Nola

I'm ready to go home but i've have had a good stay here in New Orleans. I have a staff dinner tonight at Emeril's Nola restaurant then a flight out tomorrow afternoon. I've had a lot of hotel banquet meals at this conference so a good meal should be just the thing for he last night.

Bear Territory

This game is getting tight.

Homer

I thought the boys would like this. I met the real Homer Simpson.

Final Four

It looks like the Cal woman are staying at my hotel in New Orleans. They even have a little cal swag table set up. I wonder what I should buy?

One Last Fire

Based on he weatherman's predictions and my impending trip to Nola I'm betting this will be the last real fire day of the season. It's sad to see it go but some sun and warm temps are nice too. It hasn't gotten out of the 40's today but it will be solidly in the 60's and 70's when I get back and that's just to warm for a fire. The boys got assigned a baseball team yesterday, they will be the Bulls and practice starts tonight. Between soccer and baseball we will have practices every night except Tuesday until mid June. Bring on spring.

Longer Days

This time of year the sun raises and sets perfectly down the east/west streets of dc and while it makes it blinding walking east, it creates a great shadow walking west. Lots of hot temps and humidity until this happens again in October.

April Fog Day

Peter Cottontails

The bunny laid a ton of eggs early this morning and the boys collected what the squirrels didn't naw open and consume. We have to have some pretty amped up flying rodents in our yard at the moment. Regardless, the Easter egg haul was pretty good.

Cuse

Dylan is encouraged by the 1st half of the Syracuse game. He's been bleeding orange all year.

Wrestling Practice

I was working from home today but needed to get the boys out for some kicking and running. That usually devolves into some wrestling and at times, Dylan can get the upper hand. We also took grandma and grandpa to the airport after a nice visit. We had dinner with some friends of my parents from college in old town last night. The boys behaved well and participated in the conversation. We left when they inevitably got antsy and left the old college friends to discuss all the crazy acid parties and beer bongs they had back in the day. We have a pretty slow weekend planned this weekend but baseball and soccer will ramp up quickly next week.

Jamestown

We finished our colonial tour at Jamestown today. It was a nice spring break getaway. We have extended our history tour spring break theme another year, even Busch gardens had history included. Good times but I'm ready for bed.

Busch Gardens

It was a little cold but sunny most of the day and we had the place to ourselves. Theme parks can be horrendously crowded but we really never stood in line for anything today. We had a great day on the roller coasters and saw a few of the shows. Grandpa Carp rode a few of the coasters but only once. He did like he haunted castle. Grandma stayed off the rides but like the shows. We spent about 7 hours wondering around and it's nice to be sitting at the moment.

Colonial Williamsburg

It was a chilly day on the streets of Williamsburg but we had a nice time in a number of building tours and talks. The weather kept the crowds down and a little snow made it look nice. Sam did the whole dress up thing and many of the characters were pleased with his choice of attire.

Spring Snow

I've been wanting a good snow storm all winter and we sort of got one these last few days of march. Colonial Williamsburg should look lovely with a little snow and things should be back to early spring in time for Busch Gardens on Tuesday.

Kingsmill

A little snow never got in the way of the early settlers golf games. That's the golf course behind those snow covered trees. The colonials landed here because of the good golf courses and even with the snow, it was warmer than those courses in Scotland. We are off to dinner in a few minutes and hopefully the weather will improve tomorrow.

Basketball Smackdown

Cal and Cuse go at it tonight and the boys are ready to rumble.

Argentina

Dylan's new Argentina national soccer kit showed up today. He was very excited and for some reason I think they look great in soccer jerseys and shorts. Sam is sad he doesn't have a new kit too but Dylan decided to use his own allowance money on the jersey. I bought the shorts because he was due a treat.

Sammy Style

This is a short section of the 8 minute play the boys did with their Odyssey team yesterday.  Sam has a little uncle Jeff in him, a bit of a ham that is.  

St Patricks Day

St Patrick's day is not quite right when it's on a weekend. Takes all the fun out of leaving work at 11am to get to a pub. Yesterday was pretty busy with the odyssey of the mind tournament in the morning and a dinner out in friends in Catonsville. I'm too tired to battle the crowds at Murphy's or the Four P's. just gonna curl up with this beer and the boys and watch college basketball.

Yeah

We are at the odyssey of the mind tournament being held at Patriot High School. I'm sure no one makes fun of this teachers name.

Minuet

Colonial Day

Dylan wanted another picture with Katherine during Colonial days at school. Both boys looked great in their momma created outfits. Film of the dance coming soon.

