January 26, 2019
I missed a day! But, my writing has been in the evening, so this can sum up yesterday.
Beckett went to basketball and took one shot and hustled back and forth to help his team. Beatrice and I spent the morning at the PWD for Girls Scouts. She suggested the cuts; I put on the wheels. She painted it black to make a remote control, but the hot glue gun did not work with painted wood and rubber buttons, so food stickers made the grade. The competition is really harsh. One parent, the Paughers' are ridiculously competitive and win every year. I think they polish their axles and possibly use some sort of spread and dry lube, instead of graphite. I mean, even their cars' design looks like it's off Pinterest. I am helping Beatrice where I can. She did use steel wool to polish one or two of the nails, but I had to hammer those wheels on this year. She is not quite there. Overall it was fun...good food, great desserts, and chatting with Josh. Josh works for a contractor as a network specialist. He is complaining to the current person in charge about not getting training and how the network needs bolstered. Sometimes he is going back to work or staying late or working overtime because he needs to research something to be sure that the network won't tumble. I hope he gets a raise, because I know he works hard and takes cyber security seriously. I did have an opportunity to sit next to Beatrice as her car raced down the track. And, that time I sat with her...she actually won the heat. But, to win, you need to be in the top 10 of ALL of the girls, not just your Daisy..Brownie...Junior...or Cadet division. That is different than how the Pack runs their PWD. Each tier gets a 1, 2, and 3. There are also themes to compete for prizes. Beatrice was competing in the food theme.
So, after that the kids went off with Peggy and Randy. Niki and I mulled about the house, went shopping at the Aldi and the Wegman's. Then, headed to the Falafal Joint. It is a small operation with about 15 seats...three tables and two 'bar-bistro' counters. All tables were taken, so we ended up at one of the counters. A Two Goats and a Bear IPA for both and a falafel sandwich as well as fries. Tasty! I think the Tziki sauce was decent as also I put on some of the mild green chili sauce. Niki said she may take the kids there for a field trip. It is definitely a place of welcoming and welcoming progressive thoughts and equality. Abe Lincoln is there along with Nelson Mandela an John Lennon...on the wall in pictures of course. I give the Joint a thumbs up!
I give Peggy and Randy a big thank you!
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Friday, January 25, 2019
January 24, 2019
January 24, 2019
It was about a year ago that the entire family went to a BINGO fundraiser for a pre-school ran by the Christ Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg. It's up by the UMW and it's pretty fun. For $25 your family gets cards for the kids and triple cards for the adults, plus a pizza. It was cheese only...boring, but sufficient for all of us to hammer down 2 slices. Then, there are treats that you pay what you want for. I paid $2 for three bags of treats. Niki bought a doughnut for Beckett, $1. So, needless to say that is better than last year.
Last year I bought $5 worth of tickets to drop into the cups...winning a drink at Agora. I also won the highest bid on a coffee set. That was exciting, but all the coffee and the mug and the basket was from the $1 tree. That is, the coffee was NOT gourmet and the mug was cheap looking when alone...but, with all the $1 tree stuff packaged together, it looked appealing. I think I spent $15 on that sucker.
This year, I had only $2 to my name. So, I saved some cash. Niki does not know that I am saving up a cash cow for her Domino magazine subscription for Valentine's Day.
Ok, Beckett ended up winning and picking a package of two nerf knock off guns with a target that blows air so the balls you shoot at float up and down. It currently does not work, but has a value of $49 or something. Beatrice won a BATH BOMB set. Not sure what that amounts to, but it was fun enough.
I'll say this. It is possible that next year we don't go. I mean, Beckett won three more times to merely pick up 3 Burger King Scooby Doo 'kids meal' toys. Man, there are 6 in the set or something and he wanted to get them all. It was a lesson...as always.
