Punxsutawney Phil was Right

The ground hog sure was right. This past Friday, the base sent us home at 2 pm because of a brewing snow storm. We received about eight inches of snow Friday and Saturday morning. It was a real wet snow making shoveling a very difficult task. Somehow, the division of shoveling labor is such that I get to shovel while Ashley watches the Bode-man. On these heavy snow days, I believe I'm getting the short end of the stick and deserve some sort of compensation (back-rub?) I'll have to bring this up at the next committee meeting.

The heavy snow caused a neighbor's tree to fall on the main power line that feeds about 50 homes in our neighborhood. We lost power a little before 2 am on Saturday. We were really worried that it'd be a couple days before we got power back because after the big wind storm in 2008, we were without power for 13 days. Fortunately, I saw a Dayton Power and Light truck across the street around 11 am. The guy told me it would be another five or six hours, which was bad because it was getting cold in the house, but it really was good news knowing we'd get power back that night. About four DP&L trucks showed up, and the guys got to work. A guy from the local ABC news channel was filming and wanted some neighborhood folks to interview. Ashley ended up being on TV. The best part was she was wearing her Auburn sweat-shirt, so all of Big-10 country had to have the SEC rubbed in their face one more time :-)

Sunday the high was forecast to be 22. What a wonderful day for a race (yes, really). I ran the Frostbite Five miler down in Centerville. Evidently a lot of (fast) people wanted to get out and run on Sunday, so there really is no need to discuss in what place I finished...but I will say my time was a PR (likely because this was the first five-mile race I have ever run). We watched the first half of the Super Bowl at some friend's house, and then came home and saw the Saints win before falling to sleep (it was after 9:30 pm!). Early Monday morning (0400), Ashley headed off to the Dayton airport. She flew into Washington Dulles, which was closed all weekend due to a massive blizzard on the east coast. Some reports had Dulles getting over 30 inches of snow in a 2-day period. Thankfully, Ashley's flight was uneventful and she arrived safe and sound. Unfortunately, another snow storm struck today, hitting Ohio first thing this morning. By 1045, the base decided to send everyone home. Thus, Bode and I spent the day together. He turned out to be a big help shoveling the driveway (unlike some other people in this family). Here are some action photos.
The storm has moved out of Ohio and is now pounding the east coast. I spoke with Ashley on the phone. D.C. is forecast for another 12 inches of snow. She has moved her return flight from Wednesday to Thursday, so hopefully she's able to get back without further delays.

After a hard day of shoveling, Bode and I played some trains. The little dude is quite adept at getting the trains running. He still doesn't understand how to fix the track if it comes apart ("Daddy, fix choo-choo" is a common refrain). But he does enjoy it, as do I.
We have a birthday tomorrow. Auburn aka Graybeard is turning ten...has she really been with us that long? Thankfully dogs live forever :-)Pleasant day to all and happy sledding.

