Last Push of Halloween

After doing the Halloween all week, we finished up in grand fashion. Our neighborhood had a Halloween party at the park. We brought a cheese ball and beverages. Tons of people showed. It was a blast even though we only knew a handful of those that showed. While we talked and ate, the kids ate a little and played a lot! Afterward we trick-or-treated...and it was obvious that they week of Halloweening it and the time at the park had tired them out. One loop around the neighborhood was all it took and we were dragging Jackson. I was alternating between houses carrying Jackson or Alex. They were beat. They had a blast, but had had enough. We returned home and they help distribute a few treats to the ghouls, goblins, and super heroes that showed up at our door. Then it was off to "bed". In other words, it was weekend movie time on bean bags. See the pics below of Iron Man, Power Ranger, and parents, and the end result of a long fun night.

A Week of Halloween

My kids love costumes; they love candy; they love pumpkins; they love Halloween.

This year we seized every opportunity to enjoy the fun times of Halloween.

On Saturday the kids enjoyed Boo at the Zoo. I highly recommend going and getting advance tickets. Plus it's an extra use for that new costume.

On Tuesday they enjoyed the preview party for Hallowanka at EdVenture. Lots of fun including trick-or-treating, games, and food. Oh yeah, and another event to wear a costume.

On Wednesday they enjoyed the Fall Festival at Alex's church daycare. Again, they were able to wear their costumes.

Thursday they enjoyed picking pumpkins and watching me carve them. No costumes, but fun nonetheless.

Tonight is the big night itself and will mark the 4th even in which they were able to wear their costumes!

You may have heard the phrase, "they do the Christmas". Well this year, the Owings family "did the Halloween" and did it well!

Upward Basketball

Today was practice number one. I had seven of my eight players to show up for the first practice. My assistant coach is out of town. I did my best to control 7 kindergarten and first graders.... It was somewhat successful.

I read the coaches handbook and though it was ridiculous to think that first graders could do the drills they suggest. In their defense, the book is a generic one for all age groups. Fourth graders may get it....not so much first graders. That being said, we did numerous drills, most of which I just made up on the fly. lol. We filled the hour practicing passing, dribbling, shooting and a few drills that combine those skills. Also, we had devotion (part of being a church league) and team meeting. All of this fit within the allotted hour.

I was concerned before practice, that I'd have a bunch of kids that have never seen a basketball. I was pleasantly surprised. I think we'll have a fun year, and I think I'll actually be able to teach them a little bit!

After practice, Jackson insisted that we stop for a drink. He got a Gatorade and savored it, being the athlete that he is! He also told Stacy that he was the best. lol. It was drills.... he was good, but so were the other kids. I bet they all went home and said, "mom, dad, I was the best". You have to love the confidence of a child!

One practice down. Nine to go. Plus games. I cant wait.

Boo

We just got back home from our first visit to Boo at the Zoo. A few things to note:
(1) It was fun. The kids loved it.
(2) We'll go back.
(3) We'll have pre-paid tickets.

I was shocked at the line of vehicles heading into the zoo. We've been to the lights before Christmas, but we have never made it to Boo at the Zoo. Since we had not been, we did not realize the need to get our tickets ahead of time. The Zoo was open 6:00 - 9:00. We assumed getting there at 5:50 would be sufficient. Not the case. We waited for almost exactly an hour just to get our tickets. There was a separate entrance for prepaid tickets... time to wait in that line: zero seconds.

Once we made it inside we circled the zoo twice, hitting up every candy station each time around. Two loops was enough. We left to get some dinner. In the end we had waited in line for an hour so that we could trick-or-treat for an hour. Although the wait was long and annoying, it was also worth it.

Jackson just reminded me (unprompted) how much fun he had at Boo at the Zoo. I'm glad we went. If you're planning to go, I suggest you do and I suggest you go online to buy our tickets early!

My Family is the Right Size

We decided long ago that 2 kids was enough for us. We can adequately provide for our two. A third would be tough. Besides, we are happy to be done with baby stage. We have 2 big kids and we're happy.
No more kids for us. As of this morning... that is much more of a certainty....

