Ben Said Owl Tonight

So saying a word is not that big of a deal. Ben has a few that he only says on occasion when he is prompted or bribed with something I am eating. He is not a real wordy guy.

Tonight after I put on his jamys he wanted to look at the Robin painting in his room. He usually points makes some random sound and they flashes the "bird" sign as in ASL signs.

Then he will usually want to look at the other bird collage poster we have in there of over 100 different bird heads in a neat layout. It is cool you should see it but then he will point to differentials birds and sometimes kiss them good night. Its cute.

Tonight was different when we went over the the collage, I am holding him at the level of the thing so he can see it. First thing he does is point at the Snowy Owl head and says "Owl". My jaw dropped, I am astonished, then he points to another owl, the Great Horn and says it again so I knew I wasn't hearing what I wanted to hear. It was really wonderful. A true Father Son moment. Then I call in Shawn and eLainey so he can point and say what he is pointing at. So it was very cool, he did it unprompted, I really haven't been working on it with him other than they were all birds rather than getting specie specific. The only think I can guess where he has been reinforced on owl is in a Wiggles DVD I just got from the Library. There is a Do the Owl song and it shows live action of a Barn Owl. Maybe? Dunno?

Recall of Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats

Ben used one of these for months.

Serious Head Injuries Prompt Recall of Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats - New Warnings and Instructions to Be Provided To Consumers:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Bumbo “Baby Sitter” Seats
Units: About 1 million
Manufacturer: Bumbo International, of South Africa
Hazard: If the seat is placed on a table, countertop, chair, or other elevated surface, young children can arch their backs, flip out of the Bumbo seat, and fall onto the floor, posing a risk of serious head injuries.
Incidents/Injuries: CPSC has received 28 reports of young children falling out of the Bumbo Baby Sitter seat, including three skull fractures, which occurred when children fell out of chairs that had been placed on tables.
Description: The bottom of the children’s seat is round and flat with a diameter of about 15 inches. It is constructed of a single piece of molded foam and comes in yellow, blue, purple, pink, aqua, and lime green. The seat has leg holes and seat back that wraps completely around the child. On the front of the seat in raised lettering is the word “Bumbo” with the image of an elephant on top. The bottom of the seat has the following words: “Manufactured by Bumbo South Africa Material: Polyurethane World Patent No. PCT: ZA/1999/00030.” The back of the seat contains the following “WARNING” – “Never use on a raised surface. Never use as a car seat or bath seat. Designed for floor level use only. Never leave your baby unattended as the seat is not designed to be totally restrictive and may not prevent release of your baby in the event of vigorous movement.”
Sold by: Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, USA Babies and various other toy and children’s stores nationwide, and various online sellers, from August 2003 through October 2007 for about $40.
Manufactured in: South Africa
Remedy: Consumers should never use the infant seat on a table, countertop, chair, or other elevated surface. Consumers can contact Bumbo to obtain new warning label stickers and instructions, free of charge. The new warning label will state: “WARNING – Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface.” Consumers should use the Bumbo seat at ground level, but should never leave a child unattended.
Consumer Contact: Contact Bumbo International at (877) 932-8626 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.bumbosafety.com/

ALCS Game 7 today

Nice game last night. Somewhat of a blowout by the 3rd after Sabathia and Perez were shelled out of the game but a win is a win. Grandslams in the 1st inning are always fun for opposing pitchers. The Sox are 3-3 at home for game 7s in the ALCS since 1985 says the webnet, that is hard to believe they have been that close to the pennant that many times since I was in college but whoa is the Red Sox fan. I guess it is right they have been to the WS 3 times since then.

Enough about baseball, except that we will be watching from the first pitch tonight. Last night me and the kids watched from Joe Bucks jr pregame blather. I timed the pizza delivery for 5:30ish so I could get Ben strapped to his seat in front of the game. Lainey is Lainey she just likes to watch ball with her Dad so she is never an issue.

Now being at home for the game was the trick. Shawn was at a wedding for the duration of the game and before. I was supposed to be as well but, early the morning after game 5 - Friday morning I started in with the "my throat feels scratchy, by friday night it was the dizzy snot nose bit where you stagger and bump into things, I had to see game 6 with the Schill pitching so I staggered into the basement stairwell head first and took one for the team. Cuts and bruises heal but a live game 6 in HD is a once in a life time.

Anyway enough about baseball, today we are going out to breakfast and then possibly to Costco at the open. The game starts at 5 PDT so there should be a nice window for a nap in the afternoon before we need to figure out what meal will be brought in for the main event.

Enjoy the vid.


