The latest...

I was going to focus this blog on what I did today, but when I imported the pictures from my camera there were some other cool things too. So...


Sidney, Mason and Lincoln

This picture was at the house we rented when we went to ride 4-wheelers at the beach. I hear it was a fun trip. I was in bed the entire trip sleeping with a nasty cold/flu. I did make it out to the dunes for about 2 hours for a fun ride.

The dogs playing at the beach on the 4th of July.




Megan and Ruben were there too.


Fireworks... we went to Gearhart and drove out onto the beach - our minivan and Tom's minivan. Both of us got stuck trying to make it back off the beach. It took an hour and 3 different cars to pull us out, plus about 20 people pushing. It was an adventure! But I think Tom had a good time lighting off fireworks (the good kind) at the beach. It really is an amazing experience, one that everyone see at least once!




While Mother is away the boys will play!
Merilee is in Phoenix this week and Sidney is spending the weekend at her aunt Joyce's house (she would much rather be there than here that's for sure) so I took the boys golfing. We went with some guys from work. We had two foursomes and ours won by 1 stroke! That meant each of us won $5.00. The boys were very happy when they realized that each of us got money. I think they may be hooked! Both of the boys played well, much better than I did when I started golfing. Boston has a special talent with golf - he hits the ball straight! This is their second time out, but I have been informed that this must now be a weekly or bi-weekly event. I guess I can handle that.




We all played in style - collars popped!


I guess that's all I got - time for bed.

SYTYCD

This post is dedicated to Brian. Last night when I got home Merilee was laying in bed watching TV. I walked in and she had some reality show on. Come to find out it was Brian's second favorite show! SYTYCD (that's So You Think You Can Dance for you non-SYTYCD maniacs)!!! I watched a few minutes. Just a few thoughts...

1. I can't believe they kept the breakdancer instead of the guy who really could dance!
2. How come they have so many judges?
3. The contestants seem a little overwhelmed with emotion each time they hear what the judges have to say. Is this because they are dancers, full of emotion, stressed to the gills or just lame?
4. The girl at the end, she really needs a PR rep. How could you say to the judges that if they cut you, you won't be back. Duh! And, they kept her anyway???


On a different note...
Mason had a baseball game last night. He played well. He has been pitching really well the last few games. In the 3rd inning I go by the dugout and he shows me his mit. It had ripped in the webbing. He said "Dad, I need a new mit, mine ripped." I asked him if he could even play and he said yes, he wasn't going to sit out of the game for the last few innings, that's for sure! His team won pretty handily. They have won 3 in a row now. Quite suprising actually. I think they have 3 or 4 good players and 3 or 4 players that should be playing a league or two down. Anyway, a very fun way to spend an evening. Tonight we get to see two games. Boston plays at 6:00 and Mason plays at 8:00 under the lights. We need to remember to bring our blankets, these nights games are pretty chilly.

Peeps

Last week I took Merilee and the kids down to Arizona to spend spring break with her family. The trip was good, we had a fun time while I was there, but I was ready to come back to the cool weather of Oregon. It was like 87 degrees one of the days while I was there! I was happy to be home where it has been in the 40’s and 50’s. I know Merilee and the kids are enjoying the warm weather though.
While I was gone some people I work with decided to have a Peep wedding on my desk. I have become the de-facto Peep guy in our office, even though I hate Peeps. About 3 years ago while I was out of the office during Easter my co-workers thought it would be funny to decorate my office with Peeps. I had Peeps everywhere! Over the last three years I have “collected” (read “been given) Peep paraphernalia, I guess my office was the perfect location for the Peep wedding. Enjoy the pics.

Original Peep Show - 2005.


Peep paraphernalia (this is only the stuff I have kept!)


The Peep wedding...






The happy couple.

nothing...

I have nothing new to post other than I get to see my wife again! Her wedding is now over and I am hoping to spend a little more time with her now.

Here are some old school pics...

The crew at Silver Falls



Boston was excited about something...



Our first winter in Oregon, not sure what Merilee is doing - probably directing the camera to take the picture like this, wait no like that, hold on go back to the other way...



Mason and Sid, they sure have grown!


Some other crazy family photo

work day

Today may end up being the best "work day" ever. I am working until around 10:30 and then me and the COO of our company are going skiing. Does it get any better than this? OK, I could get picky. I could ask for 12" of new snow and bright blue skies, but at any rate a day skiing is much better than a day in the office.

Music

I find it interesting how important music is to us. It can change our mood just from listening to a certain song. The emotions that are tied to certain music - I just find it amazing. Sidney has inherited a love for music from Merilee. She has this uncanny talent where she can remember the lyrics to a song she has heard only a few times. Merilee can sing along to 90% of the songs on the radio. If you don't believe me, just ride in the car with her and turn the radio up. So, I thought what better way to bring back some good memories than with some 80's rock! Wow, I didn't realize what I would remember.

A few (that aren't too embarrassing to admit to - or are they?):

- Watching MTV with a group of friends every morning during the summer of '88
- "Laying Out" at Hyrum Damn - summer of '85, '86, '87
- Skiing with my two brothers at Brighton
- High school dances
- Driving around Salem in my sister's Volvo cranking G-n-R and Skid Row - summer of '88 and '89
- Camping in the Wellsville Mountains with our group of friends at our secret camp spot - '85, '86, '87, '88, '89
- Multiple scout trips

The embarrassment of growing up in the 1980's. Oh the shame, the shame...

Baseball in Oregon

Saturday was baseball tryouts for Boston. I can't believe baseball is already here, where did winter go? Anyway, the weather has been very warm here the last few weeks - in the 50's and mostly blue skies. (I am not really sure why Merilee is complaining) Saturday rolls around again it's pretty nice out, but it is cloudy. I take Boston to baseball and as soon as I check him in this happens...

(yes, that is hail in this one!)