The Red State Blues

Posted by Steven at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2007

Clemmie's Passed On

My grandmother, Clemmie Staton, passed away at 8:38am this morning. No date is set for services, but I expect it will be soon.

Posted by Steven at 09:49 AM | Comments (0)

March 15, 2007

Grandmother Still In Coma

My grandmother, Clemmie Staton, has been in a coma-like state since Tues. while hospitalized with pnemonia. We don't expect her to recover, and (essentially) are waiting for her to die. This has made the week extra awful, considering the other issues that have come up (Anne's surgery, replacing the A/C, and of course the TKD problem). I don't expect her to survive the weekend, but she's showing more stamina than a ninety-one year-old would be expected to have, so we may well be waiting longer.

FYI.

Posted by Steven at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)

February 22, 2007

Family Slide Archive

I've started scanning the slides I collected from Susan, John, and Leigh Anne that were taken by my parents in the 1960s. I had begun this project back in 2004, when I was in Toronto, but I found that it was much slower going that I expected. I've sorted the slides and stored them in acid-free, relatively air tight sleeves, but they still need alot of cleanup before scanning. For now, I am just brushing and dusting them, and hoping the Nikon Coolscan V ED's ICE technology will see through the scratches.

I'm also using iWeb to publish the images, since it's so easy to do something that looks pretty good with little effort. I'll add a few slides every day in the evening. Eventually I'll get them all done.

These images are 60+ Mb in size on my hard drive after being scanned to JPEG. The images on the website are greatly compressed, after I work some image clean-up magic on them.

Posted by Steven at 10:22 PM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2007

Leo Commended for Academic Honors

Tonight at Dowell Middle School, the A and A-B honor roll students were honored in a ceremony that filled the cafetorium. Leo was recognized in the AB Honor Roll.

Posted by Steven at 10:38 PM | Comments (0)

December 22, 2006

Wisdom Teeth ... Away!

Alanna had all four of her budding, impacted wisdom teeth out today. We chose this date so she would have as much time as possible to recover before the Solo and Ensemble competition in February, and not conflict with All-Region Band. She's home now, zonked out on meds while we all ride out the holidays at home.

Posted by Steven at 07:36 PM | Comments (1)

July 11, 2006

Staton Corporate Headquarters

You just knew we had a central corporate headquarters somewhere. Alas, it turns out to be Hughes, Arkansas.

Posted by Steven at 05:15 PM | Comments (0)

July 08, 2006

Campfire at Camp Decker

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July 03, 2006

Arrival

We arrived at Barbara's around 7pm today, after driving around two and one-half hours from Phonecia. We went across Rt. 28 to Rt. 206, which took us through Walton, NY. The town was devastated by the Susquahana flooding, and we were center-stage for it all when we drove through downtown. I think I've driving all the major east-west routes through the Catskills now!

Posted by Steven at 07:22 PM | Comments (0)

July 02, 2006

My Birthday Party

Anne and the gang surprised me with a birthday party this morning.

Alanna wearing my birthday Fez

They acquired an ice cream cake which we ate right after breakfast (?!?), and they gave me the new Paul Simon CD, some birthday cards and money, and some silly gifts including a small fez which didn't actually fit around my head. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for Alanna, it fit her. I think this photo is my favorite gift, now that you mention it.

Posted by Steven at 10:10 AM | Comments (0)

June 23, 2006

Leo Graduates from SMU (No, Really)

Leo took a one week SMU annex course for 4-6th grade students where he learned how to use Animation Master, a low-end 3D rendering package aimed at amateur movie moguls.

Leo made three short movies during the week:

• Mushroom Morph
• Snake Has a Nice Day Off
• Kirby's Day Off

Anne and I decided to buy the software he was using for the class as it really seemed to work for him (and it runs on Mac OS X, and it wasn't obscenely expensive). So we hope that he will be doing more elaborate projects in the future.

I made a point of telling Leo that only his grandfather and grandmother (my parents) and he have attended SMU, that I wasn't so privileged. He was rather amused by this. Look forward to him adopting the Mustang as his logo soon ...

Anne made an interesting discovery in the class, too. It turns out that one of our Quail Creek neighbors was also sending their child to the class, so we are hoping to stay in touch with them. They're from New York, and are very "arty", so they should be an interesting family to get to know.

Leo adds, "My favorite thing about the class was the instructor (Josh) who has a huge collection of NES games. He had an NES emulator running on his Windows machine on the overhead screen while waiting for the students to get into class in the morning."

Posted by Steven at 10:17 PM | Comments (0)

June 03, 2006

Happy Birthday Alanna

Alanna's 15 today! She can get a learner's permit ... and even drive a motorcycle (in Texas) starting today. Oh. My. God.

(And thanks to the grandparents whose cards and gifts arrived today!)

Posted by Steven at 12:07 PM | Comments (0)

May 26, 2006

Bennett 5th Grade "Walk"

Today was Leo's last day of elementary school. After all the campuses he attended, he ended up spending three good years at Bennett Elementary with a great staff. I got to know some of them under less-than-ideal conditions during the 5th grade "summer camp" trip that turned into a frozen survivalist camp. But I digress ...

On the last day of school the fifth graders are let out early, and get to walk past all the teaching staff (and parents who show up) in a quasi-tradition called "the walk". I was able to photograph Leo (because I made him pose) but didn't get a good photo of his friend, Chris.

Leo was completely uninterested in the event, and didn't really seem all that interested in the significance. He just wanted to get home and start enjoying his summer of video games and swimming with Chris.

I wasn't really all that sentimental myself. Elementary school will probably be the better years for him, in terms of the help and assistance the MISD can and will offer. But it's also true that after ten years, I no long have a child in elementary school. I told Anne it was like dropping the first stage of a Saturn V ... we're on our way to college for real now.

Posted by Steven at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2006

Bennett Blast at The Zone

Leo's 5th Grade class at Bennett Elem. had a graduation party at The Zone, an indoor amusement park on the western edge of McKinney, next to the Home Depot (go figure).

The Zone features arcade games, LaserTag™, a big Bounce Room, and party rooms. There is also a pizza buffet restaurant attached, and a coffee shop with free WiFi (but it blocks BattleNet for some weird reason). I've been here before: Leo's BD party was here back in April. (The WiFi allowed me to enter this while still at the event.)

In three more days, we end our career in Elementary Schools. Leo starts Middle School this fall, at Ruth Dowell MS. I likened it to dropping the (huge) first stage of a Saturn V rocket ... we're now entering the "orbit" stage. When Leo finishes Dowell in three years, we'll drop Stage Two and be on our way to the Moon (College) with Alanna.

I realize the analogy is weird ... but it's the cafe mocha talking at this point!

Posted by Steven at 05:59 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2006

Sweet Sixteen

Anne and I are celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary today.

Sixteen.

Wow. Our parents weren't married that long, which makes us our own grandparents, in a sense (I know, it's my fuzzy logic again). We wouldn't have it any other way, actually. I'm very fortunate to have remained with Anne all these years; raising a family has been a real blessing (the diaper phase masked a large amount of that at the time) and while I have been all over the map, literally, to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads, I'm quite pleased with the outcome so far.

We're going to Chêz Gerard tonite to celebrate.

Posted by Steven at 12:24 PM | Comments (0)

April 20, 2006

Leo's 11

Leo's 11th birthday is today. We celebrated last Friday at a new kid's indoor theme park that just opened in McKinney (they have an arcade, party rooms, a big bounce room, pizza parlor and coffee shop with Dad-friendly WiFi). He invited his Bennett Camping Trip buddies Grant and Chris, as well as Collin, Joey and a couple of other kids whom I don't know.

The Kid's Zone place was new, so everything worked well. They also did Laser Tag, which was very popular. Alanna and Alicia also participated in that. We retired to a party room, did pizza and cake, I took photos, and then everyone went to the bounce room. On the whole, a good party for Leo.

