Gone Fishin'

This year I took the plunge and got my first ever NY State Fishing License. I did so at the urging of our kids who had both had a great time fishing last year while in summer camp. They asked and asked and asked, and I found reason after reason after reason to not go out and buy my license. Then cam free fishing day in NY state.

My very good friend (and distantly related union brother!) Rick offered to take the family and me out on his boat for the day, and the day just happened to be during free-fishing day. for those unfamiliar, free-fishing weekend is a time in June that NY State allows those without a valid fishing license to go out in public waters and give fishing a try. Well, needless to say I was hooked! (get it? I said hooked, lolol)

The following day I went to Mickeys Bait Shop and got my license and two poles, one for me and one for the missus. The kids already had poles through our neighbor, and their adopted grandpa, Tony. More about him later. I got all the necessary equipment to put a tackle box together and we were off! We've fished a lot of different areas on Oneida Lake, along with the dams in Baldwinsville, and a few different spots in Onondaga Lake. Surprisingly enough Onondaga Lake has some great fishing in it, as proven by the recent

Bassmasters Tournament

Needless to say, we all had a great time this summer, and nobody got a fish hook stuck in their eye or anywhere else! We'll be back next year, and hopefully we'll catch something big enough out of a clean lake to eat for dinner!

Karate Essay

My son Bobby is preparing to achieve his first degree black belt. As you may or may not know, karate is much more than simply waving your hands and feet in an attempt to chop your opponent in half. It combines Mind, Body, and Spirit. As an exhibit to this I offer the Student Creed:

I intend to develop myself in a positive manner and to avoid anything that would reduce my mental growth or my physical health.

I intend to develop self-discipline in order to bring out the best in myself and others.

I intend to use what I learn in class constructively and defensively; to help myself and my fellow man, and never to be abusive or offensive.

Partof Bobbys work towards achieving this
goal is writing an essay about his involvement in the martial arts. The
following is his essay entry:

My sister won a drawing at the Plank Road festival. My mom
asked me if I wanted to join to and I said yes. I’ve gotten physically
stronger, mentally smarter, emotionally stayed the same. I feel I’ve
developed more discipline than I had before and I feel I worked very hard and
spent much time on practicing. I feel stronger and able to defend myself
if I get into that position.

I would like to go on for my 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so
on. I want to be a UFC fighter when I get older and karate would help me
with that a lot. Master Sgcar is dedicated to what he does and he is a
good leader. He is dedicated to teaching us discipline, good leadership,
and to be good kids. Karate is fun and hard at times but I like it.

Attaboy, little buddy!

Apple Picking Time!

Today we meandered down to Lafayette to the Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards to do some good old-fashioned family togetherness stuff. It wasn't too crowded yet because the Lafayette Apple Festival isn't until next weekend.

It was actually a perfect day to get outside and have some fun. While not a true hayride, they do have tractors that drive you into the orchards and bring you back. We took the ride in and each grabbed a bag and headed into the orchards. At some point I heard that the apples cost was $.20/ pound so I figured at worst we'd spend about $8 for four bags full of freshness. HAH! It was more like $33.85 but hey...who's counting? It's only money.

They had the usual fare aside from picking apples; $4 pony rides, darn good apple fritters, face-painting, cider and apple wine too! They also had these little environmentally- green go karts that the kids just HAD to try out!

Yes, I said wine. Something's come over me lately, and I'm not sure how to process it. I tried some hard cider, and wanted more. So, I asked for a sample of their white wine. MMMMMMmm! Not bad! Even my beautiful bride said "hey, this is good"!!! So, rather than just buy it there, we stopped down to the winery on Route 20 to taste the other stuff. We ended up buying a bottle of Sterling Hard Cider and a bottle of Somerset wine to bring home. They also have a little general store with all sorts of good eating inside! Home-made fudge, honey, REAL maple $yrup, and cheeses to name a few selections. They had an apple pie candle that i was going to buy until I saw the $25 price tag. I love the smell of fresh-baked apple pie (who doesn't, right?) but at $25, we could make a lot of real pies!