To elaborate somewhat, in a quick snip heard round our world, we made sure that Jackson and Alex are our only two.... to elaborate any further may turn may turn some readers away, so I'll end the story there and get back to icing what needs icing...

Correction

Quick correction on the happiness post:
I had said Alex is not a strong kid. It has now been fixed to say Alex is NOW a strong kid. Stacy caught my goof. thanks Stacy

oh, and I fixed the post so that it reads correctly!

Basketball

Many of you who know me may see the title of basketball and assume this is about the upcoming NBA season or about some fantasy basketball league that I'm participating in. That is not the case. In fact, this is about Jackson. We recently signed him up for Upwards Basketball, which is basically church league.

We hadn't heard from anyone since he took the skills test. When Stacy contacted them yesterday to make sure he was placed on a team, they said that he was, that the first practice is Monday, and asked if I wanted to help coach. Stacy called to asked me if I was interested, and I told her I'd love to, but I'd rather help the head coach than be the head coach. No biggie, I got the job and was told to pick up the materials the next day after work.

Today I picked up the boys and headed to the church to pick up my packet. We get there, find the right people, pick up the booklet, I get a quick overview and am told everything I need to know is in the booklet and on the accompanying DVD. Excellent. I'm excited and ready to go, however I did notice that when I was told about the team, she mentioned to me that one other dad travels a lot, but when he is in town he will help out.... which translates to me being THE coach, and not a coach. I'm not surprised, but I'm also not prepared. It looks like I have some work to do.

I get to the car and take a quick look at the roster. It has the info on each child...including their scores from the skills test.... ah ah. I see why I was asked to coach. Jackson rocked the test! Good for Jackson... and I hope, it's good for the team. We'll see on Monday how the team looks. I'll keep you informed as to how it's going. Wish me luck!

Another year

My baby turns 5 years old today. It's hard to believe that Alex is 5. The past 6.5 years have flown (6.5 because of both Jackson and Alex). Man I'm getting old!

He is very excited and cant wait for cupcakes today and for his party on Thursday.

It's funny how many adults do not even want their birthday's acknowledged, but kids eat it up. They are so excited that you start counting the years in fractions. If I had a dollar for every time Alex corrected someone that asked if he was 4, saying that he is either "4 and 1/2" or "4 and 3/4", I'd be very rich.

Anyway, I'm happy for him and hope he has a happy, fun-filled birthday!

Happiness

In the midst of an unpleasant economic situation, I find myself somehow unaffected by it. Well, that is not entirely true; my 401K is feeling. However I remain optimistic. I think that whomever earns the presidency will help ensure that the bailout money is used well, and that the country is moving the right direction.
Anyway, I remain optimistic and in general quite happy.
Why am I happy?
- I get to sit at home and watch football all weekend, with my biggest concern being whether or not a given game is broadcast in HD.
- I have a wonderful family.
- my kids are awesome.
- Jackson is really catching on to this thing called school. In preschool he wasn't in to reading and such, but as a first grader he is driven and doing very well.
- Alex, who was a sickly premature baby, is NOW a strong kids who turns 5 years old tomorrow. It is hard to believe he is the same child who spent the first days of his life with his head under oxygen in a contraption that looked like a casserole dish over his head. He is now strong and healthy and happy!
- I have a happy strong marriage with a wonderful wife.
- I'm getting better at golf.
- I am regaining my drive in athletics. Stacy and I have started doing road races and I'm loving it. I'm in shape and constantly improving.
- I have a good job. Perhaps this is part of the reason the economy is not making me worry too much. I have what feel to be a secure position and am happy to be with Southeastern Freight Lines. I'm also optimistic about our company's future.

What would make me more happy?
- If my kids continue to excel.
- If Stacy and I continue to do well at Southeastern.
- If my high school (Ninetysix), which my brother coaches for, continues it's good run and wins the state championship.
- If Furman continues it's good season and makes the playoffs.
- If I won the lottery. :-)
- If a friend won the lottery and decided that I was such a good friend that he/she felt i deserved to retire too. :-)
- If I continue to get better at golf.
- If I get to play golf more frequently.
- If Barack Obama continues to soar and wins the presidency.
- If our economy makes a permanent turn for the better.
- Did I mention the lottery?

