge is now so expensive. We use to rent a three or four bedroom place for $1100 a week right in front of the beach access. Now Virginia Beach allows the developers to come in a build HUGE condos right next to the wildlife preserve yet we can not get enough of Sandbridge. There is talk of Outer Banks or other places. But we are squatters now, we come because we always have and we want to.
I lived in Greenwood growing up, I loved Greenwood Crozet, Batesville, and Afton LONG before it was cool to love those places. I look at what everyone loves and thinks is so cool now and wonder what is happening to the places I love? Some of the places are unrecognizable- the ridges are no longer tree filled forests, they are homes with driveways (pools) and cars. The roads have lots of cars on them and the schools are jammed. Downtown Crozet is so great, but I still loved it when it looked like a dump.
I dont think the cookbook is going to work out since none of the contributing editors have signed onto the yahoo group. Eating at the beach is so great-all the energy I expend allows me to really enjoy all the delicious food we make.
The beach remains, the food remains and the company remains, perhaps progress isnt so overwhelming after all.
Let me explain- every year we go to Sandbridge. If you have never heard of it, dont bother reading about it. We love Sandbridge, but our families are getting bigger and every year it seems we need more space or people commit and back out (thus increasing the financial burden on some). It seems all the beach houses now have pools, hot tubs, ping pong whatever...crazy amounts of amenities. We started going when I was 19 or something. Now I have two kids and a husband. I never saw the benefit of a pool until I had children. I still enjoy the beach and we still spend lots of time in the sand and surf, but at night when the kids are in bed, I get to swim with abandon in the lit warm pool. Also it is a controlled environment for the kids. All I am saying is now I see the benefits of a pool at the beach.
Parenting is an exercise in reversals from "why would anyone need a pool?" to "we will pay thousands more for a pool!" of course there are other more keenly felt reversals (tv, junk food, natural birth) but the pool is the issue.
We have maturely discussed other options for affording Sandbridge. Sandbridge is now so expensive. We use to rent a three or four bedroom place for $1100 a week right in front of the beach access. Now Virginia Beach allows the developers to come in a build HUGE condos right next to the wildlife preserve yet we can not get enough of Sandbridge. There is talk of Outer Banks or other places. But we are squatters now, we come because we always have and we want to.
I lived in Greenwood growing up, I loved Greenwood Crozet, Batesville, and Afton LONG before it was cool to love those places. I look at what everyone loves and thinks is so cool now and wonder what is happening to the places I love? Some of the places are unrecognizable- the ridges are no longer tree filled forests, they are homes with driveways (pools) and cars. The roads have lots of cars on them and the schools are jammed. Downtown Crozet is so great, but I still loved it when it looked like a dump.
I dont think the cookbook is going to work out since none of the contributing editors have signed onto the yahoo group. Eating at the beach is so great-all the energy I expend allows me to really enjoy all the delicious food we make.
The beach remains, the food remains and the company remains, perhaps progress isnt so overwhelming after all.
Tradition
From Cycling News:
No more beer tents in Cyclo-cross
"The UCI has banned cyclo-cross races from passing through beer tents, one of the hallowed traditions in many Belgian events. The decision was made on the grounds that it was unsafe, on the basis of remarks made by Richard Groenendaal last year about the difference in inside/outside temperatures and the danger of being hit by beer glasses. However, Groenendaal said that his comments were not intended to be taken that way."
How is the sport ever to get more fans if they keep taking away the really fun stuff? Pity the rider who gets hit by a beer glass.
Cyclo-cross is a great event, if you have an opportunity to attend a race, go.
No more beer tents in Cyclo-cross
"The UCI has banned cyclo-cross races from passing through beer tents, one of the hallowed traditions in many Belgian events. The decision was made on the grounds that it was unsafe, on the basis of remarks made by Richard Groenendaal last year about the difference in inside/outside temperatures and the danger of being hit by beer glasses. However, Groenendaal said that his comments were not intended to be taken that way."
How is the sport ever to get more fans if they keep taking away the really fun stuff? Pity the rider who gets hit by a beer glass.
Cyclo-cross is a great event, if you have an opportunity to attend a race, go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)