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12/4

Check the new site for the latest update.

11/26

New Site

I have created a new web site on Windows Live.  http://dwdaley.spaces.live.com  Please visit and let me know what you think.  It is easier to update and manage, as I don't need FrontPage, so updates should be more frequent.  I will keep both of these as up to date as I can, and will see which I like better around Christmas.

11/23

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not much new here, hockey gets suspended for a couple days at least.  Kyle played on Saturday and beat Boulder 4-3.  He has really risen in the past couple weeks.  His save percentage in the past 2 games is over .900 (.939 and .923) which is outstanding.  There is plenty of season left to make a run at the playoffs.  No league games until 12/9, but we are going to Steamboat for a tournament next weekend.

Wish I had more to share, but that is pretty much it at this time of year.  Weather is great, temps in 60s and 70s, cloudless sunny days, no precipitation.  We may get some snow next week, but who knows.

We go to have TG dinner at Jim and Mary's.  Orders have rolled in for bread, specifically monkey bread.  Off to bake!

11/18

It's been a couple weeks, so here is the latest.  Kyle's team has still been struggling.  They played 2 games a couple weeks ago, and lost both 6-4.  The big news is that the other goalie, Rachel, has decided to leave the team to play on a competitive girl's team, so Kyle is the only netminder.  I guess that news shifted his play, as the next game they played (last weekend) was against Littleton, the absolute powerhouse in Colorado hockey.  They didn't win, but the score was 2-1 and very competitive the entire game.

Last Wednesday, Kyle got to go to the Avalanche game vs San Jose.  One of the other parents' employer has a corporate box, so his team was able to watch the game in style.  Avs lost, but it sounds like the kids had fun.  He has a game tonight against Boulder at 7pm.  We should be able to win this one, especially if we play like we did in the last game.

If anyone ever suggests that putting down linoleum is easier than tile, they are lying.  Or perhaps I did something wrong.  It is so hard to straighten out a piece that covers the whole floor; we are still struggling with completing it.  Talk about Mr. MakeItWorse!  I need a Mexican.

Today is a typical Saturday, I hope to get my hair cut, need to change the oil in Terri's car, try to do something with the floor, all before 1:30 so I can watch OSU and MI.  When that is over, we need to drop Ariana off at a friends Bday party and get Kyle to the game.  Terri and I plan on hitting Sam's club for dinner while Kyle is warming up.  This weekend they have all their holiday food out for sampling.  A true red neck buffet!

We go to Jim and Mary's for Thanksgiving next week, and the weekend of 12/1 we are heading to Steamboat for a tournament.  Other tournaments upcoming are in Boulder for MLK, and Phoenix for President's day.

Here are a couple pictures I have on the camera.

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10/29

I guess the weeks have slipped by.  Not much time for updates, especially when you don't see a lot happening, but I guess we have been pretty active.  Hockey season is on.  Kyle's team didn't do too well in the tournament, they lost all 4 games.  He and Rachel both did well, giving thier team a chance to stay in the game, but they have real offense problem, can't get shots on the net, let alone in.  That is actually not a bad thing, means a lot more action for the goalies!  

They had their first game the weekend after against a team from Colorado Springs.  It was like a different team, they crushed them 6-4.  Kyle was in net, and while he wishes he had made a couple more stops to keep his save percentage up, he still got the win.  They played again last weekend and lost both games.  Kyle's game was 3-0 and Rachel's 6-0.  No games this weekend, but he has a scrimmage against Boulder this morning at 10:30.  Last time they scrimmaged Boulder they tied 0-0.

We got our first real snow last week.  Only an inch or 2 in Longmont, may 10 inches in Denver, a couple feet in the foothills.  Only lasted a day, then temps back up.  It is 50 now, at 8:20 am, supposed to be in the 70s today.  I have convinced Terri to take Kyle to the scrimmage so  I can ride the bike up.

It snowed a couple weeks ago, but there was no accumulation so I don't count it.  In fact, I saw the weather report for that day, and it said rain turning to snow in the evening, so I rode the motorcycle in to work.  It stated snowing around 11am! Whetherman  strikes again!  The ride home was just on the bearable side of miserable.  I was warm enough, and the temp was in the upper 30's so there was nothing on the ground but water, but there was splash back from other vehicles and the snow falling would stick to my fairing and facemask.  I just got off the highway and took the frontage road at my own pace.  Chalk up more experience.

We (Terri) are changing out the carpet in a couple rooms for linoleum.  4 dogs really do a number on carpet when they get an area.  Terri has some put in her shop what looks like a wood floor, and it really looks nice.  The play room has been emptied and the carpet is out, she is painting it now.  Computer room will be next.

Trick or Treat is around the corner.  Kyle has a night costume, and Ariana is going to be a pirate.  They had a "Harvest" dance at school on Friday.  Ariana was asked out on the day it was announced.  The boy who asked her was to nervous to slow dance with her, they just "crazy danced" (Ariana's term).  Kyle was too afraid to ask anyone, so he and friends went stag.