It was about a year ago that the entire family went to a BINGO fundraiser for a pre-school ran by the Christ Lutheran Church in Fredericksburg. It's up by the UMW and it's pretty fun. For $25 your family gets cards for the kids and triple cards for the adults, plus a pizza. It was cheese only...boring, but sufficient for all of us to hammer down 2 slices. Then, there are treats that you pay what you want for. I paid $2 for three bags of treats. Niki bought a doughnut for Beckett, $1. So, needless to say that is better than last year.
Last year I bought $5 worth of tickets to drop into the cups...winning a drink at Agora. I also won the highest bid on a coffee set. That was exciting, but all the coffee and the mug and the basket was from the $1 tree. That is, the coffee was NOT gourmet and the mug was cheap looking when alone...but, with all the $1 tree stuff packaged together, it looked appealing. I think I spent $15 on that sucker.
This year, I had only $2 to my name. So, I saved some cash. Niki does not know that I am saving up a cash cow for her Domino magazine subscription for Valentine's Day.
Ok, Beckett ended up winning and picking a package of two nerf knock off guns with a target that blows air so the balls you shoot at float up and down. It currently does not work, but has a value of $49 or something. Beatrice won a BATH BOMB set. Not sure what that amounts to, but it was fun enough.
I'll say this. It is possible that next year we don't go. I mean, Beckett won three more times to merely pick up 3 Burger King Scooby Doo 'kids meal' toys. Man, there are 6 in the set or something and he wanted to get them all. It was a lesson...as always.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
January 24, 2019 run? me?
January 24, 2019
This blog is missing pictures and those are on my phone. They consist of hiking pictures of the kids along the Rappahannock river, some bike parts, snow biking pictures, and some construction pictures as they dig in our backyard. Yes, go to Strava and you can see some.
As for the dig, half of the digging for the foundation is complete. That foundation gets inspected 3 times and due to some heavy rains today, it's delayed at least until tomorrow. And, the temps are dropping from 58F to 43F for highs. That may slow their progress as well.
As for the running, yes, I am, due to closed mountain biking trails. It is almost just as I left it. I don't mind it much, but really enjoy mountain biking. It is in the woods...and it is faster and more technical.
Today the kids and Niki are with Melanie and her kids. This is a weekly event, the playdate that never ends. Typically the ladies chat it up and the kids play. Sometimes it's here...and I usually will quietly sneak off to the woods with my bike. But, not only is it cold, but it is wet and the trails are saturated...or sometimes frozen and it's way to cold to bike. I have gone at 22F and just simply biked back home after riding up 10 yards of trail. In fact, that time, I ended up going into the FOR office to warm up before heading home. That's a 12 minute bike ride...get warm...then, bike 12 minutes back. Man, my toes were ice cubes and my face lost three epidermal layers on the way there. So, I tend to want the temperature to be above 32F. Even then, that is cold. But, nothing beats seeing the snow in the woods. And, a sunny 28F is plenty warm with the proper gear.
Anyway, this is not the major writing gig that I wanted. My only goal was to write everyday. And, I am. So, I hope more news of entertaining value hits my brain soon.
This blog is missing pictures and those are on my phone. They consist of hiking pictures of the kids along the Rappahannock river, some bike parts, snow biking pictures, and some construction pictures as they dig in our backyard. Yes, go to Strava and you can see some.
As for the dig, half of the digging for the foundation is complete. That foundation gets inspected 3 times and due to some heavy rains today, it's delayed at least until tomorrow. And, the temps are dropping from 58F to 43F for highs. That may slow their progress as well.
As for the running, yes, I am, due to closed mountain biking trails. It is almost just as I left it. I don't mind it much, but really enjoy mountain biking. It is in the woods...and it is faster and more technical.
