Saturday, October 26, 2013

26 to 13



Way in the background of this horrible photo is a scoreboard. It reads 26 to 13, left to right. Unfortunately for Jacob and his team, their score is the one on the right. 

Jacob and his team, the Raiders, had a great season. They won 4 and lost 1, and then today, as the number 3 seed in the playoffs, they fell to the Chargers. It was a great game, but the other team had all the advantage: a quarterback who could really throw the football. Third and fourth grade kids can't much defend the pass, and the Chargers quarterback could put the ball on the numbers, downfield.

There's Jacob with his team (Jacob is #8). The coaches are telling them about how proud they are, but Jacob only wanted to win. Pride doesn't carry you very far in the playoffs. But his disappointment is giving way to normal kid happiness, aided tremendously by a big Kansas State football win today over West Virginia (Jacob and I watch all the K-State games together: he's learning some colorful language).


Don't feel bad though. Most of us only got to play 5 years of football. Jacob started in 4th grade. He has 8 more years of football, and I explained to him today how fortunate he is and how much he has to look forward to. I think he understood some of what I said.

And after all, what now? A whole winter season of skiing in Montana? That'll get you over a lot of heartbreak, especially as much as Jacob loves to ski. So tomorrow it's off to the ski shop for new boots (kids and their stupid growing feet) and something to look forward to. It was a big loss today but somehow I think that we'll all recover.


Monday, October 7, 2013

The Horror!!!

Some of you who are alive may have heard about the shutdown of the U.S. government. As a member of said government, I am one of the many, too many, federal employees who have been furloughed, which is a fancy American term for vacation time with retroactive pay.

But since at least one reader of our blog likes me (hi mom) I thought the least I could do is to update you on my travails.

Well...First I had to go to a stupid parade (Annie and buddy Krista skipping rope in U of MT Homecoming Parade):


Then I was forced to walk for miles (We live in the crotch of that valley yonder. I looked it up; valley crotch is the correct geographic term):


Oh My God, Boys and Cake! (Jacob's 10th. It was really loud. Like Metallica concert loud).


And then, just today, I had to paddle this watercraft around a small lake and catch countless fat, colorful Cutthroat trout. Annoying!


So please, pray for the federal government and all its many, many suffering employees. In the meantime, I'd appreciate it if you filed your taxes early. I need a new canoe.

PS - Carrie's been too busy to keep up the blog. Why just last night she forgot to pick up a six pack on her way home! So I'm writing the blog until school-teaching-things settle and she can get back to it. If you want to reach her, shoot her an email her. If you appreciate my writing, buy me a beer.

PPS - I know there are federal employees who are suffering, and others who can't wait to go back to work. But really, it's all a giant farce, so please, NSA, don't deport me.