Report cards are coming out, and Kyle has ALL As and Bs, and all in honors classes.  He is really doing well this year.  Ariana on the other hand... Is pulling mainly Cs.  She got booted out of all her honors classes, so hopefully she will readjust and start getting her work in..  We didn't see this coming, it is usually the other way around.

10/6

The puck has finally dropped, almost.  At least is has in the NHL.  Friggin Avs.  2 games end in tie and they lose in OT.  A point is better than none, but frustrating.  My team is 1-2-1.  I have 2 points with a goal and an assist.

Kyle had his first scrimmage last night, against Boulder.  He played first (goalies split the games half way) and looked as good as he ever has.  The game ended 0-0, but we were curfewed at the end.  This is where they run the clock continuously due to time constraints.  The refs are calling everything, and I mean everything that looks like a penalty, and we had a 5-3 opportunity toward the end that wound up getting pissed away because the clock was running.

Today we (Kyle and I) are heading up to Breckenridge for a tournament.  It is all local teams, and some of the best.  Should be a real test.  Regular season starts next weekend.  I have my camera, so I will get some shots of Kyle and his new team.

Terri and Ariana spent a week in Cleveland and returned home on Wednesday.  Terri's mom had hip replacement surgery, so they helped her get situated at home again.  Spent some time with what family and friends they could, including a visit from Angie, Max, and Vic (happy birthday Angie!).

Look for an update with pictures Sunday afternoon.

9/15

The past couple weeks have been  blur.  Home and hockey, home and hockey.  Practice 4 days a week and 1 day dry land.  We have had 1 day off since last Friday, and have practice tomorrow, a scrimmage Sunday, then practice Monday and Tuesday.  By the way, I play on Sunday night too.  The season is just about set, we will kick it off with a tournament in Breckenridge Oct 6-8, with league games following.  The other goalie on Kyle's team, Rachel, took a shot to an unprotected spot on her arm and has an injury that will keep her out of the lineup for a while.  We don't know how long yet.  Kyle has to do duty at practice all alone; I'm sure it will carry over to the first few games.

My team started with a fizzle.  We are a new team put together mainly of D1 players playing down in D2 (D2 is lower than D1), but that was not enough to win our first game.  We have a lot to learn about each other, and where we should be.  Many players are trying to play new postions, so even though they are more advanced, there is some adjusting to happen.  Next game is Sunday at 9.

Terri's cousin Kathy and her boyfriend George are visiting for a few few days.  Today we took the day off and went to Estes Park.  Started by having breakfast at a nice cafe we go to occasionally, then took an hour horse ride in the mountains.  Our guide Lucas was a real cowboy, he is hoping ot buy a ranch in Missouri or work on a farm where all work is done on horseback.  After the ride, we went to Rocky Mountain National Park, where is is Bugling season.  This is the rut time where the elk mate, the male make a bugle like sound and try to score as often as possible.  The big bull we saw was not a very good sniper, as he did not score at all, though he tried very hard.  I would guess he is still trying.  We went up to Bear Lake, which is a destination we take most visitors.  It is a pleasant half mile walk around a high (almost 10,000 feet) mountain lake.  The aspens are in full fall colors up there.  After that, Kyle had hockey practice, so I ran him up to Fort Collins while Terri and the crew went to the Pump House for dinner. Here are some shots.

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9/2

Fall is coming to the Front Range.  High temps have dropped to the upper 70, and lows in the 40s.  I will take the cooler down today.  I spent yesterday trying to adjust my carburetors on the motorcycle.  It has after market pipes, and at high altitude it is supposed to be adjusted to run leaner.  I am also trying to get rid of the popping I hear at deceleration.  I got the covers off and set the screws as the service manual indicated, adjusted the idle back up to keep it from stalling, but it is still popping.  It may just be the way I am testing it, I probably need to take it out on a long ride to check it out.   I need some work done on my skates so I may take a ride up to Fort Collins to drop them off and get them fixed.  They are tearing across the back, where the boot extends up the heel.  Kyle's goalie coach from NCYH owns a shop up there and he said he could fix them.

Kyle made the NCYH Bantam A team.  We were a little disappointed he didn't make AA, but no big deal.  He should really be able to make a difference with this team.  His partner goalie is a girl!  We think he like her, during tryouts he kept saying he thought she was his main competition and would like to have her on his team.  It will be interesting to watch the teams this year.  They took an older kid and Kyle's partner from last season to play AA.  My read is they gave the starting position to the 92 (you refer to hockey players by the year they were born) and the back position to the 93, and putting Kyle in a backup position doesn't make sense.  He will be the starter for the A team and ready to do the same for AA next year, which I think is a good thing.  Practice starts on Friday, and through September is pretty much Mon Tue Fri Sat.  There will probably be a dry land workout in there too, either as another day or after one of these practice.  First game should be Sep 30 or Oct 1.

My season starts next week.  I am captain of the team this season.  My team from last season dissolved.  Some moved up, some moved on, some are just sitting out, so this is a new team.  The league director said we may be the team to beat, as these players are D1 players looking to play another night.

