Kayak.com Is Totally Dope!

Day 118 - January 31, 2011

I saved a bunch of money by booking a Virgin Airlines flight.  I never even would have considered them on my own.  Now I have to plan my itinerary.  The only LA landmark I can really think of is Disneyland.  So we'll have to go there.  And I would like to see the Griffith's Observatory only because they have a Foursquare Badge.  Come to think of it, most of my travel plans will probably be Foursquare related. And whatever Lauren and Adam want to do.  They count too.

Hoopin' with Carl Kasell

Day 117 - January 30, 2011

I can see these basketball courts from my front porch.  Today the courts were clear, and I had an episode of "Wait...Wait... Don't Tell Me" burning a hole in my iPod.  The only problem with this court is the net.  It's too tight at the bottom so the ball will get stuck.  It sucks less if I think of it as rebounding practice where I have to rip the ball out of the net.  But that means by the lightning round, I've jumped a bunch.

Alfonso's Birthday

Day 116 - January 29, 2011

Thinking that the weather was finally better, I gathered my gear together for pick-up soccer.  For some stupid reason, I'm hesitant to join a league.  For some reason I'm worried about having plans on Saturday morning for the next 10 weeks.  Like I might have to miss a game because I'll be called to emergency brain surgery in Dallas.  I know I'll be around the next 10 weeks.  Any trips I might take will be scheduled far in advance.  That's it.  I'll be joining a league in the coming months.  Book it.

Alfonso's birthday party at Chao Bistro.  The staff seemed very friendly.  I think they were grateful that we brought in so much business.  They're kicking off a new menu soon so they brought us experimental crab cakes.  That part was good (but the picture is of a Seattle Tempura Roll).  But they also tried out some experimental drinks like a "Spicy Margarita"  It tasted like a saturated solution of tabasco sauce and pepper.  Ugh.

EASTSIDERS!!!! MOUNT UP!!!

Day 115 - January 28, 2011

Sometimes I forget that I grew up in Sammamish.  I have so many connections to that town in my adult life through coaches, teachers and kids, and almost no connections to the school from my days there as a student.  Today was a great example.  I still attend the IJH staff party which is kind of weird because I haven't worked there for 18 months.  I don't want to become Wooderson from "Dazed and Confused".  But they keep sending me invitations and giving me beer and food.  How could I turn that down?

The Eastlake Basketball games was another weird experience.  I either taught, coached, or worked with half the people in that gym.   Though I haven't really kept in touch with the kids at all.  I get this moment with every kid where I have a mini panic attack trying to remember their name and any relevant details about them.  I've started to develop some stock conversation tactics. 

 In response to "Why did you change schools?", I say either:

"Once you graduated, it was all downhill from there." 

or 

"I knew every other kid would look like a moron compared to you.  I figured I should go out on a high note."  

Reading Is Cool Again

Day 114 - January 27, 2011

KINDLE!!!  I don't know why this is better than books, but it totally is!!!  I immediately downloaded 30 free books, because I need to have War and Peace on my Kindle just in case I'm in the mood to visit Moscow during the Napoleonic Wars.

I've been asking everyone about their thoughts on the Kindle.  It's getting mixed revues but I've seen a definite pattern emerge.

Group A:  
People that DON'T have a Kindle say that:
The Kindle kills the Mom and Pop bookstore.
The Kindle is elitist.
You can't share Kindle books with a friend (not true).
You can't write in the margins (also not true).
Kindle won't smell like a book (impossible to verify).

Group B:
Everyone that has a Kindle freaking LOVES it.

Being in Group B is amazing.  Suck it, Group A!!
I can't hear your hating over the sound of my new, fancy, electronic, book learning

Best Flipchart Ever!!

Day 113 - January 26, 2011

OVER THE LIMIT!!!  Our Dodgeball team is back with a vengeance!!  The rules of Dodgeball are surprisingly complicated.  The first year we played in this league, half of our games devolved into confused shouting matches about "Head Shots" and "Juggled Live Balls" ("that's what she said!").  For our new players, we have a quick bootcamp in my classroom using this flipchart.  It's Woody vs. Buzz and we use the Luxo ball from Toy Story.  Thanks to my superb coaching, our rookies crushed it and OTL rolled to victory.