Boonshoft

Today, similar to the previous five days, the high was forecast to be a whopping 22. Yikes. Not much to do outside, so today seemed like the perfect day to take Bode to the Boonshoft Museum, which is basically a kid's museum with lots of things to interest them (little animals, cool displays, etc.) A big bonus is there is also a large play area--well, honestly the whole museum is one big play area--so the kiddos run around and tire themselves out (which is item one on the parental hidden agenda). It opens at 9 am; we pulled into the parking lot at 9:07 and were the second car there. Thus, we had the place to ourselves for a little while. First up was the sandbox...but the great thing is, it's not really sand. It's actually ground up bits of rubber (probably from old tires), so it doesn't stick to you or get in your clothes. The drawback is you can't really build large sand castles because there isn't much adhesion. However, Bode was thrilled to sit, dig, and discover the bones buried underneath.
Here's a shot of me and kid cleaning off what appears to the leg bone from a dinosaur from the Mesozoic era (or it could be a piece of hard plastic shaped as such...)
After some time in the sand, err, rubber-pit, we moved on to the water works. This is simply A-W-E-S-O-M-E. I probably have as much fun as Bode. It's basically just some flowing water that is funneled into different sprinkler-type fixtures. The one shown below makes that cool umbrella pattern that Bode loves to put his hands in and splash around.
What's even cooler is you can build little water highways with some plastic pipes and bends. Here I am directing the water flow towards Bode.
Finally, here's a picture of Bode splashing around. Words cannot describe how much he likes this. Since we arrive early, we get this whole place to ourselves. Later in the day, it is literally packed with kids and father's like me that enjoy constructing water towers.
There is a small Lego-area. Nothing too exciting, although they do have some cool Lego-creations. Bode was more interested in jumping into the tub of Legoes.
There's this cool room that has a big sphere in the middle. The sphere is like a TV screen. This morning, the "movie" playing was about the planet Jupiter, so the ball took on some cool colors and looked just like the solar system's largest planet (yes, I was paying attention to the narration).
There is also a small zoo, but it's all little animals. Below is a woodchuck (groundhog) eating some lettuce. I made sure to inform the little rodent that we do not want six more weeks of winter. Notice that there are no pictures of the giant Burmese python...heaven forbid Bode ever want to become a herpetologist.
There are also little rooms focusing on various parts of every day life. There's a mock courtroom, a dry-goods store, a land-fill, and a recycling center. Bode really likes the garbage truck. It had some cool lights and a horn, and he could put fake trash in the slots on the side, which would then be dumped out the back. Endless entertainment :-)
There is also a huge play area, with large and small slides, climbing nets, and other items designed to fatigue the little ones. Here's a shot of Mommy and Bode in a tunnel. The bad thing about this tunnel was the lack of padding...Mommy was feeling her age when she crawled out.
We spent a solid two hours at the Boonshoft Museum. By then, Bode was tired, and the parking lot was full. We bought a year membership, so if the groundhog does see his shadow, you know where we will be for the next six Saturdays :-) Pleasant day to all.

Bode in the Basket

Bode has toys. Lots of toys. The entire sun room is devoted to Bode's entertainment. He has a train table in his room, he has a lego table in the living room, and now that he knows about DVD's and the stories they can provide (his favorite is Angus Lost), he is encroaching on the office. But with this wealth of toys, this vast cornucopia of entertainment options, how does Bode choose to amuse himself? With a laundry basket. Had we known this a priori, we could have saved a considerable sum of money :-) Here are some action photos.

About three seconds after this last picture was taken, Bode fell face-forward into the wall, which seemed to end his fascination with the basket. He has since moved on to bigger and better things, namely Ashley's exercise ball. Here's a movie of Bode doing a flip.

I need a physician to explain why Bode's shoulders do not dislocate when he does that; I know mine sure would!

Life is grand here in Ohio. We haven't seen the sun since last Wednesday. Someone please verify that it's still there :-) Pleasant day to all.

