Monday, April 30, 2007
Jobs, they are a changin'
I like stability. The odd part about my life is that I'm in a job environment where stability is hard to come by. I guess that's part of being a Grizzwold. As a result, your old pal Clark is moving jobs. His current contract with the government runs out in about 6 weeks, that in and of itself should be a good reason to want to find new work, but there were other mitigating circumstances (politics, poor communication, boredom). We all know it's hard to pay the mortgage when you don't get paid. However, there was a glimmer of hope over time that the contract would be extended in the longer term or perhaps your old pal Clark would get picked up by another contractor at the facility. No such luck. So, I took things into my own hands and found more work. Still with the government, but with another contracting firm. Hopefully this will last a bit longer. I will miss my relatively short commute (25 minutes one way) as I'm probably going to be going about 90 minutes one way. Once I get the hang of it, it will probably get a tad shorter. I'm hoping that I won't be on that contract too long (gas prices being what they are).
Monday, April 16, 2007
Sadness….
A horrible shooting took place at ol’ Clark’s alma mater, Virginia Tech. Over 20 people have been killed and another 20 some wounded. By the time you read this posting, the gunman has been killed as well.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070416/D8OHQA5O0.html
Yours truly lived in Pritchard Hall which across an open lot from Ambler Johnston and the other side of the Drill Field from Norris Hall (where engineering and science classes are held). This is already being touted as worse than the Texas University shooting back in the late 1960s when a psycho climbed up into a tower of some kind and picked off students sniper-style.
Hearts and prayers to those who were involved and their families.
Clark
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070416/D8OHQA5O0.html
Yours truly lived in Pritchard Hall which across an open lot from Ambler Johnston and the other side of the Drill Field from Norris Hall (where engineering and science classes are held). This is already being touted as worse than the Texas University shooting back in the late 1960s when a psycho climbed up into a tower of some kind and picked off students sniper-style.
Hearts and prayers to those who were involved and their families.
Clark
Saturday, April 14, 2007
No more Screamette!
As I mentioned in my previous post, the oldest Grizzwold daughter was going to be quitting her high school softball team due to mega-personality issues with Screamette, her awful coach. She's done it and not too soon for her mental state. When she confronted the "coach" the coach actually told her she was a very good player, she just hadn't proven herself yet. Well, if you don't get to do anything but practice, it's awful hard to prove yourself, isn't it?
Overall, her high school experience (en toto) has been pathetic. This is just one of a long line of negativity emanating from the dark space that is the local high school. Why just recently, a local gang phoned in a Columbine-style shooting threat. Fortunately, the boys in blue were on the job and surrounded the school in preparation for a full on frontal assault!! That and the fact that we have an award winning principal should make all of us feel much safer.
I'll turn the sarcasm off now.
Clark
Overall, her high school experience (en toto) has been pathetic. This is just one of a long line of negativity emanating from the dark space that is the local high school. Why just recently, a local gang phoned in a Columbine-style shooting threat. Fortunately, the boys in blue were on the job and surrounded the school in preparation for a full on frontal assault!! That and the fact that we have an award winning principal should make all of us feel much safer.
I'll turn the sarcasm off now.
Clark
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The camel is broken...
“Coach” Screamette has finally broken the back of the camel. Last night, one of the other girls didn’t bring her uniform pants with her to the game. Rather than make the girl sit out until the correct pants arrived from home, she turned to my daughter and asked for her pants. Astonished, my daughter thought quickly on her feet and said that her pants size was medium and didn’t believe they would fit said girl. So the coach had a three way exchange between two other girls, one of which was sitting out anyway (OK...so why did she ask my daughter first?). The right pants came in the second inning. So, rather than make an example of the girl who forgot her pants, the “coach” turned to my oldest and asked for her pants, which three able bodied girls were sitting on the bench! It’s not like Miss Forgot-her-pants was playing a key position. She was the Right Fielder!