Weekend Work

I'm sitting here watching the USC/LSU game and thinking about the work I have to do in the morning (Sunday morning).
When I started working at Southeastern I was a programmer, learning the ropes, handling easy tasks. During that time I was strictly 8:00-5:00.
As time went on I started working on more critical systems, some of which were used primarily late at night. Anytime there were major changes it would lead to late night calls for me to act as the support specialist. As great as it is to feel needed, 2:00-4:00 AM is not the time to experience that feeling.
Luckily a few years ago, I found my way out of supporting those systems and into our Client/Server group. While in that group I did web development for 8 hours a day, but did not have to do any support on nights or weekends. On occasion I'd get a call about those old systems (when the new support guy was unavailable), but for the most part there were no overtime or "extra" hours.
Well for those that dont know, back in May I made another move; this time to Database administrator. I'm very excited about my new line of work. It still crosses over into the old stuff a little, but for the most part my work is stand alone. I enjoy the work and it is a challenge. Back to the point of this post; as of tomorrow morning I'm back having to put in extra hours. I have some database changes to put into our production database. The only problem is that I have to do it at a time when I am the only one accessing it. Sunday mornings are best, since hardly anyone is working at that time. Even though 'WE' aren't working, the website is up and the website accesses the database, so... while I do my updates, I have to not only block our people from accessing the database, but also shutdown our web-servers so no customers are accessing either. Because of that, Sunday morning is the best choice.
Tomorrow I'm going in at 8:00. If all goes well, I hope I'm out of there in an hour or so, but I'm prepared to spend the entire morning if need be. I dont mind the extra hours; I'm just glad it's not at 4:00 AM this time!

A New Addiction?

Today I finally set up a facebook account. I've heard people talk about it for so long, but have never taken the step to sign up. After signing up, I spent over 3 hours inviting friends, checking out groups, searching, and basically just tooling around. I was surprised how addictive it was. You start looking around and the next thing you know you've spent 3 hours. Now I'm about to log back in and check it out. I can tell that this is my newest addiction. I'll see if I can fit it in between blogging, and fantasy sports!

Joe the Plumber

I think we should all defer to Joe. He is obviously the one that both candidates were competing for during the last debate. It was crazy how oft they addressed Joe, rather than the American people. I found some humor in that fact.
As a whole: did McCain close the gap? Did Obama pull away?
I'm not sure, but I will say that:
(1) The finger pointing and blame game has gotten worse. It's not flattering for either of them.
(2) McCain was better at getting his points across than he was in the last two debates. He also had a more mocking tone in his responses to Obama's points... whether this will be perceived as good or bad I dont know.
(3) Obama continued to do a good job getting his points across. Negatively, he got hung up on his words a few times... taking a little away from his being such an eloquent speaker.
(4) McCain called out Obama more than before. However Obama responded to each allegation very well and seemed to diffuse the attacks.

Due to a combination of 2 and 3, I'd say that this debate was more even than the last, but was not the huge showing that McCain needed to surpass Obama.

Take my comments for what they are worth. I'm not an undecided voter. I have made my choice, but I try my best to give an unbiased opinion.

Yummy Pie, Not Like The Other One

For a week or two the kids have been talking about pumpkin pies and how much they love them. That came as news to me, but good for Stacy for jumping on that opportunity to cook something tasty. Yesterday she cooked a delicious pumpkin pie and the boys had 2 slices each!
The funny part was that kids never forget anything. Alex told Stacy in a slightly surprised voice, “This is yummy. It’s not yuck like that that other pie you made. Do you remember that?”
Hilarious. Stacy attempted a pumpkin pie once that bombed. I have no idea when that was; a year ago, maybe two? It’s obvious that Alex hasn’t forgotten, has no plans to, and is intent on making sure we don’t either!