8/26

Tryouts are over.   7 sessions in 6 days.  Now we wait.  Kyle looked really good throughout the week, though during the goalie specific tryouts today I thought he was a little slow and he was having trouble getting into his butterfly position.  He kept leaving one knee up, leaving an opening at the 5 hole.  He still looked as good or better than any others his age.  There were 9 goalies trying out for 6 positions on 3 teams.  We are only really interested in the AA team, though A would be a consolation.

My season is over.  We didn't win a single game.  I finished with 10 points, 6 goals and 4 assists.  I had a hat trick earlier in the season and scored in the last 2 playoff games.  I was second on the team in points.  I think having our better players move up after last season left us with a challenge to win, but it opened opportunities for me to get into the game more.  The 2 camps I went to help a lot too.

The kids have started school again.  Kyle is on eighth grade, and Ariana in sixth.  They both go to the same school in the neighborhood, within walking distance from home.

Everything else is normal.

8/13

Quick update, not much going on.  Picked the kids up from camp yesterday and listened to them talk over each other for 1.5 hours about the things they did!  Want to know what they did?  Call and ask!  

Last weekend the old lawn mower finally gave up, or at least I gave up wrestling with it.  I bought I new one and the difference is astounding.  If I could only figure out how to control some of the weeds that grow out here.  The old one will be a disassembly/rebuild project for me and Kyle.

Hockey tryouts start next Monday.  Mon, Wed, Thur, Fri, and 3 sessions on Sat.  My season is all but over.  We finished inlast place so we got to play the first place team (that doesn't belong in our division!) last Sunday.  We were actually up 3-1 at one point, but we only had 8 players show up, so we ran out of gas before we ran out of game.  2 more consolation games, today and next week.

I'm off to take care of the Sudoku, NY Times CWP, and LA Time CWP.  Should be riding in the canyon in about an hour and a half.

7/27

What a 24 our stretch.  When I left work yesterday, it was raining.  Not hard, but enough that I put on my rain suit, which is rubber.  About 2 minutes into the ride home, while I am still in Downtown Denver, it stops and the Colorado Sun comes out.  We have a different much more powerful Sun here than the lowlanders.  Of course the Rockies had just finished a game, and I get on the highway right next to Coors Field, so it took forever to get home.  When I got home I decided to change the oil in the bike, so I get it drained and go to put the new filter on and the dealer I bought it from gave me the wrong one.  Motorcycle parts aren't available in most stores, usually only dealers, and they were all closed, so I decided to put the old one back on and would figure out something later.  Well Karma hit, I was tightening the drain plug with my nice new torque wrench and snap, the head of the bolt came off.  Drip, drip, drip, the oil came out around the bolt.

Needless to say, I drove the car to work today.  Called some dealers and found a new bolt in stock in East Denver.  Drove there on the way home and picked a new plug, and then hit Home Depot to get a screw remover.  Got home and went right to work.  I put the screw remover on the bolt and tapped it.  Gush comes the oil!  To make the story short, the drain plug that was in the bike had a magnetic tip.  To accomplish that marvel of engineering, the bolt itself was hollow, so when I tapped the screw remover, it popped the magnet out of the tip.  The screw remover went right in and pulled the end out easily, with the little magnet hanging from the tip.  The new plug went right in by hand and tightened up with no problem, so the threads are good.

I ran to the new Super Wal-Mart and picked up some more oil.  As I looked for cleaner to clean up the mess I also found that Super Wal-Mart carries motorcycle accessories, and lo and behold, it also has my oil filter!  Back home, parts on, filled with oil, quick wash and zoom, I am back on the road!

Next week Kyle has hockey camp, then the following week, Ariana is going way to camp in the mountains.  She has been looking forward to this since last summer.  We also have news from Terri's mom, and she is having a hip replacement in September.  Terri and Ariana will go to Cleveland to help.  That is the start of hockey season for Kyle, so we are staying here :)).

Terri and the kids went to the fair today.  It is $12 wrist band day.  I am done with a long day, and ready to settle down with nice glass of scotch and O'Reilly.  Hopefully I have all the bad Karma cleared out, and things will improve over the weekend!

7/16

Gray's Peak

Why did the man climb the mountain?  Because it looked like fun and he had no idea how much it was going to hurt the next day!  It was still fun and I will do it again!  We left home around 6:45 and made it to the trailhead before 9.  I figure we were on the trail by 9.  Trail starts out teasingly, over a pretty bridge, then along a nicely groomed crushed gravel between wooden sides.  It turns the corner and the reality of the day should have set in.  bare trail, covered with rocks and gravel, uneven dirt, and all  up hill.  There were hundreds of others there to share the pain.  Some were jogging the trail, others slogging it out like us.  We would hike for a couple minutes, then rest for a minute.  The air around 12,000 feet really makes it hard to push on.  The trail is about 4 miles to the summit.  We got around 12,500-13,000 and Ariana and Terri had enough.  They found a rock to sit on and eat, and Kyle and I went on up.  