1-0

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!

I don't know about the rest of your night, but my two minutes are GOLD!!

Day 112 - January 25, 2011

Sixth Grade Parent Night - The whole seventh grade team is supposed to stick around until 8:00pm because we have nothing better to do.  We wait that long to talk to these people, who get to make a choice about which school they want to attend.  We try to tell them to come learn with us.

My job is to talk about math for two minutes, form complete sentences, not trip over myself, and avoid any bathroom accidents.

Check. Check. Check. And...Check!

I can play Volleyball, but I can't tell you how

Day 111 - January 24, 2011

Give me any sport with a net, and I can probably play it pretty well.  The net helps negate my natural height disadvantage because I can play smarter not taller.

So naturally, on the first day of Volleyball practice, someone asks me, "Can you help me serve?".  Drawing on my years of Tennis, I showed them what an overhand serve looks like by pounding one over the net.  The kid said "Ok, can you help ME serve now?"  Not trying to be a jerk, I said "Umm... I'm not sure how to serve a Volleyball.  I need to go learn first.  I'll teach you once I learn."

Also, I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures of practice.  There's a ton of weird tension between our girls in their spandex and the wrestling team in their spandex.  We don't need pictures of spandex here.

You don't have to guess. You can try to find the RIGHT answer!!

Day 110 - January 23, 2011

Scantron tests are AWESOME!!!  I should give these every single time.  They are graded in 10 minutes and my whole day is free to surf the interwebs.  I got to read everything on ESPN.com, research my future Kindle purchase, and spend most of the day reading the screenplay for "The Social Network".

Like.

Let It Ride!!

Day 109 - January 22, 2011

Snoqualmie Casino, you seem to have this backwards.  Why do I have to walk up 10 flights of stairs to enter your casino?  You're making it hard to enter, but easy to leave.

Also, the number of flatscreen TVs showing sports is great (even if it is NBA D-League) but it provides a number of clocks throughout your casino as well.  You have a ton of windows, which would provide wonderful views during the day, but would also remind me how long I've been inside gambling. This flies in the face of traditional casino wisdom.



You also provided me high class food, like a bagel dog and free water, which was nice.

But the biggest mistake you made was letting me gamble.  Because you thought you were going to take my money, but according to this video poker screen, I walked out a winner.  Don't worry about how much I won.  Just be satisfied that I won.

England = Culture

Day 108 - January 21, 2011

For some reason, England is being especially awesome lately.  Two examples:

 Downton Abbey

You know what's classy?  Watching Masterpiece Theatre is classy, especially when it's this awesome.  OMG This show is so crazy!  There are so many people who are all trying to mess with each other.  You get to follow the Lord and Lady of the House (Granthams) and also the various footman, chambermaids, and valets.  There’s a ton of drama, backstabbing, power grabs, and there were at least THREE times where I shouted “NO WAY!”  The setting and costumes are great and they definitely draw you into this world.  Even so, the style of the show is very modern.  It airs Sunday on PBS and the whole series streams on PBS.org

Fifa 10 Newcastle

I only really started following soccer in 2009, when the Sounders debuted.  But I’ve slowly built a loyalty to Newcastle FC in the English Premiere League.  In an effort to become more familiar with English Football, I’ve been playing plenty of Fifa.  I have created myself to add to the Magpies considerable arsenal.  We are now near the tops of the table and we even bested Manchester United.  Suck it, Rooney. 

I know it seems silly, but there’s still something very exciting about building something, even if it is fictional.  Something about the planning and the fortitude to create a winning side is amazing.

So congratulations, England.  You are so killing it right now!

The words you’re looking for are, “Thank You”!

Day 107 - January 20, 2011

I’ve never had a pizza party where there wasn’t enough pizza.  I wasn’t there to see the feeding frenzy start, but I heard there were kids taking half a pie for themselves.  There were even some kids who weren’t involved with the team at all who sneaked some pizza.  And the kids were supposed to bring two bucks each, but only half the kids brought the money. We even bought the girls bags with our own money as a show of our appreciation for the season.  All I get now are kids who didn’t play for us begging for a freebie.  And NO ONE said “Thank You”!!! 

