After an AMAZING weekend...Monday came round again to jar us back into a sense of reality...of sorts.
This past weekend was the "BIG BLIZZARD OF 2009," Which only looked like a blizzard with its 25 MPH winds and blowing snow, ice, rain and sleet. Wrecks were had, stores were shuttered and many a take out pizza was devoured.
I awoke Saturday morning expecting the blizzard of all blizzards and found that it had only sprinkled and "ice pelleted" a bit overnight. I was kind of in an "all or nothing" mood, thinking that it might be nice for once to actually have a threatening snowstorm actually threaten us. Usually we get these impending doom forecasts and then awake to nada, so this time...I wanted to get the smack down! A real, honest-to-goodness blast of last-ditch Winter that would scare folks enough to make them stay indoors and build a fire.
By noon we had more ice pellets and some pretty gusty winds, but still no "Apocalyptic Snowstorm" as had been promised. Dustin had no plans for the day since we'd warned him of the weather, and Jared had baseball practice (indoors of course) scheduled, that had not yet been canceled. So, with that in mind, Sherry, Jared and I started out on our trek... Shortly before our time to leave arrived, the snow began to fall. Not just any snow, mind you...but snowflakes the size of Half Dollar coins!
The wind increased making white-out conditions the norm. Suddenly, the Half-Dollar sized flakes grew to can-lid sized flakes! Having never witnessed flakes of that enormity (other than at the Democratic Convention), I paused to take a few photographs, should the evidence be later needed for blog purposes such as this.
We got into the van and slid sideways pulling out of the driveway. "UH OH" we said in collective agreement. We slid around the corner and down the hill and up a hill and around another corner.
"I'm calling the Coach" I said. The Coach agreed with my assessment of the weather and he too, decided that the practice facility fifteen miles away was too far a destination in such foul weather.
We turned around and headed for home...by way of Burger King and Taco Bell.
We arrived home after taking a slight detour to avoid sliding up and down and around, and still we did slide a bit regardless of our well-thought plans. We ate and then, seeing as how it was cold, overcast and snowing a tempest outside, we opted for nap-time. As I dozed next to my mate of lo these many years, I was awakened by a phone call.
Barnes and Noble (yes the actual Mr. Barnes and Mr. Noble) was calling to tell me that in spite of my wonderful work ethic and endless optimism, I would not be needed for the evening, since the store would be closing early due to the less than appealing weather. Having no need for money (seeing as how I'm independently wealthy and all that), I laughed a happy laugh and went quickly back to slumberland.
That night, as the storm closed in around us, my Wife snuggled close to me. "Protect me Dear," she begged. "Protect our loving family," she said, referring to the urchins we had taken in several years before. "Why yes, my love" I said. "I shall forever hold and keep you...or keep and hold you...whichever comes first!"
So we gathered on the Couch, just the two of us...and watched "Fireproof" starring Kirk Cameron of "Growing Pains" while the little ones watched the television sets in their rooms. We knew that whatever the weather had in store for those outside; it could not break through the bounds of our love and inflict it's cold cruelty upon us.
The next morning, we awoke late as our rooster had frozen solid during the night. We had slept right through church like a band of Heathens...or like some of the old people who sit on the back row in the sanctuary. The sun was dazzling yellow in the sky and the snow screamed weakly as it puddled it's way into the ground.
We were proud of what we had done. We had faced the evil storm and vanquished it with the warm light of day...and a couple of snow shovels to clear a path to our doorstep.
All in all, it was the perfect blizzard... Brief, and to the point...much like this story...
Today, only two days later...the temps reached a balmy 67 degrees and the blizzard, like this story...is now but a memory...
The End...
David Cox
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Just give me something to talk about
So for the past few weeks I've been fielding complaints from my regular readers that my blogs have been coming in less-than-regularly... and for that, I am sorry....but....
I've had a bit of writer's block. Not that I haven't had anything to say, but more of the "how to say it" variety.