Just short of 14,000, Kyle said he had a headache and that he had enough.  I told him that was too bad, but I wasn't going to make him go on.  At that altitude, the climb is literally  10 steps, rest 10 seconds to catch your breath, then push on.  Only 300 more feet up (do you know how long 300 feet is?!?).  I rounded the final switch back and saw people sitting on the rocks above.  At that point the trail disappears, so it whatever route you can make to get the last 20 feet or so up.  I made the summit somewhere around 1:30.  Took about 5 minutes to rest, gaze around, talk to the other fools on the top, sign the summit log, take a picture or 2, then start the trek back down. 

Much of the way up the actual mountain portion of the hike, I kept myself going by thinking about how nice it be coming down.  Yes, it is easier, yest it is faster, but no it is not easy, and no is is not fast.  By the time I got back to Ariana, Kyle, and Terri, my legs were rubber bands, and we still had miles to get back to the car down some tough sections.  We pushed though and around 4:30 made it back to the car.  A stop in Idaho Springs was in order for some Bo Jeau's pizza, and we made it back to the house, safe, if not completely sound, around 6:30.

The worst of it is my feet.  I think I need to get some insoles in my hiking boots!  We will have to see how hockey goes tonight at 7, my legs are sore, but something about the ice makes you forget about the pain, at least I hope.  Hover your mouse over the picture for a description

Kyle had no problems on the way up, he would zoom ahead of us and wait. On the way up Gray's to the right of the gravel, Torrey's to the left Torrey's peak in the background, Gray's is behind the gravel pile.  Some do both in one day! Up a difficult stretch

On the the way up

At the top!!! Another shot from the top I'm on top!

Alone at the top

This is a Columbine, the state flower. Mountain stream looking up... Mountain stream looking down... The prettiest flower of all!  (note this is on the way back to the car, it is still uphill!!!)

Back to the car

7/9

Not much has changed, July 4th came and went, we shot some bottle rockets and roman candles off.  Had Mary and Jim over for dinner, then went to see the Longmont fireworks.  It was a nice display for a small town.  Definitely not Red White and Boom like back in Columbus, but also not as much of a crowd.  We went on a warm up hike in the Flatirons last weekend.  On Saturday were are going to hike up our first 14er, Gray's Peak.

I took off early on Friday and we all saw the Pirates of the Caribbean.  Fun movie, perhaps a little too Sci-Fi for my tastes, but still fun.  We will buy the DVD too I'm sure.

We have been in Colorado for 5 years now. which is hard to believe, it seems like just the other day Riley and I were driving across the country.  We have been through blizzards, droughts, and thousands of days of clear blue skies, but never can I remember what we have now.  It has been RAINING for 24 hours!  No one is complaining, rain is a celebration in the high desert where we live.  There has been a statewide fire ban, which makes camping crappy.  Hopefully this will add some green to beauty and let us go camping!

Nothing new on the hockey front.  I share the lead on my team for points, with 6, 4 goals and 2 assists.  Kyle is getting ready for tryouts, AAA Wrangler tryouts start on 7/21 and AAA Thunderbird tryouts start the next weekend.  AA tryouts will be later in August.

6/26

Home

We are back home, and I have about 5 minutes before we have to run to the neighbors.  Anthony and Marius are going back to Gainesville tomorrow, so Jim and Mary are having a good bye party.  

We were on CO Springs this past weekend for a Select Hockey Tournament.  Kids from all over the US came to the Air Force Academy to play in a 3 day tournament.  It was really something to watch, they made up the teams and threw the kids on the ice.  No coaches!  There were coaches on the bench, but all they were doing is helping them get on and off, no advice or instruction.  They played 2 26 minute periods, a different approach and a lot of hockey!  Kyle struggled his first 2 games, but this was his first taste of the highest level of Bantam hockey.  We watch a PeeWee game and couldn't believe how slow it was.  He got things back together on Saturday night, but unfortunately the other goalie melted down in the second period and they lost 12-9.  High scores were not rare all weekend, this was like an All Star game.  The kids pulled it together on Sunday and won 7-2 to finish in 3rd place.  Only 1 goal was scored on Kyle in his period, and he would have had a shutout if Terri hadn't opened her mouth and said "Kyle has a shutout going" with about 2 minutes left.  Goalie parents know you can never say the "s" word before or during a game.  Now believe me, I know that being superstitious is bad luck, but this is fact!  Within 20 seconds they scored on him.  Not an easy goal, big scramble in front of the net.

My team continues to struggle, we have only 1 tie and no wins.  I am having my best season ever though.  I already have 5 points and 2 weeks ago I scored my first hat trick.  Unfortuantely it was in a 6-3 loss, but exciting for me none the less.  This week I have an adult hockey camp on Tuesday, Wed, and Thu.  I went to a camp a month ago and had a great time, so I am really looking forward to this one.

That's about it, here are some pictures from Vail.

