My Christmas List

Ok, Thanksgiving is over and, while I still haven't gotten the Christmas lights up due to the fact that about 75% of what lights were working at the end of last season don't work now, I have to fork over some hard-earned cash for new lights. But at least they seem fairly cheap.

At any rate, here is my Christmas list for anyone who might want to send me some cool stuff. If you need my address, just post a comment an let me know! :))

1) Sony Playstation 3 - I was actually leaning towards the X-Box 360, but after watching the video at Cnet.com, I have to say I'm stoked about the PS3. It is, of course, for my kids and not really for me.

2) IPod. Really, any good 1GB+ music player will work for me. I don't really need the IPod, just an MP3 player of some type.

3) Either of these 84" flat panel plasma TVs. (stay away from the crappy LCD stuff, only interested in the plasma).

4) This laptop from Alienware.com. I believe it has everything I could ever want in a laptop

The turkey cometh

Turkey day is fast approaching (two days away as of right now). With that of course comes the Christmas season. Although, if you pay any attention to commercials and retailers, the Christmas season is already here. When I was just knee high to a grasshopper, stores didn't put out their Christmas stuff until right before Thanksgiving. And slowly over the last 30 or so years they have moved it up and up and up and now some stores put their Christmas displays up before Halloween even.

Not that I'm complaining (much) but it does make it hard for the kids when they see and hear all the Christmas paraphenalia and must still abide by my extremely strict and no exceptions policy of absolutely no Christmas decorations, music or talk except between Friday after Thanksgiving and 6 January (Epiphany...or Three Kings Day... or the 12th day of Christmas - however you want to call it). After 6 January, not a peep until the next day after Thanksgiving.

It is usually my duty to carve the Turkey at Thanksgiving since I have moved back to Topeka. My younger brother had to get used to it because it was his job while I lived away. I think he thinks he lost some status when I returned (which, of course, he did - plus I'm a better Turkey carver drunk than he ever will be sober). After my grandmother died, my mother gave me her set of carving knife, fork and sharpener stick thingy. Now its become a tradition almost that at any family gathering, that is what is used to cut the meat (whatever kind of meat that is).

Even though we are going to my brother's house for dinner this year (as with every year), and he fries up a turkey every year which is very good and all that, but we bought our own turkey anyway. We'll probably pop it in the oven and cook it all day Friday while we put up our Christmas decorations. The problem with turkey from the frier is that you don't get that good "in the bird" stuffing that you get when you cook one the proper way.

LOST Withdrawls

Only nine days since the last new episode of LOST and already I'm suffering withdrawals. We won't get to see a new LOST episode until February 7 of 2007. That's 2007!!!! Not even in this same year!!! AAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!

What are we going to do without our LOST? I feel so...so....so LOST without it. I mean, who is the one-eyed guy? Why didn't no one notice all those monitors in the other hatch before? Where are all those kids the "others" took? What about Michael and Walt? Are they really gone? Why didn't the EMP disable the boat they were taking? Will Kate get away? Will Ben die? Will Jack Bauer parachute in and save everybody with just three bullets and his bare hands?

The Road To Confirmation

My oldest son turned 14 last month, and last week I took him to a parent-student meeting at the church for information on the process and expectations of his being confirmed in the Catholic Church. Turning 14 in Kansas is a big deal all on it's own. At 14 you can get a learner's permit for driving. You can drive with your parents or another responsible licensed adult over the age of 18 in the front seat of the vehicle with you. Then at 15, with at least 6 months of driving experience, you can get a restricted driver's license. The restricted driver's license lets you drive to and from school, and to and from work, or in connection with work. Also at any other time with a licensed adult over the age of 18 in the front seat with you. You are limited however, to transporting passengers in your to and from school/work etc driving to only your siblings.

So Niko asked for his birthday for money to pay for driving school. Driving shool costs about $300.00, and he got it. Family and friends can be generous if they know there is a purpose for the money requested.

Now in addition to driving, he is preparing for Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Part of his requirements is to attend Mass each and every weekend. He doesn't mind that, but I have to admit that in the past year or so we (his parents) have gotten a little lazy about getting to Mass, despite the fact that our parish has two churches and holds Massa bout 15 times a weekend. There is no excuse other than complacency. However, that will change now, at least for me, as I make sure he gets to Mass every weekend.