Today Anne bought him a small cake and some balloons, which the cats promptly took apart. I barely saw him thanks to a fiasco at work and the band executive meeting at MNHS.

Posted by Steven at 01:02 PM | Comments (0)

April 01, 2006

Alanna's Prom Dress

Check out Alanna's prom dress:

No Aprils Fooling!

Posted by Steven at 11:32 PM | Comments (1)

March 11, 2006

Vu's First Belt Awards

Vu's Martial Arts celebrated a special day today ... their first belt awards. Alanna was asked to perform an exhibition of martial arts called Exodus.

She did several 'tornado kicks' which my Nikon, alas, didn't capture at a high shutter speed. She was (until today) Vu's only black belt student (a younger boy was awarded black belt).

Later, Leo had his green belt test and awards. As a treat (although he may not have perceived it that way), his sister Alanna awarded him his belt.

They both did very well today and mother and father are both proud of them!

Posted by Steven at 12:58 PM | Comments (1)

February 13, 2006

Eighteen Years!

Eighteen years ago ... I proposed to Anne at Martha Cates' home (if I can find the photo, I'll post it). Imagine that ... our engagement is old enough to vote, and recently gained admission to The SUNY Albany campus. Eighteen ...

Posted by Steven at 09:45 AM | Comments (0)

February 11, 2006

Aunt Jewel Has Passed Away

My great-aunt Jewel, sister of my grandmother (on my father's side) died today of complications following a severe stroke. She lived in Conroe, TX with her daughter for the last several years. I hadn't seen her in quite some time, and alas, she was suffering from Alzhiemer's and wouldn't have recognized me if I had seen her.

(Pictured at left) Clemmie and her late sister, Jewel. More images here

Posted by Steven at 10:59 AM | Comments (0)

January 24, 2006

Alanna is Fourteenth in Her Class

Alanna came home today with her class ranking. Out of six hundred and eighty-eight students, she ranked 14th! We're just delighted with this ranking -- way to go kiddo!

Posted by Steven at 05:25 PM | Comments (0)

January 10, 2006

New Cat

Tonite we adopted a cat named "Monty" from the Flower Mound Animal Society. He's a DMH tabby with a white bottom and distinctive markings on top.

He's got a beautiful mask, and is a four-month old neutered male with a very quiet, high meow.

We got him home around 8:30pm, where he was very tenative in investigating the house. I ended up playing with him quite a bit with our cat fishing pole and laser pointer (he loves the laser pointer).

But it's clear he's got a few days to go before he will accept us and start exploring the house as his own turf.

He has a habit of scampering to the underside of Anne's storage chest in the front hallway when he gets spooked. On the wood floors, he has poor traction and cannot control his movements as well ... with predictable hijinks.

Posted by Steven at 11:10 PM | Comments (1)

December 25, 2005

Xmas Morning

	Some of the funnier moments this Christmas morning. I found a llama doll and book that inspired it (Is Your Momma's A Llama?) at Barnes and Noble, which may turn out to be Alanna's favorite gift this morning [below]. She quickly found a way to use it with her new hat from Austin [left]. Anne gave me the Lego® Vikings Ship that I saw on Lego's website last Nov. [below left].

Posted by Steven at 10:10 AM | Comments (1)

December 24, 2005

Blast From the (Meh!) Past

Tonite Alicia Snell gave Alanna a photo from her kindergarten Barbie™ party back in 1997 (est.):

Posted by Steven at 08:09 PM | Comments (1)

December 17, 2005

Alanna Earns Her Blackbelt in Tae Kwon Do

Alanna completed her Black Belt Training today at Reid's Martial Arts Studio, and was awarded with the rank of full black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

The black belt candidate must spar with six others, and this is the most gruelling part of the test.

Jessica Reinalt came to the studio to see Alanna earn her belt.

Other friends who attended included Cedric and her uncle John. Her grandmother came into town from NY today, and was surprised with the black belt test (she didn't know it was today).

After the sparring, the student must break four boards with foot and hand. Alanna snapped the first three boards in quick succession, but the jumping board had a large knot in it and was rather stubborn. A new board was brought out and she quickly dispatched it.

It's finally over!

Master Reid ties Alanna's black belt.

Master Reid and Alanna w/certificate.

Posted by Steven at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)

Barbara Visiting for Ten Days

Anne's mom is staying with us over the Christmas holidays. I went to get her this morning at D/FW.

A series of intermeshed events is planned for today, and so the fact that her flight was late threw some of the plans off. I asked my brother to swing by D/FW to get our video camera so that he could tape Alanna's belt test today (I would not be at Reid's Studio in time thanks to the delayed flight), so we rescued that part of the plan.

The best part of the plan was not telling Barbara about the black belt test. She was genuinely surprised when we got to Reid's and I sprung the truth on her.

Posted by Steven at 11:18 AM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2005

Lilly Staton's Funeral

Alanna and I attended Lilly Staton's funeral. She was the next-to-youngest sister of my father's father, and next-to-the-last remaining Aunt on the Staton side. She lived near Cedar Creek Lake, in Gun Barrel City, TX. Alanna and Mamie, her surviving (and youngest) sister, are in this photo (on the left) taken after the services.

Mamie was a special Aunt to me back in the early 70's. When I was staying with Elsie, her eldest sister (near Garland) the summer my mother was in Timberlawn, she took me out to her farm (near Rockwall, TX) so I could experience the country lifestyle. They had a few cows, and did some actual farming. I had no other kids to play with, but I was ok with that as I was very solitary at the time.

The thing I remember most fondly, however, was that she bought me my first Lego® kit (click here to see it). I will always remember that kit because I could build so many different things with it. It came with two large plates, and featured a clever mechanism for providing steering on the roof of the model. The shear number of parts (nearly 100) and the abundance of axles and wheels meant that it would build two whole vechicles whereas most kits would only make one.

I have no idea what she paid for the toy, but it wasn't cheap. It started me down the road of Lego® that would eventually lead to over three thousand parts ... I know, I counted them.

Posted by Steven at 12:21 PM | Comments (0)

November 05, 2005

Bye Bye Birdie

Anne and Alanna are performing in the orchestra pit in MNHS Drama Club's production of Bye Bye Birdie. I have posted two sets of photos from the Nov. 4th rehersal and the Nov. 5th performance, which doubled as the first and only dress rehersal.

Anne has been practicing like mad for the last two weeks, since Josh Kurzweil asked her to perform the piano selections in the musical. It turned out to be a lot more work that she expected, but the orchestra sounded very professional in the first performance. Alanna was also added at the last minute when another student wasn't able to make the rehersal schedule, so both my girls were added at the last minute to a complicated musical score.

They're working hard, but are glad to be part of the performance. Alanna received a billing listing in the playbill, including a short bio. Anne is (supposedly) being compensated for the performances. No doubt those funds will end up back in the band's till and soon.

Josh asked me to take some cast photos including this one:

Posted by Steven at 10:29 PM | Comments (1)

October 21, 2005

Ray-Bob and Alanna

My dad came to the MNHS football game against Justin Northwest HS (near the Texas Motor Speedway) tonite. He got to see Alanna's band marching their full UIL program, and as a "bonus", he got to hear me announce the program on the stadium's speakers. Mr. Harkey, the MNHS band director, asked me to read the announcement this afternoon.

Despite all those years doing radio at WRPI and even performing in two plays at RPI, I was scared senseless before I began. I didn't have the opportunity to rehearse the lines in front of the band and the drill team, so I was unsure about the timing of the announcements. As it turns out, I did fine reading the announcements, but I was a bit off on the band and I was waaay off on the drill team announcment. I did well enough, however, for Mr. Harkey to ask me to do it again this Friday.