So, here I am... How are you? What have you been up to lately? See? Nothing of note to note.
I talked to my Sister, Cindy on the phone last night for the first time in a long time. We talked for almost an hour. After that, I called my Nephew, Shannon, who I literally have not talked to in years. We talked for quite a while about our kids, our lives and most importantly...BASEBALL!
Now those of you who know me know that I am an avid baseball fan and even more so I'm a RABID Kansas City Royals fan! A blog or two ago I posted pictures from the Royals fan fest, and sometime in early April I hope to post pictures of the Season Home Opener here in Kansas City! For the first time in....EVER!!! I was able to get some tickets to the first home game of the season.
This year is especially important being that it is the first one in the "new" stadium. Not only that, but our team is looking better than ever this year! I realize that by putting this in print it may come back to haunt me Ala the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CURSE, but I'm willing to take my chances. The Royals had the best September in all of baseball and we had some of the very best pitching in the closing days of the season, which is very promising when you look at all that Greinke and Soria did last season and then they went out with a bang and not a whimper...(THANK GOODNESS!)
So, on April 10th, you know where I'll be, along with Jared...the other baseball nut in our house...
On the home front...Dustin turned 15 and got his learner's permit and has been tooling around the hood with us in the car. I must say, he's really pretty good and would be perfect if he'd stop hugging the edge of the pavement and making REALLY wide turns. Other than that, he's doing well.
Jared turned 9 and finished out the basketball season at almost the same time. His team ended up 2nd in the city tournament, although I thought they could have and should have won the whole thing. They had a great season! Baseball practice has already started and we've been busy with that... We moved our new team from Independence to Fort Osage, which I think is a positive move. We'll just hope and pray for the best, but I'm really impressed with the new Coach and team.
See, nothing huge going on...no super-deep thoughts, no witty asides... just life... Hope yours is going well.
Dave
I've had a bit of writer's block. Not that I haven't had anything to say, but more of the "how to say it" variety.
So, here I am... How are you? What have you been up to lately? See? Nothing of note to note.
I talked to my Sister, Cindy on the phone last night for the first time in a long time. We talked for almost an hour. After that, I called my Nephew, Shannon, who I literally have not talked to in years. We talked for quite a while about our kids, our lives and most importantly...BASEBALL!
Now those of you who know me know that I am an avid baseball fan and even more so I'm a RABID Kansas City Royals fan! A blog or two ago I posted pictures from the Royals fan fest, and sometime in early April I hope to post pictures of the Season Home Opener here in Kansas City! For the first time in....EVER!!! I was able to get some tickets to the first home game of the season.
This year is especially important being that it is the first one in the "new" stadium. Not only that, but our team is looking better than ever this year! I realize that by putting this in print it may come back to haunt me Ala the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CURSE, but I'm willing to take my chances. The Royals had the best September in all of baseball and we had some of the very best pitching in the closing days of the season, which is very promising when you look at all that Greinke and Soria did last season and then they went out with a bang and not a whimper...(THANK GOODNESS!)
So, on April 10th, you know where I'll be, along with Jared...the other baseball nut in our house...
On the home front...Dustin turned 15 and got his learner's permit and has been tooling around the hood with us in the car. I must say, he's really pretty good and would be perfect if he'd stop hugging the edge of the pavement and making REALLY wide turns. Other than that, he's doing well.
Jared turned 9 and finished out the basketball season at almost the same time. His team ended up 2nd in the city tournament, although I thought they could have and should have won the whole thing. They had a great season! Baseball practice has already started and we've been busy with that... We moved our new team from Independence to Fort Osage, which I think is a positive move. We'll just hope and pray for the best, but I'm really impressed with the new Coach and team.
See, nothing huge going on...no super-deep thoughts, no witty asides... just life... Hope yours is going well.
