A Wrinkle in Time

I suppose a couple of you might have noticed my conspicuous absence the last couple of days. Well, Monday was a holiday and I don't usually publish on those days. However, even if I did, I would not have written a post. MBH and I both caught something and were pretty sick. However, yesterday, every other member of my team was out of the office and we had an intern starting, so I had to come in and bring over to our work area and help him get set up. Yeah, it was a challenge, but I was already on the mend and am even better today. Not good, but better.

Since two of us were sick, it was up to the third household member to do laundry. Laundry is never a fun job. And you have to keep pulling things out of the dryer as you go to minimize wrinkles (in the clothes, I mean. I still have my own wrinkles). It is a mind-numbing task...and never-ending. Right? "Hey, didn't I just do all the laundry yesterday and there is already a new stack?"



Did any of you read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle? I read it years ago and then read it to my kids when they were old enough. Since I mentioned wrinkles in the post, I decided to make this the title of today's blog entry.

No photo since I am writing this Wednesday morning. And I have to teach at our certification prep class today, so I need to finalize my presentation.

Hey, I am on vacation the rest of this week and Monday, so don't look for an update. I should be back on Tuesday with a new photo and a new CoV. Have a great weekend.

Remember our Veterans on Monday

And remember that we have several in the family,so thank you to each of you. Thanks to your service, I have the freedom to write silly things every morning.

Remember that Dad went to the ENT doctor this morning? It sounds like she might not be the appropriate person to treat a real inner ear problem. We'll all have to see where this ends up.

So, remember that black room earlier this week? Well, it's no longer black. Check it out.



Remember that photo of the buildings in Edinburgh the other day? Well, here is a cool photo montage from one of our hotel rooms in London. I thought it looked pretty cool, and that I might try to do one myself. Yeah, I didn't do that, but I can share the inspiration photo with you.



Remember that I usually tell you what I am watching as I write the post each evening? Tonight, I am watching Mindy. I think that is a funny show. She has a unique sense of humor that is unlike most other sitcoms.

Remember what we haven't done that we were planning to do? That's correct. We haven't gotten around to juicing (except for that one time I did it to use up the rest of some fruit and broccoli from the fridge. Ali reminded me, so maybe we can pick up some fixings this weekend.

Remember that we have a team event Friday afternoon. We are going to paint a sunset kind of scene. Here, I'll just show you.

Remember now? I hope we have a good time. There will be ten of us working on the same image.

OK, it is bedtime. Y'all have a good extra-long weekend. I'll be back on Tuesday. Remember to read it then.

Fiery and Chilly

We hit Chili's for dinner tonight. I have not been there in a while and from the menu, it looked like everything on it is spicy. That doesn't work well for me at night, so I stuck with a grilled chicken sandwich. It was good, but the service there has always been slow (well, except when our D-I-L worked there).

Speaking of fiery things...


Here is the first ever photo I played with in Photoshop back in the day. I made a shot of calla lilies into a painting.



How many of y'all are Friends fans? A certain Teacher Daughter of ours who shall remain nameless certainly is. We enjoyed it when we watched it, but I would not know what happens in an episode just from the name. Well, you should watch this mini-reunion from the Ellen show.

Dad shared this link with a few of us, and I wanted to pass it on to the rest of you. Some of these photos are amazing, and the rest are gorgeous. Check them out here. Speaking of Dad, he is doing very well, and has an appointment on Thursday with an Ear/Nose/Throat specialist. He and Mom even went with us to Chili's.

The Soup is on TV right now. Sometimes it is clever. Sometimes profane. Tonight's episode (from last Wed) is just OK.

I saw this link for a 2 day diet at work, but I cannot access Facebook at work. So, why didn't I check it out right now before posting it? I just thought we could all investigate it at the same time. How about Thursday?

[Thursday's thoughts] Today is the day Bonnie and Clyde were shot to death in Louisiana back in the 30s. Isn't it amazing that we popularize people like that, even today? I wonder what quality it is that society sees when this collective decision is made? Look at how popular the media circus is right now around the Jodi Arias trial in PHX.

