tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8701656656360040112012-01-27T05:36:15.250-08:00The ongoing adventures of a father who is finally finding the answers by dedicating himself to his family.phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.comBlogger13831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-31612077520349586662012-01-27T05:33:00.000-08:002012-01-27T05:36:15.266-08:00

How’s this for a hockey weekend? A&N both had games/practices on both Saturday and Sunday, and we went to two hockey games at Dartmouth. We clearly drank the hockey “Kool Aid,” and my only question is, can I have more? Since A has joined the House team, we have even more games and practices to attend. She’s having fun, and I’m glad she’s doing a team sport, because I think her personality fits a

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-82684730850472828372012-01-27T05:32:00.000-08:002012-01-27T05:33:55.396-08:00

In trying to be philosophical about this whole newspaper story ordeal, I think there are many positives about how things transpired. First off, I learned a lot about who to talk to and who not to talk to, which is important when you consider that we are dealing in ideas. Secondly, as opposed to how I usually respond to such circumstances, I feel inspired to work even harder at making this work,

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-18267015721816260152012-01-25T06:30:00.000-08:002012-01-25T06:32:04.411-08:00

I’ve done my third night of coaching and I’m definitely more comfortable with it. I don’t know what’s changed, either I’ve gotten better at hockey or I’ve just overcome my huge hang-ups over time, but whatever be the case, I feel like a contributing member of the team. I’m even barking out orders, with the coach’s assistance, of course. Amazingly enough, the kids listen, or at least feign it, but

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-37362826103724589472012-01-25T06:29:00.001-08:002012-01-25T06:30:16.996-08:00

We received a beautiful new pizza stone for Christmas (thanks JR and RR) to replace the one that broke, and is it ever nice. This one is super special because not only does it have a nice glazed finish, but you can use it on the range, as well. Say no more, I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a hot plate to put over the stove. Either way, we’re stoked to have a pizza a stone, and we made our

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-49898469781223476972012-01-25T06:27:00.000-08:002012-01-25T06:28:58.981-08:00

Since we’ve become the hardcore hockey parents (there is no other kind), I figure I might as well get into the act, as well. I have been dabbling in adult hockey, but was never really in a position to jump in completely. That is, of course, until now. As you may know, I tend to scour the thrift stores for any piece of random equipment that may come in handy, and last week I finally scored a pair

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-90115336402645628662012-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:10:20.011-08:00

Seemingly out of nowhere we ran into some car problems, and that’s always a bummer, especially because we are so dependent on them. We were driving to hockey practice and it was not a problem, when stopped for a bite to eat beforehand. As soon as we got back into the car, it sounded like a loud motorcycle. Clearly something was amiss with the muffler, and was it ever embarrassing. You hear loud

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-76249404483237984672012-01-24T08:07:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:08:44.806-08:00

There was this young man who performed at the young artists showcase, and he was on fire. He played beautifully, and he really moved the audience. Nice kid, too. I asked him who his teacher is, and he studies with our friend, P. I’ve heard tons of accolades about his teaching, he’s very accomplished and is a very good teacher. We toyed with putting him together with A because a lot stuff comes

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-55579689769378463742012-01-23T06:48:00.000-08:002012-01-23T06:53:06.611-08:00

This is a bit of a bummer, but in these instances you have to find the silver lining in things. Plus, there are usually good learning experiences to had. I had this idea of writing about my learn to play (LTP) hockey class from the perspective of someone who is averse to trying new things but always regrets it. I figured it would speak to people like me who go through life regretting their

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-16102328351660847842012-01-23T06:45:00.000-08:002012-01-23T06:47:48.311-08:00

Boy, we sure had the rip-roaring hockey weekend, and I for one enjoyed it. You can say that the weekend began in the middle of the week, when A started playing house league. It was her first practice, she’s joining in late, and like the numbskull that I am, I got the times mixed up. I figured they practiced the same time as the travel team, just a different night, but they don’t. We were so late,

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-89160306416399202352012-01-23T06:41:00.000-08:002012-01-23T06:43:52.721-08:00

Last weekend we had all sorts of activities to take our minds off of the soap opera that our kid’s social life can sometimes be. The background to this story is somewhat familiar, but it has to do with feeling left out when friends seem to forsake you. Been there done that, and I’m not going to over analyze this, and I’d like to think that we could just ignore it and let it slide, but of course

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-28036897082899549482012-01-22T10:40:00.000-08:002012-01-22T10:42:55.712-08:00

Sorry about my lack of diligence on this blog, we’ve been busy on this end with lots going on, but we’re getting there. We finally got some snow, and a fair amount, but what a crazy winter it’s been. We got dumped on in October, but then nothing in November and December, and here we are in January and it finally arrives. We were so prepared to ski, I thought we’d be living at the ski slope,

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-56039942423431876992012-01-16T07:56:00.000-08:002012-01-16T07:58:22.164-08:00

Over the past couple of weeks, DF asked me if I was interested in putting on skates and helping out at the practices. I said I would be happy to, but qualified that with the fact that I am not a hockey player, I just play one on TV. This didn’t seem to matter to him, and he asked again, so I decided to bring my skates and help out at practice. As I mentioned, this didn’t go over so well, partly

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-10255762890360109002012-01-16T07:54:00.000-08:002012-01-16T07:56:07.264-08:00