Sadly, due to the continued disrespect from the “coach”, my oldest has decided (against her father’s best wishes) to quit the team. She is planning to do it this afternoon, I suppose, rather than face another practice. I could make her stay on the team, I suppose, but I also wonder how many more post-game sob-fests it will take until my daughter will need extensive therapy. Thankfully, she will be able to increase her tournament team practice time.
Clark
Sadly, due to the continued disrespect from the “coach”, my oldest has decided (against her father’s best wishes) to quit the team. She is planning to do it this afternoon, I suppose, rather than face another practice. I could make her stay on the team, I suppose, but I also wonder how many more post-game sob-fests it will take until my daughter will need extensive therapy. Thankfully, she will be able to increase her tournament team practice time.
Clark
Monday, April 09, 2007
Easter Bunny!
The annual arrival of the Easter Bunny to the Grizzwold home was preceded by the female Grizzwolds (except for the dog) returning from a short spring break trip to the beach after an all night drive. My wife Ellen Grizzwold endorses "5 Hour Energy" as a method of keeping the shiny side of the SUV up at all times during the 8 hour road rager.
As a result of Ellen and the girls tripping in the warmth of the beach, this left yours truly in charge of the Easter Bunny purchases. I consulted over the phone with my lovely Mrs. and got a pretty good idea of what to get. The local CVS Drug Store chain was the one-stop choice for easter basket grass (three colors), chocolate eggs (2 kinds), miniature chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, jellybeans, lollypops, peeps, and a giant hollow rabbit for each Grizzwold child. In addition, the oldest received some books and an iTunes card, the middle got a digital toy camera, and the youngest got fairy princess shoes and a wand. It's almost like Christmas in April!! Since the Mrs. and the children napped most of the day, your boy Clark was pretty tired and headed off to the rack after the late local news.
About 6am, a sharp elbow woke me up. Evidently, I forgot to assemble the easter baskets! Holy hollow bunnies! I didn't even know I was supposed to assemble them! Sleepily, I went down to the super secret location, loaded up the baskets, and staggered back to bed, nearly running over the middle daughter in the process. I had evidently awakened her with my staggeringly sleepy footwork. Darling Ellen headed the 10 year old off at the pass and ran her back to bed before she broke for the goodies. I plopped back into the rack and resumed my slumber.
Most of the rest of the day was uneventful, save for the bizarre shenanigans of the dog, who seemed to be extra needy (the dog ate my candy! Exclaimed the two-year old…probably the reason for the dog’s weird behavior). We cooked breakfast, had an early dinner at Grandma Grizzwold’s house, and returned home to baths and bedtime. My dear Ellen told me that forever more I would be banned from making the easter purchases. I was shocked, to say the least. Since we’d discussed things over the phone, I thought I had a pretty good list. Not enough variety was the retort from my dearest Ellen. Nonsense, I replied. I’d bought at least 5 different kinds of chocolate, 2 different kinds of non-chocolate candy, and peeps which are in a category of confection all their own (the Clark Grizzwold “gross” category). The hollow bunnies were too short, she informed. I guess I should have purchased the two foot tall hollow bunny instead of the 18 inch hollow bunny. There will be months of therapy behind that lost 6 inches of bunny ear. I kept reminding my betrothed that we discussed the purchases over the phone several times and there was ample opportunity for “variety” and “hollow bunny size”. You should have known what I meant, came the reply. Easy Clark, I thought, you’re in the “no win zone”. I put it in neutral and settled in for a good nite’s sleep agreeing not to be involved in the easter purchases next year.
