A Man, a Dog, and Some Jayhawks

Saturday night I went to my first non-NCAA tourney Division I basketball game. Kansas played a terrible game at the Ferrell Center in Waco. I'm not going to replay much on the 37.5% shooting that lead to their 81-58 loss, but it did put a big question mark by their possible 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The evening, overall, was fun though. The two hours to and from Waco and the burger and fries at "The Health Bar" were a nice retreat for an evening.

Any chance that Arcee was to be Jack's dog have pretty much become non-existant. My daily companion apparently spent the entire evening pacing the house looking for me, then resolved herself to sleep by the front door, until my return. She was a nice welcome long after the rest of the family has fallen asleep.

Arcee has become the recognizable face of the dog who picks Jack up from school everyday. She looks out the window at all the kids and mom shouting "Look, a puppy!" as we sit in the carpool line. The lady who calls out our carpool position berated me a month ago when I had Arcee shaved in preparation of the Summer months, and the principal has joked with Jack a few times that Arcee looked like a ferocious attack dog.

This week's adventures will be with Jack's first Spring Break. Let's see what trouble the boys can get into.

The Educator's Arms Race

Jack is starting his Spring semester in Kindergarten. In the past 6 months we have had an arrest of a P.E. teacher for being "touchy" with a student over a series of years, and the terrible loss of children and teachers at Newton, CT. Where can a child be safe if the dangers are on both sides of the wall?

Tuesday I read that my school district had decided to follow through with the NRA's recommendation of having armed guards at all schools ( http://bit.ly/ZWsp7e ). I'm not even entertaining the thought to what better uses $2.7 million could be used for in education.

To be honest, my feelings are mixed. The thought of a Blackwater contractor, or Barney Fife roaming the halls fills me with dread. The terrorists win, I'm sure someone has said. They win if a single act can change a society with fear. And I'm not shock-jocking with the word "terrorist". That term means both local and foreign. Mr. McVay taught us that.

On the other hand the article does have a point by having trained personnel with fire arms being safer than training educators. Maybe? But do we need kids to see a holstered firearm on school grounds? And seriously, this is Texas. TEXAS! Guns are cleaned more than the average man in this state.

I guess... I guess I want to retain the innocence of childhood for as long as possible. It can't be wrong to continue the thinking that magic and fairytales exist for as long as possilbe. Even in my cynical view of humanity at my youngish age, I still prefer Dreamworks or Pixar over anything else in the theaters.

A New Year.

I'm watching a fog decend with the temperature. The streetlights aglow with misty halos. I've read there is a "cliff" out there, so everyone watch your step.

Tyson-Amy.com has been used less and less over the past few years. A thing I keep wanting to put more into, but am constantly distracted by less productive shiny things. So here is the quick 2012 review.

-Warm winter brings more parasites. Did you know that a tick feeds off of three different hosts throughout it's lifetime? The final host is the one everyone is familiar with.
-Swimming lessons were started; Jack became a fish, Sky thinks she can swim, and Ollie wants to tan by the pool.
-Gymnastics and the last diaper change for me for a loooong time!
-Father, brother and myself all had major career changes within three months of each other: New state, new job, fake retirement.
-Washington.
-Hey! we have a dog!
-Kindergarden, quickly followed by pediphiles and school shootings. Parental panic.
-Jack starts soccer and piano, and I learn the love/hate relationship that is Adobe.
-A year without a Thanksgiving sandwich.
-Christmas in Kansas, snow in Texas.

Here is to an exciting 2013.

Hulk vs Flash (Marvel and DC Crossover)

Olivia, as the Hulk, and Jack, as the Flash, are caught in a battle of the century last Thursday.

Olivia's Hulk mask close-up.

Jack's Goal on 9/22/12