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5/28

What has happened in the past month?  A whole lot regular, up until about this week, so here's an update.  Kids are out of school, both had great years.  Kyle received a citizenship award for his maturity.  He is a real teenager now, so starting off on a good foot is great for us!  He is just about 6' now, most will see this next week.  Hasn't had a haircut in damn near a year.  Ariana received a few academic awards for straight As in a number of subjects.  Most impressive is English, where she not only received straight As, but is also in the 7th grade (she has just finished 5th).

No hockey news for Kyle.  He will go to a AAA tournament in the Springs at the end of June, but there is not a whole lot going on from now until then.  I just finished a 3 day camp with the Colorado Eagles.  There are a Minor League Pro team from northern Colorado.  This was my first time with any kind of real instruction on how to play, and it was worth it.  I can now do a slapshot the right way!  It actually lifts off the ice.  We played a game today as the end of the camp, and I received a perfect pass right to my backhand, and roofed it past the goalie.  What fun!  We had a BBQ after yesterday's session, so I got to talk to them about how they got to be pros, they told stories about how things are when they are on the road, etc.  Great guys, a lot of fun.  I have another, week long camp, later in June, I am really looking forward to it.  As much as I learned in 3 days here, I should really get a lot out of the next one.

After the camp yesterday, I got home, mowed the lawn (Kyle said the mower was broken, bull) took a shower and asked Ariana if she wanted to go get an ice cream cone.  She asked where, so I said Estes Park!  We hopped on the motorcycle and thundered (or as close to thunder as you can get on a Honda) through the South St. Vrain Canyon.  Had our ice cream and came home.  A 90 mile ice cream cone tastes better than a 2 mile one!

FYI, here is a weather preview for next week and beyond:

4/22

Where did I leave off?  Oh that's right hockey.  We had a couple weeks of down time, but that has changed.  Kyle is playing for a tournament team getting ready for a trip to Anaheim on Memorial day.  He had practice M,T,W and again today.  The kid is phenomenal!  We got some new leg pads a couple weeks back (he is now in 35" pads!, almost 6' tall!) and weren't sure how well he would do with the larger equipment, but he adjusted in a couple minutes and was stopping everything.  This team is a pretty big deal as it is being coached by the Bantam AA and AAA coaches.  He has a real opportunity to get on both teams this upcoming season.  As a first year bantam that is quite a leap, but his size and skill give him an edge.

Terri and Ariana went to Chicago and visited the American Girl Place.  Spent a full day getting the doll's hair done, eating, shopping, and seeing shows.  They were there for 3 days and also went shopping and to the Science Museum.

With spring Terri's business is starting to Boom!  She had a $250 day last week, and has had customers just about every day.  Her location is great, right on the corner of one of Longmont's biggest intersections.  Not that Longmont is all that big a place, but there is a lot of traffic there.

My hockey season ends tomorrow night.  We lost our first playoff game a few weeks back so we are in the loser's bracket.  Most of our players are not returning next season which starts in a couple weeks.  I am think of joining a league up in Fort Collins too.  That way I can get in another game during the week.

Summer weather is here, temps are in the 70s and 80s.  I sat on the patio last night and lit a fire in the fireplace.  It gets cool here once the sun goes down, but it was comfortable.  We got a new mattress a couple months ago (one of those fancy airbed deals).  I am going to haul the old mattress to the dump today, but it has been the patio since we go the other one.  The Bassadors love it.  It is soft to lay on, jump on, and wrestle on.  I uploaded a video file of them playing.  Simon is in the background providing color commentary (hello, hello, pretty bird, raaaawk).  It is on the Pets page.  You may need Real Player or QuickTime to view it.  Windows Media will not play it.

We had a nice Easter dinner with Jim and Mary.  It's hard to believe it's been a year since we lost RC.  The girls are doing well, both are in college.  Sally is engaged to a marine in Iraq.  They plan to marry early next year.  Victoria is a freshman at CSU and involved in a sorority.  Here is Vic and friend Jennifer with Simon on Easter.

I have a busy day ahead, mattress and other junk to the dump, Kyle to hockey, get his old pads up on eBay, and I really want to get the motor bike up into the mountains.  Maybe tomorrow on that.

4/2

Last Sunday Kyle's hockey team had an end of season party.   A last chance to get together.  Next season Kyle moves up the Bantam Division, so some of his younger teammates will still be PeeWees.  They broke a piņata hockey style; it was hung in a goal and they took shots at it.  Pictures were taken with my cell phone, not great quality.

In addition Bantam year offers an opportunity to play on a AAA team.  This is a second team that is not organization specific.  If he was to make this team, he would play on his normal team (hopefully a AA team) and then practice with this team and play tournaments.  They would pull the best players from all the teams in northern Colorado.  He is working out with a group that is preparing for the CAHA state tryouts, which is a program for older kids (14-17) to try out in front of scouts and recruiters.  He isn't old enough to go this year, but they needed goalies to work out, so the coach asked him to come.

