Special Special Edition: It's Not You, It's the Kids

Ok, pull up a chair and get ready, it's time for my soapbox rant. That's right, sit down.  Now that you have sat down, you've probably realized that you can not get up, that's because I put glue down before you came in.  If you want the release agent, you have to wait until I finish my rant.  Captive Audiences are always the best listeners.

As you probably know, my wife, Lyndsay (love you honey), is a teacher.  She is a special education teacher to be exact.  She is the Special Olympic's Coach for her school district. She has put this project (unpaid mind you) first (aside from family. Well, the kids, I think she forgets to feed me sometimes).  She has spent countless hours with practices, paperwork, ordering supplies and arranging everything for the events they attended.  I'm proud, she is an awesome person and I'm lucky.

Here's the thing: she hasn't really told anyone about all the stuff she's done.  Usually when she does tell someone it's a vague reference to the efforts she's put forth. She's that way on a lot of stuff, but to me, this was significant.

Her athletes were awesome.  I was able to witness them at one of the two McDonalds fundraisers that was held, and not only did they raise a lot of money, they had fun and were happy to do so.  I've did a lot of fundraisers in my time, and I can say that fun isn't in the description.  Matter of fact, it was the opposite, maybe agony is a good word.  Maybe it was my leader, maybe it was my attitude, there are a lot of factors it could have been.  Their leader, their attitude and their determination was literally awe inspiring (yes, literally - I know my use of language).  If you've seen any of the picture of them during the events or during\after the medal ceremony, you know they had fun and it was a very special time.  You'll also see a smiling Lyndsay a lot.  You can tell that all the work not only made them happy, but it gave a huge sense of joy and satisfaction to her.

I can't speak for most people, but for all that work, I'd expect some huge pats on the back, and if I didn't get them, I'd either make people pat me on the back (trust me it's awkward.  Not for me, for them) or I'd get upset for people not knowing how awesome I was.

I've read about some people lately in similar situations, and in the articles I've seen, there was a lot of hidden bragging about the leader, and their past accomplishments.  Who cares.  Ir's not about you, it's about the kids.  I see articles like that and I get so frustrated because it's like they are missing the point entirely.

Well, I'll step down off this pretty soapbox.  Oh, as for the release agent for your seats that you are glued to ... I lied, I only had the glue.  You'll either have to take off your pants or walk hunched over with a chair on your hind quarters.  Until Thursday dear reader!

-James

Special Edition: The Man in Black Comes Together

A lot (most of) the pieces for the Man in Black Costume have arrived, and although I won't give you a preview of what they look like on me, I do want to show you them individually.

First, let's look at the head wrap\bandana:

I'm satisfied with this, after all, it is a simple piece, so it was going to be easy to please me on this one.

The next thing are the gloves.  I actually had to look pretty hard to find gloves that a) looked close enough to the onscreen ones, b) did not have a liner so they wouldn't be incredibly hot, and c) we tight enough to provide me with a near normal tactile feeling.

The picture makes them look like they fear out a lot, but the flare isn't really that big.  There is no liner and they are tight, I mean like a second skin tight.  Well worth the search.

Next up? The Mask.  I am still a bit worried about this part.

As you can see, I have two. Currently the one on the left is the one I'm going with, although I like the nose better on the right one.  The problem with the one on the right is that the eye holes go too far inward makes my eyes bulge out because they are shoving into my eye sockets.  I have thought about putting some sort of padding either around the eyes or on the upper part of it to push it outward a bit, but haven't really hard time to try.  I'll update on that later.

An easy piece: The sword holder.

Simple thing, the scabbard goes through the holder, it attaches to my belt. Done deal.

Now my favorite piece of the puzzle.

The sword.  It's actually a well crafted sword, better than I expected.  And yes, it's a real sword.  I was have expecting a moderate quality blade that was loose in the hilt and a sub par wrap on the handle.  I was surprised.  It is a nice blade, set sturdily into the handle and the wrap is nicely designed and comfortable to hold.  Again, well worth my search.

Now, the piece I'm not so sure of:

The look is right, but the material is iffy. It's a little ... thin.  Should breath easy though.

The only things left are the sash that goes around the waist and the paints.  Can't go without the pants, Alexandria told me so.

All in all, everything is coming together, so I'm very pleased with everything, and although I might not be at the weight I wanted to be, I think everything will be ok.

Well, Maybe Not

So, we didn't go to Lone Grove Days.  We had a sick little girl (Alexandria) that had strep throat.  She is better now, but it was so sad this weekend, she was a quiet girl, which is not like her at all, a sure sign that someone is really sick.  She is better now, but it's going to be interesting to see if she has spread it.  Victoria is complaining of a sore throat now, but she also knows that Alexandria got to get out of school because of hers. Children are smart creatures, albeit devious at the same time. Madison did have to come home from school Tuesday and see the doctor, but we aren't sure if it was the same thing since she had a lot of puke going on.

This weekend, I had a few cheat meals, but I made up for it with plenty of exercise.  Friday I came home to watch Alexandria and while she slept, I planted my starter plants into the big garden. Saturday I cleaned the garage almost to the point I had it after I redesigned it, and if you've ever cleaned a garage, you know that can be intense, especially trying to find small jobs for the girls to do at the same time. To top it off, Saturday and Sunday I expanded the garden, I did not build the permanent add on that I want, but a lot more potted vegetables. I thought I took a picture, but I didn't which means you'll have to hang in suspense.

Thursday and Sunday I rocked out some intense workouts, so I feel pretty good about that.  Sunday I worked out my legs, and I can still fell it. I'm continuing to lose inches like I had previously mentioned, which is awesome, except the fact that my pants are so loose, it causes my shirts to come untucked. I need to put another hole in my belt. If I do reach me goal weight, I will need to get a whole new wardrobe.  I'm not super excited about that like others would be.  Some changes I don't like.

The first hotel I booked for us to stay at while we were at the Renaissance Festival overbooked, and luckily I was about to get some rooms at the last hotel in town that had rooms, it's a nicer hotel so I guess it worked out.  We are all set on that front, and if I can lose a few more inches, I'll be happy with my appearance as the Man in Black.

Speaking of the Man in Black, all of my pieces for the costume are on their way, and soon I will be able to tell for sure if my work has paid off! I think I might be more excited to go than the girls this year.  Like I mentioned before, look out for updates both nights!

Until next time, dear reader.