Dad's OK, PTL

Did you miss me yesterday? I was busy with family matters. All is well for now, but Dad had better go see an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor about his ear. Don't make me come over there, Dad.

Right now, we are watching the season finale of Revenge. This second season has been a little less gripping than the first. It doesn't have a great bad guy like J.R. on Dallas, though. However, we are invested in it enough to see it through to the end.

[Wednesday's Wisdom] Speaking of TV, today, 21 years ago, was Johnny Carson's final show as host of The Tonight Show. Did you see any of them? You should see something on youtube of his shows. All of today's late night talk shows simply mirror his proven format, and I don't think any of them do it better or even nearly as good.

If I say Spiderman, does any famous quote come to mind? If not, go look on Google and see what quotes the web says are noteworthy. Here is one of them.



Here is a stairwell in some castle in Scotland. I cannot remember which castle right now. Are the stairs really multi-colored?



I saw this cool video of Picasso from a long time ago. In it, he creates paintings for the video that were destroyed immediately after. Anyway, it is pretty cool to see them being created right in front of you. He's never been my favorite, but I like him a bit more now.

Let's close this out with another funny video. You should watch it. It could be a great party game if you let people know in advance and choose a song that we can cover during the party. Well, I thought it was really clever.

FroYo, Doncha Know

I had a hankering for frozen yogurt Sunday night. I had oatmeal cookie yogurt with strawberries, kiwi, and mango. It was quite tasty. I did not take any photos of this.

I changed a wall color from red to beige this weekend. It is a nice change. MBH and Teacher Daughter were out of town and I wanted to have it finished before they returned. I finished the painting, but was still rehanging the curtains when they got back. I took photos, but I have not uploaded them yet. I just needed about ten more minutes. Anyway, that means it is time for today's CoV.



We are watching SNL as I type this on Sunday night. Earlier, we finished up the last episodes of the season for Once Upon a Time. I did not take any photos.

The GRANDS came over on Saturday and we had a little swim party, including Dominos Pizza. We had a good time. I took photos, but I have not uploaded them yet.

[Monday memory] Saturday afternoon took me back 20+ years. The GRANDS were all cold when we came back in the house after swimming. They went and grabbed blankets to wrap up in. When my kids were young and we would swim at the folks' house, they would get cold and wrap up, too. Isn't it funny how those types of memories sometimes surface?

Did you watch the finale of The Office last week? I loved seeing Michael again. Did you hear one of his closing comments? Looking at happy couples Dwight and Angela and Jim and Pam, Michael (now married with children, whose pictures fill two smartphones) reflects on how far they've all come. "I feel like all my kids grew up and then they married each other," he says, his voice breaking. "It's every parent's dream."

I found this group on youtube. Watch the lead guitarist. He is going crazy in the middle dancing. The group's name is The National. I had never heard of them before.

Do the Chicken Polka

Yes, there is a chicken dance polka. No, you do not have to do it right now. You can finish reading this post if you want. Did I do it this morning? No, I thought of it because of the next two paragraphs.

We went to Panda Express for dinner and I saw Dad's preacher there. It seems Dad is doing well, although it's been a few days since I talked to him. That's good news. BTW, I had chicken with green beans and teriyaki chicken. Both were yummy.

Why are they called polka dots anyway? Is it because of the dance? Why did I even think of them? I don't know and I don't know and I don't know.



Another post at work day, another day with no personal photograph. Sorry. I did some test studying until family got home and then forgot to do anything on the computer. We were watching something on TV, but what it was escapes my right now. After all, it was almost twelve hours ago.

Swimming with the GRANDS tomorrow. This will be my first time of the season. I suppose I should vacuum the pool before they arrive.

Have an unboring weekend, OK?

Things are Heating Up

Is the McRib back at McDonald's yet? No, but Burger King is launching their own version, so that's why I thought of it. Even if it is not, saying the name made be play with the syllables, and this is the result.



The weather around here is starting the steady climb towards Too Stinking Hot. That makes me long for a nice cool place in the summer...maybe like Scotland?

Doesn't this look like a good place for a castle? This is Dunottar Castle near Aberdeen. I've been here several times and it is fascinating every time. Maybe you can go with me next time?