Personally, I think it's just a way to keep me from taking 400++ photos of the band on the field at halftime.

Sadly, the Bulldogs lost 32-49, but apparently we're still in the running for the playoffs (four teams are tied for fourth place!). If we do go to the playoffs, we may be marching on the day after Thanksgiving, which means we'd have to cancel our trip to KC. We won't know for some time.

In any case, I finally went to a football game with my Dad. Sadly, he had to explain what was happening on the field for me ... I am that ignorant of football. One band parent sitting behind us was screaming at the umpires the whole game ... it was awful! The cushions I bought a few weeks back saved both our asses, and the Northwest ISD stadium was stunningly beautiful and clean. Even the concession food was great. Man, McKinney needs a decent stadium.

I never thought I'd say that!

Posted by Steven at 11:53 PM | Comments (2)

October 17, 2005

Leo's Braces Come Off (Mostly)

Leo's upper braces came off today.

Anne took him to Dr. Buchannan this morning, and they quickly removed the upper track, leaving him a "monorail" on the bottom. They also removed some "springs" that were coming loose on the bottom, and causing more than a few morning emergency trips to the orthodontist, all at their cost.

We were on the way to Experience McKinney (redubbed "Apocalypse, McKinney" by Mike Jones) when I took this photo.

That's Collin Snell sitting next to Leo; we took him and his mom to MNHS for the first (and probably last) Experience McKinney event tonite. Alanna had to be at the JV Field all the time we were there for MNHS Band Practice, and missed out on all the pandemonium.

Posted by Steven at 05:39 PM | Comments (1)

October 15, 2005

Alanna Earns Her Deputy Three Belt

Today Alanna took her penultimate step towards a black belt in Tae Kwan Do by earning her Deputy 3 Belt, which is half red and half black.

Alanna awarded her 3rd Deputy Belt by Master Choncie Reid.

In December she will take her final test for the full black belt.

Posted by Steven at 03:06 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2005

For Comparison Purposes Only

Can anyone tell me if Alanna looks more like me or her mother:

 

I honestly cannot tell.

Posted by Steven at 05:23 PM | Comments (1)

Alanna's Glamour Shots

As promised, here are two of the four photos taken at Glamour Shots two weekends ago.

 

I certainly don't recognize her!

[Click on each photo to download the fullsized scan, suitable for printing.]

Posted by Steven at 05:19 PM | Comments (0)

September 09, 2005

Ruby's Gone

We took Ruby to the vet this morning and put her to sleep.

Needless to say, today's a miserable day here.

She was still eating, but her breathing was labored and she was starting to have trouble simply walking. We were torn between wanting more time with her and wanting the suffering to end. Last night, Anne decided that she couldn't wait any longer.

This morning Alanna and Leo "said goodbye" to Ruby. After Leo's bus picked him up, I drove us to the vet with Ruby in the back seat, in her basket, with Anne. The whole process was swift, and relatively painless for Ruby (the first shot hurt and she cried). It's awful seeing your beloved pet of 16 years not breathing, lying on the blanket in the exam room. But nothing was going to change that.

Rubix de Oro Fame, b. Oct. 1989, d. Sept. 2005. How we'll miss her.

Update

I took several photos of Ruby during her last days. The ones of her in Anne's lap are the morning we took her to the vet for the last time. As you can see, she really was Anne's cat.

Posted by Steven at 08:44 AM | Comments (1)

August 29, 2005

Ruby Update

She's starting to have trouble sleeping, which is expected as her lungs become less and less efficient. I took these shots today and yesterday of her with Anne.

[right]Ruby interviews Anne on her work with human children. [below]Anne and Ruby finger wrestle.
	[above]Ruby checks out Anne's breath ("Hmmm ... catminty fresh!") [left]Ruby is unimpressed with Anne's Señor Wenceles act.

Posted by Steven at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)

Alanna's Braces Are Finally Off!

See for yourself:

Posted by Steven at 09:01 PM | Comments (1)

August 28, 2005

Uncle "Kung Foo" John Visits

My brother John visited this afternoon, to donate to Alanna's marching band, eat some dinner, watch some TV, and catch up. On the way out, I took this photo of his incredible high kick.

Posted by Steven at 07:06 PM | Comments (1)

August 23, 2005

Our Cat Ruby Has Lung Cancer

Anne took Ruby, our 16 yr. old Persian cat, to the vet today for a six months checkup after her radical mastecomy in Feb. The good news (such as it is) is the surgery worked, and she no longer has a tumor on her chest. The bad news is that now she has lung cancer.

We could try giving her chemotherapy, but she's not all that strong (and the side-effects are awful) so for now, we're going to keep her comfortable until she cannot rest or sleep, and then we'll have to put her to sleep. I don't have a hard figure for that date, but I'd guess it's sooner than the end of the year.

Anne is pretty upset about it, Alanna is resigned to this, and I will miss her when she's gone. But for now, we just try to enjoy our time together with Ruby with extra pets, chin rubs and whatever else she wants. Many of my friends have lost long time pets in the last few years, so I know you know how awful this experience is. I'm dreading the day we have to end her life, but I know that day will come soon now.

Posted by Steven at 10:02 PM | Comments (3)

August 10, 2005

Alanna's Band Week (So Far)

Alanna's had a busy end-of-summer with McKinney North HS marching band camp.

At Snuffer's in Addison with Alicia and Kathleen.	Morning practice on the parking lot.
Alanna at attention in morning practice.	Marching along during evening practice.
Marching in morning practice.	Friday's 70's Party in the Band Hall.
Collosus of Rhodes? No, Mr. Harkey the Band Director.	Alanna at attention during evening practice.

Posted by Steven at 09:17 PM | Comments (2)

July 16, 2005

Alanna's Party

Alanna had all her girlfriends over Friday night for a party . Anne prepared one of her spreads (brownies, cookies, chips and dip), bought a Twister game, gave them water balloons to use in the front yard, and we brought the DDR pad down to the living room and attached it to the wide screen TV.

The kids played video games, the girls giggled and giggled more (Haley was here, remember?), danced to The Time Warp and watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

	Haley arrives at the party.
Waterballoon fight in the front yard.	Monse and Alicia sport propeller beanies.

Posted by Steven at 01:32 PM | Comments (0)

July 07, 2005

Anne's New Hairstyle

Anne got a new cut this week:

She looks sassy!

Posted by Steven at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

July 02, 2005

I'm Forty-Three, I'm Now Old

How those six years since my thirty-seventh birthday flew by. Spent most of today going to Alanna's Band Camp Concert, and visiting around Austin before driving home. It was a full day and we're glad to be home, tired but content.

Posted by Steven at 09:04 PM | Comments (0)

June 19, 2005

Weatherby Lake Regatta, Part Four

On the drive home, around Wichita, Dad called. He had some amazing news. He won first place in the Regatta. This was his first time! I congradulated him for his Father's Day present, and he gave Leo and I credit for helping. The plaque I had only glanced at ... is his.

Postscript

When he sends me a photo of him with the trophy, I'll post it here.

Posted by Steven at 02:00 PM | Comments (1)

June 18, 2005

Weatherby Lake Regatta, Part Three

That evening the Yacht Club held their annual Regatta party. I had been to the previous successful one, in 2003. Last year, a storm blew in so hard and fast that everyone (according to reports) dove into their cars and abandoned the whole thing. I was hoping that wouldn't happen as I was looking forward to dancing with Anne.

We showed up at 7PM and I started taking photos of everying there.

The club members started drifting in, some literally on houseboats. The club had hired a DJ with a Karoke machine, so there was much anticipation over that. I referred to it as a "sobriety test", as in, if you weren't sober, you'd try it out. The joke was on me (of course) as Leo was one of the few brave enough to try it.