Today the kids and Niki are with Melanie and her kids. This is a weekly event, the playdate that never ends. Typically the ladies chat it up and the kids play. Sometimes it's here...and I usually will quietly sneak off to the woods with my bike. But, not only is it cold, but it is wet and the trails are saturated...or sometimes frozen and it's way to cold to bike. I have gone at 22F and just simply biked back home after riding up 10 yards of trail. In fact, that time, I ended up going into the FOR office to warm up before heading home. That's a 12 minute bike ride...get warm...then, bike 12 minutes back. Man, my toes were ice cubes and my face lost three epidermal layers on the way there. So, I tend to want the temperature to be above 32F. Even then, that is cold. But, nothing beats seeing the snow in the woods. And, a sunny 28F is plenty warm with the proper gear.
Anyway, this is not the major writing gig that I wanted. My only goal was to write everyday. And, I am. So, I hope more news of entertaining value hits my brain soon.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019
January 23, 2019
Yes! I made it to four days of blogging/writing.
So, today we'll just let things fly.
First, there is a dilemma of the investigations that students are doing for their Physics class. I try to prepare them by conducting labs in class with school equipment. We also take the data to make independent versus. dependent data tables, including averages and uncertainties. Then, we actually graph the data, showing error bars. We also convey the results by answering key questions that should be answered with their own, self-designed investigation. Well, this group has moved along slowly, even back-peddled, and changed their research questions more than once. That brings them to a point where there is no more school hours to grant. Unfortunately, a student has designed a lab without truly defining the research question. So, who knows what the independent and dependent variables are?!? Now, they need more time. So, today as they worked, they actually worked. They were combing through their data, looking into the scientific concepts that surround their investigation. Some even plugged values from their trials in to find the average, and further, started to run those values through the formula that addresses their research question. That said, I was trying not to let my frustration get in the way of the facilitation. These reports are not simple. They are challenging. Due to their invested work, and finally making progress, I let them to stew this soup for one more week. They have one week, until next Thursday night or Friday morning, to complete and submit their investigation. What else helped? A talk with another teacher and a thought from a third. The third teacher has their students reflect and think about the process and how they are going to make their paper match the rubric by setting goals. This is happening on Friday. My students will evaluate their own writing and figure out what each section needs. I'll grade this based on accuracy. If they assess their investigation accurately, they get the highest points in the land. If not, they will not score well.
In other news, Beckett had a basketball game today and it got serious. The referee was pretty legit, giving players fouls, calling traveling, and keeping the game straight. He looked like an official official. But, this game is getting really intense too. One shot by Beckett, one miss. He really played well the other night against the UMW students. I know that they played to a lower level with the two younger boys, but not with me. I was sprinting hard. Beckett shot over 70% and I did too. It was a blast. Before that, we'd simply play make it, take it. We also play DUDE, like pig. We also play a bit of one-on-one. All said, going upstairs, to the old basketball venue is great. The new arena is off limits, I think. The auxilary gym is the go-to, but upstairs is mac. It has glass backboards and a ton more room.
Ok, that's it for now. Thinking about 20% time and how I can muster that up...also, thinking about running Beckett to the gym to practice, practice, practice (if he wants). You know, it's sometimes sad when just two players touch the ball. Not that Beckett would score more points, but you gotta mix it up, or the other team is on to you....and player development is stymied.
Yes! I made it to four days of blogging/writing.
So, today we'll just let things fly.
First, there is a dilemma of the investigations that students are doing for their Physics class. I try to prepare them by conducting labs in class with school equipment. We also take the data to make independent versus. dependent data tables, including averages and uncertainties. Then, we actually graph the data, showing error bars. We also convey the results by answering key questions that should be answered with their own, self-designed investigation. Well, this group has moved along slowly, even back-peddled, and changed their research questions more than once. That brings them to a point where there is no more school hours to grant. Unfortunately, a student has designed a lab without truly defining the research question. So, who knows what the independent and dependent variables are?!? Now, they need more time. So, today as they worked, they actually worked. They were combing through their data, looking into the scientific concepts that surround their investigation. Some even plugged values from their trials in to find the average, and further, started to run those values through the formula that addresses their research question. That said, I was trying not to let my frustration get in the way of the facilitation. These reports are not simple. They are challenging. Due to their invested work, and finally making progress, I let them to stew this soup for one more week. They have one week, until next Thursday night or Friday morning, to complete and submit their investigation. What else helped? A talk with another teacher and a thought from a third. The third teacher has their students reflect and think about the process and how they are going to make their paper match the rubric by setting goals. This is happening on Friday. My students will evaluate their own writing and figure out what each section needs. I'll grade this based on accuracy. If they assess their investigation accurately, they get the highest points in the land. If not, they will not score well.