Another thing he has to do is obtain a sponsor. We don't know many people in Topeka, so finding a sponsor is going to be a bit tough for him. All this brought back memories of my time going through confirmation. I was attending the Holy Cross Abbey school in Canon City, Colorado at the time. I converted there, I'm not a cradle Catholic and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Some people seem to think if you're not a cradle Catholic, then you are somehow less a Catholic, but I can't see that. Someone not born here in America, but is an American citizen is not, in my view, any less an American than someone who has that title by birthright. But I digress.

My son's confirmation retreat will be a one day affair in the church basement. My confirmation retreat was a three day trip to Taos, New Mexico. In addition to all that religious soul searching stuff, we took a day and went skiing at Taos ski resort. I don't think my kid's retreat will be quite that nice, and certainly won't be in such a great setting as a lodge in the mountains of New Mexico.

Little Things

It's the little things that seem to make all the difference in the world. My eight year old daughter Sunday night came sneaking down the steps about a half hour after she was sent to bed for the night. She complained that a branch scratching her window was keeping her from sleeping. I could tell by the expression on her face that she was also a little scared of the sound it was making. I told her go climb into my bed and sleep there and when I came up to bed, I would take her back to her own bed.

As I was getting ready for bed, the lump under the covers reminded me that she was in my bed. I scooped her up, and carried her down the dimly lit hallway to her own bed. As I was carrying her, she woke up. Not fully awake, but enough to realize what was going on. "I'm taking you to bed" I whispered, barely audible. She looked up at me a smiled. Not a weak smile, but one that seemed to light up the whole hallway. The look on her face was loud and clear. It's one that I will remember and cherish the rest of my life. Her expression said simply "There's no better or safer place to be than in daddy's strong arms."

All Hallow's Eve

Halloween was cold this year. Normally it isn't so cold on Halloween, tempuratures are usually in the mid to upper fifties with some years reaching into the sixties. But this year it was colder. Lower forties after about 6:30 in the evening, when the trick-or-treaters really started coming around. It actually got off to a slower start this year too. In years past the littlest ones would start coming to the door somewhere around 6, but not this year. This year we didn't get any until about 6:30. And then only trickles until about 7 or so when we seemed to get a good wave about every 15 minutes or so.

We closed up shop just after eight because the kids coming then were too old to be trick or treating (in my opinion anyway), they had little to no costume. These are the ones that go out just to get free candy, and maybe to scout if any one had some nice stuff in their yard worth jacking. So we sat in the cold for about 2 hours and got rid of just over half our candy. The neighborhood was the darkest I'd seen it since moving in about 5 years ago. Families move out, many to less maintenance intensive homes since owning a 100 year old house is quite a chore and something is always needing done. Those that move in seem to be younger couples without any kids who'd rather turn off their porch light and watch monster movies on the TV, at least that's what I imagine seeing the tell-tale blue flickering light of the box leaking out their living room windows, I mean, what else are you going to watch on Halloween besides horror flicks? Somehow re-runs of 'Will & Grace' just don't seem to fit the bill....although, thinking about it, maybe they do.

Sunday Morning Coming Down

Sunday was a beautiful day for October. The temperature climbed up into the mid 70's. The trees are changing colors. Driving down the tree-lined streets of Topeka, Kansas, the orange, and browns and reds with the strong sun shining through them made the trees almost, but not quite, appear to be on fire. It was warm, with a slight breeze. The warmth, and the breeze and the firey color of the changing leaves and the bright, yellow light of the sun gave you a feeling like you would imagine the subject of Johnny Cash's song "Sunday Morning Coming Down" felt as he walked around his neighborhood smelling frying chicken and watching kids play.

I had to head out to the Wal-Mart to get knee pads for Courtney's volleyball practice. Her brownie troop went to a corn maze on Saturday night, and she stayed over with a friend. Niko and Cody had gone with their boy scout troop to the Cosmosphere space museum down in Hutchinson early Saturday morning and were not expected to be back until after three. So I went down to the Wal-Mart and picked up the knee pads and headed to the Mater Dei grade school gym to meet Courtney for her volleyball practice.

Mater Dei grade school used to be Holy Name grade school. It was a K-8 school until the Holy Name parish and the Assumption parish merged, Holy Name school became Mater Dei grade school serving K-5 and Assumption school became Mater Dei middle school serving 6-8. It's been quite a change for the kids, but the boys like it better because now they get to travel from class to class like a real middle school. They adjusted fairly well with a couple of bumps in the beginning.