Video: Little Red Sox Nation 2007

Someone stole my gasoline

There I was driving my VW bus the transit bus stop early one morning this week. It was still dark and my lights were on. When I start my bus I typically check all the lights because it is closing in on 40 years old, things break. The two lights you are looking at to turn off are the oil light and the generator light. So as most mornings they turned off being a reliable old bus of superior West German manufacture not your VWs of today that are made in Kentucky and go to the shop a lot. Back to the lights that are on the same console as the fuel gauge. I look up at the fuel needle and the thing is on the bottom of the R portion of the gauge. (means reserve, when it is at the bottom it means you are burning fuel in the fuel line as well as all the goop and slop in the bottom of the tank). So naturally being a VW mechanic and no stranger to analog devices I bang on the fuel gauge with my knuckle. The needle bounce a little so I bang on it with the bottom of my travel cup, it didn't do anything that time just stayed on R.

So I think to myself "great, I have never fixed a fuel gauge on this thing before." I knew I had a 1/2 tank the last time I drove so I figure I had a lot left and then I started to think well maybe it leaked out while it was parked on the street for a few days or maybe all the rain we are having somehow shorted a fuse. Probably the fuse, I would have smelled 8 gallons of gas on the pavement rain or no rain, gas stinks. As I wake up I seem to get smarter. There is a gas station near where I park so if I fill it a bit and the needle pops I know my fuel somehow left the tank on its own or with help. I start shooting gas in and the needle responds immediately. No leak in the tank because I gave it the match test while I was filling it. No explosion no leak.

The only way that fuel left the tank was out the filler hole with help because the bus had not been laying on its side or upside down for a long time. Some shitheel ripped it off with a 70's French technique. Using a syphon. I guess when crude hits $90 a barrel the 4 foot garden hoses come out at night. Now I have to booby trap the gas cap, I am thinking of a simple device that connects to the battery from the cap via a circuit with a transformer and a high voltage capacitor attached that can pool half a joule (= about 25,000 watts) to make you go #1 and #2 your pants and drool for 10-15 minutes in the street. Sort of like a Taser. I just can't forget to turn it off when I go to fill the tank.

Lainey Slept All Night - First Time In a Lifetime.

This is from Shawn's Cousin-VERY VERY entertaining and true. I can see his time on the east coast did him well

Dear all,

I would like to clarify that I am NOT, in fact, a cousin. This may be
obvious, for several reasons, but still...I just wanted to re-state so
I could voice my appreciation for being included on the email list.

I submit this story to you in the hopes that you may appreciate my
pain, and take pity on me for being the poor, overweight, unemployable
human being that I am. This story is pretty long, but what do you
expect, I have a lot of free time. I will also preface this story
with the statement that all parties involved were extremely nice and
wonderful people...even....Ferdinand. Also, I have changed the names
to protect the innocent.

Some background information:
1. For the past three months I have been looking for work in the
bustling economy of Moscow, Idaho. Despite my efforts, I have yet to
find any stable employment.
2. Because of background fact #1, I was forced to sign up on the
University of Idaho Temporary Employment List, meaning that I receive
calls about every two weeks with temporary jobs that include:
Temporary Desk-Sitter-Atter, Temporary Staple-Remover, Temporary
I-Have-No-Idea-What-I'm-Doing-Cause-I'm-A-Temp-Administrative-Assistant,
Etc.
3. I received a call about a position at the Center on Disability and
Human Development on a Thursday, and was to begin work on the
following Monday. The proceeding tale depicts the fatal events of
that what I have deemed to be my very own Black Monday...

I awoke that morning drenched in sweat, as I had just endured the
worst series of dreams ever. The one that finally caused me to give
up on sleep all together was a nightmare involving Phil Mikelson's
wife giving birth in a mud puddle then screaming about the Super 8
Motel. That's all I want to say about that, other than I doubt I can
ever watch the PGA in High Definition again.

The routine that morning was fairly typical: I dropped a vicious
growler, took a nice hot shower, played with my belly fat for a while,
then got dressed. I felt good...I felt confident. This was the day,
I had decided, that my unemployment would end. At least until they
filled the position permanently...but still...you know...small
victories... I packed a lunch, had some breakfast, and was ready to
go. Little did I know the hurricane that awaited me at the Center on
Disability and Human Development...