As I mentioned before, we tend to compromise our plans to help out people. I don’t know why we do it, call it lack of foresight, or just being too nice. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to help people, and it’s good not to focus all your attention on yourself, but it’s not always good to sacrifice your own stuff in the interest of helping out. It’s not a question of fault. This cropped up this

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-36591426335290020202012-01-15T06:45:00.000-08:002012-01-15T06:47:12.252-08:00

It’s looking more and more like we’re experiencing this tangled web of friendship, or rather, A is. This time around we are less involved because we realize it’s a part of growing up and we can’t control our kid’s lives, sort of. To be honest, it’s not any one person’s fault, and could be construed as self-induced. It stems from loyalty and how strongly a kid bonds with her friends. We’re the

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-44811907666383704112012-01-15T06:38:00.000-08:002012-01-15T06:44:53.120-08:00

There was some question as to whether or not we’d have karate class. It had been a few weeks since we’d gone, what with the holidays and all, and nobody really lets us know if they are coming to class. With this in mind, we can’t really hold it against the senseis to show up when they have such busy schedules, though for the record, my heart always sinks when CH calls an hour or two before class,

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-26277458025433525062012-01-15T06:36:00.000-08:002012-01-15T06:38:48.928-08:00

Our regular guitar teacher is out of commission for a bit, so we are literally without guidance for early two months. In light of this, I contacted A’s old teacher, EE, and he was happy to resume lessons with her. He’s always been very nice and supportive of A’s guitar playing, always complimenting her on her playing and singing, and he’s a serious guitar teacher. People all over the area know

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-37134362828217551962012-01-15T06:34:00.001-08:002012-01-15T06:34:24.093-08:00

If you can believe this, we finally got some snow, or at least some seasonal snow that might stick around. Then again, there is rain in the forecast. Hard to believe. It’s been a disappointing winter in terms of skiing, and way back in summer when we were gathering up all of our ski gear (we’re talking skis and snowboards, mind you), I thought it would be ironic that the one winter where we

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-2499478051040021362012-01-12T05:59:00.000-08:002012-01-12T06:01:01.909-08:00

I haven’t been as diligent about writing since the new year, even though that’s exactly the sort of new year’s resolution an aspiring writer would embrace. Just goes to show you how much weight resolutions really carry. Either way, one area that we are trying to be diligent about is school work. As 2011 drew to a close, we were going pretty easy in terms of work. I sort of approached it as a

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-18859537240840455272012-01-12T05:57:00.000-08:002012-01-12T05:59:38.812-08:00

Like we needed to hear more about hockey? The other day, I was completely hockey-ed out, and we almost skated after supper. At some point you have to put on the brakes. I am doing the adult learn to play class, and man is it fun, though it’s early in the AM. It’s probably the only way I could do it without dragging the kids along. After class, I went home and A&N were relentless in their quest

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-12400513173826495652012-01-12T05:54:00.000-08:002012-01-12T05:57:11.531-08:00

It’s good to get back in the swing of our everyday lives, though some things are lagging a bit, including this blog. I can’t seem to find the groove, even though there is a lot going on, and we’re busy. That big holiday rush seems to have disrupted our daily rhythms, in more ways than one. Either way, can’t whine about, or can I? As usual, a big chunk of our life is about hockey, and then more

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-35784175299604244402012-01-12T05:53:00.000-08:002012-01-12T05:54:46.299-08:00

If you can believe this one, I changed the oil on Christmas day, which R kind of ribbed me about, but you have to seize the opportunity when you can, right? Christmas day was one of the few dry days when I actually had time, and granted, I could have just taken it into Jiffy Lube, but at some point you just get tired of paying for all that car repair. I may have only saved about $20, but there’s

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-9667683057603132222012-01-05T05:13:00.000-08:002012-01-05T05:16:31.161-08:00

Okay, like it or not (I’m the former), we’ve become a hockey family, and it’s almost comical. Perhaps the biggest surprise is how much R has come on board, and it’s a testament to how much she weight she places on the kid’s happiness, because the chaos and disorder that have inundated our lives are not the sort of qualities that she aspires to. Nonetheless, she is completely supportive of it all,

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-44353536008123030272012-01-05T04:44:00.000-08:002012-01-05T04:51:49.767-08:00

We ran into some more incidences that feed our parental neurosis, and I have to say, it’s yet another example of how being a parent who is too involved in their kid’s lives is not always such a good thing, for both parent and child. Sometimes you’re just better off letting things evolve naturally come what may... yeah, right. A few years back, we had some drama with A’s best friend, YKW, and

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-14633741135003075812012-01-05T04:42:00.002-08:002012-01-05T04:44:48.493-08:00

Hi Everyone,Happy new year! Sorry for my absence, been getting back into the swing of things now that the holidays are over, and let me tell you, we've had to hit the ground running.This is not a bad thing, just busy. Hope everyone had a nice holiday and best wishes for the new year. Thanks for reading, and thanks to Pedja Mi for the pic.