Anyways, this was a trip I highly recommend if you're looking for something to do for one of the last really nice weekends we'll probably have here in Central New York.

Dear Dogs and Cats,

(This was sent to me and posted on my old website originally on 11/23/2005)

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw print that are on the floor are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate of food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn't help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is not a secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, and try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - canine or feline attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell/lick the other dog or cat's butt or your own. I cannot stress this enough!

To pacify you, my dear pets, I have posted the following message on our front door:

Rules for Non-Pet Owners Who Visit and Like to Complain About Our Pets:

1. They live here. You don't.

2. If you don't want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.(That's why they call it "fur"niture.)

3. I like my pets a lot better than most people and that includes you.

4. To you, it's an animal. To me, he/she is an adopted son/daughter who is short, hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.

Dogs and cats are better than kids ...they eat less, don't ask for money all the time, are easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink, don't worry about having to buy the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes, and don't need a gazillion dollars for college - and if they get pregnant, you can sell the children.

Death of an Old Friend- Redux

(originally published on 10/22/2005)

This weeks events were a mixed bag, up until yesterday, when they took a tragic turn for the worse. The week started out bad enough. I had a headache on Monday, which turned into a full-blown assault on my sinuses and the attached plumbing by Tuesday. It felt like the kids filled my nostrils with green play-dough while I slept. On top of that, my back was just burning in pain, but I should be used to that by now I guess. I had vehicle problems. A turning lamp keeps blowing out on me, and for the life of me I can’t pinpoint the cause of the short, but I will.

What really ruined the week was the passing of an old friend. I have known my good friend Briggs for over 10 years. We went through a lot together. We enjoyed mostly good times, but there were a few hair-raising moments. We’d take long strolls in sun-filled fields, and short jaunts up the path of life together. He’s been falling apart slowly for some time now, but never stopped living until now. Some surgeries were more complex than others, and some of his age-induced injuries took longer than others to heal, but he was a survivor! We’d always stop after our strolls and enjoy a drink or two. I’d have a beer, and mix him up a stiff one. We did this every week, sometimes 2 or 3 times in a week.

He made most of his noise while we were exercising together, leaving me the only one talking afterwards. After a few years, he would go out and walk with my son. What a great team they were! Side by side, without a care in the world, they’d meander down the back forty hand in hand. The dog would get jealous and chase after them whenever we let her out. She hated to see some of her attention go to anyone but her, but that was this guy’s personality. He demanded all the attention he could get. The better the weather, the more he’d want to walk around and enjoy the beautiful summer sunshine. Cold, wet days were always hard, and are what led to his unfortunate demise, I’m afraid. On those days, he would just sit there in his garage, looking out at the forming puddles and not utter a peep.

So, I have problem on my hands now that my friend is gone and I’d like your help.

Should I go out and buy a new lawn mower now, or rely on my neighbor’s kindness and borrow theirs for the remainder of the year? If you have one for sale really cheap, give me a holler, ok?

Bloo's babies

This is Bloo's baby of the week. Every time we turn around, she's 'adopted' on of my daughters stuffed animals for her own. This is this weeks winner!

She normally does no damage to these toys aside from drowning them in doggie drool. she carries them around, showing them off to all that will take notice. Unfortunately she does like to share with Larkin, Jasper, and Brandy, the labs next door. Once they get hold of something though it's usually mutilated in less than a minute. I gotta fix that hole under the fence one of these days!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Free fax machine

Free to good home- zerox workcenter 450cp all-in-one. As far as I know all it needs is a ink cartridge.

I've also got an old smith corona word processor that I have no use for.

All ya gotta do is "e" me at local116@gmail.com !
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Candidate Class

Well, we asked for it I guess. Bobby is on board to receive his Black Belt at Lavalle's Black Belt Spectacular in a couple of weeks. And I think its going to be a very long couple of weeks!