The Big Screen

I got some more pictures from the mom who took the kids to the GW game last weekend. I guess the camera man was putting the rowdy little bunch up on the scoreboard screen over and over again. It didn't hurt that the birthday boys mom bought them all GW basketball t-shirts before the game. Look at that bunch, the mascot, cheerleaders and floor seats. That was quite the party.

Signs of Spring

We hit the batting cage for an hour this morning, picked up more baseball gear at the store, ran an infield practice and finished up on the pitching mound for both boys. Sam was really hammering the ball in the cage. His only issue is he gets over confident and swings for the moon at times. Dylan lacks confidence at the plate but by the third set of pitches, he was getting some aluminum on the ball. He is still a little behind the pitch but the machine was throwing them at 45mph. Only one or two pitchers in the league will throw it that fast.

They were both pitching rather well today as well. Dylan has a good motion and again, if he relaxes and throws with confidence, he's right on. Sam throws like he is built. When he puts his weight into it, it comes hard. The kid is a brick house. He also has a natural right to left slide to it. His biggest problem is that he gets lazy and doesn't follow all the steps to a good pitch after a while. He may be a great one inning closer. Dylan can be a two inning starter or middle reliever.

The first flowers are coming up and both baseball and soccer teams are formed next week. We do have a free week without any practices this week, then it's back to weekday practices and weekend games till mid June.

GW Colonials

Sam and Dylan went to Sam K's birthday party today at the George Washington Colonials vs. Dayton basketball game. They had a great time from the stories I'm hearing. It was an overtime win for GW with a cheerleader - Dayton player exchange complete with foul language. I guess the Dayton player fouled out, the GW cheerleader said something like " sit down asshole" and he called her a bitch. They had floor seats so it was all in front of them and it was their favorite part of the game. The boys also took their shirts off at some point and waved them above their heads. Good times.

Gel

In case you missed Nicole's Facebook post, here are the boys with some serious gel goin on. They are starting to care about their hair a little more these days. Girls have that effect on you.

Snowfail

The schools were closed, my office shut down, even the federal government threw in the towel but the Snowquester storm did not deliver much. Yeah, we have some wet slushy snow around and some pretty good winds but not the winter wonderland I was hoping to take pictures of and post on this blog.

It was nice sleeping in and hanging around with Nicole and the boys, any snow day is a good snow day. We will have to wait until next year for a chance at a real snow storm, this was winters last gasp for DC, the flowers will start coming up next week and the cherry blossoms will be a peak bloom by the end of the month. I can still have fires until mid April but those days are numbered too.

Sent from my iPad

Dylan's Crush

Dylan's favorite friend played last night too. The little blond girl to his right is on his mind and he wanted me to post her picture on the blog too.

Sam's First Music Video

4th Grade Strings Concert

Sam with his music teacher and girlfriend. Yes, they are sorta dating, at least that's the agreement they have with each other. The strings concert was nice, and short. Sam did really well but he was pretty nervous.

The Bombers

The basketball season ending party was tonight and the kids all got medals and bombers t-shirts. It wasn't a great season but the boys all had a ton of fun. Tonight was no different with the whole crew running around the restaurant. Thankfully the place was empty on a Monday night.

Snow?

This looks like a nice March surprise.  Still a couple days out but the best shot at some snow in a couple winters.

It's About The Shoes

I got the boys their soccer cleats yesterday and we took them out for a spin this afternoon. They love new sports shoes and they had been keeping them close by from the when we got in the car after leaving the store till this morning when they laced them up and we had a little soccer clinic. They also have their signed Messi jersey and "worn in a game" Kalou (Chelsea Footballer) jersey. They were all about basketball a couple weeks ago and now it's soccer 24/7. Not sure how they are going to fit baseball in their lives but that's coming soon too.

Twelve Years

We celebrated our 12th anniversary last night with Harry Reid at Restaurant Eve. Well, actually Harry was at the table next to us and our anniversary is today. Thanks for all the nice cards and gifts. We are spending the day with our favorite additions to our marriage.

Lunch

Getting a bite before seeing Patrick for much needed haircuts.

New Head Shot

I had a head shot taken for corporate type things in February.  It was time, my last one was done in 2002 I believe.  I'm a little older and slightly more worn but can still pull off of tie when I need to.

Sam's Hair

Every weekday morning is a vortex of four people trying to wake up, shower, dress, eat and leave the house for work and school.  I've been sick the last 6 days so I'm a little slower than usual but getting on the road by 7am is key to beating a bunch of traffic.

I was finishing up my dressing with about 10 minutes to go this morning and Sam came in the room with hair brush in hand asking that I help him fix his wildly crazy hair.  He had showered after basketball practice the night before and went straight to bed.  He has a lot of hair and is nearing his next scheduled haircut on Saturday.  That stuff on his head was going all over the place.  It actually looked cute to his father who thinks he looks adorable almost 99.9 percent of the time.