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-3937385294124287192012-01-05T04:42:00.001-08:002012-01-05T04:42:28.531-08:00

Since our lives seem to be all about hockey, why not more? As long as N’s excited about it, I’m more than happy to oblige him. Again, he’s behind on the curve a little here, the more ice time he can get, the better. It’s always a little tougher playing catch up, but he’s getting there. Now since I’m still in recovery, I couldn’t take part and had to watch from the sidelines. This is tough

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-86172046534366276072011-12-31T08:25:00.000-08:002011-12-31T08:26:45.870-08:00

We received this board game last year called Pirate King, and as we were trying to learn how to play, it dawned on us that it was rather complicated. The instruction sheet is long and convoluted, and there are so many rules that at some point we quit in frustration. This year, N was insistent on giving it a go once again, and though we were a little reluctant, we set aside some time and went for

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-4109441537361486722011-12-31T08:23:00.002-08:002011-12-31T08:25:27.163-08:00

Not that we need more time to ice skate, but the truth is, the more ice time N gets, the better his skill level will improve, and more importantly, his confidence. With this in mind, last weekend they had a Christmas open skate with Santa, and we all got into the act. The place was a madhouse, crazy crowded, but loads of fun. A good chance for everyone we know to skate together, for better or

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-91314791725799985012011-12-31T08:23:00.001-08:002011-12-31T08:23:20.077-08:00

Last week I had oral surgery, or at least what seemed like oral surgery. It was involved enough to where they sedated me and stitches were involved, not to mention antibiotics and recovery. I thought they were just going to pull the tooth. Actually, that’s not totally true. I knew it would be somewhat involved, just not that involved. In fact, I was planning on taking the kids skiing on

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-18575901187811376182011-12-28T06:08:00.000-08:002011-12-28T06:10:28.579-08:00

We had a really enjoyable Christmas, though the holidays are always a bit of a paradox. On the one hand, it’s a time to celebrate being together and having a nice time, but the holidays can also be thoughtful and contemplative, if not a little melancholy, as well. This situation can be amplified as the new year approaches. This time around, we tried to move things along a little more slowly.

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-71583784869893725992011-12-28T06:07:00.000-08:002011-12-28T06:08:49.435-08:00

We ran into a bit of a fiasco with the last hockey practice, and I have to say, even in lieu of all the drama, things work out and you can laugh about it later. It’s amazing what a parent goes through. As I mentioned, N had early morning practice at 8:30. I don’t know what they were thinking, but it’s a bit much. There are people who come from at least an hour away, so you can imagine what it

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-43137927718760724172011-12-28T06:05:00.001-08:002011-12-31T08:23:01.300-08:00

Last week I had oral surgery, or at least what seemed like oral surgery. It was involved enough to where they sedated me and stitches were involved, not to mention antibiotics and recovery. I thought they were just going to pull the tooth. Actually, that’s not totally true. I knew it would be somewhat involved, just not that involved. In fact, I was planning on taking the kids skiing on Friday

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-34633652272436684982011-12-28T06:03:00.000-08:002011-12-28T06:07:20.788-08:00

Last weekend was a bit nutty, not unlike every weekend, and somewhere in there hockey always seems to play a role. Funny how that happens. The game really requires some level of parental dedication, and you can see why so many of the moms and dads are hockey players themselves, they can understand and know what it takes. Otherwise, it just seems like complete insanity. We had two hockey games

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-69271522559637933602011-12-25T09:33:00.000-08:002011-12-25T09:37:54.631-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone. We even got a little snow, not much, but I'll take it.Hope all is well, have a great holiday, and thanks for reading.

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-12142689962526859082011-12-25T09:29:00.000-08:002011-12-25T09:33:47.873-08:00

I admit to being a little overly thoughtful about what we feed the kids, bearing in mind of course that I could be a lot worse. While I am not militant about things being organic and local, I do tend to avoid, whenever possible, artificial colors, sweeteners, and high fructose corn syrup. This isn’t so unreasonable, is it? When you really get down to it, if someone handled you a chemical and told

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-91400092435467220252011-12-25T09:27:00.000-08:002011-12-25T09:29:43.893-08:00

Tuesdays aren’t supposed to be like this, are they? That’s not completely true, when A had rehearsal and auditions, every day was a nightmare, but otherwise, we usually only have hockey. This past Tuesday before Christmas was a bit of a scramble. I now have “learn to play” hockey, which takes up the early morning, and R had to get to work, so it was a bit of a scramble to get home. Once there

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-32081279772280663202011-12-25T09:25:00.000-08:002011-12-25T09:27:46.263-08:00

After months of delay, we finally got our load of logs, and Irving came and filled our propane tank. Even though it’s been fairly mild, we’ll need heat once winter kicks into full gear, and for this year, we’re set. I ordered logs in the early summer, maybe even spring, and when I talked to TB, he said it would be fine. I told him late summer and even fall would work, and that was better for him.

