7 Kids, 2 grandkids, 1 on-the-way, 2 cats, Mom, and Dad

Story to warm your heart or Everyone needs special friends.

"Faith had already opened the door for him," Beasley said. The dog has been trained to recognize police officers, firefighters and medical personnel as "special friends with cookies."

This was from a story on Yahoo about a helper dog that called 911 by pressing a speed dial button with its nose after the owner collapsed during a seizure. The dog unlocked the door when it saw a police officer.

I think we all need more special friends!

The good old days or When Good Friend used to post.

Good Friend hasn't posted in a while. It is sad to see a once vibrant and informative blog sitting there abandoned.

I've come across blogs from links on other sites that were funny or informative and then realized that the last entry was from a year ago. I just didn't think it would happen to someone I know, that's all.

It just doesn't hit home until it happens to someone close to you.

One other thing...I just noticed that the movabletype application, for blogs, has a spell checker that doesn't recognize the word blog.

Me caveman or The anal cleft...mystery solved!

I watched a tv show last night called The Office Special. The Office is a show from the BBC that was on air about 2-3 years ago from what I can tell. I did a season pass on it and watched a lot of the past shows but I'm not sure if I got them all.

David (the obnoxious, socially awkward but thinks he's way cool, stereotypical clueless boss) is on the dating scene because he needs to come up with a date for the company Christmas Party. It won't do for him to show up without a delectable wench on his arm so he hits the online dating service.

He remarks about his date's necklace, she thinks at first that he's commenting on her breasts, and it goes downhill from there. One thing that was funny is that he said he heard on the Discovery Channel (what we say when we want to give something the stamp of "official" science) that men are attracted to cleavage because it reminds them of the buttocks. We are attracted to the buttocks because of our caveman days when we likely did it doggy style because we didn't have the Joy of Sex.

I'm thinking that since low cut pants and string panties are the rage, we men are able to enjoy both the cleavage and anal cleft and fully indulge our prehistoric genetic disposition.

Come on men, give me a Tim Allen grunt!

If it was me or Bedside Manner 101.

When your spouse is diagnosed with cancer you are scared. More than anything you want to be sure to support them and also make sure that you're doing the right things, seeing the right doctors, asking the right questions, etc.

Having to deal with relatives that want to go with us to the doctor's office and demand that your test get scheduled sooner is draining. Demands via email, on the phone, or in person that we "do something" makes it feel like we've done nothing.

We would like every test that can conceivably be done performed immediately and the results given to the doctor who ordered them immediately while the doctor stands there by our side, of course.

We don't want to wait and we don't want to make an appointment. Unfortunately, we have to deal with insurance companies, limited resources at hospitals, and the scheduling demands of doctors. We are coping and doing the best we can, why can't they?

By the way, I'm really amazed at how fast things have moved. Beautiful Wife had the melanoma removed from her leg on September 7th and the X-rays were ordered shortly after that. In a month and a half she's had an x-ray, CT scan, PET scan, given blood for two series of tests, seen an oncologist, and consulted with a thoracic surgeon. Within two months of having the melanoma removed she'll have had an additional CT scan of her brain and a PFT (pulmonary fitness test).

So while it seems like we've waited, and we have, we're assured that the right things are being done, the right questions are being asked, and that we are not being asked to wait beyond what is reasonable. Now if we could only convince our relatives...

Soccer Playoffs or I can't feel my feet!

Youngest Daughter's team won their quarter-final game on Saturday afternoon by a score of 5-0. They advance to the semi-finals next Saturday against a team they played to a tie a couple of weeks ago. It should be a great game.

Beautiful Wife received a Bath & Body Works hot water bottle from Middle Daughter for her birthday. She filled that up, put it on her lap, and wrapped herself in a blanket to stay warm. I actually had a blanket across my lap and still froze.

If they win next week they play in the finals the following week. I get cold just thinking about it!

Dinner Friday night or Hanging out with all of our Good Friends.

Good Friends hosted our somewhat monthly wine dinner this past Friday. It was a low-key evening accented by great food and wine that had an Autumn theme.

One of the highlights for me was the salad that had pomegranate seeds sprinkled over the top of it. I didn't know you could eat the seed part too! The tiny crunch wasn't noticeable with the walnuts and crisp greens. I had some pomegranate at home yesterday and ate a couple of seeds but ultimately had to go back to spitting out the centers again.

I think we found the key to keeping everyone sober at a wine dinner, don't start off with liqueur or cocktails!

Weird Dream or I wonder what it means?

I'm over some relative's house that for some reason also has an apartment upstairs. I walk up the first set of steps and they are somewhat narrow and steep.

I turn the corner and the next set of steps has a really low ceiling, little tiny steps, and the walls are barely wide enough for my shoulders to squeeze through as I start to climb.