I was in a hurry and said, realizing their was no quick fix, "you look great the way it is" and went back to getting ready.  He went back into the bathroom and I realized that this wasn't about what I thought about his hair, it was what he thought and how he felt he would be looked upon at school that day.  I remembered when I was roughly his age that I was very worried about my hair and then in my 20's and 30's I was pretty comfortable and now I'm worried about it again, the lack of it that is.

I fortunately recognized my mistake of brushing off a serious issue to him, put down what I was doing and went into the bathroom where he was trying to brush out a giant bush of completely dry hair.  I grabbed a towel, put it around his neck and shoulders and dropped his head towards the sink where we doused his head with a whole lot of water.  With the head all wet again, we brushed it into a state where he liked what he saw and it wouldn't make him self conscience or uncomfortable all day.  He has a girl friend now and stuff like this is only going to get more important.

He didn't complain when I said I wouldn't help him at first but I know he was happy that I took the time to find a solution with him.  It's the little things you do to build that bond that will last forever, it's being at the game, watching the practice, helping with homework, honestly answering a tough question, watching a movie together, falling asleep and waking up down the hall from each other.  He has likely forgotten all about this but I'm pretty sure that the 5 minute investment in time will payoff in spades for the next 30-40 years.  

Chicago

I was able to get to Schaumburg for the uncle Denny's visitation on Sunday and funeral this morning. It was a quick trip but I'm glad I got to say good bye and hang with my parents, aunt and a few second and third cousins. Funerals are a good place to re-connect with the people still here.

Mary Carpenter

Mary Margaret (Diedrich) Carpenter, 94, of DeKalb, Illinois, passed away Tuesday, February 19, 2013, at Kishwaukee Community Hospital.

Born May 26, 1918, in DeKalb, the daughter of Fred and Clara (Driscoll) Diedrich, Mary married Oliver Arthur “Ollie” Carpenter on April 18, 1942, at St. Mary Catholic Church, DeKalb.

In her early 20s, Mary took on a six-month temporary assignment at IDEAL Industries. This turned into a 40-year career in its trust and accounting departments. Mary loved her work experience and often spoke fondly of her co-workers and the company.

She met Ollie at a dance at the Sycamore Armory. Over the next year, they formed a strong love and friendship that was the basis for a 68-year marriage. Ollie was the “front man” in their relationship, but behind the scenes Mary was the organized and strong partner who kept things on track.

For many years, Mary and Ollie made their home on Delcy Drive in DeKalb, where lifetime friendships were made as they and their neighbors, all young couples, painted, planted, and raised families. In 2002, they moved to Oak Crest, where Mary again made a warm and comfortable home for them.

Mary’s interests were gardening, needlepoint, traveling and dancing. She was a parishioner at St. Mary Catholic Church in DeKalb her entire life and served in many volunteer capacities for the parish. Her faith was very important to her and she lived the tenets of the church. She also was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America, the Kishwaukee Community Hospital Auxiliary and the Oak Crest Red Hat Society. She is survived by her brothers, Loras and John (Donna); many nieces, nephews and extended family, as well as too many friends to count.

She was predeceased by her husband, Ollie, in 2011; brothers, Robert and Arthur; sister, Eileen; and numerous sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews.

Dennis Carpenter

Dennis A. Carpenter, 71, of Huntley and formerly of Schaumburg and Arlington Heights. 
He was born Sept. 26, 1941, in Sycamore, Ill., to Gladys and LeRoy Carpenter and died Feb. 18, 2013, at Sherman West Court in Elgin after a lengthy battle with a rare brain disease. He married Carole M. Carpenter, nee Lundeen, on Aug. 7, 1965, in Rockford, Ill. 

He graduated from Sycamore High School in 1960 and Augustana College in 1964, received his Master's Degree at Northern Illinois University in 1965 and his Doctorate of Education at Vanderbilt University in 1981. Dr. Carpenter worked in school administration his whole career; in Wheeling/Buffalo Grove School District 21, as a principal and Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, as the Superintendent of Schools in Harrisburg, Ill., and in Park Ridge School District 64 as a principal and Director of Business before retiring in 1994.

 
Survivors include his wife Carole M. Carpenter; brother Marshall and sister-in-law Carolyn Carpenter of Wayzata, Minn.; nephews Jeffrey Carpenter of Hopkins, Minn., and Mark Carpenter of Alexandria, Va., and niece Rachel Carpenter of Orono, Minn., and their families.

He was preceded in death by his parents, the late Gladys and LeRoy Carpenter; mother-in-law Viola Lundeen and brother-in-law Lyle Lundeen.

 
The family would like to thank the staff at Sherman West Court for the compassionate care given to Dennis for the past eight years. 