DJ and Karoke setup	Pavilion from the parking lot

Dad talking to club members	Benches along the lakeside

Leo helping the fishing family	Looking West across the lake

The food was ground beef (very spicy) tacos and beans. It was presented on a serve-yourself lunch line and there was plenty to go around. Large coolers sported beer, lite beer, water and sodas. A healthy liquor cabinet was also brought on site. Some folks drank rather a lot -- you know who you are. The brownies went before everything else ... and yeah, they were good!

After dinner, and before the dancing, we took some group photos on the end of the pennisula, with the majestic lawyer's castle in the background.

Ana and her niece Pam	Ana, Ray, Anne and Steve

So guess who's a dancing fool? My dad.

Ray-Bog gets funky	DJ dancing club Lake Weatherby

Alanna and Kyle were not interested in dancing, and wandered around for most of the evening. Leo was in search of other people fishing, and he ended up lurking near the dock I fell off of.

Fishing girls

Anne had me take Kyle and Alanna back to the Fairfield. When I got back, Anne was dancing with Leo to YMCA. I joined in when the DJ started playing Shout, a song I cannot not dance to since I saw it in National Lampoon's Animal House.

To Come ...

Video of Leo doing Karoke, and Anne and I dancing (filmed by Leo). Be afraid, be very afraid.

Posted by Steven at 10:27 PM | Comments (0)

Weatherby Lake Regatta, Part Two

I went back to the boat after lunch and tried to get it ready for race. We had lowered the jib so only the main sail was still catching wind in the dock we tied off at. I tried to turn the boat around from the dock by walking it around after uncleating it from the dock, only to find out I couldn't overcome the force of the (mild) wind on the sail. I actually got the boat pointed in the right direction, but almost off the dock. I stepped on the boat to bring the dock line around the mast and then tried to step back on the dock to recleat it. Before I knew it, the boat started sliding sideways and I landed on the corner of the dock, first on my ass, then on my elbows. I was suspended by my elbows, one on the dock, the other on the boat, and I was suddenly very much surprised to find myself winded, and unable to pull up. I was in the water up to my navel, and then I fell further into the water as my upper body strength went away. Eventually, I had to let go of the boat and dock, and wade/swim through the algae to another dock where I was able to pull myself back on deck. It was about that time, covered with green goo and breathing very heavily, Dad found me.

Where I fell in

Shaking from the minor terror of it all, I reluctantly climbed aboard and we set off. Ana had just lent me her sailing gloves, which were really too tight, and the water just made it worse. I had sliced the pad of my left index finger, and it was bleeding. All in all, not a good start for me.

We set out on the first race of the afternoon, and did very well. We stayed clear of the kid on the Sonar, and were well on our way to catching the lead Santana when the captain of the same boat told us we had broken a rule by passing the finishing line too soon after the first group of boats (Lasers) had just crossed at the end of their race. Sailing is all about the rules, and Dad was incensed. He started blaming himself for not reading the rulesheet, and almost abandoned the race.

At the last moment, he decided to do a penalty turn, and finish anyway. We thought we'd have to appeal the race, but it turns out that the guy who warned us won, and all the other boats made the same mistake as us. The lead boat captain could have filed a protest, but it would have been pointless since he didn't lose. So we came in 2nd that race.

The last race of the afternoon was just perfect. We sailed (literally) past all the other Santanas and many of the Sonars, and won it hands down. Dad was very pleased and I was glad that a) it was over, and b) we were in good standing. My hands were stinging something fierce and I was looking forward to getting out of my lake soaked clothes.

Posted by Steven at 06:08 PM | Comments (0)

Weatherby Lake Regatta, Part One

Bright and early on Saturday morning, Leo and I reported to Commodore (ret.) Ray Staton and his Santana 20 (sail 767) for duty. As I took photos of the lake and boats, Leo "helped" his Opa by observing him rigging the boat. The lake is a small, private three-pronged body of water just south of the KCI airport and surrounded by relatively wealthy homes. The Yacht Club is a big part of my dad's life now, and I have been to two of his Regattas, the last being in 2003 with my brother John.

Leo "supervising" Opa rigging his boat	Main sail up as the fishermen drift by

At 9AM the Weatherby Lake Yacht club had it's sailor's meeting. The rules were handed out (we should have read ours -- but that's later), boasts were made, and bad donuts were consumed. The winner's plaques were on display; I took a look but figured that would be the last I'd see of them. How wrong I would be!

Weatherby Lake Yacht Club boat	The award plaques

My father is nothing if not generous with his time and skills. Or maybe he's far cleverer than I realized; in any case, he helped rig the sails of fellow competitor's boats.

Raising the main sail	Finishing the rigging of the boom

Leo was walking around the "C" point (where the Yacht Club pavilion is) and I took a few photos of him.

Leo heading back to the Pavilion	The Old Man and the Lake

Leo, Dad and I went out at 10AM for the first two races. Leo sat at the stern and was "drinks manager". Occasionally he also held the tiller and steered, but not during the actual races. I was ahead of Dad at midships, manning (poorly) the jib sheets (enough nautical talk?).

It turns out I was pretty awful at the jib. I was surprised how painful it was for me to handle the ropes, and I had to have an assist by Dad more than once. We had a pretty calm morning wind, which meant a lot of the time it was slow going, but the biggest annoyance we had was another, faster boat (a Sonar) that was driven by a kid who was wildly unpredictable. We couldn't out run him and he was constantly meanacing our own boat. Dad was not a happy camper, and we came in 4th and 5th on those two races. [Left] Leo, Dad and I waving to Ana (who took this photo).

We all rejoined for lunch there (the Yacht club provided a BBQ lunch). Anne and I decided that Leo had had enough sailing so he wasn't going to be on the boat for what I figured would be a pretty dismal afternoon race.

Posted by Steven at 09:00 AM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2005

Friday Night at Dad's

We went over to my father's house around 5:30pm and hung out until we left for a steakhouse down Barry Rd. at 7pm. Leo was quite taken with Celi, Ray's siamese cat.

Dad's Siamese cat, Celi	Ana, Pam (Ana's niece), Leo and Celi

We had a sumptuous meal at a new steakhouse in a new outside mall development near Hwy 152 and I-29. The development is quite nice, and was oriented towards pedestrians (for the most part), which made it seem far more urban than the suburban sprawl around it.

Posted by Steven at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2005

Alanna Earns Her Deputy One Belt

Alanna passed the next level of TKD testing and earned her first deputy belt tonite. Woot!

Posted by Steven at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

June 09, 2005

Fiala's New Home

After work I went by Todd and Leigh Anne Fiala's home-to-be in Cedar Park. It's a 4000+ sq. ft. behomoth in a new development across Anderson Mill Rd. from the Cedar Park HS (fantastically convenient location for schools).

The house does not look as large as it is from the front. One of the reasons the sq. footage is so great is an enormous room constructed out of the attic of the main building.

The backyard and kitchen are also fullsized. My backyard would fit three times over in Todd's!

My overall impression of the place was simply stunned-shock. This house is so much bigger and (frankly) expensive than I am used to thinking about, that it is simply overwhelming. I hope it's a good investment; it certainly seems to be a good product in a great area just outside of Austin. Ironically, it's less than two miles from my company's Austin offices ...

Posted by Steven at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)

May 28, 2005

School's Out

God help me. The kids are home full time now ... just as I start working from home on a more-or-less permanent basis. Now I know why Anne signs them up for TKD, Band Camp, and swiming lessons.

Update

We're going to move the console game TV into Leo's room so daddy can get some work done during the day. Oi!

Posted by Steven at 12:20 AM | Comments (2)

May 21, 2005

Clemmie's Dual Surprise BD Parties

Yesterday was Clemmie's 90th birthday, but today she was feted with two parties, one was exlusively family, and the other included neighbors and friends.