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-14383565839510267542011-12-25T09:21:00.000-08:002011-12-25T09:25:23.062-08:00

I was going to say some bad things about the Vermont Country Store, but they may have redeemed themselves. Then again, redemption has not come yet, and the initial negative experience is still a reality, so has anything really changed? I ordered something from the Vermont Country Store, and being all down-home and cozy, I figured they would have great customer service, the gold standard being

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-309307947296923452011-12-22T09:29:00.000-08:002011-12-22T09:30:52.389-08:00

Not that there’s ever a good time to have oral surgery, but this is right in the thick of the holidays. When I made the appointment, I didn’t have any sense of how life would be at the time, but I should have known better. The week before Christmas is always a bear. I need to have a cracked tooth removed, and they need to extract it by less-than-desirable means. I know it sounds awful, but what

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-51712858854670882702011-12-22T09:27:00.000-08:002011-12-22T09:29:19.424-08:00

Actually, this has nothing to do with eggs.I’ve gotten about 97% of our Christmas cards done, and then ran out. I could easily just end it right here, the last of the list is not critical, and it’s getting late, but if I can pull it off, I’ll get it done. I’ll probably feel better if I do. In the meantime, it has been a bit of rush to get the last of our holiday obligations finished. R and I

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-37947244986666805072011-12-22T09:26:00.004-08:002011-12-22T09:27:44.204-08:00

Well, after all this rumination about hockey sticks and all the back and forth, we ended up with a new stick, after all. I may have relayed this story, but I’ll give a quick recap. We wanted to get N a new stick, a composite, like all the kids use. In the interim, we had a stick we’d gotten for A, which she decided she didn’t want to use because she has no interest in hockey. I cut it to size and

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-68594268246168216212011-12-22T09:26:00.003-08:002011-12-22T09:26:33.529-08:00

We went to the annual holiday show at the school, and A was an active player in it all. It was great to see, and it was a great chance for A to hang with her friends in school for the past month. She has a lot of friends there, and we are really happy that she gets to hang with them. And, she gets to perform, which she loves to do. The performance was a lot of fun, the kids are really

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-26746660924121704162011-12-22T09:26:00.001-08:002011-12-22T09:26:10.481-08:00

We had a busy hockey weekend (what else is new?) last week, and to exacerbate the situation, the games were away and early in the AM. This meant that we had to wake up early and hit the road early to get there on time. Generally, we have to arrive at least a half hour before game time to get on all the gear, and the drive only makes it that much harder. On the bright side, it’s a chance to

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-62280413952470626232011-12-17T07:36:00.000-08:002011-12-17T07:50:30.356-08:00

Sometimes the kids do or say something that just makes me think, “Wow, that was really cool.” It just strikes me as cool and somewhat mature POV, but you be the judge. As you all know by now, we have become a hockey family, and N loves it. We are glad he is finding his thing outside of his sister’s influence, and want to be supportive and encouraging, especially since his dad finds it all so

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-7014820857216906542011-12-16T09:03:00.002-08:002011-12-16T09:05:12.982-08:00

A had her most recent appointment with her optometrist and he informed us that her prescription has not changed. Good news, that’s for sure. We went in thinking about getting her contact lenses, for which she is thrilled about. I asked if she was young, but he said kids of all ages get them, the key is whether they are mature enough to take care of them. We shall see. We decided to go ahead

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-9016206903054803612011-12-16T09:03:00.001-08:002011-12-16T09:03:22.016-08:00

The school is holding their winter musical, and A is now of the age where she actually has to audition for a part. With the younger kids, they just take everyone and JB assigns them a role, but this time around, it’s serious business. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about the whole scene, because like any situation where you’re taking a chance, there is the possibility of things not

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-80534744033410497482011-12-16T09:00:00.000-08:002011-12-16T09:01:48.419-08:00

I went to my second adult hockey class and N said he wanted to come along and watch. I told him it was early, and he’d have to bounce out of bed, but he was fine with that, and even asked me to wake him up. He actually woke up on his own, and we headed over to the rink together. It was a beautiful morning. I got him a hot cocoa and he sat and watched, being the only one in the audience, of

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-15889632279244015482011-12-16T08:58:00.000-08:002011-12-16T09:00:03.115-08:00

This past practice I arrived late because of an appointment, and practice was a bit unusual in that they were doing all sorts of power skating drills. It was interesting, albeit different, and I thought N did a great job out there. Either way, after practice, when I went to help N with his equipment, he pointed out a huge equipment bag and said he was playing goalie this weekend. Great. Goalie

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-20047644106525262192011-12-15T07:59:00.001-08:002011-12-15T07:59:44.334-08:00

We were all excited about getting our tree and eventually decorating it, even there was some initial resistance to the idea at first, but I won’t get into that. We prevailed, and got our tree and set it up. Once it was on the stand, I figured we had plenty of time to decorate it, and there was no hurry. A&N, however, had different ideas. They wanted to surprise mom with the decorations, but we

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-28578865009637366322011-12-15T07:58:00.001-08:002011-12-15T07:58:33.303-08:00

I’m not sure if I mentioned this, but we ran into a glitch with our ski equipment. The funny thing about kids is that they keep on growing, especially when you feed them. In early September, we checked out the kids’ ski equipment, and all was fine at the time. We got N new boots, but A said hers fit fine. Then, just this past week, I had the brilliant idea of checking them once again, because

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-18182894177848951362011-12-12T10:29:00.000-08:002011-12-12T10:35:12.926-08:00

Being a SAHD doesn’t afford me too many opportunities to bond with other fathers because we are few and far in between, and bonding with the moms is a whole other beast. Moms and dads can hang, but the interaction between them just isn’t the same as when moms jive with moms, I think men and women hold back a little on their true selves (rightly so) when in the presence of the opposite sex.With

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-56376645398346833592011-12-12T10:25:00.000-08:002011-12-12T10:29:04.838-08:00