But this Sunday...was a great Sunday. After volleyball practice Courtney and I went to the Dillon's and picked out some pumpkins for carving. It was nice; with her mom in Lawrence, and the boys in Hutchinson, it was just her and I. We hollowed out her pick of the pumpkins and carved it up. She chose a design that looks like a bat sitting on a jack-o-lantern. It was good times...just my daugher and I...hanging out, carving pumpkins on a Sunday in October in Kansas with the sun shining bright, a slight breeze keeping the edge off the heat and the trees that looked almost as if they were on fire.

Drivin' to the delta

The drive down to Mississippi was uneventful. I didn't get pulled over for doing almost 75 most of the way down. It took me just over 10 hours to arrive in Oxford. Of course, Oxford doesn't seem to believe in street signs, so in that fairly small sized town, it took me another hour to find my sister's house.

With my little Honda Insight, I only had to stop and fill up the 11 gallon fuel tank once. I had to stop for bathroom breaks twice, so I had to empty myself more than I had to fill up the car. I got an overall average of 60 MPG heading down to Oxford. The first tank got much better mileage than the second tank. I'm not certain why though. I stopped south of Sikeston, MO, I think around Matthews or Marston, but don't fully remember exactly where. At that point my average MPG was about 66.

From there my mileage went downhill fast until getting through Memphis. It seemed almost like southern Missour and NE Arkansas is all uphill getting to Memphis. Once through Memphis though, I hit the beautiful rolling hills of northern Mississippi.

They really did a great job in Mississippi with I-55. Giant trees line each side of the highway. You really can't see any commercial businesses from the highway. Everything seems to be about 1/4 to 1/2 mile off the highway. I reminded me of driving through Alberta, Canada - which has a similar setup for the highway I was driving on up there. I did stop at a service station in Sardis, Mississippi to put my home brew on ice and get a hot cup of coffee for the final leg of the trip.

One thing I noticed about Mississippi is the lack of noise. Maybe it was being away from the three kids squealing and squaking at home, but I think it was more. There seemed to be less noise over all. Less background noise. No sirens, very limited traffic noise. I noticed it first at my sister's place, and at her mother's place, and at the funeral home. So I don't think it was something specific to one location or area since all three are in different parts of the delta.

Bad news from the Mississippi delta

I always thought it odd when you'd hear that someone died suddenly after a long bout with some disease or other. My thinking was, if the person had been battling with whatever disease he or she had for weeks, months or even years; then how sudden could it have been when they finally passed on?

My sister's father, who'd been fighting the big "C" was given six weeks about two months ago. We knew it was going to happen, but when it did on Sunday, it still felt sudden to me.

The best way I can think of to describe it is like going through a haunted house at Halloween. You're walking through the house, you've been startled and surprised at each corner you turned. It's dark and you are approaching another corner. You know with an uncanny certainty that someone will pop around that corner and go "BOO" and you will be startled and jump, and possibly even let out a little "eek." You know this is a fact, and you steel yourself against it. You straighten your back and put on your best John Wayne, or Bogart or Eastwood face, and you approach the corner with confidence knowing that this time...this time you will not jump or exclaim 'eek'. But then you round the corner the ghostly white painted face and the black robe jumps out and says "BOO" and you jump all the same. Not because you were actually scared or surprised it happend, but because you can't help it. Even though you knew it was coming, when it finally got there, it was still...sudden.

So, I am taking time from work and drive down to Marks, Mississippi for the funeral. But don't get me wrong. I'm looking forward to the trip. I haven't seen my sister in several years so it will be nice to catch up some. Sadly, it seems the only times I visit her in Mississippi are for life-changing events (the last time I was down there was for her wedding back in '94 or '95). I like Marks, I spent spring break with my sister in Belen, Mississippi (about 5 miles west of Marks) back in college. It was a great place. I have fond memories of the Gulf service station in Marks where we bought our 16 oz bottles of beer and played pool in the back room (this was back when the legal drinking age was 18). And of the "bring-your-own-bottle" bar with gaps in the wood plank floors and chicken wire protecting the band. Not to mention following some fellow named Rosebud out to the airstrip so he could drag race with some other fellow (whose name escapes me at the moment). And then after Rosebud gets arrested (for drag racing on the airstrip) going to wake up the local judge for a bail hearing right there on his front porch. It was all very small town, very...Mayberry. I thought I was from a small town here in Topeka, but that's nothing compared to a place like Belen where the only named street is the county highway that runs right through the center of it, or even like Marks where the general entertainment on a weeknight (when the bring-your-own-bottle dance joint is closed) is playing pool in the back room of the Gulf station.

I'll be very interested to see how much of it has changed, and how much of it has stayed the same. I wonder if I get arrested, can we still go over and wake up the judge to set bail for me on his front porch, in his bathrobe?