Dad, Ana and Clemmie.	Nancy, Clemmie and Harry (front), Randall Lynn, Tina, Greg and Gwen Hartmann (back).
Greg doing "here is the Church, here is the Steeple".	Lyn Coupland, Harry Hartmann and Anne.
Dad, John, Susan's family and mine.	Somerset and Susan Peake.
Alanna (in a dress) doing videography.	John and Randall Lynn.

Posted by Steven at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)

May 20, 2005

Alanna Graduates With Top Honors

Alanna was awarded today at her 8th grade graduation ceremony. She finished the year with a 97+ average and was awarded the following:

• 8th Grade Diploma (Certificate)
• 'A' Honors Roll
• Gold Presidential Award Medal and Certificate

Alanna and her mother.	Alanna and her father.

Here are two versions of the awards ceremony, a web streaming version and a Video-CD resolution one, both in Quicktime format.

We are so very proud of her!

Posted by Steven at 10:42 AM | Comments (1)

Alanna's Graduation iPod

At the end of the graduation ceremony, Anne went down and gave Alanna a small, wrapped box and card. She had no idea what was in the box, and took a long time to open the card, read it, and then open the box.

Surprise!

I guess she liked what we put in the box.

Anne and I, with Barbara's help, bought Alanna a 20 Gb iPod for her graduation gift. I loaded it with 6G of her favorite songs, and made sure that the Llama Song is the first thing it played when she turned it on.

Here's the video (in Quicktime).

Posted by Steven at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)

May 17, 2005

Alanna is Outstanding Woodwind Performer at DMS

Alanna performed her final concert at Dowell Middle School tonite. During the ceremony, she was honored as the band's outstanding woodwind (Clarinet) performer of the year! Her friends Monse, Megan and Lauren also won awards so it was an awardfest for her and her closest friends in the Band.

She's been going to McKinney North HS marching band practice every afternoon this week and next, and is really looking forward to HS band next year.

Posted by Steven at 08:45 PM | Comments (1)

May 12, 2005

Clemmie's 90th Birthday Party

Clemmentine Staton (ne Spivey) is 90 on May 20th, 2005. I've organized a birthday lunch at Steak and Ale in Addison at 12:30pm on the 21st. Randy Staton will drive her there with his wife. All her kids, grandkids and their spouses will be there to welcome her and have lunch.

Important

This is a surprise, so please don't pass this info on to her. Also, plan on being at the restaurant by 12:00pm so we can get the birthday card signed and everyone in place before she arrives.

After the lunch, we'll all leave with Randy holding back. We'll all drive to the First United Methodist Church in Farmer's Branch, where Clemmie's daugther is organizing an afternoon party for her with her friends from church. All the family is invited, too.

John and I will video tape everyone there and create a DVD of the party for the family.

If you have any amusing photos of Clemmie, please forward them to Randy so he can add them or a copy to a memento book he's putting together for her.

Posted by Steven at 12:20 AM | Comments (0)

May 11, 2005

Alanna is 6th Chair in MNHS Band Next Year

Alanna found out today that she is sixth chair clarinet in the McKinney North HS band next year. This puts her in the top band and comfortably near the top of the performers, which is where she was hoping to end up.

Update

Anne informed me that Alanna is the highest ranked incoming clarinet player (i.e. 9th grader). All the other 9th grade players are in chairs below her. And in fact, she's sixth only because the band director placed the 10th through 12th grade players (they have only five) in the top chairs.

All her years of practice and work are paying handsome dividends now that she's gearing up for high school (she is on the road to her TKD black belt by early Spring next year, too!).

Posted by Steven at 03:23 PM | Comments (1)

May 06, 2005

Alanna's Band Trip to Six Flags

I took Friday off as vacation to chaperone Alanna's middle school class trip to Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, TX. I went last year (on a weekend home from Toronto) so I had some idea what to expect from the experience. A twelve hour trip to Six Flags is not my idea of a great time, but I knew enough to pace myself and take it easy.

Images from the trip are here.

One interesting side-effect of the trip was meeting Alanna's band director, who struck me as a kind of Stuart Smalley-like person. I also spent a lot of time conversing with Alanna's 6th grade band director, who is a big SciFi fan. We kept each other entertained with quips from films and books, and in general were stand ups for the kids.

About the only part of the trip that was lousy was the bus ride. The drivers dove directly into the worst traffic in Dallas, and on the way home, we hit two spectacular wrecks on I-30 in Grand Prairie and spent an hour getting through the High-Five construction. Awful, just awful.

Posted by Steven at 10:05 PM | Comments (1)

April 23, 2005

Taekwondo Belt Test Weekend

Everybody had a belt test today, and everyone passed!

Alanna reached her Advanced Red belt, which is red with a black stripe down the center. She is now on the final approach to her Black Belt, with the "Skunk" and two Deputy Belts standing in between her and the Big One.

Anne advanced to Yellow Advanced belt with no problems.

Leo earned his Yellow belt which is his second belt! He did very well in the testing.

I sat through the whole five hour experience filming and video taping my family and the Slatons (that's not a typo).

Posted by Steven at 02:07 PM | Comments (0)

April 21, 2005

Happy Anniversary, Anne!

Ok, ok, so I'm a little slow on the uptake.

Today is my fifteenth wedding anniversary. Holy snapping arsenals. Surely by now, Anne has earned some kind of endurance award. And we did most of that time before TiVo and broadband Internet/AIM, so how we worked through the responsibility and the communications barriers (we have a better rapport online than in person, sometimes!) I don't know.

But the biggest surprise is (and my daughter hates to hear this) is the love life just gets better and better! Woot!

I'm getting Anne aluminum and wood for this anniversary: we're finally getting rain gutters and fixing the fence in front that is all but falling down.

What did Ralph Cramden say? Oh yeah ... Anne, you're the greatest!

Posted by Steven at 01:09 PM | Comments (2)

April 20, 2005

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Leo!

Leo's ten today ..! He had a big birthday party at Reid's Tae Kwan Do studio on Saturday, with most of his friends and classmates. He was given a ceremonial black belt for the day, which was a real treat. Lots of Star Wars and Lego™ toys were given. I'l post the photos (back dated) tonite on the RSB (this) blog.

Posted by Steven at 02:03 PM | Comments (0)

April 19, 2005

TMI

American Standard may have answered my prayers.

They have introduced the Champion brand flush toilet, which they claim will never clog or need plunging.

You see, a certain member of my family manages to completely destroy all the toilets in our house about twice a month (and while it's NOT me, I will not divulge the identity). We have plungers stationed at all heads, it's literally that bad. So if this toilet has the moxie the ads say it does, it well could solve this problem for us for good.

It just so happens that I could replace two of my three units and (hopefully) solve the problem at the same time.

I know, I know ... Too Much Information. This announcement, sadly, has made my day.

Posted by Steven at 04:29 PM | Comments (1)

April 17, 2005

John's Snorkel Photos

My brother recently returned from a week long sailing trip with my father, his wife, and five other friends. John bought a disposable underwater camera and took the photos you'll find at this link. Enjoy.

Posted by Steven at 10:04 PM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2005

Leo's BD Party at Reid's Taekwando

Leo had a big birthday party at Reid's Tae Kwan Do Studio today. Mr. Vu, the top instructor in the studio, did a wonderful job with the kids. Everyone seemed to have a good time, even with half the kids present having autistic spectrum did not cause any undue strain. Altogether, it was great.

Do NOT give this kid a Samurai sword!

Leo breaking a board (yes, he did!).

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Posted by Steven at 02:00 PM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2005

Honda Update

We got a firm offer tonite for Anne's car from a family that drove up from Ft. Worth who have been looking for two months for an Accord Wagon. I got another caller and an e-mail as well, and I suspect I'll regret not pulling the ad sooner as I'm pretty sure the first caller will buy tomorrow.

