Speed Demon

Well, even if this posting is lacking in interesting fodder, at least I am diligent!
So (thank you unknown poet/author of Beowulf as translated by Seamus Heaney)! History was made today, and we were all a part of it, Democrat or otherwise. Barak Obama gave an amazingly intelligent, unifying, uplifting, visionary, inclusive, inspiring speech... and the Dow decided to plunge in thanks. Greedy bastards! I guess if I am ever in need of cynical, selfish insights or opionions, I will get my rear to the NYSE ASAP and ask some dink what he thinks. Unbelievable.
What an incredible day. I can't help but sigh with relief and hope, try to dust the bad karma and dirt from my soul, and be optimistic.
Elsewhere: we (Salisbury Ski Team) are hosting a GS race for the Berkshire Ski League tomorrow, which should be interesting and quite possibly fun. We are in the midst of "Diversity Week" here at school, and there have been fantastic speakers, performances, artwork, and insight all across campus. The boys in my VI Form classes are watching the modern version of Hamlet staring Ethan Hawke and reading Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Foer), and my V Formers (honors) are studying modern poetry (Whitman, Frost, Dickens, to name a few) and watching Dead Poets Soceity. Young Frankenstein is yammering in the background as I type this, the Wild Ones (thanks, Singmasters) are asleep, and the world is right.
So it's the dawn of a new age/era, and we all have at least one superlative story to tell to future generations. No more "President-elect"-business. Just "President Obama". Cool.
'Till next time...

Wife as Motivator...

It's Martin Luther King Day and an eon since the last posting. Our busy-ness seems to bloom and fester in the world of the mundane, but hey!, what can we do but try? Haylee lit the fire under my rear this morning telling me to quit dinking around with meaningless art ditherings and spend some time updating the Cafe. Let's get to it:

Haylee has been working her magic at Riga Meadows in arctic temperatures. She called me (from her new iphone, courtesy of Santa) on her way to work at 6am to tell me that the car thermometer read -18. Somehow she still managed to work outside all day, and at 5:30pm hunted and gathered two large Dino's pizzas for the testosterone crew hungrily waiting, wrestling, watching Horton Hears a Who, and building army barracks with Leggos and Linkin' Logs.
Speaking of "army", Bryhn's brain is steeped in all things army. He told me the other day that when he grows up, he wants to be an artist and an army guy, but only an army guy who marches in parades. While coloring/drawing, he created a recycling center, but it was an "army recycling center". Good stuff.
Boden is starting to talk, a lot. His favorite words are probably "cartoons", "juice", and "more". "Candy" is making a strong showing, as is "no". Bode is trying to keep up with Bryhn and has figured out how to climb out of his crib. Great.
Yesterday, Haylee took the boys to the YMCA to swim with Lisie, Lukie, and Grady. Apparently Bryhn has gills we hadn't yet noticed. After a day of snow shovelling, snowball fighting, swimming, and playing at the Adamsons', B. and B. were pooped. They may have set a new record for how quickly they fell asleep once their heads hit their pillows.
School has been going well for me. My classes are running smoothly, the kids are getting their work done, and the ski team is performing better than I expected. The snow at Butternut (as steep and intimidating as it sounds) is hard and fast, and the team has been working hard. I only let them ride the lift once, at the start of the day to take all the gates and equipment up. I then set a course, and everyone runs the course and hikes back to the top over and over. We get a good workout and two to three times as many runs than if we rode the lift.
I signed a contract for a pretty big cycling team this year: Priority Health. Haylee and I will be busy zipping around the mid-west for our various shows and races, hopefully we can coordinate so we can travel together and with the boys.
The wild ones love day care, and I hope to take Bryhn skiing over mid-winter break. Hockey is on the back burner since the new athletic center is being constructed. I have a feeling next winter might be nuts with skating.
The images above I thought were interesting. The "boxer" I found online and think looks like Bryhn. The line drawing is one I did a week ago and the pink illustration is a mock poster I did two nights ago for a band, yes "steelhead", which doesn't exist, but if it did, I would play the triangle or, better yet the cowbell (!) for them.
Hopefully more to follow soon!

We're Back! Again...