It seems like the walls are getting closer as I get to the top and I realize that on the left, at the top, was a small square that you have to crawl through to get to the apartment.

I decide to turn around and go downstairs to get a drink of water. When I turn the faucet handle it breaks.

When you laught at a cat or Leaves are serious business.

I laughed out loud when Fizban jumped and bunked her nose on the window. She jumped down from the window and walked away with an air of offended dignity.

She twitched her tail at me as she walked by as if to say, "You'll be sorry when I'm not there to keep guard any more."

It is Fall or What kitty cats do during the day.

My favorite cat, Fizban, has been in a window of our dining room most of the day. The only time she's left it is to be in the bathroom while I shower and in the kitchen while I cooked some breakfast.

It is a windy day and leaves are falling at an incredible rate and she's trying to watch each one as it goes. Once in a while one will hit the window making her jump in surprise. She gets a look on her face like "I won't be caught off-guard again" and goes back to watching.

Still her daddy or Soccer game parental protocol.

Youngest daughter got a ball in the mouth at a game on Sunday. She went to the ground with her hand to her mouth and cried out "I'm bleeding" because her braces cut into her lips.

When your kid first gets hurt you need to wait until the ref blows the whistle and then they'll usually check them out and call over the coach if they're really hurt or crying. In my experience, the girls almost always cry. Parental involvement is minimal unless a bone is sticking out of their leg or something like that.

As a parent, you usually try to make some sort of joking remark to the other parents while your insides turn in knots wondering if your kid is ok.

When Youngest Daughter cried out yesterday she was only about 10 feet from me. I jumped to my feet, strode out on the field, scooped her up in my arms, and carried her over to the sidelines. Once there the coach and sympathetic teammates clustered around and the need for daddy involvement was done.

The reward was the look of love that she had on her face when I looked back for a smile and wave as I headed back to the parent side of the field.

Then, I realized she was looking past me and at her little boyfriend sitting on the fence instead...

Still, for a few moments on a cold and windy afternoon, she rested in my arms and was daddy's little girl. Those moments become rarer as they get older and so you learn to cherish them when they come.

Life before TiVo or When did I become such a TV addict?

I watch more shows but still spend about the same time in front of the TV thanks to the magic of TiVo. I'm really enjoying Scrubs, LAX, Survivor, and Desperate Housewives (Heather Graham, Heather Locklear, Ami Cusak, Terry Hatcher).

Scare Tactics doesn't feature Shanon Doherty any more but the "scares" have been pretty funny this season.

Note to friends and family, scaring me like they do in some of those bits to see what I'll do may seem like a good idea...

Three centimeters is about the size of a quarter or How a quarter changes your life.

Beautiful Wife has "increased FDG activity noted in the 3cm nodule in the left-upper lobe. This has an SUV of 4.8 and is compatible with neoplasia."

All that is a really fancy way of saying that a 42-year-old woman, that is otherwise healthy and never smoked in her life, has lung cancer.

You don't wish this type of thing on anyone, but how about a relative that is in her late 60's and has smoked all of her life, isn't married, doesn't have kids, and the only physical activity she does is go from her bed to a chair so that she can chat with people and send me inane emails from her computer?

I think I blew right through "denial" and landed with both feet firmly in "anger."

You should do computers or Do you want fries with that?

So it looks like your days may be numbered if you "learned computers" when you were in school.

Looks like the only jobs that aren't in danger of being sent offshore are prostitution and politics and they are pretty much the same thing.

Final Score or They did an awesome job!

Youngest Daughter's team played in the finals for the soccer tournament yesterday. They were tied at the half but then lost after their opponents scored twice in the last five minutes.

The other team had bigger players and definitely had better skills. Our girls had heart and nobody told them that they were there to do anything else but win. They had a difficult time getting the ball down to the other end, but did a great job of defending and protecting the goal.

They got second place trophies, but to them it felt like a win.

What they do in their spare time or Pointed sticks on the sidelines.

Back pass, back pass! (knit one, purl two)

Down the side!!! (purl two, knit one)

Attack the ball, ladies! (knit one, purl two)

This is my version of events on the soccer game sidelines now that several mothers have started showing up with their knitting gear in hand.

How old is he or Every dad dreads this day.

Oldest Daughter: Dad, would you be upset if I dated a 21-year-old? (she's 17)

The plus side is that this kid seems nice enough and I know where he works. Oldest Daughter said that she told him that I am a black-belt and I think he had the right attitude, "So, basically, he can kick my ass."

One other plus...discounted frozen coffee drinks when I'm at the mall!

Busy weekend or What to do while you worry and wait.

Young Daughter had a total of four soccer games this weekend as part of an all girl soccer tournament. They won their bracket and have to return tomorrow for the finals. Unfortunately, I have this thing called work that I do during most week days and won't be able to go and watch. Oldest Daughter will have to step up and drive her there.