Posted by Steven at 11:39 PM | Comments (0)

April 10, 2005

Selling Anne's Accord EX

We're selling Anne's Accord (duh). Check out the flyer.

Update: Check out the online ad at cars.com.

Posted by Steven at 08:53 PM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2005

Anne's New Car

Ok, now it's official ... we bought Anne a 2005 VW Jetta Wagon TDI (yes, the diesel, our second). Let's cut straight to the photos:

Leo reading the VW enthusiasts magazine.

Alanna surfing the net.

More of the waiting area with Leo.

Sales finishing rooms.

Front of the show room.

The Jetta Wagon with our salesman taking a call in the background.

Beauty shot of the car (front).

Beauty shot rear (right).

Beauty shot rear (left).

Beauty shot (rear).

Beauty shot (front).

Anne getting "the lecture" from the salesman.

I spent most of the morning getting the Accord ready to sell, as the paperwork for the Jetta was done by Friday. We had to wait behind two other families to close the deal, so we consumed their free sodas and cookies -- VW has made their dealerships as slick and cool looking as Apple Stores.

After the obligatory lecture on all the extra crap we didn't want to buy, we opted for a 5 1/2 year note which brought the payment down to $400/mo. even, and almost nothing down. We are expecting to gross $4000 on the Accord, so we did pretty good on this one (net cost of this car will be less than the Accord Wagon EX).

After we got the car, we went to Six Flags for the evening and had a great time. More tomorrow ...

Posted by Steven at 11:39 PM | Comments (0)

April 05, 2005

Anne's New Car

If all goes well, this Saturday Anne and I will pick up her new Volkswagen Jetta Wagon TDI. She's picked the Wheat Beige color and beige cloth interior, and I selected the GLS trim. It's very similar to the Golf TDI I drive, but it has the 100 HP deisel engine instead of my 90 HP, and it has the Tiptronic automatic transmission instead of a manual. We're hoping it'll get around 40 MPG in town and a touch better on the highway.

We're retiring Anne's nearly ten year old Honda Accord Wagon EX. In fact, we'll be selling it (asking $4300 [Ed. checked Kelly Blue Book]). It's got all the EX features (power seats, windows, moon-roof) and an after market CD/MP3 player. We kept hoping that Honda would come to its senses and make another wagon, but alas, that has not happened.

As it stands, I'd rather have the better mileage of the TDI anyway. Gas hit $2.35 around here this last week and it's still going up. Driving 600+ miles on a tank is a wildly different experience than the more typical 250 miles in gas engine car, especially when a fillup still costs less than $30.

Note: We have not actually purchased this car; Anne will make a final decision Saturday. We've made app and put a deposit down, that is all. I don't imagine we'll bail on the deal, but until you see a photo posted here, don't assume we've done the deal. This post is just a "heads up" for friend and family.

Posted by Steven at 02:36 PM | Comments (0)

March 30, 2005

Decker Reuion Site

I tweaked the Decker Family Reunion website last night. Take a look if you are a Decker!

Posted by Steven at 12:26 PM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2005

New Piano Arrives Thursday

Anne's new Yamaha U5 upright grand piano will be delivered on Thursday. There will be now shower as the expected is arriving too soon to get out the invitations. ;-).

Posted by Steven at 06:15 PM | Comments (1)

March 25, 2005

Anne's New Piano

Today Anne put down 10% on a new Yamaha U5 professional grade upright grand piano. We secured a loan from AT&T Universal at 3.99% (a balance transfer deal -- open ended payments at that rate) that covered the principal cost of the piano (and some more cash to pay down the balance on my business travel debt from last year at a higher interest rate), so we didn't need to use previously acquired financing at Brook Mays Music, where we purchased the unit, which would have been four times the AT&T rate. In other words, we're not paying a lot of interest on this loan, which makes it easier to move on the U5 at this time.

We went down to the Prestonwood Brook Mays to see the actual piano, and I took these photos of it:

A beauty shot revealing just how black and shiny the U5 is.

Anne and the "Sold" sign on her soon to be new piano.

The U5 is a teaching grade upright grand that has impeccable ratings on all the reviews we've found for it. Since we're buying it new, we'll have the full ten year warranty, and the benefit of a U.S. market unit instead of a Japanese market ("gray market") model that costs less, but which Yamaha refuses to service in the U.S.

Anne's thrilled, and I look forward to hearing her playing pieces from The Piano on this marvelous new instrument that will be with us from here on out.

Posted by Steven at 04:49 PM | Comments (1)

March 20, 2005

Decker Family Reunion DVD

I finished the Reunion DVD and am now shipping them to interested members of the family. I'm asking $7.50 for postage and material cost for each disc, which also comes with a 6" x 11" panorama photo from the reunion (thanks to Stephen Gerard for sharing his negatives from the event).

E-mail me if you want a copy.

Posted by Steven at 08:00 PM | Comments (0)

March 18, 2005

Reid's Martial Arts Banquet

We went to the annual Reid's Martial Arts Academy Banquet for the third time tonite. Both Anne and Alanna received awards, and Leo did his level best to break dance, much to the horror of his sister.

Alanna accepting "Outstanding Technique and Attitude" award.

Anne accepting "Early Arrival" gag award.

All the gag award winners.

Posted by Steven at 10:00 PM | Comments (0)

March 15, 2005

Fiala Visit

Todd, Leigh Anne, Reece and Tanner came to visit on Sunday.

Posted by Steven at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)

March 01, 2005

Teens and Cars

USA Today has a comprehensive article about teen driving that all parents of teenagers should read. I hate to sound alarmist, but the statistics are scary. 16 yr. old male SUV drivers have an obscenely high risk of fatal injury due to roll over. The rate of accidents for first year teen drivers is astronomical. No wonder it costs $2500+ to insure a 16 yr. old boy! Girls are 1/3rd less likely to have an accident, but are not out of the picture by any means.

About 3,500 teenagers died in teen-driven vehicles in the USA that year — a death toll that tops that of any disease or injury for teens. The South proved to be the deadliest region.

More than two-thirds of fatal single-vehicle teen crashes involved nighttime driving or at least one passenger age 16 to 19. Nearly three-fourths of the drivers in those crashes were male. And 16-year-old drivers were the riskiest of all. Their rate of involvement in fatal crashes was nearly five times that of drivers ages 20 and older, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Teen brains not developed

New medical research helps explain why. The part of the brain that weighs risks and controls impulsive behavior isn't fully developed until about age 25, according to the National Institutes of Health. Some state legislators and safety activists question whether 16-year-olds should be licensed to drive.

Sixteen-year-olds are far worse drivers than 17-, 18- or 19-year-olds, statistics show. Tellingly, New Jersey, which has long barred 16-year-olds from having unrestricted driver's licenses, for years has had one of the lowest teen fatality rates in the USA.

Other jurisdictions, too, have found the only sure way to cut the teen death toll is to limit unsupervised driving by 16-year-olds. Seven states and the District of Columbia don't give unrestricted licenses to anyone under 18. In Britain and Germany, teens can't drive until ages 17 and 18, respectively.

The saddest thing that pops up in the statistics is how easy it is to fix this problem: no SUVs for teens, and always enforce seat belts. So many kids die because they flew out of the truck. It's looking increasingly likely that teens won't be driving in this nation in the coming years, thanks to changes in the licensing laws.

Check out the interactive graphic.

Posted by Steven at 10:11 AM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2005

Alanna at the Solo and Ensemble Festival

Alanna participated in an event called Solo and Ensemble Festival. The event is not a competition. Instead, the musicians perform before a judge who then grades the performance (the scores are "exemplary", 1, 2, or 3). In both her solo and the trio she performed with friends, she received a score of 1. She also received a blue medal for performing 9th grade, class 1 music. Class 1 is the hardest level, and she is still in the eight grade.