Proud to be an American

Looking back through recent history, there are so many reasons to be proud of being who we are. The United States plays a major part in much of what transpires around the world. Some think we play too large of a part, and that is definitely a subject for debate, but that is not what this post is about. We are lucky enough to live in (arguably) the most powerful country in the world. I feel a debt of gratitude to God for allowing me to find my place in the world here rather than in some impoverished country, where I may struggle to succeed or even to eat. I feel a debt of gratitude for all those who risk their lives protecting ours. I'm proud to be a part of "America" (and by America I mean the US, not the countries comprising North and South America!).

Also, in the recent "friendly" competition between nations that we know as the Olympics, the United States soared. I don't know anyone that didn't get at least somewhat wrapped up in the dominance of the US swim team, or the big wins by our gymnasts. I felt both excitement and pride anytime any of our athletes won an medal. I think many others shared that sentiment.

Perhaps one of the reasons I am most proud to be an American is our current political situation and the underlying meanings associated with it. Stepping back any number of years, I'd have a hard time seeing this race happen. We are living in a country that has progressed to the point that we have a viable presidential candidate that is a minority. Not only that, but we have come to this point in the presidential race, without the issue of race really coming into the picture. I am proud to be a part of the process, to be here and see it all happen.
I hope that this race is a testament as to how far we have all progressed in terms of our views of race. I guess the months to come will really shed some more light on the subject. Here are a few questions that will help to do that:

(1) Will the presidential race still continue to be about the issues?...or will the McCain campaign find themselves in a position where they feel they need to "pull out all the stops" and introduce the race card?

(2) If Obama wins, will he be celebrated as the candidate who won (while acknowledging his race) or will the big story be "the first black president"? That is definitely A story, but it should not be THE story.

(3) If McCain wins, will the votes be seen as an "us" versus "them", where the white voters had larger number? I'd hate to see a country dived by race.

(4) Will those that focus on the issue on racial inequality admit that through our policies we have achieved much progress?

(5) Regardless of who wins, will many of the supporters of the losing candidate support the new president? To an extent this is not a completely fair question, due to the fact that there are some who never support political figures from the other party.

(6) Basically restating number 4, after the race is over and we have a new president, will we unite behind him regardless of who he is and what party he represents?

I think if you look at these questions and how the answers play out, you'll see where we really stand. I have hope for promising answers. Those that know me best know that one issue that is EXTREMELY important to me is equality. Whether the issue in question is religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status, I feel that it is very important that we all be treated the same. Call me an idealist if you must, but that is how I feel.
Wrapping up and tying back in to the original topic, I am proud to live in a place where I can witness this race and how it plays out. I just hope it plays in a way that we are all proud of.

The Fair

I had promised the boys that we would go to the fair on opening night.
2 problems:
(1) It rained, so I changed the plans to go to a movie instead.

(2) After picking up Alex, we went to pick up Jackson and I locked my keys in the car.... thus I couldn't take them to the movie. We caught a ride home and waited until Stacy got back from Georgia at 9:00 that night to go back to get the truck (since she had the other key).

We did make the best of the night though. We played cards. Jackson and Alex love to play war. Then for dinner we waited for a break in the rain and ran (literally ran) across the road to the Pancake House. That made the kids night. The trip to and from dinner was the fun. I was glad I salvaged some fun for then, even if plan A failed...and plan B failed.

This afternoon the rain had cleared and I was set making up for the previous day and taking the kids to the fair. I picked them up, came home, helped Jackson with his homework while we waited on Stacy to get home, and then headed to the fair. It was an awesome night! 3 things made it a great night at the fair:

(1) Watching the kids have fun - we bought them bracelets to ride as much as they could. There were no lines at all, so they got their money's worth. Also I had to win them each a basketball. First I had the idea of them to share one...Alex didn't like that idea, so I had to win two.

(2) Food - While the kids rode, I grabbed the first item - a Turkey Leg. Those things are awesome. It's turkey, but it tastes like smoked ham... excellent! Then a little later we all ate. Corndogs for the Stacy and the boys. Italian sausage for me. We split fries. On the way out we wrapped it up with some fried Oreos. Now I'm fat and happy.

