Monday Musings - January 31, 2011

1. It is the last day of January 2011--it seems like just yesterday it was Thanksgiving. This year is taking flight just as quickly as 2010 did.

2. We had a family gathering to celebrate Nicole's birthday yesterday. It was good to have everyone together for the afternoon. It was funny how the noise level kept rising as we started shouting over each other. But the fun was in the gathering.

3. Although the temperatures were over freezing yesterday, I cannot see how any of the snow which ended up in my yard has melted.

4. Funny scene of the day: Jax in search of Ethan (who had gone out to the car for something) making the turn to head down into the yard without a coat on because he could not find his brother.

5. Ever notice how the next bad thing to happen in the world seems to come from out of nowhere--Egypt?  I thought they were a lot more stable than it appears that they are.

6. Snow days--and time off because of snow. We had a rough week last week with the snow. Hopefully this week will be more normal.  I get so far behind when the snow starts falling and we get some time off. I do like to sleep in, but I sure pay for it, double it seems.

7. Keswick Winery released the label with our picture on it for the Consensus Wine that the team we were on designed. The is being bottled today and tomorrow at the vineyard in Virginia. OK--it was cool to see myself of the label of a wine being bottled by a real winery and not by myself in my basement.

8. Note to self: summer tires are not for use during blizzards. OK, now if the 1,000 people in Baltimore who got stuck on the Jones Falls Expressway remember that, maybe it won't happen again during the next snowstorm.

Smart Phone vs Tie Shoes

In a revealing story from Time magazine titled: The Way We Live Now: More Kids Can Work a Smart Phone Than Tie Their Shoes it becomes clear that kids are learning the ways of technology much faster than they are learning the basic things we need to be able to so to take care of ourselves.

The article goes on to write: And not being able to dress themselves isn't the only problem facing these tech-savvy little ones. According to Mobilized, "Tech skills are outpacing life skills in other areas as well. For example, more of the kids can open a Web browser than swim on their own, and more can play computer games than ride a bike."

On one hand, it is really cool to see almost three-year old Jax, as he did yesterday, take Chris's iPhone and navigate to and open the particular app he wanted to play. 

But the downside is that parents must be wary of turning young children into technology savvy invalids who can do nothing else for themselves.

I am not worried about Jax falling into this trap--especially after the meltdown I witnessed yesterday when he could not open a drink on his own, but I can imagine many other children who never get beyond interacting with the computer screen for everything in their lives--rendering them technology induced invalids without the skill and socialization abilities to function in society (whatever that ultimately becomes).

Balance is needed in all areas of life. Including technology.

Baseball is back

Orioles FanFest today. Spring can't be far off now.

January Moon

I looked out the window at 3am this morning and saw a clear sky illuminated by a sliver bright of moon.

The cold light it cast across the frozen, still snow covered landscape sent a chill through me, magnified, I'm sure, by the coolness of the house that we allow to cool to about 62 degrees during the night.

A bright star winked at me, and I sighed back at it.

There were so many other, warm, places I thought of where I could be standing and looking at this same star.

I was thirsty though and needed a drink and staring out the window into a portion of the world I had no intention of visiting at this hour made no sense to me.

So I turned away from the window and back into the house going about my business and trying to get back to bed before my spot cooled and I was too awake.

Probably a lost cause.

Makayla lifted her head to see what was up and whether she needed to move because she surely didn't want too--it was the middle of the night and the pack that is our family was supposed to be sleeping.

I slipped back under the covers and heard the cuckoo clock bong.  It isn't on time I surmised.

And as my head hit the pillow, I realized that I was fully awake and should probably just get up because sleep was going to be a struggle.

But it was cold and I was warming.

So I just laid there in the warmth of the bed and eventually drifted off to sleep, coming awake later shortly after the sun had risen and congratulated myself for a good decision on not getting up and allowing the moon to slide down over the horizon.

Snow--The Aftermath

The aftermath of the snowstorm which dumped about 8 inches of snow on us in five hours is incredible.  There are countless trees and branches down. Powerlines are still down--in fact they had the intersection of US 1 and MD100 closed last evening for a downed powerline.

