Friday, July 18, 2008

Mommy come home!


DSC00953
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
I promise, I'll clean up when you ask without fussing. I'll stay dry over night. I'll even eat meat. But, when you're not home, daddy tries to cook. We've had whirly pas-ghetti ... with vegetables! Then we had eggs for supper!?!? Then yesterday, he made Pillsbury hot-dog wraps, but he didn't use hot-dogs!!!

Actually ....


DSC00946
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
... it's because he insists on playing this game and he cannot win.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Toot-toot


DSC00768
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
I'll see your "BTB" (http://formwork.blogspot.com/2008/07/ll-meets-bob.html) and raise you a day out with Thomas ... only more like 1/2 a day with Thomas and actually only about 20 minutes with Thomas which is equal parts 10 minutes going backwards in a straight line along a farmer's field, then 10 minutes forward.

Still, some good supporting attractions. Ye-ye - I think a return visit to see your neighbours trains may be in order - if your ban has been lifted that is.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Happy Canada Day


DSC00574
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
Nothing says large celebration of our Nation's Day like clowns, inflatable structures and stuffed animals mimicking people. Free doesn't hurt either.

BTW - In case you missed it ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekCNkRB9VJ4

Thursday, June 26, 2008

We'll get em next year


DSC00427
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
Overall, a successful first year of soccer for the girl. She says she had fun and she wants to play next year - and that's where I set the bar. Being a year or two behind the others didn't seem to be a big issue and next year she'll be on an all girl's team.

It turns out, everyone says and thinks she's fast. Fast like stink. Greased lightning fast. Kid Flash fast. I think runners have to get up too early in the morning, so I think I'm going to put her on that all-bacon diet.

Thanks coach Shane!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Progress report


DSC00196 Coloured Ink
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
The boy's getting all the press, but the girl is doing well too. She's fastest to the ball (just needs to be less cautious around the boys). She's got great form on her kick (just needs better foot-eye coordination). She's a defensive stopper and knows how to find the right spot on offense. Hope she wants to play next year!

BTW - That's a built in effect in Paint.Net on a cropped JPEG.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Longest day ...


DSC00267
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
Nice weekend to have the first day of summer. No real chores, just mow lawn, weed a bit, maybe wash the screens - that kind of stuff.

But first, let's go relax and play while it's nice outside. When we go to the schoolyard - the tire swings are the first stop. Each time I watch the girl play, she's learned a new trick. Before this maneuver - she was whipping the tire around and ducking under it. She was grazed once, when I called "time" on that game.

... and not so daring.


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Originally uploaded by Lao Er
The boy is more rough and tumble, without so much daring-do. More of a bull - which is his secret on the soccer field. Anyways, our lazy first day of summer outside has been interrupted by sporadic, but heavy showers. Mario Karts, here we come.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

I don't know what this game is called ...


DSC00093
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
... but they can play it forever - until the boy starts to sulk. Anyways, an excuse to try out a Sony A200 to see I can start getting more/better action shots.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Short People


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Originally uploaded by Lao Er
Went to LA and actually went to LA (instead of Anaheim) for a conference. There's really nothing much around downtown LA and they fed us each night (don't be impressed, it's actually a way of controlling expenses rather than letting people loose on the town). We did make it down to Santa Monica for a walk along the pier the last evening, but I've done the Pacific. I need to get to the other side.

progress


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Originally uploaded by Lao Er
Made it home in time to catch the boy's pre-game warm up, followed by the game. The other team had a ringer ... well, a 4 year old with a sense of direction, anyways ... who reeled off 3 or 4 goals in his first few shifts. But the mighty Brown Bears were not to be denied.

The boy used his full arsenal, including ...
- running and not stopping when everyone else did
- being faster to the ball and knowing how to turn the corner on the flubberesque amalgamation of purple and brown
- using baby steps to push the ball through the pack and down the field

A few assists later and at least one if not two goals (you'd think we'd be able to tell wouldn't you?) later - the Brown Bears emerged victorious ... we think.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Is it in you?