My generosity was taken advantage of.  This is how nice people learn to stop being nice.

Homegrown Dingo? Downtown Sasquatch? Two bros, One mic?

Day 106 - January 19, 2011

Whitney and I are now playing Jimmy Eat World songs.  I just need to listen to some Jimmy Eat World songs to learn how they sound.  Also, he’s playing on a custom made Taylor guitar.  I will be playing on the beginners level Yamaha, factory made guitar.  Though tonight I shredded the undersized, completely out of tune backpacking guitar.

We are also in the market for a name for our musical act.  Thoughts? 

Too Beautiful To Live: Why Blogging Matters

Day 105 - January 18, 2011

The more I look at other blogs around the interwebs, the more I wonder, what’s the point of blogging?  Obviously, this experience is not really for the masses due to the horrendously low readership.  So in looking at other blogs, it seems like there are two major kinds.  There are the uber specific blogs that focuses very closely on one particular interest or hobby.  And the amalgamation blogs that are scattershot about covering a wide range of topics. 

I am interested in more than one specific thing and I think I would drive myself crazy if I focused so closely on one topic.  New things come up all the time and I think a blog that is too focused on just taking pictures of school lunches (which was a great idea) would be too narrow to encompass everything that catches my attention.  So, in thinking about what kind of blogs I like to read, I've figured out what kind of blog I would want this to be.  

Essentially, I would want to be a shadow of TBTL.  TBTL is a podcast, but they are also way of looking at the world.  They kind of have a stated goal (“To eradicate loneliness around the world?), but they don’t work on that mission directly.  They just want to be friendly and talk about things that interest them.  They want the time spent with the listeners to be a fun, community building, and maybe even enlightening experience.  

RAWR!  (That's TBTL-speak for "Awesome")

5 Hour Energy Is Like Milk. It Was A Bad Choice.

Day 104 - January 17, 2011

I know I have caffeine sensitivities.  So why do I do this to myself?  I felt like I had so much work to do and I needed to put my head down and power through.  I didn't have any coffee or soda, but I did have one of these little gems in my backpack.  I don't know how it got there, but I needed a little boost with no crash later.  When I read the label, I got scared about having the "MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF ENERGY", so I just sipped it slowly over the course of three hours.  It tastes like flat, non-alcoholic Four Loko.

I graded this whole mountain.  Yay!

I need to be a responsible adult, and just take more naps.  I have a great beanbag chair in my classroom.  But I was worried that I might fall asleep and not wake up until 3:00am and I would be trapped in the building because the security system was armed.  I recognize that is a highly irrational fear.  I think it was the 5 Hour Energy talking.

Just to be clear, please don't use this product.  Ever.

Where'd the Beast Go?

Day 103 - January 16, 2011

This was a total "Dead Man Walking" Game.  We never really stood a chance (especially after our TWO F%$#&ing CONCUSSIONS!!!).  Our game was such a disappointment that I needed to take an "Angry Nap" during the Patriots - Jets game.  And those two activities took up my whole day.

That's the thing I won't miss about football season being over.  I'll get my weekends back.  Don't get me wrong.  It's fun to get together with the guys and watch all the games and have a good time.  But I'm a man of diverse interests.  Sometimes I'd like to be doing something else with my weekends.  However, I'm totally watching football next Sunday because it's Conference Championship Weekend.  How could I not watch THIS weekend?

"I'm Rolling Rocks Tonight. You Guys Are Dead In The Water."

Day 102 - January 15, 2011

Bowling is harder than I remember, but thankfully, I remembered all the rules.  My high score tonight was only 145.  It was nice that they had the football games on at the lanes, and that they let us use the gutter bumpers for the children.  Also, since the bowling alley is in my attendance area, I was sure we were going to run into kids.  Sure enough, while we were walking out the door holding a plate of cupcakes, we saw a whole group of my students.

The kids ate the cupcakes without reservation.  It made me feel good that they trusted me.  I am not a crazy stranger who would hurt them with cupcakes.

