Jason's Untimely Thoughts

Kudos to Chris Maupin and all who helped.  Everything Changes raised over $14,000 for the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation (a few items are outstanding, so final totals not quite ready).  Any interested can still make donations here.  Downloads from the event (music + pictures) will be available for a donation at a later date.

Some youtube videos of varying quality are available as follows:

• Lance Jungmeyer singing Everything Changes
• Confunkcius performinging Everything Changes
• Sonic Junkies singing Everything Changes (my video)
• Sonic Junkies singing Everything Changes (‘official’ video)
• Hazel Miller & Colonel Redbone singing Everything Changes/I’ll Take You There

It’s been almost a month since I’ve written anything here, so perhaps a bit redundant to say I don’t have much to say.  However, repetition is about all I’ve got going.  No new insights or awakenings.  The daily routine is the routine.

Jack turned 4 on June 9, with a bit of fanfare.  We had a very nice party for him at the hotel pool in Denver.  Much thanks to all that made that event.  Then followed up with an equally nice dinner in Glenwood Springs with family and almost family, where he and another boy put on a display of how 4-year old boys play (not to be confused with the video of 4-year old boys playing in Denver).

We returned home from Colorado to monsoon and home breakdown season.  Four trips to the hardware store have mostly made the garage door functional again.  A $220 pending repair resulted in a new dishwasher purchase.  The lake in our basement and the lack of sink in my bathroom remain stuck in the middle of the projects lists.  Oh well, maybe by the time I buy our next dishwasher.

This is the first ‘real’ week of summer vacation for us.  By us, I mean the kids I guess.  Although going to work at roughly 8:00 every day without worrying about who’s dressed or brush teeth besides myself seems a bit like a vacation.  10:30 bedtime last night will not become the norm, I hope.  A few day camps and such scattered in, but mostly just the kids at the house is the plan (and Jack in preschool some).

Jack had an impromptu fishing trip on Friday… pic of him + fish coming soon.  He’s also becoming more of a swimmer with each trip to the pool.  Expect full on swimming by end of the summer, I’d think.  Adelaide is on the verge of losing tooth #2 and is now a master bike rider.

One final update from me on Everything Changes, June 5, at The Soiled Dove in Denver.

You can purchase tickets for the event here.  If going, please buy your tickets soon before the event sells out.

The online auction is now available here.  There are currently 30 items available, including a couple of Sarah’s prints, some autographed Denver sports memorabilia, a Lionel Train set, Broncos tickets, a ski trip, an African Safari, and more.  Bids will be accepted online until the event starts and will continue to be accepted at the event that evening.  I think there are still a few items to be added, so check back (and bid!) often.

If you can’t attend, don’t find something you’d like to buy, or have done both but are still fighting the recession, donations to the event can be accepted here.

Everything Changes facebook page is here.

All proceeds benefit the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation.

Thanks!

A day after writing that summer goals included teaching Adelaide to ride her bike, Adelaide learned how to ride her bike.  Summer goals revised to winning the lottery.

Video of one of Adelaide’s first rides.

Video of Jack riding his bike.

Video of Adelaide & Jack singing ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh.

I’ve got a bit of writer’s block, work block, fun block going on.  No sun block, mostly because I hate it, but also because it’s been rainy.  But still lots of blocks.  Once upon a time I gave company wide advice that when you’re not enjoying things, if you simply make an effort to do better, the situation will improve and you’ll feel better about both yourself and your job.  I still believe that, but am having a hard time putting it into practice both personally and professionally.  And I have much less patience for stupidity and whining than normal, if that’s even possible.

The days/nights/weekends all run together for me now.  We are in a routine, probably to a bit of a fault, but that’s how it is.  Broken up the next two weekends with planned trip to the STL Zoo on Saturday and then Adelaide’s dance recital on May 16.

One of the reasons for my issues is no doubt the blocks of 7s and other important dates coming up.  Thursday marks 3 years from Sarah’s emergency surgery and diagnosis.  June 7 is her 37th birthday.   July 7 seems to be coming soon too.  Throw in our anniversary on May 30, Jack’s birthday on June 9, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and a trip to Colorado, and there’s quite a few things that should be happy that I’m sort of dreading over the next 2 months.  Even July 4, a day that should be fireworks and BBQs, am afraid that all I’ll remember is sitting in the stupid ‘nice’ OR waiting room watching a replay of the DC fireworks and making plans for this year.