They're working their buns off in order to be sharp, focused and ready for prime time. In the next 15 days Bobby has 6 'Power Weekend' practices, 6 classes, and at least four runs to complete! Tonight, after two and a half hours of training he came home and wrote a required essay on "What Karate Has Done for Me". He doesn't understand how I can consider writing fun and relaxing. Maybe in a few years he will. This essay isn't due until next weekend, but he understands that tonight will probably be one of the few times he is free to complete it, and now it is done and out of the way. Maybe after he submits it to Kyoshi Lavalle I'll post it here for the whole world to see!

My poor blessed missus is going to be run hog-wild, as my daughter is just starting her black belt cycle. So between both kids classes and school and work and trying to figure out "Where in the world is my husband today?" she'll be putting some miles on! She's a strong willed individual so I'm certain she'll do just fine. Unfortunately I have a ton of meetings in the next two weeks so I won't be able to run the taxi too much.

Tonight after their regular class the candidates separated into 3 or 4 small groups to work on their individual creative entries for the big show. They were left to work with their own devices. The adults are kind of expected to succeed in the development and deployment of this particular exercise, but some parents were worried about how their kids would interact. This is a two-minute act that they're designing from scratch that will ultimately be performed in front of 2000 people. It must include all three areas of study, Kata, sparring and weapon use. For the most part they all worked together very well, each listening to others' input and being respectful of the lesser-desired ideas.

Team Cicero

17 of the most powerful and focused people I know (besides myself!)!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

IMG00045.jpg

Sara is our next black belt. She's younger than Bobby so that's why she's a little behind him.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

This is Bloo

You'll be hearing a lot about her. She's a golden retriever, but thinks she's of Irish and German descent just like her humans. She's also my guinea pig for posting from my phone, which is really more cool than useful.

image/jpeg
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Getting closer, Getting excited!

Bobby found out today that he is definitely "IN", meaning he's got the blessings of his Master to receive his black belt- first degree!!!

New uniforms are in, as well as the necessary patches. He got sized for his custom-made black belt too! I was at a meeting and wasn't present for this unfortunately but I'm told that once he put the belt on to check for proper size, he didn't want to take it off! I can't say as I blame him either. He was forced to 'reset his goals", as they put it, last cycle as he broke his arm about halfway through that first cycle. Still, to make it all the way through in two attempts is quite an achievement for anyone, even more so for an eleven year old kid.

I made it home in time to talk to him before he fell asleep, and he's pretty stoked. He's already worried about stage fright. I think he'll do fine, and tried to tell him that this is no different than participating in one of the many tournaments he's been in and had no trouble with stage fright. He said "Dad, that place is gonna have 2000 people in it, and that's a lot of people!"

The next two weeks will be awfully busy preparing for Power Weekend. It's now held at the Mulroy Civic Center in downtown Syracuse. He'll be busy perfecting his creative kumatae, and working on board-breaking too!

I'm a proud proud daddy right now. If he gets hurt between now and October 14, he'll be grounded until he's 28, lol!

Black Belt Bobby

Bobby has been working tirelessly on earning his forst degree black belt. This weekend he joined 2 dozen others from all the Lavalles dojo's at Lavalles HQ in Liverpool NY for what they call a pre-exam. An hour and a half of kada's and sparring followed by a timed 2 mile run, and doing this with others that he's not used to working out with as normally he works with kids from Team Cicero only.


This made it interesting, as although all schools teach the same discipline, each Sensei has their own methods. Therefore, one school might teach that you don't hit in the head while sparring, another might say "Hit to win". I guess out there in the real world one can't count on their opponent playing by the rules.

They've got an awesome team that coaches the kids with their running, Mr Bill, Mr Pies, and Mr Dave (not shown) . Bobby has got his two mile time down to 15:11 which is about as long as it takes this old man to get out of bed in the morning!