Published in the Northwest Herald on February 22, 2013

Two Carpenters

Mary Carpenter died last night from complications from a recent fall.  She was my great Aunt and the boys great, great Aunt I guess.  We only visited her and Oliver once with the boys but they enjoyed seeing the littlest Carpenters.  Oliver died a little more than a year ago.  They were both great people, pretty much like an extra set of Grandparents to me, Jeff and Rachel.  They didn't have any kids so they treated us like we were their own.  Mary left a voice mail on the machine a few days ago that I just picked up this weekend.  I don't always check our home voice mail that often and when I got it, it was too late to call back.  Her message was simple, she said "take care of each other"  We will and she will be missed.

My uncle Dennis Carpenter proceeded her in death by two hours last night.  My Dad's only brother who like Mary and Oliver, didn't have any kids.  My Aunt Carole has been dealing with Alzheimers taking him away for over a decade.  The boys never met him because he was not really capable of meeting them back when we were in DeKalb, where this picture was taken.  I realized I don't even have any digital pictures of him and will have to pull out the photo album to get some images.  I remember Denny always had a big laugh and keen interest in what we were doing.  I'm glad he's at peace now. The disease he had was horrendous.  He too will be missed.

Tough day for the Carpenter clan but a good time to reflect on two wonderful people. 

Birthday Time for LD and GD

Dinner and some cake for Gil's birthday. Linda's is next week.

Presidents Day

Took a quick trip down to the Roosevelt, MLK and Jefferson Memorials at the tidal basin this morning. Grandma and Grandpa hasn't seen the MLK memorial and the boys hadn't seen any of them. It was a nice, crisp morning with brilliant sun shine. A "golden day" as my great aunt Mary once described to me.

Jump Shot

Sam is getting a better looking shot off each week. Presidents' Day tomorrow, got the day off with very little to do.

Birthday Dinner

The boys had a rough game today, losing by a dozen point and only scoring 6 and 8. They worked hard all the same. We had a nice grandpa and grandma dinner in Del Ray and then hit the ice cream shop across the street.

Valentines

Dinner out in Shirlington with the crew. Nice Valentines Day.

Knee

Sam has had a couple little knee twists at Saturdays game and again at tonight's practice. No real swelling but it has scared him a bit. Not sure if their is a real problem or he's afraid of turning out like me. I think a few days rest and he'll be fine.

Sunday Strummin

Getting in some late afternoon practice. I'm getting a little better.

The Comeback

The Bombers started very slow today but gave 110% in the 4th quarter. We were down 20-4 at half time with a lot of shots but few baskets. Dylan played with the second line in the third quarter and shut the other team out with some ferocious defense and a couple baskets. Down 20-8 in the 4th, Sam rattled off 16 of his 18 points to while Dylan provided intense pressure at the top to defense to in finally win 27-24. Dylan had 6 points and 7 steals but he kept the other team from setting up any real offense in the second half. He was Charlie Hustle out there and had 8 rebounds as well.

I lost count after Sam's 20th rebound but he also missed a half dozen easy shots on his way to 18 points. I felt bad for the other team but a wins a win.

Cuse

The outfit is way too big but he loves it. It should last for years if he doesn't wear it out first.

Shoes

National Geographic has thousands of shoes out on it's driveway about a block from my office.  They do this every year but I'm never sure why.  They will be gone tomorrow.

 

Dusting

Another tease of a storm. It still looks good on the ground.

Another Loss

Sam and Dylan tried really hard and kept their emotions in check during a 25-20 loss to the other team with mostly Clermont kids. These games usually get pretty heated but their were only 6 fouls total for both teams the whole game. Sam had 12 points, another dozen rebounds and a couple of steals. Dylan had 6 points, 8 steals and a half dozen rebounds. I think I was more frustrated with the game than they were. The boys did score almost all the points for the team but they missed a lot of easy shots. Yes, some poor shots but a lot of them just didn't bounce the right way. I hate when that happens and we have been on the wrong end of too many close games this year because of bad ball luck. Hope that changes soon.

Home on Friday

I've been away from my fireplace for the last couple weeks but I'm back in my favorite chair with my favorite kids on a cold Friday night. My favorite wife is on her way home and the kids are playing video games but their sound is off and my music is playing. Good times.

Trace of Winter

It was 70 for two days this week but we got another little tiny snowstorm this morning reminding us that winter still has some potential to be snowy.  Unfortunately, like that other snow events, this one was an inch or less.  It is pretty to see it coming down but man, we need a 5-7 inch snow to really get that winter feel going.  It was roughly four years ago when we got 28 inches in Snowmaggedon or was it Snowpocolypse?  Anyway, we really haven't had anything all that exciting since.