I Get That

Spotted on the drive to school today.



Well, at least I was once cool in my own mind.

Now I can't even fool myself.

Breaker, Breaker

Charlotte tested for her orange karate belt last week. We were given a list of hand positions, stances, and kicks that she would have to be able to perform, and we had a list of five tenets to memorize: courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance, and indomitable spirit.

At the end of the testing time, each student was required to walk to the front of the class and break a board with either their hand or their foot. We didn't see that coming. Charlotte hasn't tried breaking a board before, and I could see she was nervous. Heck, I was nervous, but Daphne was positive that Charlotte could do it.

Char bravely took her position.

Atta Girl!

We had her sign and date the wood so she can remember the first time she kicked a board into pieces.

Homecoming '16: J-Hawk Spirit Day!

A retired cross country jersey and some J-Hawk tattoos make for a pretty good spirit outfit.

Nice job with the theme colored hair ties, Mom.

Char says, "Go J-Hawks! Argh!"

I have no idea why we ended on a pirate note, but that's kids for ya.

Homecoming '16: 100 Years Old Day!

Homecoming '16: Clash Day!

Homecoming '16: Crazy Hair Day!

I Don't Think the Van Got Smaller

This is the second year that I've taken Charlotte to the "Henry Gregor Felsen Tribute Car Show." Here she is in 2015.

Here she is today.

People think hot rods go fast? They've got nothing on little girls.

Sometimes It Takes Time

I get a big kick out of repurposing stuff. I'm not a hoarder, but I'll hang onto an item that I think it is cool even if I don't know how I'll use it.

For instance, I went on a trip to Las Vegas with my parents in 1992, and one night we had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe. Those are nice Michael Jackson dolls.

(This kid doesn't know it yet, but in less than a month he'll be hired to teach at Urbandale High School. He's never even heard of Urbandale.)

I brought back a Hard Rock beer bottle as a souvenir.

I didn't know what to do with this bottle, and it has been taking up shelf space ever since. An idea finally hit me last week. I ran the bottle through dishwasher cycle, filled it with extra virgin olive oil, and then topped it off with a generic spout. I don't know if it was worth the effort to keep this bottle for 24 years, but I think my new oil dispenser looks sweet. I use EVOO a lot when I grill.

Here's another example. I found these vintage McDonald's cup holders at a garage sale for ten cents. They reminded me of my childhood, and I thought I could use them in my VW Bug.

These were really handy in the 70's and 80's when cars didn't have many cupholders. But I was wrong; the VW's doors aren't wide enough for these holders. The drink would splash all over.

Using a holder like this in my Toyota is unnecessary. The interior already has eight cup holders. Even Char's booster seat has a place for a bottle of Gatorade. Plus, they look awkward in the car.

So, did I throw these holders into the recycling bin? No, but three years had to pass before I could find a use for them.

I was testing my pinball project in the garage last night, and I didn't have a handy place for my water bottle. I briefly considered attaching a bicycle bottle cage to the cabinet, but then I spotted the Mickey Dee's cup holders. All I had to do was cut off some of the plastic and drill a hole.

That's totally worth a dime. I'm glad I didn't toss 'em out.

It is Embarrassing to Admit

I've got a box of VHS tapes in my classroom's closet. Since the average lifespan of a VHS tape is between 8-12 years, I've been transferring the better programs to digital media. It may be hard to believe, but some of these shows aren't on YouTube or Netflix, and I want to preserve them before the tape breaks or the image degrades into snowy static. For instance, the AFI Top 100 programs aren't available on any recorded format. They were only broadcast on network TV.

Most of the programs on these VHS tapes were recorded at home, and I've noticed a trend while checking their labels.

Before we had a DVR, VHS tapes were the only way for us to record our programs.  AMC ran their movies commercial free back then, and I'd often spot an old horror movie in the TV guide that I wanted to see uncut, but it was on too late at night. I'd remember to set the VCR to record, but I'd usually forget to check what tape was in the machine.

I don't know how many times Daphne would curl up on the couch expecting to spend some time with the cast of Friends only to be greeted by some guy in a mask with a bloody knife when she pressed "play." I'd hear a wail of disappointment drifting from the TV room, " Oh, Nooooo!" And I knew I was in trouble.

You'd think I'd learn, but...

"Oh, Nooooo!" (I don't think she was the one who recorded a history of Nintendo's greatest creation.)