This past week dad had his first go at Learn to Play Hockey, and was it ever fun. There was some question as to whether the time would work out, and at some point I even convinced myself that it wasn’t because it’s on a weekday morning and R can’t sit around all morning the kids, so I decided to bail on it. When R woke up, she asked me about the hockey, and I told her that I decided against it,

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-24162900406814995392011-12-10T07:06:00.000-08:002011-12-10T07:07:29.398-08:00

It wasn’t much, but we finally got some snow, and believe me, it’s a big deal around here. We need snow. While it’s easy to blame global warming on the situation, the reality is, we don’t usually get a lot of snow before Christmas. In fact, a white Christmas is not a usual thing, so it’s important to keep things in perspective. While we were away, it snowed about 6 inches, and there was white

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-20352788132068844552011-12-10T07:03:00.000-08:002011-12-10T07:06:03.527-08:00

I had my big appointment with the dentist, whom I believe is an oral surgeon, and it went okay. I have this problem with a cracked/broken molar in the back, and regardless of what I decide, it really needs to be removed, at the very least. The long term prospect is to have an implant put in, but that sounds a bit heavy, and probably expensive. It requires the insertion of titanium screws into my

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-10376116354035100962011-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:002011-12-09T06:04:53.030-08:00

Life seems to throw all sorts of drama at you, and I find it makes it more interesting if not a little stressful, but I sure do love it when things work out nicely. We had some issues that cropped up, and while I fully confess that I get overly dramatic (just ask R) and make mountains out of molehills, I’m still sincerely grateful when things work out. You just can’t take these moments for

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-43965041509964512202011-12-09T05:57:00.000-08:002011-12-09T06:00:03.412-08:00

I got my first shot at sports journalism greatness and wrote up the weekend summary for N’s hockey team. They write a cool little summary every week about how the hockey program as a whole fared, and it’s awesome reading about the kids. I love it. I broached the subject with the coaches, who write the pieces, and said I’d be willing to help and write it. They were more than happy to hand off the

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-12361871402416236452011-12-09T05:54:00.000-08:002011-12-09T05:57:16.548-08:00

We had one heck of a karate test this week. I think about a dozen people tested, the entire class, and we had every level represented. There were yellow belts, blue belts, green belts, brown belts, and one on the cusp of her black belt. It was a great show, and I think it was a proud moment for Master H. I’m glad for that. Because we were testing so many people, the test went really late, well

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-34544154715024762952011-12-09T05:53:00.001-08:002011-12-09T05:53:30.379-08:00

We watched a couple of the Pink Panther movies with the kids, and they sure loved them. Actually, what they really loved was Clouseau, and he wasn’t as prominent of a figure in the first Pink Panther movie, and was definitely not as bumbling and funny. It was the Return of the Pink Panther that the kids really loved, though I recall one of my favorites was Strikes Again. Either way, in the

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-72746869635376092752011-12-09T05:52:00.001-08:002011-12-09T05:52:45.977-08:00

I was noticing that my computer was acting sort of funny. It’s one of those situations where you can’t describe what the problem is, you just sense that things are a little off. Actually, some of the issues were more apparent. I ran antivirus and got nothing, but then I ran MacScan and found that there were two spyware programs on my computer. Now I’m not sure if this was the source of

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-68126955396144213492011-12-06T11:30:00.000-08:002011-12-06T11:32:45.380-08:00

As usual, we survived a crazy Monday, and as usual again, it was not as bad as we anticipated. The biggest thing that weighed on my mind was that darn flat tire. First thing Monday morning I took the tire off and called RM at Meunier to see if they would take me. We have a great mechanic who is really close, it’s just they fill up and you usually have to wait a week to get in. I figured it was

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-7269093462591364262011-12-06T11:29:00.000-08:002011-12-06T11:30:43.555-08:00

Part of the fun of the holiday season is when the kids get to open up a new window on their advent calendars. Now we’re not into the whole religious aspect of Christmas, and A&N don’t even know what advent is all about, but like all kids, they love opening little windows. I always space out and forget about the calendars until we are a few days into December, and by then the ball is already

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-88029746297089362322011-12-06T11:28:00.000-08:002011-12-06T11:29:28.084-08:00

Christmas is in the air, but then again, it isn’t. It’s still a bit early, but things have a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it. I seemed to notice that everywhere I look, people have a Christmas tree on the roof of their car. Maybe because the weather is unusually warm and the fact that we don’t watch TV, it’s hard to really get the full impact of the season, but it’s here. The

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-72452256023374541212011-12-05T05:52:00.001-08:002011-12-05T05:53:30.131-08:00

Our good friends the Es were mentioning that they’d like to take up ice skating, and wanted to meet us at the rink. They are not skaters, though they are skiing pros, and want to expand their winter sport repertoire. We actually gave AE A’s old ice skates, so they were all ready to go for it. We met them at the public skate at UA, and it was fun. There was nobody there, and we had the ice to

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-2995286458188266612011-12-05T05:50:00.000-08:002011-12-05T05:51:52.693-08:00

I was dreading this day, but it’s here and now I have to deal with it. First off, we have a million things to do. A has two piano rehearsals for the school choir, then she has an audition in the afternoon for the school musical, and we don’t even know the time it’s at. I have a dentist’s appointment in the afternoon, and then we have a karate test in the evening. To add to the fun, our car has

