Tuesday, May 23, 2006

As Monday turns to Tuesday!

I finally found my way back here for a few minutes!

By the time we ran errands on Saturday and got home it was getting dark, we were hungry, and I decided to skip working on John's car and fix dinner and watch a movie. The chicken marsala turned out well; I loved it, she didn't. My wife has decided she wants nothing to do with anything cooked in wine, even though I fixed something else a year or so ago she thought was OK. I'll share the recipe this weekend.

My nephew's graduation went well on Sunday, in spite of Fred Phelps picketer's waving signs and shouting at the entrance to the stadium grounds. I'm glad I didn't have to explain to my grandkids what the words on the signs were! Some of the sign carriers weren't a lot older than they are.

My wife and I picked up my mother here in K.C. and took her; it's the first thing like this she's consented to attending in a very long time. It was outdoors, and the temp got close to 90. I had stuck a golf umbrella in the trunk in case it rained as we were taking her home; instead she and my wife shared it for a sunshade. Heat being one of those things that sets off MS, when we wheeled her back out of the stadium and got her to the car she was too weak to stand, but we got her back in the Malibu and once she spent some time in the air conditioning, she was fine again.

My nephew decided on his future several years ago. Not being the most academic of kids, but a "hands on" type, he decided he wanted to be a mechanic. As he went through high school he has turned out to be adept at welding and fabricating things from scratch, along with being a pretty good wrench. He spent part of his last two summers in "The Great Race" with an entry from his high school, the first year as a navigator and mechanic, last year as a driver and mechanic. He's met people who are only legends to me, Jack Roush among them.

In July he leaves to start school at Wyoming Technical Institute, one of the top mechanic's schools in the nation. If everything works out, he might be one of those lucky people who gets to do something they truly love and make money at it; I hope so!

I had planned to get here last night and write my little update and visit you all, but it was a long day and I was wiped out by the time we got Mom home, got home ourselves and got things ready for work today. My wife ended up staying home sick today; the cold she brought home from work had degenerated to where she was losing her voice and her ears were bugging her along with her throat. I spent the day putting what I could of John's Neon back together without the new timing cover, which showed up at Chrysler this afternoon just late enough I couldn't go get it before work. So I know where I will be tomorrow! Since they left for DisneyWorld this afternoon, I need to get his car back in his driveway just so it looks like someone is home! Meanwhile, their dog is here for two weeks, and Frankie has disappeared to the basement in protest, lol!

Off to bed; I need sleep before the morrow!

Thinking of you each!

alan

10 comments:

Patricia said...

what a nice, full, and tiring weekend!

poor frankie. i hope he comes out of pouting soon enough to enjoy his adventure at your place. what kind of dog is he?

puhpaul said...

Wow, I'm so jealous of your nephew. Meeting Jack Rousch and going to Wyotech. It sounds like he has a bright future set out for himself.

BTW what were the Fred Phelps Fanatics doing at a high school graduation?

paul

Clandestine said...

why did the bad guys protest at the graduation??

xoxo

alan said...

Paul,

I wish I knew! They seem to turn up and protest at any event within 100 miles of Topeka (their base) now. When they dedicated a new political science building at KU a couple of years ago (named after Bob Dole) it was an event for a lot of WW2 vets, vintage aircraft flyovers, like the D-Day commeration in miniature. Several dozen of them showed up each of the 3 days.

Apparently they finally went to the wrong veteran's funeral in Missouri over the weekend; someone slashed the tires on their van, then they were attacked by people throwing stones and bottles. When the local fire department tried to "rescue" them they were attacked as well!

I'm not condoning the attack, btw; I don't think that's the way to deal with them, but it doesn't surprise me, either!

I did feel sorry for the kids that were graduating though. There were 380 kids in Brett's class, none of whom needed to have what was supposed to be one of the great days of their lives hijacked for a message of hatred!

Everytime these people show up all I can think of is the beginnings of my poor state, when the anti and pro slavery forces fought pitched battles over whether Kansas would be a slave state or a free state. There were those who quoted the Bible as supporting slavery, and those who quoted it as opposing it. Lawrence, where the graduation was, was burnt twice. Most people have heard of Quantrill's raid there during the "Civil War", but 8 years before that the pro-slavery forces from Atchison came and destroyed the printing presses that were printing an anti-slavery state constitution and related literature, then burnt the town for good measure!

The name "Free State" is on a lot of things in Lawrence, including the new high school. Sometimes I think the meaning is lost on a lot of people!

My sister told me of a veterinarian who changed the name on his clinic from "Free State" because people thought they should be able to bring their pets there for no charge...

alan

robin andrea said...

You sure do pack in a lot of stuff on one weekend. Nice that you could get your mom to the graduation. And it sounds like your nephew has a very bright future.

Jon-Marc McDonald said...

I love graduations. Every year I try and go to NYU's in Washington Square Park. This year I did not make it.

You keep busier than anyone I know. It is exhausting just reading about it.

Keep well amd keep happy,

Jon-Marc

Leigh said...

I'm exhausted just reading your blog. Sounds like a great way to spend a weekend though.

b o o said...

i r back, thinking of u too :)

sttropezbutler said...

That is some plate you are balancing Alan!

STB

Mystical Me said...

Just stopping by to give you some love sweetheart. I miss you!!

I hope oneday youll cook for me. I would love anything & everything you cooked. I will keep you posted about me & do take care of yourself. Take care!! Love always, MM XOXOXO