Melinda dropped me off, and I walked through the door. The main lobby
was fairly normal for a public place of business - if you consider
Cowboy-and-Indian wallpaper and a body collapsed on the floor normal.
Apparently everyone in the office did, because the corpse on the floor
was drawing little attention. I introduced myself to the other
Administrative Assistant, and then asked politely if I should call the
police in regards to the decaying body on the floor. She replied
calmly that no, there would be no need for that, and the corpse was
not a corpse...just Toby pretending to be dead to scare
me...HAHHAHAHAHA...what a splendid joke, Toby! Toby popped up and
said "TahDah!! Nice to meet you New Guy!" I told Toby hello. So
began the bonding of myself and Toby.

I then began my training session with a very nice young lady. This
wouldn't have been that weird, if she wasn't a cog, wasn't the
daughter of a lady who couldn't control the left side of her body (a
lady who also happened to be the VP of the Center), and if she wasn't
engaged to Ferdinand. Ferdinand, as you will learn, is not human but
rather pure evil reincarnated in Stephen Hawkin's likeness. That may
sound harsh, but you don't know Ferdinand like I do.

My tutor took me around, and I was introduced to everyone in the
office...all very nice people. Next was a full faculty meeting. I
was asked to stand up and say something about myself. I did, not
realizing that everyone was staring at me awkwardly. I dropped a
casual joke, people laughed...I laughed...it was lovely. I may as
well have been running for Mayor. Then I sat down and realized my
zipper had been down. No, not just down, down to my knees...and my
shirt tail was trying to escape like Kevin Owen trying to escape
sixteen Wazzu kids on a Saturday night. I thought I may just be able
to play it off...but oh no...FERDINAND decided to point it out to
everyone. At least that's apparently what he did...I couldn't
understand him cause when Ferdinand talks it sounds like a wooden
chair scraping on a linoleum floor. Again, I know you think harsh,
but again, you just don't understand the evil. Nonetheless, everyone
got a pleasant chuckle..."Oh, Ferdinand, his zipper WAS down! Aren't
you the funniest Funny Bear!" It was only 9:14.

After the meeting my tutoring session continued. I learned how to
remove staples. I learned where the colored paper was. I learned
that the elevator was out of order. I learned how to re-staple the
staples. Real technical stuff you all probably wouldn't understand.
Toby gave the occasional flyby. You see, Toby doesn't believe in
using his feet...so he walks around on his knees. But, he also
doesn't believe in walking on his knees, so he rolls around on his
office chair, at least when he's not on his Rascal. Yes..yes...I did
say his office chair. Toby is an employee. So is Ferdinand. So is
Reeves. And yes, they all were getting paid more than me...I know
that some of you work in Special Ed...but I dare you to work in a
Special Ed environment where the grass-eating-Cogs actually get paid
three dollars an hour MORE than you, and have the authority to tell
you what to do. I don't think I need to tell you how high my
self-confidence is at this point in my life...

Around 11:00, Reeves came in to collect the recycling and separate it
in the back of the building. This blows my mind, as Reeves has to be
carried by two Aides and constantly maintains a snot rope from each
nostril that carry all the way down to his teddy bear sweatshirt.
Still...Reeves makes $10.00 an hour...why wouldn't that be the case?
Reeves made his way to the back. Suddenly, an ambulance drove by
outside, and blared its horn as it cleared the intersection. Without
warning...Reeves screamed from the back of the building, threw the
recycling to the ground and came sprinting towards the front...snot
ropes trailing behind like racing stripes. To my dismay, I realized
he was coming right for me. I was terrified, and if I said otherwise
I would be lying. His steps pounded as he grew closer, and I came to
a crossroads on whether I should dive under the desk, or pick up my
chair and hurl it at the crazed Cog. Turns out my decision was made
for me, cause Reeves tripped on what I'm assuming was one of his snot
ropes and scorpioned his face headstrong into the wall next to my
cubicle. There was blood. There was mucus. And there was Reeves,
knocked out cold. I looked wildly from person to person, but the
Aides casually walked up, picked up Reeves and carried him out the
door. I was later informed that Reeves hates horns. Oh really?

For the next hour I printed autism pamphlets and fought evil, cynical
glares from Ferdinand. I could feel his hatred burning on the back of
my neck. Toby still made his passes by my cubicle, though most were
uninteresting until his final pass before lunch. He came by and said
"Hey new guy! Did you know there's coffee in the back?" This may not
sound like much to you, but if you saw the look in Toby's eyes, you
would know that this statement really meant "Hey, Big Dog, you and I
are soldiers of the Apocalypse, and I will ride or die with you until
the bitter end." I knew then, that Toby was my dog, and he would have
my back no matter how the afternoon ended up. I smiled back, and gave
Toby a look that said "I hear you Tobe. You're my mother effin
Soldier." Toby nodded. I took my lunch break.

