Back in Action

Well dad hasn't been the best blogging dad lately, but he promises that will change. I think the problem is that we lost our camera, were travelling between San Diego and Reno and Kansas every other week, and were just generally busy. Anyways, I have changed a lot, if you can't tell from my pictures.

Anyways, the movers come on Saturday and on Sunday I am a Cali-girl!

I'm a Real Boy, er, Cyclist

There are some things in life that by their very nature are a right of passage; first kiss (dating life), getting your drivers license (freedom), birth of first child (parenthood), etc.

Well yesterday I had one of those "right of passage" moments. You see, I have been doing triathlons and riding my bike for a number of years (off and on). And until yesterday, I had never crashed. So on my way home from my noon ride yesterday, I entered the ranks of "cyclist" - a label that I am told is only attained upon, among other things, the successful completion of a road race, the shaving of one's legs, and a good crash!

Anyways, crusing home I was turning right into a little neighborhood when I felt my front wheel get a bit "mushy" and it became a bit difficult to control - Apparently it is a bit difficult to turn when you get a flat tire. Go figure. Anyways, I was leaning into the turn and my front wheel followed by my back wheel) came out from under me. My hip took the brunt of the initial impact before I slid across the pavement.

All in all, it wasn't too bad. Could have been much worse. My hands stung a bit and I got a little road rash on the fore arm and hip.

The thing that is driving me nuts now is my broken thumb. You would be amazed how hard it is to button your pants/shirt without the use of a thumb.

Anyways, it is handy having a brother around who is an orthopedic surgeon. I got right in and got an x-ray. First crash - first broken bone!

Few things I learned from this experience: (1) gauze pads were created by the devil and Tegaderm is the cat's meow (thanks for the heads up John); (2) I would much rather fall on a bike that most other injuries - it happens so fast that you don't have much time to react and as long as you don't break your collarbone (most common cycling break), you will not be too bad; and (3) road rash stings like hell when you first get in the shower.

Crazy Week

Wow what a week. Where do I begin? How about at the beginning? Sounds good.
Last week was my brother and my first trial. It was a three day breach of contract action concerning a lady (our client) who tried to purchase a manufactured home. Long story short, the guy who owned the dealership jerked her around a bit and then breached the contract.
Anyways, after working at the office all weekend on the preparation, #4 and I packed it in at around ten and were going to meet back there at 6:30 the next morning. So the next morning as I am driving to the office at 6:30, I get a call from #4 to tell me that we had burglarized and our laptops had been stolen. Great start to our first trial!!!
Anyways, the next few days were a blur and when we surfaced on Wednesday, we had won our first trial.
The next few days were spent getting back to the daily grind and getting past the loss of our computers. It is much more of a hastle than you would think.
So then on Friday I met with a few people who helped me our with some great info on a separate case, which was great.
Saturday morning was spent getting back into the workout routine. Went swimming (quick 2500) and then went for an easy ride around Verdi and then up Geiger Grade. I am guestimating that it was about 60-70 miles.
And to top it off I made it home in time to see the jayhawks handle Texas A&M. No bad.
Currently I am on a bench outside of a dressing room typing this on the trustee iPhone while I wait for #13 to try on a few maternity outfits. Then it is on to a movie - hopefully "Semi Pro."
No matter what happens next week, it will most likely seem boring in comparison.

Who can tolerate intolerance?

I went over to my parents house for lunch today before my mom flies off to Canada to visit her brothers and sister and took a gander at the local paper - the Reno Gazette Journal. Now the RGJ will NEVER ever EVER be mistaken for good journalism, but from time to time, if a paper is laying around I will pick one up and see what they have to say.

So today during lunch I was browsing the stories and this story caught my eye: "Anti-gay group to picket Reno soldier's memorial." I thought to myself how ridiculous it is that an "anti-gay group" would picket a fallen hero's memorial service because he is gay. I mean this guy gave up his life for this country and people have the nerve to picket his memorial service and degrade the celebration of his life. But then I actually read the story and found out the soldier is not gay!!!! That's right. This group is going to picket his memorial on an anti-gay platform and the guy is not even gay. So why are they going to do it? Glad you asked, because this is where I really start questioning people and the "tolerance" that Christianity and America is supposed to stand for. According to the article,

"Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, headquartered in Topeka, Kan., frequently picket the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan because church leaders said God is killing soldiers to punish America for condoning homosexuality."

Are you serious? Oh, but it gets better.

"According to its Web sites, the church claims that the deaths in the Iraq are God's way of punishing gay people and at the nation for "enabling" gay people."

* * *

"The group has numerous Web sites such as GodHatesFags.com, GodHatesAmerica.com and others expressing condemnation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Roman Catholics, Muslims and Jews and populations it believes are supporting those groups, including Swedes, Canadians, Irish, British and Americans."

What can any rational person say to this because really, not only are they categorizing and discriminating people for the gender and sexual identities, but they are condemning religions (Catholics, Muslims and Jews) and entire populations and cultures for what they view as supporting "those groups" (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people).

I love Kansas, but I am continually embarrassed by the narrow minded and intolerant political and social positions which seem to consistently come from Kansas.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, headquartered in Topeka, Kan.

But wait, there's more! Who can tolerate intolerance?

As most of you know, Heath Ledger - star of one of my wife's favorite movies "A Knight's Tale" died of an apparent overdose this week. Well it seems that the folks from Topeka will be busy on both coasts as Mr. Ledger's funeral will also be picketed. The "church" "insists that Ledger, the 28-year-old movie star who was found dead in his New York apartment on Tuesday, supported homosexuality because of his highly acclaimed performance in the film 'Brokeback Mountain.'"

Disgraceful.

Shirley Phelps, of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, told a Sydney radio station that they will also picket any attempt to honour Ledger, 28, at next month's Academy Awards ceremony.
"I'm going to stand outside of any public memorial service that he has here," Ms Phelps said.
"And then the other place I'm going to picket him is when they prop him up to worship his dead, rotting carcass further at the Oscars. I'll be right outside by the red carpet."

Nothing like taking hate and wrapping it up in "christianity" to make someone feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Winter Wonderland????

Christmas is coming,
the goose is getting fat,
please put a penny in the old man's hat.

If you haven't got a penny,
a half a penny will do.

If you haven't got a half a penny,
then god bless you!

That is just a little jingle that we (our family) learned when we were little. Not sure if it came from my mom or grandpa, but for some reason those things just stick with you. It seems like a lot of things involving the holidays just stick with you. My wife used to think that many of the traditions (read "rituals") that my family and I have done and insist on continuing were weird. But now that we are looking forward to having kids, it seems like she is starting to buy into the importance of family traditions.

One thing that didn't stick with me is the need to have a cold snowy Christmas. It is supposed to dump a ton of snow tonight in the Washoe Valley and even more up in the mountains. I am hating the winter right now and longing for the days when I was in San Diego. Don't get me wrong, I love the snow - especially when it is up in the mountains, but I remember surfing with my buddy (and house mate at the time) Mike the morning I came home for Christmas the first year I was in San Diego. Can't wait for those days to come again. Winter weather is definitely something to VISIT. You can't beat flying to NYC for a few days, enjoying the NYC winter atmosphere all bundled up, and then flying home - only to get off the plane to jeans and t-shirt weather and palm trees. Can't beat it.