Again, I am already at work, so no TV. Somehow, I got distracted last night and did not do the CoV or blog post on Wednesday night. Maybe I am going through Survivor withdrawal? However, I think I can survive it. We did watch some Game of Thrones, though. I know it is HBO, but the nudity does not advance the story line. I guess it is just for ratings?

Is it your Friday yet? Maybe in NZ, but not yet for me. I still have another day of work tomorrow. Why is my internal calendar askew, I ask you? (clever little play on sounds again there). Possibly because we had a Chorale concert Tuesday night, so they feels like it was a Sunday?

Since we do still have another day this week, let's cut today's post off right h

A Really Fun Concert

Our local chorale sang with the women's choir from California Baptist University last night. It was really fun having them join us in some songs, but even more fun was having their conductor lead us. It was a challenge to change the way we normally sing a song to match her directions and expectations. She even made us do some movement as we sang. While it is true that both groups have seniors in them, our seniors have a bit more challenge with movement than theirs.

Preacher Bro, tell your youngest that I talked to the lady with whom she is staying this summer. I really liked her and would certainly be OK if she moved here and conducted our group all the time.

No, I keep my watching TV addiction in check. But can we talk about this later? I'm watching Person of Interest.



No photos today since I am actually writing this on Wednesday morning. So, all my words are Wednesday's Words instead of Tuesday's typings.

Remember that I have to teach our PMP Study Group next Wednesday? Well, I am pretty much finished with the presentation itself, but I had not chosen the game to use. I have now. It will be Pimmy Pong (based on a Minute to Win It game where you have to bounce a ping pong ball into a cup). They must bounce it into the A, B, C, or D cup, depending on which answer they believe is right. Here is one of the questions:

You are the PM of the 128A Project. You have completed the project according to the design documents and have met the project scope. The customer agrees that the design document requirements have been met; however, the customer is not pleased with the project deliverables and is demanding additional adjustments be made to complete the project. What is the best way to continue?


A.Complete the work as the customer has requested

B.Complete the work at 1.5 the billable rate

C.Do nothing. The project scope is completed

D.Do nothing. Management from the performing organization and the customer’s organization will need to determine why the project failed before adding work

Which one do you think? They are the customer. Do we make the changes they actually want? Do they need to make a decision before we actually finish? No, it is C. The agreed-to scope is done, so we are finished.

OK, I need to get the day started. Thanks for taking the test.

University Days are Over..Again

I called my academic advisor Monday morning and said I did not want to continue with the PMP Test Program. I kept good notes and documented my reasoning so that they can maybe fix this class before offering it again. As I told my dude, I spent 9-10 hours on this class over the past week. Of that, about 3 hours was possible assistance for the test, but the rest was more about employing the information than knowing stuff for the test. So, I will finish my Study Group and then, I am on my own for preparing.

I am watching Elementary as I write tonight's post. I haven't been watching that closely, though, because I need to prepare a lesson for the Study Group session next week. The manager wants to review it Thursday, so I've got to knock it out in the next couple of days. I just checked and we have 12 programs recording tonight. How can we ever keep up?

Which ones of you readers have a smartphone? I suspect more of you have iPhones than Android models, but only one of those could use the Ice Cream OS.



Here is a little Photoshop playing I did a few years ago of Tolquhon Castle in Scotland. How do you pronounce that? Check the link to see. I drew the lower left of the photo in and then faded between the drawing and the photo.



Did I tell y'all about this? My notes do not show that I used this idea for the blog yet, so if you have already seen it, ignore this paragraph. Anyway, I wonder if Dad and I would have done something differently with the laundry room if we had seen this first? It's just a new way to frame.

Oh yeah, I feel much better now that the class if not hanging over me. Blast, I was hoping it would really help me prepare. I know of two others that are dropping it, also. We all shared our reasoning with our advisors.