MMX

Wow, what a way to ring in the New Year! No, I'm not talking about a bibulous night of drunken debauchery (we were in bed by 10:30 and prefer to celebrate New Year's on Icelandic time...) No, I'm referring to the victory in the Outback Bowl by the mighty Auburn Tigers over the pesky Wildcats of Northwestern high school, err, I mean, from the Big Ten conference. I think Ashley and I each had two major heart events during the game. If you missed it, allow me to give you a brief recap (and also so I can document exactly when the damage to our hearts occurred for our future medical problems...) Auburn jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, but NW fought back. It was a good game, but by the mid-4th quarter, Auburn was again up by 14, leading 35-21. However, Auburn had intercepted NW five times, so it was like we had a 12th player on our side. NW proceeded to move the ball and scored with ~four minutes to go but they MISSED the extra point. Auburn 35, NW 27. We're up by eight, and I even called a friend and said, "Well, at least we can't lose in regulation." NW tries an onside kick, but Auburn easily recovered it. All they needed was a couple first downs and the game was ours. Ben Tate rushes for an easy eight, and it's looking good. He runs again and FUMBLES! OMG! Now there's less than three minutes, and Auburn's defense looks like the French against the Germans. NW moves the ball, rather easily downfield, but amazingly, Auburn stops them enough to force a 4th down conversion. Auburn blitzes and sacks the NW quarterback. Game over...? NO! There's a penalty on Auburn. While sacking the quarterback, they pulled on the QB's facemask. Oh the humanity! Personal foul and automatic first down! Needless to say, NW quickly scores, but I'm confident Auburn will stop the two-point conversion, and I think they do, until I realize NW was running a trick play. They did a reverse and then passed to a wide open guy in the end-zone. Tie score. Looks like we're going to overtime...except Auburn FUMBLES THE KICK-OFF. Oh the humanity (again)! Now we're really worried, as there's about a minute to go. NW again easily drives down the field and tries a~37-yard field goal with seconds to go. Fortunately it was WIDE RIGHT! Overtime. Auburn gets the ball first, and Ben Tate runs the ball down to the NW five-yard line. NW couldn't stop him (except when he fumbled). So I'm clueless as to why the next three plays were either Kody Burns runs or some lame pass attempts. The result? An Auburn field-goal, and we lead 38-35. A good thing, except for the fact our defense had not stopped NW in a long time. NW gets a first down near the Auburn 12 or 13. We're worried. Then, they get sacked for a big loss. Auburn forces NW to try a FG. Same kid who just recently missed at the end of regulation. He kicks...it's long enough...and IT HITS THE RIGHT UPRIGHT. NO GOOD...? Except there's a flag. Auburn roughed the kicker! (Bode, earmuffs) F---!!!!!! Personal foul, automatic first down. It's not looking good. NW drives the ball inside the ten yard line, and we're really worried. Somehow, the boys muster a good defensive stand, and it's 4th and goal from the four yard line. NW brings out a different kicker because their primary kicker was injured when Auburn roughed him (it looked pretty bad--knee got taken out). The announcers are talking about the back-up kicker as he's setting up. The camera is focused on him. But then, there's some commotion. NW was running another trick play. They did a quick snap, fumble-rooski type play to try to catch Auburn off-guard. Instead of a FG, it's a fake! We see the NW guy trying to get the corner, but somehow the Auburn defender fought off the block and knocked him out of bounds at the two yard line. We hesitate-any flags? No. GAME OVER! THEY WON! THEY WON THE FIRST GAME OF 2010! And then we collasped, exhausted.

After the game, Ashley lay there, elated, but tired. Bode came over to play with her. They were having a great time...
until Bode jumped on Mommy's tummy. Ouch! Mommy's down!Fortunately, she was ok. I told her she obviously needs to do more situps to strengthen her abs. She was not amused.

Here's a good shot of me and the Bode-man playing with his Legos. He's able to put them together and take them apart...although his favorite seems to be building the big tower and then pushing it over.Finally, here's a good picture of me and the little Dude.We had a wonderful holiday break, but like all breaks, it ended and we went back to work this week. It's bitterly cold here. I don't think the high has been above freezing all decade :-) Plesant day to all.

Christmas Loot

Bode received a lot of goodies this year for Christmas. Santa probably had to rent a U-Haul to carry the extra load. Here's a shot of the Christmas tree with all the presents pre-carnage. We were fortunate to have Ashley's parents (Frank and JoAnne) join us for the holidays. They even brought their little dog, Alley, which gave Auburn a playmate. Well, playmate probably isn't the right word. I didn't think there could be a dog as lazy as Auburn until I met Alley. Here's a shot of them during one of their more active states, and I say active because they aren't sleeping which is how they spend ~20 hours a day.Bode did great opening the presents. We would have to tear the paper to get him going, but once he started, there was no stopping him. Plus, unlike last year, he was actually more interested in the toys than the boxes/paper.
Bode got all sorts of great toys. His favorite thus far is Mega Playland, which is a bunch of structures that can be velcroed together to create a little mini-empire, over which Bode rules with an iron fist. Here are some shots of all of us playing. Yes, I actually crawled into the structure with the little man. Obviously we were having a good time. Auburn tried to sneak in, but we were able to keep her out.
Bode also got a cool aisle. I was trying to instruct him on his A-B-C's, but all he wanted to do was scribble. For that, I gave him detention :-)He actually uses the chalk and knows how to use the eraser...not sure where he learned that (daycare?). We'll have to get him some colored chalk and see what sort of pictures he can create.