Terri and Ariana go to Chicago on Wednesday and go to the American Girl complex on Thursday.  Also planned are trips to Marshall Fields, the art museums, and other Chicago stuff.  Kyle and I are going to try to get some spring skiing in.  Terri went last week and said it is not icy, but getting slushy.  A Basin will probably be the destination.

See what it is like to have a snack in our house?

3/25

Update

Birthday season is over, almost.  Ariana got a new bike (24 inches!!!), and new American Girl, and will get to go to Chicago for a couple days to visit the American Girl store in a couple weeks.  After laying ceramic tile in the master bathroom, we decided that we would do the same in the kid's bathroom.  Time for Kyle to learn a skill.  I did the cutting of the backer board and the tiles, but he took care of everything once it entered the bathroom.  Screwing down the floor, laying the adhesive, placing the tiles, adjusting the spacers (well I had to go through and adjust a couple of them) and putting in the grout.  Today we get to reinstall the toilet and the job is done!  In return he got to go play paintball for a couple hours last weekend.

We had a couple days of snow last week, which has past, and will probably not be the last.  We usually get snow through late May.  Temperatures in the day are fine, it is to be around 60 today, which Colorado is shorts weather.  Cars need to be washed, and I will figure somewhere to go for a motorcycle ride.  Last weekend I bought a little plastic device that goes on the throttle and extends along your palm.  It's called a cramp buster, and it is the greatest invention on the market.  My hands are almost worthless from all the years of typing, and this allows me to ride pain free!  I can't believe it took me almost a year to find it.  I saw one in a magazine so I went to a local bike shop and there it was.

This month is the Official one year anniversary of Terri's grooming shop. and what better time to celebrate being in the black!  As of yesterday all expenses for the month have been covered with a profit of over $17.50!  I guess a better time would have been about a year ago, but I will take it.  Still a week to go too.  She has picked up a part time speech therapy job too, to help cover the leaner months.  The good news is that the loss from last year is making a big difference in taxes.

No much happening on the hockey front.  Kyle has a party with his team tomorrow afternoon, and we are exploring off season opportunities for him.  My team has our last regular season game on Monday night, then we have 3 weeks of playoffs.  We are currently in 4th place, but there are only 5 points separating the top 7 teams, very close and competitive.

Work is going very well.  We are going to be handling Pfizer's Exubera adverse reaction, medical information, and product complaint calls.  If you have not heard, Exubera is inhaled insulin and should be coming on the market in the next couple months.  The Drug Center is scaling up handle the load and will be increasing staff by about 50%.  Finding where to sit them will be a challenge!  We were exploring purchasing a new application to track cases through the Drug Center, and it was going to cost around $160K.  I said give me a couple days to kick this around and wound up developing a solution myself that handle their needs, thus saving the organization $160K.  This is the second time I have done this, I am well above a quarter million in savings by doing things in house.

Here are some pictures from a couple weeks ago when Kyle had his paintball party.  I will try to get some more today.

3/12

Two down, one to go.  Birthdays that is.  For Terri's we went to ski at Winter Park.  I don't ever recall being there before, but while on the slopes I had some eerie recognitions of certain parts of the resort.  Dad, where we ever there?  Maybe it's just Deja Vu.  We left late and when we got there, there was no parking.  I had to drive around and find a spot back in a set of condos in town.  That bodes unwell for crowds too!  We met up with Jim and Mary and Jim took us back to a spot where there was almost no one.  Conditions were great, temps in the 30s, which is hot when you start skiing.  Kyle has moved up another level and is aggressively tacking the moguls.  I have never been a great moguls skier, and now all I do when I am in them is worry about my knees.  I still have my OEM knees, unlike the other kids, and would like to keep it that way!  On the last run of the day, Kyle and I raced down.  He beat me!  I DQed him for skiing out of control though.  Had he fell he would have been hurt, or had he run into someone he could have hurt them.  Ariana fell and twisted her ankle on that same run.  Ski patrol brought her to the hut and boxed up her leg.  Kyle rode home with Mary and Jim so she could spread out her leg.  She hopped around for a while before I was able to convincer her that the way she was hobbling and jumping indicated that her ankle must not be all that bad!

Terri and Mary went to Winter Park again last Friday.  She called me Friday night and said her car was unable to get above 30 MPH, sounds like it was locked in a lower gear or lower 4WD setting.  I called AAA and they towed her back to Longmont (thank God for AAA Gold!!!).   A long day for Terri and Mary, they didn't get here until around 10 pm.  Jim and Sally joined the kids and me at Old Chicago for pizza and beers while we waited.  Next day I went out and tested Terri's car, no problems at all. sounds like the Dallas problem I had, where the car wouldn't start until the tow truck arrived.

Kyle's birthday was a paintball party.  A new place opened up in town, so he invited a few friends.  I got into the splatterdome for a couple of sessions myself.  I moved up and got within a few feet of Kyle and couple others behind the last barricade before a final assault.  I checked my ammo and doh!, I only had about 20 balls.  I couldn't surrender, I'm not French!  Imagine the scene from the end of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, I rolled around the barricade and went in gun blazing.  Didn't hit a damn thing.  Kyle cut me in half.  I had 5 welts running across my ample gut from hip to shoulder, all in a nice line.  Like the belt of Orion, just more spots.  Oh, Orion doesn't sting as bad either.