Happy Belated Mommy's Day

Well, I did wish all of you a Happy Day last Friday, but maybe some of you missed that post. Now, we've been through it and I want to help you remember what a good time you had. I know we did. We started by keeping JV Saturday night. He was in a good mood and we had a great time. Then, after church, D-I-L had a brunch for family that included chicken and beef and salad and mashed 'taters and gravy, and something else but my mind is gone. I ate too much...and then it was time for dessert. Homemade blueberry cobbler and a brownie trifle or something like that. I ate even more on top of my way too much. I even skipped dinner last night.

Afterward, we swung by and visited with my mom for a bit to wish her a Happy Mom's Day and give her a couple of small gifts. She is doing well and we had a nice visit. Dad is doing very well too, by the way, but it wasn't his day, so that's all the press he gets.

Before Mommy's Day, though, we attended the funeral of D-I-L's grandmother on Saturday. It was a wonderful service and so uplifting. I'd like some of those things done at my funeral someday. By noting it here, maybe I'll come back and see this and make some notes.

Speaking of liking something, did it sound as if I pronounced 'like' correctly?



No photo because I am doing my blogging at the office. I was too busy doing classwork last night. Today, though, I need to make a decision if I want to continue with the course I just started last Tuesday. I will explain a bit more tomorrow.

Did you watch the finale of Survivor? We liked who won. We will watch the after-show interview another night. It was too late to stay up last night.

Are any of y'all juicers? We are thinking of doing it, at least on a trial basis. Teacher Daughter has a fellow teacher who will loan us her juicer to see if it works for us. So, if you do it, do you make up your own juice blends or is there a website you frequent?

Listen, I have to go post my final classwork and then make my decision about the future. Stay tuned.

Happy Early Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to Mom. Yes, Mom, I still look to you for motherly advice even after all these years. And Happy Mother's Day to the mother of my children, MBH. Yes, dear, you are still their mother even after all these years. And Happy Mother's Day to the mother of our GRANDS, our daughter-in-love.

It turns out that the pain MBH felt in her side was not a bruise, and not indigestion. It is shingles. Yes, people younger than 60 can indeed come down with it. She is on medicine, but I guess it takes a while before it gets better. Dad is better, though, so that's a praise. My acid reflux is worse, though, so that stinks.

The Glee season finale is on as I write this. It involves a wedding and a competition, but no spoilers here. I don't know when it returns, but hopefully in the fall. We also just watched the season finale of Vikings. The head Vike was a naughty boy. And this one doesn't come back until 2014.

Let's check on our favorite comic folks. Here is a story pulled from the headlines...of 1983.



Speaking of comics reminds me of Shakespeare. Well, not really and it is not a very good segue, but today's picture is linked to Shakespeare. The photo is Cawdor Castle, traditionally associated with Macbeth.




It's going be a long next few days. I've got assignments in the formal class I am taking for my PMP test, including a case study about a firm that wants to investigate and implement a CMS system (by Monday). Say what? I've got to prepare a presentation for the informal study group I am part of for my PMP test (by Thursday), and read the next chapter about Procurement Management (by Wednesday). I've got to prepare a Sunday School lesson for Sunday. I've got a funeral on Saturday and a luncheon at the GRANDS house on Sunday for Mother's Day. Other than that, I am not sure how I will spend my free time.

[Friday fun stuff] For today, though, I have to contact all my project members and write weekly reports for each. I also have a class all afternoon, so the reports must be finished by lunchtime. So, I cannot hang around and jabber with your people. See you on the flip side.

No Time To Talk..Gotta Watch TV 'Cause My DVR is Getting Full

We went over to Dad's for the final Wednesday Survivor Night. Another blindside. This has been a crazy season.

Oh, I started an online University of Phoenix class today in preparation for the cert test later in the summer. I am not sure what I think of the course, but it does get me back into schoolwork. Maybe I'll take another course soon?

[Thursday thoughts] First, though, I've got to get through this class. Luckily, I woke up this morning with an idea on a direction for the first two Discussion Questions. So, once I finish publishing today's post, I will knock that out before beginning work.

Do you use home exercise equipment to actually work out or a another place to store things?



This ad for Audi is really clever. You might even say it's "Fascinating." I really liked it.