The kids are going and growing.  Made small strides toward Adelaide learning how to ride her bike last night.  Jack is tall and lean at the moment, maybe because he still doesn’t really like to eat dinner all that much.  Summer goals will be to get Jack swimming and Adelaide riding that bike, but they’re doing great, really.

Adelaide has been invited to attend a reception at Boone County National Bank on Thursday, which I’ll attend also.  BCNB is “Partner in Education” with Grant School and commonly has artwork on display in their main facility.  Several from Grant were chosen to have their art displayed, so that will go up on Thursday and they’ll have a little snack session for fun afterwards.  I’ll post pictures too, I’m sure.

To lighten the mood, here’s a link to lots of trivial junk about the number 7.  For instance, it’s the number of spots on a common ladybug.  It is the smallest positive integer to be spoken with two syllables when pronounced in English.  The number of heavens in Islamic tradition.  And so on.

A couple of tidbits on Everything Changes —  Friday, June 5, 2009, at The Soiled Dove in Denver, Colorado.

Tickets are now on sale online, in a limited supply.  They are $30 for a single and $50 for a pair and can be purchased here.

For any traveling to Denver, hotel reservations at the DoubleTree need to be made by May 6, in order to receive the discounted rate.  Reservations can be made here or by calling 303-321-3333 and giving group code Everything Changes.

Anyone interested in submitting work for the photo contest (only limitation is that theme is also Everything Changes) should email work to everythingchanges@becking.com.  Reminder, photos e-mailed will also be made available for low-resolution download after the event for a donation to the Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers Foundation.

Concert lineup is Hazel Miller, Col. Redbone, Velvet Elvis, Sonic Junkies, and Confunkcious.  Doors open at 6:30, show ends when the show ends.

Facebook page on the event is here.  Any questions, please e-mail me.

Thanks to all who are helping with this.  Thanks to all who are attending this.   And thanks to all for patience with my emails on this.

• The kids and I are closer than ever before, despite appearances from our daily bickerings.
• Our new kitchen tile looks great.
• Adelaide seems to have had an excellent almost complete kindergarten year, including learning a ton and making many friends.
• Jack loves pre-school and has also learned a lot and made a bunch of friends.
• Megan has been an absolute blessing with the kids and around the house and is able to continue during the summer.
• My job is good and continues to be a distraction and source of entertainment.
• New babies have joined our circle of friends, congrats to Adam & Melanie and Nichole & Tim!
• Eric & Chantelle will welcome baby #2 into their home soon.
• Adelaide will be in a wedding for the first time, serving as flower girl in Mitch & Anita’s wedding on May 30.
• It finally appears that Spring is here.  Warm weather and sunshine will be good for all of us.
• The kids & I will travel to Colorado in June, their first visit to the Mountains, as Jack turns 4.
• Chelsea Lately and The Daily Show make me laugh most nights
• The Daily Show, the Columbia Daily Tribune, and Time magazine keep me well enough informed that I can avoid all other news broadcasts.
• Co-workers keep me well enough informed that I can avoid The Today Show, People, and E News.
• Baseball season has started.
• Football season follows closely behind.
• Mizzou fans can now be excited about both football and basketball seasons (and wrestling, gymnastics, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, track & field, etc.)
• A test for ku suckiness.

I had a great trip to Phoenix/Scottsdale over the weekend.  A great time.

I’d been there once before, on a Spring Break trip in 1993 or so.  We hit Santa Fe, the Grand Canyon, and Phoenix that trip, spending St. Patrick’s Day in Phoenix.  Since I was never able to find anything close to a reasonable rate on a rental car this trip, I caught a Super Shuttle from the airport to the hotel.   They would make a few stops first, but $16.  I’ll take it.

First stop from the airport, about midnight, pull in front of a bar.  I look out, it’s Seamus McCaffery’s.  I curse.  In my one previous trip to Phoenix, that’s the one bar we went to.  Crazy.  When I finally make it to the hotel at 1:00 a.m. local time (3:00 my normal time), I email the guys that were on that earlier trip.  “I’m relatively sure I took off my pants in that place to show my ankle tattoo!” came the reply.  Yes, you did.  A story that I told to everyone on the shuttle just a few hours earlier.