In other news, Beckett had a basketball game today and it got serious. The referee was pretty legit, giving players fouls, calling traveling, and keeping the game straight. He looked like an official official. But, this game is getting really intense too. One shot by Beckett, one miss. He really played well the other night against the UMW students. I know that they played to a lower level with the two younger boys, but not with me. I was sprinting hard. Beckett shot over 70% and I did too. It was a blast. Before that, we'd simply play make it, take it. We also play DUDE, like pig. We also play a bit of one-on-one. All said, going upstairs, to the old basketball venue is great. The new arena is off limits, I think. The auxilary gym is the go-to, but upstairs is mac. It has glass backboards and a ton more room.
Ok, that's it for now. Thinking about 20% time and how I can muster that up...also, thinking about running Beckett to the gym to practice, practice, practice (if he wants). You know, it's sometimes sad when just two players touch the ball. Not that Beckett would score more points, but you gotta mix it up, or the other team is on to you....and player development is stymied.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
January 22, 2019 the anti-racoon
Peter Mealy is about 68 years old. His daughter is 8. He is a musician and retired around 60 years old. His second daughter is about 6. Amazingly kind, friendly, inviting, and open, Pete is also creative. In his backyard, he designed a play/tree house for his two daughters. It has a ramp with slats to crawl up a downstairs door and room...and an upstairs with a slide. It is really entrenched in a bush, more like a bush house.
I saw him last night just after 9pm. Why? Well, there is this dumpster in front of our house. It's been there since the wrecking crew showed to take down our back porch, November 20, 2018. So, it has managed to accumulate quite a number of items, not inclusive of our former back porch. Such items include, siding from Lisa (just moved in...her sons were cleaning up her yard), springs of scotch pine from someone's Christmas decor, a big green pot 18 inches in diameter, two umbrellas (from Stephen Craig...around the corner; he brought us a 6 pack for the inconvenience), and a bunch of doggie poo bags. So, this dumpster is amassing mass, daily.
Just after nine post meridiem, Pete drummed up some guilt when our front porch lit him up, caught in the act. He was dropping some big board in there. He admitted to already piling in some brush, dead branches of sorts. And he asked, "Am I not supposed to put stuff in here?" Well, the guilty feelings you're getting are telling you, Pete, "no!" That he asked meant that he knew already. He lives up the street and can certainly find another means to drop his crap off at the actual dump. Niki and I both felt a bit bad for calling him out, but I am positive that he had already discarded some scraps before. I mean, this is in the dark...stuffing trash in our dumpster, the one we are paying for, incognito, is just wrong. Why not ask? Why not do that during the day? Well, probably he could get that done on his own with his own car. Typically, I will ask Matt if he is going to the dump and if I can drop crap in his truck. So, if the pot or Christmas pine branches are from him, I don't care. If Greg dumped trash in there, well, he helps us by holding our honey bee frames in his freezer. Steve helps by fixing my bike on occasion. So, what is different with Peter Mealy? He did it under the darkness of the night and, usually very considerate, did not consider that we pay for more dumpster space as this one fills and another arrives. Man, I could not believe that it was him and that he asked, "What? Should I not put stuff in here?" Or something to that effect.