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-75895996176853287252011-12-05T05:46:00.000-08:002011-12-05T05:49:57.174-08:00

We had the crazy hockey weekend this past week, the kind that R dreads because it signals that we’ve become something we said we’d never become: sports parents who cart their kids everywhere. What made this weekend difficult was that both games were kind of far away. To complicate the matter, our new car has a leaky tire, so we had to take our older car. Looking at the bright side, at least we

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-15161995238211163402011-12-04T05:30:00.000-08:002011-12-04T05:33:58.238-08:00

I tend to be a collector of things, something that drives R crazy. It’s not an issue of spending too much money because a lot of the stuff we either get for free or for next to nothing at the Listen. However, the stuff can really pile up, and R is not shy about expressing her disdain for the clutter. I can’t say I blame her, but it’s not easy gathering equipment and making sure 4 people are

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-21635203765982381962011-12-04T05:28:00.000-08:002011-12-04T05:29:55.260-08:00

Our homeschool book club has some new members outside of the regular sphere of friends, and it makes for a really nice group. Not only are the kids nice, but there’s a good mix of boys and girls, though the boys tend to be on the older range. It’s fine because both A&N jive with both boys and girls. One of the new boy’s family is from California. Southern California, no less, and it was really

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-45875683391403911922011-12-03T06:10:00.000-08:002011-12-03T06:11:30.555-08:00

How this for irony? I’ve had the same primary care physician for the past 6 years, and though I’ve never met her or even spoken with her, she is ditching me. I feel so hurt. I got a letter from her stating that she has become increasingly busy and is seeing fewer patients, and in light of this, I should find a new doctor. Funny how things work. Not that it’s her fault. Through a series of

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-20811979135967466372011-12-03T06:08:00.000-08:002011-12-03T06:10:04.522-08:00

There is a cool new development with A, and it’s right up her alley. She has been taking music lessons at the school and she is also part of the school chorus. There are a few different age levels, and A is singing with the 5th and 6th graders, but there are chorus’ for the younger kids. A’s piano teacher is also the chorus leader, and she asked A if she would accompany the younger kids on piano,

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-18311721489441932212011-12-02T06:21:00.000-08:002011-12-02T06:23:49.186-08:00

We had our homeschool book club, and there is a new participant in the mix. He’s a really nice boy, I think he’s 11, and all the kids really jive. After book club they all get crazy, but it’s not really the proper thing to do in a library, so it was decided that everyone would come over to our house to play. The funny thing about his development was that I was the last one to find out about this

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-24088014988828564472011-12-02T06:20:00.000-08:002011-12-02T06:21:33.341-08:00

It makes me immeasurably happy that N is excited to get back in the swing of playing hockey. It’s not just that I think hockey is cool, which I do. I really do, but it’s more about him having something that hee feels passionate about and loves to do. Stemming from this is the willingness to work hard at it and the desire to excel. It sure beats being apathetic about life and wanting to just watch

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-71631455067638561352011-12-02T06:18:00.000-08:002011-12-02T06:20:06.267-08:00

We had a big turnout for our first class back, and there is a test looming on the horizon. Master H is really keen on getting as many people tested as are ready, and you can feel the energy in the classroom. People are looking good. It’s funny because I have a bit of anxiety about having to spar with certain aggressive individuals, and am trying to mentally and physically prepare for the big

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-77014439438568685452011-12-02T06:15:00.000-08:002011-12-02T06:18:37.966-08:00

When we were on the beach I saw the local home forecast, and it called for a bit of snow, but when we returned home, it was clear that there was probably about 5-6 inches of the white stuff. Enough to cover the ground and do some sledding, or better yet, snowboarding. N was ready, and he grabbed his “new” snowboard, which is now complete, and rode it most of the afternoon down the small hill.

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-57773513787181026852011-12-02T06:13:00.000-08:002011-12-02T06:15:21.254-08:00

Now that we’re back in frigid New England, it’s time to get used to cold weather activities, though the weather has been unseasonably balmy since our return. In fact, when we landed in Boston, it was 60 degrees and we didn’t need our jackets. What’s up with that? Though we really enjoyed our time in Florida, it’s nice to be back home, and I figured since N missed so much hockey, it wouldn’t be

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-44354713739105130852011-11-29T06:02:00.001-08:002011-12-03T06:08:22.948-08:00

It was with a heavy heart that we said goodbye to FLA, not just because we had such a great time, but because we hate saying goodbye to family. Adding to the fun was the fact that it was a bit of a fiasco getting to the airport, though this time around we were all together as a family, which makes all the difference. It ain’t easy being a single parent and getting everyone onto that plane. I see

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-16282438342759673372011-11-29T05:57:00.000-08:002011-11-29T06:01:30.323-08:00

When I told people we were going to Florida for Thanksgiving, everyone could relate to being in warm weather, though people did think it was a bit unusual. I have to confess to liking it in New England at this time of the year, especially if we have snow. On the other hand, we sure did enjoy our Thanksgiving in Florida, and I for one would love to make it a family tradition. It’s easy for me to

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-48910035479717723092011-11-29T05:53:00.000-08:002011-11-29T05:57:37.356-08:00