Kyle collected his birthday money and bought a new paintball gun.  Perhaps we will finally see this house clean!  Paintball is not exactly cheap, so earning enough to go back will take some chores!

Our DVD player broke a couple weeks ago, so I bought new DVD unit with a recorder.  Dad, we should talk about this.  It was $130 at Wal-Mart (only the best for me) and can create DVDs from TV and camcorders as well.  I may put up some flyers in the local grocery and make some $$$ on the side transferring videos to DVD.

Ariana is getting ready for her trip to Chicago to go the American Girl store.  More on that when she returns.

2/25

40!

Happy Birthday Terri!  How do we celebrate?  We head to the mountains to go skiing.  We will go up the hill to Winter Park tomorrow morning with Jim and Mary and should get some good tracks in.  Weather is predicted to be fabulous, with a great base.  We went to rent skis for the kids tonight (they just grow too fast to buy)  and the local rental shop didn't have any size 13 boots for Kyle.  We will have to stop on the way.  His feet are really that big.  I guess when he's 18 he will be wearing size 19 clown shoes.  If you want to give Terri your condolences, please call my cell, 303-349-6385.  I will have to get a picture of her.  She got her hair done yesterday and it really looks gorgeous.

Kyle's team won the tournament in Anaheim.  He played 3 out of 5 games, including the championship.  They won 4-2, 6-1, and finally 6-0 in a decisive victory.  Terri said that many other parents commented on how well he played.  One of his friends, named Kyler, from the neighborhood moved to the Anaheim area this past summer, so they were able to get together.  Originally they were going to hang out together on Saturday, but were having such a great time, Kyler stayed over through the championship on Monday.  This kid is a stand up comedian.  Out of nowhere he can drop the funniest things, and his timing is perfect.  Once while they were still living here, we took him out to dinner with us to the Country Buffet.  He commented, "this is the worst steak I have ever had".  It turns out it was liver.  Just the way he said it, and the fact he ate it all is something I won't forget.  Terri and Kyle went to Disney, which apparently was a mistake.  They also visited Hollywood and the Ripley's wax museum.  Now that the season is officially over, we need to come up with an off season plan.

Ariana and I had a great time here alone.  On Thursday, her school was going bowling, so I drove a group to the lanes and we bowled.  She broke 100 in her first game.  Friday we took the day off and went up the hill to Loveland for some skiing.  The weather in the mountains was better then here, temps there were in the 20s and it was single digits down here.  On Saturday we went Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch, then the hardware store to get the final tiles cut for my bathroom.  Hardiback was laid down and tiles laid.  Like every project I do, I got right to the end and the comedy starts.  I ran our of thinset with 3 tiles to go.  This was at around 8 pm.  My back was killing me, so I said @$% it, I will do it tomorrow.  I had forgotten to pick up a wax ring for the toilet too, so I had to make a run anyway.  

Sunday morning the tiles were all finally laid.  Not many glaring problem, but I know where all the hundreds of little problems are.  Sunday afternoon we went to catch a movie "Hoodwinked".  It is animated and really funny.  Great for kids and adults.  Animation is not Pixar quality, but good enough and as I said, a funny movie.

On Monday, I started the day by grouting the tile.  After finishing the tile, we went to Boulder to BD's Mongolian BBQ, perhaps my favorite restaurant.  we stuffed ourselves and took a a walk on the Pearl Street mall and had some Ben and Jerry's for dessert.  Terri and Kyle got home at 1 am on Tuesday.  

2/18

Anaheim

Terri and Kyle made to Anaheim OK.  Kyle has a game this morning at 8:45, then nothing until tomorrow evening.  they are planning to go to Universal Studios after the game.  Ariana and I are at home.  Yesterday her school had a bowling day at the local lanes, and I helped carpool and rolled a few frames.  Today, we are going to go skiing.  We will go to Loveland, which is a smaller resort just east of the continental divide.  Temps here are cold, but it is supposed to be warmer in the mountains, an once the sun comes up it warms up quickly.

Bathroom floor is almost complete.  I laid the rest of the tile yesterday and will do the grout on Sunday.  No major problems that I can see, but I learned quite a bit and if I have to do it again it will be easier.  Little things, like wipe up all the thinset before it dries, remove the spacers before it dries, get complicated cuts done at Lowes rather than breaking tile after tile trying to use nippers.

We have to get ready to roll, slopes open at 9.

2/5

No Hockey Day

Well sort of, Kyle has nothing today.  I have a game at 7:30, right in the middle of the SB.   I guess I will have to Tivo it.  Or maybe not, I really don't care a whole lot.  It's always hard to root for Pittsburgh, and not very satisfying rooting for an NFC team either.