Thanks much for all the cool toys and gifts. We had a great Christmas and wish everyone a pleasant holiday.

A Christmas Miracle

Piggy has been found! The weather was (relatively) warm today...high was close to 40, so we weren't exactly breaking out the swimsuits. However, it wasn't raining or snowing (but the old-man was snoring), so Ashley decided to try to find Piggy (and also a stuffed Tiger that disappeared last week thanks to that bitch that lives with us). She wasn't outside more than a couple minutes when she comes running in doing her impression of Archimedes ("Eureka! I have found it!"). Of course, before giving him back to Bode, Piggy needs a bath.Ashley found him buried right next to the house. We agree that Auburn must have moved him, because we dug there numerous times. Auburn is crafty, so I'm sure she'll hide the Tiger up near the fence line...I doubt we'll see him until spring.

Last night, we went to see Santa Claus. He was putting in an appearance at the Town and Country, a little mall just up the street. The nice thing about this Santa is that it's free. You are encouraged to take personal pictures--no one selling a digital photograph on a DVD for $19.95 nor trying to prevent you from snapping your own personal shots. Bode wasn't a big fan of St. Nick.I think he was able to get in a quick wish before fleeing: "Santa, I really want that 40" flat screen," is what I heard him say, although his mother doesn't agree...We'll see what shows up on Christmas Day.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a pleasant day.

Sleepy Bodeman

To those of you sitting on the edge of your sits, I apologize in advance since I have no good news. Piggy is still missing. Ashley and I have searched and searched and searched again. The result? No Piggy, but we did find seven (yes, seven) socks buried in various places. I tried giving Auburn a bone, knowing she would take it outside to bury. I think she knew I was watching her, even though I tried to be sneaky about it. Either bones are buried in a different place than the stuffed animals or she knew she was being followed and didn't want to lead me to the evidence. I might go outside today and check again. I can't believe we haven't been able to find this pig. It's not like he's small--he stretches from my fingertips to the mid-wrist region. Bode doesn't seem to really miss the pig--he has plenty of other fury friends. I think Ashley and I are more heart-broken. This was his first toy to which he showed emotional attachment. Hopefully Piggy's just hibernating and he'll make an appearance in the spring...

The other evening Ashley was sitting in the dining room while Bode finished up eating. I walked into the kitchen, and it was very quiet. Bode was sleeping in his chair.The little guy was out cold. We snapped quite a few shots of him. He never stirred.
We cleared his tray, cleaned him up with a wet rag, and the little dude was still sleeping. Of course, later that night, he had no interest in going to bed :-)Today has been a good day. Ashley is out shopping and Bode is just out (sleeping). I ran a race today--the Jingle Bell 5K. There were 627 runner/walkers, albeit none of the really fast local runners were there. That being the case, I was able to finish third overall--but was the second-place male finisher i.e. a girl beat me. And I'm ok with that--at least she wasn't a 67-year old nun :-) For my effort, I won a nice Asic gym bag, a $20 gift certificate to Dick's Sporting Good's, and a $20 gift card to a local running shop. I now consider myself a professional athlete, although I won't be on the Forbes Highest Paid Athlete list anytime soon. But unlike some professional athletes, Ashley has not chased me down the driveway with a golf club.

Pleasant day.