Now I always talk about wanting to surf, and when we travel to beaches, and we’ve been to plenty of them, I tend to judge them based on whether or not they have waves. We’ve been to several Caribbean islands, not to mention the Greek Islands and the coast of Spain, but in most of the places, we didn’t see much in the way of surf. I realize a lot of this stems from me not knowing where to look for

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-41363504795460751772011-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:002011-11-27T08:22:05.687-08:00

Being from California, I’ve always been a little cynical if not a bit disdainful of Florida, with the whole east coast retiree ethic and the small waves that seem characteristic of the beaches. The idea of surfing in Florida never really inspired me, despite the whole Kelly Slater thing. Plus, the heat in FLA is excruciating, and during the summer months, even though I’ve never been here in the

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-59638631927539385082011-11-23T15:14:00.000-08:002011-11-23T15:15:39.847-08:00

With all this excitement over N’s hockey, the idea of hockey for dad came up. What does it all mean? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a hockey player, I just play one on TV. I love the game, and I love watching my son, but it’s come up a few times that I should start playing. I never really gave it much thought, there’s so much gear, and after my humbling with those teenagers on the ice, I felt like I

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-17885613867050031442011-11-23T15:10:00.000-08:002011-11-23T15:12:25.519-08:00

I haven’t been writing as much as I should have, then again, what else is new, but I recall something a successful freelance writer once wrote about saying that you have to take all forms of writing seriously. Don’t look down on something because it’s doesn’t pay as much or it’s not for as big a publication. Until you become an established writer, you have to apply yourself to all writing.

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-11480116004687630232011-11-22T09:58:00.000-08:002011-11-22T10:00:24.055-08:00

We made the long trek to, Jacksonville, FLA, to be reunited with mom, and it really highlighted the amount of work it takes to travel, even before you get out the door. I take it for granted when R does all the planning and arrangements, whereas I generally taking care of food, driving, and children’s entertainment. It’s a great example of teamwork, but this time around the balls were all in my

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-70091624244082944012011-11-20T03:24:00.000-08:002011-11-20T03:36:21.911-08:00

Sorry, I lied. One last post. In looking at the bright side of our delay in travel, we did get to catch the final football game at Dartmouth. We went to one game and it was raining so hard we left at halftime. N was livid, he wanted so much to stay until the end, and I don't think he ever really let us live it down.With this in mind, I thought it would have been nice to catch one last game, but

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-33539331186211543732011-11-20T03:18:00.000-08:002011-11-20T03:24:35.651-08:00

Today we travel. It's the first time I'm taking the kids all by my lonesome, and it's interesting, to say the least. Usually R handles all the details and I just show up. This time around, she handled many of the details, but I have to handle a bunch, as well. Plus, I am responsible for all the logistics in terms of making sure everything is packed and we are ready to roll. It ain't easy being

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-32142975099972693702011-11-19T04:16:00.000-08:002011-11-19T04:19:02.574-08:00

R has been away for this past week, and it has been a challenge, though not an insurmountable one. It helps that I’m usually in charge of domestic duties, because then it just becomes an extension of our regular day, albeit without a real break. The hard part is the absence of my partner in crime, someone with whom to talk to who is over the age of 12 and can relate to my POV. Needless to say, we

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-65153674548050105012011-11-19T04:12:00.000-08:002011-11-19T04:16:10.525-08:00

I apologize for not reporting this sooner, but I’m a bit out of sorts because we are without mom for a few days, and it’s a lot of work holding down the fort alone, not to mention a little lonely and a tiny bit depressing. We went to N’s second hockey game last week and once again we had a spectacular time, especially since N did a ton of scoring. They divided team into first and second year

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-34440864956662753582011-11-18T06:03:00.000-08:002011-11-18T06:10:09.408-08:00

As luck would have it, we're sick. Sick enough to where we had to change our plans in a fairly significant manner. We were slated to fly out today, but with our malaise (102 degree temp), we had to scrap that plan. The illness came on yesterday afternoon, and we had to wait a bit and see how things transpired. By the evening, things hadn't gotten better, and with no food in our stomach and just

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-86975434883837567352011-11-16T04:35:00.000-08:002011-11-16T04:39:10.297-08:00

As I mentioned before, we played an impromptu hockey game at the rink and it was clear that I was in way over my head. I realized that it’s one thing to be a decent skater, and another thing to be handle a puck during open stick, but what really separates the boys from the men is getting out there on the ice with other players who are gunning for the same puck as you. That changes everything.

