Sunday 9 March 2008 @ 2100

Here it is the first day of daylight savings time and as much as I believe we should leave time alone and let it run, if we're going to have it then I'm glad it starts earlier and ends later now. It was great that it was light until after 7 already except I slept until 10 today :). Couldn't be that bottle of wine that I drank with lots of Mama Lil's peppers and goat cheese last night...

The week was pretty busy, Henry started tae kwon do and although he went kicking and screaming he is really good at it and has shown a real propensity for it. He sparred Friday for the first time and he threw some really great kicks against the older kid the master had the younger ones sparring with (and taking lots of kicks). Henry got some kicks up over his own shoulder height and was really after it for a bit there. It is great exercise and he is sleeping well too. We also took Henry to his first appt with a counselor and he clammed up quite a bit but a few things came out that we can start working on and we will have Henry go back again in a couple weeks. I think we both feel it's a good thing right now but frankly we think the tae kwon do will do more for him. Good solid activity, something at which he can excel individually but also be part of a larger group as well but time will tell.

It was my birthday and the team went all out and brought in lunch on Thursday as well as decorating my cube and the wall above it. Here's a photo with me in my birthday crown because remember, Jim is King. I was also asked to facilitate classes for the corporate partners on how to make the perfect espresso so I trained both Tuesday and Wednesday and 3 of us ran the 200 or so people from our building through how to make the best espresso drinks. It was a lot of fun and I met up with a lot of people that normally I only see in the elevators or hallways so now I have more names and more networking going on as well and lots more people know me now as well so I guess I can't get away with quite as much as I have in the past :)

Henry and I went to the annual bike expo after bowling yesterday and that couldn't come fast enough as the kids were bowling poorly and then just kind of fell apart after the first game and ended up losing all 4 of the available point this week so it was not a high point. We did however have fun looking at all the new stuff in the bicycling world now that some bikes retail for as much as cars. We're starting to gear up for the cycling season and if the weather is not rain this Saturday I think we'll head up to Arlington for the first charity ride of the season called The McClinchy Mile. It's a nice 20 mile mostly flat ride to get us going and frankly sounds a lot more interesting than another Saturday of bowling/ Kristin and I talked about bowling now that we're a few minutes into the league and we agree that now that we are out of bumpers, the parents are all way too serious about this and not so interested in the kids having fun but more about their winning. Well, like any of them I would rather the kids win but someone has to lose and for hell's sake it bowling after all! Not something important and some of these parents are just too, too much. We may not encourage Henry to continue on if he gets into the tae kwon do; perhaps that and some music lessons or something and that is enough but he is going to go out and run track this year since his favorite teacher is the track coach. The 4th graders can't compete but they let them go out and workout with the team in the running events and then next year start to learn about the field events as well so that's plenty. Neither Kristin nor I are interested in being one of those families that is running the kids from one activity to the next and eating dinner at 9 pm every night and no time for homework.

Here is a photo of my front yard with the springy daffodillies popping up and my raised vegetable bed on the right. Although you can't see them, the shelling peas and bok choy popped up this past week and are growing quite nicely. this year I am keeping a gardening diary so I can actrually keep track of what works and how they are all doing based on the dates and varieties of planting.

Neighbors Susan and Steve out enjoying the Springtime evening and watching the world go by from their front porch.

Not much more for now and it's time to get ready to hit the hay so I'll sign off now. Until next week, auf wiedersehn