IMG_0149
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
Looking ready for her endorsement deal - both the girl and the boy started community soccer this week. No surprise - the girl is right into it and is having no problems keeping up (although a little more "chase" and a little less "skipping" wouldn't hurt). But the boy has shown a flash as well.

Check it out here ...

http://blip.tv/file/877652#share

We'll see if this is the start of something or more reminiscent of his old man's hockey career that pretty much amounted to "first goal/first shift - and we're done."

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

March 31st, 2008 a.k.a. "the first time the boy sent the girl to the hospital".

Generally, the girl is mature for her age and has an advanced ability to reason and determine appropriateness. Then there are the other times ... like Sunday when she thought it would be fun to play with a quarter in her mouth.

Notwithstanding legal precedent, I'm pretty sure that's the definition of "an open invitation" for the boy to get into the mix. The end result being the girl has 25 cents (about 25.8 cents US) making it's way through her digestive system.

Based on some shady recommendations, thrice removed, I took her to emergency last night, where they quickly settled on "satiating the parent" vs "healing the patient". On the plus side, it was only 2 hours out of our evening and I was treated to a gratuitous show of checking her breathing and feeling around for the coin. On the negative side, I have a few days to go before I determine what exotic diseases I picked up from the denzions of our city's Children's Emergency.

For her part, I'm fairly confident that the girl was one of the few visitors who actually wanted to hang around a bit longer just so she could finish the "Eye Spy" challenge on the exam room wall. Her sole criteria was not getting a needle - which I'm pretty sure, I could have asked for and she would have received as some form of medical encore.

All in all, I was about to depart with a fairly positive attitude until the "doctor" (he had a lab coat and a badge - so I'm guessing "doctor" or "lost 1-hour photo lab tech") dropped the comment - "These days, we don't worry about anything smaller than a loonie." Odd, I didn't realize inflation and the time-value of money came into play in the practice of medicine.

I think I'll wait until the coin passes and send it as a tip.

Saturday, March 29, 2008


Starting a new series entitled ... PLACES I'VE SULKED ...

Today's entry is the Children's museum ... actually, this could turn out to be the new game sensation. Guess where exactly in the museum this is!

Friday, March 21, 2008

Your boy will likely be 6 ft. 5 in. at age 18.


CIMG0236
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
According to

http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/child-height-predictor

Based on the formula we used* there is a 50 percent chance that your boy's full-grown height will be within 0.8 inches (above or below) of this prediction, and a 90 percent chance that it will be within 2.1 inches.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Perseverate - to repeat a response after the cessation of the original stimulus; p-e-r-s-e-v-e-r-a-t-e; perseverate.

Thursday, February 14, 2008


Hmmm. How many before it's considered a trend?

Monday, February 11, 2008

Ex-NBA star Sprewell sells yacht, home could be foreclosed

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3241444

According to this story, Latrell Sprewell has been missing mortgage payments, has his house being foreclosed and had to sell his yacht. All this after having turned down an offer of $21M a year, at a time when he was making approximately $14M a year.

I'm pretty confident in voicing what I believe is the obvious question - "Latrell Sprewell had a yacht?"

Thursday, February 07, 2008


DSC00331
Originally uploaded by Lao Er
It dawns on me - as I was being shuttled in from my auto shop this morning, where I can watch the scenery and bldg's go by, rather than spend my driving time attempting to divine which lane and direction the driver in front of me is threatening - that, had I a choice in my formative years, I would not have sought guidance from medical professionals who had set up their practice in a location called "Medical Arts".

I think I would have more confidence and therefore less stress in entering the "Medical Science" bldg, or "Medical Professionals", "Medical Experts" or if you insist on a leap of vague, how about "Medical Miracles".

Other less-inspiring office labels ...
- Medical Hunches
- Medical Journeys
- Medical Hut/Mart/Stop
- Fox Medical TV
- Medical Oddities
- and of course, Medical Schmedical

Monday, February 04, 2008


Yeah, I'm pretty sure the first time around, it was called a Pacer.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMC_Pacer