Winners, Supposed Soar Loosers, Scandles and Lessons Learned

The Pinewood Derby was last night. We ran double elimination heats starting with each den. Then we ran a double elimination heats for the troop. Little Man's den went first, and he took 1st place. He was overjoyed to say the least. Then we had a long waiting period until they finished the other den's heats and started the double elimination for the troop.

Again, Little Man's car won race after race after race. The races are hard on the cars, and twice the spoiler of Little Man's car had broken off, and been repaired. Just as the finals approched, the Troop Leader, who is a friend of the family's calles me aside to tell me he had been told that Little Man found out that some one had actually broken his spoiler off, so he broke their car. It would still race but it was in pretty bad shape. When the other parents found out what happened they got mad and left.

If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you will know that Little Man has struggled with behavior issues because of incorrect medications, and the loss of his mother. Braking someone elses car to get even would be right up his alley. However, we had had no problems with Little Man in a long time, so I was shocked that he had done it. I said, well we need to talk to him, and if he did do it he needs to be disqualified.

Both the leader and I spoke with Little Man, and he cried the whole time saying he didn't break anybody's car. The leader then went and spoke to several adults and children and could find no one that had seen Little Man do anything. He even tried to get hold of the other parents by phone but they did not answer. For lack of evidence, he was allowed to stay in the race.

Ok, back to the last three heats....

Little Man's car claimed victory till the end, sans spoiler, winning not only his den title but the troop title as well.

Shortly after we arrived home the phone rang. It was the Troop Leader. He said the other parents called and said they had no idea what he was talking about. They said their son told them he saw someone else brake Little Man's car, so they told him to tell the Troop Leader. Well, it was very loud, and with a kid trying to say what happend things got mixed up. He appologized over and over again, given that the only car that had been broken was Little Man's.

He also told me that some of the parents were grumpy about Little Man winning since I had bought his car instead of building it. He also said that I had not broken any rules since I purchased BSA approved product, and he said he didn't have a problem with me either. Frankly, I saw several other purchased car bodies there. They just didn't look much like it cause they let the kid do the whole thing himself with a brush and the kind of tempra paint your kindergarten teacher mixed up with water when you were 5.

A NOTE TO DAVID AT TAILS OF A WANDERING MIND...

As far as best paint job goes, there were a few contenders but I think Little Man's was the best. However, I would have felt really rotten had he taken home that ribbon too. The Troop Leader, however, is a far wiser man than most. He picked the best paint job and other catagory winners from the cars that had been eliminated right off the bat. You could see those kids realy take a self esteam hit when they lost so fast. But the leader pumped them right back up by giving them the those awards and prizes. They even had a Parent and Sibling Race. Had I know, I would have built one too. Well, there is always next year.

Little Man Über Alles

Little Man won 1st place in his den, then he won 1st place for the troop! Over 30 cars and he is the all time winner.

More to come tomorrow.

Trading Paint

Tonight as I approach my car in the parking garage I see that the person that parked to my left did not pay much attention to how close they parked to my car when they pulled in. The person I had parked to the left of was long gone, and in their place was some one that came in at such an angle as to block my right door from opening also.

While I really didn't want to crawl over the seat I would have in order to not bump doors. However, I was not about to take my lilly white ass over the back of the passengers seat to acomplish it. This ment that I had no choice but to trade paint with the person to my left.

In case you are wondering my car is dark green and their car is bright white. I did the best I could, but being 6'4" I can only bend my legs so far. I was able to get all but my left leg in. Mind you, by this time a sufficiant amount of paint had already been swapped. I then had to put the arm rest up and slide my ass across the seat, while twisting the spit out of my my bad knee. (It qualifies as a bad knee even before I had surgery on it.)

Like I said, I was doing my level best not to do any more damage than was required. However, as my number 13 1/2 slid into the car, the doorstarted to shut. As the door shut, my toes were coming up and into the car, and they caught the arm rest of the door. I am doubtful that it was hard enough to put a dent in their door molding, but it left a nice large green line of my door's paint as a first place prize for being the piss poorest parker in the Town Pavilion Parking Garage.

Little Man has dubed this "The Spider Web Slinger" (Not to bad for a 7 year old, yeah?)