What no hockey means is a day to get other things done.  We are putting tile in our master bathroom.  An new Lowes opened and they have tile on sale for .80 a piece for a 12x12 tile.  Our bathroom floor is about 70 square feet, so now is the time to do it.  I spent most of yesterday evening tearing up carpet and putting down the backer board in the main part of the bathroom, today I will have to tackle the toilet room and hopefully lay the tile.  I also want to change the oil in Terri's car and the motor cycle, but it is supposed to be very windy today so I may have to put that off.  Winds are being reported in the 90mph range along the foothills.  By the time it gets here, it is 20-30mph and that will blow oil all over the driveway.  How do I know this?  Mind your own business.

Isn't is cute how Flash will sleep next to anything?  Maybe its just because Oliver (who's favorite sleeping position is on his back on the stairs) is just too lazy to move.

As I look at my update from last weekend, Kyle actually did play against Front Range, and won with a shutout, 2-0.  He really stood on his head and played very well.  Good for him because Sam had to play against CO Springs and they got pummeled 9-2.

Ariana and I went to see Chronicles of Narnia last weekend, and I recommend it highly.  Good story, great effects and visuals.  Ugly kids.  It is now Ariana's favorite movie.  I was picking up some stuff at Sam's and saw they had a complete book of all the Narnia stories for $12, so I bought it.  She is almost done with it.  This is thick book.  She read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in just 2 days.

1/28

Quick update

Same thing as always going on here.  Kyle has a game this afternoon and then one tomorrow down in CO Springs.  I will be unable to attend that one as I have a game at 6.  His team played in a mini tournament over MLK weekend, and he won a game and tied.  They wound up in second place.  Kyle is really having a stellar season, he looks great in goal and is keeping his team in all the games he plays in, but they are having real offensive problems scoring.  Today his team plays against his former organization, which is fun.  He is probably not in net today as he played the last game and tomorrow is a tougher opponent, but they really need some points, so the coach may go with him instead.

Weather is great, morning temps are in the upper 20s and afternoons are 40-50, so I am able to ride to work.  Some days are windy, which makes it a little more "exciting", but still "rideable".

Kyle is going to a tournament in Anaheim for Presidents day.  Terri is going to fly with him this time.  Ariana and I will stay home, perhaps we will get some skiing in.  Terri is also taking Ariana to Chicago in early April for her (Ariana's) birthday.  She is going to go on an American Girl adventure much like A&A did in NYC.

1/7

Bye Dude

We lost a ferret last night.  Dude was about 5 or 6 years old, I think old for a ferret.  

Today we go to Greeley for a hockey game against Littleton 1, one of the top teams in the nation.  Last time we played them we lost 8-1.  Hopefully today we will fare better.  After the game a couple fellow employees are stopping by.  They are skydiving today (Longmont is a big skydiving town) and we will watch the Avs and Redskins.

Here is a video from Wolf Creek.   You will need Real Player to see it.  

This is a picture of my Championship Hockey team!  Our first game is Monday night at 10:30pm.

1/4

Happy New Year!

We had a great trip to Pagosa Springs.  We drove down on Friday morning and made it in about 5.5 hours.  We played CatchPhrase Friday night.  Fun game to begin with, try playing with 3 kids and 3 Romanians!  They speak great English (as well as French, Italian, and of course, Romanian) but some of the clues were beyond them.  Saturday we went to Wolf Creek to ski for the afternoon.  Not too crowded, snow was OK, but bare is some places.  Good thing we only did the afternoon, I was beat.  Back in a rhythm though, so it felt good.  It is a small place, only 3 chairs, but nice long runs.

While we were on the slopes, Jim, Mary, and Victoria drove in.  We met them back at the house around 5:30.  They had no way to get in the house so they went out and bought a blender, some rum, and Pina Colada mix.  Patched the blender into the Xmas lights and voila!  More catch phrase, beer, wine, pina coladas, Champagne, South Park, and then Happy New Year!

Sunday we all went back to the ski area and did another afternoon.  It snowed the night before and we had 8 inches of powder to deal with.  Ariana decided to stay back at the house with Maria, Marius and Daniella's friend who was also there (she lives in Longmont and is originally from Romania as well).  The rest of us had a good day skiing.  Kyle and I finished by going down a large bowl.  Very steep, some bumps.  I am about half way down and I hear from above me, "hey, I'm getting the hang of this."  Next thing I know I am trying to catch my breath with my legs on fire and and Kyle goes zipping by me to the bottom of the bowl.  He is really good, which is something because we didn't ski at all last year and only once the year before.

Monday we left and on the way home drove by the Great Sand Dunes National Monument.  This is exactly what is sounds like, huge sand dunes right next ot the mountains.  We took some sleds over and tried to ride down.  Perhaps it is because it is January (you will know it is January in CO, we are all wearing sweatshirts) but the sand was kind of slow, like molasses!  Fun anyway.  we drove the rest of the way home and immediately shifted back into normality for us.  Kyle off to hockey practice.  He has 2 games this weekend, and my league is starting up too.  Here are pictures:

This page was last updated on 12/04/06.

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