Sworn In

It's official.

Mom was sworn in tonight.
Two year term. I am the son of a politician.

Harp Recital

Suzanna had a harp recital on Sunday that was awesome. I got a little silly with the camera, and apparently elicited like responses from the family.

Suzanna was eager for her performance to begin so I would leave her alone.

Roxie Jane started out happy and perky.


But she got tired of the perkiness and sought comfort.

Jenni was teasing Max and I about how our grumpy faces look the same. We were trying to look silly here, but I think the effect is scary; for both of us.

Grandpa let us see that it is actually our genetic destiny.

Grandma Sandy is still ready to campaign!

Jennilyn is politely warning me to knock it off soon...

Sam is glad he's sitting in the back row.

Stewart seems to be trying to use his brain to make me leave him alone.

It was a beautiful setting, with a valley below us and the leaves turning colors. When I can find a way to reduce the size of the video files I took of her performing, I will upload those as well.

All the Hues that Are Fit to Print...

For Jenni's love of Picasa's photo-editing features. :)

Every Man Should Know How to Tie a Necktie...

... especially a BOW tie.



This is the first in what will become an irregular series of posts about how to be a grown-up in today's society.

Taking Care of the Caretaker

Poor Jennilyn. She's had an earache for almost two days. Last night, she said she was going into the doctor today if it wasn't gone.

Not only did it not go, it got worse.

Diagnosis, Swimmer's Ear.

Doctor-prescribed anti-biotic ear drops and Lortabs are helping her feel more comfortable. Soup and a bagel has been comfort food today.

She does so much, it's nice to be able to take care of her once in a while.

Today I submitted myself as an applicant for another job at the nearby Army base. They hire a lot of civilians. I thought it was daunting re-drafting my resume for the first time in almost a decade, but the process was actually intuitive enough that it dissipated some of my tension. There are dozens more of these openings to sort through. Surely someone out there needs a law-talking guy of my unique skillset...

~Please Won't You Be . . . My Roommate.~

Things to do today;

• Apply for medical assistance, since my insurance is going to vanish in 3 weeks
• Help Dad get his wireless router working again
• Call the Maryland Court of Appeals and order letters of good standing for the job apps I am submitting everywhere
• Come up with a killer metaphor to explain online friction between worldviews

Years ago, I read a life-changing, worldview-shaping editorial. And dang it, I've never been able to find it again, so I can't reference the author or publication. If anyone recognizes, leave a comment!

The author (a woman) made the bold statement that all men fall into one of two categories; they are either boyfriends, or they are husbands. I'm not proposing to recreate this amazing hypothesis, though after two decades of adult experience (and far too many experiences with dysfunctional relationships), I will assert that it is very true.

The polar, binary formulation of the above editorial is appealing. It forces us to decide which we are, to defend our behaviors, to self-reflect and categorize. There are so many of these dichotomies in life, not all of them are real; I believe in gradations. Continuums of behavior. But sometimes, the either/or really is true.

Are you a "Type A" personality?
Beatles or Elvis?
Ontime or late?
Star Wars or Star Trek?*
Football or Baseball?
Dem or Repub?

So I propose another binary; I've been trying to formalize my concept of online interaction. Blog-reading, facebook-friending, message-board-messaging. We encounter folks. Leave footprints. You ever had an awkward encounter with someone else online? Maybe they were too aggressive? Or too combative? Too distant?

Some people interact with their online-folks like they were real-life neighbors. See, there's a boundary between neighbors, even if they are apartment building neighbors. Walls divide us. Everything we do outside the home is open for review, everyone knows that. It's embarrassing if you have a fight outside, because everyone hears it. Of course some people really don't care who hears or sees everything.

If that's the metaphor, than we presume everything that we do on online is going to be seen, talked about considered. I mean, maybe we are boring neighbors, and no one will notice us. But folks who are online like that, they use nicknames for their kids (or even themselves sometimes) so no one can learn things they shouldn't know). They are very circumspect about what they say and do online in the first place; you'll never get an online neighbor to admit that they watch trashy soap operas.

But some people treat their circle of online-folks like they are family. Living in the same house. There is a presumed, very real intimacy. They stick to people that they really know, aren't trying to recruit new folks. Their online life is often an extension of their "real" life.

When people from the first group encounter people from the second group, things get weird.

Person A, "Hey, new-friend, great house, cool furniture, love how you've decorated the place!"
Person B, "Dude. Why are you looking through my underwear drawer?"

How do you consider your online friends? I freely declare myself to be in the neighbor camp. When I shared the depressing news that I lost my job on Monday, half of the recommendations and job suggestions came from people I've never even met in real life. They are friends, neighbor-friends. My online life is an open book.

But I can understand that this flavor of presumed friendship can be freaky to someone that spends most of their online footprint staying in touch with family and real life friends.

How do we bridge that gap? I guess just be aware that where cultures collide, there will be friction. If you are a neighbor, don't go barging into a roommate's "house" and trash the place.

If you are a roommate, and a neighbor shows up with a plate of cookies, just try to understand that in neighbor culture, it's a gesture of friendship and welcome.

I believe in the capacity of the human heart to bridge gaps. To be friends. Friendship is an act of imagination and an exercise of will. What kind of friend are you? How do you bridge that gap?

* Note: every true SF fan, every true fan of good art knows there is only one true answer to that question; Firefly

Some Favorite Conversations (I want to remember)

"Man, this ketchup is bad. It's like it's gone rancid or something..."
"...that's cocktail sauce. It came with your fried fish."
(embarassed silence)


"So what's new?"
"Breaking news! This just in! My affection for you is at an all-time high!"


A young man, speaking with an adult acquaintance about the acquaintance's brother, "Say, aren't you two brothers?"
"You could say we are . . . distant relations."
"Someday I hope I'm distantly related to my brother, too."


"Thursday, we are going to the cannery on assignment for the church."
"What? I don't want to do canning!"
"Actually, you won't be canning, you are too young, you'll be labeling."
"What? But I want to do canning!"