Dave
Sunday, March 08, 2009
The good the Dad and the ugly
Lately I feel like the old 1970's toy, Stretch Armstrong... He was a rubber bodybuilder that you could pull about ten different directions at once, almost to the breaking point....but then, he'd suddenly snap back into place (slowly actually) as if nothing had ever happened....and would be ready to be stretched again another day.
Call me Stretch Armstrong! Between work and work and basketball and baseball...between school activities and home and driving to work and home and other things, I think I'm reaching a point...and not a good point, in which someday, like dear old, Stretch Armstrong...I will snap!
Tonight, my youngest pushed me closer to that point. I spent several minutes the other day looking up juvenile biographies for him for a school project, only to hear when I got them home, "I don't want to do those!" I explained to him that I brought home the books he asked for and he said he'd changed his mind. Now he wants to do some goofy pro-wrestler, which I have already explained is a complete "NO" in my book.
Tonight we argued about it more than I ever thought possible and it ended up with me saying that he was on his own on this project and that he could expect no further help from me.
So, was I wrong? The yelling was a bit much, I will admit, but given his strong-willed nature, it could have been worse I suppose.
I think I'm just tired. This weekend alone we had a baseball fundraiser, a basketball championship game (we lost), I worked, we had a baseball meeting, I had errands to run, we had company, I had more errands to run and I took Dustin to the movies. Whew! Now it is late Sunday night and I have Monday to look forward to and a big headache roaming around in my head growling, which I'm sure is a precursor to a really loud ROAR.
"You should take it easy" my friends say, and Yes, I really should...but I don't have time.
I would like to plan some vacation days off around our 20th Anniversary this summer...but if it isn't me or our schedule, it will probably be our finances that get to play STRETCH ARMSTRONG.
-David
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A sleepy man in a sleepless land
I'm twelve years old as I drift down the Finley River in Southwest Missouri. I sit in an old inner-tube, wearing a Star Wars T-Shirt and a bathing suit and some old Chuck Taylor Converse Tennis Shoes on my feet because sometimes the bottom of the river will hide broken glass in it's murky waters.
The day is warm and I'm drowsy as I float along, absently kicking my feet gently just beneath the surface of the water. I pick each foot up, one at a time, and watch the water drip and pour off of them returning again to the river. The waterfall ahead, next to where a mill once stood, rumbles noisily in the distance.
Something looks different about the edge of the falls on this day... where the river should continue beyond the waterfall is a green wall covered with white dresser-drawer knobs, that covers my entire field of vision. "What the heck is that doing there?" I say aloud as I draw nearer.
The inner-tube glides along and instead of going over the falls, it bumps up against the big green wall, again and again and again. I reach up for one of the dresser knobs, and pull myself up out of the water. I reach up, hand over hand and start to climb. I position each foot carefully on a knob and begin climbing up the giant wall that reaches into the sky. Above me, a hawk circles endlessly and calls out to no one in particular.
I realize that I'm now hanging about thirty-five feet above the water and just as I'm about to continue my ascent, the phone begins to ring. After the second ring, I open my eyes and roll over on the bed...the clock reads 3:37...which means I have been asleep for only seven minutes. Funny, it seemed like much longer. I pick up the phone..."Hello," I say. "No, I don't know where Jared is at the moment...I'll find out...Hold on."
"JARED!" I yell. "What?" He queries. "Phone call!" I yell. "Who is it?" He asks. "Who is it?" I ask.
I am informed that it is Robert. "It's Robert," I yell. "I don't want to talk to him..." Jared answers. "He's busy" I lie. Click goes the phone.
I look at the clock which reads 3:39. I roll over. I close my eyes.
The wall is blue now and the river is green. The hawk is now a toucan and Sherry is standing on the inner-tube, balancing on it like a surf board. I am now only ten feet above the water. "Great!" I think. "Now I have to climb all that way back up! Stupid Phone call. Stupid Robert!"
"What are you doing?" Sherry asks, still inner-tube surfing. "Climbing" I answer... "Duh" I think.