(3) No lines. It may have been the threat of rain. It may have been the Clemson game on tv tonight. It may have been the scares of the current economy. It may have been due to today being a school night. I really dont know why, but it was sparse and although that is not good for the fair, that is very good for the Owings'. We didn't have to fight crowds. We didn't have to wait in lines. We were not stressed.

I'm sure we'll return for one more night of fun at the fair and I cant wait!

More on the Debates

We're 3 debates in and I have to admit that McCain's is in need of an amazing showing in the last debate. In my opinion, in addition to already being ahead in most polls, Obama won both presidential debates and Biden won the VP debate. I dont think they were landslide victories for the Democrats but they were victories nonetheless, building a little more on to that lead.

I have enjoyed following the race progress up to this point, but to me beginning about a week ago they delved into the finger pointing portion of the race. All along each candidate has pitched his stances and a portion of time pointing the finger at the opposition. As time as progressed it seems as though the focus on their own stances has lessened and the finger pointed has increased. Maybe that is just my perception, but that is how I see it. It was very evident in the last debate.

I will continue to follow the race and all it has to offer, but as I've stated in the past, my mind is made up and it would take something large to change it. For anyone just catching up, I neither Republican or Democrat. I like both candidates, and dont feel either is a bad choice...but much like a South Carolina native that is neither anit-Clemson nor anti-Carolina but must pick a side before the big game, there comes a time that a voter you must choose.

I'm not secretive about my views, but I haven't broadcast them either. Those that know me well, know that Obama has been my front-runner since way back when there was a stage full of candidates...but that doesn't mean that I was decided at that point. Since then, my support has solidified and the debates have done nothing to dissuade my opinions. I will support whomever wins an be happy about them as the leader of our country. Whomever it is will have their hands full, and I'm eager to see how he handles the situation.

kids athletics

I'm loving the fact that my kids are getting into athletics. 2 recent instances...and yes this may sound like braggin, but I'm proud!!!
(1) basketball - Jackson is playing in his first organized sport beginning in December. Last Thursday the kids had a skills test to be used to spread the talent out even among the teams. I was impressed with the way the ran it and if it is any indication of what is to come, I will continue to be impressed. Anyway, the skills test consisted of shots from 3 different places (in front of the basket, and each side), 2 dribbling drills, and a drill to slide side to side.

For the shooting, for each spot they could shoot as many as possible in 30 seconds (or a minute, I really dont know, but it was by time). Some of the kids in front of Jackson in line struggle to make 2 or 3. I assumed he'd do well since we shoot at home. He rocked it. Only missing a total of 5 shots, making 17. I was proud.

For the dribbling they had to dribble around 2 chairs set up about 5 yards apart, and do as many laps as possible. First with right hand only, then left hand only. Jackson is left-handed and was a little concerned about using his right hand. He walked rather than running was under control and did well. I was impressed. Then with his left hand he flew. I was very proud. A few of the other kids did great, but with their non-dominate hand would struggle. I was so proud of Jackson that he could do it with both hands.

The sliding drill consisted of going back and forth as many times as possible under time, simulating defense. He struggled here. He did it like he does in PE, basically skipping sideways instead of sliding. He still did well, but we'll practice this a time or two before the first practice. Anyway, all in all I was extremely impressed.

(2) another kids race - Stacy did a 5k last Saturday and she finished second in her age group again! Go Stacy! After her race they had 2 kids races. Jackson was in the 1/4 mile run for 5 and 6 year olds. He placed second and received a medal! Then Alex ran in the 3 and 4 year old run (1 smaller lap) and he also placed second and received an engraved medal!!! I'm so proud of my boys!

Ok, now out of brag mode. I love the fact that they are getting involved early. I think athletics really helps build character and confidence. It also teaches (with parental help) the kids to deal with successes and failures. Like I said, I love it and hope the my kids stay so excited about participating.

Mancation

Every once in a while it's nice to have a mancation. Also known as a guy's weekend; a variation of guy's night out. Anyway, I had just such a weekend this weekend. Actually, it was a golf weekend. Santee trip number 2.