Remembering Grandpa Walter

 Day 101 - January 14, 2011

Walter Irving was 93 and was living in an assisted living home.  When Grandma Barbara died a few years ago, my family went down to San Francisco for the funeral.  It was such a strange service because it was just our family and my Aunt's family.  My Grandparents had moved to San Francisco from out past Stockton a few years earlier.  They had outlived most of their friends, and the ones who were still alive weren't able to get around so well, so the funeral was attended by 10 people.  My folks said they were still glad we did it because Grandpa needed to say goodbye to his wife.  It seemed so strange to put together a service for just our family.  So we all decided that it wouldn't quite be appropriate to do that when Grandpa passed away.

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He died just before Christmas.  It was not a surprise.  We did not get the two families together and we did not hold a funeral.  Grandpa had outlived most of his friends and we would only be holding a service for us.

 I've only ever seen Grandpa eat three things: Pillsbury Toaster Strudel (but he only called them "Gizmos"), tomatoes from his garden, and ice cream.   He LOVED ice cream sundaes.  So we all agreed that we would make ice cream sundaes in honor of him.

I still have a strange mix of feelings about all this.  We were all prepared for this and could see it coming from a ways off.  Grandpa had lived a very long life full of friends and travel.  But, for the last few years, his quality of life and been declining and he was having more trouble getting around and going through a regular routine.  I'm still not sure how I feel.

But ice cream does make me feel a little bit happier.

Dad's Last Basketball Game... Unless He Has Another One

Day 100 - January 13, 2011

He's threatened to retire for so many years, everyone in the family has stopped listening to him.  But the wheels are in motion and he's finally going to be done after 30 years.  I'm really glad that his last game was against us.  His teams always play hard, play fair and they clearly love playing for him.

The Bob Loblaw Law Blog Returns... And Sucks At Trivia

Day 99 - January 12, 2011

After a long hiatus, The Bob Loblaw Law Blog was completely out of form.  We finished middle of the pack and I felt like we should have done much better.  The questions were pretty random and didn't touch on any of our strong points.  There were no sports, very little pop culture, no name the song round.  We felt completely out of our element.  After years of searching the city for different trivia nights, the team has decided that Celtic Bayou might have been the worst restaurant, but the best trivia.  That's hauntingly beautiful.

I Still Have No Clue What The Title Means.

Day 98 - January 11, 2011

Exit Through The Gift Shop - This movie is awesome.  It's about street art... kind of.  And it's about filmmaking... kind of.  And it's about that discussion you've had in the wee hours of the morning while you're in an altered state about "What is art, man?"... kind of.  It's pretty amazing and it's on Netflix streaming.  I completely forgot my new intel Mac Mini could use Netflix again.  Thanks, technology. 

CROWS!! (Ravens, too. And Magpies.)

Day 97 - January 10, 2011

The Pacific Science Center sent me an email about their "Science Cafe".  The talk was given by a UW researcher who focuses on crows and ravens.  I learned so much, like:

Crows remember faces.  

Crows give presents to people they like.  

Crows scream and poop at people they don't like.

Crows can tell other crows to hate your face too.

Crows can learn vocalizations from other animals.

Crows can use tools to make other tools.

Crows are actually kind of cute.

Crows like Cheetos.

Lunchbox Laboratory Is Moving In? Sorry, Arteries.

Day 96 - January 9, 2011

The Southlake Grill is becoming the new Lunchbox Laboratory.  They have half off Sundays until they change over at the end of the month.  Is there any chance they won't need this painting?

BEAST MODE!

Day 95 - January 8, 2011

Seahawks win?  This was one of the more improbable victories I've ever seen.  I'm still in shock and awe.  And this Marshawn Lynch run is one of the biggest plays in Seahawks history.

The only way to make this play better would be to do something like this.

What Does It Mean When Our Number Is Bigger Than Theirs?

Day 94 - January 7, 2011

Concrete proof that my team has been in the lead during a basketball game.

My Exact Words Were, "Ask Your Parents First".

