Intimidation revisited

I know that I defined intimidation just last week but tonight I found a new definition. If you remember last month (Sept. 18th) I talked about the One Book, One Lincoln. Brenda and I both read it and enjoyed it. Tonight there was a book discussion at the Haven Manor here in Hickman put on by Lincoln Library. Brenda talked me into going to the discussion group (though she now denies this). She told me that if no men are there I can leave and she will call me when she is done. This seemed fair.
When we arrived the room was full about 60/40 women but with the 40% men I felt pretty comfortable. When everyone finally sat down they talked about the many Russian librarians who have been in Lincoln on a "sharing" tour of US libraries. The lady in charge started talking to the group and an interpretor would intepret to the Russian group. This lasted about 20 minutes - then they told the group that the visiting librarians had been so busy and that they were undoubtedly tired and hungry. The visitors were then excused - when they had thanked everyone for their hospitality and left the ratio was a little different. 14/1 Thankfully I was sort of in the back and in a corner. I just sat there and listened until the facilitator said, "I hope you don't throw something at me but I want to ask you a question since you are the only man here!" I am not sure what her question was and I know I just him-hawed through it.
I do believe that 14 women armed with "book-talkese" can out duel women with knitting needles!

The resurection of old toys

Most of you won't remember that when Andy and Josh were quite young (about 25-6 years ago) they received John Deere pedal tractors. These were beautiful toys and kept them busy for many years. The tractors came with trailers that the boys would fill with anything from toys to dirt. The boys would fill the trailers with anything "heavy" so that they could have tractor pulls. These tractors were many hours of fun and adventure and abused like no toy should ever be abused. After the boys grew out of them they were exiled to the shed. They would hang up there for many years, only to be taken down when I would clean the shed and then hung back up to just be ignored.

When we moved, we didn't have a shed anymore. I think either Breck or Braydon noticed the abused pile of metal sitting over in the corner and wanted if they could ride them. I had to do quite a bit of work just to get them to be rideable but the grandkids didn't mind. They would ride them all around our circle, not caring what they looked like.

A couple of weeks ago our neighbor to the north came home with his new toy. It was a John Deere tractor. Dustin likes to participate in tractor pulls and his tractor didn't meet his standards of shininess. Dustin started taking his tractor all apart and repainting it. What a great stroke of luck for me. While talking to Dustin I just mentioned that I have a couple of pedal tractors that need to be painted and wondered if he would mind helping me with my project.

I have now found a website that sells everything else that I need to put these in original condition and here are some pictures showing what they look like.

Now as long as I can keep Andy and Josh from tractor pulling with these the grandkids will have there own great time.

The new definition of intimidation

I have now found a new definition of intimidation. Earlier tonight Brenda and I were watching Breck and Braydon. We took them out for a bite to eat and book shopping. After buying each a book Brenda wanted to stop at the Yarn Shop so that Breck could pick out some yarn for her socks. If you remember in my blog last night, Brenda is knitting some socks for Emma. Brenda might have to quit teaching - she now is working on socks for Emma, has yarn to start socks for Breck and me, and Andy expects to have some socks BEFORE Breck and me (yet he doesn't have yarn yet). As we arrived at the yarn shop we noticed that they were having a party. It was an early Halloween party! You can just imagine my (and Braydon's) concern. Here is a large group of women, all drinking wine or beer and all armed with knitting needles - wearing costumes so that no one could identify them if they deemed it necessary to harm a misguided male entering their domain. Though they were very cordial, Braydon couldn't keep his eyes off of many of them. He also seemed to cling to me or Brenda. I did feel it fortunate that we were able to purchase our yarn and escape without any puncture wounds.
On another note - on the way home Braydon wanted to do "math". As a kindergartener, he likes to work on his addition skills. We started to ask him math problems (Brenda would ask him problems that her lower 5th grade students couldn't do) and he would come up with the right answer in his head. I don't think I can add 350 + 25 in my head, but again I am not in kindergarten either. I just remember in kindergarten knowing where my nap mat was and hoping that today was chocolate milk day!

World Series Blues

Well here I am sitting and watching the pregame for the World Series. I have my 2007 World Champion Red Sox "hoodie" on and just can't get over that I am NOT excited about this series. I am thinking of turning over to watch the cooking channel or maybe HGTV - I am sure that "Get it Sold" would be sit on the edge of your seat exciting!
Anyway, I am not only finding that there is life after fantasy football implosion (my team is now named "Mother Theresa's sisters of mercy") and that there is baseball after the Red Sox go home for the winter. Brenda is busy working on a pair of socks (surprise, surprise) for Emma. They are going to be VERY CUTE (can I say that as a man?) but they are giving her fits. When Brenda makes socks for girls as she usually does, everything goes well. But when she has to adjust the size of the socks she runs into issues. At this point she is tearing out the heal and grumbling about "dropping stitches". And to think she does this for fun and relaxation.
As for me, I am getting ready for hunting. Andy, Josh and I went duck hunting last Saturday and we saw two, got one. I am not sure, but if you are sitting within ten feet of each other yet can't see either of the boys because of the fog, we might have had 100 ducks out laughing at us and we wouldn't really know. But the coffee and conversation was great. This Saturday starts the pheasant hunting season. The boys and I will make our usual trek out and if we do our usual, will be home for our nap before the Huskers kick off. Of course the kick off is 11:30 so we won't be out too long. Gotta pace ourselves!!!!!!
Oh boy, I better go as the Phillies have a baserunner on first base yet isn't a Phillie a sandwich? Just "food" for thought!

Me and my girls

I have been chastised today. Stephanie B. has put me in my place that I haven't been blogging - then when downloading pictures Brenda chastised me for not downloading the pics sooner as she wanted to blog them. I have been busy watching my Red Sox lately (along with the Huskers) but that is no excuse.

I must admit that I have an exciting story about me and my girls. A couple of Saturdays ago Lawson and I had the privilege of going to "Beauty and the Beast" with Brenda, Breck, Emma and Corrin. What a performance. Brenda and I have gone to many shows at the Lied Center, the Lincoln Community Theater and I must admit that this show was as good if not better than anything else we have seen. I have to say that it started out that Lawson and I were the gentlemen escorts but Lawson found out that he only enjoyed clapping and we weren't able to clap often enough! At intermission, Corrin took Lawson home so that left me to carry the male load by myself. We had cookies and everyone had to have a rose to help the Beast turn into the prince. We did ask Braydon to go with us but the kindergarten classes were able to see it before so he declined but had to have a rose.

In the pictures you will see Breck and Emma with some of the characters and in the picture to the right you will see Jessie Traudt as a wolf!

Since then, Brenda had parent conferences (two nights in a row) and that pretty much took care of last week!

This next week is looking much better. I believe the Red Sox will win tonight and the Huskers will lose with more style on Saturday.