Posted by Steven at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

February 16, 2005

Ruby at Home

Here's a picture of Ruby from this morning, just before the body wrap was removed by the vet.

She's doing well at home now.

Posted by Steven at 11:25 PM | Comments (1)

February 15, 2005

Ruby Update

Good news. Ruby's out of the OR, and she regained consciousness. That was the first big test, as a cat of her low weight and advanced age can sometimes have a heart murmur that causes them to die as soon as they are put under for the operation.

There's a chance Anne will have her home tonite. I'm getting more optimistic about this as time goes by.

Posted by Steven at 02:23 PM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2005

Now I Know How Schrödinger Felt

Tomorrow, Ruby goes to the vet for a major surgery. The outcome is far from certain, and lies (in some sense) in the "future", which is a quantum physicists' way of saying "after a wave function collapses". The most famous quantum physicist was Schrödinger, who proposed an experiment in quantum physics with the life of his cat resting on the balance of the outcome. He was trying to show that we cannot predict the future, and was making a grandious statement by way of his pet.

We aren't so lucky. Anne and I have made a choice, and we hope it's the right one. The wave function collapses tomorrow. We hope and hope some more that it collapses in our (and Ruby's) favor.

If anyone has a Heisenberg Compensator out there ... let us know.

Posted by Steven at 05:20 PM | Comments (1)

February 08, 2005

Richelle's Early Birthday Present

I stopped by the Peake's last night and gave Richelle (my sister Leigh Anne's oldest child) a digital camera for her birthday. It's an older model Vivicam, which I was the first to admit wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it will take decent photos.

Example 1. A rare photo of Richelle.

I didn't know this, but Richelle is taking a digital photography class, so this will give her a tool that she can use outside of school. I hope she uses it to take photos of her experiences in Austin and shares them with her parents back in San Diego.

Posted by Steven at 09:15 AM | Comments (1)

Our Cat Has Cancer

We had a terrible discovery this weekend. Ruby, our fifteen year-old Persian cat, has breast cancer. She has developed a large cyst on her abdomen, which ulcerated. When that bleed, we discovered the problem.

On Sunday I called Karen Purcell for some advice. Everything she told me has turned out to be right on target. We got Ruby to a local vet on Monday, and she did the initial diagnosis (breast cancer), a chest X-ray (no cancer in the lungs -- very good sign), and then the blood work (correction: not so good news, she's malignant but the damage hasn't spread to other organs) in the evening.

So, we're going to have the vet remove the tumor, and Anne is thinking we should go the full nine-yards and do a radical mastecomy (yes, they can do that on a cat). The problem is that, at her advanced age, the surgery could harm Ruby more than the cancer. In any case, she's not going to be with us for more than a year or so.

We're both pretty upset by this. I bought Ruby from a wacky Plano breeder (Karen said that she thought that being weird was a requirement for breeders) right after we moved into our first and only home, as a reminder of her previous Persian pet when she lived in Potsdam. Ruby originally was very attached to me, but over the years, she shifted her attentions to the real momma cat in the house (Anne). She always resented it when we brought in Bix, her half-brother, and later, C-fer, the cat-pie. Over the years, she's been a constant part of our family and a beloved pet ... we will miss her greatly, but even worse, we hate the thought that we will have to choose the day she dies.

Posted by Steven at 09:08 AM | Comments (3)

February 01, 2005

Could This Be My Kid, Too?

Hey, Alanna's pretty hard core. For that matter, Leo's clinically obsessed with gaming. Even Anne's pretty obsessed with her word puzzle games. I'm starting to look like the lamer here ... oh, what have I wrought?

Posted by Steven at 02:21 PM | Comments (3)

January 23, 2005

Ushicon 2005

This weekend Alanna and I went to Ushicon 2005 in Austin, Texas. The convention was held in the snooty Austin Renaissance Hotel in the Arboretum. We stayed at Chloe's home across 360 from the Arboretum, so we were within easy strike range of the con.

This was the first anime convention that Alanna and I both dressed up in character. This is called "CosPlay" (short for "costume play") and is very, very popular at Japanese themed conventions.

Over a year ago at a previous A-Kon, we decided that dressing as characters from Porco Rosso would be fun, and would work well as a father-daughter team. Alanna and Anne spent the last couple of weeks making the girl character's (Fio) outfit. I waited until Friday of the day we drove down to Austin to go hunting for a costume. Fortunately, I found all I was looking for at the Richardson Army Navy Store.

Saturday morning we got suited up, and hit the trail. I'm used to swallowing my dignity whole, so going out in public dressed as this was just second nature.

We were approached for photos for most of the day, despite the relative obscurity of the movie (it's never been released in the U.S.). Alanna was frustrated that I was more recognizable as Porco (I mean, look at the costume ... it's a lot easier to spot Porco versus Fio), but I made a point of bringing her into any photo a fan was taking. We were in this together.

The big event was the CosPlay starting at 7pm. I realize that the conventions are entirely volunteer events, but the fellow (in a dress) who MC'd the event was incredibly inefficient at organizing the participants. As a result, we were seated in the wrong order, and he mispronounced Alanna's name (despite prompting), but we had our moment on the stage and we'll just get better at this as time goes by.

The Real Marco "Porco" Rosso

Fio and Porco

My Porco Rosso costume in all it's horror

Alanna and I on the stage during Saturday night's CosPlay (we were #52)

All the photos that Alanna and I took at Ushicon are here.

The movie will be released by Buena Vista on February 22th. Midnight Eye offers a touching review of the film.

Posted by Steven at 08:05 PM | Comments (9)

January 13, 2005

Decker Family Reunion 2002 Update

I've finalized the DVD for the Decker Family Reunion (2002) and have bought 10 high-quaility DVD-R discs ($2/disc) from the Apple Store. I have boxes and labels but haven't had the time needed to finish the box art nor the disc label.

I'm thinking that the DVD will cost $7.50 with postage.

However, I did get Stephen's negatives of the group photos, and have scanned them:

The Decker Grandkids and assorted Moms

The Decker Cousins (l. to r.) David and Marjorie Decker, Jack and ... Decker, Marianne Hopewell, Bill and ... Decker, Barbara Decker

The Decker Gang at Windham, NY in 2002

Posted by Steven at 02:01 PM | Comments (1)

January 02, 2005

Alanna's New Earrings and Hat

My daughter took another step towards "womanhood" today ... she got her ears pierced.

Alanna's new look

She found a new hat, which is quite a departure from the Cirque de Soleil jester hat or the "Cactar" cap she used to favor. The hat seems like it belongs in a Bob Fosse musical ... which is a big change for her.

Posted by Steven at 01:00 PM | Comments (0)

December 25, 2004

Xmas Dinner

My father and his wife Ana, and my brother John came to dinner tonite.

Anne prepared a wonderful feast of beef tenderloin and potatoes. For dessert she made a chocolat mousse that was overwhelming.

After dinner, we exchanged gifts. We gave Ana a DVD of Whale Rider and I gave my dad the quintessential father-son DVD (Field of Dreams) and Laurence of Arabia. We gave my brother John the first season of Land of the Lost, a 70's Saturday morning kid's sci-fi show that was developed by David Gerrold and featured episodes written by Larry Niven and D.C. Fontana. He was amazed at the DVD extras and I was tickled to hear Larry talking about an episode he co-wrote with Gerrold.

Posted by Steven at 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

Merry "Exes"-mas

I was surprised to see an article in the Washington Post about the trend of divorced parents reuniting over Xmas because of their children.

This year, when Vienna novelist Diane Chamberlain circulated her family's Secret Santa list, she added her boyfriend's name to the expanding roster of relations at their Christmas gathering: her ex-husband and his wife, her former mother-in-law, her three ex-stepdaughters and their partners, and a brand-new ex-stepgrandson, 9-month-old Nolan.

