The Iceman is here

Typical of Kansas weather, we skipped fall this year and went straight from summer to winter. Last week on Thanksgiving day we had near 80F temperatures. Today it is about 25F. Yesterday about noon it started raining a bit, misting mostly. But as the afternoon trudged on, the temps dropped rapidly and the rain began to freeze. By the time I left work, the cars in the parking lot were covered in an opaque blanket of ice.

The thing I hate most about rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow is that it simply kills the miles per gallon in my little Honda Insight. I commute 130 miles round-trip to work each day so in 2001 I bought a Honda Insight. It's not the most comfortable car in the work, it only seats two, and the road noise is extremely noticable. But I have a lifetime average of 58 MPG. On modestly temperate days I get in the low 70's for MPG travelling to and from work. Granted, I figured out last year that if I drove 55-60 MPH, I could get that great mileage. I read at InsightCentral.net that some people get in the upper 70's - lower 80's by travelling at 45 MPH. I just can't see that the extra 5 - 6 MPG is worth the extra time it would take to get home after work. As it is, if I travel 55-60 MPH, I get in the lower 70's and upper 60's. If I travel 70-75 MPH, the MPG drops to the upper 50's. That is significant enough to take the exra time.

Where was I? Oh yeah, the inclement weather plays heck with my MPG. Yesterday morning I did 68 coming into work. When I got home the MPG was down to 51. That was average for the whole day, which means I probably got around 40 MPG on the trip home. But it still beats the 18 MPG I was getting in the Grand Cherokee I had before I bought the Insight. Sadly, I read that Honda will cease production of the Insight after the 2007 model year. This is sad because my little car now has 160K miles on it and unless there is another extremely high MPG vehicle like the Insight, I don't see that it is worth the money to buy another hybrid vehicle since most get in the mid 40's for MPG which I could get with a diesel rabbit. Heck I could get mid 30's with a diesel Dodge Ram truck.

What is so special about Charlie Brown?

Last night on ABC I watched with my daughter "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The boys were in study hall, they had the option to take an early study hall and watch the program, but declined.

I had been looking forward to seeing it this season, as I do every season. Of all of the Christmas specials, this one is my favorite. I hadn't thought of why that was until the receptionist at work yesterday asked me why. That started me thinking.

What struck me was that for starters the show is pre-PC, and also that it rails against the commercialization of Christmas and tries to get to the meaning of Christmas. After watching it last night, it seems to me that Charlie Brown didn't really understand Christmas, but he knew - instictively maybe - that it was more than presents and lights and pink aluminum Christmas trees.

In a fit of frustration as he tries to direct the Christmas play at the school, he shouts out if anyone can tell him what Christmas is. In response Linus (who I always think will be a minister when he grows up) says:

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Although the show is billed as being about a boy who searches for the meaning of Christmas, I don't really believe that is what it is about. Everyone, I don't care who you are or what faith you subscribe too, knows the "meaning of Christmas." It signifies the day that Jesus was born. What I think Charlie is really looking for, and eventually finds, is the heart of Christmas. The things that people do to try and live up to the last line in Linus' speech, "...and on earth peace, good will toward men."

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.