We stayed 2 nights at Wyboo golf course, played both Wyboo and Wyboo TPC. Of course that was not enough, so I opted to work a half day off of work on Friday so that I could get in one more round at Santee National. It was a really good time and my scores have gotten progressively better. I tend to shoot somewhere around 100...give or take a few strokes. This weekend I may not have put up my best score ever (90), but I did play what I would consider the best golf that I've ever played. I put up scores of 97, 93, and 94 this weekend, while adding in a 45 for a 9 hole replay on Saturday. I was very happy with my play and cant wait to hit the course again.

Also, we played cards both nights which I thoroughly enjoyed. I love to hang out and play cards, watch football, and basically just have a good time....and that is what we did. The best game we watched was Vandy/Auburn. Go VANDY!

After 2 nights away on mancation, I was ready to come home and see the family. The boys were very excited to see me and we've had fun all afternoon since I've returned. Also, Stacy was very ready for a much needed break! Thanks to Stacy for playing single mom while I was gone. I appreciate it and it gave me a much needed long weekend of fun!

Reading for the Trip

Before my trip to Nashua, I had started a new book entitled House, written in a collaborative effort by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. If you don't know these authors, they do Christian themed books. I had never read any of their books and to tell you the truth I accidentally picked it up off of the Christian table at the book store. I am not against reading those books, but what little I have read from there tended to focus more on the religious message and lack other content. In any event, I read this one.

House was an interesting story that consisted of a group of people being trapped in a house and trying to find their way out. Supernatural things happen to make their escape difficult. I wont say any more.

It was a good story. It sucked me in. A page turner if you will. That being said, they need a better editor. Grammatical errors in may places, misused words, etc...(kind of like my blog :-) ) I really didn't care, but did notice. I enjoyed the story as it progressed. The "spiritual side" was only an element near the end, and I liked that the focus was not on that portion of the story. They did a good job and giving that the needed focus, but letting the the story build without it.

I'd rate the book a B+ and would read books by both of these authors again. My accidental choosing of this book may just lead me back to that table again. Thanks to Peretti and Dekker for exposing me to more genres that I'd not have ventured into before.

Debates

I just finished the VP candidate debate. I have to make a few points:
Good:
Palin was very articulate and related to the viewer very well. Also, she looked into the camera almost exclusively (without much blinking)....which shows confidence in what she was saying.
Biden was also very articulate, and focused very well on presented the facts of past records. He addressed the camera and the moderator, although he was not as captivating to the home viewer. Best of all, he actually answered nearly every question.

Bad:
Palin failed to not only answer some of the questions, but failed to even address the subject of said questions. It appeared that she wanted to avoid the subjects. She spun it as if she wanted to focus on some other topic, but I think that was not as believable as her avoiding the question.
Biden (as mentioned already) was not a captivating to the home viewer. A few times, focus on his reciting numbers was just confusing enough that a viewer could have missed the point.

As a whole, I thought that neither fell on their face. However, a combination of Palin's avoidance of answering some of the questions and Biden's experience led to his winning the debate. He showed he knew what he was talking about, had the numbers, had the experience, and has better definite plans. I think hands down he 'won' the debate.

The first presidential debate was closer than this one, but we still have two to go.

Those are my thoughts. Agree or disagree?

Nashua, NH

I'm in Nashua this week for a Conference. It's been very worthwhile... but as with any conference there is some fluff. This conference is for a product owned by Oracle, so of course there are 'other' Oracle presentations that I could care less about, as well as a few presentations by vendors trying to pitch their product. All of those aside, I've learned much and am very glad I made the trip. It's funny. With 27 different presentations scheduled, I knew which 8 I would actually get something out of...so far, I was very right.

As with most travel, I've eaten well since I arrived. By 'eaten well' I mean to say that I've eaten too much and too unhealthy.... which is good, right?

It's been a good trip, but I'm ready to go home. Tomorrow I hop on a plane to head back to South Carolina. I have one stop in Philly and hope for no delays...I'll keep my fingers crossed. Luckily on the trip here everything was prompt; one layover in DC that offered me enough time to eat lunch and read a little, but my plane left on time so that is all that matters.