Ok, in other news the IB year 2 kids are supposed to be completed with their IA, rough draft. I am sure to hear more from parents as they submit that tomorrow for good. They have had since before Christmas break to finish this, and many days in class have been dedicated for it. Procrastination and switching research questions have really taken their toll. Oh, well, I gotta critique them now.
I saw him last night just after 9pm. Why? Well, there is this dumpster in front of our house. It's been there since the wrecking crew showed to take down our back porch, November 20, 2018. So, it has managed to accumulate quite a number of items, not inclusive of our former back porch. Such items include, siding from Lisa (just moved in...her sons were cleaning up her yard), springs of scotch pine from someone's Christmas decor, a big green pot 18 inches in diameter, two umbrellas (from Stephen Craig...around the corner; he brought us a 6 pack for the inconvenience), and a bunch of doggie poo bags. So, this dumpster is amassing mass, daily.
Just after nine post meridiem, Pete drummed up some guilt when our front porch lit him up, caught in the act. He was dropping some big board in there. He admitted to already piling in some brush, dead branches of sorts. And he asked, "Am I not supposed to put stuff in here?" Well, the guilty feelings you're getting are telling you, Pete, "no!" That he asked meant that he knew already. He lives up the street and can certainly find another means to drop his crap off at the actual dump. Niki and I both felt a bit bad for calling him out, but I am positive that he had already discarded some scraps before. I mean, this is in the dark...stuffing trash in our dumpster, the one we are paying for, incognito, is just wrong. Why not ask? Why not do that during the day? Well, probably he could get that done on his own with his own car. Typically, I will ask Matt if he is going to the dump and if I can drop crap in his truck. So, if the pot or Christmas pine branches are from him, I don't care. If Greg dumped trash in there, well, he helps us by holding our honey bee frames in his freezer. Steve helps by fixing my bike on occasion. So, what is different with Peter Mealy? He did it under the darkness of the night and, usually very considerate, did not consider that we pay for more dumpster space as this one fills and another arrives. Man, I could not believe that it was him and that he asked, "What? Should I not put stuff in here?" Or something to that effect.
Ok, in other news the IB year 2 kids are supposed to be completed with their IA, rough draft. I am sure to hear more from parents as they submit that tomorrow for good. They have had since before Christmas break to finish this, and many days in class have been dedicated for it. Procrastination and switching research questions have really taken their toll. Oh, well, I gotta critique them now.
Monday, January 21, 2019
January 21, 2019
Today is January 21, 2019.
Always a good start to a blog/journal entry.
So, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. day which means we do not have school. This is pretty new for Stafford County Public Schools. I'd need to go back into their calendars, but I am pretty sure that this day is a day off for all of us, for about 5 years now.
Ok, so, that given, Beckett and I took to the courts this morning. We played DUDE instead of PIG and ended up playing a 2 v. 1 with Jay. He is a good dribbler and really good at gauging Beckett's ability. It was a friendly match where I was the 1, not the 2. We also played a bit with William. He is a P&R basketball player who is really good in most aspects. His dad is a police officer at UMW, Bill. He sat the sidelines, then instructed William during this 'practice.' Strangely, he had William sit against the wall to strengthen his legs, after jumping next to the wall to see how high he could jump. Outstretching his arms, he showed decent ups. But, his dad felt like he could go higher. So, William was prodded to jump, then wall squat, then jump again. His dad said that he was not trying that hard anymore...I was thinking that he was tiring out. I mean, wall squats, then jumps. You are building strength, and maybe in two days, better results will be observed. But, to think that wall squats with jumps in between will get immediate results is nuts.
After the gig with Beckett, we walked across the way to Parrish's office. He was there, as expected and we chatted. It was great. You know, having the time to idle and ponder. In fact, Parrish was going to write a bit as I am trying to do here. He does plan on running tomorrow. Today is super cold and yesterday was super windy. It's so cold that our bathroom is drained and closed, and the water that runs down William Street is frozen all the way down the gutter and into the sewar.
