Finally

Saturday we took our son skiing for the first time. We figured that at 4 and a half, he was ready.

He has some sensory integration issues and can have a picker, tag in his shirt, or wrinkle in his sock that can be the worst thing in the world, at least for him, at that moment in time. I figured the biggest potential obstacle to fun was going to be his ski boots that need to be tight. Tight enough to stimulate some sort of negative response. I foresaw issues and knew going home was always an option.

My wife knew that he has a healthy respect for heights and that the chairlift could be very scary for him. I hadn't thought of that, but the moment she mentioned it to me, I realized there was more, much more, that could rise up and send us home early.

The socks from last summers soccer league extend above his knees and always stay up. The foot part is loose and baggy, but with a little pulling, never wrinkle when a shoe or boot is put on. How such a baggy sock can always be wrinkle free continues to boggle me.

Without an issue he was soon booted and in the bindings, ready to ski. The rest of us had to boot ourselves up and bundle some extra winter clothing a bit. He just stood there and waited, relaxed. The pictures show a comfortable body language, as if he'd done this many times before.

I had time to run over and get our lift tickets while everyone else geared up. Then it was time to walk to the lift, towing a 4 year old on skis. He held on the grip end of a pole and just plowed along. My wife and I took turns getting tired.

On the way to the chair lift, I asked him if he was "ready to ride the flying chairs" He just looked at me with his big blue eyes and smiled.

The lower lift operator slowed the chairs for us and we were in and off up the hill. "Look at those people, they look like dolls" was his first comment as we were hoisted up the hill. It was later that night, reading Curious George, that I realized it was a line plagerized from George as he was flying over town on a bunch of balloons he accidentally stole from the balloon man.

The upper lift operator slowed the chairs for us to exit which we did without any falls. It just couldn't be going any better.

It took some experimentation, but without a training harness, we found the best way for [son] to ski was between our legs with us holding his coat, guiding him, as he giggled and vibrated with excitement.

After 4-5 runs we ate lunch with some extended family, nieces and nephews in an RV one of them owned. Potluck, homemade baked beans, brats, fresh fruit were the order of the day.

[Son] ate and played in the master suite up over the cab with his cousins then we were back out on the hill till he started to show signs of wearyness induced crankyness. Then it was time to go and off we went. Home was calling.

A little dinner of skiing leftovers, a little Spongebob on the Nintendo, then he was off to bed with only token resistence.

This was probably one of the best days we've had as a family.

Later that night, [wife] looked me in the eyes and said "Know how long I've waited to do that?" Knowing that [son] is 4, I was tempted to say "4", but that seemed to obvious so I answered "4" anyway.

"No, 27 years" she corrected me, the warmth and joy flowing as a long held dream was realized. The talk turning to more days of skiing as a family.

60's Technology

By far, there was one man I learned more electronics from than I did in college or anywhere else combined. He was doing this in the 60's, as a prank in the dorms during his Freshman year.

Makes me wonder how many of the other stories he's told have market potential today.

A Rebel and...

He was a Rebel and the only officer to ever graduate from West Point with never having earned a demerit. From an unverified e-mail I see things haven't changed in 145 years.

"It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers! In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until It was too late.

Accordingly, I'm readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I'll, in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials - after the fact."

Robert E. Lee, 1863

Buried under dust and ash in Sparta, there's probably a clay tablet with a critical analysis of Leonidas.

Some things never change.

Dinosaur, Dinotheory

I love reading articles like this, but when I hit lines like:

The scientific argument was that as cold-blooded creatures, dinosaurs would not have stood a chance of surviving an ice age.

I can't help but look at all the crocodiles and alligators that survived the ice age and think that there is a major disconnect somewhere.

How can big dumb lizards like gators, crocs and iguana survive an ice age and the evolution capable, adaptable, problem solving troodon didn't can't?

To bad it's not Conspiracy Wednesday, I think I just identified the origin of the Reptilians. They have had 65 to 99 million years to grow larger brains and develop time travel, warp drive, and mind control since the end of the Late Cretaceous Period.

About 80% of my postings never go where I think they are initially headed. Case in point, I thought I was going to post a serious thought above and instead I got silly. Oh well.

Not Hier

I have a grievance against Worldnetdaily.com. Occasionally I see them sensationalize a topic by taking something unacceptable that happens half way around the world and implying that it happened locally. For example, take this article listed today.

Personally, everyone I know who homeschools their children are quality people with exceptional children. Statistically I'll let the data on homeschooled children speak for itself. Yet we still see the best option available to teach under increasing attack.

The attacks come because liberals can't stand honest competition, be it in politics, education, national defense, or any other issues. Teachers, their union, and even their adversarial managers tend to lean towards Harvard.

Then reading the article, I see that it took place in Germany, a continent away, separated by an ocean. Perhaps the fault it mine. Worldnetdaily's name certainly implies that it is a global newsmedia. I am in error, assuming that every article it posts pertains to the United States. After all, that couldn't happen here, we're nothing like the Germans. We'd never put our citizens in concentration camps, would we?

Not as Wacky as She Seems

What did you think when a pop icon left rehab and shaved he head? Probably the same as the rest of us "She's a loon!" or something similar. Right?

Now take a step back and look at her. She's fighting for custody of her children in what I can only guess is a bitter battle (I'm not following this, other than the collateral bits of information I get from the media). I'm sure any evidence that can be used against her will be. Especially evidence of drug use.

Her hair keeps a chemical log of the state of her body at the time it was growing. If she was doing drugs, it's recorded in her hair.

Shaving her head wasn't the act of a crazy person, it was the act of a thinking person destroying evidence. Maybe in a panic, but far from crazy.

UPDATE (just to clarify my position):
A mother doing drugs? No way should she have custody of the child. At least until she goes through rehab and gets herself to a stable functional level. And I'm sure her husband isn't any better. Birds of a feather...

Poor kid. If there wasn't a 5 or 6 figure annual child support payment on the table, I'm sure the kid would be in the foster care system.

Now if only Brittany can put the commitment and dedication to destroying the evidence so she can get her child to living sober and straight so she can be there to raise her child will she succeed. But all I'm seeing is it's about what Brittany wants other than what is best for the kid.