Well, it is finally done! He is very proud of his car, as well he should. We talked about how he may not win, and that would be ok. If he did, it would be the first time to happen at the Incurable Savant World Headquarters. I never won anything, but my dad always seemed to end up in the ER every year. (I am not making it up he really did go to the ER every time he helped me build one. Thank God I didn't have to go now that I am a Dad. whew)

Kansas City Power and Light Building, Taken from the 28th floor of the Transamerica Life Building


WOOO HOOOO The very first picture taken with my very own new camera. I took this from 2 blocks away and when you enlarge it in editing software you can get close enough to see the bricks and it is still in focus and not pixilated. I am so excited I am about to pee down my leg!!!!!

This is my very favorite most building Downtown. At night the tip and the large windows light up with changing colors. At Christmas time it is red, well you get the idea. Plus it is so very Art Deco, and that's my thing.

IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE!!!!!!!!

WOOOO HOOOO The camera is here! I already took some pictures with it, from the 28th floor. I will up load them late this evening.

The Pine Wood Derby is upon us, this Friday. Still have the silver spider web to ink on, and the decals before we can put the clear coat on tonight. I must admit, that is is one cool ass fade job I painted on it, from blue to red. Little Man did work on it too much more than I actually. I just put on the hard parts. I will post completed pics when it is finished.

At last at last!

My employee who has been on leave for 2 months will be returning on Wednesday!!!!!

No more late nights, and over busy days. Woot Woot (Which means more blog time.)

Oh the pain!

I just checked up with the trakcking number I was given from the online store I purchased the camera from and it says that the scheduled delivery date will be the 26th! UGH. I really wanted to get in on Monday.

I have already scoped out the perfect spot to take shots of my favorite artdeco building downtown. I am also dreaming of other things I can take pitcures of. Super macro shots of my 1/18th scale modle cars. Lilacs in the back yard. Little Man's Pine Wood Derby Car, and hopefuly a winning trophy.

Also, I can hardly wait till the July 4th weekend. I will be taking my Little Man & Big Sister to Minnesota to visit my grandmother's house on the lake. We will be stopping in the Twin Cities on the way north to spend a day at MN State Zoo. They have all the normal zoo stuff, plus an indoor Dolphin show, that can be watched from above or under the water. They also have a cool underwater fish display with sharks. In addition they have an awesome bird aviary and a cool show to big parrots and the like. All really cool stuff to shoot pictures of. Not to mention Fireworks on the 4th. Maybe even a super macro shot of a mosiquito if I can find one.

OH THE PAIN!

I Shutter With Anticipation

I ordered THIS today! Along with a One Gig memory chip, and a carry case. As I have blogged before, I HATE WAITING! I did not want to pay for one day delivery, but two day was an acceptable amount.

I got a call on my cell while driving home from work to confirm my order, so I should now be able to expect it to arrive on Monday or Tuesday.

Have I told you yet that "I HATE WAITING?!" I am, however, sure that I will live through the experience. At least it will get here in time for "little man's" pine wood derby next Friday. Speaking of which, the painting is almost done, just the blue is left. then drawing the silver spider web on the front and applying the rub on spider de-cal. Then it will be ready for the gloss coat, and the wheels. Woooo Hooooo!

Back Home & Still Running

Back home from my accidental vacation, which was not restful, and finding I need another. No such luck. My Grandmother's cousin always used to say, "If there is no rest for the wicked, then I am awful damn bad!" At the moment I am feeling awful damn bad, since I to have no time to rest.

Pinewood Derby is less than two weeks away, and we are still in the midst of several layers of a very cool paint job. Unfortunately, you need dry time between coats, before you sand. I am hoping to get two more coats of primer on this evening since it dries fast.

I can't believe that I actually have a minute at work to blog. Shhhhh!, don't tell anyone, or they will end up wanting something from me.

In other news, A word to the wise never have your internet, cell, and land line providers all the same. Now not only do we not have internet, we also don't have land line service. (Yes my parents paid the bill.) They didn't even have cell service for a time over the weekend.

It really sux not being able to get at your email, or other prohibited web sites ( Get out of the gutter, I meant eHarmony.) at work. Since all that happy horse $h!+ is turned off to keep you from spending all day on none work related things. THE NERVE!

Well, my minions beckon.

Accidental Blog Vacation

I have been having technical issues at home, and will be out of town for the weekend. Alas, it will be Monday next before I am able to blog. :o(

BBC America, Mystery Mondays, and "What did they say?"