"How are you balancing like that?" I ask. "I've known how to do this since I was a kid" she answers, very matter-of-factly. "My Dad taught me!"
"Oh" I answer.
There is a knocking in the distance. I think it is either Sherry or the toucan, but I'm not sure. Knock Knock Knock and then suddenly, the doorbell rings. "Jared" I yell. "Get the door!"
Jared answers "I'm not supposed to get the door when you're asleep!" "Shoot!" I think..."He's right!"
I get up off the bed and trudge down the stairs in my socks, jeans and Royals Baseball T-Shirt.
The sun is awfully bright for a not sunny day. I open the door and Dustin's friends, Ron and John are standing there.
"Is Dustin home?" they ask in unison. "No, he's at a friend's house" I answer. They shrug and straggle off of the porch and down the steps. No wasted small-talk there. I lock the door and head back upstairs. I look at the clock which reads 3:59.
"Where did you get the boat?" I yell to Sherry from my perch, high above. "My Dad built it" she says. I'm starting to wonder how her Dad could build a boat in the time that it took me to go answer the door, but then I think "It's a dream, Dave...go with it." I'm marveling at this amazing boat that Sherry's Dad has built and then I start to wonder Sherry has done with my inner-tube.
"Why are you still up there?" Sherry asks. "I don't know" I answer, but I'm thinking that I really want to get a closer look at this hawk/toucan. I look up at the sky but don't see him. "Where did the bird go?" I ask. "Which one?" Sherry asks..."The owl?"
"Yeah," I answer, thinking that she obviously doesn't know her birds. "He's down here, my Dad is fixing him some eggs." Sherry says.
As I climb down I begin to think about the moral implications of an owl eating eggs, when the phone rings. I open one eye and then the other. It is now 4:11 according to the clock. I pick up the phone and a cheery, robotic voice informs me to STAY ON THE LINE FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE... I do. They try to tell me I need to have my van serviced soon. I hang up. I shut my eyes. I groan and fall asleep.
The owl is sitting at the table inside the large galley of the ship. Sherry's Dad is dishing out some scrambled eggs to him and he sits holding a fork and a knife in each claw. He licks his beak and begins too cut the eggs and then stops. "Hey, do you have any orange juice?" The owl asks. Sherry's Dad silently crosses to the refrigerator an gets a carton of juice out for the owl. Who knew that owls drank orange juice? I think to myself as I watch.
The boat begins to shake violently and I discover that it is only me shaking. Everything else is perfectly still. I awake to find Socks on the end of the bed, scratching violently at her neck. "Dog" I say to her..."This better be real good!" The clock says 4:23...I have it set to go off at 4:30.
I get up, plug in the iron and turn it on. Get out some clothes for work and go to get a drink of water.
Once again, nap time is foiled by the efforts of everyone and everything other than me. I may never again return to the Finley River of my dreams...and I'll never know if the Owl drank his orange juice or finished his eggs; or just how exactly Sherry's Dad got into the boat building business.
-David
The day is warm and I'm drowsy as I float along, absently kicking my feet gently just beneath the surface of the water. I pick each foot up, one at a time, and watch the water drip and pour off of them returning again to the river. The waterfall ahead, next to where a mill once stood, rumbles noisily in the distance.
Something looks different about the edge of the falls on this day... where the river should continue beyond the waterfall is a green wall covered with white dresser-drawer knobs, that covers my entire field of vision. "What the heck is that doing there?" I say aloud as I draw nearer.
The inner-tube glides along and instead of going over the falls, it bumps up against the big green wall, again and again and again. I reach up for one of the dresser knobs, and pull myself up out of the water. I reach up, hand over hand and start to climb. I position each foot carefully on a knob and begin climbing up the giant wall that reaches into the sky. Above me, a hawk circles endlessly and calls out to no one in particular.