Ok, tomorrow I shall see five rough drafts of investigations. I hope that they have some mustard. If not, I cannot review and edit them. As well, we're finishing the data collection on the zip line lab. That lab is super cool. Change the mass on the zip, the angle of the line, or the tension on the line and observe the acceleration. I am hoping that this lab sparks some ingenuity for decent and interesting investigations as these students head into year 2. Also, I am hoping that they realize that the lab must be altered...that the method may need to be adjusted, that is.
In other news, I am trying to read 4 books by March 31st to earn a CRRL mug. That means that I need to step up my reading game. I just finished a book on SETI and am now reading The Planet Factory. Elizabeth Tasker just informed me of the finer points of pulsars and how the star next to the pulsar may be in this region where its material will be sloughed off to the more massive pulsar. And, how maybe some rocky planets could form nearby, but rarely will. I am intrigued and ready to get back to reading.
Beatrice plans on making some granola bars of the S'mores flavor. And, Niki may go buy some second hand clothes while I read and enjoy the day. Thank you Martin Luther King for the inspiration to keep kindness in our backpacks, and to distribute that generously.
Always a good start to a blog/journal entry.
So, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. day which means we do not have school. This is pretty new for Stafford County Public Schools. I'd need to go back into their calendars, but I am pretty sure that this day is a day off for all of us, for about 5 years now.
Ok, so, that given, Beckett and I took to the courts this morning. We played DUDE instead of PIG and ended up playing a 2 v. 1 with Jay. He is a good dribbler and really good at gauging Beckett's ability. It was a friendly match where I was the 1, not the 2. We also played a bit with William. He is a P&R basketball player who is really good in most aspects. His dad is a police officer at UMW, Bill. He sat the sidelines, then instructed William during this 'practice.' Strangely, he had William sit against the wall to strengthen his legs, after jumping next to the wall to see how high he could jump. Outstretching his arms, he showed decent ups. But, his dad felt like he could go higher. So, William was prodded to jump, then wall squat, then jump again. His dad said that he was not trying that hard anymore...I was thinking that he was tiring out. I mean, wall squats, then jumps. You are building strength, and maybe in two days, better results will be observed. But, to think that wall squats with jumps in between will get immediate results is nuts.
After the gig with Beckett, we walked across the way to Parrish's office. He was there, as expected and we chatted. It was great. You know, having the time to idle and ponder. In fact, Parrish was going to write a bit as I am trying to do here. He does plan on running tomorrow. Today is super cold and yesterday was super windy. It's so cold that our bathroom is drained and closed, and the water that runs down William Street is frozen all the way down the gutter and into the sewar.
Ok, tomorrow I shall see five rough drafts of investigations. I hope that they have some mustard. If not, I cannot review and edit them. As well, we're finishing the data collection on the zip line lab. That lab is super cool. Change the mass on the zip, the angle of the line, or the tension on the line and observe the acceleration. I am hoping that this lab sparks some ingenuity for decent and interesting investigations as these students head into year 2. Also, I am hoping that they realize that the lab must be altered...that the method may need to be adjusted, that is.
In other news, I am trying to read 4 books by March 31st to earn a CRRL mug. That means that I need to step up my reading game. I just finished a book on SETI and am now reading The Planet Factory. Elizabeth Tasker just informed me of the finer points of pulsars and how the star next to the pulsar may be in this region where its material will be sloughed off to the more massive pulsar. And, how maybe some rocky planets could form nearby, but rarely will. I am intrigued and ready to get back to reading.
Beatrice plans on making some granola bars of the S'mores flavor. And, Niki may go buy some second hand clothes while I read and enjoy the day. Thank you Martin Luther King for the inspiration to keep kindness in our backpacks, and to distribute that generously.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
January 20, 2019 Bike Path Hike plus
Blogging, yes, I'm striving to write everyday...for the year. But, I just started today. So, we'll simply go with..."what did you do today?" Then, perhaps, get more focused.