Beautiful Wife's biological father came to visit this weekend too. She hasn't seen him in around 25 years so it was kind of weird for her. Everything went well but I don't think he'll be back again any time soon.

I'm attending one of those online schools. This course is the required course for everyone and it deals with all the adult learner stuff like, why do you want to go back to school and other fun stuff like that. It is entirely online so it is taking some getting used to...

I'm working on some homework stuff now but figured I'd take a blogging break since I just had my fourth "Can you help me with my computer, Uncle Bob" question of the night.

Be gentle, it's my first time or Out of all the things I've posted...

I got a nice comment from kdcayuga at http://kdcayuga.modblog.com on a recent post of mine regarding the possible change to a coed student body at Wells College instead of being an all female school.

She came to my blog after reading one of my entries quoted at an online version of a newspaper.

I've been quoted!!!

Explaining self defense or I feel like I have to at least try.

I was helping teach a class the other night and one of the things briefly touched on, as part of the monthly testing process, was self-defense against a one-handed grab.

Essentially, the attacker grabs your wrist and you have to do a circular side block, with a stepping motion, in order to break the grip and be in a position to counter-attack or flee.

Some of the adults were trying to make it more realistic so the man in the group was holding on tightly to the woman's wrist. The only problem is that the women were trying to pull away rather than breaking the grip in a more controlled manner.

Pulling away puts you at a disadvantage when you use all of your body weight to do it because it puts you off balance. Chances are just as good that you'll fall, with the attacker on top of you, or stumble if they suddenly let go. Both of these are bad things.

The women were concerned about being strong enough to break the grip. I explained that they had to remember that their attacker, in this case, knew what they were going to do and was compensating for it (which they shouldn't do by the way). I also said the it is a good time to use an element of surprise (kick to the shins/knee/groin, stab toward the throat or eyes) to loosen the attacker's grip and then execute the technique.

I'm sure this sounds like babble and my main point is not to actually educate you in self defense by writing about it. My point is that you have to look realistically at the techniques taught to you, and practice in a way that will give you the best chance of success if you ever need to use them.

Practice, practice, practice and plan for the worst case scenario when you. Be completely committed to doing whatever it takes to get away and have a plan for when you do.

All boys all girls or Equality works only one way?

Female students over at Wells College are upset about the prospect of male students attending their school. Funny how it is ok to break ranks at all male colleges by adding women but it isn't ok to do the reverse.

Students there "worry men may dominate the classroom if they are admitted" though evidence to the contrary has been shown in classrooms over the years. Schools have been changed over the years to be more female friendly and now the boys are the ones at the bottom of classes and being left out from things like student government.

It is the double-standard that really bothers me. Don't all these women want equality, socially and in the workplace, and don't they realize that they are encouraging the gender stereotypes that they despise?

Nobody will ever know or Humming gone wrong!

They had to close down an airport in Australia after cleaning staff in the cafeteria heard a humming noise coming from the trash.

In one account the emergency is called off after an unidentified passenger comes forward to confess that they know what is making the strange humming noise. What made them come forward? Were the worried that they'd ultimately be identified by fingerprints or, worse yet, DNA? I can't think of anything else that would make someone come forward, even if the airport got shut down for days. All I can imagine is a couple getting back on the plane and the wife repeatedly hitting her husband while saying, "I told you that it was a bad idea and we'd get caught!"

In another account the cafeteria manager admits in retrospect that the humming did sound like a vibrator. Oh, really? And how did you acquire this skill of identifying vibrators by sound? Do you have any other party tricks that you'd care to share with the world?

One online article felt compelled to show you a picture of various vibrators. I can only assume it was for those that can only identify a vibrator by sight.

Had fun after soccer win or Went to a home brew party.

Youngest Daughter's team won their game on Saturday 7-0 and today's game 11-0. They are flying high!

Anyway, after Saturday's game we went to Good Friend from High School's home brew party. There was a ton of food, some good home brew, and some home-made sangria too.

We had a great time meeting new people and just hanging out. Youngest Daughter and a friend came along since there were many kids in attendance at this event. They both had a great time. Youngest Daughter said, "This was the best grown-up party I've ever been to!" and couldn't get over how wonderfully gracious the hosts were too. She was especially impressed that everyone got a glow-in-the-dark necklace!

I think Youngest Daughter enjoyed being the subject of adoration by one of the nine-year-old boys at the party too.

When Oldest Daughter wants a book or Say again?

Oldest Daughter wanted to go to Barnes and Noble to buy a book.

Beautiful Wife: Why don't you try the library first?
OD: Because I want a book! *rolling eyes*
BW: It is a library...
OD: Oh........ *collapses with laughter*