Happy 4th of July!

A local firehouse just got a new woo-woo truck (22month old speak) and
they let everyone in on the fun. We took Cadence over there to see all the trucks,
play with the fire hose, and climb into the trucks. Here are some pictures for ya.
It was a fun time for all.

take 2...

Work is Tough

out like a light, but still clutching a matchbox car

Monday's are the day that I miss my little girl the most. After being spoiled with a full weekend, that first day back is always the loneliest. This past Monday, Corrina and Cadence had a surprise drop-in, and it was fantastic! Now that I'm on campus and parking is such a hassle, I don't get to see them at work nearly as often as I did in my previous job. I talked Corrina into letting Cadence stay the rest of the afternoon (90 minutes or so) with me. Cadence didn't need convincing... clinic toys and a bus ride home, "I'm definitely staying with Dad." Coco had to run-off to avoid getting a parking ticket. She actually returned to find a warning. I've NEVER heard of anyone getting a warning at UNC.

For the next hour or so, I finished up some revisions while Cadence sat and played with a bunch of freshly opened toys. We then locked-up and went out to catch our bus. As we waited outside, every time one came up, Cadence would yell, "My bus!" The other folks were highly amused by this, as was I. She wasn't actually claiming that she owned the bus as she normally does with any object in the house, but was so excited to get on. Finally, it did arrive. We got a seat in the back where the window starts at the bottom of the seat and reaches to the ceiling. I plopped her down there, and she pretty much kept an OMG face the entire ride. Every once in a while, she'd yell "BUMPY!," which is great because there are never any kids on these busses, and it catches riders by surprise. We rode our 10 minutes or so, and needless to say, Cadence didn't want to get off. As my stop is the final stop, everyone gets off, but she wasn't convinced. Ultimately, I said we'd talk to the driver, so we walked up to the front and exchanged pleasantries. Cadence delivered a very sweet, "thank you," and we were on our way to my truck. The picture (above) shows what happened next... and she never falls asleep in the car. All in a days work, I suppose. Cadence, you can come and toil with me anyday.

Hey Local NC'ers! Find Michael!

SEEK: Frank was just found in NYC

A good friend of ours, Duane Fernandez, has an international scavenger hunt/social experiment going on that he has dubbed SEEK. Anyway, he has placed a box in our (figurative) backyard. It has yet to be found. You locals shouldn't have too much trouble here. Check his blog and twitter for clues!

my cuff designed by mr. fernandez & handcrafted by spexton

similar to what's in store for you

Backassward Thinking in the South

from NPR (WUNC):
N.C. Senate OK's Paddling in Schools

Thursday, June 25 2009 by Laura Leslie |

State Senate lawmakers defeated a measure that would have required parental consent for paddling. Under the proposal, schools that use corporal punishment would have had to ask parents for permission to paddle students. Kids whose parents didn't consent would be disciplined by other means. Supporters said parents should have that choice.

But Republican leader Phil Berger said it would mean the end of paddling for all students. "A teacher is not going to have two students that do the same thing and discipline one of them with corporal punishment and not the other," says Berger. "It just won't happen."

The original bill would have also required the fifty-five districts that still use corporal punishment to keep data on whom they paddle and why. The State House approved the measure, but the Senate voted it down by a slim margin.

"In North Carolina, paddling is banned in the largest cities, like Charlotte. It remains legal in 70 percent of the state’s districts, although since they tend to be small and rural, fewer than half of the state’s students are covered." from this New York Times Article.

surf's up dude

We took a trip down to Wrightsville Beach for Father's Day weekend, and International Surf Day! Cadence loves the beach, the ocean, the birds, the surf and the hats...

Here she is checkin out the "swell"



on the go to surf with Dad



we waited for a break in the swell and she got to catch some waves!



"the surf on the shore is almost as fun as the surf in the ocean"


just another cute hat picture!

sun up mix

Here's a summery mix for you to tote along on road trips or for simply milling around the house with the windows and doors open. The idea was conceived by Miss Parks outta Tulsa, OK, and is basically meant to be a compilation of music that I might play for a group of hungover morning risers. In order to be eligible for the compilation the music had to satisfy at least one of three categories: 1)it makes me smile, 2)it makes me sing, or 3)it makes me dance. Hopefully, you'll have a similar response. Tracks span a time range from the 1970's to barely released and the scope of style is a also diverse, but musically (in form) related. Anyway, enjoy!

Download the "sun up" mix The file is large, but that's because I try to keep the sound quality high!