Today, January 20, 2019, is a day when Niki works, and the kids and I do stuff. It's pretty darn windy and at 42F, that makes it pretty darn cold. So, we kicked off the day with a Dad and their kids hike along the Rappahannock Heritage trail. Bill landed early with Liam. We walked and talked about changing our political stance as we grew more aware of which candidate will be the best for the environment and people. The kids rode on with a bike and a scooter and a pair of shoes. Bill is a solid guy. He enjoys cooking and most things in nature. Currently, the government is in a partial lockdown. That means that some Federal workers are working without pay, while others are not working and not getting pay (until later). That means that they will have much to do upon their return, and will possibly dip into savings to buy regular day-to-day items as well as pay for their heating and rent/mortgage. It's good to know that Bill will be fine until March. That means we've got some time to work this shutdown out.
After we walked for a good 30 minutes, Parrish and his crew showed. Parrish is currently enjoying a rejuvenated gig at UMW as a Biology Associate Professor. He gets his tenure in about 2 years and moseyed around for a better paying job to simply return to more pay with UMW. That is super cool, since he is a cool person. Parrish just ran a marathon and his legs are paying for it. He ran way further than I have ever run. The furthest I've run in one jog was 9 miles. He went 17.5 before starting the walk of 6 miles. Spaghetti the night before worked well and, at ~45 years old, he's tumbling out at 5 am to run about 6 miles. I'm not sure if he'll run in the next few, but he did mention that there's another marathon on the horizon. Among this conversation, came the idea of all three of us doing a tri- where Bill swims, Ben bikes, then Parrish runs. I remained uncertain. I enjoy mountain biking, not road biking. Then, the idea that I can do any of this without registering and paying for it. We'll see how that pans.
Ok, I think I wrote enough. Our plan is to hit the library for their refuse, reuse, reduce, recycle program at 2:30 and I've got blueberry muffins to drop out of their pans (currently silicone pans!).
thanks for reading,
Ben
Today, January 20, 2019, is a day when Niki works, and the kids and I do stuff. It's pretty darn windy and at 42F, that makes it pretty darn cold. So, we kicked off the day with a Dad and their kids hike along the Rappahannock Heritage trail. Bill landed early with Liam. We walked and talked about changing our political stance as we grew more aware of which candidate will be the best for the environment and people. The kids rode on with a bike and a scooter and a pair of shoes. Bill is a solid guy. He enjoys cooking and most things in nature. Currently, the government is in a partial lockdown. That means that some Federal workers are working without pay, while others are not working and not getting pay (until later). That means that they will have much to do upon their return, and will possibly dip into savings to buy regular day-to-day items as well as pay for their heating and rent/mortgage. It's good to know that Bill will be fine until March. That means we've got some time to work this shutdown out.
After we walked for a good 30 minutes, Parrish and his crew showed. Parrish is currently enjoying a rejuvenated gig at UMW as a Biology Associate Professor. He gets his tenure in about 2 years and moseyed around for a better paying job to simply return to more pay with UMW. That is super cool, since he is a cool person. Parrish just ran a marathon and his legs are paying for it. He ran way further than I have ever run. The furthest I've run in one jog was 9 miles. He went 17.5 before starting the walk of 6 miles. Spaghetti the night before worked well and, at ~45 years old, he's tumbling out at 5 am to run about 6 miles. I'm not sure if he'll run in the next few, but he did mention that there's another marathon on the horizon. Among this conversation, came the idea of all three of us doing a tri- where Bill swims, Ben bikes, then Parrish runs. I remained uncertain. I enjoy mountain biking, not road biking. Then, the idea that I can do any of this without registering and paying for it. We'll see how that pans.
Ok, I think I wrote enough. Our plan is to hit the library for their refuse, reuse, reduce, recycle program at 2:30 and I've got blueberry muffins to drop out of their pans (currently silicone pans!).
thanks for reading,
Ben
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