One of my favorite books ever is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. I think I have read everything in the series, but this one is the original and is excellent. Now, it looks like they are making it into a movie starring Harrison Ford. They have released a trailer and you can watch it here.

I like this shot of Edinburgh Castle from a few years ago. You can see the castle in the upper left, towering above the city. I like the dominance of the castle above the clutter and crowdedness of the city below.



Bones is on TV as I write tonight's entry. The only problem with watching while I write is that I get involved in the blog and don't hear much of what they say.

New News

Father-in-law news
Lyndsay's grandmother has gone on to be with the Lord. Now, she'll no longer be in pain, her mind and body restored even better than before. And she is waiting for all of her family to join her in everlasting Glory. Still, we will all miss her.

Personal news
I am getting signed up for an online course in preparation for my project management certification. Things are fixing to get busy.

Grandfather news
Here is today's kids vs grandkids CoV. It's true, isn't it?



Husband news
I have been busy recently and have not finished sanding the laundry room walls. So, my to-do list still looks the same. Tape and bed the ceiling and intersecting walls, sand everything, apply texture.

Wife news
MBH is feeling better. The pain in her side (no, not me. That would be a pain in the neck) is betting better. It must be a strain from something she did with the kids.

[Wednesday wonderings] No, MBH is in pain today, and she decided to call the doc. Time for a little prayer.

Photo news
I think our dog looks like a sheep until he is trimmed. Don't you? Actually, it is a sheep (surprised?). This is one of those cute little UK sheep that we saw back in 2004.

Prayers and Parents and Photoshop and Grandparents and GERD

Lyndsay's grandmother is still alive, although she is weakening. Continue to pray for the family.

My father is feeling better everyday. Still, he is recovering from a heart attack and a stroke. I hope he will not try to do too much too quickly. Keep him in your prayers, also.

First kids get a lot of immediate reaction from their parents. Middle and last...not so much. Grandkids? Oh, they'll be fine.



Check out this article. It is an amazing makeup job that, at first, looks like a Photoshopped picture. No, if you read about it, he actually made himself look that way with makeup, a wig, and a good choice in clothing.

This requires a how-to video? And why stop there? What else can we mount on the bathroom walls? iPad case? Family photo album? Last week's newspaper? It's kind of funny.

We are watching Revenge as I type this. It is a weird show, but we are invested in it now. We watched Smash while we ate.

[Tuesday too] Stupid GERD. It is acting up again. I felt it the last couple of days, during which I ate Chinese food. Related? I don't know. Maybe the medicine I take for it isn't strong enough? I used to use prescription stuff, but started using Walgreen's generic. Now that I recognize it is happening, I will watch what I eat and try to elevate my upper body as I sleep.

Dreams and Disney and Dakota

I was up at 3am to let the stupid dog out. That's a pain. However, this time, it helped me remember a dream since I was in the middle of it. I wrote down some notes while I waited for him to come back in. Anyway, I was at a memorial services for a young Asian man that had died. I don't think that I knew him. And I certainly was not related to him. People were eulogizing him. His roommates said that he always shared the food his mother sent to him in the dorm. And his buddies and family all said that he would playfully say "My life is consumed with regret" when someone would chastise him.

Why did I share that? I hope each of you is not living a life consumed with regret. I hope that you share good things in your life with those around you. Why did I dream that? I am not sure.

Another parents vs grandparents viewpoint...this one relates to snacking before meals.



The other day, I shared some links from the Disney Archives. I forgot the one that actually led me to the Archives. Haunted Mansion. Interesting.

From the photo archives, we find an interesting shot I took at the Youth Museum in Mesa. As you can see, somehow, the faces of the presidents were on this mountain some 1.6 billion years ago. It is a good thing we chose some people who looked like that mountain, right?



We are watching The Office right now. I guess there must only be 2-3 episodes left of the series. Tonight's theme was a good one.

Finale of Amazing Race tonight. We don't care which of the three teams wins.

[Monday musings] And it turned out that we did not mind the team that won. Speaking of TV, you people that have not yet watched last week's Survivor...GET ON IT. How can we talk about it and be ready for this week until you have done so. Plus, it ends next Sunday, so you don't have much time.