For the past four years, Chamberlain's extended family has celebrated Christmas with a turkey dinner at her home, where it has sometimes been harder to keep track of which guests are vegetarian or lactose intolerant than of the complicated relationships binding the brood.

"Everybody is amazingly good," Chamberlain said. "I'm incredibly lucky."

Therapists and family experts say that as divorce and remarriage rates rise, holiday gatherings such as Chamberlain's -- in which divorced spouses reunite for the day to celebrate with new partners, children and stepchildren -- are becoming more common.

But the phenomenon is still rare enough that no catchphrase has been coined for it. A blended-family Christmas? Mingled Day? All-inclusive holiday?

"My partner calls it the 'Ex-Spouses-Only Party,' " joked Lisa Cohn, co-author of "One Family, Two Family, New Family: Stories and Advice for Stepfamilies."

Margorie Engel, president of the Stepfamily Association of America, said more divorced parents are choosing to reunite with their exes over the Thanksgiving turkey or the yule log for the sake of their children. Having one event is a lot easier on youngsters than requiring them to sit through a succession of split-family celebrations. Engel attributes the trend to the increasing number of states that require divorcing couples to take parenting classes and to the "critical mass" of divorced and remarried families in the United States. She estimates that 47 percent of marriages today are remarriages and that 65 percent of those create stepfamilies.

But such gatherings generally are successful only if the divorces are amicable, Engel said.

"It takes a couple who have recognized their marriage was not going to work but are still reasonable people and loving parents to the children," she said. "When you've got people who are still throwing spitballs or using the children to communicate . . . these aren't the couples who are going to do this grand gathering."

Planning -- including discussing the idea of a blended gathering with the children and setting price limits for presents when the number of people proliferates -- is key, Engel said. But awkward moments are virtually guaranteed.

California divorce mediator Jann Blackstone-Ford recently heard from one stepmother who was embarrassed during a family celebration with her husband and his ex-wife.

"He said, 'Honey, will you please pass the potatoes?' -- and two women reached for the potatoes," recounted Blackstone-Ford, who recently co-wrote a book -- with her husband's ex-wife -- about her extended family experiences, "Ex-Etiquette for Parents: Good Behavior After a Divorce or Separation."

I only took note of this because of long-time, dear friends who have been through divorce and have emerged still friends. I'm so very happy for them and the children they still share.

Makes me wonder where the so-called "family values" voters stand on this ...

Posted by Steven at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)

Xmas Morning

We had the usual Xmas morning, with Leo awakening at 6:30am and being told to go back to bed until 7:30am. Lots of stuff was unwrapped, and a lot of silliness ensued.

I bought Anne an iPod mini for her big gift (ok, it's a tiny device but it was the 400 lbs. gorilla gift) and by noon she had filled it with her favorite songs. Alanna and Leo received a number of DVDs and PS/2 games, as well as stuff they were less than exhuberent about. I got an Elmo doll as a gag gift:

Refer to my Toronto blog for the genesis of this prank!

I still think my best gift this year was being home for Xmas.

Posted by Steven at 11:19 AM | Comments (0)

December 23, 2004

Don't Tell My Wife

Doctors in Norway claim to have come up with an innovative cure for snoring.

The cure involves stiffening the palate to stop the vibrations that cause snoring.

The process involves inserting three tiny threads made from Dacron - a tough polymer used in the clothing industry - into the soft palate. The whole procedure last two minutes and is performed under local anaesthetic.

Don't tell Anne! She'll have me on a plane to Norway ASAP.

Posted by Steven at 09:25 AM | Comments (1)

December 20, 2004

Another Viewpoint on Autism

Anne sent me a link to this story on the New York Times about how some autistic individuals (mostly high-functioning Asperger's Syndrome) don't want a cure for Autism as much as a new understanding in society about it, and a movement that they have fostered to seek to change the nature of the public argument.

Jack Thomas, a 10th grader at a school for autistic teenagers and an expert on the nation's roadways, tore himself away from his satellite map one recent recess period to critique a television program about the search for a cure for autism.

"We don't have a disease," said Jack, echoing the opinion of the other 15 boys at the experimental Aspie school here in the Catskills. "So we can't be 'cured.' This is just the way we are."

From behind his GameBoy, Justin Mulvaney, another 10th grader, objected to the program's description of people "suffering" from Asperger's syndrome, the form of autism he has.

"People don't suffer from Asperger's," Justin said. "They suffer because they're depressed from being left out and beat up all the time."

That, at least, was what happened to these students at mainstream schools before they found refuge here.

But unlike many programs for autistics, this school's program does not try to expunge the odd social behaviors that often make life so difficult for them. Its unconventional aim is to teach students that it is O.K. to "act autistic" and also how to get by in a world where it is not.

Trained in self-advocacy, students proudly recite the positive traits autism can confer, like the ability to develop uncanny expertise in an area of interest. This year's class includes specialists on supervolcanoes and medieval weaponry.

"Look at Jack," Justin pointed out. "He doesn't even need a map. He's like a living map."

The new program, whose name stands for Autistic Strength, Purpose and Independence in Education - and whose acronym is a short form of Asperger's - is rooted in a view of autism as an alternative form of brain wiring, with its own benefits and drawbacks, rather than a devastating disorder in need of curing.

This viewpoint is not shared by all, especially the parents of severely autistic children.

On e-mail lists frequented by autistics, some parents are derided as "curebies" and portrayed as slaves to conformity, so anxious for their children to appear normal that they cannot respect their way of communicating. Parents argue that their antagonists are showing a typical autistic lack of empathy by suggesting that they should not try to help their children. It is only those whose diagnosis describes them as "high functioning" or having Asperger's syndrome, they say, who are opposed to a cure.

"If those who raise their opposition to the so-called oppression of the autistic would simply substitute their usage of 'autism or autistic' with 'Asperger's,' their arguments might make some sense," Lenny Schafer, publisher of the widely circulated Schafer Autism Report, wrote in a recent e-mail message. "But I intend to cure, fix, repair, change over etc. my son and others like him of his profound and typical disabling autism into something better. Let us regain our common sense."

But the autistic activists say it is not so easy to distinguish between high and low functioning, and their ranks include both.

In an effort to refute parental skeptics, the three owners of autistics.org, a major Web hub of autistic advocacy, issued a statement listing their various impairments. None of them are fully toilet-trained, one of them cannot speak, and they have all injured themselves on multiple occasions, they wrote: "We flap, finger-flick, rock, twist, rub, clap, bounce, squeal, hum, scream, hiss and tic."

The horrible truth about Autism is that there are those whose lives are challenged by it, and those whose lives are scarred by it. Parents of severely autistic children are often far less sympathetic of other families with Asperger's Syndrome because their kids can function in society with far less personal care. Severe Autism remains a personal hell for most of these parents, and to be able to have a child who is just "Aspie" would be a great relief to most if not all. Clearly the severely autistic need a "cure" far more than the high functioning kids, but society needs to understand this condition and react appropriately, too.

Just as society has adjusted to treating women as full citizens, and has made great (but by no means full) progress with minorities, the process of inculcating Autism into the mainstream is a long, generations long struggle. Fortunately for the Aspies, quite a few famous people fit the bill as Asperger's, and this gives a certain elan to the condition that severe Autism lacks. We must bring both ends of the Autism spectrum into society, or we have failed both.

Posted by Steven at 11:40 AM | Comments (1)

December 07, 2004

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Leigh Anne

Happy 34th Birthday, Leigh Anne!

Posted by Steven at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2004

Xmas Tree

This weekend Anne led the family tree trimming, with her mom Barbara and the kids pitching in.

I had to get new lights for the tree which means we now have epileptic-fit-inducing pulsing lights on the tree ;-).

Posted by Steven at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)