Clark
As a result of Ellen and the girls tripping in the warmth of the beach, this left yours truly in charge of the Easter Bunny purchases. I consulted over the phone with my lovely Mrs. and got a pretty good idea of what to get. The local CVS Drug Store chain was the one-stop choice for easter basket grass (three colors), chocolate eggs (2 kinds), miniature chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, jellybeans, lollypops, peeps, and a giant hollow rabbit for each Grizzwold child. In addition, the oldest received some books and an iTunes card, the middle got a digital toy camera, and the youngest got fairy princess shoes and a wand. It's almost like Christmas in April!! Since the Mrs. and the children napped most of the day, your boy Clark was pretty tired and headed off to the rack after the late local news.
About 6am, a sharp elbow woke me up. Evidently, I forgot to assemble the easter baskets! Holy hollow bunnies! I didn't even know I was supposed to assemble them! Sleepily, I went down to the super secret location, loaded up the baskets, and staggered back to bed, nearly running over the middle daughter in the process. I had evidently awakened her with my staggeringly sleepy footwork. Darling Ellen headed the 10 year old off at the pass and ran her back to bed before she broke for the goodies. I plopped back into the rack and resumed my slumber.
Most of the rest of the day was uneventful, save for the bizarre shenanigans of the dog, who seemed to be extra needy (the dog ate my candy! Exclaimed the two-year old…probably the reason for the dog’s weird behavior). We cooked breakfast, had an early dinner at Grandma Grizzwold’s house, and returned home to baths and bedtime. My dear Ellen told me that forever more I would be banned from making the easter purchases. I was shocked, to say the least. Since we’d discussed things over the phone, I thought I had a pretty good list. Not enough variety was the retort from my dearest Ellen. Nonsense, I replied. I’d bought at least 5 different kinds of chocolate, 2 different kinds of non-chocolate candy, and peeps which are in a category of confection all their own (the Clark Grizzwold “gross” category). The hollow bunnies were too short, she informed. I guess I should have purchased the two foot tall hollow bunny instead of the 18 inch hollow bunny. There will be months of therapy behind that lost 6 inches of bunny ear. I kept reminding my betrothed that we discussed the purchases over the phone several times and there was ample opportunity for “variety” and “hollow bunny size”. You should have known what I meant, came the reply. Easy Clark, I thought, you’re in the “no win zone”. I put it in neutral and settled in for a good nite’s sleep agreeing not to be involved in the easter purchases next year.
Clark
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Mental Anguish...
Sadly, coach Screamette continues the mental mumbo jumbo at our precious older daughter. Earlier this week, Screamette said that she would decide if our girl would get playing time behind the plate based on how she practiced. Bolstered by the glimmer of finally proving herself to the "coach", she worked her butt off in practice and overall felt good about being on the squad again.
Unfortunately, the mentalness of the "coach" took over and she didn't get any playing time. She didn't even get a reason as to why. Consolations and tissues were the order of the day after that game. Ol' Clark couldn't even watch without getting supremely angry. Since we Grizzwold's don't quit, she's gonna stick to her guns and hope for some playing time later in the season.
Word to the wise: if you have a psychotic coach who knows little about evaluating talent, don't have a meeting with the coach and athletic director and give them reasons not to play your child.
Clark
Unfortunately, the mentalness of the "coach" took over and she didn't get any playing time. She didn't even get a reason as to why. Consolations and tissues were the order of the day after that game. Ol' Clark couldn't even watch without getting supremely angry. Since we Grizzwold's don't quit, she's gonna stick to her guns and hope for some playing time later in the season.
Word to the wise: if you have a psychotic coach who knows little about evaluating talent, don't have a meeting with the coach and athletic director and give them reasons not to play your child.
Clark
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Periodic Success...
A special congratulations goes to the oldest Grizzwold daughter, who's softball team won a championship this past weekend.
We are especially proud that she has the "stick-to-it-iveness" to deal with her psychotic high school coach, Ms. Screamette, and maintain her sanity enough to step up and contribute to an undefeated weekend.
Clark
We are especially proud that she has the "stick-to-it-iveness" to deal with her psychotic high school coach, Ms. Screamette, and maintain her sanity enough to step up and contribute to an undefeated weekend.
Clark
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