I just love Mystery Mondays on BBC America. I believe Amercian TV could take a few lessons from British TV. I for one would rather watch fewwer high quality 2 hour episodes, like "Blood in the Wire," or "Murphy's Law," then a weeks worth of CSI Miami. I do feel differently about the Law & Order Franchise. They segments are excelent for only being on for an hour. (Which in T.V. land is only about 42 minutes.)

Last night "Blood in the Wire" was smiply riveting. Frankly, I was gob smacked! ( You will have to watch British T.V. to know that it means awestruck.) "Murphy's Law" was also very good, but a little more predictable.

However, this is not the true point to my blog. I am hoping Katya Coldheart (see link to the left, yes I am lazy today.) can clear this one up for me. What the heck does blood in the wire mean? Does wire mean telephone line? I thought you guys called that the tellie. The premise of the show is that a British professor cum porofiler puts himself in the place of the preditors and the victims in order to suss out the bad guys.

Now some funny stuff I have learned about the Brits on BBC America.

If you plan to visit a friend, but don't know when you should arrive you ask, "What time would you like me to knock you up?"

If someone is really under your skin in London you say, "He's up my nose!"

"Are you having me on?" or "Are you winding me up?" means, "Are you kidding me?" or "Are you pulling my leg?" (Which in and of itself is pretty damn funny.)

If your torch & jumper are in the boot, then your flashlight and sweater are in the trunk of your car.

If you are really pissed, you are not mad you are drunk, and they say shite in stead of shit.

I learned from a British friend I work with, that the F word is no big deal to them. However, it is very vulgar if you use the term "Bugger." I also believe that Bollucks is like Bull Shit is over here.

Normally I don't have too much trouble understanding them, while watching. However, when those bloody Scotsman start talking I'm done. I tried to watch a Scotish detective show and I almost had to give it up, because I could not understand the star of the show. For the life of me I can't think of the name of the program. It started with an R and the star was is also the star of McCallum. Anyway, doesn't really matter.

I just really want to understand the term blood in the wire, for some reason it is getting my knickers all in a twist!

UUUUUUUHG!

My kingdom for a calculator! I must admit I am bragging, alot actually, I currently have so many matches that want to communicate with me I can hardly keep track of who it is I am emailing with. Sheeshe!

I am so glad to finally be having this problem. I never expected I would be in this boat again. Currently, I have three women in the pre-date/let's meet mode. Two of which are hotties, and the other one is trying to get her picture to show up on the site.

What a Dork I am!

After all that adding Katya stuff, I forgot to add Greekchickies's Blog ! UGH

Anyhow, I have done it now. Sorry Mariana, consider yourself added.

Finally!

It took me forever, but I have now added Katya Coldheart to my link section. I have been meaning to for so long it is not funny. She has just linked to me, so I figured I had better get on the ball.

By the way Katya, I have many british friends, so I knew what the boot was. That is one of the reasons I like your blog it reminds me of all my friends. Furthermore, I am so hooked on BBC America it is not funny.

Just where have I been???????????

Well, I'll tell you. In the last 3 days my son and I have been to the doctor's office, the ER, then road to Children's Mercy ER via cool ambulance, then finally he was admitted at Children's where he had an emergency apendectomy (sp?).

In the last 3 days I have had not more than a total of 6 hours of sleep. Most of my night time hours were spent being pee'd on by a 7 year old who was too drugged up and too asleep to aim right. But hey, that's what I signed up for when I participated in his conception so I can't complain, and I am not. I would walk through horse shit and broken glass on my hands and knees for either one of my kids, so this was nothing really.

He is doing wonderfully fine, and will be able to go back to school Monday, with restrictions. He was lucky that it was not yet perferated so we don't have to go through all that poisoning jazz.

The food was AWESOME, and so was the hospital. I took pictures with my phone that I will upload once both I and my phone recharge our batteries.

I have to go check on "Hotrod" be back to you all later.

IT IS FINNISHED!

I must say it was a truly delightful read. It is the best fiction I have read so far this year. I have already bought Angles and Demons, and Digital Fortress on sale at Target.

Next up, however, is Wicked. It was loaned to me by a friend, and is the the story of the Wizard of Oz, as told by the Wicked Witch of the West. Not to mention the pile of books I have purchased in the last month and a few loaners I have yet to read. There is just never enough time, and way too many books! (Such is life.)

Mouse pads for guys

Where can I get one of theeeeeeeese?