The lunch break was nothing more than Melinda convincing me to finish
out the day. She reminded me that I was better than letting the Cogs
beat me, and that while I wasn't a Cog professional like Corey, I
could still hang. I said she was right, and thought of Toby. Toby
had my back...I could do this. Four more hours...

Things went fairly well until the Birthday Party. Reeves came back,
bloodied but not beaten, finished his recycling and pooped himself.
Toby rolled by occasionally, just letting me know he was still there.
One time he said, "New Guy, I have a secret stash of pens." It was
really code for "Into the fires of Hell, I will ride with you." I
nodded, and said "I know Toby, and I into the fires of Hell for you."
He just stared blankly at me for a minute or two and then rolled away.
Ferdinand gave me some data to enter...let me repeat that...FERDINAND
gave me some data to enter...and not only that, but it was hard data
to enter...it involved numbers AND letters...ooohh...that Ferdinand.
Still, I was in control of my emotions...things were going to be ok...

At 3:30 it was birthday time. I don't know who's birthday it
was...maybe Toby's, maybe Ferdinand's, maybe mine. It doesn't matter.
What matters was this: One of the secretaries brought in a birthday
cake, and Ferdinand sprung is cruel little trap. I didn't want a
piece, I want that to be clear. Why would I want a piece of
double-chocolate, raspberry and cookie dough ice cream cake with
vanilla cream cheese frosting? The thought is ridiculous, at best.
But I wasn't going to be rude and say No, so I took my three pieces
and began to eat. Then, completely unprovoked, Ferdinand piped up in
his chair-screeching talk. After he finished, everyone started to
laugh. And then everyone started to look at me and laugh. Then he
mooed something else, and people laughed harder. Then the comment:
"Turns out Ian does like to eat a lot!" Then screeching...then even
more laughter. And then it dawned on me...That son-of-a-jackal
Ferdinand was dropping fat jokes on me!

My confidence shattered, I spun in my chair and faced the
wall...trying to cover up the tears by stuffing my face with the cake.
I know I know...cake wasn't the answer...BUT IT MADE ME FEEL BETTER
SO LAY OFF ME! The laughter continued, and then it got very quiet
and very awkward, probably cause I was sobbing hysterically. Then,
like an angel from the gates of heaven came the most glorious voice I
have ever heard. It was Toby. Oh wonderful Toby! "I think the New
Guy looks good, Ferdinand" TOBY!! I almost kissed him, but I had to
play it cool. I wiped the tears from my eyes and turned around. I
saw Toby, standing over the cake. He looked at me and grinned, and I
nodded. Then he said something like "My farts smell like cheese!" and
plunged his face into the rest of the cake. The gesture may seem
small to you, but to me it said "I'll jump on this grenade for you, my
fellow brother under this sun. As long as I live and breathe, they
will not hurt you any more." I rose slowly from my chair, and pointed
at Toby. He rose slowly from the demolished cake, and pointed back.
Toby, my solder. Then I looked at Ferdinand, stuck my tongue out at
him. There may have been a "So there!" tossed out, I don't really
remember. There may have also been a "I could flip you out of your
wheel chair and then who would be laughing???" Things got sort of
gray and blurry at that point. It doesn't really matter. What
matters is Toby. And with that, I took my man-purse that I carry only
to look professional (there's nothing in it) and I went home.

This is a tale that has not been embellished or exaggerated in any
way. This was the truth, as I remember it. To this very day, Toby,
Reeves, and Ferdinand are all still gainfully employed, and being paid
more per hour than I have ever been paid per hour in my entire life.
Oh, the sways of justice...

Thank you, and I love you all,
Chongo

pissed at the Pumpkin Patch

pissed at the Pumpkin Patch
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

I stayed at home last Saturday and watched Lainey but mainly I watched baseball. Shawn brought Ben out to a Pumpkin Patch and met up with a bunch of the Peps group. The idea was that the kids would all be so excited about pumpkins that there would be some great photos of them kissing and hugging the pumpkins - this was not the case.

They really were into the tractors and mechanical elements found on a farm but not really into what was grown there. Shawn took some vid, I will try to get that on soapbox tomorrow or tonight. Stay tuned.



Video: Ben @ the Pumpkin Patch 2007

Welcome everyone to my party

Welcome everyone
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Finally offloaded the video from the camcoder of Ben's 2nd Birthday party. Thanks again for everyone coming over. It was really cool to see the huge turn out for Ben. Here is the video, it is not to long and I think I got everyone in it at some point.

Just a quick tip. If the video below has no Play button or picture showing up just hit your F5 key at the top of your keyboard to reload the page. I have been seeing this happen on my machines.



Video: Ben's 2nd Birthday Party