The snow was heavy and fierce. The region is still discussing the 1000 (yes that is one thousand) car back up on one of the major arteries in the region which occurred because people over extended themselves and their vehicles--it was reported that some were driving their cars using summer tires--no wonder they couldn't move.

Some of the stories are in the Baltimore Sun article about drivers retrieving their abandoned cars--Suffice it to write--the situation here was pretty grim as so many people were unprepared for the rapidly worsening weather situation.

I can report, however, that our family made the best of the situation, and in some cases the loss of electricity, and we all made it through the storm in a testament to creativity and perseverance.

Hopefully this is the first and last "big one" of the season.

And if you were wondering, there are about 51 days until Spring. And the worthless weather forecaster--the rodent of Punxsutawney makes his annual prediction on Wednesday!  Stand by for that one.

Snow Painted on the Trees

January 27, 2011 - The Back Yard

I am amazed at how snow so radically changes the way things appear. Aside from changing the dreary landscape to pure white, it adheres to the tree trunks like a white paint.

For a while the trees appear as if they have been highlighted by the painter's brush.

I guess, in reality, they have!

Snow and Dogs

Makayla during Snowpocalypse 2010

Yesterday, as I was wrestling with the just over two inches of snow in the driveway before going to work, I discovered an amusing thing: Makayla loves snow.

She runs around in the snow like a pup just enjoying the clean--probably scent free, whiteness.

I really think she enjoys the feel of the snow between her toes and the way is collects on her coat.

I remember that during the snowpocalypse of last February that she likes the snow--but it was so deep she really couldn't run around it in. This is one of my favorite picture of her in the snow last year. I use it as a wall paper on my computer and iPhone.

Makayla in the Snow

It made me smile to see her bounding through the snow just enjoying herself.

I wish I could enjoy the snow the same way.

But--shoveling it, driving in it, and watching it fall wishing I was already in St Lucia on vacation (scheduled for July) certainly does not help me to appreciate the wet white stuff the way she does.

But--then again, her enthusiasm did help me to appreciate it--just a bit. Shhhh--don't tell Chris.

2 inches an Hour

Snow--it is falling at the rate of 2 inches per hour with 10 inches expected before midnight.

Help.

I think the beginning of Snowpocaplyse 2011 is under way.

The roads are pretty well shut, the snow, on top of the two inches we had this morning is already about 6 inches deep.

And we are experiencing thunder snow--lightening and thunder amidst the heavy snow.

We need to have a party.

Spring Training 2011 -- And so it Begins Anew

With the football season effectively over (I mean, who really cares who wins the Super Bowl anyway?), my mind has begun to churn on my favorite sport--Baseball.

I am in the midst of planning a mid-March trip to Sarasota to see the O's play baseball during Spring training. Additionally, this weekend is the O's fan fest--which I also plan to attend to shake off the cold of the winter and let my mind bask in the glow of the "Boys of Summer."

Getting away to the warm south will be awesome during March. I can almost feel the intense southern sun heating the skin on my back as I doze listlessly by the hotel pool waiting for game time.

Bring another beer from the bar while you're there, please?

The cost for this enjoyment--I have to sponsor Chris to San Antonio in June--not a difficult decision at all.

So with Fan Fest this weekend and the trip to Sarasota less than two months away, I think I can face the worst winter has to offer because I know that before too long--the flowers will be up, the grass will be green and the umpire is going to be calling out: 'Play Ball!"

More About the Cold

There are so many cold jokes out there--I found a few that I thought were funny:

The local petstore is selling cats, dogs, and penguins.

It was so cold that the fog froze and we had to tunnel our way to work.

We are just not used to the cold here--and I am reminded that the high temperature in Key West is expected to be 73 degrees. So I'm wondering why I'm not there.

I would love to take Makayla for a walk--but it is so cold I start to freeze over before I get to the end of the driveway.

Fortunately there is snow on the way--I say fortunately because it is too cold to snow right now so I know it will warm up a bit.

So stay warm, break out the shovels and dream of warmer times. Spring is only 54 days away!