I realize that I'm now hanging about thirty-five feet above the water and just as I'm about to continue my ascent, the phone begins to ring. After the second ring, I open my eyes and roll over on the bed...the clock reads 3:37...which means I have been asleep for only seven minutes. Funny, it seemed like much longer. I pick up the phone..."Hello," I say. "No, I don't know where Jared is at the moment...I'll find out...Hold on."
"JARED!" I yell. "What?" He queries. "Phone call!" I yell. "Who is it?" He asks. "Who is it?" I ask.
I am informed that it is Robert. "It's Robert," I yell. "I don't want to talk to him..." Jared answers. "He's busy" I lie. Click goes the phone.
I look at the clock which reads 3:39. I roll over. I close my eyes.
The wall is blue now and the river is green. The hawk is now a toucan and Sherry is standing on the inner-tube, balancing on it like a surf board. I am now only ten feet above the water. "Great!" I think. "Now I have to climb all that way back up! Stupid Phone call. Stupid Robert!"
"What are you doing?" Sherry asks, still inner-tube surfing. "Climbing" I answer... "Duh" I think.
"How are you balancing like that?" I ask. "I've known how to do this since I was a kid" she answers, very matter-of-factly. "My Dad taught me!"
"Oh" I answer.
There is a knocking in the distance. I think it is either Sherry or the toucan, but I'm not sure. Knock Knock Knock and then suddenly, the doorbell rings. "Jared" I yell. "Get the door!"
Jared answers "I'm not supposed to get the door when you're asleep!" "Shoot!" I think..."He's right!"
I get up off the bed and trudge down the stairs in my socks, jeans and Royals Baseball T-Shirt.
The sun is awfully bright for a not sunny day. I open the door and Dustin's friends, Ron and John are standing there.
"Is Dustin home?" they ask in unison. "No, he's at a friend's house" I answer. They shrug and straggle off of the porch and down the steps. No wasted small-talk there. I lock the door and head back upstairs. I look at the clock which reads 3:59.
"Where did you get the boat?" I yell to Sherry from my perch, high above. "My Dad built it" she says. I'm starting to wonder how her Dad could build a boat in the time that it took me to go answer the door, but then I think "It's a dream, Dave...go with it." I'm marveling at this amazing boat that Sherry's Dad has built and then I start to wonder Sherry has done with my inner-tube.
"Why are you still up there?" Sherry asks. "I don't know" I answer, but I'm thinking that I really want to get a closer look at this hawk/toucan. I look up at the sky but don't see him. "Where did the bird go?" I ask. "Which one?" Sherry asks..."The owl?"
"Yeah," I answer, thinking that she obviously doesn't know her birds. "He's down here, my Dad is fixing him some eggs." Sherry says.
As I climb down I begin to think about the moral implications of an owl eating eggs, when the phone rings. I open one eye and then the other. It is now 4:11 according to the clock. I pick up the phone and a cheery, robotic voice informs me to STAY ON THE LINE FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE... I do. They try to tell me I need to have my van serviced soon. I hang up. I shut my eyes. I groan and fall asleep.
The owl is sitting at the table inside the large galley of the ship. Sherry's Dad is dishing out some scrambled eggs to him and he sits holding a fork and a knife in each claw. He licks his beak and begins too cut the eggs and then stops. "Hey, do you have any orange juice?" The owl asks. Sherry's Dad silently crosses to the refrigerator an gets a carton of juice out for the owl. Who knew that owls drank orange juice? I think to myself as I watch.
The boat begins to shake violently and I discover that it is only me shaking. Everything else is perfectly still. I awake to find Socks on the end of the bed, scratching violently at her neck. "Dog" I say to her..."This better be real good!" The clock says 4:23...I have it set to go off at 4:30.
I get up, plug in the iron and turn it on. Get out some clothes for work and go to get a drink of water.
Once again, nap time is foiled by the efforts of everyone and everything other than me. I may never again return to the Finley River of my dreams...and I'll never know if the Owl drank his orange juice or finished his eggs; or just how exactly Sherry's Dad got into the boat building business.