Day 93 - January 6, 2011

It's important to note that I DID NOT recommend this book to a child.  I stated several times that this is more of an adult book, and that the child should talk to his parents before making any decision, ever.  But that child walked up to me today and said that he had finished the first book already.  That means he already read about several situations in graphic detail.  I feel weird having those conversations with adults.  Hopefully this child won't grow up to be a criminal.  I did ask him how he managed to get a copy of the book.  Did he ask his parents?  He said, "As long as I keep my grades up, they don't care what I read.   The only time I've ever been in trouble was when I downloaded too many books to my Kindle."

Again, I DID NOT recommend these books to a child.

Day 92 - 1/5/11

I haven't sat down to watch an entire movie in a long time.  After I saw Up In The Air in theaters, I thought it was one of my favorite movies ever.  That's probably still true.  Maybe it's because I spent so much time in airports shuttling between Florida and Seattle.  Maybe it's because I like that he collects airline miles like I collect Foursquare Badges.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World came with an alternate ending that made much more sense.  At the end of the regular movie, he ends up with Ramona.  He spent the whole movie fighting her League of Evil Exes, but she spent the whole movie being distant and cold towards him.  In the alternate ending, he ends up with Knives, who has been kind and outgoing the whole time.  Although she is still in high school at the end of the movie...

Day 91 - 1/4/11

At the last minute, I was asked to referee two basketball games.  It's very difficult to referee by yourself because you only see the action from one angle and naturally, you miss some things.  Normally, when an official is alone, coaches cut the referee some slack because it's understood that you won't see everything.  

I guess our coach didn't know any of that, because he kept complaining about things that were wrong.  No, Coach, you can't double team.  It's in the rules.  No, Coach, they can press because they're down ten points.  Yes, Coach, your team complains and blames the referee because they learned it from you.  And yes, Coach, I've never heard anyone so upset about winning a game by 20 points.

I wanted to relax when I got home but my guitar strings were out of tune and needed to be changed.  Changing strings isn't as much fun as playing.  I'll change them later.

Day 90 - 1/3/11

First day back at school.  One of my students went totally overboard on our tessellation project and made this banner over break.  We hung it up in the pod for everyone to see.  It managed to stay up all day and nobody messed with it.  I chose to take that as a sign that we have really nice kids, but it probably just means they were tired.

A close up of the banner.

Day 89 - 1/2/11

Every year, my family makes predictions on New Year's Eve.  We predict things that will happen to us personally, news events at the local, national and international levels, sports, and entertainment.  Then before we make predictions for the coming year, we look back at our predictions from last year and see how we did.  There's usually a lot of head slapping.  How could I have such little faith in Jimbo Fisher? (FSU beats Florida but no bowl game).  And why didn't I bet on the World Cup?  (Spain.  Not like I was going out on a limb there...)

We have a book where we keep all the predictions.  It goes all the way back to 1983, the year I was born.  I didn't make many predictions back then.  But I learn so much.  Like I learn that my mom thought that I would be a girl.

Day 88 - 1/1/11

Ruby 2: Electric Boogaloo.  All the levers are in different places and the interior is a different color but it feels great to have a car made in the last 30 years.  Driving the Bug, I was reminded of all the things I miss about newer cars.  Heaters, seatbelts, radios, real headlights and horns.  Heck, how about locks where you don't need to hold in the car handle as you close the door?

I like that someone reset the trip odometer after 1.9 miles.  As if I wouldn't notice.

Day 87 - 12/31/10

Amy decided her and Parker were coming over to make pizzas.  So that's what happened.

That's a tomato, corn and feta salad.  We tried to compliment Amy several times and she gave all the credit to Trader Joe's.  How modest.

The crust was surprisingly crispy and light.  Probably because it was hand tossed.

I still get weird looks when I take pictures.  Um, it's called "smiling".  You should try it sometime.

Day 86 - 12/30/10

Why do they only make these in kids sizes?  This would have made the wait at the dentist's office so much more fun.

Day 85 - 12/29/10

Breakfast of Champions!  I took this picture because not having a real car sucks and I was pretty sure I wasn't going anywhere again today.

Then Parker called and wanted to start "Battlestar Galactica".  Awesome.  So Say We All!!

Day 84 - 12/28/10

The Hjelms came over to try Rock Band.  It's like the Partridge Family, only these guys really liked The Cure and Huey Lewis.

Yeah, these are still happening.