Clark's First Goal!

Yes, it was a proud moment for Daddy. My son stole the soccer ball and promptly took it from midfield to kick it in the goal! Oh, happy day! My son's first goal! While I held my camera, so sure I had captured his first moment of athletic glory, I saw the coach say something to him. Something that sent chills up and down my spine. "Clark, our goal is the other way". Oh, horror of horrors! He scored for the other team. I took the pictures and silently slunked away, avoiding the harsh stares of the other parents. Had Clark just lost them the game? What could they be thinking? How should I react? How do we live this down? My answer to everything. Pizza.

Amaris Birthday Party!

Amaris Birthday Party!

Saturday was Amaris Mae Dela Pena Birmingham's Birthday. She is now 3. We had Chocolate Ice Cream Cake from the Aqua Resort. She got a pink bicycle and a little girl kitchen. She also got some "jewelry", make-up kit, and some other nic-nacks. Clark got a jump rope. We had pizza for supper. She really wanted Pizza. OK, she kinda wanted pizza. OK, she didn't want pizza at all, so I ate it! Note: The putting together of the kitchen set was very interesting. It came in about 100 pieces. The directions were rather easy to follow and everything fit. It took me four hours to assemble. I just wonder who had the idea to make this in the first place. The time and effort it took to put all of this together could have probably best been used for something else, like planning a flight to Mars or along those lines. Anyway, Amaris had a good time.

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY AMARIS!

The End of Sarcasm

I've noticed in the three years I've been on Saipan that many writers and speakers use heavy doses of sarcasm to get their points across. I don't mind sarcasm. It can be effective and funny. I don't think that it should be the preferred way for a person to communicate as in "how can I add sarcasm to the point I am trying to make". If this is your preferred way of communication you can run the risk of being labeled a "sarcastic person" which would not add to your credibilty.
The title is not calling for and end to sarcasm, nor do I think it is inappropriate way to deal with tough issues. It just seems to me that some of the sarcastic statements that a person could make might really turn out to be true.
Let's look at one issue. The $.17 per kilowat hour passed the legislature, but was vetoed by the Governor (it might be overriden). A sarcastic comment could be "Think how nice it will be when we lose all our electricity for several hours every day and several days a week. It will be just like the good ole days". Well, I think we would all find out quickly that it would not be better than the good ole days. Not sarcasm, just truth. Another example: I play shadow puppets with the kids when the power goes out at night. A sarcastic comment could be "I guess we could close down everything and just play shadow puppets with the kids". I guess we can.
In times like these you might want to be careful with sarcasm. It just might come to pass.

"Life Begins Again?" or "It's good to not be fully awake when I have to put up with this"

Yes, it's that time of year. The time of year when I wake up at 2am on Sunday morning to catch the noon kickoff of the noon college football games. Who's playing? Don't know, Don't care. I can watch the game for one quarter and figure out who I want to root for. Of course, I have my favorites (Baylor). Did you know that Floyd Casey Stadium (where Baylor plays) is the only stadium where you can order Hot Dogs, Cokes, or a Morphine Drip, right from your seat. Special attendents hook you up and increase the dosage as the game progresses. When the game is officially over (not the same as really over, as that occurs long before halftime) they wheel you over to special buses that will take you home. Isn't that nice.
Baylor Fans don't have to worry about road games because they don't really go. If they do, they try to buy tickets in the home section and not wear Baylor colors. They play along and laugh at the people in the Baylor section. Who can blame them? They just want to experience what it feels like to be sitting with the winner.
After a road loss to TCU (27-0) on opening weekend, it does not get any easier this weekend as we host the feared Rice Owls. The athletic department had the nerve to actually schedule the Buffalo Whatevers for the next three years. Buffalo IS the worse team in Division Uno, number 119 out of 119, so losing to them would be especially traumatic. Well, maybe not. I mean after all we're not THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES!! A bit of Trivia: The Baylor/Michigan game to start the season in 1975 was in the Guiness Book of World Records for most people to ever see a football game. I kid you not. They played to a 14-14 tie. figures.

... And for all of you Baylor, Michigan, and let's go ahead and throw in Vanderbilt while we're at it, just close your eyes and...

"Hey, can you turn up the IV just a little bit. Oh, that's much better. Doesn't the scoreboard have such pretty colors".