-David
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Diary of a lazy blogger
I have been so bad about blogging lately that I've dropped from writing several times a week to just about once each month... That is really pathetic! I used to live for writing this blog...but then facebook came along and took all of my spare time and energy away. "DARN YOU, FACEBOOK!"
We've been busy since Christmas with basketball and birthdays. Baseball practice has started now and we're about to get really busy! All this and our Church has started a youth basketball program that I'd like to see Jared get involved with if it doesn't conflict with baseball.
A couple of months ago I started a "Support Group" on facebook.com for people who grew up in Strafford, Missouri...or for people who went to school or even still live there. By "Support Group" I mean a social networking group that allows classmates to reunite online and visit or post pictures...
It's been kind of fun and we now have 136 members online. I've really enjoyed visiting with a ton of old friends and have met some really nice people who came to the town or the school, long after I left...
This Winter has been up and down, weather-wise with days in the 70's followed by days in the 20's. We started out with a bunch of small snows, but haven't had anything significant since Christmas. The main story has been the wind... I don't ever remember a winter quite as windy as this one has been.
Since the new year, we have a new President. I guess he's okay so far, but he's made a few astounding mistakes...although his die-hard supporters are quick to say it's too early to judge him...(I wonder if they said the same thing about Bush... ? The answer: DUH, NO!!!)
TV has been pretty good lately with "American Idol," "SCRUBS" and "LOST" all returning... and let me just say "LOST" has been phenomenal!
Dustin has been busy with school and his music...Jared has been busy with basketball (his team is 8 and 2 for the season). And Sherry is working and working and working... As for me...I'm busy too... my knees have been pretty good, save for the occasional weakness or slight pain in my right knee. God has been watching over me on this and he's doing a pretty good job. (He ALWAYS does a good job...)
I've been visiting some with Klauspeter online and on the phone... That has stirred up my dream of going to Europe again. Sherry and I have talked about this over and over throughout the years and really want to go...but it's never the right time... I'm beginning to think that the right time is getting closer... FINGERS CROSSED.... I'm really wanting to go!!!
I guess I'll keep you posted...
Dave
We've been busy since Christmas with basketball and birthdays. Baseball practice has started now and we're about to get really busy! All this and our Church has started a youth basketball program that I'd like to see Jared get involved with if it doesn't conflict with baseball.
A couple of months ago I started a "Support Group" on facebook.com for people who grew up in Strafford, Missouri...or for people who went to school or even still live there. By "Support Group" I mean a social networking group that allows classmates to reunite online and visit or post pictures...
It's been kind of fun and we now have 136 members online. I've really enjoyed visiting with a ton of old friends and have met some really nice people who came to the town or the school, long after I left...
This Winter has been up and down, weather-wise with days in the 70's followed by days in the 20's. We started out with a bunch of small snows, but haven't had anything significant since Christmas. The main story has been the wind... I don't ever remember a winter quite as windy as this one has been.
Since the new year, we have a new President. I guess he's okay so far, but he's made a few astounding mistakes...although his die-hard supporters are quick to say it's too early to judge him...(I wonder if they said the same thing about Bush... ? The answer: DUH, NO!!!)
TV has been pretty good lately with "American Idol," "SCRUBS" and "LOST" all returning... and let me just say "LOST" has been phenomenal!
Dustin has been busy with school and his music...Jared has been busy with basketball (his team is 8 and 2 for the season). And Sherry is working and working and working... As for me...I'm busy too... my knees have been pretty good, save for the occasional weakness or slight pain in my right knee. God has been watching over me on this and he's doing a pretty good job. (He ALWAYS does a good job...)
I've been visiting some with Klauspeter online and on the phone... That has stirred up my dream of going to Europe again. Sherry and I have talked about this over and over throughout the years and really want to go...but it's never the right time... I'm beginning to think that the right time is getting closer... FINGERS CROSSED.... I'm really wanting to go!!!
I guess I'll keep you posted...
Dave
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