The rest of the trip was all basketball and Mizzou fans.  Which was great.  I love football… love it.  But basketball trips are better than football trips, without a doubt.  The ‘family’ is so much smaller, the games are more frequent, it’s just a more intimate and fun atmosphere.  Football everyone is so wound up until the game starts that there’s no fun.  Then once the game is over, everyone scatters and that’s that.

Basketball is just more relaxed.  And then in tournaments, there’s another game in a day or two.  So, especially after a big win, everyone comes back to the hotel and hangs out.  It’s fun to see the players, coaches, and families in that atmostphere.  They and the athletic department staff are able to hang out with fans and supporters some, soak in the congratulations.  And then the Mizzou fans just dominate the hotel bar and run the always understaffed group ragged, but good-naturedly.

It’s a group of uncommon backgrounds together for a common thing, so a real sense of camaradarie develops.  It’s awesome, no matter how cheesy it sounds here.

Beyond the wins and losses, the best part is being able to connect and re-connect with other Mizzou fans, the staff that’s on a bit of a working vacation, and everyone associated with the deal.  Just a fun time with new friends and old friends.  And the games themselves offer another opportunity to connect with friends and fans that are in from wherever.

Plus, it was in Phoenix, in the sun, in 80 degrees, didn’t see a single cloud, saw lots of beautiful scenery, and the Tigers played exceptionally well twice.

Yay Phoenix.  Go Tigers.

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping… seems like it has been 2 months since I’ve written anything, but really only 2 weeks.

It’s Spring Break week in Columbia, so the kids are in Malden for their vacation.  For some reason it struck me on Sunday how different the pace of life is when they’re not around.  Lunch took about 2 minutes, dinner another 4-5 minutes, going to the hardware store didn’t result in an argument over not buying a crappy plastic toy.  And so on.

With a relaxed pace in place, I couldn’t let it be.  Drove to KC Monday night for dinner with an old friend and then to the semi-finals of the NAIA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  My old employer, Columbia College, made quite a run in the tournament, winning four games before eventually falling in the National Championship game.  Much congratulations to them.

With the kids out of town and the basketball Tigers doing well (Big 12 Tournament Champions, 30 wins for first time in school history, etc.), I’m headed to Phoenix tonight for their Sweet 16 contest with the University of Memphis on Thursday. On these trips I’ve taken to moving Sarah’s luggage tag to whichever suitcase I end up bringing.  A stupid thing that started by chance, but she’d certainly be accompanying me under the correct circumstances.

The Tigers will then play on Saturday night for the chance to go to the Final Four, so I’ll stick around for that game too.  Much congratulations to them, too.

My older brother Mitch is newly engaged.  He and Anita are planning a May 30 wedding in SE Missouri.  While purely a coincidence, that is our 10th Wedding Anniversary.  Adelaide is going to be a flower girl, JT might/not be a ring bear.  Much congratulations to them too!

Our new kitchen is having new ceramic tile installed starting today also.  I went with black & white checkerboard, similar to the linoleum that was installed originally.  Emptied the kitchen for that installation, including a completely empty refrigerator.  Not surprisingly, the room looks sad and empty, but will be better when we return.

The kids continue to do very well.  Amazing to talk to them on the phone now when they’re away, as both of them sound so grown up.

I continue to be blah.  The things and people that excite me excite me less than they used to (although the Tigers game vs Marquette certainly got me going).  New things either aren’t all that intersting to me or aren’t all that interested in me.  I keep trying though, including going to ridiculous lengths (flying to Arizona by myself on a whim, for example) to enjoy the things that I know I will.

Nothing funny to say, it seems.  If anyone has a connection with a Phoenix-area rental car company, send them my way.  Congrats Cougars, Congrats Tigers, Congrats Mitch & Anita, and on a side note, screw ku.

Thanks to Carolyn Preul and Cristin Mumma, we now have a logo for Everything Changes.

No other new details at the moment, but those details can be found at the Everything Changes group on facebook.