Let the Campaigning Stop!

The echoes of the soundbits of Obama and Hillary's bickering is still ringing in my ears, and the mud slinging for the Republican nomination for Texas governor is starting.

This is ridiculous. Kay "Bailout" is way too cutesy for me to listen to for the next TWO years. Perry's people need to find another nasty nickname if they want me to pay attention.

The Reason I Work

When the kids wake up in the morning I'm usually the one to get up and get the day started with them. Earlier this week Bubba Gene was sick and I was going to be home with him in the afternoon, so I came in to the office early. When Princess Ana woke up and noticed the change in routine she was very understanding.

Ana: Where's daddy?
Mama: He went to school to do some work.
Ana: Yeah. So he can buy me more dollies.

A wonderful moment in parenting

Ana just went down for her nap, but not before achieving an important milestone.

Ana: "Daddy, I want my towel."
Me (two minutes of harried searching later): "Ana, I don't know where it is. Try to go to sleep, baby."
Ana: "It's in the seat of my Barbie car."

and there was much rejoicing. Princess Ana now remembers where she leaves things and can tell us! I'm sure this is a very selective communication ability (she's likely been able to remember where they were for some time), but any clue is better than just whining.

Good morning, Ike

The wind hit College Station at about 6, and is still picking up. The local tv station has their most junior weather man outside confirming that indeed, "Things have definitely started picking up. It's really coming down now and the wind is gusting." I don't know why they've got to do that.

Learn from my mistake

If you ever walk in to a Wal-mart and see that there are absolutely no shopping carts available turn around immediately and leave the store. You don't need anything that badly.

I had done a good job of avoiding the locusts (a.k.a. the returning students) this year. I was out of town during the big move-in weekend and my grocery shopping had coincidentally avoided peak student shopping times. I made it through the week only wanting to shoot a handful of people that had not followed my Code of Acceptable Shopping Behavior, so I was feeling very good about the new school year.

Wal-mart changed all of that. This year in College Station all schools, Bryan, College Station, and TAMU are starting back on the same day. I couldn't see down the aisles where the school supplies were. It took me an hour to pick up 5 items and get through the check-out line.

The positive side of the purchasing swarm is that the shelves are sufficiently bare the good folks at Wal-mart have plenty of room to set out the Christmas wares. Who needs fall holidays anyway?

Always looking to accessorize

I couldn't have said it better myself

My cars are insured by that suave gecko with the British accent. Checking my account this morning I see the following:

Date of next extraction: (too soon)
Amount to be Extracted: (too much)


I think extraction may quite possibly be the perfect word to use for an insurance premium payment. It evokes the same imagery of pain and unpleasantness that I have when I think about having a tooth extracted.

That's what friends are for.

My buddy Joel B called me from the road yesterday. He was listening to this story about the baby on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind album. The kid is 17 years old now. Scary.

As if that wasn't enough Joel was then kind enough to remind me that students will start returning to town in three weeks for the fall semester. I want to crawl in a hole. I haven't gotten to enjoy my summer yet, and the brats are already preparing to descend on town with their bad driving and over crowd every grocery store and restaurant in town?! Life isn't fair.