This time I was the one who wrote, "DAPHNE'S T.V. TAPE!" on the label.

And I still recorded over it.

"Brent? What is this?"

"But Man Vs. Food is in Des Moines this time..." 

With her mouth tightened, Daphne fast forwarded the tape so she can watch last night's episode of ER.

"Brent! Again?!?"

"... I thought you wanted to watch Craft in the United States..." 

(Brent hangs his head and sighs.) "I'm sorry... again."

Every so often I have to admit that my wife has put up with a lot from me.

Fall Guy

When I was a kid I thought of the summer months as one huge weekend. June had all the freedom of a Friday night. As the sun lazily dipped into the horizon, you'd be too busy chasing lightning bugs across the yard to even think about the confines of school.

July was a carefree Saturday afternoon. July smelled of chlorine and tasted like sweet corn. School was only a rumor, not a fact to be believed.  

August was like watching TV on a Sunday night. Every commercial celebrated the return of school, and your mom kept telling you that bedtime was going to be early. Each reminder made you wince like you do when you see the needle in the doctor's office...

I still like the long weekend analogy, but I don't dread the return of school like I did when I was young. My first day of school was in 1974, and I've gone back to school 41 times since then. I pretty much know what to expect, but if it wasn't for the Iowa State Fair, I would still list August as my least favorite month. 

Thank goodness the calendar turned a page, and it is September. Fall will be here soon. I look forward to the change in temperature and color. I like wearing jackets in the morning, and it's kind of exciting to turn on my car's heater for the first time in months. It is football season, and there is a smell in the air on a Friday night before a game that's hard to explain. I think it is a mix of cut grass, cool air, and anticipation. 

Also, October follows September, and guess who is already thinking about Halloween?

Just Hanging Out

Iowa State Fair '16: Super STEM Sunday

Charlotte turned 6 years old on the 18th, so when we went to the last day of the fair, it was the first time we had to pay her admission.

Admission is half price on "Super Sunday," so she only cost us three dollars, but still. It's a sign that things are just going uphill from here. No time to ponder that though, we still had a day at the fair to enjoy.

I don't know how long my pinball hobby will hold my complete interest. I've got a project machine in the garage, but its about 90% complete. Soon I'm going to need something else to work on. The fair had a motorcycle show going on, and I spotted this vintage Kawasaki floating around in a sea of Harley Davidson customs. It reminded me that I've wanted a small, 60s era motorcycle since high school, so maybe I'll try to find a bike from this era for a project.

Speaking of projects, Daphne entered some baking items at the fair. Last year she earned a second place ribbon. We stopped by the Food Center to see if any of her entries made it to the final display case.

Hey! Her cookie made it in the ice cream sandwich contest.

White ribbon!

 How did her 4-layer S'more bars do?

Well, you can't do much better than that.

Imagine Daphne yelling, "Yea!", jumping up and down three times, and clapping her hands at the same time. It was so fun to watch her light up like that. Charlotte was almost as excited as her mom. 

I didn't jump up and down, but I was pretty happy with the loose meat sandwich that I ate a few minutes later. 

We tried the Pride of Iowa Wrap because Kim recommended it. "It boasts a jalapeno cheddar tortilla with pork shoulder, sweet corn salsa, and hickory smoked bacon bits. Layered with cheddar jack cheese, fresh avocado relish, chipotle aioli and crispy tortilla bites for added texture."- ISF website.

There's a lot going on in there, but's it's all good.

Time to pose with the giants pumpkins!

I've yet to have a drink at the Iowa Beer Craft tent. That's because nothing beats an ice cold glass of milk from the Dairy Barn on a hot fair day. Somehow I never get to drink the whole thing, though.

Cotton Candy + Char = A Five-Minute Sugar Rush. She jumps around yelling, "Cot-ton Can-dee" about 100 times in a row in some weird made up accent. Strangers notice... It makes us laugh.

There was also some STEM activities for the kids to watch.  I couldn't hear the presenters as well as I would have liked, but I think this is what happens when you play with liquid nitrogen and gummy bears. Look how thick the smoke gets.

They used compressed air to shoot a ping pong ball through a pop can.

More fun with liquid nitrogen.

Right before the guy in last video got covered in all that stuff, he walked by me, slapped my chest with that back of his hand and said, "That's a sweet shirt." That was cool.

This is probably my favorite thrift store tee to wear to the fair.

It kept me safe on the zip line last year.

Too bad I have to put it away until next August...