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-49619478580105116272011-11-16T04:33:00.000-08:002011-11-16T04:35:09.267-08:00

Just to add to my hockey OCD, I’ve been on a mission to get the kids outfitted to try snowboarding this season. I can’t seem to embark on these journeys in a simple and easy manner, and until we are ready to hit the snow, I’ll never rest easy. There is logic to my OCD, however. Being a ski family, we are all set with our skis (my OCD took care of this), but I figure why not try

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-7290528042901688932011-11-15T04:49:00.000-08:002011-11-15T04:51:12.442-08:00

Believe me when I tell you that I’m in no position to be too big for my britches when it comes to writing, and yet I find a way to think I’m above certain venues. Shame on me, right? Now the long term goal is to do travel writing, but like anything, you have to start somewhere. Enter Trip Advisor (TA). TA is not unlike all internet writing venues in that it’s a chance for people to have

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-90340280598901301932011-11-15T04:25:00.000-08:002011-11-15T04:49:08.897-08:00

We finally got back together with KR for guitar lessons (or should I say A did), and it was nice seeing our good friend. A really jives with her, and I think in light of A’s brief tenure with EE, she has modified her lesson plan to incorporate some of his elements of teaching, which include more theory and I guess you could call it academic music. It’s nice, because they have fun together, and KR

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-69057374779160020862011-11-15T04:11:00.000-08:002011-11-15T05:07:52.128-08:00

This past Friday was Veteran’s Day, with proper respect and thanks going out to all veterans.It also meant no school, which doesn’t apply to us, but in certain ways, it does because not only are many of our activities tied to the school, but many of the kid’s friends are, as well. With this in mind, with no school, parents are faced with the conundrum of what to do with the kids while they are at

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-53161198394329335532011-11-14T03:20:00.000-08:002011-11-14T03:22:21.845-08:00

With winter fast approaching, many of our golf venues are either closed or getting ready to close. N said he’d like to have one last round of golf before it’s too late, so we decided to try and give it a go. The weather was in our favor because it has been really warm, in the 60s even, so the stars were aligning properly. Ideally we could have gone early in the day and had plenty of time to

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-17027527749599837452011-11-14T03:18:00.000-08:002011-11-14T03:20:46.099-08:00

We had a good class last week, good turnout, and we are gearing up for a big test night. Master H is pumped up and ready, and several people will be testing, including A and I. The energy is palpable. A was tired for this class because she went to a girl’s hockey clinic beforehand and I was fully expecting to skip karate, but she said she wanted to go, so we went. N usually gets bored at some

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-44093092246099602102011-11-10T06:29:00.000-08:002011-11-10T06:31:55.967-08:00

You may have noticed that hockey seems to be a big theme in our lives right now. Go figure. On that note, I’m on my way to becoming an official hockey dad, sort of, though in order to become a full fledged hockey dad, you have to gear up and get out there on the ice, and I’m not at that point... yet. I’m happy to help out in any sort of way, and there’s still a good chance that I’ll end up on

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-27801988999650020772011-11-10T06:25:00.000-08:002011-11-10T06:28:57.213-08:00

As I mentioned before, A expressed interest in hockey, and I was all for it. We scrounged up a bunch of equipment and headed over for what I thought was a Learn to Play session, but it was kind of different. The first realization came when I was following her into the locker room and there were a bunch of older girls in there, some seemed as old as high school. I.e., no guys allowed. Even A

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-31548932645787996762011-11-09T05:48:00.000-08:002011-11-09T05:51:03.257-08:00

We went to N’s first hockey game, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun we had. What a blast, we thoroughly enjoyed it. Better than the NHL, no question about it. The game was a bit of a trek, we had to travel to the big city of Burlington, which is about 2 hours away. I’d heard horror stories about travelling for hockey games, but I think for this age group, they don’t get too crazy

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-87989729765482497792011-11-09T05:46:00.000-08:002011-11-09T05:48:26.076-08:00

The big sale event that we’d been watiing for had finally arrived, and it wasn’t as fruitful as I’d anticipated, though we got certain items, mostly hockey oriented. Go figure. The Listen Center has a big winter kickoff sale where they put out all of their winter items at one time. You’d think that with used clothes and gear, they would get stuff all year ‘round, which they do, but they actually

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-87991845098846184842011-11-09T05:44:00.000-08:002011-11-09T05:46:02.198-08:00

In another cool hockey development (depending upon whom you ask, that is), A has expressed some interest in giving hockey a try. She’s not as athletic as her brother, but she is a good skater and skier. Skating is half the game, at least at the beginning level, and a lot of the other stuff boils down to learning and practice. She may never want to do it again, but why not give it a try? She seems

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-59292385126317581352011-11-07T05:13:00.000-08:002011-11-07T05:15:48.113-08:00

I seem to get cornered all the time by the kids for various requests, and my initial reaction is always, “Do I really want to deal with this?” I’m glad, in a way, that the kids are impulsive in certain ways because it makes us, the parents, more spontaneous, and reminds us that it’s never such a big deal to make such a fuss over. Plus, we always have good time, and would miss out on the

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-43868844849228916812011-11-07T05:10:00.000-08:002011-11-07T05:13:16.623-08:00

One of the most exciting parts about playing hockey for N is just getting the uniforms. In the past, he’s asked when he’s going to get a jersey, and of course I had no idea. I’m new to this sport, as well. I do see, however, almost all of the other players wearing some sort of team jersey, whether it’s Twin Valley, Pleasant Valley, Woodstock or Hanover. The question is, where and how do they get

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-870165665636004011.post-58740683995926956892011-11-07T05:08:00.000-08:002011-11-07T05:10:17.060-08:00

We hadn’t been to the bowling alley in months, and for whatever reason it came up at supper time, so we decided to go bowling. Not a bad activity when the weather gets cold and miserable. I didn’t bowl much growing up, it wasn’t really cool, and there were certain unsavory elements associated with the bowling alley. Even the local bowling alley that we go to has a certain edge to it. That

phredudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03837233997888071418noreply@blogger.com0