[Monday more] Dad is doing great. He seems to have bounced back from his heart attack and stroke. The only story about an impact to his memory is not being able to sing the Chorale songs, and if that is the only long-term effect, Praise the Lord. However, he has not yet been evaluated by his personal doc, so let's see what the doc says. Keep the prayers coming.

Home Again, Home Again

It seems that the neurologists have finished their testing and the cardiologists are working to bring up Dad's heart strength before they release him from the horsepistol (that's hospital for you lay readers). Preacher Bro said Dad is feeling well enough to be ready to get released, although I am sure he understands their concerns. You know how it is when you are better but not well. Keep our family and Dad in your prayers.

I am home again today watching the GRANDS. Lyndsay's G-mom is still growing weaker, but not ready to go Home yet. Keep the family in your prayers. The GRANDS and I don't have any real plans, so I'll just play it by ear. And when they start singing and playing the piano, I play it by blocking my ear. Still, it is a sound of happiness and that's fun. Jack enjoys it, though.

Speaking of being a grandfather, it is a lot different from my fathering days. As is often said, now I understand why I became a parent. So that I could become a grandparent. Still, we do see things differently now.



And now I'll throw you into confusion because here I am reading a paper while one of my princesses plays, taken last April...



Mickey's Playhouse is on the telly as I type. The girls are playing Handy Manny's Green Planet Show on disneyjunior.com. Jack is still asleep. Kendall ate breakfast. Nothing yet for Bella and I.

The first paragraphs reminds me of the language invented by my brother and his friend a few decades ago. Remind me to tell you about it sometime.

Also, NZ Niece, I have to wonder if it's a good thing or bad that my photo looked like your daddy (my Architect Bro). Maybe it's an insult to him, huh? Still, our genes are certainly related, right?

When It Rains...

On Tuesday afternoon or evening, Dad had a stroke. He is in the hospital and we do not know the full extent of the damage yet. We are waiting to hear. Preacher Bro and family and Mom are there with him.

I am staying home with the GRANDS today as D-I-L deals with the pending Homegoing of her grandmother. Right now, I am typing this and watching the news, Kenz is jumping on the couch, Bella is playing on the other computer and Jack is down for his morning nap. We had breakfast earlier, and we've already had a morning snack.So, guess what today's CoV is about.



Since we did not have a CoV or photo yesterday, let's have both today. Here is a shot of MBH and me before Casey's wedding.



Other than that, nothing is going on with us. What's up with you?

OK, it seems I need to let Kenz have this computer, so my time is up. Until tomorrow.

All Wednesday, All the Time

Well, maybe not all the time. Today, it is all Wednesday because we had other things going on last night that prevented me from creating a Clarity of Vision comic and from writing this blog post. So, at least for this week, I am doing my blogging on Wednesday.

In fact, since I am doing this at work, there will also not be a personal photo. I guess you are going to have to live with a bunch of words instead of the sweet, sweet eye candy I can normally provide.

And since I am not at home, I don't know what is on TV as I write this. We did not even watch anything last night. We spent a while over at Lyndsay's grandmother's apartment, but her grandmother slept throughout our visit. I don't know how much longer God will keep her around, but I was glad we had a chance to visit with her family for a while.

Today, MBH is staying home with the GRANDS, and I have already warned my boss that I will likely need to stay home tomorrow. We will have some fun, though. With the GRANDS, I mean, not with my boss. Which is not to say I don't have fun with my boss. OK, let's end this apology-laden paragraph right now.

My application to take the project manager certification test was approved. And the test changes at the end of July, so I've got three months to prepare for and take it.

This was kind of interesting. And there is another one about Disney voice actors that was kinda fun.

OK, I have thrown a lot of words at you. It's kind of like the Jeremiah Johnson quote "It's been a long time since I had so much of the English language spoken at me." Do you remember that 1972 movie with Robert Redford? You should find it. It is a family favorite. In fact, family, here is the entire script.

So, if you have not nodded off in complete boredom yet, I will let you get back to your boring lives. We shall see if I get a CoV built tomorrow, or have time to create my blog post tonight. Oh yes, we shall see.