So here we are, safely ensconced back at the Hilltop/Sarum/Salisbury/etc. So much has happened over the summer, I am not sure where to begin.
The Fish Farm was fantastic. The water was wet, clean, and chock full o'scalies. Bryhn caught his fair share and we all feasted mightily on bluegills several times. Boden was all over the place all the time. He managed to figure out how to climb a ladder while nobody was watching, and I only found him by following the sound of his laughter. Haylee was a horse riding (and beautiful) fool, and I managed to ride my bike almost enough (or too much) depending upon whom was asked. The boys and I started a tree fort which quickly turned into a cabin. It is two stories with an entry-way. I had to make the staircase and will need to finish the door and roof when we get back next time.
Here at Salisbury, we have moved into our new house. It is awesome! Haylee's mom and grandmother painted the whole place while we moved out of our old digs and into this one. The first two weeks of our return were the most stressful I've had in a very long time. The fact that I am still married is a testament to something, well, positive. We made it. Now we don't have to listen to sophomores swearing at each other over video game shenanigans or knocking on our door at all hours of the day because they locked themselves out of their rooms again. The bad thing is that once every five weeks or so, I may have to chaperon a dance, and yep, I had the distinct honor of doing so last night. Oh how different "dances" are from the old days. I believe "throbbing miasma" was the phrase of the night. Luckily our boys were solid and everyone made it back in one, sober piece.
Classes are going well, the soccer team not so well. I'll take that for now. So tomorrow starts a new week. Beowulf is on tap, and the boys are off to Puddle Jumpers. Oh yeah, Haylee just won the overall for the pleasure category at Riga Meadows today. She was a bit tipsy when she got home as she had just finished a whole beer to celebrate her stunning success. Man, are we cheap dates...

We're Back!

So it's been a long time since the last update. Bryhn and Bode both turned a year older in a day (crazy how that happens). I won a bike race. Haylee worked more hours than physically possible, and my students are driving me nuts with their inability to get in touch with their brains, even haphazardly.
There have been some strong requests for more information about the boys, so I will now attempt to oblige and calm the waters:
Bryhn broke his Legolas bow in a fit of anger about having to go to bed when he still had about two hours left on the final DVD of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He's now back to the hockey stick bow and arrows. With all of the rain we've had lately, the worms have dared rear their heads (tails?), and Bryhn is an expert at finding them and putting them in his dirt-filled wheelbarrow. Some bass/perch fishing is in order. Speaking of which, Bryhn and I managed to haul a twelve inch perch out of the lake the other day. We decided there was time for a quick couple of casts before sprinting to the dining hall, so off we went. It was cold and windy, but the fish were biting. Bryhn took a cast or two and then headed off to find some nice handfuls of gravel to throw randomly into the shallows.
Boden is one funny kid. He is one of the happiest babies I've come across. He is trying valiantly to talk. He nods in answer to questions (sometimes). It is an authoritative nod that incorporates his whole body. The kid is an eating machine. It's amazing. He eats as much as I do, and that is saying something. It is hard taking him to meals with us because he eats so fast we don't have time to feed ourselves. Boden is developing a sense of humor too. He loves to sprint in the opposite direction as soon as he figures out we are all trying to get to a certain destination together. While in his brief yet terrifyingly fast moments of escape, he will shriek with glee. Most often, we catch him because he trips from trying to run and laugh maniacally at the same time. Good stuff.
So, there it is. More updates to hopefully follow more regularly. This time of year is insane. I cannot wait for the students to beat it. The Fish Farm beckons...

Happy Birthday, Bryhnie-T!

Yes, they keep coming hard and fast. The birthday circuit around here is enough to blow anyone's top! Never the less, Bryhn, aka Legolas, woke to a veritable plethora of booty. As it now stands, he has a hand-made bow and quiver (still working on the arrows), a full-fledged Legolas elf suit, a doctor's outfit complete with a traveling emergency case, an excavator, a bike, Alvin and the Chipmunks DVD, a Patagonia windbreaker, etc., etc. Bryhn, right now, is glued to Lord of the Rings taking pointers about how Legolas jumps, shoots, and skates on the Oliphants' trunks. He is sitting on his bike with a pile of new stuff surrounding him. I think this is a good thing; jury's still out, though. I am standing by, ready with the doctor's kit...

Thank you to everyone who sent all the beautiful gifts! As usual it was way, way more than enough. Our boys are spoiled!

Pictures of the Adult Version of Boden's Birthday

Double Dippin'!

Bryhn and Boden both were baptized this morning, by the Reverend Ned Mulligan at the Salisbury School chapel. The service was perfect. It was small, short, intimate, and fun. Ned ("Chappie") opened the ceremony with a brief talk about letting the munchkins run free because, in his eyes, one reason people grow up not enjoying church is because they associate it with rigidity and rules and "sssh!" and "sit still!". That set the tone for a beautiful amount of pandemonium over which the rest of the service took place.
Bryhn was very excited for the "magic elf-water" to be poured over his head (see "Legolas" posting). He stood at the cistern for a good 20 minutes waiting for the special moment. Boden teetered around chasing Grady (who was busy moving chairs).
Godparents, Curtis and Meg Singmaster, did a great job with readings and generally keeping things running smoothly, and Gus and O.B. were kind enough to tear themselves out of bed after a long night of imbibing that ended only hours before.
We all had a nice, relaxing day that cleared and warmed gradually and pleasantly. Now it's time to grill some hamburgers and find some of that magic elf-water to wash it down with...